my brain has gone to plaid…

5 03 2007

There are no speed limits on the road to excellence.
- David W. Johnson

I threw out a Spaceballs reference the other day (ludicrious speed) while talking with Chris and couldn’t resist the opportunity to do it agiain. It does feel like we are moving at a speed never before realized, especially today. I had an idea of what i wanted to write here today on my way in, then i see all the new posts on my netvibes site (essentially my blogroll). After i read them and i have more to say then i can possibly write. Here’s one thought; the vast majority are being banked for future reference.

the thinking stick - again i think you are bang on. Jeff Dungan, myself and the entire CMS technology team are working tirelessly to develop the trust you speak to; its coming. I see the role of CMS tech facilitators as motivators who continue to push our collegues to the possibilities of technology. We need to continue to push, sometimes hard, confident in the product we are selling.
We are winning over teachers in all sections of the school and i agree one hundred percent that getting the good news out is what we need to do. We publish everything we can in student showrooms, and i really do feel the wind beginning to shift.
Like Jeff U. and Justin I believe vehemently that the best thing for education is for me to become unemployed; when my position becomes obsolete and technology is inherently integrated in everything done then i can return to my true calling, Mexican wrestling.

Tools.
I have found and used some tools that have been really great up here in the lab and wanted to share a couple with you in case you are looking:

1. Wink - debug mode
  This tool is incredible. Last year’s high school facilitator had students create a word document at the end of each rotation. These documents included screen captures outlining the new skill they learned or problem they overcame. These were saved for future reference. I loved this cognitive reflection. This year we have upped the ante a little by having students create flash videos of exactly how they overcame problems during a rotation. Students love it and the end result is better and more useable then a huge database of word documents.
  Limitation: files are HUGE.
2. Audacity - SourceForge
  Audacity is a free, easy-to-use audio editor and recorder for Windows, Mac OS X, GNU/Linux, and other operating systems.
  I have to be honest here they had me at free. Students who out grow Audacity’s capabilities can move to another piece of software but for basic (and lab-wide) sound recording and editing it works wonderfully.
3. Videora ipod Converter
  Nothing makes me happier as a teacher then when students want to take their work out and share it. It is one thing for us to be proud of what they have done but when they are that proud of it…now that ’s the good stuff.
  When what they have created is a great video and they want it on their ipod, this tool will help you-help them get it there.
4. MP4Cam2AVI - SourceForge
  A teacher came to me with a year’s worth of QuickTime videos that he couldn’t compile in WindowsMovieMaker. This tool helped him convert the files.
5. STOIK Video Converter
  In case you want to go the other way.