Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Wednesday Web of the Week: 5 Microsoft Sites Every Educator should know about

Microsoft has some exceptional resources for teachers and educators.  A fact that often goes unnoticed or unremembered. So here they are in no particular order:

Ok, let the playtime begin!

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Dear Steve Jobs of Apple Computers, Inc.

Dear Steve Jobs,

It's been awhile since we last chatted but I wanted to give you a list of things I would like fixed. My iPad is broken. I am sure this was unintentional but I would appreciate it if you could please fix the following things:
  1. My iPad doesn't sync files properly. Please check with Bill Gates, he has been doing this right for a long time with WindowsMobile devices. Just for starters, there should be a sync folder on my computer and on my iPad and the files should sync.
  2. I can't connect my iPad to other bluetooth devices. It isn't locating other bluetooth devices when I try to send the files (see above) to other devices and receive them. Again, chat with Bill on this.
  3. My VGA adapter cable is broken. It only projects videos, Keynote Presentations and a few other selected items. Please make sure it will mirror my screen to the projector, screen, or TV. Please add a button so the iPad can toggle from mirrored to projecting for Keynote, videos etc.
  4. This is more of a software glitch than a problem. For some reason, iBooks is not showing up in my iTunes software. Also because the sync folders aren't showing I can't load eBooks from others sources properly
  5. Which brings me to another thing. Is it really iTunes anymore? Isn't it iSync? or MobileSync? It's not just tunes and there is some more stuff going on.
  6. Also, iTunes is still using Genres to organize my music. I would like you to change that to tags. After all music can be Romantic and Hip-Hop
  7. My camera's aren't functioning properly. I can't seem to do face to face chat with my iPad and I can't shoot HD video. Since iMove for the iPad is being marketed I know this must have been an oversight.
  8. When I connect a USB flash drive to the USB adapter kit it won't let me move files onto my iPad, please refer to #1 above.
  9. For some reason the following Apple Apps aren't visible on my home screen: Calculator, Stocks, Weather, Voice Memo, and Clock.
  10. There is also a slight problem with the size. Mine seems just slightly bigger than I was expecting. Below I have included the size it should be (it's the middle size):

Otherwise, my iPad is working fine. I love it and use it everyday. Thanks for the great work

An interested educator,
Mitchell B. Jorgensen

#ISTE2010 #ISTE10: Day 3 Monday

Today was a lot of fun. I got to a couple of good sessions and enjoyed what I learned. The highlight of the day though had to be helping my colleagues present on Google. We did a presentation highlighting a few of the best tools available from Google. But we hardly got to the best ones. Google is a rich toolbox of resources that allow teachers to really enhance what they do in the classroom. So my tech tip for today is 3 steps:

  1. create a Google account. All you have to do is click on the Sign In link at http:\\www.google.com

  2. click on the more link on http:\\www.google.com and choose 'even more'

  3. try some stuff

Tuesday Tech Tip: 12 tips for creating better presentations

Looking for ways to spice up your PowerPoint?

We at UEN have talked about the 7 Deadly Sins of PowerPoint for years.  There is lots of advice all over the web and in books and around the water cooler about how to make a PowerPoint better, but sometimes it's good to listen to the experts.  Microsoft Sponsors a site entitled "At Work"

Check out the entry on how to improve your Presentations skills: http://www.microsoft.com/atwork/skills/presentations.aspx

Monday, June 28, 2010

1st session: engaging young scientists

Sitting in on my first ISTE session. It's a mode, classroom lesson about using tools to learn science and to study science. It gives me a good idea for a session for next year. I think I would like to present at next year's conference. A science lesson seems right up my alley.

So far they are referring to proscopes, iPods and checking out iPods to students.

I am noticing that these folks are good and it's shooing up to be a good session but I ask myself: Why do educator's talk about hands on activities. We so often go too fast. We have an hour in this session and what we really need is three. We should all participate as students, then have time to explore what these educator's have already done. Finally, we should be able to discuss wi each other ways to extend adapt and enhance this. Their wiki, I should be able to add resources that I have or know of that wil help. We Asa educator's are still to intent on dispensing what we have and not nearly enough on working together to create.

Anyway good session and powerful activities for the learners.

Check out their stuff at http://finchfalcons.wikispaces.com/

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Wednesday Web of the Week: Open Library

Web Address: http://openlibrary.org/


No, it's not a new magic password, although it would be nice to have one that opened the library.  There are other online tools that allow us to work with books, but for those who really love tracking and managing the books in the world, or maybe you just like contributing.  Open Library lets you become the Librarian.  Tools allow you top edit book information, editions, and even cover art.  All with the goal of making more information about books available.  So, whether you are looking for information on all existing editions of Moby Dick, or just want to make a little contribution to the world of knowledge, Open Library can be a resource.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Tech Tip Tuesday: What should I buy?

When out training educators, I often get a question?  What ______ should I buy? You can fill in the blank with the electronic hardware of your choice: digital camera, mp3 player, iPod, document camera, laptop, GPS device, electronic book reader.  Whichever device people are  looking for, they want advice.  They want to know how to pick one out of the crowd that clamor for their attention. Here's some quick principles about buying electronics.

Pick a brand:


Sometimes it helps to narrow things down by picking a brand.  If your workplace already uses a specific brand, talk to the folks who made that decision and ask them why.  It often makes a lot of sense to choose the same brand especially, if compatibility is important.  Otherwise, do some research on brand satisfaction and find out which brand has a reputation for the factors or features most important to you.  By narrowing things down to a specific brand you can often eliminate lots of choices.

Pick a price:


When shopping for electronics there is usually a wide range of pricing.  Know your budget before you start.  A couple of quick online searches should let you know the range you can expect.  When deciding on a budget, pick a price in the middle.  Choosing the lowest priced model may not always be the cheapest.  Lower costs can be associated with less features, support and lower quality workmanship and materials.  Alternatively, highest priced may not mean best, sometimes it just means a particular model is over priced.

Buy the most:


Sometimes people will tell you to pick the features, memory, size, speed, etc. etc., you need and just buy that, but the problem is sometimes we just don't know.  Often we are overbuying anyway, simply because we don't know how our needs will change in the future.  Also, sometimes we don't know what all those numbers mean.  What are megapixels anyway?  Ram? Gigs? Clock speed? Hard Drive RPM?  Well, when it comes to the numbers here's some advice, more is better.  If you aren't sure what all the numbers mean, then pick a price (see above) and then just buy the biggest numbers you can get in your price range.  Related to this is advice to buy the biggest and best you can afford.  This sometimes doesn't work, which is why at the local youth soccer games, you sometimes see 10 people toting around huge Digital SLR Cameras and multiple lenses.  We can often afford much more  than we need, but usually, buying the most you can afford means that you will have enough capacity to carry you through the immediate future.

So go ahead, jump right in, pick a brand, or pick a price, and then buy the most.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Wednesday Web of the Week: What You ought to know!

Ok, so this is a cheat.  We already talked about this site, and this isn't really a whole website, but from the interwebs this week you really need to see this.



See the full site with lots of great videos at: http://whatyououghttoknow.blip.tv/

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Wednesday Web of the Week: Timelines

There have been 2 for 1 sales here on the Teaching  Strategies blog, but this week it's a 10 for 1 sale.  Tech and Learning posted a great list of 10 sites for creating Timelines.  Rather than list them all here's just one link for all 10: http://www.techlearning.com/blogs_ektid30300.aspx

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Tech Tip Tuesday: Get more from your Whiteboard

Interactive Whiteboards, Smart® Boards or just using a projector and screen in our rooms requires some adjustments to the way we teach.  Being able to use the current tools for teaching is an important part of being an effective classroom teacher.  Tech and Learning recently published their own Blog post about how to use Whiteboards more effectively.

Check it out: http://www.techlearning.com/blogs_ektid30092.aspx

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Wednesday Web of the Week: UEN Smart Tools-Activities

Web Address: http://www.uen.org/activities/


The Utah Education Network has a whole suite of Smart Tools.  One of those tools is the www.Activities editor.  This tool allows you to quickly create a list of links and relevant questions.  You can even set it to expire and become unavailable after a specific date.

Learn more about how to create your own Activity at: http://www.uen.org/tutorial/activities/activities.shtml

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Tech Tip Tuesday: Get a Mobile Translator

There are so many devices that are easily portable nowadays, and so many of them can access the web.  Having a mobile translator is nothing more than having your web enabled mobile phone.  One of my very favorite translation tools is www.google.com/translate but even better in many ways is the mobile version of the site.  If you visit the Google Translate on a mobile device you will see their mobile optimized version. It lets you quickly enter a word or phrase and automatically detects the native language and returns a translation.  It also keeps a running list of the terms you have translated, making it a great way to see a list of vocabulary.

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Use this in the classroom on the iPod touch, and you have a world of culture at your fingertips.

mobile site: http://translate.google.com/m

Welcome to Jorgie Learning

I really am learning and this blog is maintained both as a record of some of what I am doing as well as a place for me to train and teach others about creating an online presence. So please don't mind the dust. We aren't remodeling we are learning!

Visit some of my other blogs or the other blogs I find mildly entertaining for a more polished feel.

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