Why change is needed with Educational Technology

Linked below are 3 excellent videos from youtube talking about why change is needed in regards to educational technology.

The first video is called "Did you know"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHWTLA8WecI

The second video is called "Connected Classroom"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vC928e629iM

The third video is called "Web 2.0 The Machine is US/ing US"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gmP4nk0EOE

After viewing the videos I hope you share the same understanding as me in the importance of technology in the classroom.

Educational Open Source Software Programs

Educational Open Source Software

Listed below are some possible open source software applications for Southern and they are all Free.

1. Firefox – Very stable Internet Browser similar to Internet Explorer - http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/
2. Open Office – Same as Microsoft Office - http://www.openoffice.org/
3. Moodle – Course management software for possible online courses - http://moodle.org/
4. Scribus –Desktop Publish Software http://www.scribus.net/
5. Picasa – Photo editing program - http://picasa.google.com/features/index.html
6. GIMP – Photo editing program - http://www.gimp.org/
7. CMap Tools – Concept –Mapping Tools - http://cmap.ihmc.us/
8. Nvu – Web Page Editor - http://www.nvu.com/index.php

There are many more, just do a Google search on open source and you will find a wealth of information. Also check out http://www.schoolforge.net/ to learn more.

I look forward to talking about the educational benefits of open source with you.

Looking ahead to the 2007-2008 School Year for Technology

As we begin to plan for the 2007-2008 school year a couple of areas I would like you to begin to familiarize yourself with are the areas of Web 2.0 applications and Open Source Software. If you are not familiar with these terms please take a look at their definitions at the following web sites:
Web 2.0

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0

Open Source Software

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_source

And yes the wikipedia sites you visit are an example of Web 2.0 applications. Also the blog you are reading right now is another example of a Web 2.0 application.

The main reason I'm taking a good long look at these applications is the fact that they are all free. From an educational view in our district I'm thinking this might be the way to go at SCA.

Please read and let me know your opinions. I will have more positing coming later.

New Email at SCA

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Podcasts Application Activity

WOW – The amazing podcasts

Where do I start about these podcasts? This technology is really amazing and it allows the user to listen to shows they usually are unable to listen to in their busy schedule. A couple of items that surprised me were the amount of advertisements that were on the podcasts and the quick speed I was able to download the podcasts.

Here is my list of podcasts I have subscribed to:

1. Slashdot Review – This podcasts is a great way of keeping up to date on what is going on in the world of technology. It keeps me current on what I can’t get time to read.

2. Podcast for Teachers – A great review that comes from Fordham University where Dr. Kathy King and Mark Gura discuss and debate the what is going on in the world of Educational Technology.

3. Photoshop TV – This one is actually a video podcast. This podcast is run like a news show that highlights and give tips on how to use Photoshop. I plan on passing this onto my Multimedia teacher who teaches Photoshop.

4. One Minute Tip – This is a collection of one minute tips on commonly used features we used everyday in our technology worlds. I found out a lot of information on Google from this podcast.

5. Educational Technology – The Doyle Report – Denis Doyle and David Deschryver report on and give their opinions on the latest news and happenings of the technology world.

6. ESPN: PTI – One of my favorite shows that I just don’t get a chance to watch and now I can listen to the show anytime I want. The show has Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon debating current topics in sports.

Brian's Audioblogger Comments on Podcasting