Things I've learned this week

The completion of the Flat Classroom project has had Julie and I meeting continually and working through things. There are some new things I've learned this week, but I don't have much time so it will be quick!Uhm, Facebook is like a monstrous rolodex. You'll find people you really might be missing and link up with others (like edubloggers.)The...

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Google Will Apply to Participate in FCC Spectrum Auction

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (November 30, 2007) – Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) announced today that it will apply to participate in the Federal Communications Commission’s upcoming auction of wireless spectrum in the 700 megahertz (MHz) band.As part of the nationally mandated transition to digital television, the 700 MHz spectrum auction – which begins January 24, 2008 – will free up spectrum airwaves for more efficient wireless Internet service...

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Google Announces Launch of Google Maps for Mobile With "My Location" Technology

AnnouncementNovember 28, 2007Google today announced the release of version 2.0 of Google Maps for mobile, its innovative and widely used mobile mapping and local search application. New in v2.0 is a beta version of Google’s "My Location" technology, which uses cell tower ID information to provide users with their approximate location, helping them determine where they are, what’s around them, and how to get there.Google is committed...

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Time to Vote in the Edublog Awards

It was exciting to see my friend Darren's post today about the announcing of the 2007 Edublog Awards. He had the honor of telling me that Cool Cat Teacher is a finalist for best teacher blog this year and that the Horizon Project is a finalist for best wiki! (I'm not sure why I didn't get an e-mail from Josie, but I sent a quick message thanking her and included a description of my blog.) It is also exciting that TechLearning...

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View a student made interactive video using Asterpix

I want to know how this student on Flat Classroom made this video. It has links within it and an interactive survey at the end.These students often make me say, hmmm How did they do that? I particularly like the puppetcast at the beginning, how they cite their sources of information (look for the little boxes that pop up), and the discussion between a person playing Google and Yahoo and the Google Pink video at the end. I feel...

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Google announces first open source contest for pre-university students

Announcement:November 28, 2007Who doesn’t love a contest? We certainly do. Google believes strongly in students having opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math, and today at the Open Source Developers’ Conference in Brisbane, Australia we’re pleased to announce the Google Highly Open Participation Contest to help introduce secondary school and high school students to open source software development.Students...

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Google’s Goal: Renewable Energy Cheaper than Coal

Creates renewable energy R&D group and supports breakthrough technologiesMountain View, Calif. (November 27, 2007) – Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) today announced a new strategic initiative to develop electricity from renewable energy sources that will be cheaper than electricity produced from coal. The newly created initiative, known as RE<C, will focus initially on advanced solar thermal power, wind power technologies, enhanced...

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Google to Present at the UBS Global Media & Communications Conference

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — November 27, 2007 – Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) announced today that Tim Armstrong, President, Advertising & Commerce, North America, and Nicholas Fox, Director, Business Product Management, will participate in a question-and-answer session at the UBS 35th Annual Global Media & Communications Conference in New York. The session is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time / 6:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Tuesday,...

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Google Checkout announces holiday promotions and special offers

AnnouncementNovember 26, 2007Google and its partners are working to make the holidays even merrier by helping shoppers save time and money, stay organized, and give to those in need. Millions have already discovered that Google Checkout makes online shopping faster, more convenient, and more secure by enabling them to shop at tens of thousands of stores across the web using their single Google login. Starting today, these Google...

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Ten Cool Present Ideas for your Teacher

I've been shopping today and yesterday and have found some things I think would be good for teachers.I'm using the link on my amazon associate account below (so if you buy any of the linked items I get a little money to afford Christmas! Thanks! I hope this helps!. ;-)1 - I Love You Toast Stamper$2.99 at AmazonThis is great for the teacher...

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Free Twitter tutorial on Viddler

I came across this neat video on Viddler by Goldie. I do like the viddler format in that it allows others to comment on the video and add remarks and clarifications (you'll see them pop up as you watch the tutoria...

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Giving an educational face to facebook

I've had on my list for some to explore facebook and am spending my R&D time this vacation on Facebook. (And time is almost up.)(By the way, I think that all people committed to innovation should take some time for R&D- research and development, each week and preferably each day. My R&D time is when I get my light bulb moments. But, set the timer, it could suck you in!)I'm coolcatteacher over there. But I must...

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Half a World Away and Still You're Near Me

The following video is from a student assigned to explain Thomas Friedman's first trend "Connecting the World Online" using the concept of "Play" (we called it the Fun Factor) from Dan Pink's book A Whole New Mind. (I'm going to use this video to introduce the terminology of Web 2.0 with my younger students!)It is amazing how well this video DOES teach, but the kids had so much fun (as you can tell.) This video was created in...

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Update on Moray and a Commentary on Connections

On November 1st, I blogged about Moray in South Africa who needed to connect with some people who could help her!Well, my good friend Karyn Romeis (from the UK) had some contacts and this is the message I received today from Moray. (With names taken out.)Dear VickiThank you so much for helping me out. I have been put in touch with **name removed** who lives in Pietermaritzburg, about an hour’s drive from Durban, where I live....

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Flat Classroom Videos are coming in!

I'm enjoying watching some of the flat classroom videos that are coming in today. We still have some students frantically working to meet the "lockdown" date of tomorrow (before judging begins).Here's a glimpse of what you'll see:For the videos that are on youtube, I've created a playlist that I'll be adding those videos to. I'll also be posting to my delicious account as well.Flat Classroom PlaylistThis project is challenging...

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Motivational Monday: This Turkey will Survive!

I play the song "I will survive" while paying bills or tackling any task that seems daunting or unpleasant to me, so this song was incredibly fun...

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Tips on windows Vista from Brent Williams

Brent WilliamsI didn't get here early to ask permission to ustream. I'm sorry b/c this is a great one, however, ethically I don't advocate ustreaming w/out permission.This is a session about the tips and tricks for getting the most out of Windows Vista.Cool Folder OptionsThat is under Folder Options in the control Panel.Folder Options views -- tell it to show the hidden stuff.If on the same list, you can go down on the advanced...

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Live Blogging Educating for a Flattening World with Alan Preis

Educating for a flattening world presentation (I will embed the presentation from my ustream later,but you may go over there and view it now.)Alan Preis, Atlanta International SchoolHe showed the Did You Know 2 video. From audience response, many people have still not seen it. (Man version 2 of this video is really high quality!! Wow!I like that, we are living in exponential times. 1 out of 8 couples married in the US met online.I...

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Join Flat Classroom presentations starting now!

Twitter seems to be down (again.) In its absence, if you're online and would like to attend either of these sessions, join me at my ustream. (All times in EST.)8:30 am - 9:30 am - Educating in a Flattening World - Alan PreissGoogle Pres - http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=ddqc6jmd_61dr2p6q9:45 am - 10:45 am - My Seatmate Lives in China (remix)Google Pres and links are at my WikiI have the google presentation and links to the slideshare...

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Twittero, Twittero wherefore art thou twittero

Just got drug into a skype with 50 of my "closest" friends. Twitter is literally totally down. This is what I penned (pulled a lot from my friend Shakespeare!):Twittero, Twittero, wherefore art thou twittero? Deny thy server and refuse to crash; or if thou wilt not, be but sworn to never crash again, and I'll no longer blog.Tis but thy server that is my enemy Thou art thyself, not a selfish crashing fiend. What's a Twittero?...

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Some practical recommendations on teens and social networking: based on some good primary research

Terry Freedman has written an important article over at Tech Learning. summarizing some extensive work he has done trying to understand teens and social networks. (Oh, and the Tech learning rSS feed is fixed, subscribe here.)Here are his conclusions that bear repeating. These conclusions line up with the anecdotal evidence I observe daily in my own classroom:"These arise from my own survey and other sources. Teens are not as...

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Meet my students live on Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Tomorrow my students will be presenting at the GAETC conference in Atlanta where they will be working on their Flat Classroom project videos LIVE. If you're there at the conference, stop by.If you're not there, you can be there anyway, I'm going to ustream so watch my twitter and I'll let you know when we go live!I'll also be teaching a class on wikis from 9am -12pm EST on Thursday, November 15 and plan to ustream and google...

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Beth Kanter -- Taking Blogging to Cambodia on Wow2 tonight

I'm so excited about Beth Kanter being on Wow2 tonight! It is going to be a treat. Beth is not only an expert at Web 2.0 nonprofit fundraising on the Internet (we'll talk about that too) but recently returned from a trip to Cambodia to teach 18-24 year olds how to blog in order to give them a voice.Wow! It is almost like teaching someone how to speak. Beth is what I call "a crossroads blogger" -- she is a person that knows...

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Postini Introduces New Email Content Policy Management Features

Email Administrators Can Now Manage Email Compliance Policies Easily with Sophisticated Content Analysis and Policy Administration ToolsSAN CARLOS, Calif. (November 13, 2007) – Postini, a global leader in on-demand communications security and compliance solutions today announced new content policy management capabilities to its Email Security service, including protection for social security and credit card numbers. At no additional...

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