Overlake
Technology

Green Technology  - Chris Berry and Sue Haviland (along with Tom and Rennie) have lots of ideas for lowering your tech carbon footprint both at home and at school.   Do you have questions about old tech hardware at home?  Have you heard of those programs that will buy back your old iPods and cameras and wonder if they are too good to be true?

• Use less paper in your classroom
• Mark and grade papers online without printing them out!
• Prolong hardware life – what upgrades are best?
• Disposal – buyback programs, recycling old monitors and other hardware
• Power consumption: vampire power, power strips, Kill-A-Watt
• Batteries – care and handling, prolonging life, disposal
• Time for Q & A.

Bring your lunch and learn something new!

This month several teachers from various departments are testing a digital markup system that gives faculty the ability to edit and comment on papers completely online.   The system works much like tracking changes in a word processing program but allows for more targeted feedback/grading and simplifies the collection and returning process.

Why we like it so far:

• Completely paperless,
• Students get a submission receipt so there is no doubt about when it was turned in,
• Faster turnaround (students can get papers back before their next class meeting),
• Potential for better feedback,
• Archives student work indefinitely (much like a digital portfolio),

Our trial of the system will end in a few weeks but so far the feedback has been very positive.  It would be great to actually realize a semi-paperless classroom.

This year the PNAIS 2010 Librarians Conference will be held at Annie Wright School in Tacoma, WA on March 5, 2010. I was asked by the committee to develop a presentation.  Below is session description.

The New Attention Economy: Implications for Libraries of the Future

We often hear that we live in an Information Economy, one where vast amounts of information are at our fingertips. While true, this wealth of information has had an unfortunate victim, our attention. This session is focused on understanding the implications of the Attention Economy based on the groundbreaking work of Lankshear & Knobel (2001).   At the heart of the discussion is the acknowledgment of the tension between the traditional notions of literacy and emerging digital literacies. You will learn about ways libraries can reshape practices and definitions to build on students’ technology experiences so they can more effectively participate in the new attention economy.

The construction is coming along. Here are a few updates…

Wall framing and carpentry:
Insulation has been installed in many classrooms and gypsum wallboard is continuing to be installed at the lower floor. There is a (fuzzy) photo of a classroom that shows the insulation installed. It is a recycled jean material insulation – so that is why it is dark color instead of white or yellow.

Windows:
The large storefront window system (larger areas of glass) have been installed (frames) and the glass installation is continuing.

Elecrical and Plumbing and Mechanical:
The mechanical duct-work is being installed on all floors. The electrical work is continuing throughout.

Painting is starting on the lower floor next week. Ceiling grid installation is ongoing.

Next week several members of TALL are going to see author Daniel Pink: What Really Motivates Us.  His new book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us is related to several themes we have been discussing as part of our group.

More details and link below.

http://www.townhallseattle.org/calendar.cfm
(scroll down to Jan 11th)

Monday, January 11, 2010, 7:30 – 9pm
Downstairs at Town Hall; enter on Seneca Street.
There’s probably something to that old carrot-on-a-stick motivational tool—if you’re trying to motivate a horse. But for us bipeds, says bestselling author Daniel Pink, the true secret to high performance and satisfaction lies in deeply and uniquely human needs: to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world. Pink, author of Free Agent Nation and A Whole New Mind, as well as his latest Drive, exposes the mismatch between what science knows and the innovative motivational approaches businesses use, and how that affects every aspect of our lives. Presented by Town Hall with University Book Store.

Over the last few weeks I have been seeing more and more articles that focus on the use of TPACK as a model for professional development. In a nutshell, Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) attempts to articulate the interplay between three knowledge areas that are necessary to effectively integrate technology in their curriculum.

At the core of the TPACK framework are three areas of knowledge: Content (CK), Pedagogy (PK), and Technology (TK). Where all three areas intersect is Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK). This model, in its current form, is the brain child of Mishra & Koehler, 2006 at Michigan State University.

As one author argued,
“True technology integration is understanding and negotiating the relationships between these three components of knowledge. A teacher capable of negotiating these relationships represents a form of expertise different from, and greater than, the knowledge of a disciplinary expert (say a mathematician or a historian), a technology expert (a computer scientist) and a pedagogical expert (an experienced educator). Effective technology integration for pedagogy around specific subject matter requires developing sensitivity to the dynamic, [transactional] relationship between all three components.”

Undoubtedly, TPACK can serve as a useful framework for helping teachers bridge the gap to effective technology integration.

Over the weekend we upgraded OwlNet. The new site features an updated look and new server software. Over the next few weeks we will let you know about all the new features. We hope you like it.

The National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT)
just announced their Award for Aspirations in Computing, sponsored by Bank
of America. This national award is for high school girls. Online
self-nominations and supporting documentation must be submitted on or
before December 1, 2008.

The site is: http://www.ncwit.org/award

Tuesday, Oct. 27
MS Lunch 11:30 – 12:00 in Dot’s Classroom (Humanities 101)
US Lunch 12:25 – 12:55 in Greg’s classroom (Humanities 204)

Online Tools for Teachers
Learn about some great resources for enhancing your curricula and making your job easier.

• Discovery Education (educational video resources)
• Atomic Learning (software training)
• Turn It In.com (plagiarism prevention)
• Soundz Abound (royalty free music)
• Plus more!

Bring your lunch and learn something new!

Coming soon: Excel 2007 – Sort and filter your data. Find averages, sums, and counts in just a few clicks.

Don’t miss Monday’s Parent Seminar in Disco Hall (Oct. 26 at 7pm) on Facebook/Digital Social Networking & Your Kids (texting, online chats, and more)! See details below…

Who: Lisa Christian, Rob Lamb, and Tom Frizelle
When/where: October 26, 2009, @ 7pm in Discovery Hall
What: Facebook 101: Do You Know What Your Kids Are Doing Online? Cause I Do. An active Overlake parent and entrepreneur (formerly at Microsoft), Lisa Christian has learned first-hand how to decode digital relationships. She will lead a vital forum on the ins and outs of new social media and the practical ways parents can harness them to better relate to their kids.