Thanks for the kind words those of you who attended my CUE 2010 presentation on Open Source Animation. Attached, you will find a .ZIP file containing my first nine assignments in PDF format. These assignments use Pencil and Pivot (Stykz) about half the time and Adobe Flash CS4 the other half. Fell free to repurpose these and make these your own.
No warranty expressed or implied. Use at your own risk. Driver does not carry cash 
Attached is my updated presentation for the CUE Conference. I will be presenting Thursday March 5th, 2009, from 2:00pm to 3:00pm. Info on my “bonus session” can be found HERE about 2/3 of the way down the page.
Wiimote Whiteboard Presentation
From the CUE Conference Catalog:
How to Build an Interactive Whiteboard for Under $100
Dan Eliot 2046
A do-it-yourself project to create an interactive whiteboard system using an existing LCD projector, Nintendo Wiimote, and an IR LED pen.
Intermediate, Experienced, Not grade-level specific
Multi, TL, IN, IT Andreas Wyndham Hotel
I’ve always been disappointed by how much software companies charge education. Sometimes, you find great software at a reasonable price, but other times you don’t. One area that comes to mind here is in the area of Interactive Whiteboards. Leading companies like SmartBoard and Promethean charge thousands of dollars for a single installation. So it was with great joy that I found MIT doctoral student Johnny Chung Lee’s Wiimote Whiteboard. Basically, Johnny shows how any LCD projector with a screen can be turned into an Interactive Whiteboard with an IR LED light pen and a Nintendo Wii Remote Control. So $100 or less can create a complete interactive system instead of $3,000. Lee started his Wiimote “mini-revolution” with this famous YouTube video. A great use of off the shelf technology to solve a larger problem. More on this topic soon after I finish a Wiimote Whiteboard setup for my MacBook!
Educational Technology has always been a mixed bag. From old equipment, to lack of training, to lack of time to implement change, public schools have always had it tough. Recently on techlearning.com, a great article was posted which clearly discusses how to perform Staff Development the smart way. A great read which hits all of the important points. Thanks to Nori Murphy for pointing out this article. It can be found HERE.
A great summary from the article:
Technology-based professional development activities should be anchored with the following fundamental principles:
- Participants learn by doing.
- Activities are relevant to the participants’ educational roles.
- Leaders model appropriate instructional strategies.
- Schedules include time for reflection and collaboration.
- Leaders and other participants provide ongoing support.
One of the great podcasts available on “The Interweb” is Radiolab. For me, RadioLab is a great mix of science, technology, and philosophy. A recent favorite is the episode on Emergence which discusses how, for example, individual ants or brain cells can do little on their own and have little power, but when grouped together they can do amazing things. Emergence, I believe, helps explain the real power behind social networking sites such as Google, MySpace and Facebook. Google is a social networking site you say? Well think about it, a web site’s Google search placement is based (mostly) on how many other sites are linked to it, often known as “Google Juice“. So the power if many “weak” links results in a site being popular within Google.
I will be presenting at the CUE “Digital Natives / Digital Immigrants” Conference in Monterey on Saturday, December 1st, 2007. You can find a copy of my PowerPoint presentation here converted to PDF format:
Well, the Hundred Dollar Laptop actually came in at $189.00 (and dropping), but it’s still pretty amazing and revolutionary in it’s own way. David Pogue of the New York Times has a wonderful overview of the laptop that can be watched below or by clicking HERE. In November, US residents can participate in a “give one, get one” program. If you pay $400, you get your own “XO” laptop AND purchase one to be given away in another country. Very cool idea, and it’s a tax deduction.
The internet is a wonderful place. Unlimited information, comparison shopping, and a bounty of wonder to share with students. However, it’s also a breeding ground for bad information and “conspiracy theories“. By way of example, read all about how the Hummer SUV is more environmentally friendly than the Toyta Prius. A tantalizing idea isn’t it, and the author seemingly has “facts” to back up this counterintuitive argument. However, close examination, evidence to the contrary, and logic shows that this argument is completely false. In this day and age of instant information, how can we guide students to avoid conspiracy theories and instead believe facts? After all, wild theories are fun aren’t they?
One of the trends in education has always been expecting teachers to do more with less. As time goes on, teachers are expected to join more committees, teach more and higher standards, and be trained in more and more areas outside the core duty of teaching kids. Now comes a proposal by the state of Nevada wherein teachers would carry concealed weapons and become “reserve school police officers”. While I’m sure the lawmakers see this as an attempt to solve the security problem on campus, what it really does is draw teachers further and further away from their core duty of educating kids. A favorite quote:
“Teachers get into education to teach, not to be cops,” Trump said. “Teachers are already overwhelmed with all of the academic, behavioral and administrative tasks they have to perform. To say you’re going to add a whole other role and mind-set is unrealistic.”
