The laptop initiative implemented by Joe Poletti is right on target with the 21st century technology learning. Laptops provide an individual the mobility that is needed to stay a life-long learner. With a laptop in a wireless environment one has the ability to stay connected to the internet, email, and file servers everywhere they go. Having the capability to be mobile enables educators to have access to their gradebooks, lesson plans, websites, staff development and other educational tools right at their finger tips. A laptop is like having your filing cabinet, planning book, lesson plans, calendar, rolodex, etc. everywhere you go. Having access to technology at your fingers also enables an individual to grow in technology competence. The laptop given to me at NMS is the newest piece of technology in our school. It is actually the only DVD burner we have. This laptop is able to run applications for making movies, picture shows, podcasting and other advanced technological applications. Each morning at NMS we start our day off with a morning news show, EagleVision, through the use of the laptop and the skills I learned through our Web 2.0 workshops, I am able to record the audio sound and post the file as a podcast on our schools webpage. Click here to listen to visit our school webpage and click on the link EagleVision Broadcast.
Laptop Use at Newport Middle School
May 29, 2007 by bballouHello world!
March 13, 2007 by bballouWOW!!!! What a day!!!!!
All of this new technology is just great. I am so excited. The gadget session this morning offered a lot of little tips to make life a little easier. Some of the things we learned this morning were:
- For all your font needs www.fontreserve.com and www.myfont.com
- Lexar Professional and San Disk Extreme III are the faster memory cards for digital cameras
- Everbody needs a card reader. Lexar has a good one that reads universal cards
- Virtual keyboard at www.virtual-laser-keyboard.com
- Slingbox Gadget enables you to watch tv over the internet
- www.smugmug.com Great place to store pictures on line. This website enables the viewer to view the pictures in different sizes.
- Ion ITTUSB turntable enables you to take your albums and convert them to mp3s.
- For all the bag addicts www.timbuk2.com and www.slingbag.com
Also the portfolio with sharepoint session was a great workshop. We currently have kids save a collection of their projects, assignments etc. on CD, this digital portfolio is a great alternative and an excellent use of technology. Something to think about……..
Remember what Will Richardson says “Learning is a process not an event”
So good night all you life long learners remember tomorrow is another day………………….