Blackboard Notes

I've realized I provided a gaping hole in the post line from last month.  It is because I have been working furiously on my APP for my Ed Tech degree.  I'm told I need to have four (not 4) chapters and keep revising them until they're sound, proper, formal academic writing. As a math teacher, this is an incredibly daunting task.  I remember getting a C+ on a paper for mouse trap specs when I took a technical writing class in engineering school.  Yes, I realize the importance of objectivity, logical flow, and proper citation (and diagramming if you're in engineering), but to me this isn't something that a 13-18 year old would spend 5 seconds (yes 5, not five) on.  To look beyond this though are the teachers who would understand my formal writing, reconfigure it and incorporate it into their own pedagogy and classroom routines. So no weblinks today, or words of wisdom, but you may have to step out of your comfort zone (more than once) in order to help build a ...

I decided to go with a "homemade" look to my final project, because I wanted the focus to be about making the connection, not the technology, although technology has ALOT to do with making the online learning environment.  It's interesting because I feel life is 2% what happens to me and 98% how I react to it (@Bill Britt, if I didn't learn anything else, that was The GOLD nugget to take with me). Therefore I submit to you my final project for my master's class, Enhancing the Online Learning Environment.  I've rattled my brain (ouch) the best way to put this presentation together.  I envisioned making Paramount Pictures quality movie, and it could be streamed to be watched.  Then reality set it in, and I realize that there are people who could benefit, could see the humanness of the effort, the "aw, I could do better than that" people, and decided if anything else, to follow my motto:  If you could build it once, you could do it again.  Sadly that ...

For those of you following my blog, I found something that I'm really happy with in terms of a learning management system (LMS).  It's HaikuLMS, found at http://haikulearning.com/ . A colleague recommended it to me some time ago, but I shoved it away in my bookmarks and procrastinated about accessing...I am sure glad I did.  Currently I'm developing an online learning environment class devoted just to intermediate algebra.  It's not published for public viewing yet, but you can get a sneak peek by going here .  I totally love the controls, very easy to see (once you've acclimated to the system), and I think tops Desire2Learn as far as interface goes. I've not explored largely the whole system, still playing with assignments, scheduling, and what not, but I hope to incorporate an active rubric that I can just click on the squares as buttons to give a total for a grade.  To my understanding, "Home" is relative as it largely depends what you put your ti...

As you may be aware of my recent developments, I've been working earnestly in my business and in my education classes, as well as slowly developing my wiki .  What I am to do for my technology class, "Enhancing Online Environments" this week, is to make a special post here about Chapter 4 of Will Richardson's book, Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, 3rd edition. I'm already sold on the concept, however I failed at promoting it to my students last year in my Intermediate Algebra class.  The only way I could sell it to them was make it extra credit, or specifically make a pass/fail assignment to add wiki content. I agree with Richardson that the shift of what's credible is already happening.  If you would like to follow him on twitter, he's an avid poster, which requires some time to sift all his comments!  His username is willrich45, so if you have an account on Twitter , be sure to add him!  His website is also fantasti...

I've neglected my post (literally and figuratively) by forgetting to put in my thoughts for this month.  After all, I've started Spring semester for my Ed. Tech degree, carting 4 kids around with a near full time job (which will be changing, because I'm still yearning to fill my schedule with tutoring coast to coast).  With that, my laptop acquires a virus impossible to eliminate with AntiVirus Software (don't worry Microsoft and Norton I won't tell anyone, hehe), and I haven't gotten the books I needed yet (but now do as of this writing).   My wonderful professor, Dr. G, has this policy about technology awareness...you have no excuses for not submitting your homework, even if Desire2Learn chews up your post and spits it back out as a non-published draft. The point here I make, one which Will Richardson, Scott Mcleod, et al. bring up, is that we live in a digital world (at least surrounded by one).  Therefore, we need to develop habits of backing up, saving, f...

Rather liberal artsy, but it themes a passing I have to come to grips with...after working for nearly 18 months on my graduate work and pushing forward with a virtual commons idea, I've decided to bring it to a halt for several reasons, after consulting with some very good friends and former colleagues in my alma mater days of online tutoring (at AOL): It would require equivalent of a school system's hosting, storage, security, dedicated servers to handle all the intricate parts of my virtual center, and more moderators needed than a physical school to handle and supervise discussion groups. It's more liability than I'm able to cover at this point.  Every f2f teachers lives with this risk daily. It would take the capital equivalent of a full upscale business, and would require full investment as such, or sponsorship of an institution to lend that capital power.  Something that isn't gained (or proven) easily in this current economy. However, my vision is very mu...

For all that read this blog, I've gotten some new tools for you to check out at both my tutor site http://www.sheldahltutoring.com/ , and my wiki http://www.mrshel.wikispaces.com/ , and you may notice that they might look a little better too.  rCampus development has come to a halt, because the more I study it, I'm not as sure how friendly it will be to navigate for someone who has a lesser degree of technical knowledge; I'm not saying ignorant or "dumb," just that I want to make sure it meets my standard for LCT (Lowest Common Technology).  There are several people in this country, who've I've had the chance to bump into on the virtual by-ways, who still use dial-up.  Though the standard for a modem is 56Kbps, the chances of it maximzing with the C.O. or local branch are 16% or less.  Not to mention I spent a whole semester studying the concept of throughput, and still don't have a good definition! (By the way, ask your local ISP what their definition...