Jeff's CSUSM Ed422 Spring 06 Blog

 

My cat, Ferris Bueller, has some advice for ya'll. . .It's time to take a day off. Mr. Rooney will no longer be chasing you down to ensure you are in school. . .(my apologies to those of you who didn't grow up on cheesy 80s John Hughes flicks).

Anyway, we are quickly approaching the end of your technology experience. There are only a few loose ends to tie up before we call it a semester. Everything that was turned in for regrading should be reflected in the grades.

What is left? Your journals need to be finished, as well as the iMovie software proficiency, the editing of your social justice movies (DON'T FORGET TO DO THE REFLECTION!!!! It is what you will be submitting to webCT), and completing your TPEs. For those doing the extra credit, finish the EdTechProfile too!!

TPE 14 - Task Stream: You should be finishing up with your collaborations. Now, you will simply copy and paste your narratives into task stream under TPE 14 and REQUEST FEEDBACK. Ensure that all of your artifacts have been attached and are working properly.

For this week: the t/th classes will finish editing and any missing assignments on Tuesday, then we will answer questions and watch the social justice movies on Thursday. If you want to burn your movie to a disc, bring a cd or a dvd to class with you.
For the Wed class, we will be editing for the first half of the class, then we will watch the movies after everyone has finished. I know that time is a very valuable commodity at this time.

I will try and be in class early for the Wed class and I will stay late for the t/th classes.

Please check your grades and ask me about any inconsistencies ASAP. EVERYTHING IS DUE THIS WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This week is about collaboration and teamwork as we strive to craft movies around issues of social justice!! It is definitely my favorite assignment of the semester and one that I hope stays with you all after the course has ended. Everyone should come to class Tues/Wed with tape in hand, ready to edit your masterpieces. The majority of your time this week will be devoted to editing our films. However, there are still many assignment/collaborative projects that are in the works.

Current Assignments: Social Justice Film, iMovie Proficiency (short films with CSUSM footage), Software Review, Journals 6 - 10, EdTechProfile, and last, but certainly not least, TPE Collaborations.

The TPE collaborative assignment seems to be a difficult for everyone to complete. I know that you have a ton of work to do, but this assignment will allow you to demonstrate your amazing new technical acumen to your prospective employers!! The collaborative process should also help those who find writing about technical proficiency difficult. Help each other out and it should make the process easier, not harder.

The iMovie proficiency assignment is completed when you show me in person that you can do everything on the checklist. You sign, I sign, and you turn the paper in. Some of you have been submitting your movies, which is fine, but the most important aspect of the assignment is that you show ME that you are proficient in the program.

Sitting at my desk, I have come to the sad realization that my days in the snow have probably ended this winter. Mother Nature has tortured me this year by not snowing when I had time and snowing when I have been busy with work. . . Don't cry for me, I'll be okay . . .it is baseball season.

Anyway, I have checked the discussion board to see your overall progress on the pod collaboration. In general, I'm please. There are groups who are very conscientious and some individuals who are not. Hopefully, the individuals who need to participate more will step up. Please give me some feedback in class as to how the whole process is going.

What we have currently going on: Finishing Journals, Excel assignments were due on the 15th, NETS IV should be completed this week, filming for your social justice movies!!! And iMovie software proficiency. . .

If you need to redo an assignment that was assigned after the Inspiration project (Photoshop, journals, etc. . .) get going on them ASAP . . .the semester is quickly waning.

New Assignment: Software Review. I will discuss it in class this week. It's due April 30.

I will go over some camera techniques and get your project pitches before you go shoot. . .Get your brainstorms, storyboards, and pitch sheet completed before class.

Remember: you can check-out cameras on a first-come, first-serve, basis in the library.

If you have any assignments that haven't been regraded or there are some other issues, please take this week to talk to me so we can get your grade straightened out.

Apparently, Flat Stanley has stolen one of Amy's credit cards and is still at large in Austin. I hope the authorities can apprehend him before I'm bankrupt! I guess the moral here is to never trust a two-dimensional man posing as a friend of the people. . (insert pun here).

I have graded all journals that had a document submitted under the assignments. The big lesson for me is to remind everyone to please, please, spell-out the two questions so that it is easier for me to fine them in your postings . . .I can't find a needle in 85 student haystacks.
Also, I graded the Photoshop assignments (too many were missing!!). The big lesson here is that when you are writing instructions for students (and adults as well), ensure that you tell them what they are going to do, and try and be more "student friendly" with the instructions. The best assignments broke the process down into smaller tasks and explained each of those tasks. The directions didn't have to be perfect, but they should at least attempt to mimic the type of instructions you would give your students. But I must say that the credo samples were awesome!! The credo, "Dance Like No One is Watching" was the big winner. As there were too many 4s to count, I'll find another way to recheck any redos.

I have been keeping a close eye on the Discussion Board for your TPE collaborations. Please don't put this off, it will only cost your group points in the end.

Journals: See last entry for the final two topics

Due this week: Excel Spreadsheet assignment, work on TPE 14, NETS 3!!

Beginning this week: We will begin the process of making movies!!

There are only a few weeks left. Keep up on everything so we can enjoy the last week.

Hello everyone. I sincerely hope that your spring break didn't leave you spring broke. Like my good friend Flat Stanley, I was very busy over the break doing everything non-academic. My wife absconded to Austin, Texas, with Flat Stanley, for a little time at the Lake Austin Spa. Zoe, Lily, and I had a great time playing, staying up late, and refusing to eat anything green.
Anyway, we are now in week eleven of 15 with only a few more activities to accomplish before the end of the semester. My T/Th class has begun the formal Pod Collaborations around TPE 14. NOTE TO T/TH: I am going to give EACH POD its own discussion board. For the Wed class, you'll understand tonight.

Due this week: Photoshop and Copyright.

Journal articles: The new L & L has arrived!! For the last two articles, we will focus on issues of equity and social justice. I want you to read "Bridging the Gap" by Don Hall in the current issue, page 15 (Vol 33 #7). For your last article, I will let you choose any article that has to do with issues of equity and social justice that relate to technology. You may search L & L or go "Outside the Box" and find any article that deals with how technology can address issues of equity or social justice!! If you do get an article from the web, please include a link on your blog.

I think that's all for the week, I'll write more later if I can think of anything else that contains a modicum of interest to the collective.

What a week! My daughter Zoe is star of the week. This is an honor bestowed upon every student in her kindergarten class, but it has taken about 17 weeks of anticipation for her to finally hear her name called!! Also, I attended the semi-final and final games of the World Baseball Classic (which Japan won if you weren't watching). I apologize in advance for those of you who were sweating through the CSET ;-)

Anyway, this is the last week before Spring Break!! I expect that all revisions will be submitted by Friday for all past corrections. You should have emailed a peer with your narrative from NETS one (TPE 14) and you will have some time in class this week to discuss. Your journals should be up-to-date, and all assignments should be uploaded in Task Stream.

We will be working on Adobe Photoshop this week and beginning the narrative for NETS 2 (TPE 14). Also, you can and should be working on your copyright assignment . . .Don't put it off like the journals.

This week's journal article, No. 8: "Getting our NETS Worth", by M.D. Roblyer. L & L, Vol 30, No 8 (Feature Article).

It's late and I hope I have covered everything . . .more later in the week.