The final project for TILT during the 2009 - 2010 school year. Presented at the Showcase, 5/12/10.

1. Andy Meyer Elementary TILT - Phase II Digital Portfolio This presentation was originally created with Presentation In Google Docs, downloaded as a PowerPoint and uploaded using SlideShare then embedded into blog. It isn’t as complicated as it sounds!

2. Goal set and met This year, one of the things we did this year was to set goals for types of technologies we wanted to learn. My biggest areas of interest were Blogs, Wikis and learning to use the document camera and projector. I also wanted to do a video chat. But, that is not where I stopped. I learned how to Skype. That was a great achievement for me. I personally am not very self-confident with technology, but each time I learned something, it was because of the foundation from previous experience. Curiosity makes a difference. PBWorks Document camera Blogger Skype Chat Pocket Video Camera Community Walk Digital Camera YouTube - including my first upload!

4. Web 2.0 Web 2.0 sources are incredible. There a so many ways to use each one. This is a tremendous asset for education! With Web 2.0 products, students and teachers outstanding ways to create, collaborate, communicate and present. It opens an entirely new medium. What took hours of work to create now takes minutes and the results are spectacular! Blogger Skype Facebook Twitter Oovoo Wiki Picasa Flickr SimplyBox

5. Blog post from the Alkali Creek Library Blog I have heard many kids say they hate to read. It is not surprising. Reading is such a huge part of elementary education. Students read textbooks for science, social studies, language arts, and much more. Students tend to approach all reading the same way. Reading for information is a different skill than for pleasure. Reading for pleasure is just that - a pleasure. Students will become better readers with practice, just like a musician playing an instrument. Reading should never be perceived as a chore, a dull requirement. It should be viewed as something more. It is a window that left closed will never allow us to see beyond the glass. Too many kids end up with windows closed, painted shut, never to open again when they become old enough to "not have to read anymore." Encourage them to open a window, get some fresh air. Try a new view, a new genre. Try a new author, a new setting. Try sitting in a new spot with a good book. Don't give up. Even people who hate to read can pick up a book and find a new joy in the adventure. It is never too late to start.

8. "Disruptive Thinking" Blog post from TILT Ning I was watching a news segment on "Sunday Morning". The subject was iPhone apps. They were described as "disruptive technology". They disrupt the way we live, the way we do things. Every month, 1200 new apps are created. Other things are considered "disruptive technology". The automobile, telegraph, airplane, telephone (Bell's), personal computers, calculators, cell phones, television, radio, even the alphabet and numbers. It is a good term - "disruptive technology." I need to use more of the technologies I've learned in TILT and Cadre to disrupt education - get it out of the status quo. I'm guilty of learning how to use something, then trying to figure out how to insert it into a lesson. Maybe I need to insert the lesson into the technology instead. Disrupt the way I think, the way I teach. Who knows, maybe when teaching a lesson on constellations, the night sky app on my iPod will open an entirely new way for kids to see the stars. Opening minds to a new way to think. Disruptive technology can lead to disruptive education. That can change the world. http://bpstilt.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?user=0k2alxr4g86do

9. Learning to use the digital camera. A couple of visitors from the Empire came to visit Alkali. They were quite happy to pose.

10. Simply Box: This program is currently only supported with Firefox. It makes saving and sharing of websites very simple. I capture a page or site and box it, share it and collaborate with it.

11. FLIP Video Recorder This little dynamo has the best picture. Capture on video what you want, then plug it right into your computer. Viola! A little movie magic via iMovie and you have a great product. This video was filmed with a Flip Mino. It was uploaded to YouTube and shared on the Cadre blog. Click to open YouTube and play Video.

12. Sharing with an entire class or a large audience is easy with these two pieces of equipment. The LCD projector makes visual medium easy to see. With the document camera, you can create a short video and save it to your computer. The document or video can be viewed over email or shared on a blog, wiki or other medium. It isn't just an overhead any more. Document camera LCD projector

20. Teaching teachers creates the concentric circles of learning. Each teacher works with another teacher, who then works with another teacher and so on, overlapping one another and growing beyond the first tiny drop. It is one of the best ways to teach a large group at the lowest possible cost.

21. This is just the start of a new journey - one step into the world of the digital student and teacher. Sometimes the teacher is the student and the student is the teacher. Each step takes us into a new place of discovery. The discovery is just the beginning and the end is no where in sight. What a wonderful way to work. There are no limits to the expansion of learning. It keeps the adult minds young and sharp. And it keeps the young minds engaged. It is the best of both worlds.