Cathy Nelson’s Professional Thoughts

As I see others reflecting on the year 2007 as it draws to a close, I must as well. There have been several changes for me including a new job, a new living arrangement for my family, and new opportunities that are as a direct result of joining the blogosphere and interacting with a network (like Twitter.) I won’t bore you with my favorites, but instead make some goals:

• Brevity - In my own blog reading I find it difficult to read long posts. I know I’m guilty of writing long posts too. So I have a goal–be brief and get to the point! I am planning to reduce verbiage, and try to say it with far fewer words, and instead use more pictures, and maybe a video or two (stored sensibly on video and picture storing sites–hello, YouTube, TeacherTube, Photobucket, & Flickr.)

• Relocate - I am becoming ever increasingly unhappy with Edublogs. I dumped blogger a year and half ago, and jumped ship to Edublogs, primarily b/c I feared Blogger would be blocked at school (and I was not disappointed.) Edublogs was good for me, but as I have grown, my material requires more space. Since it is time to pay for more space to be allowed the service, I see it also as a good time to explore hosting it on my own space/domain. I don’t even know if I understand it, but I have been assured help from my friends Chris Craft, Jennifer Wagner, and perhaps even David Jakes. (Counting on you all, actually!) Timeline? I don’t know. I need to get bills from Christmas squared away before I decide. But in the meantime, my posts will probably be limited.

• Video - I’m going to seriously look at adding video to my mix here. I’ve created myself a YouTube and TeacherTube account, and want to begin playing in the green screen department. Dean Shareski is responsible for that! (Note to Dean–You inspire me!)

• Redesign - I have some presentations coming up, and I plan to redesign them. I’ve been reading a lot lately about the 10-20-30 rule for presenting. I’ve also come to understand that folks don’t want to read it, they want you to tell it-and what better way than in a story. So I’m going to be hitting Flickrcc hard, and trying add in the mix some videos (for commercial breaks, as I heard one blogger call them–wish i could credit that person!) And I’m going to rehearse my spill in the best storytelling format I can come up with. Along with that, I hope to add some kind of interactivity to my sessions–though I haven’t quite figured out how yet. Anyone have any suggestion? Look out SCASL, SCASA’s SLI, and SC Edtech.

Okay, I know, I know, still way too wordy. Give me a break, it’s not 2008 yet! Rag me about it after the first. Happy New Year everyone!

Attribution:
Image: ‘massive change‘
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Christmas shoppers are out in droves—that’s a good thing right? Here’s my Christmas list for school. These are things I’m not likely to purchase on my own, but would like to see added to the school resources. I’m not hyperlinking, as I’d like for readers to make recommendations!

1 Terabyte external hard drive
I have a 4year-old Maxtor 200GB and a 2 year-old Seagate 350GB Hard drive, so why would I want this? I don’t know, but isn’t bigger better? I also saw some portable 200gb hard drives today that look no bigger than my ipod. Cool. But we need to store videos made at school no less.

Increased memory
My school desktop, school laptop, and my school studio computer are used frequently for editing. As we play with video, I know it will make higher demands memory-wise.

Pinnacle or Adobe Premiere Editing Software
I don’t know which is better, but I want to play with the green-screen capability. It needs to be user friendly, easy, and fun. (I don’t think I ask for too much, do you?) Oh did I mention I want it to be portable (you know, anywhere, anytime?)

USB Microphones
Kim Cofino recently asked on Twitter for recommendations, and at the time I did not really pay attention as I didn’t see the need. But as we finish the first school Voice Thread project and begin to play with podcasting, it has become abundantly clear. We need sturdier and better quality mics for recording.

Wireless remote for use w/ LCD Projectors
I want to be able to use my remote from anywhere in the room. Been presenting for years and can’t believe I have not invested in one yet.

MP3 Players for student check-out
I’d like to invest in some audiobooks and allow students to check them out.

3 more handy camcorders
I want to be able to check these out to teachers for those home-made class videos, PSAs, or whatever idea strikes them. Right now we have two ideas floating around but only 1 camcorder! One short video planned is the lost and found puppet show where all the coats turn into puppets and are looking for their owners. The other is a Christmas commercial for the yearbook, and the kids have made a short skit and song (new words to the tune of “Santa, Baby.”) Our curriculum coordinator wants to document engaged students for showing how to have an effective classroom, and so the one we have is in high demand! Yippee.

Classroom digital cameras
I would like to see at least a camera shared b/w a team of teachers so that innovative ideas and classroom activities can be shown throughout the building. Parents LOVE to see photos of what is happening at school, and these can be displayed in the class, in the halls, on our tvs, websites, and more. These need to EASY to use, and inexpensive enough that we don’t mind putting them in our students’ hands.

A student response system
Okay, so I left a school that has “smart classrooms” and the library was a “smart library.” I had a mounted Promethean board, my television fed into my projector so I could switch b/w interactive white board and television or video, I had FrontRow Surround Sound system installed, and I could literally whisper and still be heard, I had the ActivSlate so I could manipulate the board from anywhere in the room, and I had the cute little egg shaped hand-helds so I could get immediate feedback or poll my students on any given task. (It was a very technology-rich school and district, but gadgets do not make for the perfect job—and that’s another blog post for another day!) I’d really like to have another set of gadgets that allow me to make interactive lessons.

Do you have ideas for additions?? Can you make brand specific suggestions? Help me add to my Merry Christmas K12 list!!

Attribution:

Image: ‘Merry Christmas…‘
www.flickr.com/photos/66179962@N00/314569010