Learning - Thinking - Playing

Creativity with RSA and Sir Ken

Today I took the opportunity to watch a new video from RSA on a recent talk given by Sir Ken Robinson. The message is one that has been around for a while, however the written visual seems to enhance the impact especially when you have heard the message many times before. The video runs for around 11 minutes and is worth watching again and has the potential to be something that should be show at staff meetings, parent or board meetings just to refresh our ideas and 'divergent thinking' as well as create a climate of challenge and questioning around our current educational systems.

I recently had the opportunity to attend a professional learning session with Stephen Heppell around a project I am involved in and again whilst the discussion was similar to one that has been around for a while it was fantastic to talk and discuss ideas and look at them from different 'divergent' views

Qld Event Presentation Links Aug 2010

The following are the links I recently used in a presentation to a group of educators on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland at the 'Everyone has a Story to tell' conference. Thanks for all the positive feedback and being a wonderful group of active participants across the 3 days of the event.

ITmadeSimple Website – http://www.itmadesimple.com

Archive.org - http://www.archive.org/

ABC Website form 1996 - http://web.archive.org/web/19961025021746/http://www.abc.net.au/

http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.abc.net.au

The changing online world - http://www.newsweek.com/feature/2010/by-the-numbers-how-the-digital-revolution-changed-our-world.html?gt1=43002

Diigo - http://www.diigo.com/

ITmadeSimple Diigo links- http://www.diigo.com/user/itmadesimple

Jing – http://www.jingproject.com

Twitter  - (http://www.twitter.com) - @itmadesimple

Skype – http://www.skype.com

Podcasts – iTunes - http://www.apple.com/itunes/

Calibre - http://calibre-ebook.com/

Diigo - http://www.diigo.com/user/itmadesimple

Blog Example - http://primarytech.globalteacher.org.au/

Personal Blog – http://itmadesimple.typepad.com/

ITmadeSimple blog - http://blog.itmadesimple.com/

Podcast – Ed Tech crew http://www.edtechcrew.net

Recent episode to look out for - 123 http://www.edtechcrew.net/2010/04/28/ed-tech-crew-123-other-podcasts/

Episode 125 - http://www.edtechcrew.net/2010/05/20/ed-tech-crew-125-2/

TED http://www.ted.com

TED Teaching Wiki - http://teachingwithted.pbworks.com/

TED Episode Spreadsheet - http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pjGlYH-8AK8ffDa6o2bYlXg&gid=0

MIT Open courseware - http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm

Mentos and Coke video -  http://www.eepybird.com/

Infowhelm http://www.21stcenturyfluency.com/

History of search - http://www.wordstream.com/articles/internet-search-engines-history

50 Awesome Search Engines Every Librarian Should Know About - http://bit.ly/9wrKD

Great jump tool for your browsers – http://only2clicks.com/

Mashpedia Search Engine - http://mashpedia.com/

Alternative Search Engine - http://www.searchcredible.com/

Google Docs - http://docs.google.com/

Google Custom Search engines http://www.google.com/cse

Google Alerts - http://www.google.com/alerts

Google Sketch up - http://sketchup.google.com/

Google Squared - http://www.google.com/squared

Google Educators - http://www.google.com/educators/index.html

Example of all the Google tools - http://springfieldlibrary.wikispaces.com/Google+Search+Options

Creative Commons - http://creativecommons.org/

Creative Commons Australia - http://creativecommons.org.au/

Copyright Friendly Wiki - http://copyrightfriendly.wikispaces.com/

Soungle Royalty free sound effects – http://www.soungle.com

Augmented reality - http://www.layar.com/

Game salad - http://gamesalad.com/

Android development - http://appinventor.googlelabs.com/about/index.html

Scratch http://scratch.mit.edu/

Scratch wiki - http://wiki.scratch.mit.edu/wiki/Scratch_Wiki

Game maker - http://www.yoyogames.com/gamemaker/

Kodu - http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/kodu/

Trackmainia - http://www.trackmania.com/tm/index.php

Mathematical Elegance

What a wonderful way to start a discussion in class about the Fibonacci sequence, Golden and Angle Ratios and Tessellations. Simply elegant in its simplicity. Enjoy

A Brief History of it All

There is not much more to say about this video - it flips it all. Another great way to present information.

Wiimote used as a Science Sensor

Ever since the TED video of Johnny Lee demonstrating his Wii Remote hack I have been interested in finding out more and trying my own little experiments. Some have been wildly successful and others not so successful, however I enjoy the Journey.

The article by Rolf Hut at Wired Science about science experiments involving the Wiimote demonstrate the potential application of such a simple device. Check out the article "Hacked Wiimote Makes Super Scientific Sensor".

Maintaining the drive

This year I have set myself the goal of trying to start and develop as many of the different activities/ideas/projects that I think have a place in this world, like :

• Create an online social website
• Help my wife establish her business
• Start an online book/resource to help people get started with IT, support them with IT
• Engage my children in developing online activities that help their learning
• Build my business
• Write on my Blog more often
• Explore my family history

So many things so little time - the hardest part is the self belief and commitment to undertaking these activities. This video provides some great motivation:

Tool for the Future

As the start of the 2010 has started to fade the excitement and anticipation around many events has the web buzzing with new technologies, software and ideas with the new Google Phone generating much discussion as well as the build up to a possible Apple Tablet/iSlate (or what ever it may be called if it actually arrives).

I was reviewing a few technologies that were released late 2009 and one of them started me thinking. Watch the video clip explaining "Google Goggles".

This type of technology in the hands of teachers and students would change the way information could be collected, analyzed and presented. More importantly it would change the way our students learn and apply new knowledge and learning. To make this happen a few things would need to be in place - I believe that a technology like this would be best suited in a small form factor like a smart phone, I also believe that these devices should be purchased by parents for their children. To do this a number of challenges would need to be addressed:

Parents:

• Being able to afford a device (not the data or phone plan) - this would pose an issue for many parents however government could provide tax rebates or grants to ensure that students in low socioeconomic areas can access these devices.
• Home based ownership of the device will mean that students/parents can use the device as they see fit along with school use - it will also ensure that care for the device is potentially heightened. 
• Developing strategies to inform and educate parents on student use and access to this technology - may be a tool to start engaging parents in being more involved in student online activities.
• Parents would need to make a decision about signing up to a telephone deal or not. Younger students would not need phone capacity directly, although the use of Skype (and other apps) over WiFi could easily provide communication for students.
• Parents to establish home based rules for use of the device - setting clear expectations for when it can be used, establishing a healthy balance for usage time.
• Wireless access within the home with internet access - this again would be an equity issue with many parents not able to afford this access. Strategies and options would need to be developed to ensure that this access is either subsidised or can be claimed back on tax or via other methods. Internet access at home needs to be viewed like electricity and water.

Students

• Engaged in responsible online communication and technology use.
• Involved in developing applications and tools for use in classrooms across the country.
• These devices would allow students, parents and teachers to have open and ongoing discussion around online communication and appropriate behavior.
• Giving children the responsibility for using the device openly with the option for parents to record actions and activities on the device so that if parents suspect that rules have been broken or access to inappropriate material has occurred then parents can then take action. Rather than building a wall to restrict access and stop children from making smart decisions - give children the option to make the right decisions and take responsibility.

Teachers

• Involved in developing an understanding of the device and the opportunity it offers. Like any tool in the classroom this does not mean it needs to be used all the time every time - it needs to be applied at the most appropriate time and place, and that may be based on a decision the student makes.
• Change in the view of communication with others outside the school environment, establishing rules and strategies with students.
• Professional development and support in the use of these devices in schools, working with teachers over a longer period of time to plan the implementation and use within learning programs.
• Support from leadership around expectations for use and application.

Schools

• To make the most of these devices schools and education authorities will need to continue to invest in wireless systems that allow high level data access within schools and across different school networks. This would even extend into the public arena with wider adoption of free wifi networks.
• Schools to develop appropriate online behavior expectations for students, parents and teachers. Clear expectations of the use of the devices within schools would need to be established including communication between the different potential users.
• Expectations for the respect of people's property - physical and intellectual.

Telecommunication Companies

• Need to start looking at developing plans that allow data access at reasonable prices with filtering restrictions (if parents opt for this). It would be great if a solution could be developed that offered generic filtering for the majority of parents - but for those parents that wanted greater control of any filters they could do so via a web interface.
• Develop phone plans that can be linked with mum or dad's plan and can be restricted to ringing specified numbers if required.
• Provide no cost sim cards that enable device use and data application without call services (emergency numbers excepted)
• Provide services where SMS messages can be recorded and store for parents to review if required. This strategy can be applied to younger children where they are given the responsibility for their actions however if a parent suspect any issues they can check communication.

Things that Just needs further consideration:

• As yet we do not have any clear idea about any radiation issues surrounding mobile devices.
• We need to ensure that the use of sound is incorporated with appropriate sound reduction technology for young growing children.
• Develop balanced use of the technology - including ergonomics and RSI issues.

Look, Feel, Do

• The small form factor will allow for easy storage and transportation
• Will have video, audio and storage capacity (within the 500Gb range)
• Will have data wireless and mobile phone capacity
• Touch based interaction
• Will include a digital camera capacity with 10 Mega pixel capture
• Includes a HD video camera
• Will have built in microphone and external mic capacity
• External device input/output capacity i.e. data loggers or robot programming
• Needs to come in under $200

Software

The device should be built on an open source system i.e Android or the like. Having an open source solution would allow for low cost access to potential applications and programs - it would also allow students and teachers to start to build their own applications. There would be many opportunities where students of all ages could write programs to share

Application

Where to start - if you look at the Google Goggles idea, the ability to record the living and natural environment via images and video and then feed results into a wiki tracking over time the animals, plants and weather conditions of an environment. Imagine then linking that into a maps environment across Australia that tags discoveries with physical locations making the data accessible to other students, scientist etc.

What do you think....

New research shows technology is vital to 21st Century learning

Well who would have guessed it that "technology is vital to 21st Century learning" as the latest media release from the Rudd DER (or if you are not aware Australia's Digital Education Revolution) spin machine.

I have uploaded the press release and research document (Download 295M1722) for your enjoyment and when I get a little bit of time I will have a look at it myself and try to explore the findings and results. Your comments and thoughts are always welcome.

The Element vs Australian Idol

I am not sure why things pop in my head when they do but they just do, I have to share this PoP. I am currently reading the book "The Element" by Sir Ken Robinson where he talks about people being in 'their element' in regards to being creative and imaginative and that all of us have this within. Ken talks about the development of peoples talents and how they come about - not always through good luck and opportunity but sometimes through hard work and taking chances. So far the book has lived up to my expectations and is not shall we say one of those over the top self help books.

Whilst reading the book I could not help but think about the new series of 'Australian Idol' that we watched as a family tonight on TV. This series was of particular interest to me as I wanted to see how 10 would deal or show Kyle Sandilands who recently was involved in the on-air radio stunt involving the questioning of a 14 year old girl who said she was raped at 12. There are deeper questions here about the research of the show, the ability for on-air talent to respond appropriately and also the parent who obviously encouraged and knew more about the incident and should have know better - I will leave these for others to discuss.

For the most part 10 showed Kyle as per past seasons - being the judge that made the rude comments, that looked the contestants up and down and really laid on the sarcastic put downs. And it was this that got me thinking about the creativity in people - sure many that auditioned were not the best singers or performers or did not look the greatest but hell they gave it a shot. They signed up, waited in long queues and took their spot in front of the judges, only to be ridiculed and put down in most cases. I sat with my children watching and then in the ad breaks watched them sing and dance as if in the audition for the show and I noticed that my children were aware of the expectations of the judges about being good or bad - and all I could think of is this the start of the rot. Is this one of the avenues that subconsciously starts to drive creativity and imagination towards the back of the room to be parked for little use later? I am sure it is.

For me what idol needs is a sister program, almost like a repercharge round or new competition. Where we celebrate those that have had a shot - missed (and possibly by a long way) and then give them the support, encouragement and people to help train and unleash their creative musical sides. Imagine a show for one of the second digital channels where those without courage to fail are given the strength to shine - that would be great.

We need to make front and center the celebration of trying to be creative and innovative so that we build this value into our lives.

I think I would even have a go at auditioning!

Energy, Bright Ideas & a Garage

This video from TED 2009 is another way to look success and life i general. If you are unhappy in your current job or position - grab a coffee and take 17 minutes out of your day to look at things a new.

Alain de Botton: A kinder, gentler philosophy of success