Rother's Rants and Raves

New Theater Blog

2011-02-24T16:32:00.003-06:00

In an effort to further explore my passion of theater, I think I have found another broadway theater blog. This one seems to be a little bit more off-beat which might provide me more -rare- theater scripts. I love to read plays and sometimes I stumble on great scripts for speech.

This blog is Act Three: The Reviews and it is posted by Doug Marino! I will add it immediatly to my RSS feed.

Chapter 1: The Read/Write Web

2011-02-10T10:37:00.003-06:00

What I learned in this Chapter:

The first chapter of Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Otehr Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms was a great reminder about all of the opportunities that are out there for educators, but it also left me feeling overwhelmed. There are so many opportunities, that it is hard to know which route to go and how to be the most successful.

My greatest take-away from the chapter is the idea that we have to be learners of the read/write web before we can teach it. I have only begun to skim the surface of all the ways in which the read/write web could effect my life...and make my life easier! I read a lot of content on the internet about theater and Broadway. I enjoy it! I have made some attempts (on this blog and on our blog from New York) to begin to be a creator of content, but it is time consuming and I forget to to it.

Application for the Classroom:

It is important to use the read/write web for your own use before you challenge students to use it in a different way. Students are really good at doing what they know (teachers are too for that matter). It is important to push them and TEACH them how to do new things...outside their comfort zone.

I'm Back!

2011-01-30T10:48:00.003-06:00

It has been a long time since I have posted on this blog and it is time to get reconnected! My wife and I are facilitating a Book Study for St. Mary's and I am going to use this blog to comment on what I am reading.

The book we are studying is called Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms and it should allow me to really reconnect with technology in my classroom. When things got busy last year with switching to a new school and doing new curriculum, my love for technology in the classroom took a backseat to just surviving.

WOW - Northern Lights/Southern Cross

2009-10-26T21:11:00.003-05:00

The Guthrie presents

An Interact Theater production of

Northern Lights/Southern Cross:Tales from the Other Side of the World

an international collaboration with Australia’s Tutti Ensemble

Now through November 8th, 2009

I had the pleasure of taking in a preview production of this fine piece of theater with my beautiful wife on the one year anniversary of the day that I proposed to her at the Guthrie. I cannot believe how lucky we are to have stumbled upon such a gem.

Rarely am I moved to tears during live theater. It is weird, because I can cry pretty easily during a sappy chick flick, and I love live theater a ton more than that, but it is a rarity for me to get emotional enough to let a tear fall. I can think of a few productions that have done it...

Spring Awakening on Broadway

In the Heights on Broadways

Parade the Musical during its original North American tour

Rent in its latest tour with the original Roger and Mark

Okay....there may be a few more, but for all of the shows I have seen, my point is that it doesn't happen often. However, in Norther Lights/Southern Cross the tears were a-flowin'!

N.L./S.C. is incredibly difficult to describe. It is like nothing I have ever experienced in my life. The play is centered around the story of Kevin Kling, a Twin Cities' storyteller who was in a significant motorcycle accident. His story is at the heart of this piece. Kling plays a character with a very similar story in this production and he does it with amazing tenderness and humor. He is truly a remarkable gift to the Twin Cities.

Playing his wife in the production is Australian, Catherine Campbell. Catherine is a fine example of the collaboration between Minnesota's Interact Center and Australia's Tutti Ensemble. If it weren't for this collaborations, us Minnesotans would have never been exposed to Campbell's grace and amazing storytelling abilities. She brings us through the heartbreak of almost losing a husband with strength and humility.

Did I mention the show had huge influences in Aboriginal and Native American storytelling. Somehow the blend of these two ostracized groups works SO well with Kling's story of recovery. It is hard to explain how it happens, but somehow we are introduced to a multitude of cultural influences in the 75 minute play and not one of them feels out of place. We get didgeridoo, fancy dance, tribal drums, and a gospel choir!!!!

But perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the evening comes from the Interact Center's chorus of actors playing clowns. The Interact Center is a group charged with providing distinct arts opportunities for people with disabilities. The clowns, allow the hyper-fantastic theatrical experience of N.L./S.C. to be rooted in something beautifully human. The moments they are on stage help lift the piece from the stage and into our hearts as audience members.

The bad news...I hear it is selling out quickly! I encourage you to get tickets if you can while they are still available!

Pictures Courtesy of GuthrieTheater.org

Mary Poppins - Oh so good!!

2009-09-23T11:43:00.005-05:00

It has been a while since I have posted on here...mostly because life got busy with the wedding and we haven't really been out to any musical, plays, or even movies! Grrrr Summer! But alas, our season tickets for the Orpheum/State theaters have started!!

Our first show of the season was Mary Poppins! I have yet to not enjoy a Disney Broadway experience (and I think I have seen them all except Tarzan...which went away VERY quickly!) Mary Poppins did not let us down! I have been somewhat unimpressed by many of the touring shows that have come our way recently come our way because of their paired down orchestrations and mediocre casts. Mary Poppins was the opposite of that. With many of the cast members who originated their roles on Broadway, this was one tour that spared no expense, with many of the original special effects from Broadway came along with the show!

The dancing in the show was absolutely fabulous! Some of the coolest MASS tapping that I have ever seen. Not to mention tapping on the ceiling...wow!

Go see this...it is a delight from beginning to end!

Frozen Yogurt Fun!!!! - Freeziac

2009-08-11T19:59:00.004-05:00

I haven't talked food yet on here, but those who know me well know that I LOVE FOOD!!! Sarah and I had a new find tonight and best of all...it is not too expensive and pretty healthy! I know...WHAT!?!

There is a new frozen yogurt joint in Eden Prairie (on the corner of 5 and Eden Prairie Rd...by Kowalski's)! It is called Freeziac and I encourage you to check out their website as it explains the concept much better than I could. Basically, it is REAL cultured frozen yogurt (fat free) and tons of topping choices! We had been big fans of the LeeAnn Chin frozen yogurt, but it is kind of expensive and not a ton of options! Freeziac is the opposite! I had a Pomegranate Yogurt with a great granola and white chocolate chips. What is so cool is that it is all self serve...so you can load up your toppings if that is how you want it (another criticism of normal frozen yogurt joints...you never get enough toppings)!

Why do I sound like a commercial for Freeziac!?!? Frankly...I have visions of it closing, mostly because Sarah and I lose our favorite new finds all of the time because not enough people go to them (ie...Mix and Nick and Willy's Pizza). People of EP and Chanhassen...let us all do our part to keep Freeziac open!!!!!

MMMM MMMMM Happiness

2009-08-08T10:38:00.003-05:00

Julie and Julia!

Sarah and I took in a surprisingly packed 1:00 pm showing of Julie and Julia. I don't know if it was the rain, the high unemployment rate, or just the buzz around this movie, but it was hard to find a seat for this wonderful movie!

As someone who enjoys being in the kitchen, this movie was an inspiration to make an intricate meal. I have always found Julia Child's incredibly fascinating and this movie is a great summation of that. Meryl Streep nails this performance. She looks like she is having so much fun in this role...it is contagious to the viewer! If you haven't seen this yet, make time for it this weekend!

The Science Museum of Minnesota - Titanic

2009-07-27T22:52:00.004-05:00

Sarah and I had one of our final "hot" dates tonight as a non-married couple! We have been trying to get to the Titanic Exhibit at the Science Center all summer, but got so busy. So today, we decided to just go for it! I won't talk about it too much, but I have a few comments!

- First...the science museum is amazing in the evening on a weekday! It was so quiet, we pretty much had free reign over all of the exhibits. It was definitely the only time I have been there when you could actually take your time and move about the exhibits. I would not hesitate to go again in the evening...the museum is open until 10pm!

- The Titanic exhibit is pretty cool. Sarah and I enjoyed it very much. We both got audio tours which I enjoyed also. I would check it out if you get a chance!

- Titanica Omni Theater Movie is not as good as I was hoping for! Neither Sarah or I learned much from the movie that we didn't already know (except that J.P. Morgan had a suite reserved for him on the Titanic, but he cancelled at the last minute...oops...I just spoiled it for you). In all honesty, skip the cost of the omni theater ticket, pay the $5 for the audio tour, and when you are all done...go home and watch the Hollywood Titanic movie! Titanica focused a lot on a slow serious of pictures of underwater parts of the sunken ship. However, they don't reference what the items were...so half the time Sarah and I couldn't figure out what they were showing. I prefer the Hollywood movie where it shifts from the underwater parts to the computer imaging of what the ship looked like!

Overall, Sarah and I sure did enjoy our 'hot' date!!

A Chorus Line - Orpheum Theater - Minneapolis, MN

2009-06-18T15:27:00.002-05:00

Sarah and I made a spontaneous week day excursion to see A Chorus Line at the Orpheum last night. Neither of us had ever seen this classic, nor did we know much about it going in. Basically, we were just hoping this "classic" piece of American musical theater would not let us down like Phantom of the Opera did earlier this month!!

I am going to be honest and say that - for me - this was one of the best touring productions I have seen all year! Besides Spring Awakening and maybe the final tour of Rent with the original Mark and Roger, we have seen some rough touring productions this year. Many of come across cheap and weak. Not A Chorus Line! I enjoyed this simple production immensely!

I wish I could say the same for Sarah. She struggles with musicals that don't have elaborate set pieces or lots of action. That is definitely not A Chorus Line!

This show is simple with very little set. The lighting was really solid and the sound was better than many of the touring shows we have seen too. Overall, the acting and dancing were so strong that I was sucked up in this production from the opening moments all the way until the showy curtain call. I guess this is one show that Sarah and I are going to have to disagree about!

Next weekend...it is all about Singin in the Rain at the Ordway! I hope it is better than I think it will be! :)

Phantom...missing the big deal!

2009-06-08T11:14:00.002-05:00

Last weekend, Sarah and I took in the touring production of Phantom of the Opera at the Orpheum Theater in Minneapolis. We were kind of excited to take it in because neither of us had ever seen it and it is kind of a well known show!

I want to preface this all by saying that I am sure somewhere (a long time ago) Phantom was probably really good! I but it was quite the thing to see. However, something about this tour was missing and it felt so watered down that it was lacking almost any REAL human emotion. Not that I have to be moved every time I see a play, but I expect theater to make me feel SOMETHING!!!

It is hard to pin point the real problems with the show. The sets were delightful (albeit some of them looked a little cheap) and the costumes were incredibly beautiful! The actors all held their own, but something was still missing? Needless to say, I walked out feeling like I couldn't figure out what all of the fuss was about!

up UP and awesome!!

2009-05-29T19:56:00.002-05:00

It is incredibly perfect that my first review on this blog is about an incredible movie. From the moment Sarah and I saw the first preview of this movie about 6 months ago, we knew we were going to love it. Pixar has yet to let us down and UP doesn't disappoint either!

If you haven't heard about it yet, the opening montage takes your breath away! With very few words, the animators bring you through the the ups and downs of a lifelong relationship between Carl and Ellie. Sarah shed a tear or two and I was on the verge!

From there, the movie literally takes off...pun intended. We saw it in 3D and the animation is beautiful. It isn't crazy 3D, where everything flies at you at lightning speed (hmmm...Bolt), but instead the 3D acts to create texture. The fabrics and feathers in the movie have astonishing beauty.

Russell, often the movie's comic relief, is a talkative and pudgy bundle of curiosity. A junior wilderness explorer, Russell infuses the movie with a joy that I haven't felt while watching a movie in a VERY long time!

Pixar has been following a schedule of one major release per year and I cannot wait for next year. I laughed a lot and by the end of the movie there were some tears shed! Honestly, the best movie I have seen this year, UP is a must see! Follow the advice of one review that I read this morning, take someone you love to this wonderful movie and let UP make you fall in love with LOVE all over again!

PS...Toy Story 3 comes out June 18th, 2010!!

New Focus!

2009-05-29T19:51:00.002-05:00

For those folks who have been following my blog as it focused on technology in my classroom, you are going to notice a big shift in focus on my blog. Ever since I started in metronet 2 years ago, I have always wanted to start a blog where I could talk about all of the cool stuff that Sarah and I do. Now, since metronet is over, it is time to make it a reality! So thanks to all those who have read my blog in the past! I hope you continue to read as I begin posting about ALL THINGS POP CULTURE!

Kindle

2009-04-08T14:52:00.003-05:00

Not sure how this fully relates to metronet, but it is technology related! I got a KINDLE2 for my Birthday! I absolutely love it! I am a big reader and have enjoyed how easy it is to buy books and read them. I like that you can make the words bigger...this is helpful when I am working out on the elliptical!!! I was in a terrible habit of buying all of my books...rather than checking them out from the library....so the affordable price of buying books on the kindle ($9.99) has saved me a lot of money already!

Twitter Video

2009-03-20T22:16:00.005-05:00

Okay...so twitter is kind of fun so far. I already have 200 friends who I have never met before!! Whooohooooooo!! LOL! One of my random friends tweeted about this video...I think it is pretty funny!!

Why stop at one? Media Center Collaboration

2009-03-20T12:25:00.002-05:00

Connie has been sharing with my students today a presentation about evaluating sources! It has been nice to see my kids responding to her in the classroom. At times, I almost feel like they might be starting to get some of this stuff. In the past, it has been so difficult, but I think the hard work of the middle schools and my fellow ninth grade teachers who are teaching research outside of the Language Art's classroom, is finally starting to pay off!! Thanks!!

I am Back!! Thing 20

2009-03-20T10:51:00.004-05:00

Okay...life is crazy! I apologize for my absence from the blog-o-sphere!

So Thing 20 - all about Twitter!

I decided to take another look at my twitter because it has been getting a ton of air time lately! Ellen has a twitter and she talk about it almost daily! I re-watched the video at common craft and found it a nice refresher about twitter. I am going to give it a try again! I subscribed to some of the leading twitter education sites (from tech for teachers a while back) and Ellen's of course! I used How to twitter in 23 steps or less as my guide to get set up with some good teachers....and to download an application to make twitter easier to follow on my computer. If you twitter, you can follow my adventures...my twitter name is misterrother (keep in mind it is blocked by websense so you will need the password)!!

Maybe this time I will find it more engaging? Who knows...I will keep you posted!

Copyright

2009-01-25T20:03:00.002-06:00

Since we talked about copyright so much this past metronet meeting, I thought some of you would enjoy this story. For those that didn't know or haven't seen it...I have had a video of a bunch of my buddies and I from college on youtube. Students found it and it has made its way around most of the teachers in my school. However, my friend who posted it just got a message from youtube that the video was taken off:

Your video, The Darkness "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" Music Video <http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=QLXSC_gD2k4> , may have content that is owned or licensed by WMG.

No action is required on your part.

Sincerely,
- The YouTube Team

I guess he should be lucky that they aren't seeking any money for the copyright infringement. I guess my students will have to look elsewhere for it in the future (I think it is still up on funnyordie.com)!

Hop on the blogging train!

2009-01-08T22:31:00.004-06:00

Everyone has been so good in the last week about blogging that I think I better get back on the blogging train. I haven't been a good blogger lately because metronet has turned me in to a fervant blog READER!! Seriously, I am super hooked on my RSS reader. Besides some of the great RSS feeds and blogs that I have already talked about, I have recently become entirely too hooked on several Broadway blogs! For those that don't know, I am a huge Broadway buff and it has been exciting for me to keep up to date about all the happenings around the theater world. I just love this tool that I knew next to nothing about RSS before Metronet!!

Wikipedia - David Warlick

2008-12-02T10:50:00.002-06:00

Today, when I was going through my RSS feeder, I stumbled across something on Free Technology For Teachers again! Boy do I love that blog! If you haven't added it to your RSS feed yet...what are you waiting for.

A post this morning highlighted a presentation done by David Warlick. I was interested in the name because it seemed so familiar. I took Mr. Byrne's advice from the blog and watched it from about 46 minutes in to hear the section on wikipedia. But I was really digging what David had to say so I watched most of the video. He has some really great ideas.

Not everyone has an hour of their time to watch David speak like I do (mostly because I am avoiding the pile of papers on my desk) but you can have it playing the background while you work on something else. If you can't watch the whole hour...watch the wikipedia piece at about 46 minutes in...it is definitely thought provoking!

Thing 23 - Teacher Web Page

2008-11-17T10:42:00.004-06:00

I like my teacher web pages. I keep two different websites, one for my ninth grade classes and one for the speech team. Both websites need at least weekly updating and I try really hard to stay up to date on them.

I know that the speech website is frequently used. Especially for students who are more prone to forget where they put a paper they need to have turned in or for those students who cannot remember what time they need to be at a tournament...the speech website is perfect. I also use it as a recruiting piece and a place to put results from tournaments. The speech website has some excellent examples of 2.0 tools that I have found out about via metronet like bighugelabs (the large collage on the front page.)

As for my teacher page, I keep the assignment portion up to date, trying to post as many actual documents as possible for students who are absent or who forget their worksheets at school. I also try to put pictures and videos from class as much as possible. I just posted an animoto video of pictures from our masquerade party!

I think that only a select group of kids uses my class website, but I am okay with that. Unfortunately, those students without Internet at home (I have 3 total based on my start-of-the-school-year-survey) are at a disadvantage. I look forward to the day where ALL students will have some form of Internet access at home...could someone please make that happen??

Wonderment!

2008-11-12T19:18:00.002-06:00

I have been a little absent on the blog in the last few weeks. I think the shock of no longer having a student teacher to do day-to-day work is really sinking in and I am feeling like I am barely staying afloat. Not only that, I have been sort of obsessed with our engagement blog!!

What has really struck me in the last few weeks is the public nature of blogs. In the past, I have sort of felt like my blogs have been for a very specific audience (IE my students, metronet, or family.) However, it has hit me how other people are probably reading my blogs. I have had two people comment on one of my blogs recently that I don't know. Someone commented on my metronet blog about my use of google docs and the other person who commented was the maker of the deck that Sarah and I are getting married on at the Arboretum (he wants us to send him a picture of us on the deck.) I guess I always knew that they were open to the public, but it was still sort of an Ah-HA moment for me!

Thing 6 Yeah Online Collaboration Tools!!

2008-11-05T10:10:00.003-06:00

I love online collaboration tools. Anything that makes my life easier is a wonderful thing. For personal stuff, I have several google docs going so that all parties can edit whenever. In the wedding planning process, metronet-nerdy Sarah and I are using google docs to keep things like registry list, budget, and guest list in one central location. It has been really helpful!!!!!

I have also just began an attempt to use google docs with core team stuff. By creating a google doc, the entire group can work on these documents that we were struggling to update the old way (via email attachments.) I love the Common Craft video "Google Docs in Plain English." It helped me visual how it all works.

Exciting News and New Blog

2008-10-26T20:17:00.002-05:00

Well, I had a very exciting weekend folks and I thought some of you might want to hear about it! Sarah and I got engaged on Friday and you can read all about it on our Wedding 2.0 Blog. We are both huge MetroNet fans and Sarah thought of the idea to use a blog to keep all our family and friends up to date about wedding plans. We might be the first MetroNet marriage!! LOL!

Extra Thing E: Online Music

2008-10-03T14:48:00.002-05:00

For those that don't know...I LOVE my iPod! I use it on a daily basis! However, it broke last Friday...it was a very sad day!! Until I get a new iPod, I have had to figure out other ways to play music!

I have used Pandora in the past and enjoyed it a ton. However, I am a little frustrated now because it is blocked by our web filter! I am a little confused as to why it is blocked since none of the student computers at school (at least here at PRFC) have speakers. So what would be the point of students using Pandora!? For staff, it is nice to use it when you need some tune-age! I tried using the password today and it made me put in the password every 5 minutes...that got annoying fast. So I guess I will just have to wait until my new iPod comes in early next week!

Wonderful Website

2008-09-25T13:46:00.003-05:00

I had a wonderful teaching discovery today. I am poking around on the internet (a luxary I have at this point because I have a student teacher) and I ran across a website named ReadWriteThink. I don't know why I have never heard of it before...seriously! It has SO many great lesson plans (many involving research and/or technology.) Not only that, it has a notetaking/outline making tool that is truly going to revolutionize the way I teach Oral Comm (especially to my special education students!!) There is a cool Venn Diagram tool too.

The lessons are geared towards Language Arts, but there are definitely research tools on there too!

Enjoy!!

Common Craft...new video!

2008-09-24T19:05:00.003-05:00

I am sure most of you remember that really great common craft video about RSS feeds we watched during our summer metronet days. Well...the good news is they have recently released another video about searching. It is pretty basic stuff, but still has great information that kids always need a refresher on, and it is a lot more interesting than me lecturing the kids on how to best search.

Use or Lose

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWHPf00Jkqg

A Long Way Gone stuff

2008-09-23T18:28:00.003-05:00

Several folks have asked for my A Long Way Gone sites...so here they are.

The blog is at http://alwgparenttalk.blogspot.com/

The wiki is at http://ashortwaytoalongwaygone.pbwiki.com/

Oh My...How I Love Wordle

2008-09-23T18:24:00.003-05:00

Well...I am going to jump on the WORDLE bandwaggon! Most of all...I just think they look cool. I have thought about how you do have kids do it with a paper that they write and use it to look at word choice. Also, I think I will use it with Romeo and Juliet (in fact some people have already done it for me.)

Good work Sarah!! Nice Find!

Parent Blog

2008-09-17T19:04:00.003-05:00

Oh...I completely forgot to mention how my parent blog and wiki are going!!

I mentioned to the Wednesday Metronet folks about how I was trying to get parents to read along with their students the book A Long Way Gone. I had about 80 parents, when it was all said and done, tell me they wanted to join us. I was shocked and completely blown away. I expected 20...maybe. So I decided I really needed to do more than just an email every couple of weeks. Using the Metronet teachings, I created a parent wiki and blog. On the parent wiki, I post all of the information for the book, discussion questions, things to think about, videos for parents to watch, page numbers they should be reading, and a few links. Then on the blog, I have invited parents to actually be others on a group blog where they can discuss the book with each other. So far only 1o parents have signed up for the blog, but we have already had a good discussion about the graphic nature of the book and how powerful that can be. I will be sending out another round of emails late this week where I will encourage parents to join our blogging and discussion once more. I am really excited by the possibilities and I am thankful that I have a student teacher this first time around so I have more time to PLAY with these web 2.0 tools.

Busy week for technology!!

2008-09-17T19:00:00.002-05:00

It has been a busy week for me and technology so far. All of my students are set up on blogger officially and they have been given their first official bloggin assignment. They seem pretty fired up about it and the responses on the blog so far have been leeps and bounds better than anything I received last year! I have also gotten another 9th grade language art's teacher on board and doing the same thing!

I also had tech crew this week with a lot of fellow Metronet folks and it was exciting to learn new things about my tablet PC and how that can improve my teaching. It is hard now to find the time outside of techcrew to really work on implementing some of those things. But I will keep working!!

Blogging Nightmare

2008-09-10T14:29:00.002-05:00

I definitely had major technology issues yesterday!! I spent a lot of time preparing my students to sign up for google accounts. Of course...it went nothing like I had planned. Basically, all of my students signing up at the same time made google think I was trying to spam...and it shot us down!! I figured out a way around it eventually, but I was a little frustrated with district technology folks who basically told me that I should have used moodle...not blogger. I appreciate the feedback from them but I had no clue moodle existed and have never been trained on it before. Moodle looks like a great program and I would love to be trained on it for next year (just wish someone would have told me about it sooner.)

Blogger Update

2008-09-08T10:45:00.003-05:00

After hearing that blogger was blocked at the high school, I did a little research into what is going on. Blogger is not blocked here at PRFC but a choice was made to block it at the high school by the technology staff. We have not had issues here that you have had at the high school!?!?!? I just know that it is not a district websense block. I would talk to Jason and convince him to unblock it for its educational uses.

I am not a technology coordinator obviously, but sometimes I think we are too quick to block things from students use. I think a better way to go about it would be to teach students about responsible uses for these tools and to supervise them when they are on the computer more. Yes...it probably is just easier to block blogger...but blogger is not going to be blocked when they leave CHS...and the more we can teach kids how to use it effectively and safely the better!

Thing 4 - Online Productivity Tools!!

2008-09-08T10:32:00.002-05:00

I am a little obsessed with online productivity tools! I love my iGoogle page the most. I like iGoogle because I see it every time I go to try and google something (which is very often.)

I also love del.icio.us because I work on several computers throughout the day and I always know that I always have access to my bookmarks.

In the past I have used google calendars quite a bit, but I have since used it less because I feel like the outlook calendar is better for school events (since so many of our meetings are set up in this manner.) Last year I figured out how to link my outlook calendar to automatically update my google calendar. However, my machine was cloned and I haven't had time to re-do that program. For me...opening my web-email is just as easy.

I also experimented with Remember the Milk last year and found that outlook task lists worked better FOR ME.

Google Chrome Update

2008-09-08T10:29:00.002-05:00

I have been faithfully using google chrome for about a week now and I still love it. I have gotten Chuck Nelson hooked on it too! It is super FAST. The only issue we are having with it happens to be with the new gradebook...it seems that the flash plugin required for gradebook is not working on chrome YET. For everything else...chrome is my internet application of choice!

Google Chrome

2008-09-03T12:07:00.002-05:00

Google is in the process of taking over the world...beware!!

Sarah tipped me off to this yesterday, but Google has launched a web browser (like internet explorer.) I have only been using it since last night, but it has some sweet new features. It also seems to be pretty quick. It isn't perfect (some facebook links wouldn't open for me) but it is pretty slick and fast! If you click here you will go to the site where you can download and learn about it. I especially love the feature that lets you easily make desktop links to online programs (works great for the new gradebook and subbing request system.)

Thanks for the tip Sarah!

Google Tip and Creative Commons

2008-08-25T21:46:00.003-05:00

Yes, it is the night before the first day of workshop and I am doing SCHOOLWORK!!

I had two things I thought I would share with you:

1 - I was doing work that required looking up a lot of vocabulary words and I figured out midway through the search that it was really easy to use google for this task. If you put define:word in the google search line, it gives you 4 or 5 different online definitions. I found it much easier than going to Webster.com (which is what I normally use) and not always liking the definition. This way you have a few definitions to choose from.

2 - I was making a powerpoint that required a lot of pictures and decided that I would give the whole creative commons thing a try. Normally I would just go to google images and look for pictures that work. In an effort to model fair use...I went to flickr and search through their creative commons pictures. I am going to be honest...it was much more difficult! It required a lot more digging for the perfect picture.

Thanks Jeanne

2008-08-22T21:58:00.003-05:00

Okay...this was definitely the most entertaining thing I have done in a long time!! I know...my life is boring! I had to do two because I thought they were sooooo hilarious!

Thing ??? : Twitter-licious

2008-08-21T20:36:00.001-05:00

Okay...so I got Sarah and I signed up for a twitter account. I don't know what to think about it yet because her and I are the only people I know who are actually on it. It has potential...but it still seems a bit weird to me too! Why do I need to constantly update people about what I am doing...I think the facebook "what am I doing" feature is enough.

However, I will keep an open mind now as I try to get a few of my friends signed up. Who knows...maybe I am the next twitter junkie!!

Thing 2 - RSS and Blogging Fun!!

2008-08-20T14:26:00.002-05:00

I will briefly talk about blogging...okay those of you who read my blog last year know that I never do anything briefly!! hehehe!

I used blogging last year as a way to have my kids do a lot of writing!! I loved it and am doing a lot this year to make it easier on myself and the kids. I have a ton of ideas about blogging and would love to chat with people about it since I have gone through it with my students and know some of the problems that arise. Also, I have some assignment sheets and set up tools that I used to make the beginning go smoothly!

As for RSS...what can I say...I love RSS! The key thing for me, last year, was when I figured out that you could add google reader to your iGoogle page. Then every time to go to google you see your reader. We all use google often so it streamlines everything big time! Why go to an additional site if you don't have to? Also, I love the edutopia rss feed and have signed up for a vocab work of the day.

Information Literacy: The Bridge to College Readiness

2008-08-19T15:16:00.002-05:00

Sarah, Lisa, and I had the wonderful experience of being on a panel for the Information Literacy: The Bridge to College Readiness conference this past summer. It was neat to see how fired up people were about MILI and information literacy. I thoroughly enjoyed sharing with a large group of people who much fun Metronet was this past year. I am really looking forward to this year ahead and learning even more! Metronet rocks and to top it all off...they fed us GREAT food at the conference!! :)

Back in the Saddle Again!!

2008-08-19T15:01:00.002-05:00

I am glad to be back this year...ready to go much further into this MILI content!

Thing 20 - What!? Podcasting?

2008-05-01T13:37:00.002-05:00

I would consider myself pretty tech savvy and I just this past summer conquered pod casts for personal enjoyment. However, I have never attempted making my own podcast because it seemed to complicated to me. However, the way we were presented with G-Cast...it seems so easy. I think I am going to even try more of this next year. I like how easy G-cast is, but I cannot figure out a great way to archive the pod casts. It would be nice to archive old casts on the blog because then students could access older information (for those who get behind...not that that ever happens!!) So I might even try using a different program to make them!? Who knows really...it is all about finding the time :) or making it a priority!

Thing 13 and Thing 14

2008-05-01T13:32:00.002-05:00

As my students are beginning to start research on their persuasive speech, I am trying to emphasize again the importance of reliable resources. Last quarter, Connie came in and shared information with my students about our subscription databases and about some ways to see if a website is reliable. As my students turned in their source cards (which had an analysis of the source's credibility) I was shocked to see how many of the things Connie talked about written in . So if they picked up on that...I think I will do even more this quarter!

For this speech, I encourage my students to play around on the subscription database Opposing Viewpoints before they choose a topic. I think it presents some unique material in a very helpful way!

Sketchcast

2008-04-24T16:59:00.000-05:00

Thing 27: My iGoogle

2008-04-22T09:46:00.003-05:00

Okay...so after our first meeting I set up an iGoogle page and I have loved every minute of it! The main thing I really like about it is the Google reader piece I put on the page! It keeps me up to date on every one's metronet stuff every time I go to Google! I also have a weather piece and the Google tip of the day! I like the Google tip because I learn something new about Google every once in a while. Looking taught me about the new feature on the Google toolbar called AutoFill! The feature lets you input your information, and then whenever you are at a site that requires your contact info or even credit cards (I did not set up this feature up on my computer at school, but I might think about it on my computer at home) to save time when signing up for things or online shopping!

Thing 12: Music Plasma

2008-04-22T09:16:00.002-05:00

Okay...so I think I had WAY too much fun with the musicplasma.com database! I was enjoying doing the movie search. Do I think I would ever use this for practical reasons or in my classroom?? Probably not. But still very fun to play around with. It is a very visual search engine that makes a giant image web relating movies to each other!

As for other search engines, I did some side-by-side comparisons of the results from a few different search engines. I am sort of stuck on Google when it comes to day-to-day pop culture searches. However, nothing beats the databases for academic material!

Thing 6: The Teacher Guide

2008-04-22T08:58:00.003-05:00

Well, I have been using the teacher guide to the RPC calculator a ton this semester. I love a lot of the mini-lessons or project guides that help with the question and gather portions of their speeches. As we move into the persuasive speech now, I am looking forward to using more of the "what's your angle" and "questioning strategies" as we approach the persuasive speech. I am looking to get students away from the standard persuasive speeches like "The wood bat is better than a metal bat" or "The death penalty is bad" and into speeches that are a little higher level thinking. I think these sheets will help out quite a bit!

Thing 16 MnLink

2008-04-18T11:51:00.003-05:00

So tomorrow is the state speech tournament; this season is not even over yet. However, I decided today to start looking at scripts for next year. I know...dorky! I am going to use MnLink this year to save the team some money. Instead of ordering all of the pieces, I am going to request some so we can peruse it before we buy them. I couldn't believe how easy this one! I can't believe I have not used this before!

Thing 8: I love to dribble...slurp

2008-04-03T11:38:00.003-05:00

I used a few of the dribbling lessons while teaching the gather stage of research for the informative speech. Ms. Nuss shared with my classes a mini-lesson on Boolean operators and research process too.

I also tried something new this year. Instead of having students make source note cards, I had them fill out the source notes sheets that are at the bottom of the gather dribbling lessons. I have found them incredibly useful! Going into the final weeks of the speech, students are more prepared and have a higher quality of information for their speeches!

Thing 18: What are students talking about?

2008-04-03T11:16:00.003-05:00

It is really hard to keep up with all of the technology that students are talking about these days, but I have heard a few things being talked about regularly.

YouTube seems to be the big trend still. I have a ton of students (young men especially) that spend a lot of time making and posting videos on YouTube. They are constantly working there creativity to make the next spoof or comedy sequence.

I have also heard the word video mash being thrown around. I am not sure if that is the technical term for it, but it sort of reminds me of the Disney plagiarism video we watched last meeting. I thing the basic idea is that you take two different video or sound choices and mesh them together. Here is a youtube example of one of my favorite songs paired with a classic: Every Car You Chase.

I asked some kids for their opinions and I got a wide variety of answers. Students said that they get sick of PowerPoint's all of the time (this might be because I have spent the last two days dynamically using PowerPoint to teach some very boring subjects.) They said they would love to have the opportunity to make movies or videos for class more often. I would love to incorporate this more in class but there is such a divide among students and resources and I would hate to make that divide bigger. I would love to hear about how people have used video in their classes.

UPDATE: google docs

2008-03-30T20:45:00.003-05:00

Okay...so I have been a very naughty blogger recently! I just had a heavy load this past quarter...but things should lighten up slightly in the coming weeks.

I did want to make one comment about the usefulness of Google docs. The Saturday after we had our last MetroNet meeting, I was in the tabulation room for a speech tournament in Mankato. One of our computers went down (the lab was not very well maintained) and we could only get the excel spreadsheet with the scores on it to open and we could not get it to do anything else. We tried transferring it to another computer via flash drive and that didn't work either.

However, I was able to copy the information into a Google app and then sort it and print it. I have no idea what caused the bug in excel, but the important thing was keeping the tournament on time. It worked and I made a lot of coaches from other districts firm believers in go ogle docs!!

Thingy Six - That Darn Calculator

2008-02-28T13:09:00.002-06:00

Well, I am finally to the point where my kids are about to do some serious research. Really...now until the end of the year is all about research! SO...I have begun to use the Research Calculator. I love it! I am modeling the informative speech steps right off of the calculator. I have gone to the resource section and I am beginning to use some of them for narrowing a topic and finding a research question. I did notice some usage errors on the worksheets...so I definitely recommend checking them over before you print them for students...I hate when students catch errors that I missed :)

In the past, students have struggled with the early stages of research because the strength of their topics have not been great. I hope this year to come out of the gates flying by spending some time up front preparing them more.

I look forward to using the calculator more to help with the gathering stages of the speech!!!!

More Just for funs!

2008-02-26T19:40:00.002-06:00

Since Sarah showed of one of her neat creations...I thought I would show another one of the photo-thingys I made at the online image generator (http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/) Here is a easy picture collage I made for the background image for the news show. I plan on changing it each week (I used to do this by hand for certain things...and it took be 15-20 minutes to make it work. This took me 3!! I am even going to have kids do it!!

Thing 21 - You Tube and More

2008-02-19T09:04:00.002-06:00

Well, I use You Tube a ton during Oral Communication to show different clips of speaking and media. However, I have found it a little challenging of late. With you tube being blocked, we were given a password so we could still use the material...however, I have learned that building videos into a powerpoint (how I have always done it in the past) does not work well because the password times out. I wish there was a better way. Just last week I made a powerpoint to demonstrate the different types of special occasion speeches. I found some cool examples (like Daniel Day Lewis's S.A.G. acceptance speech from this year) on You Tube and built them into my powerpoint. However, it was a hassle ALL day to make it work!

I looked on teachertube and did not find much I would use. I like youtube because of its relevancy and how I can easily find up-to-date content. I also took a look at YahooTeachers and it seems like it could be cool when it is released.

My technology coordinator mentioned he just learned a way to easily make you tube videos into movies that can be played without the internet. This might be viable for me?

I love to read month!!

2008-02-13T11:01:00.002-06:00

I love "I love to Read Month!!!!!"
It is so important to support literacy in ALL forms and this month is beautiful because of its united support (from all disciplines.)

Plus...I just started The Pillars of the Earth and I hate to put it down...so it gives me an excuse to read in school.

Thing 19 - Just for Fun

2008-02-06T14:55:00.000-06:00

Okay...I played around for a while with the Online Image Generator at BigHugeLabs.com! I could really have fun with this! I am thinking too about a collegue who has her students make board games...they could make really cool cards for their board games. Here is the trading card I made for Shakespeare! SWEET! There is even more room for text (I wasn't sure how much space there would be) and students would write a lot of info there...

Thing 17 - another new thing

2008-02-06T14:39:00.000-06:00

I have really had a blast learning a new program. It is called Coffee Cup Form Builder and it is available at coffeecup.com. I had to learn the program to develop a registration tool for speech, but have found it incredible useful. I also designed a form for "I Love to Read Month" in collaboration with Connie (our media specialist.) You can see it at

http://www.district112.org/prc/Departments/mc/ilovetoread/ilovetoread.html

The results of the survey get sent to email and then they are using the results to make powerpoint slides.

Surveymonkey is also a place to do this, but I have found that most of the surveys I do would have more than 10 questions (there limit if you don't want to pay.) Plus, this option is much more customizable! If you want me to make you one...I charge $80 an hour!!! Just Kidding!!

Thing 10 Plagiarism

2008-02-06T14:26:00.001-06:00

Okay, so for those that didn't notice, I made a little joke yesterday! hahahaha! So funny! I copied Burnett's entire blog about plagiarism. You should have known that it wasn't mine by how well written it was!! :)

So what are my thoughts on plagiarism and copyright?
I am pretty familiar with copyright issues (earning myself an 18/21 on the first quiz) because I teach studio video and I encounter issues of copyright with them all of the time. However, I would not say that I am an expert in any way! I used to have Sharon do the copyright talk for my students and plan to hopefully have Connie do it this year!

As for Plagiarism, it is a constant battle!!!! Earlier this year, I got to experiment with TurnItIn.com and I ran a set of my students papers through the site. It was interesting because before we wrote the paper, I told them I was going to be doing it and explained what it does. I got a huge moan from some students. I couldn't believe that they thought plagiarism was okay as long as they don't get caught!! I run into the issue of copy and pasting like Ms. Reighard too!

I would love to hear tips people have for plagiarism. I plan to spend more time on it this year before the first research-based speech. I think we will do some work on paraphrasing and we will continue to look at note-taking and source evaluation.

Thing 10: Plagerism

2008-02-04T20:16:00.000-06:00

The quizzes were much more challenging than I thought they would be. I only got a 14 out of 21 on one of them. I guess I am glad that the ones I got wrong were because I was erring on the side of caution. I am also glad that I have a wonderful media specialist who can help me when I have a question on copyright. This is a great time to collaborate!

How do you deal with issues of plagiarism in your class?
The student automatically gets a 0 on the assignment, with the option of redoing it. I will take a phrase that I know they did not write and type it into Google. When the web site comes up that they plagarized, I print it off and attach it to the assignment. The kids can not deny anything at that point. However, more importantly, I think it helps to be more proactive at the beginning. A well designed project makes it hard to plagarize. For example, with history day the kids have to connect their topic to a theme and explore its historical significance and impact. This kind of analysis demands that they use multiple resources and their own interpretation. Very hard to plagarize.

What resources do you use to teach these concepts?
For the first project that I have kids complete, my media specialist gives a mini-lesson on plagarism and citation. With easybib.com citations are a breeze. I find some 8th graders are already experts at notetaking and paraphrasing. Others are simply not there yet. Whether they are being mentally lazy or just don't have the skills, I am not sure. I often assume that kids know how to take notes, but I am not sure if they have ever actually been taught. Modeling is a powerful tool. Sounds like another great way for me to collaborate with my MS....

Thing 4: Minneapolis Central Library!!

2008-01-14T11:27:00.000-06:00

I am well on my way to using the public library, but I still don't have a usable library card to prove it...lol!! You may have already read Sarah's blog about our journey to the Minneapolis Public Library, so I will second many of the things she discussed!

When we first walked in (besides having to pay for parking...which bummed me out) I was immediately on sensory overload! In general, the library is just a cool space! It was exciting to just watch the elevators go up and down (as they go up and down, different biography titles appear!) When it came time to look through library stacks...I thoroughly enjoyed pressing the buttons and making them move (and it wouldn't even let Sarah move the stacks and crush me!!!!)

I was super impressed by the diversity of people using the library! It is cool to see different people enjoying it!

In my class, I have been working hard to get students out to the public libraries! Next year, I am definitely going to have all of my kids get a library card at the beginning of the year.

Thing 9: WHAT!? United Streaming!

2008-01-11T11:27:00.000-06:00

I remember briefly hearing about United Streaming at a staff meeting last year, but it was on a conference night and my mind was on other things! Now actually digging through it a bit, I found some really cool stuff. I typically show youtube videos a few times a month to emphasize a point I am making or to give examples (I often use commercials during public speaking to teach some of the parts of a good speech.) However, these videos seem excellently put together.

It seems that there are not as many Language Arts videos as science and history, but there are some gems I might use!!

I embedded one of the videos about video productions into a powerpoint I show my video production class I teach next year! It will be nice to have some real examples of video angles to show.

I also found a cool grammar series (cartoon) with some cool grammar mini lessons! I might use those next year when I need to emphasize a certain grammatical rule!

Thing 11 cont. - Google Alerts...gotta love it!

2008-01-04T11:01:00.000-06:00

Okay...so I wrote a ton yesterday, but I wanted to comment on one more google function! I set up a google alert and got my first email today and it is so cool. I set up a google alert to send my info about broadway (in preparation for the theater class I teach) and I got some news stories just in the last 24 hours about broadway theater. The nice part is, it sends it to you in one email and you can preview the stories before you go read them. I am sure I won't be able to spend 45 minutes every day reading the stories...but it was absolutely wonderful today!!!!

Thing 11: Google is da Bomb!

2008-01-03T10:54:00.000-06:00

I am google lover! My best fantasy involves moving to California and joining the google revolution. I am beginning to think that there IS a possibility that GOOGLE could rule the world one day (free of charge - no less!!) What I love about google is its whole concept. Give people the information they need...free of charge! And do it without bullying and outsourcing much! I have heard cool things about their company and how well they treat their employees in order to foster creativity!

However, I learned even more today by playing around with some of the new features. I have always used google as my primary search engine and I have a google account that I use for blogger. I use google on a day-to-day basis as my first stop during a websearch. It is easiest and I find it can usually give me what I need to know without having to dig much (laziness!) When it comes to students, I usually have them try to stay away from google (I have even blocked it before.) I don't know if this is the best method because google DOES have some great resources, but it doesn't necessarily provide the scholarly material I would like to have my kids using for their big speeches during oral comm. I would love to hear from others about how they DO USE google with their kids!

More recently, I set up an iGoogle after hearing about it from Sarah Burnett. That really opened up the world of google too me. Now I use my iGoogle to show me the RSS feeds coming from the metronet sites and to give me a few other feeds from vocabulary and writing sites (via google reader). I also use my iGoogle to stay relevant on current events. Also on my iGoogle, I have subscribed to the google tip of the day. This tip gives me new insights into google every day. They post new products and tips to help use current google products better. I learned here about picassa, which I use now to organize my personal photos and I plan to use it in the future to share pictures with family and friends!

I created a customized search for my honors class today that will have them search some select websites for information about literary classics (our current unit.) It was harder than I thought to add it to my school website because I tend use frontpage and I am not super familiar with html codes, but I got it to work with a little patience and time. The customized search is not super refined, but I will continue to play with it! Right now it comes up heavy on the Barnes and Noble websites, but I think I can make it stop that is I play more. You can see it by clicking here and scrolling to the bottom of the website.

Well enough blabbing!!
-Travis

Reading by the Pool!!

2007-12-29T13:45:00.000-06:00

OK...so I did not reach my goal to go to the public library over break! OOoops! I have been very busy in Phoenix with family reading at the pool. Although I came up short, I feel like I am refreshed and ready to conquer information literacy upon my return to Minnesota. For now, a few book recommendations:

The Sledding Hill by Chris Crutcher - the one and only book I read here that took me less than a day and it is young adult lit!! Good for reluctant readers!

Into the Wild by Kraukaur - You will either love it or hate it and I think it is all dependant on your love or hate for the main character (Chris McCandless.) I appreciate his journey and had a hard time putting this book down!

Eat, Pray, Love by Liz Gilbert - I know...girly book...but I had to figure out what all of the fuss was about. I actually thought this book was great! I love her style and voice. I found pieces in this book that I could really connect to. I would definitely recommend it for anyone who is the least bit spiritual, but battles religion, or someone looking for an uplifting story.

Okay...that is all I have for now! See you all soon!

Thing 4 - The Public Library Mafia

2007-12-18T16:09:00.000-06:00

OK Seriously! I have not been able to check anything out at a public library since grade school! AHHHHHHHH!! And why is that!?!? Because I have $80 in late fees from books that my family lost when I was in elementary school (I will try to place the blame on them.) I have been to the library in Apple Valley to read. Not only that...in high school we would often sing at the public library during the holidays and the speech team always went to read stories to kids once a month.

I know I need to get over it, but I have been stubborn about forking over that dough to the library mafia! I use Barnes and Noble as if it were a library (which is much more expensive than just paying the $80 late fee.) So my goal for winter break is to get my butt to the library, pay my late fee, and get over it.

However, I always encourage my students to use the library and I tote its resources quite often! I am doing a independent novel unit right now (in place of Martian Chronicles...because I have a hard time finding relevancy for the kids) and I created a search tool that had students using their lexile scores in the lexile.com database, and then following links to our media center and the public libraries to find the book that lexile.com recommended for them. I think it is making kids aware of the resources out there. I think the assignment could be easily adapted to many grade levels...so if you would like it, drop me an email and I will send it (I am all about sharing!!)

Wish me luck on my public library journey!!
Travis

Thing 5 - Teacher Website - An exercise in futility

2007-12-11T10:56:00.000-06:00

There are many a times that I feel the teacher website is an exercise in futility. It takes me a good 20 minutes a week to keep up on it, and I have little idea if ANYONE checks it! Sometimes I feel like there are a few kids (maybe 3-8 in each period) who check the website regularly; the rest don't even bother to check it EVER.

I like the idea of having a calendar on my website with all of my assignments and lesson plans. I think next year (or maybe 2nd semester if I can work up the courage) I will get rid of the old lesson planning book and do it all online. I think if I made this move, it would feel like less of something just tacked on top of an already busy day.

I have put a link to my website on the main page of this blog if you want to check it out. I like the general format of my webpage and how it has evolved over the last few years. For those who are new to the teacher webpage, my biggest hint is keep it simple (something I am still working on.) Also, try to make it your own with quirky things about you or pictures of classroom activities.

My Cousins!

2007-12-05T20:11:00.001-06:00

One last video!

Speech Video

2007-12-05T19:34:00.001-06:00

I thought you might want to see a sample video that I made.

RSS rocks my face off!!

2007-12-05T14:28:00.001-06:00

I had heard about RSS a while ago, but I have never really ventured into its realm! It always seemed too complicated.

Well I was way wrong! I really like how RSS can make life a lot easier! Instead of going to a whole bunch of websites to get my information, I can go to one common site and get it all handed to me! How great!! I will definitely be putting one on my classroom website with a word of the day. I also want to develop a parent's page on my web page and I think there are some great tools for parents that come in RSS format. On my blog, I have posted an RSS feed from my favorite education website: edutopia.org. I love this website because it has CONTROVERSIAL ideas but every once in a while it has a nugget of light that gets me thinking and really changes how I think about education. Now, it is posted right on my blog (thanks to RSS!) I love it!

ps...I love The Common Craft show at blip.tv! I am going to use them next year to introduce blogger and I am going to have a class I am subbing for (for a week) make their own videos using iMovie and cameras.

Thing 1 - What are we talking about?

2007-12-05T14:09:00.000-06:00

Information literacy is huge. I am currently on the LA curriculum review committee and we are looking at bringing our department's standards into the 21st century. I think on of the key pieces of this initiative is Information Literacy. Our students (and many of us too) are bombarded with information on a daily basis. It can be downright overwhelming!! We need to prepare our students to discern what is pertinent information and then figure out what it means for their lives. However, I also believe that it is not necessarily telling the kids how to find good information, because that changes rapidly: there is always a new website or search engine. Instead, it is teaching them how to be consumers of information and how to judge the information for themselves, and that is the hardest part for me as a teacher. It is easy for me to go to the media center and tell them to only go to one website (the one I have predetermined as 'good') and it is a ton harder to actually teach them why it is good and how to judge if others are 'good' too.

I am excited to learn more about tools and better practices for research!

Not-a-thing

2007-12-02T20:59:00.000-06:00

Okay folks...so I was playing around on the internet and found this slideshow maker that is super cool and free! I literally made 5 videos in about 20 minutes and they look soooooo professional. I highly recommend you check it out!

click on this link-----> animoto.com

Day 1

2007-11-29T11:17:00.000-06:00

Yipeee! I love this stuff!