The Final Countdown: Part 5

Wow, has technology ever changed our world!  In more ways than I think we'll ever know.  For example, my wife and I have not entered a single store to do Christmas shopping.  Every single bit of it was done online.  Today, through email and shared websites, I have been working with someone from Winnipeg to order clothing for our student body to purchase.  After supper today my brother and I "Facetimed" while my wife and her brother were on Facetime.  Our girls were watching a movie that we had on PVR at the same time.  Later on, I practiced my guitar, using an online program to get music (notation) to follow.  Now, I'm sitting at my laptop blogging.  Maybe my family is too dependent on technology (my wife made supper using a recipe that she found on cooks.com). 

Could I last 1 week without technology?  Could I...

The Final Countdown: Part 4

Okay, I'm finished my paper (well, almost...I just have to do some editing).  Thanks to everyone who commented on things that I can do better.

The ability to share information and work using Google Docs is so amazing.  Collaborating together on assignments provides strength to to final work because people are contributing ideas on how to make something better.  And, as in this class, where there are 15 or so contributors, it means that the collective "brain" is more knowledgeable than the single.

Good luck in your final week of ICT 07:755.

The Final Countdown: Part 3

Wow, working on my paper is getting a little overwhelming.  I have 9 pages of quotes.  Yep, 9 pages, and I still have to go over 7 more journal articles.  I also had the brainwave that I would make a survey for teachers and students at Killarney School to get some authentic data for this paper.  I made a Google Doc for the teachers/students to work on.  So far 5 teachers and their students have responded (maybe more, I haven't checked).  So, I have my authentic data, but now I have to do some type of analysis of the data.

I suppose this makes me feel pretty good about the final action research project, because it will be used by our school to help decide where tech $ should go and to help our school board see the importance of investing in technology.  I'm just not looking forward to the work.

This is my last class for my graduate diploma, and my last paper that I'll possibly ever write.  My wife is glad that I'm putting so much effort into it, but she would like it if I'd be home more evenings.  Soon, very soon...I can almost taste it.

And just for fun: THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

The Final Countdown: Part 2

Well, I'm in the middle of information gathering and writing for my final paper.  My paper is about interactive whiteboards and student engagement.  This evening, three different articles mentioned the same thing.  The technology is a tool and is as good as the teacher using it.

How true.  How many of us have had a teacher who had all the material and knowledge, but just couldn't teach?  Technology is a tool and needs to be in the hands of someone who knows how to use it (or is willing to learn).  Yesterday I taught a group of EAs how to use a computer program to support students.  Most understoood how to use the program as we were going through it, but one EA just didn't, and was getting frustrated, and, despite my slowing down and helping her out, just could not grasp what to do.  I cannot imagine being the student who must work with the EA on the computer program and the frustration that both would experience. 

Technology needs to be used by those who understand how to use it so that students can experience the full benefits of the technology.  Teachers who know how to use an interactive whiteboard will use it in interactive, innovative, and creative ways.  Students will benefit from the visual, auditory, and tactile support provided by and interactive whiteboard, but only if the teacher is able to make best use of that technology.

The Final Countdown: Part 1

Well, today officially marks the final week of ICT 07:755.  Even though the strike made things more or less an independent study, I learned quite a lot about social media and how it may be used in the classroom.  I have created videos, podcasts, concept maps, and a wiki, tweeted and blogged (a lot), learned how to screen cast  and share my computer desktop with someone over the internet.

For someone who is kind of a "techie", I have learned many skills that I will be sharing with my colleagues and students.  EAs and teachers are already sharing the Kurzweil 3000 presentation that I'm did using Jing.  Audacity has many features that I have been using for personal use.  I wanted my band to do a medley of 2 songs, and I was able to combine the mp3s using Audacity so that the group could hear exactly what I wanted us to do.

So, here's to a great final week of ICT 07:755! 

Mindmeister Map

This weekend I started working on my final paper.  One thing that I decided to do is to complete a concept map using Mindmeister.  What a cool little program.  Unfortunately, my brain doesn't work the way that Mindmeister is set up.

I'm NOT a visual learner.  Tell me something, sing me something, and I'll remember.  Put it in a map and...so, anyways, I will try and complete the map, but I'd rather organize my writing in a different way...a written outline.

Well, Mindmeister is still fun to play around with and has some good features (I really like the notes). 

Anyways, I'm done for today.  Everyone in my family is REALLY sick, and I've been trying to take care of them and work and finish my final paper.  Let's just say I'm tired.  Very tired.

Google+

Okay, so our ICT 07:755 class is a circle in Google+.  A lot of classmates have been asking about what Google+ is.  So, here is my take on it.

First of all, I would say that Google+ is Google's attempt at competing with Facebook.  Bravo, I say!  I personally have never really liked Facebook because of the confidentiality issues associated with using it.  Google+ is a great solution to using Facebook because of its features.  The features that I like best:

Feature #1: Circles - The circles in Google+ are meant to be like the circles that you have in real life: work, friends, family, etc. and are an easy way to help you organize where someone belongs and what you share with them.  Great idea.

Feature #2: Hangouts - Awesome idea.  You can have a video (yep, video) chat with 9 other people.  Cool.


Just like Facebook, you can share photos and videos, but only with the circles that you choose (not all of your friends).  You can also message, chat, and do anything else that you would with Facebook, but you also have the advantage of using other parts of Google.  Not only that, I like the look and feel of Google+, it feels more...professional than Facebook, which makes me want to use it more than Facebook.  I hope that I can get my family into Google+ so we can "hangout" together.

I've posted this link in my tweet, but it has some great information, so I'll share it here. https://www.google.com/intl/en_uk/+/learnmore/index.html#circles

The Strike is Over!!

Hey, life can start again, the university strike is over!  I am so excited.  Maybe I can actually complete my course, get my Grad Diploma and start having time for family and working out (I am becoming a fat slob).

I am happy that I have been able to stay motivated at tweeting/blogging.  The problem with trying to do these everyday is that some days there just isn't time to get everything done.  And, when it came to choosing between family time (on weekends) and school work, the family ALWAYS won.

Now that I am working on my final paper, I am starting to feel relief...I guess that I see that there is an end in sight.  So, not only am I going to be finished this class, I will have my Grad Diploma, I will be able to be home EVERY evening, AND I will get a raise.  Yay!

Talk to you tomorrow.

Maplewood

In an effort to provide as much information as possible to parents and students, we use Maplewood.  Parents and students have access to marks whenever and wherever they are by going to Maplewood and typing in their usernames and passwords.  So, I suppose, in a way, Maplewood is a type of social media; people are sharing information with one another.

When things work well, everything is great, but when they don't work do well...oh...my...goodness...is it frustrating!  The Maplewood server often crashes, sometimes when a teacher is doing class attendance, entering marks, or doing report cards.  Yes, all of the above have happened this year.  Sometimes the server times out, which means all of the unsaved data is gone.  Sometimes parents cannot log-in to see their child's marks, either because they entered the password incorrectly and were locked out of Maplewood, or because, yet again, the server crashed.  Over the last few years Maplewood has gotten better and better, so we are experiencing these type of situations less and less, but they still do happen.

There is another aspect to social media.  Because it is social, there has to be two-way communication.  Teachers have to make sure that they are routinely posting marks.  Just before IEP meetings in October, I printed progress reports for the students that are on my caseload.  Out of fourteen students, only one had any marks on their progress report, and that report only had marks for one class (out of nine).  I know how busy that we as teachers are, but if we choose to use social media to report to parents, we had better be using it.

My Rant

Today, after reading Dr. Poff's email, I am left facing the sad reality that this university term will probably be scrapped.  Perhaps I am a glass half-empty type of person, but Dr. Poff was quite adamant that the distance between the university and BUFA is bigger than it has ever been.

Now, I understand where BUFA is coming from (my father-in-law is a professor at the university), but, let's face it, this strike SUCKS!  ICT 07:755 is my LAST class until I get my special ed. certificate.  I had promised my wife and kids, that after this class was completed, that they would have her/their husband/father back after 3 years of classes.  We changed the girls schedules so that they could start some activities in January, when I would have time to help out with driving, etc.  Plus I promised my wife that we would start having "date night" again, that she could sign up for yoga/pilates, that I would get back into shape, and that we would have more family time.  This strike has really messed things up. 

Not to mention that I have been completing my assignments...  

And the deaf shall...speak!

Today I had a great conversation with an EA.  He works with an autistic student, and this student has a homework block the same time that a deaf student has his homework block.  I have been letting this deaf student use my iPad for different activities during the day, and recently purchased iASL (translates written English into video ASL).

Yesterday, the EA and the deaf student struck up a conversation.  On the iPad.  They talked for half an hour.  How cool is that?  This EA had never before "spoken" to this student and was surprised with all that the student had to say.  Using the iPad has helped the student go from using it to taking photos to communicating with others in a matter of a few weeks.

I had the opportunity to take this student to Networking Day at the Manitoba School for the Deaf in October.  We had an hour ride together until we picked up his EA interpreter.  What to do during that time?  Listen to the radio?  Drive in silence.  No way.  He took out his cell phone and typed out questions.  To respond, I used Dragon Dictate on my iPhone (no, I wasn't texting and driving) so that he could read my answers.  We had a great conversation on the way to Winnipeg and on the way back.  In fact, when we got back to town, he signed that "time flew".  It sure did. 

It is so awesome to see how technology opens up a world of communication for all individuals, as it has for this deaf student.

Windows 7: Part One

So, Windows 7 is an operating system, right.  Oh, it's so much more.  We have a deaf student, and the paraprofessional working with him only has a couple of ASL classes, so this student has no one to communicate with in our entire school, and only one person who can sort of communicate with him.  I have been racking my brain with how to help him fully understand what teachers and other students are saying.  Last week,  I came up with a plan.  I think it's brilliant.  What is this plan, you say?  Let me tell you...

1.  I ordered a wireless microphone from Amazon.com (the Microsoft LifeChat ZX-6000 Wireless Headset), which came on Friday.

2.  This morning, I trained the computer to my voice, using the built in voice-to-text option that comes with Windows 7.  How to get there?  Simple.  Control Panel--Ease of Access--Speech recognition--Start speech recognition.

After half an hour of training, I would say that it is 90% accurate.  I just open up Word, turn on the microphone, and start speaking.

So, doing this has helped to create a closed captioning system for this student to use in class.  He just has to bring a laptop to class, the teacher puts on the wireless microphone, and voila, he has a written transcript of everything that the teacher is saying in class.  Cool.

3.  We have students with ADD/ADHD, that are Hard of Hearing, and with Learning Disabilities, and all of them require adaptations that involve the use of an FM amplification system.  We have a few in the school, but they're broken, don't work that great, or need new recharagble batteries.  Have you seen the cost of one of those systems?  An FM system runs from $1500-$2500.  Well, every classroom has a laptop and speakers.  Could this wireless microphone also be used as an amplification system?  You bet.  Go to Control Panel--Hardware and Sound--Sound--Manage Audio Devices--Recording--Right click on the microphone icon--Properties--Listen--and check Listen to this device.  Voila, the microphone now works and can be heard through the laptop (or external) speakers! 
I took the laptop and gave the wireless microphone to the Chemistry teacher for him to try.  We hooked it up to his speakers and displayed the text on his SmartBoard.  It was so awesome to have his voice coming through the speakers in his classroom and have what he was saying appear up on the SmartBoard.

So, just using Windows 7 and a cheap wireless microphone ($30!!!!), I was able to create a closed captioning and amplification system for teachers to use.

Facebook: Part 3

So, here's something that I struggle with.  I have parents of some of my students who use Facebook to communicate and have asked that I be their Facebook friend.  So, if I do accept, not only do I have to deal with them professionally, now they have access to see any information that I choose to put on Facebook.  Not only that, students have requested that I be their Facebook friend.

With the students, I just click ignore, but with the parents it is a little more difficult, so I have chosen to accept their requests because I want them to know that we are on the same team (for their child).  My wife and I share a Facebook account (because we're old and don't really like using Facebook) and only post family pictures on the site, so we're not too worried about parents finding out too much about us.

I really feel that there has to be a professional boundary that teachers follow (like never being a Facebook friend with a student).  The problem with teaching in a small town is that everyone knows you, or thinks they know you.  Teachers need to enjoy some anonymity, so have to be careful about what information they put on Facebook and who they choose to add as friends.  I made the mistake of adding an old classmate as a friend and now have friend invitations by women (porn stars I suppose) with names like Jugs Galore and Frisky Tootimes.

Facebook friends....be careful...be smart...be safe.

The audacity of it!

Yesterday evening I was finally able to record a conversation with a classmate using Audacity.  Wow, was it ever easy!  We called on Skype, then took turns discussing our topics.  We each had questions that we discussed, and all that it involved was opening Audacity and pressing record.  Cool beans!

What I really liked about using Audacity, besides ease of use, was how simple it was to edit the conversation.  I was able to remove coughs, ummms, pauses, and things that we talked about that may have been off topic.  I was able to edit down a 6 minute conversation to 4 minutes just by removing the extra "fillers" in our conversation.

As I was editing, I started thinking about other ways that I could use Audacity.  Using Xilisoft, I was able to convert a video to audio and then add effects to it in Audacity.  Even just recording my voice and adding effects was pretty cool.  I also like how I was able to record my voice overtop of an mp3 file (I tried singing Karaoke).

Now to actually getting around to posting the conversation on my wiki...

Facebook: Part 2

I found a copy of Oct/Nov's The Manitoba Teacher in my mailbox at school today, and found the article by Ray Job entitled "Teachers must take care when using social media".  This tied in quite well with my rant about Facebook etiquette yesterday.  Some points that Job (2011) outlines in his article are:

• Get parental consent
• Follow divisional policy
• Make sure everyone understands what information is being collected, how it will be used, and how it will be disclosed
• Make sure you have proper releases of information
• Do not post content that you are uneasy or unsure about how it may bee received
• "When in doubt, chicken out"
• Be careful posting (tweeting, blogging) photos of students
• Preserve anonimity
• Have appropriate profile pictures (not one of you drunk, etc)
• Make sure to manage social media properly

Social media is amazing in what can be shared and with whom, but it is so important to be cautious in what information is posted online.  Remember, once it's on the web, it is everywhere.

Facebook: Part 1

Well, I haven't blogged for a few days.  In fact, I haven't turned on my computer, except for work purposes.  My brother called and asked if his family could stay at our place for a few days.  They're having an elective C-section next week.  That's no problem, but them my parents called and asked if they could come, too.  My parents want to help look after his 2-year-old son and our 3 girls while their baby is being born.  This has meant that renovations to our basement had to be put into high gear, so last week I came home from school, got into work clothes, and worked in the basement until 10 or 11 each evening.  All that's left to do is install a faucet in the bathroom this afternoon, and then we're done!  We have been living in renovations since before our 5-year old was born, so I'm not sure what we're going to do with having the use of our entire house (my wife already wants to paint our main floor and start making renovations in the kitchen...I asked her to wait until after this class was finished).  Our basement is awesome: new windows, new bedroom, new bathroom, new everything, plus satellite TV (we only had one receiver until a couple months ago).

So, that's my long story.  Renos done, but school work had to be put on hold.

I want to talk a little bit about Facebook.  The past couple of months I have had to deal with three issues, two professionally and one personally, that involve what I would deem improper use of Facebook.  I can't be very specific, but one involved a paraprofessional writing about a student, another involved a student bullying others using Facebook, and the third involved a family member posting something inappropriate on a university's Facebook page.

What is is about Facebook that makes people think that they can post whatever they want?  Do they think the internet makes them anonymous?  Do they think that writing something isn't as serious as saying something?  Is it because they post something in their own house/bedroom and feel insulated from the rest of the world?  I am struggling with how people misuse Facebook; how people that I know misuse Facebook.  The paraprofessional almost lost her job, the student was expelled from school, and the family member...let's just say the family is going to have a "meeting" next weekend and express how unacceptable the family member's behaviour was.

I've actually struggled with posting this blog, and hopefully have not said too much about the Facebook incidents.  I just hope that people realize that once something is sent into cyberspace, it's there for all of the world to see.

e-Pearl: Part 1

In my search for ways to engage students with social media and technolgy, I discovered ePearl.  ePearl is an electronic, web-based portfolio for students to store what would, traditionally be stored in a binder.  What can be put on ePearl?  How about pdfs, Word documents, video and audio files, scanned files and documents, and any other digital media. 

Research shows that portfolios improve student motivation as they learn how to set goals and chart their growth through looking at what they have done, what they are doing now, and what they want to do.  By seeing the quality of their work improve, students realize that they are growing and learning.


For more information, check out: http://grover.concordia.ca/epearl/promo/en/epearl.php

Screen Cast: Jing

Well, I just completed my first ever screen cast using Jing.  Very cool.  Jing is very easy to use and was simple to install.  It didn't take very long to catch on to how to use Jing; it had a great tutorial.

I did the screen cast on the Kurzweil 3000 software program.  Kurzweil 3000 reads pdfs, Word documents, e-books by converting them into kesi files.  Kurzweil 3000 also has word processing to help students who struggle with writing.  If you aren't familiar with the program, the screen cast is a quick drive by of some of Kurzweil 3000's features.  Check it out.

http://screencast.com/t/D50dSZNro

Skype: Part 2

Well, using Skype is pretty neat.  Sharing your screen is a really neat feature.  My brother-in-law is a computer god, so whenever we run into some type of trouble, he is able to troubleshoot for us by having us go to different parts of our computer.  He has helped get our wireless printer working, get a faster internet connection, and recreate pictures that were accidentally erased off of our computer.

This is all I'll do for today.  I'm home sick with a cold (the whole family is sick).  Talk to you all on Monday.

Skype: Part 1

Blog for Thursday, October 27, 2011

I have to say thanks to everyone from my 07:755 class.  Many of your discussions on Skype have helped to clarify what is due and what assignments should look like for our class.  I have been feeling quite overwhelmed and you have all helped tremendously.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and perspectives.  The "chat" feature of Skype is so useful.  You can post a comment or question and have it answered and don't have to worry about if someone is on Skype at the moment that you post (not like a call).  It seemed strange to me that a video/audio internet "phone" would use SMS, but seeing how useful it has been makes perfect sense. 

Thanks again for helping narrow down what to do for assignments in this class.  It was through chatting on Skype that I found another classmate to do some recording with.  Pretty cool.

Deaf/Hard of Hearing Networking Day

Tomorrow is a networking day in Winnipeg at Manitoba School for the Deaf for deaf students and their teachers.  What a great idea!  We have a deaf student at our school, but there are no other students who speak ASL, so, unless there is an interpreter or computer nearby, he doesn't have anyone to communicate with.  He is so excited about being able to talk with is peers.

I am looking forward to the day because one of the teacher sessions deals with technology for deaf/hard of hearing students.  Being so far removed from a large deaf community, I don't know that much about what technologies are available.  I recently was given a closed captioning program to have teachers use in their classrooms to help this student be able to read what they are saying, but do not really know what else is out there.

When I think about social media in terms of working with the deaf population, I think of how something as simple as texting has helped open up a world of communication for people who otherwise had no way of communicating to the world.  I hope to learn a lot tomorrow that will help me open up a new ways of communication for this student to those who do not know or speak ASL.

Final Paper: Part 3

Blog for Tuesday, October 25, 2011

I suppose that it is time that I check out Ebscohost to see what kind of journal articles can be found about Interactive White Boards.  I have found a lot of information just doing Google searches, but I also want to find peer-reviewed journal articles that are less than 10 years old that are in "good" journals.

Speaking of journals, I was asked to submit one of my papers from a previous class to the Brandon University journal.  I think I will submit it, but I'll have to work on editing/revising the paper sometime after this class is over.  It is strange, until I started taking my graduate diploma, I had no interest in research or writing, but as the classes went on, I began to develop a real sense of purpose for my job as I began researching and writing.  Now, that I am in my 10th class and will be receiving my graduate diploma in the Spring, I am prepared to say that I will be pursuing the 54 credit-hour masters, but I think I should wait until we stop having kids.  It feels like my 3 and 5 month old barely know me.

 

Final Paper: Part 2

This weekend I was able to start seriously working on my final paper.  I have begun by looking at research pertaining to how student engagement studies have been done and how student engagement has been measured.  I think that by tweaking a survey from Wisconsin that I can actually do a real survey of high school students.

Even though this paper is for the 07:755 class, I will be able to do meaningful research on whether or not interactive whiteboards do enhance student engagement and what the best use(s) of interactive white boards are.  The data collection should help teachers as they try to engage students and it should help our school division realize how important it is to invest in technology.  If this action research project can help verify that technology use is not just "gimmicky" but provides teachers and students with invaluable support in learning, then our school division may find it easier to support purchases of other technology (I'm really interested in clickers in the classroom...that'll have to wait, though).

Final Paper: Part 1

Well, it looks as if I finally have a direction for where to go in terms of my final paper.  I have been interested in student engagement for the last few years, actually ever since starting to take courses for my special ed certificate.  I have been intrigued about what causes student disengagement and what schools can do to change this.

Taking this course, I have been thinking about all of the ways that technology can impact student engagement.  There are so many ways that students can use technology in class: cell phones, blogging, twitter, Skype, etc.  I have been looking at what type of action research project that could be undertaken that would be information that would be useful to staff here at Killarney School.

Last night I had a brainwave (it was at 3:19 am; I know this because our 5 month old was up at that time...she has a really bad cold right now) while half asleep.  Last spring our school received a grant from the Killarney Foundation to help get every classroom into the digital age.  Each classroom...I repeat, each classroom...was set up with a digital projector, laptop, and interactive white board (Smartboard or Mimio).  Well, at 3:19 this morning, my brain started spinning and I came up with an idea for a survey for teachers and one for students that could help determine whether using an interactive smartboard increases student engagement.

After school today, I googled "interactive whiteboard, student engagement", and a plethora of research studies, powerpoints, and articles came up.  I think I found my action research project thesis.  Now to start writing...

Closing the Gap: Part 8

You'd think that I'd run out of things to write about "Closing the Gap", but there is so much to learn at the conference.

(Beamz Interactive, 2011)




Today I'm going to write about the Beamz Interactive Music System.  "What is the Beamz Interactive Music System?" you might ask.  Well, have you heard of Guitar Hero?  Rock Band?  The Beamz Interactive Music System uses laser beams to create music.  The way it works is simple enough...the beamz player has 4 lasers, and by passing your hand through it, music is created.

The beamz music library includes rock, pop, jazz, blues, classical, dance, hip hop, club, country, etc. music (Beamz, 2011).  Not only are there so many genres to play with, it is possible to play up to 12 different instruments in one song.

Watch the Demo (Beamz Interactive, 2010)

Why I am so interested in this software/device is because of the special needs students that I work with.  Many of them have poor fine and gross motor skills.  This program gives them an opportunity to interact with music similar to what is done with a Wii or the Guitar Hero/Rock Band instruments that their limited motor skills has prevented them from using.  It also helps them develop their skills through using the beamz player.

References
Beamz Interactive. (Designer). (2010). 2010 beamz marketing video w/artists. [Web Video]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPJwhXduh60&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

Beamz Interactive. (2011). The beams-interactive music system. Retrieved from http://thebeamz.com/

Closing the Gap: Part 7

Blog for Tuesday, October 18

Today I was rummaging through a bag that I won at "Closing the Gap" and found a list of apps for the iPad/iPod that help students with communcation difficulties.  One of the apps that caught my eye, and was purchased, was Pictello.

Pictello is an app by a company called AssistiveWare that helps students create talking stories and photo albums.  It can be used to create stories to teach social skills or to recall events, make photo albums to allow non-speaking people to share their news and interests, share important events and memories with family who live far away, make talking books, teach narrative skills as part of a literacy or language skills curriculum, create schedules and task instructions, share stories or write group stories using iPad on a VGA monitor or interactive white board (VGA adapter required), and create multilingual stories using text-to-speech or voice recordings (AssistiveWare, 2010).

Check out this video: Introduction to Pictello

What a neat way for students to write a story and be engaged through the creative process.


References
AssistiveWare. (Designer). (2010). Introduction to pictello. [Web Video]. Retrieved from  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-B6ld4KaDWA&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

AssistiveWare. (2010). Pictello - visual stories for everyone. Retrieved from http://www.assistiveware.com/pictello.php

Closing the Gap: Part 6

Blog for Monday, October 17, 2011

I suppose today I should talk about the rest of “Closing the Gap”.

One of the sessions that I attended on Friday was about Comic Life and Adobe Pro.  Comic Life is a program where a student can easily create a comic book/strip.  Our presenter showed us how to take what a student creates in Comic Life and make it come alive by putting it into Adobe Pro.  I have had Adobe Pro on my laptop for the last year and have used it to edit pdfs, but not in the way that I learned on Friday.

Our presenter taught us how to incorporate sound and video into a pdf, which a student can put on a jump drive and take how for his/her parents to view/interact with on Adobe Reader.  This session provided me with the tools that I need to make Adobe Pro one of the most important tools that I can use.  

One of the great things about “Closing the Gap” is that, in an effort to be sustainable (ie. Environmentally friendly), all of the presentations (PowerPoints, etc.) are available online (check out my tweet for how to access those).  Everything that I have blogged about has handouts that you can look over, so even if you weren’t at “Closing the Gap”, you can still use the information covered there.