Response to Keethai Regarding Weary Teachers

Keethai,
It is insteresting that you say teachers are getting weary or using/learning to use SMART boards. I am assuming that is because, as you say, it is something else they have to learn and not the technology itself.
My board too is starting to push further into the use of SMART board technology and on the surface it sounds great but I think it comes with hurdles.
The cost prohibits schools for purchasing one per classroom or even grade level so only one is purchased. That leads to scheduling problems who gets to use it an when (signouts always leave some people feeling ripped off). So now if it is signed out it probably means it is a portable system so where is it stored because now there is an expensive data projector that is roaming the hallways. What happens if your school is two floors because there is now way to take the SMART Board up and down stairs, you would need a service elevator. And, like you say, you end up with a bunch of weary teachers because they have to go through the training for something that they may rarely get to use and is a pain to signout and transport.

Little Kids Rock

Not only do I like the mission but I love the ideas I got from the site. In the third term I would like to make iMovies with different student groups and I was tinkering with the idea of creating different music videos. I can also see how I might incorporate video podcasting as an add-on to the project.

http://www.littlekidsrock.org/hearkids/videos.html

Response to Patricia

This article also makes me think about how this technology might change the way online courses are run. While some schools and universities in northern or more remote areas have access to video conferencing this type of everyday technology could really take online conferencing/courses to a new level.
The ability to hear and see who is talking, and presenting ideas and information, and to then to be able to instantly and verbally respond would be appealing for many students.
Perhaps this way online courses would cater to all types of learners.
Interesting article Patricia, I liked her comment that now all she needs to give a presentation anywhere in the world is "an internet connection, a laptop and her cellphone". Amazing isn't it, what a way to globally connect with people everywhere.

All the stuff out there

My students have used Kidspiration many times before especially for mind maps or concept maps. I have to admit that I have never thought of using this application as a presentation tool. Thanks for sharing the article Patricia.
There are so many options for software out there that I think sometimes it becomes a bit overwhelming. Somebody said in an earlier post words to the effect, "why can't we all agree on on platform?". Sometimes I feel the same about software. Teachers are bombarded with all different applications that as soon as they become comfortable with one application their computers get a new OS which won't support it anymore or 5 new products have come out to replace it. I have never been a big fan of being told what to do but, if we have a standard curriculum and reporting system in the province is it crazy to think that a standard software image for schools is unrealistic?

New Version of Keynote

In response to David's post

I looked at the new version of Keynote on the Apple site. It looks great!!! I watched the demo of the move feature and I agree with you David it's a hit. I like the fact that they have also added the ability to create narration within Keynote itself. At the moment I have the 2.0.2 version and I'm looking forward to upgrading soon. Trouble is that all the Macs at the school run the older version as well so until they catch up I won't be able to use the new bells and whistles for class presentations.

Comics and Keynote

Creating comics with speech bubbles and imported digital images is a fun way to create a presentation for sure!!!. Students can take it that extra step by adding their own sound track to the presentation as special effects. Another neat idea might be to use the ComicLife Software to produce your comic (eBook) and then import it into the presentation software this way you can take advantage of the best of both worlds (ComicLife's grahics and fonts and Keynote's presentation functionality). I played around with this earlier and found that the easiest way was to create the comic and export it directly into iPhoto the import the image into Keynote. I thought the final product turned out pretty well.

Peer Editing Presentations

Having students Peer Edit their presentations is a must as they are often the best critics when it comes to "you are using too much animation" or "I couldn't understand your presentation because your slides were moving too fast". One of the great things about peer editing/critique of presentations is that the computer lab provides an ideal space to manage and control the activity from a teachers perspective. In the third term I do a presentation project with my grade 5's (topics vary). They spend about a month putting together a presentation that is about 5 to 8 slides long. As we near the end of the month I usually have about a couple of Peer Critiquing Sessions. During this time I have the students run their presentations on a loop and go on a gallery walk around the other computers. They take with them a pencil and stickie notes. As they watch a presentation students are encourage to provide positive and specific feedback by writing on the stickie note and putting on the computer. I usually give them about 20 minutes and have the rule that a maximum of 2 people can be watching a particular presentation at one time. Works pretty well and of course the session creates a fair bit of discussion about visual presentation as well as content.