We have every reason to expect…

Finally back at home, I learned about Xtranormal from this Scott McLeod post. Then I tweeted my joy in playing with it, asking if there was an education license for the service. Here are some of the tweets I got back:

  • It’s infinite, just not full function. But it only cuts the number of parts you have to use, not prog functionality
  • We have MS students created personal stories using Xtranormal.
  • Vheap trick I use with Xtranormal: when you “preview” your video u can use Video Download Helper in FF to extract it w/o upload
  • Do you know how long the ‘trial’ for the spore creature creator lasts? Or is it infinite, just not full function?
  • It’s a great utility. Not sure if education license exists. But the free version sure is fun!
  • David we are looking at using this wih our primary classes and morning message. Also to move literacy with middle school boys.
  • Kids do love it, but I haven’t seen anything about ed accts. You should try free Spore Creature Creator: http://bit.ly/9Y2roS
  • Some ideas 4 Xtranormal included here: http://bit.ly/d4kz2B
  • I emailed them and received 1200 xtranormal points. They just asked that educators use school email address when making requests.
  • Kids do love xtranormal – creation is wonderful too bad some of the ed. gurus see it as a waste. Properly framed – it’s wonderful
  • So what do you think about xtranormal? I’ve not seen a single valid use for it.

I woke up yesterday morning with an idea waiting to be blogged. It was about an experience that I’d had at the NJEA Conference the end of last week. I had set up my computer for my first presentation, connected to the projector and tested the Ethernet cable — all good. Then I looked for the audio cable, which was no where to be found.

Even though there was still 20 minutes before I started, I’ve learned that it’s best to panic immediately rather than assume that the solution is on its way and discover later that it’s too late to panic. So I went to the room proctor and asked, and he went off looking for the AV guys — and I waited. It got down to about four minutes before time to start and still no AV guy.

Sometimes these things put me over the edge, and sometimes they don’t. I was pretty much letting this one flow over me, but I decided that if there was no audio for my computer at startup, then I was going to pitch a fit — or pretend to pitch a fit.

I would rant and rave and turn blue, I would then smile and say, “I know what you’re thinking. ‘Welcome to our world.'” Nodding and agreeing, I would then claim that, “If we are to prepare our children for their future, then the least we should expect is reliable access to todays information experience, which is networked, digital, and abundant, and it is expressed through light and sound. Being expected to teach without it is tantamount to malpractice.

Alas, the AV guy came, set me up, and I had light, sound, and information with which to present.

Serendipitously, when flexing the tentacles of my personal learning network yesterday, I discovered this blog post from I Love EdTech — “21 Signs You’re a 21st Century Teacher.” Written by Lisa, the October 27 article was a list of practices engaged in by teachers who are utilizing today’s prevailing information environment and the philosophical shifts that it evokes. The piece closed with a request for additional practices and characteristics of “21st century teachers.” As of this morning, there were 129 comments. I added the following, that you are a 21st century teacher when…

You courteously, but in all seriousness, complain when you attend a conference or other professional development event, and there is no WiFi.

“Seriously, how do you expect me to learn when there is so little access to information?”

– Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

 

One thought on “We have every reason to expect…”

  1. I suggest you to check all things by at least one day before.So, this problem to you will never happened again…ignoring this..I really enjoyed your post and your experiences of that day.

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