My First YouTube Video

I just finished uploading my first video to YouTube. It's called "I Love My GPS." As the title suggests this video is about using a GPS.

1. What it is and can be used for? GPS technology has become widely available and can be used to get directions, find out where you are, or where someone else is. People use GPS devices for driving, hiking, farming, games, and a host of other applications.
2. Who is your audience (Students/Employees)? I designed this video for a general audience.
3. What is the goal and objective of the video? My intention is to introduce the technology, to show that it can be very useful and hopefully, to make it somewhat humorous.
   

I hope you have fun watching it.

Colaboration with Web 2.0 Tools

In my Emerging Technologies class last Tuesday, we worked with a couple different Google Web 2.0 tools. Google Docs and Google Groups. I really like Google Docs but I was less than impressed with Google Groups.

Google Docs is very interactive in that it allows multiple people to access it and edit it at the same time. I think this is a tool that I will be able to continue to use. I recently introduced my daughter to Google Docs as well. She is always after me to copy her files from one computer to another. I showed her how always have access to her stuff by using Google Docs.

I found it interesting that Patricia Kloeckner had such favorable comments about using Google Groups. She was one of two who were unable to physically attend the class. Collaborative tools such as Google Groups are designed to be used to work together when physically apart. I think perhaps I found it harder because I expected more in the way of communication with my group mates. Since I was able to communicate physically, I found the online tool too limiting. I attended class using Second Life once when I was out of town and found it to be an invigorating experience because that was the only way I could communicate with everyone.

I really appreciated the planning and effort that the team put into planning the presentation on Web 2.0 tools. As they explained at the end of the presentation, there are so many different tools available that it can be a bit overwhelming trying to learn it all and figure out what is effective to use.

GodTube

As I was reading through various blogs from my Emerging Technology classmates, I noticed several references to Megan's blog about GodTube. This caught my eye as I have been accessing this sight for the last couple of months too. I pastor a church and also teach the youth class. I am always looking for different resources that I can use with the youth and GodTube has been a great help with this. It's possible to search by topic or category. I like to find videos developed by other youth groups. There are also some great lessons developed by other youth leaders. I haven't uploaded anything yet, but I plan to in the future.

Rapid eLearning - Business as the Customer

I just completed my second podcast on Rapid eLearning. It took me all evening, but I'm pretty pleased with the results. As I continue to learn more about Rapid eLearning, I realize both how challenging it is and how little people understand about its potential. As the world continues to move faster (at least my world does), we need to maximize our learning efforts. Using Rapid eLearning tools and techniques is not easy, but I believe it can be tremendously beneficial and profitable. I encourage you to listen to my podcast to gain a little better understanding of the growing phenomenon. Click on the play button below to listen.

Powered by Podbean.com

Ferdi’s Assignment for Leigh Zeitz’s Class

What technologies support students in mastering the ISTE NETS?

1. Creativity and Innovation

Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. Students:

A. apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.

B. create original works as a means of personal or group expression.

http://animoto.com allows students to create music video style presentations from pictures and images that they upload. It’s extremely easy and can involve quite a bit of creativity if the various options are used.

C. use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues.

D. identify trends and forecast possibilities.

2. Communication and Collaboration

Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. Students:

A. interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.

www.rapidshare.com makes uploading and sharing large files a snap. Students can use rapid share to work on large projects which might otherwise be difficult to access online.

B. communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.

C. develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures.

D. contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.

3. Research and Information Fluency

Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. Students:

A. plan strategies to guide inquiry.

B. locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.

http://www.zotero.org/ is a great tool for tracking and saving information found on the internet. Copies of resources can be saved for later access. Zotero also helps with saving reference information.

C. evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.

D. process data and report results.

4. Critical Thinking, Problem-Solving, and Decision-Making

Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources. Students:

A. identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation.

B. plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project.

C. collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions.

Excel is, in my opinion, still one of the best problem solving tools available. Teaching students how to use a spread sheet to collect and analyze data will benefit them greatly.

D. use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions.

5. Digital Citizenship

Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior. Students:

A. advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology.

B. exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity.

C. demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning.

D. exhibit leadership for digital citizenship.

Encourage students to find and participate in online blogs and discussions on current social or political issues while being careful to closely follow netiquette rules.

6. Technology Operations and Concepts

Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations. Students:

A. understand and use technology systems.

B. select and use applications effectively and productively.

www.logmein.com/ allows a person to access another computer from anywhere with an internet connection. It’s simple and secure and is a great way to take advantage of the resources on a home computer while away from home.

C. troubleshoot systems and applications.

D. transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies.

Surrounded by Technology

Technology is so much a part of our lives, I'm not sure how we would survive without it. The following clip illustrates how much my family depends on technology.

My First Podcast

I just finished recording my first podcast. Well...it's not really a podcast yet, just an mp3, but it could be a podcast. It was really quite a challenging task. Figuring out what to say for 10 minutes was the hardest part. You'd think that wouldn't be hard for a preacher, but it was. Then I had to find some music. There is lots of free music available, but none that was just exactly what I wanted. I finally settled for some music that was "ok" and went to work. I used the beta version of Audacity 1.3. It is almost as easy to work with as GarageBand and it runs on a PC, which is what I have. I got everything recorded, added in the music and worked to get it all set just the way I wanted it. Of course, once I exported it to mp3, I found several things I could do to make it better. The only problem with using a beta program is that it can be unstable. When I opened the podcast file back up, the program crashed and messed up my file. Fortunately, I still have the mp3. It's just not quite as good as I would have liked for it to be. Oh well, maybe next time. Happy podcasting everyone!

Addition: It is now officially a podcast. Check it out and tell me what you think.
http://swacheson.podbean.com/