Adobe read Out Loud function

Many of us use Adobe Reader to read Portable Documant Format (PDF) files, but did you know that Adobe Reader can actually read PDFs to you? Not only that, but you can also enable PDF documents to allow text input. These features, including many others, make Adobe Reader an excellent tool to use with students.

If you do not already have Adobe Reader, we suggest that you download it by clicking this link.

Like other text readers, Adobe Reader's Read Out Loud function reads the text contained within a PDF out loud for the user to hear. This is very helpful for audible learners and students that have reading disabilities. You can even use this function to read documents to you while you work on something else on your computer. The video below outlines how to use the Read Out Loud function in Adobe Reader:

The Password Game

I have about 70 billion accounts on various educational websites and other Internet sites, and it is frankly impossible to store all of that in my head. When I get to a site that won't let me log in because my sign-in info is wrong, I want to log in to the site creator's neck and wring it! Fortunately, I have configured a system for passwords on non-sensitive sites (things that don't store information that creepy hackers would want), and I have a program that securely stores my other life stuff (keepass).
If you are a teacher that uses technology with students, you know that the password game can be frustrating to the point that you might not want to use the tech tool anymore. Now, I don't think it wise to encourage students to use the same password for everything, though perhaps that could work for the non-sensitive sites I mentioned before. Here is a list of things educators can do to try and beat the password blues:

1. Limit the number of log ins students need to do
(network, Google Docs, and LMS system are all that should be required. Everything else should be optional)

2. Teach students to use an algorithm or other set configuration for passwords. Ron Houtman suggests taking the name of the website and using a standard numeric arrangement around the name. (e.g. "age/site name/birthday)

3. Have a back up plan for those who forget. Instead of spending a class hour scrambling to help the forgetful pupils, you could just hand them a paper copy, and maybe next time they will be a little more responsible. Life lessons can be hard!

That's my take on this topic. If you have other ideas, please share.

Word play

A friend sent this to me, and I thought it was too good to not share. People are mighty clever:

MENSA INVITATIONAL

The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again invited readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.

Here are the winners:

1. Cashtration(n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.

2. Ignoranus : A person who's both stupid and a jerk.

3. Intaxicaton : Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.

4. Reintarnation : Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

5. Bozone ( n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

6. Foreploy : Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of romantic pursuits.

7. Giraffiti : Vandalism spray-painted very, very high

8. Sarchasm : The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

9. Inoculatte : To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

10. Karmageddon : It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.

11. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.

12. Dopeler Effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

13. Arachnoleptic Fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.

14. Beelzebug (n.): Satan, in the form of a mosquito, gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

15. Caterpallor ( n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.

The Washington Post has also published the winning submissions to its yearly contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for common words.

And the winners are:

1. Coffee, n. The person upon whom one coughs.

2. Flabbergasted, adj. Appalled by discovering how much weight one has gained.

3. Abdicate, v. To give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.

4. Esplanade, v. To attempt an explanation while drunk.

5. Willy-nilly, adj. Impotent.

6. Negligent, adj. Absentmindedly answering the door when wearing only a nightgown.

7. Lymph, v. To walk with a lisp.

8. Gargoyle, n. Olive-flavored mouthwash.

9. Flatulence, n. Emergency vehicle that picks up someone who has been run over by a steamroller.

10. Balderdash, n. A rapidly receding hairline.

11. Testicle, n. A humorous question on an exam.

12. Rectitude, n. The formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists.

13. Pokemon, n. A Rastafarian proctologist.

14. Oyster, n. A person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms.

15. Frisbeetarianism, n. The belief that, after death, the soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.

16. Circumvent, n. An opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men

My post-Christmas wish list

Now that the flurry of yuletide has passed (mostly at least), the party refuse dragged to the curb, the bloating stomach subsided, I can reflect on what I didn't get and still desire. I understand if you stop reading right now.

1. A magic device to cure my son's dry skin issue
2. Snow for the fine hills of Michigan (in abundance please!) A snow-making machine could help alleviate my disappointment.
3. Adobe Premier video editing software- and the ability to use it well.
4. A brain-companion to help me manage all the stimuli that comes at me each day (this could come in mechanical or human form)
5. A second canoe with an attachment to make a pontoon-like set up with my other canoe (and a trolling motor)

Many other things could be listed, but these would yield the most peace and adventure for my soul in Twenty-Twelve.

GVSU Ed. Tech. Program (EDT 629)

I will start by making a general observation about the ed. tech. program as a whole. It seems that it lacks in three areas: tech tool use, portfolio creation, and basic computer systems knowledge. As an ed. tech. consultant, I have needed to do many things that I was never asked to do in any of my classes. That list includes making screencasts for instruction (and editing them), creating and editing video, using interactive whiteboard features, demonstrating proficiency with tablets, and troubleshooting performance issues.
To address this, it seems that some of the courses' required discussions on these topics could be replaced with performance assessments that students would have to complete. I think it is reasonable for the program committee to identify essential tools and skills that all students should show proficiency in. Then they (The GVSU ed. tech. top dogs) could incorporate those essentials into the curriculum and have students add their evidence to some type of portfolio. If this occurs, graduating students will have something to show prospective employers and be more prepared for the actual tasks they will need to perform.

Also, I think that some type of basic computer course should be required. I have struggled with the technical side of things and would have benefited from an intro course. I looked at ITT Tech, and they offer a course with this description:

NT1110 Computer Structure and Logic | 4.5 credit hours

Organization of a computer is examined in a given popular operating systems environment. Terminology and underlying principles related to the major computer functions will be discussed in the context of hardware and software environments.

That seems like a perfect course for Ed. Tech. students. Perhaps there could be a test out option for those who are already savvy, but I certainly was not.

I'm not saying the program is awful; quite the contrary. I expanded greatly from it. I am saying that it could be enhanced. I also realize that there is a video-related class that I did not have to take. Perhaps that should be mandatory.

OK, I think I'm done. Please let me know your thoughts.

Anti-flipped classroom rebuttal

Lisa Nielsen recently wrote a piece that basically thrashed flipped classrooms. The article is here: http://www.techlearning.com/Default.aspx?tabid=67&EntryId=3379
I felt compelled to address her arguments because I think they are flawed. Her points are in black and my points are in orange:

We have yet to bridge the digital divide...
Many of our students don't have access to technology at home. The flipped classroom method does not have strong provisions in place for these children.

*This is a reasonable point, but it does not work as an argument against flipped classrooms. Clintondale High in Michigan has many students without home internet access, and they put systems in place to allow students to have access at school (See article: http://www.convergemag.com/classtech/Clintondale-High-Flipped-Classes.html.). As Lisa mentioned in a point below, this is something that any school could do. If there are places in which no public access to technology is available then there are options for rectifying that as well. Moving towards a flipped model might help improve access because demand would increase.

Flipped homework is still homework...
There is a growing number of parents and educators who don't believe we should rob children of the time after school with mandatory homework. We believe time at home should be for pursuing passions, connecting with friends and family, playing and engaging in physical activity. In some families it might be the time needed to take care of a sibling, work a job, or take care of their own child. Let us leave children to the activities they and their family choose or find necessary and instead as John Taylor Gatto suggests (in lesson 7), that we should "give children more independent time during the school day" at which time they may also choose to watch flipped classroom lessons.

*I think it is extreme to label homework as "robbing children of their free time". Is it unreasonable to ask students to devote 30-45 minutes a day to viewing videos? Research shows that some type of carry-over from classroom to homework bolsters learning and deepens understanding. They can still pursue their passions and personal connections.
More time for bad pedagogy...
Flipping instruction might end up just meaning we can provide time to do more of the same type of memorization and regurgitation teaching that just doesn't work. When I shared the idea of the Flipped Classroom with an administrator, she said to me with excitement, "This is great! We'll have more class time to prepare kids for the tests!"

*The quote from that administrator is unfortunate and misleading and so is the author's point. The flipped model actually allows more time for effective pedagogy because less class time is spent on basic skill instruction, which is still necessary in most classroom environments. If students get a basic foundation before a class period, then the teacher can carry them through to more complex tasks. You can't design a new building without knowing how to do the math to get there.
Grouping by date of manufacture...
If we really want transformation in education, one thing we must do is stop grouping students by date of manufacture, which the flipped classroom is ideally suited for, but have schools put the structures in place? Are they ready to let students move at a pace that meets their developmental readiness and come to the realization that not everyone at the same age needs to be at the same place at the same time? True flipping should include a careful redesign of learning environment, but this is often overlooked.

*This point is moot as well. With pre-recorded lessons, students can proceed at their own pace. As Lisa mentions, it will require careful design, but so does any differentiated classroom. If specific lessons are not yet recorded, a teacher could direct advanced or struggling students to other available resources.

Lecturing doesn't = Learning...The flipped classroom is built on a traditional model of teaching and learning. I lecture - you intake. While this method of teaching works for some learners, many others thrive with a model that takes a more constructivist approach.
*This could be true, but it doesn't have to be. A teacher can do a screencast that includes multiple modes of representation (notes, video, and audio explanation). Even if it is straight lecture, it is meant to be a building block that will be further addressed in the next class session. So any confusion or lack of understanding can be clarified in class rather than fester in frustration after class.

I am not trying to suggest that moving to a flipped model will be easy or a panacea for education, I just wanted to point out the flaws in the arguments presented by Ms. Nielsen. I welcome any responses.

My Project Plan (EDT 629 blog #3)

A note for those visiting this blog, this post is for a graduate class, so it may not be that interesting to you. If you do happen upon it and want to comment, I welcome your thoughts.

For my project, I am constructing a Moodle course on blended learning. It is a course I intend on offering through Kent ISD in the future and one that I think will be popular with area educators. Ron Houtman has offered a similar course before, but I wanted to get the full experience of creating a course from the ground up while experimenting with different components. I am included a glossary, a personal wiki for students, and other things I have not tried before. I hope to make it both engaging and comprehensive. The course is designed to help participants create a blended learning course in Moodle, so a significant portion is devoted to teaching about Moodle. The course link is provided below. You just have to sign in as a guest.

http://moodle.kentisd.org/course/view.php?id=503.