Web 2.0 is...

My professor, Linda Evans Newell, told us about this great app called Wordle. She demonstrated it in class, and then later I decided to try it as I was sorting out my thoughts about Web 2.0 for an assignment. This is the result. Cool, eh?

http://www.wordle.net/

For Danny

My brother is thinking about moving to Austin and so he had me scope out a few possible business partners. I decided to apply what I’ve been learning in my Applications of Advanced Tech class. As with all my projects so far, the creation of the project was exciting--my digital camera makes taking pictures a breeze, and my dog Chaz enjoys keeping me company while I’m snapping. Assembling them into one cohesive whole is pretty straightforward, too. It’s the DELIVERY that drives me batty! I created this in PPT, but it is so large that every method I try fails. It took three hours for a stuffed version to load on my MobileMe account, but, alas, he didn’t have the right program to open it. I converted it to HTML and sent it, but he couldn’t read the site. I tried Google Presentations, but it appears to be stuck at 58% loaded after two hours. Arrgh! I finally sent it via my website in a movie format.  That WORKED! And now I know an effective means for quickly and efficiently transferring large batches of photos. Build as iMovie and then add to website. Sweet!

Time to Learn Something New...

I’m a writer/editor by trade, so my bailiwick is to write everything down and work with others to get it properly designed, programmed, and published. I spent 10 years in-house at Holt, Rinehart & Winston in the Middle School Science Department. Then I joined some publishing cohorts to create a collaborative work environment to support a variety of publishers. My partners re-focused their efforts toward corporate programming, so I created Mad Eye Editorial to focus on my love for educational publishing and technology. 

I’ve created virtual labs; e-learning lessons of every variety; critical thinking puzzles; habits of mind workbooks; literature resources; and science, social studies, and criminal ethics e-learning modules for students from elementary school on up to college. I’ve worked solo and managed teams of people  to accomplish projects large and small. 

Mosts recently, the iPad has knocked my socks off! Every day I learn a bit more about what that exciting new technology can do. I had the great good fortune of helping a group of teachers get a set of iPads to use in their special ed classrooms, and am blown away by their stories from the classroom. 

I look forward to doing more teacher training as well as to creating the best possible new products using the latest super-cool technologies. So it’s time to expand my horizons!

It seems only fitting to begin this journey by creating a blog! The purpose of this blog is to record my experiences and to solicit feedback from classmates, friends, and the public about their experiences learning about or with educational technology or using educational technology. 

How can a lover of e-learning be such a technophobe?

I’ve specialized in content development and instructional design through the years. The projects I’ve worked on have always included great designers, programmers, and technology experts, so I’ve relied heavily on them to understand how to put everything together in an effective package. But I’m so interested in all that is happening with current technology and do-it-yourself, on-the-cheap technology, that it’s time for me to acquire new skills and see how I can help teachers and students make the most of current resources and ways of thinking about technology in the classroom.

It’s only fitting that I would embark upon my journey in a virtual world. After many good reports, I enrolled in the University of Texas Online Learning program to get a Master’s degree in Educational Technology and a Master Technology Teacher certification. Wish me luck!