Streaming workshop

For 25 years, Gary Stager, an internationally recognized educator, speaker and consultant, has helped learners of all ages on six continents embrace the power of computers as intellectual laboratories and vehicles for self-expression. He led professional development in the world’s first laptop schools (1990), has designed online graduate school programs since the mid-90s and is a collaborator in the MIT Media Lab’s Future of Learning Group. Mr. Stager’s doctoral research involved the creation a high-tech alternative learning environment for incarcerated at-risk teens. Recent work includes teaching and mentoring some of Australia’s “most troubled” public schools. Gary is Senior Editor of District Administration Magazine, Editor of The Pulse: Education’s Place for Debate, Adjunct Professor at Pepperdine University and an Associate of the Thornburg Center for Professional Development. Dr. Stager is also the Executive Director of The Constructivist Consortium. In 1999, Converge Magazine named Gary a “shaper of our future and inventor of our destiny.” The National School Boards Association recognized Dr. Stager with the distinction of “20 Leaders to Watch” in 2007.
Gary is presenting a workshop at the Science Academy Leadership Conference in Philadelpia January 25 – 27, 2008

Broadcasting with Ustream and Camtwist

Everyday more and more teachers have exciting tools at their finger tips ready to make learning global and easy. Alex Couros demonstrates to folks around the world what is in store for students and classrooms of the 21st century. As if kids had all the fun. Alex did a test drive of a skype conference and Ustream broadcast. Twitting volunteers to join in. This is a screen cast of Alex streaming live (using Snapzpro and my Mac Book Pro). There is no audio as the volume was turned down to stop echo in the skype conference. Alex Couros used Ustream to broadcast and Camtwist (Mac) for the visual effects and desktop demonstrations, Audio Jack and Soundflower to put the production together.

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Innovative teacher uses Skype and Wikis to involve parents

Matt Montagne Grade 8 classroom teacher at University School of Milwaukee invited me to his virtual classroom to collaborate with Parents at his school. PBS was playing a program Growing up online and he asked his parents to view the program as it was being broadcasted live on TV. Matt organized an online meeting using Skype. Parents watched the telecast in their own homes and while watching the program chatted with Matt and I about their reactions to the program. To make it even more exciting, PBS was not broadcasting in my area so Matt set up his web camera in front of his own TV and broadcast the program via Ustream Kids don’t have a monopoly on online communications.

After you review the program which is now available online, I am sure that you will relate to these issues discussed by the parents.

The Internet cannot be blamed for the dysfunctional relationships between family members. In reference to the suicide death of Ryan Halligan described in the video.
Jacquie:

Bullying is not new. Seems the fact that it is all going on under the radar screen is a real problem.;

and

My son stays in touch with his best friend in Malaysia over the internet. Yet when his friend was in the US over xmas, he wouldn’t pick up a phone and call him. He said it is is difficult to talk on the phone because of awkward pauses, etc. He is more comfortable conducting the relationship on-line.

This program is a must see for all parents no matter the age.
Matt talks about his experience hosting the session.

Flash Movie – Video Clip Freezes – Quicktime Pro solution and iMovie08

While I was facilitating the project Student Learning a Parent Focus I found a particularly annoying problem with the video clips freezing and dropping the sound about a minute and a half into the clip. It took some considerable time Googling to find an answer. It happened when I created 5 minute video clips that I created with iMovie and then converted to Flash Movie using Adobe Flash encoder Movies. The problem was created by the audio component. These are the steps that I now take to produce a video using iMovie08. I import DV footage using the import function. Edit the movie as needed. Share the movie as a Quicktime Movie using the mp4 format being sure to select mono not stereo for the audio settings. Then open file in QuickTime Pro and convert the file to a flash movie. For some reason iMovie08 returns a error for saving video as a FLV which prevents you from exporting the file directly from iMovie08. I worked around it using Quicktime Pro. Import the Quicktime movie into Quicktime PRO and then export as a FLV. I learn by trial and error perhaps someone else has a better solution.

Create a Wiki space – in plain English

An application that can be used to collaborate online.
Wikispaces explained. In Plain English produced by Creative Craft has an excellent video that I have posted here for you to view.

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