You can buy mobile apps from Amazon?

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Yep, if you have an Android based phone. Amazon.com has an app store where you can buy your apps. You can buy them there instead of the google marketplace. What is the advantage? Well there are a few:

1. You only need to buy once then can put on all your devices. So if your wife buys an app, you can install it as well.

2. Amazon offers a free paid app everyday. So an app that normally costs money might be free. You have to check everyday though. I have found some really good apps that cost $15 for free. Its well worth checking everyday.

Here is the link: http://www.amazon.com/mobile-apps/b?ie=UTF8&node=2350149011

Have you ever wondered how to create your own blog?

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I get asked quite often about blogging and how one begins their own blog. The answer is very simple and I direct everyone to the same site: Blogger.com, that is unless they are talking about something more serious and need a their own server and such. Blogger is simple to use, I mean very simple to use. I can have a blog up and running in about a minute. Additionally, its free. Another great thing, its owned by google. This means it integrates well with youtube (also owned by google) and gmail, google calendar, etc. I have all my pre-service teachers learn how to create a class website using this tool. I find they think its one of the best technologies I teach them because its so easy and useful.

Here is the link to get started: http://www.blogger.com

What is Problem Based Learning (PBL)?

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Problem Based Learning (PBL)

Problem Based Learning is designed to enhance learning by providing a real life problem, which will motivate students, to get them to experience what they will need to do in the real world. This learning process teaches students how to deal with real problems and issues as they would in their jobs.

This process is useful for classroom activities and can be used with Project Based Learning. The outcomes of this process will generate real life experiences for the students but the process can take longer than regular instruction. I felt that this process was limited by the fact that it takes longer than regular instruction, which can be solved by using this process at the right time. This process was also limited due to the use of a white board. While this is realistic in the corporate world, I feel that replacing the white board with any type of media/recording device would be more professional and spark interest in trying out the theory.

This process teaches students:

1. Problem solving strategies, techniques, and solutions to real world problems
2. How to work collaboratively in teams
3. How to do research to find information that the group needs to solve their problem
4. Time management skills
5. Task management skills
6. Develop learning skills
7. Learning through intrinsic motivation
8. Develop self-directed learning skills
9. Develop a knowledge base to index information

Process:

Develop a Problem

– Realistic – The problem should be realistic so that the students feel like they are truly accomplishing something. This increases motivation.
– ill-structured – The problem should be complex and open ended.
– Can have multiple answers or an individual one
– The problem should be appropriate for the students and build onto their knowledge base. The context should be based on skills that will be used in the real world.

Process – Research the problem/Identify facts and evidence

– Analysis of the problem using a whiteboard
– The whiteboard should include:
– Facts
– Ideas
– Learning Issues
– Action Plan
– Self Directed Learning (SDL)
– Student collaboration and discussion
– Student reflection – Reflection helps students look at what they have learned, can generate new ideas, and adds to the knowledge base

Solutions/causes

– Student collaboration and discussion
– Testing/experimentation to solve the problem
– Use of the white board
– Evaluate hypothesis
– Reflecting as a group can generate new ideas and answer questions that other groups may have

Role of the Teacher

– Facilitate
– Make sure groups stay on task
– The teacher can keep groups on task using scaffolding techniques.
– Ensure that all students are at the same learning level with their peers and do not fall behind
– This process can be a big task with large class sizes and can create poor facilitation

Sources:

Hemlo-Silver, C. E. (2004). Problem-based learning: What and how do students learn? Educational Psychology Review, 16(3), 235-266.

Hmelo, C. E., Holton, D. L., Kolodner, J. L. (2000). Designing to Learn About Complex Systems. The Journal of the Learning Sciences, 9(3), 247-298.

How compatible is HTML5 with current web browsers?

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Apparently not too much. This is the latest comparison chart:

http://www.findmebyip.com/litmus/

It really doesnt matter which browser you are using, Firefox, Safari, Chrome, IE, or Opera – NONE of them are compatible at this point. Sure some of them are somewhat compatible but none are even close to fully supporting most options. What does this mean for HTML5? It means that at this point, I would be very weary of developing for it. Wait until its fully compatible then do it.

Essentially if all new browsers from today on were 100% compatible I would still wait some time before developing for HTML5. Why? Most users to not upgrade their browsers unless they are set up update automatically. Thus you would be developing something that more than likely only your tech savvy users are able to view.

What are QR Codes?

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What are these funky codes you keep seeing everywhere?

qr code

These are QR Codes. They are codes that contain data, such as a link to a website or a mobile app. They might contain information such as an email address or phone number, which is why people are starting to put them on their business cards.

How do I read it?

You simply scan it with your mobile phone. This requires a camera, so you most likely need a smartphone to read it. I use a barcode scanner on my Droid to read them.

How do I make one?

Very easy. Go to a QR Code generator such as http://qrcode.kaywa.com/. There you type in your text and it creates it for you. Its free and takes a minute to create. There are many other QR Code generators if you do not like the one I recommended.

Why computer labs are dying

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When I was a kid, I used to love walking into the computer lab for computer class. We used to play Carmen San Diego and Oregon Trail. It was neat to learn that I could do an activity using technology. We had Apple IIe computers and if you were lucky you had a Mac. In college it was more of the same except I wanted to see my colleges computer labs have the latest and greatest hardware and web development software like the Adobe (then macromedia suite). I was so disappointed that they only upgraded their computer every 4+ years. That’s crazy I thought. Computers are done in 2 years. Then again public education has always been underfunded so it was not really surprising.

Now in todays climate with current budgets, I am guessing computers will be upgraded every 6 or so years. Obviously its not even worth having a computer lab is you cannot keep it up. So my solution:

LETS GET RID OF COMPUTER LABS IN ALL K-16 PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Yep you heard me right. Let’s get rid of them. Now I am not saying lets get rid of computer education. Quite the contrary, I just have another solution. Computer education is probably one of the best skills students of all ages can have. For instance, when I started working in the corporate sector after I completed my masters degree, the company I worked for expected me to fully understand MS Powerpoint, word, excel, and visio. What I didnt expect was that they also expected me to make graphics and use a database among other things and this was for a general business job. It was not a computer oriented job. So yea, those computer skills were extremely helpful. Fortunately for me, I am a tech guy, so it was easy to do all of those tasks.

Anyway, so what is my suggestion:

Get rid of computer labs and create a cloud based network. Thus students would be required to all have their own computers (mac or pc would not matter). They would come into a regular classroom and log in to the cloud network where all of their software and files would be. That way the school would just need to keep up the cloud and keep up the software updates – most of which they do now. They would no longer be required to use their funds for computers that are quickly outdated and would not need to waste the computer technicians time fixing half of the labs computers each day because students put viruses or whatever on them. Now students and parents would be responsible for their own computers. This would also be a huge advantage for the student. Now they would not need to worry about working on a computer, forget to save the file, only to find it deleted when they come back the next day. I cannot tell you how many students lose their projects because they are working on a school computer. Anyway, I believe this is where we are headed and it is a solution to better our labs and save schools money that they already do not have. And if for some reason US schools do get properly funded as they are in many nations across world, I would still call for this change.

Future of the computer

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Someone asked me yesterday where I see the future of the computer and here was my response….

Where we are heading soon (and some people might be here):

– No more desktop/laptop computers
– All tablet/ipad like devices – these devices would dock into a keyboard/mouse when we type.
– Dock could also include monitors/hdtv for larger screens
– No more desktop as we know it
– No more disks/thumb drives as we know them
– All software, files, etc will be available online in the cloud
-4G+ speeds to high speed internet everywhere
I even believe there won’t be any necessity to convert pdf to html.

Where we are headed in the future:

-No more tablets/pads – phones will replace the need for these
-Phones will project a monitor, keyboard, mouse making it easy to carry our computer everywhere. Thus your computer, all your files, and everything will on one small device that fits into your pocket.
– Monitor quality will always be an issue so there may still be monitors but that depends on how far projector technology advances. If you are interested in buying a projector, check out a list of reviews.
– Phones will control our house, car, and lives – they will act as a remote control. You will be able to change the air conditioner temp from your phone no matter where you are. Turn off the house power from your phone. When you get into your car the phone will tell the car how to adjust your seat, what radio stations you like, etc.

These are some of my ideas where I see technology – hardware that is headed. I still remember a day in 1998 when I told my computer science teacher that someday we would have a portable cell phone that could go on the internet and do email. She laughed at me and said it was impossible. I promise to NEVER be that professor.