Geek!Ed! is a frequently-weekly netcast produced by five geeks (and occasional guests) from Pinckney Community Schools, MI. We're geeks in education who are geeked about the impact of technology on education.
Email us at edu.geek@gmail.com
We’re Back!
Budget issues continue to impact the district and the tech dept. is trying to keep up. Chris and Diane are teaching new classes and Michael has been sleeping in his car.
Diane is the Technology Prophet!
Does instruction need to be hi-tech to be good? Diane’s adventures in private school.
Netbooks! Ehhh…. maybe.
Geek of the Week
Tom likes www.newsmap.jp
“So what are you doing back?”
“Well, I set back and thought about the things we used to do.
It really meant a lot to me, you mean a lot to me.”
“I really mean that much to you?”
“Girl, you know it’s true.”
Tom, Nancy, Jennifer, Jodi, Lori, Wendy, Tom, Rick, and Michael P.
Reflections on the second year of working with a class of eighth graders who have been in a 1:1 laptop program.
Very interesting…
Chris, Ted, Tom, Diane (for a few minutes), and Michael P.
A conversation about what tech skills should be expected of a new hire – administrator or teacher.
It all ends with The Lament Of Desmond R. G. Underwood-Fredrick IV
Ted, Tom, Diane, Chris, Mikey P.
@2:40 – A shameless plug for the Beauty and the Beast at LCS
@3:30 – Cincinnati is a little bit safer.
@5:00 – twitter is back in favor at geeked… Tom’s thoughts on twitter as a more valuable tool.
…at least I think it’s 128…
Chris, Diane, Ted, Tom, and Mikey P.
Topics:
Prezi (http://www.prezi.com)
A mention of pptPlex (http://www.officelabs.com/projects/pptPlex/Pages/default.aspx)
Some on teaching problem-solving skills to teachers…
We’re at it again, and less than 2 weeks later with our first en plein air netcast. No students this time, but there is a lot of silliness.
Here are some of the topics (perhaps you should review this before listening):
April fools pranks/jokes on the web
2:00 xBox 360 hoax – http://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/a/alpinelegend/
4:30 our MicroSoft Connection is with xBox. (Episode 28)
5:30 Windows 7 is coming in just one version. No…wait…
6:00 Google’s April fools prank – the Panda is everywhere…
7:00 The Guardian’s prank
7:40 Tom’s admission…
8:45 An in-depth analysis of the various flavors of Vista by Michael (tech knowledge you can find no where else)
10:30 Tom’s “frustration + despair = productivity” business philosophy
12:30 MACUL reflections, post-conference blues…
15:45 Tom visited New Tech High and was greatly impressed. We talk about it. A lot. – this gets good…
30:00 Wrap-it up… GOTW
35:45 Here come the cops..
36:00 Steve Taylor – Cash Cow (A Rock Opera in Three Small Acts)
** Extra credit for listening to the end. 
Geeking from MACUL 2009 in Detroit, Michigan. Tom Chris and Diane are joined by:
Today, on A Very Special Geek!Ed!…
Dr. Nancy Staub joins us and asks, “What is technology integration?” We try to answer.
Some points from the ensuing discussion:
Technology integration involves both capacity and a shift in learning.
Has technology shifted our thinking?
Technology opens up communication possibilities: students can create something new.
When done well, tech integration is content-driven, driven by curiosity and important questions; it requires higher-level thinking from the students.
Constructivism rears its head throughout the discussion.
Technology integration isn’t just about giving tools to students; it also requires a change in teaching. In particular teachers need a different attitude toward class management and trust in the process. Support is crucial as well as seen in the way we use “technology coaches.”
What are the tools do teachers and students need?
Elementary students need stuff they can put their hands on. For older students high-speed internet access is paramount, along with tools that allow them to create in a variety of media.
A district needs infrastructure to support this.
Happy Mac Day!
Tom’s rant: districts that block technology are wasting taxpayer dollars. Viva la revolution!
Update on the shared networking project (see episode 115).
Did you know we were in a recession? No, really! It’s true!
Tom’s second rant: schools can’t change.
Michael runs out of battery power. Podcast producer to the rescue!
To “see” the end watch this…
Geek-of-the week: CNN’s use of photosynth, Panasonic’s 150″ plasma
MACUL is Coming!
