Category Archives: vendors

Conference Kickoff Reception

Well, I made it down to COBO for the Kickoff Reception Wednesday night…you know, the time when you can go through the exhibit area and check things out. I made contact with a few people along the way.

I saw Ron, and talked to him a while about TechCamp at Berrien RESA as well as some of the projects he has going on at Kent ISD. He serves in a region with almost 400 schools…he’s busy!

Laura and I compared swag. She had me beat with a smiley face beach ball and a fuzzy topped pen. I have to be more aggressive! I did get a very nice notebook from Dawn at netTrekker, though. Thanks, Dawn!

Speaking of which, Joe and Dawn and I discussed the possibilities of an ISD or RESA collaborating with the local districts to get netTrekker for every student, not just the access that teachers have through LearnPort.

I took a pretty good look at the netbooks that are on the REMC Bid. They are cool…I like the one that folds into a tablet with the carry handle for students.

It’s fun to see all the interactive whiteboards that are out there. They all look amazing with new features and software that make them so…interactive. When they first came out, using a pen on the board as a mouse was mind-blowing. Now it’s the software bundled with the hardware that makes them worth using.

As the conference progresses, make sure you stop by and catch a glimpse of some great products that make teaching with technology even better.

Last Minute Changes to 2009 MACUL Conference

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Like any large event, there are always last minute changes. The MACUL conference is no exception to that rule. Below is a list of all the last minute changes to the conference. We’ve got some new sessions, some sessions that sadly had to be cancelled for one reason or another, and a few changes to previously scheduled sessions.

NEW Sessions

Thursday, March 19

Free Resources! Free Training! MORE on MeL.org.

10-11am Room W2-64

Barbara Fardell, Technology Manager, Michigan Department of Education, Karen Hairston Project Manager, Thinkfinity Grant, MDE.

Michigan Online Resources for Educators (MORE) is a database with thousands of high quality resources aligned to the MI GLCES and HSCES. It’s free and it’s on MeL.org. But wait; there’s more! We need YOU! Find out how you can join one of the fun-filled alignment workshops being held around the state assisting MDE and the Library of Michigan. Learn how you can become a MORE Field Trainer!

Friday, March 20

The Best Teacher Tools for Busy Educators

10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Andy Mann, Educational Technology Consultant, Calhoun Intermediate School District

Why recreate the wheel? Find the best teacher created PowerPoint presentations, games, educational clipart, and music in this fast-paced presentation. Explore sites to create seating charts, jeopardy games, word searches, and more. Discover the best tools to manage your time including Delicious, iGoogle, and Weebly.

Ask/Tell MDE! Stimulus Dollars, Technology Grants and More!

11:30am – 12:30 pm Room W2-64

Bruce Umpstead, Director of Technology and Data Coordination, Michigan Department of Education.

Come join in some stimulating conversation surrounding the Federal Stimulus money coming our way! Find out what’s new in Ed Tech Grants (EETT). Give us your ideas for what Michigan schools need to upgrade their technology needs. Speak out!

Cancelled

Wednesday, March 18

Preconference workshops

SIGPL 3 – Research-Based Classroom Formative Assessments

Thursday, March 19

(Workshop) Moodle Basics (8-10am

Ask MDE: Michigan’s Digital Classrooms Initiative (10-11am)

(Workshop) Student Productivity and Assessment Using the New $299 StudentMate Laptop (1-3:00pm)

iPod in the Classroom? It’s Not Just for Music Anymore! (2:30-3:30pm)

Friday, March 20

Data Warehousing for Student Success (10-11am)

Free is Good – The Third Wave (10-11am)

Ask MDE: Michigan’s Digital Classrooms Initiative (11:30am-12:30pm)

New Day/Time

David Rose session (Teaching and Learning Science for All Students: Early Report From NSF Research on Universal Design for Learning and Quality Science Instruction) moved from Friday at 1:00 PM to Thursday at 4 PM in Room W1-51.

New Exhibitors – Additions to the Conference program

New Presenters

Wednesday, March 18

SIGTC 1: Budgeting for Technology. Fred Sharpsteen for Don Koperski

Show Me the Money

I <3 Professional Development

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Attending a major conference is tough. Really…it’s hard work both physically and mentally. Physically you’re probably not at full strength because the hotel pillows are too hard and your morning routine is all messed up and where are you going to find the super big gulp 44 ounces of sweet nectar your brain is used to? Besides that you have to walk about 17 miles a day as you traverse from one end of the conference center to the other and back while carrying 20 pounds of vendor swag. Whew! I’m pooped out already!

Since you’re wiped out your brain is no longer firing on all cylinders…making it that much more difficult to get a handle Homer on all the information that is being focused in your direction. If you’re lucky you’ve made it to at least three of the four sessions plus the keynote plus the vendor exhibits and maybe even checked out some of the poster sessions. You’ve listened to some of smartest people around the country share their expertise and experiences while simultaneously trying to figure out how you can incorporate those ideas into your own teaching and learning. That takes work, folks! Like I said at the beginning, attending a major conference is tough!

That being said, attending the MACUL Conference is probably one of the best ways you can spend time in professional development activities. Why?

Getting Away. Teachers never stop thinking about their students, but a conference at least gives you a chance to get away from them. Reflection, inspiration, and creativity are easier when you have only one person’s needs to fill.
Smart People (National). MACUL is able to bring some of the most intelligent, forward thinking, and entertaining technology educators from around the country for you to hear first-hand.
Smart People (Next-door). Guess what? There are a lot of intelligent, forward thinking, and entertaining technology educators right here in Michigan that you can listen to and connect with…developing relationships that can be extended beyond the conference.
Cool Toys. Everyone likes the vendors because they give away free chocolate and gel pens, but the truth is that we want to put our hands on tools that will make a difference in how we teach and our students learn.
Actually the truth is that we like free chocolate and gel pens.
Customized Training. Because of the variety of sessions, you can choose those that most closely fit your needs as a teacher, administrator, and/or technology guru.

The list could continue, but there’s only so much wit I can showcase at a time. Feel free to extend it by leaving a comment. What makes the MACUL Conference one of your most effective professional development activities?

Getting Started with Videoconferencing

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Ben Rimes asked me to share on this blog some information about getting started with videoconferencing.

H.323
The videoconferencing TWICE is showcasing here uses the H.323 videoconferencing standard. We connect using IP or via the Internet. Generally this is “room-based” videoconferencing which allows for a whole class to participate. The H.323 standard allows multiple types of equipment to connect to each other, no matter the vendor.

By comparison, Skype videoconferencing is desktop based, designed for one person at a computer using a headset, and requires Skype installed on both computers to work.

Codec / Videoconferencing Unit
First, you need a codec or videoconferencing unit. There are three main manufacturers that schools tend to be using. Polycom and Tandberg are the most popular, and Sony offers several units, including cheaper low end versions. Most of the companies don’t sell directly to customers; instead you purchase the videoconference unit through a reseller. Some resellers that Michigan schools use are: ICI which is based in Michigan and provided the audio-visual equipment in the TWICE room, and SKC to name a few.

Generally room-based videoconferencing units run around $5000 and upwards from there.

However if you want to dabble in videoconferencing before purchasing a higher-end unit, you can start with H.323 desktop videoconference. With a webcam you can use open source H323 clients or Polycom’s PVX for $120ish, to connect to H.323 content like TWICE is showcasing here. You could hook it up to show a class via a projector too. The challenge with this setup is the audio. The sound in desktop videoconferencing is designed for a headset. So if you use a microphone and speakers you’ll find a lot of echoing. The solution is to have a ready finger on the mute button so that you are always muted when the other site is talking. Annoying but doable if you want to just try it out.

Projector / TV Monitor
You’ll need a way to show the video from the codec. Most commonly this is a data projector or a TV monitor. Some installations have several monitors, but one is minimum required.

Cart
Some schools install videoconferencing into a fixed room, but it is becoming more common to purchase a cart to bring videoconferencing right into the classroom.

Network Issues
One of the huge challenges with videoconferencing is making H.323 work through firewalls. TWICE has a collection of resources and articles to help you address this. Definitely start talking to your technology people early if you are interested in VC. It may take several months to work through the networking challenges that come up with H.323 videoconferencing. Give it time and realize that it’s a journey!

Grants
So how can you get grants to support the purchase of videoconferencing? Here are a few resources I know of:

To learn more, you may want to attend the 11:30 session in the TWICE room, W2-66, Getting the Most out of Your Distance Learning Program.