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John Hendron

Director of Innovation and Strategy

Archives for November 2012

John at VSTE: Towards an Ideal Concept of Book

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What does the future of books hold? I believe we’re at a transition point between “books” and something… else. Below you’re going to find my “dry run” at this December’s VSTE conference, where I will demonstrate the use of iBooks Author 2.0 from Apple as a tool for creating rich-media digital books.

But I also think in taking the leap to create such a monster we have to understand our place in the landscape of digital media, including video, PDF, movies, the Web, and more. I believe that today there are a lot of viable mechanisms to distribute digital texts, and a lot of competing, viable formats (ePub, Flexbooks, PDF, the iBooks just to name a few). But I also believe today that the iBook app on the iPad and the rich textbook model from Apple are a pair of strong solutions–simply because the tool to create them is free and so easy to use.

The “chapter” isn’t finished on this… and that’s my point: we’re in a state of flux and development. The real innovations will take place with how we use these new interpretations of “book” to advance our mission as educators.

Secret Life of a Sixth Grader

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This is an interesting article written from the perspective of a parent, who discovers her son’s thriving life online through Instagram, a photo sharing service.

> When my son was sleeping, I was checking the text messages and followed the Instagram updates — after all, this wasn’t really sneaking if my son maintained a public profile. But what could I say? Should I tell him that I am monitoring his moves? Was my looking at text messages the same as reading a diary? Was I violating my son’s privacy and simply making too much of this?

Here are some tips we’ve compiled for parents and families.

Thanks to Mrs. Bachmann who forwarded me this article!

Help me make a video!

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I’d like for the Goochland teaching community to make a video for students on thinking before posting to digital media. I was inspired by a billboard Jennifer Bocrie photographed yesterday in another school, which reminded students to THINK.

A digital dossier is a concept of your collection of everything about you – your digital trail – online. You can help me make a video in just a few minutes!

  1. Watch my video below. It’s probably the longest part of this endeavor (it’s just 4 minutes long).
  2. Visit the spreadsheet.
  3. Pick a line (or more).
  4. Boot up Photo Booth and put it into video mode.
  5. Record.
  6. Drag the video and send it to me.
  7. Mark your line as “complete” on the spreadsheet.

I hope to release the video next week by editing these 49 short little videos together. Thank you for your support!

Bonus: like this idea? If you want to try this with students at your school, let me know–I’d love to help. We can use the same script, or have them come up with one in a spreadsheet too!

Play

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Looking for Volunteers!

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I’m interested in exploring the use of the Khan Academy with students. I’ve put together a 10-minute video to provide you the skinny on what it’s all about.

  1. There are YouTube videos. Lots of them. This is how it all started.
  2. There are now practice activities in Math. They’re well done.
  3. Students and teachers (called Coaches) can monitor student progress.

I’m planning for some after-school workshops later in 2013 in using Khan as a tech integration course. But why wait? If you’re interested in putting a small group of students in now, contact me via e-mail. Here are some of the available units:

  • area, perimeter, volume
  • trigonometry
  • conic sections
  • matrices
  • decimals
  • fractions
  • telling time
  • absolute value
  • quadratic functions

To learn more about Khan directly, this page explains things nicely.

Citizens Shared Today

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Today I visited the high school media center to find a collaborative G21 project by Ms. Yearout-Patton, Ms. Washburn, and Ms. Gargiulo taking place. Citizens in Goochland were invited to come to GHS to be interviewed by students. The goal? Collect oral histories to paint a historical picture of Goochland County.

> “This is what it’s all about,” said Yearout-Patton.

The project was inspired by a history of Grundy, Virginia shown to Ms. Washburn. The aim is to eventually publish the histories with multimedia to the Library of Congress.

  • Real-world experience? Check.
  • Communications skills? Check.
  • Technology & media literacies? Check.
  • Multicultural? Well, certainly multi-generational.
  • Research? Double-check.

These are the types of projects I’m most proud our students are able to take part in, as part of their Goochland education. There was genuine enthusiasm and engagement from both students and our guests. As I passed Ms. Yearout-Patton, taking pictures, she said to me, “Sir, this is what it’s all about.” Indeed, it is.

Blue Sky

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This story, from India describes a new tablet device that the government is hoping transforms education. 95% of Indians do not have access to a computing device. And this new 7-inch tablet (around the size of an iPad Mini) is being manufactured, en masse, for university professors and college students. Next, it will go to all school-age children.

Did you know that in India, the curriculum materials are open-source? That way, the only cost associated with textbooks is printing.

The government hopes to use this printing money (around $13 per student) to pay for the tablets.

I should mention the shocker, if you haven’t already read the article… the tablet is expected to cost the government $20 each.

Fascinating story, really, and fascinating look into India. In the recent political debates, we only seemed to focus on China. Did we forget that India, too, is on the rise?