• The World of Educational Technology ::: a tech teacher's blog ::: thoughts, experiences, activities on educational technology and tech life

June 19th, 2008

2008 IB Conference - Montezuma, New Mexico

IBI was very fortunate to be given the opportunity by my school to attend the 2008 International Baccalaureate (IB) Conference in Montezuma, New Mexico this summer (June 16 to 20). After a few conversations in the past school year with my IB Coordinator (Dr. Michael Manafo) at St. John’s School, IB Computer Science was added to our growing list of IB subject offerings. (IB Physics and IB Performing Arts were added as well.)

Right after the last day of school year 07-08, I packed my things and flew off to the mainland U.S. I travelled with a colleague of mine, Arlene Chua, who was also attending the IB Conference (for IB Physics). The pick-up point in New Mexico was at the Albuquerque International Airport. United World Colleges (UWC), the school that sponsors the annual summer IB Conference, was very organized at meeting attendees at the airport and transporting everyone to Montezuma (about a 2-hour air conditioned bus ride). Since my arrival at the conference site, the organizers (administration, faculty, staff, and students) at UWC were very professional in hosting the needs and looking after the well-being of all attendees (~190 registered attendees, 10 guests, and 14 workshop leaders) . Kudos to Eyad Shabaneh and his team!

The week-long schedule of the IB conference mixed 1.5-hour long sessions (there were 9 such sessions) with other activities (field trips and sports games). There was one general assembly and two sessions on special IB topics (Internationalism and The Extended Essay). With other activities to choose from, the week went by too quickly. There was a lot to learn, a lot to ask, and a lot to digest (literally and figuratively!). The IB conference was absolutely intellectually stimulating and socially interesting. Being “trapped” in the Montezuma Castle area was quite a respite for me.

The IB Computer Science (IBCS) workshop group was led by Julie Plante — coordinator of the International Baccalaureate program at Vanier College in Montreal, Canada. Compared to other workshop groups, the IBCS class was quite small — there were six attendees. This was quite an advantage for us since we had a closer interaction among attendees and workshop leader.

Julie Plante was an amazing mentor. She obviously knew a lot about the IBCS program — the ins and outs of mark schemes, the intricacies of the subject matter, and the nuances of various aspects of IBCS. She was always full of positive energy — swiftly attending to the participants’ questions and concerns on the subject and never failing to pin the point she was making with an accompanying rush of emphatic hand movements.

(More thoughts on this later…)

Below are photos taken during the 2008 IB Conference - June 16 to 20, 2008.

Arrival at Albuquerque Int'l Airport
Above:  Arrival at the Albuquerque International Airport
Scenery on the bus
Above:  Scenery on the bus ride to Montezuma
The Parade of Flags near the castle
Above:  The Parade of Flags near the Castle
Montezuma Castle
Above:  Montezuma Castle
Plaque about the Castle
Above:  Plaque about the Castle
Check-in Area
Above:  Check-in Area
The Great Fireplace
Above:  The Great Fireplace
From the castle's porch
Above and below:  From the castle’s porch
From the castle's porch
View from the porch
Above:  View from the porch
The first assembly at the auditorium
Above and below: The first assembly at the auditorium
Presentation at the auditorium
Great exercise
Above:  Yes - great exercise every time — all 137 steps from Casa B4!
IB Computer Science Group
Above:  IB Computer Science Group with workshop leader: Julie Plante
Julie on a roll on some topic about IBCS
Above:  Julie Plante about to drive in a point on the intricacies of IBCS “mark schemes”.
Julie showing resources to a workshop attendee
Above:  Julie Plante showing online resources to a workshop attendee.
Working in one of the computer labs
Above:  The IBCS group working intently in one of the many computer labs at UWC.
The IBCS group working intently
Above:  The IBCS group working on a few challenges
"Yup! It sure is!"
Above:  “Yup!  It sure is!”
Writing up the sequence for IBCS!
Above:  Writing up the sequence for IBCS!
Julie Plante assisting one of the participants.
Above:  Julie Plante assisting one of the participants.
Shelby Hall
Above:  Shelby Hall - where all attendees shared colorful meals and networked!
With friends from Texas, Florida, Peru, Guam, and the Philippines!
Above:  A photo moment with friends from Texas, Florida, Peru, Guam, and the Philippines!
Amazing view of the castle
Above:  An amazing view of the castle
View of the castle from the soccer field
Above:  A great view of the castle from the soccer field
More photos later …

Filed under: Educational Technology, Professional Dev't. | No Comments

April 21st, 2008

Create logos online for FREE

I came across an interesting entry at hongkiat.com about creating logos. This would be useful in my Graphic Arts class. It takes out some of the frustration on creating logos non-specialized programs. Worth a look …

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Tags:

Filed under: Educational Technology, Presentations, Visual Communications, Web 2.0 | No Comments

January 28th, 2008

Brando Leather Case and a few other pics of Eee PC

A few more pictures of the Brando Leather Case (BLC).

Pics below and a few more available here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/22279665@N03/sets/72157603809204675/

Here’s a photo showing the leather “hinge” that connects both parts. As I wrote in an earlier post, it would have been better if Brando used just a bit more leather and went all the way opposite the charger side for a wider hinge.

Photo of the Brando Leather Case (BLC) on a postal service weighing scale — showing 8.1 ozs.
Photo of the Eee PC in the BLC on a scale — showing 2 lbs, 8.8 ozs. Super-cool! 2.5~ pounds total for a protected ultra-tiny laptop. I just love it! Smiley

Close-up photo of the cutout in the trackpad area of the Eee PC. Notice the cutout is a bit too exact. The right side cut is a bit skewed. Perhaps Brando gave more space on the right side so one’s pointer finger can easily travel up and down the scrolling area? Can’t tell — I don’t have another BLC with which to compare.


Two photos below show the top side of the leather case. Since the bottom part holds the Eee PC snuggly, it doesn’t slide around. The top part is only held by the leather hinge and the magnetic lock so there’s a tendency for the flap to slide around. I’m just being picky. Smiley

Photo below shows the Eee PC in the BLC in typical daily use on a table. Notice the flap at the back.

Photo right below shows the Eee PC and BLC on a table — this time, the top flap is folded under the Eee. The leather strip with the metal disc for locking protrudes forward. 2nd Photo below shows the back view of the Eee with the top flap folded under.

Photo below - the circular item at front left is the PivotDock I got a few years back for my Gen. 1 iPod Shuffle. Mouse is a wireless Microsoft Travel Mouse with the USB transmitter tucked under the mouse.

Photo below - close-up of PivotDock and underneath of MS Travel Mouse.


Photo below shows USB wireless transmitter connected to PivotDock.

Photo below shows PivotDock at work - so USB transmitter is not standing tall and in the way. Smiley

Very light travel setup. Smiley


ULTIMATE BOTTOM LINE: As with many things, the Brando Leather Case isn’t perfect — but it’s very, very good! Smiley Coupled with my Eee PC, it’s an awesome combination that I’m just loving more each day. Smiley

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January 27th, 2008

Brando Leather Case for Eee PC - Brief Review

My Brando Leather case finally arrived. Here’s a few pics of the unpacking / unboxing. I’ve a few comments about the product as well above the pics.(A little bit larger pics available here: http://flickr.com/photos/22279665@N03/sets/72157603801102682/ )

Packaging was typical.

Standard Brando packing box.

Ohhh … the smell of leather … AAAaaaahhhhh! Luv it!!!

Very nice!

There’s a lot comments/inquiries about the vents holes. “Are these enough?” Personally, I think nothing will beat the absence of a case. No case simply means more ventilation. I’ll report back later if I notice any noticeable major increase in fan operation and heat.

The SD card and business card holders are handy — but I’m not sure if I’ll use them. Nice to have — just in case … Smiley

Now there’s something I’m not too fond of: the LEATHER “HINGE”. I feel the strip of leather that connects the top and bottom parts of the Brando case is too short. I understand that they cut off the left side for the adaptor plug. I would have wanted a full strip of leather on the right side since the Eee doesn’t have any connectors on the right rear side. Maybe they did this for aesthetics? At any rate, in my regular use, I notice the top part flip-flops around. I just feel that a complete strip to the right side of the case would have made a sturdier “hinge” joint.

OK. Here’s something I’m not so happy with. The cutout for the trackpad is TOO EXACT! It would have been better if they cut off an additional 0.5 cm on the left and right sides of the trackpad. Why? The leather on the wrist rest area is about 0.125 cm thick. When I used the trackpad without the leather case, I was able to maove my pointer finger to the very left and right edges of the trackpad. Now, the left and right edges of the trackpad leather cutout prevents my finger from reaching the edges. A bit of an annoyance than a major pain. Plus - it’s probably just the case I got - the cutout on mine is not perfectly straight. Oh well. Smiley


A few more detailed pics of the cutouts later. Smiley

In the meantime — I’m quite happy with the Brando Leather Case (BLC). With the BLC now, I’m not excessively careful with my Eee PC when using it. With the BLC, I can just place the Eee in my bag without worrying — or take it out and start working on a desk or table without being too scared of dings, scratches, etc.

More on this later after using the Eee and BLC at work. Smiley

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January 1st, 2008

Growing number of LINUX users due to the success of the Eee PC

“Will the ASUS Eee PC do for LINUX what the iPod did for Apple / the Mac OS?”

Just a few curious thoughts. With the success of recent sales of the ASUS Eee PC and projected growth of sales throughout 2008, does this translate to a growing number of Linux users? It would be nice to find out how many Eee PC purchasers are actually using the Linux OS on their new computers. It would also be interesting to find out how many Eee PC owners are installing Windows and using it instead of Linux and how many are keeping an existing Windows or Mac system and maintaining their Eee PC as an additional laptop? Or maybe even - how many Eee PC purchasers are first-time laptop buyers — and maybe keeping their Eee PC as their main or only computer? Anyhow … just thoughts on the Eee PC.

Filed under: Educational Technology, Linux, Tech Toys, Tech. Gadgets | 1 Comment

January 1st, 2008

ASUS Eee PC Travel and Home Setup Review!

I recently got an ASUS Eee PC - Pearl White - 4G/512MB - model 701. I’m very happy with it. I’ll write about my experiences with the Eee PC soon. In the meantime, here’s a few pics of my Eee PC Travel and Home setups:

My Eee PC Travel setup - using a Targus Gig bag (not sure about model number). The Eee PC is a perfect fit in the bag — which has a lot of pockets! The bag itself is not very well-padded, so it’s best to keep the Eee PC in the free neoprene case that came with the package.

Here’s the Targus bag with all the items inside — Eee PC in main compartment; charger, SD card case, external portable HD — in front pockets.

Here’s a pic of just the Targus bag.

Here’s a pic of the Eee PC on a Macally IcePad. I use this pad at home — with all items on top and the IcePad on my lap while on a recliner and just browsing away or watching a video — or on a table when I’m working.

Here’s a pic of the Macally IcePad and Eee PC on my lap.

And finally, here’s a pic of the Macally folded in half for storage. The Eee PC is small enough to fit on the folded size of the Icepad.

Filed under: Educational Technology, Linux, Tech Toys, Tech. Gadgets | 2 Comments

December 27th, 2007

ASUS Eee PC for Christmas - mini review!

On December 26, 2007, I got an ASUS Eee PC Christmas present! Well … okay, I bought it for myself. :)

ASUS Eee PC 701

The one I have is the 4G/401 model. It has 4GB of onboard storage and 512MB of RAM. The next model up — with 1GB of RAM (same 4GB onboard storage) has a large, unjustifiable price difference of $100.00. I immediately bought a replacement 2GB single RAM stick from NewEgg for about $42.00 (with shipping and taxes included — and this is before the $10.00 rebate offered by NewEgg). And with news that the warranty is not voided when one opens the RAM compartment to upgrade, then there’s no problem at all to do that then. So for those considering the 1GB RAM model of the Eee PC — save your $100 and use about half of it for even more RAM and get a 2GB single stick RAM upgrade.

This is the item I got from NewEgg:

pqi 2GB 200-Pin DDR2 SO-DIMM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Notebook Memory - Retail
URL –> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820141297
PQI 2GB RAMPQI 2GB RAM

What’s the Eee PC? It’s an ultra-compact, ultra-light laptop by ASUS (ASUSTEK). Weighing only a measly 0.92 kg (about 2 lbs.), you can take the Eee PC anywhere. Equiped with a solid-state disk instead of a magnetic harddisk, you get unparalleled shock-protection and reliability. Power-efficient design and rapid start-up time make Eee PC the perfect companion for your mobile computing and entertainment needs.The Eee PC in a nutshell:

“Eee PC” stands for Easy to Learn, Easy to Work, Easy to Play PC

  • 7″ compact design and only 0.92kg
  • Durable, shock-proof solid-state design
  • Rich network and wireless connectivity
  • Graphic user interface for simplicity and ease of use
  • Over 40 built-in applications for learn, work and play

Eee PC Models and Specifications

  • Eee PC 8G ( 8GB Storage, 1GB Memory, Webcam )
  • Eee PC 4G ( 4GB Storage, 512MB Memory, Webcam )
  • Eee PC 4G Surf ( 4GB Storage, 512MB Memory )
  • Eee PC 2G Surf ( 2GB Storage, 256MB Memory )

Common Properties

  • Display : 7″ LCD widescreen at 800×480
  • Processor : 900 MHz Intel Mobile Celeron
  • Operating System : Custom Xandros-based Linux (Pre-loaded) or Windows XP
  • Networking : Built-in Ethernet and WiFi 802.11 b/g
  • Audio : Hi-Definition audio, built-in stereo speaker and microphone
  • Battery : 2.8 - 3.5hrs
  • Weight : 0.92 kg

More on my Eee experiences later! :)

Filed under: Educational Technology, Linux, Open Source, Tech Toys, Tech. Gadgets | No Comments

December 3rd, 2007

GMail loading / access problems

Our school uses the free Google Apps for Education. Recently, our teachers have been having problems accessing their GMail through our school domain. I discovered through my searches on the web that going through the secure protocol fixes this problem — using “https” instead of “http”.

So, the following URL seems to fix our GMail access problems: https://mail.google.com

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September 18th, 2007

FREE Educational PALM Programs hosted

I recently communicated with Brian Schau (week of August 27, 2007) and he has agreed to let me host and support his creations for the Palm Handheld Computer. His contributions to the world of education include very helpful software such as MathAce. All titles by Brian Schau are free of charge. However, I’m sure he’d appreciate it if you’d write him a note if you find the software helpful for your classes/students. Brian is no longer hosting the software in his server. I am now hosting all the educational software he created. And here’s the link: www.edtechworld.com/palmprograms

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September 14th, 2007

Mac Helpmate

Mac Helpmate

Use Mac HelpMate on your computer to run routine or scheduled maintenance tasks, diagnose hard disk failures, or troubleshoot your Mac OS X computer. It’s free. :) Download here.

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September 13th, 2007

Mac Links for those new to the Mac

Cool OSX Apps:  http://www.coolosxapps.net/

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August 31st, 2007

New Aluminum iMac - “warpy” keyboard

Our school received two donated iMacs - the new aluminum and glass iMacs - and the keyboard is already a bit warped after a day. Student sprobably pushed down a bit too hard on a portion of the keyboard. The aluminum casing of the keyboard bent out of its perfectly straight shape. :(   I was able to “opposite” bend it back into shape. A photo from the built-in iSight is shown below — not the best photo — but you can see the slight curve of the aluminum.

But don’t get me wrong … I love the new keyboard design. It looks like Apple was able to save by producing a lot of the white MacBook’s keyboard and using that portion for the main keyboard of the new aluminum Mac. The usual Volume and Eject buttons are in the main keyboard area - they are not above the numeric keypad.

Anyhow, the new iMac is so perfect — I just had to look for something to complain about … the “warpy” keyboard. :)

LOVE THE NEW iMACS!!!

photo-4.jpg

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June 6th, 2007

Google Apps for Education

Our school is switching to Google Apps for Education / Schools.  We’re doing this mainly for the email service — but it’s nice that we’re getting a few of the great Google apps with each account.

Each account holder will have 2GB of space for email, documents, and other items.  Loking forward to the ease of use in administration and email maintenance.

http://www.google.com/a/edu/

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June 2nd, 2007

PALM Foleo

Palm’s new Foleo is a new player in the mobile computing world that I will watch closely. I am interested in how it may play a part in education — particularly in the elementary classroom. Our school is looking into using more Web 2.0 programs. Since these are all web-based, all one would need is a browser. There are no details yet on the Foleo’s technical specifications so it’s hard to say at this point if it will be powerful enough for the classroom. The price tag is attractive — although I hope it goes way below the $500 price point (I believe it’s currently $500 with a $100 rebate — so, essentially it’s a $600 computer). And with OLPC computers and other players producing laptops at under $200, the Foleo will have some competition in the education arena (well, it’s marketed as a business tool, to begin with).

Let’s see where the Foleo takes us. I think Palm is doing this right. Let’s give the Foleo room and time to grow.

Filed under: Educational Technology | 1 Comment

April 2nd, 2007

Web 2.0 Programs

I decided to look up new Web 2.0 programs tonight. Here’s a list of things that I know will be useful in my daily work.

  1. ColorBlender (http://www.colorblender.com/). This is a your free online tool for color matching and palette design. I’m quite sure I will use this in my web design and updating projects.
  2. CarbonMade (http://www.carbonmade.com/). An online portfolio with an annual fee for more storage — but the FREE version gives enough storage space for a budding designer. This might be useful for my Visual Communications students.
  3. OpenDNS (http://www.opendns.com) OpenDNS is a better DNS, FREE to all. OpenDNS uses its distributed network of DNS servers to speed up your Internet experience, increase reliability, improve security and make DNS smarter for users all over the world.
    • *** I had a wonderful time with the OpenDNS customer service folks — I was on Yahoo Messenger with them on 04/03/07.  They were quick to respond, very knowledgeable, helpful, and very accommodating.  I’ll make sure to use OpenDNS in all our school computers!  Great service, guys!  You ARE Web 2.0!
  4. More to come …

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April 2nd, 2007

Japanese Schools May Switch to Linux

“Japanese Schools May Switch to Linux: Conference held in Tokyo considers the open-source option for education.” This article title from “OhmyNews” quickly grabbed my attention. (Full article available — click here.)

As an advocate of LINUX and other open source operating systems and programs, I fully support this possible move in the Japanese educational system. I wish the U.S. educational system would also consider adding LINUX into main stream educational computing in the classroom.

The points mentioned in the article on why they are considering LINUX are the basic tenets in the thinking behind any move from the standard Windows platform to LINUX:

  1. Updating Windows OS and software is costly — the LINUX OS and educational software are free.
  2. Updating computer hardware to keep up with Windows OS and software updates is costly — LINUX can run on old computers and on systems with configurations on which Windows might not run.
  3. Inherent dangers of lock-ins with Microsoft’s licensing programs — with LINUX software being open source, there are no licensing programs to get stuck in.

I think that if Web 2.0 keeps moving in the rigth direction, it will benefit educational computing by offering web-based tools that are platform independent. If a very stable, easy-to-access, and easy-to-use “office-type” system is made available with minimal hardware requirements, then LINUX-based computers will make more sense than the other choice.

Filed under: Educational Technology, K12LTSP, Linux, Open Source | No Comments

February 19th, 2007

Download YouTube Videos on a Mac

To download a YouTube video to a Mac (for free), follow these steps:

  1. Go to your YouTube video.
  2. Copy the URL of the video (into the clipboard - Command + C).
  3. Go to this website: http://video.qooqle.jp/dl/
  4. Paste (Command + V) the URL into the “Video URL” field.
  5. After pasting the URL, a new link will show up: “Get Download URL”. Click this link.
  6. A new link will then show up with the URL you just pasted. Click this new link (under “Download URL”).
  7. A file named “get_video” will be downloaded.
  8. If you have the video conversion program - iSquint - go ahead and start it. If you don’t have it, download it from www.isquint.org.
  9. In iSquint, click “Optimize for TV” and choose “Go Nuts” for quality.
  10. Make sure you know where you’re saving the converted file - click on the “Change” button to save to a different location (like the desktop).
  11. Drag the “get_video” file into the “Drag files below” area.
  12. When you’re ready to convert your files to .MP4 format, click “Start”.
  13. That’s it!
  14. Suggestion once conversion is complete: rename the converted file (”get_vid.mp4″) to something more descriptive of the video.

:)

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February 19th, 2007

PALM Handhelds for Teacher Productivity

Handheld Computers in Education

Presentation at GCC
February 19, 2006

by: Rolly Maiquez
St. John’s School

——————————————————–

  1. Welcome & Introduction/Overview:
  2. Resource sites:
    • www.edtechworld.com
    • www.splashblog.com/handhelds
    • www.palm.com
    • www.learninginhand.com
    • www.atomiclearning.com/palm
    • http://www.palm.com/us
    • http://web.palm.com/education/treo_agreement.jhtml
  3. Uses:
    • Attendance
    • Grading
    • Word Processing
    • Database / Finances
    • Email
    • RSS News Feeds / Web browsing
    • Entertainment
    • Podcasts
  4. Equipment recommended for teacher productivity use:
    • Palm TX ($299.00 / $260.00 in education store) -OR-
    • TREO 680 ($400.00 / $350.00 in education store)
    • Universal Wireless keyboard ($69.00 / $52.00 in education store)
    • Multimedia projector
    • Video camera
    • Visual presenter
  5. Order online through www.palm.com → education discount on educator’s store. They ship to Guam!

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February 18th, 2007

Moodle Presentation

Use Your Noodle: Learn to Moodle!

Presentation at GCC
February 19, 2006
by: Rolly Maiquez
St. John’s School

——————————————–

  1. Welcome & Introduction/Overview of Moodle
  2. Sites used in this presentation:
    • http://www.moodle.org
    • http://www.macguam.com/classes
    • http://www.edtechworld.com
    • http://www.sjscoolschool.com/online
    • http://mygcc.guamcc.edu/moodle/
  3. Moodle uses in college classes
    • Demo of VC101
    • Syllabus
    • Calendars
    • Assignments
    • Notes
  4. Forums
    • Demo Virtual Science Fair from SJS Cool School Online
    • Guest “speakers” anywhere in the world can participate in their class
    • Debates
    • FAQs
    • Study groups
  5. Chats
    • Online office hours
    • Group chats
  6. Quiz
    • Periodic mini-tests to gauge understanding
    • Prep for finals
  7. Others

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February 18th, 2007

Professional Development Day 2007 - GCC

Links used in my presentations at the Professional Development Day at GCC (02/19/07):

PALM Handhelds and Productivity

Use Your Noodle: Learn to Moodle!

Filed under: Educational Technology, Moodle, Palm Handhelds, Presentations | No Comments