Reaching a High Score #LevelUpBC #edtech

This presentation has gone through several revisions since I first presented it over a year ago. Here’s the current version of it that was presented at this year’s MSET iConnect event on December 1st, 2012.  The event was managed by the incredibly talented Selena Ward.

Presentation’s Google Doc:https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1L9p2HNPnnn6gWTKkG3YrI6nrSvdrCov01_D2vw1J0Fk/edit

Reality is Broken: http://janemcgonigal.com/

Article on Lee Sheldon of Indiana University:

http://www.itnews.com.au/News/169862,employers-look-to-gaming-to-motivate-staff.aspx

Warcraft in School: http://wowinschool.pbworks.com

Minecraft in School: http://minecraftinschool.pbworks.com

Level Up Book Club: http://levelupbc.blogspot.com &http://levelupbc.tumblr.com

(And if you want to know more about me, go to http://aaronbsmith.com )

iConnect Presentations

For those of you attending my sessions today, here are my presentations just in case you want to follow along.  Assuming the audio quality of the recordings is acceptable I'll post the video as well.

 

Academic Aesthetic #179: On 4th Grade and Conversations

Show notes:

• Download .mp3
• Edmodo.com
• Wordle.net
• Episode transcript (Posted to my Tumblr account)

Good Idea, Bad Idea

This is my reaction to New York City imposes new social media rules for teachers.  Click to read the article, it's worth it.

I agree a set of rules should be established.  Every day I see people of all ages posting things that they really shouldn't.  That stuff doesn't go away, particularly if it's embarrassing.

As for the schools mentioned in the article who ban social networking outright?  I'm waiting for them to ban computers and start teaching how to bang rocks together.  When it comes to technology, you can't TEACH it if you can't USE it. 

Social networking is one of the things that permeates the internet right now.  If I had to ban all social networking tools from my classroom over half my curriculum (including Edmodo, which is a spectacular teaching tool) would be toast.  I'd be back to teaching just MS Word, PowerPoint, and Excel for 180 school days.

Academic Aesthetic #178: Problems and Solutions

Download .mp3

This is an episode about problems and solutions as I look ahead to next year's curriculum.

Problem

9 week curriculum needs revising.  This is a course that can be repeated every year.  Even if I didn't need to change the lessons to keep it interesting to ME, I would still need to change the lessons to keep it interesting to my students.

Solution

Change the "plot" of most projects.  Instead of building a tree using 3D Tin, build a flower (or something else)!  Projects too simple for a "plot" change can be retired, replaced by new assignments.

Problem

Major curriculum needs a large overhaul.  There were many projects that worked well, but others that did not.  Some were based on specific time-sensitive events, like our school's Fall Drama production.  In addition, the majority of the class (I have 7 students moving on to High School) will be in the course next year.  This can't just be a repeat, I need a full year's worth of new projects.

Solution

Don't reset points, levels, or projects completed.  Incoming majors will still be Level 1.  Returning majors (7th and 8th grade) will be whatever level they were in June. This will require more levels to be added (Current cap is Level 5) with more complex assignments to accommodate returning students.  Current thought is to include assignments that involve more than one media file.  Instead of "Record an .mp3" they may have to "Create a podcast series with no fewer than 5 episodes."

Problem

Film Festival projects are cutting it close - very close - to our deadline.  With 5 weeks to go many students still have not finished their scripts.

Solution

Spread Film Festival projects out through the entire year.  Script/Storyboard due Q1, Final Movie due Q3, Trailer due Q4, and a new "Making of..." project due Q2.  These projects will reside OUTSIDE of the Levels format existing for the other projects, and can be handed in regardless of the level of the student.

Problem

5th Grade curriculum relates to the 9 week curriculum much more than it does to the Major curriculum.  Incoming Majors have experience with technology but there is much room for improvement.

Solution

Redo 5th grade curriculum to follow gaming model.  Move some "retired" 9 week lessons to 5th grade to give them a feel for the program, then simplify some Major lessons and introduce them has higher level 5th grade projects.

Problem

Site design could use an overhaul.  (This seems to change every year.)  I used MediaWiki for Middle School's class sites because I wanted to teach myself how to use MediaWiki.  Now that the challenge is gone I am seeing MediaWiki's shortcomings.  My options are to install plugins to give MediaWiki the functionality that it lacks OR to move on to something else.

Solution ... ?

Hand coding, Google Sites, WordPress, Drupal, Wikispaces, Tumblr, ... something else?  I am still looking into all of my options.

Problem

Many of my tutorials must be redone.  Some are no longer relevant as better techniques have been developed, others need to redone now that websites and or apps have been upgraded.

Solution

Nothing to it but to do it.  The kinks for this have already been worked out, the rest is just time management.

Problem

Technology can be lacking.  We have more cameras this year than any previous year, yet I do not have enough cameras to provide one to each student.  Many students do not have technology at home needed to complete assignments.  This has been partially solved by creating "low tech" projects that relate to technology but don't require it for an A.  More can and should be done.

Solution

Donors Choose for cameras?  Create a "recommended purchases" page on the class site?  (I cannot "require" anything more than a flash drive, but I can "recommend" anything.)  Provide weekly lab time after school to any students that wish to work on something.

Common Ground Maryland 2012 Twitter Digest Day 2

2nd verse, same as the first.

1. A little slow getting ready this morning, but now I'm all set to head out to Day 2 of #CGMD12.


2. Blog: I know where I’ll be Session 8!


3. So apparently @UnhelpfulTeachr is following me. Wonder if she checks Twitter on her phone during class while confiscating student phones.


4. Looking forward to Camp ITC in Rm 345, presented by fellow @pgcps employee Tia Simmons!


5. Oh there's a lot more than 2 of us! :) RT @msreneescience: I'm at Baltimore Convention Center (Baltimore, MD) w/ 2 others.

-=-=-=-=-

1. Camp ITC presentation resources: http://bit.ly/IDBJpd


2. "I have a PhD in ADHD."


3. Follow Tia Simmons @techtia! #CGMD12 #campitc


4. http://todaysmeet.com Free online chat, participants don't need to register.


5. When building your own CampITC, Plan the Who, What, Where, When, Why, & How first. Set guidelines to narrow things down.


6. "Scout out" your tools ahead of time. Google Apps, Elluminate, etc. Start early to help people adjust to the format.


7. @misteryork1 That's an issue with any conference. I always check what organization the speaker represents in the schedule. (In reply to Mr. York complaining about sales pitches disguised as sessions.)


8. "Chat & Chew" sessions - time for discussion vs. lecture.


9. Establish "Camp Rules." Guidelines so that participants know what is expected from them and from the "Camp Counselor."


10. One of the #CampITC rules: "Reflect & implement new strategies." THIS CANNOT BE EMPHASIZED ENOUGH! (Emphasis mine.)


11. #CampITC Schedule: Session 1: Getting to know your camping guide (Pedagogy)


12. #CampITC Schedule: Session 2: Take a Hike (Prep/Planning)


13. #CampITC Schedule: Session 3: From Camping to Classroom (Putting it together/Reflecting)


14. #CampITC use a variety of tools for communication/evaluation - Email, wikis, "corkboard" sites, etc.


15. #CampITC Give stuff at the end. Certificates, raffles, door prizes, etc.


16. I really like the idea of doing a #CampITC. Thinking of setting one up for my building.

-=-=-=-=-

1. Ready for the session on screencasting to start in rm 318. What's this about a web based screencasting app?


2. Many people here have already made screencasts. Starting off by bringing the rest up to speed.


3. Screencast: Recording of whatever is seen on the screen + voice, often for making tutorials.


4. (Screencasting is also often used when creating machinima or streaming video games.)


5. Web based screen casting tool: http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/


6. http://screencast-o-matic.com is Java based, which means it's cross-platform.


7. http://screencast-o-matic.com allows you to post videos to YouTube or sort them into "channels" on their site.


8. http://screencast-o-matic.com allows video downloads as well, including .mp4 .avi .flv and .gif


9. Paid version and free version. Free limited to 15 minutes. (If yours is longer than that it should be broken into parts anyway.)


10. This session has already "paid" for itself. http://screencast-o-matic.com is as good as QuickTime for short recordings.


11. 3 Steps to Screencasting: Plan, Create, Publish. (Good for any media creation!)


12. "Develop a narration" - avoid "Ums," "Uhs," and long pauses when recording. Scripts are great.


13. Set up a website (wikispaces suggested) to showcase recorded videos.


14. YouTube hosting is good and free. (I still reccomend having an additional site to showcase/sort videos.)


15. Use Screencasts to teach/present to parents. (Great way to show the SchoolMax Parent Portal?)


16. I really like this screencasting session, alas, I must be somewhere else shortly. Was definitely worth my time.

-=-=-=-=-

1. Hm, is the #cgmd12 Flash Mob upstairs or downstairs?#WeveHadThisProblemBefore


2. @harbeckc It was at the Pratt St. Lobby. @thetechtiger had me record video.

-=-=-=-=-

1. Not sure if the people in this room are waiting for my #CGMD12 session or holdovers from the last one. We'll see if they leave when I start.


2. Reaching A High Score Presentation: http://bit.ly/HNSgH3


3. Thanks! RT @APPliedClub: It's a PACKED full house at the Reaching a High Score session. I'm sitting on the floor. WTG @theartguy


4. Not sure how I got that crowd... RT @Jennzer: #CGMD12 @theartguyalready has a the crowd rolling... Reaching a High Score room 324


5. RT: APPlied Club ‏ @APPliedClub "One student not passing is too many." - @theartguy So true!


6. RT: APPlied Club ‏ @APPliedClub Those who suggest blocking everything as a solution to distraction problems have no idea how to teach technology. @theartguy


7. RT: Jennifer Weaver ‏ @Jennzer "Are we teaching students to get things right the first time or are we teaching them mastery?" #CGMD12 @theartguy


8. RT: Selena Ward ‏ @thetechtiger Ok. 1st recommendation for next year: give @theartguy a bigger room.


9. RT: APPlied Club ‏ @APPliedClub Tons of enthusiasm about meeting students where they already are, take the learning to them. So awesome and inspiring! @theartguy (NOTE: Not sure we were in the same presentation.)


10. RT: Matthew C. Winner ‏ @MatthewWinner “@theartguy: Reaching A High Score Presentation:http://bit.ly/HNSgH3 #CGMD12” watch this guy! His gaming vision for education is AMAZING!


11. RT: Justin Eames ‏ @Techucation Can't wait to implement the ideas I heard about in presentation by@theartguy. Always engaging.


12. OK, that's enough with over-inflating my ego. Now to hang out in rm 320 for presentations by @thetechtiger & @MatthewWinner

-=-=-=-=-

1. Lights, Learning, Action is starting in rm 320! There's still room, come on in!


2. @thetechtiger tell me more about that webinar thing. I'm interested.


3. "You can't just say you want the next version of Shakespeare." Start simple. (via @thetechtiger)


4. 1st example: 3 word video (via @thetechtiger)


5. Find @thetechtiger's resources online at http://selenaward.com/


6. Six word memoir: "Old too soon, young too late." (via @thetechtiger)


7. My 6 word memoir: "Uh oh, was that thing on?"


8. Google Search Stories: No acting needed, all typing.


9. To make a Google Search Story you also need good search skills in addition to story writing skills. (via @thetechtiger)


10. Paper Slide videos: Very much like the "In Plain English" videos. (via@thetechtiger)


11. Paper Slide Videos: Need Camera Person, Narrator, & Paper Slider (via @thetechtiger)


12. Shoutout for AFI's curriculum. It's FREE! (Via @thetechtiger)


13. Next Vista "Teach a project in 90 seconds." (Via @thetechtiger)


14. I inturrupted @thetechtiger. I'm sorry!


15. On Air Free - makes iDevice into a teleprompter (via @thetechtiger)


16. "If you crash and burn take a deep breath and try again." (Via@thetechtiger)


17. Another AWESOME presentation by @thetechtiger at #CGMD12 - She rocks!

-=-=-=-=-

1. Getting ready for @matthewwinner's presentation in room 320! Game on!


2. @atruger OK I am now in love with http://www.picmonkey.com/ - THANK YOU for this resource!


3. Thrilled to be in this session - @matthewwinner and his co presenter (twitter unknown) are doing a great job!


4. "They already have math in [the Wii] but they're not telling anyone about it, which is really stupid." (via @matthewwinner)


5. Full mix of Wii experience levels here. (I've never used one.)


6. "When I walk into a math room, I want to hear a healthy math buzz."


7. Watching video of students playing a skiing game while others record scores & find mean & average. (via @matthewwinner)


8. "Who's doing the thinking/talking in your room?"


9. Digital handouts for @matthewwinner's session: http://bit.ly/HYx5qD


10. Using a Wii bowling game to teach decimal places. Game lets you bowl with 100 pins. (via @matthewwinner)


11. During @thetechtiger's session @matthewwinner pointed out "Could not connect to the internet." is a 6 word story.


12. "While we play I have my phone out and have a student take pictures." (via @matthewwinner)


13. "We need to use these tools to connect to THEIR world." (via@matthewwinner)


14. The Wii seems to mostly be used as an engaging way to gather relevant data. My challenge will be how to do something similar.


15. Their high score is held by a 2nd grader. (via @matthewwinner)

-=-=-=-=-

1. I hope we can afford it - if I can I'll be there! RT @sbeducator: Really liked #CGMD12! I will be there next year...and will bring others!


2. RT: Charity Harbeck ‏ @harbeckc @theartguy Art of Video games exhibit link. http://t.co/EsbJRrAR

I have company at #cgmd12

I have company at #cgmd12,
originally uploaded by TheArtGuy.

I know where I'll be Session 8! #cgmd12

I know where I'll be Session 8! #cgmd12,
originally uploaded by TheArtGuy.

Reaching a High Score Presentation

You can also click this link to see the presentation.

Common Ground Maryland 2012 Twitter Digest Day 1

Because someone might want to look at this and before long going back through Twitter will make it too hard to see these posts, here's a (not so) brief summary of my observations. I've placed gaps to show where I went from one session to another.

1. 
   
   [caption id="" align="alignright" width="320" caption="My hat's seen better days."][/caption]
   
   Up early for a full day of #CGMD12 ... As soon as the caffiene kicks in.


2. @MatthewWinner Not today, no. I look forward to seeing you in my session tomorrow! (That means I'll have at least one person there.)


3. It begins! My presentation has remained largely unchanged for weeks, and I just thought of something new to add.


4. Not 10 minutes after getting here I was recognized twice and high-fived once. I <3 #cgmd12.


5. A little worried - apparently my #CGMD12 session is at the same time as tomorrow's keynotes. Might have a room to myself.
   
   -=-=-=-=-


6. In room 321, ready to see Doug Johnson present on using personal devices for education. I'm in the seat next to the outlet. :)


7. All of Doug Johnson's session notes are online at http://bit.ly/dsPPGg


8. Note to self, look for book called Disrupting Class.


9. @KatrinaStevens1 Your session was already on my short list. Hall is awesome but I've seen him before.


10. Talking about distractions in class - all of which are low tech.


11. "I don't think they're looking for entertainment as much as they are looking for engagement."


12. "You can't disregard the entertainment factor. ... Engagement can't JUST be entertainment."


13. "I don't have all the answers but I hope to leave you confused at a higher level."I am so glad I picked this session.


14. "If I could give my grandkids a gift, it would be to give them a life full of interesting problems."


15. Update: Disrupting Class is available on Google Play http://bit.ly/HVbfUr.(Post-Conference note: The Kindle version is cheaper.)


16. Don't forget to have your edtech conference bingo cards at the ready. http://bit.ly/HVc5k9


17. YES! Speaker is using all the arguments against personal devices to explain why pencils shouldn't be used in class.


18. Doug Johnson is in Rm 321 all day today. From everything I've seen so far everyone should see at least one of his sessions.


19. RE: Devices in school "It's easier to steer the camel in the direction it's already going."


20. When allowing personal devices, set clear rules and expectations - AUP


21. "You can use [it], but first explain [how it will help you learn more]."


22. MP3 player used to 1) Record instructor, 2) listen to language lessons 3) Tune out distractions when doing solo work. FOCUS


23. Essentially: it's not the tool, it's how the tool is used.


24. "[Personal devices] can be used to facilitate TRUE differentiated instruction."


25. Out of time! I'll have to catch up on #BYOD in another session.


26. Teaching to the test creates governed citizens, not governing citizens.
    
    -=-=-=-=-


27. 
    
    [caption id="" align="alignright" width="320" caption="I won a duck. I named it Frog."][/caption]
    
    At @msreneescience & @carmelitadd's session on mashups http://bit.ly/JiyC51


28. When making mashups, make sure you're allowed. (Creative Commons, etc.)


29. @msreneescience & @carmelitadd Don't forget http://openclipart.org and http://incompetech.com for mashup resources!


30. http://soundbible.com and http://archive.org are more awesome resources for mashups.


31. Audience is giving tons of resources. Awesome. (Also: http://Soundcloud.com)


32. http://www.dragontape.com for creating "mixtapes in minutes."


33. @willrich45 As tech changes required skills change too, so I'd say learning dispositions are more important.


34. Showing how to embed (YouTube) videos into other sites.


35. When embedding/linking YouTube vids, you can have them start at specific points by selecting minutes and seconds.


36. Request for next year: Print the schedule on cheaper paper. My pen won't write well on this stuff.


37. Wouldn't be a session on mashups without mentioning Glogster.
    
    -=-=-=-=-


38. @HallDavidson's Keynote Handouts: http://linkyy.com/HallDavidsonHandouts http://linkyy.com/MDLA
    
    -=-=-=-=-


39. In the session about @lessoncast


40. 50% of graduates of Teacher Prep programs leave the teaching field within 5 years. :(


41. Oh wow they have the Unhelpful High School Teacher Meme pic (unedited) http://bit.ly/rludHV in their presentation.


42. I have achieved buzzword bingo in this session.(The point was that buzzwords are overemphasized.)


43. Still discussing the problems in this session. I think we're ready to listen to solutions, now.


44. Aaand as soon as I sent that last one, they switched to talking abut a solution.


45. So @Lessoncast seems to have a nice interface for creating short videos, including space for your script.


46. "Just because you're not a good designer does not mean you're a bad teacher." ... but it helps.
    
    -=-=-=-=-


47. In @harryhanna's session on Twitter "Going to the Dogs!" Also, I'm using one of the only outlets in the room.


48. This session is apparently about @GUESStheDog. Should prove interesting.


49. I am very amused that the majority of people who say hi to me at #CGMD12 call me "The Art Guy" instead of "Aaron," including @runkles1.


50. Starting with "Twitter in Plain English" video. http://bit.ly/nQxDoG


51. Now moving into the "A lot of people use Twitter" phase of the presentation. East Coast Earthquake, Beyonce, SuperBowl


52. Gary's Social Media Counter: http://bit.ly/4tMhu0


53. Relevant to this Twitter discussion: http://bit.ly/J989KE


54. Elementary teachers follow @GUESStheDog, who in turn follows the teachers. Guess answers questions.


55. "Can the kids use their cell phones?" Their policy is "Yes.*" (So is ours.) (The * is important.)


56. "Txt tlk is ok" ... but only when using Twitter, not persuasive writing afterward.


57. Don't make a lot of teacher accounts from the same IP address at once, they'll think you're making spam accounts.


58. Parents encouraged to make Twitter accounts to follow teacher accounts. Teacher accounts are protected.


59. Preview EVERYTHING. (And use the Block button liberally.)


60. @harryhanna @mrh21727 http://TweetDeck.com has a web interface in addition to their app. Good way to bypass seeing trending topics.


61. Just saw @gwynethjones' tweets as they flipped between Twitter pages. She's a super star.


62. Going over Twitter vocabulary. Not sure I need to bother summarizing those here.


63. "Why did you use Explorer?" Oh I like @mrh21727.


64. Looked up how long I've been using Twitter. here's the video I made when I started in 2007: http://bit.ly/HW0KAl


65. More Twitter resources: http://bit.ly/HW11Dm
    
    -=-=-=-=-


66. Ready to see what MacGyver would do in regards to edtech. Rm 327


67. MacGyver preso is run by @scottkotarides, resources are on http://bit.ly/HWp57k


68. A lot of tool implementation is "Ready, Fire, Aim!"Yeah, I've seen that.


69. "Teachers do not get creative with technology." How many teachers make students make PowerPoint reports?


70. "You have to use what you have. ... Creativity can take you a long way."


71. I'm enjoying this presentation, but oh the horrid color choices for this slide. Needs more contrast!


72. "What if you could buy a few iPads (or insert device here) per year?" Might not be a class set, but it could work.
    
    -=-=-=-=-


73. Upstairs at the #CGMD12 Tweetup, wondering if everyone else is downstairs.


74. Home from #CGMD12 and the Tweetup. Lots of awesome people there, but parties (and bars, even nice ones) aren't my thing.

I won a duck #cgmd12

I won a duck #cgmd12,
originally uploaded by TheArtGuy.

 

@ #cgmd12

@ #cgmd12,
originally uploaded by TheArtGuy.

Front facing camera test

Front facing camera test,
originally uploaded by TheArtGuy.

Tablets

So I bought a tablet.  A 16 GB Toshiba Thrive, to be precise.

Some would find this purchase to be somewhat odd.  Indeed it is, somewhat.  Those who know me have heard my rants about needing a "real" keyboard.  My typing skills are not the best by any means but I seem to be able to do it faster and with fewer mistakes if I can get a tactile response that's more than the whole device vibrating.

It's why my last computer purchase was a tablet PC - and mind you, I don't regret that purchase.  That computer does almost everything I intended for it to do.  I enjoyed the challenge it gave me to install and configure Linux on a computer with a touch screen, and for times that I need to use Windows (they do occur) I have to say Win 7 is the nicest version of that OS that I've ever seen.

But here I am, now owning a tablet.  I use it for the following things:

Netflix

It has a 10.1" screen, which is large enough for anything I don't intend to use at more than an arm's length away.  To that end I'll often go through a Dirty Jobs (or other show) marathon while grading student work on my main computer.

Audible

I love Audible for many of the same reasons I love podcasts.  I spend a decent amount of time commuting, and good audio content keeps my mind active.  My mind also tends to wander when trying to read nonfiction, so it's a good way for me to digest that information if I have someone reading it to me.  The only downside is that since I refuse to pay for a 3G tablet I have to download the books before I head to the car, but that's not hard to do.

Schoolwork

The first school day after I purchased my tablet I decided to see if I could leave my main computer at home.  As it turns out SchoolMax (our content management system for grades, attendance, and other student records) works just fine with any Android browser, as does Edmodo.  Edmodo even has an app for that, which I recommend.  For an intense "grade everything and grade it all now" session I still prefer a more powerful computer, but for what I normally do it works quite well.

Reading

Google Books, the Kindle App, and more are available for most tablets.  My tablet weighs about the same as some books I've read and much less than others.  One of the biggest selling points I can see for schools switching to a 1:1 ratio is the replacement of dead tree textbooks with digital equivalents.  Are there more reasons? Of course!  But the biggest complaint I hear about moving to a 1:1 ratio is the cost.  Tablets are cheaper than most computers, and the more $50+ textbooks they replace, the better.

Beyond that, there are several apps that make browsing online content very convenient.  I particularly like Feedly, though there are others with the same functionality.  It has the ability to sink up with my Google Reader feeds and display them in an almost magazine style format that allows me to skim through content without the usual feeling of being overwhelmed.

Games

I fully admit it, I'm a gamer.  Puzzle games, adventure games, MMORPGs, I like most categories.  There are a wide variety of games available for whatever tablet OS you care to use.  My favorite, currently, is Robo Defense.  It's one of the few apps I have that wasn't free, and it was totally worth it.

Next up, I'll make a post about the things I don't like about tablets.

Hacked

No, I have not gone into the business of selling recreational pharmaceuticals.  One way or another, a malicious entity got access to both my MySQL database as well as FTP access to my server.  The links have been removed, the files restored, and (with luck), this will not happen again.

Should you encounter anything wonky or suspicious, please let me know by mailing theartguy [at] gmail.com.

(For the curious, I actually used this post by another victim to help fix my problem.)

Reaching A High Score Presentation

Last year I rewrote my curriculum to make it into a game, and doing so helped my students master the content.  This is my presentation on what I did, as given at this year's Powering Up With Technology Conference.

PUWT Conference

Presentation (Hosted on Google Docs)

Class page

Apologies for the poor audio quality, I was projecting (using my "teacher voice") to the participants and that tended to overwhelm my mic every time I was next to the computer.

Paper Laptop

Due to reasons beyond my control, I won't be anywhere near the internet for most of this Thursday.  In fact, I won't even be in the same state.

Naturally, the first thing I thought of was the first grade kids I had been planning to teach!

Now, most of them are able to log in on their own, but most is not the same thing as all. I could have them do an online lesson, but instead I pulled out a project I had my students do a few years ago back when I didn't have a computer lab to call my own.

With some construction paper, a little glue, and some markers/crayons/colored pencils, we'll be making our own laptops.  The point of the lesson will be to talk about how computers are used to communicate with others online.  The end result will be a neat toy laptop to call their own.

You can do the lesson too, if you want.  The printable keyboard template (2/page) is below.

5 Rules* For Working the Social Net

*In this case, these "rules" are not unlike the "Pirate Code" from a popular movie series.  They're guidelines, meant to be followed when it's convenient for you.  For the most part, they've been convenient for me.

With the advent of Google+ there are a lot of people thinking (and not thinking) about how to properly use a social network.  The typical behavior when a new network is discovered is to dive in headfirst and find every person you've ever known that's currently using the service.

This is completely normal.  It's akin to showing up at your class reunion and scanning the room for familiar faces.  You don't want to be the awkward person that's all by yourself, after all.

What's not such a good idea is what brings me to my first rule:

1. Don't follow everyone!

While the top image is relevant to this rule, the bottom one is even more telling.  Mr. Dembo's a very smart person with a lot of Web 2.0 savvy and a job that centers around community building.  He could theoretically surf social networks in his office and honestly say that's part of his job description. If he says something is too much, it's too much.

If you want a social network to be social and not just a noise machine, there is a definite limit to how many people you can follow and still have a conversation.  On Twitter (the social network I've spent the most time on, historically), my personal limit is somewhere between 50-100 people depending on how active they are and how much time I have to read posts.  Your own mileage may vary, but when I see someone following over 100 people I begin to seriously doubt that they could be following any of the conversations.

Of course you can still use your network as a megaphone to broadcast things, but that just requires more people to follow you - not the other way around.

2. Have more followers than you follow!

Minecraft creator Notch is doing things right, at least by my standards.  The mystery person... not so much.

A good social network is an asynchronous one.  With the exception of a newly created account, you should always have more people interested in what you have to say vs. the other way around.  Following a grossly disproportionate number more than you have following you - particularly when it's over 100% or 100 followers more - makes it seem like you're playing the numbers game.

What's the numbers game?  That's when you've decided to treat your social network like a game and your follower count like a high score.  A "cheap" way to get that number up is to break Rule # 1 and follow everyone you can.  A percentage of those will follow you back out of gratitude.  You then unfollow everyone and repeat the process until you're happy with how many people are following you.

(Except they're not really following you, because if they follow everyone who follows them then they will quickly have all meaningful conversation drowned out by noise and spam.)

If you see someone like the censored picture above, chances are they've no interest in what you have to say.  Following them is a waste of your time and a reinforcement of their negative behavior.  I tend to block people like that.

3. Block people!

The above account was also following 18,514 people at the time I took the screenshot.  It started following me while I was writing this post, and I blocked it before I took that screenshot.

There seem to be a lot of people who feel the "block" feature on a social network is meant for accounts that are vile, profane, or promote illegal activities.

It is.

It's also useful for helping to police social networks.  Any network that's reached a "critical mass" of users is far too large to be adequately regulated by that network's paid staff.  They have to crowd-source that responsibility to their user base.

There's a reason why Twitter has a "Report Spam" option.  It acts the same as the "Block" option, except that if enough people report that account the staff will look into it to see if it should be shut down.

Don't be content to allow spammers to follow you.  Report/block them, and you'll end up helping to make that social network a better place - one click at a time.

4. Follow interesting people!

(Which of these two accounts do you think might be more interesting?  I know which one I'd pick.)

OK, enough about not following - let's talk about who to follow - me!

Just kidding.

Who you follow is totally subjective and depends on only one person: you.  Life is too short for you to spend all your time scrolling past posts that don't hold your attention.  Every person you follow should be interesting to you.  Frequent posts about mundane activities (I'm going to bed! I'm getting  sandwich! I'm studying!) might be interesting to you if you are particularly close to that person, but if you're not, they're noise.

Follow people who frequently post things that make you sit up and take notice.

5. Post things that are interesting to you.

Yes, I finally caved in and posted a screencap of my own posts.  Relevant, I guess....

Chances are that if you want to actively participate in a social network, you want to find people who have interests similar to your own.  If you post things that you think are interesting, the (non-spammer) people who follow you will most likely be interested in the same things.  It'll take a while for the network to build up, but it will build up.

And you won't have to agonize over what to post next or whether or not something will make you lose followers, because they're already following you for being you.

Hopefully, being you comes naturally.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

I don't assume that all these rules apply to everyone.  They're my rules that I'm trying to follow myself.  That said, I've found them to be very helpful to me.

If you're testing the waters of social networking - or you feel like you're drowning in the deep end - perhaps some of these might work for you as well.

(And should you decide I'm interesting, perhaps you might want to follow me on Twitter or Google+.  Only if you want to, of course.)

What I intend to do this Summer*

• Take more photos.


• Clean my apartment more thoroughly than ever before.  (Vampires shouldn't sparkle, but that kitchen counter WILL, so help me...)


• Write that children's book that's been in my head for 4 years.


• Write that other book that's been in my head for 2 years.


• Get a working draft of that board game design I've been toying with.


• Make more shirts.


• Lose more weight.


• Make fewer lists of things I intend to do.

*Assuming I don't get sidetracked by 50 million other things like I always do.

Academic Aesthetic 177: 404 VOICE NOT FOUND

Download .mp3

This episode of Academic Aesthetic is brought to you by antibiotics and  cough drops.  You see, early last week a combination of lots of talking (occupational hazard of teaching), and post nasal drip caused by a sinus infection made me lose my voice.  It's better now, but can only talk so long before my agonized squeaks become a source of amusement for all around me.

So submitted for your approval is an interview of me done by Dr. Kavita Mittapalli, someone whose name I most likely just mispronounced horribly so I won't try to say it again.

The good Doctor visited one of my 1st grade classes last week, before the whole AWOL voice incident, and recorded a conversation with me afterwards.  I rambled on, and then made the bad decision of requesting a copy of the interview.

And I still haven't learned, as I'm now making another bad decision and playing it for you.  Enjoy.