Last weekend I went to an excellent tech conference at the International School Bangkok. Even better, my peeps from SAS were there! It was fantastic to spend time with them, but I wish it could have been longer. Here are some pix of me and my peeps.
Showing posts with label technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label technology. Show all posts
Hanging With my Peeps!
Is Technology Rewiring my Brain?
I used to be able to watch a movie without falling asleep. Not anymore! Just sitting and watching a movie or TV zonks me out within 15 minutes. In fact, I'm blogging right now while watching Eagle Eye. I decided to watch it in the afternoon to hopefully make it through the movie. I thought I could do it. I wasn't tired when the movie started, but about 10 minutes in, I started nodding off. Brenna knows the solution - give me a laptop so I'm doing something interactive. It works every time. Right now I'm surfing the net, chatting with my sister in California on Facebook and writing this post while watching the end of the movie. Mission accomplished!
So why is this happening? I have a difficult time focusing on one task. I'd much rather multitask. It kind of bothers me that I need more stimulus in order to focus. It doesn't make sense, but it's my reality. I don't remember being like this when I was younger, but maybe I was. My husband is less of a techie and he prefers to focus on one thing at a time. He has a difficult time reading with the TV on or any other distractions. Is there a relationship between being a techie and having to multitask?
I've read a little about digital natives and how kids' brains are different now because of technology. I'm 42. Has technology rewired my brain? Is this a good thing? Today I was talking to Amanda DeCardy and she has the same experience. She needs more stimulus to focus on one thing, otherwise her brain wanders. I feel your pain, sister! However, we can both read and get totally absorbed. Why? We think it's because when you read, you get immersed in the characters, you are taken to another location and you're also creating a movie of the book in your mind. Reading is more interactive for us. Recently I've wanted to do a little experiment. I'd like to test how much I grasp in a meeting where I can't multitask. No doodling or messing around on a laptop. Then test how much I grasp when I can multitask. I feel like I remember more when I have more going on, but how do I know what I'm missing?!? Does anyone else have similar experiences? A couple years ago I jokingly started calling it Adult Onset ADHD, but maybe it's more that. Maybe technology is changing how I process. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Maybe it's neither. Maybe it just is what it is.
Griffin Evolve Speakers are Revolutionary!
My iPod speakers rock! If you haven't seen the Griffin Evolve speakers, check them out. No, the cube speakers don't float in the air, like you see in the picture! You put your iPod in the dock and then you can pick up and move the speakers around the room - they're wireless! It says you can have them 150 feel away. The speakers have an internal battery that charge while they're on the base.
I put them to the ultimate test on Saturday night. My friend had a girls' night party which ended with crazy dancing. Her apartment isn't huge, but my 2 speakers rocked the house! I had them at about 3/4 volume, which was plenty loud and the quality of the sound was crisp.
I had one speaker on top of the cabinet directly above the dock, about 6 feet high. The other was on a low table that was maybe 2 feet high. I worried that the speaker on the low table would cut out because there were a lot of people between it and the base. When I placed the speaker it cut out a couple times for a second or two. During the dance bonanza I went over to the speaker to check on it and it was always playing. If it did cut out, I didn't know about it and I don't think anyone noticed. My theory is that if it does cut out, it only happens for a very brief time and then finds a signal. In any case, they worked great.
If you're in the market for iPod speakers, give the Griffin Evolve a listen. We got ours at Target in the US this summer. The sound, convenience and size make it a fantastic buy.
Flipping Over Flips!
Big news! Flip has now come out with the Flip MinoHD! Woo-hoo! It weighs 3.3 ounces and holds 60 minutes of HD video on the internal hard drive. The original Flip is about the size of a cell phone and this once is thinner and lighter. Nice!
If you work in a school that doesn't have any Flip video cameras, beg, borrow (but don't steal!) to get one. Creating videos used to require a higher level of hardware, software and tech skills. Sure you might be able to check out a video camera from the library, but does your computer have a firewire port? Do you know how to capture the video? Flip video cameras take the hassle out of all that, so you can focus on the real reason you're using it in the first place - to use video as a learning tool.
I was talking with Brenna's 5th grade teacher, Scott Hossack. They were doing a reader's workshop and the class was divided into 3 groups. He worked with one group and the other groups used Flips to record their sessions. He is going to watch the tapes and can then meet with those groups and give feedback. What a great use of technology! He was able to focus on the group he was working with, knowing that he wasn't missing the other sessions.
Flips are so easy, it's crazy. I've shown even the most techphobic teachers how to use these babies and he intimidation factor is practically at zero. Power on - press record - zoom in or out - press record to stop. That's easy, but really getting the video onto the computer is generally where it all falls apart. That's where the Flip shines. A cool little USB plug flips out the side and you just plug it in your computer and drag the file to your computer. Done.
How Do They Compare?
Quality
I recorded the 4th adn 5th grade production of Romeo & Juliet on a Flip and on a Sony Handycam (traditional miniDV digital video camera). I thought the quality of the Flip video would pale in comparison, but it was the same. I couldn't tell which video came f
rom which camera.
Speed
I dumped the 40 minute production of R&J on my computer in about 3 minutes with the Flip camera. I dumped the 40 minute production of R&J on my computer in at least 40 minutes with the Sony Handycam. Yes, it captures at real time. Also, I accidentally forgot to uncheck a box and the video was broken into 3 minute segments. Not what I wanted.
Zoom
You do sacrifice on zoom, though. The Flip only goes 3x optical, where traditional cameras go higher. I'm not sure how much they'll be able to improve in that area because you need a large lens to have a better optical zoom.
Size
3.3 ounces? Size of a small cell phone? Hello! You could pop this in your pocket and take it with you everywhere. Also, I recommend spending another 22 bucks on a Gorillapod tripod. You can put it on a table top or bend it around a street sign or, apparently, a surf board!
I hope Santa puts one of these under the tree for my family this year!
Sexy Technology
Adobe Creative Suite 4 is out and I'm dying to check it out, but I can't afford it. I just signed up to be notified of when the trial versions are out. I'm sure it'll take me forever to download the trials with my slow Chinese Internet. Oh well. It's worth the wait.
Tweet me!
I recently got a Twitter account. Then, of course, I had to install Thwirl so I could get tweets all day long. I've entered the world of twittering, twirling, tweets. My mother would be so proud! She'd be totally confused, but proud nonetheless!
I started following people with similar interests - mostly librarians and tech people. I follow colleagues and friends, too. I love getting tweets from my peeps! People started following me. Most I know, some I don't. Twitter makes it really easy to network, in an almost creepy kind of way!
My tweets pop up with a gentle "bing" sound, alerting me that someone has something really important to say. Something they have to share with all their followers. If they've written it and sent it out, it must be worth my time. "Just had a cup of coffee. Needed the jolt." Hmmm. Not what I expected.
Hence, I have a love-hate relationship with Twitter. I have to sift through a lot of useless messages to get a golden tweet that actually has good information. But they're there, if you're willing to sift through a little digital chit-chat.
I joined Diigo because of tweets. I watched a video about school reform and checked out a virtual library when people I followed sent informative tweets. Twitter was invaluable during the Learning 2.0 conference. When someone would create an "unconference", they would send a quick message with the details. "Librarians unconference at 11:30. Meet in front of the MS building." Twitter is the perfect tool for this situation. Excellent use of technology.
The golden tweets keep me coming back for more. I guess I'll keep sifting out the coffee talk!
Single Mom and Cell Phones
Well, Mike went to Chengdu on a school "China Alive" trip. He'll be home on Friday evening. So I'm a single mom for the week. Not as fun as it sounds! The morning dance of getting everyone ready for school is different without a dance partner. But modern technology keeps everyone in touch. I texted him this morning to grumble when the school bus didn't show up and he texted me before he went for a spicy dinner. I'm sure he'll text "good nights" and "I love you's" to me and the kids before the day is done. How nice to be able to stay connected so quickly and easily while we're far apart. :o)
