Technology Teacher Leader Blog

One of my many duties as an instructional technology teacher is a position titled Technology Teacher Leader (TTL). Going to PETE&C and seeing the many ideas and best practices made me take a look at my title of TTL. As Technology Teacher Leader, at this point, I pretty much troubleshoot computer problems, help with professional developments, assist with the technology we have in the school and install new equipment we receive. Am I leading teachers in the use of technology in my school? No. I am too caught up making sure the technology is up and running, and I have had issues with teachers not using the technology once it's working.

After this realization, I have decide to take a step back and change my priorities to my teachers and helping them become comfortable with the technology in their classroom. If I give them the tools to be comfortable with the computers, then my job will become less about computer problems and more about computer integration in every day learning.

My Plan

• Provide professional developments before/after school on multiple topics
• Use my TTL periods to visit teachers that want to integrate technology into the classroom
• Share Professional Developments with other TTL's...collaborate!
• Find a way to get a technician in house for at least one day a week.
• Split technician cost with 4 others schools
• Write grant for technician

I am trying to do my part to change the world, and I need to start with my own teachers and collaborating with others in my position. Together we can get the word out and share resources. We have all this knowledge: lets share it and change education!

May be the end, but its just the beginning!

This has been a year of awakening for me, one in which I will look at fondly. Looking back I am not quite sure where the year went. This year I was accepted as a Keystone Technology Integrator, went to the Keystone summit, received my masters in Instructional Technology, started a professional blog, started Morpheus' wiki and blog, joined a great educational network (Thank you Twitter!), and began to create a professional identity.

Now the work begins, I have started all these things, but how do I maintain and keep up with everything else going on in my world? I have mentioned this before, and for starters, Google calendar look out! I am going to plan out my weeks and days, so I can be more efficient. One of the key things is feeling good about myself, I feel as if sometimes I am in over my head, so I need to build my confidence and empower myself to feel as if I can do anything I put my mind to!

Goals for this year:
1. Read more! Stay on top of RSS feeds and some old fashioned books. I caught myself reading online and not siting down with a good book.
2. Blog more! I need to set a schedule to blog and create some podcasts! I actually would like to podcast my blogs at some point.
3. Puxatany Bill/Phil? A new stuffed animal to go abroad...stay tuned!

Most importantly as the 2007 year ends and 2008 begins, I wanted to thank everyone who has inspired me this year, and helped me grow. Without the "Network"; professional, personal or family, none of what any of us does would be possible. I have learned to not let the "tech" part of my life overrun and overwhelm. Family and friends matter most and I'm thankful for the time spent with everyone this year and every year.

Have a great 2008!

Wii Remote - Simply Amazing

Through twitter the link below was passed on and I found it to be amazing. Not much I need to say the links say it all, I will be trying this with my students and I will report back once we attempt to make the interactive board!

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/projects/wii/

http://blog.loaz.com/timwang/index.php/2007/12/11/multi_touch_whiteboard_under_100_dollars

Cutting the Fat!

I feel like in the last three weeks I have fallen off the social network cliff. I have not been on twitter as much and just feel overwhelmed with everything I am doing. I feel as if I am spread too thin, and I don't know where to start or how to maintain all the sites I have created in the last 3-4 months. So I have decided to cut the Fat! I am getting rid of my myspace page and some other pages that I just don't have time for. I want to concentrate on a few sites that I can stay on top of, including this blog and do well on them. This still leaves me with a lot of sites to keep track of, but I need to prioritize and not get so hung up on all the new sites. I have split my sites up into three categories, (1) Personal: Sites I maintain with little outside help, (2) Collaborative: Sites I have created that others help with or ones I help with, (3) Student Centered: where students are the primary users and contributors of the site and I just tweak a little here or there. I listed the sites I have and still want to keep maintaining on google docs. The question is do you include sites like operator11, ustream, podomatic or just use them as tools to help maintain these sites. I have to make sure I understand tools, and use them to make these sites the best they can be. Thanks fir listening to my rant, I look for a renewed Brandon Lutz, who is getting back to the basics and cutting that Fat!

The Sites I am staying with!

Brandon

Morpheus TV

Paper Thin TV's...What's Next?

I had a conversation with my Professor about the idea of a computer being on a piece of plastic paper. So I did some research and found a technology called OLEDs (organic light-emitting diodes). This technology is quite expensive but Sony and Kodak are already using it in digital cameras. The TV companies already have prototypes for very thin TVs and cell phones. Can you imagine a 1/4 inch thick 80in TV, it would be a lot easier to move around and steal.

My question, is how can this change education? What if students were given a small 8x10 OLED that they could view their textbooks and Internet via a wireless network? Think of all the money that is spent on textbooks and paper in any given school, this could revolutionize education! When ever I talk about students using online text books, I always get resistance stating its hard to read on a computer screen. Students read online (digital natives) all the time, maybe its the adults (digital immigrants) that have the problems with it. When I think about it, I do most of my reading online, I would love to have a sheet 1/4in thick with me to read different blogs and surf the web. Oh, the possibilities!

Check out OLED link to see about the technology.

Sources:
Freudenrich, Ph.d., Craig. "How OLEDs Work." How Stuff Works. 21 Sept. 2007 .

Morpheus is off!!!!!!

I am so excited about the fact that the furry little guy is on his way to another school! It's weird, all the power of his success is now out of my hands and in the hands of all the great teachers that have signed up. I did not get to do as much as I expected with him. My students pretty much met him and now he is off. I found that the beginning of the school year was a tough time to introduce him, but you live and learn, below is a picture of me with Morpheus before he left us.

So what's next? It will be interesting to see the ideas that everyone comes up with to utilize Morpheus in classrooms and schools. I can't wait to see all the content that will be created on the wiki and the blog posts. I am hoping that Morpheus will be used to integrate technology and children will come to understand Web 2.0 and its various uses through Morpheus' visits. In addition I am hopeful Morpheus will be able to travel abroad. I have a contact in Africa and I know Morpheus would love to visit. Keep checking Morpheus' site to see where he is going. I would also like to set up some Skype video conferences between myself and Morpheus' host school to keep tabs on him.

On another note, I looked at all my comments and I wanted to say thank you to everyone that gave me your insight. The key thing I have come to realize is that I need to do what I do and not worry about trying to compete with everyone else out there creating and doing great things. I just need to embrace their ideas and take all your insights to shape my journey through all the great technologies! My niche will come. Morpheus may be my mark on the world for now and I can handle that!

E-mail: morpheus.fortuna@gmail.com
Wiki: http://morpheusfortuna.wikispaces.com/
Blog: http://followmorpheusfortuna.blogspot.com/
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/10955037@N08