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cloud cartoon

I often feel like I have to choose between an ultra-rigid Course Mgmt System or "The Cloud" (which often has age limits). This cartoon is about the reality of that. Read More...
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2010 01 10

John Spencer

2 Comments

congratulations, it's a blog!

I'm a big fan of NPR and their project "This I Believe." So, I thought I would explain a blog with a few belief statements: I believe that fiction can be as true as fact and that satire can be as honest as a critical analysis. Thus, I go back to A Brave Read More...
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2010 01 5

John Spencer

8 Comments

the attention span myth

A well-intentioned teacher (whom I respect greatly) comments at a training, "We have fifteen seconds. In a digital culture, that's all you get. They are the point and click video game generation." I've heard this before. It's the idea that the medium Read More...
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2009 08 4

John Spencer

4 Comments

Monday Metaphor: Mental iPods and Marriage

While running my marathon yesterday, I noticed only a small handful of runners without plugs in their ears. Surrounded by the beauty of the Superstitution Mountains, they chose to fill their ears with a pre-programmed stream of personalized songs. Instead Read More...
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2009 02 16

John Spencer

0 Comments

thursday thoughts: typing and texting

Someone from Big Brother pulled me aside today to inform me that computers in a classroom can be a bad idea. "How often do they type their work?" she asked. I explained that, aside from a weekly handwritten assignment, they type everything they write. Read More...
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2009 02 12

John Spencer

0 Comments

Techno-Tuesday: Do you use Ning?

I've heard teachers use other names for Ning, because "social network" can have some negative connotations. People imagine creepy pedophiles looking for kids on Myspace. Or they imagine a group of conspiracy theorists leaving comments about Obama being Read More...
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2009 01 27

John Spencer

6 Comments

Survey Saturday: Web 2.0

This Week's Question: Which web 2.0 tools are most useful for education? Web 2.0 tools have been all the rage lately. Some of them make sense to me in an educational context (blogs, wikis, shared documents) while others seem less realistic in many elementary Read More...
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2009 01 3

John Spencer

5 Comments

Philosophical Friday: The Ever-Changing Online Identity

I'm standing in front of the mirror with a glob of gel in my hand. As I begin to spike my hair, I don't ask, "How will I look at this party?" Instead, I wonder, "Is it time for a new profile picture? I look pretty good today. I like this color of blue. Read More...
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2008 12 26

John Spencer

0 Comments

Techno-Tuesday: No More Keyboards?

According to an article I read this morning in Yahoo (yes, there are still those of us who use Yahoo on occasion), keyboards will be a thing of the future. Instead, small handheld devices will replace the need for traditional keyboarding skills. In addition, Read More...
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2008 12 16

John Spencer

0 Comments

The Hundred Dollar Computer Lab

In switching schools next year, I want to continue to go the tech-integrated route. At first, glance, however, the idea of creating a computer lab seems insane. However, the reality is that I will probably have a full class set of computers wherever I Read More...
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2008 12 12

John Spencer

17 Comments

Wiki Wednesday: Communication Tools

Yesterday, I talked with my friend Brad the Philosopher via Skype. To a large degree, it felt like he was at the table with us, drinking Starbucks and hanging out. The delay was minimal and the picture quality was crystal clear. Yet, it was all an illusion; Read More...
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2008 12 10

John Spencer

0 Comments

Techno-Tuesday: What is technology literacy?

by John Spencer I would never suggest that a student is literate based upon his or her ability to decode text. A literate person can read multiple formats, analyze text, question the author's purpose and synthesize multiple works. Okay, so that description Read More...
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2008 12 2

John Spencer

0 Comments

Wiki Wednesday: Integrating Spreadsheets

by John Spencer The first time I used the word "spreadsheet" in class, a group of girls giggled. When I asked what they were referring to, one girl confessed. "It sounds wrong. Like, 'Hey, I'm going to spreadsheet about you, even if it's not true.' You Read More...
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2008 11 26

John Spencer

0 Comments

why the district is nearly always ineffective

I don't believe in the notion that the district is run by a bunch of pricks. I don't think that they are part of a vast conspiracy to make sure that we fail. I don't even believe in the lie that they are cruel, heartless vindictive people. However, I Read More...
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2008 04 14

John Spencer

2 Comments

thoughts on problem-based learning

For the last two weeks, students in my class have explored multiple facets of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict. They have analyzed sources for bias, posed intelligent questions, created metaphors for the conflict and developed solutions. I admit that Read More...
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2008 04 4

John Spencer

6 Comments

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