Archive for October, 2007
I, as many techies/teachers/geeks/etc. in South Carolina, made the trek to Myrtle Beach to attend SC EdTech 2oo7. I presented two sessions on Thursday: iPodabilities in the classroom and 50 ways and Beyond: Using streamlineSC and Digital Media in the classroom. I was blown away by my session attendance. It was truly amazing. People spilling out of the Ballroom.
Although I wasn’t able to attend due to conference scheduling, my friend, Chris Craft had great sessions as well.
The thing is though… there were a lot of repeat sessions from last year (or at least that is the impression I got). Sessions were clumped together. For example, I wanted to two sessions on Web 2.0. Well BOTH of the sessions were scheduled at the same time as one of my sessions. It was the case with multiple sessions I was interested in.
Daneen Frazier Bowen opened the conference and it was good although it was the same presentation I saw at NECC a few years ago. Still has impact … She can bring to life the things we try to tell teachers daily about how to reach the Saran Wrap Kids (the ones you see right through).
Then there was the SC DEN event… lots of fun and hard work. I was a little disappointed about the turn out but we all had a great time.
As always the best part of conferences for me is the chatter in the halls. It was great to talk with Chris Craft, Julia Davis, Cathy Nelson, the guys from Greenville and others. Sharing ideas and attending other conferences via ustream.TV. BTW, Chris … you never know who is watching. 
The shape of learning has changed… and continues to change… how do we adapt the changes to our classrooms?
My overall opinion of the conference… I wasn’t thrilled. I wasn’t disappointed. The people made it worth while.
Technorati Tags: Chris Craft, Julia Davis, Cathy Nelson, Daneen Frazier Bowen, SC ed Tech, SC DEN, ustrem.tv, ipods in the classroom, streamlinesc
October 29th, 2007
I was reading iLearn Technology’s blog and he was talking about Seenly. This is a great site where you can take a picture of yourself with a web cam, a photo booth of sorts. What a cool little tool. You can use this to instantly take snapshots in the classroom of students (who are allowed to be photographed and published). It has basic effects like sepia, negative, and black and white.
How can this be used? Students are creating a character sketch of a wild west character in social studies. They have the props and a web cam but no digital camera. A few key strokes and they are on Seenly. A click of the mouse and they have the shot they needed to put to the face of their western character to go on the wiki/blog/class web page/etc.
Not a bad thing…
Technorati Tags: iLearn Technology, Seenly, integration, photography, web 2.0
October 29th, 2007
I just wanted to welcome you to my new blog… Yes, I managed to get the old posts over here but what do you think? Do you like it? Let me know you stopped by on the comment section!
Thanks!
MaryAnn
October 29th, 2007
I have to say I am thrilled to announce my grandfather, James H. Sansonetti Sr., turned 100 years old this past Saturday. WOW! is all I keep saying. The great part is he is still very with us. A little slow on the walker and at times not as quick with his wit BUT everything else is working properly. I am SO fortunate to have him here.When I think about him being on this earth for 100 years thus far … I think about all the things he has seen and done in his life. When he was born Roosevelt was in office, that’s TEDDY Roosevelt. Too young to serve, he did his part as an American citizen knitting mittens and gloves for the U.S. Soldiers in World War I. Being the first born male and second child, when he graduated high school his father told him it was time for him to take care of the family. So the family moved from outside of Pittsburgh to the city so he could attend Carnegie Mellon Univeristy night classes (at the time it was just Carnegie). Going to school at night and working during the day to take car of his family; his parents and 7 brothers and sisters. He just graduated college when the Great Depression hit.By the mid 1930’s he found love and married Mary Ann Ruskov (Yes, I am her name-sake). They lived and worked hard raising a family which has grown to four living generations. I could go on and on about what he has been through.
His stories are amazing… My favorite is when he “bought” the components for his first radio. He was a teenager so this is around 1920. His friend talked him in to making a radio. My grandfather saved his money from the shoe shining stand he had at his father’s cobbler shop. He bought copper wire, galena crystal, and a few other moveable parts. He wrapped the wire around a Quaker Oats oatmeal container and connected with the crystal and a slide to make a radio. To his suprise it worked… and KDKA Radio was coming in loud and clear. He put the make shift earphones in to a large bowl to amplify the sound so his entire family could hear.
Think about what he has seen…
He has a remote control for his HEARING AIDS!
Think about what he has seen…
Today he carries his cell phone around his neck in case of emergency.
Think of what he has seen…
He posed for pictures being taken by a digital camera. I uploaded those pictures to the internet to be viewed by anyone instantly.
Think of what he has seen…
He is driven around by my aunt and uncle in an electric car.
What a century to be alive? If he has seen all of this… what will we see?
Technorati Tags: 100 years, granfather, sansonetti
October 22nd, 2007
Some times I think there is so much technology coming at us how can we keep up? This weekend I started using the vessel that will help keep me afloat. Twitter is amazing! As I read blogs and listen to discussions about Twitter from the guru’s of technology integration like Vickie Davis, Steve Dembo, David Jakes, David Warlick, Will Richardson, and etc. I think how could these “tweets” be of any use. Do I really care that someone is in the airport?
Well, this weekend I found out it was so much more…. I signed up and started following the “tweets” of those whose blogs I read. The conversations that began occurring were exactly what I have been looking for… how to integrate this or what conference to attend or just a hello to say I am here.
Earlier this week I listened/watched David Warlick’s Keynote for the K12online Conference and his words finally sunk in… the boundaries are gone… our learning and world truly are limitless.
I have so much to share with my teachers… will they have time to listen?
My name is MaryAnn Sansonetti and I am a Twitter-aholic. Join me to continue the conversation! http://twitter.com/techforschool
Technorati Tags: web 2.0, twitter, Steve Dembo, Vickie Davis, Will Richardson, David Warlick, David Jakes, k12online Conference
October 15th, 2007
I have been thinking about this statement long and hard for the past week. Last Tuesday, I held my weekly recertification class but this particular week we held it online through Breeze. I thought the teachers would absolutely LOVE this… being able to have class in the comfort of their own home, not having to stay at work until 7:30 pm. Well, what ended up happening is 1/2 of the class met at our usual classroom. I think there was the fear of not being able to get the technology to work if they were at home or not with someone else. It took forever to get the class focused. The lack of face to face basically left them “on their own.”
I thought this would be an amazing venue to introduce the K12Online Conference. What an idea to be able to get PD when and where you want it. I felt if I was in the same room with the teachers, I would have been beheaded. How dare I talk about going to a conference without taking a trip! I wanted to show the access teachers would have to information that is not necessarily available to us even with a conference. I would never say replace all conferences with online non-face to face learning but what an opportunity the K12 Online Conference is for ALL of us! Most in the class were not ready to listen to what was being offered. How do we make educators listen, see, and experience the revolution of technology in our classrooms????
The biggest grumble of the night that grates on my nerves is “We don’t have time to do something like this” meaning attend an online conference. BUT we have time to take 3 professional days, get a sub, create sub lessons, travel to the destination, go to sessions, and return home to a stack of referrals to reteach what you left for the sub? I am just ranting at the moment…Now back to what I am really here reflecting about.
I keep thinking it was a total disaster… but was it?
What went wrong?
1. The people who met in the room together were distracted by one another.
2. I gave too many priviledges too soon. I thought they could handle it and would follow instruction.
3. Some grown adults kept using their mics as a way to make noises as if they were the ago fo the children they teach.
4. It took me an hour to get the rules established which left some people to believe they did not have “roles” or “rules” for the session.
What went right?
1. The teachers when finally on track had an amazing conversation about the shift in education/learning.
2. A couple teachers who did go home and log in let me know how they really enjoyed learning in this manner. Freedom of being home helped with overall state of their being for the class.
3. The teachers were exposed to a type of learning they had not experienced.
I really felt defeated after this class was over… I wondered if I was doing the wrong thing exposing teachers to this type of learning. That is exactly why I waited to write about it… ahhh, the power of reflection. I did learn some things and they were not all about the participants in the class…
What did I learn?
1. Its important to expose educators to the unknown.
This is extremely important. If they don’t know what is out there and available … how will they grow.
2. Set priviledges on sychronous learning as they are earned… not all at once.
3. Allow “play time” for the teachers.
4. If at first I don’t succeed … try, try again!
5. Its my job to show and guide the teachers through new technologies that are out there… I am here to help lower the fear. If the session did not go as perfect as I planned maybe that is ok.
6. Fear with technology is a huge factor when I work with teachers and I need to remember that.
So yes, I am going to try it again in November. I will be a little more prepared and I will hopefully have the teachers more prepared. I can’t give up on them… our students are depending on us… what are your thoughts?
October 14th, 2007
As always the best part of conferences for me is the chatter in the halls. It was great to talk with Chris Craft, Julia Davis, Cathy Nelson, the guys from Greenville and others. Sharing ideas and attending other conferences via ustream.TV. BTW, Chris … you never know who is watching. 
