The Introvert and the Social Network

Working in the (aptly named) information age has changed a lot of the ways we do things. Instead of an event being remembered and talked about for years and years, the events are quickly overshadowed by other events and fade into the background in a matter of weeks. For instance, the earthquake in Haiti which devastated the country and killed thousands of people is now being overshadowed and forgotten by the disastrous earthquake and tsunami in Japan. This fast paced loss of information as new information is put in place tends to remind me of my stance on the nearly limitless information bombarding us, and how we need to step back and think for a moment.

On the other hand, I too have been part of social networks, mainly message boards, for years. I started using them at 18 when I started playing the Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game Final Fantasy XI. I found a website where members of the community interacted, asked questions, bragged, and supported each other through message boards. These message boards encouraged me to keep playing the game in down times, and let me support others when they needed it as well. It is also how I ended up meeting my wife! So yes, message boards and social media have been a major part of my life for years.

Much like the MMO FFXI, teaching has a message board where people can come together, get advice, give advice, get support, give support, and generally chat about the things important to them and their career. This website teachers.net has been a saving grace to me while going through the wonderful time of getting interviews for teaching positions, and prior when student teaching had me at my lowest. It is there that good advice about student teaching, lessons, and some humor helped to push me through my time.

I still post there, though not every day, as the identity sponeil. There I have found excellent web resources, most of which have been posted elsewhere on this blog, and it is where I’ve gotten some idea of the kinds of people I’ll be working with. For instance this link: (Beginning Teacher Advice) has helped me overcome some of my own anxiety about what happens in my classroom. It is here that some good advice comes through, and while it is directed at another teacher, I can still gleam wisdom from the errors of others.

The other social outlets: Blogging, Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, etc. don’t appeal to me very much. I am an introvert, and according to the personality test taken in high school prior to joining the military, I’m an off the scale introvert. I can’t stand being around large groups of people for long periods of time, as I find it very draining. I find teaching very draining, and being around a class of 40+ students sometimes makes me claustrophobic. However, I have learned to adapt and overcome, as the rewards of seeing a student jump out of their chair in excitement of discovering something amazing makes all the draining, all the pain, and all the fear I have to fight daily worth it. (Yes, this actually happened when I showed a BC Calculus student how to draw and see a 4 dimensional cube. It is still the highlight of my teaching career.)

Thus my personality, and method of “recharging” makes the social networking area of the internet nearly off limits to me. I know that such activities as Facebook and Twitter are helpful, and I’m sometimes tempted to join in, but if I did, I know that I would reach burnout much faster than if I “let sleeping dragons lie,” and stayed away from them.

Even so I encourage all of those who are not as introverted as my wife and I are to participate, and embrace the social networks. Having moved 29 times in as many years, with move number 30 in a couple of months to Tennessee or Texas, or Florida, or Idaho, or Washington(state), or any of the hundred places I’ve applied to, I know the value of keeping in touch with friends. I miss my friends from my time in the service, my time in FFXI, my time in all the places I’ve been and all the people I’ve met. Having moved so often, I normally would have no way of saying hi to Hack, or Doc Brown again, but with Facebook, it is easy for me to reunite with them, if only for a short time, and only when I’m rested enough to be able to handle the stress of working with others.

Social networking: An example of what is great for some people, isn’t so good for others.

More on Mobility in the Classroom: Experiences and Common Problems

Individualized Education Project:

Working with Mobility in the Classroom

Previously, I developed a method that allowed me to use two computers, one tablet PC, and one anything, that would allow me to write on the board from anywhere in the classroom. There were many places that things could go wrong, for to quote Scotty from Star Trek “The more complex the plumbing, the easier it is to stop it up.”

After developing the method I decided to use it in the classroom and looked at the results. For the most part, things run smoothly, even though my wife’s computer is getting up there in age (it is over 6 years old and ageing), it is still strong enough to handle the LogMeIn and relay the images from my tablet PC. However, it still has some hiccups.

If I start the LogMeIn process prior to swapping the computer screen around on the Tablet to turn it into a writing surface, the LogMeIn will automatically disconnect when the screen on my Tablet blanks out as it rearranges itself. This also occurs when plugging into a projector, or doing anything other than just write on the Tablet. Sometimes the disconnect occurs when I plug the Tablet PC in to recharge it when the batteries run low. This means that both computers are forced into a system where neither one can multitask. While this normally wouldn’t be a problem in my day to day teaching, it becomes difficult if I want to run any graphing programs, swap between the 2-Computer method to the camera for examples with Graphing Calculators, swapping to a video, or anything other than the old fashioned “write on the board” style of teaching.

But even with this drawback, I believe that the 2-Computer method is a strong teaching tool as I can break the plane between the front of the classroom, interact with students, and allow students to actually show me what they’re talking about when they’re having a problem with one of the questions.

To prevent the problem of the disconnect I’ve found that having the Tablet PC up and ready to go before I even open LogMeIn prevents most of the disconnect mishaps. Also, having the Tablet PC fully charged before starting the day is of paramount importance as the batteries won’t last forever, and the older the computer gets the faster the batteries will deplete. The batter life can be extended by getting 2 removable batteries and a charger for the classroom. That way you can have one battery charging while the other is in use.

Another major problem that arises is a new addition to the LogMeIn program. The program automatically disconnects if the remote controlling computer does not receive a manual input of some kind every 15 min or so. This can be disabled by going through the settings of the program, but can be quite frustrating the first time it happens.

The only problem that I have with the 2-Computer method has been lag. Sometimes the WiFi in the school is down, or slow, and that means what I write on my Tablet PC is not given as a real time display by the remote-controlling computer. This can lead to completely disabling the system altogether as WiFi internet is 100% necessary for the system to work in its current form. I believe that if we could develop a Bluetooth technology adapter whose sole purpose is to receive Bluetooth information from a tablet and send that information through to a projector the 2-Computer method would be reduced to the Mobility-Method with only one Tablet PC, the adaptor, and the computer. Until then, we’re forced to work through the internet.

A piece of the lag problem can also be attributed to my wife’s aging laptop. I believe if we upgraded to a better PC that the problem of communication between systems could be resolved and that lag would be reduced (though nothing would completely eliminate lag, but it’d be so short no human could perceive it).

What Have I learned?

Using this system in the classroom has shown me many things, including how much people text in the class. Being able to stand over a student who isn’t paying attention, who feels left out, or who is texting MOM “n clss txt l8tr” lets me know for certain who is and isn’t paying attention. Its benefits have been tremendous in the classroom, and I believe any teacher could benefit from the use of this method no matter what they’re teaching.

I’ve also worked out a lot of the bugs of this system of teaching, as detailed above. Having seen the bugs I can quickly eliminate them, or prevent them from occurring, by making minor changes to my routine. I can do most of my troubleshooting without help, but sometimes I will have to call on others for assistance. In this case, GOOGLE is your best friend. There have been dozens of problems I’ve solved with a quick search in GOOGLE which has saved me hours of work. And if GOOGLE fails there’s always the “Ask a friend” and “Try it yourself” techniques that I believe everyone who works in a technology based environment should become acquainted with.

All in all the experience of using the 2-Computer method has been the most positive aspect of my MAT classes, especially the Tech-based one as I’d of never tried to create this method if it hadn’t been for an assignment. Mobility, being close to my students, seeing over their shoulders when they think I’m somewhere else has all lead to a more productive and more fun classroom environment, one that does wonders.

Resources on the Web!

 NCTM

Teachers

MathFour

Fellow MAT Gateway

If there's anything that the MAT program teaches it is that we are not alone. We are not educators spread across several continents where a single letter takes months to reach one another. With e-mail, cell phones, and satellite communications we are literally a thousandth of a second away from anyone we need to talk with.

It has been a joke amongst the MAT students that the letters really mean "Master's of Arts in Thieving" rather than Teaching. This is woefully true as the majority of my Pre-Calculus lessons have been stolen... er... borrowed from my Host teacher. This has allowed me to cut down on prep time for that class while still letting me put my own spin, order, assessment, and presentation style to best suit the needs of my students. It has proven to be an exceptional way to whet the appetites of my Pre-Calculus students to the point they have become voracious learners, going above and beyond what normally takes place in the Pre-Calculus classroom and finishing the entire Pre-Calculus book a month ahead of schedule. The trick has been having a small classroom, students who have a strong connection with their teacher, and their own inspirations to become not only better math students, but better people. Yet I couldn't have done this without the lesson plans of my host teacher for reference.

With that in mind, and it being part of yet another assignment for the Technical Education class from UAS, I have compiled a few sites that are beneficial to any Math teacher, and some to any teacher of any subject.

The first is the NCTM website, or the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Awesome place, filled with a lot of powerful ideas and subjects. I think being a member of NCTM is nearly mandatory for all math teachers who actually care about their students.

NCTM is used mostly by signing up, and then singing up for the mailing list. They will send ideas for teaching math, techniques, methods, projects, group projects, and other useful tools for getting the math learned. Also they'll increase your personal knowledge of the subject of mathematics, for while we know a bit, there is nearly an infinite amount of information, tricks, and techniques in the world of mathematics making it so that no one person could possibly know all of them.

The second website is one that has proven to be the strongest tool for me as a teacher as it offers not only good ideas for class projects, assessments, and techniques, but also gives emotional, moral, and motivational support for teachers everywhere. While not nearly as "mandatory" a location as NCTM is for Math teachers, I find the website teachers.net to be incredibly powerful. I've been an active poster and reader of the boards since the beginning of the semester and many of the websites and resources that I've used in my classroom have come from suggestions by teachers on this site.

Use of the website is easy enough that a cave-person like me can muddle through it with little difficulty. The main area that worked for me was the message boards. You don't even have to make an account and sing in to use them. Instead you're 100% anonymous, hit the "reply" button and type away to post on the board. Just make sure to put a name in the name box as that is all that is required. I typically use the name sponeil on the site. In summary to use teachers.net you: Read, Post, Learn.

The third website is one that is a fellow blogger, another teacher who has some excellent ideas about mathematics and teaching, after all... math is NOT a four letter word! It's m-a-t-h-e-m-a-t-i-c-s! 11 letters!

This is another blog-type website that is just like any other website. Once you find something you're interested in, click click click away. It is intuitive, with the most recent material first, and later material second, third etc. There is a navigation board on the left that is also intuitive, and she even makes sure to have a little area where you can read about what should be in each section prior to going into it. Very easy to use, and has a lot of good material and presentations.
And last, but certainly not least, is a gateway website into the classes of all my fellow MAT students. These guys are (using the words of some of my students) the shiznit for rizzle! They're awesome people who know and understand teaching far better than I do. I can only hope to emulate some of them in the future, and pray that I can keep up.

These four websites (actually more like 11 with the MAT gateway) have helped me through my arduous first year of teaching (which isn't over yet! Muahahaha!!!) and along with a great sense of humor, and the help of my gorgeous wife we've all been able to overcome some extreme diversity, including the death of Kevin O'Neil, my father, and the man I respected most in this world. Without help from others I couldn't have made it through this time.

For that I thank every one of you, and every one of those who has helped me.

Thank you.

A digital story

There are things in life that we learn, not knowing when or how they will come to light and change our lives. I'm fortunate in that I have encountered a time in my life when something I had learned as a child saved the lives of myself and my Dad.

Here is a digital memoir of the events. Some of the things have changed since I couldn't get images to perfectly match the events, but that is the perogative of memoir. Memories can be blended together to create a non-fiction story as all the events did happen, just some of the details have changed.

Enjoy.

Driving like a Chess Master

Taking a look back at the process, I have to say that I've become much more familiar with the Windows Live Movie Maker program. However, I am still upset about the minimal set of options. Honestly, I'd prefer to not have to work with it, as the program makes what should be able to appear to be a professional movie into somthing that looks very amatureish. I did not ice a huge jump in time efficiency from the first time I worked with WLMM and this time around. The transitions were smoother, the timing was easier to get down correctly, and the effects were easier to work out. The most difficult part was making the audio recording, and after fourteen attempts without getting past thirty seconds without a mishap, I finally gave up and decided to just go with the full recording in one go. Given a better audio editing program I would edit out many of the audio mistakes, such as the clicking noise, and redo places that were a bit sketchy or where my words wouldn't come out, such as the part when I talk about my Dad'd Dodge Shadow.

On a good note, I did learn a lot about taking digital photos with a Logitech camera attached to the computer. Its akward, and I think it would take a long time to be able to be comfortable with the feel of the camera, but it will be an invaluable asset for long distance interviews.

Overall, it wasn't as painful an experience as the first movie I made, but it remains firmly in the realm of "Could use some improvement."

Here's the rubric for how I would grade this.

Presentation Rubric

And the planning behind it all:

Script

Some humor

There's always a need for humor in life. Without it we can't find the balance between the horrors that this world has to offer and the joys of life without a little bit of humor.

So, here's somthing that has made me and my wife laugh until tears came out of our eyes. I'm certain that cat-owners everywhere will really understand where this guy is coming from.

Enjoy!

Simons Cat

Philosophy of Education Movie

Here's a short movie about my philosophy of education. Currently the credits are a bit off as I didn't reference one of the images to an olympic bronze medalist named Louis Smith. Fortunately there is a link available to the location where I stole... er... borrowed the image. If the website has any problems with me using Mr. Smith's image for the philosophy of ed video, I have no qualms with pulling it. Thanks Mr. Smith for all the hard work you put into gymnastics, and being a role model for students everywhere.

 Louis Smith Webpage

And here is the location where my video can be found:

Mr. O'Neil's Philosophy of Ed Video

(at the time of this log post I was still at TMHS, so didn't have access to youtube. I will change the credits as soon as I get home)

Using Windows LIVE Movie Maker was an eye opening experience for me, considering the ammount of time it takes to find, upload, and arrange pictures to match the music and voiceover was staggering. A 2 min video took several hours to complete. However, the experience was good, especially in an age where you can become a celebrity by creating YouTube Videos and putting them on the web. (Think Ted Williams.) Knowing how, and when, to use Movie Maker, or any other video editing software, can help put students, and teachers, into a realm where the things taught have relevance, and thus make it easier to teach.

In the meantime, take care over Christmas Break, and enjoy the winter weather!

  

Gaining Mobility in the Classroom, A research project

Ask any experienced teacher about the power of proximity in the classroom, and a long conversation will ensue. Standing next to a student who is misbehaving is usually powerful enough to eliminate the student’s behavior. Thus proximity is an invaluable tool but one that is difficult, if not impossible, to use all the time. After all, how can a teacher write on a board while standing in the back of the room?

                Fifty years ago, it would be almost impossible for a teacher to stand next to a student and present information about a subject simultaneously. While it would be possible for a group discussion style of teaching, it wouldn’t work for modeling something such as mathematics, or physics. With the invention of wireless internet, tablet computers, and the iPad, it has now become feasible for a teacher to be anywhere in the world and still be able to write on the board.

                The following is an exploration into how a teacher can write on the classroom board from anywhere given Wi-Fi internet access. Some of the price tags attached to the equipment necessary have been included. Also, a small sampling of the use of the system in an actual classroom is explored.

Step 1: The Idea

                The idea is simple: Find a way to write on the board from anywhere in the classroom. This assists with classroom management in that proximity becomes the norm, and it allows the teacher to look over the shoulders of students who are taking notes giving the teacher opportunities to correct mistakes before those mistakes are made permanent.  It gives freedom to the teacher to not be stuck at the front of the classroom, allows them to “break the plane” the invisible barrier of being more than 5 feet from the chalkboard, and lets the teacher circulate the classroom.

Step 2: Ideal Setup

                Given the technology of today, with touchscreen user interfaces, Bluetooth technology, and the incredibly powerful Wi-Fi internet, there must be a way to project information onto a screen from a distance. The origional method I developed to do this breakes down into three parts:

• iPad
• Computer
• Projector

                The first idea on how was to have an iPad remote control or Bluetooth to a laptop computer which would then be hardwire connected to a digital projector. This would allow the teacher to write on the iPad, have that information sent to the computer, and then be projected on the board through the hardwire connection.

Step 3: First steps

                I began by looking at different computers available, and what software would be needed. The first part was easy enough, as there is already a large variety of tablet PC’s and tablet Mac’s as well. By looking at prices, and taking into account my personal experience with Mac and PC (I’m a PC user, have been since windows came out), I decided to go with a Fujitsu LifeBook tablet PC. Since I didn't need the full top of the line iPad, but wanted enough wiggle room in case of large applications for this project, I chose a 32 gig iPad with Wi-Fi. Theprojector was provided by the school. The price of the iPad was around $700 with all applicable accessories, and including shipping, handling, case, and tax. The Fujitsu Lifebook Tablet I chose was more towards the top of the line which inflated its price to $1200 including all the additional fees. It is possible to use the 16 gig iPad with Wi-Fi which costs $600, and the lower end tablet PC’s with Wi-Fi which also cost much less than $1200. I believe there were some on E-bay for around $300 all costs included. I also purchased a specialized stylus for the iPad, as the iPad’s capacitive interface system requires a specialized stylus. I ended up getting the high end one, which cost $27, but the low end would only cost $12. If all else fails, it is possible to write on the iPad using only a finger.

             But that’s just the equipment. There is also the necessary software to achieve the desired affects. For that I required a way to transfer written information from the iPad to the PC.

             Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anything out there that would allow an iPad to project hand-written information to the computer screen. Instead I found an application that would allow me to take control of my PC via my iPad. This application, called LogMeIn, costs $30, and allows me to access any of my computers from anywhere in the world as long as my iPad can connect to the internet. By taking control of the computer, I can have what I write on the iPad become written on the PC, and thus projected. There are other similar programs available, such as iTeleport. However, LogMeIn seemed the best for the price. This is a judgement call on those who would use this method, and up to the individual to choose which program for remote control of a computer to use.
             I would prefer to be able to bluetooth connect to the PC and have a program where what I write on the iPad appears on the screen. However, that would require hiring somone to create that application directly, which is well beyond the funding of this research project.
             The total cost of the computers, and programs was about $2000, a very steep amount for a teacher’s salary. However, the cost can be reduces significantly to around $1000 if the lower end equipment is used. With the lowered price, however, comes the possibility of lower quality, and lag will start to become an issue as the processing power of the lower end computers is not quite strong enough to keep up with the vast amounts of information being sent from one device to another.

Step 4: In use

                With everything, there is a difference between theory and practice. In practice things go wrong, go right, or go unexpected. As such, before showing my results off to the rest of the teaching community, I had to try it in class.

                It was much less than impressive.

                The problems that arouse were mainly from the user interface from iPad to PC. LogMeIn did its job perfectly, allowing me easy access to my tablet PC through the Wi-Fi internet connections. I took control of the Fujitsu, and then promptly discovered I couldn’t write at all. Fortunately I wasn’t going to try this out for the first time in front of my students, as that alone would have been a disaster. I went to a fellow Masters of Arts in Teaching student, one who is far more tech savvy than I, and asked for help. Within seconds I was writing on the tablet PC (which was still in my classroom while I was in the art wing) which was being projected onto the screen. My host teacher found this most amusing.

There was a problem though. Every line I wanted to write required a double tap on the iPad’s screen with the stylus. Thus to make a “+” sign required finding a way to write it without lifting the pen, or double tap the screen twice. This slowed down writing to a crawl, and made what should have been a teacher’s dream into an unusable setup that put me $2000 in the hole. I later practiced, writing several lesson plans onto the tablet PC using the iPad and stylus. While this did improve the speed and quality of my handwriting, it was still too slow to be of use in a classroom. With time I believe it would be possible to get the double-tap writing speed up to a usable level, but that would take months.

I had to find another way to accomplish my task.

Step 5: Playing musical computers

The plan of iPad to PC to Projector wasn’t working. While I could write perfectly fine on the Tablet PC, I couldn’t take that around the room as it had to have a hardwire connection to the Projector. I couldn’t write fast enough or well enough on the iPad to warrant its use in the classroom. Thus it seemed defeated.

Until my host teacher asked me if I could hook the iPad to the projector. With 2Screens I had been able to have a keynote presentation used for the class and knew that the iPad could indeed work together with the projector. So we connected the iPad to the projector, remote controlled the Tablet PC, and tried again.

This is where the lack of features on the iPad become glaring. Since only one application can be run at a time, and the inability of the iPad to dual screen with a projector naturally, LogMeIn can't remote control the PC while still communicating with the Projector. This glaring problem with the iPad has made me reconsider having the iPad at all, as it isn’t doing what I need it to do. It’s like having a screw driver that doesn’t have the right tip. Yes, it is still a screwdriver, and still has uses, but they’re not the ones I needed it for.

Fortunately, LogMeIn is a program for PC’s just as much as it is an application for the iPad. Using my wife’s laptop (which is not a Tablet PC), I connected to the projector, and then through my wife’s laptop took control of the Fujitsu LifeBook. Then I dual screened my wife’s laptop while having LogMeIn take control, and voila. I now have a way of writing on the board in a quick manner from anywhere.

Drawbacks

With the philosophy of “Balance in all things” there are some bad points to everything we do as much as there is good. There were a few problems with the writing on the PC aspect that should be addressed.

Compared to the iPad, the Fujitsu’s 7 lbs. is a brick compared to a feather. The tablet PC’s weight tends to become magnified by being held for a long period of time, and ends up making my arm ache at the end of the day. While you might say “Just get more buff” I’d like to state that I weight lift and can max press over 300lbs. I am also ambidextrous and can swap writing and holding arms with little to no loss in handwritting quality. But that doesn’t change the fact that 7 lbs. lifted at an odd angle gets much heavier much faster than 1.5 lbs. does. Thus it would be preferable if there was a way to write on the iPad and have that projected in a fast and efficient manner than the setup that currently works.

Another problem is battery life. The practical batter life of an iPad is around 6 hours. Given a ½ hour recharge time during lunch; this gives more than enough time for the full 8 hour teaching day. The tablet PC only has about 3 hours of practical battery life. This means I could use the tablet PC for 3 or 4 periods a day, but the remaining few would require going back to the old school method of teaching. It is possible to purchase extra batteries and have them on a charger while teaching using the tablet PC, but this would add even more to the cost of an already expensive setup. The Fujitsu does have a way to put a second battery in, in the spot where the DVD player resides, but that does not remove the expense of an extra external charger and an extra battery or two.

The remaining problems are getting used to the new method of teaching. This can be overcome with practice, patience, and continual assessment of our own teaching styles and methods. These are not gone over as everyone will have those problems regardless of the equipment used.

Further Research

While this method is an effective way of "writing on the board” from anywhere in the classroom, it still has a lot of things that could be improved. The iPad has the potential for becoming the most powerful teaching tool since the copy machine, but with the current applications and limitations of not being able to multitask, dual screen, or write at a single touch paces it into the “Might be good later” category. I will write to Apple about having a way to turn on/off the double tap through a control similar to how they can bring up the touch-type keyboard built into the iPad already. I will also discuss having the iPad be able to naturally dual screen with a projector without the need of an application.

The two PC method is effective, and costs less than the iPad + Tablet method. However, it does require additional batteries and rest time for human arms. The arms alone might be enough to make this method undesirable as full time teachers will find their arms turned to jelly. There is also a possibility of long term problems associated with holding up an object at such an odd angle for long periods of time.

Even so, the goal of adding mobility to any teacher teaching any subject by being able to write on a tablet PC anywhere in the world, and have that writing appear on our “board” in the classroom has been achieved.

Cliff notes version

We can write on a board anywhere in the world.

It costs: $1000 - $2000 for iPad + Tablet PC method. $800 - $2400 or more for 2 PC method

Requires 2 PC’s, one of which must be a laptop tablet PC

PC’s cost an average of $800 for a good tablet PC.

PC’s can be purchased for less, but then lag will become an issue

iPad has the potential to be the ultimate for this, but doesn’t dual screen naturally, and requires a double tap to write which slows it down too much.

Methods

2 PC Method: Connect PC to projector through hard connection. Download and have LogMeIn on both PC’s. Have the PC that is connected to the projector remote-control the tablet PC. Write on tablet PC.

iPad + Tablet method: Connect tablet to projector via hardwire. Have LogMeIn downloaded on both iPad and Tablet. Remote control Tablet with iPad. Write on iPad.

And on a lighter note: Here is a link to a presentation created on my iPad using Keynote. It was uploaded in PDF file format as there are still a few compatability issues.

Linky: Classroom Mobility