Welcome to Second Semester

Hi again everyone!

It has been a several weeks since my last post.  I must admit that I have been rather busy but I have indeed missed the opportunity to write and communicate with you.  For the parents that are new to this blog, the parents of the students in Communication Technology, welcome you to your first view of Taking Tech' in HD!  For the parents of my last semester students, or anyone for that matter, if you wish to be removed from the mailing list for the blog please just send me an email (hblyleven@hdch.org) and let me know that you wish to no longer receive the blog updates.  I will not take it personally  ;)

http://somenovelideas.typepad.com

Some of you may recall that I instruct a class at Redeemer, Technology in the Classroom.  This class usually is offered in January and February with two sessions per week. Over the last 14 years, I always enjoy teaching this course.  What I like the most is sharing teaching ideas with other educators and other soon to be educators.  This year, I had my students blog as part of an assignment.  For some this was an activity that met with some uneasiness, while others enjoyed the process.  Some people think that they have nothing to write about or that no one will care what they have to say.  My purpose for having them blog is be transparent with their ideas about teaching and also to begin to develop a Personal Learning Network (PLN) in which they can converse and respond to other educators.

The idea of belonging to a PLN, I think, is modelled very well by our students.  Most kids, especially those with cell phones, are constantly in connection with their network and freely call on "their network" for almost anything, including learning.  Aside from the "what u doing?" and the "where r u?" texts, I think that the amount of "local knowledge" and information shared by our students is quite vast.  However, I do believe that our students need some guidance about how to effectively use technology.  Recently, on the local news, there was a segment about how some high school students were making poor choices about how they used technology within their network and that the community was hurting as a result. The news reporter broke a story about how popular "sexting" was at this school. "Sexting is the slang term for the use of a cell phone or other similar electronic device to distribute pictures or video of sexually explicit images. It can also refer to text messages of a sexually-charged nature." (http://teenhealth.about.com)

Throughout our computer and technology courses at HDCH, we attempt to show students, not only the incredible things that we can do with technology but we also try to be open and frank about some of the dangers and lures of technology.  This current generation, Generation Z, which is;

• born after 1990
• highly connected
• carrying mobile technology
• readily sharing information online (often without thinking about future ramifications)

and has the tools, and the knowledge to work very well.  Making good choices, I believe, is a skill that needs to be discussed and practised.  I always enjoy the  impromptu class discussions about appropriate technology use, usually after a cellphone goes off in class. I would also enjoy hearing from you, the parents, about ideas and topics you would like to see included in the planned class discussions.  I invite you to please leave comments below or email me at the school. 

Grade 9 Computer Class

The grade 9's have been busy as of late. Looking at effective webpage design provided students a foundation to begin with, as they created their own websites using Google Sites.  Currently, the class is just about to wrap up a mini unit on Power Point. Using Power Point in a new and interactive way was our focus.  Using Power Point, the class created a five question multiple choice quiz on electronic waste.  This week we will be looking at having some fun with Power Point and create some interactive video games.  I will try to post videos of the games for the next blog.  

The E-waste quiz also allowed Mr. Brink and I to have the students think again about the topic which will be our main project for the next semester.  We look forward to having our students wrestle with a topic that can have such a negative affect on God's creation.  We will keep you posted.

Grade 10 Communication Technology

It is my pleasure to again have the opportunity to teach this course.  For me, this is one of the most exciting courses that our school has to offer.  This semester, the class in divided into four Project Based Modules in which students, and/or groups of students, take the skills that this class provides and uses them to develop tangible productions that others need, i.e. logos, graphic design work, audio productions, video productions etc.  

Below is a group's first production.

If you are not sure what this course is all about then have a look at the picture below. It represents the thoughts, ideas and words that this class determined were important.  We liked it so much that it is now a poster hanging on our classroom wall!

Happy New Year!

I hope you all had a good holiday season and that you were able to celebrate with friends and family. The holiday time was great for me.  It provided me a chance to relax, refocus and recharge.

http://www.ehow.com/

I am thankful for the two week break and the time I had to help me prepare for the next two busy months.

This past week I started taking a new course through the University of Ontario Institute of Technology.  It is called "web based learning tools." As it has only been one week, we have just been introduced to the topic and have been getting to know some of the other students in the course. 

My small group defined web based learning tools as:

Internet based activities that complements the curricular expectations and allow students to investigate ideas at their own pace, while assessing their understanding before moving forwards. The spectrum of optional learning activities allow the interaction of ideas outside of a classroom and facilitate the use of a wider pool of resources and learning spaces.

We will find out next week if our definition is close as we were asked to resist the urge to Google it - so far, so good!

This course has a different structure than any other course that I have taken.  The course format being used is called Synchronous Learning and there are some activities which are completed through Asynchronous Learning.  Synchronous learning has all students, 23 of us, on-line at the same time.  We all need a computer with a microphone and speakers or headset, so that we can communicate with the instructor, other students and our "breakout groups."  

I am excited by this course for a number of reasons:

• I like meeting people. Even though it is likely that I will not meet these people face to face, I have an opportunity to engage with other people about educational topics and resources.
• I look forward to learning about new resources for students and teachers.
• Online learning adds an interesting component to education.  There are several different types of blended learning, ranging from traditional to completely on-line.  On line learning intrigues me with its many possibilities, and honestly, kind of scares me because of its many possibilities.
• Learning spaces (where one learns), through the use of internet learning, are quickly becoming blurred with the rest of our "spaces"
• I am excited by how I can help use and incorporate new thoughts, ideas and possibilities at HDCH

Over the next few months I will try to share some of the key ideas and thoughts about the learning experience and materials from this course.

This past week I also started teaching an evening class at Redeemer University College.  For many years I have been working and learning with pre-service teachers in a course called Computers in the Classroom.  The title of the course is a little misleading as we spend much of our time looking at technology and its impact in the classroom upon; teacher-student relationships, learning, and some of the concerns in education.  As a class we have great discussions and discover many resources.  It is exciting to see and hear the energy and enthusiasm that new teachers bring to teaching and learning.  We may not know what our schools might look like in the next 10 years, but, we can feel confident that we will continue to be blessed with good educators!

ICS3U - Grade 11 computers

The grade 11 computer class has been working on summative assignments since they have returned from the break.  There are many great ideas for programs that the students are working on such as; word guessing games, fuel consumption and efficiency, connect-four, various text based word games and other ideas.  View a more complete description of the summative assignment.  The summative assignment, while challenging, allows the students to challenge themselves in their programming ability.  Students also have indicated what assessment level that they hope to achieve.  

BTT1O - Grade 9 computers

The past week has been exciting for me in this course.  The students have been researching and defending various topics through debates that we have had in class.  The topics have been about copyright laws in a digital world, the purpose and use of cell phones in schools and education, and the pros and cons of each student at HDCH having a netbook or tablet device.  Students have also responded to various articles about each topic. Here are the articles that they have responded to:

Boston Student fined for illegal downloading

Toronto District School Boards to lift cell phone ban

iPad Pilot puts the touch on independent learning

If you have any thoughts on the post or the articles listed, as always, your comments are most welcome!

And to all a good night!

My family had its first Christmas celebration this weekend.  I will see more of my extended family later in the month and, unfortunately, because of distance, there are some family members who I will not see this holiday season.  And of course there is my mom who gets to celebrate Christmas in heaven - that must be quite the celebration!

I, like many others, really miss my family over the holidays.  I get rather nostalgic and think about Christmases past and how we would finish our chores early on Christmas eve, go to church, open gifts, enjoy lots of food and lots of time to just be together.  There were many games, lots of play and time to praise the Lord in our house.

 I know that there are lots of ways that technology still allows us to stay connected and, yes, we could and we have, opened presents together even though we are over 3000 km apart but it isn't the same as actually being there.  A visual hug on the computer can't possibly match a real hug from my nephews and nieces, or my brothers and sisters.  

Technology, in all of the ways that I use it, I believe, still falls quite short in being able to truly stay connected. 

One of the best things I like about teaching is the ability to connect with students and colleagues.  Being able to see my classes, on a regular basis, really helps me to find purpose, because lets be honest, how many of us truly remember the lessons that we had in school.  There may be a couple of key lessons or topics in high school that you remember, for good or for bad, but it is more likely that you remember the people of your schooling experience.  There is much talk of online learning, which I support, but I will reserve that topic for another day! In a similar manner, how many of use remember the presents that we received as kids?  There might be a few gifts that have stayed in the archives of our mind or that we remember through the assistance of pictures, however, we can likely recall the experiences, the events and the people more readily. It is these interactions that stay with us!  

This Christmas season I hope you all have a chance to enjoy time spent with family and friends in celebration!

Grade 9 Computers - BTT 1O

The grade 9 class continues to work through a series of tutorials as we discover how to edit digital pictures in Paint.net.  It has been fun and enjoyable to listen to the students when they have their "aha" moments.  It is also exciting to see certain students become the "goto" person as they discover new things and share and learn from each other. One of the tutorials the students have been able to do, starts with a picture of dried mud and ends with an exploding planet.  

Grade 11 Computers - ICS 3U
In this class we are finishing our assignments for Chapter 7 in Java programming.  This is the chapter for which I have create video tutorial examples for the different types of methods used in Java.  These tutorials can be found on our school YouTube site http://www.youtube.com/user/HDCHtube.  Later this week we will begin chapter 10 and introduce our final summative project which we will start when school commences again in January.

Fit to be tied!!!

I love the month of December, I love Advent and I love Christmas!  There is a special excitement in my house, my church and our classrooms.  The month of December also provides me an opportunity to wear my Christmas ties!  Yes, the picture below is my Christmas tie collection.  I have accumulated this collection over the years.  Some ties are from my father-in-law, my wife, Value Village, and garage sales.  Strangely, I have never received a Christmas tie as a "teacher present" - I guess my students think that I have enough.  I actually have more than enough ties, 20 to be exact,  to be able to wear a different one each teaching day of December.  In fact, I may start wearing them in November next year!  This tradition that I have, appears to be appreciated by the students, as many make an extra effort to talk to me so they can check out the tie or compliment the tie.  November and December are busy months and I enjoy how my ties lift my spirit and hopefully those of others.

I say that these are busy months, yet, I must confess that this year these months have probably been the easiest in all of my teaching career.  This is due totally to the great work that Mr. Wensink did in our classes.  Mr. Wensink has now finished his teaching placement here at HD and is able to enjoy a well deserved break.  Mr. Wensink is a natural in a classroom. His gentleness, respect, presence, patience, professionalism and commitment to the Lord and his students will serve him well.
He did such a good job that, at times, the students were wondering who I am and why was I there.  God bless you Mr. Wensink!!!

A topic in education that is dear to me lately is "the flip." The flip involves flipping the classroom so that lessons are completed as homework, usually via video on YouTube, and class time is used for students to do their work, experiment, ask questions, complete assignments etc.  I have just started using the flip and providing online tutorials for my grade 11 computer students.

I will be curious to see how well accepted the tutorials and lessons are by the students.  This format of instruction makes sense as it allows me to be more available when students will likely have questions and/or need assistance.  I will keep you informed about the progress being made!

Grade 9 Computers - BTT 1O
We have recently begun our graphic design unit.  We use an Open Source, and free, program called Paint.net to manipulate and create images.  Our first task was to create Ipod advertisements. The first picture was taken in front of a green screen that we then removed and replaced to get the new image.  It was quite exciting and, in a short time, students produced a rather polished advertisement.  We will continue to work with graphic design until the Christmas break.  If there are any graphic designers or graphic artists out there, I would enjoy talking to you about possibly being a guest in our class!

Grade 11 - Computer Programming - ICS 3U
We have just finished our presentations about computer issues and have had a chance to watch some of them.  It was interesting how we learned from the videos about how to present and also how to take better videos.  This week we are starting a new unit on methods in Java programming.  This is the chapter that I will be making video tutorials for so keep checking out http://www.youtube.com/user/HDCHtube to see the updates!

Check in time!

Whenever I stay in a hotel I am often surprised at the time that the hotel provides for a check in time, often 3pm - this is much later than I would like.  When I go somewhere with my family, the hotel part of the trip is a big part of the experience, especially if there is a pool, water slide, video games or for myself a treadmill.  I guess I want to get the most out of the experience and value for my dollar.

Often when I teach, lead workshops or help people to use technology, I will provide quick little opportunities to "check in".  These "check ins" occur quite regularly, and the feedback which they provide, is valuable in the classroom.  As new skills or processes are being taught and learned , these "check ins" give me great information about how the group is doing.  My favourite line in the classroom is, "Check how your neighbour is doing."  This short line allows students to not only help others but also to see if they too are on the right track.  It also gives me a moment to walk around the room, provide help as needed, and ensure that everyone is one task. 

This post is my "check in" time for the last month and bit of blogging and tweeting.  I must admit that I am tweeting less frequently but my tweets, I believe, have more substance to them. I had hoped to tweet 5-10 times per day, which on some days is easy and on others it is more difficult.  Also,  I am occasionally finding my blog as a duty that I must do, yet it still produces lots of enjoyment and from stats and feedback, the blog is well received - thanks!

In my first blog post I mentioned that I would assess my blogging and tweeting after my "trial period".  I will provide a simple SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis - my first year BUS 121 at Redeemer is still proving its worth.

Strengths

• allows me to continually think about how I use technology
• through following others I have read way more about technology in the last 6 weeks than I would normally do
• I am beginning to follow and connect with other Christian Educators - some that I already know and some that I have only met "virtually"
• more communication with parents and guardians - ( I would still appreciate more comments on the blog please!)
• I am able to share with other educators and I am seeing more benefits to collaboration than I have in the past
• wow! There are some incredibly gifted people out there!

Weaknesses

• there is little face to face communication
• 140 characters is not a lot to say something meaningful
• little snips of information can easily be taken out of context
• information overload 
• fear of missing something that someone tweeted and is 200 tweets down the list

Opportunities

• there is great potential for Christian educators to share knowledge and ideas
• there is great potential to connect and partner with all educators and experts
• blogging provides a chance to have dialog with parents on a more regular basis ( I would still appreciate more comments on the blog please!)
• able to "bring" others into my classroom who can shed more light on the topic
• Life long learning on my part
• model effective uses of technology in education

Threats

• information overload
• finding the time to tweet and blog
• ignoring other concerns
• getting side tracked and off topic
• not wanting to miss a post or tweet
• being "consumed" by the processes

If any of you blog, podcast, tweet etc and wish to share some of your own SWOT analysis please comment below.  

Overall, the process has been amazing.  I am really enjoying the opportunity to get my thoughts down and connect with a community.  I am learning much and, therefore, I will keep blogging and tweeting.  Please bear with me as I still learn to communicate effectively through a blog.

You can expect another "check in" around the time of the semester switch.

Grade 9 Computers - BTT

The class is just about ready to wrap up their video editing with Mr. Brink.  The filming process has gone well and I believe that we have some Oscar worthy candidates!  Mr. Wensink and I will have our regular class back on either Tuesday or Wednesday.  Sadly, Mr. Wensink has only one week left with us.  It has been a pleasure having him in our classroom.  He has fully assumed the role as the class teacher and the kids have fully accepted him.  I will likely be thought of as the substitute when he finishes and I take over again.   

Grade 11 Computer programming - ICS 3U

Mr. Wensink has done a great job with this class.  The students have finished working on programming a guessing number game.  Mr. Wensink provides great feedback, encouragement and appropriately challenges all students to work at, and beyond, their capabilities. Through several class discussion about issues with, and of,  technology, Mr. Wensink has been covertly prepping students to critically evaluate tech, and now, the students are working on their own technology topics.
We look forward to students presentations of learning this week.  Last week our school took part in a day of silence to honour Uganda, and especially young girls who may not receive an opportunity for education.  Some students demonstrated support through a vow of silence on the same day that Mr. Wensink had planned a class discussion.  To honour the day, the class took to the Internet and had a real time discussion using todaysmeet.com.  This was a great way to model the use of technology and in so doing, our whole class had a vow of silence for about 20mins.

A blessed Advent to everyone! 

If I could put time in a bottle

Welcome to "Talking Tech' in HD"!!! That is the new title of my blog. Thanks to those who took the time to vote!  In the future look for the chance to vote on a logo.

The title of this week's blog is also the title of a Jim Croce song - please watch the video below.
 Jim Croce is one of my favorite music artists. He is before my time - honest - but the title is perfect for what I wish to write about this week. The chorus starts with the following lines:

But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do once you find them




This has been an incredibly busy week here at HD, and especially for the staff as we have parent teacher interviews. I enjoy the 8 minute block that I get to spend with the parents as we discuss and work out strategies, talk about the course, talk about the "whole student" and depending on how well we know each other - just time to catch up. This is time well spent and is very valuable to me, the teacher, and I hope it is as valuable to the parents, the students, the school, my classes and the community. The time spent together provides me much feedback, thought, motivation, and blessings, therefore, it is time well spent.

In the last post I mentioned how our grade 11 class helped the office arrive at the schoolbookings.net solution to streamline the process of signing up for parent-teacher-interviews. The old method of scheduling consumed approx 40 hours, each term, from the office staff! While the old process had the same end result, it was not time well spent. The gifts and talents of our office staff could be and now are better put to use.
It was fun to see a smile on Mrs. Pot's face as we discussed scheduling PTIs, the smile was mostly because it is now so much easier and not a frustrating or time consuming task.

With the correct technology, we can be more efficient and give honor and value to the time of others.
I sometimes struggle with the balance of time and technology, and how it is not just my time but also my family's time. One of my struggles is how much time I spend using technology and how long I spend on one task. I enjoy working with technology and computers, and for me it is also a hobby and quite fun but I need to balance it.

If you have been following from the start, then you know that I am using Twitter (@hblyleven) to learn of it and learn from it. I have really benefitted from the thoughts of others as we share ideas and information. It, like this blog, has taken time but I think these activities are important, but I am making every effort to make sure that these do not take time away from important things like my family, my church, my friends and our community. To balance out the equation I need to give things up - I am watching way less tv - probably a good thing! I think that these activities are time well spent!

My challenge for you, for the next week, is to be conscious of your time spent using technology and that it is indeed time well spent!

Grade 9 Computers BTT1O
We are currently on a "rotation" with our class and Mr. Brink's class.  The rotation allows the students to discover and learn about movie making with Mr. Brink.  Mr. Brink is the other BTT teacher and is also one of the HD media teachers. His expertise in this area is much appreciated.  As a result, Mr. Wensink has made the move to Mr. Brink's class and is working through spreadsheets with them.  Mr. Wensink is already two thirds of the way through his 6 week placement.  I am very grateful and impressed with the work that Mr. Wensink is putting into our classes.

Grade 11 Computer Programming ICS 3U
The students are creating a guessing number game in which they are incorporating all of their newly acquired programming skills.  Mr. Wensink is also incorporating and engaging students with discussions about computer and technology issues such as; online censorship and how the Occupy Toronto demonstration is being supported by a hacking group called Anonymous .  Below is a clip of the message that anonymous delivered to the Toronto government.

Not slow and steady -- just steady

It has been almost two weeks now since I ran, and finished, the Road2Hope half marathon.  Below is a picture linked directly from the official event photographers' site to prove it.  It was a beautiful day for the run.  Mr. Plantinga also ran the 1/2 Marathon, albeit in a much faster time than I did.

This was only the second half marathon that I have ever run.  I enjoy running and like a fun shirt that I saw someone at the run wearing said, "I run so I can eat!".  Now, while running 21 km is not for everyone, I must say that I really enjoyed the event and the many kms I had to do for my training.  I had set goals for myself in terms of finishing times.  I like to give myself three times to shoot for; one that would be an excellent run, one that would be a good run, and the third that is usually a realistic time.  

The run starts on "the mountain" in Stoney Creek and proceeds down the Red Hill Parkway towards Lake Ontario with a few bends, turns and straightaways.  It is known to be one of the fastest courses around because of its downhill nature.  The crowd got moving and the hype of the run set in. I was really enjoying myself.  Checking my watch at every km marker was telling me one thing...I was going too fast.  Now too fast for me is not too fast for everyone...just me.  At the 10km marker my time was just over 53 min.  I expected this to take a little longer but I was also excited because I was on pace for a phenomenal run for me. And then I hit it...the wall.  I started to slow down a fair bit and tried to coach myself through the next 11 kms.  I started making deals with my legs that if they would only run for the next 2km then they could have a 1 min walk, a drink and maybe my Power Gel energy pak.  This coaxing didn't really work as well as my mind had hoped.  I ended up finishing the run in 2hrs and 3 mins which is a few minutes faster than my other half marathon, which was 8 years ago.  I achieved my realistic goal...you can see me cross the finish line at the 12:30 mark of this video.

Reports cards were sent home today and I just emailed copies out a little while ago as well.  I like to think of the courses that I teach to be a bit like a run. Most students to the "wad-ja get?" routine as the see other classmates get reports. I don't like it when students right away compare themselves to others but I am not sure how can avoid this.
I chatted with my grade 9 students and mentioned that some of them were likely hoping for better grades, some got the grades they thought they would, and some may have achieved higher than expected.  However, I cautioned, congratulated and encouraged them and reminded them that in our course we are only at the quarter term for grade 9 computers with a long ways to yet go.  My wish for them is that they continue to be steady throughout the year and that more importantly than a number located on the top right of a piece of paper, I wish for them to have open minds that critique and investigate the material that we cover.

God has granted us a number of special gifts.  A couple of weeks ago for myself it was a wonderful chance to run, this week God has granted me the opportunity to more fully help my students as they work through a high school computer course and for me to more fully understand my students!

As I continue to blog, I am attempting to make some posts a little more interactive.  The first activity that you can help me with it to choose a more exciting name for my blog - Mr. Blyleven's Blog - well, it just isn't that exciting.  Therefore, please take a moment to vote on possible new names for my blog. If you have another suggestion for a name please leave a comment after this post.  Please also feel free to leave comments after a post to provide feedback, give more info to the topic, or to ask a question.

Class Updates

ICS 3U - Grade 11 Computer Programming

Mr. Wensink, from Redeemer, continues to work with the class as they are now practicing loops, and how to use and breakup information into more meaningful pieces (string manipulation for you programmers out there).  If you are a parent of a student in this class then by now you are probably aware of the real life problem and the real solution that this class was a part of recently.  This class did the preliminary work to find the online solution and bookings for Parent Teacher Interviews.  Mr. Todd has congratulated and rewarded us with some tasty donuts - I think he called them Duncan Donuts!  It is estimated that this new method of managing interview bookings will save the office staff about 40-60 hours throughout the year!

BTT 1O - Grade 9 Computers

This class has been busy working on their final assignments for the spreadsheet unit.  We also had the opportunity to discuss and work on our yearlong electronic waste project.  This project will have student events such as an electronic waste collection day, screening of videos to raise awareness of ewaste, unveiling of posters, small electronics collections, battery drop off centres, publication of letters to various people and organizations and the list goes on.  I will continue to fill you as this list gets to be more complete.  Starting next week Monday the grade 9 BTT classes have our rotation.  Mr. Brink's classes and my classes switch. My classes will be creating movies and learning about video production with Mr. Brink.  Mr. Wensink and I will be working with the other classes as we do spreadsheets. (for the record I enjoy spreadsheets and think that spreadsheets are the best business application out there!)