January 29, 2010 by David Russell.

So this was my first time presenting and attending the Florida Educational Technology Conference and I must say that it was a truly great experience.  I am often a little apprehensive about “Ed Tech” conferences because there is a fair amount of info presented of which I am just not in need.  However, this conference was so large (second largest in the country I am told) that there was a great variety of voices and products.  John Kuglin presented a session about cloud computing which was an awesome segment to sit through.  The content of his presentation was not necessarily ground shattering news but rather, the bulk of the audience loved and needed his passion about where internet users and educators are, or should be, heading.

As far as new technology, one of the coolest things I saw was Smart Tech’s new mixed reality delivery system.  This is a product still in development and they are showing it off at conferences to get educators input on how it could be used in the classroom.  If you look at the video on YouTube, you will see how it could be used immediately.  Science teachers better pay attentio!  Another product I saw that looks great are the updates to Adobe Acrobat Pro 9.  Moving students to portfolio assessment will be GREATLY improved for all content areas by this product.

I am not necessarily endorsing any of these products but rather wanted to comment on the cool new stuff I saw.  I also saw a ton of other products that are free or cheap which have amazing features for various applications.  I will try to get some more links posted on my web site so visit it to check some out.  MrRussellOnline.com

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January 1, 2010 by David Russell.

I have been having a great deal of fun working on the new and improved curriculum for Web Design II.  The goal for this curriculum is to form an experience for students that gives them a better understanding of the latest trends of Web Design, how to work cooperatively and collaboratively with others, and an authentic project to learn from.  They will be able to use the the projects they produce for portfolio examples and to guide potential career/post secondary choices.  Ryan Smiley is my partner in crime on this re-write so I am hoping that the collaboration between the two of us will bleed through to the students.  As we move forward, I will be working through the E2T2 grant to assist me with the evolution of the structure of this class.  If anyone has a few minutes, please take a look and give me feedback.  Here is the link to the class wiki where all the activities and student collaboration will be organized through.  Please keep in mind that it is a work in progress and the primary reason behind using a wiki for the project is so that it can be open to change by students and other teachers.  It may grow to encompass Web Design 1 and other classes at EVHS.

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