Clif’s Notes

Happy Thanksgiving

Please take the time to consider the things for which you are thankful.

• Happy Thanksgiving
• As We Go into the Holidays
• I’m Thankful…
• Happy Thanksgiving (The SONIC Way)

Happy Thanksgiving (The SONIC Way)

Most of you know by now that my family loves SONIC Drive-In (Evidence A, Evidence B). We enjoy half-priced drinks during Happy Hour at least a couple times a week. Their burgers, Blasts and tater tots are certainly worth the trip, too. I just discovered the Tater Taunt feature of the SONIC website and thought I’d use it to share this Thanksgiving message.

• Happy Thanksgiving
• I’m Thankful…
• Service Opportunity
• Photo Journal: Trip to Airport

Cast Your Votes for the Interactive Classroom Makeover

After receiving more than 200 entries the finalists in the 2009 Interactive Classroom Makeover Contest have been announced. One classroom from each of the three categories will receive a digital makeover worth over $30,000.

Learn more about the contest and rules and cast your votes by Noon EST on December 4, 2009.

• $15,000 Interactive Classroom Makeover
• Studying for the SAT Just Got Cooler
• Interactive Whiteboards in the Classroom
• Win a Computer Lab

Memphis City School Receive $90 Million Grant

“The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation [yesterday] announced that it will invest $335 million to support effective teaching as a means to ensure all students receive the education they need to succeed in high school and beyond. [The] announcement includes $290 million in grants to support four Intensive Partnership for Effective Teaching sites that have developed groundbreaking plans to improve teacher effectiveness. Another $45 million will go toward the Measures of Effective Teaching project, a research initiative that seeks to define effective teaching and identify fairer and more reliable evaluative measures.” (Source)

Read the Full Press Release

• Educational Reform – Bill Gates Addresses Legislators
• An Opportunity to Make a Difference
• Lowe’s Toolbox for Education
• Middle School Student Makes Scientific Breakthrough

Bookmarks for 11/15/2009

• Jiffle – Scheduling made simple

  “An online service that dramatically accelerates the process of scheduling meetings. Jiffle’s patent-pending technology allows you to selectively share your Availability Calendar with your contacts and eliminate the time-consuming back-and-forth process.”

  tags: Schedule, Organizing, Collaboration=Telecollaboration, Productivity-Tools

• EtherPad: Realtime Collaborative Text Editing

  “Web-based word processor that allows people to work together in really real-time. When multiple people edit the same document simultaneously, any changes are instantly reflected on everyone’s screen. The result is a new and productive way to collaborate on text documents, useful for meeting notes, drafting sessions, education, team programming, and more.”

  tags: Word-Processing, Collaboration=Telecollaboration, 2.0, Productivity-Tools

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

• Bookmarks for 10/02/2009
• Bookmarks for 11/13/2009
• Bookmarks for 07/23/2009
• Diigo Notes for 05/03/2008

Highlights from BarCamp Memphis

[NOTE: This post will be updated throught the event.]

Here are some of my notes and photos from BarCamp Memphis.

Google Wave: What It Is and What It’s for
By: Greg Dunn and Thom Rigsby

Designer vs. Developer
By: Steven Trotter, Joseph Yancey and Craig McCoy

PowerPoint Karaoke
This is an interesting activity. Here are the rules.

1. No prior knowledge of slides
2. Must pretend this is actually your deck
3. 20 seconds each (4 mins)
4. Look for the (stop symbol)
5. Audience encouraged to to heckle
6. Vote determines winner
7. Have fun

Prosper during a Digital Age Recession
By: Ryan Hinricher

Show and Tell Tools
By: Everyone

• Bob Hazlett – Prezi, 280 Slides, Preezo, Zentation, Slide Rocket
• David Barger – Google Sidewiki,
• Clif Mims – AudioBoo.fm
• Bob Hazlett -Involver, Sprout Builder

Event Tag: bcmem

• Great Opportunity to Learn More: BarCamp Memphis
• Learn with Us (IDT7078)
• Web 2.0 Smackdown at SocialCamp Memphis
• Using Digital Technologies and PLNs to Enhance Learning

Bookmarks for 11/13/2009

• Sched

  “Simple. Social. Scheduling.

  The interactive event calendar and personal agenda builder for conferences and festivals. Publish your detailed session information, keep attendees up to date, increase networking opportunities and reduce operational burdens.”

  tags: Organizing, 2.0, Schedule, Collaboration=Telecollaboration, Conference=Convention, Event

• Schoology – Your digital classroom

  “Fully hosted and fully managed course management system with an integrated social network for K-12 and higher education”

  tags: 2.0, Collaboration=Telecollaboration, Storage, Online-Learning, Telecommunication, CMS=LMS

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

• Diigo Notes for 05/13/2008
• Bookmarks for 10/02/2009
• Bookmarks for 07/24/2009
• Diigo Notes for 01/19/2009

Great Opportunity to Learn More: BarCamp Memphis

“BarCamp Memphis isn’t just a Web 2.0 conference. It’s an unconference. What does that mean, exactly? That’s up to you. The first half of the day will feature predetermined, scheduled sessions like any other conference you’d attend, but in the afternoon the topic curating is turned over to you. Throughout the morning, you’ll vote on what you’d like to discuss or learn more about in the afternoon sessions so that BarCamp is hand-crafted to meet the needs of the community. The afternoon sessions might be panels or Q-and-A with specific BarCampers, or they might be roundtable discussions — Core Conversations, as we call them — with groups of Campers looking to bounce ideas and learn from others’ experiences.” (Source)

I enjoyed SocialCamp Memphis back in March (Here are the resources from one of my presentations at that event.) and I’m looking forward to BarCamp Memphis. Please come join us.

Event Tag: #bcmem

• Highlights from BarCamp Memphis
• Podstock Starts Today
• Podstock: An Education Podcasting Convention
• AERA Update

Bookmarks for 11/11/2009

• 50 Google Charts Tricks for Education

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

• Bookmarks for 06/18/2009
• Bookmarks for 10/02/2009
• Bookmarks for 07/23/2009
• Bookmarks for 09/06/2009

Free Educational Technology Workshops

The Instructional Design and Technology program at The University of Memphis is pleased to offer FREE workshops on Apple tools and applications. These will be conducted by Tim Matheny, a Senior System Engineer with Apple. Seating is limited and registration is required…but these top-notch workshops are FREE.

Use the links below to discover additional information and register.

Tuesday, November 10

First Session: iLife ‘09 and MobileMe
Register for This Session
Time: 4:00 – 5:45,
Place: Room 310, Ball Hall

Second Session, Apple Show and Tell (Quick demos of Leopard, iWorks, iTunesU, etc.)
Register for This Session
Time: 6:00 – 8:00
Place: Room 310, Ball Hall

Wednesday, November 11

First Session: Mobile Learning (iPhones, App Store, Apps for School, etc.)
Register for This Session
Time: 4:00 – 5:45
Place: Room 310 Ball Hall

Second Session, Digital Video
Register for This Session
Time: 6:00 – 8:30
Place: Room 310, Ball Hall

Thursday, November 12
One Session, Enhanced Podcasting
Register for This Session
Time: 6:30 – 8:30
Place: Room 310, Ball Hall

• Free Educational Technology Workshops
• Podcasting and Video Workshops
• Day of Discovery in Memphis
• EBC and NECC Preparations Underway