New man

A lesson in leadership

Last class of the assistive technology course and I'm working up untill the last minute. Once again, not the Acadia I remember (I'm starting to think my years at this school were not that productive before). Anyway, the whole experience has been worthwhile and a great introduction back into school. Few people enjoy summer more than I do but the two and a half weeks I sacrificed in the name of higher learning have been good for me. My father always said that learning was a life long pursuit and a lesson can be learned everyday up untill the day you die, at which point you perhaps learn the biggest lesson of all. It has been an eye opener to be on the other side of the desk for a change. Somethings I will do differently, somethings the same.

Children have to be educated, but they have also to be left to educate themselves.
Ernest Dimnet

A new beginning

 "The time has come," the Walrus said, "To talk of many things: Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax-- Of cabbages--and kings..." Lewis Carroll.
Sad day in the old Newman house tomorrow, the ipod is to be returned. All this the day before we head to B.C. on a plane ride where it would most definately come in handy.
Both courses finish up tomorrow and I'm a richer person for having participated. Although maybe next summer I'll only take one course...

Sometimes something different can be just as good.

writing my writing blog

Working on a class off, this is not the Acadia I remember from the mid-80's. Stephanie and Angela have proved to be excellent partners (I can only hope they think similar kind things of me). Everything really seems to be coming into place and our less reluctant writers blog is streaming along. We have changed the address to solve the lack of access problem with the first blog. I'm looking forward to the final product and sharing it with my partners in Justice. Soon time to give back the ipod, I just hope the nano will tide my family over.

http://youtu.be/xUsgFl9FDzY

It is one of the beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

my ipod

The countdown is on untill I have to give back my ipod. Three more sleeps. My son has insisted that we get one of our own but I'm not so sure. If we jump in we might as well jump into the deep end and get an ipad. What you may lose in portability you make up for in clarity. And besides, at my age assistive technology means I have to be able to see it. Tomorrow we are back at my other blog, lessreluctantwriters. Luckily my two partners are excellent to work with and pretend to appreciate my sense of humour. A couple more sessions and we should be done. The assistive technology course has been an eye opener for me. Ignorance is bliss but it is becoming increasingly more difficult to ignore the future. Whether I admit to it or not, it is unavoidable.

Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power.
Lao Tzu

ipod nano

Thats right, I have an ipod nano. So what if it was a gift, it is technology in my hands that I thought never would be. Now, I'm not sure if you follow me from this blog or my other - lessreluctantreaders - point is, I'm a techno guy now. So here is my review of the nano. Portability is the key, the ipod seems a little bulky now I have a nano. The audio files are easily downloadable (if indeed that is a word) and the quality is second to none. The big issue is the small screen and the fact that there are no apps to speak of. Books are what I see as the big advantage so far as education is concerned, so there are major implications in this area. The tilt sensitive games are an interactive marketing gem but the limited space make the play somewhat archaic (if indeed technology this new can be antiquated). It seems best used to collect your thoughts when you are listening to music or whiling your time away with a good book. If I were to invest at this point I would opt for something full screen - an ipad. Why? Here's a reason...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqZpHTUhSYs&feature=player_detailpage

What is moral is what you feel good after and what is immoral is what you feel bad after.
Ernest Hemingway

reluctant writers too

Our last project. Now that we have attempted to map out the writing process, it's time to blog about it. From start to finish it is one of the most complicated actions we can ask of any human being. The big question is not why so many people experience problems but why even more don't. How can we provide a quality education (and ultimately quility of life) to struggling writers. Our need to convey our thoughts and feelings is more than a basic right it is a survival skill. The question becomes how we make this accessable to all students. Technology is not the magic pill but it can be magical. With the right people working for them and with them, almost anyone is capable of amazing things.

One man's struggle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRZ-0bYOlgg&feature=player_detailpage

It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it.
Lena Horne

My favorite apps

I 've put over 30 apps on my ipod (educational and otherwise) and let my family loose on them. Here is what we use...

Free:
iwritewords (along with it's sister app ABC Maze) are a favorite of my little boy.
       + fine motor skills in tracing the letters (or numbers), it also gets you to trace in the correct order
       + nice audio, examples and rewards
       + will spell and say words once letters have been drawn
        - drawback, it does not say the letters phonetically
ABC Maze uses the tilt of the ipod to manoeuvre a ball through a maze to get the letters needed to spell a word.
         + as with iwritwords the reward show a picture of the word in question for visual reinforcement

3D Magic Words is my wife's favorite.
         + higher level vocabulary skills
         + timed event which forces you to concentrate
         + mixed up letters can be remixed in new order to help you find words
         + lets you know exactly how many words (and their length) you can find
         + gives you a pecentage target to reach in order to achieve next level
          - drawback, it lets you know you are not that smart

Comic Touch Lite is my little app.
            + you can take photos from your library (or on the spot) and add text
            + text can appear as thoughts, speech, whisper, exclaimation or caption
            + endless possibilities
             - drawback, could be used inappropriately (imagine a younger me)

There you have, my big three.

Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.
Henry David Thoreau