Techlearning > > Comic Strips with Flickr > May 25, 2007

A quick and dirty tutorial on how to make Comic Strips with Flickr. You could also make storyboards this way - with digital photos.

Rebirth of a Nation

DJ SPOOKY that subliminal kid has created an interesting film. It's hip-hop mash up of the original racist (so-called) classic "Birth of a Nation". As a former film student, it's quite interesting to watch this new version. I think it could spark some interesting dialogue in High School media classes.

There is a helpful description of the role of the original Birth of a Nation in film history over here.

You can also download a study guide for "Rebirth" with some background info about the project here.

Would you use your iPod for Professional Development?

In the past few months, there have been several articles about University professors using podcasts to get information out to students. Well, Apple is now pushing podcasts for educators. You can get more information by filling out a form here.

I suppose it looks good on paper, but I can't help but wonder, will teachers actually want to do PD this way? I mean, when you spend all day at school and all night grading student work and lesson planning, do you really want to give your ears and brain over to the district during your commute? "Suddenly there's more time in the day." Ha. That's a good one.

A new learning resource from Apple

This used to be included "ProCare" but Apple has now separated out their
'One to One' instruction.
This could be a really helpful resource for teachers. I myself have used the Genius Bar on many occasions to get insight into everything from software to networking to data management. But never for more than a couple of minutes at a time. The idea of having an Apple Professional for a dedicated hour long slot every week is tempting.

Here Comes Final Cut Studio 2

As always, Apple gives us a polished site with a view of the new Final Cut Studio in Action.

How To: Batch Rename a Bunch of Movs

You might have decided to use iMovie to capture video you want to use in Final Cut Pro. Or maybe you did a 'capture now' in Final Cut Pro and now you want to give the clips a better name sequence. You could change each file name by clicking on them one by one. Or, you could watch
batch_rename_files.mov

Fun in Second Life

Here's a great peice from National Public Radio about virtual world vs. real world social rules. Turns out they aren't so different after all.

Don't Stand So Close To Me

Contributors on YouTube May Share Advertising Revenue - New York Times

You may need a (free) account to view this article from
the New York Times. But it's a good one, covering some of the earning opportunities that may come.

Bill Gates on the Future

Gates talks up voice recognition

In this article, Microsoft's Grand Wizard predicts that the computer keyboard will give way to speech recognition software, textbooks will be ditched for electronic multimedia tablets and TV will converge completely with the internet in the next few years.

Looking at how today's youth are using computers (even my students - inner city youth with limited resources) I really doubt it. The keyboard is not just for typing documents, it's for IM, for making beats, for video editing, and so much more. If anything, the mouse is more of a hassle than the keyboard.

Seeing No Progress, Some Schools Drop Laptops

Seeing No Progress, Some Schools Drop Laptops

One of the down sides of NCLB (No Child Left Behind) has been it's impact on curriculum. If a subject is not on the state test, then it suddenly becomes irrelevant. This is true of (former) school staples like recess, gym, and civics. Unfortunately, this is also true of future technologies/skills such as internet research, touch typing, and office software, and video production. These are the skills of the future. The skills that will help our students to get and keep jobs and to have real upward mobility. The three R's are the foundation, not the be all and end all.

Total Sidebar - I can't help but wonder if the schools dropping laptops are using PCs not Macs. Check out Learning Is Messy's 1:1 Case Study.