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Mike Travis - Life in Educational Technology
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Just revisiting podcasting. Now that Feedburner is set up. I didn't have to do anything more than this list:Mac People:1) Use GarageBand to create your PodCast ---- Share / Export Song to Disk ... (makes an m4a file2) Upload to my travis-family.com account. Remember the URL3) New blog post link to m4a file4) Now when I went to iTunes and updated, it came up!!5) That's it! Now, start creating worthwhile PodCasts for people to subscribe to!!
Podcast subscription working again
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Nothing here in this podcast. Just testing to make sure I remember how to do this.
Test Podcast
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Time to get back to trying this blog. I was busy this summer building my new deck. Two pictures below (before and after).Before:After:
I'm Back!!!
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In this 2nd podcast, I interview Emily, my daughter, about how she uses technology at home and in school.Hope you enjoy. I have set up my Podcast subscription so you can look for my podcasts directly in iTunes - The address is:feed://feeds.feedburner.com/MikeTravis-Mike :-)
Technology and a Second Grader
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Pau (done)!!! I finally got everything working with the help from a friend. The biggest problem was that it was taking a long time for information I uploaded here to be sent to FeedBurner. For future knowledge, here is how all this works:Mac People:1) Use GarageBand to create your PodCast2) Find a place to host it (I used my travis-family.com account. Free accounts might work, but you must find out the exact URL to the m4a file.3) Set up a blog at blogger.com. It is free! And, link to your audio file.4) Go to FeedBurner and set up an account. What FeedBurner does is somehow search out your blog for these audio files and set it up in a format that iTunes can see.5) Make a few adjustments to your blog so that it can send the information to your FeedBurner account.6) Once the FeedBurner page is showing your audio file, you are ready.7) Go to iTunes, Podcast area and submit your PodCast by putting in your FeedBurner URL.8) Go to iTunes, Podcast and subscribe to your PodCast using the FeedBurner URL.9) That's it! Now, start creating worthwhile PodCasts for people to subscribe to!!Whew! This was a long, hard 3 nights of work with lots of failures before I figured out what steps worked best.Now, it is time to create some PodCasts!! Please feel free to post some ideas for me about Technology, Teaching Technology, Teaching in General, or random ideas you want me to rant about (that one is for you Mike Jr.). :-)
Whew!!!
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Feedburner is not updating my work.
next try
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I hope this works.
One More Try
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Introduction 3
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I have wasted way too much time on this, but, I think, I am getting close. I have gotten help from Mitchell. I really owe him a coffee!
Still working on podcasting
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Introduction to my new Podcast.Mike_First_Podcast.m4a
Introduction2
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Introduction1
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This is my first attempt at a blog. I thought I would start by introducing myself. Here is a picture that one of my students drew of me a few years back. I love it! I saw her last night and she is graduating from high school. I am so glad that she is doing so well! Katelyn, here's to you!-Mike :-)
My Picture!
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Yesterday, I posted about how to take a screen capture of your iPhone screen. The session I attended where I learned this was very good. Here are the links to his sites:Main SiteTools and TipsGreat Apps!Good stuff!
iPhone Apps and Tips
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Does anyone else feel drained and invigorated (at the same time!) by all the knowledge and possibilities from the first day? Here are just my thoughts from the day.1) I love when you learn new things about technology you have had in your possession for a long time. Did you know you could take a screen capture of the iPhone screen? Simply hold down the power button and click on the home button. The screen will flash and you will have a screen capture placed in your camera roll! And, in with the 4.0 iPhone software, you can create folders of all the Apps, so no need to shuffle through 5-6 screens to get to the app you want.2) Tip - sometimes descriptions of ISTE classes don't really describe what you are going to see. I learned my lesson with one today after waiting 1/2 hour to get into a videoconferencing session only to find no new knowledge for me. :-( ---- Eric and Nadia, you were lucky the line was so long and you got to attend another session! Well, the good news was it provided me time to play with the new things I learned from the iPhone session! :-)3) Quote for the day - "We are bribing students into compliance instead of challenging them into engagement" - Daniel Pink ----- I remembered this quote while contemplating Scott's talk tonight, which would have been a way better keynote talk than what we got the night before ...4) Today, I thought I was after information on learning communities (one of my themes for the trip), but after getting closed out of sessions, my view on the day changed and I learned a great deal about underutilized educational tools like the SmartBoard. Wow! This is a tool that can be used as a complete interactive experience, put in the right hands with the right training ...5) I love free stuff! I will probably need to take a second suitcase back on the plane for the return trip. (irony?)6) Tip - talk to the people around you in line or at the sessions. You will be amazed at the knowledge that can be gained by them and the connections you can make! Sometimes, you may gain more knowledge than the speaker of the session ...7) Final Tip, because I am too tired. In need of a good beer, try Rock Bottom Brewery down on the 16th Street Mall at Curtis and 16th Street. Food is great and plenty of choices for fresh brewed beer. Only a 5-10 minute walk from the Convention Center.8) Funny video about learners that someone showed me - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hENtGSrOj5Y
Random Thoughts from Day One and a Few Tips for Day Two
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I say this because I just got back from eating at one of my favorite restaurants, Central One Restaurant. My wife and I have been going to this family-owned Greek Restaurant for over 15 years. Obviously, living in Hawaii now, we have had to take a break because it was too far away, so I was a little nervous that it wouldn't be as good as last time.Thankfully, the food was just as good as the last time. The Avgolemono (lemon/chicken/rice soup) was amazing! The Saganaki (flaming cheese) was tasty and the Gyros were out of this world! If you get a chance, take the journey and go eat there while you are in town.Well, you might ask, how does this all connect, besides making you hungry? Well, what is interesting about this place is that the menu looked pretty much the same as it has for 15 years, and the food was just as exceptional as it has been in the past. In talking to the owner tonight, he said that he has had the same chefs for over 20 years.The keys to success for this restaurant are:- consistency- great food- a friendly staff who get to know you- and an experience like no other!Even though we will all be inundated tomorrow at ISTE with the latest/greatest technology and Web 2.0/3.0 tools to use with your students and staff, and you might feel like you are outdated as a educator, there are still some basics to remember.Great teaching, like great restaurants starts with a few keys to success:- consistency- building relationships with our students- and an experience like no other!So, while you might get overwhelmed tomorrow with the newest ideas, remember, Central One Restaurant, and know that the real keys to success for your students might already lie inside you.Opa!!
Good Teaching can be like a Good Restaurant ...
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Took a short vacation through Disneyland before coming to ISTE. There is something about that place that is just jaw dropping. Disney has definitely figured out a way to give you a perfect experience - employees always happy and helpful, park immaculately clean, and rides that just connect to all your senses. I mean, I could actually smell the pine trees as I was "soaring" over California. And, Pirates of the Caribbean? How do they make it look so real? Walt Disney had a passion for perfection and creating an learning experience like no other.It made me think about the classroom.How do you create an "experience" for our students from the minute they enter your school and your classroom?How do you make learning fun, exciting, and jaw dropping for students?Being in Disneyland also reminded me of Daniel Pink's Whole New Mind.HIs First "Sense" is Design and he talks about how design is a "utility enhanced by significance".Is your school designed to be more than just a "utility" to educate students?Is it also significant (in a good way) to their lives?Just some thoughts to ponder as you get ready for your ISTE adventure to start tomorrow.
Disneyland and Creating an "Experience" in your classroom.
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Does anyone else feel drained and invigorated (at the same time!) by all the knowledge and possibilities from the first day? Here are just my thoughts from the day.1) I love when you learn new things about technology you have had in your possession for a long time. Did you know you could take a screen capture of the iPhone screen? Simply hold down the power button and click on the home button. The screen will flash and you will have a screen capture placed in your camera roll! And, in with the 4.0 iPhone software, you can create folders of all the Apps, so no need to shuffle through 5-6 screens to get to the app you want.2) Tip - sometimes descriptions of ISTE classes don't really describe what you are going to see. I learned my lesson with one today after waiting 1/2 hour to get into a videoconferencing session only to find no new knowledge for me. :-( ---- Eric and Nadia, you were lucky the line was so long and you got to attend another session! Well, the good news was it provided me time to play with the new things I learned from the iPhone session! :-)3) Quote for the day - "We are bribing students into compliance instead of challenging them into engagement" - Daniel Pink ----- I remembered this quote while contemplating Scott's talk tonight, which would have been a way better keynote talk than what we got the night before ...4) Today, I thought I was after information on learning communities (one of my themes for the trip), but after getting closed out of sessions, my view on the day changed and I learned a great deal about underutilized educational tools like the SmartBoard. Wow! This is a tool that can be used as a complete interactive experience, put in the right hands with the right training ...5) I love free stuff! I will probably need to take a second suitcase back on the plane for the return trip. (irony?)6) Tip - talk to the people around you in line or at the sessions. You will be amazed at the knowledge that can be gained by them and the connections you can make! Sometimes, you may gain more knowledge than the speaker of the session ...7) Final Tip, because I am too tired. In need of a good beer, try Rock Bottom Brewery down on the 16th Street Mall at Curtis and 16th Street. Food is great and plenty of choices for fresh brewed beer. Only a 5-10 minute walk from the Convention Center.8) Funny video about learners that someone showed me - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hENtGSrOj5Y
Random Thoughts from Day One and a Few Tips for Day Two
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According to Blogger.com, I can update my blog via email. How cool, if it worked. I can do it with my phone if I had text messaging, but I don't ... yet.
Test Message
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Well, it is that time of year again. Every year, I set New Year's Resolutions to help guide me and give me something to shoot for throughout the year. I hope you will also consider setting resolutions for your own life, sharing them helps to make them real as well as allowing others to help you in the journey.#1 - Family, Home, and Love - The world has become a lot angrier over the last year through the election season; sadly, I don't think 2017 will get much better. So, how do we navigate the world around us? Well, the best way for me is to take care of my family, to make sure my home is a happy place, and to treat everyone around me with respect, love, and care. I have no idea how I will assess the success of completing this resolution; however, I think, it is a goal we all need to set.#2 - Publish my second book - I took on the National Novel Writing Month competition again in November of 2016 and what came out of it was my first attempt at science fiction. I am well over the 50,000 words; however, the book needs some work. My New Year's Resolution is to finish it and get it published. Look out sci-fi fans, I might give you something interesting to read sometime in late summer!#3 - Learn how to do a dive - Well, this one is a carryover from 2016. I never learned how to dive as a child, even though the rest of my family can dive just fine. Now that I have been swimming so much, I need to try and learn to dive.#4 - Staying Healthy and Strong - Oh, man, do I miss running. With my permanent knee injury, this isn't an option, but the swimming is going well and I want to incorporate other exercising into the mix. My goal is working out 3-4 times per week. Linked closely to exercise is healthy eating. You would be amazed at how much better my stomach feels now that I have given up gluten and dairy. Now, I need to learn how to add more variety to my diet. Maybe I will try to make a new, healthy dish once a week and see how it goes.I hope these resolutions inspire you to make your own. Setting goals helps us stay on track for the future. You can do it!Sending love and happiness for the whole year to everyone who reads this!-Mike :-)
2017 New Year's Resolutions
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It is always great at the end of the year to check in on my resolutions to see how I did. So many people give up on their resolutions early; however, if you plan them correctly they can help you to guide your whole year.Here we go:#1 - Present Successfully - I have three presentations lined up for the year, one at the HCTM Conference and two at the ISTE Conference. I want to plan ahead and do the best job I can for the participants attending.Well, I didn't have a chance to present at ISTE because of lack of funds, but my HCTM presentation went very well! So, I will call this one a success!#2 - Get My First Book Published - In November of 2015, I participated in the National Novel Writing Month - http://nanowrimo.org/. In this personal contest, you attempt to write a 50,000 word novel in one month. I was successful and finished the word count three days early; however, now the real work begins. I need to finish the book, get it edited, and try to get it published. That is my goal for 2016.I did it! The book is published! And, I learned a lot along the way. If you are interested, you can buy the book here on Amazon.com - https://www.amazon.com/Faded-Jeans-Army-Greens-Desert/dp/1533631271#3 - "Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony." - GandhiI am hoping this is the year that I find balance between work, family, and my personal health. Without the ability to run or play tennis anymore due to my permanent knee injury, I must continue to try and re-invent who I am physically and mentally.This one is tough to define success; however, I would say that I am getting closer to the harmony I am looking for. I have changed my diet and gone six months on it. The changes are real, my knee is stronger, and swimming as my new activity is going well. I have also learned to better balance my life, spending more time with family and learning how powerful stress can be as a factor in living life.#4 - Okay, this is a weird one. I want to either learn to do a cartwheel or be able to dive into a pool. I don't know how to do either of these and 2016 is when I figure one of them out!Well, this was didn't go so well. I tried a few times during the year at the beach at the pool to achieve one or the other, but to no avail. I guess maybe what they say about "old dogs can't learn new tricks" might be true for me. Anyway, I want to push this one to 2017, but if you want a good laugh, click on the video below to see my final attempt at a dive before the year ends.
2016 New Year's Resolutions - Success!
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A new year is upon us and it is time, once again, for me to choose my resolutions for the new year. While I have struggled the past few years with trying to accomplish all of my resolutions, I will again set manageable goals and work to achieve them.#1 - Present Successfully - I have three presentations lined up for the year, one at the HCTM Conference and two at the ISTE Conference. I want to plan ahead and do the best job I can for the participants attending.#2 - Get My First Book Published - In November of 2015, I participated in the National Novel Writing Month - http://nanowrimo.org/. In this personal contest, you attempt to write a 50,000 word novel in one month. I was successful and finished the word count three days early; however, now the real work begins. I need to finish the book, get it edited, and try to get it published. That is my goal for 2016.#3 - "Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony." - GandhiI am hoping this is the year that I find balance between work, family, and my personal health. Without the ability to run or play tennis anymore due to my permanent knee injury, I must continue to try and re-invent who I am physically and mentally.#4 - Okay, this is a weird one. I want to either learn to do a cartwheel or be able to dive into a pool. I don't know how to do either of these and 2016 is when I figure one of them out!I hope you enjoyed reading my New Year's resolutions and you will make your own goals and share them. I wish you all a Happy New Year filled with love, joy, happiness, and a little relaxation.-Mike :-)
2016 New Year's Resolutions