#NaBloPoMo - Remember the iBook

On Monday I had a teacher ask if it would be possible to get a device that could word process but not connect to the internet.

The only devices that I could think of were our iBooks. The iBooks in our building were part of a 1:1 initiative that started more than 16 years ago. The building even piloted it with great success.

So we dusted a few off, plugged them in and handed them over to a tech enthusiastic learner and said "see if you can get it working and connected to the internet.

In less that a few minutes he had the computer booted, in a few more minutes he had it connected to the wifi. By midday the iBook was fully charged and able to last without the power cable.

Aside from the speed in which the learner had the computer operational, it was mighty impressive to see a computer more than 16 years old function at an on par pace with some of our other newer equipment.

Our tech enthusiast asked if he could use it for a day to compare it to the Chromebook. He will be testing this when we return from our Thanksgiving Break.

Stay tuned, and stay connected.

#NaBloPoMo - Live Streaming Announcements

63 VIEWS! 

In less than a few days we jumped from 16 views daily to 63 views LIVE! 

Today we streamed the announcements via the Periscope App (HixsonHub) also viewable at http://periscope.tv/HixsonHub

This morning, as I mentioned in yesterday's post, we setup our location, started our stream 5 minutes prior to the announcements, announced 1 minute before we were starting via the intercom system and  we left the stream with 63 views!

Needless to say the crew was extremely happy about the success and changes. 

Continuing to learn  each day how to make it better for the audience, we collected this feedback:

1. Could we increase the volume

2. Some people still could not view the stream on their devices.

I shared the feed back with the producer and host and they immediately had solutions.

Solutions:

1.We have an iRig mic which we will try after the holiday break to boost volume.

2. The producer discovered a way to access the feed directly which worked on every device. After the live stream she began creating a screencast on how to access the stream if you are having difficulty. After  she created it she had another student watch and test it to see if it made sense and worked. Next step is sharing it with the staff.

On top of the success of our views several of the kids in the building have expressed how cool it is that the announcements are live. That interest sparks new energy and ideas on how to make them more engaging and informative.

As always, stay tuned and stay connected. 

#NaBloPoMo - Exploring an idea

As a continuation from my  "Trying new things" post, this morning, our daily announcement crew wanted to try live streaming the announcements. I used the intercom system to let everyone know when the announcements would be starting, and how to access them. Then I let the kids try something new. 

They chose a location took their equipment and setup to stream live using  the Periscope app. They've been exploring it's use over the past few months trying to determine how it could best be used.

In the true spirit of failing forward, we learned lots from our live stream today.

1. The tool we were using (Periscope) was blocked on several computers but not all of them.

2. Many people did not know exactly what to do once they clicked the link.

3. There is a delay in the stream.

Solutions: 

1. We emailed the staff to let them know the best tool to use to view it.

2. We sent out directions on what to click and how to view the announcements once they've clicked the link.

3. We will start our stream early to allow for the delay.

If you'd like to catch it tomorrow, we will be streaming live at http://periscope.tv/hixsonhub 

On a personal note, after my "Trying something new" post the Superintendent of our district Dr. Sarah Riss reached out to me with suggestions and support of exploring other options for future viewing of our daily announcements in building. It is great to work in a district where the superintendent pays attention to every detail that makes up their district, and actively supports the learners passions and ideas. 

Stay tuned to future posts to follow the journey of "What could be" as the learners investigate new spaces, equipment and ideas that will bring the announcements to the school in new ways.