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Month: June 2010

Apply for Google Teacher Academy UK!

Posted on by Doug Belshaw

Introduction

The first ever Google Teacher Academy UK is coming to London on Thursday 29th July 2010! The only reason I’m accepting for YOU not applying is if you’ve already booked your summer holiday for that date. And even then, it had better be somewhere nice… :-p

If you’re an educator (especially if you’re in the UK) this is a great opportunity to be part of something that we’ve called (and especially Tom Barrett) has called for over the last few years. In addition, you could get to become a Google Certified Teacher!

Application Process

There’s two parts to the application process: an online form and a 1-minute video.

You can apply for Google Teacher Academy UK here:

http://www.google.com/educators/gta.html

(closing date: 17 June 2010)

Advice

Here’s 10 bits of advice from me if you’re thinking of applying:

  1. Read what’s required of you. Seriously. For example, don’t submit a video that’s longer than 1 minute in length!
  2. It’s not how much you know about Google and use their tools already. You are allowed to show proficiency in other tools and processes.
  3. The video needs to address one (or both) of the these themes: a) Motivation and Learning, b) Classroom Innovation. You don’t have to feature physically in the video, but these themes do.
  4. Don’t whinge. Show yourself in a positive light.
  5. There’s no point in ticking every box for a question. It’s as if you didn’t tick any of them if you do that.
  6. In the ‘technology skills’ section, don’t do yourself down. If you’re not a newbie, there’s no reason to tick the newbie box!
  7. Read up on what Google Certified Teachers do and who they are. It will make your answers more informed.
  8. Post your video on YouTube. Not elsewhere. And make it publicly viewable (double-check!)
  9. Fill in your answers in a word processor (Google Docs!) and then copy-and-paste the answers in to the form. This will give you chance to reflect on them and run a word count.
  10. Some people have added the one-minute application video to their Google Certified Teacher page (e.g. Chris Craft). Check these out for inspiration – as well a YouTube search for ‘Google Teacher Academy’.

Conclusion

I’m firmly of the opinion that it’s worth giving up not only some of your summer holiday for Google Teacher Academy but also the time it takes to apply. You don’t need to be a current teacher to apply (I’m not!) but you do need to work with educators in some way. Cite your online as well as offline work.

This isn’t a time to be shy, it’s a time to step up and apply for something potentially life-changing. I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to the end of July! 😀

Image based on originals CC BY dannysullivan

(In)decisive Doug, the Dell Streak and iPhone 4.

Posted on by Doug Belshaw

So I’d written a blog post about my Dell Streak and how I pleased I was with it, thinking I knew what Mr Jobs was going throw at us iPhone-wise. I’d even made a video review.

And then.

He announced something that made me sit up and take notice; it made me think that I might have to return the Streak within the 14-day grace period. It wasn’t the pixel count. It wasn’t the 5 megapixel camera. It wasn’t even the video calling or the iMovie app that can edit and share 720p videos.

It was the battery.

Up to 10 hours of constant use? That’s insane.

Image CC BY-NC BazBoerman

Calling myself into the office: June 2010

Posted on by Doug Belshaw

This series, published on the first Monday each month, is aimed at personal improvement through the public sharing of goals and targets. In this post I look back at whether I achieved the last month’s goals and come up with some targets for the coming month. 🙂

Looking back…

How well have I done at achieving the targets I set at the start of May 2010?

  1. I’ve finished the draft of my first journal article provisionally entitled Seven types of ambiguity and digital literacy. My thesis supervisor just needs to give me some feedback.
  2. I’ve bitten my nails less and haven’t done so at all whilst driving. However, I don’t even realise I’m doing it whilst studying and reading. Must. Try. Harder.
  3. I’ve written a blog post even on the day I didn’t write a blog post this month!
  4. I had a laser eye surgery consultation at Optimax a couple of weeks back. Unfortunately, my cornea is too thin for LASIK surgery so would have to undergo LASEK. This involves a several days in a darkened room, a week off work and potentially several months of pain. No thank you!
  5. I was supposed to lose a stone this month, tipping the scales at 14 stones. I’ve lost about 3 pounds, which isn’t impressive at all. I’m a bit too fond of the cakes my wife makes and haven’t really done enough exercise.

Any goals I don’t achieve get rolled on to the next month in addition to five new targets. Which means I’ve got the following rolled-over:

  1. Not to bite my nails at all.
  2. To lose one stone in weight (i.e. to get down to 13 stones)

Looking forward…

My targets for June 2010 are:

  1. Cover one of (or the majority of) my study walls in whiteboard paint or some other kind of large whiteboard solution (I need to mindmap my thesis spatially rather than digitally)
  2. Run at total of at least 30 miles.
  3. Purchase a tent and go camping for the first time in years.
  4. Move my Ed.D. thesis past 30,000 words (I’m currently on about 24,000)
  5. Figure out the crazy aerial splitter thing in the loft so that I can project the World Cup in our cinema room.

Are you doing something similar? Share it in the comments below!

Image CC BY-NC-SA Leonard John Matthews


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