The original was funny, but this dubbed version is hilarious, and very well done.
Tag Archives: Personal
Pachelbel Bedtime Song
Thanks to Jennifer for pointing this out. My kids are out of town right now, I miss them dearly, and this video made my day. I think most parents will be able to relate.
My Blog’s Reading Level
I’m following D’Arcy Norman who ran the Blog Readability Test after reading Paul’s post.
Here goes … what’s my blog readability rating?
You gotta be kidding! I ain’t no genius.
Warm Fuzzy Memories
Something about this video still gives me warm fuzzies.
If only life were that simple.
Rider Pride in Taiwan
With our Riders going into the playoffs this Sunday, it’s great to see the extent of “Rider Pride” across the world.
Here are the words for anyone wanting to sing along:
Green is the Color
Football is the Game
We’re all together
and Winning is our aim
So Cheer us on through the sun and rain
Saskatchewan Roughriders is our name
Go Riders Go! Go Riders Go!
Powerful, Inspirational Videos
I made my students cry today. I cried.
We were investigating the power of media, specifically, students listed videos that drew great emotional responses. Irma sent me this video, 99 Balloons, a story about baby Eliot who was born with Edward’s syndrome. This is an incredibly touching story about Eliot, his very loving parents and their experience. It’s very powerful. See the video here.
I just noticed another powerful video, albeit in a different way, on The Cool Cat Teacher Blog. Vicki writes, “Whatever your beliefs, you should see this video. It is a message to all of you leaders out there who are reading this blog.” I agree.
Put together, these two videos reminded me of the Dick Hoyt video I blogged about almost a year ago.
That one also made me cry, but these types of video inspire me to be a better leader, a better father and a better person.
Have any videos inspired you lately? What are the most powerful videos you have ever seen? I’d love you to share.
Update: I’ve started a wiki for these inspirational videos. Feel free to add or edit!
Let Milo Open The Door
I put this on Youtube a couple of weeks ago, but others have asked me to share this on my blog. To make a long story short, we have a cat name Milo. My three year-old daughter Raine misheard the lyrics to a classic song, and has been singing it “her way” ever since.
A Full Plate of Exciting Projects
It’s already an incredibly busy semester. Here are a few of the projects underway.
ECMP 355: I regularly teach an undergraduate course to preservice teachers focused on the integration of technology in teaching and learning. I’ve taught it since 1999, and I can’t believe how much it has changed. Originally, we focused so much on user-centric apps, presentation tools, MS Office productivity tools and flat HTML web resources. Today, the social/semantic web is a key focus. I promote the plethora of free, open and social tools available to students. Students are able to collaborate with others, and with each other. Blogs, wikis, podcasts are common resources.
Some things haven’t changed much though. Electronic portfolios have always been an important part of the course. Only the methods in which they are created has changed. The same goes for digital storytelling, a mainstay in my course from the beginning. And most importantly, critical technology and media literacy remains a common theme that binds the entire course.
This year, I’m happy to announce plans to collaborate with Darren Kuropatwa’s highschool students. Mentoring and collaborating with high schools students from a distance will be an incredibly powerful and meaningful activity for my preservice teachers.
If anyone’s interested in checking out the ECMP Moodle site, go here, but you’ll need to get the passphrase from me.
EC & I 831 Graduate Course – Open, Connected & Social in Education: I am currently developing an online Graduate course to be offered Winter 2008. The course will focus on the open and social technologies in the classroom and appropriate pedagogies in the connected age. Rob Wall will be helping me develop this course, and I’m already excited to have his input. He’s got some great ideas, and I think this course will be the best I’ve offered. I’m excited. If there are people out there that would like to be a part of this experience, I’d love to have you participate. I know I am going to rely on the edublogosphere a great deal for this course to be a success.
Digital Internship Project: We have chosen 34 interns this year to be “digital interns”. These students are provided with a laptop, other special equipment, edtech-related professional development and specialized support during their internship. The students are part of a Ning virtual community, and have just begun to share their stories and successes. I’m looking forward to seeing these students become excellent teachers and gain wisdom in the use of technology in teaching and learning. We hope that this experience will allow these individuals to become educational leaders in their future schools.
If you would like to see what’s going on, or join us, come to digitalinterns.ca.
Good Spirit School Division EdTech Projects: I’m also working with the teachers of Good Spirit School Division. There is a very keen interest in improving educational outcomes in the division, and educational technology is one of many thrusts to achieve this. This project is in its infancy, but good things are beginning to happen.
aTEPnet: There are many aboriginal teacher education programs in Canada. These programs are doing wonderful things for aboriginal education, but there is not much of a connection between these programs. The Canadian Council on Learning has funded us to help develop an online social network (aTEPnet) that will connect ideas and individuals across these programs.
Web-Based Learning Resource Development Evaluation: Saskatchewan Learning has funded the WBLRD project in the province since 2000. This project has given teachers time to develop rich web-based resources for the benefit of themselves and other educators in the province. We have been contracted to evaluate these resources, the value of the process and provide direction for the future funding of similar projects. Stay tuned for the results later this year.
Looking at this list makes me a bit overwhelmed. Yet, I’m realizing how much the “network” comes into play into just about everything I am doing these days. This is the biggest change to me, and the change that has made the most difference to me in my own learning, my teaching and my educational philosophy.
Raine Singing On Youtube
I’m still technically on vacation, so this self-indulgent post is acceptable. I had a blast with my little girl tonight. Here she is singing one of her favorite songs.
8 Random Facts Meme
I was tagged by Dean, here my 8 random facts (right after I explain the meme itself).
1. Post these rules before you give your facts
2. List 8 random facts about yourself
3. At the end of your post, choose (tag) 8 people and list their names, linking to them
4. Leave a comment on their blog, letting them know they’ve been tagged
So here they are:
1) I used to be a talented percussionist and pianist … then one day I just stopped playing. Big regret.
2) My B.Ed focused on English and Social Studies instruction, however as the young guy on staff at my first school, I was expected to teach “computer class”. I’ve now never left this subject-area/field.
3) My first car was a 1977 Propane-powered Ford Granada, and I drove it like it was an off-road vehicle. Looking back, I’m lucky I never blew myself up.
4) I’ve been in in two vehicle rollovers and one major accident (just last year) involving a fatality and serious injuries. In all three cases, I wasn’t driving and I walked away unharmed. Seatbelts work.
5) I invested months of work on one PhD topic related to preservice teacher professional development and technology integration. However, after watching one presentation re: open source culture I radically shifted gears … no regrets.
6) I’ve been a very successful blackjack card counter since about 2000. Luckily, it’s acceptable where I play. I just love applied mathematics/statistics.
7) My parents ran a successful Greek restaurant called Mario’s in Humboldt, Saskatchewan for several decades. It’s no longer there, but it’s amazing how many people still share their fond memories of the place.
8) I plan to retire young from an academic career and run a small restaurant on a Greek island somewhere. Maybe I’ll see you there.
I agree with Dean, I won’t go commenting on people’s blogs to let them know about this. If they use technorati, they’ll likely find it.
I tag the following:
– Rob Wall
– Richard Schwier
– Cyril Kesten
– Heather Ross
– Miguel Guhlin
– Brian Crosby
– Bud Hunt
– Doug Belshaw
I look forward to reading those that respond.
Social Networks: THE Way To Sell Your Stuff
I should have known this from the start, but I guess I will for next time.
With all the deals and incentives around new cars these days, I’ve found it difficult to sell anything I have used. I finally sold my ’99 Contour SVT, and it’s clear to me that in at least this case, traditional venues for promoting sales aren’t as effective as the new.
Action 1: Listed my car at AutoTrader.ca. This exposed my vehicle to potential buyers on the AutoTrader website and as well, through the AutoTrader magazine. Cost: over $125. Result: one weak telephone inquiry.
Action 2: Listed my car in the local LeaderPost newspaper page for two weeks. Cost: over $150. Result: two weak telephone inquiries. Still, not even one testdrive.
Action 3: Listed my car on the Facebook marketplace service. Cost: free. Result: over 50 email inquiries, some weak, some very interested resulting in 4 test drives, 8 offers and me being able to sell my car ABOVE my asking price.
Now I don’t know if others are experiencing similar things, but I’m continually realizing the massive potential of social network tools like Facebook to accomplish just about anything. Traditional media, you cost too much and just don’t cut it anymore.
Goodbye my girl, sorry to see you go, but you’ll make someone else happy now.
Mr. Roger’s Ruined Our Generation? Not likely.
Well I wanted an excuse to try Flock again, so here it is … a short post.
Recently, I’ve noticed a couple of stories where Mr. (Fred) Rogers has been blamed for a generation of narcissistic children lacking work ethic.
Well I can’t speak for everyone, but I know that any success that I have achieved in my life has everything to do with my parents, Greek immigrants who came to Canada in the late 1950’s. The photo below shows a crowd of landing immigrants coming in to Pier 21, Halifax. My dad, Marinos (Mario) Couros, is tagged via Flickr.
The next pic is of my mother, Kalomira (Mary) Couros, coming over on another ship a few years later.
I am fascinated by these photos. It amazes me still that these individuals left their families, their nation, everything they had known, to find a better life. Both came over with literally pennies in their pockets, and both worked so very hard to make a living, to build a business, to raise and help educate four children and to create a happy and secure home.
Has Mr. Rogers’ “you’re good enough” message really affected what I have become today? Sure, I believe that media does effect us in many ways … I won’t get into all of the factors in this post (if you want to know more, read this). However, if you are going to blame anyone on what I have become today … blame my parents. I may not be perfect, but as I said before, any success I have can be attributed to two individuals that inspired, directed and nurtured me. It is because of their actions (both direct and indirect) and their unconditional love that I am who I am today.
Thanks mom and dad! I love you both more than you know.