jtpatry
Welcome to KidTweet, a mobile and web-based platform for elementary and middle school teachers and students. Elevator Pitch “KidTweet” The Venture Pitch can be found and read here: JPatryA3VP(KidTweet) Thank you! Jon
Continue reading KidTweet Posted in: Venture Forum First off, thank you to the group for putting together a great presentation. I throughly enjoyed the readings and the activities that were selected. Concept Mapping in the classroom definitely has a purpose for all types of learners, but I believe that in order for this tool to be utilized to its full potential, students still should understand what it […]
Continue reading Concept Mapping and Education Posted in: Week 09: Visual-Intensive Learning
Hi Jon,
I have also enjoyed this week’s presentation! The concept maps are phenomenal!
I think you make an excellent point about the need for our learners to be able to take notes effectively. I find that my students have their own individual style of notetaking and the style will vary depending on whether learners are visual, verbal, aural, logical, physical, etc. Their learning style will also determine whether they are social learners with a tendency to collaborate with learning technologies such as cmaps or whether they are more solitary learners with a tendency to figure things out on their own. Perhaps our job is to simply help them figure out what works best for them!
Danielle
Jon: I appreciate that point that you made with regards to access to technology. Perhaps one could include it at a potential “Pain Point”. Therefore I propose that the teacher could use such a tool to accommodate the visual learners during class-wide brainstorming activities. An open-source program that includes outline views as well to help to scaffold students throughout the process. Ultimately as you said, another tool to add to their learning utility belts!
Dani
For this week, our Emerging Market Team would like to introduce you to Cloud-Based Learning Management Systems. We welcome you to visit our Emerging Market Analysis Weebly at Cloud-Based Learning Management Systems. We have presented an overview of the content in four areas: Why Cloud?, Cloud LMS Services, Types, and Security. Within each content area, there are […]
Continue reading Week 7-Cloud-Based Learning Management Systems Posted in: Week 07: Learning in the Cloud
Hello Cloud Team,
My personal experience being “in the cloud” is using Dropbox so I am looking forward to learning about the options, benefits and drawbacks of this concept.
When you go to the “have you ever heard of” section the answer was no to all. So…lots to learn.
Bridget
Thanks Bridget.
Glad to hear we have peeked your interest already….Cloud-based LMS is quite an interesting topic so I am sure we will all learn a lot from each other.
Leonora
I’m impressed, Cloud Team! Your intro does a great job of clarifying what a cloud based LMS is, and has piqued my curiosity! Thank you 🙂
Thank you Chelsea,
I enjoyed reading your comments and insightful questions about security and maintenance of cloud-based LMS..
I look forward to working my way through this… being a web 2.0 junkie (twitter, Google Apps, evernote, Drupal, WordPress, Moodle, Facebook,Dropbox, Prezi,, and on and on), I think the ‘cloud’ IS in fact the next ‘sliced bread’. 🙂 An LMS focus will be very interesting.
Cheers!
Spectacular presentation group! I really enjoyed the Voki, and how it personalizes the interaction. (I’m going to try making one myself). The wiki is superb, and the learning modules are interesting and edifying. Great work!
Allan
Very nicely laid out presentation! And very informative! I am learning a lot! 🙂
Kudos to the team! I just finished your entire module and cannot tell you how much I have learned. Cloud computing was an area in which I was woefully uneducated. Your team has created a very comprehensive overview which included all neccessary issues and components.. Loved the wiki, and the Voki was a new introduction to me. Fantastic job all around!
Thanks, Kim for your positive comments. Although I felt I knew a little about cloud computing before I started this project, I now know just how little it was. This project has certainly supported the concept of “To teach is to learn and to learn is to teach.” Thanks,
Tim
Great job! Your presentation was succinct. I learned a few more things that I could use in my teaching practices, some time in the near future. Very useful. The wiki was a good idea to share our experiences.
Thanks for your comments Colin.
It was great to see the response from group members on the wiki – such a wealth of experience.
Leonora
I really enjoyed learming more about cloud-bsed LM Systems. Thank you for doing a great job providing a very visual and interactive presenation!
Marie-France
Thank you for your comments and your contribution Marie-France. It was interesting to read how you are utilizing VOKI to teach French. I am looking forward to sharing your experience with my colleagues who teach English and French as an additional language.
Enjoy your Sunday.
Leonora
Hello Cloud-based team. Wow, after participating in your activities this week I can honestly say that my head is now out of the “clouds”. You explained everything so well and I really enjoyed what you had to offer us.
Well done,
Donna
Well done Group! That wiki is great – super comprehensive and has alerted me to new “cloud” apps I never knew existed!
Excellent!
Lisa A.
Thanks Cloud group. You certainly brought some factors about the cloud to my attention that I had not thought too much about…mainly security. I like the Wiki…will be useful.
Bridget
Edublogs is a blogging platform for teachers, school districts, educational leaders and students around the globe. It provides a host site that allows users to create custom blog platforms that suit the needs of the user. James Farmer is the Founder and CEO of Edublogs, the company is based out of Melbourne, Australia. While lecturing […]
Continue reading Edublogs & James Farmer Posted in: Week 04: Entrepreneur Bootcamp
Interesting! I had no idea that edublogs was based out of Australia… I had just ‘assumed’ that it as a canadian deal. There are several blogs I follow from educators that use this platform, but I had never considered it a ‘venture’ or anything like that. How do they earn income $? I thought this was a free platform, but not sure now… honestly, I suppose I should go back and check it out once again… I think I had created a profile there at on time.
I agree with you that it is a well-recognized treasure trove of educator discussions! You’ve given me the urge to go check it out again!
thanks.
-y
Hey Yves,
Yup and Aussie company! They offer 3 types of memberships: free, pro, and campus. Last year they ran a campaign to keep the advertisers away by aiming to get 1 million blogs posted. They were successful and the site is ad free!
The article “7 things you should know about organizing files in the Cloud”, provides a clear outline about what Cloud storage is, how it works, advantages, and disadvantages. I selected this article to read further for two reasons: part of the ETEC group project, and it is developing into a concern in my classroom with […]
Continue reading 7 Things you Should Know….the Cloud Posted in: Uncategorized
In the last couple of years I have found myself working on a few different devices – work computer, wife’s iPad, my iPhone. Cloud services like Evernote or Box keep me together no matter what device I am on. I would image that Bring Your Own Device will become the default in most schools so understanding the cloud will be very important for students and teachers.
I agree Chris, the BYOD will push the issue forward. Even in my elementary school, i encourage the students to BYOD and they certainly enjoy the opportunity and having a purpose to pull of the device. I really enjoy the Cloud for easy transfer of information, i just don’t think of the other issues..ha!
My concern, and I have run into this at the high school level many times, is that there are students that don’t have personal devices. What accomodations can be made for them in a BYOD classroom? Are they being put at a disadvatage towards their learning because they (or their family) do not own a device?
Don’t get me wrong, I love the idea of BYOD, but there are some issues with it that could keep certain students from achieving as well as the others in the class.
Even before we started to create an iPad program at our school I was often having students use their cell phones as planners, recorders of notes and labs. I haven’t met a student yet (I teach senior high school) who didn’t have a phone capable of taking pictures. Some are more limited in searching the web and such, but I either paired them with students who had adequate tech or just provided computers as part of the learning process. I agree that we do have to be aware of what technology is being used, and probably not aim for the highest level, but perhaps more the middle.
I’d agree that knowledge and use of the cloud is important and becoming more frequent. Our school is using iPads next year and will be using such tools as dropbox and evernote for storing, creating, and transfering content between various platforms. I think that there will be a shift away from platform specific tools, to more web based tools making compatibility issues decrease when trying to transfer content between devices.
There is a good point about access issues and often the need for an internet connection when storing online. Short of having looked myself out of my classroom, my content is all there on the shelf, though perhaps it’s better reason to update and modify the content we have.
We have also began the experiment with iPads and its purpose in the classroom. I know this very issue is one that we have discovered, and it is a little frustrating. Cloud storage is something that the board hasn’t really pushed forward with yet for security issues (fair enough), so at the moment we are emailing work to each other. Works for now!
I think too, one thing that needs to be taken into consideration is where the data is actually being stored and what security precautions are in place to protect our student’s personal information. With the “Patriot Act”, directed add technology, data miners, etc, what kind of issues will we face down the road with our students and ourselves and the information that is stored in the cloud. Remember, once it is out there, it will alway be out there!
They can already go and look at secure data sites both from with in Canada and the US. It just happens to be that the Patriot Act is more well known. I agree that we should be aware of where the content is being stored and how it is being stored, but most places if held for a larger reputable server are “secure”. Another consideration is that many students are posting content significantly more personal than an essay or project work through social media sites. As we implement our new iPad program, one of the things we will be pushing is internet awareness for students/parents.
Hi everyone! My name is Jon Patry, and I reside in the city of Calgary, Alberta (sorry if you have read this bio intro already). I am currently employed by the Calgary Board of Education as a Grade 4/5 teacher and an in-house Technology Learning Leader. There are many new fun and technology driven projects happening in […]
Continue reading Hi everyone! My name is Jon Patry, and I… Posted in: Uncategorized
Hi Jon,
I am also currently on my 7th and 8th courses – the end is near! While I enjoy the courses, I am getting antsy to have more time to APPLY what I am learning. Like you, I have already started trying things, but the number of hours in the day are certainly limiting factors.
Looking forward to learning with you.
Janet
Hey Karen,
It’s all about trying and pushing the envelope! Look forward to working with you also!
Jon
Hello Jon,
You are very adventurous taking on the task of having the students create their own personal webspace to use as portfolios. I’m looking forward to working with you in this course.
Hi Donna,
i don’t mind being adventurous. This past year we have been using blogs in the classroom, and low-and-behold, the students actually take part within the home front without being asked. The webspace/portfolio I think would be something that would be a huge hit, allowing the students to display work that is meaningful to them, using technology for a valuable purpose!
Look forward to working with you also!
Jon
Hi again Jon! Looking forward to learning along with you again.
Helen DW
Before you publish your posting, please make sure that you select a category (eg. Introductions) as well as assign some meaningful tags (keywords).
vawells 3:01 pm on July 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Jon
Thank you for sharing such an original useful idea for teachers and students. I can see the uses for this tool in and out of school. I enjoyed viewing your elevator pitch and venture pitch. The visual in the background of your elevator pitch was a good idea and your pitch was delivered with conviction. As you state in your venture pitch more research into startup costs would be needed to establish how much of an investment you would be looking for.
One suggestion I would make would be to include how this service would make money for me, the investor.
Again thanks for sharing
Valerie
jtpatry 12:49 pm on July 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Valerie,
Thanks for the feedback! After viewing many others EP I noticed that they included the money bit. I know I should have included it in my pitch, or something to give it a more profitable boost. I think I got really tied up in the concept itself and how I see the potentials to be an effective tool in education.
But for sure, I know it missed that bit!
Thanks again!
Jon
unclereg 10:44 pm on July 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hello Jon,
Creative name and application. I do not use twitter and didn’t know of its age restriction. This would be great to implement/offer at the elementary level. I liked the idea you made about students being given a chance to use a more kid-orientated version of twitter to build up social responsibility at a younger age. I would invest in this. Great job. Great delivery.
-Regen
jtpatry 12:53 pm on July 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Regen,
Thanks for taking a look and throwing your support to the venture. I would really encourage you to take a closer look into joining the Twitterverse. It is a world of 24/7 PD and an expansion of ones current PLN. You don’t have to be contributor to use the tool, you have the flexibility to “follow” those that are worthwhile and have substance. Give it a go, I think you will be pleasantly surprised. You can always set up an account and follow my name @jtpatry and take a look at the educators and professionals that I follow and see what they have to say.
Cheers,
Jon
unclereg 9:56 pm on August 5, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hey Jon,
In response to my initial posting, here is some more for your idea. Again, I love the idea because I’ve seen a similar twitter page work successfully in the Surrey School district regarding the topic of technology. Thanks for the recommendation to join twitter verse, I’ll be sure to join.
Prior to your presentation I was not aware that students under 13 were not marketed for twitter use and were also not allowed to use the program. I think this is a great way to get younger students integrated into using these sorts of social media as a way to give them practice and responsibility to appropriately post to a site such as kidtweet. If students are not given proper access then they cannot truly practice concepts as ‘netiquette’. This idea will also give students access to communicate with students from within their district and beyond. So many times students do not get a chance to meet other students in the k-7 years prior to attending secondary school. I think this venture is a great way to build relationships between similar age students from different schools. Great idea Jon. Would like to see this idea up and running. Good luck.
-Regen
karonw 7:43 pm on August 1, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Jon,
I think that you have came up with a great venture and concept and it sure fills in the gaps for the elementary/middle school level students and teachers. As an EVA, I think you did very well in articulating your elevator pitch, it was very convincing and you have provided all the details that would motivate and engage one to invest in your product. Also, you sounded very confident which added bonus points to your pitch! I have reviewed your venture proposition and see the benefits and gains for the educators and students but not so much as an investor. If I was to invest in this product what are my gains in revenue? Would it be increasing the registrations at my institution as this product will help my school prepare students who would be responsible individuals in the real/digital world and engage in the global community or would it help me make a profit in another way? I think if you can provide me with this detail then I would definitely be more convinced to invest in KidTweet.
Regardless, excellent effort and work on your venture.
Karon
jtpatry 4:23 pm on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Karen,
Thanks for the feedback and questions. I know I really didn’t have much for the investor, I got really excited about the possibilities of the idea, and left that to the side. Probably not the smartest move in the Dragons Den. More thinking that I was going to invest the capital then anything. Some folks haven mentioned the idea of advertising, which I never really thought of, and the idea of licensing/subscriptions would be something valuable to include too.
Again, thanks for the feedback and questions. Really appreciate it!
Jon
lisamallen 10:48 am on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Jon,
What a great idea and I thought your elevator pitch was fantastic – completely engaging and well done.
My only suggestions here, as has been noted by other peers is more details on how the venture can make money for the investor. Also, since I am not a teacher myself, it’s a little unclear how twitter can be integrated into the classroom – what are the benefits of having it incorporated in teaching with younger kinds. Maybe I missed this but it wasn’t really clear.
Cheers,
Lisa
jtpatry 4:21 pm on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for the feedback and questions. I know I missed the boat on the “how I’m I going to make money” piece. I got really excited about the possibilities of the idea, and left that to the side. More thinking that I was going to invest the capital then anything. Some folks haven mentioned the idea of advertising, which I never really thought of, and the idea of licensing/subscriptions would be something valuable to include too.
The idea of KidTweet (or Twitter) being incorporated in the classroom would be to connect with other classes or students, post questions, share/summarizing learning in 140 characters or less. Pretty much the same way many of us utilize twitter now. Its all about connecting, communicating, and
sharing.
Thanks again,
Jon
maybacon 12:47 pm on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Jon,
Elevator Pitch: Strong elevator pitch. You present yourself very well, clearly and concisely. This appears to be a very useful product in terms of education, adaptation to social media and Internet safety for minors.
Venture Pitch: This pitch is compelling and well researched. I like the product as an educator and a parent, the concept is excellent for the contemporary social and educational arenas and having a service such as KidTweet could encourage schools to be more open to social media applications and BYOD programs.
Your market research was thorough, though I would have liked to know more about the competition (apps or Twitter extensions that could potentially supplant KidTweet by operating under the Twitter umbrella). I also wonder how KidTweet will make money – will schools purchase a license to use KidTweet? Will KidTweet include ads? Could children also get a KidTweet account under parent supervision at home, or is this service exclusively for schools? Is there a possibility of following existing Twitter accounts but filtering tweets through the teacher for moderation first?
I hope you move forward with this venture, as it is a brilliant idea and full of potential! I love the idea of allowing children to practice being good citizens online while protecting them and their future reputations from potential harm during the learning process. Excellent work!!
May
jtpatry 4:13 pm on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi May,
Thanks for some great feedback! The “idea” of KidTweet from what I searched out is one of a kind other than its older counterpart of Twitter. What I think takes this idea to the next level is that the concept is self-contained under its own umbrella, and you don’t have to worry about the security settings such as Twitter, and presently, if I wanted to use twitter in the classroom, the paper work needs to be completed and it would most likely get kiboshed for the potentials of inappropriate material from other postings. Twitter doesn’t provide the option for the filtering of tweets (teachers in the beginning would need to approve tweets and if there are inappropriate ones, it becomes a teachable moment. As for advertising, never thought about that. I know with many educational sites out there, half the time they dont’ even know what is being shown, and I have come across some pretty hefty religion promotions even in some of the sites my students use. If i know what is being advertised or promoted, can’t see why not.
If parents are wanting to take on the supervision of their own children’s accounts, heck yes they can sign-up. But again, teachers who are providing this service with their classes might not necessarily “follow” the student.
Never thought about the idea of following existing twitter feeds, I have no idea if that would work, would be something to look into as their are some really great teachers, educators and professionals to converse with.
If I had the payroll to take this seriously, I wouldn’t hesitate in getting the ball rolling. I know there is more to it, but the idea is there.
Thanks again May.
Jon
ping 1:34 pm on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Jon,
Impressive elevator pitch, and thorough venture plan! I like your idea, and the funny logo too. For students with mobile devices, the KidTweer is a good solution to link them together in a learning community. I mostly like your idea of experts online as consultants. I’ve thought about that myself. It would be a great learner-centered learning style to have students surrounded by experts anywhere and anytime.
My question is that how do you identify those experts in the virtual society, by their professional category or others? And how do you redirect questioning students to these experts? Will the students post questions on their own KidTweer pages, or will they find easy connection to the expert right have knowledge in his interest. I might need more market analysis as for how many partition of kids under 13 will be allowed to have a mobile daily, that would help me to ensure a market size and potential return.
Ping
jtpatry 4:17 pm on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Ping,
Those are really great questions. I think to establish those experts its by doing research before hand. Similar to showing any links to students, teachers must insure that the material is appropriate and kid-friendly.
Yes indeed it would be great to have more market analysis of how many kids do indeed use the mobile devices. I know from what I discovered, the number keeps going up. This particular service would be offered in a web-based platform as well, allowing for all to contribute somehow (in or outside of the school environment)
Thanks for the questions and feedback,
Jon
Leonora Zefi 8:09 pm on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Your elevator pitch message is very clear and to the point Jon. You touched on all the key elements pertaining to this venture. By posing questions and providing answers to them, you kept me engaged.
You did an excellent job in differentiating between kidtweet and tweeter.
Your vision for the venture was clearly conveyed
Concept and Marketability
Kidtweet is a very original concept and your research shows the growth potential due to the large market for kidtweet. Capitalizing on strategic partnerships with ScuttlePad gives the venture a competitive edge.
Venture Plan
You have given a lot of thought to the implementation plan. I like your approach to appealing to the investor highlighting the economic and social benefit of the venture.
Thank you for sharing Jon.
Leonora
jtpatry 10:11 am on August 3, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thanks Leonora for the comments!
chrisaitken 1:14 am on August 3, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
This is a very good idea. Twitter is an excellent place to learn but most schools block Twitter and sites like it. I think KidTweet would give students an opportunity to connect with other students and teachers around the world – exciting! I actually quite surprised there isn’t already something like this out there. If there isn’t I’m sure there will be soon.
jtpatry 10:13 am on August 3, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thanks Chris for taking the time to view the pitch! I have had my eye on the social media market for a platform like Twitter for kids, but no dice. You never know, KidTweet might just be it 🙂
Thanks,
Jon
Chelsea M Woods 9:44 am on August 3, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Terrific idea, Jon! I like the idea of giving students a Tweeting practice ground to explore what makes an appropriate tweet, and develop their understanding of follower, following, and mundane vs. relevant. I’ve heard of a few versions of Facebook for schools, but not of kid versions of Twitter. Thank you! Chelsea
jtpatry 10:14 am on August 3, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thanks Chelsea! I think at some point very soon there will be a platform like Twitter for kids, maybe this is the one 😉
Thanks for taking the time to view the pitch!
Jon
gillian 9:16 am on August 4, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Jon.
What a great idea – despite some of the risks you so openly identify, I think you would have a fairly easy time of it getting this idea off the ground!
I thought your venture pitch was perfect. It was simple and straightforward, allowing the viewer to focus (visually and aurally) on what is important, you and your message and the venture itself. I found the pitch and the presenter to be very professional and definitely would get me to want to know more as an investor.
Your venture pitch was equally impressive and what’s more … honest. I thought the overall presentation was well researched and logical. The focus on security measures was important to sell this venture to both teachers and parents of your target age group. You also demonstrated some practical uses for the product in a classroom setting which is also important for the buyers of this product – who is not the user.
Finally, I appreciated your honesty in your self-evaluation. I think many of us circled around the cost factor – I know I did!
gillian