Click 'o the Mouse

MTAC Reflections

2006-04-28T12:02:00.000-04:00

The county has recently re-formed a Media and Technology Advisory Committee. Our first meeting went well yesterday. We had 2 items on the agenda: the NCSCOS for Computer and Information skills and Internet Filtering. Some very good questions were raised.

Are we teaching the NCSCOS for Computer and Information Skills to 100% of our students? We are definitely trying at our school. Over the last 3 years, with no technology facilitator or leadership to speak of, it seems that there isn't as much technology integration as there should be. During these 3 years, our school has made the big change from Mac to PC without support from a tech facilitator.

That doesn't mean that we're not using technology--we are! There just doesn't seem to be much collaboration between the tech facilitator and classroom teachers. I believe that as our teachers become more comfortable using technology and getting used to me, that will change. I have big dreams for MCMS and a great staff and administrators to work with!

On the Internet filtering agenda, yes, we have to filter. It's the law. I feel that teachers should be treated as professionals and allowed to have less filtering than students on their teacher workstations. Sometimes sites that contain good information are blocked and teachers don't have time to bother with unblocking them. Teachers will have to monitor student use of teacher workstations very closely but I believe our teachers do a pretty good job with this.

Teachers will have to check web sites they want students to use on students machines before they take students to the labs. I would have to do the same thing if I were doing a lesson online with students. I know it will take a little more time, but wouldn't teachers prefer the pay-off of having less filtering on their teacher workstations? I think so. I would like to hear other teachers' comments.

Thanks

2006-02-17T15:35:00.000-05:00

After re-reading my post from yesterday I realized that to others I may seem ungrateful for the technology we have. I want to clarify that I am extremely grateful for what we have. Our teachers and students do amazing things with the equipment we've been allocated.

We have a nice computer lab that will be very up-to-date (once we upgrade to Windows XP and Office 2003) by the end of the spring. Our school hasn't really had a technology facilitator for the last few years to push upgrades and steer purchasing towards the future. Hopefully we will be on the right track after the next couple of years but it will take time.

I have visited other schools in other counties. Some have more technology than us and others have less. I am always grateful that we are not in the latter category. I just think there is room for improvement when it comes to refreshing our equipment and I am glad we have advocates in the county who are willing to speak out on our behalf.

Local Budget Request Thoughts

2006-02-16T11:03:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to take a few moments to respond to the recent presentation to our county's school board on the need to better fund technology in our schools.

Our county does need to reflect on how it is funding technology. As a new tech facilitator, it seems that we refresh computers when they're 7 or 8 years old and basically obsolete. My teachers have iMacs that have so little memory/up-to-date hardware that the only thing students can do with them is take an Accelerated Reader test. Surfing the Internet on them is almost impossible. Our recent Computer Utilization Survey results prove this--the highest percentage of student computer usage was using Accelerated Reader. Teachers tell me over and over again that they can't do anything else with those iMacs.

We are in dire need of another computer lab in our school. I have posted on this topic several times in my blog. We are looking at other possibilities like a wireless lab but there is no money for such a venture. We have the potential to do some wonderful things but with such limited computer access, there is no way they will be accomplished.

The fact that we even have to prove students use computers is ridiculous. Of course they use computers but our survey results won't show that students are doing real-world technology projects (like editing digital video, blogging, etc.) until we can get equipment and software to support them. It's like a catch 22.

There are technology facilitators at almost all the schools in our county now. We are trained well to assist with the integration of technology into classrooms but many of us are bogged down with troubleshooting ancient equipment and have very little time to help teachers. Are computers just sitting around gathering dust in our schools?? Absolutely not! I have seen computers run like the Duracell bunny, be repaired, bandaged, petted, and coaxed into running years after most people in the professional sector would have junked them and bought new machines. Teachers are the most frugal people I have ever seen.

Why do we expect teachers to deal with the oldest junk imaginable but produce stellar results with technology? They do, day after day, but teachers and students could do so much more if they had more and better computers. We have teachers presenting their lessons on PowerPoint, streaming video downloaded from the Internet, designing their own web pages (where they post homework, extra credit assignments and link to their class blogs), and doing virtual dissections on CD-ROM. We try to get them the resources they need with what funds we have but it’s still not enough.

So far this year I have been able to teach students how to blog, how to produce multimedia presentations, how to create a spreadsheet from scratch, how to use advanced features of word processing, and how to sort and filter databases. Each time I see these middle schoolers’ eyes light up with what they and the computer can do. They are learning with and through using technology but they deserve to touch a computer more than 2-3 times a week (and in many cases even less). Most adults touch a computer for productivity purposes at least 5-10 times a day if not more.

I could go on and on but I will let the following passage speak for itself. I have pasted it here from a link on Joe Poletti’s blog. He is our county’s Director of Technology and Media.

This was posted on the Abilene, Kansas High School Dialogue Buzz website. It was an anonymous post, but VERY powerful. Feel free to share this with educators, parents and stakeholders about 1:1 and the power of the seamless use of technology. It seems to sum it all up!!

Let’s have a little competition at school and get ready for the future. I will use a laptop and you will use paper and pencil. Are you ready…?

I will access up-to-date information - you have a textbook that is 5 years old.
I will immediately know when I misspell a word – you have to wait until it’s graded.
I will learn how to care for technology by using it – you will read about it.
I will see math problems in 3D – you will do the odd problems.
I will create artwork and poetry and share it with the world – you will share yours with the class.
I will have 24/7 access – you have the entire class period.
I will access the most dynamic information – yours will be printed and photocopied.
I will communicate with leaders and experts using email – you will wait for Friday’s speaker.
I will select my learning style – you will use the teacher’s favorite learning style.
I will collaborate with my peers from around the world – you will collaborate with peers in your classroom.
I will take my learning as far as I want – you must wait for the rest of the class.
The cost of a laptop per year? - $250
The cost of teacher and student training? – Expensive
The cost of well educated US citizens and workforce? - Priceless

Wireless Lab Thoughts

2006-02-10T16:03:00.000-05:00

Our school continues to grapple with the issue of very limited time in the computer lab and outdated machines. There has been quite a bit of discussion about exploring a wireless lab (class set of laptops on a cart) as a solution to our dilemma.

As I stated in a previous post, our school has one decent lab and another relatively decent lab of computers in the Media Center. After much brainstorming on the most fair way to sign up for lab time, teachers came up with the idea to assign each teaching team (7 in all) one week per 9 weeks. The last 2 weeks of the grading period would be left on a first come, first serve basis. This system seems to be working for those who couldn't sign up early enough to get the lab. On the other hand, a team's week doesn't always coincide with that brilliant unit on frog dissection or the Civil War. If a team can't swap a week, they sign up for the Media Center. Using the Media Center as a computer lab does put a little strain on classes using the Media Center for research. There have been a few times when the MC seems like Grand Central Station with multiple classes doing circulation, research, and computer projects.

The bottom line is--WE NEED ANOTHER COMPUTER LAB!! The next question is where are we going to put it?? We don't have any more classrooms. The only other option is to go wireless.

I'm doing some research and I found some great articles. Here they are:

12 Tips For Launching a Wireless Laptop Program
Is Wireless Worth It?
A New Take on Tablets (Explores Tablet PCs vs. Laptops)

I'm just getting started. Apparently there's a lot of factors involved and a lot to think about.

Does anyone out there know of any grant possibilities for something like this?

Stepping Out for Fitness

2006-01-18T08:33:00.000-05:00

Ok, it's a new year and our staff is "Stepping Out for Fitness." Thanks to our principal, Mrs. Kreuser, our school was awarded a wellness grant to promote a walking program for teachers. Over 40 of the staff are participating. Using pedometers, we count our steps and then report them on an Excel spreadsheet every day.

I'm proud of our staff for taking a risk with this spreadsheet thing. Some may have never used one before. I set up formulas so it will total a team's steps each day as well as do a running overall total for each individual and team. I think it will be exciting to watch the number of steps accumulate and get higher and higher each day. I hope that seeing this simple use of spreadsheets will encourage and inspire some teachers to step out and learn how to use them and how to incorporate them into class projects.

Blogging 101--Web logs go to school | CNET News.com

2005-11-18T13:50:00.000-05:00

I found this article for anyone out there who is still wondering what a blog is and whether or not it would really benefit educators to use blogs with their classes.

http://news.com.com/Blogging+101--Web+logs+go+to+school/2100-1032_3-5895779.html

Blogging is the tip of a much cooler iceberg if you ask me. The more I find out about Web 2.0, the more I realize I have so much to learn. I have really gotten into http://del.icio.us lately. Social bookmarking is amazing. I learned what BitTorrents were last night. Fascinating stuff!

20 Technology Skills Every Educator Should Have

2005-11-17T10:12:00.000-05:00

Sorry, I'm just finding tons of good articles this morning.

20 Technology Skills Every Educator Should Have

Human 2.0 - Next - Technology - smh.com.au

2005-11-17T10:04:00.000-05:00

A very interesting article on the rate of human knowledge and the future of technology.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/next/human-20/2005/10/24/1130006035858.html

Kurzweil's AI site is also very interesting:

http://www.kurzweilai.net/index.html?flash=1

Found another article on increasing blog traffic:

http://www.paulstamatiou.com/2005/11/03/how-to-boost-your-blog-traffic/

Computer Lab Lockup

2005-11-15T16:08:00.000-05:00

So much to say and so little time to say it in...

I keep hearing that we as educators and technology facilitators need to tell our stories. Here is a current story that we as a staff are enduring for the past 2 weeks: Computer Lab Lockup!

With the new online version of the NC Computer Skills Test came unforeseen tie ups of our school's main computer lab for a 3 week period of time as well as the "lab" in our Media Center for 1 week. I will admit that I am a bit befuddled about how to conduct this review/testing next year. I really hate telling teachers that they're going to have to wait to do that fabulous Internet activity for a month or that their class can't blog or create a newsletter for several weeks. There has to be a better way to do this stuff!

We have one "good" lab of machines that is used on a regular basis for projects, online activities, etc. The Media Center computers are used mainly for research but classes can use these machines to do other activities. About half these machines are top quality, with the rest being not so slow. The other lab we have is full of donated machines from Wachovia. They were donated several years back when Wachovia refreshed their own inventory. These Pentium II machines will run our math and language arts remediation program and do a little word processing but that's about it. Donations like this are wonderful but over time they fall prey to advancing technologies and become increasingly limited in what they can do.

It seems that we are behind when it comes to having updated labs. I've heard that other schools have wireless labs--a class set of laptops in a lockable cart with wireless capabilities. I think that would be a great way to bring the technology to the classroom and put it in the students' hands where it belongs. Come to think of it, outside the school I see technology everywhere, at people's fingertips. So why is it that technology is in a separate, special location in a school?

I guess this is leading up to a description of my dream classroom. Ok, Mr. P, here's some futuristic thinking for you: a classroom that has wireless Internet service, every desk/table has a retractable platform for a laptop computer (sort of like the old sewing machine tables where you could close the lid and the sewing machine disappeared inside and all you saw was the cabinet on the outside) so that students can toggle back and forth between using a flat surface or their machine (when not using the laptop it would be safely tucked away), the whiteboard at the front of the room is not just a whiteboard--it's one huge flat screen monitor, sensitive to the touch (a lot like a Smartboard) but connected to the teacher's workstation. The whiteboard would act like an erasable whiteboard but at the same time it's a desktop computer with shortcuts to items the teacher wants to open and use in class. Maybe there are icons to a multimedia presentation or a United Streaming video segment or a web page or outlines typed in Word on this board. The teacher could hop from one activity to the next by just double touching the icons on the board. Maybe students could export their documents or digital projects from their desk laptops to the board for presentation to the class. Imagine a videoconference or live chat with a scientist in another state or country! The scientist (or the chat) is projected on the digital whiteboard and students are typing in questions from their desks. Of course, mixed in with all this high tech education are collaborative activities with partners or groups and all the other hands-on activities or oral discussions that go on in a traditional classroom as well.

Ok, enough dreaming. I have to keep my feet on the ground for now and brainstorm some creative ways to do lab scheduling and find money to update one of our labs so that as technology use increases in our school (as it should), teachers have resources to make that happen. Our students deserve a "no vertical limits" philosophy when it comes to using, integrating, and applying technology at school. They are facing a future where technology is the vehicle for creativity, financial security, convenience, and knowledge. In fact that vehicle is already waiting at the curb.

Tired, but good

2005-11-03T15:34:00.000-05:00

That's what I tell people when they ask how I'm doing. As a technology facilitator, every day is very tiring but mainly rewarding. When I was a classroom teacher I never knew how much a tech facilitator did in a day. Now I can appreciate both sides of the fence.

The fact remains--WE'RE ALL BUSY and we ALL work hard.

Sitting here resting after a long day helping 8th graders review for the NC Computer Skills Test, I reflect on how precious an experience it is to work with children. Yes, they can be a little rowdy. Yes, they test the boundaries. Yes, they can frustrate a teacher at times. BUT, they are worth all the time and effort.

Over the last 3 days I have seen light bulbs go off when they learn a new way to sort a spreadsheet or when they finally figure out how to filter that database. They giggle at a PowerPoint animation. I have missed the laughter and fun of teaching students. So, I am grateful for this opportunity and hope that there will be more in the future as we delve deeper into technology usage at MCMS.

Pit Stop

2005-10-21T08:44:00.000-04:00

Thought I'd take a little pit stop in between tasks. Things have been hopping around here. We're making some progress with web pages. I think teachers have been learning a lot about web design, working with tables, inserting clip art, etc. Mrs. Kreuser just started her blog the other day. Now it's time to begin review for the NC Computer Skills Test. If you are an 8th grade parent reading this entry, please feel free to visit the NC Desk site to learn more about the new online version of the test. You can even download the program and have your child take a simulation of the online test.

I highly recommend every parent sitting down with his/her child and taking a look at this new format. Some of the questions on the simulation even bewildered me at first. The good news is that the generic versions of word processing, spreadsheet, database, email, and window manager are included on the "desktop" of the program. Students can go into these generic programs and create their own documents. Parents can sit down with their children and go over the parts of a spreadsheet or what does the paper clip mean on an email window.

I have begun collaborating with the 8th grade science teachers on how we'll do the review for the test. They suggested we do the review in their classes since they have a technology chapter in the textbook this year. While one team's science classes are doing a 4 day review for the test in the computer lab, the other team will be covering the technology chapter in the textbook. Then the teams will flip flop. There are plans to use PowerPoints, create technology bulletin boards, review worksheets as homework during lab days, etc. I am thrilled to work with and support the science teachers. We've sketched out a unit of study instead of just pulling the kids out of classes to review for the test. I believe this unit will dovetail very nicely, preparing students for the test at the same time teaching them a lot about technology.

Besides all that, I am looking forward to getting in a classroom and teaching students again. I have enjoyed teaching teachers but it's different with kids. Know what I mean?

Blogging Pioneers

2005-10-13T12:39:00.000-04:00

Kudos to Mrs. Lancaster's creative students for being the first classes to blog at MCMS! Mrs. Lancaster's classes typed up a lab report on hurricanes in Microsoft Word, then went to their blog to write a personal reflection on hurricanes. Their responses so far are phenomenal.

Blogger for Word

2005-10-08T12:16:00.000-04:00

Wow! I just published the last post and this one using the free add-in “Blogger for Word.” Now updating my blog is even easier! I just open Word and there is a new toolbar just for Blogger. I login to the blog I want to update from the toolbar and start typing. When I’m ready to publish I click on the publish button. It asks me for a title and which blog I want to publish to. How easy is that? Plus I can format my blogs the way I want to. I can even open a previous post and edit it from Word. Very impressive…

The add-in download is it at the bottom of Blogger’s home page.

Fish!

2005-10-08T12:09:00.000-04:00

I just finished reading Fish! by Stephen C. Lundin, Ph.D., Harry Paul, and John Christensen. For those who have never heard of it, it’s a book based on the Fish! Philosophy—a 4 step method for boosting energy, enthusiasm, morale, and productivity in the workplace. We learned about Fish! from our new principal at school on the first day back after summer break. She showed us a video and we threw some fish (literally!).

Fish! is based on the Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle. The fishmongers there decided years ago to change their dreary, boring workplace into a fun place. Their method is simple:

Choose your attitude—You may not be able to choose the type of work that comes your way every day but you can choose how you react to it. It’s your choice to be bored or to shrug it off and have fun with it.

Play—You can be serious about what you do without taking yourself too seriously. Doesn’t everyone want to work somewhere that’s fun?

Make their day—It’s the simple concept of giving. Do something special for someone, doesn’t have to be a huge thing, just something that makes their day and makes them smile. Compliment them, give them a piece of chocolate or a word of encouragement.

Be present—Don’t read your emails while on the phone with someone who has a problem and who needs your help. Give them your attention. When you have something on your agenda but a friend needs to talk. Put down what you’re doing and listen to him. Don’t go through your whole day and not be engaged in what you’re doing.

I liked the book a lot. It is a fictional account that brings the Fish! philosophy to life and shows how it might work in application to a department that’s otherwise known as a “toxic energy dump.” The philosophy is simple and easy to understand.

I think with my job in technology, it’s easy to get caught up in one problem after another. I’m choosing a different attitude. I choose to have fun and look at each “problem” not as a problem but as an opportunity.

Blogging as a Teaching Tool

2005-10-07T11:45:00.000-04:00

I found this interesting article about using blogging as a teaching tool. The author uses student examples to prove his points. Here are some excerpts that caught my attention:

"Because Web logs are rooted in writing, their appeal to composition teachers and students is obvious. They enable the easy creation of almost limitless reams of digital paper that support drafting, feedback, revision, and publication in ways that traditional paper simply cannot support."

"For one thing, asking students to articulate their thoughts in writing for publication in the Web log gave them an opportunity to develop their ideas."

"Another obvious result of the Web log was that it gave more-reticent students a chance to enter the conversation."

"Students were also able to offer their own creative interpretations of the work, and some of the responses to those works showed a great deal of attention to the detail of the artist."

"Without question, however, one of the most powerful aspects of the Web log is the interaction it allows from outside audiences, in this case, the author, Sue Monk Kidd. Because we were among the first to study the book, I contacted her publicist to see if she might be interested in joining our Web log discussion. To my amazement, she agreed to respond directly to some of my students' questions...The author's ability to easily interact with my students in the Web log gave us a unique opportunity for a richer understanding of the work. "

How amazing is that? An author communicating real-time with students who are reading her book? We never did anything like that when I was in school!

Fear

2005-10-06T10:08:00.000-04:00

Why do we let fear keep us from trying new technology? What are we really afraid of? Do we think the machine will blow up if we press a wrong button? Do we think it will take up all of our time?

If time is the issue (learning new technology, software, etc.), then how do fix that? I can do a lot of things as a technology facilitator but I can not add one more hour to the day. How can we squeeze in time to learn one more new program, update our web pages, blog, create dynamic, interactive, multimedia presentations? *gasping for breath*

We know technology can be fun and look cool but how do we make time to learn how to use it and then use it? Any thoughts out there in the wild blue yonder?

Web Page Classes

2005-09-27T18:51:00.000-04:00

We're starting web page classes next week. I'm looking forward to getting the staff on the same page. Hopefully after the next two weeks, everyone will have their own web site. If you are parents or students out there and your teacher either doesn't have a web site or has had problems updating it, just be patient with us. We're still on a learning curve. We've also had some technical difficulties. After the next couple of weeks I think things will start to smooth out with web pages.

I'd like to get some feedback from other educators, parents, students, etc. Let me know you're out there!

Late Night Reflections

2005-09-25T23:14:00.000-04:00

Now that I have a blog, I feel like everyone else should have one including my principal, my pastor, my president, etc. Is this like the reality show phenomenon? (As a society, we seem fascinated and even driven to delve into the lives and problems of other people.) Is this desire of mine to read the blogs of my leaders an effort to decipher their thoughts wrong? I don't know that it's wrong but maybe I'm desiring to feel connected to my leaders. Perhaps, I would be able to catch more of their vision and be a better follower if I knew more of their thoughts. Hmmm...

Diving into the blogosphere

2005-09-22T20:51:00.000-04:00

After a day with David Warlick, I was excited to come home and dive into the blogosphere. Wow! It's a big world, but so well connected. I subscribed to bloglines (blog aggregator) and del.icio.us (web-based social bookmarker). I found some blogs to subscribe to also. Here I am blogging again for the 2nd time in one day. Now the only thing I'm wondering about is what took me so long to get my feet wet?

I found this article about intelligence in the age of the Internet. Check it out.

Getting Over It--I NEED A BLOG!

2005-09-22T13:21:00.000-04:00

Today, I'm getting over the fact that I need to have a blog. Ok, I've been hearing about blogs for years. My first reaction (which has persisted for some time) is that blogging is ridiculous. Who needs to keep their diary of personal thoughts and experiences online for the world to read? Now I see, thanks to a day with David Warlick and numerous of educational examples, that blogging can be a good thing.

Whether I believe it or not, blogs are happening. They're happening with adults, students, schools, businesses, etc. As a technology facilitator, I need to not only deal with the reality of the technology we have but also with the future of technology and where it's going. Warlick said, "For the first time in history, we are preparing our children for a future we cannot describe." That sounds a little scary.

I'm not sure I can fully comment on that today because I need to think about that quote for a while. What I do see is that I need to at least expose myself to and experiment where possible when it comes to new web technology. So here goes...welcome to my blogging world!