On Monday evening, May 11, 2009, I was trying to finish up a wikispaces site for a presentation that I was giving at Region 10 ESC to local region educators. I was using wikispaces and was on my home machine which is a Vista machine upgraded to the latest Internet Explorer browser. It became apparent very quickly that I would not be able to edit the wiki the way I wanted, as I had hoped to merely embed resources in a way that I was taught by David Jakes at the TCEA convention back in February.
After several frustrating attempts I put out a call to my PLN on Twitter for some help as I thought I might have forgotten a step. After posting this tweet I put on my headset as I had given out my Skype name and within minutes, Miguel Guhlin called in and asked what the problem might be? I explained what was going on and he looked things over and made some adjustments to the wiki itself and then asked "What browser are you using and what operating system do you have on your machine?" I responded IE 8 and Vista Business. Miguel's only response was "Download Firefox and use that."
While Miguel and I were talking I received 4 other calls or tweets to see if I needed help or if I had been helped. As I talked or messaged each person, the question was always the same "Are you using Firefox? Why not?" Needless to say once I got off of Skype I went to the Mozilla page and downloaded Firefox and installed it. After having a couple of initial problems with the Firefox browser, which Jen Wagner help me sort, we found out it was a result of the links and cookies imported from IE8. I was up and functioning and working on my wiki with no problems whatsoever.
I have usually been a purist on my machines but have opened up to other options as a result of really being in a bind. While I don't see Microsoft as the evil empire and yes I do want a MBP somewhere down the line (sooner rather than later), I truly wish Microsoft would build things to work better with the available tools that are out there. If you can't be all things to all people, at least make it so that your software works right the first time please.
The power of my network proved it's worth once again and I am always grateful. Are you using your network to it's potential? Are you helping others with their networks? Thanks to all those in my network, as always you people are the best.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Just Summer Professional Development?
As the school year starts to wind down, some people have been asking about where others might get their summer professional development. Last summer I had the opportunity to attend several professional development opportunities and that extended throughout the school year as well. I almost always attend NECC as that is important to my boss and to the future of the school from a technology integration standpoint. I also debated on whether to attend Alan November's BLC '08 or Gary Stager CMK '08. I chose CMK08 and while I can't exactly tell you why, I have absolutely no regrets.
This summer Gary is putting on CMK '09 again being held in Manchester, New Hampshire and has prepared a great lineup. I encourage you to consider this very worthy week long event under the direction of Gary and his great lineup of folks. You want to truly have an opportunity to think, play, reflect, be challenged? This is the place to be in my opinion. Nothing laid out for you step by step, you get to create (exactly what we want our students to do); you get to reflect (another thing we want our students to do); you get to hear some great minds, see some great places and spend some quality time with people who want the same thing - the chance to create modern knowledge together and go back to the classroom with all kinds of great ideas, software and tools.
NECC is just that NECC. You have the chance to explore, cruise the aisle of the largest vendor spectacle around or you can sit in the hallways and participate in true conversations. Between Edublogger Con, Second Life playgrounds, and myriad of sessions that you can either pay for or walk into for free, you have the chance to work and play with people of the same mindset - what can I do to help my students? Don't be afraid to seperate from the herd and learn on your own or by asking questions of those who seem to be in the know, just about all of us want what is best for our students. Whatever you do come up with something more original than "Hey I follow you on Twitter, Plurk, Facebook, etc., etc." Come for the conversations. Come to explore our Capital.
But why just stop with those two? You in Texas or close to East Texas? Scheduled to be featured presenters are Dean Shareski, Alec Couros, and Jennifer Wagner along with great Texas talents Maria Henderson, Stephanie Sandifer, Randy Rogers, the GIS team from Bishop Dunne High School (Christine Voigt & Kyle Stevens), Diana Benner, 2009 TCEA Educator of the Year Pam Cranford, Janet Corder, and Joan Gore. If nothing else come by to see what new dish Mike Gras has cooked up for folks to try. Again chances for good conversation around technology, integration, people and food. Might even have a literacy conversation or two and you never know who might Skype in from the outer reaches of the U.S.A.
But what about during the rest of the year. There are so many good things and the best thing I can recommend is to make sure you don't get in a rut. I branched out last year and went to Educon 2.1 at the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia and I can truly say that by far it was the absolute best conference I have attended in my lifetime bar none. True, deep, intensive, free flowing conversations from all involved. The two teachers I took with me were blown away and very grateful for what they experienced.
There is so much professional development all year long from so many people willing to share and stream, and tweet and mogulous, and skype. There are all sorts of people blogging, podcasting and willing to share what they have and do with anyone, anywhere, anytime. If you aren't getting enough professional development, then you aren't making the effort. Don't leave your students behind by not being willing to participate. Their future depends on it. Prpeare them for their future and not what is left of yours. Don't just participate in professional development during the summer, it is waiting for you 24/7/365!
So much to share and participate in. I hope to see you somewhere.
This summer Gary is putting on CMK '09 again being held in Manchester, New Hampshire and has prepared a great lineup. I encourage you to consider this very worthy week long event under the direction of Gary and his great lineup of folks. You want to truly have an opportunity to think, play, reflect, be challenged? This is the place to be in my opinion. Nothing laid out for you step by step, you get to create (exactly what we want our students to do); you get to reflect (another thing we want our students to do); you get to hear some great minds, see some great places and spend some quality time with people who want the same thing - the chance to create modern knowledge together and go back to the classroom with all kinds of great ideas, software and tools.
NECC is just that NECC. You have the chance to explore, cruise the aisle of the largest vendor spectacle around or you can sit in the hallways and participate in true conversations. Between Edublogger Con, Second Life playgrounds, and myriad of sessions that you can either pay for or walk into for free, you have the chance to work and play with people of the same mindset - what can I do to help my students? Don't be afraid to seperate from the herd and learn on your own or by asking questions of those who seem to be in the know, just about all of us want what is best for our students. Whatever you do come up with something more original than "Hey I follow you on Twitter, Plurk, Facebook, etc., etc." Come for the conversations. Come to explore our Capital.
But why just stop with those two? You in Texas or close to East Texas? Scheduled to be featured presenters are Dean Shareski, Alec Couros, and Jennifer Wagner along with great Texas talents Maria Henderson, Stephanie Sandifer, Randy Rogers, the GIS team from Bishop Dunne High School (Christine Voigt & Kyle Stevens), Diana Benner, 2009 TCEA Educator of the Year Pam Cranford, Janet Corder, and Joan Gore. If nothing else come by to see what new dish Mike Gras has cooked up for folks to try. Again chances for good conversation around technology, integration, people and food. Might even have a literacy conversation or two and you never know who might Skype in from the outer reaches of the U.S.A.
But what about during the rest of the year. There are so many good things and the best thing I can recommend is to make sure you don't get in a rut. I branched out last year and went to Educon 2.1 at the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia and I can truly say that by far it was the absolute best conference I have attended in my lifetime bar none. True, deep, intensive, free flowing conversations from all involved. The two teachers I took with me were blown away and very grateful for what they experienced.
There is so much professional development all year long from so many people willing to share and stream, and tweet and mogulous, and skype. There are all sorts of people blogging, podcasting and willing to share what they have and do with anyone, anywhere, anytime. If you aren't getting enough professional development, then you aren't making the effort. Don't leave your students behind by not being willing to participate. Their future depends on it. Prpeare them for their future and not what is left of yours. Don't just participate in professional development during the summer, it is waiting for you 24/7/365!
So much to share and participate in. I hope to see you somewhere.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
One Year Later
One year and 45 posts later, I reflect on some of the things I have learned.
A personal learning network is only as powerful as you want it to be. Many times I feel that I don't contribute as much as I should because I am constantly wowed by the truly knowlegeable and brilliant minds that I follow.
I have learned that it is OK not to post all the time. I have spent a lot of time reading and watching the conversations, and when I do jump in I am blessed by the openness of the people there and their willingness to converse and contribute to my thinking.
I have learned that writing helps me to remember. Some times I feel as though I have so far to go in this world of ed-tech and yet I look back to some of my earlier posts and I think I am doing OK. It does however cause me to want to get other people close to me to at least try some of these things.
I have learned that all I have to do is ask and there are people more than willing to lend a hand, say a prayer or just tell you a joke. People are wonderful and this is a great way to meet them and learn about them and share life with them.
I have learned that we all struggle with life, with faculties - those employed by a district or simply my own personal ones, with technology or just work and the trials that electronic equipment brings to us. I am always looking for a different way to help our faculty members reach out to our students and make them more aware of what the future holds for them and not what my future is for them. I have learned many new ways thanks to the people in my life here.
Above all I have learned! I continue to learn and I want to share my learning with so many others so that they may learn. I look forward to the continued discussions about walled gardens, literacies, skills, tools, what is going to show up on a Dean stream, and who will be close to my location so I can go and sit with them and learn some more, or when will the Texas boys teach someone else about the good "Q" down here. When you coming back David?
But as much as I have learned, I have also learned that it is so very important to share. Share as much as possible. I thank you for being a part of my PLN, I thank you being a part of my learning, and I thank you all for helping me be a better person because you are in my life. Here is to each of you and to many more years of the opportunity to learn lots and share more.
So much to learn and share and so little time.
A personal learning network is only as powerful as you want it to be. Many times I feel that I don't contribute as much as I should because I am constantly wowed by the truly knowlegeable and brilliant minds that I follow.
I have learned that it is OK not to post all the time. I have spent a lot of time reading and watching the conversations, and when I do jump in I am blessed by the openness of the people there and their willingness to converse and contribute to my thinking.
I have learned that writing helps me to remember. Some times I feel as though I have so far to go in this world of ed-tech and yet I look back to some of my earlier posts and I think I am doing OK. It does however cause me to want to get other people close to me to at least try some of these things.
I have learned that all I have to do is ask and there are people more than willing to lend a hand, say a prayer or just tell you a joke. People are wonderful and this is a great way to meet them and learn about them and share life with them.
I have learned that we all struggle with life, with faculties - those employed by a district or simply my own personal ones, with technology or just work and the trials that electronic equipment brings to us. I am always looking for a different way to help our faculty members reach out to our students and make them more aware of what the future holds for them and not what my future is for them. I have learned many new ways thanks to the people in my life here.
Above all I have learned! I continue to learn and I want to share my learning with so many others so that they may learn. I look forward to the continued discussions about walled gardens, literacies, skills, tools, what is going to show up on a Dean stream, and who will be close to my location so I can go and sit with them and learn some more, or when will the Texas boys teach someone else about the good "Q" down here. When you coming back David?
But as much as I have learned, I have also learned that it is so very important to share. Share as much as possible. I thank you for being a part of my PLN, I thank you being a part of my learning, and I thank you all for helping me be a better person because you are in my life. Here is to each of you and to many more years of the opportunity to learn lots and share more.
So much to learn and share and so little time.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Are you adaptable?
I had a chance recently to go on a hike with my older brother. I am fortunate that I live outside the city of Dallas in a small suburb that currently is know for the fact that 43, 000 citations have been issued with a red light camera at one intersection and that number is greater than the population of the city itself. There also happens to be a great creek running several different directions throughout the city and it comes close enough to my house that we decided to go "creeking" the other day. Having recently been discharged from the hospital, I took my ID and cell phone just in case and I am glad that I did so that I could take some pictures. As we walked along we came across this tree that you see to the right and I was fascinated by the fact that the roots of that tree were continually adapting to whatever the creek brought it's way. As a result the tree continued to make it in the real world, our world.
This caused me to ask myself whether or not I am adaptable or am I as adaptable as I think I am or should be? While I feel that I am, the discussion that came about with my brother was how adaptable do our students have to be today? At my school our students may have 4 classes on one day and 3-4 on the other depending on their schedule. This is also known as an A/B block schedule. A teacher may have anywhere from 15-25 students depending on the class and the level for 4-6 periods in those 2 days. We all know that students have to be pretty adaptable because they continually adapt while they "play school" to get out. They adapt to the teacher so as to get a decent grade. They adapt to the day as they encounter other students and faculty be it in the hall, at athletics, extra-curriculars and on and on.
As I pondered this more and more, I got to thinking maybe the students don't have to adapt at all since a lot of teachers stick to the tried and true methods that they have known and how they were taught. Maybe we could all learn from the students. Maybe it's time for us to take a closer look so as to be able to see what the students need as opposed to what is going to get me through my day in the easiest way possible. I don't know as I am still trying to figure this one out.
Are you adaptable? If so how so? I would love to see if I am going the right direction. Let me know.
So much to learn and the time gets shorter and shorter.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Conference Envy Anyone?
This morning as I was catching up on school email, Lisa Durff sent out a tweet with the words "Do you agree or disagree?" I clicked the link she provided and read the post by kwhobbes titled "What's the rest of us to do?" I encourage you to read the post and add your thoughts. Last I checked my comments were waiting moderation so I thought I would go ahead and post some additional thoughts here.
Unfortunately, these are economic times that we will all have to struggle through. We never have enough funding for the things we think we want much less the things we truly need. Mandates from the government be it National, State or local and little to help back it up continue to frustrate all of us even without the thought of trying to convert my school to an SLA look alike. So we all have to be more creative. Yet the thing to think about in my opinion is that if we continue to do things the same way over and over again, our children will follow suit.
We have to work with our students to try and reach each and every one of them in some form or fashion. We need to model life long learning and passing that on. I think of the signs posted in every room and in the hallways at SLA that say "CORE VALUES - Inquiry, Research, Collaboration, Presentation, Reflection." I start thinking do I do that, do our teachers do that? Do we approach all we do in that manner, so as to model it? While I may not go to every conference or see everything I think I need to see or even hear the same thing others hear, it is important to get out there, to be aware, to take teachers to these things so they can be a part of the conversation or at least be within earshot of the conversation, to bring them to the water and let them decide to drink or not. But I do so knowing full well that if I can get there, many others can as well.
There are plenty of frustrations out there without suffering conference attendance envy. Then we we get to conferences the frustrations are also many because we keep hearing the same phrases. In our buildings we continue to beat our heads against the same walls and feeling like we are not moving, but we have to continue to strive to help others make the "shift."
We do that by continually modeling, giving links for the K-12 Online Conference as well as the Not K-12 Online Conference, for Educon for NECC and we have to keep offering people opportunities to make the shift. We have to continually spoon feed and work with and supporting the believers and recruiting new ones all the time.
Frustrating I know, but after 32 years, these are exciting times and I am glad I am here able to be a part of it. On to SLA to learn more so I can share with anybody that wants to listen.
Unfortunately, these are economic times that we will all have to struggle through. We never have enough funding for the things we think we want much less the things we truly need. Mandates from the government be it National, State or local and little to help back it up continue to frustrate all of us even without the thought of trying to convert my school to an SLA look alike. So we all have to be more creative. Yet the thing to think about in my opinion is that if we continue to do things the same way over and over again, our children will follow suit.
We have to work with our students to try and reach each and every one of them in some form or fashion. We need to model life long learning and passing that on. I think of the signs posted in every room and in the hallways at SLA that say "CORE VALUES - Inquiry, Research, Collaboration, Presentation, Reflection." I start thinking do I do that, do our teachers do that? Do we approach all we do in that manner, so as to model it? While I may not go to every conference or see everything I think I need to see or even hear the same thing others hear, it is important to get out there, to be aware, to take teachers to these things so they can be a part of the conversation or at least be within earshot of the conversation, to bring them to the water and let them decide to drink or not. But I do so knowing full well that if I can get there, many others can as well.
There are plenty of frustrations out there without suffering conference attendance envy. Then we we get to conferences the frustrations are also many because we keep hearing the same phrases. In our buildings we continue to beat our heads against the same walls and feeling like we are not moving, but we have to continue to strive to help others make the "shift."
We do that by continually modeling, giving links for the K-12 Online Conference as well as the Not K-12 Online Conference, for Educon for NECC and we have to keep offering people opportunities to make the shift. We have to continually spoon feed and work with and supporting the believers and recruiting new ones all the time.
Frustrating I know, but after 32 years, these are exciting times and I am glad I am here able to be a part of it. On to SLA to learn more so I can share with anybody that wants to listen.
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