After a long hiatus...

I have to apologize for the long blogging "hiatus".  Having spent the last month pouring over common core standards, ITLS standards, professional development workshops, I was overloaded with information and ideas.  

Which brings me to my point today.  I was recently working with a group of children (not students since school was not in session!) looking for information on a variety of topics online.  They used high quality keywords to get some excellent search results using Google.  As I scanned the first several results pages I thought the results were excellent...

Unfortunately the kids didn't.  I am sure you know why.

My epiphany that day, which I should have had earlier in my career, is that the same problem exists today that existed when computers/Internet first became fashionable in schools--our new generation of "Digital Natives" as Marc Prensky calls them, can use the tools to find and display information, but still have trouble evaluating the information.  Compounded with information OVERLOAD, this is a serious problem.

Our children and students are digital natives without question.  They can pick up and use virtually any device intuitively, figure out how apps work and even WHY and WHEN to use certain apps, work collaboratively with their peers in ways that I could not have even imagined when I was in school (Google docs, Skype, etc...), and present/demonstrate their skills using such a variety of technology tools (think iMovie).  But as "digital immigrants" (Prensky again), we have a distinct advantage garnered from the days of having to use actual books for research, having to go to multiple libraries to find these books, and having to scan or read the acquired books--we can decipher important from non-essential information.

Now I am not calling for a return to book research...those of you who know me well would LOL if I said that.  What I am calling for is a more dedicated effort, across the scope of our school, to provide more opportunities for problem-solving and inquiry-based approaches to teaching and learning in which the teacher is facilitator and "guidance" counselor and in which the "problems" take time to evaluate and solve.

This is THE 21st Century skill.

The Princess & The Wart

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess desired across the land because of her perfection, grace and excellent hygiene.  Her name was Princess Google.

[I know that Google is a princess--beautiful, fun, easy to connect with, entirely frustrating bordering on diva level, and sometimes impassable....but back to the story]

Many the young (and sometimes old) admirer would chase the princess when she came to town.  Crowds lined the street merely to gaze upon the wonderful Princess Google.  I, myself, have carried tales of her loveliness to the corners of the realm and, in some small and large ways, fallen for her charms.

But she was hiding a secret, the blemish that only the most wise across the land has seen...she had a wart, a wart so heinous that should it become common knowledge her beauty would be lessened.  Princess Google is a control freak of "big brother" levels.

Should you dare to cross the Princess' "terms of service", she will disable you in all possible haste.  Beware.

I had believed that Princess Google beyond the fickleness of her evil stepmother Apple or the wicked witch of the east Microsoft, but alas...I was foolish.  This pumpkin driver has returned to his life as a rodent...

On a technical note...I was trying to embed a Prezi into my Google site.  I would recommend not trying this.  Once the mechanics of the APPEAL process goes through, I will update...

Updated 8/12...my site was just "up" and running again...no email or explanation.  Still digging.

The Lazy Days of Summer

For a teacher?  Yeah, right.

While my hopes is that summer is relaxing, refreshing and rejuvenating, I understand the fundamental nature of teaching (and LMS) as a profession...summer is a time to catch up on all the things you didn't have time for during the year, training, training and more training, and career enrichment activities.

Here are a couple of "easy" tech-suggestions that you can do while actually "lazing" around the pool this summer that will make your life easier.

1.  Set up a Box account.  Box is an online file storage site that allows you to upload files, store them safely online and share them with others.  Box also has iOS and Android apps for all types of devices as well as a Google Chrome app.  The beauty of Box is that files are easily viewable on all of your devices.  You will start with 5GB of storage space (similar to Google Drive), but over the course of the year, they offer 50GB of storage frequently.  50GB is a ton of space.

• Family Photos
• Home Videos
• Important Documents

2.  Read a techie blog or website regularly.  Those of you who know me well know I read Mashable everyday, but there are lots of others:

• Mashable
• FreeTech4Teachers
• CNN Technology
• MacAppStorm
• So many others...

3.  Start blogging yourself!  Trust me it's fun (I am hoping for you), therapeutic (at least for me) and  informational.  You have so much knowledge to share...share it. 

4.  Spend 10 minutes a day looking through apps for your iPad/iPhone or Android device.  Even if you don't find any, you will at least know what you don't like.  Call it "internal" review.

AND...enjoy the summer, hot weather and all.

A Slap of Reality

Absolutely the best graduation speech I have heard...

What do you think?

Did I Just Say That?

I am going to say something controversial, apocalyptic and it might upset people.

I don't like iPhones.

(I am waiting for lightning to strike or a fissure to open beneath my desk, hang on...)

I said it.  I don't like iPhones.  I appreciate everything that Apple, iPhones and Steve Jobs has done for computational design and the tech market, but I still don't like iPhones.

My colleagues, when I tell them of this dislike, say "but you're an Apple guy."  Right.  I love the iPad and I am trying to get a MacBook by hook or by crook, but still don't like the iPhone.  I am not trying to dissuade you from purchasing one or enjoying the one you might have, because they are really nice devices.  My wife has a 4 (pre-Siri) and it works nicely.  The mockup of the iPhone 5 looks slick as well.  So what's my deal?

Meet my new best friend

The Droid Razr Maxx (enter O Fortuna from Carmina Barana or the Exorcist, I guess).  Please play while reading the next part...impressive.

Yes, the MAXX. 

The "WOW" of the Maxx:

• Reception is the best I have ever heard...specially considering my office is in the basement (read that no windows) of the Polk Library.
• Droid operating system is incredible...Google developed...Upgrade to ICS (Ice Cream Sandwich) operating system (end of June) will make this so much sweeter.
• Battery life is longer than I know.  I have used it for two whole days as a "heavy" user trial and got down to 30%.  I haven't been under that yet.
• Super AMOLed OLED screen...greater colors, faster (not choppy) playbacks and no backlight required which uses less power.  This is HD viewing...on a phone.
• Camera and video camera are awesome.
• Expandable memory through microSD card
• More, so very much more...

I am slowly approaching the point where I use my phone for computing more than my iPad. 

As a note, stay away from the Droid Razr.  Dealers will try to sell you one, but with so many high resolution graphics, 4G access, etc...the battery life of a normal user is about 4 hours.  They will also include a battery backup, but seriously, do you want to make calls with this plugged to your phone? 

I have seen it done.

If you love your iPhone...awesome.  The point with all of this Razr-love I have going on is to test out other, even non-Apple, products occasionally.  You will be surprised what you find.