Learning Blog

On the Media had a great piece this week entitled, “Sex, Drugs, and Video Games” about the relationship between video games and violence. They say:

Lawrence Kutner has authored a new book suggesting violent video games do not create violent children.

As the parent of three young children and a Director of Technology at an all boys school, this story feels good. Do you know of opposing research?

Image from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mytripsmypics/2455932465/

I’ve spent a great deal of time over my past 10 years as a Technology Director implementing new technologies that automate data systems (multiple student information systems, admissions, development, and business office systems), allow easier communication (e-mail), and help teachers teach and students learn (blogs, wikis, moodle and other communications tools).

We use FirstClass as our e-mail server and over the past couple of years, we have had some big gripes with FirstClass.  They have released server updates with big bugs and their support leaves much to be desired.  So earlier on this year we began to evaluate different communications platforms.  We started by defining criteria that we would use to evaluate each platforms.  Then we installed or tested Google Apps for Schools, Microsoft Live, Novell GroupWise and Microsoft Exchange 2007 .  We’re a Microsoft school and the only system that fit a majority of the criterion was Microsoft Exchange 2007.

So we went to user testing.  Most users who tested Exchange and Outlook gave us very positive feedback.  I’ve spoken to multiple Network Admins and Directors of Technology who give good reviews to Outlook.  I have evaluated it myself and really prefer its user interface to that of FirstClass.

But, with all of those positives, I still ask: What are the benefits of changing systems?  What are the benefits to asking 200 faculty and staff and 400 students to learn a new system that pretty much does the same thing they were doing on FirstClass?  The send and receive e-mail.  That’s what most people use e-mail for, right?

Yes, there will be a many administrators and staff who will have a system that makes their lives more convenient.  There may be some teachers who use the document sharing and collaboration tools built into Exchange 2007.  The Microsoft Office integration is much tighter and our Student Information System had an e-mail class roster link that will actually work correctly.  Web site links from e-mail will work correctly and we won’t have to be deleting and reconfiguring FirstClass folders that have become corrupted.  There is easier support for administrator, faculty and student handheld devices.

But does this list tip the scale?

What about the time it’s going to take to train all of the faculty, staff and students to use this new system?

It this technology for technology sake, even with the improvements we will see?

I wonder this about many of the changes that are coming down the pike such as Windows Vista and Office 2007.

I see all of the great things that I could be doing with faculty next fall to integrate technology into the curriculum at our school and then realize that changing to Exchange might delay them.  Or it might make thing easier.  Is it worth it?

I know you can’t answer this question, but it’s the one won’t get out of my head right now.

I yearn to think more about teaching and learning with technology and find myself hung up on seemingly surface level decisions about our e-mail system.  I’m definitely feeling a bit frustrated.

Thanks for listening.  I’ll update you once we make a decision.

Photo from: http://flickr.com/photos/priddy/3507724/

I received this e-mail today and thought that some of the folks who have attended my presentations on Global Collaboration might find it interesting:

American Councils continues to be privileged to administer the Teachers of Critical Languages Program of the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.  We are pleased to announce that applications to host Chinese or Arabic exchange teachers during the 2008-2009 school year are available and can be downloaded from either [ http://www.americancouncils.org/ ]www.americancouncils.org or [ http://www.tclprogram.org/ ]www.tclprogram.org.

TCLP is a great program that looks to build US schools’ capacities to offer Chinese and Arabic programs as these languages are indeed critically important for both the current and future generation.  Moreover, both China and the Middle East have rich, vibrant, and deep cultures and histories, and our students can learn a great deal from them.  Reciprocally, our exchange teachers can learn a great deal about American culture while improving their English and gaining experience in teaching methodologies.  All said, it’s a great cross-cultural program that really does benefit all parties involved.

From a school’s perspective, the program provides many benefits, as well as numerous opportunities.  Please find them listed below, forward as you feel best, and, of course, feel free to contact me directly with whatever questions you may have:
•
American Councils provides exchange teachers’ monthly salaries ($28,000), health care, round-trip airfare, visa support, and ongoing on-program support including in-person site visits

•    American Councils provides exchange teachers with two-weeks of integrated, scaffolded, and focused methodological and cultural training in DC before the school year begins; a four-day professional development workshop in November; and access to a professional development fund for exchange teachers to acquire training, textbooks, or materials as are relevant to their situations

•    American Councils provides host schools’ participation in a weekend sub-conference within their teachers’ Washington DC training.  Additionally, mentor teachers who support exchange teachers’ professional needs and cultural adjustment receive a monthly honorarium from American Councils

•    TCLP includes alumni grant opportunities for exchange teachers and host schools when they “graduate” from the program in June 2009 so that continued collaboration, cross-cultural exchange, and classroom partnerships can be supported

•    US elementary or secondary schools, both public and private, may apply

•    Applications are welcomed from schools with existing, developing, or planned programs

•    Applications are due May 16, 2008.  Awards and regrets will be sent by the end of May

Best Regards,
Ben Dunbar

Ben Dunbar
Senior Program Officer
Teacher Programs
American Councils for International Education
(202) 833-7522 / (202) 833-7523 (f)
[ http://www.americancouncils.org/ ]www.americancouncils.org

NJECC did a great job with their conference today. Thanks to all who contributed to the conversation.

The technology worked and as promised, here are my slides and a number of other resources from my network.

| View | Upload your own

From Twitter:

From vvrotny:

• Creating Global Collaboration

From elemenous:

• Global Education Ning
• Apple Learning Interchange
• Outreach World
• Global Awareness Del.icio.us links

From scmorgan:

• Kim Cofino’s blog

From participants:

• U.S. State Department Youth and Education
• Peace Corps

I’m at the New Jersey Educational Computing Consortium Annual Conference today.  I’ll be presenting on Creating Connections that Foster Global Collaboration in Your Classroom.

Mark Prensky is keynoting.  I’ve never seen him live before, so I’m looking forward to seeing him live.

“You can’t keep up with all of the information, so don’t try.” That was one of the things that I said multiple times during my Saturday trip to EduCon 2.0 this past weekend. It’s true. With all of the networks and resources out there, Blogs, Nings, Twitter, Podcasts, Books, Television, etc., how do you keep up? You can’t. You just have to decide that much of the information will pass by and move on.

I find that I go through cycles. I think this is healthy. I read books for a month, I listen to podcasts during a vacation, I read RSS when I open up Google Reader, I check my Twitter account for a few minutes a day. The reality though, is that I can’t keep up with any of these the way I would like to. So I have to let go. And that’s ok.

It’s important to balance all of this with real live: family time with my wife and kids; time to look at the sky or stars; time to watch some bad TV; as Vinnie discussed, time to do chores; time to read the newspaper; and time to sleep.

And so the balancing act continues.

Photo Credit: #45/365: Balancing Act

I hope you’re all having a wonderful holiday season.  Here’s to a great 2008.

Over the past two weeks arvind and I have discussed Social Networking on our webcast over at EdTechTalk.  The first show consisted of us discussing social networks from the faculty perspective based on the Ohio Education Association’s recommendation that educators delete the social networking  accounts.  Here is the first show: 21st Century Learning #58: A Discussion of the Issues Surrounding Social Networking Between Faculty and Students

The second week we were excited to have four students join in the conversation.  They mostly agreed that it was a good idea to keep some separation between school and our personal lives but had some great insights into how these different media are merging — including the thought that teachers and students might be blackberry texting each other before long.  Here’s a link to the second show: 21st Century Learning #59: Students Discussing Social Networking between Faculty and Students.

I think that these two pieces are a good orientation to social networking for faculty and administrators around the world.  If you’re interested in this topic, you might also want to check out: EdTechTalk #80 with Tom Wood, cyber safety advocate. 

What do you think? What would you add or subtract?  What social networking resources do you use?

 This year is a rebuilding year.  As I wrote about in my reorganization post in the summer, I have three new staff members in my department this year.  We are physically spread all over the school, creating divisions that can negatively effect department cohesiveness if we do not stay in frequent contact.

To work around this, we’ve been meeting bi-weekly as a whole department.   I meet daily with my Network Administration and Technical Support Specialist.  I have also scheduled bi-weekly meetings with individual department members.  I know, you’re saying, that’s a lot of meetings.  But these meetings are critical to keeping things going.  To check in and move projects forward.  To know how my staff is feeling.  As we grow more cohesive, I can see taking some time off of these meetings, but for now, they are critical. 

In the support staff meetings, we have been digging through our network settings (active directory policies, Internet settings, and router and switch configs), desktop and laptop image  creation and configuration, policies and procedures, and how to communicate with faculty and staff.  These conversations allow us to share best practices.  It allows us to know what our technical issues are and to wrestle with making decisions for next September. 

In full department meetings, we started by discussing how we are communicating internally, what we have been doing over the semester, and which tools we will be rolling out to the academic community over the next year.  We’ve used so many different technologies over the past few years, that keeping up is tough.  So we created a list of the department blog, wiki, and our web help desk.   We discussed how to use each one.  We use these tools in our day to day work with the school and the department.     

So is this and effective management technique? 

In order to evaluate them, I need to look back to the goals of my department:

• To provide reliable and consistent access to technology for students, faculty, and staff
• To develop technology skills in students, faculty and staff that support the curricular goals of the school

If I measure us against those goals, we are definitely more prepared to support our faculty and staff. This is a slow process because we are going through all of our configurations with a fine tooth comb, but we’re fixing support issues that have been nagging us for years and we’re looking to the future for major improvements.

On the classroom integration front, I see progress in taking our more technology savvy faculty to the next level.  We are also making progress in implementing student and faculty curriculum standards.  We are building out our Intranet where we can support Wordpress MU, Gallery, Moodle, and some group Drupal sites.  We’ll be concentrating on how we use these tools in the spring.

How do you manage staff transitions?

How do you keep a dispersed department cohesive?

When I got to Baltimore to present at the AIMS conference, I realized that I had Internet access. I uploaded my slides to Google Presentations, did some editing and got going. Vinnie Vrotny and Patrick Higgings showed up for the presentation (huge thanks to the two of them). Alecia Berman-Dry was a wonderful host (she invited me to present at the conference and blogged about it here).

The audience did a great job keeping their attention during the last session of the day. After my presentation, we all discussed how we could bring collaborative technology to back to their schools and classrooms.

Here’s my updated Google Presentation

Also, I forgot to hand out my handouts. Here’s a link to the PDF handout.

As I tweaked the presentation on the train to Baltimore, I realized more and more that these projects are about the relationships. Lucy Gray spoke about it in our conversations, Vicki Davis discusses it when she speaks about the Flat Classroom project. It’s all about the connections we are making. And they are real, even though many are virtual.

I’m working on editing the video of the event and will post that shortly.

Comments appreciated. Thanks!