Tim's Goree Details - tigoree's Blog - The Northwest Voice

Bailing Out the "Den of Vipers and Thieves"

"Gentlemen, I have had men watching you for a long time, and I am convinced
that you have used the funds of the bank to speculate in the breadstuffs of
the country. When you won, you divided the profits amongst you, and when
you lost, you charged it to the bank. You tell me that if I take the
deposits from the bank and annul its charter, I shall ruin ten thousand
families. That may be true, gentlemen, but that is your sin! Should I let
you go on, you will ruin fifty thousand families, and that would be my sin!
You are a den of vipers and thieves. I intend to rout you out, and by the
eternal God, I will rout you out."

Andrew Jackson
to a delegation of bankers - 1832

Apparently, times have not changed all that much. I have been stewing about the "bail out" situation for quite some time, and after reading an article by Chuck Baldwin, I decided to blog so that the 2 people that actually read it could comment and commiserate with me.

I'm trying to understand why John McCain is not taking this opportunity to simultaneously knock Obama off his feet, separate himself from George Bush, and do the right thing by the American people all in one fell swoop. I mean, what is going on here? If there ever was an "original maverick", it would be Andrew Jackson, wouldn't it? Why doesn't McCain call it as Jackson and all the regular Americans see it and take a position against "bail outs"?

All I can say is that we are currently and corporately being taken advantage of, and I for one am enraged by the politicians who are at fault. As they do this, they have the nerve to get on TV and talk to us as if we are little babies who can't handle the reality of the nightmare our economy is in. They have the audacity to think that we can't take care of ourselves, and that they must do it for us, even if we protest! These politicians, by the way, come from both sides of the isle. These "Republicrats" can't seem to agree on many things, but they sure can find a way to agree on pillaging the tax coffers of the American people. Note - Kevin McCarthy doesn't belong in this category, take a look at his voting record and you'll see that he didn't go along with this.

What I didn't want was congress to use 700 billion of our tax dollars to buy a bunch of bad loans off of large companies that shouldn't have gotten involved in those loans in the first place. Quite simply, it gives those companies a "get out of jail free" card, while simultaneously assuming a lot of risk for innocent tax payers. While the congress said they didn't want to do this, they felt they had to in order to stop a domino effect of failing companies that would eventually reach companies and taxpayers that shouldn't be effected. The main problem cited over and over again was that normal companies and individuals would not be able to get needed credit to run day-to-day operations.

My proposal would be as follows. If a possible "credit crunch" for honest companies and individuals is the major problem here, why don't we use the $700 billion to establish a temporary government lending organization to make sure that those who have good credit can get loans going forward as we get through all of this? This would relieve the "credit crunch" without rewarding the organizations that got us into this mess in the first place. It would also ensure that the tax payer's money is actually invested in something that has a much higher probability of being profitable.

But that is not all. There is one other little thing that must be done to fix our economy. Individuals, companies, and governments need to live within their means. No one can create legislation that forces everyone to do that. The only counter measure that ensures that everyone lives within their means is the fear that exists when they know that if they don't, they'll be ruined. It appears that financial ruin has been taken off the table for large banks and corporations, and the next step is to take it off the table for everyone down to the individuals who knowingly took on more debt than they could reasonably handle. For all of those people, you can reply with your thanks to my blog. Apparently, I am one of the people who will be paying for it. While you are at it, thank my children, too.

Here Comes the Judge!

We're getting close to election time, but instead of focusing on the presidential race, let's discuss a local election. How about the race for Superior Court Judge?

Is it just me, or do you find it frustrating when you get ready to cast a ballot and realize that you don't really know anything at all about any of the candidates for a local office? I like to make informed choices, but it is difficult when hardly anything is published about these local races. Superior Court Judge would be a good example, but this problem often applies to school board positions or even city and county board positions.

One thing that I love about the evolution of technology and the Internet is that information about candidates and issues is now more accessible from your own home than ever before. Case in point, I'm writing today on behalf of a candidate so that those of you who regularly read my blog can be more informed about your choices. Be happy, I'm not even charging you for the information!

On Thursday, I had the pleasure of meeting and conversing with Charles "Chip" Brehmer at the Valley Baptist Men's Power Lunch at Hodel's. At these lunch meetings, there is always a speaker who tells his or her personal testimony regarding their faith and usually includes an inspirational story.

Chip came to do exactly this, and did his best to keep politics out of his personal discussion. Unfortunately for him, none of us would let him do that! As soon as he asked if there were any questions, they started coming, and they were all on the subject of attorneys, judges, politics, and his opinions on current issues. Everyone there looked at this as an opportunity to get to know a candidate for office that we might not otherwise have personal contact with.

Let me tell you, Chip has got his act together. He was an extremely cool customer as he answered our questions thoughtfully, respectfully, but with authority. All candidates for Judge are attorneys, but rarely do first time candidates come with a substantial amount of experience as a judge. Chip has served as a "fill in" judge, called a Judge Pro-Tem, on some 200 cases. He didn't get paid for that, so his involvement as a Judge Pro-Tem in Kern County reveals a heart for service as well as a commitment to preparation. A Servant's Heart...

Chip was asked what he would do if he came across a situation as judge in which he could not make the decision that the law required without compromising his faith in Jesus Christ. In a room full of Christians, it would have been easy for him to say that he would make the decision based on the law of God rather than the law of the land. Instead, he indicated that a situation like that would require him to remove himself from the case. He then eloquently discussed the importance of impartiality in this position, as well as higher judge positions, and the damage that has and can be done when judges allow their own perceptions to cloud their professional view of the law. Courage...

After Chip spoke, I had an opportunity to chat with him about a number of things personally. He offered to contact someone on my behalf that was in a position to help me with something that I brought up. I gave him some information regarding that, but truthfully didn't expect much. However, Chip did what he said he would do, and he did it that day. Integrity...

Folks, I'm not one to endorse candidates all the time, but this one earned it. To learn more about Chip Brehmer, use the technology that you have in front of you and visit his website.

Textbooks Must Die! - Part 1

I know, it's a fairly inflammatory title, but it matches my attitude on the subject - I am fairly inflamed.

Textbook companies are cozy with state government to the detriment of our kids in local schools. Considering the state of our California budget as well as this week's "revelations" on Wall Street and their connection to the federal government, I would hope that you aren't surprised!

Folks, I believe that the state is more concerned with making life easier for the textbook companies than doing the right thing by our kids. Let me explain.

Recently, the federal government, because of NCLB, delivered an ultimatum to the state of California - all of your 8th graders need to take the same state math test. The fed didn't specify which test it should be, only that there should be only one test, and that it should align with the state content standards for 8th grade.

They finally noticed that California has no real content standards for 8th grade math. It only took, what, 10 years? Anyway, as it has to do with math, 8th grade was lumped in with 9th - 12th Grades when they were created. This pattern was not followed when content standards were adopted for Language Arts, Science, or Social Studies. As a result, it has been pretty unclear what is expected of 8th Graders when it comes to content standards and ultimately, the state tests.

For math, the 8th through 12th grade lump simply splits out into the following subject areas: Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Trigonometry, Mathematical Analysis, Linear Algebra, Probability and Statistics, AP Probability and Statistics, and Calculus. The lowest level subject area of all of these is Algebra I, which the vast majority of 8th grade math teachers will tell you is developmentally beyond at least 80% of the 8th graders in our schools.

So, when 80% of 8th Graders can't be expected to pass the Algebra I state test, what do you do? You make sure they have an easier test to take, that's what! So, for quite some time now, the majority of 8th Graders have taken a state test that is based on 6th and 7th grade math standards, while only the students actually taking Algebra I classes in 8th grade actually take the Algebra I state test.

This has worked out okay, but it isn't ideal. The fact that it isn't ideal isn't the kids' fault. It's the fault of content standards that don't in any way align with reality. So, the schools do the best they can, and the CA Department of Education has looked the other way - until now.

Their hand has been forced by the ultimatum from the fed. The way I see it, they had two choices: 1) They could split out 8th grade from the high school standards and create 8th grade math standards that realistically fit that level, or 2) They could make every 8th grader take the Algebra I test, regardless of whether they are ready for it.

Many of you probably know already that a select few in Sacramento deliberated for a very short time and chose option 2. Now, let me tell you how I think this relates to textbook companies.

After 10 years of pounding content standards into the heads of everyone in education, then using the state tests as a whip to ensure nobody steps out of line, let me tell you, us educational folks know our content standards! Even I, as a technology director, not even a teacher, know them inside and out. It would not be difficult, or time consuming, to come up with good 8th grade content standards and agree on them in committee. I know a bunch of teachers who have been chomping at the bit to be involved in that for some time.

I do know a group of organizations, however, that would have to spend a significant amount of resources to adjust to a change in California's content standards. Can you guess who they are? Read the statement above in RED to receive your answer.

Coming Soon - Textbooks Must Die! - Part 2: How textbook companies COULD move education forward significantly in the next few years IF they were more interested in kids than profits.

So, What Format Is Your File In?

Did you know that different computer programs often save their files in different formats? Formats that other computer programs can't open or alter. Wouldn't it be great if all computer programs could just talk to each other and read each other's files automatically? Yeah, that would be great, but there are all kinds of reasons why that won't be a reality for a very long time, if ever.

So now you have to live in reality, and it isn't pretty! Having a Macintosh as my primary computer in a predominantly Windows world brings the ugly reality to the surface quite often for me. But it's not just a Windows vs. Mac problem, not by a long shot.

Example: Your friend has the newest version of Microsoft Word, 2007, and he creates a document and saves it on his computer. Everytime he double-clicks on that file, it starts up Word automatically and presents the file to him - perfect! Then, he needs to send that file as an e-mail attachment to you. The problem is that you haven't upgraded to the latest version of Word yet, so you are using Microsoft Word 2003. Guess what? You can't open his file, at least not without downloading and installing an extra plugin from Microsoft.

Why? With the new version of Word, Microsoft created a new file format that Word 2007 can work with, but previous versions of Word can't. In case you didn't know, file formats are typically recognized by the extension on the end of the file name. Up until Word 2007, a Word document had the extension ".doc". Now, the new format is ".docx".

There are numerous ways to get around this issue using the software that you have, but they all involve having the person who originally created and sent the document save the file in a format that you, who is receiving the document, can actually read, and that, my friends, is a MAJOR pain in the hind quarter.

Example 2: Your buddy sends you a video that he says is so hilarious, you'll be laughing about it in your sleep tonight. When you receive the video, it won't open in QuickTime on your Macintosh computer. Why? It is in Windows Media Format, ".wmv", which everyone can view natively on their Windows computer, except for you, because you don't have a Windows computer. Yay.

So what do you do? The answer is quite simple, and it covers both of the examples above, as well as many others. Check out www.zamzar.com!

This website converts a bunch of file formats to other file formats for free, including office applications documents, photos, audio, and video files. This service has been a life saver for me and it's a must use tool for teachers. A BIG TIME bonus with this website is its ability to take a YouTube video straight from the YouTube.com website and convert it into a video file that you can download to your computer and use in your presentations at your leisure.

Have fun!

Games Are More Important Than You Think

Andrea Bennett, one of my favorite people, and the Executive Director of CETPA (CA Educational Technology Professionals Association) e-mailed me today asking if I would do her a huge favor and write an article for the OnCUE (Computer Using Educators) magazine on behalf of the CETPA membership. Well, it's hard to say no to her (she's so nice), so I asked what the deadline was. She said ASAP. Nice. So, I wrote this and turned it in. You saw it here first!

Oh, and it is directed to teachers who are interested in technology, so if you don't get some of what I'm saying here, it just means that you aren't a teacher. No big deal!

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What is the first thing you think about when someone mentions the term “educational game”? Some, like me, immediately equate “game” to “computer game”, and think of any number of products that we have been exposed to in the past. Others may imagine what a futuristic educational video game could be like - something along the lines of virtual reality, science fiction style. I imagine many veteran teachers would think about the types of games, not necessarily computer related, that they use as devices to engage children in the learning process.

I’m a little ashamed to write that the very first thing that came to mind for me was the Reader Rabbit series of computer programs. Don’t get me wrong, these are fine products that accomplish a very specific set of goals with young children. I suppose, in retrospect, that I am a little disappointed in the smallness of my own initial thinking.

The fact is, an “educational game” can be all of the things I mentioned above, and much more. As educators continue to move toward the ultimate goal of preparing students for a competitive work life filled with problem solving, analyzing, and creativity, they will find that “educational games” will become critical to core instruction. To understand what I am referring to, try substituting the word “game” with the word “simulation”, and let me provide an example.

Ten years ago, I was part of a team of teachers and administrators in the Kern High School District that had the challenging but rewarding task of developing a state wide program called Virtual Enterprise (www.VirtualEnterprise.org). Many of you may be familiar with this program, since upwards of 200 high schools in California are involved with it today. The purpose of the program is to teach entrepreneurial skills, and we believed that the best way to do that would be to create a business simulation, in essence, a “game”!

Virtual Enterprise is a window into the future of what education must eventually become to teach what many have termed “21st Century Skills”. Is a simulation like this completely run on computers? No, but it is supported in critical ways by technology, which is really no different than the real world of business. Every class creates a website to sell and promote their virtual products. Every student uses e-mail and other productivity applications to run their business. The central office provides a sophisticated web-based banking system to facilitate the exchange of virtual money. All of these technologies come together to allow students in California to create a world wide virtual economy through communication with similar programs outside of the state.

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? It sounds like the kind of classroom that some educational dreamers have been blogging and speaking about. You know, those dreamers who really don’t live in the “real world” of education as we know it. The ones who can’t seem to understand that the politics, the financial constraints, and the established ideas of teaching will never allow this type of classroom to materialize. Strangely enough, it has materialized in the Virtual Enterprise program, and it started 10 years ago in California.

Virtual Enterprise is fairly unique, but it isn’t the only program that seeks to use simulations to create a more powerful learning environment. However, all of these programs in general are still seen as “fringe” concepts that exist on the outside of core instruction. Therein lies the biggest obstacle to modernizing teaching and learning. Believe it or not, I predict that games or simulations will become central to modern instruction in public schools. With that major shift in pedagogy, we will usher out the static classroom along with state testing in its current form. With that major shift in pedagogy, we will usher in an environment where teachers facilitate learning, but students actually own it.

Pirates Can Be Helpful

Watch this entire 25 minute long video!

Three points to be made about this video -

1 - Nervousness and other problems with speaking in public can (and will) be overcome by passion for the subject and telling a personal story. It doesn't matter what your problems with speaking are, you can engage people in any setting through passionate story telling! This concept is SO important because public speaking is SO important. Public speaking is NOT a talent that only a few possess, but a skill that is necessarily learned to communicate concepts that you are passionate about.

I have been told that I am a good public speaker, so take my advice - speak about what you know and what you love. Allow yourself to be vulnerable during the process. Do these things and you will be considered a good public speaker. If you are a good public speaker, incredible doors to influence others are open to you.

2 - Read point number 1 again, but this time, replace the word (and its forms) "speak" with the word "write".

3 - Find your way as a community member and talented individual to make an impact on students at your local school. Be inspired by this video and take action with others.

Follow up Website - http://onceuponaschool.org/

The Idea Factory

I recently had a whale of a time at the Computer Using Educators (CUE) Conference in Palm Springs with 3 collegues of mine. This is a conference I never miss, but it is primarily aimed at classroom teachers, so if I go without taking some teachers along with me, it feels like I'm wasting an opportunity. Luckily, 2 of the people I took with me were classroom teachers - Tara Treaster and Christine Whitaker. The third person was Omar Garcia, one of the computer technicians that works in my department.

Together, we were a small group that is representative of any school district as a whole. One administrator, one classified employee, and two teachers. Strangely, this doesn't happen often. I find myself being the "odd guy" who likes to manufacture this experience over and over again. I can't help it - this close concoction of mixed school employees thrown in to a special project or work based trip was what changed my ideas about schools, married me forever to education, and shot my career into the direction that it has taken today. So this idea, this type of experience, is special to me. It NEVER FAILS to create connections that help us educate kids better - NEVER.

We come from different backgrounds and different points of view. Our ways of looking at the problems that we face throughout the day are very different. Before we spent some time together, our perceptions of each other were shallow - colored by our own desires and stereotypes. We put each other in tiny little boxes...

Three days at CUE changed all of that. We emerged as an IDEA FACTORY. We found that our goals were the same, and our differences could enhance each other's strengths and minimize each other's weaknesses. The 4 hour ride home was filled with constant chatter and enlightening thoughts. Will we ever be the same?

No - and THANK GOD for that.

If only I could manufacture this experience for every employee in our school district.

To Power Off, Or Not To Power Off, That Is The Question!

This may seem like a simple and unimportant subject to write about, but I have to say, I get this question an awful lot these days.

Here it is: How often should I turn off my computer completely?

Years ago, there was an epidemic of computer power switches that started failing because the computers were constantly being turned on an off. At that time, the computer would basically cease to function at that point. So, it became common knowledge that it was better to leave the computer on most of the time.

We currently live in a very different environment. People are much more concerned now about power consumption (and cost) than they were in late 80's and early 90's. Computer design and hardware function is also much better than it was then.

So, in case you are wondering, there is no real danger of power switch failure from turning your computer off and on many times. At home, I turn off my computers when I am not using them, period. At work, I will leave my computer on typically all day, but have it set to go into power save mode after 1 hour of inactivity. I turn off my computer at work at the end of every day.

Estimated power savings from turning off your computer when not in use range from $20 - $60 per computer per year. This may not seem like much, but at an organization like the Norris School District, that can add up to monster numbers.

We are currently working on an initiative to save energy using a combination of software and training that I believe will save the district around $30,000 per year! This is big money that can be used in better ways, especially during major budget cuts.

Interruptions - The Best Part of My Day

It's easy to get into the rut of believing that interruptions are the things that hold you back from getting "real" work done. As a technology director, I am one of the most interrupted people in my school district!

I had an interruption recently, however, that reminded me of the beauty of such moments, and their importance to teaching, learning, and generally being needed.

It so happens that an office that I was working in one day is attached to the Kindergarten building of one of our schools. I had the office door open as I worked on a computer, enjoying the cool breeze that was drafting through. Then kindergarten recess began, and 7 curious kindies were at my door asking questions.

"Who are you?"

"What are you doing?"

"Are you a teacher?"

"What are you doing with that computer?"

I could have dismissed them to their recess - nothing to see here, kids! Instead, I took the opportunity to interact during this interruption. Inviting them in, I pulled out my iPhone and starting goofing off. We took pictures, listened to music, watched a video, and had a good conversation. As their teacher rounded them up and took them back to class, I sifted through the pictures we took haphazardly, and the one attached stood out. A complete accident, but a beautiful picture to remind me of the moment.

I can't really remember anything else I did that day, except for that. Besides the experience and the picture, there is something else that continues to surface in my mind. The questions that they asked:

"Who are you?"

"What are you doing?"

"Are you a teacher?"

"What are you doing with that computer?"

While the kids didn't mean them to be, these are turning out to be some pretty deep questions. Maybe I'll have some answers for them in a later post. Maybe I'll be chasing the answers to them for a long time...

Cotton Mouth, Spilled Water, and Great Conversation

I while ago I blogged about the opportunity I would soon have to speak to my peers at the CETPA conference. That opportunity has come and gone, and as expected, I am a better man for the experience.

I began the 50 minute session with a terrible case of cotton mouth, but was not worried due to the fact that I had enough intelligence to prepare a glass of water before hand to have at the presentation table. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough intelligence to control the movement of my hands around the presentation table. I soon knocked the glass of water over and covered my pants. I suppose I should be glad that I didn't cover my computer!

Despite those problems, the 30 minutes of my presentation went well, and I said what I needed to say during that time. What was really important to me was that I didn't ramble on and use the entire time spouting what I thought to a bunch of really intelligent people who likely had some important ideas of their own. I controlled myself, and what I received in return was 20 minutes of conversation that I (and I think the others in the room) wish could have lasted for another hour or so.

We started talking about what our mission as technologists in education really is, and I have to say, I was absolutely psyched at how natural the move was from technology to education. The people WANTED to go there, and they were looking for ways to make it happen.

The entire conference, in fact, had a focus on education that had in the past been missing. The feeling was palpable - something is happening. Something good, something right, something exciting! I am renewed and invigorated, and I can't wait to push forward with the changes that must come for the benefit of our kids...

Teaching Children How to Handle a Loaded Gun

First off, I have to publicly thank Jeanette Dow for putting a little book in my hand yesterday and instructing me to read it. Mrs. Dow is the library aide at Veterans Elementary, so it's no surprise that she put a book in my hand and instructed me to read it - that is what she is supposed to do!

I read the book, Machines are the easy part; people are the hard part: Observations about making technology work in schools - by Doug Johnson, in about an hour. This has more to do with how short the book was than how quickly I read. As short as it was, it hit home with me and made me laugh all the way through. It also reminded me of a number of issues I need to be thinking and writing about in our own school district.

One of the workshops I have planned on conducting this year for teachers and library staff was directly addressed in Doug Johnson's book, and it makes a lot of sense to start the conversation locally right here and right now.

Question #1

Is it wise to put a loaded gun in the hands of a child without properly training them how to use it?

The answer is so obvious - NO. Some might say they would never put a loaded gun in the hands of a child, period. I don't personally agree with this statement. Realistically, I think it is fair to say that there are certain conditions under which I would definitely give a gun to a child.

Let's say that someone invaded my home, and the only people in the house were me and my children. I was mortally wounded by the invader, but had one last opportunity to give a gun to my oldest child before I fell unconscious. I think, yes, I would definitely give the gun to my child with the hope that she could protect herself from certain danger. I would feel a lot better about giving her the gun if I had previously instructed her in its use, that is for sure, but either way, I would give her the gun.

Question #2

Is it wise to give a child access to the Internet without properly training them how to use it?

There are plenty of great learning tools that are accessible to kids in the Internet.
There are plenty of fun games to be found on the Internet.
There are plenty of excellent information sources on the Internet.

There are plenty of websites that look reputable, but are actually meant to deceive.
There are plenty of pedophiles waiting in chat rooms.
There are plenty of porn websites that come up when an honest Google search is done, let alone when someone is looking for it on purpose.

Teachers, Librarians, and Parents need to prepare kids for what they will encounter on the Internet, because doing without it is not an option for those who are interested in helping their kids be competitive in tomorrow's workforce.

At the Norris School District, we employ an Internet filtering system that helps us make sure that students don't accidentally run across questionable websites, but the reality is that new websites with problematic content are being created all the time, and no Internet filter can fully keep up with their exponential growth. If a student wants to get to these sites, they can usually find them if they work hard enough.

That is where teachers and parents must work to actively supervise Internet use and model productivity.

If you are a parent and you are interested in learning more about what you can do to help with your kids at home, then maybe the attached file from Focus on the Family will help. You could also try searching the Internet, but be careful where you go!

It's Good to be Robin Hood

I couldn't stand it anymore. After working for a year on my part (technology) of building the brand new Veterans Elementary School, I just had to know how my spending and purchasing for the new school compared with the Norris School District's other new school - Norris Elementary.

I wasn't working here for the construction of Norris Elementary School just 2-3 years ago, and Veterans has been my first experience heading up technology operations during the building of a new school in my 17 year career. It was frustrating, exciting, and satisfying all at once.

So, when purchasing slowed down recently at Veterans Elementary, I poured over the financial records from the construction of Norris Elementary and did my comparison.

Survey SAYS....

Within the realm of technology spending, we spent 14% less on Veterans Elementary than we did on Norris Elementary. That is good, but here is the kicker: we spent over 300% more on technology in the classrooms at Veterans Elementary than we did on the classrooms at Norris Elementary!

How did we do it? We robbed from the rich and gave to the poor - that's how. In this case, the rich would be those who believe that the costs of technology infrastructure should be astronomical as a rule. This philosophy is not acceptable to me. I did a lot of research, a lot of negotiating, and a whole lot of shaking my head and saying "that's just not going to cut it for the kids that will attend this school." At times I played hardball on behalf of the kids and teachers of this district, and walked away from comfortable deals and established relationships so that money could be saved and diverted to the classroom. While the experiences connected to these times were somewhat uncomfortable or even a little painful, I can say with certainty that at the end of the day (or the project), it's good to be Robin Hood.

This doesn't minimize Norris Elementary School's stature at all. It is a fine school with an excellent setup. However, we wouldn't be doing our jobs properly if we didn't learn from past mistakes and improve on designs as we get opportunities to build again. Veterans Elementary is a great example of lessons learned and improvements put into practice. As a result, it is a beautiful school that the Norris School District management team is extremely proud of.

Podcasting in the Classroom

If you're a teacher, and you've been looking for a multimedia project that your class can do that:

A) Doesn't cost much
B) Is easy to learn how to do
C) Integrates a lot of writing standards
D) Gets the kids really charged up
E) Is easy to share with the community (especially parents)
AND
F) Is just plain fun

Podcasting just might be what you are looking for!

If you aren't familiar with what this is, it basically boils down to the students producing their own radio show, except the final product is not broadcast live over the air, it's wrapped up as an MP3 audio file that can be shared via disk, flash drive, e-mail, or web site.

All you need is a computer, some free software, a decent USB microphone that should cost less than $30, and naturally something to talk about!

Any computer will do, but if you have a Macintosh, your experience will be easier and of a better quality using GarageBand (which comes free with every Mac).

I have 2 resources for you to get you started.

First, check out Radio WillowWeb. This is an extremely impressive website with ongoing weekly podcasts created by the elementary students of Willowdale Elementary School in Omaha, Nebraska. These podcasts will give you tons of inspiration for the type of content that even the youngest students are capable of creating. Great stuff!

Then, go to my website (TimGoree.com), and browse through the materials that I have put together to help teachers get a feel for how podcasting projects can fit into their curriculum right now!

For those if you in the Norris School District, feel free to contact me if you are interested in setting up a planning appointment, and be on the lookout for a Podcasting in the Classroom training coming your way in the near future...

Micro$oft Office - The Only Option? - Part 2

It was almost as if my last post on Microsoft Office was a prayer that has been immediately answered!

Now, I understand that this won't be exciting to about 85% of the world's computer owners (because that is the rough percentage of Windows only users), but just last week, Apple announced iWork '08. This would be their first attempt to compete head-to-head with Microsoft Office.

iWork '06, which was the previous version, consisted of two programs: Pages (word processor) and Keynote (presentation program). These were good programs, and on a Mac, I have found myself gravitating toward them in everyday use. I had, in fact, completely dumped PowerPoint in favor of Keynote about 5 months ago. Conspicuously missing, however, was a spreadsheet program. Excel, of course, is really Microsoft's killer application in the Office suite of applications. There is no one out there that has been able to truly match it's functionality, though it's intuitiveness has at times been suspect.

iWork '08 now includes a spreadsheet program called Numbers. I was able to get my hands on the new software early this week, and so far I can say it looks good. Importing and exporting Microsoft Office formats is seamless, and any loss during the export is reported to you via simple statements. So far, the only importing losses I have to report are along the lines of fonts and unusual page formatting elements.

I know that this only pertains to Macintosh users, but I am excited mainly because I currently live in a Macintosh world at the Norris School District. For the volume of software that we would need to buy at the district, the cost would be about one-third the cost of Microsoft Office! Now, the challenge will become selling the idea and training....

Stay tuned!

Micro$oft Office - The Only Option?

No, it's not!

Lately, I've become very interested in alternatives to the traditional Microsoft Office Suite of applications. You know, the ever useful, standardized, and famous Word, Excel, and PowerPoint applications. These are great computer programs, make no mistake. There is definitely a reason why they have become the standard for office applications world wide.

There is, however, the problem of money. For normal folks, Microsoft Office isn't exactly cheap. The educational price is in the $130 range for students and educators buying personal copies. Buying it off the shelf starts at $200 and goes up to $500 per copy depending on who you are and what version you want. Adding Office to the purchase of a brand new computer will still cost you at least $100.

So what does it cost for, say, a school district to purchase Microsoft Office for every computer? Fortunately, the prices we pay for district or school agreements with Microsoft are drastically reduced. Many schools and districts have yearly subscription agreements with Microsoft that allow them to put the latest version of office on every computer, which typically costs $20 - $30 per computer per year. While that seems really cheap, it isn't when you consider that it is a yearly cost for hundreds or possibly thousands of computers.

It's typical for elementary schools to have about 200 computers in them. It wouldn't be out of the ordinary for a fairly small school district of 4 schools to have a total of 1000 computers that need Microsoft Office. At a cost of $25 per computer per year, that is $25,000 per year spent simply on Microsoft Office software licensing! Suddenly we see why Microsoft is one of the richest companies in the world.

I happen to think that a school district could do more interesting things with that money, provided that we have an alternative that gives us similar enough functionality. Probably the most important functionality that a district couldn't do with out would be the ability to save files in the native Word, Excel, and PowerPoint formats. After that, you would typically want the alternative program to work similarly to the Office applications, so that the training issue doesn't become insurmountable.

With that in mind, take a look at three alternatives that I am really excited about! All three offer personal use of their web-based applications for free as well as free space on-line to store files. Check them out, and don't be terribly surprised if the organization that you work for looks into moving to them in the future to save money!

Google Docs
ThinkFree
ZOHO

Speaking to Your Peers - SCARY

So, I've been accepted as a speaker/presenter at the next CETPA (California Educational Technology Professionals Association) conference in October. To me, this generates excitement, a sense of honor, and naturally, some fear.

My respect for this organization and its members is deep. These people have been, and continue to be, great supporters and sharpeners for me in my professional craft. To speak to them on a topic near and dear to my heart is, well, all of the the things I mentioned above.

Will this opportunity be a "jumping off" point for me to introduce ideas through speaking engagements? It is possible. I have already had conversations with other organizations that are interested in my point of view as it has to do with Educational Technology. My goal, however, is not to create a speaking career, but to create awareness of the current issues we face in education and help as many decision makers and teachers overcome these issues as possible. A great deal of the power in my views comes from the fact that I work in a real district and utilize my methods every day. A career in speaking would, by definition, take me away from the trenches where the work is done and ideas are proven or discarded.

What is the topic, you ask? The descriptions reads:

Technologists: Education's Dormant Secret Weapon

This presentation will examine the goals of technology departments in the educational realm over the past 20 years and why a major shift in those goals is necessary. The discussion will focus on concrete ways to make the technology department the catalyst for overall educational change in a school district. If you are interested in breaking down cultural barriers between classified, administrative, and certificated staff, having teachers excitedly listen and respond when you communicate with them, and create new paths for growth in your own career, then come and be involved in this discussion.

I believe that the technology department in a school district has become one of the most powerful groups for change in the organization - for better or for worse. Technology is needed and utilized in every nook and cranny, and where technology is needed and utilized, the technology department has influence. As technologists, we can set the tone for the progressiveness of an organization with our actions. Unfortunately, most technology departments negatively impact the progressive growth of the organization by failing to recognize what their true mission is.

If you ask technology directors in school districts what their mission is, most will tell you that it is primarily to "keep the equipment that supports district processes running at top efficiency". While this is extremely important, it is only the bottom layer of a multi-tiered pyramid that leads to the real mission at the top of the pyramid - creating and aggressively pushing forward an environment of high-level, creative technology use.

It's easy to say that our job is to maintain the technology and everyone else's job is to use the technology appropriately to be innovative in the performance of their duties. This is the well-traveled path to organizational stagnation and ambivalence toward the use of technology. The reality is that the people within the district that typically use technology most effectively in the daily execution of their jobs is, of course, the technologist. Who better to reach out (first) to teachers and administrators in this area?

Is it easier for a teacher (with no prompting or outside coercion) to learn how to be a technologist, or is it easier for a technologist to learn how to be a teacher? My belief is that the latter is true, and with a few simple policy moves regarding staff training and clear communication of goals, a technology department can move from the "stick in the mud" that most teachers believe they are to the teacher's most valuable helper on a daily basis.

Am I promoting a system that makes teachers and administrators rely on us more? Absolutely not. I am simply compelling my technology staff to go to the teachers and administrators first and bring them into the fold, rather than wait for those folks to do it themselves. After all, we've been waiting for about 20 years now, and technology integration into the instructional process has still not happened in a significant way.

The Educational System is Missing the Mark

It's not necessary for me to write a lot about this at this time. Instead, I'd love it if folks would watch a 20 minute video which pretty much says what needs to be considered by leaders today who make decisions in education.

I believe that the arts have been and continue to be downplayed in our educational system at our own peril. I also believe that technology can play a critical role creating the kind of artistic experiences needed in our educational system today. Listen to what Sir Ken Robinson has to say in his TED Talk, and judge for yourself.

Entering the Blogosphere

I've been reading a number of blogs for quite some time now, so I am certainly not unfamiliar with what it is all about. It took me a while, however, to really care too much about the concept since the first blogs (as far as I could tell) were mostly random rants and updates from people about how they feel. I guess you could equate my perception of blogging early on to a diary for all to read.

Really not interesting unless you know the person, in my humble opinion.

Now, it seems that really good writers are blogging some incredible pieces out there, and I am learning a lot from just reading regularly. Add to that the interactivity of readers being able to respond to posts, and you have the potential for some really powerful on-line conversations.

So here I am, hoping to contribute just a little, and maybe have some good conversations with the community about where education and technology are headed locally. Maybe we can all learn and contribute together?

For now, check out one of the most widely watched PowerPoint presentations turned video out there, and comment on it's implications, if you wish!