Welcome
Come back often!
« January 2007 | Main | March 2007 »
February 26, 2007
Why is this so hard?
I finally had a chance to look at the Software Implementation Checklist for Educators from SIIA. This is a helpful document for making sure that new software is successfully integrated into the curriculum. Here are the 10 steps they recommend.
The following basic concepts underlie all effective software implementation:
- You must have objectives before you plan.
- You must plan before you implement.
- You must involve all stakeholders in the planning process to some degree, and obtain their buy-in for performing their assigned responsibilities.
- Your plan must include an evaluation component and criteria for determining success.
- You must assign an effective leader, with appropriate decision-making authority, to manage the implementation.
- The physical environment and equipment for the implementation must match the requirements for which the software was designed.
- The staff involved in the implementation must receive adequate training in all aspects of the software’s use.
- The end users of the software must have the prerequisite knowledge and skills specified for the product’s use.
- The entire implementation must be monitored and the resulting issues resolved.
- Each stage of implementation must be informed by the evaluation results from the previous stage.
Now, my question is why do we have to have these guidelines? Why isn't this common sense? And yet, you can find these kinds of well-thought out, formally published guidelines in every field. The report goes on to provide checklists and suggestions for making each of these steps happen, so it is very useful.
The problem I see very often is that we never even get to points 1 and 2. Of course, I've also heard that most people spend more time planning for their annual vacation than they do for retirement. But that's another topic for another blog!
Posted by Pat on 11:02 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 8, 2007
Does filtering protect kids?
In May, 2006, The Free Expression Policy Project "Internet Filters: A Public Policy Report, a detailed survey of tests and studies documenting how the widespread use of filters limits the free exchange of ideas necessary in a healthy democracy." This is the report updated from its original report in 2000. The report makes for some interesting reading regarding what our filters are protecting us from. As expected, many useful and legitimate pages get caught in the filtering algorithms and lists of blocked sites. But, so what for K-12 educators?
Under CIPA, any school that accepts e-Rate monies is required to employ filtering software to protect children from harmful content. Very few schools could afford to turn down e-Rate money so the reality is that we will have filters in the K-12 schools.
But private schools don't get the money and hence could opt to not install any filters. I don't know of any school that doesn't use a filter. Without a filter, the onus falls on educators to protect students (not that teachers are excused because filters are present). Certainly, teachers are still required to do that, but who can reasonably accept that as viable -- especially in 21st century classrooms where students are often working independently and often online.
A recent news story, Substitute teacher convicted in school computer porn case, takes us through an even more convoluted path. From the story,
A substitute teacher in the Norwich school system is facing up to 40 years in prison after being convicted of exposing students to pornography on a computer at the school. ... During the trial, Amero said any inappropriate images on her computer screen were from adware, which can generate pop-up ads and not from sites specifically keyed.
It further turned out that the computer was heavily infected with adware and spyware. The computer did have anti-spyware and virus protection, but the district had let the license lapse. BoingBoing has an interesting slant on the whole thing.
So, where does that leave us? May you live in interesting times!
Posted by Pat on 11:50 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 5, 2007
Education in the 21st Centry
The Time article from December 18, 2006 has been sitting on my desk for awhile. I'm glad I finally read it because it really brings a topic I've been thinking about to the forefront -- "How to Bring Our Schools Out of the 20th Century."
Commenting on the current state of K-12 public schools and the imperatives of NCLB, they make this comment.
Competency in reading and math--the focus of so much No Child Left Behind (NCLB) testing--is the meager minimum. Scientific and technical skills are, likewise, utterly necessary but insufficient. Today's economy demands not only a high-level competence in the traditional academic disciplines but also what might be called 21st century skills.
They go on to boil this down to four areas of emphasis:
- Knowing more about the world.
- Thinking outside the box.
- Becoming smarter about new sources of information.
- Developing good people skills.
Not surprisingly, these are quite close to the skills enumerated by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills.
Posted by Pat on 12:56 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Moving All Our Apps to the Web
Over the past several years, more and more apps are moving to the web. This year, we've seen Google put both a word processor and a spreadsheet on the web. These have gotten some bad reviews because they don't have enough power for business users. For our purposes, though they are just what the doctor ordered! The apps are free; they are always available as long as you have Internet connectivity; and they are built for collaboration. The only thing they are missing for us is the label "educational."
This week, I've found the two missing apps to make a complete online and free suite for education. First is empressr.com. This is an online PowerPoint application. It is pretty bare-bones at this point, but it's got the other attributes.
The second find is bubbl.us. This is a free online concept mapping tool. Again, it's got room for improvement but it is always available and it's free.
With these kinds of free apps and the announcement that we will be able to buy the $100 computer in the US by this summer, looks like we are getting closer to one-to-one and the real breakthrough in integrating technology.
Posted by Pat on 10:35 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
