InfoTeacher

I created a little flier to promote my role as a teacher.  Download and use it if you’re a technology teacher.

The  New York Times writes more on digital textbooks.  They are coming; they are going to change what we do (probably more than we expect them to), and they are going to change other aspects of teaching and learning.  One open source philiosophy textbook already online for high school math is MathOpenRef[dot]com. I have had links to certain parts of this site for years on my school’s resource page. My impression: it’s terribly under utilized (It’s not necessarily under utilized by my school’s teachers. I teach at an elementary school, and Math Open Ref is a high school curriculum. My school makes use of it’s visuals occasionally; and I do wish more teachers would use it. But I believe it’s very under utilized by high schools who could supplement their texts DAILY.  I think that by doing so, they would better  engage kids. Qualifer: I don’t know what really goes on in high schools. Perhaps they do make use of this, and other digiatal sources on a DAILY basis. I hope so).  I’ve also made use of John Page’s (Math Open Ref’s author) article, “Ten Reason’s Why Technology is Vital to Education”

My school just purchased a new reading series and a new math series. We spent tons of money and these series will last us a number of years (not including consumables).  These new paper books do come with great online supplementation, e books, online assessments and the like — it’s way different than the last new series we bought (only about 8 years ago). 

But, I was just wondering. When we replace this series in a few years, will there be a paper book at all?  Will the entire replacement be digital? Will it use digital readers, e books, online assessments, online projects and online assignments?   Will the reading materials be put on something equivalent to a Kindle instead of old-fashioned paper?  Will the audio reads be Itunes subscriptions instead of CDs that it comes with now? (Text for another post:  Itunes University).

These things are interesting to ponder.  The future will definitely be different than what we do now. How many of us are ready? How many of us are preparing kids now so that when the future gets here they will be ready?  I think we are making progress, but I think we are behind and playing catch-up.

Several universities — Case Western, Reed, Princeton, University of VA, Pace, and Arizona State — are going to issue Kindle’s instead of textbooks.  Wall Street Journal article.

Backpacks would get immediately lighter, and the used text book market would immediately die if (when) this goes widespread.  I’m sure there are lots of other 21st century implications, as well. Soon — sooner than many think — books are going electronic.  This will catch us all by surprise even though we should be preparing for it right now (how to prepare? I’m not sure).

21st Century Library minus the Technology

Equals

15th Century Library minus all the monks

This formula didn’t come from me, see the link to its source, below.

In the movie, I Robot, Will Smith’s character resists the role robots (and all integrated technologies) have come to play in society. Another character accuses him of backward thinking. One quote (approximate), “I guess you would have resisted the closing of the libraries in the early 21st century when all information became available on the Internet.”

I work as a librarian. I actually don’t like the term. Really what I am is an Information Teacher (see the title of my blog).  In a profession that ought to focus people on future thinking, way too many of us are still using antiquated thinking and we use an antiquated term for what we do. It makes you think of old, quiet rooms and grumpy old ladies (sorry, that was my stereotype, but I think many of your male K-12 students are with me on this).  I have a logo at my school’s library that says, “not your grandma’s library.”  I keep it kinda low key, but really want to post it everywhere (link).

http://drapestakes.blogspot.com/2009/05/media-technology-specialists.html

I’m seriously considering migrating this whole blog over to Google Blogger with an @Blotgspot address. I’ve tried embedding media in a way that was EASY over there, and just can’t seem to get it. I opened this when my district had all Blogger sites blocked — not true anymore. I use Google docs, Google calendar, Google Reader, Picasa by Google (why doesn’t that one follow the same naming pattern [i.e Google Picasa]) . . .

Why am I still here struggling with this inferior host?

Sure I would lose comments, but it’s not like I have a whole lot of commentators anyway.

I have recently completed six hours (the first six hours of about 30 required in all) of study in my training for a principal’s license.  In a short word: very interesting, very challenging, and very definitely the beginning of a process that will enable me to grow and learn in ways I otherwise could not.  What is especially surprising is the group of people that I am doing this with — the fantastic members of the “Cohort V” community.

I describe the first set of classes as interesting and challenging.  I’ve just finished three courses:  (I’m not using quite the actual titles of the courses, here, the titles are slightly changes). (1) Leadership and Values for Education; (2) Leaders Building Collaboration; and (3) Communication for School Leaders.  These three courses were all offered in week long segments. Assignments overlapped a little as the final project was to be turned in after each class. I worked hard to finish one and turn in the final project before another started. In another class, I ignored the final project until I had finished all three. Shortly after all were done, though I had it all done. Three quick weeks of class and another week working on projects while doing some work around the house.  It’s a great way to spend a summer. I’ll still have the rest of the summer free — so it’s mostly still like being a teacher (Fall and Spring will be tougher, though, as I give up almost all Saturdays and will have projects to do while teaching).  All three courses were different with different emphases, yet they seemed to harmonize.  Part of this was our groups’ growing together and becoming a cohesive unit.  Some of this was a shared growing time — and a very large part was the amazing Leadership professor who helped us engage ourselves, get in touch with our emotions and motivations, and bought us together as a group.  The courses seemed to blend.

The opportunity for growth set before me is profound.  Just from these courses. The Leadership course encouraged self-awareness and self-understanding. Nothing really “new” here, except it brings much heard in various contexts and places it before you as a challenge. Know yourself. Use your self-knowledge to prioritize and lead others through authenticity.  Again nothing new — I’ve heard it and to some extent I’ve lived it. But do I really own it in a way that means I will be an authentic leader and have a genuine and lasting impact on those whose life I touch. It was a challenge.  Another class was taught by a leader in our district who teaches many continuing ed courses. I’ve had her for any number of trainings and classes. I always learn a ton. I generally know how she teaches, where she is coming from and what she is going to emphasize (not that I know everything — but I’ve become familiar with this instructor/leader, and I know the kind of beliefs and practices that she will stress (again, though I feel going in to her classes that I know where it’s going, I still always learn a ton). Yet this time the context was just a little different.  It made the learning even more enlightening.

Finally, the group I’ve joined is an amazing and diverse group.  I’ve done a cohort once before and grew quite fond of all the people in that group. We had two years of learning together while we earned certification in School Library. I started out doing it for the degree, and ended up happy to know those I worked together with. I’m quite happy with the cohort system from my previous experience, Yet, I’m not one of the real joiners. The library cohort has had at least two get-together’s, and I haven’t been to either. I’ll admit it — I’m a loner. I’ve always been one to some extent. I’m comfortable with that. I’m a part of the group and thoroughly enjoy it — but my real close relationship won’t be made there. I’ve really only had about two or three “real close relationships” in my entire life. I consider myself lucky. Still, I’m in a new such group, and already I’ve grown fond of being a part. I know it will be a learning experience. Talk about diversity — this group has it. Yet for many differences, everyone seems to relate and know one another — surprisingly quickly. I went in knowing that I’m usually very bad about names, so I has a list of all the people and made notes about each one on the first day — just to know names. It made me be more observant. It was a very good exercise for me. And, I knew all first names by the second day. I went away from the first two days knowing of myself that I am usually “bad” with names because I don’t listen and observe. So, by determining to know the names of my colleagues quickly, I made myself observe. It is a practice I must continue.  I’m usually all about a task. Let’s see what needs doing and get it done. Yet, relationships are not what I think about in the middle such a task. It’s a weakness. I’ve known and admired leaders — and thinking about now I realize that all the leaders I’ve admired are about building relationships. It doesn’t mean I have to change who I am. I’ll always be introverted and somewhat of a loner cherishing the few relationships I’ve got. But, at work relationships must and will become more important to my goal setting and contemplation of the ends of it all. Leadership is about relationships. I will learn much more about this as I grow.

I’m looking forward to a little more time off and then the teacher’s new year (i.e. fall — for teachers, the beginning of the fall semester is the real new year’s celebration).  I’ve also had a lead about an interesting position that has more than intrigued me.  I’m going to find out more and I could be seeing big changes. The future is interesting. Whatever happens, I’m looking forward to it.  Teaching is the world’s greatest profession — for me.

Bloomberg News is reporting that Google is considering writing an Operating System to compete with Microsoft Windows.  Link here.  Very interesting.  It looks like they will start with an OS for low cost laptops — and see where the market takes them.

I, for one, think competition is always good. Competition makes public education better, too — but I realize that opens about 144 can of worms for many of my colleagues.

I upgraded to IE8 (actually, the upgrade is nested into the Windows Update, so if you click “Next” too quickly without paying attention, you upgrade to it without realizing it).  IE8 has a couple of new features — nothing that I would write home about; a private browsing feature, but if you really want privacy there’s been portable Firefox around for years). Looks and feels like IE7 (which I thought was a big improvement over 6).  I like IE8, and like to keep up with the security features they bring with updates.  Again, 7 was a giant leap forward, but 8 seems to be mostly cosmetic and hidden updates.

However (and there’s always a however in life), when I upgraded to IE8, I can’t get to this blog. I seem to be able to surf everywhere else fine – except here at Edublogs. My Blogspot blog is fine as well as all other (so far) secure pages. But when I come to this page, it freezes every time. Happened on both my desktop at home and my laptop. I was actually going to only upgrade on one computer and see, but I clicked “Next” too quickly on Windows Update, and both computers got IE8. I didn’t mind, until I went to write a post about finishing school. Both computers, newly upgraded to IE8 freeze. One runs Vista and one is XP — so it’s not the OS.  Well, …..

I’m writing this post in Firefox.  I’ve been wanting to jump on board and see about Firefox anyway, so this gave me the opportunity to try. I’ll be surfing with both browsers for a while and see what the differences are.  Want to see which one I like.  But, unless the BFG (per Roald Dahl’s book the BFG, I refer to Microsoft as the BFG) creates a patch for IE8, I’ll have to use Firefox for this blog.

I’ll get back to my post first semester of Leadership training post by end of day today.  Got a couple of other post ideas I’ve had to skip, too because I haven’t been able to get in for a few days.

So, I’ve entered a new program which will eventually lead to a Colorado Principal’s license. Yes, I am a student again (interesting conversation in the Adkison household about how many paying college students we can afford at one time; how many years of college are adequate for me, . . . .)  I have begun  classes this week, and continue this summer for two more weeks. Then I will have classes on Saturdays throughout the school year and again next summer three weeks on intensive work. In about 18 months I should be nearing the goal.

So I will try to post at least one contemplative post per class here as a way of being reflective in my learning. At the very least, one post as a summary of learning gives me a chance to reflect and summarize learning as well as have one concrete accomplishment to do when a course is done (kind of like marking that “to do” item off the list — it gives a sense of finality when one thing is done!).  Hopefully I will post even more than that as I continue to journey toward more jouraling/reflection/contemplation in the way that I grow and develop.

The cell phone. It’s now a source of information.  Sure, I could buy an iphone or a Blackberry, but I’m a guy on a budget.  So, I’m talking about the simple cell phone (with unlimited texting — I found that to be indispensable with two teenage daughters, one away at school. We text more than we talk).

Well, text for information. Two sites (that I know of)

1. Text Cha-Cha (spell it, 242-242). Text your question and get an answer. It’s free.
2. Google (of Course!! – spell this one, too 466-453). Send your question and get an answer; also free.

I tried to ask both for the definition of pusillanimous (but I spelled it wrong). I texted “define pussilamous.” From Cha-Cha I got two responses. First, they told me it’s not in dictionary. I tried a different (still wrong) spelling and got the answer, still not in the dictionary, but it seems to mean . . .” followed by a somewhat accurate, but clearly kind of made up definition. 

From Google (sendng the exact same mis-spelling), I got a corrected spelling, “did you mean pussillanimous?” followed by a dictionary definition. Then Google followed with a second text (limited characters allowed in phone texting, you know). The second texttold me the definition came from wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn.

I find Google especially to be pretty handy. The “human” response of Cha-Cha might also be handy at times. I’m told you can ask current scores of games, what’s on TV, etc. (limited only by your imagination; trying to ask for a definition was just a way to try it out). Although I don’t know how I would cite that definition, I don’t see using this in a paper so much as just needing on the spot information. I can use this for a lot more than asking for definitions. 

 I added both Cha-Cha and Google to my phone’s address book.  Isn’t the age of instant information exciting? I have my computer with me a lot (though I don’t have mobile broadband), but I have my phone almost all the time.