Busman's Holiday
Thursday, December 28, 2006 at 08:39AM busman's holiday: a holiday spent in following or observing the practice of one's usual occupation. M-W.com
I guess you can run but you can't hide from technology. As much as I would like to leave "things that go beep" at work, they some how manage to follow me home. It's not all bad. During my brief time off this holiday season, I have:
1. Created the 2007 Johnson family calendar.
This is the fourth year I've done this for my small family. Simply finding a few family photos and pasting them into a calendar layout with family members' birthdays so noted makes a nice Christmas gift. Technologies used:
- digital camera
- scanner
- photo editing software
- word processing templates
- pdf conversion
- e-mail (to get photos from my brother)
- flash drive to get the files to the printer
I still take the files to Kinkos to be copied rather than mess with photo paper, photo ink, etc. at home, but this is mostly a do-it-yourself project and a labor of love.
2. Learning to use the GPS system.
Since I was a good boy all last year, Santa (aka the LWW) gave me a Garmim StreetPilot i5 for Christmas. It's a happy coincidence that it is the exact same model that appeared on the web page URL I sent to her earlier this month! After downloading the complete instruction manual, map update software, e-mailing the manufacturer to make sure a Mac OSX version of the software is forthcoming, and inserting batteries into the device, I gave it the acid test this morning. I asked it to find my office.
All in all, it was pretty darned amazing. The unit, about the size of a tennis ball, shows the road, the lakes and a small triangle that is me in my Ford Ranger pickup travelling down the road on its small screen. A female voice (I think I will call her Sacagawea)
announces each upcoming turn about a quarter mile prior to it and then politely asks that I turn when I am at the intersection. I deviated from the route once and she quickly re-programmed the new route. She announced when I got to my destination. Very cool. I can hardly wait to use it in an strange place. Maybe Fargo this weekend. Technologies used:
- GPS unit
- Internet/e-mail
- Computer interface to download updated maps and manual
Getting acquainted with the Nova 5000
I was sufficiently impressed with this handheld computer when I saw it at the TIES conference last month that I thought a demo unit for the district was in order. It arrived last Friday. It's been great fun figuring this gadget out. So far I've discovered that the 
handwriting recognition works great, the built-in WI-FI connection plays nicely with both my school and home networks, and that the old keyboard and mouse I dug up worked with it seamlessly. I am already wishing for a faster processor and a cord that attaches the stylus to the computer body (so stylus can't be used as a bookmark in the manual and left at work), but I like the computer.
When the cost of this device drops to about $300, it has some real possibilities in making 1:1 computing a reality for even average districts like mine. I am excited.
So what's the point - if there is a point -to these observations? I am guessing that those educators most likely to use technology at school also use it at home, use it for fun and use it for personal reasons. Ought we be less stuffy about letting teachers take school tech home to use for fun and personal reasons? When a teacher uses the school's digital camera to take wedding photos or one of its laptops to crank out the family Christmas letter, s/he should not be treated as a criminal. It's off-the-job learning that may well be used on the job.
Reader Comments (4)
While I also went to Kinkos, I was shocked at the cost of the duplication and lamination (overhead pen is what I encouraged folks to use to write on it).
Did you make a cover page for your calendar? I didn't think of that until after...
I thought about this over the break. Back in the "Old Days" (1996-1999) I used to pack up 3 "school" computers over the break and bring them to my parent's for the holidays. It was time to learn things.
In 2006, as I looked across the room, my mom, brother, and I all had our own laptops, searching different stuff, sharing different stuff.
My daughter and son-in-law gave wedding albums to everyone this Christmas. They created 22 different custom-designed albums by downloading software from http://www.picaboo.com/ I am intrigued with the whole process & anticipating hours of geeky pleasure ahead. No need to feed paper into the printer. Just upload and order a completed picture book. My kind of work!
For about the last 5 years or so, my family has pledged to donate to charities in each others names instead of giving unwanted (usually) junk. The animal shelters make out like bandits since we all tend to be animal lovers. But there has been some backsliding on this lately - the calendar being some of it.
Yeah, Kinkos charges me about $20 per 13 page calendar - 12 months and a cover page. It's a bite, but I don't go to any relative's house but that it isn't on display somewhere. Also a way to record a bit of family history. My brother and sister (who have smaller families) get short shrift simply because I can't get them to send me many pictures.
Be careful. People will expect a calendar from you every year!
Jacquie,
I've long ago quit trying to figure out how to do back-to-back printing. My mind doesn't work that way either. Let Kinkos do it!
All the best and happy new year to everyone!
Doug