Engagement Filter

From exhibit booth 3516 (If I remember) at NECC:

NEW from RATFInc.
(Reasonably Accurate Technology Filtering Incorporated)

Tired of your students learning rather than paying attention to you, the teacher?

Then get your school to install the Engagement Filter, guaranteed to take enough enjoyment out of online activities that students will no longer be tempted to use the school's computers or network.

You can block categories by the "types" below:

Our company updates its black list on a daily basis, identifying those sites that are shown to be more interactive than the adults in your school.

Delay complete irrelevance now, before it is too late.

Act today and we'll throw in two tech categories guaranteed of student interest that have not yet been invented!

 I'm getting me one of these! I wonder if I install it at home, the LWW will pay more attention to me too?

My only concern is that some sites kids like will not be blocked. Any suggestion for things that need to be added to the filtered list?

Creed of the Sociopathic Obsessive Compulsive

I posted this once beforre and had a hard time finding it, so I am re-posting. One last NECC observation - the people I tend to respect the most are all  Sociopathic Obsessive Compulsives. Sorry, but you know the shoe fits.

Peter's Laws (The Creed of the Sociopathic Obsessive Compulsive)

1. If anything can go wrong, fix it! (To hell with Murphy!)
2. When given a choice, take both.
3. Multiple projects lead to multiple successes.
4. Start at the top and work your way up.
5. Do it by the book... but be the author.
6. When forced to compromise, ask for more.
7. If you can't beat them, join them, and then beat them.
8. If it's worth doing, it's got to be done now!
9. If you can't win, change the rules.
10. If you can't change the rules, then ignore them.
11. Perfection is not optional.
12. When faced without a challenge, make one.
13. "No" simply means begin again at one level higher.
14. Don't walk when you can run.
15. Bureaucracy is a challenge to be conquered with a righteous attitude, a tolerance for stupidity, and a bulldozer when necessary.
16. When in doubt, THINK!
17. Patience is a virtue, but persistence to the point of success is a blessing.
18. The squeaky wheel gets replaced.
19. The faster you move, the slower time passes, the longer you live!

NECC Buzzwords

Last day of NECC. Whew. Thinking a little about some of the big themes of this conference. Everywhere one hears:

• Web 2.0 (of course) and new information fluency/literacy skills
• Second Life - moving from bleeding to leading edge
  
• International collaboration/competition
• Creativity/Innovation (new ISTE NETS standards)
  
• And dare is say it, there is a role for FUN in education
  

People seem to be "getting" the visual power of PowerPoint. Number of text-heavy slides on the decline. Hurray! Wireless connectivity was excellent at the conference center (but bad at the Omni hotel). Live blogging, twittering, podcasting - ubiquitous.

My level of concern about giving my own presentation went up a notch this year. First, I knew the talk would be podcast at the NECC site (I'll link on this blog when it gets loaded),  but the live blogging meant that the blogosphere would know the quality of your presentation BEFORE you packed up your computer and left the room. A couple interesting side notes from the presentation:

• I had an 18-year-old young man come up and tell me about HIS company SCRIPTOVIA.com. He's heading to India next week to line up computer services. How much will he be worth when he is 21? (Oh, he said 95% of my comments about the Net Gen were accurate - nice to know.)
• Jeff Utech couldn't get to the session since the room was full. So David Jakes used Skype that allowed Jeff to hear it and live blog it. Is this just a little bit of nerd heaven here or what?
• One very nice you man came up to me after the talk and said, "Mr Johnson, I hope you don't take this the wrong way, (uh, oh.) but when I get  to be your age I hope I am as lively as you are."  Thanks. I'm glad I got out of the wheelchair to give the talk. It was a sincere compliment, though, and thanks.

The talk when fine thanks to the "lively" group attending. Thanks to each of you!

Peggy Milam did a wonderful job of organizing yesterday's SIGMS Forum (and other events). Good attendance. Alice Yucht is always so funny, informative and provacative!  

Of course, getting to visit with friends, too many to mention, is always fun. I always learn so much from those conversations in the hall

Flying out his afternoon. Always nice to go; always nice to come home. I am sure the ideas garnered from the conference will continue to percolate in the weeks to come.