Is the magic gone?

If you were a teacher in the Mankato schools, you'd have a one in five chance of coming in to see me (or one of my staff) this month. We'd be sitting down for about an hour unpacking, putting together, configuring and exploring your brand new computer. Had you been with the district since 1992, this might be the 4th new computer of your career with us. (Nearly half of the 40 teachers who got computers in 1992 are still employed by the district.)

That first year you teachers would have received a Mac Classic II computer (9" B&W screen, 16MGz CPU, 2Mg RAM, 40Mg hard drive), a StyleWriter inkjet printer, a 14.4 baud modem, ClarisWorks and CODE 77 training.

In 1997, you'd have gotten a PowerMac 5400. In 2002, an eMac. Today's teachers get the choice of an iMac (17" LCD color screen, 1.83GHz CPU, 1 Gig RAM, 80 GB hard drive, wi-fi, Bluetooth, built-in camera...) or MacBook laptop, both running OSX and Windows XP with Parallels and Microsoft Offfice. Just amazing to consider the improvements in the hardware.

A new computer in our district has always been accompanied by required formal, hands-on training, ranging from 30 hours the first go-round (this is how you use a mouse) to 12 hours more recently. Not enough, of course, but something.

The early days were really exciting. A lab of teachers would collectively gasp when when learning word processing when they changed the font of an entire document using Open Apple A. Sort of cool. Getting a computer was a competitive process when there were more teachers wanting one than funds available (enough for 20% of the faculty) and it was thrilling to be "up" for a new computer.

It's a different group coming in to pick up their computers this summer of 2007. Participation is no longer competitive, an honor, or even optional. The computer for too many is not about creativity, but only about work - grades, attendance, data analysis for NCLB, online testing, IEPs, parent communication, and website updates. A teacher cannot do his/her job without a networked comptuer. Who'd have thought that giving up an hour (but being paid for it) in the summer to learn about and pick up a brand-new computer would be resented by so many teachers today. Maybe I'm just naive. Is this is like expecting a convict in a chain gang to be excited about his new shovel?

But most teachers are very happy to get the new machines - and some are just as excited today about them as they were in 1992. And that is cool. I showed one teacher how to use the built in camera and ComicLife and you'd a thought she'd died and gone to heaven. She could not wait to show "her" students. Pretty easy to pick which teachers I'd want for my own kids.

Can you instill a love of life-long learning in others if you aren't an enthusiastic life-long learner yourself?

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On a side note: I had a depressing thought that after 16 years, I am still learning my job - and most days feeling about as competent as the first day I started. Time to revisit the Peter Principle??? 

Relationship of monitor size to productivity

My secretary recently got a new iMac that has a 24" screen. I was very jealous.

So...

On my desk is Samsung 24" 1920x1200 dpi external monitor for my old 12" PowerBook. It replaces the old, dim 19" monitor, I'd been using for the past few years. The staff now says that the monitor is the brightest thing in my office. Ha, ha.

But lIfe is good. The screen easily shows two full documents large enough I can actually read them without hunting for my glasses. This is especially nice as I migrate web content from the old <www.isd77.k12.mn.us> site to the new <www.isd77.org site> which I hope will be ready for prime time in a couple weeks. 

I'm sure my productivity will rise in direct proportion to the increase in screen diagonal measurements.

And they say size doesn't matter.

View from the back end of the parade

The picture on the left was taken from our pontoon boat as the LWW and I cruised along in the First Annual Big Lake Jefferson 4th of July Boat Parade. It was impossible to capture the scope and grandeur of the event (30-40 boats at least) without aerial support. Next year, we are decking the boat out!

Parades have always made me ask a fairly profound question: Is it better to be a part of the parade, marching (or sailing) along, seeing only those folks just ahead of you OR is it better to be a spectator parked on a comfy lawn chair someplace in the shade seeing the whole procession?

Lately the parade of information and web applications coming at me feels totally overwhelming. I got the first twinges when I added a NetFlix new release feed to my RSS reader and was blasted with about 80 - 100 new releases every weekend. Granted. most of the stuff is pretty far down the Long Tail (Akbar and Birbal? Bewitched: Season 5), but you at least have to skim the titles to make sure you are not missing a gem.

The second RSS feed that floors me is from SimpleSpark. Every day I must get 20-40 posts of new computer applications - primarily web-based tools. Just how have I managed to live this long without using:

• Post Like a Pirate:  Translates your twittArrr comments into scurvy pirate talk, maytey.
  
• iPhone Typing Test:  Test your typing speed on your iPhone.
• PrayAbout:  Prayer requests posted instantly online. Thousands pray with you for free.

Joyce Valenza posted links to 30 or so  online graphic tools, including my personal favorite Spelling with

 

 

Jeff Utecht gives me a choice of four RSS aggregators.

 

And I am supposed to be Ninging and Twittering and who knows what else.

 

SLOW DOWN! Stop I have real work to to do.

 

I been Twittering now for a week or so, sending requests to whomever asking the education value of this application - no responses so far. Just to save everyone a lot of time and bandwidth, here is my generic weekend morning Twitter:

 

• I am making coffee.
• I am feeding the cats.
• I am getting the newspaper.
• I am solving the Jumbles.
• I am pouring my coffee.
• I am making toast.
• I am eating toast.
  
• I am reading the newspaper.
• I am scratching my butt.
• I am getting dressed.
• I am brushing my teeth.
• I am pouring more coffee.
• I am reading my e-mail.
• I am getting a cat off the table.
  
• I am reading my RSS feeds.
• I am commenting.
• I am pouring more coffee.
• I am working on a) a column, b) a workshop/presentation update. c) a column, d) travel arrangements.
• I am making lunch...

Now you know. Don't make me repeat myself. 

 

I'm thinking that a nice spot in the shade watching all these apps parade by, joining perhaps the very select few, sounds good this summer. Twits and Nings and Sparkers, enjoy the march. I'll be somewhere far behind you.