Send your tech a compliment day

I propose that 10-10 be the official "Send Your Tech a Compliment Day."

This came in this morning's e-mail via one of our school LMSs:

I know that sometimes, good news does not travel very fast. I want to share that DJ updated my computer to Jaguar. In addition, he helped me install my backup external hard drive so that it will efficiently work with my home and school computer.

Earlier this month, he had shared with me exactly what type of external hard drive equipment would be needed to work well with MacBook. I did not follow his instructions, but INSTEAD listened to the salesperson who seemed to know what he was talking about. This created more work for DJ. He respectfully reminded me of what he had said and why. He then told me how this would effect my system and then continued to service me well. MY SYSTEM WORKS PERFECTLY, thanks to DJ.

I am telling you this in an email, because everyone deserves to have good things shared about them to their boss. You have helped him do his job better, and he in turn has made my teaching better. Thank you to you BOTH.

Yes, this is the same DJ, I wrote about a dozen years ago in The DJ Factor. It's still a pretty good column, if I do say so myself.

The problems and complaints my department hears out number the positives by probably about 1000 to 1, so comments like this are what keep us going.

So, send your tech a compliment for something she/he has done for you.

Even better, send a box of doughnuts.

In whose best interest? - ITV implementation

Tuesday was an historic day for my district. It was the first time we ever offered a class over Interactive Television during prime time of the school day to high school students.

And It was a qualified success. The equipment needed tweaking, there was no instructor as promised, and there were no textbooks, but the network connection worked and the kids seemed excited to be in Chinese II this year. I exhausted my vast knowledge of Mandarin (or maybe it was Cantonese) by teaching the nine students to say and define "moo goo gai pan."

Although ITV has been successfully used for over 20 years by our smaller neighboring districts, Mankato schools never took the plunge for a variety of reasons.

• As a larger district with three high schools, our incidence of low enrollment classes has never been great - we have the population to offer French III and AP Trig.
  
• With a state university and community college in town, most high school kids preferred to drive to campus and mingle with the big dogs rather than take college classes online.
  
• ITV offerings are "revenue negative" to districts whose students take them except to the district offering them, and our teachers and administrators have never exhibited enthusiasm for offering classes to other districts using the medium. In fact, with increased math and science requirements, fewer electives can be taken by students and there is greater competition for students by current teachers now offering elective classes in world languages, tech ed, art, and other areas. ITV offerings are viewed as unwelcome competition.

And while it was not a deciding factor, I personally found teaching college courses over ITV less satisfying that F2F instruction. Somehow I wound up with a stiff neck and a paranoid feeling that technology was out to get me after every class. I had a hard time promoting a technology that I myself do not much care for.

Studies show that ITV is more or less equal in effectiveness to F2F instruction, so its use is more of a political/philosophical decision rather than a pedagogical one. By offering Chinese II via ITV, even at the possible expense of the teachers of other electives in our district, we've chosen student needs over staff concerns.

I believe that was a good decision. Too often when it comes to technology and other innovations, staff comfort, school finances, and fear of the new trumps student and family needs. 

But I'll bet you knew that already.

Where's the light switch?

An Apple representative once compared changing software versions to moving to a new house.

For the first few weeks, when you can't find the light switches, where you put the scotch tape or remember to turn left or right to get to the bathroom, you wonder, "What was I thinking moving to this new house?"

In fairly short order, though, the new house becomes more familiar and you appreciate the reasons for moving - bigger garage, nicer yard, more bedrooms, etc. The light switch location isn't a big deal anymore.

I am trying to remember this little analogy as I learn the new version of the squarespace blogging software. I am finally finding some of the new locations of old features, but I am not at the stage of being able to appreciate any improvements.

And while the site may look nicer, the product's done nothing to improve my writing or my ideas. Maybe that is asking for too much.