That pretty much sums it up

January 27, 2009 — woscholar

Updated 1/28 with photo quote created by Dean Shareski:

Are you a bench warmer?

While reading through the 2009 Horizon Report, I came across a quote that caught my eye. It was the same one that Will and others spotted as well:

Increasingly, those who use technology in ways that expand their global connections are more likely to advance, while those who do not will find themselves on the sidelines.

This statement goes for educators, administrators, students, and even organizations. Yes, organizations as well. I would even say that is some key advice for parents as well.

So, the question becomes, do you “quit, complain, or innovate?” – Marco Torres, 10/06

Posted in Leadership, Random Thoughts. 4 Comments »

And now, a New Year’s Resolution Video

January 1, 2009 — woscholar

We’ve all been there. Is it any emptier coming from little kids as it is from us?

Posted in Random Thoughts. 2 Comments »

Merry Christmas Y’all!

December 21, 2008 — woscholar

Just a little humor to liven up the Christmas Day!

Posted in Random Thoughts. 3 Comments »

Still Thinking on the Virtual Education vs F2F

December 17, 2008 — woscholar


Photo Credit: me

Since I posted earlier on the subject, I have been struggling with what a completely virtual education would be like (hence the second cloudy picture in two posts on this topic). Obviously, I have the opportunity to be a virtual teacher for Florida Virtual Schools just like any other educator. I tried to put myself in that position. Then, I wondered about my son being put in the virtual only environment as an elementary student. It is so far out there that it is difficult to imagine. Mind you, I did my Masters in that environment, but I am an adult. We are talking K-12 in Florida now. How does one pull that off? What does it look like? Is there an ultimate vision for this setting that has yet to be reached?

Dean has a post with his take on this topic (sort of). He discusses the pros and cons of both face to face (f2f) meetings and those online. He makes great points about both. What I wonder, though, is if a distinction can be made for required classes where base-level knowledge is the goal (like most standards-based courses in public schools) compared to elected advanced core courses. Now, I realize the depth of knowledge and comprehension can be much greater when good conversation surrounds the topic, but let’s face it. Few of our kids love studying core subjects and just want to accelerate their progress to get to where THEY want to be (college, trade school, career, etc). If they can finish a core area subject at an accelerated rate at an adequate (whatever that is) level of comprehension, who are we to slow him or her down?

Dean also says (emphasis mine), “But the richness of conversations and willingness to be open and
transparent is difficult to foster in 3 hours a week where much of that
learning is teacher directed.” That is a good point. In a post-secondary setting, he makes great sense with that since the students are basically strangers gathering a few times a week to move forward in their personal, individual college plans.

In a public school, though, the kids all know each other. Then again, that could be the downfall. They know who will accept their input and who will not. We all know that occurs and limits many students’ participation. For example, I remember very clearly sitting in an English course in junior college. The topic had to do with conflicts and how they change literature. The specific time period we were talking about needed more context than the textbook provided to be clearly understood. So I did what any learner should do. I shared a number of things including how the Hessians played a role against the American revolutionaries. One student sarcastically replied with something offhand like, “That is ridiculous that you would even know that.” Being polite, I said, “Well, sorry about that.” The teacher quickly interrupted saying when we get to the point where we have to apologize for having knowledge, she would quit teaching.  While I did not go recluse in the class, I did not share so easily from that point forward. So does the protected cloaking of an online course allow a personality to shine through in all of its intelligence? Mind you, we are talking about students who voluntarily move into online courses.

Gary Stager adds in his valuable two cents as well:

  • First of all, the fact that kids have decided to avoid schooling and accept an alternative, any alternative should neither surprise nor encourage us. Dropping out may be the most rational response to the current system that will not be improved one bit by kids opting out for correspondence school.

  • What is lost when you never meet a teacher face-to-face? Is education merely the objective exchange of questions and answers? Of teaching and being taught?

  • While I remain a great supporter of the affordances offered learners by well-designed online learning environments (I have fifteen years worth of experience teaching online), the Florida Virtual School was not created out of pure intentions. One needs only to look at the new state law requiring online alternatives to school for every elementary school student and it’s easy to conclude that the Florida Virtual School is first and foremost a stealth plan for privatizing public education and cutting costs. Jeb Bush achieved what his ideological brethren only dreamed of by offering a scheme to parents that sounds futuristic. It is impossible to see this news in an apolitical context.

While Gary has a snarky way of saying things, you gotta love the depth of his thinking about this (and pretty much everything). I happen to agree that it is a perfect way for states to begin to privatize education. It will never do away with public education because many parents count on the school day to watch the kids while they are at work, but it will draw many away. Does that mean classism becomes a part of the problem now? Only the students whose parents can afford to stay home and focus on the kids’ education enter the online arena? Would the test scores be reflective of that make-up? Would the state quit funding (like they do anyway) new buildings for public schools because they can build virtual ones for a fraction of a percent? So does that mean kids still going to public school would be in sub-standard buildings?

Seriously, can you see what I am talking about when I say these things have been swirling in my mind way too much lately. I had to get some of them out so maybe something would gel for me. This is pretty much a brain dump post, but maybe you will find something and latch onto it. Jump into the comments and straighten me out. Please.

Posted in Random Thoughts, Virtual Education. 1 Comment »

Textbooks, Technology, and Funding Revisited

December 8, 2008 — woscholar

The discussion on the TECSIG list serve has begun to echo some of the thoughts I have shared on here recently. The conversation began on the list serve when the Austin American Statesman posted an article titled “Should textbooks or technology be Texas’ spending priority?“  The money quote for those that advocate on behalf of public education within the Texas legislature is this one:

A 19th-century concept of learning is holding back Texas from bringing school technology into the present, some legislators say.

State Representative Dan Branch, also a member of the House Public Education Committee, shared that he felt “A textbook is a vehicle for content.  That vehicle is quickly becoming a horse and buggy.” Then the Statesman threw out this staggering statistic:

Since 1992, the state has allocated each year $30 per student for technology, which totals about $134 million in the current budget.

The bill for textbooks in the 2008-2009 budget was $496 million and will reach $913 million in the upcoming budget. Almost all of the $1.15 billion from the Permanent School Fund in the 2010-11 budget will be needed to pay for textbooks.

Why do we keep paying the textbook companies SO MUCH money when the things are virtually outdated almost immediately. Why do we not focus more attention within the curriculum and instruction side on how technology can help make the instructional process of delivering that content more efficient and timely.  Well, here is a TED Talks video from Richard Baraniuk that takes this thought a bit further:

So maybe opensource textbooks are a little too far fetched for what we do in public schools, you know, with standards and all. Rice University has been doing it for awhile now, though. But what it does not curtail us from doing is being proactive and collaborating on resources that we KNOW are good for what we are doing in our classrooms. If we cannot count on the textbook companies to be forward thinking and designing a textbook system that allows us as teachers and students to have access to the most recent changes in our field of study, then we must as educators find, create, and share resources that will do that for us. It is called collaboration. It is called being proactive and affecting positive change.

With that in mind, Seth Godin posts this morning on the worst business mistake he ever made. He ignored the internet when it was in its early stages. He wrote books about it and even taught others how to utilize it, but he ignored it himself. He calls it simply his “biggest business mistake.” So why did he ignore it then? Consider his reflection:

Because the rules of this new business didn’t match the rules of my existing business. (emphasis his)

Does this correlate to ANYTHING we are doing in Texas education? Does it correlate to ANYTHING we are doing in TCEA? Does it correlate to ANYTHING you are doing in your classroom?

Just a reminder to Texas educators. The 81st Texas Legislature convenes in January. What are your plans to be a part of it?

Posted in Administration, Leadership, Politics, Random Thoughts. 2 Comments »

Will my son see the inside of a high school classroom?

December 5, 2008 — woscholar

Or will this be what his classroom looks like?

Will Richardson blogged recently about a conference he attended where he heard Andy Ross, vice-president of Florida Virtual High School speak. The quote does not need much lead-in, so here it is:

Finally, I think the conversation that most blew me away was the one with Andy Ross, the VP of Florida Virtual High School. They’ve got almost 1,000 full time staff now and over 20,000 kids on their waiting list to take classes. They can’t hire teachers fast enough. Kids can take their entire high school curriculum online without ever meeting a teacher face to face, though there are plenty of phone calls and e-mails. Andy said that their research shows that those kids do better on the standardized assessments than kids in physical schools, primarily because of the deep alignment of the curriculum and the programmed delivery.

Will’s reflections got me to wondering about where my son will be attending high school six and a half years from now. Sure, if it has four walls and a physical teacher, it will be White Oak High School. But, if it is a virtual environment that he excels in for whatever reason, then that is an option he will obviously have available. Texas has already started down that road, albeit years after Florida took the lead. Our own East Texas Virtual High School via SUPRNet has been ahead of the game (and the rest of Texas) on this as well since they visited Florida in the beginning to help get started on the right track.

Yet, we are talking 6.5 years from now. That’s like 30 years in tech life. How far along will we and our technologies be by then? Will Cisco Telepresence be the home solution? Or will it be like CNN’s holograms or more like a real hologram?

Regardless, consider the technologies we use and take for granted today, and think back five years. Yeah. Tremendous, huh? My son has some awesome times ahead of him. Will Texas public schools be ready? Will TCEA be a part of that preparation? Florida already is. They even have openings for Texas elementary teachers to work from home. That means they are taking OUR kids out of OUR classes and OUR teachers from OUR students. Now. How far behind are we?

Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach mentioned at a conference recently, “We are preparing kids with the end in mind, and we don’t even know what the end is.” She’s right. But let me take that one step further. We are planning, prepping, and funding our schools with the future in mind, and we don’t even know what the future holds. Can we even begin to plan keeping unimaginable learning environments in mind? Is it possible for us to get out of the mold where we expect 100% of our students (K-12) to arrive for learning on a bus instead of in their pajamas?

I’m not sounding the Armageddon Alarm for public schools. I’m just saying, if we all think the trends we are seeing in places like Florida are either going to pass us by or fade into another realm as the pendulum swings back, I think we are making a huge mistake. What are we doing in our state and school districts to prepare for this paradigm shift?

Facing reality might be a good start.

Posted in Leadership, Learning, Random Thoughts, Teaching. 2 Comments »

Using the “Bible” as the Ultimate Electronic Textbook Template

October 28, 2008 — woscholar

Photo Credit: Americo Nunes

I recently got a second generation iPod Touch. While reloading my content and adding a few new apps, I found a new Bible app that interested me. It requires the Internet, but it still is really awesome. You might wonder why I am blogging this on an educational blog. Well, it is because the textbook companies can take some cues from this handy little app. The features are very useful in studying this content, so I know it would benefit students in the classroom.

Some of the cool features I have found in it are:

Text Highlight – Once you find a passage you like, if you hold your fingertip on the passage for a second or so, a box pops up. It gives you several options:

  • Email to a Friend or Self – type in the address and it sends it
  • Bookmark Verse – just like it says, it bookmarks it
  • View Contribution – shows additional information one might find useful to aid in the understanding

Search – Full search of the text; the results are short links with summaries.

Daily Read – This is a daily devotional.

Languages – MANY, MANY languages. For English readers, there are nine translations of the Bible; but you will find 16 other languages with multiple translations available for the reader. This is so useful for our classrooms today. Imagine all of these translations in one easy to switch format. Two finger taps and you can go from any language to one of fifteen additional languages. Our ESL teachers would love it.

Table of Contents – It’s easy to search by Book and then Chapter. It’s even separated into the major sections of the Bible (books of Law, Books of History, Books of Poetry, etc).

Photo Credit: Me

Cool features it could use to be a functional eTextbook:

Daily Read – Turn the daily devotional into daily tips/hints based on the topic currently being studied. Even short Pop Quizzes would be cool.

Portable – It is a must that it be designed with the portable technologies in mind (ie. iPod Touch, iPhone, Smart Phones, PDA’s, Flash Drive).

Read – It should read the text to you. This would help in many situations with students (hearing impaired, ADD/ADHD, dyslexic, etc). Since the Gen 2 Touch has a small speaker built-in, this would be nice.

Graphics – The Bible app does not have any, but it is an easy add-on for the programmers.

Video – Take advantage of the video abilities of the Touch with informational and tutorial videos.

Hyperlinks – Since Safari is built-in to the Touch, as is wireless, this is a no-brainer. Link to outside reliable sources. If the URL’s go dead over time, no biggie. Apps can be updated easily anytime via iTunes. Heck, iTunes even tells you if there is an update available.

Zoom – Take advantage of the touch screen for the visually impaired.

Print – Allow it to wirelessly print important information. One thought here is that the ability to email the important information allows this as well, just with a few more steps.

Quizzes – Practices quizzes would be a really cool addition.

Tests – Links to secure, online, graded tests would be a nice add-on for the teacher. Short answer, multiple choice, and matching are good options.

What else am I missing? What do you think should be a part of real electronic textbooks? Consider all of your needs as an educator and the needs of your diverse student population.

Posted in Classroom Tools, Random Thoughts, Software Solutions. 5 Comments »

TCEA as a Leader in Texas; TCEA Needs a Leader in Texas

October 24, 2008 — woscholar


Photo Credit: Me

In response to Miguel Guhlin’s vision for TCEA, I offer these reflections. As one fellow SOS-SIG member noted of me today, I’m passionate about the direction of this organization. Consider that in your reading of my thoughts, please. TCEA has so many possibilities. It is like the child you have at home who is sooooo smart but has yet to fully apply himself. You are aggravated, but you love him still the same and work to make him better.

1. Carry out the strategic plans and policies of the board.
This is a good directive for the executive director. As a matter of fact, it is the most important since the executive director (ED) works at the will of the board. You kind of melded a few ideas here, but I’m glad you did. With me running for the board seat of Area 7, it is one that I have thought about. Why do our directors not share what is going on? I realize there are items that should be held in executive session and treated as such. What I don’t get is why we do not hear about who they are and what they are doing for us when they meet. If elected, one of my personal mandates will be to blog the position to the Area 7 members. They should have a place to have a conversation with me in the open about what I am doing, how I am doing it, and what they prefer to see done. It will not only happen after the meeting. It will happen before and even during if appropriate.  You will see that from Day One with me, I assure you. Why hide the good work being done and the struggles of growing into the future? The collective is always smarter than the individual. 

2. Encourages change relevant to the organization and the stakeholders
It is obvious that a group needs a strong, visionary leader. One would hope that leader comes in the form of the executive director. Again, this position is to do the will of the BOD, but it should also offer alternatives, trends, and traps to his/her regular report. The report should begin and extend conversations about the direction of the organization. It should not state a firm decision. It is the BOD’s job to do that.

You mentioned that we have all seen blogs, podcasts, and wikis. Well, we have seen them in our schools and at the convention, yet we have not seen them out of the TCEA office or leadership as it relates to the organization. You left out RSS feeds. We have an announcement of immense proportions as to the change in leadership of TCEA, and a large population of the membership never knew it took place. It still is not on the TCEA website. If it were, and there was an RSS feed on the Announcements page, then that is an additional avenue it could have spread with little to no effort or cost. You would think the same could be said about the list serves, but there is apparently an issue with those.

You mentioned that TCEA’s leadership can “completely change the conversation in Texas.” I spend a lot of time in Austin during session. I have not run into a TCEA leader during any of them. I testify at school finance hearings, bill hearings, and interim committee hearings. I meet with senators and representatives and chiefs of staff. I have not seen a TCEA leader in any of them. What I see is teacher organizations protecting their members. Sometimes tech funding and interests benefit from that, sometimes they do not. We are in a time where the need for tech funding is increasing. What is the plan of TCEA leadership? We have no idea because we are not hearing it. I see there is an Advocacy Committee now. Never heard about it before, but I am glad there is one. What is their goal? Their vision? Their mission? No idea. They are not even listed on the website. Leadership has to step up and open up.

3. Visionary that looks at the future for change opportunities.
You challenge the board to “Where do you think this is all going next, what could we do to use
technology to get there in K-16, and how will that meet the needs of
our membership?”

That is a noble goal, but does TCEA know the answer to those questions? Is it prepared to talk to that? Would they know what to answer in an interview with a true leader if the question were reversed? If I were interviewing for the position, I would want to know if the folks I was expected to lead had vision as well.

The TCEA board needs to have a planning session with ALL board members (there are two vacant seats on the board right now). Start from scratch, in a way. What is the goal of TCEA? The mission? The vision? The tenets? How can TCEA best align itself to work toward those items? Does the current structure do that? Does the budget allow for that? Would state-wide committees help? Would more transparency into the needs of TCEA help? Are there crucial partnerships that can be created to accomplish those goals while sharing resources? And the biggest question, is the board willing to step away from the table letting go of sacred cows to look at all of this with a fresh view as we move into changing times?

Right now, TCEA seems to be content as an organization that puts on a good conference. It needs to be more than that. It needs to mature. It is ready to mature.

4. Interfaces between organization and community.
This is a must. The odd thing I find about TCEA is that it is not a place to turn to for answers. While it is the leading technology organization in Texas, it is not leading where it needs to be. For instance, Apple rolled out iTunes U K-12 at NECC in San Antonio. They asked each of the state education organizations to run it so that there was one collaborative spot for schools to turn to. TEA said no. So, those of us podcasting (which is a growing number daily) do not have the state level portal into TEKS-driven content to turn to. Instead, there is an independent group of educators working to help Apple find that solution. TCEA should be spear-heading this. Why not? I am not saying TCEA should be in control of iTunes U K-12, but I believe there are enough contacts within the organization to find a solution and give this great tool to the schools of Texas. What a feather in the cap of TCEA that would be. And I am pretty sure Apple would remember that. But in the end, it may be the stubbornness of a few school employees that pull it off. Then again, it might be that it does not get pulled off, and Texas is without that resource. Sad.

5. Ensures staff and Board have sufficient and up-to-date information.
While I like your main point, I think it should be up to each board member and state officer to get the word out how he/she sees fit. BUT IT NEEDS TO GET OUT. If a board member does not get the information out, one would hope the membership would find a new board member that will. Sure, we can all complain about how we do not have enough time to do our jobs as it is, but if you run for the position, you should understand the expectations. It is not expected to warm a seat. It is an expectation to represent, and representation runs both ways. Share with the board the members’ wishes and share with the members what the board is/was thinking. Can you imagine how many issues would be alleviated if this were done?

6. Formulates policies and planning recommendations to the Board.
This is a biggie. You have to have a visionary leader to get the job done and stay ahead of the curve. Staying with or just behind the curve is not worth the effort. Can you imagine what would happen if all of our schools strove for mediocrity? We might be attending in droves the Microsoft Office sessions still offered at our ESC. Not happening. We’ve moved on as have our students.

This person should not be afraid to step up, pitch the thoughts, and stand back to answer questions. The executive director of a member-owned, member-governed organization does not force ideas down anyone’s throats. He/she is a facilitator of information and then the leader of following through with the board’s decision. In other words, do not go in with a new idea and a Motion form all filled out ready to go. The motions are the responsibility of the board only.
 
7. Manages human resources of organization.
You said: “Next Step: Assess staff operations, relationships, and interactions–customer service–and then make adjustments as needed.” Amen. Regardless of the number of staff, we have to maximize their talents. We do the same in our school districts. Other organizations do the same. It is the only way to remain successful and efficient. If I.T. is overwhelmed because of a software/hardware choice made by either a prior employee or poor leadership, then find a fit that is more efficient in time and cost. Open source software offers too many opportunities for us to stay stuck in a commercial choice if there is a better alternative.  Besides, the use of open source software would only serve to support one of our own SIG’s that is loaded with plenty of expertise that would be free to our office staff with a simple email or phone call.

8. Manages financial and physical resources.
You recommended rebuilding the team after leadership change to re-examine current projects and direction. Sure. That is a good direction to go. I would also say that the term fiduciary responsibility be introduced to the board and staff. As a trustee, all decisions must be made with the organization in mind and not the egos and personalities becoming a part of the equation. I’m not saying that is happening now. I’m just saying it needs to be in the equation.

Now, let me introduce a few additional things needed both in the board decision and in a new leader:

9. The current board and officer corp needs to have all positions filled on the board before moving forward with a new executive director hire.
I mentioned this in the list serve email I sent, but two regions from the same portion of the state are without representation. It does not make sense to move ahead without these seats being filled with DIRECTORS. I don’t mean surrogates for the position. I mean directors who have long term committments to the board (well, at least to the end of their elected terms). You know, the board who will be working with the new executive director. Consider immediate appointments of the winners to the board after the election for the vacant positions to move the process along. This is a legislative year upcoming.

10. TCEA must become more politically active.
I touched on this above, but it is worth mentioning again. The new ED must be willing to learn the ropes at the Capitol and stay an integral part of that process. Legislators and their staff need someone to turn to for technology information that they know will be from a trusted and professional source. Being a visible, recognizable voice at the Capitol is imperative.  I was able to be a part of the virtual high school legislation because of my connections with another organization and my work with legislators. I was emailed and faxed pre-release copies of possible bills and suggested amendments to review and offer input. I networked with others more knowledgeable in the area from our consortium of schools, and we successfully passed a nice bill. This bill had failed many times before when it was no good for education. Working in a professional manner with a respected contact allowed that to happen. TCEA needs to emulate that. Soon.

So there is an Advocacy Committee. Make them a spotlight NOW. Let them help circle the wagons for immediate training about what is upcoming in the session and how TCEA plans to work within it. What are TCEA’s beliefs in advocacy? Who decided the initiatives TCEA will be pushing for? What will it be asking from/of legislators? How will it react to the legislative process? What can it offer the legislative process? You prefer that content to be private? Then use one of the Moodles we have in place so the information is available through registered users only. Or post them to a link only available to registered users on our website. Just get the information out there now. Don’t wait until the legislative session starts right after Christmas break and everyone is trying to get back into the swing of things. It is election time. Get the information out! Let the conversations begin now. Unveiling this at the conference in February is TOO late.

11. Neutrality
It is the job of ALL office staff to stay out of TCEA business decision-making. The TCEA office staff facilitates and runs the day to day portions of the organization, but it should NEVER become involved as a player in the process. In other words, come up with ideas, but do not go out and politic to get the idea through. It is the BOD’s decision. Or for another example, do not become a part of the elections except in an assistive manner. They should be handled completely by the board appointees. Nominations should be sent to the nomination chair and remain private until the passing of the deadline where they would be posted to the website immediately upon its closing. It removes any possible look of impropriety that could arise. This is of the utmost importance in expectations of the ED. Considering the board decides the contracts of the ED, why would it be any other way? This should be a mandate in place even if the new Ed happens to be a former TCEA member or former TCEA board member. Past positions should not change the current neutrality of the position. It would be a conflict of interest.

I probably have more, but I have moved beyond the thirty minutes Miguel used.  Sorry.  Mind you, some or all of these things might already be in place and I am just not informed. But that reinforces the point of transparency and communication. If we do not put information out there for the members to easily find, it could only lead to questions. Why not answer those questions with a resource we already have paid for: the website.

Please leave your comments of debate, disgust, and decision with my positions. I’m open to them. I’m hopeful there will be links aplenty to all kinds of leaders’ blogs, information sources that answer my questions above, directions on how best to offer solutions, etc.

Posted in Leadership, Random Thoughts. 3 Comments »

SUPERNet IT Summit

October 17, 2008 — woscholar


Photo Credit: Michael Gras

I had the opportunity to speak with directors of technology, curriculum directors, and other school leaders at Chapel Hill High School. The event was sponsored by SUPERNet Consortium. SUPERNet is a collaborative of twenty-six rural schools that originally banded together to share technology resources, evolved into one of the most successful virtual high schools in Texas, and is now poised to become technology integration leaders for our portion of Texas.

They are on the cusp of getting it. Many of them have, but now most of them are. They realize that the curriculum drives the technology. That is part of what this meeting was about. I was sharing my experiences of working through the process in White Oak ISD as well as what we feel that we still have ahead of us.  Feel free to give it a listen (if you have 1:45 to spare). I am always open to criticism and other comments. I also added the PDF of the Keynote presentation as well. You will get the gist of when I move on to the next slide, I think.

One of the questions asked was about how we handle copyright. If you have read my blog before now, you have seen a post or two about this. We have not had ANY issues with this in our district. We are blessed with a very professional staff. So, that is where my response went. We train our staff on utilizing Creative Commons Share Alike images, video, audio, and other items. We ask our campus administrators to make sure to inform us if additional training is needed. If a situation comes up, we would handle it with that person on a one to one basis. If it is a repeated event, we would handle it however the campus administrator and superintendent prefers. The ultimate responsibility is on the teacher. When a copyright question came up during a presentation at TCEA last year, I called ATPE and got my response. Those are the folks covering my rear in court. The school district would not be responsible for that if they have tried to show me the light. I must repeat again, our staff is very professional. I cannot tell you how much easier that makes my job.

There was an interesting question that came up after the mic was off and I was packing up. An IT from Tyler ISD approached me with the question of how we handle public information requests concerning the blogs. I have to say, I did not have a clear cut answer. The simple, honest response is that the information is already public, so they can just print it off if they want it. There really is no need to put in paperwork to get it. We do not hide our teacher blogs. The other side of my mind is wondering about a post that creates an issue (which I hope never happens), so the teacher deletes it. Then a parent shows up wanting a copy of it. How is that handled? That is the question that has me stumped. I know we will have regular backups of our WPMU site, but what are the chances we catch it while an offending post is live? Feel free to comment below.

I would also like to thank my PLN for all of the PD you give me on a daily basis. Sometimes you feed my current beliefs. Sometimes you smack me down and change my mind. Other times, you challenge my thinking, and who knows where that will go. In my presentation I used material from Chris Lehmann, Dean Shareski, Dr. Scott McLeod, Miguel Guhlin, Kim Estes, Dr. Helen Barrett, and Darren Draper (who still has iTunes U K-12 while Texas doesn’t). There is no telling who I drew ideas from over the years, but I assure you this. If you are in my PLN, you are making a difference. Not only for me, but for every kid that ends up being affected by what I say through the people that hear it. Thanks to you. Stop by when you are in Texas and I’ll buy you some BBQ. Or Mexican.

Posted in Conferences, Leadership, Random Thoughts, Teaching. 2 Comments »

Lead, follow, collaborate, or get out of the way.

October 8, 2008 — woscholar


Photo Credit: notanalternative

[Background: For some insight into the argument presented below, let me
share this. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) uses a government subset organization called Texas Education Telecommunications Network (TETN) to share TEA updates and other material via a distance learning network. School districts must pay to receive those connections. As budgets have been crunched due to continued shortfall funding by Texas leadership, school districts have had to trim away even the important things. You know, the things you should be getting for free like state mandated updates. This is not a plea for TETN to be free for all of their services. They also offer DL sessions for classrooms that many find very useful.]

Notes from TECSIG, October 2 & 3, 2008:

TEA - Let me begin by saying, I truly respect Anita Givens. Her work on behalf of public education and technology has been tremendous. We are lucky to have her in the new position she now holds. But I believe respect between two professionals is appreciated most when there is some honest pushback and not just a bunch of agreement. (It is the reason I like Gary Stager and the work he does.)

While TEA may rest on the idea/reason/excuse of cash-strapped and man-power lean, the rest of us are in the same boat but are utilizing the free technologies that are out there for us. Government is not thinking that way. Government wants to place a high price tag on what it does because it makes it seem more important, I presume. As a public school district employee, I find it extremely important to have timely policy and program updates from my governing body. Cost should not be an inhibitor.

A few years back I blogged about how another state passed a bill requiring all government offices to consider free, opensource options when looking at alternatives. Texas does not do that. For too many years we have listened to our state’s leadership talk about how transparent school districts need to be. Texas government doesn’t do that either.

So, to TEA, my suggestion is a simple, classic line heard many times: Lead, follow, or get out of the way. And let me add one more to that. Consider this turn of that phrase: Lead, follow, collaborate, or get out of the way. If you cannot make the system better for any of a long list of reasons, let us help. Somehow we are able to harness the free resources that are out there for our schools and classrooms. Let us use those same systems to get the word out about new programs, policy changes, and important deadlines. Don’t claim some false statement of copyright (which you do not have in this instance anyway thanks to Texas Sunshine Laws) and slow down the information superhighway. We are not talking about private conversations here. We are talking about large group policy and program updates. You know, the stuff you and the tax payers expect us to live up to.

While we can go ahead and repost the information without repercussions, it would be nice for TEA to step up and applaud the fact that Texas educators care enough about their state system and local school districts that they are willing to be a part of the solution to make it the best it can be. Why anyone would think or do otherwise is incomprehensible. We do not extend our personal learning just to aggravate the state. We’ve better things to do.

As an aside: Please don’t tell me that TEA has been “telling you for eight years” about a tech literacy assessment. We both know that is a cop out. Sure, NCLB came out then and it is a part of that, but there has never even been a hint of holding anyone accountable until May 9th when you folks shared it with the limited number of people in attendance that day. Even still, the limited funds that MIGHT be lost by ignoring the mandate is not enough to move many districts to act. Why districts would choose to defy assessment now in as an important area as any is ridiculous, with our without the consequences. But I digress. I know it was a statement made as more of a defensive measure than one that was thought out.

TETN - These folks are in a bubble of sorts. They want to be relevant. They need the money stream to stay afloat. Yet, they have become an old version of what we use now with online tools. They are the land line compared to the cell phone. The HBO to NetFlix and iTunes. The post office to email.

What if you propose to place Marco Torres’s decision-making self-reflection on it: “Complain, Innovate, or Quit.” TETN is in the Complain stage. The problem with that? They’re a vendor. How long will they survive in that spot? Relevance is a limited state of being. Remember that. Go for Marco’s second option in that list. Please.

Yes, there was more to those two days in Austin than TEA and TETN, but let’s face it. We all go there to hear what is expected of us next. Yes, Apple did a fine job of professional development the first day. Maria Henderson is always pure genius (even if her old links are dead due to the Mobile.me upgrade. Sigh.). So, if you want to know more about them, go to one of their offerings for school district administrators.

But, if you want to be a part of TEA opening the virtual doors to their massive amounts of information, become part of the solution. If you want to stand in the way because you have nothing productive to do, you’re wasting your time. You cannot hold up progress. The Texas Legislature meets in January. I’ve started my game plan. Have you?

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