Sometimes, we fail to realize the degree to which systems are interdependent on one another. Last Friday, a sign appeared on the front door of the high school. “The building will be closed on Saturday due to electrical work.” The custodian clarified. The electricity at the high school will be off on Saturday between 8:00 AM and noon. If the maintenance work goes poorly, we … Continue reading Domino Effect
In 1999, I was applying for a teaching position in the Brecksville-Broadview Heights Schools. The first interview was at the high school. After the interview, I asked if I could walk around the building a little before leaving. I had never been there before, and wanted to take a look around. School was out for the summer, and I was given permission to roam the … Continue reading Distance Learning
The Stop Badware Coalition was mentioned last week on Security Now! In a week of truly depressing security news, this was the one beacon of optimism discussed. The Stop Badware Coalition is an organization that is developing a list of web sites with known malware content. The coalition categorizes software that disregards a user’s choice over how his or her computer will be used as … Continue reading Stop Badware
I have three calendars on my bulletin board in my office. One is a standard calendar that clearly shows the days with Sundays highlighted and holidays easy to pick out. The second is the school calendar. This one-page calendar shows the whole school year at a glance. If I can find the month we’re on, it’s easy to find the next school holiday, or to … Continue reading The Calendar Problem
I was doing some maintenance on our online learning system (Moodle) in July. I decided that it would be a good idea to remove teachers who aren’t using the system. We have a lot of people who express interest, play around with it for a while, and then decide it’s not for them. So I wanted to remove all of the staff accounts who hadn’t … Continue reading Summer School
Taste of Tech 