I used to sign up for free magazines. There were a lot of them — Technology & Learning, Network World, Presentations, Electronic School, Computerworld. When I was teaching, I’d encourage my students to sign up for them too. I was never at a loss for something to read, and they did a great job of keeping me current with new ideas, trends, products, and technologies. … Continue reading Print is Dead
As a graduate student, I was required to take a course called “Foundations of Modern Education.” It was probably the most demanding of the courses I took for that degree. One of the major themes of this course was the erosion of community, especially in America. Prior to the 1950’s, Americans lived in neighborhoods. They worked, went to school, shopped, worshiped, and played in those … Continue reading The Whole Me
I’ve been surprised by the number of people who have shown genuine interest in my trip to Africa this summer. For those who don’t know, I’m going to be providing technology training to teachers, school administrators and educational leaders in South Africa and Kenya as part of a Teachers Without Borders – Canada team. I’ve had a lot of people approach me, wanting to hear … Continue reading How You Can Help
Over the last few weeks, several people have asked me for lists of free software that I use. There are plenty of sources online for this kind of thing, and there are some great sites that give you lists of free applications to perform certain tasks, alternatives to commerical software applications, and reviews of the best freeware applications. So the last thing you need is … Continue reading 20 Useful Free Windows Apps I Actually Use
Most school districts in the United States employ some sort of web filtering technology. To be eligible for the e-rate program, schools must comply with the Children’s Internet Protection Act of 2000, including the use of “technology protection measures.” According to the Universal Service Administrative Company, which oversees the e-rate program, “A technology protection measure is a specific technology that blocks or filters Internet access. … Continue reading Time to Loosen the Reins?
Baloo, our 75-pound dog, tirelessly guards the back yard from any and all wildlife. Squirrels, groundhogs, opossums, cats, and birds are not welcome, and he makes sure they know it. He’d keep the rabbits away, too, if Mom would let him. His rule is that anything that moves is not allowed in HIS yard unless one of his people says it’s okay. Wild animals are … Continue reading Gonna Take Some Time to Do the Things We Never Had
I had the opportunity to meet the incomparable Jennifer Maddrell today. For real. In the flesh. She, her husband Tom, and I had lunch together. See, Jen and I do a webcast together on Sunday nights called EdTechWeekly. For the last two years or so, I’ve talked to her nearly every week on Skype. We’ve done video conferencing. We do a lot of text chatting. … Continue reading Just Jen
I’ve been working on a little script to help manage the Delicious inbox. When you save a link in Delicious, you can add an additional tag of for:username to send the link to another Delicious user. So if I see something that I think my darling bride might be interested in, I can just tag it with “for:dschinker” and it’ll go in her inbox on … Continue reading SaveLinks
This week, I’m finishing up the first online class I’ve taken in a couple years. In the two years since my last online classes, I have become heavily involved in the concept of a professional learning network. For me, learning has become much less focused on specific curriculum and objectives, and more centered on my interests, needs, and goals. I find I’m using blogs, Skype, … Continue reading Thoughts on Online Learning
There’s so much to see and do in Ohio, even a lifetime resident like me discovers new things all the time. This year, in celebration of Ohio Day, I have a list of 10 things to do in Ohio that I haven’t done yet. Most of these are off the beaten path. Some are WAY off the beaten path. All are inexpensive (if not free), … Continue reading Ohio Adventures
I have three interesting requests from teachers for projects they want to do. These are innovative and appropriate uses of technology. Here’s what they want (note that these are separate requests): One teacher wants to create student portfolios online. Ideally, student writing samples and other examples of exemplary work would be showcased, and teachers would be able to comment (publicly or privately) on them. Peer … Continue reading Puzzle Pieces
When coming back from a conference, everyone wants to know how it was. “It was okay. You didn’t miss much,” is my usual response. I never know what to say. Sometimes the teachers that go get really excited about things, and I don’t understand what all the fuss is about. This week’s eTech Ohio Educational Technology Conference was no different. There were lots of SMART … Continue reading Conference Highlights
