When we got word that we weren’t going back to school, I made a pot of coffee. I went to the basement with my laptop and notebook, and I jumped on the first of many Zoom calls with my instructional coaches and curriculum director. It was early evening. On a weekend. We were just starting to get the idea that things weren’t going to be … Continue reading Stress Less
I’m pretty old. I was thinking about my first job interview. It was 1993. I was asked what I thought about Microsoft Windows. I told them it wasn’t a real operating system. It was just a shell that sat on top of MS-DOS. It was a resource hog, and it was unreliable. It made computers harder to use rather than easier, and it wasn’t worth … Continue reading Nostalgic Optimism
For years, I used the same company to buy most of my technology supplies. If I needed printers or cables or memory or consumables, I would always go there. The company had pre-negotiated contracts with several different agencies and consortia, so their pricing was reasonable. They had a fantastic database of products that allowed me to easily compare products and prices and options. Ordering was … Continue reading Friction
Years ago, I put together some professional development workshops for teachers centered around using “web 2.0” technologies in the classroom. At the time, the idea of the World Wide Web as an interactive, participatory tool was pretty new. The classes addressed things like blogs and wikis and video conferencing and personal learning networks. They were offered in June, right after school let out for the … Continue reading Because We Want To
The first time I used a computer was in 1981. I think it was an Apple IIe, but it might have been a Radio Shack TRS-80. My middle school had both located in a “math lab.” I don’t remember why I was there. There were only a few kids in the room, and 3-4 computers. Maybe it was an optional indoor recess activity. It was … Continue reading Worksheets and Flash Cards
Remember 21st Century Skills? Back at the turn of the century, we were all abuzz about the needs of our students as we moved into the new millennium. We knew we had moved from an industrial society to a service economy, and we were transitioning into the information age. We knew that schools had to adapt. And we had some pretty good ideas on what … Continue reading Blended Hybrid
I’ve been thinking about Y2K lately. Back in the late 1990s, the technology industry faced a serious problem with how computers stored dates. The societal norm was to use two digits for the year. Pearl Harbor was attacked on 12/7/41. The first moon landing was on 7/20/69. MTV started broadcasting on 8/1/81. As the 1990s progressed, people started realizing that we had a problem. Because … Continue reading Ready for Anything
“I saw student choice. The kids were writing their own songs. It was definitely DOK-4.” We were debriefing an instructional rounds experience after observing a fourth grade music class. The teacher-observer was pretty insistent that this was engaged, student-directed learning that required students to employ extended thinking skills to create something new. “The students were all doing the same thing. The teacher walked them through … Continue reading The Starting Point
Why do we go to school? It’s an absurd question, really. If you ask students, they’re usually suprised by it. Everyone goes to school. There’s no real choice. We have to go to school. It’s what we do. And parents are generally in the same boat. They may say something about preparing students for the future, but really, kids go to school because society tells … Continue reading High School Knowledge
We’re almost back to normal. Last night, we biked a few miles to a local restaurant, ate dinner inside, and stopped for ice cream on the way home. I didn’t even take a mask, much less wear one. Most of the people we encountered were maskless as well, and the social distancing markers on the floor were more suggestions than mandates. Right now, Ohio is … Continue reading Almost Back to Normal
For the first decade of my career, we talked a lot about “technology integration.” At the time, we knew technology was important. We knew that it would have a dramatic effect on society and the ways in which we interact as part of our communities. We knew that our students need some experience and expertise with technology. And we knew that it would have an … Continue reading Technology Integration
I’ve enjoyed the journey through Martin Weller’s “25 Years of Ed Tech” this spring. Martin worked with Athabasca University Press to publish the book with a Creative Commons license. This allowed Clint Lalonde to produce a community-sourced audio book, with chapters read by folks from all over the English-speaking world. Laura Pasquini coupled the audio book with a weekly podcast, in which she discussed each … Continue reading 25 Years of Ed Tech
Taste of Tech 