Over the last few weeks, I've been working on various apps for note-taking. I tried to reflect and ask myself, what were the core features I wanted in my daily note-taking app, as well as what are some features others would like?via @growthmindset1 After awhile, I realized I was getting lost in all the great features. Rather than make a snap judgement, I thought I'd cook up a chart and see what happened if I assigned a score to each based on features available.Since I often need the "kitchen sink" when it comes to note-taking apps, especially since I like to see my note-taking app as a file cabinet that is an alternative to GoogleDrive, I found myself making certain choices. I also found myself looking for an easy to use app that my family could use.While I'd encouraged them to use Evernote, then SimpleNote, I found neither a good choice. As much as I wanted to like MammothHQ, it's absence of a mobile app that allows for editing left me waiting for features.As a result, I settled on TWO apps for daily use (and I use them a LOT) and the choices surprised me:Evernote Premium - I had really hoped to abandon Evernote Premium, but it's so feature-rich and aligns to my workflows that I have decided to continue using it. Being able to scan business cards, email content in, save weird attachments (encrypted files, audio, etc), record audio for conferences while on the go from any device, make it my go-to must-have app.Google Keep - While I had ruled out Google Keep early on, playing with it again--especially since it came out on iOS--has made it an easy tool for grocery lists and short to-do lists that must be shared (e.g. "honey-do list" is a perfect example) but won't last long. Some miscellaneous reflections about the whole pile:Again, I hoped SimpleNote Premium (thanks for the Premium account, BTW!) would fill the role but Google Keep simply blows it out of the water. Sorry, MammothHQ, you were a non-starter because of no mobile app editing. Really need to get that fixed! I also dislike how new content just gets "added" to the bottom of a Board. In fact, I hate the whole Board view (even though it's pretty)...wish it had more "tag" views. I worry about SimpleNotes and Google Keep's longevity. The former has already "died" and been kept around by Wordpress folks, but isn't being actively pushed. Also Google Keep remains but Google has a habit of killing off some of my favorite services (e.g. Google Reader) and that's why I see Google Keep as a "light, who cares if it goes away, use it now when it's here but don't cry about it if it dies" app.I wish Evernote had a light and airy design like GoogleKeep or SimpleNote. It wouldn't take SimpleNote much to build up to a quality product...GUI editor, file support.Finally, in spite of all the issues, I do like the "mindset" that MammothHQ founder espouses. It suggests that things may be changing.COMPARISON CHARTSo, here's the comparison chart that includes feature compilation from various note providers and my own...I realize that I may have something wrong, so don't be afraid to leave a comment in the blog comments. Again, this isn't an exhaustive list of all features in each solution but a list of what *I* found valuable and worth having. For the most part, some of you may have similar needs.Features:Evernote FreeEvernote PlusEvernote PremiumGoogleKeepSimpleNotesMammothHQ1 OPINIONToo complicated, get Keep or SimpleNote insteadBest features are in Premium, but compromise price. But better to get MammothHQPowerhouse of features but only if you need this. Worth the investment if you need it! I pay for this.Simple, great for low-tech users. VERY easy to use, voice transcription is greatSimple and easy, Premium is availableGoogleDoc on steroids since you can drop anything but needs mobile app editing and other features to be Evernote Premium competitor.1 OVERVIEW SCORE2528311615242 step authenticationxxxAdd tags to notesxxxxxxAES-256 encryption for notesAudio notesxxxxAudio TranscriptionxBackup Support (e.g. Dropbox, Drive)xxxxxxCostFree$24.99 per year$49.99 per yearFreeFree Premium with email request$47.88 for Pro and Plus versionsDigital Archive, long-term file storagexxxxEasy list-makingxxxxxxEncrypts notes (built-in)xxxGet more features/storage/whatever via referralsxxxxGUI Editor for NotesxxxxHTTPS EncryptionxxxxxMarkdown for NotesxxMonthly note upload capacity60MB1gig10gigDepends on your Google Drive storage1000gb for Pro; 50gb for PlusNote collaborationxxxxxxNote collaboration/sharing without accountxNote sharingxxxxxxNotebook sharingxxxxNotebooksxxxBoardPasscode lock for mobile appsxxxPDF, MP3, etc.xxxxRSS FeedxSave emails into service via emailxxxxScan to NotexxSearch handwritten notesxxxSearch tagsxxxxxxSearch/retain images/business cardsxxSearch/scan PDFs and docs in notesxStore images in notesxxxxxSync across devicesxxxxxxUnlimited total storagexxxxxget more storage via referralsWeb ClipperxxxxWeb Siteevernote.comevernote.comevernote.comkeep.google.comsimplenotes.commammothhq.comEverything posted on Miguel Guhlin's blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. 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"Digital" books often refer to print text converted to electronic books (or "ebooks"), but I am expanding my definition to include audiobooks. As my tastes run to fantasy, Sci-Fi, and action/suspense, I always eschewed audio because it was too slow moving. Now that I'm not 22 years old ripping through print books in a single bound, audio books provide time for slow enjoyment that I didn't grant myself when younger.I am perfectly happy to read and collect digital books. For me, the "book" is not about the object but about  ideas and stories and emotions and experience. I've no real attachment to any one printed iteration of a particular work for a  long time. Source: Blue Skunk BlogAudiobooks are certainly more available now, too. In addition to dusty classics that I was forced to plod through in high school, I can now find the kind of genres I like in audio format...this makes them ideal for short and long car rides, quiet work at the computer, and more. If I miss a key concept, that's ok.For whatever reason, I used to think that audiobooks weren’t worth my time. Now I find it strange when one isn’t playing while I’m doing other things. If you love to read but don’t have the time, or if you don’t like to read, but really want to, audiobooks are the perfect solution.Source: Audiobooks for Your Listening Pleasure One new series that I've just started, a book I remember reading in grade school or one close like it but never saw again, is the Story of Siegfried the Dragonkiller (you can get the audio for the book at that link, or via iTunes). Actually, I read that BEFORE Beowulf or ever hearing that story. I remembered it because of the Vikings show, which I'm watching as I type this blog entryAside: Did you know "Guhlin" is Swedish, and my father claimed lineage (certainly false) to the viking, Eric the Red? I'm sure he was engaging in tall tales but it made for interesting boasts to a child). In previous blog entries, I've shared about one of my newest sources of audio books:Be sure to listen to Nathan Lowell's entire Trader Tales series and be sureto check out his Shaman TalesMy favorite podcatcher (iPhone) is Downcast, and it works quite well...you can listen to the audio books online, or save them to your mobile device as MP3 files, and/or subscribe to them. Some of the audio books I'm carrying around (and recommend) include the following:Seymour HamiltonAstreya: The Voyage South - An engaging tale that kicks off the trilogy! Astreya: The Men of the Sea - Astreya: The Wanderer's Curse - Lindsay BurokerThe Emperor's EdgeDark CurrentsDeadly GamesJ.C. Hutchins7th Son Series - This includes 3 audio books, action-packed and powerful. Highly recommended!Nathan Lowell (@nlowell)Trader Tales...it's all great reading, I'm sure, but I've only encountered it via Podiobooks.com.Shaman Tales...on this one, I've only heard a bit of it, but I'm already hooked!Check out his books on GoodreadsSteve LibbeyThe BloodbathsBrion J. HumphreySense MemoryEverything posted on Miguel Guhlin's blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure

We often wonder how we can simplify our lives, and this reminds me of my favourite quote on simplicity: If you don’t spend time wondering how you can simplify your life, you are simply wasting your time!...simply get the work done with an extreme sense of purpose but without the stress of having to rush. It’s this consistency or routine that we need to install into our lives. We need to look for opportunities of how we can introduce ideas into our lives that will be simple, and that will consistently produce success.Source: The Simplicity of ConsistencyI've wrestled with consistency all my life. Surprisingly, I have school to blame for this. I grew up putting homework assignments off until the last minute, then working feverishly to get them done. This translated into "binge writing" episodes, a bad habit that continued when I tried to "keep a journal." What stopped me? Writing consistently in the journal. Instead, I like to work quickly through a project, and then move on to something new.It's funny that blogging seems to have helped, but somewhere along the line, I've found one thing to be consistent at. It's amazing that such a simple thing as being consistent about one thing can spread to others.Start with one simple habit, then "grow your consistency."Everything posted on Miguel Guhlin's blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure

What's The Bare Minimum of What Could Be Considered the Bare Minimum of Learning Technology? asks TeachThought?Create a class websiteCreate a class YouTube ChannelCreate a class twitter account and make international accountsGet your students bloggingFind other classes to collaborate with on projectsDo mystery Skypes/Google HangoutsInvite expert guests via live video conferencingCode with your studentsDo Genius Hour with your studentsGamify your classroomStrive for a paperless classroom (here are 26 iPad apps for a paperless classroom)Create digital portfoliosAutomate quizzes with Google FormsUse Google Forms for student check-in and exit slipsLet students use their device in classInstead, why not try these five?Co-create digital narratives that blend audio, video and text. Audio:iPad: Recording: Voice Record Pro Editing: Hokasai (Free but requires in-app purchases to do anything worthwhile)Screencasting: Reflector for your Mac/Windows computer and Quicktime for computerChromebook:Recording/Editing: Beautiful Audio EditorScreencasting: Screencastify (makes HTML5/webm files), TechSmith SnagIt (need extension and app; makes MP4s) Video:iPad: Explain Everything app ($2.99), Keynote (free, easy to embed videos), 30HandsLearning (in-app purchases), iMovie (free)Chromebook (or any computer): GoogleSlides, Haiku Deck web, WeVideo, ExplainEverything Chromebook appShare those digital creations online with a global audience. Publish outlets include:GoogleSites+GoogleDrive for free unlimited storage for GoogleApps for Education users, BloggerKidPub.Co-facilitate online and face to face learning that is person to person, group to group, person to group. Take advantage of any of the following: Google Hangouts, Adobe Connect (if you have it), Voxer EDU, or any other technology, like Create digital and classroom learning spaces that engage, inspire and nurture learners.GoogleClassroomGoogleSitesWikispaces.comModel respectful use of personal technologies for academic learning.Lists are easy, right? We could spend time focusing on apps--YouTube, Skype, Google Hangout, Games, iPad apps, GoogleForms, Google Keep--or try something different.Everything posted on Miguel Guhlin's blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure

If you’re an American educator, then chances are you have applied for different jobs in various school districts. Aside from the value inherent in the process of getting to know who you are, what you’re about, how to format your education and jobs in ways that engage job recruiters, you may have picked up another skill-how to navigate the various job application systems available online. "Miguel," asked a friend last week, "do you have any suggestions for where I can go to apply for a job in Texas schools?" This question made me hunt up this blog entry on different solutions available. Certainly, as a person who has applied for various positions in Texas school systems, I’ve had the chance to run across systems that manage web-based job application systems. If you’re a school district human resources department, picking the right system that’s easy for applicants, easy for district staff to access content via a hierarchical administration system.Here are 3 systems school districts are using in Texas that I’ve come into contact with: Aspex Solutions‘ Applitrack: This system is in use in quite a few school districts, ranging in size to under 1000  (e.g. Archer City ISD) students to over 50,000 students (e.g. Austin ISD, Dallas ISD)NetChemia’s School Recruiter - A few school districts are using this product. I found it pretty easy to navigate. In the interests of full disclosure, my current employer is using it but I had nothing to do with selection, support, or maintenance.Winocular - In my opinion, this is one of the less friendlier, albeit venerable, systems available. I’ve seen several school districts move away from Winocular to other solutions, such as Applitrack, etc.What systems would you recommend, and do you have selection criteria? JOB HUNTING?  And, for those of you who are job hunting, here’s my list of places to find Education-related jobs in Texas:TASAnet.org’s Career Center - This is one of the best sites around to find out about new jobs. While it doesn’t have ALL jobs available, you will find more here than anywhere else.Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) School District Jobs - This is a collaborative effort by the Texas Education Agency and the Texas WorkForce Commission. Definitely worth checking out. For example, I did a search based on a zip code in my city. Unfortunately, the result just has you going to individual district/charter school job sites. Not strictly providing a list of jobs, but if you’re are hoping to relocate to another city, it’s worth a look.Education Service Center Job Pages - includes web sites from regional education service centers that offer district employment networks, enabling one application to work for all the districts they serve, or at least, sharing open positions at school districts. Some of these include the following: TCEA Jobs - Find technology and education related jobs online.SchoolSpring.com - You’ll find jobs on this listing.Indeed.com Search Engine - Easy to use search engine that enables you to type in your city and type of job you want. For example, here’s a search for Educational Technology as well as different one for education.Texas Cares Online Teachers.NetEducation AmericaTexas NonProfits Job SearchJobNab.comEverything posted on Miguel Guhlin's blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure

Planning to attend the no-cost, learning event known as TechDaySA? If it's not on your calendar for November 7, 2015, you might want to check it out!Visit onlineWe invite you to join us for our FIRST "TCEA Area 20 Tech Field Day".  The event will be held on the Robert G. Cole High School campus in the Fort Sam Houston Independent School District. Register now to send teachers, administrators, tech directors, library media specialists, tech support staff, and anyone who is interested in finding out more about the integration of technology in education.There is NO FEE for this event! It is FREE! If you can't make the whole day, please feel free to attend what you can. Lunch will be on your own and there are plenty of great restaurants in the area.The event will include great informative breakout sessions! Topic strands to be addressed include:Google AppsiPadsWeb 2.0 ToolsGlobal CommunicationsEverything posted on Miguel Guhlin's blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure

Originally published at SchoolCIO: http://www.schoolcio.com/Default.aspx?tabid=136&entryid=5098Over the years, I've had the chance to chat with many CTOs and tech directors Directors about starting out in a new place of employment. This list of 7 tips for "new" CTOs on what to do first is based on those conversations. If you're one of the CTOs I chatted with, you'll be sure to recognize your tip(s) in the list below.  "What will you do first?" Our first temptation is to come into a new place and start changing everything, practicing slash-'n'-burn leadership. I know when I've started new jobs, all I see is what's missing. That can be dangerous because your vision is obscuring your sight. What you really need to see and focus on is people's needs, wants, and their vision. Tip #1 - Connect with departmentsOne of the challenges of being new is that you meet people but seldom get to ask deeper questions. In the first few weeks/months of being new, it's important to contact all Central Office directors one by one and ask them to share what they have in place, what they are responsible for. Then, hone in on what their needs are for better technology support, what their vision is, and what they would like to see technology do in the future.Tip #2 - Connect with campus principalsJust as you have connected with department directors, you'll also want to do the same with campus principals. Do a walk through of their building so you can get a sense of the technology that's out there, what their needs are, and what they would like to see happen in the future. Your goal isn't so much to share your vision of what could be but to get insight into what they perceive as critical and what you can do to help them achieve that.Tip #3 - Prepare a writeup for each visit and aggregate resultsI encourage you to setup a wiki (read Stephanie Sandifer's book, Wikis for School Leaders  and this article) to house your ideas, questions, observations—tastefully articulated, of course—so that you build a public record of what you're learning. A written report of what's happening at each campus, as well as a combined list of needs and wants, can help you see commonalities among all campuses and departments. The benefits of this include a first step toward building a cohesive vision that captures the hopes and dreams of the people a CTO serves.Tip #4 - Connect with your technology team and log their workAlthough these tips could be separate, one of the challenges that tech department team members face is that no one listens to them, no one takes the time to share what the big picture is and their place in it. This can be frustrating for any staff member, more so for those who "labor in darkness." Ask each of them what's going on, what their responsibilities are, ask them to develop documentation for their work. Again, I'm reminded of the tyranny of competence where only one person—that technician—knows what they are doing. Finally, it's very important to consider their needs, write down what they are actually responsible for (as opposed to what's in their job descriptions), and what we can do to make what we do "down the road" better.Tip #5 - Setup weekly meetingsSet up weekly meetings between the tech and instructional departments. The agenda for these meetings will flow from questions that arise from the meetings the CTO has had with department directors, principals, emails, and other contacts with customers. The focus of these meetings has to be to identify what we're doing—together as a team—and how we can help each other. Tip #6 - Establish benchmarks for the organizationIt's hard to show progress when there hasn't been a standard set or a benchmark assessment done. Some of those benchmarks must include a technology hardware assessment, a network connectivity and security assessment from a third-party evaluator that has not done the work for the district before, as well as curriculum- & instruction-type feedback (e.g., levels of teaching innovation). These benchmark assessments can get schools rolling in the right direction and this is the perfect time to conduct the assessments.Tip #7 - Connect with community membersIn the spirit of making connections, one group that is often overlooked is the community. To that end, its important to connect with local groups like the Veterans for Foreign Wars, Kiwanis Club, Knights of Columbus, and more. What a wonderful opportunity it can be to build relationships with these individuals before you actually try to do that district-wide iPad initiative. It's also important to connect with CTOs from other organizations such as hospitals, utility companies, and police departments.ConclusionIf you're a CTO, undoubtedly you've noticed that a significant part of your job is about connecting, collaborating, and communicating. For a long time, I thought being a CTO was about the technical side of the house, but after chatting with colleagues in these positions, the light went off. It's about working with people, bringing people together, giving voice to their needs, wants and their vision for the future. What a powerful role of service to play in schools and community! Miguel Guhlin is director of technology for a 5A school district in Texas and past president of the statewide TCEA Technology Education Coordinators group. This blog is cross posted at Around the Corner. Everything posted on Miguel Guhlin's blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure

Team leaders, I'm told, take responsibility for their team's failures. You know, when the Titanic hit the iceberg, and it sank, the Captain went down with the ship.I recently found that I fumbled on a project. Here are some tips I came up with to avoid having it occur again. As I read these, I realize that they are obvious. I can't help but ask, Why didn't I do this in the first place? The reality is that everyone missteps and other factors can force your hand. For example, consider what might make you set aside these tips for avoiding technology implementation failure: Perceived need for speed. In my situation, I felt we were under an imperative to fix a technical issue and, as such, taking shortcut in implementing a solution that has worked in the past seemed OK. Be on guard for the "need for speed."The boss says, "Do it." Trust me, even when the boss says to get it done, the intensity will be increased when what gets done fails.  Foolproof solution that will work! We've all encountered foolproof solutions that are going to be "slam-dunk" and then ... you get slammed. Here are the 7 Tips:Contact other districts and find out what’s been done previously. If I'd done that in this particular situation, I would have found that the mistake we made in implementing had already been explored and done by others. Learn from others' experiences is a piece of advice I forgot.Do a mock walkthrough of the technology implementation and detail the steps. This is important because, in one situation, I realized that while several team members individually knew something needed to be done, that wasn't articulated as a team and failed to become part of the group knowledge that we could tap into. If we had walked through the process, we would have realized we needed to take more steps.Consult with stakeholders prior to scheduling—when possible. One of the challenges I encountered included a failure to appreciate how serious a temporary lack of access to the technology implementation would be for stakeholders. What seemed pretty short time to be without something was of incalculable concern to stakeholders. When we went over schedule on the implementation by a few hours, stakeholders were concerned.Notify stakeholders using different methods (e.g. email AND phone calls).Although I always notify folks when I'm moving their cheese, I failed to pick up the phone. Develop a fallback plan if it all goes poorly. Having a fallback plan in mind is important. In our case, the primary plan failed to work as well as expected. We had to come up with a fallback plan at the last minute, which meant stepping back and relying on equipment that was less than desirable. Make it easy to receive stakeholder feedback on the tech implementation. This seems pretty obvious, but sometimes we forget to take the necessary steps.Shut down the old technology. Switching from one technology to another? Make sure that you shut down the "old technology" so that users won't keep using it when the new one is put in place. That way, you're not caught trailing data from one system to another.Note: This article was previously published.Everything posted on Miguel Guhlin's blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure

Dr. Wilson and Dr. Alaniz at TECSIG Fall, 2015 meeting presenting on collegial coachingSession Facilitators: Dr. Dawn Wilson (@doctordkwilson) and Dr. Katie Alaniz (@dr_katie_alaniz)Listen to Podcast(hosted via Dropbox)MyNotesAccess the Padlet for this sessionView slideshow for presentationAccess www.coachingwithtechnology.comThe Promise:Instructional Technology offers teachers key tools for re-envisioning their lesson delivery.It enables students to become co-creators of their own learning experiences.How do you use new tools in a collegial way?"More than 90% of winning is being excited." A.L. Williams, Coach: The A.L. Williams StoryThis book is about coaching. We want people who are excited about the process...integrating technology in meaningful ways.Coaches can offer new perspectives, breath new life, offer innovative practices to teachers.Problem: Faced with increasing demands for accountability, many teachers cannot find the time to explore--let alone implement--.Winning strategy?Instructional activities should support and engage a combination of learning tasks incorporating technology as a tool to learn with rather than from. Build these activities over time.Educators are more likely to incorporate technology into their instruction when they have access to coaching and mentoring (Strudler & Hearrington, 2009).Collegial coaching...Enhances tech integration through all levels of instruction, in both private and public school settings.Bridges the divide for teachers, as coaches offer support and guidance on teachers' own campusesAllows for the delivery of individualized, targeted, student-centered, and content appropriate tech interventions.Collegial coaching...Eliminates one-size-fits-all trainingChanges the focus from teaching to implementation.Encourages risk-taking and provides scaffolding.Invest more heavily in individuals who need it. Teachers aren't going to be risk-takers or resistant to using technology, you're not going to kick the door down and teach them anything. They need hand-holding. Those teachers were pretty proud of themselves after they had been successful.Empowers teachers themselves to be change agents.What would it be like if we didn't have to catch people up on how to use technology anymore?If you can get started on that trek, one by one, you are making a difference.Coaches provide teachers with differentiated, personalized professional development - at their exact points of need.Coaches support educators:as they brainstorm.as they plan.as they teachas they assess."Relationships are huge!"Coaches help grow each professional's expertise where they need it most...Brainstorm for tools to implement.Assist with the organization of lessonsExplroe how to use certain toolsPlan specific implementation steps for a unit.Create collaborative learning experiences.Organize the initiativeWill it be a district, campus, or casual coaching initiative?Who will lead it? Who will participate?Will it be done full time? Part time? On a volunteer basis?What factors will determine whether goals are being accomplished?Recommend 3 new technology pieces per semester, using the same tool more than once. Repetitive is good so they can get comfortable with it.If you don't have the pedagogical tools in your tool belt, being a coach will be difficult. [Reflection: Do Instructional Technology specialists have the 'pedagogical tools' in their respective tool belts?]In Katie's schools, they want coaches to be teachers.Question: How did you decide who initiated the coaching? Scheduling seems to be the biggest issue or factor in a school day. My counterpart in middle school would host tech trainings for small groups of teachers. Teachers were required to attend 3-5 tech trainings per year. Meeting by grade level teams to launch STEAM.This is definitely a process.Being goal-centered in what you're doing is the whole point. Keep track of who is trying to do and with what. If you don't have goals, then nothing is going to get accomplished. Depending on the size of your campus, you could have several goals per grade level and/or team. Lump the goals together, allowing them to differentiate those.Getting StartedSet your goal and decide how you will measure success...number of integration projects?Teachers involved: Novices in the classroom or needs specific to digital immigrants?Complexity of projects?Get others involvedVary participants and how they are involved (volunteered and/or drafted)Determine strengths and weaknesses of teachers.Build on successes.Encourage ripple effects...enabling others to share their success with others.Two example goals...2nd Grade: A unit that has been involved telling a story by making it digital.3rd Grade: Making books out of index cards. TPACK modelEveryone has a different starting place...that's why it's important to differentiate learning opportunities.The Dawn and Katie Model:Establish the need.Create partnershipsTarget differentiated projects. Spread around the different ideas and tool/topics into grade levels so that across the campus, a variety of tools can be seen.Assess the progress - build a portfolio of their work, or certain number of integration projects. [Why not use badges to track this along the way?]Reflect on the integration.Coaches can be seen as someone who work shoulder to shoulder, side by side...not an administrator. Rather, seen as a colleague and collaborator, a peer rather than an administrator.When a coach goes into the classroom, there is no need for a dog-n-pony show. Catch teachers doing great things.Administrators are huge cheerleaders.There is a lot of time invested in those who are being coached...and those folks turn into the biggest cheerleaders, eventually becoming coaches themselves. They blossom over the time spent coaching together.Successful coachesAmple technology skillsEffective instructional skillsImpeccable relational skillsApproachable and diplomatic ("have a 'teacher's heart'")The people who are afraid the most will benefit the most. You will see that these people are the most appreciative when you spend that one on one time with them.Assessment considerationsEverything posted on Miguel Guhlin's blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure

Ever had to do any audio editing on a Chromebook? I have, and the only client out there that worked well (like Audacity) costs TOO MUCH money. I won't even mention the client since it is darn expensive and I have no doubt that many folks paid a lot for it...just a twisted pricing model!Ok, that aside, what if you could edit audio files on a Chromebook at low-cost, or even better, no cost if you're a school district or educational institution? What about if that solution could save straight to GoogleDrive? Interested?= Group Licensing =Very cheap (likely free) MP3 exporting for school districts, non-profits, and other groups that make this world a better place. Describe your group to us for details:https://beautifulaudioeditor.appspot.com/submitFeedbackIf you're looking for something like that, then be sure to check out the Beautiful Audio Editor--which allows you to export MP3 audio for one-time fee of $3.18 (pay attention, ONE time fee). Earlier today, I recorded audio from a presentation at TCEA TECSIG--with the presenters' support and permission--on my iPhone using Voice Record Pro, but didn't have an easy way to make some edits to the file (ok, Voice Record Pro has built-in audio editing but I didn't want to try to do it on my iPhone with Voice Record Pro or Hokusai).Problem: How to edit pre-recorded audio on my Chromebook?Note: This process ultimately failed with a 51 minute file but I retain high hopes for Beautiful Audio Editor. Step 3 is where it all went wrong!! Again, I think it's the SIZE of the audio file. I was successful with smaller audio files.STEP 1 - ACCESS MY AUDIO FILE VIA WIFI DRIVEThe first step was to flip Voice Record Pro into a WiFi drive--which is a way to transfer files over wireless connection--so I could access the audio off my phone via my Chromebook:Add captionBefore exporting the recorded file from Voice Record Pro, I converted it to MP3...a nice feature in Voice Record Pro! After doing this, I saved the file to my Chromebook.STEP 2 - IMPORT AUDIO INTO BEAUTIFUL AUDIO EDITORHere's what it looks like at the IMPORT audio stage:Once that was done, I was able to listen to the audio and make adjustments (edit/cut) content, not unlike Audacity on a desktop/laptop computer.Note that I did pay $3.18 to get the MP3 export feature, but it looks like WAV export format is available at no cost...and you could just convert that WAV file with web-based tools like Media.io or Online-Convert.com.STEP 3 - SAVE EDITED AUDIO FILEAs you might imagine, I had high hopes that I would be able to save my 51 minute audio recording of collegial coaching presentation, but alas, it was not meant to be. This process DID work with smaller files, though.Problems Encountered While SavingOf course, I had hoped this solution would work perfectly. It did not FOR LARGE AUDIO files, but it did for short stuff (which may make it appropriate for Chromebook Education users!). As you can see, I was instructed to download the audioproject file but was unable to do so successfully, receiving the error Failed-No File.CollegialCoaching_edited_mguhlin.audioprojectThe server could not find the file.I next tried to save the edited audio file using WAV, MP3 or SAVE TO GOOGLEDRIVE options...notice what happens:One second, the .WAV button appears, but the next (after clicking it), the button disappears!Hmm...the same thing happened with the MP3 file, too.So, SAVE to Google Drive failed as well. This left me with 51 minute audio-edited file with no way to save it!! As you can see, file generated is zero bytes long...so, no data.I'm looking forward to the Beautiful Audio Editor folks fixing this!Everything posted on Miguel Guhlin's blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure