Fiber is generally regarded as the fastest, most reliable, and most adaptable vehicle for satisfying schools' huge appetite for more bandwidth, but only about 40 percent of U.S. districts are believed to have direct fiber connections to an Internet service provider, based on the most recently available data from the National Center for Education Statistics. . .Many districts have also struggled to establish internal fiber connections among all of their schools. Source: Districts get creative to build faster internet connections, EdWeekCould this be the solution for districts that have to rely on wide area network providers that constantly have aging equipment fail, interfering with school district business and student learning? It seems every time I turn around, the wide area network provider for a local area school district has had a piece of equipment fail. Everyone howls, looking for the Technology Department to fix equipment they don't even own, control, or know what to do with. And, each time, the WAN provider drags their feet to resolve the issue.Find out moreWhat to do about this problem? Earlier this month, I had the chance to spend a few minutes chatting with my colleague, Virgil Kirk. We had been inspired byRussell Neal (VST Consulting), who had spent some time telling us about the possibilities. In fact, he drenched us in gasoline then lit a torch! Yes, quite exciting!Dark fiber is a privately operated, secure and dedicated way for organizations to have access to high bandwidth, while controlling their own network. Dark fiber puts you in control of your own network, allowing you to control costs by gaining the benefits of network ownership without having to construct the physical network yourself.Source: Unite Private NetworksThere are definitely benefits to private fiber, especially leased fiber. You setup a contract with a vendor, and they get to deal with all the headaches and problems. They are the ones that have to worry about "right of ways" (great podcast), and the District enjoys unlimited bandwidth on its fiber network. This really sounds like the solution to a lot of problems districts deal with when it comes to providing access to faster networks and internet at lower cost...check out this info below:This chart of five different school districts across the U.S shows some of the savings schools have experienced with municipal networks. The orange is the original provider’s exorbitant price for each Mbps per month. The blue is the price from the municipal network. The savings are stunning.Sources for the graphMuniNetworks Public Savings Fact Sheet and Breaking the Broadband Monopolyas cited online at Muninetworks.orgAs I reflected on all the great info Russell had shared with us, I asked Virgil to clarify what he thought the process was for laying private fiber. I hoped that listening to him respond to my question below would help review what I'd heard from Russell.What do you see as the process of laying your own private fiber network?Here is his response...as you read it, ask yourself, what's missing? What would I add to this?Do an RFP with kind of bandwidth outlined in it. You'll want to define how many strands and locatio ns you'll want. Dark fiber, he pointed out, is fiber you're not using. Dark fiber can be leased to others, such as small businesses. Based on the size of your fiber, you can lease out a certain amount of bandwidth.Define builds that will be part of the loops, and which are jump-overs.Idenify the type of network--loop or star topology. Vendor would provide a design based on how much redundancy is needed.Obviously, we needed to do a little bit more planning and reflecting. One of the points to consider, Russell Neal had told us, was that leasing fiber for 10 years or so was better than laying your own fiber, especially if you worked through a third party. Hmm....After that, he rattled off a list of fiber leasing vendors including Conterra (the only one I remember off the top of my head but there were others):Conterra offers complete, turnkey, managed wide area network, Internet access and hosted VoIP services that include; the network design, all permitting/licensing services, deployment of all required infrastructure, on-going operations and maintenance support. Conterra is a Priority One E-Rate Eligible Telecommunications Provider (ETP) as defined by the Federal Communications Commission and the Schools and Libraries Division of USAC and is qualified as a Priority One Provider of telecom services for participating schools’ E-Rate funding.  Our California subsidiary is eligible under the California Teleconnect Fund. Source: http://www.conterra.com/solutions/school-high-speed-wans/Some places--like Arkansas--have seen reports that make recommendations about leasing fiber to schools:"This existing state resource should be extended to school district hubs … using leased private provider, fiber-optic lines," it states. "This preserves provider revenue streams and minimizes the need for each of the state‘s 258 school districts to lease, purchase or maintain redundant filtering and firewall equipment and maximizes access to rich educational curriculum and content." The report recommends centralized management of statewide network support services, including network construction. Buying services in bulk instead of through individual school districts would reduce costs and increase scalability, allowing districts to have higher speeds during peak periods such as statewide testing, the report states. Local districts would be responsible for networks connecting their own buildings. Read moreOne neat point is that eRate now pays for 80% of leased fiber costs. That's pretty awesome!And one of the biggest challenges facing schools and libraries today is the "fiber gap" — by the FCC’s own estimates, at least 35 percent of schools and 85 percent of libraries lack access to fiber infrastructure today. That’s why we’re excited the Commission adopted changes recommended by OTI and many of our allies to make it easier for schools and libraries to use E-rate support to invest in fiber. The new order also goes a step further to allow schools and libraries to construct their own networks (or portions of their own networks) if it is the most cost effective solution. This rule is designed to help schools and libraries that receive few or no bids in response to their Form 470 submissions by giving them the option to direct E-rate dollars toward direct investment when it makes financial sense to do so. Source: EdCentral's FCC's New E-rate Order Brings More Money, Better Rules to Support Fiber InvestmentFind out moreTCEA shared the following information earlier this year:New E-rate rules allow districts to do things they haven’t been able to do before. Three main points to remember are:The new rules allow school districts to lease dark fiber and receive discounts on the fiber as well as the electronics to light the dark fiber beginning in 2015-2016.Beginning in 2015-2016, in some situations, districts will be allowed to self-provision (own) the fiber if it is the most cost effective solution.Up until now, the E-rate program would only provide discounts on construction projects that costs $500,000 or less. For four years, they are suspending that cap. This is an opportunity to utilize E-rate funds for those districts whose construction costs for fiber installation exceed that amount.The E-rate program will provide up to an extra 10% discount on special construction costs for fiber installation if the state of Texas matches up to 10% of the total cost of the construction. What process do you follow for leased fiber lines? Now that E-rate supports it, are you thinking about doing 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

I remember the first time I encountered the "Factors for Sustained Institutionalization of Schoolwide Initiatives." It was at a campus meeting, and I immediately snapped a picture of it. Wow, this chart really nails it!Original image from article by Donni Davis-Perry (check link at start of blog entry for source)As I look over these factors, I don't explicitly see relationships and trust, but they are certainly powerful enough to derail any initiative. If I had to fit these two incredibly important items in, it would be in the "Motivators" box...without them, you encounter resistance.I continue to see this image pop up, but all the examples have to do with instruction, seldom with the blending of technology into instruction:As I read Davis-Perry's article, these key ideas jump out at me:These are the factors that lead to successful institutionalization of schoolwide initiatives.Institutionalization occurs when an initiative becomes the universally accepted and normal way of conducting business.The first step in the process of institutionalizing an initiative is forming a planning team that maintains focus and addresses each of the critical components [in the diagrams above].Working through resistance (e.g. Motivators) leads to transformational organizational change.Implementing a new program with fidelity is vital.Schools need to strategically plan for initiatives in order for them to be sustained.The cycle of continually adopting and abandoning new initiatives each year creates cynicism.School planning teams should take the time to ensure critical components are in place over time-typically multiple school years.In the excerpt of the article that was shared with me by a colleague, I didn't see what were the "other" or additional steps. Davis-Perry starts with the first step but doesn't develop this into a list with Step 2, Step 3, etc. We can infer, though, that the next step is to put these critical components in place.In technology, Dr. Scott Mcleod (Dangerously Irrelevant) shares the formula for tech failure. I've flipped it around and written the formula in a positive manner to get the formula for Technology Success:TECH SUCCESS =Vision + Infrastructure+ Training +Implementation+Ongoing Support+Willingness to ChangeThe Technology Success Magic Formula, when lined up against Lippitt, Walter-Thomas, et al model, appears to be missing some critical components. In future blog entries, it would be fun to explore what technology success looks like when you have the factors for sustained institutionalization of initiatives aligned to technology initiatives. And, I'm referring to not only instructional technology but others.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

Like an after-thought in many districts, technology is dropped in when convenient, ignored when not. Too often teachers, administrators, leaders focus on the productivity aspects of technology, go "app crazy," or disregard it entirely.And, it's not surprising to see instructional technology sacrificed on the altar of high stakes testing and test-prep...after all, if kids can't read and write well, let's not waste time on technology...it's a distraction.Yet, as many Around the Corner readers know, any district should have, as a part of its core mission, a willingness to prepare students for life, a way to give them what they need to make their way in the world (that's money to live), and a way to use technology as a lever to improve their lot in life.Just as life, learning and work are interconnected, we must embrace technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge and the relationship between each. The TPACK framework (www.tpack.org) suggests that technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge areas do not stand alone and not one of them "drives" the others. While I often hear or read that "pedagogy or content" comes first, in truth, they are triune. All three are interconnected.When considering revamping a school district's approach to curriculum, professional learning, and technology's relationship with that, the TPACK model can be a helpful visual to explain the interconnections between the trinity TPACK represents. But TPACK may not be seen as enough of a framework to clearly describe what technology in the classroom should look like. For that, we must turn to other tools, ranging from Dr. Chris Moersch's Levels of Teaching Innovation (LOTI) and H.E.A.T. and/or the Technology Integration Matrix (TIM). These approaches allow us to frame progress for staff.A quick overview of TPACK and TIM appears below:Content Knowledge: The content is the "what" will be taught in class. Content knowledge (CK) is teachers’ knowledge about the subject matter to be learned or taught. Pedagogical Knowledge: The pedagogy is the "how" teachers will instruct whether it is through pairs, direct instruction, etc. Pedagogical knowledge (PK) is teachers’ deep knowledge about the processes and practices or methods of teaching and learning. This refers to the transformation of the subject matter for teaching. Specifically, this transformation occurs as the teacher interprets the subject matter, finds multiple ways to represent it, and adapts and tailors the instructional materials to alternative conceptions and students’ prior knowledge. PCK covers the core business of teaching, learning, curriculum, assessment and reporting, such as the conditions that promote learning and the links among curriculum, assessment, and pedagogy. Technology: Technology is a partner to content and pedagogy, and is to be used to enrich the "what" and "how". Technological pedagogical content knowledge is an understanding that emerges from interactions among content, pedagogy, and technology knowledge. TPACK is the basis of effective teaching with technology, requiring an understanding of the representation of concepts using technologies; pedagogical techniques that use technologies in constructive ways to teach content; knowledge of what makes concepts difficult or easy to learn and how technology can help redress some of the problems that students face; knowledge of students’ prior knowledge and theories of epistemology; and knowledge of how technologies can be used to build on existing knowledge to develop new epistemologies or strengthen old ones. To provide specific examples of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge, we can rely on the Technology Integration Matrix (TIM). TIM illustrates "the sweet spot" where the trinity of content, pedagogy and technology can be effective for transforming teaching and learning. We can rely on the wealth of video examples and descriptions, making it unnecessary for school districts to create their own.We also need to consider how the TIM aligns to an organization's beliefs, values, goals: The Technology Integration Matrix (TIM) is aligned if your organization values developing real-world problem solvers.The organization should value collaborative thinking and TIM promotes student collaboration to solve shared problems.TIM would align with your organization's vision of growing creative and innovative individuals by encouraging students to explore and investigate in order to develop solutions and new ideas.If your organization believes in developing and fostering life long learners, then TIM can provide learning opportunities that promote cross-disciplinary thinking and encourage growth in teachers and students. Overview (What and How): In the chart below, you can see how TIM distinguishes between entry and transformation levels. Consider that entry involves technology as a content delivery system, which is usually what happens when you "plop" a student down in front of a device and have them run through Istation (for example) tutorial. Entry level isn't necessarily an evil level and shouldn't be characterized as "bad," because it may occur due to technology availability or some other factor beyond the teachers' desire to use available classroom technology. That said, though, all an organization's teachers must be made to strive for Transformation. I say "made" because it is not necessarily a place where we are comfortable...we have to work hard to get to transformative uses of technology in our classrooms. That's why I like rubrics like the Classroom Learning Activity because it provides a gauge, not only of technology, but of pedagogy and content strategies.The end goal of any technology is to accelerate a student's movement to higher-order thinking, collaborative problem-solving (in the classroom, as well as at a distance when appropriate), and result in the creation of some incredibly awesome multimedia product that fully engages our human senses. This leaves us, a warm puddle of quivering excitement, because we are so moved as human beings.Technology Integration Matrix (TIM)StageDescriptionEntryThe teacher begins to use technology tools to deliver curriculum content to students.AdoptionThe teacher directs students in the conventional and procedural use of technology tools.AdaptationThe teacher facilitates students in exploring and independently using technology tools.InfusionThe teacher provides the learning context and the students choose the technology tools to achieve the outcome.TransformationThe teacher encourages the innovative use of technology tools.Technology tools are used to facilitate higher order learning activities that may not have been possible without the use of technology.Like a picture of a healthy person in a gym inspires someone trying to improve himself, the TIM provides teachers with a reflective tool. It can also serve as a way for third-party observers, coaches, objectifying the language of what teachers are doing in the classroom...less personal, less likely to prick the pride of a classroom educator.And, TIM provides examples of lesson plans of what it would be like to be at the next level. The matrix is replete with video examples, lesson plan samples, and other resources to support teachers as they grow. Digital coaches can work with teachers in their content area to develop lessons to move them along the continuum. Curriculum documents with accompanying professional learning can be revised to include technology tools and electronic resources to give teachers ideas of how they can blend technology into their classroom, and provided at the varying levels of the matrix.See the Matrix online at http://fcit.usf.edu/matrix/matrix.php What does Success look like?Students engage in ongoing metacognitive activities at a level that may have been unattainable without the support of technology tools. Students are empowered to extend the use of technology tools and have greater ownership and responsibility for learning. The teacher creates a rich learning environment in which students regularly engage in higher order planning activities that may have been impossible to achieve without technology. The teacher sets a context in which students are encouraged to use technology tools in unconventional ways that best enable them to monitor their own learning. The setting includes access to a wide variety of technology tools and robust access to online resources for all students simultaneously.Supporting Research:TIMBalula, A., & Moreira, A. (2014). "SCAI: A three-dimension model for e-teaching evaluation in higher education" in Evaluation of online higher education: Learning, interaction and technology. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing.Barbour, D. R. (2014). The Technology Integration Matrix and Student Engagement: A Correlational Study. NORTHCENTRAL UNIVERSITY.Kieran, L. & Anderson, C. (2014). Guiding Preservice Teacher Candidates to Implement Student-Centered Applications of Technology in the Classroom. In M. Searson & M. Ochoa (Eds.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2014 (pp. 2414-2421). Chesapeake, VA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE).Kruger, M. & Bester, R. (2014). Integrating eLearning to Support Medical Education at the New University of Botswana School of Medicine. The Electronic Journal of e-Learning. 12(1), 52-76.Welsh, J.L., Harmes, C., & Winkelman, R. (2011). Tech Tips: Florida’s Technology Integration Matrix. Principal Leadership, 12 (2).TPACK"Reproduced by permission of the publisher, © 2012 by tpack.org"Koehler, M. J., & Mishra, P. (2009). What is technological pedagogical content knowledge? Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 9(1), 60-70.Digital Coaching LinksApplying the EdTech Coaching Model: A VignetteExploring EduCoaching and Growth MindsetOn VisioningCollegial Coaching Podcast5 Responses to Edtech Coaching QuestionsDigital Coaching ResourcesThe Effects of Technology Integration CoachesPeer Coaching Supports TeachersInstructional CoachingSpecial Thanks: Portions of this have been adapted, or inspired, from Clear Creek ISD's Technology Plan. I hope those parts are unrecognizable but it would be remiss of me to not thank them for sharing!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

When my father took me to buy an Apple //e, I had no idea it would change my life. In fact, I imagined it would ruin it. My father, driven inexplicably to the Computer Solutions store, bought me technology that he would never use, never truly understand...but he dreamed I might.Image Source: http://www.atsirehab.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/parent-holding-childs-hand.jpgI didn't feel that until my son played on his Xbox, and I found myself afflicted with only a mild curiosity. What would it be like to fight zombies, play with people around the world,  people I would never meet face to face? What would it be like to learn how to play an infinite variety of games by watching endless hours of YouTube videos? What would it be like to begin my homework on one device, switch to another, and another, mixing-n-matching (a.k.a. app-smashing), remixing information and creations?...research shows that vilifying the devices’ place in family life may be misguided...My data revealed that parents could be roughly divided into three groups based on how they limit or guide their kids’ screen time, each group with its own distinct attitude towards technology. The first group is the digital enablers, whose kids have plenty of screen time and access to devices...Digital limiters, by contrast, focus on minimizing their kids’ use of technology...Digital mentors instead take an active role in guiding their kids onto the Internet. Source: Parents Reject Technology Shame, The AtlanticMy father had been a digital enabler, making those trips to Radio Shack an exciting adventure that left me wondering, "What else is out there that I could play with?" When my son and I began playing games online together--via computer, since gaming consoles did not find their way into my home until much later--I remembered showing him how to play, how to be a digital citizen...that is, to abide by the rules of the game (Enemy Territory).On the other hand, a work colleague made sure her son had only limited access to technology, refusing him a gaming console, a computer except for occasional research. She pushed him into outdoor experiences. A digital limiter, she only loosened her hold once, allowing her son to play Halo while at a friend's house..."He had nightmares!" she exclaimed upon his return, clinging to her.Image Source: http://bit.ly/1NI5g0WAs parents, we are at our best when we introduce our children to ideas, technologies that enable them to move beyond our provincial perspectives, our unfounded fears, our conservative constitution...it is only then that we can connect with our children, to touch a future we can see but not quite understand.Perhaps, we can also hope they will ease us into that future, as we helped them into their's.Mentors, in fact, may be the parents who are most successful in preparing their kids for a world filled with screens, working actively to shape their kids’ online skills and experiences...mentors are more likely than limiters to talk with their kids about how to use technology or the Internet responsibly—something that half of mentors do at least once a week, compared to just 20 percent of limiters...They’re also the most likely to connect with their kids through technology, rather than in spite of it: 58 percent of mentors play video games with their kids every week, compared to 42 percent of enablers and 30 percent of limiters. Source: Parents Reject Technology Shame, The AtlanticEverything 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

Upon arriving in the small, inner city school district, I knew I didn't fit. The old saying, "No me hallo," [S panish] or "I don't find myself in these surroundings," I'd learned from a childhood maid while growing up in the Republic of Panama (Canal Zone) was on target. But what to do? Six months later, it didn't matter. I had migrated to a better place, committed to finding a place that appreciated me for who I was, realizing my present wasn't preparing me for the future I wanted."When one discovers what is right and begins to pursue it, the necessary people and resources turn up." Source: GandhiI'd experienced the feeling before, a form of culture shock when I arrived from Panama in a beautiful neighborhood in San Antonio, Texas where I was afraid of being kidnapped, murdered, chased by gang of wannabe thugs too rich to venture away from their Atari consoles but once a day. In time, I came to make my home in San Antonio, but there is always a sense of strangeness.That sense of strangeness presses at you, stealing your breath, freezing your thoughts, and you realize, either you better make friends quick, islands of comfort in a place where you've been isolated, or leave. Worse, that sense of strangeness can permeate your interactions with others.Once you have a critical mass of good people — if you bring someone who isn’t a fit, they self select to leave. We had to watch really carefully to see if people were a fit or not and then help them leave if they weren’t the right person. Source: Diane Greene as cited in this interview, Scaling VMware with Diane GreeneHow do you survive in places where you don't fit?Focus on the work. While insufficient for more than a short time, focusing on the work enables you to do what you were hired to do, and increases the opportunity to build relationships with others.Inventory your biases and expectations, then make sure you don't take on work somewhere you don't want to be. You know almost instantaneously whether you're going to fit in or not. If you know what your expectations are, what your needs are, then you'll be less likely to fall for that voice inside you that says, "Go ahead...stay, it will be OK. You're not being fair." By knowing who you are, where you stand, you can take control of your expectations and endure.Listen to yourself. If there's a voice telling you to ignore that nagging sense of strangeness, listen to the part of yourself that senses things are quite what they need to be for you to be at your optimum.Avoid temptation. When we start a new job, it's easy to fall for the temptation...the money will change everything, you say, for the better. Unfortunately, money can drown out the warning your senses are whispering.Pray, reflect, ask for guidance. If you find yourself wondering, "Did I make the right choice?" or trying to decide if you should take the plunge, make the time to reflect. Avoid the frenzied lists of pros and cons. This is not a matter of the intellect alone, but of the heart and soul. Less talk, more listening, allowing yourself to dwell within the moments.Finally, when the time comes to leave because you don't fit in, embrace the separation. It may be a little frightening but...you avoid what Robert Quinn calls "slow death" in his book Deep Change:When dealing with slow death, deep change requires us to go "naked into the land of uncertainty, knowing how to get lost with confidence." This journey into uncertainty results in the creation of a new paradigm, "one in which we must separate from the status quo and courageously face and tackle uncertainty."When you don't fit in the pants you've put on, it's time to "go naked," to go into the land of uncertainty...get lost with confidence. When we do this, we take control back from that which urges to practice "safety," that says, "Fit in no matter what, no matter what the cost, the emotional toll."Note: This is NOT an exhortation to embrace a nudist colony life. ;-)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

A short time ago, after a conversation with a colleague, I imagined the following continuum:Not being satisfied with that, I worked on it a little, and it ended up looking like this:GoogleDraw versionFor fun, I dropped the SAMR model into the equation, even though it has become quite controversial. In truth, I wonder if such "complex" models can really do more than describe ideas and mayhem endemic to school districts. As a technology director, I see my role as facilitating the technical side of things, allowing curriculum to blend technology into their work. And, this approach would probably work except for the deleterious effects of high stakes testings and interventions mandated from on-high.It may be that the role of Instructional Technology Specialist is an anachronism from a bygone era, but unfortunately, until curriculum folks aren't running around trying to meet TEA requirements that result in fascinating contortions, we may not see much progress without the hardy Instructional Tech Specialist."Research consistently shows that technology adoption requires the presence of pioneers to field-test technologies, contextualize their use for specific purposes, and then help their peers implement them." Source:ISTE, 2013, p.6 as cited in Dr. Kristi Shaw and Kaye Henrickson's presentationThis results in curriculum experts who may not know how to hook up their mobile device to a digital projector, create a wiki, or create a form to capture data or analyze it in a spreadsheet, perpetuating paper-n-pencil approaches that have been replaced in other areas.  I can think of at least one instance where this has had disastrous impact on school district public relations (e.g. a curriculum specialist published confidential data online).That this dichotomy exists, well, that's pretty astonishing given the amount of technology available, right?TOWARDS A  NEW VISION FOR INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGISTSIn Naturalizing Digital Immigrants, order it here, a different approach is suggested. Their "collegial coaching Model for Technology Integration" includes these points, which they elaborate on in their book:Establish the Need: Explore fears, hesitations, insecurities, and overarching goals, helping focus them on 3 tools.Create partnerships: This suggests adapting past projects and blending technology into those, focusing on content.Differentiate technology projects, supporting teachers in short-term, easy to attain projects, building confidence over time, moving on a continuum from personal to professional.Assess Progress: This involves aligning technology-enhanced activities to what was originally intended to be taught, constantly refining how you teach to match what students need to learn.Ask reflective questions. One nifty quote they share includes one from John Dewey, such as reflection allows one to convert "action that is merely appetitive, blind and impulsive into intelligent action" (Dewey, 1933). I can think of no better description for the avid app consumption that occurs when teachers are given iPads ("Go get this free app now! You can tutor kids with it!" rinse, repeat).Read my blog entry about this frameworkWhile it is tempting to continue as we are, with curriculum in one silo and instructional technology in the other, it is critical to realize we can't continue as we have been. But we may very well have to so long as our colleagues in Curriculum & Instruction are taking their marching orders from those bent on destroying public schools. In fact, instructional technologists may be all that stands between helping learners be "CREATIVE, COLLABORATIVE, and INNOVATIVE, not compliant, complacent, and disengaged" (Source: Todd Wold)HOW TO ACHIEVE CREATIVE, COLLABORATIVE and INNOVATIVEWhen I envision changing what is happening in the classroom, I confess that some of the transformations I'd like to see include the following:Problem-based Learning, or at worst, Project-based Learning: For me, choosing one of these approaches involves rethinking how you approach teaching and learning in the classroom. As a result, far better than any other instructional approach I've seen, PBL engages students not with technology but powerful ideas and learning possibilities that technology usage can only accelerate. Read More about PBL | Visit Professional Learning SiteCollaboration: The hallmark of today's technology-embedded classrooms must be increased communication opportunities, as well as collaboration. In my article on 3 Steps to Leverage Technology for Dual Language, any reader can perceive that these uses transcend technology and enable powerful, interactive activities that can be done at a distance. You're no longer collecting digital stories for classroom consumption, but creating a multimedia anthology of digital stories to be read, viewed, listened to across the wide global spectrum.Lifelong Electronic Portfolios: As consumers, most of our lives are captured through what we buy and sell. As learners, most of our work disappears at the closing of a grading period, if not sooner. Creating lifelong ePortfolios will enable students, parents, and teachers greater insight into what we learn, how we learn and what impact that has on us as human beings.Find out more: ePortfolios | Picture Portfolios | Holly Clark's Post on Digital PortfoliosEmpower the Previously Impossible or Hopelessly Difficult: Technology should allow us to learn in ways previously impossible. If it doesn't, then we have to overcome the "So what?" factor. For me, this means that Substitution/Augmentation activities benefits are so terrific that it's a "Wow!" moment that leads to Modification, or that the fundamental learning activity has been redefined. Consider technologies like an iPad and Moticonnect, which fellow blogger Richard Byrne highlights through a guest post by Maggie Keeler and EdTechTeacher...I don't know about you, but MotiConnect is pretty incredible augmentation of what may have been done in the past. Communication and Collaboration fall into this, too. Gathering and analyzing data via GoogleSheets with students groups across the Nation is pretty incredible.Amplify Student Voices: Powerful learning can come when we hear our own voice in the world. Students are, to be obvious, human beings, too. Affirming their ability to impact social justice issues in their community--which goes well with PBL--as well as connect via social media to highlight their burgeoning efforts can help them develop their Voice. "Voice" because crafting a digital presence means recognizing that when we possess and use digital devices, we are on a world stage which can transform our lives in an instant for good or ill.If we commit to these 5 transformations in our classrooms--is your campus ready?--we will have achieved the often-unrealized promise of technology in our children's lives. . .and, they will have learned much of what we hoped they would.Some related materials to this conversation:Low Hanging Fruit - 3 Simple IdeasLearning EvolvesRemembering PBL, Problem-based Learning Academy, PBL FlowTAKS, Technology and PBLKeep up to date on #EdTechCoach topics with the Flipboard eZine:Read it on your mobile device or via the WebEverything 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

Aaron MartinezMyNotesAdvanced Malware Protection (AMP) Everywhere...Malware DetectionAttack ContinuumBefore: Discover, Enforce, Harden, Reputation Filtering is done on URLs beforeDuring - Detect, Block, Defend: Signature, AV, Spam scanning, URL scanning, File Reputation/AMP, sandboxing/AMPAfter - Scope, Contain, Remediate- Continuous RetrospectionOpenDNS UmbrellaCover your DNS blind spot for better security visibilityProtect devices on and off the network against malware and breachesExtends firepower/AMP intelligence and protection beyond the perimeterIdentify targeted attacks by comparing your activity versus the world'sinvestigate security incidents with global context and predictive intelEverything 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

"Miguel," asked an administrator colleague at a school district, "How do I save my emails in GoogleApps forever? I was told they disappear forever after 30 days or something. Is that true?"The question is one that will occur to any administrator who has had to deal with discovery or open records request on short notice. While many school districts take advantage of email archiving solutions like Google Vault (available at no cost for GoogleApps for Education districts) or DataCove-type options, individual admins may be a little nervous about what's archived. "Did the email archiving system get it all?"Without what often involves superintendent approval--if not Human Resources Superintendent prior review--how do you safeguard your darlings?Here are a few tips on how to archive your own email, most of which will certainly raise an eyebrow in light of email server hacking news stories:1) Mozilla Thunderbird Offline Option or, if you have a Mac, use Apple's MailWant to maintain an "offline" email archive, no matter what the archiving policy is for your district? Then consider installing a free copy of Mozilla Thunderbird, an email program that is available at no cost for Windows, Mac, and Linux. You can set it up to save a copy of your email to your own home computer. Read these instructions to backup your Mozilla Thunderbird email now saved on your computer. Of course, be aware that any confidential or sensitive data you receive via email will also be archived. Are you taking precautions to safeguard (i.e. encrypt) that data? Before you save it to your computer, you may want to encrypt it and then delete the original, decrypted version.2) Auto-forward Critical Emails (use GoogleApps filters) to Evernote PremiumWhile you'll need an Evernote Premium account (approx $50 per year) for this, you can get a "secret" Evernote email address that you can auto-forward messages to from your Gmail account.There are some other solutions...GMVaultBackupifyEverything 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

"Leadership and management skills required?" I gasped as I began to play this game on my iPad, then later load it on my Android, and even more recently, iPhone. "I just want some simple diversion, not to have to think while playing a game." Yet, I resisted the urge to delete the app. Something kept me hooked, and periodically, without realizing it, I found myself observing the valuable lessons in leadership and management the Game taught. May I share a few of these not so serious leadership lessons?Image Source: http://freepremiumfiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/clash-of-clans-latest-bot.pngAs a veteran Clash of Clans gamer, I have found myself reflecting on what powerful lessons this game teaches those who play it. It's only natural, of course, given the amount of time and discretionary funding I've spent. Of course, this wasn't my intent when I started playing, submitting to the incessant encouragement, exhortations and downright nagging of my son about a year ago. In no particular order, here are some leadership lessons:Lesson #1 - Get involved.If you're a laggard when playing Clash of Clans, your clan may decide to "kick you out" because you don't play well. So, you need to "show up and be present" when there's a war on. The flip side of that is that if you're a leader in your clan, you have to be willing to ruthlessly prune (a euphemism for kick out) your clan mates if they aren't willing to launch their attacks, invest 100% in the game. Sitting on the sidelines isn't an option.Lesson #2 - Develop your individual team members.When you are in a war, the higher the opponent you are able to gain stars (total of 3) on when attacking, the more loot you get. But you'll find that Level 1 players fight ineffectually in war, and succumb to the pressures of a tough field under fire. No team member is beneath being developed, and it's your responsibility to cajole other clan members, as well as your own teams, to build up their skills.Lesson #3 - Develop capacity to needed to support growth.In Clans, if you don't build up your capacity to store loot (gold, elixir, dark elixir), you won't be able to grow. Simply your ability to grow is directly connected to your storage of what your team needs to be nurtured.  As a leader, you have to continuously improve so that you can save for the tough times or be able to store enough so that you can save resources that are needed.Lesson #4 - Grow a little each day to achieve big outcomes.As a leader, it's easy to want to pile it on before the big deadline, getting the work done in one rush of adrenalin. Unfortunately, real change isn't like that. There are no shortcuts, I've learned. You have to make the changes, slowly, over an extended period of time. In Clash of Clans, that slow growth pays off big in time. Consider this Todd Nielson story:...changing our current state does not necessarily have to be hard.  Learning a new language is hard, but if you learned 10 words a day or 5 words a day, how much greater could you learn to speak that language, than if you had done nothing?  Dr. Nido Qubein, said: "I learned English by memorizing ten words a day.  Each day, I would review the words I had learned the day before and then study 10 new ones.  By the end of the week I had added 70 new words to my vocabulary.  It was this consistent effort, that enabled me to achieve fluency in English." Source: Don't be a Status Quo LeaderLesson #5 - Match your team members' strengths to the challenges ahead.In Clash of Clans, it's very easy to lose sight of the fact that your strongest players (e.g. dragons) may  not be the best to solution to apply in every situation. Each team member has strengths, but they may not be as powerful in the face of obstacles specifically designed to push back against them. As a leader you have to know exactly how to put them into play so that they are successful, that their interdependence enables each to be successful against the challenges they are most equipped to handle successfully.and, a bonus:Lesson #6 - Develop relationships.While it's easy to tell your clan, "fight or be kicked," the truth is that encouragement can go a long way. Not only encouragement but lending a helping hand when necessary (e.g. providing Clan Castle troops as needed by the team so they will be able to seize loot and be successful when at war or raiding others).Playing Clash of Clans sends a powerful message to future leaders...and there are many more lessons that time and reflection may be able to tease out. See you online!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

Update: I take back everything nice I said about Amazon Cloud Drive. Unfortunately, it's not ready for prime time. While you can store stuff there, it's difficult to interact with it in the same way you can with Dropbox or Google Drive. As a result, I've dumped Amazon Cloud Drive--what a terrible interface they have!--and switched back to GoogleDrive.Earlier this month, I received a notice from Dropbox. It said, simply, that I was no longer going to have access to gigs of space (buying a Samsung phone had given me additional hours) I had over the last few years. Instead, access would be knocked down 48 gigs! Still, I had to prioritize content for removal from the cloud, and figure out a way to migrate it from one cloud storage solution to another.At the time, I wished for a solution that would allow me unlimited storage and an easy way to blend my work scattered across various cloud storage solutions. Then, Amazon Cloud Drive--unlimited storage--for $5 for initial year came along (it may still be available, so I encourage you to take advantage of it!); it regularly costs $60 a year, which still isn't a bad deal.Some other needs:Access cloud storage solution on all platforms (especially GNU/Linux)Unlimited storage or as close to it as possible at low costA way to move content from one cloud storage solution to another easily.Easy Encryption accessible on mobile as well as computerCLOUD STORAGE OPTIONSHere are the cloud storage solutions I'm now using:Google Drive (Total Storage: 24gigs)- This is essentially where I store everything I'm using regularly. I don't imagine moving away from it, but I do occasionally back things up to USB external drives at home. Few items, if any, are confidential. Supports 2 factor authentication $20 per year.Dropbox (Total Storage: previously 64gigs) - This is where I store podcasts and content for the Around the Corner blog. There are no backups of the data stored on Dropbox, and none of it is confidential. Works great across multiple OSs and platforms, even if it has a bad rep for security. Supports 2 factor authentication. No Cost.Amazon Cloud Drive (Total Storage: Unlimited) - This is the first solution that provides unlimited storage at a reasonable cost. This will also let me make encrypted backups available via the cloud and better organize work. $60 per year (except for the initial $5 promotion)My goal is to "put all my eggs" in as few baskets as possible, while backing up other data. But how to move it in bulk from one to another?MOVING FROM ONE TO ANOTHERTo move content from one cloud storage solution to another, while I have access to the excellent CloudHQ.net solution, I explored using Multcloud.com (FREE) It flawlessly enabled me to begin the transfer of data from Dropbox to Amazon CloudDrive, even though it could just as easily been another cloud storage provider:Multcloud.netIt's amazing to see all the data flowing from one location to another:SECURING CLOUD STORAGEIn the past, I've eschewed solutions like Boxcryptor (even though it's great!) in favor of free, open source encryption solutions (e.g. Secure Space Encryptor). Unfortunately, SSE won't work on mobile devices I use every day and I need some assurance of encryption.While Amazon Cloud Drive has a nice web interface, Boxcryptor has just come out with Boxcryptor Portable, a solution that works on GNU/Linux and allows interfaces to all the cloud storage solutions I use (e.g. GoogleDrive, Amazon Cloud Drive, Dropbox) and others.With Boxcryptor Portable, you don't need a local installation of Boxcryptor or even your favorite cloud storage provider’s software. Therefore it is ideal for users who do not have administrator rights on their computer. Boxcryptor Portable connects directly to your provider to maximise your flexibility. Simply log in to your Boxcryptor account to have all your data in one place, encrypt it or perform file actions. Boxcryptor Portable supports all providers which are supported in our official Android version (Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, OneDrive and many more).The usage is very similar to our smartphone apps as you decide on uploads and downloads. Therefore, there is no need to sync files locally. Place Boxcryptor Portable on your USB drive, hard drive or download it directly from our homepage and use it on any computer.  Access your secure data without caring about limitations of the computer you are using. This makes Boxcryptor ($48 a year, although there is a free version that allows access from 2 devices) an easy-to-use solution for encryption. Again, you may not need it and may prefer to just encrypt files on your computer before storing them in the cloud storage solution of your choice.How are you managing your cloud storage solutions?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