Ok, this isn't an ode to fire, but to the 5th Generation Amazon Fire, that I picked up for about $35+cost of the case. Having played around with multiple, inexpensive Android tablets, I was happily surprised by how well Amazon's Fire tablet has enabled me to use it as an eReader (for both Amazon Kindle ebooks and ePub formatted books), as well as Amazon Audio, Video (Prime) and Netflix. Although the screen quality falls short of my iPad 3rd generation, the Fire works great!The 7-inch Amazon Fire tablet doesn't offer high-end specs or the latest apps, but it's the best way to put a wealth of multimedia content at your fingertips for an almost unbelievable $50 price. Source: PCMag ReviewAs an avid reader, I've invested in several apps to ease my sojourn on the Amazon Fire tablet:Calibre Companion  ($3.99) - Enables you to connect your Kindle Fire to Calibre over wireless. The process is pretty easy.eLibrary Manager ($2.00) - Although not a perfect app, it does allow you to read ePubs without having to convert them to mobi format. You may want to get the FREE Aldiko, which I refer to below INSTEAD of eLibrary Manager and save yourself some money. I ended up with it instead!Don't know about Aldiko?Aldiko Book Reader is one of the best android (and now iOS) eBook reader apps. This is also the leading platform for millions of online eBook readers from across the globe. It supports PDF format, EPUB and Adobe DRM encrypted formats. You can adjust the font size, font type, background colors, margin, alignment, line spacing and brightness as you like. It also supports night time reading and editable settings to suit your desirable preferences. Source Update: Ok, eLibrary Manager started to drive me crazy...the margin was off slightly on some of my ebooks, so I decided to make the effort to get Aldiko. Steps to get Aldiko loaded are as follows:Image Source: WikiHowAdjust the settings on on your Fire so you can download installer files (a.k.a. APK file) and run them, as shown in the image above.Download the APK (Android installer) for Aldiko ebook reader (Direct link to APK)Run it and install Aldiko.Then, follow these steps below:Purchase Calibre CompanionInstall Calibre on your computerLoad your ebooks into Calibre (so they appear in the list) Turn on Wireless sharing and content sharing on your Calibre (computer). Note: Both your Computer and Fire must be on the same WiFi network.Using Calibre Companion (on your Fire), tap on the CONNECT button in the top right-hand corner of the app. This will connect you to your Computer's Calibre, which is working as a server.In Calibre Companion, a list of all the ebooks you have shared via Calibre on your computer will appear. Download all or selectively get them one at a time.When you want to READ a book, you'll be prompted for the default ebook reader app...choose Aldiko. Every time you read a book, a copy will be made to Aldiko.Will this replace my iPad? Yes, in a pinch. I'd rather carry this little device than my 3rd gen iPad as my media device of choice. If you haven't considered getting one, then I definitely recommend it if you're willing to "buy into" the Amazon world of DRM content, etc. Definitely consider getting Amazon Prime if you do since the content available is plumb awesome.OLD INSTRUCTIONS 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

Source: http://ai2020.com/one-thing-at-a-time-singletasking-do-it/"Education is failing technology."  Dr. Mark Weston goes on to write, "The minimal effect that technology has had on teaching and learning is a failure of the field of education not a failure of technology." These are pretty powerful ideas...and given my long-time advocacy of edtech, I am inclined to agree. But do these ideas hold up? I'm not sure.Students, Computers, and Learning Making the Connection concludes that investments in classroom technology are yielding "no appreciable improvements in student achievement in reading, mathematics, or science." What's more, the study found technology to be of little help in "bridging the skills divide between advantaged and disadvantaged students."Source: Suzie Boss, Are We Getting Smarter about EdTech?When I look at the powerful learning that is possible when teachers adopt instructional approaches like these below, I wonder if Mark isn't right.If we know that differentiated instruction is effective in improving student performance, while still meeting required performance standards, why aren’t more teachers using it? TPACK proposes that thoughtful technology integration occurs when teachers are attuned to the interplay of content (the subject matter), pedagogy (the methods of teaching, both general and content-specific), and technology (both electronic and "traditional"). Considering all three domains together results in a lesson in which all the component parts are aligned to support the learning goals and outcomes of the instructional plan...The power of technology lies in the teacher’s ability to use it for customizing instruction. It helps teachers to address those student variables by manipulating the complexity or level of difficulty of the content, the ways in which students receive and engage that content, their options demonstrating what they have learned, and the circumstances under which they do so.Source: Inclusion in the 21st Century: Differentiating with Technology.Why aren't more of these approaches taken hold?Source: 6 Components of DIdifferentiated instruction: Differentiation takes place in the areas of content, process, and product. Consider this 2007 resource, Differentiating Instruction with Technology in K-5 Classrooms, that makes very similar points:"Technology improves student performance when the application directly supports the curriculum objectives being assessed." In other words, technology is most effective when integrated with curriculum content."Technology improves performance when the application providesopportunities for student collaboration." Studies show that paired and collaborative learning in conjunction with technology enhances student performance."Technology improves performance when the application adjustsfor student ability and prior experience, and provides feedback to the student and teacher about student performance or progress with the application." This finding supports the differentiated instruction practices of coaching and mentoring as well as sharing responsibility for learning."Technology improves performance when the application is integrated into the typical instructional day." This finding supports classroom and content learning with technology as opposed to lab learning with technology."Technology improves performance when the application provides opportunities for students to design and implement projects that extend the curriculum content being assessed by a particular standardized test." Student-created products, multimedia, and video streaming are examples of how technology can extend curriculum content."Technology improves performance when used in environmentswhere teachers, the school community, and school and district administrators support the use of technology." In addition to performance improvements tied to administrative support for technology, findings show that integration of technology with instruction, professional development for teachers, and computer use at home and school with differentiated products and student entry points combine to improve performance.problem-based learning (PBL): "uses real-life problems modeled after a contemporary or historical case to engage students as they pursue specified learning outcomes that are in line with academic standards or course objectives" (Stepien & Pyke, 1997)cooperative learning: All students work inter-dependently, clearly focused on achieving joint expectations, taking the initiative to innovate on assignment.One simple answer--"There’s no doubt that effectively differentiating instruction presents challenges to even the most experienced teacher" (Source)--is that it is too darn complicated! That may explain why Dr. Mark Weston, in  Quit Failing Technology, observes that Education's failure to adopt research-based practices have resulted in the failure of technologists to be successful in transforming teaching and learning.Successful and sustained edtech implementation requires that good pedagogy must first be in play within the classroom. . .Let's master pedagogy first. Then leverage the technology.Source: In Successful EdTech, pedagogy Comes First--Devices SecondIn this entry, he makes these points:Education is failing technology.If certain instructional practices are used and specific conditions met then one teacher, instructing a group of students in a classroom, could help the students attain 2-sigma. The practices he identified that make 2-sigma possible include reinforcement, cues and explanations, corrective feedback, and cooperative learning. The conditions include student classroom-participation, student time on task, and classroom morale.The organizational and operational design of most schools exacerbates the teacher-load conundrum. In such schools, a teacher trying to take a classroom of 30 students to 2-sigma must make it happen alone. Technology has exerted little overall effect on educational settings and the teaching and learning in them. Student achievement test scores remain flat, school completion rates have not declined, and instruction remains mostly teacher-led in classrooms with neat-rowed desks.Teachers...readily admit that in many instances the technology that they do have actually increases their load. Not surprisingly, data show teachers rarely using technology in their classroom instruction.And, what about Marzano's work and that of others? Consider Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works (PDF; web site that linked it):Technology can certainly be used...as a tool for the analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of information. Today, students use complex multimedia products and advanced networking technologies to learn interactively and work collaboratively on projects; to gather, organize, and analyze information; to solve problems; and to communicate information...Our experience has shown that most people prefer exploring the instructional strategies first and the technologies that support them second.So, all that to say something pretty simple--Curriculum Departments, classroom teachers, school systems have failed to adopt instructional approaches that make a difference for student learning. And, until they do, we're wasting our time trying to blend technology in. Even if you see technology as a way to short-circuit the time-intensive strategies of the past, there's a real need for pedagogy+technology together, rather than ONE before another.In fact, it reminds me of achieving higher order thinking skills (HOTS) research...imagine teachers making students march through low-order thinking skills before ever getting to HOTS...unfortunately, so much time is spent on LOTS that HOTS never happened for countless students, especially those who came from a low, socio-economic background.I'm not sure I agree with these findings...we can't continue to chant "Pedagogy first, technology second!" and expect to get results. This isn't crawl before we can walk scenario. If you want someone to embrace technology to transform instruction, then you have to start from the get-go!"A man convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still."Maybe we need some replacement thinking via Mike Fisher (Get a copy of Mike Fisher’s book, Digital Learning Strategies: How do I assign and assess 21st century work?):The task of the contemporary teacher is to help students learn to take what is now ubiquitous (knowledge), learn to filter it for relevance and quality (critical thinking), and use it to learn, grow, and demonstrate 21st Century Skills (communication, collaboration, creative problem solving). 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

As I look back over the years, I can't help but get a bit teary-eyed at the loss. My life changed in so many ways around that time, and it's not easy to leave the past behind. And, it was all so much controversy, such an eye-opening experience that left me wondering, "Did I make the right decision?"You see, my iPad 3rd generation, which I used almost every day since I bought it in March, 2012, has died. At the time, I thought it was a great investment...given that I have used it every single day since I bought it, I realize I got more than my money's worth out of it!Maybe if I could install GNU/Linux operating system on my iPad, it would be vibrant and alive again, but as of right now, the sound is dead, and it's behavior erratic. With several other computing devices, among them an iPhone 6, an Amazon Fire, a Chromebook (Acer C720), a Mac Air, and a Dell Latitude 3340 (last 3 work devices of differing ages), I'm not sure an iPad will be needed.I spent almost $1,000 on my iPad 3rd gen...64gigs of storage, which I never filled to capacity although I gave it my best shot. Fortunately, consulting was still a big thing in 2012, and I was able to afford the almost $900 iPad, and then about $100 in critical apps. Keynote, which was free, was worth the power alone, simply because it made it possible to embed video in the slideshow.But now, I have to admit that my iPhone 6 is powerful enough to do video editing, and if I really have to get something done, I'll probably do it on there. Otherwise, Chromebook+Screencastify+WeVideo+YouTube will be sufficient.Still, I will miss some of my favorite apps:Explain Everything Ok, that was a short list. The rest of my favorite apps, I hardly ever use anymore on the iPad, instead relying on my iPhone or Chrome/GoogleApps. And, all the video apps that I once watched television and movies on, well, those work on the $34 Amazon Fire I bought on a whim. Whatever will I do with the old charging cables scattered throughout my house? I wonder if I can use them to power my iPhone without "over-charging" or causing iPhone battery problems.For now, farewell, iPad 3rd gen. You were my faithful companion all these years, and truly broke my grip on the keyboard for consuming content. But, you know, there's no friend like an old friend. 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 colleague remarked in astonishment, "Miguel, you have an Amazon Fire?""Yes," I replied surprised anyone would wonder at me having this or that device. Was the person saying, "Hey, what's with you? Couldn't afford an iPad?"Or maybe, they said, "Wow, you sure are thrifty!"Then, there's the, "I can't believe you're using a demon-spawned Amazon DRM device that bombards you with evil content! How could you be supporting the Amazon leviathan that destroys freedom and liberty?"In truth, I just don't care anymore on some devices. I just want the darn thing to work. And, the Amazon Fire--did I mention I paid $34 dollars on Black Friday for this one?--delivers handily! For example, here's a list of the apps that I've tried for video watching:Time Warner Cable - Wow, TWC has done a great job with their apps! I miss Into the Badlands or Quantico or, The Walking Dead, I can watch it via this app!Amazon Prime Video/Audio - Ok, you expect this to work on the Amazon Fire. It's just hard to believe how well it works!Netflix - So glad this works because I truly enjoy the content available via this venue.So far, I haven't tried sideloading video--although I have side-loaded ebooks, read this blog post for more info on how--but I probably won't. There's so much good stuff in those 3 outlets that I'm kept quite busy.  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

Earlier this week, I received this tweet that caused a bit of introspection:Justin Merwin ‏@Thewizard_210 Dec 14 @mguhlin Are you still an avid @evernote user? How has it benefited you as a Tech Director?The answer is, "Yes, darn it!" I give such a response, Justin, because in spite of my best efforts to transition to the Apple Notes app following David Pogue's lead, with over 5K in notes, the darn thing is TOO SLOW. So, I slowly found myself gravitating back to Evernote (ok, I'm 100% back to using it).While I still employ Google Keep for frivolous notes--grocery lists, shared tasks lists with colleagues/family--I rely on Evernote to organize my life. It's the one place I can "archive" information in whatever format and know it will be there.As a technology director, I rely on Evernote to provide my digital archive for the following:critical emails (I use CloudMagic app on my mobile phone to drop content into Evernote, but since I'm a Premium user, I can just forward emails to Evernote and see them appear)GUI editor for notes to do lists and tasks that are ongoingdocuments (PDFs, etc.)A virtual space to prepare responsesa place to save business cardsa place to save quotes, proposals that I need to keep track of long-term.As nice as Google Drive is--and even though I'm very organized--dropping something into Drive can be the equivalent of flipping a coin into the sea and hoping to jump in a day later and find it...an act of hope and luck.Since I've cleaned out Evernote, it runs a lot faster. I don't use WorkChat or any of the weird features Evernote developers have added. I don't even use Evernote for archiving web sites or content, something I once did avidly. All those notebooks are gone. Evernote is NOT a content curation tool anymore.That's how I use Evernote. It works for me and I enjoy the experience more than GoogleDrive, but that's not to say I'm not an Google heavy user. I wish Google Keep could allow for more organization, make it easier to drop documents into it. But I've given up waiting...Evernote is still my go-to.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

Too busy to learn during the pre-Xmas shopping season? Too busy connecting with family face to face to learn from other educators online? It doesn't have to be either/or!Well, then, you are missing out on great conversations and connections via the edcampvoxer event kicking off today!I'm taking some time this morning to tune in, to "join the Voxer chats" that are being featured because I know I can come back to them and listen later.The link you need to pay attention to is bit.ly/edcampvoxer because it will let you "click and join" the Voxer chat (you'll need the Voxer app on your Android/iOS mobile device). Here is what the Voxer chats look like on my browser on my computer, but you can totally do this from your mobile device:I jumped into the Blogging Voxer chat and shared a few thoughts, one of which Rache Wooten picked up and tweeted:Some other take-aways (ok, I wrote these):Excerpt ideas that resonate or conflict with your's then explore your thoughts about them. Their ideas are the sparks that ignite your blog entry. Grab a problem someone else is having, or question, then share your path to a solution.Or, reflect on their solution, then share the problem you have with it and offer your path, even if it doesn't result in a solution  auto publish your blog entries using the blog RSS feed and ifttt.com to share to Twitter, Facebook and linked in. Image for a blog entry and smaller chunks of text are the way to go, as Jon says. I also like section headers for longer pieces and use listicles with dialogue to kick off paragraphs/sections  Jon Harper also shared some of his insights while on a trip to Disney, and those contributions are audio. Here's one of them.Other great conversations, like Personalizing PD, are also happening; consider this contribution from Knikole:Good morning, everyone! I am Knikole Taylor, a math and science coach from TX. Please share questions, comments, and suggestions for Personalized PD. Also, remember to add your notes from today's conversation here: http://tinyurl.com/EdcampVoxer-PerPDMiguel, I read about Educator Micro Credentials yesterday http://www.digitalpromise.org/initiatives/educator-micro-credentials The problem I've run into is that many of my Ts are not connected outside of the building. I want them to use tools like Twitter and Voxer on their own, so I have to take the time to teach them how to do so. Here is the "PD" I pushed out last year and earlier this year on how to use Twitter before our Twitter PLC. We used #gwcplc. I read this article yesterday also. There are lots of great tools for districts to support and design personalized PD. https://www.edsurge.com/research/guides/from-pre-fab-to-personalized-how-districts-are-retooling-professional-development Of course, as I've been writing this blog entry, the conversation has continued! Another neat Voxer chat is Organizing Edcamps & Other Offline Events. I love Karen Norton's (Voxer: knorto213) recap of the conversation, as she works in Arkansas to plan an edcamp on her own. Another neat chat is Communicating With Students, Parents, and the Community. Greg Goins shares this insight into use of Voxer:I have voxer groups set up for my administrative team (7 administrators) and for classes I teach in Ed Leadership (typically 8-12 students each semester). I ask them to reflect and share ideas after meetings or class time just to get them talking on voxer. Very valuable tool for collaboration and post-class assessment. As Jeff Herb points out, "Greg, like the idea of Voxer as a reflection tool for students and staff!"Another conversation Connecting Classrooms to Share in the LearningDavid Billikopf: Heidi, on my side the Ss get to be experts and practice writing, poetry ,etc and the Norwegian Ss are practicing English. We viewed the same documentary about a man in Florida appealing 4 life sentences for robberies he committed at ages 14/15. Then they discussed back and forth the American juvenile justice system. (My students are locked up.) Then my students shared some poetry about how they felt about being locked up and some shared their stories. The Norwegian students sent back responses, both written and artistic, about how my students' poetry and stories made them feel. We have been using the twitter # of #norwask- feel free to check it out. I have also been blogging how it has been going if you want to see more of how we have been doing it. http://billikopf.blogspot.com/ is my blog.  Well, why are you still reading this blog entry? Check out the links in the infographic above to get going with the edcampvoxer 2015 event!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 like me, you may have jumped ship from Evernote to Apple Notes. Unfortunately, with 10K worth of notes, Apple Notes moves like molasses. (Sorry, David Pogue, Apple Notes isn't a good enough replacement for Evernote when you're dealing with that many notes...I suppose I should have guessed that).Get this Mac app | Read blog entrySo, what's your exit strategy? Since I archive old emails, it's important for them to be searchable...saving them all in Evernote or Apple Notes wasn't a good idea, as I discovered.One approach I've decided to revisit is exporting all the notes to text format (TXT). This makes them readable by any word processor or app. But, with over 5K of these notes in Apple Notes, I wondered how I might be able to get them OUT of Apple Notes? Thankfully, someone else already thought of that.Step 1 - Export Your Apple Notes to Text FilesThe Write app folks have come up with Notes' Exporter, a utility that runs on your Mac OS X computer (I'm running El Capitan) and it's now slogging (successfully!) it's way through the export.The export simply has you point to a folder where you want to dump your files (more on that in a minute):Notice the Notes Exporter on the left side of the screenshot above, and exported notes on the right.Step 2 - Setup a Dropbox folder to place your TXT filesIf you store these text files on Dropbox--they don't take up a lot of room, so you're not losing much space out of your free account--then you can access them from anywhere...and, you can organize them quite easily.Step 3 - Install a Text Editing App on Your Mobile DeviceSince I will be accessing these text files across various mobile devices, I am taking advantage of Byword app (iOS), although there are plenty of text friendly apps (check the chart) you can use to get the job done such as Draft (available on iOS and Android), IAWriter, or NOCS (free).If I was doing this again, I'd probably following this sequence:1) Select the app you want because it will create a folder on Dropbox where your files will be stored, although with the right text editor, you can just point it at any directory you want.2) Run the Exporter and save the files to the appropriate Dropbox directory.Over all, a straightforward process. 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

Image Source: http://bit.ly/1mlsfbAThe tough option isn't the one that involves an either/or proposition--"All or nothing?"--but the one that replaces the OR for an AND. It's too easy to divide life into binary decisions, yes/no propositions that appear to simplify our lives.Either/or choices are Sucker’s Choices. The best at dialogue refuse Sucker’s Choices by setting up new choices. They present themselves with tougher questions that turn the either/or choice into a search for the all-important and ever-elusive and. Source: Crucial ConversationsWhat brings these thoughts on? This Connected Principals' post by Todd Samuelson:I’m considering making a change. With change often comes the traditional interview process and the preparation that comes along with that ritual. I suppose there is a benefit to this process in that it forces one to reflect. One of the interview questions is sure to involve my thoughts on what I think is the most important quality of an effective leader. After role playing this question in my head a dozen times, I have come to the conclusion that this is an impossible question to answer with any real depth.  As I read it, it makes me reflect on the times I've asked myself, "What is the most important leadership quality?" Having done serious reflection--that is, reflection fueled by life experiences that do more than mar the paint job--the most important leadership quality is building relationships. Hands-down, no matter the work that you do, without relationships with others, you will fail.In the job of principal, I can think of no better leadership quality to highlight when asked a question during an interview. It's true regardless of your field of leadership because leadership implies interacting with 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

One of my favorite stories...worth sharing again!The Secret to Happiness Once upon a time, a man stood crying alone on the rooftop of his house. He was unhappy, and he cried out, "I just want to be happy." An angel appeared to him, and offered to grant him 3 wishes over the course of his life. "Grant my wish, angel!" the man begged.  He was mourning the fact that the roof he stood upon was of a house he did not own, that his creditors beat upon his door and his wife lived in fear of furniture and vehicles being seized.  The first wish the man asked for was wealth.   For a time, he was happy but then his wife fell ill and no amount of money could save her. As he wept again at her plight, the angel appeared again and offered to grant him a wish. The man wished for health, but in spite of his health and family's being improved, over time, he realized that this did not make him happy. He reflected long and hard on this, even writing a few blog entries, sending out a few tweets, and checking with his PLN.  Finally, one night as he suffered weariness of spirit in spite of riches, family, and perfect health, the angel appeared to him to grant his final wish, present at his unbidden request. "Angel," the old man asked, "grant me my wish...teach me to be grateful for all that has happened and will happen in my life." The angel made it so.  At last, the man achieved happiness.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

In December, 2015, while most folks were Xmas shopping from home, or worse, braving traffic and stores, a bunch of folks were having awesome conversations via EdCampVoxer. It was truly a powerful series of conversations on a variety of topics. I've written about some of those here and you can certainly find out more.However, every time I use Voxer, I run across users who express a desire to see Voxer grow to include features like those shown below. I decided to type up the ones I'd heard--and had expressed myself--and share them with Voxer Pro support.Thank you for considering these requests on behalf of educations Voxer users:1-Enable a historical record that can be referenced by those new to a chat.2-On iOS devices, when you click on Voxer chat web link, it should take you straight to the Voxer Chat rather than just open the Voxer app in iTunes Make web links for Voxer chats usable, especially for those new to Voxer.3-Make it easy to export audio for an entire Voxer chat individually or as a whole to facilitate sharing an audio recording. Already know you can export individual items but want to export an entire chat as one MP3.4-Search text of a Voxer Chat (ala keyword).5-Be able to add tags to Voxer chat items for easy searching later, as well as link to those tags across Voxer Chats.