Note: Another oldy but goody from LeaderTalk.org, a blog entry I wrote when my son was nine years old (he's 16 now). Again, amazing how the ideas have endured!Check Yourself in the Mirror"Check yourself in the mirror," my Dad would call out each morning before we left for the drive to school. That last minute look in the mirror would often reveal a hair out of place, or that my shirt buttons and belt buckle weren't lined up right. Worse, it might show a bit of stubble--when in high school--that I hadn't shaved, or crud in the corner of my eye.Now, every morning, I offer my sixteen year old the same advice. It's not about vanity but knowing how you will appear to others. And, if you're sending the message you want to send, then that's fine. But if you're not, that last check in the mirror can provide a crucial moment of insight. While some prefer to never look in the mirror when it comes to their organization, it's absolutely necessary. Our role today in schools is about building Global Communications Center for our campus or district. It is NOT the job of the Communications Department...it's YOUR job as an educational leader.WHAT ARE PEOPLE SAYING ABOUT YOU?Dave Fleet shares some suggestions for online monitoring of your organization's image, or the buzz around it. He says it's important that before you do anything--such as set up a blog, whatever--that you find out how to track what's going on out there. I see his suggestions as part and parcel of establishing your own Global Communications Center for your school or District. Fleet writes: Before your organization launches a blog, before you start playing with Facebook, before you even think about Twitter, you should be listening to what people are saying about you. "Google is managing your identity unless you are," as quoted by Dean Shareski in his Going Global, Going Public. "What digital footprints are existing for you right now? It's not an ego search but to find what others are saying about you." This goes for each of us, but also, for organizations like schools. But it's important we go, as Dean and others share, beyond just tracking our digital footprints, but that of others' footprints when they interact with our organizations. As an edublogger, this is something I learned while setting up my blog and finding ways to connect with others. However, the tools that are available now are much more comprehensive than what were available when I began. A quick look at Dave's suggestions, and I'm astonished that I'm using most of these approaches already. What I doubt is happening, though, is that school districts and schools are doing this...most of our organizations may very well have a less than active interaction with news and other people out there. Simply publishing your own television show isn't enough when most people thrive online, and most content endures online more than in a broadcast. I love this quote (Christian Grantham as cited in NewAssignment.net) about ending the "passive relationship with local news" in this blog entry. What catches my attention is that the same tribulations and troubles students, teachers and leaders are going through, well, that's what a lot of folks in the news industry are going through. You could tweak this paragraph easily to reflect the angst among educators: I love working with people who see the importance of the role the net will play in transforming the way the world gets and interacts with information. I also love working with veterans of news, and I will always remember the challenges they face with the changes that are happening. For some, that change is very difficult. But the fact is, we are no more in the television and newspaper business than Wal-Mart is in the trucking business. Our business is no longer the industry that surrounds distribution - the trucks, the printing press, the reams of paper, the broadcast towers, the satellite dishes, the lights, the huge cameras, the buildings, the "live trucks"…It’s the final product: information. The market in an on-demand world for news and information where people have to wait to receive a highly produced product is steadily shrinking. At the same time, the online audience for news and information is growing significantly. It’s an exciting time to be working in a new medium that is transforming the way we get information. How has our "business" in education changed? It's no longer about textbooks, that's for sure and canned ideas. It's about creativity, communication, collaboration. Even as the market shrinks in the news world, in the education world, I find this statement to be as true as it's ever been in education (BTW, the link below includes a Clay Shirky moment in video): If our information was made freely available and became the building blocks through which other work could be done - we would be the foundation upon which the news and information world is built upon.Source: DigiDave - Journalism is a Process, Not a Product: Changing the Legal Structure for Digital Journalism That education is still the foundation--albeit being switfly eroding--is because it is firmly entrenched in a "no market" environment. What's neat about becoming your own "global communications center" is that you can teach students these skills as you're setting up your classroom web site. Imagine what would have happened if model classroom teachers using blogs with students had set these tools up (if they'd been available) BEFORE they started blogging with their students. Wouldn't it have been awesome to capture the feedback flowing in from all over the world, including traditional and participatory reporting? GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS CENTERYou know, I hadn't ever thought of myself--or the work the Communications Dept in a school district--does as Global Communications. But, that is exactly what we're doing with Read/Write Web tools. And, that is the challenge facing districts as well as journalists. We are caught up in a "citizen" journalism, teacher communicator. "Should learning professionals be leading the charge around new work literacies such as social media and informal learning?" Good question. My answer: yes. Because everyone should be. Tucker writes, "my responsibility is to work on my own sphere of influence, starting with our online course development team leading by example for our facilitators." Christy Tucker, Experiencing E-LearningSource: As commented on and cited by Stephen Downes How are YOU setting up your Global Communications Center? How are YOU leading the charge? The answer to this question is a lot easier than taking this position: Al Gore said: "We have to abandon the conceit that isolated personal actions are going to solve this crisis. Our policies have to shift." He was talking about global climate change but he might as well have been talking about our attempts to transition schools into the 21st century…Source: Our Policies have to Shift, Dr. Scott McLeod, Dangerously Irrelevant Compare that approach--abandoning the conceit that isolated personal actions are going to solve the crisis in education, or journalism--to this one from Pete Reilly (EdTech Journeys) with his tale of Gandhi's decision to not offer advice unless he was living by it himself. When you get up tomorrow morning, take a moment to check your school or district's virtual image in the mirror of public opinion. Begin now to build the resources you need to keep track of those, and make a difference.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 aspects of the #GrowthMindset is the idea you can add "...yet" to the end of something you haven't accomplished yet. For example...."I haven't signed up for the TCEA TEC-SIG SPRING MEETING...yet.""I haven't looked at the agenda...yet.""I'm not committed to learning from great people like Doug Johnson...yet.""My district is worried that I won't learn anything at an unconference scheduled at the TECSIG Spring Meeting. I haven't told them how wrong they are...yet.""I'm broke, I need to stop buying Starbuck's coffees so I can afford the low-cost of TECSIG membership and meeting registration. I haven't stopped...yet."You get the idea, right?"I haven't signed up for TECSIG Spring Meeting...yet. But I plan to ASAP!"Register for the TECSIG Spring Meeting Taking Place in Austin, Texas at TCEA Headquarters on April 14-15, 2016!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

Note: Another oldy but goody from LeaderTalk.org blog entries I wrote.The Game Leaders Play Jonathan Becker asks us all in his LeaderTalk blog entry entitled, The Future of Educational Leadership, the following questions: 1) Are schools going to become increasingly virtual and distributed (as the authors suggest of businesses)?  2) Should school leaders be spreading around the leadership wealth so as to encourage experimentation? He cites a report that points out that if we want to see what business leadership will be in five years, we need to check out online games. I was grateful to Jonathan pointing this out, as well as highlighting the report.It reminds me of the Demos "Their Space" report I read a few years ago.In the article, the skills a World of Warcraft guildmaster needs are as follows: attracting, evaluating and recruiting new members;creating apprenticeship programs; orchestrating group strategy; and managing disputes. Isn't it ironic that these are the tools that in 5 years--and if you wait that long to acquire the skills, you're out of business according to Don Tapscott and Anthony William's Wikinomics--business may find useful, necessary for communication in a flat world? Changes needed in schools include the following: a) Recognize/value learning that occurs outside the classroom; b) Support this outside learning, providing a space for reflection, enabling students to recognize and transfer those skills to new situations and contexts.This sentence makes me wonder at what potential goes untapped in schools today. The answer is staggering--our children. It is our children that are untapped. This led me to the next question: What needs to be unleashed in schools? Children's power for creativity and innovation. Slow to respond to change in schools, schools' failure to recognize and value the skills that young people are developing is a blind spot. Educational leaders, in neglecting to use mass collaboration tools like wikis, fail to model how students can interact with a changing world that expects global collaboration. A few months ago, I found myself walking my seventh grader through the halls of a local high school. She was there--ahead of her time--to take the SAT, that high stakes test that determines whether you will be successful. As I read more and more of the Demos' THEIR SPACE report, I started to wonder at the relevance of the SAT my daughter was taking. Wouldn't it have been better if they'd put her in a team of learners who had to solve a problem? And, solving that problem involved coordinating the work of others around the world (or in the next classroom) using technology tools, voice over IP? Wouldn't such approach to assessment do what the SAT was meant to do in the first place? SAT 2.0 would do the following: Challenge young adults to demonstrate how they can collaborate at a distance to develop creative solutions that involve mashing-up different technologies.Successful completion of the SAT 2.0 would mean using Web 2.0 tools to connect, collaborate, create and share ideas/solutions with each other.Successful completion would involve the team catalogue each team member's strengths and weaknesses, then assign jobs/tasks that build on strengths.Based on a team's weaknesses, staff people from outside their team--across the world but accessible via VOIP technologies (like Skype)--to buttress their weaknesses. What other ways could such a project be used to measure what students need to know in a Read/Write Web world? What skills and strategies that need to value the soft skills our children are developing for recreation, that are worth emulating, but aren't unleashed in schools today? THE ROLE OF EDUCATION LEADERSThe more important question for educational leaders isn't whether schools are going to be more distributed or virtual. Rather it is whether educators--including administrators, teachers, students in leadership roles, regardless of position or title--will be able to continue functioning in five years WITHOUT these skills. I fear that if the answer is YES, then we will have schools that serve as centers of static learning...and our "students" will have already found somewhere else to learn what they need to. The SAT will have become meaningless except as an out-dated rite of passage. Are you modelling online collaboration and enabling others in your district? If you're not, then you need to consider how you can accomplish that within the work you are expected to do every day.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

Did you know Doug "Blue Skunk" Johnson is keynoting at TECSIG Spring Meeting on April 14, 2016 and facilitating a whole host of workshops?One of my favorite aspects of the #GrowthMindset is the idea you can add "...yet" to the end of something you haven't accomplished yet. For example...."I haven't signed up for the TCEA TEC-SIG SPRING MEETING...yet.""I haven't looked at the agenda...yet.""I'm not committed to learning from great people like Doug Johnson...yet.""My district is worried that I won't learn anything at an unconference scheduled at the TECSIG Spring Meeting. I haven't told them how wrong they are...yet.""I'm broke, I need to stop buying Starbuck's coffees so I can afford the low-cost of TECSIG membership and meeting registration. I haven't stopped...yet."You get the idea, right?"I haven't signed up for TECSIG Spring Meeting...yet. But I plan to ASAP!"Register for the TECSIG Spring Meeting Taking Place in Austin, Texas at TCEA Headquarters on April 14-15, 2016!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 DisclosureEverything 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 SourceWhen you are connected to a vibrant community of individuals, you know it.. .you feel are a valuable component in a network of high powered learners.People who aren't afraid to share their ideas to make Texas better.When your superintendent asks, "What's going on with digital textbook logins?" you don't worry...you start crafting an email to TECSIG. When you begin to plan your roll out of Windows 10, you know who might have a plan to share. When you need a web host provider, you can rely on people who face the same challenges and have overcome them.People who aren't afraid to share their ideas to help YOU be better.When the high-stakes test vendor says, "It's OK, there aren't any problems," you don't take them at their word. You ask other technologists in Texas, and they add those critical data points that empower you to say back to the vendor, "That's not right. These school districts have called you in the last hour about the exact same power."People who aren't afraid to hold themselves and others to a higher standard.When you find yourself needing RFP criteria for a project your Finance Director just mentioned, there's one group you reach out to. And, in a few minutes, you have a collection of documents that just shaved days off your task, allowing you to deliver faster than anyone else expected.Friends who reach out a helping hand, like Americans and Texans do.A TECSIG member isn't a corporation out to make a buck. Rather, they are a community of vibrant friends and friends you have yet to meet, who are waiting to lend you a helping hand, because, that's what Americans do. When you need help, we pitch in. When you need something done, we step up.TECSIG...friends who aren't afraid to shine and push back the dark.And, TCEA TECSIG will be meeting on April 14-15, 2016. Why don't you join us?Register for the TEC-SIG Spring MeetingThursday-Friday, April 14-15, 2016Location: TCEA, 3100 Alvin Devane Blvd; Building B; Austin, TX 78741Agenda: http://tinyurl.com/tecsigspring16TEC-SIG enables technology coordinators, instructional technology leaders, and other administrators throughout the state to stay in touch, to engage in community-based learning that supports and serves students, staff in a hyper-connected world. When everyone can be your teacher, it's important to have a few Texans you can trust and rely on.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

On March 5th, I'll have the opportunity to participate in a Health Fair. Unlike the runners, the walkers, the health advocates, I'll be engaged in what some may see as a sedentary activity--sharing ideas about digital citizenship...encouraging people to play with their mobile phones even more. In this blog entry, I share some no-cost apps that promote the positive in our lives within the context of digital citizenship and being kind to others. I certainly welcome any suggestions you might have!A quick aside: Wow, it's been a long time since I've considered digital citizenship in this blog. It may be because I believe that developing strong relationship with your child is essential to the trust needed for conversations about this topic. The best content filter is between their ears, right? What Should I Call This Health Booth?I've played around with a few ideas for naming my booth at the Health Fair:Get a Blood Transfusion at the Digital Citizenship Blood BoothTattoos for Free - Digital Tattoo Designs Worth HavingLower Your Cholesterol, Your Blood Pressure and Enhance Your Life Well, you get the idea. It's kinda funny, right? Ok, maybe not so much.On a QuestIn my quest for resources, I wondered, what mobile apps are available to share with students, staff, and/or community members? You know, my phone is one device I always have with me--except, when I'm swimming although I hear some folks take their phone in the pool, too--so it makes sense to have easy access to mobile apps.Here are a few worth sharing with colleagues and young folks:No-Cost Apps that Promote the PositiveLearning.com’s Digital Citizen appDigitalCitizen App from Learning.com provides middle and high school students with instruction on online safety, the ethical use of digital resources, and cyberbullying. Through engaging videos, interactive games, and a quiz, the app ensures student understanding of these important concepts. Note: Requires Learning.com account code from your school district.Common Sense Media’s Digital Compass appDigital Compass is a choose-your-own adventure, interactive game for iPad and iPhone. Developed for 6th to 9th graders and available in English and Spanish languages, Digital Compass lets students step into the shoes of one of eight characters to experience the twists and turns of daily digital life. University of Kentucky’s iDriveDigital appThis is a companion app for iDriveDigital.com and the Digital Driver's License (DDL). This is an open source innovation lab project with OTIS at the University of Kentucky. iDriveDigital.com helps expose users (students & teachers) to content focused on valuable digital citizenship skills and concepts. Note: Be sure to get an account through their web site first.European Union’s Happy Onlife appThis engaging game aims at supporting children aged 8-12 — along with involving their parents and teachers — in initiating active mediation of digital technology. The game presents key messages about children's use, overuse and misuse of the internet, together with risks such as cyberbullying. It also presents simple and clear strategies of prevention, mediation or remediation of internet issues.iKeepSafe’s Incident Response Tool appThe increasing use of technology in the classroom brings with it many new challenges for schools. From sexting to cyberbullying; privacy concerns to ethical considerations; schools are dealing with a growing number of digital incidents. The IRT is designed to increase school confidence and competence when handling a digital incident while minimizing the risks and impacts to student’s health and wellbeing. Australian Government’s Take a Stand Together appThe Take a Stand Together App was developed by all Australian education authorities, working together to create safe and supportive school environments free from bullying, harassment and violence.SAMHSA’s Know Bullying appResearch shows that spending at least 15 minutes a day talking with your kids can build the foundation for a strong relationship, develop their resilience to peer pressure, and help prevent bullying.UknowkidsSome apps to avoid that may lead to inappropriate usage or violations of digital citizenship:Kik - My son introduced me to this one. When I joined, he was overjoyed (not!). YikYak - This one needs to be banned on general principles. So much cyberbullying happens on YikYak from what I've seen. Of course, it's only an extension of the school culture...that's why restorative discipline is important.Snapchat - Short video shares. Still learning how to use this one.WhatsApp - Great app for communication. Consider Telegram as another alternative. Both are great for communication.Apps that are used to "keep" inappropriate content private or away from others...this is relevant because they may be used for sexting (View some sexting stats) or sending nude images of other students...most of these apps are explored in this Mashable article:Best Secret FolderFake CalculatorKYMSKeepSafe Private Photo VaultGallery LockLitePrivate Photo Vault VaultyAppify Digital CitizenshipAnother idea that I've been considering is creating a Google Site with all the neat stuff and then creating an app with Yapp to facilitate sharing with others. Of course, there are many web sites that have tons of resource links...would another really be worthwhile?Edutopia Digital CitizenshipEdudemic's Collection of Digital Citizenship Resources Example Yapp App...waiting on education pricing since number of installs (10!) for the trial won't work!Online CourseThere are tons of online digital citizenship courses, not to mention webinars and videos on YouTube. If you don't know about digital citizenship, it's probably because you haven't spent some time looking. One district made online digital citizenship course available to parents in their district. The main benefit? You can curate the barge-load of content available in this area, each competing for your attention.You might also jump into online communities via Edmodo, as well as visit the DigCitSummit.com event planner, that enable you to have more conversations with concerned folks.iDrive Digital, a Univ of Kentucky creation, features an online course that appears to be free for students, staff, and schools!A few courses for educators include the following:Digital Citizenship Open Access Course 2015 ISTE Digital Citizenship Academy ($243)Google Digital Literacy and Citizenship Curriculum (Free)Common Sense Media's Digital Citizenship CertificationNetsmartz TrainingEdmodo Digital Citizenship CourseConclusionWhile numerous resources abound, I've found that the "reality test" involves real conversations with young adults, and helping them understand why they should avoid negative digital tattoos at all possible costs. 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

Last week, a local school district suffered a phishing attack distributed by email. In addition, ransomware was also being distributed to district users via email. Several machines were infected, including servers, as individuals clicked on email attachments that made no sense whatsoever. Other districts have faced similar challenges:It's...thrown a kink in the school district's scheduled Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) exams, which are "high-quality, computer-based K-12 assessments in Mathematics and English Language Arts/Literacy." The crypto-ransomware "has affected the district's entire operations from internal and external communications to its point-of-sale for school lunches. It also has prevented any students from taking the scheduled PARCC exams, which are entirely computerized." Source: Network WorldHere are some of the recommendations I offer districts and folks who encounter these issues:You are the best anti-virus protection District computers have. Follow these 5 steps to protect yourself and others from unnecessary loss of data. Help others you work with follow these steps. You are facing an imminent virus threat from "ransomware." BACKGROUNDEarlier this year, you saw how emails were being used to spread a web site that sought to steal your GoogleApps login credentials. Over the last few days, staff opening ransomware--a form of software that infects your machine when you double-click on it and encrypts your files, then demands you pay them for decrypting them--included in email attachments have unwittingly spread the virus across the District. STEPSTake these steps to safeguard your hard work in computer documents and files on your computer:Look before you click! Avoid clicking on email attachments that come from people you do not know. Email attachments with "exe," "zip," are suspicious. Also, do NOT go into your SPAM folder on GoogleMail and click on the email attachments. Those messages are marked as SPAM because they are unwanted, inappropriate, and/or may contain malware email attachments.Connect before opening. Even if you DO know someone sending you a file, ask yourself, "Was I expecting a file from this person?" If yes, call and connect with them...ask, "Did you send me this file?" If the answer is "No," then delete it. If it's important, they will reach out to you again.Avoid clicking on email attachments via your personal email on a work computer, especially if it is a Yahoo email account given the types of malware spreading ads that find themselves displayed on that service.Scan files before opening them. You can right-click a file, save it to your computer, then choose to virus-scan it before opening it. If you don't know how, ask your campus technician or a tech-savvy person nearby.Backup your Data to GoogleDrive. If you plug-in your USB external hard drive or USB stick/pendrive and work from there, be aware that viruses spread via USB drives and ransomware will actually make your data unusable. Even worse, if you have cloud storage--like Dropbox or GoogleDrive Sync--(where your files are automatically backed up when you place them in a certain folder (e.g. Dropbox)), be aware that ransomware WILL encrypt those files and they will be auto-saved to your cloud storage provider. Better to turn those services off and manually back them up (i.e. go to the Dropbox or Drive web site, click on the upload button). Make backups of your computer's documents/files/data to Google Drive rather than just saving them on a USB flash drive. Watch this video tutorialJust a few moments ago, I received an email from Ramsey M. purporting to share some files with me via Dropbox, but...I hesitated and that made all the difference. Let's go through the process together...When you examine the "Click here to view" link, I found a link to a non-Dropbox web site in the UK.Knowing that Ramsey probably didn't send this email, I opened up a fresh browser where I'm not logged into anything and tried the link: It didn't work. Page Not Found error. That's good! But if it had been a phishing scam, something like this would have popped up:The goal of these sites is to steal your information! Don't fall for it!For Home Users who may be facing virus threats or fear they have been infected, use these tools. Note that this does not constitute a purchase recommendation since these tools are available for free, personal home use: Anti-Malware/AntiVirusList of Mac AntiVirus SolutionsWindows Solutions:Anti-MalwareMalware Bytes* - Great to use when you think your computer has been infected with malware/spyware and you need your computer "cleaned out."AntiRansomwareSpyware Blaster*- An easy to use "innoculation" program against spyware/malware.Spybot Search and Destroy* - Best part of Spybot is the TeaTimer which protects your computer's registry against contamination and immunizes your browsers (IE,Firefox) against malware.AntiVirusAVG AntiVirus* - A nice antivirus program. Sophos Home Antivirus (Free for Home Use)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

Looking for a chill tale to get your fear flowing on a winter night? Then Justyna Plitcha-Jendzio's ebook, Damned Children of Naor, may be one to pick up! On January 31st, Justyna sent me an email inviting me to crack open a copy of "High/Dark Fantasy book".My name is Justyna Plichta-Jendzio and I'm Polish writer of High/Dark Fantasy books. One of my books "Damned Children of Naor" has been recently published by a Canadian Publisher and is avaliable on Amazon Kindle. It is ananthology of three short high/dark fantasy stories, telling about people who had unpleasantness to meet demons in their life and had to fight for their souls.Justyna was kind enough to share a copy of the book, which was enthralling from the get-go. As I began reading the ebook, I realized quickly that the author had done a tremendous job eliciting images in my mind. For example, consider this passage:Sainal turned back toward the chapel. When she came to the small building, she saw the priest sitting on a deer skin, covered with a thick woolen coat. The shadows cast by the flames danced on the walls and on the statue of Ulse, the supreme god of the world of Naor..."Forgive me, Holy Father, but I need to see the remains of the wretched woman," Sainal said as she jumped to the ground.The priest was surprised by her request. "Death is not a trifle for the delight of the crowd."Of the 3 stories that appear in the volume--the first of which deals with a young woman who can wield lightning and must battle demons, the second which resonates as a vampire tale--the third is the most engaging for me. It features a female noble, forced into mercenary work returning from a contract through a small town, which has been plagued by mysterious deaths by a fire demon. The villagers believe it's the young woman but Sainal thinks differently...even as deaths continue to occur after she has spirited the girl away to a hiding place.Justyna, the author, has done a great job in building stories that slowly grip your heart, tales of horror and supernatural battles that are definitely worth reading. Be aware of Justyna's caution, however:To be fair I have to inform you that "Damned children of Naor" contains scenes of sex and violence, so if you are not comfotable with that, I'll understand if you decide not to read the book. Still, this isn't any worse than what you might find in a typical tale of dark fiction. I'd read worse at age 13, and the scenes of sex and violence definitely moved the story forward. Definitely give the book a read!Disclaimer and Note to Those Seeking Reviews: If I hadn't enjoyed the book, I wouldn't recommend it, no matter how many free copies I received. For others who would like me to review their books, ePub (non-DRM) is preferred over PDF or locked down books (I just delete those). Sci-fi/fantasy are invited.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 superintendent in a small school district gave a talk at the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) Midwinter's Conference a few years ago. She moved her hands quickly in the air, her hands almost blurring, parallel to each other. "This is the kind of change we need in schools," she exclaimed. "But this," and she moved her hands ever so slowly, " is the change we're getting. We need this change [moving her hands quickly] because our children can't wait." I was impressed with her talk...and I wasn't alone. "You know," I said to the tech director in that district, "I wouldn't mind working with her to achieve that vision she articulated." At last, an administrator who gets it. A superintendent who will bring about change. Less than a year later, she had been ousted from her perch and the community had mobilized against her. Whether she was bought off, resigned, it didn't matter. Everyone wanted her gone. Riding the coat-tails of her defeat, the very people she cited as the problems rose to power. The balance swung in the opposite direction. What she had hoped to accomplish was laudable, but how she went about it scarred the District, not to mention her career. When I stub my toe on the "rocks" that block the way to successful change in school districts, I remember the story of the Superintendent mentioned in the story above. Change is necessary. Who we serve, not change itself, requires us to move quickly. As I get older, I notice that I get increasingly impatient with the slow pace of change in K-12 education. Yet, change has occurred. My son, on the way home from school, answered the mobile phone. "We're on highway 604," he told her. I was shocked...he had never shown an awareness of where he was by street name or the name of the highway. "He's growing up," I said to myself. Then, I heard him say, "No one told me it was 604." He was acknowledging that he had grown up enough to know where he was. That's how change occurs. But, it can also be an auto wreck, like the one that left a Putlitzer Prize writer suddenly, unexpectedly, dead. Which is better? I've seen both in education, and been grateful for both. In one district, upper administration was cleaned out as if by a plague. Prayers, some say, were answered and change happened. Other times, change is a dawning realization. Nature allows for both sudden and gradual changes...shouldn't we? Note: An oldy but goody blog entry from LeaderTalk days.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

Note: The following is an interview done with me back in 2013! Read the original here, or just read below.Welcome, and thank you so much for taking some time out of your day. Let’s start with you telling me a little about what you do!I am an avid blogger and writer, publishing in a variety of venues. You can find much of my writing online. I also prepare workshops and deliver keynote presentations. I also hold the title of Director in Technology in a school district.Fantastic! So, what motivated you to become so involved with educational technology?What motivated me was a keen interest in bridging what I was passionate about-computers that I’d been using since I was 13 years old-and teaching, particularly, facilitating the writing workshop with grade 5 students. As a 13 year old, I would use my Apple computer to write and publish content. I wanted my students in Cotulla, Texas to have the same opportunity.What prompted your transition away from the classroom?My transition away from the classroom began when I started teaching 6th grade in an urban school district. To be honest, I had a bit of a "stacked deck" in terms of students who were trouble-makers and had been labelled so the previous year by that administration. Fortunately, I had an awesome vice-principal who backed me up. She also would ask me to help out with analyzing test scores, since I was the only person on campus (if not multiple campuses) who knew how to use Harvard Graphics Chart making software.My role as campus technology coordinator began at that moment, and was expanded as I started providing professional development for faculty and staff, as well as modeling the use of technology with students. As time went by, I learned how to work with classroom teachers at various campuses, different districts, and my responsibilities grew over time with each move. In those days, I often felt like the Lone Ranger when I went into a school district. This "lone ranger" approach solidified in my days as a regional education service center education specialist in the San Antonio area.So based on all of your experiences as a tech coordinator - what would you say is the biggest challenge facing campus technology coordinators today?The biggest challenge facing campus tech coordinators today is irrelevance. Many campus tech coordinators spend most of their time on technical rather than instructional modeling, and are increasingly finding themselves made irrelevant by the belief that technology training is unnecessary. And, there is some truth in the idea that because we have easier technologies, easy availability of how-to videos via YouTube, online tutorials posted by every Tom, Dick, and Louise out there on the web.  We must ask, "Why do we really need to pay someone full-time to be a campus technology coordinator?"It’s not that we lack an understanding of what needs to be done, but rather, the political will to make it so. When was the last time a district superintendent said, "Let’s require ALL district-level curriculum specialists, as well as campus principals and their leadership team, to use technology for more than data analysis. Let’s set the expectation for them to create virtual learning environments for teachers, parents, and students to use. Let’s set the expectation-and then follow-up and hold them accountable-that they will develop PLNs of their own to accelerate teacher learning and achieve escape velocity…leaving those tired approaches that disconnect students, teachers, and parents from engaging opportunities to connect, collaborate, and create in ways that are meaningful and achieve state learning objectives."That’s why I see real value in subsuming technology within curriculum departments, burying it like particles of yeast deep in the educational dough. Our focus is on high-stakes testing, on doing things the way we’ve always done them and hoping that if we can tweak our approaches, we’ll get better results. Unfortunately, blending technology into this kind of environment is just a way to add technology on in a way that is unproductive. If we want technology to be a catalyst for transformation, then we have to be willing to be transformed.If you could share one sentence of advice to other campus technology specialists, what would it be?The time for technology and curriculum specialization is over. Now, I encourage you to pick a content area, a particular set of strategies, and ask yourself a simple question: "What would teaching, learning and leading look like in this area IF technology was the only way you could get the job done?"What one tech tool or web 2.0 tool can you not live without?GoogleDrive.Fantastic ! Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me tonight. This has been very enlightening, and I think my readers will benefit from reading your responses.Thanks, and thank you for sharing and blogging.Update: I just noticed www.TexasISD.com has picked up this blog entry...thanks!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

Are you a trans-device educator? That is, have you managed to transcend your device's limits to work anytime, anywhere? If yes, then this blog entry is for you.And, note that you probably need to have an iPhone or iPad handy for some of the apps mentioned but you can certainly get it done with an Android device.Copyright Notice [fake]: As far as I know, I made up "trans-device educator" phrase. As such, it is copyrighted and you can pay me royalties. If I'm not the original author, please leave comment with source. ;-)Tip #1 - Organize Your Email"Hundreds of emails flow into my inbox," shared one principal. "I'm always on the go. How am I supposed to figure out what to do with each one?" Whether you use MS Exchange, Hotmail, Gmail, you now have access to some easy to use email clients that work quite well.CloudMagic--which works on Android, iPhone and iPad--or Readdle's Spark (iOS only) are two great mobile email clients. Both it make it easy to sort your messages into folders and/or forward to somewhere else, like Centrallo to house your email content. In fact, CloudMagic Cards offers some even more exciting features, like saving content to favorite locations. Centrallo uses--here's a video overview--two organizational principles, including List and Note. You can create a list that contains various notes, group notes according to lists. The interface is quite simple and easy to work with and fast on mobile devices!Tip #2 - Collect and Organize Critical Documents"Every day," shares one administrator, "I have to manage a ton of documents, some of which are digital, others that are mostly paper. What tips do you have for me?" Whether it's business cards, invoices, permission slips, you can easily capture these documents with an app like Readdle's Scanner Pro and save them to the cloud (e.g. Dropbox, GoogleDrive, Centrallo). Another great app--which also happens to be cross-platform--is Microsoft's OfficeLens, which works on Android and iOS devices. Going on a field trip? Scan all the student permission slips with parent/guardian contact information in! Need to share a notebook or a single note with others? It's easy to share the link, all from your mobile device or desktop computer.But what to do with all these scans/pictures? I like to place documents in Centrallo because it's easier to search for them, but you aren't limited to that. For secure documents, I encrypt them first. Then, I put those documents online and add a short description to make them searchable. To scan a lot of content, it's as easy as running the stack of papers through a copier-scanner then emailing that document to yourself with your mobile device (Centrallo accepts emailed content) or saving it straight to your cloud storage. I no longer recommend buying a separate device when using an app like the free OfficeLens is available on Android and iOS! And, saving to the cloud is so easy with a more dedicated app like Scanner Pro.Tip #3 - Manage Parent Contacts and Questions."Parents will email me, or catch me in the hall and ask me questions," said one assistant principal. "The thing is, many of them are asking the same question and I'm giving the same answer." Instead of answering the same question a thousand times, why not conduct a short interview or record an infocast that you can share via a Tweet, SMS or blog entry later?  Voxer Pro on the WebOr, better yet, invite parents to get the free Voxer app, then add them to your school's Voxer broadcast chat (Voxer Pro required for you)! Then, you can share periodic updates. I like to record into Voxer's MyNotes (a.k.a. Notes to Self) then forward that to the right Voxer broadcast chat (they receive it but have to respond to you) or chat (interactive with parents). Another approach is to quickly record the audio directly into Centrallo (it is saved in m4a format on an iPhone, but you can convert that to the popular MP3 format easily), then share the link to your audio note. This will enable them to listen to you. Take these and make them into a series of blog entries--that can be shared online. I have asked Centrallo if they would consider making an RSS feed of shared notes, and they are considering it!Tip #4 - Check That Off Your List!"What I like to do every morning is make a checklist of what I need to do each day." She held up her phone and waved it in front of me with a smile. "If I run into new items, I just add them to my digital checklist and keep going!" A lot of us have "To-Do" lists but it's so easy to see them as a list of items that never gets worked through. With Centrallo, you can put all your To-Do items in a list, inserting checkboxes in front of each. Funny thing, though, it puts the checkboxes at the top of the document, above the title (e.g. "Critical Checklist"). As you finish them throughout the day, simply tap on the checkbox to place a checkmark. What a great visual way of working through your To-Do list or a long checklist. I have to admit that I also like Google Keep for short-term to-do lists and checkboxes.Tip #5 - You are the Storyteller-in-Charge!Image Source: Social Branding via A Principal's ReflectionsWant to better engage parents, community, students and teachers? Assign yourself the job of "Storyteller-in-Chief" at your campus. This is your job, after all, and you can take advantage of various apps on your smartphone or tablet to capture pictures of great things teachers are doing, whether it's a lesson or coaching a child. You can also capture student work, ask them to share what they were thinking and record that reflection as an audio note. One approach is to use one of these iOS apps to create a "digital story" of what is going on at your school just using your phone (this is drop-dead easy, so don't put this off because you're worried you aren't "techy" enough!):Adobe Voice - This is an easy to use, wonderful tool that allows you to blend music (they provide it in the app), pictures, and your audio narration into an easy to share narrated slideshow.Shadow Puppet - Another easy to use, perhaps even more wonderful sans music in Adobe Voice, tool that lets you take pictures, add audio. Take pictures, drop them into Centrallo, and add some short text and audio recording to make it accessible online to others! In minutes, you've added another multimedia element to your school's digital wall.Tip #6 - Problems, Problems-Document!Above: Picture in CentralloAbove: Shared via Centrallo to the Web for Others to look at!"The wiring in this cabinet," pointed out a colleague, "is a mess. And, look at those cardboard boxes!" I picked up my iPhone, snapped a picture into Centrallo, shared the Room # and campus, then passed the link on. This was fun because it enabled me to quickly document issues that we needed to address as a department with the right people. And, I could always come back to it later.As a school administrator, I run into problems daily. In the old days, I'd write a long email. Now, I snap a picture of the problem then quickly "Share Link" from Centrallo to the person who can get the job done. If necessary, I add some audio to the note so that way, the other person knows what I think needs to be done.Tip #7 - Track Your MeetingsAs an administrator, if you're like me, you have to attend an endless parade of meetings. As much as I love meetings, there's no way to keep track of them all. Many of the meetings, you're going to type notes--or write them out longhand--that won't make sense to others. I like to start up Centrallo and tap on the microphone. This enables me to record the entire meeting, even as I take notes with a keyboard or pad-n-pen. In addition to saving my notes, audio recording of meetings, I also quickly snap pictures of meeting paper materials, including business cards, meeting agendas, and handouts. You can then share the meeting notes and materials with others.Are you a fan of pad-n-pen? Think better with a dry erase marker in your hand and a wall-size canvas in front of you? Me, too! I like to snap pictures of my notes so I always have them with me and even if I lose the notepad, fresh ideas are still stored in the cloud!You can also track vendor interactions. Any campus or district administrator knows that vendors are going to come calling. One of the challenges I face is limiting those vendor contacts, while keeping track of whom I've spoken to on the phone, received emails from, etc. Before, I would sort them into company folders in my email. Problem with that approach is that I'd have to remember who I was talking to, their company, etc. Now, I can organize by project and match vendors to the job. All of this information--including business cards--allows me to dig up the names of people matched up to projects.Tip #8 - Track Travel ReceiptsIt's amazing how little I travel now as an administrator. That said, even though I spend a lot of time at work, there are times when I do travel. Managing receipts has always been a chore. These days, I don't bother with trying to keep all the paper copies. After checking with the Finance folks, I snap pictures of my receipts for food, pictures of my odometer, to help me keep track of everything that has to do with travel. What a relief to not have to manage little pieces of paper!Tip #9 - Protect Confidential NotesWith Centrallo, you are able to "protect" sensitive notes that may contain confidential information. I always recommend encrypting sensitive data before putting it in the cloud but you can also add another layer of protection by choosing "Protect" on a Centrallo note. This allows you to add a password and that note can't be opened without it. Here's what "Protect Item" looks like in Centrallo.ConclusionWhat other tasks that you are involved in that can be made easier with digital tools? With only a few apps, you can streamline your work! A quick review of the apps:MultiPurpose AppsCentrallo - Great, easy to use, cross-platform note-taking, document archiving app that allows you to add audio, images, and files to notes, as well as organize them into nested lists of notes.Capture Apps OfficeLens - Capture pictures, whiteboards, documents and save them to your iOS Camera roll then use them in one of the narrated slideshow tools below.Readdle Scanner Pro - Easily scan documents (or anything) to the cloud storage of your choice.  Narrated Slideshow AppsAdobe Voice - This is an easy to use, wonderful tool that allows you to blend music (they provide it in the app), pictures, and your audio narration into an easy to share narrated slideshow.Shadow Puppet - Another easy to use, perhaps even more wonderful sans music in Adobe Voice, tool that lets you take pictures, add audio. There are many other choices, but these are a few that impact my work flow daily.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

Cool, just run across this old Teachercast video featuring PBS TeacherLine advocacy by Miguel Guhlin and Dr. Bruce Ellis: 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

Doing a bit of navel-gazing, I took a moment to google my name to see what might come up. I'd completely forgotten about this THE Journal interview done in 2010, "How To Get Started with Open Source in K-12." The article's lead is as follows:For K-12 IT directors, the major appeal of open source software (OSS) generally focuses on savings in licensing fees and access to software that would not otherwise be affordable. Many also are finding that OSS simply is the best solution for their school districts--even compared to commercial versions.Here are the parts where I was quoted: Miguel Guhlin, director of Instructional Technology & Learning Services (ITLS) in San Antonio Independent School District in Texas, said that the system has not changed--even as views toward proprietary software are shifting. "We're still, as a movement, facing the habits of yesterday, which involved vendors wooing school officials," Guhlin said. "You have to get the latest and greatest, when the fact is the latest and greatest is very expensive." 2. Miguel Guhlin, San Antonio ISD, San Antonio, TX For Guhlin, at San Antonio ISD, the time to adopt OSS came when the district's proprietary database was changing to a new version. He was not familiar with the technology and was going to have to learn something new anyway. OSS Implementation Filemaker Pro Server's shift from CDML (codes placed in HTML Web pages that interact with the database) to XML resulted in Guhlin implementing MySQL. The main advantage, he said, was the variety of solutions that worked with MySQL--solutions that were themselves free. "While I knew CDML fairly well having worked on it for a few years, I hadn't a clue about XML," Guhlin said. "This made switching to PHP/MySQL easier because I could use [Adobe] Dreamweaver to do the 'coding' for me." Guhlin's district also set up a Red Hat Linux server after finding that the district's Windows server could not handle the latest version of Joomla and kept crashing. The new server was set up with Apache, MySQL, PHP, and Joomla. Another OSS experiment was the selection of a CMS. Teachers were expected to maintain Web sites, but Guhlin realized that most would not achieve even a low proficiency at designing their sites. They needed a CMS that used a simple word processor. The first CMS the district tried was Plone for two department Web sites--Advanced Academic Services and Reading/English/Language Arts. Staff members in Advanced Academic Services, in particular, found it easy to update their sites without using Dreamweaver. "They were impressed they could go in and make the changes themselves," he said. IT staff used Plone for a few months, while researching solutions that would be even easier for end users. Early on they selected Mambo, the precursor to Joomla, which had been in place for a year and a half. When the Mambo development team split off to form Joomla, Guhlin decided to follow the Joomla team."The old approach was a Webmaster at the center who had control," he said. "We had campuses with years of information that was completely out of date." The new approach can be seen in a series of video testimonials from principals who now maintain their own sites. For a learning management system (LMS), Guhlin selected Moodle, which the district runs on a Mac server, though he said the optimal solution would be to run Moodle is on a GNU/Linux server. He wrote an article about setting up Moodle servers on his blog. He selected Moodle because it is easy to support and has a large support community, he said, as well as opportunities for professional development. Still, to develop the level of complexity that was needed for a large organization, the district hired a vendor for support, Alchemy. Another OSS project was to find a solution for surveys. Collecting data was not difficult, but designing the surveys and then analyzing the data was challenging. Now they use the OSS UCCASS (Unit Command Climate Assessment and Survey System), as well as Moodle's Questionnaire module to collect information. For a frequently asked questions (FAQ) database, he found a variety of systems that are based on PHP and MySQL. The best resource for finding software during the process, he said, was Sourceforge.net, which features solutions for PHP/MySQL. He also put a list of recommendations on his blog. Ultimately, the district decided to use Moodle. Other experiments were not as successful. B2evolution and WordPress did not take off, partly owing to account management with 3,000 teachers and 54,000 students. "We let these initiatives die because of support issues. If they had become popular, it would be overwhelming for a small staff," he said. "We've jumped into several different solutions," he said. This is possible with OSS--to experiment and find the right solutions, since there are often fewer funding approvals needed and no licensing fees. The only thing lacking from the OSS has been support and the ability to hold a business accountable, he said. Still, this was only an issue when a change in staff left his department short-handed. To do a district-wide upgrade, he paid a local company to upgrade all the sites over a five-month period.  Cost Savings "We're saving the district tons of money," Guhlin said. However, while there is cost savings between Blackboard and Moodle, for example--and elimination of the annual recurring licensing fee is a major savings--that is not the whole picture. "I couldn't give you an estimate on total savings of all free open source software solutions because we just wouldn't have implemented the solutions unless they had been free," he said. "We simply wouldn't have done anything." The San Antonio ISD has about 92 schools, including 52 elementary, and approximately 54,000 students.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

My best ideas arise from questions others ask.The problem is, there are so many questions and only so much time. How do I stay focused to get things done? One approach is to create to-do lists.To accomplish that, I'm depending on Centrallo, a note and list-making tool that allows you to house documents and other content in it, to facilitate idea collection, marination, and preparation:Image Source Reduce by Copying-n-pasting the smallest unit of information. Beguiled by pictures, colored text, some times it's easier to go back to the written word in black and white, grasping for simplicity. As John Maeda reminds us, "The simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction. When in doubt, just remove. " Rather than depend on a web clipper, copying and pasting requires you to be deliberate and "reduce" the content you are collecting to the bare essence. After all, what you are looking for is the germ of an idea, the smallest unit of information that will spark your own writing.Organize your ideas through the use of hierarchical lists of notes. With Centrallo, you can quickly organize concepts.As John Maeda says, "Organization makes a system of many appear fewer." Not only can you quickly organize notes into lists with Centrallo, you are able to color code your lists and/or notes, making important items jump out. And, with organization and prior planning, you can begin to make many appear fewer.Capture relevant content to build context. Centrallo allows you to store audio notes, images and other types of documents in its notes. Instead of overwhelming you with the ability to capture everything, you choose to focus on what is needed to achieve your goal. You can add context to your notes by including documents such as images, and more.Be open and share your ideas. Closed systems make it difficult for others to interact with content, to see it and gain their own insights. "With an open system," points out John Maeda, "the power of the many can outweigh the power of the few." Centrallo enables you to easily share a link to your notes with others via social media or copy the link to share via SMS or email. Minimize dependence on paper notes. While we know that taking notes by hand aids our cognition and memory, there's no reason to hang onto the paper after we've completed the tactile act of note-taking. In fact, we can move to the next level by using Centrallo to minimize our dependence on paper notes. "More appears like less," say John Maeda, "by simply moving it far, far away." This means that as we move our paper-tracking into the cloud (far far away), we are relieved of the burden of managing bits of paper.Note: For fun, I decided to adapt this article about Evernote, while revisiting an old favorite book of mine, John Maeda's Laws of Simplicity. I hope you enjoyed the result!From the Amazon web site:Finally, we are learning that simplicity equals sanity. We're rebelling against technology that's too complicated, DVD players with too many menus, and software accompanied by 75-megabyte "read me" manuals. The iPod's clean gadgetry has made simplicity hip. But sometimes we find ourselves caught up in the simplicity paradox: we want something that's simple and easy to use, but also does all the complex things we might ever want it to do. In The Laws of Simplicity, John Maeda offers ten laws for balancing simplicity and complexity in business, technology, and design -- guidelines for needing less and actually getting more.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

View video online at NetsmartzConcerned about what others may be saying about you on social media outlets, such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram? Here are some tips on how to stay current on what is going on in social media that pertains to you:Tip #1 - Be present.If you want to control what is being said about you on social media, the best way to do that is to be mindful that everything you post portrays the image you want others to see of you. That image should be accurate to who you are...this isn't a game of deceit, but rather of being open with others where appropriate. That means, yes, that YOU must make a dedicated effort to post positive content relevant to the person you want to appear as. Lack of participation on your part means, not silence, but rather, that other's messages about you will rise to the top. Be present and share quality information with others. Avoid sharing information that tracks your location and actions, unless you are prepared to deal with the consequences (maybe someone can track your movements so they can rob your house/apartment). Instead, share information that is useful, important, and reflects what is best about you and your family.Tip #2 - Google Yourself...Often.If you aren't "googling" yourself, then you may be missing out on what others are seeing when they search for you. Everyone is curious...what DOES Google say about me? By becoming aware of what is being shared online, you can work to counteract, or improve, on the messages that are being shared about you. In truth, the goal is to share what is happening that you wish to celebrate, or, what you have learned through reflection.Tip #3 - Stake Your Claim on popular social media.Imagine if someone stole your identity and began to impersonate you. That would be a problem, wouldn't it? The same can happen online. Someone could, with little effort, go online and register your name on popular social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Foursquare, LinkedIn, and immediately begin to impersonate you. They could create a Gmail account, a Google Voice number, and begin to build a social media presence that fails to reflect your reality, your unique brand of awesomeness.That's why it is important that YOU "stake your claim" on popular social media sites and put into practice Tip #4.Tip #4 - Be Consistent.Often, some will use their first name and last name to create their username on one social media site, but use a nickname for another. You must be strategic about your social media usernames. Create ONE username that is unique and you can use across multiple social media sites. In this way, you not only build a presence and stake a claim on social media. You can do the same thing with images and videos that you put out about yourself. If you're going to be casual, say WHY it's appropriate and be purposeful in sharing that why. After all, if you are a beachcomber, it may make perfect sense to share yourself looking like one. Otherwise, ask yourself, how can I look my best without being deceptive? Consider avoiding glamour shots or pictures you in evening wear. Instead, go for a professional or business casual look.Tip #5 - Create Alerts.If you simply left it to the first 4 tips, you would have a vibrant presence that you occasionally monitored via Google. And, while that's OK, depending on what may be happening, you may need a more "in your face" system to make you aware of changes in your social media profiles. To accomplish that, you can use one of the following free tools to notify you when things are changing:HowSociable - Helps you gauge your impact online in various social media outlets, providing insight on the "magnitude" of your social media efforts ranging from 0 to 10.TalkWalker Alerts - Talkwalker Alerts are an easy and free alerting service that provides email updates of the latest relevant mentions on the Web directly to your email inbox.Social Mention - This search engine allows you to conduct multiple searches, then receive updates via email or RSS. You can use Feedly.org to track RSS feeds, enabling you to get many RSS feeds coming to one location, Feedly.Google Alerts - This tool has been around awhile and provides you with email or RSS updates to activity.ConclusionApplying these 5 tips can help ensure that you are reflecting your inner beauty via social media in ways acceptable in your community. Remember to avoid engaging in behavior that can be perceived to be hurtful or less than kind.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 was the last time I reminded myself of what I should be grateful for?" Each and every one of us can easily come up with a list immediately on what we’re grateful for. There are moments, memories, experiences and relationships that can bring smiles to our faces. So every morning, take a moment to reflect on what you’ve been blessed with in your life.Source: "Get a blender": 10 habits to take your life into the stratosphere of greatnessWhen I look back over my career, I have many experiences that bring smiles to my face. May I share one in particular with you?Note: You can read the short version of this by just jumping to the Big Announcement at the bottom of this post.When I became a TENET Master Trainer in the 1990s, I remember the thrill as I signed up to present at my first-ever Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) State Conference (TCEA is a non-profit, 35-year old organization focused on serving educators and students in Texas and boasts 16K+ members!). It was magical to assist others in learning, but more importantly, connecting them to each other. The funny part was that I left the usernames and passwords for the session participants in my hotel room. As my wife jumped into a taxi, I saw her head flop back as the taxi accelerated away at top speed. "What did you tell that taxi driver?" I asked her later. She said, "I'll give you an extra $20 if you get us there and back in 15 minutes!" We often look back on that experience with a smile, and TCEA made that successful opportunity to excel a reality for my wife, myself and the participants who became connected educators!And, it's been one packed room after another over the years (maybe not ALL of them were packed, ok?). That was the beginning of a life-long love affair with a Texas community of educators committed to sharing how they approached teaching, learning and leading with technology. How amazing is that?Over the years, I've volunteered at TCEA as a conference presenter/speaker at regional and state events, Area 20 Board Member, and TECSIG Officer. I served on a TCEA State Conference Steering Committee with Barbara Brown (thanks, Barbara! You are great!), TCEA Leadership Retreats with Jackie S., and others. How wonderful that at TCEA 2016, I ran into both of them and had a chance to express my sincere appreciation for their support to a young educator.And, at these TCEA events, I had the chance to facilitate--with awesome folks who taught me a lot--the Problem-based Learning Academy two years in a row at the TCEA State Conference. And, later, I was proudly awarded my Making IT Happen Award (with the signature jacket with hot-pink lettering) at a TCEA TECSIG Luncheon, and met many awesome folks. For me, TCEA is a volunteer organization--that is our strength as volunteers and members that celebrates our successes as Texas educators.In the old days, the challenges we faced as members were different. We encountered roadblocks to tech implementation in schools because most people just didn't get IT (some still don't but thankfully, they are growing and learning).  I encountered roadblocks to tech implementations and I began to ask myself, what could I become and do so that I could empower others...to free them from having to deal with, "Youtube is blocked! WiFi isn't universal, we don't have systematic approach to multi-year equipment replacement and I don't have what I need, and more importantly, neither do our kids!"  My guiding question during those years was, "How can I create spaces where technology and learning can flourish?" My answer to that has been to try to eliminate boxes and wires hurdles, engage in strategic planning, address resource allocation issues, etc. And, I'd say I've been successful in building infrastructure solutions--through collaborative strategic planning, resource allocations--that enable those spaces to flourish. As one colleague put it, "I shaped that reality." Thank goodness, none of this is done alone. There's fun in that work and I enjoy juggling budgets more than I should.This past year, though, I've felt the call...the fire of presenting and sharing began to warm my heart. I thirsted for that spirit-affirming work again... I found creative expression and realized my heart was asking a different question now that challenges and obstacles had changed over time. The question...Given universal access to technology now present in schools, what if I could just facilitate amazing, awesome learning experiences for others? This question really taps into who I am, and excited me tremendously.While I have certainly enjoyed my stint as a Director of Technology, which has delighted me with strategic planning, multi-year equipment replacements, growing the WiFi network and bandwidth, eRate and budget planning, I wondered if maybe, just maybe, I was missing out on fun I'd enjoyed when younger. And, I followed that thought....When I look back over my career as an educator, those experiences I am most grateful for are intertwined with my volunteer efforts with TCEA. Isn't that an incredible realization? That's why, when the opportunity arose to see if I could rekindle my flame in a new role WITH TCEA, I couldn't say no. And, this brings me to my big announcement.BIG ANNOUNCEMENTToday, I am proud to announce that I will  join the terrific team at TCEA, each committed to serving a Texas-wide community of learners! I'll be stepping down from my position as Director of Technology for a San Antonio area school district, and embracing Texas in a way I have only dreamed. My new position is as a Director of Professional Development for the Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA); I start officially this March, 2016 after Spring Break.Aside: Please allow me to extend my sincere thanks to the TCEA team I will be joining, as well as the TCEA Board of Directors! Oh, the places we'll go!Don't be afraid to call TCEA and say hello, ok? My new email address there will be mguhlin at t c e a dot o r gEverything 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 Credit: Samuel Delgado (samuel.delgado@ecisd.net)As I shared in this blog entry, East Central ISD will be holding a Heroes for Health event at the East Central High School on Saturday, March 5, 2016. One of the booths, which will be staffed by Mary Ray (@mray29) and Marguerite Lowak (@mlowak), is the Digital Citizenship booth. You can access the resources online: tinyurl.com/ecisdcitizenThis is my second use of the YAPP.us web site to create a mobile app for an event, and I'm particularly pleased to Promote the Positive.I encourage you to get the free app, which features a variety of curated digital citizenship resources. Below, you will find what the YAPP app design screen looks like...it's fairly easy:Get the Mobile App!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

Love this image! Found it on Linked In withno attribution. Drop a line in commentsif you know source!Be sure to check out Diana Benner's Sprinkle Innovation article, 4 Tips for Keeping Your Data Secure in the Cloud! Here is the lead from her article:While presenting on Social Media in the Classroom, I ran into a former colleague. She mentioned a fantastic presentation she attended on Cyber Security in the Classroom. Our conversation soon drifted to a discussion about passwords and how secure our passwords really are, especially with the amount of data we are storing in the cloud. When you think about it, the amount of information we are storing in the cloud is growing every day. Most of us no longer use USB flash drives to carry our docs because it so easy just to store our information in the cloud. However, we hear about data breaches happening all the time, so how can we be sure our information is safe and secure out there?Find out more.In her article, Diana mentions a few of my favorite tools, among them Secure Space Encryptor (SSE). Here's my print tutorial and video!Three Steps to Encrypting/DecryptingView Video for Text EncryptView Video for File/Folder EncryptionAnd, you may want to read my article, 5 Steps to Protect Your Data!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 favorite song of mine comes from the O'Shea group, Here I Am. Have a listen...aren't they great?Moving from one job to another, there's something wonderful about taking a moment to reflect on the past, your hopes and dreams, and then, to re-open yourself to possibilities, to dream new dreams, to simply be open to possibility, to accept that you don't know exactly what's going to happen...and be grateful.For example, as I divest myself of all the equipment issued to me in my current position, it's a wonderfully liberating feeling to turn it all in. My hands are empty, ready to pick up new ideas, new technologies, explore different avenues of accomplishing my life goals. That's why I love the O'Shea song...every thing that you imagined might derail you from your course actually moves you towards something phenomenal and fantastic.RETHINKING MY PRIMARY COMPUTERA year or so ago, someone asked me, "Would you buy a high-powered Mac if you had to start over with a computer?" My response, which I detailed in a blog entry I can't find right now, involved investing in an Acer C740 Chromebook, loading GNU/Linux on it, and using the "Chrome" side of it to tap into the GoogleApps ecosystem. And, surprisingly, the experiment has been working great. I'm sure as I embrace a new job with different responsibilities, I'll be using different technologies. But because I've always "kept my hand in" with new tech, I feel comfortable that I'll be able to transcend the tech to get things done.Changing jobs has given me the opportunity to explore the Acer C740 Chromebook--loading Xubuntu on it as well so that I can do Chromebook stuff, but also, edit audio, move email from one IMAP account to another, remote into Linux-based servers via ssh and more--and the experience has been fun! Cost of the machine? $300. It's an Acer C740 with 4 gigs of RAM, 16gigs of storage, and 9 hour battery life...it's essentially, an awesome machine that I need as a writer and Linux nut. It actually plays well with everything and is easily my primary machine that I carry around.REPLACING MY TABLETAs my 3rd generation iPad, which I essentially bought for my previous position since they were heavily invested in iPad, I've transitioned from an Android phone to an iPhone 6 Plus. I had invested quite heavily ($200 total, if I had to add it up) in apps that work on iOS, and feel quite comfortable working with iOS (I facilitated workshops on app-smashing and wrote an ebook, so...). But for my personal, carry around device, I am now carrying a $30 (bought it at a discount this past Xmas) Amazon Kindle Fire, and it's great for reading and watching videos. While my 3rd gen iPad still works, I go to it less these days...the Fire is "good enough."REPLACING HARD DRIVESOne of the technologies I've relied on in the past has included external USB hard drives. This past month, I've spent time "cleaning out" the junk that accumulates in files, then moving it to cloud storage. Slimming down my data, my cloud storage options has made it easy to backup everything, eliminating unnecessary apps.As I reflect on the other changes, I'm reminded of the old saying, "Drop the old stuff you are carrying so you can pick up the new." Looking around my home office, I'll probably have to do some more sorting through the old stuff, to make sure I keep what will support me as I open the door to possibilities. But, you may be happy to know, I won't be dropping Around the Corner! It is where I'll be tracking my journey into possibility.How are you open to possibility in your life, work, and technology?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

This past week, thanks to Jennifer Casa-Todd's kind tweet, I joined in on the book chat--via Voxer--around George C's book, Innovator's Mindset. The conversation was so empowering, enthusiastic, it shook some ideas loose from my brain. Rather than blog those, I decided to use Voxer to record the reflections in MyNotes (or in Android Voxer, Notes to Self). Jen Hegna asked to hear them, then questioned me about my burgeoning effort:Do you use voxer as your own personal reflection tool?Originally, I hadn't thought of using Voxer in that way, more as a way to quickly audio record some thoughts and then make them available to others. But then I realized that I was using Voxer as a reflection tool...personal? Not personal in the sense of "private, no one else can listen in" but more reflections to share with others who might be interested. That reflected my new habit:Yes, I have been trying to get into the habit of audio reflections as a way to "blog in audio form" and get comfortable with sharing my thoughts in my own voice. I admire that folks like Wes Fryer and Bud Hunt are/have been able to do that, and I want to develop the same verbal fluency.What do you think, should I stick to blogging reflections or do more audio? For now, let's see what happens to these..."Voxflections:"Listen: Caught Up in the Enthusiasm Listen: How do you accept criticism and suggestions for improvement?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

The East Central ISD--in San Antonio, Texas--has posted its Director of Technology position...www.ecisd.netDIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGYMarch 8, 2016The position of Director of Technology will be available for the 2015-2016 school year. All individuals (district employees included) who are interested in this position must apply online through AppliTrack via the district website - www.ecisd.net. The deadline for submitting an applications is 4:00 p.m., Tuesday, March 22, 2016 or until the position is filled .Primary Purpose: Direct and manage the information systems and computer services for the district. Ensure efficient and effective access to information and related technology by all campuses and administrative departments.ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:1. Provides leadership and coordination of the district’s technology department.2. Develops, implements, and controls the overall strategy and plans for the development, deployment and utilization oftechnology to support the District in Departments and Campus operations.3. Encourages and supports the development and implementation of innovative instructional programs to achieve identified needs.4. Facilitates the use of existing technology in the teaching/learning process.5. Provides foundation for developing student and teacher acceptance of future technological innovations.6. Assists program directors in incorporating technology for efficiency of their daily operations.7. Conducts training for staff to ensure that technology is being used effectively.8. Plans for bids, purchases and follows through budget process to meet hardware and software needs.9. Maintains a balanced technology budget and accurate hardware and software inventories within the district.10. Manages repair needs in-house and external.11. Analyzes facility and equipment needs for optimum teaching and learning; utilizes information to make necessary changes oradjustments.12. Implements the policies established by federal law, state law, state board of education rule, and the local policy in the area(s)supervised.13. Actively seeks and uses evaluative feedback from peers, subordinates, and superordinates regarding performance.14. Demonstrates openness and willingness to listen to parents and community members, and staff.15. Communicates effectively with parents and community members, and staff.16. Demonstrates a commitment to the mission of the district as it is communicated to the public.17. Performs other duties as assigned.NOTE: Not all applicants will be interviewed. Each applicant’s resumé, application, and other available information will be considered in the screening process. Only those persons currently meeting all of the minimum requirements will be screened.EXPERIENCE REQUIRED/MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:•Master’s degree - preferred•Understanding of and background in LANS and WANS and the type of applications that run over these networks•Ability to interpret policy, procedures and data•Experience in managing budgets and personnel•Ability to prepare accurate reports and to present them to small and large groups in both formal and informal settings•Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously•Successful experience as a campus administrator or comparable district level leadership role in instructional technology preferredEQUIPMENT USED: Multiple platforms and devicesWORK CONDITIONS: Mental Demands/Physical Demands/Environmental Factors:Maintain professional demeanor under stress. Protracted and irregular hours of work.Prolonged sitting, light to moderate lifting and carrying.Normal officeenvironment.Subject to frequent interruptions.Frequent district-wide and occasional statewide travel.PERIOD OF EMPLOYMENT: 226-day basisSALARY: Administrative Pay Grade 106. Based upon experience.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

Since there are a ton of folks starting to get into eBook reading--including bus drivers reading while driving--how can we easily create ePub documents for viewing on devices? There are a ton of ePub formatted ebooks available for reading in your iPad or Nook--and you can always use Calibre to convert them to the Mobi format for use in your Kindle--as I pointed out in this blog entry. And, ereaders are finding their way into schools. You can also create ePubs in a variety of ways.My favorite FREE ePub readers:For Android, use Aldino's eBook ReaderFor iOS, use Readdle's DocumentsYou can also read ePub ebook format using Firefox browser and a special add-on. RonHoutman suggests GooReader for Windows computer; it is "a desktop application that allows you to search, download and read books and magazines available on Google Books."But what about turning your students into creators of ePub ebooks?  There's now a new player in town that many of us have been eagerly awaiting--Google!In a recent blog entry, they share the following:To make it easier for authors, publishers, and academic institutions to create works that can be consumed digitally, today we’re launching the ability to export Google Docs files as EPUB publications. Simply go to the File menu > Download as > EPUB Publication (.epub).For fun, I took the Safeguarding Sensitive Data Plan and converted it to an ePub book; get it here!OLD Approach:If you can save your document to HTML--and most word processors can these days--then you are in business. Here are some of the tools available to accomplish that:ePubBud.com - Find out more online in their FAQ.eCub Cross platform tooleScape ePub Creator - Converts OpenOffice documents to ePub format.ODFtoEpub - Converts OpenOffice files to ePub format.BookGlutton - Converts HTML web pages to ePub format.EasyEPub - Convert from Adobe InDesign or Quark format to ePubDave Solon's ResourcesBookBinYou can also use these tools to convert from existing documents to ePub format: Calibre - fantastic tool and comes with a great tutorial.Sigil - Free cross-platform tool to edit ePub booksOf course, I should also mention that Apple's Pages allows you to create ePub documents as well, a point first brought to my attention by Tim Holt. Now that creating an ePub document is as easy as going save as an ePub on GoogleDocs, wow, that is just phenomenal!You can also find existing sources of ePub ebooks...imagine sharing this list with students, or having this wide selection of books to choose from!4ebooks.orgBaen Free Library of Science Fiction (I love this site)Book GluttoneBooks.com - This site supports lots of formats, not just ePub. . .and tons of titles!Free ePub Books - They provide a nice list of eReaders supported, including the Nook. Tons of books here that I'm dying to explore.FeedbooksFree eBooksFreeBookSpot.comGlobeusz.comManyBooksMobiBooks - You may have to convert these to ePub format using Calibre (free, cross platform tool).WaterstonesEverything 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 SourceWhen I review the acts of my best leadership role models, I notice that they have certain "leadership moves" that set them head and shoulders above their peers. One of those leadership moves includes the ability to frame challenges in a way that is positive, open, transparent while keeping the focus on successful resolution of another's plight (e.g. why did you sit on that technical support job for a month when you could have gotten help from the team? Don't be afraid to admit where you need to grow if it means those we support suffer).Instead of digging into the why, the focus is to learn enough to resolve the problem and move on. But that's not the leadership move I'd like to focus in on.Another leadership move that I admire is a willingness to jump into the fray, to provide hands-on leadership of what needs to be done. That is what Doug Johnson--who, by the way, will be keynoting the TCEA TECSIG Spring Meeting (see agenda) on April 14, 2016, note you can still sign up!--is doing when he describes leading change in his District in response to this blog entry I wrote recently:As  technology director, I've always felt I should use the same equipment that our department asks teachers to use. If we go cheap. If we go less powerful, if we skimp on memory, if we buy heavy devices, if we don't upgrade operating systems, if we don't replace on a regular basis, I believe I should experience the consequences. I would hope all school leaders would adopt this practice. Read more "Dropping the Old Stuff" at Blue Skunk BlogLike Doug, I am leery about going cheap with the primary computing device teachers and students have access to. But we are moving to increasingly cloud-based computing, and the money saved on going with Chromebooks for the masses can be strategically used to provide high-powered workstations in shared areas, as well as other mobile devices (e.g. iPads) that provide features Chromebooks lack.How Things Have Changed: We installed thin client across the District, and it wasn't long before the CTO was called into the Superintendent's Office. Apparently, nothing was working for anyone. "Why can't we have a computer that has all the programs we need on it when the network fails?" Now, cloud-based computing and ubiquitous access mean that we don't need to have every app we need on our primary computer...we just use the cloud.If you need to do serious heavy duty intensive work on traditional applications (e.g. Adobe, MS Office suite), then you may want to stick with a device that runs Windows or Mac. For so long, though, we've bought "the best we can afford" because it was the prudent choice. When I set that advice aside to buy my Acer C740 Chromebook 11, it was after a year of using an Acer C720 Chromebook 11.Leadership Move Praise: Kudos to Doug for making a leadership move that evaluates the needs of those he serves, then walks the path before they do, checking for obstacles and challenges.A For Fun Conversation "But what if you need to print?""Well, on my Acer C740 which I own, I've loaded GNU/Linux and switch to that when I need to do audio editing, use a different browser (e.g. Opera, Firefox), and/or print to a network/USB printer.""Doesn't that defeat the purpose of a Chromebook?""Not at all! It means that I get more value out of the hardware I have."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 year, I moved my domain (mguhlin.org) from GoDaddy to Tierra.net, my favorite domain registrar. The experience was marked by an hour of hair-pulling, keeping a tight handle on my temper, and wondering, why the heck couldn't this process be easier? Of course, the real problem is that help is scattered across multiple Google Support pages--think of that cheerfully helpful neighbor that is maddening because he offers advice that isn't specific to your problem or who buries it in a pile of helpful suggestions, and you'll know the frustration I refer to--and it's not obvious. And, it differs for different domain registrars.Why Verify?If you are the person who signed up your business for Google Apps that makes you the Google Apps Administrator. You need to verify that you own your business domain, such as your-business.com, before you can use Google Apps services, including Gmail. This ensures that no one else can use services or send email that appears to come from your business. Verifying your domain is the first step to setting up Google Apps for your business.Source: GoogleSupportThe ProblemGoogle Sites needed to VERIFY that my new domain name--www.tceamg.org--is one that I own.As you can see, the image above shows what success looks like. To get there, I had to modify the TXT entry on Tierra.net account. Here are the steps I followed:My Approach to the SolutionStep 1 - Get verification code from Google by adding the TXT record by first going to this site, but replacing the mywebsiteaddress with your's (www.supermanflies.net):https://www.google.com/webmasters/verification/verification?siteUrl=http://mywebsiteaddressThis is what that looks like:Copy and paste the TXT record (google-site-verification=longstringofvalues) then go to your domain registrar:What had caused me to stumble was that I didn't know what to type in the "Host" box. This chart helped me figure that out and in the end, it was quite simple--an @ symbol was used for domain verification. The only thing that worked in the chart below is the first row (highlighted)...The first two attempts involved putting in "www" in the HOST box (step 1 above), but that didn't work. What was needed was that @ symbol rather than anything else. Next time, I hope these notes will save someone (or maybe me) some time!!Shout Out: I'd like to thank Virgil Kirk for knocking his head against the screen trying to figure this out as well yesterday. He and I spent about 20 minutes on it yesterday, and I'd say I spent about 2 hours on it. Never again! I hope these notes will save time.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