Source: David Truss, Solving Interesting ProblemsAmazing, isn't it, when you stand at the edge of tomorrow...last week, I was a Director of Technology. Next week, I'll be a Director of Professional Development for the TCEA. This week, though, I'm enjoying Spring Break off, cleaning out old wardrobes and celebrating my 26th Wedding Anniversary with my wife, Monica, on St. Patrick's Day (Thursday, March 17th). I'm grateful for so many things this week, including Alexis Cline's efforts to share the image shown right on TCEA's Facebook page by way of welcome, but also for the good times reflected in the photos featured in the collage.Earlier today, the nephew of a colleague called and he asked me, "How did you get to where you are now?" What a fascinating question. As I took a moment to reflect back upon the path taken, I realize that while I thought it was purposeful and direct, in truth, it was quite circuitous. What seemed like the best decisions made objectively are actually course adjustments, as if you were climbing a mountain and taking the route that made sense in the moment.I'm not saying I've reached the summit of that particular mountain, or that I may soon find myself plummeting to the bottom. Rather, that following one's passion and enthusiasms will certainly lead you on an adventure of some sort...whether it's the sort you want, well, that is a matter of attitude and "adjusting your sails."For the nephew, just graduating from Texas A&M with a degree in Business Management, I have counseled him to build up his certifications and focus on opportunities that would give him experiences in the areas he was most apt to develop his passion and knowledge.David Truss shares the image at the top of this blog post. It reflects a few truths I've committed to:A positive attitudeOpenness to unexpected discoveriesRemembering that we are all invited to learn anew every day.How did I get where I am now? By being committed to assisting others get better, as well as being committed to enjoying what I'm doing.Everything posted on Miguel Guhlin's blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure

Image Source"Are you still here?" I asked a friend and colleague. It was an empty building, and the business day officially had already ended 30-40 minutes."Yeah," he sighed. "I have some work to catch-up on. What do you have for me?"That conversation, like many others that followed it, came to mind as I reflected on the following passage from a "book app" I was reading. I'm reminded about the conversation because it highlights a willingness to get work done, but also a willingness to receive more work.Here's the passage that reminded me:He is willing to do the unpopular jobs, the jobs he might think are beneath him, the jobs that no-one else sees, that are left when everyone else has gone home. That is leadership, whether you are labeled a leader or not. (Source: BibleGateway app)I wonder what would happen if I asked these questions and did my best to answer them in my new job:What are the unpopular jobs in your organization?What are the jobs others think are beneath them?What are the jobs that need doing that no one wants to do?How do you seek out new jobs like the ones alluded to in the preceding questions?Do you think these questions would help me do well? What would these jobs look like in your situation?I'm reminded of the custodian at my post in a large urban school district...we had a chance encounter when I went to splash water on my face at the end of a long day. I was tired after a day of meetings. He was joyfully cleaning the restroom.I remember the enthusiasm with which he approached cleaning a toilet, whipping out an ice-scrapper to be sure that he had cleaned the scum from inside the toilet bowl, leaving it sparkling-white. Some might have seen the extra effort needed for that job as beneath them, but the old man--who retired that year--approached that job with an enthusiasm all of us would do well to emulate.Here is a quote I learned early on in my education career and need to remember again:Everything posted on Miguel Guhlin's blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure

Image Source"How hard would it be for my students to monitor news about the Presidential election and then present their findings to the rest of their class?" The question is certainly intriguing and I bet there are resourceful teachers already doing something similar with their students. And, perhaps, how would using technology in this way help students appreciate how they stay informed as compared to how folks stayed informed back in the day (e.g. newspapers, evening news broadcasts)? That's what some call digital literacy...Like most Americans, I often find myself glued to my television, listening to stirring speeches from Republican and Democratic candidates. When I hear something that irritates me, I desire to learn more about the candidate making what I may consider silly remarks, or conversely, cleverly entertaining ones designed to engage. More importantly, I am curious to find out about the democratic process.When I vote in a Primary election, what does that mean? What is the significance of delegates and super-delegates? Often, I wish I could watch several news channels at once to get access to the latest information about what is happening...but I can't. After standing in line to vote in Texas, I suspect I am not alone in my ignorance.Students analyze the impact of technological innovations on American life. Students use critical-thinking skills and a variety of primary and secondary source material to explain and apply different methods that historians use to understand and interpret the past, including multiple points of view and historical context. (Source: Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills)But what if I had access to mobile apps on my phone that could keep me in touch, that allow me to see primary and secondary source material--raw information--and then make my own interpretations, rather than have them filtered through a potentially biased on-screen personality, whether it be Fox News, MSNBC, or CNN?And, that's why this short list of apps are finding their way onto my mobile device:Politico"The POLITICO app for iPhone and iPad brings you your politics fix in a clean, easy-to-navigate layout that keeps you up to date when you’re on the go. POLITICO delivers the fastest, most in-depth coverage of politics and policy developments and everything you need to stay up to speed on the 2016 races. "Poll Tracker"The 2016 elections are upon us. With Talking Points Memo’s PollTracker app—one of the top apps from the 2012 and 2014 election seasons—you’ll have the very latest information about the political campaigns everyone’s going to be talking about, right at your fingertips.Get up-to-the-minute data on key races for the 2016 presidential campaign, US Senate and governors’ seats, presidential approval, or issues like gun control or same-sex marriage."Election NF 2016"US Elections! Who will be the most powerful man, or woman in the world? Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, Jeb Bush, Scott Walker or Ted Cruz? Follow the presidential campaigns all the way, with a non biased feed, without missing a thing! Debates, press releases, media appearances, polls, opinions, analysis and more!All PoliticsAll Politics includes:Political News & Views from the hillLeft and right talk radioPolitical satire & cartoonsLive republican vs democrat discussions2016 US presidential election newsAggregated and original news from Politico, Fox, MSNBC and other sources"FrontRunner"Follow the 2016 presidential election. See up-to-date polling results with a single swipe with the widget in your Notification Center. See how candidates are polling over time. Pick and choose which candidates to follow and which to ignore. Be the first to know when there are new polling results. We combine the latest opinion polls and update when a new poll is released."RealClear"Updated every morning and throughout the day, RCP culls and publishes the best commentary, news, polling data, and links to important resources from all points of the political compass and covering all the important issues of the day."Voter - Matchmaking for Politics"Answer a few simple questions and find out which politicians truly have your best interests at heart, and have a track record to back it up."And, although it's more of a reference guide to what people have said, let me throw two more in for fun:PolitiFact"Find fact-checks by searching name, keywords and subject" (about the only feature that worked!). This app was quite bare except for some information about current candidates (e.g. quotes, positions on hot button items), but you have hope they will add some more information in over time."Resolve political arguments at the dinner table, check the facts in campaign ads and test your knowledge of the Truth-O-Meter with PolitiFact's new Settle It! app."The arcGIS folks have an interesting Election Results app (works on the web, too), as well, although don't see many students using it:Election Results is a configuration of ArcGIS Online and Web AppBuilder for ArcGIS that can be used by citizens and other interested parties to review elections results. This application can be used to share results tabulated on election night; and historical results that are shared after each election. Election Results can accessed from a smartphone, tablet, and desktop computer.Election Results is typically used by clerks, election commissions, or other local government organizations to deliver a map-based election reporting application. This application provides access to the organization 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and typically supplements tabular results published by these organizations.ReferencesNot being much of an election buff, I relied on these blog entries (and Google, Apple iTunes) to guide me and point me in the right direction.6 Great Apps for the U.S. Presidential ElectionEverything 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

Explain Everything Discover - Where You Can Share Your Whiteboard CreationsIf you've been working on an iPad, you're probably already familiar with digital whiteboard apps like Educreations, ShowMe, Doceri, Jot, MolaSync (recently featured by TCEA), and, of course, my favorite, Explain Everything. These apps make presenting for a real audience, online or face to face, or creating something for flipped classroom approach much easier.The Explain Everything folks just made a great announcement, sharing a real-time collaborative whiteboard app for iOS, Android, and Chromebooks that connects over WiFi:We have launched a new iOS collaborative whiteboard, updated the Android, Chrome, and Windows interactive whiteboard, and published a new web-based EE project portal called Explain Everything Discover.Amazingly, the new app comes with a user community known as Explain Everything Discover (not unlike EduCreations), as well as a subscription plan for education and app.Image Source: Explain EverythingUnfortunately, Explain Everything Collaborative Whiteboard isn't available for U.S. yet (I know, I tried to get it!)..."Please note that the Collaborative Whiteboard is first being launched in a few countries: UK, Ireland, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, China, Japan, Mexico, and Poland. The app will be available worldwide soon after."Sigh. In the meantime, why not try MolaSync?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

During a Twitter chat--which I was monitoring on my iPhone while in the grocery store--I was shocked to discover Participate Learning, a suggested link from others participating in the chat. Wow, what an impressive and easy way to track Twitter chats:It's amazing, isn't it? Just the grid and the schedule make it so much easier to see the breadth and depth of Twitterchats happening at any given time. If you're not keeping track of Twitter chats this way, then they may help you be more purposeful about how you participate!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 Cisco-based Voice Over IP (VOIP) System Administrator position with a pay range of $67K-$92K? Check out Judson ISD in San Antonio, Texas:The job posting can be found below:https://judsonisd.tedk12.com/hire/ViewJob.aspx?JobID=2565TitleVoIP Systems AdministratorDepartmentTechnology  Reports ToNetwork Manager and Director of Network ServicesCompensationIT 406Days230Revised 3/9/16PRIMARY PURPOSE:The VoIP Systems Administrator will manage and support the JISD Cisco Unified Communications VoIP telephone system which includes Call Manager, Unity, Presence, Meeting Place, Exchange, MS Lync, Contact Center Express, CRS servers, gateways, SRST, ATA and third party hardware and software integrations.  Specific support emphasis will be on configuration, management, system upgrades and day-to-day operational support and maintenance.  In addition, support and development of software programs required to monitor and maintain the VoIP server cluster is required.MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:Education and Certification RequirementsMust have B.S. in a computer or business related field  from an accredited school; may be substituted for years of experience in a related fieldPreferred CCNA/CCNP Voice certificate or equivalentMust have valid Texas Driver’s LicenseSpecial Knowledge and SkillsManaging data communications networks, local (LAN) and wide (WAN) area networksSupporting, maintaining, and configuring Cisco network equipment and operating systemsKnowledge of Ethernet network topologies both LAN and WANKnowledge of querying and setting up a user access to a database (Preferred)Knowledge of basic telephony principals and VOIP protocolsPerform routine system administration tasks including OS and application patches, upgrades and backupsAbility to assess verbal computer concerns to provide technical supportA high priority on providing outstanding customer service and turnaround timeStrong ability to work with othersHighly knowledgeable of computer hardware, software applications, computer operating systems, and network operating systemsHighly proficient in keyboarding, computer use, and phone useKnowledge of correct English usage, grammar, spelling, and punctuationExcellent math and analytical skillsHigh ability to use computer and software to develop spreadsheets, update databases, and do word processingAbility to use effective verbal and written communication skills to provide outstanding customer serviceAbility to multi-task in a fast-paced office environment, supporting many people at onceAbility to solve problems and handle situations diplomaticallyExperience:IT Experience in a large school District or organization (Preferred)Experience with route lists, patterns, hunt groups and global directory administration experienceExperience with network security, QoS implementation and troubleshootingExcellent telephone and communication skillsCisco Unified Communications Manager administrative experienceServer experience on Cisco UCS, Exchange and Active Directory with ability to extend this knowledge into Cisco Call Manager Telephony, Unity Voice Mail, Cisco IPCC applications and MS Lync MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES:(The following statements describe the general purpose and responsibilities assigned and should not be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions that may be assigned or skills that may be required.) Install, configure, and maintain Cisco network server equipment and operating systemsUtilize Cisco network management software and hardware to identify and correct problems with the data communications equipmentProvide configuration and problem resolution support for the district's telephone systemEvaluate and implement new technologies for data communications related to data, voice, and videoDevelop and support user programming required to monitor and maintain telephone systemAttend instructor led and computer based technical training and then use this training to enhance ability to perform job and to obtain required certificationsLead efforts to diagnose and resolve complex system configuration, production and deployment problemsMaintain inventory records for all equipment purchased, installed or controlled under Network ServicesInspects all contract work completed for Network ServicesPerform equipment, software, and firmware updates as recommended by industry standards and directed by the Network ManagerResearch and investigate new and current VoIP toolsResearch and price voice, video, and data items as requested by Network Manager and Director of Infrastructure ServicesRepair or facilitates repair of two-way radioMaintain a clean and safe work environmentParticipate in professional development activities to maintain current knowledge of personnel rules, regulations, and practicesMaintain a consistent professional demeanor and appearanceDaily attendance and punctuality at work are essential functions of the job Supervisory Responsibilities: N/AEquipment Used: Office equipment - personal computer, printer, calculator, multi-line telephone, software programs and peripherals, copier, fax, and other equipment applicable to position.Communication equipment - radio communication equipment, cellular telephoneVideo monitoring equipmentWorking Conditions:Mental DemandsMaintain emotional control under stressWork with frequent interruptions Physical DemandsFrequent: Sitting, standing, walking, climbing stairs and/or ramps, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, pulling, pushing, reaching, repetitive hand motions, hearing, speaking clearly, visual acuity, distinguishing colors, driving, traveling.Occasional: Lifting, moderate, 15-44 pounds; carrying, moderate, 15-44 pounds Environmental FactorsFrequent exposure to: temperature extremes (hot and cold), humidity extremes, noise, low or intense illumination, vibrationOccasional exposure to: biological hazards (communicable diseases, bacteria, insects, mold, fungi, etc.), work outside, work around moving objects or vehicles, work on uneven surfaces, work alone, work prolonged or irregular hours.Nondiscrimination Statement:The Judson School District considers applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, national origin, age, religion, sex, marital or veteran status, the presence of a medical condition, disability, or any other legally protected status.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. 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Today was my first day in my new position as Director of Professional Development at the Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA). Key parts of my day were spent planning with Diana Benner and Peggy Reimers, as they prepare for the Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) Teacher Academy on Wednesday, 03/23/16!On the Road: While driving to Austin from San Antonio, I listened to Lindsay Buroker's Emperor's Edge series (get the first book free...warning: you will want to buy the follow-ups!), a deliciously engaging steampunk/fantasy fiction collection of books! I highly recommend it!TCEA laid out the welcome mat, and I'm truly grateful to be working with such fun folks! They were kind enough to share the following:Read this technotes blog entry online at TCEA!I suppose it's safe to announce that I've created my alter-ego, STEAM Twitter account @tceamg and created a companion web site to house all the content I'll be creating for workshops:While my Twitter account (@mguhlin) is focused on sharing topics I remain interested in--essentially, cybersafety/privacy issues, leadership/learning/teaching with technology--I decided that since I was learning SO MUCH about STEM/STEAM, Raspberry Pi (read my previous adventures here), Arduino, Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE)--including Office365, OneNote--and Adobe, I probably should get a new Twitter going to do my research for me.Using IFTTT.com, I am sharing some awesome resources via that Twitter account, @tceamg! I hope you'll take a moment to follow that account!Finally, I have to admit, working with such wonderful folks and with the hope of visiting Texas learners, I can't wait...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

Recently, a colleague shared she was on a search for everyone's top, must-have app. The idea for her blog entry stuck in my brain, and I couldn't help but wonder, What's YOUR top 5 iOS app list? I started to wonder, what ARE MY favorite apps? I did a quick inventory of my iPhone, and this blog entry details what I came up with. In this entry, you'll find my picks for the following:Multi-purpose music player, ebook reader, zip/unzip, download utility, file managerPodcast playerAudio recording appEmailImage editing/annotationHere are the apps I load on an iPad or iPhone every time, without fail at least several times a day, if not more!Readdle Documents (Free) - I was shaken (joking, Kasey!) to read that Shake It Up Learning had highlighted Simple Transfer app (clearly an archived post from 2014, but hey, it's what inspired this particular app entry). This is the MUST-HAVE iOS app, enabling you to easily transfer--to cloud storage, over WiFi, WebDav server, FTP, email--data to and from your iOS.  You can play music, zip/unzip files, download files like PDFs and view them with a built-in browser, as well as read non-DRM ePub ebooks! In fact, I credit Readdle Documents with keeping me using my iPad when I was ready to throw it into the trash.Overcast (Free) - Looking for a podcast app that doesn't force you to navigate through tons of ads, and pretty images? Well, Overcast is THE app. I literally use this app (all of the ones on this list fall into that category) every day, but more importantly, it helps me maintain my sanity on long commutes. Need some content to start out with? Subscribe to Podiobooks content and TED talks.Voice Record Pro (Free) - There isn't a week that goes by that I don't need to record something quickly. While Voxer is a nice alternative, Voice Record Pro makes it easy to quickly record MP4 audio files, with built-in conversion to MP3, and you can do some easy editing, as well as save files to the cloud (e.g. Dropbox, Drive).CloudMagic (Free) - This incredible email app makes it a cinch to check multiple email accounts, including Exchange/Outlook, IMAP/POP accounts. It also allows you to quickly save content to OneNote, Evernote, Pocket, and a variety of other locations. But wait, there's more! It allows you to use ONE login/pwd then syncs all your email accounts. Since I have about 5-6 that I manage these days, it saves me some time after installing it. It also works on Android and Mac, too.And, finally, for quick image editing, and this is tough because there are several contenders, I rely on Annotate, Over, and Aviary for creating those quote images that everyone loves to get in their Facebook feed. For quick framing/editing of a photo, LiPix does a nice job!I hope this list is helpful to you!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 at my iPhone, I wonder how the FBI/NSA/local techie-crook could crack the security on my device! Of course, it would probably just take a wrench strategically applied, but that's not why we protect our confidential, personally identifiable data in certain apps!Here's the run-down on my top 5 iOS Security and Privacy apps:ProtonMail (Free) - If you have to send private, encrypted email, then ProtonMail has new apps for iOS and Android. You can now take the Switzerland-based encrypted email service--not unlike the now made defunct by FBI, Lavabit--on the go with your mobile device. It's a cinch to use, and you have no excuse for sending top secret data unencrypted via email.PIA VPN (Annual cost of $50) - Looking for a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to provide some security when you're writing the great American novel or confidential write-up at Starbucks? Then, Private Internet Access (PIA) is a great VPN that works on every computer and mobile device, including my iPhone/iPad. I highly recommend it because it is drop-dead easy!MiniKeepass (Free) - If you're not using LastPass ($13 annual subscription), then you might consider creating a Keepass database (free, open source, no cost) and saving it on Dropbox or Drive. You can then open it on your mobile device with MiniKeepass app. This really is a life-saver when you need to access the 52 zillion passwords modern life demands!P.T.E. (Free) - Need to quickly encrypt text messages or emails with confidential info? Then use Paranoia's Text Encryptor (P.T.E. for short). It makes these encryption of text messages, etc. a lot easier. It doesn't encrypt files (you would probably need AESCrypt for that) but I seldom have that need.Google Authenticator (Free) - Are you using 2-factor authentication? If not, you should be! Google's Authenticator app works great and provides you with the code you need to quickly login to your Gmail, Evernote (if you use that), Dropbox, etc. Definitely a must-have if you're using 2-factor authentication (and you should be!).Now, that's a short list. Of course, I also have Signal, Peerio, iCabMobile browser installed on my iPhone. Do I actually use them? Not really but you never know as a citizen journalist (eye-roll) when I may be called upon to use them! Haha... 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 are you an avid reader? I know I am! It's unbelievable how much content is available and demanding attention. Over the years, I've taken advantage of the following apps to feed my reading addiction!Readdle Documents (Free) - As I mentioned in this blog entry, the Documents app makes it a cinch to read non-Digital Rights Management (DRM) ePub/PDF ebooks. There is a pile of content available you can carry around, and now, with GoogleDocs ePub export, you can easily carry around important documents in ePub format and read them in Documents. Loading up ePub/PDF files onto your iOS device is a cinch with Documents.Google Play Books (Free) - Although an early Barnes and Noble Nook adopter (Amazon was on my never use list for years), I decided to begin investing in a book collection in Google Play. And, of course, there is a ton of free content on there too. What's neat is that you can easily drop content into Google Play and it will sync across devices (including my Chromebook). This makes it easy to not only load content in, but also keep track of what page I am on. If you are moving across devices in the Google ecosystem, then definitely consider Google Play books.Kindle (Free) - Like everyone else, I have fallen beneath Amazon's spell. Fortunately, I have managed to keep my collection of ebooks in non-DRM (get them via Smashwords when possible!) and Google Play, but I confess to having purchased a few titles here.Feedly (Free) - It's not enough to just read books and magazines, so much awesome content is available in other people's writings in blogs. Every time I open up Feedly, I am rejuvenated and inspired by so many others. Feedly makes it easy to read and share content into various content curation engines (like Pocket).Medium (Free) - Although not at the top of my list for checking out other people's writing (too unfocused) like Feedly is, I do confess that there are times when I tap on Medium in the hopes of great essays and content. And, wow, there is great stuff there!What are your top "reading" apps?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

Hard to believe any of us have time to watch television and movies, and, as you might guess, I seldom watch television anymore. Instead, I snatch moments of thrills and excitement via "small screens" using apps like those included below.  Note that most of these require subscriptions of some sort, but they are well worth the price.Amazon Music - One of the best ways to take advantage of Amazon Prime account is to listen to the endless supply of music. I have discarded much of my MP3 collection--painfully ripped from my defunct audio CDs--and now simply rely on Amazon Music.Amazon Video - Wow, what a wealth of great videos, series that are available. Justified, The Killing, and countless movies have kept me entertained while working at home on a project. Definitely encourage the Amazon Prime subscription.Netflix - Looking for a great series or catch up on some movies? Netflix may provide the content. I won't spend much time on this, but it's definitely worth the subscription.Hulu - If you need to catch up on a television series you've missed, Hulu is the answer! A new series, The 100, has enthralled us at home, but due to work and school, we can't often catch it at its scheduled time. And, the family television set may be in use when we can watch it. As a result, Hulu makes it possible to "catch up" on our favorite shows (e.g. Criminal Minds) when we want, where we want.Movies by Flixster - And, finally, since going to the movies is something we thoroughly enjoy, finding out when/where new movies are playing, available movie reviews, etc., then this is the app I use.Some other apps include my Roku remote control app that makes for fun when others are using it (I have no idea how that channel changed!) and TimeWarnerCable suite of apps.What are your favorite entertainment apps?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

Be sure to check out my new article over at TCEA's TechNotes blog...thanks to Lori Gracey (Editor) and TCEA for publishing it:Read the restHere's the lead of that article:Researchers from the Pew Research Center have found that gamifying learning stimulates interest and deep engagement with content.  Two tools that facilitate this include Kahoot! and the relative newcomer, Quizziz.Read the rest over at TCEA TechNotes.Interested in reading more of what I've written for publication at TCEA's TechNotes? Click this link!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

Wondering what to do about video streaming high school graduation live? Yes, it is that time of year when superintendents are frantically turning to their technology staff and saying, "Help! We need to stream graduation this year! Can you get it done?" Of course, at this time of year, there is little budget to get the job done, so you have whatever funding is left over from the school year.  The pressure is on! Read the Complete blog entry over at TCEA TechNotes blog entryInterested in reading more of what I've written for publication at TCEA's TechNotes? Click this link!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 powerful tools to enable critical skills like group-to-group creativity, collaboration, and sharing? Microsoft Office 365 provides educators with a powerful suite of tools that can be used to empower students to create, connect, collaborate, and share their processing of academic content. If you are familiar with Google Apps for Education tools, then you already have foundation skills to take advantage of Office 365. I invite you to explore how MS Office 365 tools OneNote and Sway can boost teaching and learning in your classroom.Read the rest of this blog entry online at TCEA.org/blogInterested in reading more of what I've written for publication at TCEA's TechNotes? Click this link!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

Check out my latest blog entry, On the Horizon: Digital Signage, over at the TCEA TechNotes blog! Here's the lead:Today’s schools are asking for digital signage: in the cafeteria, in the hallways, near the entrances. Digital signs can be a wonderful tool for getting your message out. But what’s the best solution for providing them? Find out in this blog post. (read more)Read the complete blog entryInterested in reading more of what I've written for publication at TCEA's TechNotes? Click this link!Everything posted on Miguel Guhlin's blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure

In collaboration with Lori Gracey, Executive Director at TCEA, I was pleased to author the blog entry linked below featuring my dear friend, Dr. Joy Rosseau's district, Arp ISD. Arp ISD was recently named a "Digitial District," earning second place in its category! What an awesome honor! Knowing Joy's work (and having borrowed so much of it over the years! (haha)), it came as no surprise that they were selected.Find out more about Arp ISD and other Districts receiving a National Digital District Award!Joy has promised more information after she returns from her trip to receive the Award.Everything posted on Miguel Guhlin's blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure

In this blog entry, published at the TCEA blog, I explore 3 approaches to using Voxer. Those 3 approaches include the following:Approach #1 - Enhancing Student Publishing"The minute kids think their work will be published, they take greater pride in the result," says editor Susan Meyer (read source). Apps like Voxer allow a teacher to quickly collect photos AND audio collections of student(s) reading their pieces. By going to the web version of Voxer, you can save pictures, video, and/or audio to Dropbox or to your computer.Approach #2 - Tapping into Students’ Collaborative Potential"Greater access to technology and computer-assisted learning can be effective in engaging English Language Learners’ (ELL) motivation, developing writing and editing skills," said Dr. Roland Rios of Ft. Sam Houston ISD at the TCEA 2016 Convention and Exposition (Are you a member yet?), "and tapping into the collaborative potential [technology]." At our presentation, Dr. Roland Rios and I had the opportunity to introduce a roomful of TCEA members to Voxer. Participants learned Voxer, then recorded ideas for how to use Voxer in their teaching and learning situation.Approach #3 - Participate in Peer Learning Chats"When we view ‘sharing’ as something that both supports and pushes us to be better," writes George Couros in Innovators’ Mindset, "the big winner will always be our students." The quote came from a picture capture on a mobile device, and was then shared via the InnovatorsMindset Voxer Chat.Ready to give Voxer a try? Join the TCEA Voxer Sandbox!Read the entire blog entry online at http://www.tcea.org/blog/voxer/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

From about 7:30pm through 9:04pm, I had the opportunity to encourage and assist University of Incarnate Word (UIW) students in Dr. Lucretia Fraga's (@lucretiafraga) class on blended learning. What a joy it was to connect with fellow learners, sharing a few tips I have picked up over the years!Thanks to Dr. Lucretia Fraga and her class for having me over!1) Organizing for the Session - Diigo OutlinerTo organize for the session, I decided to go retro and use Diigo, which I recalled had a built-in social group feature that facilitates sharing information and links to group members. What it also had, which I hadn't seen before until I revisited Diigo, is the Diigo Outliner. They include an Outliner tool that you can drop information in. Here's what it looks like:You'll notice that the items on the left side of the screenimage reflect links that I've saved to Diigo, while the right side of the screen shows my outline. The "+" symbol next to each point indicates there is more information. You can see the full outline online--with links--online at http://tinyurl.com/bce2016mgI also created a Diigo Group to facilitate sharing among the group. Thanks to Diigo for their featuring groups like this as part of their solution!2) Class ActivityWhat a joy it was to meet the UIW students, which ranged from 24 years old to retired military men in their 50s. And, what a diverse audience, too. To get them going, I shared selections from Vicki "CoolCat Teacher" Davis' podcast series, Every Classroom Matters. These were well-received. Rather than do a written report back, I asked them to keep track of 1-2 points takeaways, then introduced them to Voxer.After the short introduction, I asked them to record their takeaways into a Voxer group I created (Teaching Today's Learners, or TTL for short at the suggestion of Dr. Fraga). What fun to see them exploring and learning how millenials and Generation Z folks could connect. For some, it was a stretch, but they jumped right in!Thanks again to Dr. Lucretia Fraga and her class for being such good sports and learners!:-)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 commercials is this funny, if problematic, commercial featuring Cowboys' coach, Tom Landry:I was reminded of this commercial when a friend sent me this photo of me staring in rapt attention at my Chromebook while sitting in an Apple's Austin headquarters:In the meantime, iOS 9.3 Update shared a whole bunch of great information today. Carl Hooker writes about some of it here, as well as shares a Sketchnote:Source: https://twitter.com/mrhooker/status/717732015068426241I wrote a few blog entries about the information shared, but those are pending publication via the TCEA blog.:-)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

Jennifer Bergland (TCEA) shared this information about this event...For your convenience, please find a brief blurb below:The day and half agenda provides Future Ready District Leadership Teams with dedicated time to set a shared vision for student learning, make action plans for digital learning, and meet other regional leaders who are engaged in Future Ready.   Each summit provides access to experts in the field who will answer detailed questions and help solve specific issues facing each district team.  The teams will engage in facilitated conversations, sharing sessions, networking activities, and team planning opportunitiesTo find out more about it, read their web site. Future Ready is coming to Austin on April 25-26th - Sign up TODAY to save your district’s spot!We are excited to be coming to Austin, Texas for a Future Ready Summit!  Please consider joining us for this free event.  It is a great way to 1) develop a strong Future Ready Team in your district, 2)  collaborate and network with other district leaders in the region, as well as 3) leave inspired and able to create and implement a Future Ready action plan. The Summit is a team based agenda with hands on activities, demonstrations, and plenty of team planning time! Review the Workshop Objectives  and consider participating in this important event.Registration is free, and space is limited.Sign Up Today!And, from TCEA:TCEA is excited to host the Future Ready Summit in Austin on April 25-26. Future Ready, in partnership with the U. S. Department of Education, will be a free two-day event focused on district-level planning for the purpose of elevating instructional outcomes using digital learning and networking with other regional leaders who are engaged in Future Ready initiatives.The Summit is open to district leadership teams from districts where the superintendent has signed theFuture Ready District Pledge, a commitment to implementing meaningful changes toward a digital learning transition that supports teachers and addresses the district's vision for student learning. If your superintendent has not yet signed the pledge, it's not too late - sign the pledge!Don't miss out on this perfect opportunity for your district team to jump-start planning efforts and vision for student learning under direct guidance from Future Ready facilitators. Registration for this important event is FREE, but space is limited. So register TODAY to save your team's spot at the Summit.If you have any questions, please contact Sara Hall at 410-279-3368 or shall@all4ed.org.We look forward to seeing you there!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

Dear San Antonio Educational Technology and Fiesta Aficionados,This is a reminder that you are cordially invited to the "Fiesta 2016" GoGuardian Product Demo to be hosted at Ft. Sam Houston ISD on Friday, April 15th from 9:00 - 11:30. Kick off Fiesta right by exploring ways to keep your students safe and engaged on their Chromebooks using GoGuardian! If you have Chromebooks, or are even thinking about getting Chromebooks, you owe it to you and your students to attend.This product showcase will feature Beau McCoy and Max Porter from GoGuardian and a live look at GoGuardian for Teachers in action! And .. the unveiling of the first ever GoGuardian Fiesta Medal! (Yes, you get one!)Register Here:https://docs.google.com/a/fshisd.org/forms/d/12i5FL8BdSQxvRbdB0gPKeCgYIAFF02BCp-X1GbdI-GE/viewformVIVA FIESTA!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 following blog entry appeared in TCEA TechNotes and is a collaboration between the editor (Lori Gracey) and I, even though my name appears on the byline:Read more online at TCEA's BlogAn excerpt from the lead:"Miguel, I hear complaints from educators about standardized testing almost every day," said Lori Gracey, TCEA Executive Director, recently, "and I fully understand how they feel. All of those tests take much-needed time away from learning, they’re so 19th century (Scantron sheets and pencils? Really?), they’re unfair in that they pigeonhole students, they’re hard on the kids and teachers alike, and so much more. ""Those are all valid complaints," I responded."Yet," Lori responded, "standardized testing isn’t going away. What we can hope and work toward, however, is that it will change."At an Apple briefing yesterday, an assessment expert shared what other states are doing to improve the quality and depth of assessment and incorporate technology into the process. She showed us how technology can enable the tests to go beyond guessing and multiple choice and into the realm of really helping to determine what a student does and doesn’t know. To see examples of some of these type of questions that can be answered using technology, scroll toward the bottom of this page of demos. You’ll find test questions where students must draw or highlight on an image, label a map with drag and drop, sort or order lists by moving items around, plot points and lines on a grid, and much more that cannot be done now with standard paper and pencil testing.Read more online at TCEA's BlogEverything 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

Read the TCEA Blog at http://www.tcea.org/blogHere is an excerpt of my latest blog entry published by the TCEA TechNotes Blog:The Internet of Things (IoT) : a network of physical objects enhanced with electronics, software, sensors, and network connectivity that give it identity, and allow it to collect and exchange data over the Internet. Experts estimate that the IoT will consist of almost 50 billion objects by 2020. (source: adapted from Wikipedia)Source: http://tinyurl.com/gn94jhl"How cool is that?" asked my son, as we walked the aisles of freezers at the local Target store. They lighted up as we walked towards them to pick up frozen strawberries and blueberries for protein shake mixes. In the near future, this data will be relayed via the Internet to Target Headquarters, keeping track of the frequency with which thousands of customers access their products. What if learning could be like that with each book/ebook that students reach for feeding data into what was most used or accessed? The real challenge isn’t in that there are so many physical objects (50 billion by 2020) being enhanced. The question is will your children and mine be able to create and control them? An example of practical uses of the IoT could include "smart" digital highlighters that enable you to highlight paper documents, then transfer highlighted text from the printed page to your favorite repository of data (e.g. GoogleDocs, Dropbox, OneNote/OneDrive). Or you can scan text with your digital highlighter and it will read the text aloud to you (source). But preparing our children for this "just around the corner" future involves doing more than simply buying IoT devices pre-made. Let’s briefly explore five paths that you can help learners walk to achieve IoT-powered learning:Embrace the language of things.Unlock the future with hands-on, digital experiences.Build digital connections into physical spaces.Make the future.Create augmented learning experiences.Ready? Let’s get started!Read 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

The following are my notes from Chapter 1 of Tony Wagner's The Global Achievement Gap. This is certainly powerful stuff!!All schools are now obsolete--even the ones that score the best on standardized testing--because the world has change.All students need new skills for college, careers and citizenship.Teaching all students to think and to be curious is much more than a technical problem for which      educators, alone, are accountable.New sought after skills in employees:The ability to ask the right questionsPeople who can engage in good discussion. You have to know how to work well with others."You also have to know how to engage the customer, to find out what his needs are. If you can't engage others, then you won't learn what you need to know."Global Achievement Gap is  the gap between what even our best suburban, urban, and rural public schools are teaching and testing versus what all students will need to succeed as learners, workers, and citizens in today's global knowledge economy.Seven Survival Skills for the 21st Century:Critical Thinking and Problem Solving:Asking good questions, critical thinking and problem solving go hand in hand in the minds of most employers and business consultants.The way work is organized now is lots of networks of cross-functional teams that work together on specific projects. Work is defined by the task or problem you and your team are trying to solve or the end goal you want to accomplish.Teams have to figure out the best way to get there--the solution is not prescribed.Since no one is telling teams what to do, they have to figure it out--critical-thinking and problem-solving.Employees need to sift through an overwhelming amount of information in order to figure out what's important and what's not. To do this you have to think critically.Definition of Critical Thinking: Taking issues and situations and problems, and going to root components; understanding how the problem evolved--looking at it from a systemic perspective and not accepting things at face value. It also means being curious about why things are the way they are and being able to think about why something is important.What do I really need to understand about this?What is the history?What are other people thinking about this?How does all that come together?What frames and models can we use to understand this from a variety of different angles and then come up with something different?Yesterday's solutions doesn't solve tomorrow's problem.Problems change and so approaches to problems need to change."We need self-directed people who either have problem-solving skills or can easily be trained to think on their feet and find creative solutions to some very tough, challenging problems.""The focus for the last five years has been on thinking skills, as well as emotional intelligence--can they interact and relate, can they come up with new ideas, can they bring these new ideas to the table and work with people in the process?Individuals who can see past the present, see beyond, think about the future and think systemically, connect the dots…less linear thinking--people who can conceptualize but also synthesize a lot of data.How do you do things that haven't been done before, where you have to rethink or think anew, or break set in a fundamental way--it's not incremental improvement anymore?Critical-thinking skills include the ability to apply abstract knowledge to solve a problem and to develop and execute a solution--the ability to think broadly and deeply. It means having and using a framework for problem-identification--assumptions and facts, acquiring information, viewing alternative solutions. Another part of critical thinking is surrounding yourself with people who have differences of opinion and who can help you come to the best solution: team-based leadership.Collaboration Across Networks and Leading by InfluenceTechnology has allowed for virtual teams…you're working with people all around the world on solving a problem. They don't work in the same room, they don't come to the same office, but every week they're on a variety of conference calls; they're doing webcasts; they're doing net meetings.The hardest thing to change was the behavior of the employees. They didn't know how to operate individually and then collaborate from afar, and so we had to provide coaching and counseling on how you communicate via email and conference calls.Trust is the total number of interactions divided by the number of positive interactions. The higher the number of positive interactions, the greater the trust….how do you provide the opportunity to interact so that employees have the ability ot develop trust?As organizations become more global, the ability to work fluidly around the world is a competitive advantage: understanding how to leverage the globe, time zones, where the work can best be done, where there are skills that best match the task, either because of the culture or the training.The ability to interact with diverse cultures and religions is important.A core competency is the ability to think strategically: to figure out where the work can best be done from both a talent and cost perspective. A greater challenge…how to forge effective collaborative teams and work with people who come from vastly different cultures.Command and control hierarchical leadership is a relic of the past.Kids fresh out of school lack the ability to influence versus direct and command…the only kind of leadership young people have experienced is one that relies on obedience versus the kind of reasoning and persuasion that is the new leadership style demanded by businesses organized in teams and networks.Students have a predisposition toward believing that everythingis clearly outlined, and then people give directions, and then other people execute until there's a new set of directions.How do you solve a problem when people who own what you need are outside your organization or don't report to you, or the total solution requires a consortium of different people? How do you influence things that are out of your direct control?Mantra: Lead by influence rather than authority.Agility and AdaptabilityYou have to be able to think, be flexible, change, be adaptive,and use a variety of tools to solve new problems. People have to learn to adapt.Adaptability and learning are more important than technical skills.To survive, you have to be flexible and adaptable and a lifelong learner.Managing disruption:How do leaders deal with exogenous factors that are going to impact the way they think and lead?How do they handle internal disruption--innovation and change management?How do they understand disruptions that are happening in our industry space or in adjacent spaces?Learners have to demonstrate that they can solve problems in a changing an duncertain world.We live in a world where there isn't one right answer, or if there is, it's right only for a nanosecond. If you're afraid, you can't think clearly.Initiative and EntrepreneurialismTake more initiative and even be entrepreneurial in terms of the ways they seek out new opportunities, ideas, and strategies for improvement.We need self-directed people who can find creative solutions to some very tough, challenging problems.Help educators figure out how to use technology effectively.Leadeship is the capacity to take initiative and trust yourself to be creative.Effective Oral and Written CommunicationsThe ability to express one's views clearly in a democracy and to communicate effectively across cultures is an important citizenship skill as well.Advice for teachers: Teach them to write! Effective communication is key in everything we do--people need to learn to communicate effectively with each other and external communities.Young people have difficulty being clear and concise; it's hard for them to create focus, energy, and passion around the points they want to make.What do you want me to take away from this meeting?Also important is the ability to create focus, energy and passion.Less fuzzy thinking and lack of writing with a real voice.Accessing and Analyzing InformationThere is so much more data that people have to synthesize…they can't just produce a bunch of reports. They have to find the important details and then say, "Here's what we should do about it."The ability to analyze information in order to discern new challenges and opportunities.We have to be able to access and evaluate information from many different sources, as well as evaluate it.Curiosity and ImaginationNew and improved knowledge workers: those who can think in disciplined ways, but also those who have a burning curiosity, a lively imagination, and can engage others empathetically.People who have learned to ask great questions and have learned to be inquisitive are the ones who move the fastest in our environment because they solve the biggest problems in ways that have the most impact on innovation.Be curious…do a system analysis.For businesses, it's no longer enough to create a product that's reasonably priced and adequately functional. It must also be beautiful, unique, and meaningful.Our old idea is that work is defined by employers and that employees have to do whatever the mployer wants. That has not been true in professional jobs for a long time because people have so many ways to influence what they do and how they it that, if they are good, they actually create their work space. Authenticity pays.We still think that work is given to people; whereas I think people actually are increasingly taking the work.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