Creating insightful metaphors for explaining complicated technological systems that make concepts easily accessible for a wider audience can be a strength. Being able to turn those metaphors into colorful train wrecks of slightly off center explanations takes a particularly special talent. I like to think I’m capable of both. In this week’s episode of Tech Director Chat, Pete and I answer a number of questions that came out of our Technology Advisory Group meeting. It’s a monthly meeting that brings together educators and administrators from across the district. We talk geeky, share successes with technology, and address larger issues with technology within the district. Pete gets a bit geeky with the tech terminology, we talk about some of the failing technology in the district that’s reaching "end of life," why we can’t do anything at the moment about increasing bandwidth for teachers and students, and Pete is stumped once again. We really should start revisiting those questions to see if Pete really has answered them correctly You can go listen, download, or subscribe to the Podcast via iTunes using this link, or listen using the embedded player below. Timestamps for this week’s questions: 1:11 We didn’t have a snow day today? 1:34 Does Ben know how to read a calendar? 2:30 What’s our normal Help Ticket load at the start of the school year? 3:15 Why has it taken us longer to get ahead on the Help Tickets this year? 4:40 What has Pete been doing today? 5:22 JW asks about the plans to add technology to existing buildings. 8:15 What is the plan for upgrading our wireless infrastructure? 9:20 Pete describes what AP means in the technology world. 10:07 Ben attempts to explain basic networking for non techies. 11:04 Is it possible with our current wireless to increase bandwidth for students? 14:05 If we had all the money in the world, would we still have internet problems? 14:40 Is the Internet really a cloud, or more like a giant bowl of spaghetti? 15:15 JW wants to know if we have a "one size fits all" package for classroom technology? 20:05 Stump Pete: What was James Brown always talking to his band about? Tech Director Chat - Ben’s Tech Metaphors

This will not be a long or profound post (not that I have many profound thoughts to share). But I am having a blast rediscovering my love for video story problems….and peanut butter crackers. The grocery store is a bountiful gold mine of learning opportunities. Great real-world math is found on every shelf, and it provides students with an instant hook connected to common experiences. There’s nothing complicated with these video story problems; I’m quiet content to pump out examples for others to use, or inspire to create their own. I’ve actually got a pretty popular workshop developed around creating them (at least the feedback collected by attendees is always positive), and I’m constantly encouraged by the way educators take the idea and turn it into something engaging within their own content area. There, a simple post, just like I promised. As I look back at my last few postings, I find myself considering starting up a new blog; perhaps one based around all of the media I create, or perhaps around just the video story problems. I’m going to keep noodling on it, as I’m curious if I can attempt to maintain yet another space online. In the meantime, the increasingly eclectic nature of my blog marches on!

I had the opportunity to moderate the #michED chat this evening, around the community selected topic of "breaking down silos." We live most of our educational lives in silos; grade levels, content areas, middle school, high school, "smart kid", "dumb kid." Society encourages us to think of complex relationships and organizations, like schools, as simple silos. It’s not the worst thing in the world; it provides new teachers with uniformity and the ability to focus on just a few small goals at the start of one of the most trying careers anyone can imagine taking on. But there comes a time when we all need to break out of our silos in order to grow, and develop new ideas. I shared a simple, but encouraging, article from Edutopia about "Shattering Silos" by Ainissa Rameriz before the chat started. I know it breaks conventional "Twitter Chat" protocol to ask everyone to go read an article, or watch a video, before starting the chat. I wanted to get everyone’s attention before jumping into the tweet-fest of high fives that many Twitter chats can become. I think it worked. Several people were much more thoughtful during the chat, and it gave me time to compose myself in between the introductions and the first question. I deliberately slowed down the chat by asking fewer questions, and allowing more time for "dead air" from myself; the conversations that grew up were inspiring, and the side chats were plentiful. It felt good. I followed up the chat with a simple request that I was fearful no one would meet. I asked everyone to share one thought from another Twitter chat participant that they wanted to adopt and work with on their own. I feared it would land like a dud, with many confused that I was turning a casual, enjoyable conversation into something closer to "work." The response was magical. Not only did the #michED community answer my call, but the conversations and tweets continued well passed the end of the official chat hour. I consider myself blessed to work within an amazing network of educators here in Michigan; we may push one another, we may challenge one another, but we come together not to showcase our talents or steal a spot in the limelight. We come together to share ideas, build resources and ideas for the benefit of our learners, and through that we’ve broken down more silos than we could ever have hoped to level on our own. Below is the archive of the chat if you’re curious to see what it’s all about. View the story "#michED Chat, 11/19/14 "Breaking Down Silos"" on Storify

I’ve been blogging every weekday in November as an homage to the now defunct NaBloPoMo. Started in 2006, the "National Blog Post Month" movement was a response to the "National Novel Writing Month" event, in which writers across the web dedicate themselves to writing for sustained periods every day in November. The goal is to write a novel, or at least get a good start on one. The blogger’s parallel movement was to encourage a sustained effort to write around passionate topics, and help the fledging (at the time) blogging ecosystem. Even after the NaBloPoMo community was bought up by BlogHer, and turned into a "theme a month" community of writers comprised mostly of women, I still enjoy the challenge of trying to squeak out some thoughts on a regular basis in November. Sure, I cheat, and take the weekends off. It’s not a perfect practice of squeaking, but I’m enjoying it. Some days, I don’t have much to say. I may be exhausted, I may play extra hard with my kids, I may use up my evening time on chores, etc. On days like that, you get an animated GIF of a train of plastic toy cars. I made it during a trip to the library with my kids this evening. They had fun playing with the toys and getting new books; I got to play with my kids, and take some video to turn into a geeky loop of toy cars. It was a win/win.

"I don’t know, I found the picture on Google" How many times have you heard a student say that when asked to provide a source for an image they’ve used for a project? You can ask them to provide proper references. You can plead with them to use only "teacher approved" sites. You can craft an amazing framework or rubric to help them work through proper citations. You can even force them to use image websites specifically curated for educational use of photographs. The reality is, when you’re done scaffolding and supporting good habits in your classroom, most students leave and go right back to scouring Google for images, with little regard for how they might need to document the image, or whether they would need to claim fair use. I know, I’ve witnessed it. Heck, I do the same when I need an image in a pinch to liven up a document, or a quick presentation to a small group of teachers in my district. It’s accessible, it’s quick, it’s easy. And with the growth of Google Docs as the defacto word processor in many schools districts, it’s now the encouraged method of adding images to documents using Google’s own built in image search. Sure, you’re using images that are marked for commercial reuse and modification, but you’re still going through Google Image search. Students don’t always recognize the difference between the modified search within docs, and the open Google Image Search. I decided to take a different tact this week with students. I appealed to their more logical side, and crafted a simple activity that would show them how much more quickly they could deal with those "nagging" questions that teachers always ask them about images in projects: Who took the photo or owns it? What website did it come from? Do you have permission to use it? When you search via Google Images, those questions can sometimes be murky to answer, or take awhile to "click through" to find the original source of an image. However, when you use the Creative Commons Search, you’re directed more often than not to the original source of the image, giving you the answers to the three questions more readily, and with greater accuracy. Or so I theorized. And thus, I crafted an activity that I ran through two 8th grade classrooms this week in hopes that I could demonstrate how much more accurate (students didn’t seem to care), but much faster (many students were impressed with this) the Creative Commons search was compared to Google Image search. I grouped the students into small teams, and then "timed" them to answer the three questions above while trying to find a picture of a playground using Google Image Search. The fastest time was 56 seconds. Some groups didn’t even finish in the 3 minute time limit I gave them. Many of the groups were unsure if they could use the image, and several said they could, but they couldn’t articulate why. I then tasked them with the same search using the Creative Commons Search. None of the students had seen the Creative Commons Search website before, so I showed them quickly how it worked. And then they were timed again. The fastest time was 29 seconds, and ALL of the groups finished under the 2 minute 30 second mark. They answered every question with confidence, and they all knew why they could use the images, because the CC license was clearly stated alongside (or linked to) the image. Huzzah! I was at least able to show them that the Creative Commons Search is indeed faster for finding images, providing thorough documentation of the actual owner or originator of the image, and whether or not they had permission to use it (every image had a clear Creative Commons license that stipulated they could use it with at least attribution). The real question will be if the students care enough to change their "normal habits." My fear is they won’t. But I hope that the significant time saved while searching (multiplied over many images throughout the course of a project), and the unoquivocal answer of "can they use it" may start to turn a few students into converts outside of the classroom as well. Here’s to hope! As an aside, I created the "Creative Commons Search vs. Google Images" activity as a Google Document, and opened it up for anyone to critique, comment, or modify for their own use. Have a look, and help me make it better, steal it, or share it as you see fit!

I didn’t really appreciate the anxiety-filled position I was putting my Tech Director in each week in front of the microphone for this podcast. I don’t let him preview the questions; no prep, no word-smithing the perfect answer to a question, just a "think on your feet" response to questions. I didn’t appreciate that situation until he turned a question on me in this episode. It was a question that I’ve been thinking about a lot, but wasn’t quite ready to articulate. I think I took a good swing at it, but whiffed on his question about whether the majority of teachers will ever get passed the basic level of technology substituting other instructional methods using paper and pencil. My short answer….no. My longer answer….maybe. Once most schools have technology readily available, many practices that we’re currently pioneering will become commonplace. it will become status quo for students to word process every thought rather than writing. Which means digital writing, collaborating, and sharing will eventually be the new normal and thus will be ripe for substitution with future technologies and/or pedagogical practices (video, augmented reality, etc.). Like I said, it’s a complicated thought that I think I flubbed. Oh well, there’s always room to improve! As always, you can listen to, download, or subscribe to the podcast using this link. Or listen below! Timestamps for this week’s questions: 0:56 What has Pete been up to? 2:21 What does an exploding projector bulb sounds like? 3:00 Ben has opened the flood gate of questions by sending the podcast to all district employees. 4:16 JW asks, what is the big picture goal for teacher technology use in the classroom? 7:32 Pete asks Ben, how long do you think it will take until a majority of people are using technology for more than simple substitution? 11:20 John asks, why do some wifi routers behave differently for filtering? 14:50 John wants to know, can he have an Apple TV? 16:40 Kathleen asks, what would your ideal new elementary building look like? 20:45 Paul from Twitter asks, why are URL shorteners blocked by filters? 22:18 Stump Pete! 24:11 Kathleen asks, who was more influential to early Rock and Roll? Tech Director Chat - Ben’s Turn in the Hot Seat

I’ve been known to GIF my day on special occasions. Alan Levine even created an honorary #ds106 assignment in my name for the practice. And in honor of the the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday here in the United States, I thought I’d take a day to share what I’m grateful for using the one of the media formats I’m most thankful for; the animated GIF! I’ll be revisiting this post through the day with updates, so stay tuned I’m thankful for my son, his unending appetite for curiosity, LEGOs, and breakfast cereal. I’m thankful for a good deal of people in my life, and I could easily fill several posts of those that have helped shape who I am. There may be a post or two along those lines in the coming months, but in the spirit of finding small moments of thanks throughout my day, I’ll let my son represent the close loved ones in my life. I’m thankful for the amazing safety and efficiency of our bus drivers at school. I’m thankful for the highly skilled and conscientious adults we have that transport students to and from school everyday in my district. We have nearly a quarter mile of school busses that pick up and drop off students every day during the week. When you have that many large vehicles stretched across the front of school buildings, hundreds of students pouring into and out of those buildings, parents and other cars moving around the parking lots, there’s a lot that could go wrong. While we have had other drivers run into our busses, we have never had an accident involving people or vehicles being hit by our busses, and for that I’m incredibly thankful. I’m thankful for my Tech Director, for allowing teachers in my district to install software and manage their own devices. I’m thankful for the forward thinking of our district’s Technology Director. Not only do we have powerful machines capable of allowing teachers and students to explore every nook and cranny of creativity they desire, but he also trusts teachers to manage their own devices. When my old copy of Adobe CS4 just doesn’t cut it anymore, I can download and install a newer version (provided I find a way to pay for it) when I’m ready; no waiting for a district admin for approval. I’m thankful for being able to work next to our middle school’s Life Management class. I’m thankful for being to work next to the Life Management class at our middle school, because it gives me the opportunity to peak in on all of the fun hand-made projects. I like to think of Life Management and Home Economics classes as part of the overlooked Maker Movement. The teacher in our middle school program has students sewing, designing their own popcorn flavorings, and even creating their own sewn circuits using conductive thread and arduinos. She’s partnered with local university teachers and students, and constantly pushes her students to explore what it means to "make." I’m thankful for the people in my life that buy me neon flashing vests to run in :) I’m thankful for the people in my life that are always looking out for me. I’ve been running for a little over 2 years now, and sometimes it can be a bit scary out there on the road, especially at night. This year has been especially bad with the poor weather coming on earlier. My mother and my aunt both bought me protective, neon, flashing, and otherwise garish (but important) outer running gear. I’m glad I have them to make up for my own stupidity. I’m thankful for still being young at heart…and having kids to play video games with me. I’m thankful for my ability to still be young at heart, a bit silly and goofy at times, and to be able to enjoy video games with my family. Sure, I still play video games on my own (I’m a huge nerd), but I’m glad that I have loved ones that enjoy playing games with me. And for the excellent rainbow paintings from my four-year old. It’s good to be comfortable with the youth inside of us. That’s it for today’s "ThanksGIFing." I didn’t share as many GIFs as I had hoped, but I’m thankful for each one, and for what they represent. How ever you show thanks this week, I hope you do it from a place of sincerity and simplicity.

I was asked a couple of weeks ago by a teacher in my district about various ways to create math equations using software we had available to us in our district. Our teachers use a wide variety of tools, including NeoOffice, ExamView, and a host of other applications. Our Macs also include Grapher, we have access to Google Docs, and most of our teachers have Promethean Interactive Whiteboards. That means they also have access to the equation editor within ActivInspire, the software that many of our elementary and middle school teachers use to craft interactive lessons. In short, we have no shortage of ways in which math equations can be written. I wanted to make sure that I would have handy access to materials for tutorials, so I spent some time creating the following videos today. They aren’t my best screencasts, but at least they provide three quick ways to create math equations using software that is either freely available or accessible to those in our district. Please look passed my amateurish attempts to talk math operations Creating Equations with Grapher (Comes installed with all Macs)   Creating Equations with Google Docs (Free for all Google Accounts) Creating Equations with ActivInspire (Available to all Promethean Users)

If you’re involved with ed tech evangelism on any level (this includes large conference keynoters) the questions that Veristasium’s Derek Muller asks in this video must be shared! This video has had a lot of "air time" in education circles this past week. It’s been described as humorous, as thought provoking, even heretical in some circles. Regardless of how accurate you perceive the video’s main thesis to be (you could argue that some technology has revolutionized how we think about education), the basic sentiment is dead on. There exists a constant stream of new gadgets, gizmos, and learning platforms that tech evangelists claim to be the "silver bullet" that will solve all of our educational problems. We make claims about technology that on face value are sound, but when held up to greater scrutiny are patently ridiculous; how often have you seen "kids today learn different than the way we learned" plastered in bold letters on a keynote slide at a conference? Learners today learn no differently then how we’ve always learned as a species; making, building, tinkering, exploring, testing, failing, reflecting, and ultimately synthesizing greater knowledge out of pre-existing knowledge and new experiences. The most exciting point in this video is the "evolutionary" nature of technology in education. Technology will continue to transform how we demonstrate and communicate our inner thought processes to others, but the learning will always be an internal, cognitive act. We still learn in small groups, with a teacher or facilitator to guide and inspire learners because thousands upon thousands of years of human development has led us to an understanding that shared experiences gives us a common reference point to build new knowledge upon; we pass down stories from antiquity and our religious and cultural ancestry. We value the connection we have with the past, and attempt to build new understanding through metaphors that link back to our previous cultural, religious, and societal touchstones. We still strive to find relevance in the Bible, the Torah, the Quran, and base theories of the universe on mathematical and philosophical texts written hundreds of years ago. Thousands of years of thought has taught us that the learning process is messy! The exact opposite of what technology is designed to do. Most technology is designed to help streamline, codify, and create more efficient paths to learning, growth, and understanding. In many small ways it helps, but when technology excels at creating linear paths to new understanding, it can ultimately diffuse and disarm the engaging and messy learning that inspires us. If you read through the comments on this video on Youtube you’ll find several fascinating conversations of individuals who were disillusioned for one reason or another with their educational experience. It doesn’t fall on technology to inspire and engage us, it falls upon the understanding and ability of the teacher to manipulate the learning environment and create opportunities that speak to the individual needs of their learners; needs that may change on a day to day, or even hourly basis, depending on the individual. Technology will never afford the same "swiss army knife" like tool that is the human mind, able to adapt to a wide variety of needs, one of which might include the need to turn off the technology for a particular learning experience. There may exist a time when technology affords us the ability to articulate and communicate our own internal thought processes in a way that is universally understood, but until that point in time, the only revolution that is needed is one of educational practice and delivery. And even that, technology cannot help, as the impetus for change must exist within the minds of those at the front of the classroom.

This is it! We tackle the most asked question by educators and students that have to suffer with restrictions, lock downs, filters, and controls on the technology provided by their school! Prepare for an amazing concise, well reasoned, and perfectly valid……oh heck, who am I kidding. Pete and I futz around with the question for a bit, and come to the stark reality that many Tech Directors face; balancing the needs of the many with the needs of the few. In other words, making sure that technology in a school district is manageable given available tech staff, yet still useful to the students and teachers using the devices for learning. We also answer some questions about upgrading software, Thanksgiving leftovers, and just how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop. As always, you can listen to, download, or subscribe to the podcast using this link. Or listen below! Android users, the podcast will soon be available via Stitcher as well for easy subscribing and listening! Timestamps for this week’s questions: 0:50 How was Thanksgiving break? 1:10 What’s your favorite Thanksgiving leftover? 1:46 What has Pete been up to today? 2:07 What kind of bond financial tool requires a day to create? 4:02 When are we as a district updating to Mac OS X Yosemite? 6:06 How do we handle getting everyone upgraded to Mac OS X Yosemite? 6:54 Ian from Twitter asks, why would a school district not allow you to administer your teacher laptop? 8:36 Why do Tech Directors like to look everything down? 10:27 Ian from Twitter asks, does super strict control over technology to keep old people from breaking it, or students from using it? 13:08 Why would a school district block cameras on devices? 14:53 So some things get blocked because Tech Directors just don’t want students using them? 15:30 Paul wants to know, how do you teach older folks to use a computer? 12:37 So basically, Pete wants to teach people entire technology systems, and Ben wants to teach people the smaller pieces of technology? 12:23 Stump Pete! Scott asks, how many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop? Tech Director Chat - Why do Tech Directors Lock Technology Down?

This week’s topic can border a bit on the uncomfortable for some. It addresses the soft skills that Technology professionals are often stereo-typically lacking. Some are born to better understand boxes and wires more so than inter personal communication. Some are taught and strive to better their customer service skills. And some may never play well with others. I hope that I’m not in the latter category. People around me tell me otherwise, so I can only imagine that the near constant attention I give to my outward communication and relationships with others is vital to my role. I hope you enjoy this week’s episode! As an added bonus, you can watch the "Mr. Microphone" commercial that plays halfway through this week’s podcast! As always, you can listen to, download, or subscribe to the podcast with iTunes using this link. The embedded player is below. Android users, the podcast is now on Stitcher as well for easy subscribing and listening! Timestamps for this week’s questions: 0:53 What has Pete been up to today? 2:35 Jonathan asks, what skills are you having to develop to provide a quality service to your district? 4:00 Ben asks, do you think people feel "dumb" about technology, or do stereotypical attitudes of IT professionals makes them feel "dumb?" 6:05 Would you rather have a tech support staff that is highly skilled in repair skills with poor people skills, or great customer service with very little technical skills? 8:50 Rachelle wants to know, why is the answer "no," instead of "no, but….?" 11:16 Jennifer asks, do you know "Mr. Microphone?" 12:50 Nancy wants to know, when and where is your band playing this holiday break? 13:50 Is this podcast done during school hours? 16:11 Stump Pete! 16:54 There’s a machine that was built to lick Tootsie Pops? 18:20 Ben asks, what is the most valuable guitar ever created by Gibson? You can talk about the show or continue the conversations on Twitter using the hashtag #TechDirectorChat or chatting up Ben (@techsavvyed) or Pete (@ppoggione) on Twitter. Tech Director Chat - Do Tech Directors Make Us Feel Dumb?

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all! This is the last Tech Director Chat podcast of 2014, and while I’m looking forward to many more this school year, Pete and I will be taking a break during the two week Winter school break. In truth, I was almost close to not even getting this episode out before Christmas (I was enjoying break a bit too much), but I’m glad I stayed up late last night to get the editing done. This week’s episode has us navel-gazing a bit, as Pete gets to share what his childhood dreams were, and what he hopes his "legacy" will be upon retirement. For my part, I share a few anti-virus resources and apps for iOS that those who are a bit more cautious might want to explore. We get far too long winded with our conversation about expensive guitars, but ultimately we have some good conversations around how Pete would love to see the world of technology work, and how it really works. You can listen to the podcast with the embedded player below, or listen and subscribe using any of the following links; listen directly on ShoutEngine, subscribe via iTunes, listen via Stitcher. Timestamps for this week’s questions: 1:06 What was today like, the last day before break? 3:00 Do you think it’s necessary to run virus protection on an iPhone or iPad? 3:13 Is it possible to run virus protection on an iPhone or iPad? Ben shares Avira Antivirus for iOS, Intego VirusBarrier for iOS, and McAfee Mobile Security. 7:10 Would it be better off if everyone knew how all of their computer devices really worked? 7:41 Ben describes what "ne’er do wells" attempt to do to hack your computer. 8:31 Does Pete really need Ben? 8:47 Will the bond allow the High School to have a laptop cart for every classroom? 10:00 Pete describes the three big areas in which money from the bond will be spent towards technology. 13:53 JW asks, what did you want to be when you were young? 14:31 What is something you would like to accomplish before you retire? 17:02 Stump Pete! 17:27 Last week Ben asked about the most expensive Gibson guitar, did Pete get it right? 20:23 Who played the intro guitar with Eric Clapton on "Layla?" 22:02 Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas! Tech Director Chat - Pete’s Technology Utopia

I use free software, apps, and web tools everyday; they comprise a good portion of my digital toolbox. There are also applications, services, and web apps I use on a daily basis for which I pay. The ratio of free to paid tools is lopsided, with free services comprising most of my "go to" toolset. That’s not necessarily a bad reality, but it’s a shame that more of us in the educational technology community don’t pay for software or services, and immediately seek out the "free" solution. Not only does it dictate the driving force for which apps we seek out (rather than focusing on the efficacy, security, and reliability of the tool), but it also turns users into "those being used" by software developers, and tech moguls. This is not a diatribe meant to berate those who claim "free is good." Free is good, but there are hundreds of thousands of software developers out there toiling away on their products without the nice cushy advertisement revenue of Google. No, I don’t think they’re necessarily being underpaid, or toiling away in their shared co-working spaces without a sense of making the world better from behind their keyboards. This is merely a "New Year’s" call to those power users like myself to step up and help acknowledge some of the amazing products and services that are essential to your everyday work routine. This is a small nod to the developers that still have the audacity to create, publish, and promote paid services that are increasingly looked upon with an attitude that questions "is this model still relevant?" I’ve always purchased my own software whenever possible, or made donations to "Freeware" products that I find valuable on a daily basis, as a means to say thanks to the developers. It also helps remind me of the distinction between services and software of which I am the customer, and services or software in which my data and usage are being sold to the actual customer. Again, I’m not decrying free software or services…I very much like my Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and other free services. I accept the fact that what I create, publish, and share on many platforms is going to be both a help to me and the platform developers’ bottom line when seeking an acquisition or the time to integrate an acceptable revenue generating model to their product. But I still feel the need to make small gestures of gratitude to many services and software developers in an attempt to connect with them as a user. I started just before break with my annual donation to Wikipedia. It wasn’t much, just $5, but it was a way to say "thank you" to Jimmy Wales and his staff for maintaining one of the largest social knowledge experiments on the planet, and making it freely available. I also made another donation of $10 to AdBlock, a browser extension that has made my daily tasks much more bearable without hunting for those annoying auto-play video ads in browser windows. Yes, I know that advertisements make many of the free services I use everyday free, but this post isn’t about my hypocrisy (that would require many postings), it’s about finding ways to say thanks to people that have given time to make my day a little bit better. And for those that might take slight in my post title, I don’t think of anyone as any less of a "user" if you only seek out and use free software. It’s a riff on the old Steve Jobs attributed quote that "real artists ship." It’s fine to use all the free software you want, but at some point, if you really care about the tools you use, you can find a way to pay for it; it doesn’t have to be much, but enough to let someone know you care about what they’ve made, and you hope they continue doing it.

I’m an avid podcast listener. So much so that I took up running a couple of years ago in part to increase the amount of time I have each week to listen guilt free (my wife appreciates that the extra time away from family has helped me shed some pounds too). I’m not alone in my listening. The Verge produced a nice video (embedded below) about the rise of the podcast era. Many media consumers believe we’re approaching a new podcast renaissance. If you missed the first great podcasting wave, don’t worry, it wasn’t too long ago, and it was mostly a bunch of talk-radio format audio. The current wave of podcasting is lyrical, narrative-driven, and addicting in a way that scratches the same itch that binge watching a series on Netflix does. The shows come to you, live comfortably on your devices ready to listen when you are, and often go deeply into a niche subject that other forms of media don’t have the luxury to do; radio, television, and even popular YouTubers are all trying to reach wide audience of millions. Podcasters are comfortable with audiences of thousands, or even hundreds; that means they focus carefully on the content and presenting it in a way that’s engaging. Enter Planet Money, one of National Public Radio’s popular podcasts, regularly ranks among top podcasts on iTunes, and has capitalized on narrative-driven storytelling to break complicated economic topics and theories down into easy to understand concepts through metaphor and real world example. I’ve written about Planet Money before, but in the interest in making it easy to understand just how effective Planet Money is at spinning a yarn, while still educating listeners on economic stories of global importance, below are a few selected episodes that I’ve kept on my phone after listening so I can share with others should the situation arise. Seriously, they’re that good, and I have no compunction with breaking out my phone for a quick listen to share with groups as situations arise. If you’re even tacitly interested in helping students be more engaged with typically dull economic, political, and global issues, you should consider either subscribing to Planet Money, or encouraging your students to do so!   Four of my favorite recent Planet Money Podcasts: Planet Money Episode #573 - Why Textbook Prices Keep Climbing A fascinatingly simple explanation of supply and demand and why textbooks continue to rise in price (seemingly exponentially). An exploration of niche market players dedicated to capitalizing on used textbooks, and gaming the system to "buy low" and "sell high" based on yearly price cycles will make you and your students both envious and upset. Planet Money Episode #381 - Why It’s Illegal to Braid Hair Without a License Think the only powerful political lobbies are energy companies and big business? Think again! Even trade groups representing beauticians and barbers play the lobbying game, effectively freezing out many entrepreneurs from starting their own business. This is a great episode revolving around a refugee’s story in Utah trying to make a living, but meeting political red tape from a powerful health and beauty lobby. Planet Money Episode #578 - Is The NCAA An Illegal Cartel How would you define an industry in which every "business" is controlled by a single governing board, including television broadcast rights, endorsement deals, and ensuring that players aren’t paid? The NCAA might fit that definition in many individual’s eyes. This episode explores both sides of the issue. Planet Money Episode #436 - If Economists Controlled the Border Reforming the immigration system in the United States is a hot button issue. Cultural, racial, and economic realities all add to the headache of trying to enact reform that will have positive impact on the U.S. while still appeasing a diverse set of interest groups. What if the border issues were left to economists, and handled strictly as a financial decision? Three different ideas are explored, including opening up the borders for everyone!   How to Listen to Planet Money Subscribe via iTunes (automagically syncs your subscription across desktop iTunes and your iOS devices) Subscribe via Stitcher (free app that can be installed on iOS or Android devices) Follow their Blog (bonus points for allowing all podcasts to be downloaded directly as audio files from their website)

Last night I was fortunate to host the weekly #michED Twitter Chat. It’s a weekly chat that pulls together educators from around the state (and beyond) to share, discuss, and collaborate on a host of issues facing educators. I happen to think it’s the best darn state-level Twitter chat out there, but I’m a bit biased The topic last night was "Student Video Projects," and I used the Vine above to get things started. There are many issues surrounding video projects; the obstacles we face getting started with video, how to assess videos from both a technical and pedagogical standpoint, and providing rationale for including video as a part of what we do in our instructional settings. There were plenty of questions swirling around those central topics, and given the nature of the topic I thought I’d have some fun with them. So I created Vines for each question to give them a bit of depth beyond the digital text; that and I can’t pass up an opportunity to give my kids time in front of the camera; they’re hams….a bit like me. Below are six essential questions that I feel every educator should ask before starting a video project with students; the answers will help you provide a better experience for you and your students, rooted in both standards and content, while still providing an engaging hook for students, and identifying potential roadblocks early. Are there more than just these 6 questions that need to be answered? YES! This is just a jumping off point, to get ideas percolating. Digging through the archive of last night’s #michED Twitter Chat might be a good starting point as well, since a lot of educators shared some interesting tips last night!  Question #1: Video can be fun! But that’s not always enough. What rationale do you use for video projects? Question #2: What’s the single biggest obstacle you’ve experienced in doing video projects with students? Question #3: What limitations and/or guidelines should students have while working on a video project? Question #4: Where do you get inspiration for video projects with students?  Question #5: What strategies or resources can be used for assessing student created video? Question #6: Visual literacy is becoming as important as traditional literacy. How do elements of reading and writing transfer to video?

Huzzah, it’s 2015 and we have the first Tech Director Chat of the year ready for your listening enjoyment…..or derision, whatever the case may be. With so much time off thanks to the holiday break and plenty of snow days, Pete and I are ready to get back into our regular rhythm of weekly conversations. This week was an interesting one, as Pete (my school district’s Tech Director) has embarked on an ambitious project; he’s trying to have a conversation with every teacher in the district about the direction of technology in our schools. Every….single….teacher. He’s chatting with them in small groups to make things easier, but it’s still going to be a long process. I’m not sitting in on them as another voice would only slow the conversations down, and get in the way of the teachers sharing as much as they can in the short amount of time Pete has with each one (about 30-40 minutes per group). However, I’m curious if there are any teachers out there that might want to have parts of those conversations recorded and shared on the podcast as I’d love to have teacher perspective shared more widely. Yes, yes, I was a teacher, but someone in the classroom currently would be much more valuable to weigh in on some of the questions we wrestle with about technology on a regular basis. If you’re in the district….or outside of it, and want to offer your two cents, let me know! You can listen to the podcast with the embedded player below, or listen and subscribe using any of the following links; listen directly on ShoutEngine, subscribe via iTunes, listen via Stitcher. Timestamps for this week’s questions: 0:49 What has Pete been up to today? 1:15 What sort of things does Pete "catch up" on? 1:30 What sort of meetings does Pete miss? 2:37 Pete is having conversations about technology past, present, and future with teachers across the district. How does he narrow that down to just 40 minutes? 4:20 Question for the audience! Would you like to be a part of one of our conversations? 4:50 Phu asks, what is the difference in cost between a MacBook cart and iPad cart? 7:32 Nancy asks, for the non-tech oriented staff members, what can we do to keep our computers running well? 9:00 So what are simple things to do on a regular basis to keep your computer running well? 11:15 JW asks, what has been the most interesting thing you’ve learned from having small conversations with teachers around the district? 14:31 Todd from Twitter wants to know why a Tech Director might decline donations or just settle on one platform? 18:40 Stump Pete! 20:00 Which Mattawan teacher was in Baltimore the night Al Kaline got his 3000th hit? Tech Director Chat - Let’s Talk with Teachers

Google Chrome is the current browser "hotness." Besides being THE operating system for Google’s Chromebooks, as of December 2014 W3Schools reports that it currently enjoys almost a 62% market share of the web browser market. It’s here, in a big way. There’s just one small issue with that market share; the platforms it’s designed to run on don’t always play nicely with it, or rather it doesn’t play nicely with Windows and Mac OSX as often as I would like. Chrome likes to cache everything! Like a good web browser it saves images, files, and creates local caches of all the favorite places you like to browse on your hard drive. That’s a good thing! In fact, a web cache can dramatically increase your browsing speed. However, when a web cache becomes too large, it can slow down any browser, cause issues with crashing, and introduce other issues to the "user experience" (that’s a thing marketing people say, yes?). Normally you’d want to keep your browser cache intact, but there are times when you need to just be rid of it, and let it start anew. Sure, you can also perform a number of others techie/geeky tasks, but clearing your browser’s cache is usually the easiest of them. Some might suggest that you NEVER clear your browser’s cache, but I’ve found that Chrome is a unique beast, encouraging users to login to multiple Google Accounts, have 3 or more windows running with different local user accounts creating caches from possibly dozens of open websites. You can check out my simple screencast for clearing your Google Chrome browser cache on YouTube or embedded below.

Disclaimer: If you’re a science teacher, you won’t want to read this post, or watch the video…..honestly, you’ll cringe. In the following video, I directly imply that ice has no friction. There, I’ve said it, and I’m not happy about it, but it’s done. Now, for everyone else; I had an ice day! Huzzah! I took to my driveway this morning to enjoy the sheet of ice that had covered the entire drive, and road, and most of the town. It was a "low friction" wonderland, and I captured my antics on camera to share with others. As I was sliding, waving like an idiot to my neighbors who surely thought I was attempting to injure myself, I thought about creating a video story problem; I hemmed and hawed about the incredibly low coefficient of friction that allowed me to glide shuffle down the driveway, and how someone might calculate it, but that didn’t seem exciting enough. I wanted to ask questions about the angle of the driveway, and my acceleration, but again, it felt a bit forced. So I created a simple video writing prompt instead; imagine a world in which there is no friction. Create a short story, video, or perhaps even challenge your students on a class blog, where students can publish their thoughts and share with others. Jason Osborn got me thinking about video story prompts as he’s been exploring the Write About site with his students, and I’ve always looked for a way to turn the video story problem concept into something a bit more universal. Video writing prompts aren’t anything new, as a quick Google search proves, and I’m more than willing to be "late to the party," because it’s a heck of a fun party to be at! P.S. Apparently, the video writing prompt party is one I’ve already visited at least once….I completely forgot!

I try to answer questions about technology in education as directly as possible. That can be a challenge, as often some of the issues surrounding technology decision making are affected by a number of issues; bandwidth available to a school district, local culture regarding social media, parental awareness of technology use for learning, and the list continues. It’s easy to make decisions based on our own individual or classroom realities; it’s another think entirely when you consider the realities of dozens of classrooms across a building or school district. That having been said, I will stand my ground that all K-12 schools that have Google Apps for Education accounts should seriously consider creating just #OneDomain for their staff and students; the explosive uptake in collaboration, communication, and creativity that having all learners in the same "digital space" provides will greatly overshadow concerns and possibilities that often drive school districts to create two separate domains. As always, my opinions are up for debate, but I hope that you’ll enjoy much more than just Google issues to discuss in this week’s Tech Director Chat! Click here to listen to this week’s Tech Director Chat (or listen below) Click here to subscribe via iTunes (Mac and iOS) Click here to subscribe via Stitcher (Android and iOS) Time stamps for this week’s questions: :58 What has Pete been up to? 3:45 Wait, so we don’t have more laptops and devices coming from the bond? 6:14 Jason asks, what importance does Pete see in keyboarding skills? 8:00 So Pete isn’t the type of guys that read instructions? 10:30 Steve asks, why do some school districts separate Staff Google Accounts from Student Google Accounts? 12:15 Why do Tech Directors want to separate staff systems and student systems? 17:55 Mr Wolski wants to know, should Google Hangouts be open for student Google Accounts so they can video chat with experts outside of the school? 22:05 Stump Pete! 23:15 What was Pete’s first computer? Tech Director Chat - Fellowship of the Gmail

Up until now, most of what my Tech Director (Pete) and I have discussed during our weekly chats pertains to our school district. We’ve been fortunate to have active enough listeners elsewhere on the web to receive a steady stream of more generic technology questions, but we usually address issues that affect our school district. This last week we were fortunate enough to have a visit from the Michigan Department of Education; they were seeking input on our state’s Technology Readiness Infrastructure Grant (TRiG), a program designed to help better prepare Michigan schools for the digital testing environments coming down the pike. Professional Development, access to survey tools, and a pot of "reimbursement money" for approved device purchases are all part of the program, and it was a good sign that representatives from it have been out seeking input about the program. There’s been some good about the program, and some areas that need improvement (what large program doesn’t have that), so I’m glad to know that someone is paying attention to even us "little guys" that are a part of it. The rest of the podcast is a hodge podge of technical questions and we briefly touch upon the notion that Curriculum Directors may benefit from being the "go to" person when it comes to technology; not necessarily the tech support, but the driving force for integrated and purposeful blended learning in a school district. It was a fascinating topic that I’d love to come back to with a room full of educators….perhaps at MACUL or some other gathering. I find the more conversations I have on the "tech" side of education, the more I want to have them on the "educational" side as well. If I can continue to produce this show, which has become a rather easy process now that I’ve created an audio template for it, I may add on another one for next year that allows me to explore a lot of educational thoughts that I typically don’t share here on my blog. Here’s to hoping I can survive every project I have going to make it to next year! Click here to listen to this week’s Tech Director Chat (or listen below) Click here to subscribe via iTunes (Mac and iOS) Click here to subscribe via Stitcher (Android and iOS) Timestamps for this week’s questions: 1:13 What has Pete been up to today? 3:01 Someone from the state Department of Education came calling? 3:43 So what is TRiG, and why is it important to Michigan schools? 6:23 Do you see teachers getting more admin rights for technology, or control shifting to a centralized location? 8:08 People can wipe out their hard drives? 9:00 Matt wants to know, what can I do to my laptop to avoid the "spinning wheel" when switching between apps and websites? 9:35 Pete gives us an analogy, Ben thinks his is better. 13:56 When it comes to graphics cards, Nvidia or AMD? 15:21 Bob wants to know, do you see Curriculum Directors evolving into the "go to" technology people with Blended Learning becoming vital to the classroom? 18:23 Stump Pete! 19:15 Matt wants to know, what’s unique about the drummer from Def Leppard? Tech Director Chat - The State Comes Calling

Cards Against Humanity is irreverent, fowl, absurdist, and generally raucous. So why would you want to use it in the classroom? You wouldn’t! But the formula that the game follows is a brilliant mixture of both structure and player agency, a formula that works well in the classroom. Many successful veteran teachers create spaces in which students are free to work with materials, ideas, and learning processes towards a common learning goal. Learning centers at the elementary level, project groups throughout K-12, and problem or challenge-based learning allows for students to tackle common learning tasks through a variety of methods. Much the same can be said for Cards Against Humanity, or the more education-friendly Apples to Apples. In both games, there’s a shared goal by all players to complete a phrase by matching the dealer’s card to a card in their hand. Everyone has a unique set of cards in their hand, and thus the phrases can vary wildly from humorous to grotesque, depending on the preference of the player. That sort of "controlled chaos" is appealing to learners, and teachers, that appreciate the journey as much as the destination. We all value getting to the same place (winning the game, achieving the learning target), but there are many paths to take in getting there. That’s why I was excited to find the Cards Against Humanity Custom Card Generator. You can create your own phrase matching game based on just about anything! Have your students practice creating goofy gerund phrases (Mad Libs style), or attempt to draw connections between the modern world and antiquity by answering questions about famous events in history with modern day happenings that arose under similar circumstances (parallels between the Great Depression and the Great Recession). The sky’s the limit when it comes to what sort of fun you can have, especially if you turn the card creation over to your students, and let them invent their own learning games based on the popular "phrase completion" formula. These questions were particularly popular at a playtest last weekend at the Nova Now conference in Grand Rapids, MI. Oh, and for those that are curious, I decided to create my own version called "Keynotes for Humanity". It’s a funny, slightly silly and irreverent (completely safe for school) version that lets teachers make light of overly complicated conference session titles and keynote talks that are more bluster than substance. I created the questions using the Education Jargon Generator, and then modifying the card templates produced by the Cards Against Humanity Custom Card Generator with Preview on my Mac, I was able to produce and print out my own cards. The Cards Against Humanity folks are nice enough to publish blank answer cards, and have offered their entire game under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic License (that means you can repurpose and remix the game to create your own as long as you aren’t selling it!). If you don’t want to use the Teachers Pay Teachers link above to download the entire game, you can download it directly below as a PDF. I highly recommend printing it at a Fedex Office store on 80 lbs. card stock. You can print the questions and 20 copies of blank answer cards for less than $5.00. Keynotes for Humanity (PDF)

It’s no secret that I have a very high-minded approach about how educators who blog should conduct themselves; blogging is a reflective practice that allows the world small windows into our lives. If we open the curtains a bit, we can encourage others to learn from what we’ve observed, share experiences and resources, and create communities in which discourse and disagreement can live happily (relatively speaking) alongside positive cheer-leading. If we’re inviting the world to peer into our lives, we as educators need to understand, and find ways to appreciate, that we don’t all have the same methods, thoughts, and attitudes when it comes to working in a professional environment. Push back is a good thing; stepping back from back-patting to ask difficult questions (in respectful ways) is a good thing; it brings out the reality that learning (and growing) is an active, messy struggle. It emphasizes the reality that great things can come from people who disagree, but can find meaningful ways to work together. That conversation deserves to be public. I’ve discovered that my single-mindedness comes at a considerable professional cost in the new media landscape of "InstaTwitterVine." The questions I ask myself, and the push back that I offer to those in public spheres cause others to question the value of my disagreement, or worse yet, will cause people to blindly ignore the critique, and respond only in a negative light. My goal is not to denigrate, but to better understand why we share with the world, and the value of our thoughts. We all share for different reasons, and how we share matters immensely. To accept the prevailing wisdom that "we share to improve the lives of learners" is poetically pleasing, but can be trite, overused, and hides the unintended consequences and motivations of why we share. I don’t intend for this to be a post devoted to overwrought navel gazing, so I’ll get right to the point: I share resources that I’ve created and researched for the staff I support in my school district. I share curiosities and creations that give me pause, and force me to rethink my world view. I share because I know I’m better when I work with others. I share because I often have much more to learn from those who disagree with my thoughts, than I do from those who agree with me. Why do you share? There are NO wrong answers, and if we disagree about why we should share, that’s a point to celebrate! The art of handling professional disagreement is not something many educators are prepared for, but would be better off being equipped to tackle. The diversity we have as a greater educational community, and the conversation it invites is a strength, not a weakness to avoid. Our discordant thoughts are not a reason to shrink back in the face of opposition, or to discount someone else’s thoughts as trivial. Those ARE the wrong answers, if there are any at all.

The single most uttered phrase in education is most likely "it’s all about the kids!" That’s a great sentiment, but the reality is that it’s not. It’s about funding, it’s about accountability, it’s about grown up adult fears and anxiety over making poor decisions and throwing thousands of dollars away while chasing some educational pipe dream. When it comes to technology, and its role in education, the situation is no different. Everyone has an opinion on how technology should be used, and the reality is not one that many teachers would like to hear; implementing, supporting, and maintaining a wide variety of devices and technologies is not something most school districts have the resources and expertise to handle. This week’s episode of Tech Director Chat covers that, as well as whether content specific technology could be an actual thing; the jury is likely still out on that one, but it’s an interesting conversation to have. Click here to listen to this week’s Tech Director Chat (or listen below) Click here to subscribe via iTunes (Mac and iOS) Click here to subscribe via Stitcher (Android and iOS) Timestamps for this week’s questions: 0:50 What has Pete been up to today? 1:30 Pete shares some of the conversations he’s having with teachers. 1:50 Why don’t we outfit classrooms with technology based on the content taught within it? 4:30 Is the way we’ve been doing technology in education even relevant anymore? 5:30 How do we engage the tech staff to bridge gaps between teachers and the tech department? 7:14 We were on track to have Yosemite ready to go, what happened? 11:00 What about Chromebooks? 16:15 If you were a student in High School right now, what would frustrate you the most? 18:28 Stump Pete! 19:30 Who invented the mouse? Tech Director Chat - What About Chromebooks?

How do you take the time to slow down, and catch your breath in the middle of a busy school year? Do you carve out your own "creative time?" Do you blog? Do you relax by the fire with a mug of something warm and a good book? Do you follow a sports team religiously? Do you take time to play outside with your kids every day? I create short digital vignettes. Small moments of life captured through images and videos that often don’t have much value to others, but bring me a sense of calm. I have DS106 to thank for that. Recently, I’ve been using the slow motion capture on my phone a lot (yes, cheesy, pedantic and literal of me, I know). It forces me to step back and try to find something peaceful, calm, and serene to focus on for a few moments each day. I don’t post many of them, but today I felt compelled to post my snow shoevelling in response to John Spencer’s recent post. Thank you, John.