Earlier this year, I was introduced to the idea of using GoogleSlides as a page layout, newsletter publishing tool (see examples here, as well as these). You can watch a short video by Kern on this; Wanda Terrell is who introduced me to the idea). One question that came to mind, however, was how to insert an existing Slides creation into another as an embedded object.  Think "picture in a picture" or "slideshow on a Slides page."Question: How can you embed another GoogleSlide slideshow within an existing Slideshow, not as full-size slides inserted into presentation but embedded into the page? Here are 2 workflows that get around embedding a Google Slides into an existing Slides slide; I'm looking for something that doesn't involve an external site:Video Approach1) Export Slides as PNG images2) Import PNG images into WeVideo.com3) Export the whole thing as a video4) Upload to YouTube5) Embed into a Google Slides newsletter.Animated GIF Approach1) Export Slides as PNG Images2) Import PNG images into http://gifmaker.me and create animated GIF OR video (adjust milliseconds)3) Export animated GIF created (if you created a video in step #2, you'll have to put it up via YouTube)4) Import animated GIF into Google Slides newsletterEverything posted on Miguel Guhlin's blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure

Source: http://goo.gl/Zl0YGnOver at Assorted Stuff, Tim the Retiree (congrats, BTW! Try not to keel over in a month or so from the shock of not being employed) shares this perspective:In his post yesterday, Doug says he is advocating in his district to give a computing device to all students in grades 6-12. But he refuses to call it a 1:1 program.Instead of emphasizing the device (which that name certainly does), he wants everyone to understand that the primary purpose of whatever is selected is to enable students to have 24/7 access to digital resources.Today, I found myself reaching for a term to describe "1 to 1." While many districts are a long way away from implementing a successful 1 to 1, mainly because the teachers themselves aren't at the top level of the classroom learning activity rubric--let's be honest, you'd have to be super-human, right?--and dropping tech into the mix would just make the bad, worse,  it's a horizon goal. . .that is, a goal that is worthy of aspiring to (aspirational edtech...oh wait, we've been doing that all along!).Wait, let me circle back to that idea of tech making bad, worse. I remember that I was a teacher who wanted to get better, and blending technology into instruction made me get better. I learned so much learning how to use technology with my students--cooperative learning, collaboration, learning at a distance, multimedia, hyperlinking, H.E.A.T., focus on HOTS over LOTS, problem-based learning, project-based learning, information problem solving a la Big6/Super3--that I became a better teacher.We may not call it 1 to 1, but we do need to drop it into classrooms, and give teachers bereft of hope something to aspire to. In fact, as Tim points out, students need to be a part of that conversation, too.Everything posted on Miguel Guhlin's blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure

Source: http://goo.gl/IfAPxbListening and watching a webinar on content filtering software recently, I had to laugh at how much has changed in the last few years. A few years ago, many--myself among them--were complaining that school districts blocked and censored the internet too much. Simply, the content filtering prevented access to critical learning resources that should be unblocked.  Then, the spectacular debacle when a filtering vendor treated students as agents of evil to be defended against. A short time later it seems, we were complaining that content filtering needed to be a community/digital citizenship decision, not a "network nazi" decision.  Rather than technology being used to control human behavior, we developed a community ethic that moved away from inappropriate use to responsible use (and now, others are advocating another evolution).I chuckled as I watched the content filtering webinar--most of the features would go un-used. That's good, right? After all, you may own a weapon, but the most satisfying aspect is that you never have to use it...I don't filter or censor you because we can have an open conversation about what is happening. Of course, it's ironic that as this is happening in schools, other cultures are having problems about openness and transparency.Not too long ago a school district near me systematically blocked any Web sites that dealt with homosexuality. It was only after the ACLU became involved that the school district backed down in a very public display of contrition which included having to pay the ACLU attorney fees, unblocking non-sexual pro-LGBT sites and reporting regularly about blocked Web sites to an outside party.In both of the examples above, could the issues have been resolved had there been a collaboratively developed and board approved selection policy in place with a procedure for the reconsideration of Web sites? Of course we know that even with policies in place, a common problem with censorship challenges is that administrators don’t follow their own policies, but even so, having a policy is an important step.Floyd Pentlin, "Banned Web Sites: Are Your Policies Up-to-Date", Knowledge Quest, Septemeber 8, 2015 as cited by Doug "Blue Skunk" JohnsonI'm happy to report that some of us, because I'm quite sensitive to the fact that others have not, have arrived at our happy state. Let me tell you, as I look back, I'm pleased to report that all the bad things that we were afraid would happen, did not.Does that mean that bad things won't happen? No...only that we're prepared to free the hard-boiled egg from the shell of experience and add some seasoning.Source: http://goo.gl/M9j5U0Everything posted on Miguel Guhlin's blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure

Note: I previously published this article via the Big6 web site a few years ago. I'm sharing it again here since info-problem-solving strategies for students and teachers in schools remains an elusive goal.http://goo.gl/Si2egqThe communities of Santa Teresa, New Mexico and El Paso, Texas have something in common÷both communities are monitored by the U. S. Border Patrol, but not in the way that many illegal aliens have come to expect their attention. The U. S. Border Patrol has set up outreach centers to bring about goodwill and provide teenagers with the opportunity to explore career possibilities. For the legal citizens of these communities, this is a wonderful initiative. For the undocumented aliens, parents of teenagers coming face to face with the U. S. Border Patrol in school, it's a nightmare.Illegal immigrants fear that the U. S. Border Patrol may try to identify children of illegals, and then use this information to locate and prosecute the parents. Despite the U. S. Border Patrol's protests that this will not happen, the relationship between parents and school officials is tenuous. How will parents who are illegal immigrants attend school meetings if they fear encountering deportation officials? While the stakeholders of these border communities probably have not heard of ill-structured problems, they are certainly in the middle of one.Ill-structured problems like this one are messy by nature. They are like the real-life situations students can expect to encounter when they leave school, and they can be great learning opportunities as a form of problem-based learning. Problem-based learning (PBL) uses real-life problems modeled after a contemporary or historical case to engage students as they pursue specified learning outcomes that are in line with academic standards or course objectives (Stepien & Pyke, 1997). Students work through the problem as a stakeholder. The teacher acts as a guide or advisor as students explore the issues involved, formulate questions, conduct research, and consider possible solutions to the problems.Since most problems spring from a lack of information, problem-based learning makes an ideal tool to use and reinforce the Big6 Skills. The Big6 approach to information-problem solving provides a framework for students to find, organize, and present the information that they need to solve-real life problems. This accomplishes two goals÷to help them complete their assignment efficiently and successfully, and to remind them that they must be information processors in their life beyond school. Combined with graphic organizers, the Big6 becomes a powerful tool to help students work through the U. S. Border Patrol scenario.Using graphic organizers with the Big6 process can help students build their own knowledge and reflect on how new information links to their mental framework, or schema, of the world. This is important because, according to Buzan (1996), the human brain works primarily with key concepts in an interlinked and integrated manner. For each step in the Big6, there is at least one graphic organizer that helps students integrate new information with information that they already know (see Table 1).Table 1. Matching Each Big6úSkill with a Graphic Organizer ToolTable 1BIG6 SkillGraphic OrganizerTask Definition 1.1 Define the problem 1.2 Identify information neededChain of events: Use to plan out problem-solving process.//Fishbone Mapping:// Use to identify problem causes and interrelationships between them as they relate to the problem.//Cycle:// Use to show interactions between events.//Spider Map:// Use to explore a topic and identify main ideas and details.//Problem/Solution:// Use to identify a problem and consider multiple solutions and possible results. ||Information Seeking Strategies 2.1 Determine all possible sources 2.2 Select the best sourceClustering: Use to generate ideas about possible sources of information.//Compare/Contrast:// Use to compare/contrast information sources. ||Location & Access 3.1 Locate sources 3.2 Find information within sources//Spider Map:// Use to determine key words for searching.//Clustering:// Use to generate ideas and key words. ||Use of Information 4.1 Engage information in sources 4.2 Extract relevant information//Continuum:// Use to develop timelines, rating scales or show historical progression.//Compare/Contrast:// Use to compare/contrast information sources.//Venn Diagram:// Use to identify similarities/differences. ||Synthesis 5.1 Organize information from multiple sources 5.2 Present the result//Clustering:// Use to pull together ideas organizing a product (project, presentation, or paper).//Compare/Contrast:// Use to organize compare/contrast information.//Problem/Solution:// Use to articulate problem and consider multiple solutions and possible results.//Storyboard:// Use to map out presentation or Web page. ||Evaluation 6.1 Judge the result 6.2 Judge the processInteraction Outline: Use to judge the problem-solving process, and the interactions between team members. ||Problem-based learning is a valuable tool for students of many levels. However, the task of designing a problem-based learning lesson can be daunting÷the problems are large and messy, and it can be a challenge to know where to start. The following Big6-related five actions can help you keep your problem-based learning lesson under control and moving along.Action 1 - Select a Problem and Brainstorm an Idea to Explore Its Potential (Task Definition)According to Stepien and Pyke (1997), a problem-based learning situation must meet several criteria. The situation must provide an effective way of engaging students with experiences that scaffold higher order thinking. The situation should also accomplish curriculum objectives and include age-appropriate topics. Further, the learning situation should take the form of an ill-structured problem to foster inquiry at a level that is cognitively engaging but not frustrating. Lastly, the situation should make efficient use of instructional time allotted to the unit.When selecting a problem, the teacher can either look through academic standards and objectives for a dilemma, or search news stories for a problem that will allow the introduction of academic standards. In examining the problem, the teacher can use a brainstorming map to explore the content that students may encounter as they go about examining the issue and suggesting possible resolutions.Brainstorming with some form of visual aid (e.g, spider map, clustering, fishbone mapping) can be an important tool for teachers to consider the breadth of the issue and to include cross-curricular connections. For example, in the past, the author worked with a sixth grade social studies teacher who was asking the class to examine the core dilemma involved in dropping the atom bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. By focusing only on activities to teach history, the sixth grade teacher missed the big question, "Should we have dropped the bomb?" and possible explorations through the stakeholders' points of view (for example, President Truman, U. S. Air Force Pilot, residents of Hiroshima, etc.).Action 2 - Engage Students in a Real-Life Problem (Task Definition)This action builds a blueprint for inquiry and the investigation process to follow. As the teacher, you identify key curriculum goals and work forward from those to pose an engaging introduction that reflects a real world, ill-structured problem.As in real-life, students must use the inquiry process and reasoning to solve the problem. The narrative that introduces students to the real-life problem is the key to a successful problem-based learning lesson. You can find sample narratives at: http://www.esc20.k12.tx.us/cut/ The Curriculum Using Technology (CUT) Institute Materials web page.Action 3 - Focus Inquiry and Investigation (Task Definition to Information Seeking Strategy, Location & Access and Use of Information)Once students are engaged in the problem, they begin to write down their hunches about it and identify with a stakeholder. Following this, they can begin the process of locating, gathering and using sources of information using the Big6. Inquiry and investigation builds a basis for students to design a solution product.Action 4 - Support Problem Resolution (Synthesis)As students work their way through the different points of view according to the stakeholder position they have taken, it is important that they share information with each other. One way to do this is to encourage students to suggest a solution to the problem that considers the various points of view of all stakeholders. The teacher will want to facilitate a discussion to determine how students will share information to arrive at such a solution.Action 5 - Facilitate Problem Debriefing (Evaluation)After solving the problem, a key piece of problem-based learning is to debrief students. The debriefing step asks students to consider what steps they took to solve the problem and to determine the effectiveness of their reasoning. In addition, students reflect on whether or not they believe their solution will address the causes that were identified in Task Definition. For example, students can look at the criteria identified in Task Definition and ask themselves, "Did I find research from multiple sources?" and "Did I spend my time well in gathering and using information from various sources?" The role of the teacher is to help students focus on metacognition and to review issues inherent in the problem (Gallagher, 2000).An Example: On the BorderThis article began with a presentation of a problem that exists on the border of the United States and Mexico. Here's how the author used this situation to develop a problem-based learning (PBL) lesson called "On the Border," which reinforces essential Big6 information problem-solving skills.Don't forget that preparing curriculum is an information exercise for the teacher, just as the lesson itself presents an information problem for the student. Since lessons based on real-life problems are broad and information-rich, Task Definition is a particularly important step for the teacher.A particularly useful Task Definition exercise for lesson planning is the articulation of curriculum objectives and learning outcomes. When developing the On the Border lesson, the author identified four curriculum objectives:Students will:Examine how history, culture, and geography influence a person's perception toward a particular issue.Construct an understanding of the various stakeholder points of view by immersing themselves in the role of individuals who live there.Research, analyze, and synthesize how the historical, geographical and cultural implications have influenced the views of various groups of people found on the border between the U. S. and Mexico.Apply what they have learned concerning differing points of view, and technology, to create a multimedia presentation to the class.Once the teacher has defined the desired learning outcomes for the lesson, the next step is to consider possible issues associated with the central problem. This will help the teacher to identify and anticipate ways that students may potentially approach the problem. In developing the On the Border lesson, the teacher used a brainstorming map (http://www.geocities.com/mguhlin/writings/ontheborder.jpg) to examine the issues connected with this particular ill-structured problem. The brainstorming map identifies possible stakeholders, issues arising from the influx of undocumented workers, the deaths of border patrol agents, the culture clash between Mexico and the United States, the impact of free trade policies the federal government has enacted and much more. Of course, as any experienced teacher knows, there is no way to anticipate everything the class will come up with-expect to be dazzled by your students' insight and creativity!While Task Definition deals with the problem at hand, it also asks you to define the type of information needed. For the teacher, this means considering what he or she expects for the final product of the lesson. The author determined that as students progress through the lesson, they would build a portfolio for assessment. Each assessment task pinpoints specific learning objectives. An overview of the assessments for this lesson include:Student Product Objectives (I=Individual Product; G=Group Product):Fishbone map of the causes and effects. (I)Cluster map of stakeholder questions. (I)Comparison/Contrast chart on information sources. (I)Spider Map that identifies stakeholder question responses. (I)Problem/solution map that reflects all stakeholders' information. (G)Venn Diagram with different points of view. (G)Multimedia Presentation (G) assessed using the Multimedia Presentation rubric.Peer Evaluation (G) assessed using the Peer Evaluation rubric.Engage Students in a Real-life Problem (Task Definition)Once the teacher has gone through his or her own Big6 process to plan the PBL lesson, it is time to present the lesson to the students and prepare them to engage in their own information problem-solving process to complete the lesson successfully. First, it is important to help the class understand the importance of the problem. Role playing is one way for the students to become actively involved in the problem. The student must say, "My mother is an illegal alien. How do I feel about the U. S. Border Patrol in school?" or perhaps, "As the U.S. Border Patrol Agent in charge of setting up the outreach centers, how can I reassure these children that I am not here on official business in order to hunt their parents?"The teacher can use the Big6 and graphic organizers to help students identify with a particular group. Following is an excerpt from the lesson, where students use graphic organizers to help them begin to define the task of their particular stakeholder group.Big6 #1: Task Definition1.1 Define the information problem: The U.S. Border Patrol has created several outreach programs to provide teenagers the opportunity to explore career possibilities. With these programs, the Border Patrol hopes to improve its relationship with residents in El Paso and Southern New Mexico. One particular initiative in Santa Teresa, New Mexico seems to be doing just the opposite. As you listen to the National Public Radio (NPR) broadcast, do the following:Create a fishbone map of the situation.Identify the stakeholders involved with each cause and identify who is impacted in the result.Select a stakeholder that you would like to know more about.1.2 Define the information needed to solve the problem: After selecting the stakeholder you would like to know more about, ask yourself as many questions as you can about the point of view you will represent. Use Inspiration software to create a cluster map of these questions. Develop specific questions about your point of view to which you do not yet know the answer.Big6 # 2, 3, 4: Focus Inquiry and Investigation (Task Definition to Information Seeking Strategy, Location & Access and Use of Information)2.1 Brainstorm possible sources of information: After you have done a Web search on your topic, organize the possible sources in a chart, like the one below. Use the chart to compare and contrast sources of information and to gather information for the questions you've written. Be sure to use citation guidelines for any information you find.2.2 Selecting the best sources: Look at your chart and decide which sources you will use to respond to your questions.Big6 #5 - Support Problem Resolution (Synthesis)5.1 Organize information from multiple sources: Once again, a graphic organizer can help with this task. Create a spider map that deals with your stakeholder questions and summarizes the information you have found to answer your questions. This will ensure that you include all of the important information that you have collected, and will help to illustrate the relationships between ideas. Next, develop a problem/solution map to show solutions from your point of view, what you think the results will be, and how these results will affect the overall situation. This is where the point of view of the stakeholder is particularly important÷keep in mind what your group will think is a good idea, and what solutions the members of the group would be opposed to. Finally, share your information with your team (the other stakeholders) and then create a Venn diagram to show how the different points of view are similar and different. This will give you the information that you need to develop a problem/solution map that includes the ideas of all members of your group.5.2 Present the information: Now that you have analyzed the results of your research, develop a multimedia presentation. Using eight slides, address the major points of your group's problem/solution map, such as:Title of your presentation and list of Group MembersWhat's the problem?Why is this a problem?Who are the stakeholders?What are some of the attempted solutions and their results? (use a different slide for each solution and result).What do you see as the end result of these problems/solutions?List your references.Reflect on your success as a group.Big6 #6 - Facilitate Problem Debriefing (Evaluation)Since students worked both individually and as a group for this project, it is important that they evaluate their individual work as well as their team work.6.2 Judge the process (Individual): Use the following checklist to judge your information gathering process.What I created to finish the assignment is appropriate for what I was supposed do in Big6 #1.The information I found in Big6 #4 matches the information needed in Big6 #1.I have given credit to my sources and have used a standard citation format.My work complies with copyright laws and fair use guidelines.My work is neat.My work is complete and includes heading information (name, date, etc.).I would be proud for anyone to view this work.Judge the Process (Group): Use the following checklist to judge your group's information gathering process.The group received a high score on the multimedia presentation rubric.We have given credit to our sources and have used a standard citation format.The group's work complies with copyright laws and fair use guidelines.The group received a high score on the peer evaluation rubric.Our work includes the components outlined in Big6 #5.We would be proud for anyone to view this work.ConclusionUsing graphic organizers with the Big6 information problem-solving model provides students with essential tools to participate in problem-based learning. Graphic organizers give students maps they can use to locate, gather, organize, and synthesize information from a variety of resources. Then, students can put that knowledge to use in developing possible solutions for real-life, messy problems. The process of growing up isn't easy . . . it requires us to work through problems, running into barriers as we gather information and trying to reconcile new information to what we already know. That's why information problem-solving processes, such as the Big6, are important; they allow us to externalize the process we go through. By making the process external, we can begin to approach the situation, not only as stakeholders willing to fight for our beliefs, but also as people who can recognize and reconcile different points of view.ReferencesGuhlin, M. (1999). Five steps to Big6ú problem-based learning lessons using graphic organizers. [Online]. Available:http://www.geocities.com/mguhlinFreeman, G. (1999). The graphic organizer. [Online]. Available: http://www.graphic.org/ (current September 8, 1999)Gallagher, S. A., & Stepien, W. (January, 2000). Problem-based learning: Blueprint for bringing curriculum reform to the classroom. Workshop presented at the ASCD Professional Development Conference, San Antonio, Texas.Stepien, W., & Pyke, S. L. (Summer, 1997). Designing problem-based learning units. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 20(4), 380-400.On the Border LessonBrower, D. (no date). Border patrol outreach programs. [Online].Everything posted on Miguel Guhlin's blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure

Note: This article originally appeared in Volume E5, Issue 1 of the Big6 eNewsletter.Source: http://goo.gl/rTa6oP"Most professional development is so boring," shared an administrator. "When I wake up in the morning, I jump out of bed and I can’t wait to get to work. I love solving problems, wrestling with the issues. But, if I have to attend a principals meeting, go to professional development session at Central Office, I can barely drag myself up out of bed and I tap the snooze button at least twice before getting up."If you have worked in K-12 education, then you have been subjected to this type of energy-sapping professional development. During a workshop, Jennifer Green, a middle school principal, confesses, "I can’t wait for my mobile phone to ring. And, if they don’t call me, I call them as I walk out pretending that I’ve received an all-important rescue-us 911 call from my campus." At the end of the workshop session, teachers and administrators stagger out the door. Even technology facilitators are finding that, as familiarity with technology grows, it is not enough — if it ever was — to put administrators on the computer to produce some multimedia product.Read the Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) and No Child Left Behind legislation, and it is evident that students are expected to become critical thinkers, familiar with information problem-solving. For some districts, the process that students should follow is pre-selected (e.g., Big6) or left up to individual teachers. But this process never finds it way from the classroom to the office of the person who needs information problem-solving processes the most — the campus administrator.A Process of RevitalizationBig6-enhanced professional development sessions can revitalize not only the adult learners that are required to attend them, but also those who deliver them. Big6 is a transformational approach that revitalizes the design of professional development, requiring the facilitator to shift roles. Shift roles from a know-it-all trainer smug in her knowledge of the content, impatient for her audience to see the light, to explorer and map-maker.Like a child playing an online action game, principals roll from problem to problem, guns blazing, with little time for reflection. This can create a major challenge for a person tasked with delivering training to administrators and helping them re-think the way they approach everyday information problems. Use these 5 Big6-related actions to transform principals’ arcade-style moment-to-moment problem elimination to reflective, collaborative problem-solving.Laying the FoundationAchieving a reflective process can be done using the Big6. As the facilitator, you are already familiar with the Big6. Introducing it to administrators can be as easy as making connections with problem-solving processes they already know. Yet, you can approach the process of developing the flow of information problem-solving using the Big6-related actions. Within the Big6-related actions, you can introduce the Big6 process to administrators as a powerful tool that will help them achieve greater collaboration.Action 1 — Select a Problem and Brainstorm an Idea to Explore Its Potential (Task Definition)As a training facilitator, you must create a transformative experience that fully engages your audience. Your first step involves mapping out what information needs to be acquired and put into practice. Using the Inspiration software — or whiteboard if you prefer — respond to these questions:What do we really want them to learn?Why is it important that they learn this?What problems or issues should they be able to resolve with the information?What process could facilitate their information problem-solving?Walking through these questions will help you plan your training to meet the administrators’ needs.Brainstorming with a visual aid allows you to consider the breadth of the issues involved and the stakeholders impacted from various perspectives. You should demonstrate this strategy for your trainees, as administrators need to learn to see problems from different points of view, allowing them to better resolve conflicts with other stakeholders.More importantly, using a visual aid allows administrators to see the big picture rather than floating from problem to problem. As in the graphic organizer [not available] below, you can also use this as a pre-planning to identify what you really want administrators to learn about. In the example below, the focus is on Instructional Technology issues.Action 2—Engage Adult Learners in the Real Life Problem (Task Definition)Every crisis we face in schools depends on some critical piece of the puzzle that is missing. Why is a student misbehaving? Why is the parent yelling at the paraprofessional and threatening to sue her? Why are the experienced teachers shunning the new teacher despite the principal’s best efforts to get her included? How can we help teachers resolve their own student-teacher, parent-teacher, teacher-teacher issues? The following strategy will help you train your administrators to fill in missing pieces of the puzzle by thinking strategically.This action - writing a story problem - builds a blueprint for inquiry and the investigative process the administrator will need to follow. As the facilitator, you need to identify key information acquisition goals and work forward from those to pose an engaging introduction or story.You are not writing a fiction story exactly. You are writing a story that encapsulates the issues and stakeholders in a way that grabs your learners. From the author’s perspective, the writing of the story problem is the most exciting of all the steps. But, it doesn’t have to be a written problem. You only write it if you lack another medium to use and want to remain consistent. You could use radio, television, video or use a skit to introduce the problem elements.Another important point to remember as you model writing a story problem is to ensure that you have a "real life" person affected. That does not mean that you put someone you know in the story, but to make sure your main character is the one who has to solve the real life problem. Whether it is a principal, a teacher, a parent or student, it should be someone who will best come alive for your adult learners. For a group of principals, the protagonist should be a principal. For a group of parents, it should be a parent or child. You can always shift the focus of the story so long as the key elements that you want them to learn are present.As in real life, your adult learners must use the inquiry process and reason to solve the problem. The narrative should reflect problems or issues that campus administrators deal with every day. While this will capture their attention, it will not retain it unless you suggest an approach that re-frames the problem. Simply, helps them see it in a new way. It is at this time that the Big6 can be introduced.Earlier this morning, Jerry Johnson approached you. Jerry is the superintendent’s right-hand man. "Felice, we need your help. Over the last few years, the state has poured money into your campus for technology. The school board president, whose daughter goes to your school, mentioned that her child isn’t using technology. She even asked the superintendent what the district was encouraging campuses to do to prepare teachers and students to use technology."At this point, there are several issues that are inherent within the problem narrative above. The narrative, rather than being several pages long, is quite short. Yet, before administrators begin to tear the problem apart, you should provide a process for them to follow. Naturally, the Big6 makes the problem-solving process easier for them as they struggle through it.Action 3—Focus Inquiry and Investigation (Task Definition to Information Seeking Strategy, Location & Access and Use of Information)Once adult learners are engaged in the problem, you can guide them through a simple information seeking strategy. First, ask the workshop participants to read the problem. Then, inquire, "What hunches do you have about this problem?" Explain that "Hunches are intuitive guesses we have about the problem. They are what we think may occur or be the motivations for some of the stakeholders in the introduction." After you jot down these hunches on another whiteboard (although you can easily use a word processor, flip chart, or in Inspiration software), adult learners are ready for the next piece.Before moving on, step back out of your facilitative role and point out that their guesses had hit on the main issues in the problem. This is an important piece because it tells you as problem-designer that the story engaged adult learners in the desired manner.The next thing is to write down everything participants know for certain in the problem. For example, you might phrase it this way, "What do we know for certain about the problem?" This is a wonderful approach because, now that the hunches are out of the way, participants are ready to focus in on the problem. No guesses or hunches are allowed. Participant statements spring strictly from within "the text." These are the facts of the matter and are critical to solving the problem.After nailing down the facts, you ask, "What questions can we ask that will get us the information we need to help the protagonist solve the problem?" Of course, one never says protagonist. By this time, everyone is using the protagonist’s first name. A list of questions is produced. An exciting activity, the question generation shows how engaged your audience is. It is often the "proof" that those reluctant to use this professional development technique need to experience to see its efficacy. Before you move on to the final activity, be sure to prioritize -- with the group --the most important questions.The final activity in facilitating the problem-solving is to have your trainees identify all the potential stakeholders. This last piece allows them to see the big picture, not just try to solve problems from a narrow point of view. It fosters empathy, and being able to view a problem from multiple perspectives. At the end of this activity, you have a list of potential stakeholders. Using the stakeholders as a guide, divide the class into stakeholder groups. It is from these perspectives that the class will explore the issues, locating and accessing information through research.As you move forward, this is the step when you can take advantage of technological tools the administrators might use in a real-life situation. You can use treasure hunt or subject sampler type activities (Check out http://www.ozline.com) to organize the resources for your learners. You can take advantage of online resources such as ProQuest, Gale Resources, Electronic Policy Analysis Archives for access to research, or a digital video distribution system. Whatever resources--books, newspapers, online—the point is that they have to find the most effective way of doing their research.Action 4—Support Problem Resolution (Synthesis)As adult learners in your session gather information filtered through the lens of the respective stakeholder they have assumed, they need to share information with each other. A successful approach is to encourage them to suggest a solution to the problem that considers the various points of view of all stakeholders.There are different ways of expressing the solution. That solution may be expressed as a multimedia presentation, a document to be shared, or, School Board presentation. Each group will develop its own solution. This is an excellent opportunity to remind others that parallel problem-solving is a real life skill—we may all arrive at similar solutions for a problem, but sometimes these solutions are unique. By working collaboratively—within and between groups—we can achieve the synergy needed as administrators.In considering the solutions presented, it helps to have a common rubric. At minimum, the whole group should decide 1) What the solution strategy will be, 2) the advantages and disadvantages of the solution from the perspectives of different stakeholders, and, of course, 3) the consequences. This information could easily be arranged in a table or a series of slides (if using Powerpoint). Finally, a fourth component can be a powerful antiphon. This last component, either as a narrative or a skit, can quickly sum up the solution’s main points. Whether skit or narrative, it should capture the essence of the solution. These narratives will differ on their quality and perspective. For example, one such solution narrative for Felice is written as follows:As her Hyundai Santa Fe pulled into the afternoon traffic rush, the events of the last month raced through Felice’s mind. What a wonderful experience it had been to meet with the Campus Leadership Team and share the need for a comprehensive needs assessment process. She had trusted to the process and the commitment of her staff and she sought simply to facilitate the process. When John had stood up to present the State’s needs assessment tools, as well as the Levels of Technology Implementation (LOTI) that they had found online, there had been an immediate response. The Framework focused the CLT in a way that she had not imagined earlier. The week prior to the meeting, the District Technology Director had provided links to the LOTI Framework and that had proved itself a useful observational tool. She and the Technology Director had done the "LOTIwalk." It allowed them to gauge the Level of Technology Implementation for the various products and classroom instructional activities.After the needs assessment had been completed, addressing several key areas such as teaching and learning, infrastructure, and administrative support, she had begun walking the campus with the LOTI Framework in hand. This framework gave her, her campus leadership team the information to make decisions about technology use in schools. Using the LOTI had also allowed her to tailor specific technology-integrated professional development for her teachers, correlate weekend computer camps for students to target technology levels, which by the way corresponded to higher levels on Bloom’s Taxonomy.As she pulled into the Central Office parking lot for the School Board meeting, she waved at the Board president, who was walking towards the Board Room. Her smile and a quick wave signaled her acknowledgement. She had also played a significant role as a member of the campus technology committee. Her clamoring for newer technology, her advocacy with the superintendent, had focused the laser beam on technology and its appropriateness in schools. "You know," Michael the Technology Director had shared at one late evening meeting, "I’m grateful to you for bringing us all together. Without you, Felice, and without the Board president being such an advocate, we might have faced serious budget cuts. Those would have been catastrophic for our children, especially now when NCLB calls for information and technology literacy."Action 5—Facilitate Problem Debriefing (Evaluation)After solving the problem, a key piece of Big6 enhanced professional development is to reflect on the solution. Did the solutions participants developed really address the issues in the problem? Encourage administrators to be blunt and up front about their solutions. To simplify the process, ask them to first develop criteria for what would be an effective solution as a group, and remind them to consider the needs of all stakeholders. Use this criteria to assess the solutions that are brought forth, as well as what process they followed in information problem solving. This feedback is important for adult learners and allows them to fine-tune the solutions they develop.ConclusionA tremendous amount of work has been accomplished in this session. Now, you will notice the benefits of this approach among your adult learners. Not one of them is falling asleep. All are self-engaged, almost driven, to solve the difficult, complex problem that emerged from the mapping activity in Action 1. Using the Big6, they are able to move from Task Definition to Location & Access to Synthesis and Evaluation smoothly. More importantly, they have the meta-cognitive language to describe the process they are using to develop a solution.Make sure that your adult learners ask themselves how the Big6 process they are using changed their approach to the problem, as well as how they explain the problem solving process to others. During debriefing, they can use this feedback to evaluate their problem solving effectiveness.Using these five actions to Big6 Enhanced Professional Development enables district facilitators of professional development to revitalize their workshop sessions. It also provides campus administrators participating in the session with essential tools that may employ technology as an information management tool used in the context of information problem solving. Identifying the missing information, locating it, synthesizing it, and evaluating their process can transform how administrators approach their jobs.The wonder of using the Big6 approach with adult learners is that they will not perceive your workshop as a long, boring exploration of a topic at the periphery of consciousness. They will not sit in your class problem solving the real life challenges they face, or will encounter, back at their campus. Instead, you will have tapped into their creative energies, engaging them, making them feel as if they, not you, had planned out the experience.Everything posted on Miguel Guhlin's blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure

Note: These are my take-aways from Carol Collier Kuhlthau's Guided Inquiry: School Libraries in the 21st Century. from January 2010. Read it online.Thanks to my Twitter PLN--especially Carolyn Foote (@technolibrary), Leslie Maniotes (@lesliemaniotes), and Jennifer LaGarde (@jenniferlagarde), as well as Dee Dee Davenport (@deelibcoord) for introducing me to Information Search Process (ISP) and Guided Inquiry. DeeDee was kind enough to send me A Model Third Grade Guided Inquiry Unit. (I'll have to check that out in more detail!)Source: http://comminfo.rutgers.edu/~kuhlthau/docs/websiteGIDFramework.pdf as cited by NEISDReflectionsThis article was written in 2010, based on research the author conducted even farther back; to be blunt, there is nothing here that is "earth-shattering" and new. However, there is comfort in that fact...it means ideas have certainly taken in hold somewhere, if not in practice.In the article, the author suggests that the partnership involve the teacher-librarian.  One idea that suggests itself is that an edtech coach could certainly play a significant role in this process.I love the simple 3-step process. A lot of work has been done around these 3 steps, and it's tough to imagine they could be so easily accomplished. To gain systemic support (step 1), it seems essential to have an awesome team of leaders committed to building support...a PLC, perhaps. An implementation plan and timeline will have to take into consideration a variety of factors. The network required for sharing, well, Twitter or social media can play a part.Again, how this gets implemented is key.MyNotesA new way of learning is needed that prepares students for living and working in a complex information environment. Mobile devices provide instantaneous communication any time and any place. Multifunctional hand-held devices are ubiquitous around the world from cosmopolitan urban centers to remote rural outposts. Web 2.0 tools help us interact, connect and collaborate in new ways. Technological tools that have become part of our everyday life have great benefit for people across the world.  We need to move beyond teaching how to use technology tools to teaching technology in use for creativity and meaning.Learning all of the bells and whistles of a new device isn’t the hard part of information technology use. The hard part is learning to use the technologies for creativity and enlightenment.Inquiry is a way of learning new skills and knowledge for understanding and creating in the midst of rapid technological change.The underlying concept is considering a question or problem that prompts extensive investigation on the part of the student.Inquiry that is guided by an instructional team to enable students to gain a depth of understanding and a personal perspective through a wide range of sources of information is called Guided Inquiry (Kuhlthau, Maniotes & Caspari, 2007). Guided Inquiry equips students with abilities and competencies to meet the challenges of an uncertain, changing world.  Collaborations with teachers in a team can create the necessary climate for students to inquire, participate, create and learn in an information environment. If we think of the student’s world outside of school and the student‘s cumulative knowledge and experience as first space and we think of the curriculum as second space, the question arises of how to make these two very separate spaces intersect. When first space and second space overlap third space is created. Third space is where the most meaningful, lasting learning takes place. The teacher’s main challenge is to create third space as often as possible.Inquiry provides the opportunity to create third space and Guided Inquiry enables students to make their own connections within the inquiry process that motivates learning and builds ownership and expertise.Guided Inquiry recommends a three member core team that plans and supervises the inquiry with an extended team of other experts joining in when most needed. Although two member collaborations between a school librarian and a teacher are common, three member teams provide a synergy of ideas for developing inquiry learning. Three member teams also provide the additional professional guidance and ongoing support student inquiry requires. The third member joining the librarian and the subject area teacher may be second classroom or subject area teacher or any of the other specialists in the school, such as a teacher specializing in reading, technology, music, art, or dramaThe SLIM Student Learning Inquiry Measure (http://cissl.scils.rutgers.edu/) provides assessment throughout the stages of the inquiry process.Five kinds of learning are accomplished through inquiry (Kuhlthau, Maniotes & Caspari, 2007, p. 9): information literacy - "the ability to locate, evaluate, and use information." Five criteria for evaluating information--expertise, accuracy, currency, perspective, and quality--are applied for making good choices in inquiry learning.learning how to learn - Guided Inquiry enables students to learn how to learn by becoming aware of their learning process. Each time they work through the stages of the Information Search Process (ISP)-- initiating, selecting, exploring, focusing, collecting and presenting--they learn the process of inquiry as well as how they personally interact within that process. Guidance is provided at critical intervention points to teach strategies for learning from a variety of sources of information. Inquiry is a fundamental way of learning in the information environment of the ‚real world‛ where everyday tasks require learning from information. Through guidance students personalize the inquiry process recognizing that ‚this is my process, this is the way I learn.‛ curriculum content - Four common themes in subject area standards are fundamental to Guided Inquiry: constructivist approach to teaching and learning; information explosion-too much to learn it all; focus on broad themes and big ideas; and meaningful instruction through integration and problem solving (Kuhlthau, Maniotes & Caspari, 2007)literacy competence - Students need to go beyond learning to read, to reading to learn. They need to be able to comprehend informational texts as well as understand stories in fiction. Determining importance in informational texts is an essential skill in the information environment in which they live and learn. The basic skills of literacy, reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing, and presenting are enhanced through inquiry learning.social skills  - Students gain the ability to interact with others in situations that require cooperating and collaborating. Organizing small work groups is a strategy applied in Guided Inquiry called inquiry circles (Kuhlthau, Maniotes & Caspari, 2007). Adapted from Daniels’ (1994) literature circles, inquiry circles are structured work groups with each student assigned a different job. Jobs are rotated to give students an opportunity to practice each task independently. In Guided Inquiry each task represents one aspect of inquiry that students need to learn. Eight jobs essential to inquiry recommended in Guided Inquiry are: word hunter (finds key words and definitions); evaluator (evaluates the source); messenger (summarizes big ideas and main points); quiz kid (raises questions); connector (makes connections between self, texts and the world; note taker (takes specific notes on content); image maker (creates visual scheme of ideas); and interpreter (asks, ‚What does it mean?‚ and ‚Why is it important?‛) Getting Started and Sustaining Change - 3 steps:First, you need to gain systemic support.Second, you need to develop an implementation plan. You will need a plan with a timeline for implementing an inquiry approach. You can begin by organizing one three member team to collaborate on an inquiry project with one group of students as an example of how it works. This can form the basis for implementing a flexible team approach in your school. Third, you will need to create a network for sharing stories of success and problems you encounterEverything posted on Miguel Guhlin's blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure

Are you a CTO, technical support or Instructional Technologist in Texas schools? Then you'll want to attend the inexpensive TCEA Technology Education Coordinators Special Interest Group (TEC-SIG) meeting taking place October 8 and 9, 2015!View the agenda online...TEC-SIG Fall Meeting AgendaThursday-Friday, October 8-9, 2015Link to this document: http://bit.ly/TECSIGfall20158:00-8:45 Registration & Breakfast8:45-9:00 Welcome & TECSIG Announcements9:00-9:45  Keynote Session "Transforming Learning....One Voice at a Time" by Shannon Miller9:45 - 10:00 Break & Get Connected10:00-11:50 Breakout SessionsInspiration AInspiration BInnovationDedicationSession 1 - 10:00 - 10:50amCode.orgPresenter: Hal Speed & Kim GarciaHacked PDPresenter: Joel AdkinsManaging Your Classroom with Atlas LearningPresenter: Kristi Hinze & Tom SpallGet Down with the Best Google Add-ons for EducatorsPresenter: Amy MayerSession 2 - 11:00 - 11:50amHour of CodePresenter: Kellie LaheyDigital Signage Using Google Sign BuilderPresenter: Kim StraussGoogle Sys AdminPresenter: Mike WallaceBringing a New "Voice" To Schools, Libraries and Education Through MakerspacesPresenter: Shannon Miller12:00-1:00 LunchInspiration AInspiration BInnovationDedicationSession 3 - 1:00 - 1:50 PMIf They Make It, They Will Learn: Makey Makey/ScratchPresenter: Juan OrozcoAmazing DIGITAL Tools and Apps That Will Engage Your Students & Promote CreativityPresenter: Shannon MillerGoogle Console and/or Chromebook implementation (panel discussion)Facilitator: Mike WallaceCollegial Coaching for Technology IntegrationPresenters: Dr. Dawn Wilson and Dr. Katie AlanizSession 4 - 2:00 - 2:50 PMBasic Google Apps ScriptsPresenter: Richard LombardoThe Changing Role of Instructional Technology SpecialistsPresenter: Elizabeth Langer & Doug ShuddeTBDEnhancing Efficiency with APQC ProcessesPresenter: Mark Gabehart2:50 - 3:10 Break sponsored by Atlas Learning3:10-3:30 Legislative Update - Jennifer Bergland3:30 -3:45 Dinner Plans & Door Prizes3:45-5:45 Free time5:45-9:00 Dinner Sponsored by ARCFriday, 8/9/20158:00-8:40 Breakfast & Networking8:40 - 8:45 TEC-SIG Treasurer’s Report & Discussion about Spring Meeting8:45 - 9:00  TCEA Update9:00 - 9:45 Featured Speakers: IBM Watson Project Design Team9:45 - 10:00 Break10:00 - 10:30 TEA Update10:30 - 11:00 eRate Update11:00 - 11:15 Closing & Door PrizesEverything 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. Note that Miguel Guhlin is currently vice-president/president-elect of TCEA TEC-SIG organization, a non-profit focused on helping educational technology staff support PreK-16 students and staff learn with technology. Read Full Disclosure

Jack Wallen shares his story about he got into GNU/Linux, How learning Linux Jumpstarted my Career:My introduction to Linux, and all that came from it, was thanks to an insatiable curiosity and an inordinate frustration brought on by Windows. What was yours?As I think back to my first experiences with GNU/Linux, which take me back down the trail of years (wow, 12!) when I imagined myself quite content with my Mac and Windows skills...but GNU/Linux remained a mystery I had to explore. It didn't quite materialize until I found myself needing to connect my Windows only scanner to the only computer I had, a bondi iMac. Thanks to YellowDogLinux, it was possible. Later, I graduated to UbuntuLinux, and a host of other distributions.What GNU/Linux gave me was choice. My knowledge enabled me to use Moodle, Wordpress, setup UbuntuLinux-based servers and earn more for my family.And, it remains a worthwhile choice.Image Sourcehttp://iamsimplyblessed.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/1new-beginnings.jpgEverything 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

What a sense of relief, right? I bet that's what all the edtech evangelists are saying now. I mean, when the truth comes out, you aren't worried about maintaining the lie, right?Investing heavily in school computers and classroom technology does not improve pupils' performance, says a global study from the OECD.frequent use of computers in schools is more likely to be associated with lower results.education systems which have invested heavily in information and communications technology have seen "no noticeable improvement" in Pisa test results for reading, mathematics or science."Those students who use tablets and computers very often tend to do worse than those who use them moderately."Students who use computers very frequently at school get worse resultsThe results show "no appreciable improvements" in reading, mathematics or science in the countries that had invested heavily in information technologyHigh achieving school systems such as South Korea and Shanghai in China have lower levels of computer use in schoolmaking sure that all children have a good grasp of reading and maths is a more effective way to close the gap than "access to hi-tech devices".what we can do as a teaching profession is to start thinking very carefully about what we really need it for.Source: BBC's Computers Do Not Improve Pupil ResultsEverything 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

Technology and Instruction - Fairy Dust (Image Source)In my tongue in cheek post yesterday, The Secret Is Out, I briefly shared the results of a new study claiming that "school computers and classroom technology does not improve pupils' performance." That claim--supported by research--should come as no surprise to anyone in educational technology, much less schools. I'm reminded of that shocking moment when an area superintendent for a large urban school district said something along the lines of, "Technology needs to be like magic fairy dust...it needs to raise scores in math and science by 10 points." Flabbergasted, I simply stood mute, as if I'd been hit with a dark spell of silence.This old-fashioned idea that technology is going to raise test scores, improving student achievement on standardized, high stakes assessments needs to die. The heyday of this idea was during drill-n-practice, tutorial software commonly known as "integrated learning systems." These expensive, high-powered systems would assess students then prescribe a learning solution. My favorite part of the "diagnosis" was that it was always 2 levels below where students were really at...that way, the ILS could show that it was working since students improved dramatically in a short time. Smoke and mirrors.Real change is hard work, involves differentiating content, process and products, empowers students to have more autonomy over what and when they learn, focuses on inquiry, is process oriented and supports evaluative reflection. Children can't be plopped in front of technology and then we all stand around waiting for the magic to happen. But what should we be doing instead?That's the fun question.Everything posted on Miguel Guhlin's blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure

Earlier today, I was wondering, "What should a principal look for when checking to see if technology is properly implemented and supported on their campus?" The question is one I haven't asked myself in awhile, but is definitely worth checking.What are your thoughts in regards to the following points? What would you remove or add? "Tear it up!" Feel free to share your own checklist (if you have one).Campus Learning with Technology Checklist1-How is technology impacting instruction?___ a. Campus professional learning is aligned to Clarity Survey data.___ b. Technology use is aligned to district initiatives - literacy, math and problem-solving.___ c. All teachers and instructional leaders understand the technology component of the District Learning Walk.___ d. Teachers have weekly opportunities to instructional technology coaching.___ e. All staff are effectively employing GoogleApps for Education--including Classroom, Drive, and productivity tools--to enhance higher-order thinking, collaboration at a distance.___ f. Campus blended learning opportunities are available for students and staff. ___ g. Campus students, staff, and community are aware of the joint Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) initiative at your campus.2-How is technology supported effectively?___ a. Campus has low number of work orders.___ b. Campus and classroom web sites enjoy sufficient web support and guidance.___ c. The District Technology HelpDesk provides excellent support and assistance.___ d. Everyone knows how to ask for technical support from on-campus staff and, if necessary, how to submit work orders.___ e. Campus staff effectively safeguard sensitive data in print or digital format.3-How has connectivity been enabled for anytime, anywhere learning?___ a. Every learning space (e.g. classroom, library, cafeteria, gym) has ample wireless signal (WiFi) (can support up to 60 devices, either BYOT or district-owned).___ b. Each classroom has 6 network drops.___ c. Each classroom has access to a working digital projector, document camera (or iPad with document camera stand), a laptop/desktop computer for teacher use.___ d. Each classroom has access to a network printer.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

Get ready for the 2015 K12 Online Conference: The best FREE video-based professional development you'll never have to pay for! All sessions are asynchronous so you can watch at your leisure.Our 2015 keynote speakers include Don Wettrick @DonWettrick, Alan Levine@cogdog, Stephanie Chang @MakerEdOrg, Scott McLeod @mcleod, andKaren Bosch @karlyb. Our full lineup of presentations and presenters is available on our 2015 Schedule.A few invitations and updates:This is the 10th year of the K12 Online Conference! Again we'll bring you an inspiring pre-conference keynote, 4 fantastic keynotes in 4 strands, and over 40 presentations by inspiring and innovative educators around the world... all shared via videos posted to YouTube & iTunesU starting October 12th.Plan to join our Classroom 2.0 Live Webinar this Saturday, September 19that noon Eastern / 11 am Central / 10 am Mountain / 9 am Pacific. Our organizer team will preview the conference and share more about what to expect. Visit live.classroom20.com for more details.Help us spread the word by adding our 2015 conference badge to your blog or other website!Share the conference and join the conversations on Twitter using our#k12online15 hashtag.Please forward this email to at least 1 other educator you know who hasn't participated previously in the K12 Online Conference. We're looking forward to another awesome year of inspiring ideas from amazing educators. Together, we're "Virtually Unstoppable!"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

Over the last few weeks, I've been exploring Evernote alternatives. Of course, my experiences with Evernote are legion and they bedevil me every time I seek salvation from its clutches. The features I'm looking for include the following:AES-256 encryption (ok, Evernote doesn't have this but it does have encryption options)Send notes in via emailCollaboration option or a way of quickly sharing notes with others.Tag notes with the ability to search tagsGUI editor like TinyMCE to get to bold, italics, etc.Twitter login authenticationAbility to attach files to notes (great for attaching scanned images, small license files, etc.)Image insertionCross-platform app that allows for easy adding/editing notes on the goListsDrop-dead simple to useThese may be unreasonable expectations, but you can't blame me. While my Evernote account houses everything but the kitchen sink in it, there have to be some worthwhile alternatives to it. And, let's be honest, as a writer, I'm also looking for a simple interface to work in that enables me to work anytime, anywhere.MAMMOTH HQA short time ago, I played around with MammothHQ, a rich, full-featured mobile and web app. Unfortunately, I hit the wall with it. Some of the things I didn't like included its inability to edit notes on the go (a feature they promise is coming to their mobile app), the silly idea that ONE Board could house everything about a subject you could want (it might be great for photographers, but not for note-takers)how clumsy it is to add content.But on the plus size, MammothHQ (pun intended) does allow GUI editing, lists, emailing in content, web clipping, and file attachments. In time, MammothHQ may be the right solution.  But right now, it's not quite ready. I have hope.SIMPLENOTESo, what else is available? SimpleNote.com came to my attention, and it IS simple. In fact, I'd say that I like the interface a LOT more than Mammoth's pinterest-like board, and it whips Evernote's interface in ease of use.Even if SimpleNote lacks a GUI editor, it does provide Markdown support, AND a feature Evernote killed off--RSS feeds!!! You can also publish notes, like this one where I share my suggestions for improvement.There is also Dropbox support possible...you can backup your notes (or download them as a zipped file) as well as use popular text editors to create and save to Dropbox that end up in SimpleNote, synced on all your devices!SimpleNote also comes with a Mac app...how neat is that, it doesn't just live on the web and on your phone, it's a Mac app.;-)The SimpleNote app also has Premium features...that are provided at no-charge, apparently! For how long it will remain, who knows. After a brief twitter exchange with @simplenoteapp, followed by a few emails, they were kind enough to grant me a 12 month Premium account...you can see the features shown right.It's also easy to make "lists" in SimpleNote, a feature demonstrated by this:If you're looking for a simple interface, then SimpleNote may be the app for you...here's what one of my notes looks like on my iPhone:For those of you who also worry about data privacy and security (ha, like we have any), I urge you to use ParanoiaWorks Text Encryption, which is available for every platform except Chromebooks...that includes iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, and GNU/Linux. Find out more here about these free encryption tools! PTE will allow you to encrypt/decrypt your notes while on the go (copy-n-paste required) because your notes are NOT encrypted while at rest. They are encrypted in transit (https) but...well...not encrypting data while at rest is problematic. Still, don't put anything on the web, or in the cloud, that is private and lacks encryption.Ok, before I get TOO excited, I'm going to keep kicking the tires.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

www.cloudhq.netSince I have TONS of content in Evernote, I wanted to find an easy way to backup content there. Some of the supported services include:I imagined being able to put all my notes into Dropbox--along with encrypted attachments--but doing so would take...well...forever. CloudHQ.net takes care of this for me!Note: Did you know about CloudHQ's Chrome browser add-on? It enables Gmail users to share gmail labels. Watch a video online!While there are other ways to accomplish this, CloudHQ.net offers one the opportunity to have a 15-day free trial. You can use this 15-day trial to move content from one cloud service to another. In my case, I decided to export all my content in Evernote to Dropbox.Sync options - Evernote to Dropbox files, folders, and attachmentsThe process was fairly painless and resulted in a copy of all my Evernote content in a Dropbox folder I'd created right before starting. Kudos to CloudHQ.net for making it easy to copy/move content from one service to another!Try CloudHQ yourself online!Full Disclosure: This blog entry features CloudHQ.net because they are an awesome product, not because they were kind enough to grant one year free Premium Plan to my account and add me to their "ambassador" list! 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

Over the last few weeks, I've been working on various apps for note-taking. I tried to reflect and ask myself, what were the core features I wanted in my daily note-taking app, as well as what are some features others would like?via @growthmindset1 After awhile, I realized I was getting lost in all the great features. Rather than make a snap judgement, I thought I'd cook up a chart and see what happened if I assigned a score to each based on features available.Since I often need the "kitchen sink" when it comes to note-taking apps, especially since I like to see my note-taking app as a file cabinet that is an alternative to GoogleDrive, I found myself making certain choices. I also found myself looking for an easy to use app that my family could use.While I'd encouraged them to use Evernote, then SimpleNote, I found neither a good choice. As much as I wanted to like MammothHQ, it's absence of a mobile app that allows for editing left me waiting for features.As a result, I settled on TWO apps for daily use (and I use them a LOT) and the choices surprised me:Evernote Premium - I had really hoped to abandon Evernote Premium, but it's so feature-rich and aligns to my workflows that I have decided to continue using it. Being able to scan business cards, email content in, save weird attachments (encrypted files, audio, etc), record audio for conferences while on the go from any device, make it my go-to must-have app.Google Keep - While I had ruled out Google Keep early on, playing with it again--especially since it came out on iOS--has made it an easy tool for grocery lists and short to-do lists that must be shared (e.g. "honey-do list" is a perfect example) but won't last long. Some miscellaneous reflections about the whole pile:Again, I hoped SimpleNote Premium (thanks for the Premium account, BTW!) would fill the role but Google Keep simply blows it out of the water. Sorry, MammothHQ, you were a non-starter because of no mobile app editing. Really need to get that fixed! I also dislike how new content just gets "added" to the bottom of a Board. In fact, I hate the whole Board view (even though it's pretty)...wish it had more "tag" views. I worry about SimpleNotes and Google Keep's longevity. The former has already "died" and been kept around by Wordpress folks, but isn't being actively pushed. Also Google Keep remains but Google has a habit of killing off some of my favorite services (e.g. Google Reader) and that's why I see Google Keep as a "light, who cares if it goes away, use it now when it's here but don't cry about it if it dies" app.I wish Evernote had a light and airy design like GoogleKeep or SimpleNote. It wouldn't take SimpleNote much to build up to a quality product...GUI editor, file support.Finally, in spite of all the issues, I do like the "mindset" that MammothHQ founder espouses. It suggests that things may be changing.COMPARISON CHARTSo, here's the comparison chart that includes feature compilation from various note providers and my own...I realize that I may have something wrong, so don't be afraid to leave a comment in the blog comments. Again, this isn't an exhaustive list of all features in each solution but a list of what *I* found valuable and worth having. For the most part, some of you may have similar needs.Features:Evernote FreeEvernote PlusEvernote PremiumGoogleKeepSimpleNotesMammothHQ1 OPINIONToo complicated, get Keep or SimpleNote insteadBest features are in Premium, but compromise price. But better to get MammothHQPowerhouse of features but only if you need this. Worth the investment if you need it! I pay for this.Simple, great for low-tech users. VERY easy to use, voice transcription is greatSimple and easy, Premium is availableGoogleDoc on steroids since you can drop anything but needs mobile app editing and other features to be Evernote Premium competitor.1 OVERVIEW SCORE2528311615242 step authenticationxxxAdd tags to notesxxxxxxAES-256 encryption for notesAudio notesxxxxAudio TranscriptionxBackup Support (e.g. Dropbox, Drive)xxxxxxCostFree$24.99 per year$49.99 per yearFreeFree Premium with email request$47.88 for Pro and Plus versionsDigital Archive, long-term file storagexxxxEasy list-makingxxxxxxEncrypts notes (built-in)xxxGet more features/storage/whatever via referralsxxxxGUI Editor for NotesxxxxHTTPS EncryptionxxxxxMarkdown for NotesxxMonthly note upload capacity60MB1gig10gigDepends on your Google Drive storage1000gb for Pro; 50gb for PlusNote collaborationxxxxxxNote collaboration/sharing without accountxNote sharingxxxxxxNotebook sharingxxxxNotebooksxxxBoardPasscode lock for mobile appsxxxPDF, MP3, etc.xxxxRSS FeedxSave emails into service via emailxxxxScan to NotexxSearch handwritten notesxxxSearch tagsxxxxxxSearch/retain images/business cardsxxSearch/scan PDFs and docs in notesxStore images in notesxxxxxSync across devicesxxxxxxUnlimited total storagexxxxxget more storage via referralsWeb ClipperxxxxWeb Siteevernote.comevernote.comevernote.comkeep.google.comsimplenotes.commammothhq.comEverything 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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"Digital" books often refer to print text converted to electronic books (or "ebooks"), but I am expanding my definition to include audiobooks. As my tastes run to fantasy, Sci-Fi, and action/suspense, I always eschewed audio because it was too slow moving. Now that I'm not 22 years old ripping through print books in a single bound, audio books provide time for slow enjoyment that I didn't grant myself when younger.I am perfectly happy to read and collect digital books. For me, the "book" is not about the object but about  ideas and stories and emotions and experience. I've no real attachment to any one printed iteration of a particular work for a  long time. Source: Blue Skunk BlogAudiobooks are certainly more available now, too. In addition to dusty classics that I was forced to plod through in high school, I can now find the kind of genres I like in audio format...this makes them ideal for short and long car rides, quiet work at the computer, and more. If I miss a key concept, that's ok.For whatever reason, I used to think that audiobooks weren’t worth my time. Now I find it strange when one isn’t playing while I’m doing other things. If you love to read but don’t have the time, or if you don’t like to read, but really want to, audiobooks are the perfect solution.Source: Audiobooks for Your Listening Pleasure One new series that I've just started, a book I remember reading in grade school or one close like it but never saw again, is the Story of Siegfried the Dragonkiller (you can get the audio for the book at that link, or via iTunes). Actually, I read that BEFORE Beowulf or ever hearing that story. I remembered it because of the Vikings show, which I'm watching as I type this blog entryAside: Did you know "Guhlin" is Swedish, and my father claimed lineage (certainly false) to the viking, Eric the Red? I'm sure he was engaging in tall tales but it made for interesting boasts to a child). In previous blog entries, I've shared about one of my newest sources of audio books:Be sure to listen to Nathan Lowell's entire Trader Tales series and be sureto check out his Shaman TalesMy favorite podcatcher (iPhone) is Downcast, and it works quite well...you can listen to the audio books online, or save them to your mobile device as MP3 files, and/or subscribe to them. Some of the audio books I'm carrying around (and recommend) include the following:Seymour HamiltonAstreya: The Voyage South - An engaging tale that kicks off the trilogy! Astreya: The Men of the Sea - Astreya: The Wanderer's Curse - Lindsay BurokerThe Emperor's EdgeDark CurrentsDeadly GamesJ.C. Hutchins7th Son Series - This includes 3 audio books, action-packed and powerful. Highly recommended!Nathan Lowell (@nlowell)Trader Tales...it's all great reading, I'm sure, but I've only encountered it via Podiobooks.com.Shaman Tales...on this one, I've only heard a bit of it, but I'm already hooked!Check out his books on GoodreadsSteve LibbeyThe BloodbathsBrion J. HumphreySense MemoryEverything 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

We often wonder how we can simplify our lives, and this reminds me of my favourite quote on simplicity: If you don’t spend time wondering how you can simplify your life, you are simply wasting your time!...simply get the work done with an extreme sense of purpose but without the stress of having to rush. It’s this consistency or routine that we need to install into our lives. We need to look for opportunities of how we can introduce ideas into our lives that will be simple, and that will consistently produce success.Source: The Simplicity of ConsistencyI've wrestled with consistency all my life. Surprisingly, I have school to blame for this. I grew up putting homework assignments off until the last minute, then working feverishly to get them done. This translated into "binge writing" episodes, a bad habit that continued when I tried to "keep a journal." What stopped me? Writing consistently in the journal. Instead, I like to work quickly through a project, and then move on to something new.It's funny that blogging seems to have helped, but somewhere along the line, I've found one thing to be consistent at. It's amazing that such a simple thing as being consistent about one thing can spread to others.Start with one simple habit, then "grow your consistency."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

What's The Bare Minimum of What Could Be Considered the Bare Minimum of Learning Technology? asks TeachThought?Create a class websiteCreate a class YouTube ChannelCreate a class twitter account and make international accountsGet your students bloggingFind other classes to collaborate with on projectsDo mystery Skypes/Google HangoutsInvite expert guests via live video conferencingCode with your studentsDo Genius Hour with your studentsGamify your classroomStrive for a paperless classroom (here are 26 iPad apps for a paperless classroom)Create digital portfoliosAutomate quizzes with Google FormsUse Google Forms for student check-in and exit slipsLet students use their device in classInstead, why not try these five?Co-create digital narratives that blend audio, video and text. Audio:iPad: Recording: Voice Record Pro Editing: Hokasai (Free but requires in-app purchases to do anything worthwhile)Screencasting: Reflector for your Mac/Windows computer and Quicktime for computerChromebook:Recording/Editing: Beautiful Audio EditorScreencasting: Screencastify (makes HTML5/webm files), TechSmith SnagIt (need extension and app; makes MP4s) Video:iPad: Explain Everything app ($2.99), Keynote (free, easy to embed videos), 30HandsLearning (in-app purchases), iMovie (free)Chromebook (or any computer): GoogleSlides, Haiku Deck web, WeVideo, ExplainEverything Chromebook appShare those digital creations online with a global audience. Publish outlets include:GoogleSites+GoogleDrive for free unlimited storage for GoogleApps for Education users, BloggerKidPub.Co-facilitate online and face to face learning that is person to person, group to group, person to group. Take advantage of any of the following: Google Hangouts, Adobe Connect (if you have it), Voxer EDU, or any other technology, like Create digital and classroom learning spaces that engage, inspire and nurture learners.GoogleClassroomGoogleSitesWikispaces.comModel respectful use of personal technologies for academic learning.Lists are easy, right? We could spend time focusing on apps--YouTube, Skype, Google Hangout, Games, iPad apps, GoogleForms, Google Keep--or try something different.Everything posted on Miguel Guhlin's blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure

If you’re an American educator, then chances are you have applied for different jobs in various school districts. Aside from the value inherent in the process of getting to know who you are, what you’re about, how to format your education and jobs in ways that engage job recruiters, you may have picked up another skill-how to navigate the various job application systems available online. "Miguel," asked a friend last week, "do you have any suggestions for where I can go to apply for a job in Texas schools?" This question made me hunt up this blog entry on different solutions available. Certainly, as a person who has applied for various positions in Texas school systems, I’ve had the chance to run across systems that manage web-based job application systems. If you’re a school district human resources department, picking the right system that’s easy for applicants, easy for district staff to access content via a hierarchical administration system.Here are 3 systems school districts are using in Texas that I’ve come into contact with: Aspex Solutions‘ Applitrack: This system is in use in quite a few school districts, ranging in size to under 1000  (e.g. Archer City ISD) students to over 50,000 students (e.g. Austin ISD, Dallas ISD)NetChemia’s School Recruiter - A few school districts are using this product. I found it pretty easy to navigate. In the interests of full disclosure, my current employer is using it but I had nothing to do with selection, support, or maintenance.Winocular - In my opinion, this is one of the less friendlier, albeit venerable, systems available. I’ve seen several school districts move away from Winocular to other solutions, such as Applitrack, etc.What systems would you recommend, and do you have selection criteria? JOB HUNTING?  And, for those of you who are job hunting, here’s my list of places to find Education-related jobs in Texas:TASAnet.org’s Career Center - This is one of the best sites around to find out about new jobs. While it doesn’t have ALL jobs available, you will find more here than anywhere else.Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) School District Jobs - This is a collaborative effort by the Texas Education Agency and the Texas WorkForce Commission. Definitely worth checking out. For example, I did a search based on a zip code in my city. Unfortunately, the result just has you going to individual district/charter school job sites. Not strictly providing a list of jobs, but if you’re are hoping to relocate to another city, it’s worth a look.Education Service Center Job Pages - includes web sites from regional education service centers that offer district employment networks, enabling one application to work for all the districts they serve, or at least, sharing open positions at school districts. Some of these include the following: TCEA Jobs - Find technology and education related jobs online.SchoolSpring.com - You’ll find jobs on this listing.Indeed.com Search Engine - Easy to use search engine that enables you to type in your city and type of job you want. For example, here’s a search for Educational Technology as well as different one for education.Texas Cares Online Teachers.NetEducation AmericaTexas NonProfits Job SearchJobNab.comEverything 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

Planning to attend the no-cost, learning event known as TechDaySA? If it's not on your calendar for November 7, 2015, you might want to check it out!Visit onlineWe invite you to join us for our FIRST "TCEA Area 20 Tech Field Day".  The event will be held on the Robert G. Cole High School campus in the Fort Sam Houston Independent School District. Register now to send teachers, administrators, tech directors, library media specialists, tech support staff, and anyone who is interested in finding out more about the integration of technology in education.There is NO FEE for this event! It is FREE! If you can't make the whole day, please feel free to attend what you can. Lunch will be on your own and there are plenty of great restaurants in the area.The event will include great informative breakout sessions! Topic strands to be addressed include:Google AppsiPadsWeb 2.0 ToolsGlobal CommunicationsEverything 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

Originally published at SchoolCIO: http://www.schoolcio.com/Default.aspx?tabid=136&entryid=5098Over the years, I've had the chance to chat with many CTOs and tech directors Directors about starting out in a new place of employment. This list of 7 tips for "new" CTOs on what to do first is based on those conversations. If you're one of the CTOs I chatted with, you'll be sure to recognize your tip(s) in the list below.  "What will you do first?" Our first temptation is to come into a new place and start changing everything, practicing slash-'n'-burn leadership. I know when I've started new jobs, all I see is what's missing. That can be dangerous because your vision is obscuring your sight. What you really need to see and focus on is people's needs, wants, and their vision. Tip #1 - Connect with departmentsOne of the challenges of being new is that you meet people but seldom get to ask deeper questions. In the first few weeks/months of being new, it's important to contact all Central Office directors one by one and ask them to share what they have in place, what they are responsible for. Then, hone in on what their needs are for better technology support, what their vision is, and what they would like to see technology do in the future.Tip #2 - Connect with campus principalsJust as you have connected with department directors, you'll also want to do the same with campus principals. Do a walk through of their building so you can get a sense of the technology that's out there, what their needs are, and what they would like to see happen in the future. Your goal isn't so much to share your vision of what could be but to get insight into what they perceive as critical and what you can do to help them achieve that.Tip #3 - Prepare a writeup for each visit and aggregate resultsI encourage you to setup a wiki (read Stephanie Sandifer's book, Wikis for School Leaders  and this article) to house your ideas, questions, observations—tastefully articulated, of course—so that you build a public record of what you're learning. A written report of what's happening at each campus, as well as a combined list of needs and wants, can help you see commonalities among all campuses and departments. The benefits of this include a first step toward building a cohesive vision that captures the hopes and dreams of the people a CTO serves.Tip #4 - Connect with your technology team and log their workAlthough these tips could be separate, one of the challenges that tech department team members face is that no one listens to them, no one takes the time to share what the big picture is and their place in it. This can be frustrating for any staff member, more so for those who "labor in darkness." Ask each of them what's going on, what their responsibilities are, ask them to develop documentation for their work. Again, I'm reminded of the tyranny of competence where only one person—that technician—knows what they are doing. Finally, it's very important to consider their needs, write down what they are actually responsible for (as opposed to what's in their job descriptions), and what we can do to make what we do "down the road" better.Tip #5 - Setup weekly meetingsSet up weekly meetings between the tech and instructional departments. The agenda for these meetings will flow from questions that arise from the meetings the CTO has had with department directors, principals, emails, and other contacts with customers. The focus of these meetings has to be to identify what we're doing—together as a team—and how we can help each other. Tip #6 - Establish benchmarks for the organizationIt's hard to show progress when there hasn't been a standard set or a benchmark assessment done. Some of those benchmarks must include a technology hardware assessment, a network connectivity and security assessment from a third-party evaluator that has not done the work for the district before, as well as curriculum- & instruction-type feedback (e.g., levels of teaching innovation). These benchmark assessments can get schools rolling in the right direction and this is the perfect time to conduct the assessments.Tip #7 - Connect with community membersIn the spirit of making connections, one group that is often overlooked is the community. To that end, its important to connect with local groups like the Veterans for Foreign Wars, Kiwanis Club, Knights of Columbus, and more. What a wonderful opportunity it can be to build relationships with these individuals before you actually try to do that district-wide iPad initiative. It's also important to connect with CTOs from other organizations such as hospitals, utility companies, and police departments.ConclusionIf you're a CTO, undoubtedly you've noticed that a significant part of your job is about connecting, collaborating, and communicating. For a long time, I thought being a CTO was about the technical side of the house, but after chatting with colleagues in these positions, the light went off. It's about working with people, bringing people together, giving voice to their needs, wants and their vision for the future. What a powerful role of service to play in schools and community! Miguel Guhlin is director of technology for a 5A school district in Texas and past president of the statewide TCEA Technology Education Coordinators group. This blog is cross posted at Around the Corner. 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

Team leaders, I'm told, take responsibility for their team's failures. You know, when the Titanic hit the iceberg, and it sank, the Captain went down with the ship.I recently found that I fumbled on a project. Here are some tips I came up with to avoid having it occur again. As I read these, I realize that they are obvious. I can't help but ask, Why didn't I do this in the first place? The reality is that everyone missteps and other factors can force your hand. For example, consider what might make you set aside these tips for avoiding technology implementation failure: Perceived need for speed. In my situation, I felt we were under an imperative to fix a technical issue and, as such, taking shortcut in implementing a solution that has worked in the past seemed OK. Be on guard for the "need for speed."The boss says, "Do it." Trust me, even when the boss says to get it done, the intensity will be increased when what gets done fails.  Foolproof solution that will work! We've all encountered foolproof solutions that are going to be "slam-dunk" and then ... you get slammed. Here are the 7 Tips:Contact other districts and find out what’s been done previously. If I'd done that in this particular situation, I would have found that the mistake we made in implementing had already been explored and done by others. Learn from others' experiences is a piece of advice I forgot.Do a mock walkthrough of the technology implementation and detail the steps. This is important because, in one situation, I realized that while several team members individually knew something needed to be done, that wasn't articulated as a team and failed to become part of the group knowledge that we could tap into. If we had walked through the process, we would have realized we needed to take more steps.Consult with stakeholders prior to scheduling—when possible. One of the challenges I encountered included a failure to appreciate how serious a temporary lack of access to the technology implementation would be for stakeholders. What seemed pretty short time to be without something was of incalculable concern to stakeholders. When we went over schedule on the implementation by a few hours, stakeholders were concerned.Notify stakeholders using different methods (e.g. email AND phone calls).Although I always notify folks when I'm moving their cheese, I failed to pick up the phone. Develop a fallback plan if it all goes poorly. Having a fallback plan in mind is important. In our case, the primary plan failed to work as well as expected. We had to come up with a fallback plan at the last minute, which meant stepping back and relying on equipment that was less than desirable. Make it easy to receive stakeholder feedback on the tech implementation. This seems pretty obvious, but sometimes we forget to take the necessary steps.Shut down the old technology. Switching from one technology to another? Make sure that you shut down the "old technology" so that users won't keep using it when the new one is put in place. That way, you're not caught trailing data from one system to another.Note: This article was previously published.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

Dr. Wilson and Dr. Alaniz at TECSIG Fall, 2015 meeting presenting on collegial coachingSession Facilitators: Dr. Dawn Wilson (@doctordkwilson) and Dr. Katie Alaniz (@dr_katie_alaniz)Listen to Podcast(hosted via Dropbox)MyNotesAccess the Padlet for this sessionView slideshow for presentationAccess www.coachingwithtechnology.comThe Promise:Instructional Technology offers teachers key tools for re-envisioning their lesson delivery.It enables students to become co-creators of their own learning experiences.How do you use new tools in a collegial way?"More than 90% of winning is being excited." A.L. Williams, Coach: The A.L. Williams StoryThis book is about coaching. We want people who are excited about the process...integrating technology in meaningful ways.Coaches can offer new perspectives, breath new life, offer innovative practices to teachers.Problem: Faced with increasing demands for accountability, many teachers cannot find the time to explore--let alone implement--.Winning strategy?Instructional activities should support and engage a combination of learning tasks incorporating technology as a tool to learn with rather than from. Build these activities over time.Educators are more likely to incorporate technology into their instruction when they have access to coaching and mentoring (Strudler & Hearrington, 2009).Collegial coaching...Enhances tech integration through all levels of instruction, in both private and public school settings.Bridges the divide for teachers, as coaches offer support and guidance on teachers' own campusesAllows for the delivery of individualized, targeted, student-centered, and content appropriate tech interventions.Collegial coaching...Eliminates one-size-fits-all trainingChanges the focus from teaching to implementation.Encourages risk-taking and provides scaffolding.Invest more heavily in individuals who need it. Teachers aren't going to be risk-takers or resistant to using technology, you're not going to kick the door down and teach them anything. They need hand-holding. Those teachers were pretty proud of themselves after they had been successful.Empowers teachers themselves to be change agents.What would it be like if we didn't have to catch people up on how to use technology anymore?If you can get started on that trek, one by one, you are making a difference.Coaches provide teachers with differentiated, personalized professional development - at their exact points of need.Coaches support educators:as they brainstorm.as they plan.as they teachas they assess."Relationships are huge!"Coaches help grow each professional's expertise where they need it most...Brainstorm for tools to implement.Assist with the organization of lessonsExplroe how to use certain toolsPlan specific implementation steps for a unit.Create collaborative learning experiences.Organize the initiativeWill it be a district, campus, or casual coaching initiative?Who will lead it? Who will participate?Will it be done full time? Part time? On a volunteer basis?What factors will determine whether goals are being accomplished?Recommend 3 new technology pieces per semester, using the same tool more than once. Repetitive is good so they can get comfortable with it.If you don't have the pedagogical tools in your tool belt, being a coach will be difficult. [Reflection: Do Instructional Technology specialists have the 'pedagogical tools' in their respective tool belts?]In Katie's schools, they want coaches to be teachers.Question: How did you decide who initiated the coaching? Scheduling seems to be the biggest issue or factor in a school day. My counterpart in middle school would host tech trainings for small groups of teachers. Teachers were required to attend 3-5 tech trainings per year. Meeting by grade level teams to launch STEAM.This is definitely a process.Being goal-centered in what you're doing is the whole point. Keep track of who is trying to do and with what. If you don't have goals, then nothing is going to get accomplished. Depending on the size of your campus, you could have several goals per grade level and/or team. Lump the goals together, allowing them to differentiate those.Getting StartedSet your goal and decide how you will measure success...number of integration projects?Teachers involved: Novices in the classroom or needs specific to digital immigrants?Complexity of projects?Get others involvedVary participants and how they are involved (volunteered and/or drafted)Determine strengths and weaknesses of teachers.Build on successes.Encourage ripple effects...enabling others to share their success with others.Two example goals...2nd Grade: A unit that has been involved telling a story by making it digital.3rd Grade: Making books out of index cards. TPACK modelEveryone has a different starting place...that's why it's important to differentiate learning opportunities.The Dawn and Katie Model:Establish the need.Create partnershipsTarget differentiated projects. Spread around the different ideas and tool/topics into grade levels so that across the campus, a variety of tools can be seen.Assess the progress - build a portfolio of their work, or certain number of integration projects. [Why not use badges to track this along the way?]Reflect on the integration.Coaches can be seen as someone who work shoulder to shoulder, side by side...not an administrator. Rather, seen as a colleague and collaborator, a peer rather than an administrator.When a coach goes into the classroom, there is no need for a dog-n-pony show. Catch teachers doing great things.Administrators are huge cheerleaders.There is a lot of time invested in those who are being coached...and those folks turn into the biggest cheerleaders, eventually becoming coaches themselves. They blossom over the time spent coaching together.Successful coachesAmple technology skillsEffective instructional skillsImpeccable relational skillsApproachable and diplomatic ("have a 'teacher's heart'")The people who are afraid the most will benefit the most. You will see that these people are the most appreciative when you spend that one on one time with them.Assessment considerationsEverything 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

Ever had to do any audio editing on a Chromebook? I have, and the only client out there that worked well (like Audacity) costs TOO MUCH money. I won't even mention the client since it is darn expensive and I have no doubt that many folks paid a lot for it...just a twisted pricing model!Ok, that aside, what if you could edit audio files on a Chromebook at low-cost, or even better, no cost if you're a school district or educational institution? What about if that solution could save straight to GoogleDrive? Interested?= Group Licensing =Very cheap (likely free) MP3 exporting for school districts, non-profits, and other groups that make this world a better place. Describe your group to us for details:https://beautifulaudioeditor.appspot.com/submitFeedbackIf you're looking for something like that, then be sure to check out the Beautiful Audio Editor--which allows you to export MP3 audio for one-time fee of $3.18 (pay attention, ONE time fee). Earlier today, I recorded audio from a presentation at TCEA TECSIG--with the presenters' support and permission--on my iPhone using Voice Record Pro, but didn't have an easy way to make some edits to the file (ok, Voice Record Pro has built-in audio editing but I didn't want to try to do it on my iPhone with Voice Record Pro or Hokusai).Problem: How to edit pre-recorded audio on my Chromebook?Note: This process ultimately failed with a 51 minute file but I retain high hopes for Beautiful Audio Editor. Step 3 is where it all went wrong!! Again, I think it's the SIZE of the audio file. I was successful with smaller audio files.STEP 1 - ACCESS MY AUDIO FILE VIA WIFI DRIVEThe first step was to flip Voice Record Pro into a WiFi drive--which is a way to transfer files over wireless connection--so I could access the audio off my phone via my Chromebook:Add captionBefore exporting the recorded file from Voice Record Pro, I converted it to MP3...a nice feature in Voice Record Pro! After doing this, I saved the file to my Chromebook.STEP 2 - IMPORT AUDIO INTO BEAUTIFUL AUDIO EDITORHere's what it looks like at the IMPORT audio stage:Once that was done, I was able to listen to the audio and make adjustments (edit/cut) content, not unlike Audacity on a desktop/laptop computer.Note that I did pay $3.18 to get the MP3 export feature, but it looks like WAV export format is available at no cost...and you could just convert that WAV file with web-based tools like Media.io or Online-Convert.com.STEP 3 - SAVE EDITED AUDIO FILEAs you might imagine, I had high hopes that I would be able to save my 51 minute audio recording of collegial coaching presentation, but alas, it was not meant to be. This process DID work with smaller files, though.Problems Encountered While SavingOf course, I had hoped this solution would work perfectly. It did not FOR LARGE AUDIO files, but it did for short stuff (which may make it appropriate for Chromebook Education users!). As you can see, I was instructed to download the audioproject file but was unable to do so successfully, receiving the error Failed-No File.CollegialCoaching_edited_mguhlin.audioprojectThe server could not find the file.I next tried to save the edited audio file using WAV, MP3 or SAVE TO GOOGLEDRIVE options...notice what happens:One second, the .WAV button appears, but the next (after clicking it), the button disappears!Hmm...the same thing happened with the MP3 file, too.So, SAVE to Google Drive failed as well. This left me with 51 minute audio-edited file with no way to save it!! As you can see, file generated is zero bytes long...so, no data.I'm looking forward to the Beautiful Audio Editor folks fixing this!Everything posted on Miguel Guhlin's blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure