In the back of our minds, we are already aware what may cause the downfall of the BYOT movement. We just don’t want to admit it. The source of what powers technology is “the problem”. Using common sense, we all know that there will be a great demand for charging these devices to last throughout the day. Colleges are already dealing with this issue.
Charging stations will be a vital requirement of power management for teachers in the classroom. While a student’s device is being charged, will the teacher have a backup device to supply in order to maintain the student engagement?
Will schools have to give a limit of devices that can be charged at on time in an outlet? Will there be an increase of fire hazards in schools? I will not even touch the issue of theft of property theft while the electronic devices being charged. These issue cannot be avoided (unless we demand engineers of our electronic devices to create be solar powered versions) for the time has come for students to be empowered with these devices for instruction. As TD Jakes states, “Get ready, get ready, get ready!”
Yes, there is a big push to move to digital text books. I understand there is a great need to eliminate paper and the convenience ebooks/tablets possess. Anyway, before your read this blog post any further please view: North Carolina School Engages Tech Generation With Digital Learning Tools.
This video champions the big push to having technology resources in the classroom. Don’t get me wrong. I am one of the biggest edtech nerds that you will ever know. As a nation, are we really for our classrooms to be transformed to a multimedia rich, Internet-driven environment? What is required for this to happen in school districts nation-wide? I am overjoyed how the above video elaborates why they are successful.
However let me let me quickly point out the key phases of any successful local school or even district wide full technology adoption.
1. Implementation – This is know as the “roll out.” Within implementation, there is a very brief period of training. It is important to know your hardware and know it’s limitations. This phase it the easy part.
2. OJT (On-the-Job Training) – This is the phase that is the key to the success or failure of any technology initiative. Videos on a website are good for training, but training should not stop there. To learn anything, you must get your hands dirty. The IT department and every school department must merge and become one (in my best Yoda voice). Teachers must be as tech savvy as your computer guy. The expectation is there. Period. There is no getting around this fact. Not just having a help desk on standby, but hand-holding/shadowing may be needed as necessary for those who are hesitant or very-slow to adopt in the transformation of the expectations of the 21st century learner.
3. Maintaining universal hardware and software requirements and access for all – In my humble opinion, to maintain a successful technology-dependent school you must ask hard questions. Will what we are doing continue to be successful in 1 year? 5 years? Will all our new equipment become obsolete next year, if so, what do we do? Will learning still take place when power is down? Can I find another teacher that can fit in the shoes of the hot-shot nerd-extraordinaire teacher that just left to the other school district with better training/equipment? Will my all students with their BYOT computer/tablet/smartphone/laptizzle work on the network? How do we handle students that bring their own network? How often should school districts supply students with updated equipment? How long will we be in the piloting phase of BYOT when students possess their own smartphones and portable wifi hotspots?
I can continue on with my rant for or against technology in the classroom. Let me just conclude that it will always come down to money. Without money there is no budget for technology or training. At this time, we just have the expertise of the teacher with their bag of best practices and textbooks to support instruction. How long will this be acceptable for the 21st century learner. We must allow the technology transformation to occur.
Okay… This app may have been the reason I have an iPad for having a portable IWB is the greatest tool for an educator. If you cannot tell, I really have been waiting for this app for a while once the word got out Smart tech was on the project.
Honestly, I really wanted to share on this blog to say this is the only IWB app you will need. Please delete all of the others, but I cannot express that positive opinion at this time. Unfortunately, after dropping eight bucks and downloading this app, I was immediately disappointed in what it failed to offer compared to the other apps such as Notability, Penultimate, Paper and Show Me. Here are the missing features that I was looking for to separate it from the other lame IWB apps:
- Where is the Extend page function! They really missed the boat on this feature. This was the first feature I looked for, and was disappointed not to find it!
- Cannot change thickness of pens; no magic pen; no niffy erase features!!!!
- What? No lines? Ya’ll know I cannot draw a straight line!
- Next page does not mean new page… Okay, I’ll let this one slide.
- Cannot hide preview panel?! Shesh, Smart tech, I cannot utilize the whole page? Or at least have an option to go full screen, homies?
-Huh, no gallery? I’m done…
I’d say it’s only best feature that it will allow you to use existing Smart Notebook files. Honestly, this product is more like a beta product and IMHO should have been free. If you have not purchased this product, don’t until they get it right. If you need an app that’s better that is worth the $$, I highly recommend the purchase of Notability, Penultimate or even Paper to get the job done.
Nowadays, everyone is on the Internet. So, should one stop to reflect their personal online behavior and evaluate their online digital foot prints. Yes, because everything you do, say, act, click on leaves either a foot print that is either cemented permanently or temporarily impressed in virtual sand. What do I mean?
Google yourself, and you will see your cemented tracks. Or anything that you participated or contributed online that is permanent to certain extent that can be recovered by someone other than yourself that you cannot remove. Server logs of your whereabouts online that you cannot access is also virtually cemented and only viewable to a select group of people as if you was a star! Ask anyone that is being sued to downloading movies or music lately.
However, if one can remove your digital tracks, that could be considered a foot print in the sand, which is somewhat temporary unless you or someone else can remove it such as the cookies of your web browser (cache) and browser history.
Do footprints serve a purpose? Yes… You can discover many things about someone that have or do not have digital footprints. Current and potential employers, significant others, and just ordinary nosy people find joy and sorrow in what people knowingly leave behind.
What if I do not leave any digital footprints? That would be impossible, only if you do consider yourself a non-participant of the web 2.0 revolution or a user that is very restricted with your online activities.
What’s up? This is what’s up…. this link will take you to a TI-73/83/84 FREE emulator called WabbitStudio Z80 Software tools!
It is not as good as TI SmartView, but if you are on a budget, this will do. Here are the directions to create your ROM image for your emulator after downloading the program. Try it out and may you have a great school year!
“Technology should be leveraged to provide access to more learning resources than are available in classrooms and connections to a wider set of “educators,” including teachers, parents, experts, and mentors outside the
classroom. It also should be used to enable 24/7 and lifelong learning.” -Excerpt from National Education Technology Plan 2010 Executive Summary (p.8)
For example, if someone learns better, excels academically and obtains their diploma using online instruction, should they be excluded from serving our military? In my honest opinion, if someone has earned their diploma traditionally or non-traditionally, I feel that they should have the opportunity to serve our great country. Anyway, isn’t the ASVAB still used to evaluate recruits to see if they can ‘cut the mustard?’
When purchasing equipment for education, you have to look at the “long haul.” Since district money is tight and purchasing technology equipment is considered as an academic investment in our children, there is no room for waste.
When equipment needs to be repaired, technicians are available on hand to troubleshoot or maintain laptops, but tablets? Hmmm… Let’s look at my main two issues with tablets.
1. Battery replacement
After a few years of recharging over and over again, I’m sure the battery life will take a turn for the worse just like any other battery dependent device.
2. Screen replacement (heaven forbid!)
Students drop stuff – Yes, it’s inevitable. Following video shows how fragile the iPad screen really is. (Please excuse the choice of words after the last drop in the video.)
I was asked this question the other day by a college student interviewing me as a Technology Coach. Believe it or not, I actually struggled with this question. I know so much “stuff” about technology, what do I actually “know” the best?! I have many projects that I work on, but in my opinion to know something the best, you must have mastered it, right? I know and love Moodle, but can I say I know it best? I am still learning how to use it in a non-hybrid classroom structure.
Could I be a whiz with using the TI-84 calculator with the TI-Navigator system? Not sure, especially I can confess that I don’t use it everyday to get the official guru hat with that system. Hmmm… Could I be the master Smartboard ninja? I can say I know and shared some advanced techniques using this IWB, but there are other electronic IWB that I haven’t even touched. I can go on and on about my lack of mastery of technology, but as I concluded with answering this question. I stated that…
The lesson that I have learned that technology is evolving so fast, what you may “know” the best today; you have become master of an archaic/obsolete piece of equipment the next day.
movement. We just don’t want to admit it. The source of what powers technology is “the problem”. Using common sense, we all know that there will be a great demand for charging these devices to last throughout the day. Colleges are already dealing with this issue.
high schools
