Sustainably Digital

Through some odd and not all that interesting turns of events, I’m pretty much the chair of our school’s technology committee. I’ll spare you the details, but it wasn’t exactly where I saw myself fitting into the system this year (my first at this school). Nevertheless, it is what it is and I hope to [...]

My last school required that all teachers have web pages in order to (at minimum) communicate the daily schedule to students and parents. I used it for my schedule, but also as a jump-off for online assignments. My new school does not require all teachers to have web pages. Yet I enjoyed the benefits of [...]

Chris Lehmann recently gave a presentation titled “School 2.0: Creating the schools we need” at an IgnitePhilly event. It’s probably the best 5 minutes video clip I’ve seen online¹. I’ve never heard someone explain things I’ve grown to believe so right on. Watch it. Love it. Do it! Mr. Lehmann gives his take on the [...]

It’s been a frustrating week or so. Since misery loves company, I found it interesting to read a post by Darren Draper in which he says: Google 2001 is nice, but what some teachers really need is more like Google 1983. That way their experience on the Internet would better coincide with the experience they [...]

Another education design idea I’d put in the “really?” category (along with the multi-touch desks I commented on earlier): Flexboards! Interactive whiteboards that don’t need an LCD projector to work, and include a workspace! While just a design concept, their description page at TheGreenerGrass.org has some silly things on it (IMHO). While I’d agree that [...]

I have a decision to make. I don’t want to make it. I already know what I’ll end up doing in the end. Think you can figure it out? The situation My new school has two laptop carts per floor. That works out to two classroom sets of laptops for every 20-22 teachers or so. [...]

The K12 Online Conference 2008 is revving up to start on October 13 and running through November 1st. I was unable to participate in the 2007 edition due to time issues, and have heard very little but good about the whole process. They’ve just posted the schedule for 2008, so I urge you to check it [...]

A recent education-related post from an unlikely source was pushed my way this week regarding new touchscreen desks designed to be used in educational settings. “Multi-touch smart desks” could be used to authentically improve instruction. However, is it the best way? The most cost-effective method? The most relevant to our students’ future technology usage? Some [...]

I tried out the new laptop cart at my new placement today. No one was very confident that the laptops would work well, but I used them enough at my old job ( and mostly found them quite effective) that I wasn’t just going to let that cart sit there untested for long. The last [...]

For the last several weeks I’ve been following the story of a student teacher who has been blogging his triumphs, failures, and frustrations of his credential program and of teaching in the classroom. Recently a teacher from within his department confronted him on it with the ominous: “We, the department, know you’re blogging.¹” The blog [...]