Taking Flight - Mobile Devices Blur Boundaries

Source: http://goo.gl/rOLxk

Facilitated by mobile devices, blurred boundaries of work/school and home bring opportunities for conversation with our children, don't they?

My 18 year old, when I ask what she's doing texting as we head out to dinner, quickly points out as she hands her phone over--voluntarily--that she's collaborating on her homework. Good thing, too, since her homework is often over my head. That kind of response took one colleague by surprise, when she asked her son why he was doing this at the table at a restaurant. "Sorry, Mom," he replied, "we're working on our big chemistry project and I needed to answer a few questions." Children are nimble learners amidst schedules that adults impose on them for their own good.

While it's clear that mobile devices can be employed for social activities, often at inappropriate moments, in my home, education activities take precedence. If you have work to do--writing, reading, calculus--then it's a priority over social gatherings during the "work/school" week. My Dad taught me that lesson. "I'll wash dishes, son, if you have homework." What an incentive to focus on learning, what a powerful lesson to send about my role in my children's lives.

And, I'm starting to see more of this collaborative texting, learning in sync, showing that thinking and learning ARE 24/7 types of activities...you don't just shut down or flip off the switch. Of course, having written all that, modeling how to "shut down" and tune out the incessant hum of content, lay aside the role of curator, creator and collaborator...that's essential.

Of course, I did remove the phone from a teen's hands last night, like I once removed a hard plastic toy from my child's hands, as she slept curled up, guarded by a fierce teacup poodle. Oh oh...I may get maudlin.

---

Get Blog Updates via Email!

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Subscribe to Around the Corner-MGuhlin.org

---

Visit the Texas for Technology Enhanced Education

---

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

#Google Edu resources launched

google.com/edu

You know, it's amazing how many neat web sites are launched per day. Here's 3 more to add to your social bookmarks, courtesy of Tia Lendo at Google (she shared it via the Google-Certified Teacher list I get to lurk on, thank you so very much):

Check out 3 new resources we launched today for educators and education-enthusiasts. Thank you to the MANY people on this list who contributed stories, feedback, and support:
(1) WEBSITE- A newly-improved website, google.com/edu, which is a one-stop-shop for Google in Education. 

(2) +PAGE- A Google in Education Google+ page, which has news, tips,and discussions (goo.gl/G42c3). 

(3) BOOKLET- A booklet, "Google in Education: A New and Open World for Learning,” which describes how people are using Google’s education resources (google.com/edu/about.html).

---

Get Blog Updates via Email!

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Subscribe to Around the Corner-MGuhlin.org

---

Visit the Texas for Technology Enhanced Education

---

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

Thanks Joe Smith @ TexasISD.com!

Technology - http://www.texasisd.com/cat_index_37.shtml

When I stopped being a columnist for Education World and TCEA TechEdge, I gave some serious thought to seeking publication sources elsewhere. And, though, I've published in several print magazines, written a chapter--or collaborated in two cases--in a book, had my articles featured in books, etc., I have to admit that the greatest satisfaction in writing thus far has come from this blog, Around the Corner! I don't receive any pay for blogging and find it difficult to imagine my blog festooned with advertising, which I tried once and cringed at the sight.

It's hard to believe that when I started blogging 6 years ago or so--about the same time Wes Fryer did, as a matter of fact--for fun, for learning, that I would find myself still doing it long after my initial burst of curiosity. That Around the Corner readers continue to visit, read, comment, and share flashes of reflection and learning day after day boggles the mind.

As exciting as it is to get published in print, I find myself addicted to blogging. It provides a "high" that comes from being in "the zone" and being creative. And, I also am grateful for the work of other hard-working authors and curators of information that are out there, like Joe at TexasISD.com. Though we've never met, it's easy to see how hard he works to keep Texas educators informed about what's going on.

As you can see from the screenshot at the top of this post, Joe was kind enough to feature TWO of my blog entries. He's done this enough times in a year that I "publish" as much to a wide audience of Texas folks as I once did through other publications. Wow!

This means my blog is read by superintendents, central office and campus administrators, and many others throughout the State of Texas. There are days I wonder if that's a good thing or not...but it must be because it allows sharing of a critical message that sometimes I don't think is getting through to them, insulated as they sometimes are by folks afraid or unwilling to have crucial conversations/confrontations with them.

Thanks to all Around the Corner readers, to Joe Smith at TexasISD for including content from ATC, and I hope that you will continue to find what is shared here worth reading.

---

Get Blog Updates via Email!

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Subscribe to Around the Corner-MGuhlin.org

---

Visit the Texas for Technology Enhanced Education

---

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

BYOD and iPad Filtering Solutions +

Source: Lightspeed, http://goo.gl/scosS
(no endorsement/preference implied)

What kind of solutions does your school or organization use for BYOD Filtering? I'd love to hear from vendors with products and what their features are for this new area in K-12!


Although this blog entry focuses on filtering, it does encourage technology directors to crowd-source resources for BYOD filtering, as well as share what devices they're jumping into, such as Android or iPad or something else.

We are going to a BYOD model next school year. We will be giving the "have-nots" a laptop (maybe Linux or Windows). In order to stay CIPA compliant I need to provide filtering for these laptops when not on campus. I may also have a need for filtering IOS and Android. I am looking for a cloud based filtering  service for these devices. I have looked at Barracuda (but it does not work with Linux, based on what I read), I have also looked at Lightspeed. (but I noticed a lot of you abandoning it on this list)

An esteemed colleague, Bryan Doyle (Bastrop ISD), suggests keeping the following features in mind:

1. It had to be capable of managing the SSL connections for Google Apps to work
2. No client side software
3. A remote filter for devices that are off the network (just in case we need to go that route)
4. BYOT support to ensure an easy way to create a way for users to agree to the District's Responsible Use Policy and also authenticate to the network if they have district credentials.
5. A less expensive recurring cost
6. 24x7 support is very important
7. Override functionality is also an important feature

Ed Newman has come up with a list of neat questions for BYOD implementation...

1. Do you have a wireless infrastructure that will support a device for each student?
2. Do you have a wireless infrastructure that will support (2.4/5 GHZ b/g/n)?
3. What do you plan to do if your wireless infrastructure will not support the wireless radio in a personal device?
4. How are do you plan to handle connectivity issues with the personal devices?
5. Do you have a way to handle mobile device management?
6. Do you plan to deploy Virtual Applications or Desktops to end user devices?

What additional questions would you ask? Question #6 is a fascinating approach because some districts are choosing to let schools use what device they want but pushing a "standard virtual desktop" that give everyone a uniform experience and access. One of the tools used includes Virtual Bridges (this is not an endorsement).

To facilitate clarity on features that school districts need, I've started a GoogleDoc and opened it up for fellow technology directors to crowd-source what they think is appropriate in 3 areas: 

1. Filtering features
2. BYOD Questions
3. Districts deploying Android vs iPad

Source: Apple Insider, http://goo.gl/DTvAO

Some suggestions for filtering from Texas Tech directors include the following:

• Barracuda Web Filter 
• Bloxx
• CIPAFilter
• Cisco Ironport - Per one source, "Ironport doesn't like anything from Apple and mobile devices.  And those two pieces are fairly importan...It has problems authenticating both and requires a lot of management to get them to even see SSL sites." 
• Fortinet - http://www.fortinet.com/
• Lightspeed - This product didn't seem too popular among tech directors in Texas who reported on its use, mentioning they had just switched to other products.
• Impero Classroom Management
• Microsoft ForeFront Threat Management Gateway
• M86 - http://www.m86security.com/
• Sophos Web Protection Suite 
• WebSense

Considerations when you're going BYOD/iPads:

1. How will it handle GoogleApps https:// ?
2. How do you handle filtering for devices that are district-owned and go into students' backpacks? Do you have them "phoning home" where "home" is the district or filter tool? Here's how someone put it: "That being said there is generally an assumption (at least in our community) that a district device is automatically filtered at all times.  So if you are sending a device home I suggest you make sure you discuss exactly how that device may or may not be filtered when it is not on your network.  That way everyone is on the same page with what to expect (whether you filter or not)."

In regards to that second question, I found this observation at the end of the article, When Web Filtering Comes Home, to be enlightening:

We are working on this very issue, and we have found it is almost impossible to send home the device filtered with iPad2's deployed to 735 middle school students. We are using JAMF Casper to deply apps and were hoping it could allow us to turn off Safari and only use a safer browser called K9 to provide filtered Internet access. However, Apple only alllows Casper to force 500 devices to check in at a time. Also, all a student has to do is turn off his wireless access on the iPad, and his device will not update to remove Safari. It's really been an uphill battle with the iPad. Our netbook projects at the elementary level do have filtered Internet at home.  

Here's the big question: if parents provide Internet access for their family, who are we to monitor what happens at home? The kids are on the Internet all the time on their phones. It's not filtered.  I think trying to decide what a family does with Internet access is one step too far. We provide the device at home. It should be up to the parent how it's used and how they monitor it.

---

Get Blog Updates via Email!

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Subscribe to Around the Corner-MGuhlin.org

---

Visit the Texas for Technology Enhanced Education

---

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

MyNotes - Exploring JAMF Casper for #iPad

Getting started with iPad management? Your best first step for a demo is to participate in the live iOS demo that is held every Tuesday at 2:00 PM CST.  To register, please click here on next week's date: http://www.jamfsoftware.com/events 

As I shared in several posts--you can find them here--mobile device management can save you a lot of white hairs and frustration. I finally had a chance to glance through Casper materials and here are some of my take-aways....

---

Get Blog Updates via Email!

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Subscribe to Around the Corner-MGuhlin.org

---

Visit the Texas for Technology Enhanced Education

---

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

MyNotes - #iPads in the ClassroomFive Essential Steps

Image Source: http://goo.gl/ZYyuJ

What a great article on how to approach redefining technology in the classroom. This article resonated with me for a simple reason. Today, I received a phone call from a colleague whose campus is applying for a grant. They want to put iPads in the hands of middle school students, all of them young women. What a neat deal! Of course, concerns immediately came to mind.

Source: Infographic, http://goo.gl/Z283w

More infographics:

1. DigiGirlz
2. Web Developers vs Web Developers (cute)

It doesn't hurt to keep in mind that more women are needed in STEM and embracing computer science...of course, do iPads and computer science go well together, really?


Among the concerns--management of iPads, deployment, training--was a much more important one. How would teachers and administrators go about changing the way they approach teaching and learning? 


This article by Jennie Magiera goes after this question.


Quotes:

Education Week Teacher: Redefining Instruction With Technology: Five Essential Steps

• Redefining Instruction With Technology: Five Essential Steps By Jennie Magiera
• First, I had to learn a hard lesson: Just bringing new technology in your classroom and working it into day-to-day routines isn't enough.
• The iPads were not helping my students make substantial progress toward self-efficacy, academic achievement, or social-emotional growth.
• "What have we been doing so far with this technology?" Students used math apps instead of math card games. They'd made slideshow presentations for isolated units. They'd done some research on the Internet. In short, things were going ... OK. Nothing to write home about. Not what I would consider "worthy" of a $20,000 grant.
• The problem, I began to realize, was my own understanding of how the iPads should be utilized in the classroom. I had seen them as a supplement to my pre-existing curriculum, trying to fit them into the structure of what I'd always done. This was the wrong approach: To truly change how my classroom worked, I needed a technology-based redefinition of my practice.
• Break down to rebuild.
• I would have to be willing to depart from what I had "always done" or "always taught."
• By setting aside my pre-conceived notions of how my classroom "should" look, sound, and feel, I was able to transform my practice from the ground up.
• Redefine with a goal in mind.
• When rethinking your curriculum and classroom, identify the goals you have for yourself and your students. I focused on two important goals: increased differentiation and robust, efficient assessment. Next, I asked myself, "Can the iPads help me reach those goals?
• a few examples:
• I created interactive video mini-lessons to increase differentiation.
• I used online student surveys and audio/visual apps such as Toontastic to allow my students to voice their emotions, curiosities, and academic goals in private.
• To redefine assessment and differentiation, I employed websites such as Google Docs and Edmodo to create a faster feedback loop. These sites utilize color coding, instantaneous feedback, and automatic student grouping to allow me to immediately analyze data.
• Get more app for your money.
• I moved away from content apps, such as Rocket Math or Math Ninja, which are very engaging but only address a handful of standards.
• I focused on student-creation apps.
• students are now creating their own math videos, writing math blogs, and conducting challenge-based-learning math projects.
• the app Educreations allows students to record notations on a virtual whiteboard along with their narration, generating a multimedia lesson or problem explanation. This app can be used to address standards in all subjects and engages students at the highest level of Bloom's Taxonomy: creation. Other versatile creation apps and programs include Toontastic, iMovie, Garage Band, PaperPort Notes, Kabaam, Popplet, and Aurasma Lite.
• Embrace failure.
• encourage risk taking—and greater achievements.
• Enjoy the results, reflect towards the future.
• After redefining my classroom, the iPads were out all day, every day. They were being pushed to their limit so that my students could be pushed to theirs. This effort paid off: 10 times as many of my students scored at the 90th percentile or above on the 2011 state test as compared to the 2010 state test.
• "[iPads] make me want to come to school every day because I know that Ms. Magiera has a lesson just for me."
• Classroom redefinition is an ongoing process, and I can't wait to discover what tomorrow brings.
• Jennie Magiera is a 4th and 5th grade math teacher and a technology and mathematics curriculum coach in Chicago Public Schools. A Teacher Leaders Network member, Golden Apple Teacher of Distinction, and Apple Distinguished Educator, she explores best practices in math pedagogy and technology in her blog, Teaching Like It's 2999, and on Twitter @msmagiera.

This message was sent to you by mguhlin via Diigo

Strong Relationships and #FOSS Saves Districts' Money!

Source: http://goo.gl/lARsH

A local equipment/furniture rental place ends every advertisement with, "We can SAVE YOU MONEY!" Unfortunately, I must have heard this commercial too many times and it's stuck in my head like a jingle you can't forget.

On a listserv today with other tech directors focused on free, open source solutions, a colleague shared the following story. It was such a motivating one, I felt I had to share it with you:

As I look at switching my district to Linux next year (servers with Ubuntu/Edubuntu desktops and laptops) I will need you guys [listserv] more than ever.  As more and more schools face the budget crunch my distrcit has (and will again next year) I feel the FOSS movement will be more marketable....

Intrigued by this remark about switching to Linux, I asked her to tell us more....

I approached it from the financial standpoint.  We had a $150,000 budget cut this year and were just informed  to estimate a $140,000 cut next budget year.  Every penny that I can save the district is one less cut that teachers must face that might impact their curriculum.  I set up a demo unit to show the powers that be how advanced these “free” programs have become and challenged them to find something it couldn’t do.  

But I do have to admit that this was an easy sell to the board as most critical services for our district are already web based and we had already pushed Google Apps out this year to great reviews. 69 desktops161 laptops (we are a 1:1 district 7-12)5 serversOur current ADA is 212. We will be using FOG to reimage the machines over the summer. But I am changing the common area computers (lounge, library, etc.) after spring break so that people get the opportunity to start seeing the new systems immediately to hopefully lessen the shock value in the fall.  Also, all of my tech trainings (the third Thursday of each month) are going to be showcasing the new systems.  My superintendent and principal agreed to give teachers comp days in August if they attend my summer trainings. I have to also admit (truth in advertising here) that I think my district’s small size is an advantage here.  They all know me personally and trust my judgment.  If I tell them I can make it work, they believe me.

Has this tech director come upon a formula for success? Consider the following:

1. The relationship she had with her peers enabled them to know her personally and trust her judgement. This enabled her to bring about powerful changes that some district leaders would scoff at..."Pshaww...Linux? Give our children a break! That's insane when Mac or Windows are available!" The power of relationship building proves that before you begin any major change, build a solid relationship with people.
2. Get top-level support from district and campus administrators.
3. Take advantage of web-based apps, such as GoogleApps for Education.
4. Use free solutions like FOGProject.org to facilitate reimaging computers
5. Offer frequent professional learning that highlights the changes being made.

Of course, some will argue that small is better in this situation. A PT boat (pictured at the top of this post) is more maneuverable than an aircraft carrier. More importantly, though, is making sure that #1 your relationships are strong, you have top level support, and you take advantage of free, open source tools and web-based apps with regular professional learning.

Kudos to the tech director in this district!

---

Get Blog Updates via Email!

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Subscribe to Around the Corner-MGuhlin.org

---

Visit the Texas for Technology Enhanced Education

---

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

Continuum of Control - #iPads, #BYOD

Source: http://goo.gl/iOY15 

For someone who purports to not like iPads, I've certainly spent a lot of time exploring their use in K-12 schools! A quick review of iPad related posts looks like this:

iPad Deployment

• Part 1 - iPad Deployment - Do Over.
• Part 2 - Carts, Cases, and Peripherals, Oh My!
• 3 Tips on Flipping Your Classroom with iPads
• Programming on the iPad = No Sharing
• The World that Built iPad
• iPad and Textbooks
• How to Clone iPad Settings and 7 Other FAQs
• iPads in the Classroom - MyNotes from a Great article

And, I've also detailed my own experiences with the iPad as I explore it and editorialize:

• Recanting iPad Gloom and Doom
• Blogging via iPad Blogger App
• iPad Experiments Day 1 and Day 2, Day 3
• The Mark of Apple
• Tricks to Gmail on iPad
• The Road is Open
• Getting Video and Audio onto your iOS device

The reason for that is simple--although I have my preferences for the technologies I choose to use, I believe we need to find the right tools for the job. You can't do that if you shut down dialogue and, as the Crucial Conversations authors put it, move to "silence or violence."

The diagram shown above captures one representation of the Crucial Conversations silence or violence.  My hand-drawn version of the diagram, which I drew based on my listening to the audio of the books, includes Mutual Respect, Dialogue, Trust in the grey circle where one finds "Safety" above and flips it sideways (not a major change, I know). As the authors point out, the longer it takes to travel back to dialogue and shared meaning, the harder it is to do so.

This comment is also relevant and I'm including it in the main post for now:

I was just showing my 13yo daughter the "Pool of Shared Meaning" diagram and we were discussing it. She made a neat observation. She pointed out that as we work on or build our relationships, our grey ring (safety, mutual respect, dialogue and trust) grows. And therefore, the frequency and likelihood of ending up in the red ring (silence or violence) reduces. So having a "wide" grey ring would mean that we have a "narrow" red ring...
What a great point! When we focus on building our relationships, we increase our capacity to build shared meaning in healthy, productive ways - instead of falling back into unhealthy, damaging habits like silence and violence.
Food for thought from my wise young woman... :-)

You can take a 33 question, "Style Under Stress" assessment for free. Since I've been working hard on my own skills, I decided to take the assessment today and saw this snapshot of where I'm at:

My Style Under Stress™ Scores Silence Violence Masking 1 Controlling 0 Avoiding 0 Labeling 0 Withdrawing 0 Attacking 0 Silence Total 1 Violence Total 0

Check the chart below and notice which aspects of silence (masking, avoiding, or withdrawing) or violence (controlling, labeling, or attacking) that you use. All behaviors that move you toward silence or violence have consequences. 

Source: http://goo.gl/is0P1

What does this have to do with iPads? Consider that planning and implementing ANY kind of change can result in stresses to your work relationships. It's easy, as I pointed out in this post, to fall for the Sucker's Choice (another Crucial Conversations term), an either/or proposition between two poor choices that involves trading one for the other. For example, if we're going to do one to one, it has be done with iPads because our Community won't settle for less than the best. The other option could be something less desirable.

 "The possibilities for learning, student interaction and enhanced campus services that the iPad unleashes will all come at a price," Kim says. "Nothing about a tool as wonderful as the iPad will lower the cost of constructing or delivering education."

Source: Joshua Kim as cited in FastCompany article 

It's easy to fall into this trap because we want to provide the best to our children, we don't want to admit that we're "broke" as school districts. While the economy is solid, we can afford to skip this choice, or so we tell ourselves. The truth is more "wrinkly" than that.

One technology director recently wrote (anonymized) the following:

Teachers and students are using their personal devices as they have them, sharing when necessary.  We also have devices available for checkout during the school day for those who do not have personal devices but need them for class.

This is one of those wrinkly issues, isn't it? The first inclination of school technology directors in various locales is a continuum of control that looks something like this rough-hewn sketch (did I mention I flunked art in Kindergarten?):

Where do you think remarks like the following fall in on the continuum of control?

I just came from a discussion at [regional service center].  The topic came up about [state org] only offering 1-1 training using Ipads.  The uniform response was how unfortunate that it is that this is the only approach being promoted.  NO one was taking this approach, and all are saying the same thing.  Relying only on apps, and trying to distribute them is a nightmare. 

*** 

"Personalization of the device is key to the success of implementation," shared one regional service center-based educator in Texas, "and people really embracing their use of it effectively." 

*** 

"Because teachers already used iTunes, they could manage the iPads themselves." 

*** 

We took the route of giving them the option to use their personal Apple ID.  I really didn't want them to have a work and a personal account.  My thinking was if they already had an Apple ID they were already using iTunes in their personal life.  I wanted the device to integrate into their life as much as possible, because I figured they would use it more and we would reap rewards from that. 

*** 

...one of the biggest benefits of the iPad is the freedom with which end-users can explore and customize their learning. That is taken away the second you start managing their account centrally and selecting what they have on their device. We felt, that while it's true there would be some loss with the apps when the person leaves, it's much like a consumable workbook that we used to buy. For example, we spent over $120,000 in "materials" for ELA curriculum a couple of years ago. If we spend $50 per device (haven't hit that number yet) on all 2300 devices we have, we'd be close, but not quite at that number. Also, when we purchase, we include a $50 app fee so that VPP cards are both with the purchase

How your district moves from one end of the continuum to the other is where the rubber meets the road in terms of leadership, isn't it?

For me, it's always about the HOW to get these kinds of conversations going. This is naturally a tough role for me, so I've had to work at nurturing conversations over time.

Miguel - Thanks for taking the time to post this well-written article. The more we share our frustrations and successes with mobile learning environments, the easier it will become for all! - Tammy Worcester on #iPad Deployment - Do Over.

I couldn't agree more. We have to keep the dialogue open, and, in the case of some school environments, open it up again. Otherwise, implementing iPads is a nightmare.

---

Get Blog Updates via Email!

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Subscribe to Around the Corner-MGuhlin.org

---

Visit the Texas for Technology Enhanced Education

---

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