The TWAIN blog

Today I added myself to the list of people running for the Area 20 TCEA Board Member position. Currently, I know of two others who are running for the position as well: Jennifer Faulkner of Alamo Heights ISD and Miguel Guhlin of San Antonio ISD. Those two names alone make this an even more daunting run for me. I almost pulled out of the race after hearing that they were running for the position.

Jennifer has served as the R20 TCEA board member and there are no complaints from anyone. She has done an outstanding job and I look forward to seeing her in meetings we attend. She is organized and offers great ideas in our area technology directors meetings. She also is a great resource and has answered many questions I have sent her way. Being a newbie to this CTO job, I have to rely on people for help. Jennifer has been a great help to me and I really appreciate that! Her humor is right up my alley as well and I like that she makes me laugh during meetings.

Miguel is a blogger extraordinaire! He is also the most prolific TEC-SIG listserv Q&A guy. He is really plugged in to the resources we all need and he has such fantastic ideas on technology resources for educators. He is an encyclopedia of tech-knowledge! Plus, he is progressive and a change-agent. You can read his blog post for his ideas on change, especially for our association. I support his goals for change in our association. Plus, Miguel forces me to continue blogging when I get so frustrated with it. He encourages me to share in my voice and to be an honest blogger which is really encouraging to me.

But enough about them….

The nomination form to drop my name in the hat allowed me 50 words to post my ideas on what I could bring to the TCEA Board. It felt like a Twitter post and it really did not allow me to share what I believe I could bring to the executive board.

I am new blood but I feel great responsibility within our association. If you attended the TCEA 2009 Convention and the opening keynote, you may have heard my blog post read to the entire audience that reflected my history and feelings about TCEA. There is a family history with the association and I have been raised by a steady group of inspirational leaders in the TCEA community. I believe we need to honor the past as we develop the future.

The sad news is there is a division in the association about the pace of change and implementation of transparency in both TCEA and TEA. It has spurned interesting online discussions, uncomfortable group gatherings, and has developed factions within the larger body of the association. These are symptoms and results of change. It is a the classic battle between tradition and innovation; to which both have relevance on the path to change.

But it is separating our association rather than doing what I would like to see my TCEA do: unify all of our efforts. TCEA must unify its stakeholders and resources to develop as THE state resource for Educational Technology for students, teachers, administrators, and support specialists.

I look at the SAIL ON initiative that is uniting seven Houston area districts in a common goal of providing online interactive lessons for all subject and grade levels in the state. I see this and I wonder why I can’t find that type of resource in the TCEA association. This is a group of districts pooling their resources together to share with the rest of the state. Why can’t I find a list of resources like that on the TCEA website?!

I visit Wisconsin’s IDE@S site which is devoted to providing “interactive dialogue with educators across the state”. Do we have this on the TCEA website? I guess the listservs provide that service to a small degree. But I have to use Facebook, Twitter, email, listservs, podcasts, wikis, and blogging to really have interactive dialogue with educators these days. To be connected to my professional learning community, I have to be a member in over 10 different social networking sites! My interactive dialogue consists of reading timelines of events that happened while I was working. God forbid I skip a day!

To engage in interactive dialogue in TCEA, I have to go to their NING site which is fairly new and promoting the one week conference lasting 5 days. What about my other days? Must I make a Second Life profile to engage in interactive dialogue? Is there a TCEA island?

I read (sometimes) the blogs of educators across the state asking questions and facing the same issues. We are all facing the same problems and finding similar solutions. But are we running to TCEA’s website for the solutions or are we running to Google? The TEC-SIG daily digest is full of repeat answers to repeat questions. We all want to know what is the most recommended CIPA filter and if anyone can share an RFP for this given service.

I am convinced that if you were to layer all of our district instructional technology pages on top of each other to measure the number of similar links and ideas, you would see that we are almost all linking to the same resources.

And we are all making training videos and documents for our teachers. We are all creating the same newsletters; sending the same virus warnings; proclaiming the need for proper cord management; and declaring the sanctity of open record emails. We are spending time and money on tools to make instructional and promotional materials for teaching the same integration tools.

Don’t even get me started on our wikis! Do we all have them? Are they so different? And do we really need a different wiki for every topic or convention idea?

We are all under the same guidelines of the mandates of TEA, NCLB, the Fed, etc.; but we are all inventing the same wheel over and over again. We are chasing our tails when we should be paving the roads for future teachers to rely on our organization for all their technology integration resources.

I am still fairly new to our TEC-SIG meetings where TEA representative share changes in legislation and requirements. I’ve been to a few meetings but I am pretty clear in understanding that they are overwhelmed and can’t be the educational technology repository for the state. I don’t think it is fair to require TEA to be this for us. The skillset isn’t there.

We need to work with TEA and relieve them of this tremendous burden. We, as the state computer education association, have the skills to do this. We are an association built of members with such skills! You can see for yourself in all of our bloggers, podcasters, digital storytellers, GIS hunters, open source renegades, webmasters, etc.; we are an untapped resource and a necessity to become THE resource for education in Texas. Our association can be the pattern for 49 other states and even to other nations.

This is my platform for running for the Area 20 representative to the TCEA Board. My goal is to tap into the greatest resource within the association and that is the membership of the association. We need to hear not only from our most vocal members about their ideas for change; we also need to give voice to those in our state who are so overwhelmed they can barely breathe. My platform supports both Miguel and Jennifer in their efforts to also lead in the TCEA Board. I would hope that should either of them win, they will take into consideration my voice and yours as well.

The association needs all of our voices. Voting is one way to provide voice and I hope you provide that in the elections.

A conversation on our TEC-SIG listserv brought this item into my line of sight today. Last year, I had posted about the idea of “pico-projection” which is the concept of bite-sized projectors that fit into the your hand. These are starting to hit the market and this one – the WowWee CineMin Swivel is marketing directly to iPhone/iPod users.

I looked up more information about it and this is what I found:

– Features Texas Instruments’ DLP projection technology
– 90-degree hinge to project on any surface (no tripod required or having to shove books under it to get it screen height)
– Connects to multiple handheld devices – iPod, iPhone, Netbooks, PCs, and Flip Video (projects videos, photos, and more)
– 2-hour rechargeable battery life (most other pico’s have 60-90 minutes)
– High-contrast, ultra clear HVGA image – 480 x 320
– Can project a 60 inch image from 8 feet away
– Speaker output for headphones or portable speakers
– International power cords (4 different adapters) for travel
– Padded carrying case

Cost runs about $350 for the device and it is available for pre-order on Amazon.

Now….is this something feasible for our classrooms? Can this be used in your schools?

The past few days have been a whirlwind and I am glad to finally be home here in Kerrville. I spent last Thursday and Friday in Austin at the TEC-SIG Fall meeting with colleagues in the field. It was great to see so many people out there in the field and to hear the concerns we all share! As someone new to this field, it was a little daunting too because I feel so out of of it in just trying to transition from campus coordination to district director. I am such a NEWB!

I am also someone who is constantly comparing myself to the successes of others and in that crowd, there are some monumental leaders who will always be several steps ahead of the rest of us. Renegades and Mavericks – you know who you are (and if not, I will tell you in person!) and then there are those of us just happy to be following your blogs and to read a note from you on Twitter.

I already posted about the goings on in all these trainings but I just spent 6 hours in my car with the radio off in my own personal development. My own reflexive time to start figuring out how to make this work. And I wish I had a simple answer but I don’t. I have a very hard pill to swallow and much applied learning to put in place.

I know that I am a people-pleaser. Someone who wants to make everyone happy and that means selling out my own soul at times or my own happiness to make something happen. As a campus person who was tied to the teachers, this was easy to do because I felt I was making a martyr of myself and connecting to the teachers. I was scoring points for them so that they would like me more and then that was my “in” to get them to enjoy my training. I knew this as I was doing it. I knew it wasn’t right but it was my method.

Now, I realize in my new role that this won’t work. It hasn’t yet and if it continues it will blow up in my face. I have known this for some time but was fighting it because changing my method is very hard. Why change??

I am also now a supervisor of a group of people that serve the district in their capacity. This is new to me as I have only ever before had 2 assistants who reported to someone else. This is my first supervision role. The idea of making people happy all the time will not work here either.

So, I have to change….everything.

I am freaked out by this realization and rallied by it as well. I finally feel like I have some direction and resources. The Technology Directors Academy was just what I needed. I have been so overwhelmed that I did not even know the questions I needed to ask. It is the same feeling as the first year teacher thrust into a role and learning in the first few weeks that it isn’t like the lessons in college.

I haven’t been at this for more than a few months and I have already felt regret, depression, frustration, lost, ungrounded, self-loathing, and complete distrust in my own abilities – much like the first semester of my first year.

The Academy is something I recommend technology directors take if it is their first year or their 11th. I even recommend that if your instructional technology coordinator is separate from your infrastructure tech coordinator, that the two directors attend this academy together. It is collaborative and so helpful for developing those (BHAGs – Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals) and a plan for uniting the service orientation of our jobs together. I hear how districts have that rift between instructional and infrastructure and the rift that grows year by year between them and this Academy could be a solution for you both. Really! It’s definitely a good start in the right direction.

I am looking forward to days 3-5 of this group. It was great sharing with so many varieties of technology directors at different tables and group games. I hope we continue the conversation on our blogs, wikis, and NING groups. And if any of you are reading this blog would like to add your input, I would love to share it here with the readers as well.

Here is where you can find more information from TCEA about their Technology Coordinator’s Academy: http://www.tcea.org/Training/Pages/TechnologyCoordinatorsAcademy.aspx

And a huge debt of gratitude to our excellent trainers!! Not a moment of boredom or waste in the time we were together. Thank you for sharing so many resources with us and for putting me at ease in developing an action plan!

Kari Rhame from Deer Park ISD

Robert Harris from Highland Park ISD

Lori Gracey from Bastrop ISD

Miguel dropped the glove and asked me to post my comments on what happened at Day 2 of TEC SIG. I honestly did not take many notes on the day because…well….I got caught up in making fun of the situation on Twitter. It happens.

So what happened? Well, that’s hard to figure out. I haven’t been into all the gab on the TEC-SIG listserv. I mainly check it when I get an interesting topic or I post a question about something I would like a response to.

I didn’t know there was this growing debate between TEA and the SIG. So from an outsider’s view like my own it looked like a fight was developing in that session on Friday.

I think I can see both sides of the arguments that took place. Sparing the nitty-gritty, here is what I think:

1) The reps from TEA tried to “school” us in proper netiquette by informing the group that information shared by them is copyrighted and that we should ask permission before posting it online or posting it on our own blog/podcasts.

2) They then told us that they were too busy, understaffed, and unprepared for dealing with the new technologies of Web 2.0. We even heard that often they send out information that is changed by the time it is sent out.

3) Audience members who do podcast and share these resources were seeking clarity on copyright when posting resources sent by TEA (which is a public entity).

My thoughts on this:

1) TEA should really take advantage of the people who are willing to post their information in easily explainable terms. I know that if I have a question on something, I ask TEC-SIG or I read the blogs of others. I rarely visit TEA’s site or ESC-service centers. I can’t find information as easily as on others sites.

2) People who do blog/podcast on their sites should (even as a courtesy) ask for permission to record word for word or to post the slides from a presentation. It is a professional courtesy that I think has fallen to the wayside. I agree that they are a public entity and we should get the information from them to post. But I also think it is a courtesy to inform them in advance that you wish to record them. I do the same for all guest speakers and meetings I wish to record.

TEA should provide a better communication system for distributing information along with some interactivity on their site. I agree. But as they say, they are understaffed as well. It sounds like they need help with this and my question is why can’t TCEA help them? Why can’t we as an association provide the tools to distribute information more than just conference advertising?

The one place I think we should look to for technology information in the state should be linked to TCEA somehow. We keep talking about providing a database of all of our district resources and vendors with small steps heading that way. What is our organization about besides a listserv and a conference each year?

Better yet, what are my dues for in this group? What am I paying for?

Today, I attended the day-long TEC-SIG meeting in Austin. TEC-SIG is one of the Special Interest Groups (SIGs) of TCEA and every now and then we get together to share resources and to collaborate on ideas.

Today’s session was a good look into Apple and their tools for schools. It wasn’t anything really new for me since i recently blogged about the use of iPods and iTouch pods in schools instead of laptops. Unfortunately, I made the post “private” because I felt I was too harsh and condemning of districts choosing to go 1:1 with laptops. In other words, my tone went negative when I am trying so hard to be more positive here.

These are the notes I had in my iPhone from today’s morning session. They actually reference my blog post so you aren’t missing out on anything.

1) TCEA is soon to be offering more student contests and opportunities for students to collaborate with each other at the contest events. This reminds me of that old HBO Family show that used to air with kids showing movies they made and then talking about how they filmed and edited them. I once contacted the producers of the show to find out if I could order the series for a campus. They said no but that I could record the shows and use them in the classes. I wish they still aired that show. I think it was called “Kid Flicks”.

2) Learned about a document put together by the Visioning Institute which is a group of superintendents and the Texas Association of School Administrators. The document is for “Creating a New Vision for Public Education in Texas: A Work in Progress for Conversation and Further Development”. I picked up a copy and I think it is a good framework for gathering all this 21st century discussion into a plan and direction for districts to move with. I have a copy of it and I am looking forward to reading it.

Additional copies available here

3) Dr. Tom Burnett from Apple presented and his presentation was spot-on! I have a note to self that says “First, Break All the Rules”. I believe I referenced this book title because the presentation was about taking that step out of our own comfort areas of technology use for our students. I wrote about iPods in classrooms and I hear teachers say that they can’t imagine kids in elementary schools using them because the screens are so small.

For whom? The kids or the teachers?!? Step out of your own comfort zone and try it out for more than just a one session. Tom brought up a good point asking the audience why they were using laptops to take notes when so many have cell phones with note-taking abilities. The general answer of the crowd “so i can see the screen”. Do kids need to see that big screen?? Are they complaining about the text and video being too small?

While on this topic, do we really want to select one device for every user? What about the people who need to see larger text or video? Are we really looking to defy differientated instruction by purchasing one product for everyone? We already go with ONE textbook for every student. Why not the same type of computer for everyone?? Is this model really working?? Can we differientiate technology AND education??

Plus, is one device the one device for everyone? Can we differentiate technology and education?

With the new MEdia and the increase of the Cloud Computing concept – do we need to really invest in the hard drive computer anymore??? We discuss the idea of cross-platforming with Linux, Apple, and Windows but with the cloud – with the web – there is no platform!

Districts still considering 1:1 laptop initiatives should really invest in attending the Austin South by Southwest Interactive conference in the spring. Step out of education conferences and look into what the “real world” of Inter-tainment (interactive entertainment) is doing. Why are the universities closing their computer labs? Why aren’t they going with laptops anymore?

And in the world of Intertainment, let’s see what Blockbuster will be in 3 years with the onslaught of video streaming services and rentals. Dell now sells a PC with movies preloaded on the hard drive. iTunes sells movies for rent in its browser. I can watch television programming on Hulu.com. And Blu-Ray?? Did it really win the market from HD with these types of options available in the cloud?

My advice for anyone thinking of laptop intiatives: Look BOTH WAYS before crossing that street!! Step outside of just education. Watch the media initiatives. Learn why the actors, producers, writers, and directors have been striking and the deals they are making for the new Intertainment Television.

Back to the presentation:

4) Apple is trying to create the best learning environments for this generation. Are going back to the idea of the early 80s with Apple Computers of Tomorrow (part deux). They are trying to “create the best learning environments for THIS generation!

Research study posted on Apple involving a three year technology immersion study by an independent group of researchers. Information to be posted on TEC-SIG but data shows how technology has impacted student learners and assessments.

I hope to post a link to this great presentation by Dr. Burnett. It was good seeing him again!

Next we had Maria Henderson from Apple discuss how Apple is working with educators to help “Create, Distribute, Access, and Collaborate. Maria’s Del.icio.us account is “iteachdigital” and her links will be posted on there.

She discussed the Insomnia Film Festival which is a 24 hour straight project for students in high school to participate in creating and producing a short film. They are given 5 items that must go into their film for posting to the festival online. The start date is the end of October and it looks pretty fun.

We also learned about Final Cut Professional/Studio certifications taught through Apple and through the Region 20 Service Center. Peachpit Press books are used for training guides with Prometric testing. Could be a solution for Media Tech in KISD.

And now I am sleepy so part two to come tomorrow.

All in all, a good day. It was great seeing my colleagues from Eanes! I really enjoyed sitting at the table with you all again. Oh how I miss Skype conversations and our Friday meetings!!

Want more information on the media and Interactive Media? I am reading about these items in Wired, Entertainment Weekly, Empire magazine, hearing about it in interviews on Sirius radio, reading media blogs and news posts, Aintitcoolnews.com, and following entertainment producers on Twitter and MySpace. Watch the trends about Blu-Ray DVD and new technologies for getting entertainment into the homes. All of this is happening around us and it is on the frontline, cutting edge future.

Get in the conversation!