Happy First Anniversary, BlamSpot!

Ah, the end of another school year (and the beginning of the Summer Term), punctuated by periodic blogging here at this spot. What have we learned? How about a retrospective of postings, followed by hard-core analysis by a color commentator and former big-league blogger? An option for a full-length feature film? People have always told me that Tom Arnold bears a passing resemblance to me, or vice-verse - I'd be OK if he played me in the film. Maybe he can talk Arnold Schwarzenegger out of retirement, now that he's out of a job, and apparently single.

Hmm. Too much. Let's just review the highlight reel, shall we?

May 2010: Early in my blogging career, I started with a serious tone, taking on Twitter, text messaging, online distance learning, and exploring new technologies. Very serious, I was. But the blogs lacked a little something - my voice was not very authentic. I was trying to make the blog something that someone else wanted, and not something that I wanted. That changed quickly.

June 2010: I find my voice. I started incorporating new technologies in the classroom, and there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth. I proclaimed there was no crying in instructional technology, extolled the virtues of high

speed Internet in the dorms, got my geek on, addressed my inner curmudgeon, railed at Steve Jobs, and even managed to sneak in a Blues Brothers metaphor. Oh, the heady times during the EITS summer session!

Fall, 2010: The start of a new school year challenged me to become an agent of change: adopting more technology in my classroom and advocating for more in our school. I learned that video gaming can save the world - or could lead to it. Pee breaks during class chat - is that a bloggable topic? You bet! ITEC 2010 was a highlight of the fall term, as well as our musical Chicago, where I attempted to use running a spotlight as an example of instructional design theory, and celebrated the innovation of my iPhone's light board app. A long day at an in service was fodder for another entry, although upon further reflection, I may have more optimistic that I should have been. At the end of the fall term, finals and technology failure inspired thoughts of insurrection - but only in my mind. The thoughts may have been critical, but the delivery was more light-hearted.

December 2011 - January 2011: Blog entries equalled my ID journal entries, so there was a flurry of activity. Finding my Smart Board grove, lamenting a lost blog posting, and examining the demise of the school librarian/rise of the school information technologist explored some career possibilities. These posts also reflected some issues that cropped up during the Technology in Education course. During a snow day, a cousin's Facebook posting inspired some reflections of a long distance playdate - viewing and discussing films via the PlayStation. I took some real-world experiences from both in and out of the classroom to make the connections that I had been seeking: how does technology help us learn? What can we learn from the digital natives? What can they learn from we teachers?

February, 2011: Through a well-placed paw, my faithful companion and study-buddy Bernie managed a self portrait, which resulted in a little feline reflection. (He's not as excited about instructional technology as the rest of us.) A flurry of "official announcements" from friends and relatives on Facebook begged for some commentary as well. I could have extended that to another episode in May when a colleague announced to the world on Facebook that he would be leaving his job for another. It was a little rough for the students to find this out online - which I feel emphasizes the point I was making that not EVERYTHING should be announced online.

May, 2011: With no requisite logs or blogging assignments, the spring stayed thin. This month was marked by less instructional technology and more "other things that are pressing in my world." Techies pulling double duty by coming in for the matinee of a Children's Theater production, then dropping everything to get ready for prom (and destroying the myth that techies are a bunch of trolls that are as ugly as a mud post), and a celebrity sighting during our trip to NYC that lacked recognition - or cognition, for that matter - commanded my blogging attention. Perhaps not the most academic of topics, but meaningful - and hopefully enlightening.

With the summer courses come more opportunities to blog. We begin the process of writing the graduate paper. Daunting? Yes, but with the cohort number comes strength. Issues in Technology will follow swiftly in June, with more material to delve into. Which brings me to my number one technology implementation for this year:

Blogging for Understanding. Why would anyone think that this is not a valuable tool? As a Language Arts teachers, we teach writing for understanding. Blogging just takes that into another venue - the online world - that allows for additional steps: comment and response. So I'm a big fan. And this spring, when I wasn't blogging as much, I felt like I was missing something. The break was welcome, but absence made the heart grow fonder, so to speak. There are tens of thousands of authors in the blogosphere,  many who discuss instructional technology. I sometimes still feel like a neophyte, but I need to remember that I'm not trying to teach the world - just share some thoughts and insights regarding my discoveries - and inviting commentary as well. Let's be honest - it's a little daunting to try to teach the world.

I've never been really good at keeping a journal, even when assigned as part of a course or workshop. I would always start out strong, then decide that the initial effort was well beyond expectations and throttle back. Not so with blogging. I think the appealing aspect of blogging is the ability to include multiple media in a post, and that it is a far less formal way to make commentary or observation. It was interesting to review a year's worth of postings. There has been a lot of ground traveled regarding instructional technology - and other things pressing in my world - and already I can see where my attitudes have changed on some issues.

Thanks again to my good friends, instructors, colleagues and classmates in the UNI 2010 Instructional Technology Cohort. The net we have created for each other is strong and reassuring. TECH UP!!

And now, for my favorite anniversary gift to give:

This Is Why TMZ Will Never Hire Me

Image credit: Huffman, Todd. "Paparazzi." April 23, 2010



Recently my wife Pat and I received a rare treat: sitting in the live studio audience for the May 7th Saturday Night Live show, where Pat's daughter works as a writer. We were able to shake the shackles loose for four days and have a great NYC experience. The SNL show - which is rumored to be the second-hardest ticket to get in town - was amazing. Even those who may be down on the current season as television viewers would have found the experience really rewarding, especially those of us who dabble in the technical theater side of things.

There were a lot of great moments during the trip, from a very cool Sunday AM in Washington Square in Greenwich Village, people watching and listening to a great NYU jazz combo, to riding bikes on a very crowded Hudson River Greenway. We ate our weight in great food, and I even took a half hour to sail one of the remote control sailboats in the Conservancy Waters in Central Park while taking pointers from a three-year old Polish boy. (I'm sure his instructions were crystal clear. I just didn't understand Polish.) The last main event was a fantastic dinner at Spice Market in Manhattan's Meatpacking District, which is what I will use for today's point:

Know thy culture, know thy surroundings.

First, if you ever do NYC and want to really treat yourself to an amazing dining experience, make two things: 1) reservations well in advance at Spice Market, and 2) additional room on your credit card. (It'll be worth it - trust me.) When you get there, keep your eyes open. We didn't know until about halfway through our dinner that this restaurant is a destination for those who are well-known, dare I say, even famous. I happened to look up as a series of strobe flashes went off outside of the main entrance for about three seconds. It took me a moment to know what this meant - paparazzi - before a trio walked in: a large body guard type, leading a pair who were wearing trendy fedoras. There was something vaguely familiar about the woman - an attractive blonde - but I figured that if this couple were REALLY FAMOUS, I would have recognized one or both of them. Since I didn't, I figured she was a socialite or someone who was nearly famous. The pair was ushered down stairs to a private room, and that was the last I saw of them. I should mention that my wife, who was sitting next to me, and her daughter and her boyfriend, sitting across from us, were in the middle of a discussion, so they didn't see any of this. I brought this to their attention when there was a break in the talk, but when they asked me what they looked like, I said "an attractive blonde woman and a guy in a goatee, wearing trendy fedoras." (That description merely eliminated only half of the population in Greenwich Village.) I assured them that I didn't think that they were REALLY FAMOUS, because if they were REALLY FAMOUS, I would have recognized them. We finished our meal while talking about other more important things.

At this point, I should mention that when there are reports of nearly famous to REALLY FAMOUS people out and about, there is a smaller band of alternative paparazzi that hang around with cameras at the rumored locations to catch a pic that they can keep for themselves or perhaps even sell for profit. I should also mention that they are about a step-and-a-half away from being full-fledged stalkers. To be polite, not all of them are in the best of mental health. It was one of this alternative paparazzo that plays a key role in this story, because of the question he asked us (more like shouted) as we left the restaurant:

"DID YOU SEE CHRISTINA AGUILLARA??"

See, I thought she looked familiar, but apparently she is not REALLY FAMOUS, because if she was REALLY FAMOUS, I would have ... recognized ...

Ah, I got nothin' at this point.

Apparently I need to relax my stance of never watching reality TV or paying attention to trendy things ... and perhaps listening to current music would assist me as well ... and reading the entertainment news might help, too ...

We laughed in the cab ride home that we had to rely upon a near-stalker to tell us that I saw Christina Aguilera and didn't know it. I wasn't certain that he was correct, considering the volume of his voice and the slurred speech, but we thought it was amusing.

The next morning, as we were waiting at the airport, I decided to see if I was really that vacuous. I Googled "Christina Aguilera dinner Monday May 9." Here is what I got:


From justjared.buzznet.com, May 9, 2011



Yup. That's them. That's who I saw.











I suppose there is something comforting about the fact that I don't drop everything when I see someone famous. You can also argue that if I would have recognized her, I may have come completely unglued and looked like a raving lunatic. The fact that I didn't gives me said earlier comfort.

I am also well over the fact that this lack of recognition of Ms. Aguilera makes me anything between "just shy of being hip" to "old geezer." (This freedom occurred many years ago when I dropped a "Captain Kangaroo" reference in my 9th grade class and not a single student knew who the hell I was talking about.) I can live with not being hip. When you teach high school, you're hip for about your first three or four months of your career. After that, no matter how you dress, what you listen to, or the references you drop in class, you're beyond hip. There's no great ceremony that comes with that, by the way. It just oozes over you, it's irreversable, and you're usually the last one to know about it.

So, when you go to NYC, spend a few weeks ahead of time boning up on the latest REALLY FAMOUS folks and their trade. Hopefully you'll come off looking better than I did.

We Do Look Good When We Clean Up

Photo Credit: Lammers, B (4/30/2011). "Playtime Prom-py."

On Saturday, April 30th, two very important events occurred at Washington High School: the last performance of the Cedar Rapids Children's Theater production of Snow White, and the annual dress-up event known everywhere as Prom. Not only did they occur on the same date, but overlapped by an hour.

Uh-oh.

Yep. We had people in the cast and crew who also wanted to - and I know this is hard to believe - go to prom with their dates. (Where did I go wrong?) So, what does one do in this situation?

Easy. Get your hair done in the morning, do everything within your power to preserve the manicure, arrive at the theater just in time to take your postion and run your cues, get dressed up and show off the garb between the 2:00 and 4:30 shows to have your picture taken with your favorite people in the world - your theater peeps, climb back into your grubby theater gear, run your first few cues until well meaning (but experience-deficit) directors take over for you, back into the crinoline, sequins and heels, run like hell to the promenade that started a half hour after the begining of the show, and let the evening begin.

Normally we don't have this problem, but avoiding Easter weekend, State Large Group Music contest, AP testing, and other sundry events, Prom and Playtime Poppy colided. This happened three years ago, and the results were far less happy - a cast member and his date missed the Grand March by mere moments. No one - and I mean NO one - was happy about it. This year we were able to plan accordingly so that we wouldn't have a repeat of that sad, sorry moment. I'm happy to report all made it and had a blast.

Even though we techies live in the shadows of the stage, wear black and insist on having dirt on our hands, we do enjoy the momentary "dressed to the nines" moments. And just look how good we clean up.

When Official means Official

Image credit: Hunter, Mark. Social Media Workstation
December 15, 2009.

Allow me to jump on the Jeopardy smack-down bandwagon and take "Social Media" for $400.00, Alex:

"The answer is 'It doesn't really matter.'"

Um ... oh, gosh, I know this one .... um ... "What happens when you don't put something on Facebook?"

Take that, Watson.

One of the many things that our Perspectives in Literature classes study is media literacy and the application of technology. The recent events in Egypt and other Mid East countries have directed that dialogue toward using the social media tools. We've had some great discussions from our students regarding what purposes it gets used for, and the impression of how it has been used on the world stage. One comment that stood out from the rest: "When it goes on Facebook or Twitter, it makes it official." That opened a whole other thread of discussion such as it's not the tool to use when breaking up with someone, announcing parties, gloating, and so forth.

There was another thread of comments that discussed the "degree of things mattering." It would be easy to categorize what teens post are not nearly as important as what "adults" post, but that wouldn't be the case. Students who use Twitter and Facebook post links to assignments, readings and online resources along with their normal business. The ratio is still skewed toward more social concerns and "low importance" events, but they get it. They have tapped into the potential for academic dialogue, and the students who use it regularly fell more empowered regarding their studies.

As a student in the Instructional Technology cohort, it has been easier to participate - yeah, participate - in the discussion. Demonstrating how Twitter can be more than just passing along the location for the best enchilada is one thing - conversing with students regarding a technology that is second nature to them is so much more rewarding. Chalk up another trick learned by the ol' dog in front of the classroom.

I think I'm going to Tweet my post on Facebook.

A Word from The Smart One

Image credit: Bernie, "Self Portrait." Around Feb. 12, 2010

Someone explain this to me: Several times during the last eight months - three days out of the past week and a half alone - the food bowl has been empty. Used to be that was never a concern. Food went in two times a day like clockwork. Now I don't know. What, has cat food become intolerably expensive? Have the grocery stores run out? Perhaps I now have to reach down into my DNA and try to remember how to actually catch and kill something? What could possibly be the cause of such a disruption?

I'm looking at it. The thing that the short bearded biped sits in front of almost every night. Whatever it does, it's taken his focus from us and we don't eat as often, or as well.

I'm Bernie - the smart one. Norton - the idiot - is around here somewhere, probably lying on his back scratching the hell out of the foot board in the bedroom. No body knows why he does it, he just does. (I keep begging the bipeds every day to kill him, but they're not having any of that. So I have to put up with him - and the empty bowl.)


Whatever it is this thing does, apparently it's transfixing. Lots of words, sometimes moving pictures and sounds ... I'm sure it all means something. Right now I'm just hungry, so to draw attention to the fact that the bowl is empty again, I'll just keep jumping around on the button thingy - which I've been told repeatedly not to do. If that doesn't work, maybe I'll join Norton in his attempt to destroy furniture. It's gotta be easier than chasing down rodents for food.

Long Distance Play Date

Image credit: Lanata, Nick. "My Brother Playing Video Games," 2/16/2008;

Most of my Facebook friends are relatives - mainly my cousins (the rest are classmates in my Instructional Technology cohort.) Lately the discussions and postings have revolved around pretty normal things such as the game - ah, I'm sorry. I mean THE GAME - next weekend, along with the normal sort of banter that you might expect between cousins - travel, aunts and uncles, food, kids, etc. It's a great way to keep in touch, console during tough times, tell stupid jokes, and share both crazy and important websites.

The other day one my my cousins posted on his Facebook page about how his son here in Iowa and his nephew in Missouri were watching the same film on the Xbox while wearing their headsets so they could talk to each other while watching the film. Who says you can't go to the movies with your far-flung relatives?

The digital natives have figured out a few things, and not just the people using the the technology. I'll hazard a guess (forgive me, Educational Research classmates) that most of the development team for the Xbox are also digital natives, or at the very least nearly digital natives. Understanding the connectivity potential and incorporating it into a device suddenly makes it more usable, attractive, and powerful. Digital natives get the whole connectivity concept, and they run with it.

(NOTE: Depending on which definition you use, a digital native is someone who has been born since the advent of computers, the Internet, mobile phones and MP3 players. While an exact year is somewhat argued, in general, people who are 21 to 25 or younger are considered digital natives.)

Suddenly, your kid sitting in front of that game console isn't quite such an antisocial activity. Even though this episode was done with entertainment in mind, can you imagine how collaboration is possible? Replace "movie" with "project" and the game box becomes something more impressive. Surely someone will figure out a way to get ebooks on those devices, if they haven't already done so. Can you see the kid in Iowa sharing info about Grant Wood with the kid in Missouri for his art project, or the kid in Missouri explaining the New Madrid Fault for the earthquake assignment that the kid in Iowa is working on? Here be distance education at the earliest opportunity.

I'm guessing that these two young cousins didn't think much about it - there might have been a "cool factor" in there somewhere, but this probably seemed easy for them. I also know that there are people reading this saying "yes, but there's probably a computer in the home that will do the same thing." This is what these kids know right now - using Skype requires adults and access to the computer, which they may not be allowed to have. This - using the gaming console - they can do on their own. The more they interact using technology, the more seamless it becomes for them, and the more they will investigate its potential.

Kids say and do the darndest things, even when they don't think it's a big deal.

Say it Ain't So, Library Joe!

This morning, I read the following article the Minneapolis Star-Tribune website:

School librarians: Headed for the history books?

I hope not. I feel that our school library is a viable resource to teachers and students. True, it could be updated and more interactive technically, but I can say that about other aspects of our school - including my classroom, I suppose. Regardless, it's still a place the serves some important services to our students:

• Information retrieval.
• Structured Study.
• Media Center.

Our library - we call it the IMC - has gone through some quick transformations in the past years, mostly to accommodate the technology infusion. We still have plenty of print media, so we need that person who has training and experience with how to wade through that mire of "old school learning" which we still value - and need.

When I ask students who are avid readers if they would ever consider an eReader, the answers vary. Some prefer the idea of having a book at the ready, reading when they can, not needed the versatility of the eReader. Others wish they had an eReader so that they could access more than one book at a sitting. The common thread is that none of them really think that books will ever go away. I think that's significant, considering that's an answer from digital natives. I don't think it's indicative of every student - and who knows if they'll be right. Kids who like to read still like the physical book.
Those of us who teach - well, those of us who have been doing this for a while - also know how important print media is, and we value those who are experts in categorizing, accessing, and interpreting all of those pages of information.

Let's keep our librarians, and let's encourage their continued training and practice of information technology . They are not just a "tradition" in our schools. They are a vital to the future of information science, and for our students' ability to navigate through the field of ever-increasing