Archive for the ‘Productivity’ Category

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The Professional Development Dilemma

September 27th, 2011 by Tim Landeck

All K-12 employees need to receive professional development in their field. Teachers need to learn about new and better ways to deliver instruction. Classified staff needs to learn about the new programs and district initiatives. Administrators need to learn about ways to manage their staff and facility in a more effective and efficient manner. Technical staff needs to learn about the new technology developments to select and implement the systems that will assist in making everyone’s life easier and more effective in education.

Can any of these job areas do without their trainings and if so, for how long? When will the lack of funding to support forward movement in professional development be felt by the students and community? It seems that professional development funds are usually cut soon after the funding for the district grant writer. In other words, it is one of the first items cut from the budget.

In these lean times in education the technical staff is faced with a large dilemma.  We need to keep up with the latest and greatest in technology for the K-12 arena; however, there are not funds available to send staff to trainings where they learn about ways to do more with less and improve the technical workings of the school site, district or county. These individuals are already highly skilled and trained personnel but we need to keep them this way. With limited, or no professional development funds available, how can we keep our staff up to speed with the ever changing world of technology?

The technology staff is expected to integrate the latest technical innovations as they are released.  It seems to me that the technical staff’s lack of continued professional growth would be felt sooner by their “clients” than the other groups. Everyone needs to continue to grow and model being lifelong learners, but when we cut the training to the technical staff, there is no opportunity for growth in the technical department and this equates to stagnant progress that affects everyone in the organization, from staff to students to community members.

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Posted in Productivity, Professional development | 2 Comments »

Alternatives to Google Docs

August 24th, 2011 by Michael Simkins

Just as we think Kleenex when we need a tissue and Scotch when we want tape, many of us think Google Docs when we create, share, and collaborate on documents on line. But believe it or not, Google Docs is not the only game in the cloud.

Windows Live

One alternative is Windows Live. In fact, it’s one of the world’s best kept secrets that Microsoft actually has an on-line option for working with your Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote files. If you typically use these Microsoft programs and value their many features, you should take some time to explore Windows Live. For example, you can upload files you’ve already created and then access them from any Internet-connected computer. You can choose to share a file with selected people or make it public for all to see.

For writing, one of the nicest things about using Windows Live is using the Word Web App. It lets you edit your Word document on line from any computer, even if that computer does not have Word installed on it. While the web app does not have every feature of full-fledged Word, it has a lot, including the ability to apply all sorts of formatting, insert tables and create multi-level outlines. You’ll feel like you are working in Word because, essentially, you are! Once back at your own computer, open the document in “regular” Word and take it from there.

You can also use Windows Live to collaborate on documents. Two or more people can simultaneously open an Excel or One Note file that is stored in SkyDrive and enter data in it. Two or more people can co-edit Word documents in real time as well if they each work from Word.

Zoho

Not a Windows fan? Zoho is another Google alternative. Like Windows Live, Zoho offers a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation tool and note-taker. Like Google, Zoho also offers a considerable set of other tools. Zoho’s collection includes collaboration tools such as chat, discussion, and web conferencing as well as business applications such as project planning, invoicing, bookkeeping, and database.

If you decide to take a look at either of these Google alternatives, keep in mind that there is always a trade off—in this case between simplicity and advanced features. For instance, it’s hard to beat Google Docs for simplicity and ease of use. On the other hand, features are limited. Both Windows Live and Zoho will present you with a steeper learning curve, but you may find it worth the trouble if you want access to a richer set of features.

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The binder lives on.

July 14th, 2011 by Lisa Marie Gonzales

Ever have one of those nights when a friend sends you a “resource you might be interested in” and before you know it, an hour has passed and it’s after your bedtime? I did recently, courtesy of Dr. John White, fellow TICAL and ACSA compadre from Los Angeles USD.  (Thanks, John!)

In all seriousness, John recommended I consider a site called “Live Binders” in my review of sites for an article on the “Top 12 Internet Resources for 2012.”  My work as a coordinator in curriculum & instruction at the Santa Clara County Office of Education focuses on the visual and performing arts.  I took a look at Live Binders from the arts perspective. Hundreds of educational searches are possible on this site where random individuals have created and share online resources organized in digital “binders.”

I started with art and couldn’t believe I hadn’t heard of this website!  More than 7,000 people had viewed specific binders of interest to me.  For example,  in one called “Art: Paint/Draw/Create Online,” organized by a teacher from the Chicago Public Schools, I quickly found enough content for a daylong workshop I was preparing on “the arts and technology.”

For an arts person, the options are endless!  Dozens and dozens of sites are shared where students, using only keyboard and mouse, can quickly get started in that kid-kind-of-way—without reading instructions.   Crayola Digi-Color is a great starting place, and Crayola is known for its kid/family/educator/everyone friendly website and resources so even the youngest of young can get onto this site and start drawing.  ScribbleTown and Magic Paint are easy to use sites that also let you print your creations.

The “More Ways to Create” section is fabulous and allows you to start into the realm of portraits, mosaics, tessellations, and more. PicassoHead provides great opportunities for using imagination and creativity, particularly for English learners.  Looking at LiteBrite, I longed to return to my childhood!   Matisse is another of my favorites, along with ThinkDraw, one that showcases recent student work and prompts thinking for those who need to see a concept before comfortably venturing out on their own.

What can I say? All this in just one binder.  Not looking for art resources?  Dozens of other binders exist.  In fact my next task is to check out the Live Binders on “common core.”  There are 74 of them!  What topic will you explore?

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Posted in Integration, Productivity, Professional development | 1 Comment »

Where does the time go?

June 30th, 2011 by Michael Simkins

Where does the time go?  Up with the roosters.  Next thing you know, it’s 11 PM, and it takes all your self-discipline to force yourself to floss.  Everything in between is a blur.  You’re exhausted and you want nothing more than to collapse into bed. Ah, the life of the school administrator.

Leadership experts remind us that we need to be sure we are spending time each day on the “important but not urgent” tasks, yet it is so easy to get caught up in the crisis du jour.

Time management gurus tell us that the first step in getting control of our time is to spend a week or so tracking exactly what we’re doing, minute-by-minute.  Sure, easy to say.  But where do we find the time to track the time?

Well, I’ve found a neat tool that makes tracking time about as simple and pain-free as can be.  It’s called Toggl.  It’s web-based, but you can also download a little app to your computer or smart phone that syncs with the web site.  Use the app to track time.  Log into the website to see the big picture and download reports.

While Toggl’s nomenclature reflects the business world, it’s easy to adapt it to education.   For “clients” think major aspects of your work.  Maybe your “clients” are Parents, Students, Teachers, District Office.  Or maybe your clients are functions: meetings, planning, discipline, paperwork.  For each client you can have multiple “projects.”  So, for discipline, each student you work with might get entered as a “project.”  Under planning, you might enter “planning for staff meeting,” “PTA presentation,” “school improvement plan.”

You can create clients and projects on the fly.  You don’t have to think them all through ahead of time.  You can’t really make a mistake.  After all, this is an experiment and the point is to get a better idea of just where your time is going.

To track your time, just click on a project and then click the “on/off” button.  To switch tasks, just click on the project you’re switching to.  With a click or two you instantly tell Toggl what you’re doing.

My own administrator days are over, but I’m finding Toggl extremely useful for keeping track of time in my consulting work.  Here’s a snapshot of my desktop app.  Can you see how you might substitute school words for client and project?

Toggl’s basic service is free so that’s ideal if you just want to use it for a week or so to get a sense of where your time is going.  Find more information at toggl.com.

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Posted in Data-Driven Decision Making, Productivity | 1 Comment »

Presentations to Remember

December 20th, 2010 by Thom Dunks

Presentation applications, such as PowerPoint and Keynote, are invaluable tools in the workplace and most particularly in the world of teaching and learning.  True, they are often maligned as an impediment to getting the message across, but used well they can help you reach the mind and the heart of your audience and create a truly lasting impression.

Recently, I was impressed with a fellow named David Jakes and his ideas about applying some basic knowledge of brain biology when you are constructing a presentation.  “The optic nerve is constructed of about 1 million nerve fibers; the auditory nerve, about 30,000,” says David.  “There is a tremendous amount of bandwidth associated with the eye, suggesting that presentations should contain a visual component.”  Accordingly, he suggests we should create more visually based materials and move away from too much emphasis on text.

In his hour-long presentation, “Standing Room Only:  How to Create Unforgettable Presentations,” David provides ten strategies for improving visual presentations.  The strategies are constructed around brain-based learning and the principles of visual modalities.  Particularly germane to this discussion are his inclusion of Visual Literacy, Brain Research/Cognitive Load Theory, Locating Images, Understanding Intellectual Property, Design Considerations, and Developing Voice.

David works with high school students in Illinois and is passionate about students approaching the creation of digital presentations with understanding and integrity.

“You first want the kids to write, to write deeply.  Have them make a scholarly argument on paper. Then have them take that piece of writing and create a storyboard.  Plan a presentation. Use visuals. Use emotion.  They should be able to convince me that they are right or their ideas have merit.  You then have a deep backup document that allows you to know that they have a true understanding of the topic at hand.”

Among the important topics David covers is acquiring royalty free images for use in student presentations.  Here are just a few of the resources he recommends for you to check out:

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Posted in Productivity, Professional development | 1 Comment »

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