Comments on: If you took away technology http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2006/09/if_you_took_awa.html Technology, leadership, and the future of schools Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:00:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Doug Johnson http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2006/09/if_you_took_awa.html/comment-page-1#comment-15416 Doug Johnson Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000 http://annahein.com/2006/09/if_you_took_awa.html#comment-15416 Scott, You wouldn't think so in our district. The calls start coming in less than 5 minutes after a network problem. While most of the work effected would be administrative (attendance, grade keeping, finance, IEPs, test taking, data access, etc.), this infrastructure allows teachers to teach. With more and more teachers using online resources, data projectors and SmartBoards, and requiring electronic work submission, the classroom is being impacted on an increasingly larger scale as well. If you are interested, you're welcome to come down to Mankato tomorrow where we will be doing through-put testing on the WAN, requiring each building be off-line one hour sometime during the day. You might find the phone calls interesting ;-) For what it's worth, Doug Scott,

You wouldn’t think so in our district. The calls start coming in less than 5 minutes after a network problem.

While most of the work effected would be administrative (attendance, grade keeping, finance, IEPs, test taking, data access, etc.), this infrastructure allows teachers to teach. With more and more teachers using online resources, data projectors and SmartBoards, and requiring electronic work submission, the classroom is being impacted on an increasingly larger scale as well.

If you are interested, you’re welcome to come down to Mankato tomorrow where we will be doing through-put testing on the WAN, requiring each building be off-line one hour sometime during the day. You might find the phone calls interesting ;-)

For what it’s worth,

Doug

]]> By: Scott McLeod http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2006/09/if_you_took_awa.html/comment-page-1#comment-15417 Scott McLeod Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000 http://annahein.com/2006/09/if_you_took_awa.html#comment-15417 Hi Doug, I appreciate your constructive comments. I think I'm trying to stress the fact that, a few Internet sites and SmartBoards aside, most teachers' instruction wouldn't suffer if technology disappeared. Your points about the administrative technologies facilitating their teaching are well taken - thanks for keeping me honest! Now if teachers would only do more meaningful tech integration (or if more districts were like yours)... Hi Doug, I appreciate your constructive comments. I think I’m trying to stress the fact that, a few Internet sites and SmartBoards aside, most teachers’ instruction wouldn’t suffer if technology disappeared. Your points about the administrative technologies facilitating their teaching are well taken – thanks for keeping me honest! Now if teachers would only do more meaningful tech integration (or if more districts were like yours)…

]]> By: Wesley Fryer http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2006/09/if_you_took_awa.html/comment-page-1#comment-15418 Wesley Fryer Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000 http://annahein.com/2006/09/if_you_took_awa.html#comment-15418 I agree we need to see more instructional uses of technology on a daily basis. We certainly see many administrative uses of technology, but I don't think many of those have really transformed teaching practice. That is certainly not the case in the classrooms of innovators, and it sounds like Doug has many of those in his district. From where I sit, however, I don't see many folks like this.... I agree we need to see more instructional uses of technology on a daily basis. We certainly see many administrative uses of technology, but I don’t think many of those have really transformed teaching practice. That is certainly not the case in the classrooms of innovators, and it sounds like Doug has many of those in his district. From where I sit, however, I don’t see many folks like this….

]]> By: Kris Olsen http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2006/09/if_you_took_awa.html/comment-page-1#comment-15419 Kris Olsen Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000 http://annahein.com/2006/09/if_you_took_awa.html#comment-15419 I like your 'take no prisoners' style. You are deadly accurate. I like your ‘take no prisoners’ style. You are deadly accurate.

]]> By: Scott McLeod http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2006/09/if_you_took_awa.html/comment-page-1#comment-15420 Scott McLeod Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000 http://annahein.com/2006/09/if_you_took_awa.html#comment-15420 Hi Kris, who's taking no prisoners? Me, Doug, or Wesley (or all three of us)? =) Hi Kris, who’s taking no prisoners? Me, Doug, or Wesley (or all three of us)? =)

]]> By: Kris Olsen http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2006/09/if_you_took_awa.html/comment-page-1#comment-15421 Kris Olsen Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000 http://annahein.com/2006/09/if_you_took_awa.html#comment-15421 Sorry guys, but I was actually referring to Gwynne. I just discovered this blog and I like the way his posts cut to the chase. Sorry guys, but I was actually referring to Gwynne. I just discovered this blog and I like the way his posts cut to the chase.

]]> By: Scott McLeod http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2006/09/if_you_took_awa.html/comment-page-1#comment-15422 Scott McLeod Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000 http://annahein.com/2006/09/if_you_took_awa.html#comment-15422 Kris, Gwynne is a journalist. I absconded his quote, which is actually from his book, War, because I thought it so aptly fit the K-12 educational technology scene. If you like the posts on this blog, most of them are mine - you can scroll down and click on the Who am I? link on the navigation menu. Glad you're liking what you're reading! Kris, Gwynne is a journalist. I absconded his quote, which is actually from his book, War, because I thought it so aptly fit the K-12 educational technology scene. If you like the posts on this blog, most of them are mine – you can scroll down and click on the Who am I? link on the navigation menu. Glad you’re liking what you’re reading!

]]> By: Kris Olsen http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2006/09/if_you_took_awa.html/comment-page-1#comment-15423 Kris Olsen Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000 http://annahein.com/2006/09/if_you_took_awa.html#comment-15423 (head smack.) I really should spend a bit more time understanding a site before I go spouting off - especially since I have you on my blogroll now ;) THanks for the correction, Scott. (head smack.) I really should spend a bit more time understanding a site before I go spouting off – especially since I have you on my blogroll now ;)

THanks for the correction, Scott.

]]> By: Alvin Trusty http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2006/09/if_you_took_awa.html/comment-page-1#comment-15424 Alvin Trusty Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000 http://annahein.com/2006/09/if_you_took_awa.html#comment-15424 Yesterday one of my kids wasn't able to check a book out of the school library. She said the computer check-out system wasn't working. Apparently there isn't a backup (computer or non-computer) system. I'm sure everything will be repaired as soon as possible. Things like this are a priority in our district. I was just disappointed that one computer problem made it impossible for a whole class to check books out of the library for this week. Yesterday one of my kids wasn’t able to check a book out of the school library. She said the computer check-out system wasn’t working. Apparently there isn’t a backup (computer or non-computer) system. I’m sure everything will be repaired as soon as possible. Things like this are a priority in our district. I was just disappointed that one computer problem made it impossible for a whole class to check books out of the library for this week.

]]> By: Scott McLeod http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2006/09/if_you_took_awa.html/comment-page-1#comment-15425 Scott McLeod Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000 http://annahein.com/2006/09/if_you_took_awa.html#comment-15425 That is disappointing. If students had tablet PCs with e-books, or some kind of electronic ink device like the new Sony Portable Reader, I wonder if this issue would disappear (or just be replaced by different technical glitches!). That is disappointing. If students had tablet PCs with e-books, or some kind of electronic ink device like the new Sony Portable Reader, I wonder if this issue would disappear (or just be replaced by different technical glitches!).

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