Convention Proposal

Well, I’ve submitted my proposal for the upcoming iT Summit in Saskatoon in May. I’m going to do a presentation on using different tools to help teachers and staff to communicate and organize. I’m planning to look at using wikis, Evernote, google docs, google calendar, google reader, diigo and maybe a few other tools that I use regularly to try and keep myself organized. My hope is that I’ll be able to give people a look at a variety of tools that they can use in different ways.

In the past I’ve put my presentation together on a wiki and added information to the wiki as I gather my thoughts and ideas. I’m thinking that I’ll use this same method to put together this presentation, incorporating the other tools as I use them in my day-to-day work and teaching. Since I will be teaching 60% of the time this semester, I plan to show how I use the different tools to in my teaching to organize myself and the students with due dates, upcoming assignments and handing in assignments.

Another aspect that I will be discussing is the way that I use my Blackberry as an organizational tool and a way to communicate with my staff as I go about my day. I think that, as educators, we don’t always see these tools as any more than annoyances and don’t take advantage of their use in our own teaching. Not that I’ll be advocating for texting but these tools are much more than just texting machines. In fact, I see my Bb as a handheld computer on which I can do almost as much as I can my laptop and it fits nicely in my pocket! I use it to read email, read documents, write notes in my Evernote, check my tasks and make sure that if someone needs computer help, all they need to do is send me an email and I’ll know if it is an immediate need – a student being locked out of a computer – or something that can be left for later. I can also pass on a helpdesk ticket to the IT department if it is something that I cannot fix.

Would you want to attend something like this? Would you suggest someone you know attend? What else should I cover?

Tag – You’re it!

Tag – you remember that game from youth? The one that had as many variations as the number of places it was played. Well, tagging, a way to identify different information online, is kind of the same. When I save something in my online bookmarks or I add information to my Evernote notes, I have started using tags to identify them and make it easier for me to find different pieces of information that I have. The tough part is using tags in such a way that it actually makes it easier to find the information!

The Eye of the Tagger

Since we each have our own unique way of looking at information, sometimes what I think makes perfect sense for a tag doesn’t for others. On information that is just for me, like my Evernote information, the tags just need to make sense to me since I’m the only one using it. However, on other sites, like when I bookmark, it gets a bit more tricky since the tags I give a link are then part of the global tags that people will use for finding information. So, for instance, if I tag a url with “classroom resource”, technology, web2.0, “teacher tech” and smartboard, people who type any of these into the search category will find that url. Now, many sites have “tag clouds” that give a list of words or phrases which have been used on the site as tags. The more they have been used, the more they stand out.

This is an image of the tags I use for one of my online bookmarking accounts. As you can see the bold words are the ones I use more often. Now, these are the recent tags that I have used. In total, I have a whopping 596 tags which means I really should go in and edit the tags to reduce it to a number that will make my searches much more refined.

Pick a Tag – Any Tag

Most sites now have the ability to offer tag suggestions for something that you are about to add. With my online bookmarking, these suggestions are useful as they give me an idea on how I might classify the information. I don’t always use them but it really does help with classifying the information. Also, if I have a number of tags for one url, then it will show up when these tags are searched. I don’t want to get crazy with the tags but having 5 to 8 is a good number and gives some options.

Putting the tail on the Donkey

Tags are a something that make it easier to find information on a site and help me to sort the information that I am gathering. With a bit of thought, the tags you enter can make it much easier for you to find that information at a later date. However, if you just store things away, like I sometimes do in the closet, you forget where and what you’ve stored away. That’s why tagging the information, like putting things in boxes and sorting out the closet, makes it easier to find. Like the closet, I’ve sometimes been surprised by what I find there – “So this is where I put it!” By really being judicious with the tags you use and remembering that storing the information is easy – it’s finding it later than can be the real task!

Online Bookmarking – Not an Option

As educators who use technology know, there are too many sites out there to visit and go through by oneself. We don’t have the time to do that plus do all the other things that need to get done. That’s why using an online bookmarking tool has become a must for me.

Just Managing My Time

Time is very precious so any tool that allows me to manage my time in a better way is of great interest to me. When I first began using online bookmarking, it was to save my own bookmarks while at home so that I could access them online and use them. I then began to understand that, by tagging them with particular tags, I could then access them much easier and find the those I wanted to use in my classes with greater ease. I could incorporate and access the information without having to constantly search for them or go through a list of links on a Word page.

The first online sites I used were delicious and magnolia. I experimented with each to figure out how I might use them more effectively to improve my teaching.  Then, I tried out Furl, Mister Wong and Diigo. As an administrator, I began to use them to save information that I wanted to read or pass on to other administrators. Like all things, eventually you have to quit experimenting so I finally decided to stick with Diigo for a few different reasons.

1. Posts to my Delicious – I like that all my posts from Diigo also show up on my Delicious because it allows me to share with the people I  follow on Delicious. It is a great way to have both sites working for you!

2. Can create Groups – these groups can be either public or private and can be open to the public, invitation by members or invitation by the moderator. This is great if you are using it in a school setting. I have used the private setting for a class where I invite the class to join the group and then they can save bookmarks to that site for projects, essays and other such school-based projects. I’ve also set up a group for teachers at the school so they can share information and set up a group for our school division Learning Coaches.

3. More than just bookmarking – because the site allows you to ask questions of people whom you have in your network, you can get some great resources and insights into things you are doing from the network.

4. I can browse other groups to see if there is something of interest or something that may provide me with some new information. And remember, this isn’t just about school – there are all sorts of groups that share information – a great deal of information on a wide variety of interests is available – if you have a hobby, there is probably a group!

Like usual, I suggest you try out a number of different options to see which one is best for you. Many people I know started with Delicious and won’t move because they like the various options. For me, there options at Diigo just lend themselves to a school setting.

Whichever service you choose, the underlying idea is that all educators need to have an online bookmarking site. As I indicated in my post about Evernote, there is just too much information out there to try to limit your information storage. By finding a few online tools, you can really enhance your efficiency and effectiveness. The more you use the tools, the more you begin to think about how they fit into your teaching. Eventually, the online tools become similar to textbooks, pens, paper and other classic tools, something we use to enhance the learning of the students.

Evernote – a multi-use online/desktop tool

As an administrator there are so many things that come across my desk during the day that I often have had trouble remembering what I needed to do right now, what could be put on hold and what was something that, when I had more time, I could work on. I tried a number of different task and todo software but nothing seemed able to do all the things that I needed it to do in one place. Then I found Evernote!

The great thing about Evernote is that it does so much but is very simple to use. I like that it syncs with all my mobiles and it is easy to edit and upload information. Because it allows me to create different notebooks, clip from the web, add documents and use a variety of different formats, I am able to access most of what I need by using the site and, best of all, because it is online and syncs between multiple places, I can edit and add information at work, do more editing on my mobile and then have a synced copy on my home computer all with the same information. The itouch app works very well and is very easy to navigate. The other app for my blackberry isn’t quite as easy to navigate but it does have all the essentials for using it on the go.

I like the copy and paste function and the fact that I can save the url from where I have found the information right at the top of the note so that it is easy to reference later on. This is great when doing research or looking at anything online – paste the item into your Evernote notebook add the url and then, later when you want, you can revist the page if you are looking for more information or you need to reference it. I can use the online site or download a desktop version for my home or office computer.

Since I began using it, I’ve found a number of things for which it can be used that replace another app like my todos, my appointments, my “other” lists, webshots, urls and other online information, document storage and editing, plus my daily record of work. It really helps me to keep organized in one place.

So, if you are looking for an app that is multipurpose, easy to use and can handle a number of different functions, give Evernote a try.

Using a Wiki to share information

As an administrator, one of the big things that I have to work very hard at is sharing information among the different staff.  Because so many different things come across my path during the day, it’s sometimes hard to get the information dispersed to different staff members. One method of doing this is via a wiki that where information can be added and accessed at the convenience of the staff.

There are many different wiki sites out there that are used by educators – pbworks, wikispaces, wetpaint – to name just a few. My preference is pbworks because I like the interface and the ease of use.

Calendar – this is the one thing that I really like about using a wiki. In a school, with so many different things going on and so many different people involved, the calendar function is great. It allows you to add whatever you would like to the day. With many of the calendar plugins, there is an option for the information to be synced with other online calendars that can then be linked to mobile devices or a homepage. For me, being able to have access to what is happening at the school allows me to be able to use that information in various settings, like meetings or when making plans with my family. I know what is coming up at the school and if I will be attending a meeting or if there is something that I will need to plan for in the future. Because the school calendar syncs with my own calendar, I have the option to view it or not which means that, if I want to, I can turn it off so the school items don’t show up.

Another great thing about the calendar is that it allows teachers and other staff to see what is happening at the school and add their own items without there being a lot of added work for them. It also is great when teachers begin to use the calendar to post upcoming exams or trips. It really does help everyone, from the teachers and their planning to Student Support being aware of the many things that are happening and when they may need to provide extra help.

Because you can limit who can view the wiki and see what is on the wiki to only those people you invite, information is not for the public. This doesn’t mean that confidential information should be shared and people must be aware that, like all things online, they must be professional in what they are saying. It does, however, provide a safe environment in which staff and share information about what is happening at the school, meeting dates and times, agendas, club information, upcoming sporting events and other information that helps people be aware of what is happening around the school. And, because you can set to receive notification emails to be sent to you when information is added or changes, you will know about changes without having to visit the wiki, something that I find very useful in a busy day. The notifications allow me see what has been added and, if needed, I can then respond to the information or know that there is something that needs my attention. Very handy indeed.

I also like the fact that it is accessible from any computer. So, if I need information about something that would be on the wiki, I can log in and have access to that information or I can access the information on my mobile.

So, if you are looking for a safe, easy way to share information with the people at the school, give a wiki a try. They are easy to use and provide a number of options for use in a variety of ways. Because you can upload files and share them, meeting agendas, sports/tournament draws or meeting information can be shared so that people will always know where to find a copy of the information in the event they ever misplace their paper copy!

A New Year’s Resolution

It’s the New Year and with it comes the usual resolutions that many people make. Like most, I’ve sat down and put together a list of things that I have resolved that need to improve or change in this upcoming year. For the most part, my goal is to change the way that I do things in a few aspects of my life and, with the changes, hopefully change some of how I’ve been feeling these past few months.

Seize the Day

One of the things that I’ve noticed in myself is that I have been EXPECTING things to happen a particular way and then, when my expectations aren’t met, I’ve reacted in a less than suitable manner. So, much of my current angst at work is, in fact, been created because I am not “seizing the day” and making each day a great day. In fact, my mood over the past few months has been more akin to “seizures”! Not wanting to go into details, I can safely say that the great discussion and advice that I have received these past few days from my last two posts, especially from Jean Tower who pointed out

The relationships have to come first. People have to know you care about and understand them and their work before they follow you down some new technology path. Laying groundwork takes time. I start with hints, showing good examples, step up to “we ought to be thinking about this” language, and then nudge further. By the time we actually take the leap, everyone feels truly like they own part of the decision. Having established relationships and laid the groundwork, I can more easily introduce the changes that lead to small wins. The point is, I think, to reframe our measures of leadership success. I no longer expect to (or hope to) make huge, wholesale changes all the time. I don’t think I am setting my expectations too low, but rather, that I am looking at the bigger picture and the long term.

This really struck me since, for my part, I’ve had to be honest with myself about what exactly I am doing right now. And being honest means that I have needed to reflect on why I’m in this profession. Unfortunately, my answers, after some deep reflection, wasn’t where I want them to be – I’ve had my vision clouded by my “desire to rise up the chain”. After reading Jean’s comment, I realized that I needed to decide why I was doing what I’m doing and what I needed to change to make things positive right now – I needed to “reframe the situation” as Scott suggested.

Reframing the basement

I’ve done a fair amount of renovating through the years – having moved 8 times and redone 6 houses in that timespan, I’ve spent many an hour ripping out and reworking things. What is always interesting is that you never know what you’ll find once the renovations begin! My last project, the basement in our current house, went from a little take this out and replace that to a gut and do over. I spent many hours reframing the basement so that it would suit our family structure and yet be practical. One of the things I did was made sure that there  was adequate space for everyone and I didn’t leave much space for storing up things. By doing this, we have to make decisions about what we need to keep and what is no longer of any use to us and needs to go – somewhere. Somehow, over the past few months, I’ve been storing up things that I really should have let go – a very real reflection of my own personal happenings – I’ve been storing up things, waiting for changes here or there – relying on others to do the reframing for me. So, over the holidays, I’ve spent a few hours cleaning things out, getting rid of what needs to be gotten rid of and putting other things away properly so that I can find them – like that darn Christmas tree stand  which I spent 4 hours looking for – when I need them and not waste time doing unneeded looking for things.

The same is what I plan to do in a few aspects of my life. When I run into a problem, I tend to do cleaning – it helps me to sort things out and put things in perspective – and my wife really likes it too! So, as I was doing the sorting and cleaning,  I was able to think about what Jean, Scott, Mighuel and others have said and put some perspective on what I feel needs to be done. So, in no particular order, my 2010 Resolutions:

• Begin to do my workouts in the morning – body, mind and spirit all need care (besides the PX90 needs dusting off!)
• Finally quit my cigar habit – occasional is still occasional
• Get my planning and correcting done after my workouts in the morning when I’m fresh.
• Eat healthy – 6 meals spaced out for consistent energy – I know this is a huge energy changer!
• Run a 10km with my daughter in July – a specific goal that will spur me on.
• Read regularly – a book a week is my goal.
• Blog regularly about technology enhancing school and helping school administrators

Not earth shattering but they each give me specific things to accomplish – I’ll be putting even more specific dates on a few things so that the goals are specific.

So what does this have to do with my current situation? Well, I’ve realized that much of what I’ve been pawning off on others or on circumstances is really mine and I need to own it. Time is a key factor in my life – it has changed hugely with this new job and I haven’t adjusted accordingly. Also, instead of adopting and owning my current position, I’ve been allowing others to frame it for me, not something I usually do. I’ve wandered from the path and need to get back on. My focus will once again be improving the school where I am – one day at a time.

Finally, my future posts will focus on using technology as an administrator – something I should have been doing all along!

Giving thanks

This weekend is the Thanksgiving holiday in Canada. It’s a time to sit back and be thankful for all that we have living in one of the greatest countries in the world. Given this, I thought this would be a good time to reflect on what has been going on since school began and to do some reflection.

The first month and a half of school has just blown past. I started a new position at a new school in August and it’s been a bit of an adjustment. Besides being in a new school, I have to commute for about 40 minutes each way. The drive, which is mostly highway driving, gives me plenty of time to think and ponder the many things that go on each day. I’ve moved from a smaller K – 12 school to a larger highschool in a different community from which I live. To add to the mix, my one daughter is accompanying me as we have transferred her to on of the elementary schools near the highschool. She has made the transition extremely well and has adjusted to life in a new school. In fact, given how her life has been the past few years, it is so awesome to hear her talk about what she does with her friends and all the activities that she is doing. Each day we get to spend time talking about the day and what has gone on in the time we drive to school and home. As a parent, it’s so great to have time to spend one-on-one with any child and this time together has allowed me to share stories and laughs with my 4th daughter. It’s built in parent-child time that many people don’t have and for that I am very thankful especially since she hasn’t had such a great time at school these past few years.

Being at a new school has strengthened my belief that it doesn’t matter where the school is or the size of the school when it comes to creating a positive school climate. What matters is the attitude and caring of the adults in the building. People seem to expect that, in a larger school, there isn’t the time for all students. From my experience, that’s not true. Instead, it’s the attitude that the adults/teachers in the building bring with them each day. If people arrive with a negative attitude, it doesn’t matter the number of children in the building, the attitude is still there, being shared with everyone. In fact, the smaller the populace, the more likely that the negative attitude will spread. And children, being the sponges that they are, will absorb that attitude and actualize it. Students reflect what they see in the adults around them. So, I’m thankful that I’ve been able to move into a position where, for the most part, there is a positive attitude about the school and the students which is reflected in the care and concern the staff has for the students. Some days are trying, as are some people, but a positive outlook goes a long way at overcoming the stresses and frustrations that everyone has no matter where they are or what they do. I’m thankful for all the great staff with whom I work.

In my new position, I’m no longer the principal. Although it has been a bit of an adjustment, I’m enjoying my more supportive role, helping teachers and students, working with the other administrators to create a positive climate for the school. Not everything is roses but it’s a nice change. I’ve learned that no person is an island but being a principal is very close. As vice principal, I have a changed role that allows me to do a number of different things because I don’t have the administrative responsibilities that a principal has and I’m developing a different skill set within more supportive role. I’m thankful for the role I have within the school.

As many of you know, I’m a firm believer in the use of technology to support the learning of students. My new role allows me to do that in a much greater way than when I was a principal in a smaller school. I’m helping staff to see that there are technologies that will help them to enhance their teaching and give students different opportunities to demonstrate what they know. In the short time I’ve been in the school, I’ve been able to get small things going that, I hope, will be the building blocks for bigger things. So I’m thankful for the opportunity to share with the teachers on a new staff, some of the things I consider to be important in schools in the 21st century.

Really, as people who live in North America, we have so many things for which we can be thankful. As a husband and father, I have countless things for which I am thankful, from a loving supportive wife to 8 awesome children who have taught me more about life and living than I can mention here. I have met some extremely wonderful people in the 7 communities in which I have lived and taught and the internet has allowed me to meet so many more people whom I consider to be “friends”.  As educators, we have the chance to reach out to touch, and be touched, by so many. We do have much for which to be thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Are blogs going the way of the Dodo?

Summer holidays have officially begun, thank goodness and I’m spending some time figuring out what exactly I might do this summer and what I would like to accomplish in the realm of my own development. My last week of school was less than inspiring with a number of things happening that reaffirmed my thoughts about people enjoying watching those above them suffer but that’s a different post. Today I began with looking at my Google Reader and was amazed that, really, given the lack of attention that I’ve given it, there weren’t as many posts there to read through as I would have guessed. This might have several causes, one being that it is the end of the year and a busy time so people don’t write as much. Still, I wonder if we’re seeing the amount of blog writing dropping because other social networking, like Twitter and Plurk, are replacing that mode for some.

If you’re like me, I found the last few months tough to write. I was busy and just not feeling like sitting down and writing. I was, however, keeping up with my social networks, exchanging thoughts and interactions with a my connections through various social networks. I found that, although I didn’t have time to write too many posts for my blog, I did have time to check in and see how people were doing on Plurk and Twitter. I was able to keep up with what people were doing and how things were going.

In doing this, I was kept up on what was happening and the different things that were going on in the world of technology and learning. I read a few blog posts but spent more time communicating via different tools than I did reading blogs. Now that it is summer, I know that I’ll be able to spend some time getting caught up with some of my blogroll reading – I did take time to star a number of items to read. People will be busy doing summer things (like going to conferences which I don’t get to attend!) and just doing R&R things and then getting ready for school. However, once the new school year begins, will it again happen that the micro-blogging tools will once again become the primary tools while blogs will be again be left behind? If that is the case, do we need to begin examining how we can use the micro-blogging tools in our classrooms, adding them to our tools for teaching? Do we need to bring some of the popular learning methods that we do, like the online-conferences and the unlearning conferences to our classrooms?

Blogging still has its place, even in my schedule and life but it isn’t nearly as important as it once was because of the other social networks that I use to exchange ideas and thoughts with others. I like process of the writing that I am able to go through but, during a hectic schedule, there isn’t always time. Eventually, will the blogs go the way of the dodo and be replaced with micro-blogging aggregators that bring together the thoughts of many on a subject? Or do will blogs continue to exist having a crucial place in exchanging ideas and thoughts?

Do I need to draw you a picture?

Over the past few weeks I’ve been doing some reading, when I have a few moments, both online and the hardcopy book/magazine version. There have been a few different things that have me pondering and wondering about what we are doing in school and how things will change and when we’ll get around to looking at how change will affect what we do at school. 

Being rather overwhelmed with a number of different managerial tasks these past few weeks and having to increase my teaching time, I really haven’t had time to focus on the educational leadership side of what I do. However, this past week at our last Administrators’ meeting, we were asked to do a number of things that really have me thinking about school, learning and the whole paradigm shift thing. 

Portfolio - My Administrative Story

We’ve been asked to gather together different artifacts and categorize them under different headings to demonstrate various aspects of our leadership. Everything from shared leadership to continuous learning is part of this portfolio. Of course, being the keener that I am, I began to put my portfolio together a few years ago knowing that it is going to be essential if I were to search for a new position. However, I hadn’t put all the innards in their right places so last weekend I took some time and sifted through my collection of artifacts that I had assembled. What I found noteworthy was: I had a number of items that demonstrated continuous learning, contributions to educational learning, leadership and community, leadership and school and the various activities in my present school with which I have been involved. What was missing? Pictures. I don’t have a single photo of my actions and what I’ve been doing over the past 5 years. Actually, I have few pictures of my teaching and administrative  journey. Contrast this with the portfolio of a young teacher and their is a huge difference. 

So I lack photos. But in this culture of the picture, where everyone is snapping digital pics with their cameras or phones and then posting them or saving them, it would seem that photos are essential to telling the story of one’s life/career. Without the pics there is an empty spot where coloured glossies should be showing what was happening. Especially now when you can take, oh, 4000 pics on a single card and stash them on your harddrive or upload them to Flickr or Picassa, it is even easier to gather the visual story of one’s life and put it together for others to see. 

Is it Really That Important?

Are visual representations really that important in a portfolio? My small investigation into this has produced a resounding YES! In fact, they are as important as all the letters and other items since they demonstration interactions or actions that cannot be conveyed as easily in words. Saying you do community work and a set of photos showing you do community work do have a different affect. Not only that, but they create a longer lasting impression for the person that is viewing. 

The Shifting Paradigm

People are mostly visual – or so I’ve been told by a number of people especially my wife who has commented more than once “Do I need to draw you a picture?” Visuals help us in remembering things, in making connections and, if you are like me, reminding me of things to do. Funny how my wife telling me to take out the garbage three times isn’t nearly as affective as the visual of opening the shower to find the garbage bag. (And, no, I didn’t ask her why she didn’t take it out herself. If the garbage bag ends up in the shower, get the message and just take it out.)

So, while I’ve been waiting in hockey rinks this weekend, I pondered how this shift should be affecting how we do things in school and I came up with these things;

•  we need to take advantage of the visual tools of the web to help students create connections instead of giving them notes on the connections. There are enough mind mapping tools out there that the only excuse we have for not using them is they are blocked. 
• we should be getting students to incorporate more visuals into their storytelling and their demonstrations of knowledge. Let’s face it, a picture says so much and the right picture/chart/diagram can make clear something that is hard to put into words. With the number of creative commons available photos and such, students should be learning to bring the word and picture together just like we see in textbooks!
• bullet point slides are dead and we, as educators, need to take advantage of the tools available to pose questions that push students to think and challenge their present knowledge. All teachers should be learning the art of the presentation and then using it to engage students in questions that challenge them, are present and have some connection to their lives. 
• use visuals to help students make connections between their lives and what is happening in school. 
• be open to students’ desire to share their knowledge in a number of ways. This doesn’t mean that they don’t have to write well but, instead, we encourage them to give story to the visuals they select. 
• connect dots, create webs, draw inferences – use the visual to communicate with everyone in school – not just the parents. One of my favourite scenes from a movie is when, in Teachers, Nick Noltee has given a young student, Ralph Macchio, an assignment and allowed him to use a camera to take pictures and present the information visually in a slideshow. Really, that movie was before its time – I still recommend all teachers watch it as it captures all that could be but isn’t. Best teacher – Richard Mulligan – awesome!!
• draw on the visual to make connections – help to make things real by giving visual examples of history, literature, social problems, mathematical problems, science and the rest. And if we can’t find a visual, have students create it. 

We need more 365 programs in school

I’m not sure if everyone is aware of the 365 picture meme or whatever it is now but it has people take a picture each day and post it. Many people I know from my PLN are taking part and, from all accounts, it’s a great way to begin to take time to focus on the world around in a visual manner. Kind of a “Stop and smell the roses” idea. So, why aren’t we doing this in classes? Why aren’t we having students take pictures that reflect whatever we are studying and have them comment on them? Or, finding photos that they can use (CC available) and putting together conversations using different online tools and getting feedback? What’s holding us back from taking advantage of the mushrooming explosion of online photos that are available to the public or having students use their own to build knowledge, bridging between in-school and out-school. 

We need to begin to take advantage of these tools and this shift to the visual. For the first time we have inexpensive and easy access to visuals and images that could add so much to what we are doing in school. Combine these with the ability to record audio that goes along with the visuals and we have a powerful one/two combination that we are not using enough in school but is so vital in the social networks in which people are involved. Writing is powerful but, as we begin to explore the possibilities of the visual and audio, we need to embrace these and incorporate them. 

This Dilbert cartoon says so much!

                                                                             http://www.dilbert.com/2009-03-07/

What are we waiting for? What’s keeping us from surging ahead? Why does it seem there is denial that it is possible and available? 

I’m not sure but I know I’ll be seeing how I can do this more in my own teaching.

Doing the google slide…..

These past few weeks have been very busy for me and I’ve been searching for different tools to help me get organized and keep organized. Now, I’ve been trying things like Rememberthemilk, EasyTask and Toodledo to help myself keep my todos and appointments kinda organized. The biggest problem that I have is that I run macs at home, use my ipod touch to organize myself and deal with Windows at school. What’s a guy to do? 

Rememberthemilk – is great for getting my todos down and keeping them organized but their ipod widget costs $. Yeah, it’s only 5.99 but still. I like the interface and the way it keeps things organized and the fact I can access it online and on my ipod. 

EasyTask – again, I like the interface and the way it works but the beta version of the Windows didn’t work well on my computer which kinda threw a wrench into the whole sync thing! I like to have my workday todo’s synced with my ipod and home so I can mix and match what I need to do at school versus what I need todo at home. The ical function, with the online me.com access allows me to see what is coming up but, as you ipod itouch/iphone users know, the todo’s don’t transfer! 

Toodledo – worked okay but, again, there is the cost factor and with the number of todo widgets available  for free, I don’t feel like shelling out $. 

Google Tasks – I think that I may have found something that will work for me despite the fact it doesn’t have a widget that syncs with my ipod touch yet. Instead, I’m going with a todo widget from the Apps store that allows me to organize things in the same manner I do with Tasks. iProcrastinate Mobile sets things up in much the same fashion as Tasks. It means I have to add details but at least I know that I can get all my tasks at home and at school and in the same fashion as the Tasks. 

This has me thinking that I really need to look into using Google Apps. It has all my things in one place and, wonder of wonders, syncs with both my ical and the wiki calendar we use at school as a staff to record meetings, events and other information. I already use many of the other features like the Reader and Docs. I mean, if it allows me to keep better organized then maybe I need to look into this a bit more. Now I know people use all sorts of different tools to keep themselves organized and together and I’m really like igoogle.com as my homepage too! I can access a number of different sites all in one place. Sure saves me opening 6 or 7 tabs. Now, I just open the igoogle page and there is twitter, plurk, gmail, gcalendar, tasks, reader, docs plus a few other widgets that I use. It’s all handy and accessible from either home or work. 

I wasn’t always a big user of google and I’ve tried Netvibes and Pageflakes as other homepages. My second choice would be Pageflakes but it still doesn’t allow me access to as many of the things I use each day. I must admit that I did use to look to stay away from google because, well, everyone uses it. But, given the many different things going on in my life, it really does help me to stay connected and together. It isn’t just the todo’s but all the rest of the options that I have available all in one place that is selling me on using google. Because much of my work  is online and need to be able to access it from multiple places, it is only reasonable that I look for the most efficient manner to do this. So far, Google is offering me that. With the additions of Tasks, I can now add them and be able to organize either at home or at work. I’d still like a ipod touch widget that synced with Google Tasks! 

Why is this at important?

As an administrator, I’m finding that I have greater demands on my time and there is no more time being added to the day. We’ve 24 hours and that’s all. So, if the demands are growing, I need to be better able to prioritize what I do, make decisions about what are essentials and then proceed to make the best use of my time. Now, sometimes the best use is doing nothing but that’s another blog entry. Most of the time, there are decisions to be made about how to use those 24 hours.

The older I get, the more I realize that I need to make sure that I don’t overlook such things as: a full night’s sleep; exercise; diet; time with family; realistic time for accomplishing work goals and time with myself. You’ll also notice that work is no longer at the top of my list. Instead, I’m seeing that there needs to be a focus on me being at my best so that I can do my best when I am involved in school. 

It also means that a person should be able to get things that work together without so much trouble. What’s the big deal? Besides I’m kinda cheap and don’t want to pay for applications for both my home and work computers. I know there are solutions out there that you can buy but it’s shouldn’t be that tough! 

Google it is!

So, instead of continuing the search for the all-in-one, I’m willing to go the almost-in-one and work with what I have right now. Hopefully, in the not too distant future, Apple will round out their apps for the ipod touch and put the todo widget out so that this will all have been a learning exercise.