Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia that was begun in 2001, had a reputation as an unreliable resource as it is edited by volunteers. Many who were responsible for managing school IT at the time blocked access to it on their internet filters; I was one of those who did. Over time, educators and IT professionals realized Read More
Category: Technology
Review of Evolutionary Intelligence: How Technology Will Make Us Smarter
AI has been here for a much longer than “ChatGPT” which has been garnering so much attention since late 2022. There have been a number of books and articles and special journal issues dedicated to the understanding it, considering its potential effects, and advising individuals and group on how to successfully navigate this new world. Read More
Elevator Pitch on Digital Equity
It is an unfortunate reality that there remains a digital divide in the United States; disadvantaged students have less access to technology tools, and even if they do have access to the tools, they are more likely to be used for efficient instruction of procedural and declarative knowledge rather than more effective or efficacious purposes. Read More
On the Obsolescence of #edtech
189: On the Obsolescence of #edtech As a result, schools entered a cycle of technology obsolescence. They would expend significant capital in one year and a wave of new devices would arrive on campus. In the following years, the students and teachers would enjoy improved access to and improved function of the devices. Over time Read More
IT for Teaching
124: IT for Teaching The tasks that teachers accomplish using IT systems can be differentiated into two categories. First, are the highly predictable tasks that resemble those performed by business users. IT professionals can plan and test functionality. These tasks include many of the data management tasks such as recording attendance and grades for which Read More
Elevator Pitch: Hackers and Phishers
Hackers (those who try to break into our computers) and phishers (those who try to trick users into letting them into the system) are generally after computing capacity or data. In some cases, they want to use our computers for nefarious purposes. For example, they may want to use our computers to spread viruses or Read More
Yes Technology Improves Our Lives
I recently helped my son move about 1000 miles away. He was driving a truck full of stuff and I was driving one of their cars. This is a task parents and their children have been doing for decades. The details of doing it sure have changed. Our phones were connected to our vehicles, so Read More
Some Observations of Generative AI
Generative AI has been a “thing” for more than a year. My colleagues in education seem to be surviving despite the warnings that “the sky is falling.” Some are working to integrate it into their instruction; some are avoiding it. I was a student when handheld calculators became ubiquitous, I was a teacher when computers Read More
Elevator Pitch: School IT Decisions
It is important for all IT professionals who work in school to understand the nature of the users and their specific needs. Every decision made and every action taken by IT professionals (regardless of their role) affects end users either directly (by providing troubleshooting, training, and other support) or indirectly (by installing and configuring systems Read More
Is It an Innovation?
Consider the overhead projector as an educational innovation. Prior to the overhead projector, a teacher wrote notes and drew pictures on slate boards with chalk. When writing or drawing, a teacher’s back was to the students and the contents were bounded by the edges of the slate. With the overhead projector, teachers faced the students Read More