Multi-Faceted Refractions (backup version)

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Moving back to to the Original Site

Since my primary blog has been up and stable, I will be publishing from this site for the time being. To access my work, go to vvrotny.edublogs.org

Monday, August 20, 2007

Pleasant Surprises along the Way - Creating New Connections

Due to some family issues, for the past three days I have been trying to keep moving forward, making sure that the student and teacher schedules from the timetable make sense are are balanced as best as they can and wrapping up a number of new initiatives in anticipation of the return of our faculty. At times, I have found it difficult to keep focused and am sometimes looking for distractions. Yesterday, when I went to moderate the comments on my blog, I noticed that there were two new incoming links to my both, one from the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and one from the American Library Association (ASA). Imagine my surprise when the author, Debbie Stafford referenced a post that I created over a month ago about four essential questions that I have been thinking about regarding the implementation of Web 2.0 tools. I cannot wait to share this with our librarian, to see if she found the connection.

Not being one to toot my own horn, I still find it baffling that someone whom I never met, in a profession that I do not practice (librarianship), stumbled upon questions that I have about using the new tools, and found them compelling enough to highlight them in their own set of questions about the tools. I wonder how Debbie found this post, which I wrote three weeks after NECC. Part of me is amazed that not only did someone find my thoughts, but thought them worthy of helping them shape their thinking. It is amazing how these new connections are made each and every day, and how contrary to the thoughts of Andrew Keen in Cult of the Amateur, that these new connections and relationships are made by thoughtful and intelligent people around the world and that we are helping each other forge and shape our ideas.

As we start school, it also reinforces the notion that a single person, with a single thought, can begin to change the world, as their message begins to spread to others. It reinforces the need to push our teachers and students to begin to share their voice with the outside world so that the can develop an audience, connect and establish relationships with others. The challenge is to get them to take the first step, to allow themselves to expose themselves and potentially be vulnerable. It is scary when you first begin this, because you don't know if you will be validated and accepted. You don't know if anyone will listen and be interested in your ideas. It is scary not knowing whether you will be worthy enough of another's time and interest.

But we have to encourage all who are willing to try, because if they don't, they may never know if someone else will find their ideas interesting, as I have over the course of these ten months.

Friday, August 17, 2007

The Calm Before the Storm

Today is one of those interesting days on the calendar, especially for those of us on campus who spend nearly 12 months on campus, rather than the typical teacher's ten month visit. Today is the day where the majority of the campus is away, squeezing in that last bit of vacation before the arrival of new faculty next week and all faculty the week following.

For me, it is a time to be able to work on projects with at a leisurely pace. My project for the day today is to back up all of my data onto the network, back up my outlook personal folders, and then migrate my information to my the new Tablet PC that I have been assigned.

One of my resolutions for the upcoming year is to make sure that I back up my local folders to the server more frequently than I am currently doing. As my IT Director reminded me two days ago,

" You are doing too many important things and are developing so many important documents for the projects that we are implementing that it would a shame for you to spend significantly more time recreating what is lost than it would take to restore the documents."

This is advice that we usually all hear, nod our head and say, "yes, this is what I should do," and then move onto the next task than devoting the time to making this happen.

So far, I am really loving my new Gateway e155 tablet computer. I love the size and weight of the new system. It just feels comfortable, both while using it to take notes and while using it as a laptop. I think that we have made a great decision in selecting this model for our initial roll-out of the tablets. I am also looking forward working with our teachers to develop new ways to implement this exciting new technology into their teaching.

Migrating to a new system is always a challenge. I have spent two years tweaking and modifying my old laptop so that it would work just so. I dread the time researching all of the different applications and firefox mods that I have installed. This will take a couple of weeks to make sure that I have gotten everything just the way I want it. And I am going to have to do this during the busy and hectic first few weeks of school. What a challenge I have before me.

My data just finished copying to the server, so it is time to take the next step and copy the data to my new computer and begin configuring.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

The Aha Moments That Arise When Given Time

This week, I have been doubly blessed. First, the three principal (we call them heads) of each of the three divisions have carved out four hours of their time during the first full week back. This can be a hectic time, as they transition from summer mode into school mode, catching up with teachers, making sure schedules fit, and trying to determine who to launch a successful year.

Secondly, I am blessed that they have chosen to spend their precious time with me, learning about the new tools, and discussing and brainstorming the implications of these tools into teaching practice. For me, it is like a perfect storm, give the heads the time to be learners, give them time to collaborate with each other, which is a precious commodity in itself, and then let them reflect and strategize how to implement these tools and ideas with the rest of the faculty when they arrive in a week and a half. Our faculty and students don't know how lucky they are to be led by such open-minded and forward thinking administrators.

On Monday, we started off by showing the videos that Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach posted on progressive education and an excerpt of Sir Kenneth Robinson's TED talk on Creativity and Education. I have shown them how to set up and use a set of wiki pages and how various teachers around campus are going to use wikis to support their teaching and the student's learning environments. They have talked about the use of cell phones, picture phones, text messaging, and have learned about the mosquito sound.

Today, wanting to start with reflection, I pointed them to my previous posting on the shift in how to approach the beginning of the year Internet Safety speech for students and Chris Lehmann's Planning for Innovation post from this morning. We diverged off of the planned curriculum to talk about rss, del.icio.us, tagging and how they fit together and allow individuals to make sense of the glut of information available to them. I showed them local examples of how teachers are beginning to use these tools to add feeds to wikis to streamline the process. We had a great conversation about the need for faculty and students these tools to help them manage information and how they could use rss and the collaborative tools to enhance and enrich their administrative team meetings. I then showed them two of my personal learning networks, my Netvibes rss aggregator and my Twitter network where I think that they were overwhelmed by the information. Only then did we cover Google Docs and Spreadsheets, Google Earth and Google Maps and talk about the new ways that teachers are going to use them within their curriculum.

What I have enjoyed the most is the conversations that we are having about the pedagogy and practice of teaching. It is reminiscent of the conversations which I had during EduBloggerCon and at the Blogger's Cafe at NECC. While understanding the tools is important, it is how they are applied to the practice of learning by all, faculty and students, which is paramount. At the end of the sessions, I have been drained and exhausted, and needing to spend time performing the rest of my daily functions as we get ready for the start of school.

Tomorrow, we have our last scheduled day together and the current plan is to set up rss readers, talk about blogging and podcasting. I hope that we will be able to touch base at least once or twice during the course of the year so that we can slow down time, reflect and continue the positive conversations that we have started as a group. This is always a challenge, especially as the demands of day to day school life always seem to take on a slightly higher priority. But it is during this time, somewhat freed of the other distractions, that excites me and reminds me why I started teaching in the first place.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Changing My Tune - Internet Safety for Students

At the beginning of the school year, I schedule time to meet with the students in each of our grades to talk about our acceptable use policy and how students should conduct themselves on campus. I also use this opportunity to talk to the students about Internet Safety while using the various tools at home.

For the past eight or nine years, I have been focusing on the negative messages...

Don't share your passwords

Don't give personal information about yourself

Don't download software

Don't do this

Don't do that

Don't, don't, don't

Rather than focusing on the negative aspects this year, I am thinking about acknowledging the fact that our students are active in social networks, from Club Penguin, to Webkinz, to posting movies on YouTube, to using Facebook, to using school sanctioned tools, such as Moodle threaded discussions and wikis in the classroom. We expect our students to use these tools within the classroom and increasingly, we are asking them to use these tools to collaborate with students outside the classroom.

So this year, I am trying to craft a message along the lines of a twitter message that Steve Dembo sent in June, which has prompted me to think:

If people were to Google you, what conclusions would they make?

From observing your on-line communication, what kind of person would they believe you are? What type of thinker are you? What skills do they think that you have?

From looking at your digital self, would people think that you are full of creativity or are you a copy-cat, mimicking the works of others without any new original thought?

What do you do if your work is being misappropriated? What if you discover that there are images of you on other's sites which are unflattering or potentially damaging?

I know that if others were to Google me, that they would get a once sided view of me as a Director of Technology and that it does not fully reflect the different facets of my life. I highlight several of them in my eight random things. There are some that my closest friends may not know about me.

I am hoping that this gets students understand that everything that they do has a consequence. Some are trivial, but others may be more long term and potentially damaging to their reputations and meeting goals that they have set for themselves. I am trying to develop a message that is sticky, that students will hear and remember, and hopefully take seriously.

I look forward to reading and hearing what others are planning, what their approaches to this all important first meeting are going to be. The messenger needs to deliver a new message or students will tune us out and miss out on our wisdom.

Monday, August 13, 2007

I Heart the First Day of School

I remember when I was younger filled with the excitement and anticipation of a new school year. I would make sure that I had all of my supplies and books in order, ready to experience the new year. Now, nearly 40 years later, I still feel the rush of enthusiasm overtake my body as we head into the first day of school.

For the 2007-2008 academic year, today was the first day. This was not the first official day when all teachers and staff are required to return for our opening meetings. Nor was it the first official day when students are required to attend classes for the first day of school. No, today was the day when the students arrive on campus for their athletic pre-season, when the administrators return to switch from the more relaxed summer flow to a more hurried pace in anticipation for the return of teachers and students. The summer renovation and maintaince projects take on a greater flurry and frenzy of activity in order for them to be completed by the start of school. More teachers are popping in more frequently, transitioning from summer mode to the pace of school. Yes, it is fun watching the school wake up from a slumber in anticipation of all that is good to occur within the walls once again.

Personally, it is at time to wrap up summer development projects and pay more attention to making sure that everything is ready for the start of the year; that computers are updated, clean, and ready for work, that new accounts have been added and and others pared away, that software has been updated and changes have been documented. While frenetic, I enjoy the adrenaline that is generated by all of the work that needs to be completed. I do have to sometimes slow down, breath deeply, count to ten so that I am not overwhelmed.

I am really excited about the start of this school year in particular. For me, last year was a transformative year, from immersing myself in the new technologies, to developing a personal learning network full of great people and deep thinkers who challenge me daily. I have had the privilege of working with our First Grade team, a Fourth and Fifth Grade lead teacher, our LS and MS Spanish teachers, our Seventh Grade team, our US French teacher, our Eighth Grade humanities teacher, a history teacher and a science teacher on new curriculum units which have and will utilize components and new tools for collaboration and communication. This week, I am meeting with our new Chemistry teacher who wants to create Flash screen captures to make available to students and our Sixth Grade humanities teacher who wants to make some changes. We are rolling out 24 tablet PCs to teachers, and are creating nine more spaces on campus with permanent projection available.

Another indicator that this is going to be a great year is the fact that I am spending five hours with the principals of our three divisions, elementary, middle school, and high school to teach them about the new technologies. We had our first meeting today where we discussed the big picture and wikis. This led to several great conversations about how we were going to share and implement these ideas to the faculty this year. I know that this is a very important time of the year and I am thankful that they are choosing to spend some of their precious time learning and discussing these important topics. The impact on the students should be very profound this year. And I am ecstatic that I am able to take part in all of the excitement.

I Have Seen mySpace - Personified

One of the significant experiences that I had while on a writing hiatus, is attending the meat space version of mySpace, the Vans Warped tour. Traveling with my personal guide, my daughter and I attended the July 28th show in Chicago. For those of you who are unaware of this cultural phenomenon, we spent six hours on a hot and humid Saturday, trying to listen to parts of the 60+ bands scattered across eight stages at the venue. Because of other commitments, we left early and could have spent the final three hours trying to squeeze more into already packed day.

Once we purchased our tickets and entered the venue, we had to find out who was playing when at the show. The listing of bands is attached to a blow-up sign. There were several bands that my daughter wanted to see, including Boys Like Girls (of course they do), Hawthorne Heights, New Found Glory, and Alkaline Trio. Not knowing what to expect, I brought the book that I was reading at the time, Cult of the Amateur, fully expecting not to enjoy myself. But boy was I surprised, and I actually found a few bands that I really enjoyed sampling. These bands include Big D and the Kids Table, The Graduate, and May Day Parade. Maybe it was the fact that I am older, but most of the bands that I enjoyed the most played at the main theater, in the shade with a cool, easterly breeze coming from the lake. I guess I cannot take the heat, so I stay out of the kitchen.

In addition to sampling the many bands, I spent time walking around the bazaar that is set up. Each band is given a small display area, which their various CDs and paraphernalia can be purchased. There were also several commercial setups, from Vans to Trojans (imagine my shock when the young woman asked if I wanted a free sample in front of my 15 year-old. I do not know who was more embarrassed.) There were also several public service booths, from PETA to Living Green to How to Live a Vegetarian lifestyle. My favorite was the PETA booth, where they were handing out "I am not a Nugget" stickers. It was like live mySpace advertising.

In addition like on mySpace, you could "friend" the members of the bands who would appear either at their own or a sponsors booth to meet and greet, chat with new fans, and sign objects. My daughter purchased a new set of Vans which she had signed by so many bands and people, that even she lost track of who signed where. These organic, friends groups kept popping up throughout the venue, allowing people with similar tastes, the opportunity to connect with a band that they liked.

Noticeably absent, at least from both of our views were open use of substances and haze that I remember seeing when I went to events, like the Toledo Speedway Jam in 1979 (REO Speedwagon, Blue Oyster Cult, and headliner, Ted Nugent) as a young man. This was actually enjoyable. Maybe the Just Say No campaign is working.

At the end of the day, we traveled home, sunburned and exhausted, we critiqued the bands we had heard and some we had not seen while scanning through the compilation CD we purchased (50 bands/50 songs/Five bucks). Not bad for 10 cents a song. Cheaper than purchasing them on iTunes and more legal than downloading them from LimeWire. We had a nice day and I wouldn't mind going back again next year. Maybe, I will be asked to go again.

Eight Random Things about Me

I have been tagged by Charlene Chausis for the eight random things meme. Since this is the first time that I have been tagged and I need motivation to get back to blogging, I have decided to participate.

Here are the Rules:

* Post these rules before you give your facts
* List 8 random facts about yourself
* At the end of your post, choose (tag) 8 people and list their names, linking to them
* Leave a comment on their blog, letting them know they’ve been tagged.

My random facts:

My mother was a Tupperware lady, successful enough to be #5 in the US in 1977-1978 and appeared in one of the commercial, "The fresh idea" campaign and print ad

I am a member of the Society for Baseball Research (SABR) who has been published in two books in 1986 and 1987

In addition to being the Director of Academic Technology, I am also a co-founder of our Science Olympiad team

For the past four years, I have also been the lead adviser for our schools yearbook, the Mirror

I attended Northwestern University during the "streak", a 34 game losing streak that was not broken until the middle of my junior year. Best question and answer asked by a corporate recruiter to a friend of mine, "Describe something about yourself which demonstrates your willingness to persevere." His answer, "I have been a walk-on football player for a team that hasn't won a game during my collegiate football career."

I was a two time winner of the Chalktalk competition at the University of Michigan Mathematics Olympics, as a sophomore and a senior.

I have completed 10 triathlons, the last being in 2002, even though I detest running. I need to start doing this again.

After spending most of my life in the Rust Belt (Western Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and Illinois), I got to travel to Europe while on a sabbatical. We were in London for the July 7, 2005 bombing. This is when I realized how small and flat the world really is.

I am tagging:

Arvind Grover

Alex Ragone

Carolyn Foote

Jeff Whipple

Kimberly Moritz

add your name here

add your name here

add your name here

Monday, July 23, 2007

Collaborators Sought

Normally, I do use this blog to advertise for connections. However, we were hoping to connect one of our Senior History electives with another school via the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Challenge 20/20 project. The Challenge 20/20 project creates connections between classrooms around one of the 20 problems outlines in J.F. Rischard's High Noon: 20 Global Problems to Solve in 20 Years.

We are looking for a school(s) who would want to collaborate on a unit project with our Senior Economics class which will be held in the second semester. We were unable to submit this project, since the Challenge 20/20 projects need to be completed by January 2008 and this class rums from January 2008 to June 2008.

Our economics teacher, Tim Curren, initially wanted to pursue the War on Drugs challenge in his course, although we may be able to negotiate a different problem to have the students collaborate on.

Please contact me if you would be interested in such a collaboration.

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