Comments on: Tricking administrators into using technology http://technosavvy.org/2007/05/05/tricking-administrators-into-using-technology/ Great teaching and learning with technology Tue, 20 Jul 2010 05:23:43 -0600 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: LInda Hall http://technosavvy.org/2007/05/05/tricking-administrators-into-using-technology/comment-page-1/#comment-45158 LInda Hall Sun, 01 Jul 2007 21:15:43 +0000 http://technosavvy.org/2007/05/05/tricking-administrators-into-using-technology/#comment-45158 Wonderful idea! I know that in our district many principals interview the same candidates. This would be a faster way of initialing screening candidates . . . and it's much easier to rewind and fast-forward digitally than on a cassette tape! Thank you for the ideas! Wonderful idea! I know that in our district many principals interview the same candidates. This would be a faster way of initialing screening candidates . . . and it’s much easier to rewind and fast-forward digitally than on a cassette tape! Thank you for the ideas!

]]> By: Jessie Williams http://technosavvy.org/2007/05/05/tricking-administrators-into-using-technology/comment-page-1/#comment-45145 Jessie Williams Tue, 19 Jun 2007 18:46:06 +0000 http://technosavvy.org/2007/05/05/tricking-administrators-into-using-technology/#comment-45145 Hey! This is really using technology to streamline the rather arduous task of interviewing, checking references and hiring. I am sure that many districts are looking into this. Wouldn't this be great for students to use this type of thing to record notes and lectures in class? Jessie Hey! This is really using technology to streamline the rather arduous task of interviewing, checking references and hiring. I am sure that many districts are looking into this. Wouldn’t this be great for students to use this type of thing to record notes and lectures in class?

Jessie

]]> By: Gina Russell Stevens http://technosavvy.org/2007/05/05/tricking-administrators-into-using-technology/comment-page-1/#comment-45134 Gina Russell Stevens Thu, 24 May 2007 19:47:39 +0000 http://technosavvy.org/2007/05/05/tricking-administrators-into-using-technology/#comment-45134 Can I get an Amen! Wow, Tim, what a great "gateway drug" to sprinkle amongst the instructional building leaders. As one who conducts lots online and f2f technology training, attempting to evangelize and strategize meaningful integration of the Moodle LMS into classroom practice... I laud you for your "sneakiness." You make my job a little easier, because you meet the leadership right at their point of need and they begin to believe technology might not be all that bad... And once the leadership is "using" that new gateway drug, the faculty follow... and they may even seek new ways to get high... like using virtual classrooms to expand their instructional practice. "Amen! Amen!" Let the church say "Amen." ~Gina Can I get an Amen!

Wow, Tim, what a great “gateway drug” to sprinkle amongst the instructional building leaders.

As one who conducts lots online and f2f technology training, attempting to evangelize and strategize meaningful integration of the Moodle LMS into classroom practice… I laud you for your “sneakiness.”

You make my job a little easier, because you meet the leadership right at their point of need and they begin to believe technology might not be all that bad… And once the leadership is “using” that new gateway drug, the faculty follow… and they may even seek new ways to get high… like using virtual classrooms to expand their instructional practice.

“Amen! Amen!” Let the church say “Amen.”

~Gina

]]> By: Brian Johnson http://technosavvy.org/2007/05/05/tricking-administrators-into-using-technology/comment-page-1/#comment-45133 Brian Johnson Mon, 21 May 2007 20:56:35 +0000 http://technosavvy.org/2007/05/05/tricking-administrators-into-using-technology/#comment-45133 Timmeh! 3 things: 1. Thank you for the good idea/recommendation of iTalk. I wanted to try some audio movie review podcasts on-the-fly and this device got pretty good marks across most review sites. 2. How do you style your comments to look different (highlighted in green) on your blog? Was it built into the theme, or a plugin (or both)? 3. As I'm writing this comment, the third field says "Webseite" - might wanna fix that, unless that's the way they spell "Website" in Buffalo. Please respond via email if you'd be so kind. Brian Timmeh!

3 things:

1. Thank you for the good idea/recommendation of iTalk. I wanted to try some audio movie review podcasts on-the-fly and this device got pretty good marks across most review sites.

2. How do you style your comments to look different (highlighted in green) on your blog? Was it built into the theme, or a plugin (or both)?

3. As I’m writing this comment, the third field says “Webseite” – might wanna fix that, unless that’s the way they spell “Website” in Buffalo.

Please respond via email if you’d be so kind.

Brian

]]> By: Tim Wilson http://technosavvy.org/2007/05/05/tricking-administrators-into-using-technology/comment-page-1/#comment-45129 Tim Wilson Tue, 08 May 2007 13:47:29 +0000 http://technosavvy.org/2007/05/05/tricking-administrators-into-using-technology/#comment-45129 Scott, it's also important to consider the alternative in this case. (To bolster your point further.) Before the iPods the principals were recording on cassettes and sending them around the intradistrict mail. And if they weren't recorded, it was pretty common to have several principals interview the same candidate. The iPod solution actually produces big time savings overall. Scott, it’s also important to consider the alternative in this case. (To bolster your point further.) Before the iPods the principals were recording on cassettes and sending them around the intradistrict mail. And if they weren’t recorded, it was pretty common to have several principals interview the same candidate. The iPod solution actually produces big time savings overall.

]]> By: Scott McLeod http://technosavvy.org/2007/05/05/tricking-administrators-into-using-technology/comment-page-1/#comment-45128 Scott McLeod Tue, 08 May 2007 11:04:08 +0000 http://technosavvy.org/2007/05/05/tricking-administrators-into-using-technology/#comment-45128 It sounds like you've made this pretty time-efficient, so my concerns are decreased. I do think this is an issue generally, though, for both principals and teachers. As school organizations, we don't value their time enough and often have them doing stuff that's WAY below what we're paying them for, which is their professional knowledge and skill. That's where technology, and some support staff, can help! Thanks, Tim! It sounds like you’ve made this pretty time-efficient, so my concerns are decreased. I do think this is an issue generally, though, for both principals and teachers. As school organizations, we don’t value their time enough and often have them doing stuff that’s WAY below what we’re paying them for, which is their professional knowledge and skill. That’s where technology, and some support staff, can help! Thanks, Tim!

]]> By: Tim Wilson http://technosavvy.org/2007/05/05/tricking-administrators-into-using-technology/comment-page-1/#comment-45127 Tim Wilson Tue, 08 May 2007 04:25:20 +0000 http://technosavvy.org/2007/05/05/tricking-administrators-into-using-technology/#comment-45127 Scott, good point about the principals' time. Steps 2-4 are actually pretty fast. #2 happens automatically when the iPod is plugged in. For #3 you can select all of the new interviews and convert them in one step which means you can let the computer huff and puff on it while the principal keeps plugging away on their email. #4 is the most complex, but I just had the principals create a shortcut to the server on their computer desktops. It's pretty much drag and drop from there. I didn't go into every detail. The piece that I didn't describe, because we're just playing with the concept, is the use of the MP3 metadata to capture details of the interview. Among other things, we can use the lyrics field in the ID3 data to store notes from the interview. In other words, whatever notes the principal records following the interview can be transferred in the MP3 file itself to subsequent listeners. I have no doubt that a more sophisticated, database-backed system could be developed to streamline the process further. It would be great if it could be integrated with the rest of our online hiring process. But I was committed in this case to start with the simplest possible solution. It's often tempting to try to do too much in version 1.0 and never get anything done. Scott, good point about the principals’ time. Steps 2-4 are actually pretty fast. #2 happens automatically when the iPod is plugged in. For #3 you can select all of the new interviews and convert them in one step which means you can let the computer huff and puff on it while the principal keeps plugging away on their email. #4 is the most complex, but I just had the principals create a shortcut to the server on their computer desktops. It’s pretty much drag and drop from there.

I didn’t go into every detail. The piece that I didn’t describe, because we’re just playing with the concept, is the use of the MP3 metadata to capture details of the interview. Among other things, we can use the lyrics field in the ID3 data to store notes from the interview. In other words, whatever notes the principal records following the interview can be transferred in the MP3 file itself to subsequent listeners.

I have no doubt that a more sophisticated, database-backed system could be developed to streamline the process further. It would be great if it could be integrated with the rest of our online hiring process. But I was committed in this case to start with the simplest possible solution. It’s often tempting to try to do too much in version 1.0 and never get anything done.

]]> By: Scott McLeod http://technosavvy.org/2007/05/05/tricking-administrators-into-using-technology/comment-page-1/#comment-45126 Scott McLeod Tue, 08 May 2007 03:58:24 +0000 http://technosavvy.org/2007/05/05/tricking-administrators-into-using-technology/#comment-45126 Okay, two thoughts on my end. 1. Kudos for making the process simple enough for them to do. They are getting an intuitive sense of how easy this can be as well as a great grasp of the power and potential when it all comes together. 2. That said, once they master the process, are you concerned at all that Steps 2-4 might not be the best use of principals' time? I can think of a thousand other things I'd rather have principals doing than converting and uploading podcast files. Maybe a support staff member could be trained to do Steps 2-4? It seems like this is de-skilling pretty important people (i.e., having them doing fairly routine work that doesn't tap into their specialized skill/training/knowledge). Thoughts? Okay, two thoughts on my end.

1. Kudos for making the process simple enough for them to do. They are getting an intuitive sense of how easy this can be as well as a great grasp of the power and potential when it all comes together.

2. That said, once they master the process, are you concerned at all that Steps 2-4 might not be the best use of principals’ time? I can think of a thousand other things I’d rather have principals doing than converting and uploading podcast files. Maybe a support staff member could be trained to do Steps 2-4? It seems like this is de-skilling pretty important people (i.e., having them doing fairly routine work that doesn’t tap into their specialized skill/training/knowledge).

Thoughts?

]]> By: Tim Wilson http://technosavvy.org/2007/05/05/tricking-administrators-into-using-technology/comment-page-1/#comment-45125 Tim Wilson Tue, 08 May 2007 03:05:18 +0000 http://technosavvy.org/2007/05/05/tricking-administrators-into-using-technology/#comment-45125 Yes, they do all five steps. Some with more coaching than others, but they can do it. Yes, they do all five steps. Some with more coaching than others, but they can do it.

]]> By: Scott McLeod http://technosavvy.org/2007/05/05/tricking-administrators-into-using-technology/comment-page-1/#comment-45124 Scott McLeod Tue, 08 May 2007 01:05:12 +0000 http://technosavvy.org/2007/05/05/tricking-administrators-into-using-technology/#comment-45124 Tim, are the principals doing all 5 steps above, or just #1? Tim, are the principals doing all 5 steps above, or just #1?

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