Lou Douros- Freepath Software

I really, really like Freepath. I can see immediately going to my music teacher and principal and getting all of their stuff on Freepath. It would make life so much easier. Of course my music teacher is going to have to wait for the mac version.

I appreciate the emphasis on the free software. Sometimes all you know is the expensive software, but you neglect to look for the open source software. It's probably because it takes so much time to sort through it all.

One of the more expensive software items I am looking at is MathWhiz, which is an adaptive math tutor with fun social implications but no e-mail or messaging. It is awesome, but for a school of 400 it would be around $16000. That's what I am looking for right now, a math test kids can take before OAKS so that we can see strand data at the beginning of the school year, and kids can do activities based on the strand data.

I need to do more research.

CIO- Now I Know

Wow, Steve Langford helped me understand my ITC Director. Maybe it is natural to immediately want to focus on infrastructure. A lot of staff were upset when we invested in Microsoft Outlook instead of transitioning to gmail. It used a lot of money that could have gone to student access.

Right now our district has a pot of money for technology that they don't want to spend. It's frustrating. There is such an impression of gloom and doom. However, the stimulus has money for the "modernization" of school. Isn't that a good thing?

Equity- well I have to say that I understand the issues. I spent $750 of my book money to get a SmartBoard. If the district gave one to every school that didn't have one, then I would not be okay with that. Actually when I did buy it, my principal talked to the IT guy and made sure we wouldn't get penalized for it. So I understand what Vicki was saying about letting those who are motivated lead. And I also agree with Robin that it would probably need to be a top down initiative after looking at the different models schools have.

Web Design by Don Woodward

Don showed a lot of nice design techniques for web media. It makes me realize that while HOI's website is the best of the elementary schools, I have been very lazy about keeping it relevant. Maybe it is too plain, not enough personality. I am definitely going to evaluate it soon. Hmmm.

Please feel free to look at it and send me comments. I think that my boss (i.e. principal) likes the two method click. He looked at the navigation bar and tried to figure out what was missing.

http://www.centennial.k12.or.us/schools/hoi/

Pete it's been corrected!

I checked the wikipedia page we changed and less than 24 hours later it was corrected! I noticed that at the bottom of the page it was modified at 4:33 Feb. 6. I don't know if that was a.m. or p.m.

The 3rd graders in Gresham have been saved from misinformation!

Web Developer/Programmer Visit & Why I Know I Am Right Teaching Search Strategies

It always hits me at this time of year. Will my program get cut or not? Don't they know I am preparing kids for the literacy they will need in the 21st Century? Then there are the staff meetings in my classroom. What is Boolean? And what that leads to is a lot of moping around and why oh why doesn't anyone understand me and my curriculum!?

Well I guess there is one dude in Oregon who understands the savings technology provide to a district. Not only that but he also understood to use the technology someone has to teach how to use it effectively in authentic settings. That man is Paul Navarre from Net Interaction.

It is kind of like the text from Understanding by Design (Wiggins, 2005). You start with a desired outcome, discern the acceptable evidence and then design the learning activities. It is in those learning activities that technology can be used with purpose and context. No assistant can do that.

Like Paul said, "Technology is only a tool."