Flip Video

Image by mstephens7 via Flickr

I came across this read yesterday and it started the wheels spinning on how our district could leverage the Flip Video.

Click here to read the article. (Talks about using the Flip Video for Teacher Evaluation.) The article is by Jason Hancock - located at www.drhancock.net

Each of my schools already owns at least one Flip Video (and in most cases - teachers are purchasing their own device and using it in the classroom). Most users who have used the device are impressed with the ease of use and accompanying software (allowing you to easily upload to You Tube, etc.). The only knock I have heard on the device is the quality of video.

So the question becomes - because of the simplicity of the device - should the Flip be distributed on a larger scale - along with appropriate training on how our teachers, administrators and other users could effectively integrate? Are these devices capable of capturing teacher evaluation? Think of the power an administrator would have if he/she could capture a lesson - and then share that lesson with the teacher. The teacher now has the ability to review, very easily, his/her lesson and what areas need to be refined. In the past, the process to do this was extremely cumbersome and required bulky equipment.

I want to thank Dr. Hancock for opening my eyes to a different way to use this tool. I was focused on teachers using the device in their classroom and never thought how the administrators could use the device. I will be sharing this scenario with my leadership team and hopefully they will be as open to this as I am.

JDS | CIO

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• The Flip Mino Now Available in High-Def! (geeksugar.com)
• CrunchDeals: Flip Video F230W for $59 (crunchgear.com)
• Flip intros $229 high definition 'MinoHD' camcorder (crunchgear.com)
• Flip video camera review (thespiderhill.wordpress.com)

Articles of Interest

A few reads I came across...

• Ignorance may be bliss, but it is dangerous
• Skype could be targeted for tapping...
• iPhone controlled car?
• Google Earth finds Atlantis? Not so fast says Google...
• Saving school budgets in a recession
  

JDS | CIO

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• Atlantis - Google Earth shows the location of the Lost City? (nickburcher.com)
• Has Google Found Our Ancient Past? (lockergnome.com)
• OMG! Did Google Earth find Atlantis? (news.cnet.com)

School Communication in the 21st Century

Check out this SlideShare Presentation I used during a speaking engagement to a graduate class at Murray State University:

School Communication in the 21st Century

View more presentations from JDSCIO.

JDS | CIO

iPhone Integration with AD and Exchange

I was sent this information regarding a webcast on iPhone deployment and integration with AD and Exchange. I plan on listening to this one.


February Webcast - iPhone Integration and Deployment

Date: Tuesday, February 17th, 10:00 AM (Pacific)
Time: 10:00 am - 11:30 am PST
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm EST


Presenter: Chase Kelly, Sr. Manager, Apple Education Mobility

Summary: A detailed look at how the iPhone integrates into Active Directory and Exchange network infrastructures.
In addition, we will cover how to manage deployment of iPhones utilizing the iPhone Configuration Utility.

How to View an Apple Sales Training Webcast:

• Go to the following web page 5-10 minutes prior to the webcast start time:
http://webcast.training.apple.com/

• Enter the webcast ID and passcode:

Webcast ID: MacEnterprise
Passcode: 527375

JDS | CIO

Paperless Classroom Article in Kentucky Teacher

Our paperless classroom (which has been up and running for 6 months now) was recently featured in the Kentucky Teacher. (Scroll down to Page 11 to read the story.)

Click here to read the article.

This classroom has flourished over the past six months and inspired the teacher across the hall to embark on a paperless classroom project of her own. Both classrooms are about change. The teachers are changing the way they teach. The students are changing the way they communicate, learn and operate in a school setting. Both of these teachers are pioneers and to be commended for their hard work and dedication to teaching their students 21st century skills.

JDSC | CIO

Ed Tech / Web 2.0 Articles

Image via Wikipedia

Here are a few ed tech articles I came across this week:

• House OKs record $142 Billion for Education
• Web 2.0: What does the future hold for schools?
• Microsoft, Intel and Cisco say Global, 21st Century Assessments are Key to Student Success
  
  

Here are a few Web 2.0 articles I read this week:

• Why Facebook won't steal Twitter's Thunder
• Facebook and Twitter - No One is Dying
• Most popular Twitter clients...
• Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools (ISTE)
  
  

Here is a blog entry by Chris Dawson @ ZDNet - discussing the same topic I did a few weeks ago:

• Textbooks? Textbooks? We don't need no stinkin textbooks (Dawson / ZDNet)
• e-Textbooks vs. Textbooks (Son / CIO Corner)
• Textbooks? Are they relevant? (McMillen / Techucation)
  
  

It is back to the grind for the MCSD this week after 9 days of battling the Ice Storm of '09. All services have finally been fully restored. Thanks to all for checking on us during this time.

JDS | CIO

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• Transforming Education to Give Every Child Access to Quality 21st-Century Instruction (twidox.com)

Power

Image via Wikipedia

I blogged back on September 15, 2008 about having to sit through a power loss of 27 hours. (Click here to read.) But I can honestly say what I have experienced in the last 7 days - is very difficult to put into words. However, I will do my best.

For starters, I have been without power at my residence for one week. Fortunately we have gas logs, gas water heater and a gas stove - so we have not had to abandon our home. There was a period of about 2 days where the cell service was completely down and we had no communication with the outside world, other than a neighbor who had a working land line. (It would only call local numbers.) We are still unsure when power will be restored at our residence, and there are many friends in KY who could be without for another 2-4 weeks. Please keep these people in your thoughts and prayers.

As for work: we were able to restore all services to the Marshall County School District this morning thanks to some help from generators. A 400KW generator is powering our high school which houses critical servers and our Internet pipe. A 250KW generator is powering our central office which houses a majority of our data. The hope is full power will be restored to our main campus (the only buildings without power in the district at this point) by the end of this week.

My friend John McMillen over at Techucation blogged earlier in the week about his experiences during the Ice Storm of 2009 (click here to read his thoughts). John made a great point towards the end of his blog about how during a time like this you really reflect on the things that are truly important. You are forced to lay down your gadgets and spend time with the ones closest to you. Perhaps this ice storm was a blessing in disguise for some, I know many families were able to spend time, share, laugh, read book, play board games and probably spend more time together than our hectic lives typically allow.

I truly am thankful and blessed that everyone I know and love survived this storm and is safe and sound. While some of us are still waiting on power, we know that we have great friends and family who will always be there for us. I am also thankful to get to spend quality time with the ones I love most - you know who you are.

So while I am finally catching up on some long awaited items at the office, I am also thankful for my health, happiness and my great friends and family.

JDS | CIO