Re: Looking for input on Web hosts (Part2??)

Stratford uses finalsite for our webpage. They host it and we have never b=
een down. We can edit it from anywhere we have internet access. It takes =
all the worry of maintaining a site completely away. They also have great =
support and turn around time.

Shirley

Shirley Harris
Stratford Academy
6010 Peake Road
Macon, Ga 31220
tel:478-477-8073
ext: 216

---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: Vern Ceder <vceder@canterburyschool.org>
Reply-To: A forum for independent school educators <ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU=
>
Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2008 08:34:22 -0500

>We've also had very good luck with no-ip.com, which offers a similar
>range of services including some very good spam filtering and
>availability monitoring.
>
>I would agree that with those services out there managing your own
>authoritative DNS and MX services is just not worth the trouble.
>
>Cheers,
>Vern
>
>Derrel Fincher wrote:
>> Hi Norman,
>>
>> I can sympathize with your plight! While I can't recommend a web host, I=

>> will recommend http://www.dyndns.com as your authoritative DNS and as
>> your backup MX. We use them for that as well as our recursive DNS
>> service. I sleep easier knowing that if our primary MX goes offline for =

>> any reason, their backup MX will hold up to 10 days of mail for our 700 =

>> accounts. And we get to manage all of the subdomains and the IPs that
>> they point to. The price is reasonable as well. It also makes it very
>> simple for us to use other hosts or services that are still branded with=

>> our domain.
>>
>> Derrel
>>
>> At 05:38 PM 12/12/2007 -0500, Norman Maynard wrote:
>>
>>> [ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
>>> Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons,
>>> attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------
>> Derrel Fincher
>> Director of Information and Communication Technology
>> Graded=96The American School of S=E3o Paulo
>> Associa=E7=E3o Escola Graduada de S=E3o Paulo
>> Caixa Postal 1976
>> CEP 01059-970
>> S=E3o Paulo, SP, Brasil
>> dfincher@graded.br | http://www.graded.br
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------
>> [ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
>> Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons,
>> attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.
>
>--
>This time for sure!
> -Bullwinkle J. Moose
>-----------------------------
>Vern Ceder, Director of Technology
>Canterbury School, 3210 Smith Road, Ft Wayne, IN 46804
>vceder@canterburyschool.org; 260-436-0746; FAX: 260-436-5137
>
>[ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
>Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution, =
non-commercial, share-alike license.
>

________________________________________________________________
Sent via the WebMail system at mail.stratford.org

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Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.

Re: Looking for input on Web hosts (Part2??)

We've also had very good luck with no-ip.com, which offers a similar
range of services including some very good spam filtering and
availability monitoring.

I would agree that with those services out there managing your own
authoritative DNS and MX services is just not worth the trouble.

Cheers,
Vern

Derrel Fincher wrote:
> Hi Norman,
>
> I can sympathize with your plight! While I can't recommend a web host, I
> will recommend http://www.dyndns.com as your authoritative DNS and as
> your backup MX. We use them for that as well as our recursive DNS
> service. I sleep easier knowing that if our primary MX goes offline for
> any reason, their backup MX will hold up to 10 days of mail for our 700
> accounts. And we get to manage all of the subdomains and the IPs that
> they point to. The price is reasonable as well. It also makes it very
> simple for us to use other hosts or services that are still branded with
> our domain.
>
> Derrel
>
> At 05:38 PM 12/12/2007 -0500, Norman Maynard wrote:
>
>> [ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
>> Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons,
>> attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
> Derrel Fincher
> Director of Information and Communication Technology
> Graded–The American School of São Paulo
> Associação Escola Graduada de São Paulo
> Caixa Postal 1976
> CEP 01059-970
> São Paulo, SP, Brasil
> dfincher@graded.br | http://www.graded.br
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
> [ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
> Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons,
> attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.

--
This time for sure!
-Bullwinkle J. Moose
-----------------------------
Vern Ceder, Director of Technology
Canterbury School, 3210 Smith Road, Ft Wayne, IN 46804
vceder@canterburyschool.org; 260-436-0746; FAX: 260-436-5137

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unsubscribe

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Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.

Re: Looking for input on Web hosts (Part2??)

Hi Norman,

I can sympathize with your plight! While I can't=20
recommend a web host, I will recommend=20
http://www.dyndns.com as your authoritative DNS=20
and as your backup MX. We use them for that as=20
well as our recursive DNS service. I sleep easier=20
knowing that if our primary MX goes offline for=20
any reason, their backup MX will hold up to 10=20
days of mail for our 700 accounts. And we get to=20
manage all of the subdomains and the IPs that=20
they point to. The price is reasonable as well.=20
It also makes it very simple for us to use other=20
hosts or services that are still branded with our domain.

Derrel

At 05:38 PM 12/12/2007 -0500, Norman Maynard wrote:

>[ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
>Submissions to ISED-L are released under a=20
>creative commons, attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.

------------------------------------------------------------------
Derrel Fincher
Director of Information and Communication Technology
Graded=96The American School of S=E3o Paulo
Associa=E7=E3o Escola Graduada de S=E3o Paulo
Caixa Postal 1976
CEP 01059-970
S=E3o Paulo, SP, Brasil
dfincher@graded.br | http://www.graded.br
------------------------------------------------------------------ =20

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Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.

Recommendations for admissions tests

We are researching new tests to use for admissions. We test students
entering grades 3-12. Our requirements are:

1. We must be able to administer the test at will.
2. We would like to be able to score it in house by hand, but we are willing
to look at online tests with fast scoring feedback.
3. The test must measure ability in reading comprehension and mathematical
reasoning.
4. The test should take no more than 3 hours to complete.

If you are using a test that meets these criteria and it is serving your
needs well, please reply and give me any details that you feel might be
useful in our decision making process.

Thanks,
Kerry Maguire
Dean of Faculty
The Park School
4625 Harlem Road
Snyder NY 14226

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Portable computing and 1-1 program survey request

I apologize for any cross-posting you might notice on this, as many of us share common listserv subscriptions, but I'm trying to gather info from a wide scope of educators.

This year my school's technology committee is evaluating it?s laptop program implementation. We?re surveying parents, students, and faculty to find out what works, what needs fixing, and what?s missing.

So, here?s my request? I?ve created a survey for schools currently using portable computing to support learning. It asks specifics about various models of implementation (similar to those mentioned above). I?d love for it to be disseminated as widely as possible. I?d like to have the results posted by the end of January 2008.

We're looking for info about program configuration - what works for other schools and models we may want to avoid.

Interested? Know someone who might be? Please forward the survey link to them: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=59ClKukD1APOEQaVWE3LkA_3d_3d

Thanks in advance for any suggestions or feedback you might provide!

Tami Brass
MS Technology Coordinator
St. Paul Academy & Summit School
http://www.spa.edu
tbrass@spa.edu
http://www.tech4teaching.org
http://del.icio.us/brasst
tamilb@mac.com

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Re: Parent Survey (Feedback Requested)

Hi Lisa,

A few thoughts...

1. Your demographic questions deal with access. How are you
disseminating the link? The very fact that the survey is online will
skew the validity of that data in favor of those who are connected.

2. On question 3, you may want to offer an option comment box for
further explanation. It might provide some very interesting qualitative
data.

3. On question 5, you are making the parents aware with the question.
Thus, consider changing the language to "Prior to reading each of the
facts about St. Raphael's School's efforts to enhance teaching and
learning through the use of technology, how aware were you of the
following?" I know that sounds silly but it really makes a difference
to some people taking the survey and would otherwise skew towards people
knowing versus not knowing.

Otherwise, great job and good luck with your data collection!!

Take care,
Alex

Alex Inman
Director of Technology
Whitfield School
St. Louis, MO
314.434.5141

-----Original Message-----
From: A forum for independent school educators
[mailto:ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf Of Lisa Sjogren
Sent: Monday, January 07, 2008 11:36 AM
To: ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: Parent Survey (Feedback Requested)

This year we are surveying our parents in preparation for the State of =20
the School and Technology Plan, making sure we are using all of the =20
data available to us. I first, want to thank all of you who helped out =20
in providing direction for our survey, I am extremely grateful to this =20
community and the wealth of information that comes through.

Here is our finalized survey....

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=3DVl0UA6irVn1_2bofZNuc63cw_3d_3d

Please let me know if you have any questions/comments. I would like to =20
send this survey out to parents later this week. Also feel free to =20
copy if needed for your own work.

Thanks again,
Lisa

---
Lisa Sjogren
Director of Technology
St. Raphael's Catholic School

763-504-9450, ext. 311
763-504-9460, fax

lisa.sjogren@srsmn.org
My Blog: http://lisasjogren.srsmn.org

[ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons,
attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.

[ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.

Parent Survey (Feedback Requested)

This year we are surveying our parents in preparation for the State of
the School and Technology Plan, making sure we are using all of the
data available to us. I first, want to thank all of you who helped out
in providing direction for our survey, I am extremely grateful to this
community and the wealth of information that comes through.

Here is our finalized survey....

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=Vl0UA6irVn1_2bofZNuc63cw_3d_3d

Please let me know if you have any questions/comments. I would like to
send this survey out to parents later this week. Also feel free to
copy if needed for your own work.

Thanks again,
Lisa

---
Lisa Sjogren
Director of Technology
St. Raphael's Catholic School

763-504-9450, ext. 311
763-504-9460, fax

lisa.sjogren@srsmn.org
My Blog: http://lisasjogren.srsmn.org

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Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.

Re: Database driven education - More to the Point (UNCLASSIFIED)

Hi!

One thought I've been having... what about doing a little backwards
design? What skills do we want students to be acquiring? What skills do
they want to acquire? What skills do their parents want them to acquire?
Same questions for content (a can of worms if ever there was one!)...

Okay, now, what aspects of this development are best served via online
databases? What aspects of this development are best served face-to-face?

This all came about because I love democratic teaching, where students
collaborate to design units, and feel it an invaluable resource in helping
students develop "real world" skills. While I understand and accept that
no single teaching approach serves everybody, and that technology if used
properly can be an ally and a resource, I would want to hold a role for
that style of teaching in any future educational setting with which I
might be involved.

Just a few quick thoughts...

Take care,
Bill Ivey
Stoneleigh-Burnham School

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Re: Freshman Physics

We (the kids, parents, faculty, admin) love the PCB sequence. We've been
doing it for three years with great success.

1. Prior to offering physics in ninth grade, all of our freshmen took
Introductory Physical Science (IPS). When we decided to implement the PCB
sequence, we simply dissolved our eighth grade integrated science class
and moved IPS down one grade--with the appropriate adjustments, of course.
Because we already required chemistry in tenth grade and biology in
eleventh, it was rather seamless. Girls Preparatory school in Chattanooga
made the change much earlier than us and had to maneuver the biology
shift. You might want to give the a call if you don't hear something
online. They presented on this exact topic at a Tennessee Association of
Independent Schools conference several years ago.

2. We still offer physics to students in grades 11/12. Lots of our kids
have an interest in engineering, so they can choose from a trigonometry
based physics course or Physics C--Mechanics. We are phasing out Physics
B this year.

3. Nope.

4. This worked out fine. We were growing at the time. Our eighth grade
science teacher began teaching upper school physics and math courses the
next year. She simply moved up, and we found a teacher for conceptual
physics.

Have fun with it!
JP

A forum for independent school educators <ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU> writes:
>Good Morning,
>
>We are investigating a slight shift in our curriculum to offer Physics as
>an
>introductory course in grade 9 and change Biology to grade 11. We
>currently
>require Biology, Chemistry and Physics for graduation. Most of our
>students
>take 4+ years of science which may include more than one AP course.
>
>We are curious if any other schools have made the transition to
>*Conceptual
>Physics *for grade 9 and could speak to a few questions that we have.
>
> 1. What, if any, were the scheduling concerns/problems that you faced?
> 2. Did you offer Physics to grade 11/12 as you were phasing in a grade
> 9 program?
> 3. If you had previously offered Bio at the grade 9 level, did you
> notice any changes in the grade 8 to 9 transition?
> 4. Were there any staffing issues that needed to be resolved?
>
>Any other issues/ideas that might contribute to our decision-making
>process
>would be appreciated.
>
>Many thanks for your input!
>Pam Stewart
>
>--
>*Pam Stewart
>Grade 8 Team Leader, Science
>Manlius Pebble Hill School
>5300 Jamesville Road
>DeWitt, New York 13214
>315.446.2452 *
>
>[ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
>Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution,
>non-commercial, share-alike license.

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Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.

Catalog Canceling Challenge

Happy New Year to my ISED-L friends,

I would like to share with you a terrific example of how young (and old)
children can participate in a "green" project that is both meaningful and
age appropriate. Ted Wells, a talented grade 4 teacher here at The Park
School, has challenged other classrooms in our school and in other schools
to see how many unwanted catalogs can be canceled, thereby saving a huge
amount of resources and helping our environment. He and his students have
created several wonderful videos to show you what they have done, and to
encourage other schools to take up this friendly challenge.

You can find Ted's students' videos and other "green" resources on Ted's
blog:
http://www.parkschool.org/blogs/ted_wells/

If you do try this at your school, please e-mail Ted and his students to
let them know what you are up to. Ted would like to share photos and your
experience on his blog. Ted can be reached at Ted_Wells@ParkSchool.org

Whenever I get discouraged about the future, all I need to do is to walk
down the grade 4 hallway. :)

Cheers,
-Tom Smith, The Park School, Brookline, MA 02445

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Re: Freshman Physics

Contact Mick Gee, Upper School Director, at Winchester Thurston School and
mention that I suggested you call. WT has been teaching Conceptual Physics
in ninth grade for several years now. Mick's number is 412-578-7500.

Pamela Shaw
Head of School
Canton Country Day School
3000 Demington Ave. NW
Canton, Ohio 44718
(330) 453-8279 ext 121

-----Original Message-----
From: A forum for independent school educators
[mailto:ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf Of Pam Stewart
Sent: Monday, January 07, 2008 9:43 AM
To: ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: Freshman Physics

Good Morning,

We are investigating a slight shift in our curriculum to offer Physics as an
introductory course in grade 9 and change Biology to grade 11. We currently
require Biology, Chemistry and Physics for graduation. Most of our students
take 4+ years of science which may include more than one AP course.

We are curious if any other schools have made the transition to *Conceptual
Physics *for grade 9 and could speak to a few questions that we have.

1. What, if any, were the scheduling concerns/problems that you faced?
2. Did you offer Physics to grade 11/12 as you were phasing in a grade
9 program?
3. If you had previously offered Bio at the grade 9 level, did you
notice any changes in the grade 8 to 9 transition?
4. Were there any staffing issues that needed to be resolved?

Any other issues/ideas that might contribute to our decision-making process
would be appreciated.

Many thanks for your input!
Pam Stewart

--
*Pam Stewart
Grade 8 Team Leader, Science
Manlius Pebble Hill School
5300 Jamesville Road
DeWitt, New York 13214
315.446.2452 *

[ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution,
non-commercial, share-alike license.

[ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.

Re: Database driven education - More to the Point (UNCLASSIFIED)

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED=20
Caveats: NONE

The bleakness that is painted is (with few exceptions) drawn on my
experience with 4 different web based learning systems I use within the
military (2 of which my group runs), and colleagues experiences with
on-line universities. While my version is over the top, I already see
these elements in my own interaction with systems and in how the ones we
run are used, and what should be guarded against by thoughtful educators
like yourself. More to the point:

1. People always try to game a system. I had a professor who always
pulled 80% of his test material from reserve reading and footnotes
(which comprised 20% of the reading). To game his system I focused on
the reserve reading since I was simply trying to get the highest grade
in a required course that held little interest for me. Students have
always done this with human teachers and they will continue to do it
with databases the difference being it is easier to repeatedly probe the
DB to see how different approaches work. That must be at the back of
all courseware decisions if you want them to learn the content rather
than build skills in reverse engineering courseware logic.

2. Choices can proliferate true and perceived inequalities. The more
self directed learning becomes the greater the chances are of students
excelling beyond their grades. The model has to account for a student
who has 5th grade English skills but is taking AP calculus. It is a
good problem to have but requires significant though and management.
The inverse of that is that parents complain because their student chose
the wrong customization (the equivalent of blaming the teacher today)
and that was the reason for failure. Again this is manageable but
requires thought. In my experience, those developing these types of
systems tend to think that choice and differentiation solve the
exception issues, when in fact it masks them and makes them harder to
see.

3. There are times in all of our lives when we must conform to a system
or process that we dislike or which is difficult for us. I think any
learning environment has to include times where you work within a
framework with no real choices. This skill is necessary for dealing
with every thing from doing your taxes to your bosses monthly report (in
the format they prefer but you dislike). While most schools are far from
letting this skill lapse, it becomes more of an issue as choice grows.

4. Stove pipes. On the technical side the problem of stove-piping is
very real. Learning systems tend to be developed from a courseware
expertise perspective. This leads to a proliferation of systems making
it very difficult to get a comprehensive view of an individual. It
would be nice if someone developed a standard data interchange format
explicitly oriented toward courseware information exchange. Think about
trying to bring up a picture of a student based on Star Reader, Mavis
Beacon typing, and DyKnow. This is nearly impossible today.

_J

___________________________________

Jason Johnson - Program Director
Web Services Branch - Walter Reed Army Medical Center Ingenium (ISO
9001:2000 certified)
Office: 202-782-1047
Cell: 202-262-0516
jason.johnson@ingenium.net
jason.p.johnson2@us.army.mil=20
-----Original Message-----
From: A forum for independent school educators
[mailto:ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf Of Fred Bartels
Sent: Friday, January 04, 2008 4:12 PM
To: ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: Re: Database driven education - Dystopian Version
(UNCLASSIFIED)

Jason,

Great post. You paint a truly bleak and scary picture! The thought of
databases certainly can conjure up Orwellian images. What I'm wrestling
with - as are we all - is trying to envision ways to use, in ways that
are more positive than negative, the incredible power to manipulate
information that computers and networks continue to open up. The school
mental model that I'm working from is about as far from your dystopian
vision as possible... the small democratic learning communities of the
EdVisions schools (http://www.edvisions.coop/). Although they are
project-based schools they rely on extensive and elaborate rubrics and
checklists to make certain that their students meet state standards.
Another example of this type of project-based work that is tied to
standards is provided in this video about a San Francisco based design
program. (http://www.edutopia.org/learning-design)

I think what we've seen with one-to-one laptop programs (at least at
many
schools) is illustrative of how the concerns that computers (and sofware
like databases) might be dehumanizing ... kids sitting isolated staring
at their computer screens and not socializing ... turned out to be more
a fear of change and the new than anything related to what has actually
happened. Laptops turn out to be incredibly supportive of socialization
and our hallways are full of clusters of kids talking, reading books,
working on paper, working on their laptops, sharing (not file sharing...
just, good old fashioned... hey, look at this, or listen to this)
pictures, songs and movies. The dystopian vision that providing students
with laptops would promote social isolation turned out not only to be
false, but almost the opposite of what has actually happened. Although
you would need to feel your way forward carefully, and be testing, and
evaluating and rethinking and modifying all along the way, I suspect
that like with laptops, database driven learning -added to the best of
what we already do- is more likely to create a more humane learning
environment instead of the inhumane one you so effectively portray.

Fred

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED=20
Caveats: NONE

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Re: Freshman Physics

We've been doing this for at least 15 years, and made the transition
without any difficulty whatsoever. See answers below.

A forum for independent school educators <ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU> writes:
> 1. What, if any, were the scheduling concerns/problems that you faced?
Nope.
>
> 2. Did you offer Physics to grade 11/12 as you were phasing in a grade
> 9 program?
We must had a year or 2 in which we grandfathered the Bio 9 kids through.
>
> 3. If you had previously offered Bio at the grade 9 level, did you
> notice any changes in the grade 8 to 9 transition?
There was no discusssion of this at the time.
>
> 4. Were there any staffing issues that needed to be resolved?
Nope. At some point later we ended the practice of having crossover Middle
School (6-8)/Upper School (9-12) teachers, but that was unrelated to the
science curriculum. The science department was enthusiastic about the
change.

We always have a section or 2 of "honors" physics for kids who are
particularly mathematically accomplished, and students coming to us in 10
or 11 from Bio 9 schools often wind up in that class--sorting out their
science sequence can be a bit of a scheduling challenge, but we know that
it exists (and a physics teacher is also our scheduler) and have A Plan.

It's logical and easy, or at least we have found it so.

Hope this helps--Peter Gow

Peter Gow, Director of College Counseling and Special Programs
Beaver Country Day School
791 Hammond Street
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
www.bcdschool.org
Tel. 617-738-2755
FAX 617-738-2701
Webmaster: www.IndependentEducator.org

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Freshman Physics

Good Morning,

We are investigating a slight shift in our curriculum to offer Physics as an
introductory course in grade 9 and change Biology to grade 11. We currently
require Biology, Chemistry and Physics for graduation. Most of our students
take 4+ years of science which may include more than one AP course.

We are curious if any other schools have made the transition to *Conceptual
Physics *for grade 9 and could speak to a few questions that we have.

1. What, if any, were the scheduling concerns/problems that you faced?
2. Did you offer Physics to grade 11/12 as you were phasing in a grade
9 program?
3. If you had previously offered Bio at the grade 9 level, did you
notice any changes in the grade 8 to 9 transition?
4. Were there any staffing issues that needed to be resolved?

Any other issues/ideas that might contribute to our decision-making process
would be appreciated.

Many thanks for your input!
Pam Stewart

--
*Pam Stewart
Grade 8 Team Leader, Science
Manlius Pebble Hill School
5300 Jamesville Road
DeWitt, New York 13214
315.446.2452 *

[ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.

Re: Mix of Mac and PC platforms?

Hello;

We have a system that requires each student to learn and use Windows,
MacOS and Linux. Students use a different OS each time they use a
computer and must learn how to transport their work from one to the
other. Give me a call if you would like more information

Greg Kearney
307-577-2473

On Jan 7, 2008, at 5:41 AM, Bill Knauer wrote:

> Hi Karen,
>
> We have a cross-platform one-to-one program with Macs in the MS and
> PCs in
> the US. I'm happy to discuss our experiences, so please feel free to
> contact me.
>
> Best,
> Bill
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Bill Knauer
> Director of Technology
> Packer Collegiate Institute
> 170 Joralemon Street
> Brooklyn, NY 11201
> 718.250.0273
> bknauer@packer.edu
>
>
>
> A forum for independent school educators <ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
> writes:
>> Happy New Year!
>>
>> We are in the process of upgrading our desktop/portable hardware.
>> Graland
>> is presently 100% PC, Windows 2000 network. We are wondering what
>> experiences any of you have with a dual platform deployment, both
>> technially and educationally.
>>
>> Thanks in advance for your candid responses...
>>
>>
>> Karen M. Ortiz
>> Lower School Technology Coach
>> Graland Country Day School
>> kortiz@graland.org
>
> [ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
> Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons,
> attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.

[ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.

Re: Mix of Mac and PC platforms?

Hi Karen,

We have a cross-platform one-to-one program with Macs in the MS and PCs in
the US. I'm happy to discuss our experiences, so please feel free to
contact me.

Best,
Bill

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bill Knauer
Director of Technology
Packer Collegiate Institute
170 Joralemon Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
718.250.0273
bknauer@packer.edu

A forum for independent school educators <ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU> writes:
>Happy New Year!
>
>We are in the process of upgrading our desktop/portable hardware. Graland
>is presently 100% PC, Windows 2000 network. We are wondering what
>experiences any of you have with a dual platform deployment, both
>technially and educationally.
>
>Thanks in advance for your candid responses...
>
>
>Karen M. Ortiz
>Lower School Technology Coach
>Graland Country Day School
>kortiz@graland.org

[ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.

Mix of Mac and PC platforms?

Happy New Year!=20
=20
We are in the process of upgrading our desktop/portable hardware. =
Graland is presently 100% PC, Windows 2000 network. We are wondering =
what experiences any of you have with a dual platform deployment, both =
technially and educationally.
=20
Thanks in advance for your candid responses...
=20
=20
Karen M. Ortiz=20
Lower School Technology Coach=20
Graland Country Day School=20
kortiz@graland.org

[ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.

Re: Database driven education - Dystopian Version (UNCLASSIFIED)

Jason,

Great post. You paint a truly bleak and scary picture. The thought of
databases certainly can conjure up Orwellian images. What I'm wrestling
with - as are we all - is trying to envision ways to use, in ways that are
more positive than negative, the incredible power to manipulate
information that computers and networks continue to open up. The school
mental model that I'm working from is about as far from your dystopian
vision as possible... the small democratic learning communities of the
EdVisions schools (http://www.edvisions.coop/). Although they are
project-based schools they rely on extensive and elaborate rubrics and
checklists to make certain that their students meet state standards.
Another example of this type of project-based work that is tied to
standards is provided in this video about a San Francisco based design
program. (http://www.edutopia.org/learning-design)

I think what we've seen with one-to-one laptop programs (at least at many
schools) is illustrative of how the concerns that computers (and sofware
like databases) might be dehumanizing ... kids sitting isolated staring at
their computer screens and not socializing ... turned out to be more a
fear of change and the new than anything related to what has actually
happened. Laptops turn out to be incredibly supportive of socialization
and our hallways are full of clusters of kids talking, reading books,
working on paper, working on their laptops, sharing (not file sharing...
just, good old fashioned... hey, look at this, or listen to this)
pictures, songs and movies. The dystopian vision that providing students
with laptops would promote social isolation turned out not only to be
false, but almost the opposite of what has actually happened. Although you
would need to feel your way forward carefully, and be testing, and
evaluating and rethinking and modifying all along the way, I suspect that
like with laptops, database driven learning -added to the best of what we
already do- is more likely to create a more humane learning environment
instead of the one you so effectively portray.

Fred

A forum for independent school educators <ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU> writes:
>Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
>Caveats: NONE
>
>Fred,
>
>There is always peril equal to the promise of technology. In the
>interest of promoting discussion I offer a dystopian version of such a
>system.
>
>Students are placed in large study halls (100-200 students) for 5 hours
>a day for independent learning. Study halls are monitored by poorly
>paid "teaching assistants" with no educational training. Students work
>on courseware that has been purchased from the 3-5 primary content
>providers that recruit telegenic "education personalities" to present
>the content created by teams of experts with impressive credentials but
>no classroom experience. The courseware choices lean heavily towards
>the state standards of California, Texas and New York (based on
>population). Some providers allow local teachers to upload their own
>content but media-tuned students tend to view them as amateurish and
>ignore them.
>
>Students have thousands of courses to choose from and can move at their
>own pace but most follow "recommended" tracks because experimenting with
>variations takes too much time and then they fail their weekly automated
>progress assessments which requires a visit to a counselor. Video TAs
>are housed in call centers around the country to answer questions in
>video sessions and live chats. Most follow scripts and their
>performance reviews are based on exit surveys presented to students so
>they frequently give students "hints" to improve their progress through
>the courseware and earn better reviews. Students look at on-line
>discussions and group work with trepidation because they know the
>conversations are data-mined and used to improve anti-plagiarism tools.
>
>Students have 2 hours of classes with teachers each day. Teachers
>generally cobble together a career out of visiting 3-5 schools a week
>for classes. A single teacher typically serves 100-500 students.
>Students initially failed interim assessments as a way of getting
>individual attention and getting out of study hall but as the courseware
>improved attending too many "teacher based" classes stigmatized students
>as SPED. Grading and evaluation is done by educational processors that
>use AI to look for key words and arguments and are QCed by humans on a
>random basis to assure the quality of the AI. There are hundreds of
>sites dedicated to gaming the AI and the courseware but TurnItIn and
>others have branched out with programs that analyze usage patterns and
>parents are emailed automated expulsion notices if their students
>exhibit browsing behaviors that appear to be intended to game or probe
>the courseware. Cozy ties between courseware providers and assessors
>yield numerous grade inflation scandals.
>
>Boutique independent schools crop-up offering parents "computer-less
>classes" with social, emotional and educational benefits of human
>interaction.
>
>_Jason
>___________________________________
>
>Jason Johnson - Program Director
>Web Services Branch - Walter Reed Army Medical Center Ingenium (ISO
>9001:2000 certified)
>Office: 202-782-1047
>Cell: 202-262-0516
>jason.johnson@ingenium.net
>jason.p.johnson2@us.army.mil
>Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
>Caveats: NONE
>
>[ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
>Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution,
>non-commercial, share-alike license.
>

[ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.

Re: Database driven education - Dystopian Version (UNCLASSIFIED)

Jason,

Great post. You paint a truly bleak and scary picture! The thought of
databases certainly can conjure up Orwellian images. What I'm wrestling
with - as are we all - is trying to envision ways to use, in ways that are
more positive than negative, the incredible power to manipulate
information that computers and networks continue to open up. The school
mental model that I'm working from is about as far from your dystopian
vision as possible... the small democratic learning communities of the
EdVisions schools (http://www.edvisions.coop/). Although they are
project-based schools they rely on extensive and elaborate rubrics and
checklists to make certain that their students meet state standards.
Another example of this type of project-based work that is tied to
standards is provided in this video about a San Francisco based design
program. (http://www.edutopia.org/learning-design)

I think what we've seen with one-to-one laptop programs (at least at many
schools) is illustrative of how the concerns that computers (and sofware
like databases) might be dehumanizing ... kids sitting isolated staring at
their computer screens and not socializing ... turned out to be more a
fear of change and the new than anything related to what has actually
happened. Laptops turn out to be incredibly supportive of socialization
and our hallways are full of clusters of kids talking, reading books,
working on paper, working on their laptops, sharing (not file sharing...
just, good old fashioned... hey, look at this, or listen to this)
pictures, songs and movies. The dystopian vision that providing students
with laptops would promote social isolation turned out not only to be
false, but almost the opposite of what has actually happened. Although you
would need to feel your way forward carefully, and be testing, and
evaluating and rethinking and modifying all along the way, I suspect that
like with laptops, database driven learning -added to the best of what we
already do- is more likely to create a more humane learning environment
instead of the inhumane one you so effectively portray.

Fred

A forum for independent school educators <ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU> writes:
>Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
>Caveats: NONE
>
>Fred,
>
>There is always peril equal to the promise of technology. In the
>interest of promoting discussion I offer a dystopian version of such a
>system.
>
>Students are placed in large study halls (100-200 students) for 5 hours
>a day for independent learning. Study halls are monitored by poorly
>paid "teaching assistants" with no educational training. Students work
>on courseware that has been purchased from the 3-5 primary content
>providers that recruit telegenic "education personalities" to present
>the content created by teams of experts with impressive credentials but
>no classroom experience. The courseware choices lean heavily towards
>the state standards of California, Texas and New York (based on
>population). Some providers allow local teachers to upload their own
>content but media-tuned students tend to view them as amateurish and
>ignore them.
>
>Students have thousands of courses to choose from and can move at their
>own pace but most follow "recommended" tracks because experimenting with
>variations takes too much time and then they fail their weekly automated
>progress assessments which requires a visit to a counselor. Video TAs
>are housed in call centers around the country to answer questions in
>video sessions and live chats. Most follow scripts and their
>performance reviews are based on exit surveys presented to students so
>they frequently give students "hints" to improve their progress through
>the courseware and earn better reviews. Students look at on-line
>discussions and group work with trepidation because they know the
>conversations are data-mined and used to improve anti-plagiarism tools.
>
>Students have 2 hours of classes with teachers each day. Teachers
>generally cobble together a career out of visiting 3-5 schools a week
>for classes. A single teacher typically serves 100-500 students.
>Students initially failed interim assessments as a way of getting
>individual attention and getting out of study hall but as the courseware
>improved attending too many "teacher based" classes stigmatized students
>as SPED. Grading and evaluation is done by educational processors that
>use AI to look for key words and arguments and are QCed by humans on a
>random basis to assure the quality of the AI. There are hundreds of
>sites dedicated to gaming the AI and the courseware but TurnItIn and
>others have branched out with programs that analyze usage patterns and
>parents are emailed automated expulsion notices if their students
>exhibit browsing behaviors that appear to be intended to game or probe
>the courseware. Cozy ties between courseware providers and assessors
>yield numerous grade inflation scandals.
>
>Boutique independent schools crop-up offering parents "computer-less
>classes" with social, emotional and educational benefits of human
>interaction.
>
>_Jason
>___________________________________
>
>Jason Johnson - Program Director
>Web Services Branch - Walter Reed Army Medical Center Ingenium (ISO
>9001:2000 certified)
>Office: 202-782-1047
>Cell: 202-262-0516
>jason.johnson@ingenium.net
>jason.p.johnson2@us.army.mil
>Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
>Caveats: NONE
>
>[ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
>Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution,
>non-commercial, share-alike license.
>

[ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.

Re: Database driven education

Fred, this conversation has been occurring here at a subterranean level
for about 9 months. It began with the confluence of recognizing the
power of Web 2.0 tools and a question from me to our Academic Dean
regarding the viability and appropriateness of differentiated
instruction in our classrooms. My point was similar to yours, but not as
developed. I said computers were good at keeping track of large volumes
of data that can be quickly distilled into useful information, something
at which we humans are not as good.

Given the state of public education and the NAIS program to make
distinctions between what we offer and what good public schools offer, I
predict we will have to differentiate in the classroom for our continued
success (perhaps some schools already do this). In order to do so, I
think we will need the help of technology to create a constructive
learning environment in which the teacher continues to interact with
students (using Web 2.0) and to collect and distill the mounds of data
that we would capture to measure individual student learning and
performance.=20

This discussion made me think of an experiment we are trying in a
Trigonometry class this winter using Tablet PCs and an application
called DyKnow. The teacher has developed all the course materials in
DyKnow, and students use the program on a daily basis in class. As each
student works on a problem solution or proof, the teacher has the
ability to selectively monitor any one of those students, and
communicate with that student confidentially as they work. For all
students, DyKnow records how the student writes out the solution
including erasures so the teacher can see the manner in which the
student approached the problem and where they ran into trouble. It is
not a Web 2.0 application, but it is a database. I can ask the teacher
about the progress of any student in the class and he can tell me their
strengths and weaknesses, as well as show me exactly where they need
additional work.=20

DyKnow is but one example of where software that combines interactive
communication with good databases could make a huge contribution to
education by enhancing both teaching and learning. Perhaps this is a
conversation that should be mirrored on the Independent School Educators
Network. Thanks for raising the issue.

Joel

_________________________________
Joel Backon
Director of Academic Technology / History Teacher
Choate Rosemary Hall
333 Christian St.
Wallingford, CT 06492
203-697-2514
=20
This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and
intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are
addressed.

If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender
immediately by return e-mail, delete this e-mail and any attachments and
destroy any copies. Any dissemination or use of this information by a
person other than the intended recipient is unauthorized.

-----Original Message-----
From: A forum for independent school educators
[mailto:ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf Of Fred Bartels
Sent: Friday, January 04, 2008 12:43 PM
To: ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: Database driven education

A few developments have caused me to think again about the potential
role
of databases in education. Certainly most of the web 2.0 tools (blogs,
wikis, forums, social networking sites) are all made possible by the
databases of one sort or another that underly their front-end user
interfaces, but this is only part the database use I'm thinking about.
The
other part is the use of databases to support greater customization and
individualization of learning.=20

It seems to me we are getting close- in terms of the information
technology needed at least- to a scenario is which students can move
through web-based subject matter (organized in databases) from the best
and brightest of experts (think TED), be assessed on their learning via
web-based assessments (organized in databases), and have web-based
detailed ongoing elaborate records of their progress (organized in
databases). In other words, an education system in which databases allow
each student to make their educational experience highly customizable to
their individual needs, interests, strengths, learning styles while also
allowing highly accurate tracking of each student's progress.=20

In a system like this classes would still be necessary for discussions
and
other group activities but might need to meet substantially less than
they
do now. Teachers would also be just as needed as always, but more for
answering questions, providing motivation and guidance, providing
feedback
for open-ended work like writing and projects, and for monitoring
progress.=20

It seems possible that this approach could provide a way forward out of
the industrial-age model of education that still characterizes so much
of
what we do. Ken Robinson compares our current educational approach to
strip-mining. He contends that individual learning styles and interests
are often crushed in order to produce our competitive entries for the
next
stage of educational process. Perhaps information technology is making
it
possible to no longer perform the educational equivalent of strip
mining?

Thoughts?

Fred

-------------------------
Fred Bartels
Head - Computer Department
Rye Country Day School
914-925-4610

[ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons,
attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.

[ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.

Re: Database driven education - Dystopian Version (UNCLASSIFIED)

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED=20
Caveats: NONE

Fred,

There is always peril equal to the promise of technology. In the
interest of promoting discussion I offer a dystopian version of such a
system.=20

Students are placed in large study halls (100-200 students) for 5 hours
a day for independent learning. Study halls are monitored by poorly
paid "teaching assistants" with no educational training. Students work
on courseware that has been purchased from the 3-5 primary content
providers that recruit telegenic "education personalities" to present
the content created by teams of experts with impressive credentials but
no classroom experience. The courseware choices lean heavily towards
the state standards of California, Texas and New York (based on
population). Some providers allow local teachers to upload their own
content but media-tuned students tend to view them as amateurish and
ignore them. =20

Students have thousands of courses to choose from and can move at their
own pace but most follow "recommended" tracks because experimenting with
variations takes too much time and then they fail their weekly automated
progress assessments which requires a visit to a counselor. Video TAs
are housed in call centers around the country to answer questions in
video sessions and live chats. Most follow scripts and their
performance reviews are based on exit surveys presented to students so
they frequently give students "hints" to improve their progress through
the courseware and earn better reviews. Students look at on-line
discussions and group work with trepidation because they know the
conversations are data-mined and used to improve anti-plagiarism tools.

Students have 2 hours of classes with teachers each day. Teachers
generally cobble together a career out of visiting 3-5 schools a week
for classes. A single teacher typically serves 100-500 students.
Students initially failed interim assessments as a way of getting
individual attention and getting out of study hall but as the courseware
improved attending too many "teacher based" classes stigmatized students
as SPED. Grading and evaluation is done by educational processors that
use AI to look for key words and arguments and are QCed by humans on a
random basis to assure the quality of the AI. There are hundreds of
sites dedicated to gaming the AI and the courseware but TurnItIn and
others have branched out with programs that analyze usage patterns and
parents are emailed automated expulsion notices if their students
exhibit browsing behaviors that appear to be intended to game or probe
the courseware. Cozy ties between courseware providers and assessors
yield numerous grade inflation scandals. =20

Boutique independent schools crop-up offering parents "computer-less
classes" with social, emotional and educational benefits of human
interaction.

_Jason
___________________________________

Jason Johnson - Program Director
Web Services Branch - Walter Reed Army Medical Center Ingenium (ISO
9001:2000 certified)
Office: 202-782-1047
Cell: 202-262-0516
jason.johnson@ingenium.net
jason.p.johnson2@us.army.mil=20
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED=20
Caveats: NONE

[ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.

Re: Database driven education

Hello, Fred,

Funny -- I've been thinking along these same lines,
and have actually been working up a blog post about a
piece of this wrt the Journal functionality of the
OLPC, and what this could tell us about approaches to
learning, differences in processing patterns (think
Mel Levine's placemat) and, in turn, using that
information to get better information about how
individual students learn: what do they do/what tools
are used, etc, in the process of learning. The Journal
does the bulk of the "meta" piece of this, as it
provides a track record of what an individual does --

Imagine a Journal parser that imported the journals of
various students and presented that data on *how*
students worked to the teacher in a readable format --
this would allow real-time feedback on how people
worked, which would be incredibly useful for learners
and students --

(of course, any functionality like this would need to
have an "off" switch, as this also has some serious
privacy issues -- but just for a second let's live in
a world where people still have privacy ;) )

This could be a useful tool for helping students with
learning differences analyze their strengths and
deficits, and strategize accordingly.

RE:
> In a system like this classes would still be
> necessary for discussions and
> other group activities but might need to meet
> substantially less than they
> do now.

Kind of like life, where we all go out, do our work,
connect loosely via listservs/blogs/online
communities, and then have more meaningful/satisfying
connections via f2f interactions.

FWIW, from having designed various systems supporting
online learning, online communities, and blended
learning, the f2f piece is essential. The online
interactions prime the pump for the f2f, allowing
these meetups to be more productive.

RE: "Perhaps information technology is making it
possible to no longer perform the educational
equivalent of strip mining?"

The technology is already there. Unfortunately, there
appears to be a lack of both individual and collective
will required to effect the change, to *be* the change
that we believe is in the best interests of our
students. IMO, true educational reform is not a
technological issue; it's more tightly connected to
organizational cultures, politics, and the economy.

/me leaves rant mode

Look's like it's time for me to write that blog post I
alluded to in the first paragraph

Cheers,

Bill

--- Fred Bartels <fred_bartels@rcds.rye.ny.us> wrote:

> A few developments have caused me to think again
> about the potential role
> of databases in education. Certainly most of the web
> 2.0 tools (blogs,
> wikis, forums, social networking sites)

____________________________________________________________________________________
Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page.

http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs

[ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.

Database driven education

A few developments have caused me to think again about the potential role
of databases in education. Certainly most of the web 2.0 tools (blogs,
wikis, forums, social networking sites) are all made possible by the
databases of one sort or another that underly their front-end user
interfaces, but this is only part the database use I'm thinking about. The
other part is the use of databases to support greater customization and
individualization of learning.

It seems to me we are getting close- in terms of the information
technology needed at least- to a scenario is which students can move
through web-based subject matter (organized in databases) from the best
and brightest of experts (think TED), be assessed on their learning via
web-based assessments (organized in databases), and have web-based
detailed ongoing elaborate records of their progress (organized in
databases). In other words, an education system in which databases allow
each student to make their educational experience highly customizable to
their individual needs, interests, strengths, learning styles while also
allowing highly accurate tracking of each student's progress.

In a system like this classes would still be necessary for discussions and
other group activities but might need to meet substantially less than they
do now. Teachers would also be just as needed as always, but more for
answering questions, providing motivation and guidance, providing feedback
for open-ended work like writing and projects, and for monitoring
progress.

It seems possible that this approach could provide a way forward out of
the industrial-age model of education that still characterizes so much of
what we do. Ken Robinson compares our current educational approach to
strip-mining. He contends that individual learning styles and interests
are often crushed in order to produce our competitive entries for the next
stage of educational process. Perhaps information technology is making it
possible to no longer perform the educational equivalent of strip mining?

Thoughts?

Fred

-------------------------
Fred Bartels
Head - Computer Department
Rye Country Day School
914-925-4610

[ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.

Re: a question about advanced degrees

Graland Country Day in Denver provides up to $3000 per year for faculty =
pursuing coursework [degree-related or otherwise].
=20
John Threlkeld

________________________________

From: A forum for independent school educators on behalf of Bill IVEY
Sent: Thu 1/3/2008 9:43 AM
To: ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: Re: a question about advanced degrees

A forum for independent school educators <ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU> on
Thursday, January 03, 2008 at 8:16 AM -0500 wrote:
>1. Does your school fund faculty who pursue advanced degrees?
Yes.
>
>2. If so, how much money do you give per year or per degree?
I think it's $1200.
>
>3. Are there any restriction on the type of degree that can be pursued?
>(i.e. master's but not PhD? only in a subject directly related to the
>teaching discipline?)
There's an assumption the degree will help the school. No one that I =
know
of has ever applied to get a degree unrelated to the school.
>
>4. Do you have any requirements that go along with this funding =
(perhaps
>requiring a commitment after the degree of three years or repay the
>money, etc)?
There's an assumption the faculty members will work at least one year
beyond getting the funding.

Take care,
Bill Ivey
Stoneleigh-Burnham School

[ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, =
attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.

[ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.

Re: a question about advanced degrees

A forum for independent school educators <ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU> on
Thursday, January 03, 2008 at 8:16 AM -0500 wrote:
>1. Does your school fund faculty who pursue advanced degrees?
Yes.
>
>2. If so, how much money do you give per year or per degree?
I think it's $1200.
>
>3. Are there any restriction on the type of degree that can be pursued?
>(i.e. master's but not PhD? only in a subject directly related to the
>teaching discipline?)
There's an assumption the degree will help the school. No one that I know
of has ever applied to get a degree unrelated to the school.
>
>4. Do you have any requirements that go along with this funding (perhaps
>requiring a commitment after the degree of three years or repay the
>money, etc)?
There's an assumption the faculty members will work at least one year
beyond getting the funding.

Take care,
Bill Ivey
Stoneleigh-Burnham School

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Re: a question about advanced degrees

We have the following policy:

The School encourages teachers to pursue Master's degrees and, within
the limits detailed below, helps fund programs that are directly
relevant to the teacher's work at the School. First-time applicants
should have discussions with their principal and the dean of faculty
about the program they hope to pursue. If the program is approved, the
dean and the teacher will map out a plan for school support of the work.
Given sufficient notice, the School can pay individual tuition bills in
advance; an applicant who has approval also may pay the bill and apply
for reimbursement. Upon completion of each course, a transcript or grade
report should be sent to the dean in lieu of a written report.
Under normal circumstances, the School financially supports first
Master's programs only. Funds may be used only for course tuition and
books and other materials required for courses. The School does not pay
tuition charged for post-coursework thesis research and writing. The
School currently contributes $2000 per person per year for graduate
coursework, to a maximum of $6000 over three years. (In special cases
where a teacher is able to complete a degree program in just two years,
the School may commit as much as $3000 per person per year for Master's
coursework, again to a maximum of $6000.)

We ruled out support for doctorates several years ago, having found that
too many folks would get the coursework done, then soak us dry while
dragging their feet at the dissertation stage. In addition, while there
is some evidence that having a Master's degree results in better
teaching, no such evidence exists for doctorates.

As for the expense of coursework, I don't think it is any worse than a
typical conference, which, lasting 2-4 days, can cost, with hotel,
registration, travel, and food, well over $1000. Maybe that's an
argument to stop supporting teachers' attendance at conferences!

Jim
--
Jim Dunaway
Dean of Faculty
The Kinkaid School
713-243-6555

Kris Schulte wrote:
> I am looking for information on the following:
>
> 1. Does your school fund faculty who pursue advanced degrees?
> 2. If so, how much money do you give per year or per degree?
> 3. Are there any restriction on the type of degree that can be pursued? (i.e. master's but not PhD? only in a subject directly related to the teaching discipline?)
> 4. Do you have any requirements that go along with this funding (perhaps requiring a commitment after the degree of three years or repay the money, etc)?
>
> Thanks
>
> Kris Schulte
> Dean of Faculty
> Stuart Country Day School
> 1200 Stuart Road, Princeton, NJ 08540
> 609-921-2330
> fax 609-497-0784
> kschulte@stuartschool.org
>
> [ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
> Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.
>

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Re: a question about advanced degrees

A forum for independent school educators <ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU> writes:
>1. Does your school fund faculty who pursue advanced degrees?
Very modestly.
>
>2. If so, how much money do you give per year or per degree?
From the handbook: "BCDS will reimburse employees for credit-bearing
academic coursework toward a first master's degree (or equivalent) at
accredited institutions of higher learning at a rate of 75% of course cost
to a maximum of $600 per course and a fiscal year maximum of two (2)
courses per individual."
>
>3. Are there any restriction on the type of degree that can be pursued?
>(i.e. master's but not PhD? only in a subject directly related to the
>teaching discipline?)
see above
>
>4. Do you have any requirements that go along with this funding (perhaps
>requiring a commitment after the degree of three years or repay the
>money, etc)?
no

The philosophy here has been to put the bulk of PD funds into work that
supports either identified individual professional development needs or
else school goals or needs of some particular sort. Big support of
individual degree work seems like a disproportionate expenditure, but of
course then we lose a few (generally younger) folks along the way who
leave us for graduate school and don't always come back our way. On the
other hand, we try where we can to hire people with earned master's
degrees, even if they are a bit more expensive out of the box.

The other issue is the question of how much attention your F/T teacher is
giving your school if s/he is racing to finish a degree.

If a school had a bit more money I think a great plan would be to build in
a structured and equitable way to help teachers repay student loans for
earned degrees, graduate only if funds were limited and undergrad if there
were a bit more money lying around. You would be an attractive place for a
newly minted MA or even PhD to work, as the loan thing often drives good
young degree holders out of the classroom, even against their desires.

I do wonder how successful schools are at enforcing the "stay beyond" part
of arrangements that have such a requirement.

For what it's worth, I was once on the board of a school that paid
lavishly and fully for master's degrees and saw most of the
recipients--some of whom had been working almost F/T toward those degrees
during the school year, prompting my concern about attention expressed
above--leave for other schools or other sectors almost as soon as the
diploma was in their hands. This made me wish for a "stay beyond" rule or
at least a system whereby reimbursement for coursework would be delayed
for, say, a year after each course had been completed, assuming the
employee were still working for the school. For the school to pay the
college up front and directly seemed to invite the swift departure;
reimbursement seems better, in any event.

Good luck--Peter Gow

Peter Gow, Director of College Counseling and Special Programs
Beaver Country Day School
791 Hammond Street
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
www.bcdschool.org
Tel. 617-738-2755
FAX 617-738-2701
Webmaster: www.IndependentEducator.org

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Re: a question about advanced degrees

We offer funding for up to two courses a year, whether for a degree or
not, and require the division head's approval for the appropriateness of
the course. There are no post-requirements.

Dr. Richard Barbieri, Head
Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart
9101 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, MD 20814
(301) 657-4322, ext. 322

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a question about advanced degrees

I am looking for information on the following:

1. Does your school fund faculty who pursue advanced degrees?
2. If so, how much money do you give per year or per degree?
3. Are there any restriction on the type of degree that can be pursued? =
(i.e. master's but not PhD? only in a subject directly related to the =
teaching discipline?)
4. Do you have any requirements that go along with this funding (perhaps =
requiring a commitment after the degree of three years or repay the money, =
etc)?

Thanks

Kris Schulte
Dean of Faculty
Stuart Country Day School
1200 Stuart Road, Princeton, NJ 08540
609-921-2330
fax 609-497-0784
kschulte@stuartschool.org

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Re: Seeking ideas for "free software" to put onto a Disk Image for Harlem Families

My favorite link:

http://softwarefor.org

Software for Starving Students. There is a Downloads link that points to
two disk images -- one for Windows and one for Macs -- that contain all
sorts of free software.

Hope this helps,
Christopher

On 1/1/08 7:42 AM, "Steve Bergen" <sbergen@cstorefront.org> wrote:

> As some of you know, we at The Children's Storefront in Harlem are
> collaborating with The Harlem Wireless Initiative to give away computers
> to Harlem families in 2008. We have been very much appreciative of
> numerous Independent Schools around the country that have donated old
> computers to us.
>
> I have put together a first pass of what we will put onto each Mac image
> and PC image. I would love suggestions from any of you for software that
> would enhance this list.
>
> See http://thechildrensstorefront.org/ts/image.htm
>
> Thanks in advance for your time. Happy new year, everyone! Steve
>
> p.s. we are now enrolling people for 3 Summercore sessions, 2 in NYC area
> and 1 in Florida (see below or our Web Site)
>
> Steve Bergen
> CIO and Computer Teacher, The Children's Storefront
> e-mail: sbergen@cstorefront.org
> An Independent School in Harlem
> address: 70 East 129th Street, New York, NY 10035
>
> also co-director, The "Summercore" Teaching Company ...
> http://www.summercore.com
>
> Summercore 2008 includes July 7-11 and July 14-18 at Horace Mann, NY
> as well as July 21-25 at Shorecrest in St. Petersburg, FL (all 3 open to
> public)
>
> [ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
> Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution,
> non-commercial, share-alike license.

--
Christopher Butler
Academic Technology Director
St. John's Preparatory School
Danvers, MA
--

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Re: Seeking ideas for "free software" to put onto a Disk Image for Harlem Families

Hey Steve,

Your list looks great. The Best Free Software page at the wiki has 39
categories of free software and I've added the ones from this thread.
Thanks all!

http://schoolcomputing.wikia.com/wiki/Best_Free_Software

http://tinyurl.com/2738re

I would think about firewall and anti-spyware software, since one of the
biggest headaches for non-technical users is when their machines get
corrupted. Might be nice to have a disk image for re-install on CD/DVD
if that is possible.
=20
Not sure I saw sketchup on your list... if the P2s will run it, it might
be a nice addition.

I'm assuming if they are Windows machines, they will have MovieMaker on
them as part of the OS install.

Internet plug-ins (all the obvious candidates)

Internet Filtering? (as a parent, I would want something)

iTunes is a pretty popular request

CutePDF doesn't leave a watermark like PrimoPDF does

Skype

Links to useful websites in a folder on the desktop

Great of you to be doing this,
Demetri

Demetri Orlando
Battle Ground Academy
demetrio@battlegroundacademy.org

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Re: Free Software

This is an awesome thread!
I'd like to add Photostory 3, although it is for Windows only. It has a
simple interface for digital story-telling and my students love it.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/photostory/default.mspx
Linda

On 1/2/08, Karen Ortiz <kortiz@graland.org> wrote:
>
> A couple more sites:
>
> www.starfall.com - Pre-K to 2 Reading
> http://www.arcademicskillbuilders.com/ - online language arts and math
> (facts) games grades 1-4
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: A forum for independent school educators
> [mailto:ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf Of DAVID C MARKWOOD
> Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2008 8:16 AM
> To: ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
> Subject: BBC - Schools - Dance Mat Typing - Home
>
> http://www.bbc.co.uk:80/schools/typing/
>
> [ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
> Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons,
> attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.
>
> [ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
> Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution,
> non-commercial, share-alike license.
>

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Document Management Systems

Hello:

We are currently using a product called Fortis SE for document management.
It seems a bit restrictive in allowing us to install in a new server
environment and the vendor is stating it is something which the company
will have to come out and do for us as a service. I am not very interested
in having products in our school which we can't support with our IT staff.
I wondered if anyone might have recommendations for a document management
system which they are using, they like and they support with their own IT
staff?

Sincerely:

Bruce Lemieux
Director of Technology
Cushing Academy
39 School Street
Ashburnham MA 01430
blemieux@cushing.org
Phone: 978-827-7075

Confidentiality Notice: The electronic mail and/or documents accompanying
this transmission contain confidential information belonging to the sender
which is legally privileged. The information is intended only for the
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distribution or taking of any action in reliance on the contents of this
information is strictly prohibited. If you have received this transmission
in error, please immediately notify us by telephone at the number above to
arrange for return or to destroy the original document. THANK YOU.

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Re: Free Software

A couple more sites:

www.starfall.com - Pre-K to 2 Reading
http://www.arcademicskillbuilders.com/ - online language arts and math
(facts) games grades 1-4

-----Original Message-----
From: A forum for independent school educators
[mailto:ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf Of DAVID C MARKWOOD
Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2008 8:16 AM
To: ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: BBC - Schools - Dance Mat Typing - Home

http://www.bbc.co.uk:80/schools/typing/

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Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons,
attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.

[ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.

BBC - Schools - Dance Mat Typing - Home

http://www.bbc.co.uk:80/schools/typing/

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iBook G3 memory

Happy New Year

I need to get 10 iBook G3(600 MHz) units back in service for one more
semester. We currently have 20 of these reliable yet aging laptops
used daily with the maximum ram( 640MB) and OS 10.4.10. I am looking
for Ram to bring the now "un-retired" units up to 640MB. Most have
256MB . I have enough 256MB pieces to push them to 384MB. I cannot
justify spending about $56 at OWC on 512MB simms. I see nothing lower
in price via Goggle & eBay.

Does anyone have ram for these computers that they no longer need ?
We can talk price offline.

thanks

Carl Campion
Director of Academic Technology
Archmere Academy
302-798-6632x823

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Re: Seeking ideas for "free software" to put onto a Disk Image for Harlem Families

Two others for a shortlist:

Freemind:
http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

Inkscape: http://www.inkscape.org/

Cheers,

Bill
--- Steve Bergen <sbergen@cstorefront.org> wrote:

> As some of you know, we at The Children's Storefront
> in Harlem are
> collaborating with The Harlem Wireless Initiative to
> give away computers
> to Harlem families in 2008. We have been very much
> appreciative of
> numerous Independent Schools around the country that
> have donated old
> computers to us.
>
> I have put together a first pass of what we will put
> onto each Mac image
> and PC image. I would love suggestions from any of
> you for software that
> would enhance this list.
>
> See http://thechildrensstorefront.org/ts/image.htm
>
> Thanks in advance for your time. Happy new year,
> everyone! Steve
>
> p.s. we are now enrolling people for 3 Summercore
> sessions, 2 in NYC area
> and 1 in Florida (see below or our Web Site)
>
> Steve Bergen
> CIO and Computer Teacher, The Children's Storefront
> e-mail: sbergen@cstorefront.org
> An Independent School in Harlem
> address: 70 East 129th Street, New York, NY 10035
>
> also co-director, The "Summercore" Teaching Company
> ...
> http://www.summercore.com
>
> Summercore 2008 includes July 7-11 and July 14-18 at
> Horace Mann, NY
> as well as July 21-25 at Shorecrest in St.
> Petersburg, FL (all 3 open to
> public)
>
> [ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
> Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative
> commons, attribution, non-commercial, share-alike
> license.
>

____________________________________________________________________________________
Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page.

http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs

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Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.

Re: Seeking ideas for "free software" to put onto a Disk Image for Harlem Families

Sebran is great for pre-school/kindergarten aged students
http://www.wartoft.nu/software/sebran/
=20
Sodaplay - my all time favorite website for the creative scientists:
http://sodaplay.com/
=20
Game Design - great intro to programming (4th grade on up, PC only)
http://www.yoyogames.com/gamemaker/
=20

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Re: Seeking ideas for "free software" to put onto a Disk Image for Harlem Families

I'd suggest some sort of .zip handling program. And maybe CutePdf or an
equivalent.
There's also rocketdock, which would allow a set-up for online apps like
gmail, googledocs, etc (a la G OS)

On Jan 1, 2008 10:33 AM, Lucy Gray <elemenous@gmail.com> wrote:

> Happy New Year, Steve.
>
> I would suggest the starter edition of Art Rage 2:
> http://www.ambientdesign.com/artragedown.html. This painting program
> allows
> one to draw/paint with digital chalk, crayons, pencil, oil paint etc. The
> best part is that you can upload a digital photo directly to the art rage
> document or use the doc as digital tracing paper. The tools can use any
> color one chooses or if you check a certain option, will pick up the
> colors
> from the photo.
>
> The other program that I don't see on your list is Scratch:
> http://scratch.mit.edu/. And, here are lists of open source Mac software:
> http://www.opensourcemac.org/,http://www.myosxfreeware.com/, and
> http://web.mac.com/simon_elliott/simon_elliott%40mac.com/Software.html.
>
> Hope this helps,
>
> Lucy Gray
> University of Chicago Center for Urban School Improvement
>
>
>
> On Jan 1, 2008 6:42 AM, Steve Bergen <sbergen@cstorefront.org> wrote:
>
> > As some of you know, we at The Children's Storefront in Harlem are
> > collaborating with The Harlem Wireless Initiative to give away computers
> > to Harlem families in 2008. We have been very much appreciative of
> > numerous Independent Schools around the country that have donated old
> > computers to us.
> >
> > I have put together a first pass of what we will put onto each Mac image
> > and PC image. I would love suggestions from any of you for software that
> > would enhance this list.
> >
> > See http://thechildrensstorefront.org/ts/image.htm
> >
> > Thanks in advance for your time. Happy new year, everyone! Steve
> >
> > p.s. we are now enrolling people for 3 Summercore sessions, 2 in NYC
> area
> > and 1 in Florida (see below or our Web Site)
> >
> > Steve Bergen
> > CIO and Computer Teacher, The Children's Storefront
> > e-mail: sbergen@cstorefront.org
> > An Independent School in Harlem
> > address: 70 East 129th Street, New York, NY 10035
> >
> > also co-director, The "Summercore" Teaching Company ...
> > http://www.summercore.com
> >
> > Summercore 2008 includes July 7-11 and July 14-18 at Horace Mann, NY
> > as well as July 21-25 at Shorecrest in St. Petersburg, FL (all 3 open to
> > public)
> >
> > [ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
> > Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons,
> attribution,
> > non-commercial, share-alike license.
> >
>
> [ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
> Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution,
> non-commercial, share-alike license.
>

--
Norman Maynard
Principal
Thornton Friends Upper School
Silver Spring, MD

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Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.

Re: Seeking ideas for "free software" to put onto a Disk Image for Harlem Families

Hello, Steve,

You probably don't need to reinvent the wheel on this
one -- Free Geek has been doing this type of work for
a while, and would probably be glad to share the
details of their work -- see http://freegeek.org/ for
more details.

Also, starting with an Ubuntu/Edubuntu, or another
linux distribution would extend the life of the
computers you give out. On the computers you send out
(whatever distro/config you use), it would also be a
good idea to extend the basic configuration by making
sure that all the necessary codecs, etc are installed,
and that the repositories for installing additional
software are enabled.

These two blog posts give a good overview of how to do
what I describe in Ubuntu; similar tutorials exist for
other distros as well:
http://onlyubuntu.blogspot.com/2007/03/install-mplayer-and-multimedia-codecs.html
http://linuxondesktop.blogspot.com/2007/05/13-must-do-things-on-new-ubuntu-704.html

By completing these steps prior to handover, you will
give your users a more solid machine.

Cheers,

Bill

--- Steve Bergen <sbergen@cstorefront.org> wrote:

> As some of you know, we at The Children's Storefront
> in Harlem are
> collaborating with The Harlem Wireless Initiative to
> give away computers
> to Harlem families in 2008. We have been very much
> appreciative of
> numerous Independent Schools around the country that
> have donated old
> computers to us.
>
> I have put together a first pass of what we will put
> onto each Mac image
> and PC image. I would love suggestions from any of
> you for software that
> would enhance this list.
>
> See http://thechildrensstorefront.org/ts/image.htm
>
> Thanks in advance for your time. Happy new year,
> everyone! Steve
>
> p.s. we are now enrolling people for 3 Summercore
> sessions, 2 in NYC area
> and 1 in Florida (see below or our Web Site)
>
> Steve Bergen
> CIO and Computer Teacher, The Children's Storefront
> e-mail: sbergen@cstorefront.org
> An Independent School in Harlem
> address: 70 East 129th Street, New York, NY 10035
>
> also co-director, The "Summercore" Teaching Company
> ...
> http://www.summercore.com
>
> Summercore 2008 includes July 7-11 and July 14-18 at
> Horace Mann, NY
> as well as July 21-25 at Shorecrest in St.
> Petersburg, FL (all 3 open to
> public)
>
> [ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
> Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative
> commons, attribution, non-commercial, share-alike
> license.
>

____________________________________________________________________________________
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know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.

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Re: Seeking ideas for "free software" to put onto a Disk Image for Harlem Families

Happy New Year, Steve.

I would suggest the starter edition of Art Rage 2:
http://www.ambientdesign.com/artragedown.html. This painting program allows
one to draw/paint with digital chalk, crayons, pencil, oil paint etc. The
best part is that you can upload a digital photo directly to the art rage
document or use the doc as digital tracing paper. The tools can use any
color one chooses or if you check a certain option, will pick up the colors
from the photo.

The other program that I don't see on your list is Scratch:
http://scratch.mit.edu/. And, here are lists of open source Mac software:
http://www.opensourcemac.org/,http://www.myosxfreeware.com/, and
http://web.mac.com/simon_elliott/simon_elliott%40mac.com/Software.html.

Hope this helps,

Lucy Gray
University of Chicago Center for Urban School Improvement

On Jan 1, 2008 6:42 AM, Steve Bergen <sbergen@cstorefront.org> wrote:

> As some of you know, we at The Children's Storefront in Harlem are
> collaborating with The Harlem Wireless Initiative to give away computers
> to Harlem families in 2008. We have been very much appreciative of
> numerous Independent Schools around the country that have donated old
> computers to us.
>
> I have put together a first pass of what we will put onto each Mac image
> and PC image. I would love suggestions from any of you for software that
> would enhance this list.
>
> See http://thechildrensstorefront.org/ts/image.htm
>
> Thanks in advance for your time. Happy new year, everyone! Steve
>
> p.s. we are now enrolling people for 3 Summercore sessions, 2 in NYC area
> and 1 in Florida (see below or our Web Site)
>
> Steve Bergen
> CIO and Computer Teacher, The Children's Storefront
> e-mail: sbergen@cstorefront.org
> An Independent School in Harlem
> address: 70 East 129th Street, New York, NY 10035
>
> also co-director, The "Summercore" Teaching Company ...
> http://www.summercore.com
>
> Summercore 2008 includes July 7-11 and July 14-18 at Horace Mann, NY
> as well as July 21-25 at Shorecrest in St. Petersburg, FL (all 3 open to
> public)
>
> [ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
> Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution,
> non-commercial, share-alike license.
>

[ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.

Seeking ideas for "free software" to put onto a Disk Image for Harlem Families

As some of you know, we at The Children's Storefront in Harlem are
collaborating with The Harlem Wireless Initiative to give away computers
to Harlem families in 2008. We have been very much appreciative of
numerous Independent Schools around the country that have donated old
computers to us.

I have put together a first pass of what we will put onto each Mac image
and PC image. I would love suggestions from any of you for software that
would enhance this list.

See http://thechildrensstorefront.org/ts/image.htm

Thanks in advance for your time. Happy new year, everyone! Steve

p.s. we are now enrolling people for 3 Summercore sessions, 2 in NYC area
and 1 in Florida (see below or our Web Site)

Steve Bergen
CIO and Computer Teacher, The Children's Storefront
e-mail: sbergen@cstorefront.org
An Independent School in Harlem
address: 70 East 129th Street, New York, NY 10035

also co-director, The "Summercore" Teaching Company ...
http://www.summercore.com

Summercore 2008 includes July 7-11 and July 14-18 at Horace Mann, NY
as well as July 21-25 at Shorecrest in St. Petersburg, FL (all 3 open to
public)

[ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
Submissions to ISED-L are released under a creative commons, attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license.