The Virtual Learning Consultant

Last time I was a state board of ed meeting with D...

2010-03-12T07:25:51.091-08:00

Last time I was a state board of ed meeting with Dr. Setser, I had the privilege of meeting Neil Kimrey, head of tech for the state. I wasn't telling him anything new when I mentioned that that openoffice.org could save districts across the state tons of cash -he said he'd been pushing it for years! Education leaders have to not only understand that there's an 'open world' out there, but they have to understand that they're obligated to learn about it and take advantage of it, because they're obligated to be responsible with taxpayer dollars. Let's open our eyes and take advantage of what's available!
shu
www.shu-ncrew.com

I have used the video during professional developm...

2010-03-01T08:54:56.582-08:00

I have used the video during professional development workshops. It causes bitterness and resentment at first, but then the points illustrated the hope and optimism of learner being reborn. I love it. Another great CoSN video is from the students' perspective. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHSehFV98TY&feature=related

Dr. Peters: I had the opportunity to hear your te...

2010-02-19T22:51:13.116-08:00

Dr. Peters:

I had the opportunity to hear your teachers, central office staff, and students present at the NCASCD Conference in Pinehurst. I was impressed with the technology integration in your district and the way the presenters modeled multiple ways that technology and free online tools can be used to support teaching and learning. I am impressed with the way you model ways to use technology through your blog and through the way you opened the NCASCD session from a remote location (outside Pinehurst). I look forward to speaking with Derek and seeking opportunities to continue learning about technology integration in Montgomery County Schools. Thank you to you and your staff for sharing your innovative ideas and for making staff development an ongoing process, rather than sit-and-get. I am inspired by the work of teachers and administrators in your school district!

Derek, Excellent work on your deployment plan for ...

2010-02-15T11:29:58.116-08:00

Derek, Excellent work on your deployment plan for 2.0 and 21st Century Skills. I heard your Montgomery County made an impressive presentation at NCASCD! Our Director of Federal programs came back to Edgecombe to tell me about how good it was.

Excellent post and writing style. Bookmarked.

2010-02-03T15:19:18.967-08:00

Excellent post and writing style. Bookmarked.

Thanks for the quick notes and news. I will check ...

2009-12-01T17:32:39.705-08:00

Thanks for the quick notes and news. I will check the site now. Have a great weekend too.

A good Virtual Personal Assistant will allow the b...

2009-11-29T23:55:37.409-08:00

A good Virtual Personal Assistant will allow the business owner to manage his time well which is very important.

Putting support in place to help teachers develop ...

2009-11-18T22:16:20.603-08:00

Putting support in place to help teachers develop proficiency is always a great idea! The more competent they get, the better learning opportunities we create for our students.

I believe we will have to put action plans in plac...

2009-11-18T10:50:03.383-08:00

I believe we will have to put action plans in place to encourage teachers trying the technology. We need them to play with it long enough to become proficient at it and have it become a part of their regular practice. We as administrators also need to model, model, model, and encourage!

MediaCurves.com conducted a study on 252 viewers o...

2009-09-23T14:13:47.505-07:00

MediaCurves.com conducted a study on 252 viewers of a recent T.G.I. Friday’s ad which promotes its new Facebook campaign. The results found that that the majority believe the promotion will increase favorability for the T.G.I. Friday’s brand. After watching the ad, 71% of Facebook users indicated that they would become a “fan” of Friday’s Facebook spokesman, “Woody” to receive the promotional offer of a free Jack Daniel’s hamburger. More in depth results can be seen at:
http://www.mediacurves.com/Advertising/J7568-TGI/Index.cfm
Thanks,
Ben

Found program for automate and visualize successio...

2009-09-22T03:42:07.203-07:00

Found program for automate and visualize succession planning process.

http://www.orgplus.com/solutions/orgplus-for-succession-planning.htm

The Web 2.0 revolution will assist public educatio...

2009-06-23T09:39:09.096-07:00

The Web 2.0 revolution will assist public education in becoming innovative at a grassroots level as students demand more and more of these tools. Teachers are adopting but not at the pace necessary. The key is getting educational leaders (principals, superintendents, and policy makers) to adopt these innovations and understand the impact they will have in student outcomes. I agree with the comment ("it is unfortunate and ironic that education will resist this change . . ."). This is a systemic resistance that will take time to shift, but we should never stop hitting singles in lieu of the homerun. The key is going to be having critical conversations with our students and more importantly, listening!

The electronic communication medium will make Publ...

2009-06-19T09:06:18.152-07:00

The electronic communication medium will make Public Education what it has wanted to be be for many years. It is unfortunate and ironic that education will resist this change and transparency much longer than the majority of organizations and institutions.

Adam Renfro said... MM: On the Internet, “viral” ...

2009-06-18T17:54:50.250-07:00

Adam Renfro said...
MM: On the Internet, “viral” is a term that refers to a marketing phenomenon that facilitates and encourages people to pass along a message, creating a potentially exponential growth in the message's visibility and effect. If a large percentage of recipients forward something to a large number of friends, especially if it hits Twitter or Facebook, the overall growth snowballs very quickly.

Anon: This is often overcome by a grassroots appr...

2009-06-18T17:51:01.257-07:00

Anon: This is often overcome by a grassroots approach at the district level. Tech directors and district leadership need to see first hand some of the educational advantages of Twitter, and they should be encouraged by that fact that DPI tweeted the recent State Board of Education meeting. Also see Vanessa Jeter’s Twitter site @ vwjeter. Vanessa is the Communications Director at DPI!

Re: #4 "They write well..." and so I've just got ...

2009-06-18T17:30:16.245-07:00

Re: #4 "They write well..." and so I've just got to wonder whether the emphasis on "viral" community is a nasty spell-check slip up that should read "virtual" in all cases. Otherwise, astute comments all the way.

Can you speak to the use of Twitter in the circums...

2009-06-18T07:57:44.488-07:00

Can you speak to the use of Twitter in the circumstance where the school district web filter doesn't allow Twitter on district computers?

We, at Rocky Mt. Prep, are just beginning to get i...

2009-06-13T18:29:23.925-07:00

We, at Rocky Mt. Prep, are just beginning to get involved, and seeing this site inspires us to follow your lead! Excellent job!