RE: [info-tech] Venting and question
AMEN!! Lance you worded that so perfectly that I am stealing it, printing it and forwarding to every staff member. It is going to become my mantra for technology in our system. If our support staff(maintenance, hot lunch, secretarial etc) have to learn and use new technology every day, our teachers and administrators need to do the same. We are making some changes with adminsitrative programs and the adminsitrative team will be the first group to receive training. Signature DE Diane Elbert 1224 N. McCoy St Algona, IA 50511 515-295-3521 W 515-884-2637 H 515-320-2431 C [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.garrigan.unlimitedweb.net http://www.garrigan.unlimitedweb.net/ From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Lance Lennon Sent: Friday, February 15, 2008 2:26 PM To: info-tech@aea8.k12.ia.us Subject: Re: [info-tech] Venting and question George I completely agree with the idea of Technology having a true integration into the curriculum (Oh there is that bad word). I do not think that computers or programs are meant to supplant any instruction but rather to support it. Too often Reader Rabbit and Accelerated Reader and Accelerated Math are seen as alternatives to instruction rather than aids to it. IT all starts in educating our educators to think in a 21st Century world. So I will get some Rogaine and Propecia and try to grow more hair. Great to hear from you, and sorry to hear about your new mayor. Read the article and was glad to hear that he is okay -- Chaos Theory is a new theory invented by scientists panicked by the thought that the public were beginning to understand the old ones. ~Mike Barfield -- Lance L. Lennon District Technology Director Eagle Grove Community School District 515-448-5143 image003.jpg
Re: [info-tech] Venting and question
Good to hear from you again George. Manson Northwest Webster-Home of the Cougars! Brad Kruse (`-''-/).___..--''`-._ Tech. Coord. `6_ 6 ) `-. ( ).`-.__.`) 1601 15th St.(_Y_.)' ._ ) `._ `. ``-..-' Manson, IA 50563_..`--'_..-_/ /--'_.' ,' 712-469-3919 (li),' ((!.-' Fax 712-469-3131 George Tuttle [EMAIL PROTECTED] 2/15/2008 1:14 PM Lance, The answer is to grow more hair You will be pulling out more hair as long as you are supplying technology to students and teachers. When I started working with computers in 1981, Apple II+ computers replaced the DEC terminals that we were using to teach programming. Many of you have not written a line of code because our whole system has changed in 25 years. The first word processors were code editors. For many years I taught computer classes involving the use of word processors, databases, and spread sheets. Did I know what I was doing, probably not. I was the computer teacher. It took some convincing to get our business teachers to throw out the Selectrics and go with the new technology. Some of you may remember the long struggle we had to get the staff to use computers. Since then, the new technologies have moved into every aspect of education, including evaluation and record-keeping. We went out, chased the car, caught it, and now don't know what to do with it. To me, if a teacher asks to have some old computers in the back of the room, isn't that what you want? They're probably trying to implement one of your school board's long term goals, incorporating technology into the curriculum. The real problem is that most tech person's do not have enough time to keep your high-tech network systems up and running and at the same time, support the class room teacher. Since retiring in June I've been doing the computer tech work for our local catholic school. We have a very simple network that requires little or no support so I have the time to help class room teachers. I was able to focus again on the real reason for technology in school, aiding the education of students by helping the faculty. For a number of years I got lost in the glitziness of the emerging technologies and thought that the latest and greatest was the most important to education. Since I was a class room teacher for many years before my techie life, it has been easier for me to go back and re-assess the application of technology in education. As a techie, I tried to have the technology dog wag its education tail rather than vice-versa. Does having the latest and greatest make your school a success. Probably not. Does NOT having the latest and greatest make your school a failure. Probably not. What makes a school a success is how the application of technology is used to affect student outcomes. Several years ago, I attended a meeting where a large school district in South Dakota gave a laptop to each of their high school students to use. When asked to show how this had a positive impact on educational results, he moved on to another topic. Later on he did say that the students really liked having their own laptops. Give me one and I will give you the same answer. This is my venting. There's an old proverb: Observe history or you're doomed to repeat it. George - Original Message - From: Lance Lennon ( mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ) To: info-tech@aea8.k12.ia.us Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2008 8:58 AM Subject: [info-tech] Venting and question So I am getting machines ready for public sale (these machines have been replaced). Now every teacher (okay not every, but quite a few) is asking why I don't place them in the classrooms. They all need more computers and feel that they should get these prior to them being sold. I explain that these machines are old and that we have a replacement policy in place and if I keep placing older computers in rooms, then I will eventually have to manage some 50,000 machines (yeah that is an exageration, but give me some artistic license here). So I am asking all of you, how do you handle this type of request (Other than Want in one hand and spit in the other) Do any of you have written policies on computer replacement, public auction, computer to student ratio. I am just battling the staff on this and am very frustrated. One staffer has a close relationship (spouse) to a board member who is now raising a bit of a stink even though that said board member voted to okay the sale. UGGHHH! Pulling out the remainder of my hair, please send any info. Thanks -- When I die I'm going to leave my body to science fiction. ~Steven Wright -- Lance L. Lennon District Technology Director Eagle Grove Community School District 515-448-5143
Re: [info-tech] Venting and question
George I completely agree with the idea of Technology having a true integration into the curriculum (Oh there is that bad word). I do not think that computers or programs are meant to supplant any instruction but rather to support it. Too often Reader Rabbit and Accelerated Reader and Accelerated Math are seen as alternatives to instruction rather than aids to it. IT all starts in educating our educators to think in a 21st Century world. So I will get some Rogaine and Propecia and try to grow more hair. Great to hear from you, and sorry to hear about your new mayor. Read the article and was glad to hear that he is okay -- Chaos Theory is a new theory invented by scientists panicked by the thought that the public were beginning to understand the old ones. ~Mike Barfield -- Lance L. Lennon District Technology Director Eagle Grove Community School District 515-448-5143
Re: [info-tech] Venting and question
No Propecia you can't donate plasma after that. Karl H. Hehr Technology/Curriculum Director South Hamilton CSD www.s-hamilton.k12.ia.us 515.827.5418 (W) 515.209.9767 (C) 515.827.5368 (F) On Feb 15, 2008, at 2:26 PM, Lance Lennon wrote: George I completely agree with the idea of Technology having a true integration into the curriculum (Oh there is that bad word). I do not think that computers or programs are meant to supplant any instruction but rather to support it. Too often Reader Rabbit and Accelerated Reader and Accelerated Math are seen as alternatives to instruction rather than aids to it. IT all starts in educating our educators to think in a 21st Century world. So I will get some Rogaine and Propecia and try to grow more hair. Great to hear from you, and sorry to hear about your new mayor. Read the article and was glad to hear that he is okay -- Chaos Theory is a new theory invented by scientists panicked by the thought that the public were beginning to understand the old ones. ~Mike Barfield -- Lance L. Lennon District Technology Director Eagle Grove Community School District 515-448-5143 --- [This E-mail scanned for viruses by Declude Virus on the server aea8.k12.ia.us] - Archived messages from this list can be found at: http://www.mail-archive.com/info-tech@aea8.k12.ia.us/ -
Re: [info-tech] Venting and question
I tell them to get it approved by the principal, and then tell the principal it's a bad idea. -- Original Message -- From: Lance Lennon [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reply-To: info-tech@aea8.k12.ia.us Date: Thu, 14 Feb 2008 08:58:40 -0600 So I am getting machines ready for public sale (these machines have been replaced). Now every teacher (okay not every, but quite a few) is asking why I don't place them in the classrooms. They all need more computers and feel that they should get these prior to them being sold. I explain that these machines are old and that we have a replacement policy in place and if I keep placing older computers in rooms, then I will eventually have to manage some 50,000 machines (yeah that is an exageration, but give me some artistic license here). So I am asking all of you, how do you handle this type of request (Other than Want in one hand and spit in the other) Do any of you have written policies on computer replacement, public auction, computer to student ratio. I am just battling the staff on this and am very frustrated. One staffer has a close relationship (spouse) to a board member who is now raising a bit of a stink even though that said board member voted to okay the sale. UGGHHH! Pulling out the remainder of my hair, please send any info. Thanks -- When I die I'm going to leave my body to science fiction. ~Steven Wright -- Lance L. Lennon District Technology Director Eagle Grove Community School District 515-448-5143 --- [This E-mail scanned for viruses by the schaller-crest.k12.ia.us server.] --- [This E-mail scanned for viruses by Declude Virus on the server aea8.k12.ia.us] - Archived messages from this list can be found at: http://www.mail-archive.com/info-tech@aea8.k12.ia.us/ -
Re: [info-tech] Venting and question
I don't believe I actually have anything in writing as far as policy-- I do have a 7 year plan in place as to ideal replacement, replacement costs, where the replaced computers will go, etc.I share it administratively for informational and budgeting purposes. But I do work along the same idea as you--we replace them for a reason. There are some who believe this is mine because it was in my room. And then believe they should be able to place it wherever (which I sometimes agree with place it wherever). As I do my replacements I have struggled with that, although it's gotten better the last few years. I have administrator support, though, that we don't leave old machines around just because we have them. (Isn't that why we're replacing them?) I have also learned to replace as much as possible over the summer so I can fully execute my replacement plan. Or over a weekend. ;-) I have a spin off question, though--I have a decent number of computers sitting around that I have thought about selling to clear them out. I haven't really done much more than the thinking stage-- but do you usually get board approval to do so? Wiped clean and free to do so? How much do you typically charge for older machines? Licensing problems? OK, maybe more than one spinoff question. On Feb 14, 2008, at 8:58 AM, Lance Lennon wrote: So I am getting machines ready for public sale (these machines have been replaced). Now every teacher (okay not every, but quite a few) is asking why I don't place them in the classrooms. They all need more computers and feel that they should get these prior to them being sold. I explain that these machines are old and that we have a replacement policy in place and if I keep placing older computers in rooms, then I will eventually have to manage some 50,000 machines (yeah that is an exageration, but give me some artistic license here). So I am asking all of you, how do you handle this type of request (Other than Want in one hand and spit in the other) Do any of you have written policies on computer replacement, public auction, computer to student ratio. I am just battling the staff on this and am very frustrated. One staffer has a close relationship (spouse) to a board member who is now raising a bit of a stink even though that said board member voted to okay the sale. UGGHHH! Pulling out the remainder of my hair, please send any info. Thanks -- When I die I'm going to leave my body to science fiction. ~Steven Wright -- Lance L. Lennon District Technology Director Eagle Grove Community School District 515-448-5143
Re: [info-tech] Venting and question
We have had sales each of the last three years. Public submits bids to the supt. office and highest bids get systems until all sold. Guess what? We only sold about three systems each year. Nobody wants these old computers. It is easy now to explain to my faculty why they don't want these in their rooms. Manson Northwest Webster-Home of the Cougars! Brad Kruse (`-''-/).___..--''`-._ Tech. Coord. `6_ 6 ) `-. ( ).`-.__.`) 1601 15th St.(_Y_.)' ._ ) `._ `. ``-..-' Manson, IA 50563_..`--'_..-_/ /--'_.' ,' 712-469-3919 (li),' ((!.-' Fax 712-469-3131 Lance Lennon [EMAIL PROTECTED] 2/14/2008 8:58 AM So I am getting machines ready for public sale (these machines have been replaced). Now every teacher (okay not every, but quite a few) is asking why I don't place them in the classrooms. They all need more computers and feel that they should get these prior to them being sold. I explain that these machines are old and that we have a replacement policy in place and if I keep placing older computers in rooms, then I will eventually have to manage some 50,000 machines (yeah that is an exageration, but give me some artistic license here). So I am asking all of you, how do you handle this type of request (Other than Want in one hand and spit in the other) Do any of you have written policies on computer replacement, public auction, computer to student ratio. I am just battling the staff on this and am very frustrated. One staffer has a close relationship (spouse) to a board member who is now raising a bit of a stink even though that said board member voted to okay the sale. UGGHHH! Pulling out the remainder of my hair, please send any info. Thanks -- When I die I'm going to leave my body to science fiction. ~Steven Wright -- Lance L. Lennon District Technology Director Eagle Grove Community School District 515-448-5143
Re: [info-tech] Venting and question
I get board approval, restore to a clean base image and base price on what they are going for on ebay, first come first serve, cash and carry. No support after the sale. All items sold as is -- If you put tomfoolery into a computer, nothing comes out of it but tomfoolery. But this tomfoolery, having passed through a very expensive machine, is somehow enobled and no-one dares criticize it. ~Pierre Gallois. -- Lance L. Lennon District Technology Director Eagle Grove Community School District 515-448-5143
RE: [info-tech] Venting and question
Lance First we don't put any computers on public sale for two reasons: first we did this 10 years ago and every one that bought one then thought the school was their tech support and called us many times about things that were wrong with them - of course things were wrong with them - that is why we didn't use them. Secondly, we seriously do use them until they die - we then scrap them for parts such as hard drives, CD-ROM, monitors, keyboards, etc... If a computer is just too old and slow to go on the network or will still run but not our programs - we will part it out if possible, if not, we send EVERYTHING to recycling. We do let teachers have some OLD ones in their classrooms - trust me when they start to use them and they are very very slow and don't work good - they will not keep asking for more. Kevin Richardson, Technology Director Estherville Lincoln Central Community Schools Estherville, IA 51334 -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Murray Gafkjen Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2008 9:49 AM To: info-tech@aea8.k12.ia.us Subject: RE: [info-tech] Venting and question I'm assuming they're macs, can they all run 10.4? (let alone 10.5). I tried surfing on one running 10.2, I think it was truly laughing at me. If I still had to support win95 to 2000, that would be crazy. When teachers wanted to keep the IIe's and then later the powermacs, we would not provide tech support, and once dead, it was sent to recycle. Speaking of such, we will have a lab of imac (400 mhz) this summer for any interested party. We intend to add another mobile lab in its place. Remember your significant other Murray Gafkjen Clay Central Everly From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Lance Lennon Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2008 8:59 AM To: info-tech@aea8.k12.ia.us Subject: [info-tech] Venting and question So I am getting machines ready for public sale (these machines have been replaced). Now every teacher (okay not every, but quite a few) is asking why I don't place them in the classrooms. They all need more computers and feel that they should get these prior to them being sold. I explain that these machines are old and that we have a replacement policy in place and if I keep placing older computers in rooms, then I will eventually have to manage some 50,000 machines (yeah that is an exageration, but give me some artistic license here). So I am asking all of you, how do you handle this type of request (Other than Want in one hand and spit in the other) Do any of you have written policies on computer replacement, public auction, computer to student ratio. I am just battling the staff on this and am very frustrated. One staffer has a close relationship (spouse) to a board member who is now raising a bit of a stink even though that said board member voted to okay the sale. UGGHHH! Pulling out the remainder of my hair, please send any info. Thanks -- When I die I'm going to leave my body to science fiction. ~Steven Wright -- Lance L. Lennon District Technology Director Eagle Grove Community School District 515-448-5143
RE: [info-tech] Venting and question
Lance- We had a district garage sale 3 years or so ago. We did sell computers on it, but they were computers that no one in the District wanted. It went well, and they all went. Prices ranged from $10 to $50, depending on what they could do. Machines were wiped clean, and IF we had a system restore, we back to factory settings. Since then, machines die and we just part them out. Then send everything else to the recyclers. As for machines, our current replacement cycle is about 12 years. So, when (maybe I should say if) computers make it the 12 years on the replacement cycle, no one would want them anyway. We still have old iMacs, iBooks and Win98 machines scattered across the District, and serving their purpose. In most of those cases, though, they do mundane things that a new computer would not get used for anyway. Good luck!!! Jeremy From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Lance Lennon Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2008 8:59 AM To: info-tech@aea8.k12.ia.us Subject: [info-tech] Venting and question So I am getting machines ready for public sale (these machines have been replaced). Now every teacher (okay not every, but quite a few) is asking why I don't place them in the classrooms. They all need more computers and feel that they should get these prior to them being sold. I explain that these machines are old and that we have a replacement policy in place and if I keep placing older computers in rooms, then I will eventually have to manage some 50,000 machines (yeah that is an exageration, but give me some artistic license here). So I am asking all of you, how do you handle this type of request (Other than Want in one hand and spit in the other) Do any of you have written policies on computer replacement, public auction, computer to student ratio. I am just battling the staff on this and am very frustrated. One staffer has a close relationship (spouse) to a board member who is now raising a bit of a stink even though that said board member voted to okay the sale. UGGHHH! Pulling out the remainder of my hair, please send any info. Thanks -- When I die I'm going to leave my body to science fiction. ~Steven Wright -- Lance L. Lennon District Technology Director Eagle Grove Community School District 515-448-5143
