Comments on: Wikis & Blogs Presentation I Have been Transported Back in Time http://langwitches.org/blog/2008/11/21/wikis-blogs-presentation-i-have-been-transported-back-in-time/ The Magic of Learning Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:20:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Langwitches http://langwitches.org/blog/2008/11/21/wikis-blogs-presentation-i-have-been-transported-back-in-time/comment-page-1/#comment-27686 Langwitches Sat, 22 Nov 2008 18:55:26 +0000 http://langwitches.org/blog/?p=2395#comment-27686 @Richard It became over the course of this conference very clear to me that there is a HUGE divide between Network administrators and technology integrationists. It seems to be not only that administrators are removed from the classroom, but also in their personality that make them more "linear" and less "creative" (not in the writing code creativity sense). The divide is too big to gap, unless you find someone who will allow for the possibility of an open door. An open door to points to a path where both approaches have their place in one school. @Heidi Te podes quedar tranquila. :) Argentina NO es el unico lugar donde las cosas no avanzan tan rapido como uno quiere. Tenemos que concentrarnos a seguir el camino de compartir y collaborar. Nos van a seguir de una o otra forma a su tiempo. @Andrea I am so sorry to hear about your experience with the Apple representative. Sales people have no real experience what and how a school works. Too bad that they put the sales before the pedagogy. They don't seem to realize that "real" teachers would be their best sales team. @Richard
It became over the course of this conference very clear to me that there is a HUGE divide between Network administrators and technology integrationists. It seems to be not only that administrators are removed from the classroom, but also in their personality that make them more “linear” and less “creative” (not in the writing code creativity sense). The divide is too big to gap, unless you find someone who will allow for the possibility of an open door. An open door to points to a path where both approaches have their place in one school.

@Heidi
Te podes quedar tranquila. :)
Argentina NO es el unico lugar donde las cosas no avanzan tan rapido como uno quiere. Tenemos que concentrarnos a seguir el camino de compartir y collaborar. Nos van a seguir de una o otra forma a su tiempo.

@Andrea
I am so sorry to hear about your experience with the Apple representative. Sales people have no real experience what and how a school works. Too bad that they put the sales before the pedagogy. They don’t seem to realize that “real” teachers would be their best sales team.

]]> By: Andrea Hernandez http://langwitches.org/blog/2008/11/21/wikis-blogs-presentation-i-have-been-transported-back-in-time/comment-page-1/#comment-27684 Andrea Hernandez Sat, 22 Nov 2008 14:47:20 +0000 http://langwitches.org/blog/?p=2395#comment-27684 Oh Silvia, this is such a timely post for me to read! We just had a visit from our apple rep trying to sell us (very, very expensive) new equipment since we are in the last year of a three year lease on our school computers. He tried to tell me that with new equipment we could be doing 21st century learning (implying, I felt, that we were not already where we should be, but knowing nothing about what we do). He invited me to an apple teacher training event in Tallahassee to learn about blogs and wikis. I thought it sounded a bit basic, so I asked about it on twitter where I was told that, indeed, it was very basic, like what you experienced at FCIS. I did ask the apple rep about becoming a trainer for apple, something in which I would be interested. He said it is VERY difficult, you have to be really amazing. I felt really put-down that he would just assume that because our school has older equipment we could not be doing anything "cutting edge" or that I could not be someone on a level to be worthy of the information for how to apply to teach teachers for apple. sheesh! I know he is only trying to sell products, but why don't you give someone the benefit of the doubt? He has me to thank for making the first sale, as I convinced our school to even consider going mac in the first place. Anyway, it is interesting to read that this is what apple's "AMAZING" teachers are sharing in their presentations. Think I'll skip the drive to Tallahassee. Oh Silvia,
this is such a timely post for me to read! We just had a visit from our apple rep trying to sell us (very, very expensive) new equipment since we are in the last year of a three year lease on our school computers. He tried to tell me that with new equipment we could be doing 21st century learning (implying, I felt, that we were not already where we should be, but knowing nothing about what we do). He invited me to an apple teacher training event in Tallahassee to learn about blogs and wikis. I thought it sounded a bit basic, so I asked about it on twitter where I was told that, indeed, it was very basic, like what you experienced at FCIS.

I did ask the apple rep about becoming a trainer for apple, something in which I would be interested. He said it is VERY difficult, you have to be really amazing. I felt really put-down that he would just assume that because our school has older equipment we could not be doing anything “cutting edge” or that I could not be someone on a level to be worthy of the information for how to apply to teach teachers for apple. sheesh! I know he is only trying to sell products, but why don’t you give someone the benefit of the doubt? He has me to thank for making the first sale, as I convinced our school to even consider going mac in the first place.
Anyway, it is interesting to read that this is what apple’s “AMAZING” teachers are sharing in their presentations. Think I’ll skip the drive to Tallahassee.

]]> By: Heidi Musterós http://langwitches.org/blog/2008/11/21/wikis-blogs-presentation-i-have-been-transported-back-in-time/comment-page-1/#comment-27681 Heidi Musterós Fri, 21 Nov 2008 22:02:05 +0000 http://langwitches.org/blog/?p=2395#comment-27681 Me tranquiliza que no son únicamente en Argentina muchas capacitaciones de esa forma. Generalmente más de lo mismo y lo que estamos necesitando, buscando es que compartan sus experiencias,proyectos realizados. Me pasó muchas veces dar mi tiempo libre para aprender y salir decepcionada. Esperemos que no todas las presentaciones sean así... y nos queda por delante armar una red, una Wiki con ejemplos/proyectos realizables... Me tranquiliza que no son únicamente en Argentina muchas capacitaciones de esa forma. Generalmente más de lo mismo y lo que estamos necesitando, buscando es que compartan sus experiencias,proyectos realizados. Me pasó muchas veces dar mi tiempo libre para aprender y salir decepcionada. Esperemos que no todas las presentaciones sean así… y nos queda por delante armar una red, una Wiki con ejemplos/proyectos realizables…

]]> By: Richard Byrne http://langwitches.org/blog/2008/11/21/wikis-blogs-presentation-i-have-been-transported-back-in-time/comment-page-1/#comment-27679 Richard Byrne Fri, 21 Nov 2008 16:28:24 +0000 http://langwitches.org/blog/?p=2395#comment-27679 Unfortunately, what you're experience is not unique when dealing with administrators and some tech directors. Earlier this year, I learned this the hard way when I was asked to give a presentation about blogs and wikis in the classroom to teachers and administrators. I made the assumption that everyone in attendance was capable of creating his or her own blogger account without assistance. That was a terrible assumption. Of the 45 minutes I had been allotted, 20 of them were used walking people through the registration process. My experience with some system administrators is that they are so far removed from the classroom that they never consider the greater uses of web 2.0. Instead they are caught up in blocking access to social networking sites. This is not always true, but I've seen it enough to make it disconcerting. Unfortunately, what you’re experience is not unique when dealing with administrators and some tech directors. Earlier this year, I learned this the hard way when I was asked to give a presentation about blogs and wikis in the classroom to teachers and administrators. I made the assumption that everyone in attendance was capable of creating his or her own blogger account without assistance. That was a terrible assumption. Of the 45 minutes I had been allotted, 20 of them were used walking people through the registration process.

My experience with some system administrators is that they are so far removed from the classroom that they never consider the greater uses of web 2.0. Instead they are caught up in blocking access to social networking sites. This is not always true, but I’ve seen it enough to make it disconcerting.

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