Education and Technology

FoxNews Clueless on Education and Safety

Ray Ebersole — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:28:02 +0000

I was watching FoxNews this morning because that is where the TV was set by my wife the night before. The three news anchors were talking about a student who had been expelled for stabbing or “poking”, as one anchor put it, another student with a sharp pencil. The anchors on this program thought that expelling the student was too harsh a punishment for using a pencil to stab someone with and that the zero tolerance policies were too tough on students.

I’m sorry, but these anchors need to spend some time in a school and think about what happened. The student used a weapon to STAB another student. A pencil is a weapon when turned on someone else to do harm and should be treated like any other weapon. This student should actually be in juvenile hall under arrest for assault and battery. Expulsion should be the least of his worries.

FoxNews, please get a grip and hire some people that know what they are talking about and have some common sense. In the self defense courses I help teach we actually tell out students that the best weapon to have around is a pencil, or a pen. They are easy to hold, they have multiple purposes and they are always around, EVERYWHERE! They hurt, they can cause major damage no matter where they are used on a human body.

Stabbing, School, Education

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iPhone for Live Blogging?

Ray Ebersole — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:05:47 +0000

I’m writing this post from my iPhone. I downloaded the Wordpress 2.0 app from the App Store and set up my blog. It seems pretty easy to do, making live blogging a feasible prospect.

I don’t believe a teacher could live blog, but a student could or a guest teacher that is visiting the classroom. I may try this in a class sometime in the near future just to see how fast I can get info online while typing with the iPhone.

Stay tuned, live blogging coming soon.

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Tweets for 2009-11-04

Ray Ebersole — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:26:00 +0000

First day back with the computers at school after vacation. Got caught up on service requests and started a network project. #
I'm Reading about LeapFish. They are launching a real time social search engine. Read about here: http://bit.ly/TPxBA #ad #
Had a bummer diabetes doctor visit today. My numbers were up and he wants to use an additional med to control my A1C and blood sugar. #
Back to school/work in the morning. 5 days goes quite quickly. #
A day at city island relaxing by the bay, having a picnic with the family. Priceless. #
V the MiniSeries on SyFy was pretty good last night. Exactly what I remember from the 80's #
I think I will watch the 1983 movie V on SyFy at 11pm. IT's only 270 minutes and I am on vacation so it's a guilty pleasure. #
Hey, sign up to SponsoredTweets and make some money tweeting! http://bit.ly/3XPVzS #ad #
I just entered @thinkcomps HUGE Giveaway: http://retwt.me/1Km00 32 prizes up for grabs! Easy to enter! #
I used the Starbucks iPhone app yesterday in Orlando to get my wife a goo latte. #
Power is back on an hour after the approximate repair time. #
No power for the last 3 hours. Luckly it has been in the middle of the night. As it grows closer to daylight it becomes more problematic. #
Great day at Disney doing trick/treat. Kids had a great time. They are both finally asleep. Waiting for Vampire nightmares to start. #
Waiting for my wife to change the kids into their costumes in front of Disney Quest. http://twitpic.com/nq6ar #
Accident on I-75 at Apollo Beach exit north bound. Tampa FL. #
My 4yr old is sleeping in our bed because she's afraid of ghosts. I am in her bed cause there is no room in my bed. Weird how I lose this. #
It's fun to control my laptop iTunes with my iPhone via the iPhone Remote app. #
Don't normally watch Ghost Adventures because they are too provoking, but tonight is live. #
RT @futurelooks: We're gearing up for another Twitter Contest. The prize? Let's just say it is "Powerful" :) Stay tuned! #
Being on vacation with a baby is not what I had in mind for relaxing the first time in two years. I should just go to work. #
Ahhh, vacation has started! #
#Phillies beat #Yankees 6-1 in game 1 of the #Worldseries. Go Phils! #
3 outs from a shutout for Cliff Lee and the #Phillies in game 1 of the #worldseries #
1 more day until my 5 day vacation… tick tick tick #
I hate #dodger fans that run to the #Yankees just because they can't root for the team that beat them #Phillies. #Worldseries #
I'm taking my first vacation days in 2 years around this weekend. Going to spend Halloween at Disney World to rest, play and have some fun #
RT This shows just how bad the Eagles are: @nytimes: Live Analysis: Jets Beat Raiders, 38-0 http://bit.ly/1yNPuG #
Spent the day at the Pumpkin Festival at Hunsader farms. Food, games, hayride and fun. http://twitpic.com/mxgk6 #
RT I like this: @JohnChow: @michaelkwan Money never sleeps. There's no such thing as a day off! #
Just checking my blog hits, got 1 from Berlin referred from @bluefur Site blog. Need a good host #bluefur http://bluefur.com/ #
I think I'll stick with #Seesmic Desktop for all my needs. No reason to go onto Facebook, I can do it all from here. #
Facebook redesign sucks. Okay I said it, yes it sucks big time. They change designs way too often. #

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Tweets for 2009-10-21

Ray Ebersole — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 01:26:00 +0000

Signing off to watch the game full time. #
Homerfest in Philly tonight. #Phillies #Dodgers #NLCS #
Cole Hamels Sucks #Phillies v #Dodgers #NLCS #
WooHoo Jason Werth #Phillies 3 run Homer bottom 1st vs #Dodgers #NLCS #
Police say they are dealing with a man reported to be holding as many as nine people hostage in downtown Edmonton. http://bit.ly/Xthrg #
that's the way to Win! #Phillies beat the #Dodgers, #NLCS 2 out bottom of the 9th #
Ryan Howard #Phillies 2 run homer #Dodgers #NLCS #
Let's go #Phillies. Beat the #Dodgers #NLCS #
RT @JohnChow: New Blog Post @JohnChow – How To Make Over $60,000 Per Month with a Membership Site http://johnchow.com/11442 #bwe09 #
Victorino 3 run homer in 8th. #Phillies over #Dodgers #NLCS 11-0 #
Go #Phillies 8-0 in the 8th over the #Dodgers #NLCS #
#Eagles suck. Can't score on the lowly #Raiders. McNabb needs to sit and Kolb run the offense. #NFL #
RT @mashable: Our most retweeted post today: "Top 5 Twitter Trends to Watch Right Now" – http://bit.ly/25ufvg #
Fun at the Pumpkin Festival http://twitpic.com/lxx4a #
haven't seen a virus problem from Michael today. Maybe it's gone…..fingers crossed #
#phillies bullpen is going to lose this series for the team. Pedro pitches 7 strong innings and bullpen walks in runs. #
National Guard comes to Booker Nation: http://bit.ly/2NTunj teaches rock climbing/drug prevention. #
Let's go #phillies beat the #dodgers #NCLS #

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The Reality of Laptops in the Classroom

Ray Ebersole — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:55:04 +0000

I have a whole school of new computers. For our classrooms we have, based on our student population, 19 laptop carts with 30 laptops per cart. The laptops are split by teaching teams of 4 teachers and can be used as needed in classes as determined in team planning. So, one day a teacher may have 22 laptops of the 30 on the cart for a 1 on 1 lesson or the laptops may be split 7-8 per class for small learning groups. The idea is great and is new to our school so it has its bugs and kinks to work out.

Here are a few things that we considered and are now working on ideas to improve the use of the laptops as we move forward.

Laptops must be checked in and out each period for security.
Wireless needs to be able to handle the bandwidth.
Software must be installed across the complete group of computers.
Power needs for length of use need to be addressed.
Students need to be assigned a laptop.

The biggest of these is the security issues. You have laptops that can be easily placed in a backpack so you need to keep a close eye on them at the beginning and end of each change in classes to avoid loss of laptops. The second issue that really needs to be addressed is the proper bandwidth for having 30 laptops working on an access point at one time. What is the range coverage, is it wide enough with enough overlapping access points to handle a load so that the teacher will be able to teach their lesson without interruption from a loss of connectivity. This issue is paramount to getting teacher buy in to using the laptops in their lessons, while instilling confidence in both the teachers and students in the technology.

Remember, if it doesn’t work, it won’t be used. You can have a few bugs, but as technology support we need to be able to work through these problems with authority the first time, eliminating them and learning from the experience.

Networking, Laptops, Security

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Tweets for 2009-10-14

Ray Ebersole — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 01:26:00 +0000

sleep is a good thing, lets try to get some tonight #
RT @michaelkwan: Sad to hear about the passing of Captain Lou Albano. Super Mario and professional wrestling defined my childhood. #
@michaelkwan How about this for WUW on BTR" http://bit.ly/ChAan in reply to michaelkwan #
Walking with Camille. http://twitpic.com/lexul #
BRB, taking Camille for a walk with her baby Pooh and his stroller…:-) #
@michaelkwan I can also do a remote assistance to see if it gone later if you like. in reply to michaelkwan #
@michaelkwan Run Process Explorer from MS and send me a screenshot. in reply to michaelkwan #
@michaelkwan did you use the instructions I sent you on this virus? in reply to michaelkwan #
Go #Phillies We know you can whip the #Dodgers @Alyssa_Milano fav team! in reply to Alyssa_Milano #
my wife and I are both under the weather. We are playing hand off with the kids to get rest. #
@michaelkwan I know you know this, but have you popped the battery and done a hard reset in reply to michaelkwan #
RT @JohnChow: Can you spare a vote and help Team @AshleyChow win this BCIT video competition? http://bit.ly/2hlFkn Please RT #
"Woman Arrested for Facebook Poke" – http://bit.ly/1bgpI4 and she deserved it for being stupid. #
Watching Megafault on SyFy. Washington monument exploded. Lost me there with the lack of reality. #
@michaelkwan won't you be my neighbor? in reply to michaelkwan #
Here is a link to an article about my Bosses brother who passed away 2 days ago. http://bit.ly/2HX7Jo #
I hate having a cold and cough, especially in FL. #
My bosses younger brother passed away yesterday in an accident. I feel so sorry for him and his family. #
@michaelkwan how did it go last night – this morning with the rouge AV program? in reply to michaelkwan #
@michaelkwan I've cleaned that more than once down here for clients. Malwarebytes works great in removing it. in reply to michaelkwan #

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Teamwork is Nice, But Do It Yourself is More Reliable

Ray Ebersole — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 22:26:45 +0000

Yep, in the Godfather they say “Keep you friends close and your enemies closer.” Well, if you can do it yourself, don’t ask for help, even if the help would get the job done faster.

I know who my friends are and who my enemies are now.

Teamwork, Individual

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Manatee School District Hurting or Helping Students

Ray Ebersole — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 01:42:36 +0000

I read this article in our local paper recently about a student that is in need of help because of Asperger’s Syndrome, but the Manatee School District refuses to allow the parents to bring in an outside expert to spend a few hours observing the student in class. While I am not an instructional teacher or administrator, I am an intelligent person who cares about getting the best help for all of our students. So, I am at a loss to understand any of the logic of the Manatee School District. Read the story yourself School District Loses a Battle Chosen Poorly.

My opinion? I’m glad that I don’t live in Manatee County.

Asperger, Education, Manatee County

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Tweets for 2009-09-30

Ray Ebersole — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 01:26:00 +0000

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Comparing Yourself to Perfection

Ray Ebersole — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:13:29 +0000

This post was inspired by a post written in 2007 by Michael Kwan of beyond the rhetoric. I was reading a current post a few weeks ago in which the post “The Quandary of Comparing Yourself to Others” had the same tag. I went on to read the older post and it struck a cord with me, not about comparing myself to others, but comparing myself to my vision of what I thought I should be.

Interestingly, I always feel like I never live up to what I’m supposed to be able to do. In other words, I set perfection as my goal and can’t ever knowingly achieve it. I’m not failing in the eyes of others, but to myself I am. After reading Michael’s post I contemplated my own view of what I want out of myself and is it realistic. Should I be setting such lofty goals to achieve? Should I worry about what I haven’t completed when I look at the goal?

The answers I came up with were no and no. With those answers I changed my thought process and have actually become more relaxed and have been able to congratulate myself on the accomplishments that I do have. If I can’t get to a task, I realize that I did my best and it will still be there in the morning to finish. At the end of the day I know that I have given my best, put in a full day and can be proud of the work I’ve done.

Perfection might be nice, but it’s not worth the happiness of doing your best and enjoying yourself. If you are like me, give yourself a break, work to enjoy, there is more to life than perfection.

Personal Development, Self Worth

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