Wi-Fi Troubleshooting

Most of the time Wi-Fi works and it's wonderful! A bit slower than cable all-around yet, wonderful! However, frustratingly, at one time or another we all have Wi-Fi issues: can't turn on Wi-Fi no matter how hard or fast you press that wireless key; maybe not being able to connect to the Internet; showing only a partial connection and not being able to reach a particular site; etc. It can be mysterious. Over at Wirednot, Lee Bradman has posted a wonderful little schematic that not only depicts what all is involved with Wi-Fi but lays out the considerations that need to be taken into account during troubleshooting what appears to be a Wi-Fi problem.  It also makes very clear that once you reach the access point you're out of the wireless environment, at least locally. This is not intended to bypass standard troubleshooting steps: 1) identify the problem; 2) establish a theory of probable cause; 3) test the theory to determine cause; 4) establish a plan of action to resolve the problem and identify potential effects; 5) implement the solution or escalate as necessary; 6) verify full system functionality and if applicable implement preventive measures; and 7) document findings, actions, and outcomes. The process is fairly standard regardless of occupation or profession. Lee's little graphic puts it into a technology networking framework. As you step through the standard troubleshooting process, here's most of the stuff you need to consider.

Reasoning Ed Tech

One of the most reasoned articles on the value and use of ed tech was brilliantly written by Alfie Kohn (The Overselling of Ed Tech). Not only should educators and technologists take note but politicians and corporate heads could also benefit from this short analysis. He centers on the question, "What kinds of learning should be taking place in those schools?". He maintains that a collaboratively derived answer to that question is a prerequisite to answering, “Is tech useful in schools?”. While I agree, I can't imagine how as a nation we could ever arrive at a coherent, coordinated answer to the first question. Common Core anyone? Satisficing answers may be more attainable by returning control to the local level. As it stands now, we are just wasting huge sums of money on technology and we don't even know why.

Too Much Ed Tech Too Frequently?

The following is an RSS Feed Reader snip from the Educational Technology and Mobile Learning (http://www.educatorstechnology.com/) site encompassing but the past six days.

Your school just might be well enough funded to have implemented 1 to 1 classrooms or maybe just a legacy computer lab or two, or maybe tablet carts or four or five static tablets assigned to each classroom. Many might still be saddled with ancient slow and cumbersome desktops. (Aside note: I remember a time [the late 80's] when I lugged my "portable" 30-pound computer with two 5-1/4" floppy disk drives back and forth to work daily using a luggage carrier.) Surely whatever devices on campus, all have access to the Internet and every faculty member has a laptop, notebook or tablet device. No? Whatever the case someone or someones has the explicit, or worse, the implicit task of vetting new educational apps, websites, browser add-ons, templates, ed tech tools, hardware, and all  stuff ed tech. Considering that these 60 some educational technology "things" above are from only one website, we can be assured that every six days produces many, many more, probably thousands. Who vets, recommends, budgets and buys ed tech stuff at your institution? Is it the administrators, the teachers, the IT guys, the education-technology integrator/coordinator, the cleaning crew? Who or what group would ever even have the time to visit each website and blog then look up and read a summary about each new thing. Does anyone even care that new and fabulous ed tech stuff, eminently capable of propelling students forward by at least two grades, goes on the market every day? What criteria is used? Do the teacher-users and student-user have input to decisions?ed tech tools, hardware, and all stuff ed tech. Considering that these 60 some educational technology "things" above are from only one website, we can be assured that every six days produces many, many more, probably thousands. Who vets, recommends, budgets and buys ed tech stuff at your institution? Is it the administrators, the teachers, the IT guys, the education-technology integrator/coordinator, the cleaning crew? Who or what group would ever even have the time to visit each website and blog then look up and read a summary about each new thing. Does anyone even care that new and fabulous ed tech stuff, eminently capable of propelling students forward by at least two grades, goes on the market every day? What criteria is used? Do the teacher-users and student-user have input to decisions?

Personalized Learning; Competency-based Education; Distance (On-line) Education

The buzzwords Personalized Learning, Competency-based Education, Distance (On-line) Education have become increasingly popular since the 1990's. In some circles, these are pejorative terms which when enacted to an extreme through the conduit of technology are perceived to threaten teachers and the teaching profession. Technology is often seen as the cause and by reference, technologists are therefore at fault. Here is an excellent article by Jennifer Carolan that rehashes the history of Personalized Learning and adds some reasonable perspective regarding the role of technology. Her last paragraph capsulizes the theme.

But personalization does not mean isolation, and it doesn't mean sitting our students down in front of laptops all day. Personalization is a strategy that allows us to adapt to the needs of all children, preferably after giving them a powerful, shared learning experience that motivates them to dive deeper. The best schools and ed-tech companies understand that technology and personalization are not the ends of education, but that they are merely means to help achieve higher goals—goals on which the health of our society and democracy depend.

Implementing an EdTech Learning Model

Too often learning models pontificate at the theoretical level leaving practitioners to ferret out the "How To". SAMR is a good example. Conceptionally, the model makes sense with the goal being



to advance from substituting a newer technology for an older technology to using technology to create a new, previously inconceivable technology. Putting the process into practice is less sensical. As in any planning process, the first step is to define where one is, assuming a continuum along the path within each unit. While the model depicts four graduations, there are, in practice, infinite graduation possibilities making settling on a "Where I Am" a bit difficult. The next step would be to define where one would like to be--discovering the gap. Questions begin to arise. What if I am not convinced that "infusing" any amount of technology into my lessons is the better approach to learning? What if I'm perfectly satisfied with where I am? Wait, technology is ubiquitous and is the future I'm told. Am I obliged to teach subject matter and technology? Or just to teach subject matter while using technology and assigning tasks that require students to self-learn and use technology in task performance? Should I leap directly to the Redefinition level? I would have to come up with technologies that were "previously inconceivable". What that hell does that mean? Enough.

The Internet is rife with SAMR specific examples. Google it. Most are well-intended, however, just plain make-work, even silly. Here are few examples of the Redefinition level from a recent blog (http://www.hippasus.com/rrpweblog/) at the "Emerging Education Technologies" blog. Also, see https://arlington.instructure.com/courses/50558/pages/redefinition-ideas?module_item_id=1138005.

A Handwritten Paper: Redefinition: Instead of a written assignment, students convey analytic thought using multimedia tools.

Geography and Travel: Redefinition: Explore the locale with Google Earth; seek out and include interviews with people who have visited the local.

Understanding Shakespeare: Redefinition: Answer the Question, “What did the culture of the time have on the writing of Shakespeare’s plays” by using a Concept Mapping tool and constructing a mind map demonstrating key elements through words and images.

An Assessment Exercise: Redefinition: “A classroom is asked to create a documentary video answering an essential question related to important concepts. Teams of students take on different subtopics and collaborate to create one final product.  Teams are expected to contact outside sources for information.”

Art/Painting: Redefinition: Create Artwork Collaboratively using a Collaborative Online Whiteboard (like Twiddla or one of these other tools).

Email Etiquette: Redefinition: Students watch the guidelines video, then assess examples of Email Etiquette ‘violations’ and indicate which guidelines should be applied to correct/improve on the examples.

Learning Fractions: Redefinition: Use a Fractions App instead (here’s a handful of examples for iOS devices).

Phys Ed, Learning to Hit a Baseball Well: Redefinition: Students watch video examples and practice the techniques, then the coach/teacher videos them hitting balls and provides feedback about their technique.

 

We Work Together, But Test Alone

I am currently enrolled in a combined technology certifications course. Upon completion of a number of certification-targeted classroom instruction hours and after taking multiple practice tests, we, isolated from any and all digital and human resources (even our wallets and purses are not allowed), are subjected to an intense, time-regulated multiple choice test for each certification. To be fair, the tests include a few "simulations" which are little more than drag and drop exercises. The test questions are determined by the certification authority, proctored by an employee of the instructional organization, and administered remotely by Pearson VUE.

Two points:

• technology certification instruction. Think about that for a minute then visualize a standard 1980's classroom configuration. Add a computer on each desk. The instructor's desk is to the right front of the room so as not to block the information being projected from the overhead projector onto the screen at the front of the room. For the most part the instructor projects and reads from the certification authority's text interrupting only to address questions that are thankfully allowed at any point. Students may observe what is being read on the screen at the front of the room or follow along on their personal computers. The text does contain many reinforcing graphical representations. Periodically within the test are computer-based practical exercises that attempt to replicate the real thing using an artificial user interface that in itself requires familiarization. Infrequently (two in a two-month period) a half-day "lab" is conducted. The labs represent limited reality, e.g., setting up a network switch that is not connected to a network. Somehow what we've learned in the past 30 years about pedagogies, instructional technologies, and integrating technology into classrooms and curriculums have bypassed the exulted organizations that control technology certifications and those that instruct toward certification achievement.


• isolated from any and all digital and human resources. The work world is all about sharing, communicating, and collaborating. In a very long and varied career, I have only experienced one job wherein I was unable to correspond with or seek help from others in a timely manner. It was when I was a high school teacher. Not that help wasn't available overtime, just when most needed. Anyway, for the most part, the work world now expects, even demands, teamwork. Recently I read an article that in a sentence capsulized the way work success has evolved. "We all know who invented the light bulb but who invented the iPhone?" Yet we continue to test knowledge in isolation rather than performance within a group. The future lies in developing and administering team performance tests that also measure individual knowledge and collaborative acuity.

Resume Bombs

This blog at Curmugucation (Peter Greene) is aimed at the Common Core in education but as well applies to many fields.