http://shawnwheeler.name/blog Educating today’s students for tomorrow. Thu, 08 Apr 2010 04:28:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en ©Shawn Wheeler swheeler@3wheeler.com (Shawn Wheeler) swheeler@3wheeler.com(Shawn Wheeler) 1440 Education, Podcasting, Podcast, EdTech, K12, Technology Educating todayrsquo;s students for tomorrow. Shawn Wheeler Shawn Wheeler swheeler@3wheeler.com No clean http://www.shawnwheeler.name/website/images/ShawnWheeler144.jpg http://shawnwheeler.name/blog 144 144 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=164 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=164#comments Thu, 08 Apr 2010 04:28:24 +0000 swheeler http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=164 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?feed=rss2&p=164 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=162 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=162#comments Sat, 03 Apr 2010 16:01:49 +0000 swheeler http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=162 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?feed=rss2&p=162 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=161 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=161#comments Sun, 24 Jan 2010 04:13:00 +0000 swheeler http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=161 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?feed=rss2&p=161 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=160 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=160#comments Sun, 24 Jan 2010 00:23:06 +0000 swheeler http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=160 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?feed=rss2&p=160 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=157 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=157#comments Sun, 09 Aug 2009 18:35:37 +0000 swheeler http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=157 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?feed=rss2&p=157 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=156 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=156#comments Tue, 04 Aug 2009 19:03:12 +0000 swheeler http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=156 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?feed=rss2&p=156 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=155 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=155#comments Mon, 23 Mar 2009 05:45:24 +0000 swheeler http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=155 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?feed=rss2&p=155 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=154 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=154#comments Sat, 25 Oct 2008 19:54:09 +0000 swheeler http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=154 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?feed=rss2&p=154 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=147 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=147#comments Mon, 28 Jul 2008 01:14:04 +0000 swheeler http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=147 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?feed=rss2&p=147 9:23 This is a follow-up post to Upgrading to Windows Vista Twenty-three days ago I put a new hard drive in my laptop and loaded a clean ... This is a follow-up post to Upgrading to Windows Vista Twenty-three days ago I put a new hard drive in my laptop and loaded a clean copy of Windows Vista Business Edition. I still don't see what people have been complaining about. Yeah, it has a couple of things that are a bit different but nothing to make me lose sleep. I do realize by the time I sit down to create this post Windows Vista has been out for over a year but I didn't run out to watch ET either. So let me set the stage for you. I have had a copy of Windows Vista for a number of months and I did make an effort to use it 6 months ago. However, I discovered my 5-year old Sony didn't have the horse power in the video card and I really didn't feel like shelling out any money to upgrade. What can I say... I am cheap. Now, with the Vista OS loaded on my laptop and 23-days under my belt, I am ready to share what I have learned so far. I will also share with you what a good friend of mine does and does not like about Vista. In some cases, I agree while in others I have to refute his complaints because I either like the change or find it to be less than significant. Let's start with what I like. Gadgets - My first thought when I looked at the Gadgets was... "Gee, isn't that cute, Mac like and for the most part useless." After 23 days and looking at the several hundred Gadgets posted on the Microsoft site, I can say that I have found a few that I find useful. Yeah, there are some on that site that are useless too! I have been a SnagIt user for years. In fact, it is the second application I install on my machine right after Office. I was very pleased to stumble on the Screen Snaper Gadget. This has the basic functions of SnagIt without the out of pocket cost. The Gadget allows me to snap a screen capture of the Desktop, Window or Region and I can put the screen snap to in the clipboard or save it as an image. While I am not willing to give up SnagIt as it has a functions that Screen Snaper doesn't, it has proven handy on several occasions in the past 23 days and it has a home on my Gadget bar. Dealing with multiple servers throughout the day, I have maintained a folder in my Quick Start Menu for years with Remote Desktop setting to the various servers I need to work on. I found a Remote Desktop Gadget that really fits my needs. I had a way to deal with remote machines in XP and that method easily transferred to Vista, I have to say I like this Gadget and it saves me a few clicks. Gee, I must be getting really lazy... But clicks are clicks and fewer clicks equal time saved. As an avid Podcaster and Blogger, an RSS feed Gadget is a no brainer. However, I didn't like the one that came preloaded with Vista, I did find several others that I like better. These are more about personal taste than functionality. If you are running Vista and want an RSS Gadget, try them out until you find one that fits. The other Gadget I just love is Remove Drive Safely. It allows me to choose what USB drive I want to release from the computer. Yes, I could do that without the Gadget but... I never did, I would just pull them out of the machine. I know... Shame on me. Now, I have no excuse not to do it the correct way! With all of that said, I did remove the analog clock, there is a digital clock in the task tray that works fine and I have an analog clock on my wrist. Then, there is the picture rotator. It was cute and I left it on the screen for several days. Much to my surprise, it was more of a distraction so I removed it. What can I say... I am getting more ADD by the minute. What was I talking about? :) Search Rocks - For years I have labored to find files, music, etc... I was so excited the first time I installed Windows Desktop Search on my XP box as it allowed me to find files I had been looking for and do it quickly. Vista HAD the same or similar cool tool called Instant Search. However, it was hidden in Vista with the releas Education,Technology,,General,Technology,,Web,2.0 Shawn Wheeler no No http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=146 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=146#comments Sat, 05 Jul 2008 18:14:52 +0000 swheeler http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=146 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?feed=rss2&p=146 3:32 Have you looked at a student trying to carry their backpack home lately?nbsp; Some of our children are walking home with backpacks as large as ... Have you looked at a student trying to carry their backpack home lately?nbsp; Some of our children are walking home with backpacks as large as they are, while others drag small-wheeled suitcases behind them.nbsp; Either way, children are dragging home hundreds dollars worth of textbooks to say nothing of the weight.Is there a technology out there to help this age-old problem? Last Christmas Amazon.com unveiled the Kindle.nbsp; Like you, I read about it, listened to the news reports and wished I had 400 bucks burning a hole in my wallet.nbsp; Six months later, the Kindle has dropped to $359.00 so I could buy it and a couple books if I only had 400 bucks I didn't need for gas!nbsp; Stay with me as I really do have a point. A few months back my boss sent me an email with a link to an article that discussed a bill which would allow traditional textbooks to be replaced with a digital version. nbsp;The money normally allocated toward textbooks would be used to purchase computers.nbsp; I read the article and responded to the email with a link to the Kindle and a statement that the device could be considered as a mobile textbook platform once the textbook companies get on board.nbsp; What I meant to say is when the textbook companies figure out they would be better off working with technology rather than fighting it. Think about it... we send our students home each day with more money in textbooks than the Kindle cost and we are stuck with these books for five to ten years.nbsp; That is great if you are studying something that never changes like the number of planets in our solar system or the fact that Yugoslavia is the country east of Italy. #60;Smile#62; If we were to use the Kindle, our students could access the most up-to-date material about a given topic.nbsp; Textbook publishers could sell their digital textbooks based on a subscription model which would allow them a steady flow of revenue and school districts could use the millions of dollars spent on aging text books on other educational enhancements.nbsp;nbsp; Yes, some of those enhancements would include refreshing technology tools at the end of their life span. I also had this conversation with another friend I used to work with.nbsp; He told me it wasn't a bad idea but it would be better if the Kindle had more computer type functions. nbsp;I thought about this for a moment but retreated back to my initial opinion. nbsp;Having been heavily involved in several laptop deployments, I am acutely aware of the technical issues with deploying wireless laptops in a school environment, as well as the requirements for professional development to fully utilize the computer.nbsp; Beyond those issues, they are still expensive.nbsp; Oh and they are bit heavy, fragile, and have you purchased a replacement battery? Two days ago, I tripped over the article Digital college textbooks which discusses how Princeton University will begin publishing Kindle-edition textbooks.nbsp; The article goes on to state Yale, Oxford and the University of California are also planning to use the Kindle.nbsp; I would imagine like the iPod and iTunes University, the Kindle will also be a success and in time, we will see the Kindle make its way into our K-12 classrooms.nbsp; Of course, after reading that article, I sent the link to several of my colleagues.nbsp; A few hours later, I received a link to the article Textbook Piracy Grows Online, Prompting a Counterattack from Publishers.nbsp; I found this article reminiscent of the many RIAA articles I have read over the past several years.nbsp; What strikes me is these companies seem to be putting more resources into fighting these digital copies rather than working to embrace the concept of digital copies of their books.nbsp; While there will always be those individuals who will cheat the system regardless of cost, I believe the majority of people are honest and would rather pay for an affordable legal copy of the textbook required for their ... Education,Technology,,General,Technology,,Web,2.0 Shawn Wheeler clean No http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=137 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=137#comments Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:18:33 +0000 swheeler http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=137 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?feed=rss2&p=137 2:45 This may be the first of several posts on my upgrade to Windows Vista.nbsp; If memory and the internet serve me correctly, Vista shipped in ... This may be the first of several posts on my upgrade to Windows Vista.nbsp; If memory and the internet serve me correctly, Vista shipped in January of 2007 and for various reasons I have not upgraded my home or work machine. However, one thing is for certain, the endless complaining I have heard about Windows Vista didn't stop me from upgrading. While I don't intend to take us down memory lane of all the complaints I have heard over the past year, I do have to point out that many people I have spoken to voiced concern over Vista. In fact, they spoke about the OS as if it were a dark plague covering the land. nbsp;Ironically, none of them owned a machine with Vista nor had they upgraded their machine.nbsp; Funny how perception can become reality. I am not new to upgrading the OS on my computers.nbsp; As a rookie computer teacher 15 years ago, the first task I took on in my lab was to update the OS on my Macintosh Classic II lab to OS 7.1.nbsp; Acting on the advice of a veteran teacher, I chose to do a clean install of the OS rather than upgrading the older version.nbsp; This began my long relationship with formatting hard drives and installing Operating Systems. Years later, my job sent me back to the PC.nbsp; Rather than upgrading my 386 Windows 3.1 machine, I bought a new Pentium with Windows 95.nbsp; When Windows 98 made it to the market, I booted to DOS formatted the C drive and installed Windows 98.nbsp; Next, as you may recall, Window Me hit the market and this is where I become a minority.nbsp; I loved Window Me.nbsp; I would rave about how well it worked for me while others endlessly complained about trouble they had with their computer after the upgrade.nbsp; Of course, I would always ask the same question, did you do a clean install?nbsp; Of course, they would always said the same thing... Nope, we upgraded from Windows 98 and have had nothing but trouble.nbsp; Are you seeing a pattern here? Let's fast forward to late June 2008.nbsp; I came back from vacation and put a new hard drive in my laptop and started to install Vista.nbsp; Now, to be honest, I had a moment of weakness when I considered upgrading the factory HP install of Windows XP.nbsp; I even ran the upgrade to the point it told me I need to remove a few drivers and locate the Vista version.nbsp; It was about that time the RED flag shot up the pole and I remembered the value of a clean install.nbsp; With that in mind, I booted back to XP and began downloading all the required drivers and some of the cool tools for my laptop from HP.nbsp; Once I had these downloaded and safely placed on an external hard drive, the upgrade began. It is now July 3 and I have ALL the software loaded on this machine required to do the job.nbsp; Let the testing begin.nbsp; Over the next several weeks I will be using this machine with Vista on a day-to-day basis.nbsp; I really have no intention of going back to XP and during this same timeframe. I will share my likes and dislike of Vista.nbsp; I can say so far, I can't figure out what people have been complaining about. More to come...nbsp; Stay tuned. #160; nbsp; nbsp; nbsp; #160; #160; #160; #160; #160; #160; Education,Technology,,General,Technology Shawn Wheeler no No http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=136 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=136#comments Sun, 20 Apr 2008 20:02:28 +0000 swheeler http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=136 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?feed=rss2&p=136 5:09 Timing is everythinghellip; so I am told.nbsp; Nonetheless, I found myself in a discussion this week about televisions in the classroom.nbsp; While I long for ... Timing is everythinghellip; so I am told.nbsp; Nonetheless, I found myself in a discussion this week about televisions in the classroom.nbsp; While I long for the tinny sound of the 4-watt speaker and the chugging of the 16mm projector in the back of the room, todayrsquo;s students, teachers and parents demand better video.nbsp; Not just better video, but short, targeted clips.nbsp; VHS tape?nbsp; Out of the question.nbsp; DVD?nbsp; Please that is so last century.nbsp; So where do we go?nbsp;nbsp; nbsp; nbsp; Ironically, this week also gave me an opportunity to look at a product we own along with its cousins, Safari Montage. Simply stated, it rocks, but I will come back to Safari Montage in a bit.nbsp; For the past 10 years our classrooms have seen the data projector enter at an increasing rate and for good reasonhellip;nbsp; 19, 27 even 36 inch televisions donrsquo;t work well when trying to view a video in the classroom.nbsp; If you want to view content from a computer on the TVhellip; forget about it. The data projector really is the best option. The challenge for Technology Educators is what do we do with existing and new schools?nbsp; How do we deliver video content to all the classrooms?nbsp; How do we deliver off-air content to all the classrooms?nbsp; How do we deliver the popular student announcements to all the classrooms?nbsp; How do we upgrade our closed-circuit TV systems and affordably replace our aging and soon to be obsolete analog TVrsquo;s.nbsp; Enough challenges, it gets better!nbsp; What about all those videos with copyright licencing, which does not permit them to be viewed over a closed-circuit system?nbsp; Do we buy DVD players to accompany the TV?nbsp; Wait, we still need to be able to show computer content which leads us back to the data projector. nbsp;OK, we have the solutionhellip; The data projector right?nbsp; What about all those questions?nbsp; If we put data projectors in the classrooms, we can solve all of those questions through technology. The technology comes from Safari Video Networks. nbsp;One of my favorite tools from this company is the Safari Montage server which comes in two flavors, the LAN server which works on your schoolrsquo;s private network.nbsp; Thatrsquo;s right, the video is not coming over the internet.nbsp; The other flavor is the WAN server which is similar to the LAN server but it is designed to serve your entire district over the districtrsquo;s private network.nbsp; Of course, this product requires very high-speed, dedicated network.nbsp; I am fortunate enough to work in a district, which will soon be lighting up our own private fiber-optic network, (enough bragging!). Back to the Montagehellip; This machine comes equipped with 1000 searchable titles by subject, grade and state standard.nbsp; They are also chaptered and segmented down to specific topics.nbsp; See K ndash; 8 titles here.nbsp; See 9 ndash; 12 titles here.nbsp; See K-12 titles here. Why is this so cool?nbsp; Pleasehellip; This is content on demand delivered to the computer in your classroom when you want and need it!nbsp; The best part is the time you will gain by using Safari Montage.nbsp; No longer will you have to burn 30 or 40 minutes of your class playing the full video when you only need your students to view two minutes.nbsp; If that is not cool enough, you can create play lists.nbsp; If you need to show your students 4 different video clips from three different videos, not a problem.nbsp; Create a play list for that lesson.nbsp;nbsp; You can even share it with your fellow teachers. nbsp; Donrsquo;t go out and try to buy this just yet.nbsp;nbsp; You can also get this server equipped with Creation Station, which allows you to upload your own content.nbsp; Imagine your students creating their own content to teach their classmates a concept.nbsp; What about recording the staff development workshops in your school to be used for remediation or with new teachers... Education,Technology,,General,Technology Shawn Wheeler no No http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=130 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=130#comments Mon, 07 Apr 2008 05:09:10 +0000 swheeler http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=130 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?feed=rss2&p=130 4:23 Disclaimer For those who know me the sarcasm of this post will bleed through, however, there is some truth and a valid reason to consider what ... Disclaimer For those who know me the sarcasm of this post will bleed through, however, there is some truth and a valid reason to consider what you are about to read. A few weeks back, I posted What should Microsoft say to Open Office apps? This weekend I learned of PortableApps.com and all the portable applications I can run from my flash drive. As I explored the many software applications on this web site, my mind kept going back to the multiple conversations I have with other technology educators concerning funding and the cost of keeping mainstream applications available to our students. I am a huge fan of Microsoft Office 2007 and several versions which came before, but I also realize our schools require more funding and much of the technology we enjoy in our schools was added without additional monies. In a nut shell, the money we are using for technology used to pay for something else. Keeping with that line of thought, we as technology educators are demanding more technology in the classroom and resources from the network. With a downturn in the economy we are faced with the challenge of increasing the use of technology with less and less funding. (Remember there is no whining in Education Technology!) Here comes the sarcasm but... it could work. PortableApps.com offers all the productivity tools we require e.g. word processing, spreadsheets, database, presentation software, email client, calendar, web browser, plus a few additional applications for power users. These applications are free, however, they need to be run from a flash drive. Enter the first cost but this cost is cheap. We can buy an 8 gigabyte flash drive from Amazon for 40 dollars. Now, we have productivity applications and storage for 40 bucks a person. Email seems to be a lifeline for most educators and Google is now giving that away. (Read more here.) With the addition of Gmail, staff and students have the option to use the browser to check their email or the Thunderbird client built into the Portable Application Suite. They also have the option to use Google Docs or the Portable Application Suite so they always have access to their files. Not bad and we are still only out 40 bucks per person. What about the desktop computer? While it is true we could get rid of Windows all together for a flavor of Linux, many school districts own the version of Windows the machine came with and the Portable Application Suite requires Windows. As you can see, there is no reason to toss the baby out with the bath water, but we do need to keep the machines usable with limited technical support. In most cases, the IT shop can lock the machine down so you and I can't install software. They could spend a few more dollars on a product like Deep Freeze, which allows a person to install software, however, once the system is rebooted, the machine returns to its original state. (Microsoft makes a product that does this but the name has slipped my mind.) What about server storage for personal files? Not to worry, each person has an 8 gigabyte flash drive and if they need more, they can visit their favorite computer store. What about backing up the users data? Again not to worry, there is a backup utility built into the Portable Application Suite. All the user has to do is point it to a location for the file to live, I recommend another flash drive. If there are users who wish to work in a collaborative environment, they can use Google Docs. Those wishing to have a web site can use one of the many difference free tools, including the the Google web page tool and if they want a blog, Google can do that too or they can use one of the many other free blogging tools. Of course, there are a number of different Wiki tools freely available which could be used to collaborate and save the school district money. The last item that comes to mind, should every person in the environment be required to use these tools or just ldquo;somerdquo; people be allowed to use the m... Education,Technology,,General,Technology Shawn Wheeler no No http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=128 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=128#comments Mon, 07 Apr 2008 05:05:08 +0000 swheeler http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=128 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?feed=rss2&p=128 3:06 All you have to do is lose your favorites once and you will fall for Del.icio.us on line bookmarks. Coupled with anytime and any computer ... All you have to do is lose your favorites once and you will fall for Del.icio.us on line bookmarks. Coupled with anytime and any computer access to your favorites and the ability to hookup with other like minded folks you have a killer application! So why am I so excited about this killer application today? My friend John Evans shared with me a link, (via Del.icio.us), to a blog post talking about one of my favorite pieces of software... Audacity! Only this post had some very cool news! Did you know that you can now download a portable version of Audacity? In English that means you can drop this software onto your flashdrive or a CD Rom and run Audacity from the CD or the Flashdrive. Think about how cool that would be for the person putting on a podcasting workshop. I can tell you from past experience getting Audacity installed correctly for a workshop is not always fun. Oh, and it gets better, if you put the Lame.dll file in the same folder with Portable Audacity, it will even export as an MP3. How cool is that! While I was somewhat enamored with this Portable version of Audacity, I began reading the rest of the web page. This is where my education began. As I looked more closely to the website http://portableapps.com/ I was blown away. According to their website, you can... Well, this is what the site says. Convenient Now you can carry your favorite computer programs along with all of your bookmarks, settings, email and more with you. Use them on any Windows computer. All without leaving any personal data behind. Open PortableApps.com provides a truly open platform that works with any hardware you like (USB flashdrive, iPod, portable hard drive, etc). It's open source built around an open format that any hardware vendor or software developer can use. Free The Portable Apps Suitetrade; is free. It contains no spyware. There are no advertisements. It isn't a limited or trial version. There is no additional hardware or software to buy. You don't even have to give out your email address. It's 100% free to use, free to copy and free to share. If that doesn't have your attention, look at the long list of other applications you can install into this suite. Applications Accessibility Firefox Accessibility Extension - Make Firefox more accessible On-Screen Keyboard Portable - Easily access an on-screen keyboard Virtual Magnifying Glass Portable - A full-featured screen magnifier Development Notepad++ Portable - A full-featured text editor with syntax highlighting Nvu Portable #38; KompoZer Portable - The easy-to-use Nvu web editor XAMPP - Apache, mySQL, PHP, phpMyAdmin, etc in one package Games DOSBox Portable - classic DOS games to go Jooleem Portable - simple and addictive puzzle game with great music and visuals Mines-Perfect Portable - a classic hunt-for-mines game with advanced features PokerTH Portable - classic Texas Hold Em style poker at its best Sudoku Portable - the wildly popular and addictive puzzle game Graphics #38; Pictures GIMP Portable - Photo and Image Editor Internet FileZilla Portable - the full-featured FTP client FireFTP Extension (for Firefox) - a lightweight extension Miranda IM Portable - chat with AOL, MSN and Yahoo users in a customizable interface Mozilla Firefox, Portable Edition - the award-winning web browser that's safe and secure Mozilla Thunderbird, Portable Edition - the handy email client Nvu Portable #38; KompoZer Portable - the easy-to-use webpage editor Pidgin Portable - chat with AOL, MSN and Yahoo users in an easy-to-use interface PuTTY Portable - lightweight telnet and SSH client Sage Extension (for Firefox) - A full-featured RSS extension WinSCP Portable - SFTP, FTP and SCP client Music #38; Video Audacity Portable - A simple audio editor and recorder MPlayer Portable - Full-featured movie pl Education,Technology,,General,Technology Shawn Wheeler no No http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=127 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=127#comments Tue, 18 Mar 2008 04:29:53 +0000 swheeler http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=127 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?feed=rss2&p=127 1:45 You donrsquo;t have to look far to find a copyright frustrated teacher these days.nbsp; In fact, you are reading the words from one now. Yesterday, ... You donrsquo;t have to look far to find a copyright frustrated teacher these days.nbsp; In fact, you are reading the words from one now. Yesterday, I discovered uStream.tv and I even went as far as using it to stream my podcast. Check out Adventures in Podcasting Episode 104 on http://www.ustream.tv/shawnwheeler. In all honesty, this wasnrsquo;t without its challenges but that is for another post. I did have what I thought was a cool idea. We have an Arts Festival in Peoria coming up in a few weeks. What if I put a Verizon WIFI card in my laptop and connect my video camera to the laptop? So far so good, right? Then, I would stream live from the Arts festival. Talk about cool, right! Then I mentioned this thought to my boss. He told me it sounded like a great idea, but I needed to be careful about copyright. Insert air leaving the balloon sound here! There still might be a way to pull this off. Time to start thinking just how I can get away with this. Education,Technology,,Web,2.0 Shawn Wheeler no No http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=122 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=122#comments Wed, 12 Mar 2008 07:41:36 +0000 swheeler http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=122 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?feed=rss2&p=122 2:58 I have never made much of an effort to hide the fact that I am a Microsoft ldquo;Fan Boyrdquo; and I didnrsquo;t even cringe as ... I have never made much of an effort to hide the fact that I am a Microsoft ldquo;Fan Boyrdquo; and I didnrsquo;t even cringe as I typed that statement. Letrsquo;s face it, anyone over 35 remembers the old days of computing when we had multiple operating systems running, what we then called, ldquo;productivity toolsrdquo;.nbsp; These early systems didnrsquo;t talk to each other, they were not friendly and when you upgraded, you often had the opportunity to start over.nbsp; To this day, I have files on floppy disk written on proprietary systems and the hardware is long gone.nbsp; Yes, I remember the good old days. With my own personal (and jaded) history of computers, I look at the current threats to Microsoft Office with a bit of a smile.nbsp; Why do I smile, because they are nothing more than copies of past versions of Office.nbsp; (Read The Biggest Kid in the School aka Big Companies for my first post on this topic.) Why on earth would anyone want an old knock off copy of Microsoft Office?nbsp; Simple, it is good enough.nbsp; As an educator, ldquo;good enoughrdquo; is not a statement I like to hear from my students.nbsp; However, when you are looking at shelling out several hundred dollars on an application for basic word processing and presentation, ldquo;good enoughrdquo; may really be good enough. Take a look at ldquo;good enoughrdquo;: middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Open Office middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Star Office middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Google Docs middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Think Free middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Symphony Knowing that Microsoft Office has a 90% or higher install base and the biggest competition to Microsoft Office is older versions of Office, what could Microsoft do to lesson competition from these knock off versions?nbsp; Lower the price on Office 2007?nbsp; No.nbsp; Better, market the reduced price of Office 2007 for students and teachers?nbsp; That would help.nbsp; Or, they could allow you and me to download older versions of Office without charge.nbsp; Thatrsquo;s right, they could give the older versions of software away! Why not, if knock offs of Office 97 and 2000 are ldquo;Good Enoughrdquo; why would anyone ever install a knock off if they could get the real thing for the same price.nbsp; Microsoft is no longer selling the old version and if a person were going to use a knock off, Microsoft would be better off if that person was using their older product.nbsp; You also need to consider parents who wish to buy a used computer for their children.nbsp; I would rather my child become proficient on a tool she is most likely to use in her future, even if it is two versions back! nbsp;Would this stop people from buying the most current version of Office?nbsp; In some cases maybe but my money is on the fact that many people want what is new while others want to enjoy the new features or in the case of Office 2007, the improved user interface. In closing, we also need to remember I am an educator, not a lawyer.nbsp; Would the D.O.J. consider this an unfair business practice?nbsp; Maybe, but I think making a copy or clone of an older version of Office and giving it away isnrsquo;t exactly fair either. Finally, I am not anti-open source.nbsp; However, it is tough to pay the mortgage when you give all your work away.nbsp; Like you, I have a day job too! Resources: middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; More To Life Than The Office middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Corel Wins Market Share from Microsoft Office middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Google Apps to Target Microsoft Office Market Share middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Microsoft Market Share and User Base middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; StarOffice Set to Challenge Microsoft's Office middot;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Why 2008 will be a bad y... Education,Technology,,General,Technology Shawn Wheeler clean No http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=119 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=119#comments Fri, 29 Feb 2008 23:59:36 +0000 swheeler http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=119 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?feed=rss2&p=119 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=118 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=118#comments Fri, 29 Feb 2008 23:57:47 +0000 swheeler http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=118 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?feed=rss2&p=118 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=117 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=117#comments Mon, 25 Feb 2008 03:39:29 +0000 swheeler http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=117 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?feed=rss2&p=117 15:40 Podcast 101 published Sunday February 24, 2008 describes some of the challenges and processes I went through with bringing Podcasting and RSS to the Peoria Unified School ... Podcast 101 published Sunday February 24, 2008 describes some of the challenges and processes I went through with bringing Podcasting and RSS to the Peoria Unified School District. In this episodehellip; PUSD Podcasting Updates (1:44) PUSD RSS Updates (0:00) RSS #38; Podcasting Tools (7:00) Other items worth mentioning.. (12:35) PUSD Podcasting Updates (1:44) Is Dr. Santarelli's seeing the value in Podcasting? What's Hot in PUSD - episode 3. http://applepodcast.peoriaud.k12.az.us/weblog/prhotpusd/2008/02/21/WhatsHotinPUSDEpisode3.html Living History in PUSD PUSD RSS Updates (0:00)nbsp; No new news. RSS #38; Podcasting Tools (7:00) PODCASTING: WHAT DOES IT TAKE?nbsp; http://www.in8-design.com/usdlc/usdlcnews-podcasting.html Find out on Tuesday, February 26, at 7 pm EST when you have an opportunity to meet with Bill Lovin, known as "North Carolina Schools' Videographer" since he's filmed documentaries in classrooms and schools for over twenty years and the founder of EstuaryLIVE, a live, interactive webcast field trip to coasts around the country. Bill is also the builder of the Bookhenge on NC State's Wolflands Island in Second Life. We will use the conferencing capabilities there to meet. Search for "NC State Wolflands" to find the island and head to the Bookhenge. You can't miss it.nbsp;nbsp; A Tony Vincent blog post titled "Advice for Better Podcasts" (http://learninginhand.com/blog/2008/02/advice-for-better-podcasts.html) discusses Matt Villano wrote Building a Better Podcast (http://thejournal.com/articles/21814_5 nbsp;) in January 2008's T.H.E. Journal.nbsp; "One podcast is neat and fun, a unique diversion," Sprankle says. "Do a bunch of podcasts and it becomes something the students look forward to." My apologies and Thank you to Peggy George. Episode 100 was not my first visit to http://www.poducateme.com.nbsp; I first saw it on Episode 70. http://portal.peoriaud.k12.az.us/personal/swheeler/Lists/Adventures%20in%20Pod%20Casting%20Journal/DispForm.aspx?ID=94#38;Source=http%3A%2F%2Fportal%2Epeoriaud%2Ek12%2Eaz%2Eus%2Fpersonal%2Fswheeler%2FMy%2520Pages%2FAdventures%2520In%2520PodCasting%2Easpx.nbsp; Still a good site even if my mind is slipping! Other items worth mentioning... (12:35) 7th Way out West (WOW) - May 3, 2008 conference is the final AzTEA conference of the year.nbsp; See this link for details. http://www.aztea.org/conferences.html Now for a little shameless self promotion! My new professional web site. http://www.shawnwheeler.name and my blogs new location http://www.shawnwheeler.name/blog Say it again with Podcasting, visit the presentation here. http://staffweb.peoriaud.k12.az.us/Shawn_Wheeler/AdventuresNPodCastingpresentation or on my personal web site at http://www.shawnwheeler.name/workshops/adventuresnpodcastingpresentation/ You can also visit "So you want to be a podcaster atnbsp; http://www.shawnwheeler.name/workshops/podcasting/ Adventures,in,Podcasting Shawn Wheeler clean No http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=115 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=115#comments Sun, 24 Feb 2008 05:34:23 +0000 swheeler http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=115 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?feed=rss2&p=115 0:47 Tonight I installed Podpress in my Wordpress blog.nbsp; Of course I had to test the plugin and what better file to use for a test ... Tonight I installed Podpress in my Wordpress blog.nbsp; Of course I had to test the plugin and what better file to use for a test than the introduction to my own Adventures in Podcasting podcast. Who knows, maybe I will move Adventures in Podcasting to a news site orhellip; I could start another podcast.nbsp; Stay tuned to see what is next. Podcasting Shawn Wheeler clean No http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=114 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=114#comments Mon, 18 Feb 2008 20:50:33 +0000 swheeler http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=114 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?feed=rss2&p=114 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=113 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=113#comments Mon, 18 Feb 2008 19:25:31 +0000 swheeler http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=113 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?feed=rss2&p=113 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=111 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=111#comments Mon, 18 Feb 2008 19:20:11 +0000 swheeler http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=111 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?feed=rss2&p=111 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=109 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=109#comments Tue, 08 Jan 2008 04:27:27 +0000 swheeler http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=109 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?feed=rss2&p=109 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=108 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=108#comments Sun, 06 Jan 2008 19:59:22 +0000 swheeler http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?p=108 http://shawnwheeler.name/blog/?feed=rss2&p=108