Comments on: Pardon the Interruption http://www.teach42.com/2005/09/19/pardon-the-interruption/ Education and Technology by Steve Dembo Tue, 07 Oct 2008 01:03:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Printer Inkjet Printer http://www.teach42.com/2005/09/19/pardon-the-interruption/#comment-106193 Printer Inkjet Printer Fri, 08 Feb 2008 22:19:18 +0000 http://www.teach42.com/?p=383#comment-106193 <strong>Laser printer or inkjet printer – Which one would you go for...</strong> "Laser printer or inkjet printer" this is something which must be rolling in your mind if you're thinking of buying a printer. Buying a printer to a great extent depends on the type of work you would like to do on the printer.... Laser printer or inkjet printer – Which one would you go for…

“Laser printer or inkjet printer” this is something which must be rolling in your mind if you’re thinking of buying a printer. Buying a printer to a great extent depends on the type of work you would like to do on the printer….

]]> By: Jack MacLeod http://www.teach42.com/2005/09/19/pardon-the-interruption/#comment-26604 Jack MacLeod Sat, 01 Oct 2005 21:57:38 +0000 http://www.teach42.com/?p=383#comment-26604 <strong>Podcasting at Park View</strong> Podcasting at Park View

]]> By: Rachel http://www.teach42.com/2005/09/19/pardon-the-interruption/#comment-26010 Rachel Mon, 26 Sep 2005 23:42:58 +0000 http://www.teach42.com/?p=383#comment-26010 Hi Steve I'd be breaking out in a cold sweat by now :-)It's our holidays right now & i promised my family to put away may laptop 4 a week... That's ok got another week to go - i hope the sun will be shining next week! Our schools in NZ may not realise how lucky we are when i read some of the stories about access & infrastructure coming from some US blogs i am reading. There has been a huge investment in ICT in our schools in recent years. All K1-12 teachers get laptops for about $3USD perweek (usually the school pays for this). Free MS software (govt.pays licences). Assistence to upgrade network infrastructure for schools that are not networked. Access to high speed Internet for all schools (some of my schools are so rural & remote they have to have satellite that is hugely expensive and .... again paid 4 by the govt) Free student admin. software & the training to go with it, free content & filtering through a choice of managed internet systems. + loads of Professional Development for teachers so they can make the most of the great opportunities that have literally been handed to them on a plate. I sometimes wonder about the agenda of the government - trying to keep NZ competitive in a global marketplace but the cutting edge for me is the difference it can make for our kids in the classroom. I wish it was like this when i was at school! I hope you have some control over access to resources at your school Steve - I'd be a bit worried myself if i was waiting for administration to 'get round to it'. Hi Steve
I’d be breaking out in a cold sweat by now :-)It’s our holidays right now & i promised my family to put away may laptop 4 a week… That’s ok got another week to go - i hope the sun will be shining next week! Our schools in NZ may not realise how lucky we are when i read some of the stories about access & infrastructure coming from some US blogs i am reading. There has been a huge investment in ICT in our schools in recent years. All K1-12 teachers get laptops for about $3USD perweek (usually the school pays for this). Free MS software (govt.pays licences). Assistence to upgrade network infrastructure for schools that are not networked. Access to high speed Internet for all schools (some of my schools are so rural & remote they have to have satellite that is hugely expensive and …. again paid 4 by the govt) Free student admin. software & the training to go with it, free content & filtering through a choice of managed internet systems. + loads of Professional Development for teachers so they can make the most of the great opportunities that have literally been handed to them on a plate. I sometimes wonder about the agenda of the government - trying to keep NZ competitive in a global marketplace but the cutting edge for me is the difference it can make for our kids in the classroom. I wish it was like this when i was at school!
I hope you have some control over access to resources at your school Steve - I’d be a bit worried myself if i was waiting for administration to ‘get round to it’.

]]> By: Terry http://www.teach42.com/2005/09/19/pardon-the-interruption/#comment-25566 Terry Fri, 23 Sep 2005 02:37:11 +0000 http://www.teach42.com/?p=383#comment-25566 You have yr priorities right, but if you cut out sleep you wouldn't NEED to prioritise! You have yr priorities right, but if you cut out sleep you wouldn’t NEED to prioritise!

]]> By: Naomi http://www.teach42.com/2005/09/19/pardon-the-interruption/#comment-25490 Naomi Thu, 22 Sep 2005 13:53:19 +0000 http://www.teach42.com/?p=383#comment-25490 Great response! It's understandable that frustrations and venting get in the way of great blogging. I stumbled across your blogs a few months back and enjoy reading them. They inspire me. Your latest one had me worried, so I found myself compelled to write a response. I should have figured out that you already found alternative solutions to get you through the "start up" problems, based on what I previously read in your blogs. I'm not as hooked on the internet yet and am a relative newcomer to the internet, blogging, etc, for technical reasons that should have been aparent from my last response, so I suppose I look at your problems with a different eye. I'm anxious to hear how the start up progresses. Please keep us all updated as you find the time! As long as one's home life is healthy and vibrant, one can survive and handle any difficult situation thrown in one's path. It's wonderful that your spouse is so supportive. I'm sure it makes things easier, and it's clear how much she supports you when she even finds it important enough to comment on your blogs! How wonderful! Great response! It’s understandable that frustrations and venting get in the way of great blogging. I stumbled across your blogs a few months back and enjoy reading them. They inspire me. Your latest one had me worried, so I found myself compelled to write a response. I should have figured out that you already found alternative solutions to get you through the “start up” problems, based on what I previously read in your blogs. I’m not as hooked on the internet yet and am a relative newcomer to the internet, blogging, etc, for technical reasons that should have been aparent from my last response, so I suppose I look at your problems with a different eye. I’m anxious to hear how the start up progresses. Please keep us all updated as you find the time!

As long as one’s home life is healthy and vibrant, one can survive and handle any difficult situation thrown in one’s path. It’s wonderful that your spouse is so supportive. I’m sure it makes things easier, and it’s clear how much she supports you when she even finds it important enough to comment on your blogs! How wonderful!

]]> By: Eric http://www.teach42.com/2005/09/19/pardon-the-interruption/#comment-25428 Eric Thu, 22 Sep 2005 02:55:10 +0000 http://www.teach42.com/?p=383#comment-25428 Steve I'll keep checking in and when you get another podcast up great, until then good luck with all the other things happening and keeping a balance. You are one of the reasons I started my own podcast! Thanks and keep doing the great job you are doing. Steve

I’ll keep checking in and when you get another podcast up great, until then good luck with all the other things happening and keeping a balance. You are one of the reasons I started my own podcast! Thanks and keep doing the great job you are doing.

]]> By: Steve http://www.teach42.com/2005/09/19/pardon-the-interruption/#comment-25417 Steve Thu, 22 Sep 2005 01:52:13 +0000 http://www.teach42.com/?p=383#comment-25417 My point was not to complain and if that's the way it came off, well obviously I didn't do a very good job of blogging. It's simply the reality of a new school that things are slow to start up. If this were going to be a year long problem, then I would definitely be working actively to find a way around it. I actually did bring in my laptop, but my room does not get the wireless signal that I set up. I brought in my inkjet printer, but without internet I found it just sitting there unused. Yes, there are still things I could possibly do with it, but lack of internet really takes away the vast majority of the ability to do things in the spur of the moment. I do plenty of work from home and print things out to take to school, which is all the workaround I need right now. You say "You can overcome this!" as though what I wrote about was something to overcome! It isn't. It's simply where things are at right now. That's not a bad thing nor a good thing, it just is. As you say, I'm focusing on the large picture which is teaching and making sure that I maintain a healthy personal life as well. I do what I can, keeping the priority on the classroom. I don't need the internet to teach. However, having access to the internet opens up a world of opportunties. I woulc go so far as to say I would rather have an internet connection than ANY other software on a computer. Is it necessary? Nope! But I am eagerly waiting for my room to be hooked up. Thanks for caring enough to tell me to get over it though! :) My point was not to complain and if that’s the way it came off, well obviously I didn’t do a very good job of blogging. It’s simply the reality of a new school that things are slow to start up. If this were going to be a year long problem, then I would definitely be working actively to find a way around it. I actually did bring in my laptop, but my room does not get the wireless signal that I set up. I brought in my inkjet printer, but without internet I found it just sitting there unused. Yes, there are still things I could possibly do with it, but lack of internet really takes away the vast majority of the ability to do things in the spur of the moment. I do plenty of work from home and print things out to take to school, which is all the workaround I need right now.

You say “You can overcome this!” as though what I wrote about was something to overcome! It isn’t. It’s simply where things are at right now. That’s not a bad thing nor a good thing, it just is. As you say, I’m focusing on the large picture which is teaching and making sure that I maintain a healthy personal life as well. I do what I can, keeping the priority on the classroom.

I don’t need the internet to teach. However, having access to the internet opens up a world of opportunties. I woulc go so far as to say I would rather have an internet connection than ANY other software on a computer. Is it necessary? Nope! But I am eagerly waiting for my room to be hooked up.

Thanks for caring enough to tell me to get over it though! :)

]]> By: Tom http://www.teach42.com/2005/09/19/pardon-the-interruption/#comment-25405 Tom Thu, 22 Sep 2005 01:01:22 +0000 http://www.teach42.com/?p=383#comment-25405 I know the feeling. I find it hard to justify blogging or spending a lot of time on the computer at this point. In my old job I had huge empty gaps during the day with high speed access and blogging was easy. Now there is little to no time at work even if I show up early and time at home is running short with remodeling, a two year old and a new baby due this November. I do miss the connections and due to a new night job (not too taxing and with wi-fi) I'm starting to catch up on reading blogs at least. Figured I'd let you know I still check your blog and look forward to hearing from you more when you've got the time. It also sounds like you've got a great wife and it is cool she reads your blog and posts comments. I know the feeling. I find it hard to justify blogging or spending a lot of time on the computer at this point. In my old job I had huge empty gaps during the day with high speed access and blogging was easy. Now there is little to no time at work even if I show up early and time at home is running short with remodeling, a two year old and a new baby due this November. I do miss the connections and due to a new night job (not too taxing and with wi-fi) I’m starting to catch up on reading blogs at least.

Figured I’d let you know I still check your blog and look forward to hearing from you more when you’ve got the time. It also sounds like you’ve got a great wife and it is cool she reads your blog and posts comments.

]]> By: Naomi http://www.teach42.com/2005/09/19/pardon-the-interruption/#comment-25388 Naomi Wed, 21 Sep 2005 21:23:56 +0000 http://www.teach42.com/?p=383#comment-25388 Steve, Instead of complaining about the problem, find a way around it. If the world were to lose computers, what would you do to teach? If the computers are down (or nonexistent) at school, prepare at home. Why can't you take your personal computer to school? You already have a router at school that works there. You think outside the box in all your blogs, yet can't seem to overcome a problem that some of us face each and every day at our schools. We all have problems unique to our envirnoment, location, boss, school district, administration (or lack thereof), whatever, yet those of us (like you) who are in this field for the kids find a way to look beyond the problems to the smiling faces of the students. You seem creative enough. Don't lose the large picture by focusing on the small. You can overcome this! Steve, Instead of complaining about the problem, find a way around it. If the world were to lose computers, what would you do to teach? If the computers are down (or nonexistent) at school, prepare at home. Why can’t you take your personal computer to school? You already have a router at school that works there. You think outside the box in all your blogs, yet can’t seem to overcome a problem that some of us face each and every day at our schools. We all have problems unique to our envirnoment, location, boss, school district, administration (or lack thereof), whatever, yet those of us (like you) who are in this field for the kids find a way to look beyond the problems to the smiling faces of the students. You seem creative enough. Don’t lose the large picture by focusing on the small. You can overcome this!

]]> By: The Wife http://www.teach42.com/2005/09/19/pardon-the-interruption/#comment-25220 The Wife Tue, 20 Sep 2005 16:58:48 +0000 http://www.teach42.com/?p=383#comment-25220 Steve, As I have seen responses from others saying how you have your priorities right, I just wanted them to hear from me as well. Although it has been a rough start to a school year, you have been above and beyond a wonderful and caring husband a few staggles aside. No matter how tough a day either of us have, we know that we can come home and be together. The Wife Steve,
As I have seen responses from others saying how you have your priorities right, I just wanted them to hear from me as well. Although it has been a rough start to a school year, you have been above and beyond a wonderful and caring husband a few staggles aside. No matter how tough a day either of us have, we know that we can come home and be together.

The Wife

]]> By: Jack MacLeod http://www.teach42.com/2005/09/19/pardon-the-interruption/#comment-25218 Jack MacLeod Tue, 20 Sep 2005 15:21:06 +0000 http://www.teach42.com/?p=383#comment-25218 Steve, you have your priorities straight man. The wife has to come before blogging and podcasting. It's hard to believe that how much we've come to rely on access to the net. When I started teaching 10 years ago, we were one of the few schools with access and I could have given or taken it on any day. Now, I'd be up the proverbial creek if I wasn't connected. If only I could get my feet under me so I could start blogging again. Jack Steve, you have your priorities straight man. The wife has to come before blogging and podcasting. It’s hard to believe that how much we’ve come to rely on access to the net. When I started teaching 10 years ago, we were one of the few schools with access and I could have given or taken it on any day. Now, I’d be up the proverbial creek if I wasn’t connected.

If only I could get my feet under me so I could start blogging again.

Jack

]]> By: Bud Hunt http://www.teach42.com/2005/09/19/pardon-the-interruption/#comment-25214 Bud Hunt Tue, 20 Sep 2005 12:05:55 +0000 http://www.teach42.com/?p=383#comment-25214 No worries, Steve. I'm curious to hear more about your school -- but I certainly agree that you should be spending time with family and taking a break from work. It's funny how dependent we've become on the networks of information in our lives, isn't it? I miss my regular update on your teaching world, but I'm happy to wait a little longer. All the best to you, Bud No worries, Steve. I’m curious to hear more about your school — but I certainly agree that you should be spending time with family and taking a break from work. It’s funny how dependent we’ve become on the networks of information in our lives, isn’t it? I miss my regular update on your teaching world, but I’m happy to wait a little longer.
All the best to you,

Bud

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