There's a love song performed by Michael Bublé and Nelly Furtado that I hadn't heard in a while until it miraculously started playing in my head this afternoon. Now I can get it out. It's a curious thing, really. Lost in the depths of our brains are memories, songs, skills, and dreams that occasionally pop back out - seemingly from of nowhere.
That particular song takes me back to the year I proposed to my wife. It was our first of ten years in California and we would listen to it, and many other tunes, in the car as we explored our new home in the East Bay. I hadn't taken Spanish in high school, a major regret, and I had only a semester's worth in college. Cuando was one of the words that had somehow found a place to latch into my brain. Perhaps because I knew I wanted to marry her and she didn't know when I'd ask. Cuando? When? ----- When is a word I have heard a lot recently. It is also a word I have thought about a lot recently. Until I started singing the duet aloud this afternoon, I had not realized how deeply I needed an answer to the question - or, rather, the questions. We are nearing the end of a long iPad deployment. The process has been one of tedium, excitement, and patience. I cannot begin to surmise the number of times I have heard some version of these statements. "When are we getting our iPads?" "When do you expect to deliver our iPads?" "When will the iPads be ready?" You get the idea. When is on our mind. At the same time I hear about the desire for more integration support as the devices are deployed, and the whens keep coming. "When will there be dedicated PD time for tech?" "When will be paid for the time we get trained?" "When will you be showing us ______?" When is, again, the major question. I hear you. I feel for you. I understand. At the same time I have my own when questions. Spending days seeking apps, developing projects, and preparing to be of service in your classroom leaves me wondering when. "When aren't we busy?" "When is an acceptable time to offer training and support?" "When can I work with your students?" It's an interesting and sometimes lonely bubble to be in as an integrationist. I am supported in my own space as a teacher, proud union member, unintentional IT help, curriculum designer, support provider, and I am under the direction of administration. Often times it's up to me to be assertive and make things happen. This is usually a good thing and has led to some amazing opportunities for our students, teachers, and district. Sometimes, I cross unknown and/or imaginary lines and cause folks to be upset (I've had my own union called on my desire to work with and support your tech needs). It leaves me wondering, just like you, when will the time be right if you don't make it right. ----- I proposed to my wife in Blue Rock Springs Park atop Peacock Hill. From the looks of things online, it appeared to be a very romantic place - overlooking San Pablo Bay, the Golden Gate barely visible to the west, Sonoma and Napa Valleys stretching to our North and East respectively. The sun would set over the hazy outline of San Francisco. We hiked up the large hill to try geocaching and enjoy the view. Instead of the romantic space I had envisioned, we found steep slippery slopes, rusty barbwire, skies so hazy we could barely discern the outline of the bay, and a plethora of cow pies. I nearly bailed on the idea of proposing in this place. We were tired, sweaty, and disappointed that we could not find the geocache. It was crunch time - and I chose to be assertive. I pretended that I had found the geocache, but really I had the ring box. Cuando? Right now, because this is important to me. The rest is history. ----- I see and hear my colleagues working tirelessly to support their student's learning. I see and hear IT working tirelessly to support our teachers as they support their student's learning. I see and hear curriculum exploring, planning, and providing materials and support for our teachers to support our student's learning. I see and hear administration planning, meeting, and doing their best to support teachers and students in learning. Everyone is so busy. But as an educator - that's all I've ever known. I cannot recall a time where things were just easy and unchanging. Was there a time when educators weren't busy? Truly. In a way, I hope not. When happens when we make it happen. When happens when we know it's in the best interests of our students. When will we collaborate, integrate, and innovate? Let's assert ourselves now and agree that when... is right now. The rest is the history we make together. For now, when will I get that song out of my head. Cuando?!?! ----- If you're curious... Here's the official geocaching log entry from the day I proposed.
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I learned something new this week. Setting up a class set of iPads is a tedious and laborious task. Having spent a few days giving Larry, our elementary IT guru, assistance preparing classroom sets of iPads, I discovered that each iPad requires twenty to twenty-five minutes apiece to prepare for classroom use. 20-25 minutes - at best! Let me explain. Boxes. Each iPad comes in it's own box. Ten individually boxed iPads are housed within another box. Those boxes of ten iPads are packaged in their own larger, padded, shipping boxes. "Un-boxes-ing" iPads alone takes time. Oh - then there are the cases. Each case is in it's own box, ten cases per larger box, and two boxes per shipping box. Once "un-boxes-ed" each case has a foam inner that is removed along with two protective films that are peeled off. Here's a timelapse video with clock showing the preparing of only 30 iPad cases as quickly as possible. Updates and Restrictions We purchased our iPads prior to the iOS9 update, so all iPads need to be updated to the new operating system before we apply student-specific restrictions them and set them up for deployment. Each unboxed iPad is plugged in to a cart and that cart is connected to a computer. The computer takes 10-15 minutes to update and apply restrictions the iPads to meet our specifications. Configurations Finally, a dozen or so specific configurations need to be completed by hand to finalize each iPad for deployment. This includes typing in the unique Apple IDs for your classroom set and their passwords on each device. These final steps are done by hand on each iPad to ensure that the student user experience is the same for all and as secure as possible. Delivery iPads in large quantities are heavy and awkward. They are transported with care to the buildings, sorted by classroom, chargers are unboxed and placed in a crate with your squid cords, and then they are ready to be delivered. IT Larry has been working tirelessly on these iPads every moment he has available in between computer, projector, printer, and SMARTboard maintenance, updates, and repair at all three elementary schools. Our tech tickets, requests, and daily troubleshooting are essential needs that must be met promptly for us to teach and learn with students. They also keep Larry away from the iPads he is setting up. This IS While I have been available to help Larry as much as possible, there is only so much I can do to be helpful. I have a standing offer as an extra pair of hands to be used in any way possible to expedite the process. Ultimately, I am waiting - just like you - for everyone to have their iPads so that we can begin creating meaningful experiences for our students using our new, powerful, and capable tech tools. The set-up is an IT thing - and they are working hard to get the job done. What have I been working on? App vetting for various grade levels and the creative cart. Teacher iPad optimizing. The Integration Menu website for teachers to "order" idea and lesson from me. The eVestED Project. App exploration sessions. Personal one-on-one tech help. Weebly website assistance - and more. Rest assured, that your iPads are coming as soon as possible. I look forward to the time when all classrooms have a premium tool for exploration, documentation, collaboration, and mobile learning. By the Numbers We have over 750 student iPads in the Hastings Elementary Schools with 390 delivered in just the last two months. Here's how those number break down as he prepares the devices for student use. 750 x 20min. = 15,000min. 15,000min. ÷ 60min. = 250hrs. 250hrs ÷ 7hrs = 35.7 days. 35.7 days ÷ 5 days/work week = 7 weeks and 1 day If Larry was able to focus exclusively on iPads, it would take well over a month to get them all ready for student use. As we know, he is not working exclusively on iPads. He is meeting our IT needs in numerous ways, at four sites, for over one hundred staff members. |
AuthorAndrew G. Leiser Archives
February 2016
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