| Who Do You Work For? |
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| Tuesday, December 20, 2011 2:26 PM -0500 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| I don't mean this question the way you probably first interpret it. Maybe it would be more accurate to say, "For Whose Benefit Do You Work"? It seems to me that I find people in two extremes concerning this issue. Those who work for thei |
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| Suggestion - Digital Learning Month! |
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| Wednesday, February 1, 2012 3:58 PM -0500 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| Today is Digital Learning Day! This day is all about, as Garfield says, empowering teachers and promoting innovation. [Image:2112_121054_0.jpg] If you didn't get the memo in time to plan digital learning activities for today, I encourage you to tak |
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| Playing the Accountability Game |
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| Tuesday, November 29, 2011 10:05 AM -0500 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| Everyone in education knows that accountability is the main focus for most school districts. No Child Left Behind (NCLB) along with individual states have set forth the expectations and performance goals that schools must meet to determine they are |
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| A Working Model for Shared Services |
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| Thursday, November 17, 2011 1:46 PM -0500 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| The Darke County ESC Administrative Team presented a session at the Capital Conference earlier this week. It was titled "A Working Model for Shared Services" and looked at ways Educational Service Centers and the districts they serve can c |
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| What Now? |
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| Thursday, November 10, 2011 10:48 AM -0500 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| With the defeat of Issue 2, SB 5 will not become effective. But the law has changed through HB 153 (Ohio's Budget Bill). So what does all this mean, as of now, for education. As prepared by OSBA legal services division, the following will now be i |
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| REAL Success Luncheon |
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| Wednesday, October 19, 2011 11:20 AM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| Today we celebrated the 4th annual REAL Success Luncheon. REAL means Raising Expectations for All Learners but maybe we should change the title to Reaching BEYOND Expectations for All Learners because that is what 45 students with disabilities from |
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| | A Humble Tribute To Steve Jobs | | | | | Thursday, October 6, 2011 11:03 AM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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It was with sadness that I read this evening (10/5) of Steve Jobs' passing. In case there is anyone out there who doesn't know who Steve Jobs is, I will start by saying that he is the visionary and the heart and soul of Apple Inc. Apple's website marked this moment by posting a picture of Jobs on their home page with the following statement:
Upon reading this, what came to mind were images of Darke County educators sitting in numerous workshops over the past year learning how to use iPads and iPod Touches to engage students in the learning process. I thought about the iMacs on the desks of most ESC employees, and the MacBooks and iBooks that have become an extension of ourselves as we present to teachers and administrators across the state. I reminisced about stopping by the AT&T store today to discuss how to keep my phone plan when I upgrade to the new iPhone 4S on Friday. It brought to mind, my grandson scrolling through pictures on my iPhone when he was just 18 months old and my 6 year old granddaughter needing no instructions on how to listen to music and watch videos on her iPod Touch. From the youngest child to the oldest adult, all
instinctively understand the simplicity and intuitive nature of Apple devices. This is Steve Jobs' legacy.
Over the past 19 years, my journey in education has been visibly marked by the inspired products and designs of a company and a man who charged us to "think different". I've been know to comment that it's not about the technology....and it's not. However, Apple has created products that have changed how we access information, how we create, how we present, how we play music, how we educate our children, how our children learn....
I am a member of the BC generation....Before Computers! My first experience with computers was in my late twenties when I went back to college to complete my bachelors degree. My major was secondary math education with a computer science track and I had to take Pascal programming courses using, at that time, what we called IBM-compatible computers. When I stepped into my first classroom, imagine my surprise when I found seven computers, called the Apple IIgs, lined up across the wall! I don't recall how long it took, but in a very short time I was a total Apple convert and have never looked back! I loved the attention to design, the ease of use, the immunity to computer viruses and the creativity it inspired in me and my students.
Since taking this job at the ESC, I've been asked, on occasion, if our organization is Mac or PC (windows). My answer is that we are a dual computing environment with the high-end users working on Macs! Those of us who embrace our MacBooks and iMacs "create" and the Mac is the far superior platform for that endeavor. :) Additionally, most of my computers running server applications are Macs, and the ones that have to run on a Windows computer are on Macs running the Windows operating system through Boot Camp.
Back in the early 1990's when districts received SchoolNet money for technology, there were several Darke County Schools that purchased Apple computers for their elementary classrooms. Over the past 10 to 15 years, for a variety of reasons, all have moved to replace the Macs with Windows machines. Now, I am witnessing a new excitement in teachers and students as these schools adopt iPads and/or iPods. It's not just the devices but the tens of thousands of apps that can be downloaded to individualize instruction for each student that is prompting these initiatives. Administrators are also discovering how flexible and diverse these mobile technologies are and see the value they bring to education.
On a personal note, at my house you will find the Power Mac G4 Cube, an iMac Pedestal with a flat screen, an assortment of iPods, an iPhone and an iPad 2. I have to confess that several years ago I also purchased an Amazon Kindle so I could carry multiple books around without the inconvenience of carrying multiple books around; however, as soon as the Kindle app came out, I was reading my books on my iPhone, and later on my iPad, instead of the actual Kindle device.
There's just something about Apple devices.....it's the unique designs, the ease of use, the software integration, the futuristic innovations....that immerses us in a total user experience.
Even if you are ardently anti-Apple, you have to acknowledge the influence Apple has had on all other technology. From the mouse and graphical user interface to the iPhone and iPad, Steve Jobs' vision for how we interact with technology has left all other companies scrambling to copy and keep pace. With each new product Apple rolled out, Jobs raised the bar for everyone else and all have benefited even without having to purchase anything Apple.
I definitely do not see this being the end of my journey with Apple. I'm hoping there lives a little of Steve Jobs in all of us that is visionary, imaginative and driven to aspire to greater heights in all we do.
I have never met Steve Jobs but I feel a closeness and kinship with him that is born of sharing a passion for what Apple brings to education and our personal lives. Rest in Peace, Steve! You will be greatly missed.
My thoughts and prayers go out to Steve's family and friends. God bless.....
Lois Bunger, Director of Technology
If you would like to comment on this blog, click here to send an email!
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| What Do You Expect? |
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| Tuesday, October 4, 2011 11:01 AM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| For the past couple of weeks, I have been reading the book, Teach Like a Champion. This book's tagline is: "49 Techniques That Put Students on the Path to College," but it is really all about how teachers' expectations and classroom climat |
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| The School District Report Card |
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| Wednesday, September 21, 2011 8:54 AM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| I find it interesting when District Local Report Cards come out in August and newspaper writers and local citizens try to interpret all the information contained in the eight page document. Education is a complex business and when you over simplify |
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| Welcome Back! |
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| Wednesday, August 17, 2011 1:02 PM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| You can tell it is almost time to begin the 2011-2012 school year. With excitement building and teachers returning to prepare their rooms for another school year, we all look forward to a great 2011-2012. You know it is close with the Great Darke C |
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| Are There Bullies in Your School? |
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| Tuesday, July 5, 2011 5:35 PM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| Of course there are! Surveys indicate that bullying is a common experience for children with over half of all students reporting some instance of bullying during their school years. Bullying is a hot topic in the media these days. We hear about som |
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| Keeping Education Reform In Perspective |
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| Thursday, June 9, 2011 10:59 AM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| In today's politically-charged debate regarding public education, I came across a well written article expressing one parent's perspective of what really matters when it comes to her children's education. You can read the full article below: Ref |
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| Budget Speculation |
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| Tuesday, January 25, 2011 9:44 AM -0500 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| As we wait for some budget news from Columbus, we can only speculate from what we hear now. We know there will be some cuts, adjustments, "shared services" and probably a change in STRS contributions. What we don't know is how much and to |
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| GRADUATION & HOPE |
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| Thursday, May 26, 2011 12:48 PM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| I was planning on writing about the Budget Bill, but with the Senate still deliberating the bill I will wait. This is a bill we will watch closely because of the announced cuts. Hopefully we can address the bill at a later time. For now, I want to |
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| Where Education Is Going and How We're Going To Get There |
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| Friday, May 13, 2011 2:14 PM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| It is difficult to create a clear picture of what public schools might look like in the next five to ten years. Let's be honest and acknowledge that politics and state budgets will have a hand in sculpting education along the way. Now, more than ev |
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| Creating True Continuity of Learning, Part I |
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| Thursday, February 17, 2011 12:24 PM -0500 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| As Darke County thaws and digs out from the latest storms that dumped ice and then snow, area schools are working on plans to make up missed days. This school year, Ohio schools were allotted 3 calamity days (down from 5 days allowed in past years) |
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| Why Merit Pay in Education Doesn't Work |
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| Thursday, May 5, 2011 9:24 AM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| Ever had one of those situations when common sense seems to lead you down the wrong path? "The harder I work the more I will get done", but then you observe people who are more relaxed, and take power naps getting more things accomplished |
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| But I'm Not the Writing Teacher |
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| Friday, April 15, 2011 2:34 PM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| I've been reading through the common core standards for English Language Arts a lot lately. I've also been discussing them with various groups of teachers and the consensus is that there isn't a whole lot of difference - yes, there are a few changes |
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| Do Gifted Students Need Special Classes? |
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| Friday, April 1, 2011 9:51 AM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| Gifted students have unique learning and instructional needs. They are expected to learn the same facts, skills, concepts and issues as other students but they make connections faster and work well with abstractions. While the average learner typic |
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| 21st Century Education |
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| Monday, October 18, 2010 3:03 PM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| Below is an interesting video on 21st Century education. I hope it makes you think.....I hope it makes you want to change!! <iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube |
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