Troy Patterson

Educator, Thinker, Consultant

Category: Thoughts (Page 8 of 18)

I chose wisely.

April 6, 2020 / / 0 Comments

I chose wisely.

Over 30 years ago, I vowed to have and to hold “for better or worse”. I may have the words slightly wrong as I was a bit nervous at the time. Never did we think that there would be a pandemic. We planned on kids. We planned on vacations. We planned on moving. We planned on houses. We didn’t plan on a pandemic.

I chose wisely.

Rosemarie is kind. She cares about others. She looks out for a wide variety of friends, friends of friends and strangers. She regularly checks on friends of our kids. (If you treat our children right, you are a friend, no other information needed.).

Rosemarie is beautiful. To this day, she is always the most beautiful woman in the room. She may balk at this one. But truer words have not been spoken. To me, she is beautiful. Gorgeous. Magnificently, stunningly radiant. Mesmerizing. Alluring. Captivatingly pleasing to the eye.

I chose wisely.

Rosemarie is smart. She is thoughtful. She relates to a wide variety of information. She persistently carries on intelligent, thoughtful conversation.

I chose wisely.

Rosemarie is a great cook. (This is not something to be taken lightly in a pandemic situation by the way. This is like hitting the bonus, bonus and getting the gold coins).

I chose wisely.

They say that two statistics see an increase after a pandemic: Birth rates and Divorce rates. I feel pretty doggone confident that we will not be contributing to the increase in either of those statistics. Over thirty years later, I’m still in love with the one that vowed to love for better or worse.

Video Conference Options

March 29, 2020 / / 1 Comment

Lots of people are currently doing video conferencing right now. We are once again in the “wild west” of tools. On the plus side, our “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order would be very different without being able to video conference.

The ability to connect easily with loved ones and friends is powerful. To do so with “cost” (you still need an internet connection) is wonderful. It is far easier to accomplish than in the early days of video conferencing.

The ability to connect with students and work mates is similarly powerful. However, this is new territory for lots of people.

General Tips

  • Do not post the link to the video session on social media. Generally, anyone with that link can join. There are examples of people with bad intent joining video sessions.
  • Remember (and remind your participants) to carefully review what is in the video window. Sometimes things in the background reveal too much information.
  • Mute your mic when not actively talking.
  • Let others in the area know that you video conferencing. (There can be embarrassing comments made about friends or family).

Major Players

  • Hangouts Meet
  • Zoom
  • BigBlueButton
  • Jitsi
  • Facetime

Hangouts Meet

This is officially supported by many districts now. FERPA agreements are probably in place with Google. Hangouts Meet allows up to 250 participants. The teacher has control and can remove participants (other participants no longer have that ability). We can verify which students were part of calls.

  • Allows for recording by the teacher only. Recordings will be saved in Google Drive.
  • Only teachers can create a Meet.
  • Only the Meet creator can Mute or Remove participants.
  • Logging for FOIA is in place.

Hangouts Meet is available until July 1st for all school GAFE domains. The additional features may roll-back after that.

Zoom

Zoom is probably the most popular right now. Many districts not have a contract with them to ensure FERPA compliance. The free version of Zoom does not include account management. Teachers really don’t have a way to confirm who is really on the video session. * We have had an issue of students posting inappropriate comments in a chat.

There are some additional features that Zoom has made available for now. Those will end at some point.

“For Districts just now utilizing Zoom in their distance learning facilitation, please be aware that Zoom is asking educational customers to manage their own COPPA compliance via parental consent.”

Zoom sends user data to Facebook.

Popular right now is Zoombombing. Zoombombing is joining a Zoom session and interjecting inappropriate content.

Suddenly, dozens of attendees were bombarded with disturbing imagery.

Please make sure that you check and set appropriate settings.

Skype

Skpe is being replaced. It is one of the older options. Skype is being replaced by Microsoft Teams.

BigBlueButton (BBB)

BigBlueButton is open source option that can be run by a district. Obviously, the district would need to have the hardward and personnel to install and maintain it. However, this set up has many advantages. Information is held within the district and not shared with an outside organization.

Furthermore, BBB can be integrated within Moodle. This provides for a seamless, accountable experience for all involved.

BigBlueButton is web conferencing designed for online learning. BBB includes the following features:

  • Participants limited to school Accounts
  • Live whiteboard that is multi-user
  • Webcam sharing (no time limit, no number limit)
  • Chat
  • Audio
  • Breakout rooms
  • Polling
  • Screen sharing
  • BBB overview for moderators

BBB has the ability to record if your organization supports it. For some districts, they may NOT have that turned on due to disk space.

Jitsi

Jitsi is an open source video conferencing option. It requires absolutely no sign-in and is completely free. You can add a password to the conference. You can also use a phone to access. There are lots of options (Share YouTube videos, shared document creation, tiled video, raise your hand, remove users, mute everyone, etc). There are apps for iOS and Android as well. Jitsi is based on webRTC, which is a current standard.

Here is a nice overview.

This is a really good option for adults. The one thing that is missing in this option is the creator/moderator role. Basically, all participants can mute or remove other participants. Thus, this is probably a great choice for adult teams, but should be used with caution with students.

The data doesn’t really seem to go anywhere. They are not collecting email addresses or other information. You can enter an email address if you want. You can also give them permission to connect to your calendar if you want to schedule meetings.

If you do use this option, make sure to create a complex, random meet name (or let them create the name). Otherwise, the meet may exist and you’ll be joining someone else’s meet.

Facetime

Facetime is great. This is especially the case for family members. Facetime requires that all of the users be using an iOS (or Mac) device. It is really great for one-to-one communication. Facetime can be used with groups as well, but that is less intuitive.

Learning is Messy

Learning is Messy

March 4, 2020 / / 0 Comments

CDC Recommendation

The CDC has recommended “remote learning” be put in place in the event that schools close to contain the spread of COVID-19. While this may sound reasonable, (after all, kids are “on their phones” all the time), this is fantasy filled with Science Fiction surrounded by dreams. The reality, as one of my professors once told me, is that learning is messy.

Remote Learning

Let’s start with “remote learning.” What does this really mean? Students “video conferencing”? Fully utilizing a Learning Management System (LMS)? Students completing “worksheets” digitally instead of paper copies?

Technology in Education

If “remote learning” were the best option, we would have fully deployed it already. Technology certainly has a role in education. Technology takes years to fully develop and vet. Teachers need skills in utilizing technology.

Technology is not the saving force that many propose. Ask Mark Zuckerberg about the $100 million that he spent on education. Ask the many Silicon Valley parents who eschew technology for their kids.

Students

Students are real people. Not widgets. Not statistics. Not plots on a number line. They are real. They are messy. They are different. They have emotions. They have needs. Some of the them have broadband access and powerful computers at home. Some of them have rate-limited cell phone plans. Some access the internet on a four-inch, broken phone screen. Students may know how to access TikTok. They may be Instagram proficient. However, they may not know how to leverage technology to learn.

Teachers

Teachers are really all over the map in terms of technology skills. Elementary teachers may not understand how to teach their students how to use email proficiently. I have heard of a teacher call a Helpdesk because they didn’t know how to bookmark their Daily Agenda (which was done in Google Slides); this same teacher teaches Computer Applications to High School students. There is a perception that “new” (read younger, freshly graduated from college) teachers are “good” with technology. The problem is that they are frequenty “good” like kids; they aren’t afraid to push buttons on a phone or computer, but they don’t really understand how to leverage the tools for learning. This is not all that surprising. These new teachers are really just learning how to truly teach.

Tools

If the guidance on “remote learning” really means effective use of technology to teach, we’ve got a long way to go. There are some schools that are already touting Google Classroom as their “remote learning” tool. There is nothing wrong with Google Classroom. It is a fine tool. Generally, it is liked by teachers because it is easy to understand. Google Classroom largely replicates what schooling has done for the last 100 years. It is really good at “handing out” worksheets and collecting and organizing those. (Full disclosure, Google Classroom has tried to implement some other limited capablities. It can provide teachers with opportunities to provide more accurate and useful feedback. Most of those features are rarely used.) Again, there is nothing wrong with Google Classroom. It has some nice features. In the case of closing schools, it is certainly better than nothing.

We do, however, have much more powerful tools (like Moodle) that could provide students with more online learning opportunities. This takes training though. Online learning requires professional staff to develop new skills, new ways of thinking. That is not easy or quick.

Summary

One of my favorite professors told me “learning is messy”. The longer I taught, the more I realized just how right he was/is. Learning is messy. That is not a bad thing. It just is. Learning is messy. Online learning can’t replace a good teacher. Technology can help good teachers reach and push students to heights that were previously unreachable. Learning is messy. A simple suggestion to utilize “remote learning” isn’t going to change that. That call could be a futile political positioning. That call could be a wake-up call for education to start preparing for the future. Learning is messy. Not just for kids. Learning is messy for all of us.

Weekly Review

March 3, 2020 / / 0 Comments

COVID-19

Obviously, the corona virus is in the news. One of the latest features is that some are proposing that schools switch to “online learning”. I’ve long been a big proponent of online learning. However, this is not something that happens overnight. It takes time and talent to effectively provide online learning.

I do wish that the State of Michigan would have invested in providing a great Moodle experience for all teachers. More importantly, I really wish that there had been consistent, high quality professional development over the past few years. Michigan is a “GoOpen” state.

I fear that we’ll see school districts turn on Google Classroom and state that they are providing “online learning”. Now, this is certainly better than nothing at all, but we have the capability to do so much more. We have the capability to be so much better.

Online learning should be about much more than providing a “back-up” in a crisis. However, teachers need support. Online learning will not replace good teachers. Online learning can help leverage good teachers. It can help reach students and provide opportunities that would otherwise be missed.

Moodle Training

We also participated in some Moodle training this week. The training focused on the Assignment and Quiz modules. The training was well done. It really is a challenge though when teacher skill is heavily varied. I keep hoping that every step forward is, well, a step forward.

Moodle Multi-State Group

Our Moodle Multi-State Group also met this week. This is a great group of wonderful humans. The group includes representation from Montana, Rhode Island, North Dakota, and Michigan. We discuss our challenges and our successes. We’ve shared some great ideas. I find these discussions very beneficial. The long-term hope is to collaborate on creating and sharing resources. However, if before getting to that stage, I find these discussions incredibly useful.

SYNC Update

I had an update to the Ford Sync System. I ran through the download, extracting the files and putting them at the root level of the flashdrive. I took the flashdrive out to the car and, nope. No update. I was about to get mad at Ford when I stopped and explictily followed the directions. There was one step when you needed to extract the files using Stuffit Expander (who knew that was still being developed) instead of the built in file expander. Funny thing about actually following the directions is that things frequently work better. Stuffit expander did expand different files. Sync is still not working correctly, but at least it is updated. Oh, and when in doubt, try actually following the directions.

Baseball

Baseball is back. I still enjoy watching a good baseball game. Sunday was the first broadcast Tigers game training game. I allowed myself a bit of time to just kind of chill and watch the game. There is a long way to go until the start of the season, but it’s nice to start enjoying the game again.

Baseball

February 21, 2020 / / 0 Comments

For, lo, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone;
The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of the singing of birds is come,
And the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.

Ernie Harwell started every Tiger’s season with the above poem.

It’s time for baseball again!

Oscar Nominated Shorts

February 5, 2020 / / 1 Comment

I had the opportunity to check out the Oscar Nominated Shorts for Animation and Live Action. Warning, spoilers follow. Unlike last year, this year was not all “gut punches”. Some of this year’s nominated films are funny. Naturally, there are some emotional ones as well.

Animation Nominees

Official Oscar Animation Nominee Page

  • Hair Love – Cute opening movie. A young girl and her Dad struggle with doing her hair. It ends with a bit of an emotional heart tug.
  • DCERA (Daughter) – Really powerful animation. This one was able to communicate so much with visuals. The story is definitely not a “Hallmark” story but powerfully told. The story is of a young girl (now grown) and her relationship with her Dad. This is my choice for Best Animated Short.
  • Sister – The story of a child from China and the sister that he never had due to China’s “one-child law”.
  • Mémorable – The story of a painter who experiences the world mutating to unrealistic objects. A powerful story that hit home for me. Well done, well told. A close runner up to DCERA, I wouldn’t be upset if this wins.
  • Kitbull – A pretty traditional PIXAR short. Well done. The story well told, but no new ground is broken. A very satisfying story.

Live Action Nominees

Official Oscar Live Action Nominee Page

  • A Sister – In a car at night, Alie is in trouble. She makes a crucial call for help. An interesting story that is nicely told. Somehow this one missed out on emotion for me.
  • Brotherhood – A hardened shepherd’s son returns home. This is not the prodigal son returning. The returning son brings a pregnant wife and obvious tension with the shepherd. The other brothers welcome the eldest home. The eldest is revealed to have some different intents than the Dad thought. The Dad realizes this too late. In a short, every moment is critical. I thought that this short didn’t take advantage of that.
  • The Neighbors’ Window – A young couple with children discover that the new neighbors across the street have no curtains and a lot of passion. The couple deals with the reality of getting older and the idealism of others/ the past. Their frustrations develop as they keep an eye (or two) on the passionate couple across the way. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side though. Based on a true story (left me wondering how much, which parts were true). My runner up.
  • Saria – two orphaned sisters fight against abuse at the orphanage. They participate in a revolt and escape. However, the powers that be recover them and return them to the orphanage. Disaster strikes as one of those returned miscalculate just how uncaring the workers at the orphanage are. My choice for Best Live Action.
  • Nefta Football Club – Two brothers come across a donkey wearing headphones in the desert (in this case, the difference between Adele and Handel is crucial). The oldest realizes the donkey has a valuable cargo but shares a slightly different story with the younger brother (telling him that it is laundry detergent). One little misunderstanding leads to a comical end.
Did the State Sell My Data?

Did the State Sell My Data?

December 16, 2019 / / 0 Comments

The sale of Instructure, the maker of Canas, to the Private Equity Firm Thoma Bravo, seems to include all of the data that Instructure collected.

The State of Michigan bought into Canvas to provide Edupaths (don’t worry, they got a great deal for three years*). I took classes through Edupaths. So, what happens to my data? Does Thoma Bravo now have a good bit of data about me?

I’ve reached out to the State of Michigan asking if they exempted our data from being collected and sold by Instructure. I haven’t heard back yet. If they haven’t/didn’t/don’t, Thoma Bravo has a great treasure trove of teacher data. My data would be included in that.

*Canvas was well known to always be peddling a “great deal” for three years. Their stated intention was to turn those accounts into profit by raising prices after three years. This short-sighted thinking always kind of bothered me. Let’s be honest about what things cost. It seems somewhat unlikely that the Canvas model worked out as planned (though it did work out – they were purchased for $2 billion) as they never actually made money.

Comics

December 7, 2019 / / 0 Comments

I find RSS very useful. I utilize Feedly to gather RSS feeds. (Basically, instead of going to a variety of websites to see if something has been updated, new updates come directly to the RSS feed reader. (This is kind of like Facebook but without the invasion of privacy and putting me in control instead of Facebook. Of course, this would mean that other people would have to set up a site to post their content. It would also mean that other people would have control of their content.)

Anyway, one of my categories is Comics. I enjoy reading comics. Usually, this is a late-at-night activity for me. I’ve used Dark Gate Comic Slurper for years. However, I noticed the other night that there were no new comics.

I waited a day (or two, it’s a busy time of year). In checking Dark Gate Comics on the web, I get a 500 error. Not good. Either Dark Gate is gone, or something is happening.

So, off I go to find alternatives. This is where I found Comics RSS. Comics RSS looks to have most of the comics that I like to read (I enjoy a mix of classics and modern comics). One advantage is Comics RSS is that each comic is on a separate feed. (Dark Gate Comic Slurper would create one feed with all of the comics that you picked). This will make it easier to add and delete individual comics. (This really wasn’t that hard with Dark Gate).

Comics are back. Now, I’ve got some catching up to do.

Buying an LMS

Buying an LMS

December 4, 2019 / / 0 Comments

It’s been an interesting week for LMS providers. Instructure (the owner of Canvas – an LMS (Learning Management System)) just announced that it will be acquired by Thoma Bravo, LLC, a private investment firm for a cool $2 billion.

This news follows closely on the heels of Schoology being purchased by Powerschool (which is also held by a private investment firm).

Keep in mind that private investment firms are designed to do one thing (hint, it isn’t supporting student success). Apparently, there are some smart people who are expecting to make a lot of money from schools.

I’ve written before about Canvas. They were working hard to increase their market share so that they could then raise prices to make money. This seems to be a very real part of the economy right now, collect as many users as possible and somehow figure out how to make money later. This seems to be the plan for many, many companies, not just LMS providers in education.

Powerschool acquiring Schoology makes some sense to me. Powerschool provides an SIS (Student Information System). Powerschool wants to be able to provide a full-featured solution for schools. Powerschool having an LMS as part of that is good marketing and could provide some economy of scale to schools.

However, I remain concerned about investing in a company that pretty freely acknowledges that they want to build things up so that they can sell it off for a profit. I’m not in education for a couple of years, I’m in for the long haul.

The purchase of Canvas makes less sense. (The selling of Canvas makes total sense). The Board acknowledged their goals by gaining customers at a loss to eventually make money. Canvas was losing money last I knew. In their Q2 report, they noted:

“We’re excited by our prospects for 2019 and beyond and we remain focused on executing on our strategy, which we expect will sustain our revenue growth, help us achieve profitability, and generate shareholder value.”

emphasis added by me

For the second quarter ending June 30, 2019, Instructure expects revenue of approximately $61.8 million to $62.4 million, a non-GAAP net loss of ($9.2) million to ($8.6) million, and non-GAAP net loss per common share of ($0.25) to ($0.23).

Emphasis added by me

So what does Thoma Bravo see in Canvas? From the Press Release:

Thoma Bravo will support Instructure as it increases investment in education technology innovation and expands internationally.

CISIon – PR Newswire

Readers of this site will note my passion for Moodle. Moodle is open source. They have a financial revenue stream that makes sense. They have passed on being purchased several times. Martin Dougiamas is pretty dedicated to open source (while still being able to support the project financially).

Apparently, I’m missing out on something. I need to create an LMS and lose a ton of money while gaining market share. Does anyone have many millions that they would like to lose?

« Older posts Newer posts »

Copyright 2024 - All Rights Reserved.

© 2025 Troy Patterson

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑