Tech Director Chat

This week we answer ALL the questions! Well, just about all of them, and what a varied bunch of questions they were. From blended learning and basic tech help, to some deeper questions about evaluating IT and what to do as we look at the future of DVDs, there's a little bit of something for everyone in this episode. Pete has a moment of silence as he contemplates an interesting question from Jeremy on Twitter about how the Technology Department can be more connected to the classroom and get better feedback, Ben talks about how he's embraced the cloud when it comes to video, and we even touch upon some ways to safely dispose of older technology (hint, the Michigan DEQ has a database of locations in each county to call for Hazardous or eWaste collections or more information). Pete also gets to share his favorite acoustic guitar maker, Volbrecht, as he catches a break from last weeks near guess.

Timestamps for this week's questions:

1:09 What has Pete been up to today?

1:42 Is “borked” a professional IT term?

2:21 What do we do with old outdated equipment that’s collecting dust?

5:13 Brian from Twitter wants to know, how can we get certain filetypes unblocked for school computers?

7:35 Kevin is curious to know, what should I do with all the instructional DVDs that I have when we upgrade to new computers without DVD drives?

10:15 Ben has embraced the cloud, and uses Vimeo, Youtube, and Google Drive for videos.

11:30 Nancy wants to know, what’s the best way to remove apps from an iPad so they don’t come back when you sync it with your computer?

13:42 Jeremy from Twitter wants to know how the technology can team be more connected to classroom teachers for evaluation and feedback?

18:33 When it comes to Blended Learning, what would be a good online environment to use?

21:56 Stump Pete!

22:12 Pete screwed up last week.

23:21 Nancy wants to know, in your your opinion, who makes the best acoustic guitars?

You can talk about the show or continue the conversations on Twitter using the hashtag #TechDirectorChat or chatting up Ben (@techsavvyed) or Pete (@ppoggione) on Twitter.

This week's episode focused on some more practical issues of web browsers, operating system upgrades, and hinted at Pete's upcoming involvement in helping the Village of Mattawan get some truly high speed internet as opposed to the slow speeds residents currently suffer with. We addressed a good question about Google Chrome vs. Firefox, but discovered after we recorded this that not all recommendations are good, as we learned the hard that our student information system is bet not used with Google Chrome at the elementary level for many crucial functions. Firefox is the go-to to make sure everything works as well as advertised.

Outside of the browser issues, we chat about new teacher laptops, the hype around the Apple Watch, and Pete gets stumped!

Timestamps for this week's questions:

1:03 What has Pete been up to today?

2:40 Is Pete helping the Village of Mattawan get “real” high speed internet?

5:25 Someone would like an explanation for using Google Chrome instead of Safari.

6:45 Ben thinks there are probably one of two reasons that people want to use Chrome.

9:35 Someone wants to know, what’s going on with Safari Montage?

13:20 Todd wants to know, will you be purchasing the Apple Watch?

16:20 Pete struggles with putting his phone on silent.

18:46 What’s up with Mac OS X Yosemite, will we have it soon?

19:00 We’re getting new teacher laptops for the staff!

20:32 Stump Pete!

22:05 Which musician, in 1994, recorded and played all of the instruments for his band’s debut album?

You can talk about the show or continue the conversations on Twitter using the hashtag #TechDirectorChat or chatting up Ben (@techsavvyed) or Pete (@ppoggione) on Twitter.

A weekly chat tackling the issue of educational technology from both sides. Ben Rimes, a former teacher turned educational technologist, chats with Pete Poggione, an Information Technology Professional from the private sector turned School IT Director.

You asked, and we've delivered! This podcast is full of a bunch of non-tech, off the wall, "spying on Pete's personal life questions! Alright, so maybe that's being a bit hyperbolic, but Pete and Ben did have a lot of fun answering your more personal questions, and after the mess that Ben made losing the first recording, we thought the second go around wasn't too bad. Have a great Spring Break everyone! BONUS: Click here to watch Pete jamming with "Big Head Todd & the Monsters!"

Timestamps for this week's questions:

:52 Yes, Ben accidentally lost the first recording of the podcast this week.

2:03 What has Pete been up to today?

2:13 What is the morning Tech Dept. meeting all about?

4:35 JW wants to know, what’s the best thing Pete did on his vacation?

5:11 Why does Pete call “Big Head Todd & the Monsters” his favorite band?

7:00 Cheryl wants to know, when are you getting married?!

8:13 Dr. Bird wants to know, did you use computers when you worked with the Chicago Blackhawks?

9:55 Were there any big technology tools that you used in your former life as an athletic trainer?

10:40 Todd wants to know, who do you have winning your NCAA bracket?

12:00 Todd was curious about anything exciting that came out of the MACUL conference.

12:50 Ben has a growing Google Presentation with all MACUL attendees thoughts shared on it.

15:25 Stump Pete!

16:25 Which Beach Boy declined an invitation from “Uncle Sam” to join the army in 1967?

You can talk about the show or continue the conversations on Twitter using the hashtag #TechDirectorChat or chatting up Ben (@techsavvyed) or Pete (@ppoggione) on Twitter.

A weekly chat tackling the issue of educational technology from both sides. Ben Rimes, a former teacher turned educational technologist, chats with Pete Poggione, an Information Technology Professional from the private sector turned School IT Director.

March is now in full swing, the weather is warming, the sun is shining, and we couldn't be more excited to share talk about technology grants, and how we're approaching new teacher laptop upgrades! We also spend some time talking about how to make technology run more smoothly in your classroom. Pete tackles the technical side, and Ben shares a technique that served me well for introducing new applications or websites to students; and helped me learn alongside the students!

Timestamps for this week's questions:

1:00 What has Pete been up to?

1:35 How is Pete doing with his ongoing chats with teachers?

2:30 Pete is repairing iPads?

4:45 Nancy wants to know, are there any technology grants out there to apply for?

8:00 Ben finally gets around to answering Nancy’s question about technology grants from MPEF, Meemic, and Donors Choose.

10:03 JW asks if we can improve the speed of our next teacher laptop purchases.

10:55 JW also asks if we can entertain the idea of MacBook Airs for teachers?

13:00 Andrew wants to know, what can teachers do to make technology run smoothly?

15:00 Ben asks Pete to narrow down his advice to one thing to help technology run smoothly.

17:40 Ben shares his big tip for making technology run smoothly in the classroom.

20:00 Stump Pete!

20:35 Who or what is the next big thing in music?

You can talk about the show or continue the conversations on Twitter using the hashtag #TechDirectorChat or chatting up Ben (@techsavvyed) or Pete (@ppoggione) on Twitter.

A weekly chat tackling the issue of educational technology from both sides. Ben Rimes, a former teacher turned educational technologist, chats with Pete Poggione, an Information Technology Professional from the private sector turned School IT Director.

This week we answer a host of Chrome and Google Drive related questions (pro tip, when in doubt, don't delete the file from Google Drive!). We also tackle a new Chrome user's anxiety over switching browsers, and share some advice that Google would rather not hear....here's a hint; stick with Firefox if it's working for you! We also chat a lot about the nervous energy surrounding our 4th grade student tech day happening on March 6th! 300 4th graders, a lot of technology, and some excited educators hoping we can pull it all off! And for a special treat, we wrap things up with a little guitar from Pete.

Timestamps for this week's questions:

1:05 What has Pete been up to today?

3:00 What are your thoughts about the upcoming 4th grade technology day?

5:50 What is Pete going to be teaching students during the 4th grade technology day?

7:20 Should Ben evaluate Pete’s ability to teach?

7:38 Is it in the works that all high school classrooms will have interactive whiteboards?

9:17 Pete just can’t answer a straight question.

10:05 What’s the difference between Chrome and Firefox? A listener is having a hard time making Chrome their “go to” browser after years of Firefox use.

13:18 Can I delete items from my Google Drive? If so, how so I go about doing it?

15:20 Be careful before deleting files in Google Drive that you’ve shared with others!

16:40 How does someone get added to the MCS Classifieds email list?

17:23 Why does Pete get to bring his dog to school?

18:23 Stump Pete!

20:13 A moment of silence for Leonard Nimoy

20:24 JW asks, what is your favorite guitar intro, and can you play it for us?

You can talk about the show or continue the conversations on Twitter using the hashtag #TechDirectorChat or chatting up Ben (@techsavvyed) or Pete (@ppoggione) on Twitter.

A weekly chat tackling the issue of educational technology from both sides. Ben Rimes, a former teacher turned educational technologist, chats with Pete Poggione, an Information Technology Professional from the private sector turned School IT Director.

Technology in schools is driven by many factors; flexability, accessibility, and cost are just a few of the considerations, although cost quite often has a larger role in what school choose to implement. Pete and I chat about some really excellent questions posed by teachers in his small conversations regarding the direction of technology in the district, including how tech staff engages with teaching staff, how to properly "outfit" a room with technology, and spend a good deal of time talking about Chromebooks, the low cost computing sensation sweeping across school districts.

Timestamps for this week's questions:

0:50 What has Pete been up to today?

1:30 Pete shares some of the conversations he’s having with teachers.

1:50 Why don’t we outfit classrooms with technology based on the content taught within it?

4:30 Is the way we’ve been doing technology in education even relevant anymore?

5:30 How do we engage the tech staff to bridge gaps between teachers and the tech department?

7:14 We were on track to have Yosemite ready to go, what happened?

11:00 What about Chromebooks?

16:15 If you were a student in High School right now, what would frustrate you the most?

18:28 Stump Pete!

19:30 Who invented the mouse?

You can talk about the show or continue the conversations on Twitter using the hashtag #TechDirectorChat or chatting up Ben (@techsavvyed) or Pete (@ppoggione) on Twitter.

A weekly chat tackling the issue of educational technology from both sides. Ben Rimes, a former teacher turned educational technologist, chats with Pete Poggione, an Information Technology Professional from the private sector turned School IT Director.

In this week's episode, the State Department of Education comes calling about feedback for the TRiG program for technology, and Pete admits he may be losing his mind (just a bit). We talk about avoiding the "spinning wheel" of death on Macs, which side of the "graphics card wars" we fall on, and spend a good amount of time talking about the need for Curriculum Directors to be thinking about technology; how important is it to their roles in the 21st century?

Timestamps for this week's questions:

1:13 What has Pete been up to today?

3:01 Someone from the state Department of Education came calling?

3:43 So what is TRiG, and why is it important to Michigan schools?

6:23 Do you see teachers getting more admin rights for technology, or control shifting to a centralized location?

8:08 People can wipe out their hard drives?

9:00 Matt wants to know, what can I do to my laptop to avoid the “spinning wheel” when switching between apps and websites?

9:35 Pete gives us an analogy, Ben thinks his is better.

13:56 When it comes to graphics cards, Nvidia or AMD?

15:21 Bob wants to know, do you see Curriculum Directors evolving into the “go to” technology people with Blended Learning becoming vital to the classroom?

18:23 Stump Pete!

19:15 Matt wants to know, what’s unique about the drummer from Def Leppard?

You can talk about the show or continue the conversations on Twitter using the hashtag #TechDirectorChat or chatting up Ben (@techsavvyed) or Pete (@ppoggione) on Twitter.

A weekly chat tackling the issue of educational technology from both sides. Ben Rimes, a former teacher turned educational technologist, chats with Pete Poggione, an Information Technology Professional from the private sector turned School IT Director.

Technology Directors don't always make the decisions we feel are best for our students. All of our classrooms have unique challenges, opportunities, and realities, and it's incredibly easy to get caught up with the idea that everyone is ready for the change you need in your classroom. It's not always popular to "lead from consensus" but you may find that being patient and working closely on building positive relationships will lead to manageable change. This week's episode speaks to that reality; many school districts continue to separate student and teacher digital learning environments, as well as block access to certain tools and abilities that many feel students should have access to. Finding balance is key, and difficult. But the conversations are necessary, even if they take time.

Timestamps for this week's questions:

:58 What has Pete been up to?

3:45 Wait, so we don’t have more laptops and devices coming from the bond?

6:14 Jason asks, what importance does Pete see in keyboarding skills?

8:00 So Pete isn’t the type of guys that read instructions?

10:30 Steve asks, why do some school districts separate Staff Google Accounts from Student Google Accounts?

12:15 Why do Tech Directors want to separate staff systems and student systems?

17:55 Mr Wolski wants to know, should Google Hangouts be open for student Google Accounts so they can video chat with experts outside of the school?

22:05 Stump Pete!

23:15 What was Pete’s first computer? 

You can talk about the show or continue the conversations on Twitter using the hashtag #TechDirectorChat or chatting up Ben (@techsavvyed) or Pete (@ppoggione) on Twitter.

A weekly chat tackling the issue of educational technology from both sides. Ben Rimes, a former teacher turned educational technologist, chats with Pete Poggione, an Information Technology Professional from the private sector turned School IT Director.

This week Pete shares a bit about his latest attempt to stay connected to the teachers he's serving. He's holding conversations with small groups of teachers from around the district to get feedback on what to improve upon and what the Tech Department is doing that "works." Some of it is good, some of it is challenging, but we decided one thing for sure; we'd love to host any conversations with teachers that feel comfortable doing so on the podcast. We also address some practical tips for keeping your computer running in tip top shape, Pete addresses a question from a tech-savvy Twitter user, and Pete is stumped with a ridiculously difficult question about Al Kaline. Seriously, we need help with this answer!

Timestamps for this week's questions:

0:49 What has Pete been up to today?

1:15 What sort of things does Pete “catch up” on?

1:30 What sort of meetings does Pete miss?

2:37 Pete is having conversations about technology past, present, and future with teachers across the district. How does he narrow that down to just 40 minutes?

4:20 Question for the audience! Would you like to be a part of one of our conversations?

4:50 Phu asks, what is the difference in cost between a MacBook cart and iPad cart?

7:32 Nancy asks, for the non-tech oriented staff members, what can we do to keep our computers running well?

9:00 So what are simple things to do on a regular basis to keep your computer running well?

11:15 JW asks, what has been the most interesting thing you’ve learned from having small conversations with teachers around the district?

14:31 Todd from Twitter wants to know why a Tech Director might decline donations or just settle on one platform?

18:40 Stump Pete!

20:00 Which Mattawan teacher was in Baltimore the night Al Kaline got his 3000th hit?

You can talk about the show or continue the conversations on Twitter using the hashtag #TechDirectorChat or chatting up Ben (@techsavvyed) or Pete (@ppoggione) on Twitter.

A weekly chat tackling the issue of educational technology from both sides. Ben Rimes, a former teacher turned educational technologist, chats with Pete Poggione, an Information Technology Professional from the private sector turned School IT Director.

This week Pete dreams a bit about the tech utopia he'd love for us all to live in, while Ben shares some apps and services for those seeking to feel a bit more secure with their digital lives. We take a break from Twitter questions, and answer "in house" questions from our teachers and staff about bond dollars going towards technology, Pete's dreams of being Captain James T. Kirk, and even leave you with a quick musical Christmas treat at the end!

Timestamps for this week's questions:

1:06 What was today like, the last day before break?

3:00 Do you think it’s necessary to run virus protection on an iPhone or iPad?

3:13 Is it possible to run virus protection on an iPhone or iPad? Ben shares Avira Antivirus for iOS, Intego VirusBarrier for iOS, and McAfee Mobile Security.

7:10 Would it be better off if everyone knew how all of their computer devices really worked?

7:41 Ben describes what “ne’er do wells” attempt to do to hack your computer.

8:31 Does Pete really need Ben?

8:47 Will the bond allow the High School to have a laptop cart for every classroom?

10:00 Pete describes the three big areas in which money from the bond will be spent towards technology.

13:53 JW asks, what did you want to be when you were young?

14:31 What is something you would like to accomplish before you retire?

17:02 Stump Pete!

17:27 Last week Ben asked about the most expensive Gibson guitar, did Pete get it right?

20:23 Who played the intro guitar with Eric Clapton on “Layla?”

22:02 Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!

You can talk about the show or continue the conversations on Twitter using the hashtag #TechDirectorChat or chatting up Ben (@techsavvyed) or Pete (@ppoggione) on Twitter.