Permissions

The world of Microsoft computing is one of permissions. In order to do things on the computer or on the network you have to have the right permissions. Those that control the permissions, control the network.  They have the power. 

It is the same way at work. Those individuals with the power to grant permission to try out that new idea or grant permission to an amount of money hold the power.  

Permissions though are also clearly defined boundries. You can acess this folder, but you do not have permission to that folder. How often are we exploring the full potential of the area we do have permission to?

At work our network engineers restrict most workers from being able to download software. I often hear how frustrating this is because individuals cannot get this new something or other to try out. Yet these are the same people who have not taken the time to explore, understand, and use all the tools they do have available to them already.  They have not exhausted their current permissions. 

My challenge for you, exhaust your current permissions.  Then lets talk about more permissions. 

Should I be Afraid of Getting Old?

Recently, I was working with a staff member who kept apologizing for taking up my time because she needed someone to help walk her through using a new piece of software.  She explained that when she was younger she would  get frustrated with the elder workers in her office because they did not use the available technology as quickly and efficiently as she could.  Now here she was, closing in on retirement and feeling like she was one of those elder workers that used to make her frustrated as a younger worker.   

Afterwards, I wondered if I would be in her shoes when I got to her age.  Would I get to a point when some young new worker would be there patiently training me on a new piece of technology? 


Is this the natural progression for everyone?  Is it possible to always stay current?

   

Thoughts while Planning

Cannot remember where I read this but it is supposedly from General Ruben Cubero, Dean of the Faculty for the United States Air Force Academy.

As you enter a classroom, ask yourself this question:  "If there were no students in the room, could I do what I am planning to do?  If your answer to the question is yes, don't do it."

Always More

You are never done as a teacher.  No matter how much effort, energy, planning, grading, designing, and communication you do there is always more to do than you have time for.  It doesn't matter if you teach preschool, grade school, private school, high school, or college.  If you care about teaching you always leave work thinking about the other things you could have done.  I thought that making the switch from a classroom instructor to a technology integrator was going to change that, but it has yet to materialize.  There is always more work than I have time to do.


I wonder if the general public gets that about teaching?  I know from my previous government related work experience that I didn't often leave work feeling like I still had a lot to do.  All the non-teachers out there, do you experience this feeling in your own job? 

More Video!

Each month my department focuses on a particular training topic and this month we are working with teachers on how to create short videos.  Going through the preparation process and then beginning to train on this topic has opened my eyes to the effectiveness of this particular tool.  Considering the abundance of video on the internet and how easy it is to make your own I am surprised that more teachers don't take advantage of this tool.

If I ever get back in the classroom I am going to utilize a lot more video.  I think I would try to use a short clip every time I introduce a new concept.  Not only does it save me from having to do the talking, but I think it might actually help students remember concepts more easily.

What do you think?  Are short videos a good teaching tool?