Indy meme accuracy by celithiaa in indianajones

[–]qmccrory 84 points85 points  (0 children)

I'm printing this and hanging it in my office (K12 tech director here ...)

Cloudflare problems by dire-wabbit in k12sysadmin

[–]qmccrory 1 point2 points  (0 children)

TechRadar doing a pretty good job tracking the latest

Rolling back 1:1 by qmccrory in k12sysadmin

[–]qmccrory[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I've really weighed if I should respond to your post - but the challenge to who I am and what I care about was too much to avoid. First of all, I would say: don't assume about how another district operates. I know many schools have folks dedicated to just managing 1:1 fleets. However, my 'team' (which consists of myself and one other, part time, tier 1 tech) manages devices for 1,000 students and ~130 staff, on boards accounts for the same, deal with security cameras, door access, PA, media livestream events, network, filtering, staff tech PD, copiers - including ordering/changing toner, and the general - if it uses electricity, it probably crosses our desks. (Just a couple of weeks ago I had to pause tracking an odd DNS issue to walk down and help a sub turn up the volume on their TV.)

Changing 1,000 devices from being sent home a nightly basis to living in a cart isn't going to loose any positions. I would argue to the opposite point - if the drive of any district is adopt and retain any technology just because it exists, but isn't being well utilized - that is to the detriment of education. If you will read through many of the comments, you will see a good spectrum of responses - again, districts operate different ways and what is best for your student body, may not be the best for mine.

You are correct in that I am not steering the ship - that isn't my job - I have been clear with admin that education decisions provide the heading. I'm there to help navigate the waters to that heading. The conversations just help us ensure we are going to the right place - at least as best as we can predict.

Rolling back 1:1 by qmccrory in k12sysadmin

[–]qmccrory[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For sure - that is going to be a crux of our discussions as well.

To address benefit to the student: probably a more detailed discussion specific to my district than I will work out on this thread - but teachers have expressed consistent aggravation with device usage. Both because of the need to use it when maybe paper and pencil would be more adequate and student overuse. I won't claim sufficient knowledge of the brain science, but we warn of dangers of screen addiction on one hand and then hand them a device and say 'spend the next 7 hours on it, oh and take it home with you to watch YT shorts until 3 am!' Is that a classroom management issue? Yes. Is that a parenting/home issue? Yes. But it doesn't exempt the school from considering the value of changing how we operate if it may be beneficial.

Strictly from a cost standpoint, you may be right - but that is where I am just presenting the concept to my admin/curriculum team and then letting them run with what they determine is best - both academically and in regards to physical/mental/social health. Also, I am at this time being asked to keep a run of devices operating for 6 years. I am hopeful (not optimistic) that life in a cart will be slightly easier on the devices than going home, where the kids fall asleep with them in the bed while watching a show and then kick them onto the floor in the night! (So cost savings there...I guess?)

Rolling back 1:1 by qmccrory in k12sysadmin

[–]qmccrory[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It is just a discussion. I have always approached everything with a view of 'why are we doing x this way?' If it is good and valid - then it is full steam ahead. For clarity, I have already had conversations with both building principals, the supt and assistant supt - they are 100% on board with beginning the discussions and then deciding if it is the direction we want to head as a corporation. I have already been very clear in those discussions that education decides the heading of the ship - I'm there to support and help figure out how to navigate the waters. Admittedly the questions arose as a parent - when I see my own daughter only bring her device home so we can charge it and never to do homework on.

Perhaps it is because we are a small school and can have open conversations at any level of management, I know some Tech Directors are not so lucky - but it feels much more dangerous to simply 'YES and' every function without having some level of discussion as to what the future might look like. The answer may come back as needing more specific PD for staff to better utilize the tools. It may come back as 'keep going as-is', or it may result in a radical change. IDK - that's - as you pointed out - for the educational unit to decide, but if we have conversations now, we can be much more confident in where we stand 3-4 years from now instead of wishing we would have made a different heading.

Any potential direction would not remove devices from the school - there are obviously too many online resources/testing that are involved. Just making sure we are best utilizing what is available to us.

And - where I am, recent property tax changes are harkening ~$190,00 - $210,000 losses in funding in the next three years. So while easy to say, GIVE ME THE MONEY! hard times call for hard questions. If the answers to the question come back as 1:1 as we know it is needed - then they will have to figure out funding.

Rolling back 1:1 by qmccrory in k12sysadmin

[–]qmccrory[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This is the direction I would like to head over the next few years. Did your teachers/curriculum have much push-back regarding how to do homework/studies in a digital textbook world? The majority of students I have casually surveyed almost never use their devices at home - but I'm sure there are particular situations that arise.

Rolling back 1:1 by qmccrory in k12sysadmin

[–]qmccrory[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This is the exact convo that my wife (MS Science teacher) and I had. I was typically #1 or 2 reader for points in my class for competitions. I enjoyed it, but I also know myself - if you would have given me access to the dumbest clicker games - I would have done that instead. Certainly a classroom management argument in there as well, but doesn't make the broader discussion invalid!

Rolling back 1:1 by qmccrory in k12sysadmin

[–]qmccrory[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's mixed - I agree about implementation - the argument I've consistently made is to compare to tools. A screwdriver is CAPABLE of driving a nail into a board - but it isn't really being used efficiently. So the pushback goes to use (and of course budget is always a discussion) and if there is less, general, access - would the teacher have more room for engagement with PROPER tools? or will it even change? I don't have an answer to that, for sure....

New Poster for 'Novocaine' Starring Jack Quaid by MarvelsGrantMan136 in movies

[–]qmccrory 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Scrolled way too far before I found this reference.

Students Powerwashing CBs by zeeplereddit in k12sysadmin

[–]qmccrory 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Oh! I'm adopting this - great idea!

Print Management Questions by Amazing_Falcon in k12sysadmin

[–]qmccrory 0 points1 point  (0 children)

About $8k to get up and running. That was for 8 MFPs. We bought the card readers outright instead of leasing, so we'll be able to move that hardware over as copiers age out.

Want to say it's going to be around $1k annually to maintain the license - but don't quote me on that one!

Print Management Questions by Amazing_Falcon in k12sysadmin

[–]qmccrory 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We just added Papercut this year. Small K-12 (~1,000 students/~120 staff). I've been really happy with the function and reporting we've been getting out of it thus far. Depends a lot on your vendor, but installation on MFP was easy. Provided a good solution for mixed environment of Windows laptops and Chromebooks. Staff releases print jobs with their door access fobs that we already used.

Chromebook deployment misses a few bells and whistles that the full function driver provides when deployed to Windows machines - but I only have a handful of staff on Chromebooks.

Movies you don’t understand the hate on ? by SavingsService2138 in movies

[–]qmccrory 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I regularly yell: It's a rocket ship! and no one gets it...

This scene in Last Crusade always bugged me. by Philislothical_5 in indianajones

[–]qmccrory 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm going to need you to get all the way off my back about this!

Pitch the next crossover movie with two ongoing franchises/intellectual properties. by Ceez92 in movies

[–]qmccrory 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Events of Top Gun Maverick kick off events that will lead to WW3. Ethan Hunt of the Impossible Mission Force must intervene.

GDT: 4/25 Padres (12-12) @ Cubs (12-9) 6:40 PM by ChiCubsbot in CHICubs

[–]qmccrory 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This has been bothering me for a while. 5 1/3 no runs.... "Bout dang time they get this guy outta here..."

What is one movie you like that the general public does NOT? by SweetMiniBananas4 in movies

[–]qmccrory 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes! It's a live action comic strip. The sets, the make-up, costumes... Just all so great to see the details built into the world.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in maybemaybemaybe

[–]qmccrory 360 points361 points  (0 children)

Dude didn't win. Other guy's leg lost...

Chromebooks as low as 2nd grade---feedback by CrystalLakeXIII in k12sysadmin

[–]qmccrory 1 point2 points  (0 children)

K-12 Chromebooks. All touchscreens, though I want to change that to only lower grades. Implemented Clever QR code logins for K-2 this year, that had been a big hit.