Comments for Jim Butt's BlogJim Butt's Blog http://jimbutt.com A place to collect thoughts, share ideas, and spark collaboration. Fri, 18 May 2012 15:34:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Comment on Educational Technology and Equity by uksuperiorpapers http://jimbutt.com/2012/02/educational-technology-and-equity/#comment-76 uksuperiorpapers Fri, 18 May 2012 15:34:25 +0000 http://jimbutt.com/?p=345#comment-76 I think it is the parents and teachers who must make education relevant to students. Technology should become an inclusive tool. Where alll are able to have access to hardware and applications.On the one hand I think that using technology is not learning - just as using a remote control does not teach you about television. We are the slaves to the technology; not the technologist. I think it is the parents and teachers who must make education relevant to students. Technology should become an inclusive tool. Where alll are able to have access to hardware and applications.On the one hand I think that using technology is not learning – just as using a remote control does not teach you about television. We are the slaves to the technology; not the technologist.

]]> Comment on Business Affairs Committee Report to Board, April 10th, 2012 by Jim Butt's Blog | Lucky To Be In A Minority…And Planting Seeds http://jimbutt.com/2012/04/business-affairs-committee-report-to-board-april-10th-2012/#comment-63 Jim Butt's Blog | Lucky To Be In A Minority…And Planting Seeds Sun, 15 Apr 2012 01:08:01 +0000 http://jimbutt.com/?p=386#comment-63 [...] cuts this year with only modest, manageable revenue increases over the next 5 years (see my recent report for additional details), but I believe we are making our luck through careful attention and long-range [...] [...] cuts this year with only modest, manageable revenue increases over the next 5 years (see my recent report for additional details), but I believe we are making our luck through careful attention and long-range [...]

]]> Comment on About Me by Art Haywood http://jimbutt.com/about-me/#comment-62 Art Haywood Sun, 08 Apr 2012 14:15:41 +0000 http://jimbutt.com/?page_id=241#comment-62 I like this blog. Thanks. I like this blog. Thanks.

]]> Comment on Educational Technology and Equity by Napoleon Nelson http://jimbutt.com/2012/02/educational-technology-and-equity/#comment-58 Napoleon Nelson Wed, 29 Feb 2012 19:17:10 +0000 http://jimbutt.com/?p=345#comment-58 I think we're at an exciting infancy phase relative to integrating technology into the classroom. I compare it to the health services field. The classroom, like the doctors office, is the domain on an individual and the best outcomes often come from those individuals who have mastered their craft. It is hard to innovate and infuse tech into these environments because the practitioner (in this case, the teacher) has to be willing to open up their classroom and change the delivery of their craft (not to mention the record keeping and administrative duties). You need to get buy-in of a very fragmented influencer, WITHOUT having the ability to show positive outcomes. I look at the challenge of advancing educational technology in a different way. We need to infuse technology into the curriculum at a more aggressive rate. Don't simply use computers and the internet to add color to the same lessons you've taught for 15 years. That makes it a luxury item that can aid in classroom work, but be thrown out if it is not going to be implemented appropriately. We need to have standards of technological capability, starting in elementary school. What do students need to be able to do by the time they're 18? 15? 10? I think we’re at an exciting infancy phase relative to integrating technology into the classroom. I compare it to the health services field. The classroom, like the doctors office, is the domain on an individual and the best outcomes often come from those individuals who have mastered their craft. It is hard to innovate and infuse tech into these environments because the practitioner (in this case, the teacher) has to be willing to open up their classroom and change the delivery of their craft (not to mention the record keeping and administrative duties). You need to get buy-in of a very fragmented influencer, WITHOUT having the ability to show positive outcomes.

I look at the challenge of advancing educational technology in a different way. We need to infuse technology into the curriculum at a more aggressive rate. Don’t simply use computers and the internet to add color to the same lessons you’ve taught for 15 years. That makes it a luxury item that can aid in classroom work, but be thrown out if it is not going to be implemented appropriately. We need to have standards of technological capability, starting in elementary school. What do students need to be able to do by the time they’re 18? 15? 10?

]]> Comment on Why I’m Skeptical About Apple iBooks by David Cohen http://jimbutt.com/2012/01/why-im-skeptical-about-apple-ibooks/#comment-52 David Cohen Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:09:12 +0000 http://jimbutt.com/?p=337#comment-52 Jim, I tend to disagree with a number of points in this matter. To some degree, Apple does care about the workers at Foxconn; could and should the care more, yes. Key issues in this regard are that the Foxconn employees are not Apple employees and that working conditions and policies in China are not the same in the U.S., and that the employees are largely out of our sight and mind. Apple cares about more than profits; they care about providing very well designed consumer devices and controlling the infrastructure to ensure a high degree of user satsifaction. I support open standards, but recognize that through open standards, we did not get the iPod or the iPhone or perhaps most improtantly iTunes, which is well designed store that enables content creators and provides to provide merchandise and consumers to purchase it. Also while open standards means that the ebook can be viewed on more devices, true open standards (without adequate controls), means that the ebook and be shared and/or transferred, which could hurt the content creator. I believe that nothing is preventing a publisher of textbooks and developers/manufacturers of tablet devices from also publishing content outside of the iPad/Apple system. While I do not know the details of textbook publishing, I believe that the costs of textbooks from big publishers is very high, and that they will seek to keep them high in regards of whatever models they develop and utilize for ebook publishing. From what I have read, the Apple model with big publsihers is going away from a high cost for a textbook model (with the book being abled to be ruesed and transferred from student to student each year) to a model of a lower ebook cost, but with that book being tied to an iPad. Putting aside the cost of the iPad, this may be cost neutral to a school district, or cost more, or less than the old textbook method. What appeals to me most about the Apple ebook model are the apparent easy ability for authors to publish and get distribution via iTunes, and the increased functionality that the Apple ebooks will likely have over other ebooks (e.g. more interactivity and functionality). Jim, I tend to disagree with a number of points in this matter. To some degree, Apple does care about the workers at Foxconn; could and should the care more, yes. Key issues in this regard are that the Foxconn employees are not Apple employees and that working conditions and policies in China are not the same in the U.S., and that the employees are largely out of our sight and mind.

Apple cares about more than profits; they care about providing very well designed consumer devices and controlling the infrastructure to ensure a high degree of user satsifaction.

I support open standards, but recognize that through open standards, we did not get the iPod or the iPhone or perhaps most improtantly iTunes, which is well designed store that enables content creators and provides to provide merchandise and consumers to purchase it. Also while open standards means that the ebook can be viewed on more devices, true open standards (without adequate controls), means that the ebook and be shared and/or transferred, which could hurt the content creator.

I believe that nothing is preventing a publisher of textbooks and developers/manufacturers of tablet devices from also publishing content outside of the iPad/Apple system. While I do not know the details of textbook publishing, I believe that the costs of textbooks from big publishers is very high, and that they will seek to keep them high in regards of whatever models they develop and utilize for ebook publishing. From what I have read, the Apple model with big publsihers is going away from a high cost for a textbook model (with the book being abled to be ruesed and transferred from student to student each year) to a model of a lower ebook cost, but with that book being tied to an iPad. Putting aside the cost of the iPad, this may be cost neutral to a school district, or cost more, or less than the old textbook method.

What appeals to me most about the Apple ebook model are the apparent easy ability for authors to publish and get distribution via iTunes, and the increased functionality that the Apple ebooks will likely have over other ebooks (e.g. more interactivity and functionality).

]]> Comment on Overcoming a Weakness…Engaging with Our Community by Rose http://jimbutt.com/2010/01/overcoming-a-weakness-engaging-with-our-community/#comment-13 Rose Wed, 09 Mar 2011 21:50:04 +0000 http://jimbutt.wordpress.com/2010/01/24/overcoming-a-weakness-engaging-with-our-community#comment-13 I'm a resident of the LaMott area and I can tell you that there are a lot of different groups within the community. I think its hard on a lot of people because a lot of the residents are elderly and an increasing amount of residents are new simply because of the older residents dying out or the recent rash of foreclosures that have been happening in the immediate area.But I'm seeing increasing numbers of people who have been attending local meetings lately. So that's a good sign! I'm a resident of the LaMott area and I can tell you that there are a lot of different groups within the community. I think its hard on a lot of people because a lot of the residents are elderly and an increasing amount of residents are new simply because of the older residents dying out or the recent rash of foreclosures that have been happening in the immediate area.But I'm seeing increasing numbers of people who have been attending local meetings lately. So that's a good sign!

]]> Comment on Six of Seven District Schools Earn State Achievement Award by Rhonda http://jimbutt.com/2010/12/six-of-seven-district-schools-earn-state-achievement-award/#comment-24 Rhonda Fri, 31 Dec 2010 15:48:15 +0000 http://jimbutt.wordpress.com/2010/12/27/six-of-seven-district-schools-earn-state-achievement-award#comment-24 Congratulations! Congratulations!

]]> Comment on Interesting, Happy Times by Jen16226 http://jimbutt.com/2010/10/interesting-happy-times/#comment-23 Jen16226 Mon, 04 Oct 2010 15:10:37 +0000 http://jimbutt.wordpress.com/2010/10/03/interesting-happy-times#comment-23 There are a couple of things that truly affect things in my district and lack of transparency is high on the list.One director in particular has a habit of "twisting" facts. If he would like to be taken seriously, he needs to show data he is looking at and not just speak about what numbers he is looking at.In addition, a lack of providing a long-range district plan is non transparent.Perhaps if we had a board director like you, who clearly shows his hand, the stakeholders in my district would become more engaged and offer more. Instead there is too much speculation and hurt feelings, which is never productive.Thank you for your blog! There are a couple of things that truly affect things in my district and lack of transparency is high on the list.One director in particular has a habit of "twisting" facts. If he would like to be taken seriously, he needs to show data he is looking at and not just speak about what numbers he is looking at.In addition, a lack of providing a long-range district plan is non transparent.Perhaps if we had a board director like you, who clearly shows his hand, the stakeholders in my district would become more engaged and offer more. Instead there is too much speculation and hurt feelings, which is never productive.Thank you for your blog!

]]> Comment on Transparency – Part 2 by Jim Butt http://jimbutt.com/2010/09/transparency-part-2/#comment-22 Jim Butt Sun, 26 Sep 2010 15:05:23 +0000 http://jimbutt.wordpress.com/2010/09/05/transparency-part-2#comment-22 Since I don't know any of the specifics, my recommendation is to speak to your solicitor. The Sunshine Law, to me, has long tentacles. Since I don't know any of the specifics, my recommendation is to speak to your solicitor. The Sunshine Law, to me, has long tentacles.

]]> Comment on Transparency – Part 2 by Charlie Crystle http://jimbutt.com/2010/09/transparency-part-2/#comment-21 Charlie Crystle Thu, 23 Sep 2010 12:57:32 +0000 http://jimbutt.wordpress.com/2010/09/05/transparency-part-2#comment-21 I'm a board member for the School District of Lancaster. Do you have an opinion on transparency of connected organizations? We have several nonprofits that use the district name and partnership to get public grants, etc, ostensibly to improve things for the schools. Almost all deliberation is private, decisions are private, contracts aren't put out to bid, friends are hired, etc. Thoughts? I'm a board member for the School District of Lancaster. Do you have an opinion on transparency of connected organizations? We have several nonprofits that use the district name and partnership to get public grants, etc, ostensibly to improve things for the schools. Almost all deliberation is private, decisions are private, contracts aren't put out to bid, friends are hired, etc. Thoughts?

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