Fighting Back the Chaos

Today's world is full of information overload.  Perhaps it would be accurate to say application overload in some cases.  As we move from device to device or application to application, maintaining some semblance of organization is critical.  Yes, critical.  I'm not an organization freak as those around me will attest, but having some idea of how to organize information and resources is important.  We constantly run across websites we want to refer back to later.  We identify resources that are useful to share with others.  We also access certain information from different browsers or applications.  For example, I have about 3 different applications for twitter just on my laptop which I use interchangeably.  Then we move from our laptops to our iPhones to iPads etc.

CC Information Overload by Jorge Franganillo (Flickr)

We are not always on the same device so how do we make the "cloud" (internet based applications and storage of resources) work for us?  If we do not have a plan, chaos will take over and we will just miss out on resources buried in an overwhelming pile of stuff.  We need to help students with this skill too. I'll outline some of my own personal strategy to fight back the chaos.

I am always surprised how many people don't use bookmarks (see my previous post for more on bookmarking).  I have all my common sites in my toolbar.  This makes them easy to access anywhere.  I use Xmarks to sync all my bookmarks across all my devices.  This also makes them accessible by logging into the Xmarks site when on a public computer.  Although Xmarks can do other things like sync passwords and such, I use it solely for syncing bookmarks across devices and browsers.  It has an install plugin for almost any browser on any platform.  I have upgraded to the premium and find it worth every penny but a free version is available.

I also use Dropbox.  Lots of different applications allow you to use Dropbox to access information across devices (see more info here).  I find this is a valuable tool for having files and information easily synced across multiple devices.  It also makes a backup always available in case a device is lost or stolen.

I like Instapaper for reading articles later.

For example, I typically check my twitter network on my phone which regularly gives me useful links and information.  I have several methods to deal with this information.

1. I have created a free account with Instapaper.  I have added this bookmark applet to my toolbar on my browser which allows me to just click on "Read Later" and it is saved to my account.  Instapaper can be accessed on my iPhone or laptop easily.  It tracks what I have read and I just archive after I have finished.  I always know what articles are yet to be read.  
2. I often just skim my Twitter and don't do extensive reading.  So I email myself a tweet at my gmail account.  I have setup a filter that automatically removes it from the inbox and labels it so I can review it later.  Filters are powerful and often underused email feature.  This also makes it easy to search tweets I want to find later.
3. I can use my Diigo account to bookmark certain links right in my phone.
4. Xmarks makes a lot of this simply because it syncs my bookmark applet for Diigo and Instapaper across browsers and my phone.

Lastly, I also highly recommend RSS feeds.  I use Google Reader to keep up with blogs that I follow.  It is easy and accessible on my phone or laptop.  

How do you keep your life organized between browsers, applications, and devices?  Do you have other recommendations to share?

So why Apple?

As I reflected on Simon Sinek's talk about the why in my last post, I want to carry that on to discuss the why in relation to Apple for our schools. Sinek uses Apple and Steve Jobs as an example of communicating the why so effectively. Apple has extremely high brand loyalty.

That is all well and good but why did TCIS and GSIS choose Apple for teachers and students? It comes down to 2 core reasons: 1) we want the best learning tools possible for students; 2) Apple is transforming classrooms (and much more) with its innovations.

Apple is a company that works ahead of the curve and its impacts are felt far more than many realize. They have transformed the music industry by moving digital content to a digital medium. iTunes is the largest distributor of music in the world. The iPad has sold over 15 million units in approximately 9 months.  The overall growth of mobile devices is astounding and the iPad is the standard that others follow. The delivery of content to the iPad is changing the digital landscape, particularly the publishing industry. Products like these will alter the use of not only textbooks, but all books. It will not just substitute paper for digital reading, it will create an interactive environment for learning that changes fundamentally how we read. It is not substituting digital for analog...it is transforming the nature of how we read and interact with text.

We want transformed classrooms that ooze learning. We want students to be the center of the learning and want to come to school everyday. We want them to understand the why and “love their job.” (You can substitute learning for job in that last statement if you want.) We want them to be prepared for the expectations placed on them in a rapidly changing marketplace regardless of what profession they choose to pursue. Apple provides the tools and support to create a transformed classroom that is student-centered to meet these goals.

We want the best tools for students. We want transformed 21st century classrooms that advantage our students in powerful ways. Of course, we are going to partner with the best company to accomplish our goal. Why not Apple?

(If you want to view some related posts, check out a series of posts I wrote in May & June 2009.)

The ES Mobile Lab

We are very blessed to roll out a mobile lab in the GSIS elementary school this year. We piloted laptops with 5th graders last year through a 1 laptop to 2 students ratio. Although this was a significant step forward, the teachers quickly desired a 1:1 ratio for students and laptops. This year, we have implemented 1 full cart with 21 laptops in the 5th grade, which is shared between 2 sections.

Due to space needs, we also replaced the aging Windows desktop PC lab with a mobile cart of 26 laptops for grades PK-4. We are excited about the opportunity teachers have to bring the laptops into their classroom and let all students access and learn with technology.

GSIS is getting to be the first ones to experience and utilize this resource in our system. As TCIS moves to the new campus, they will be implementing a similar mobile cart as their lab will not be present in the new building in Techno Valley. We hope to further expand the mobile labs to have more carts shared between fewer classes so students and teachers have greater access in the future.

Top 5 iPhone Apps

Many people at our schools are getting iPhones. I see them much more frequently among our students and out in the community. It was recently reported that in Korea, over 110,000 iPhone 4s had been pre-ordered. I would guess that number has continued to increase.I have gotten a many queries about all kinds of things on the iPhone. I thought I would make mention of my Top 5 apps in no particular order:

Things

For me and my workflow, my t0-do list and scheduling items that need to be addressed is critical. I have found Things to be a fantastic tool to organize and prioritize my to-do list. It is very powerful and based on the Getting Things Done principles. I particularly like that I can create steps within projects and schedule certain items on certain days easily. I sync this app with Things on my laptop via the wireless. It is a little pricey compared to most apps $9.99 but well worth every penny for me.

WhatsApp

WhatsApp uses wi-fi or your data plan to send text messages, photos, video, etc. to your contacts. Your phone number is your unique identifier so you have to have the right phone number in, inclusive of country code. It allows you to text anywhere in the world without international charges. It is now available on other smartphones besides just the iPhone which expands its use. It seems like several chat/texting apps are out there and probably work similarly. The trick is to get one and sell your friends on it so you don't have to pay for SMS messages. WhatsApp is a great bargain at .99.

Personal Finance by Pageonce

Personal Finance allows me to track all my credit cards, frequent flyer miles, and bills from a variety of sources in one place. It notifies me if too many credit card transactions occur in a day and notifies me of big charges. It consolidates utilities bills for a home in another location all in one place that is easy to view and keep abreast of what is going on. It saves me logging into many different sites. I really like being able to log in via the web on Pageonce and setup the accounts. Then I just view everything via the iPhone app. For this one, there is a premium version and a free one.

IM+: All in One Messenger

IM+ consolidates all my chats into 1 app. I can set it to stay logged in and receive push notifications for up to 18 hours. It is easy to use. Again, there are others out there but this is one I found that works well and meets my needs. There is a Lite version which is free. It has some limitations and I have found the normal paid version worth it although a little pricey at $9.99.

Dragon Dictation

Dragon Dictation is from the makers of Dragon Naturally Speaking, a popular software package. This app converts your voice into text. It's very accurate and great for recording longer emails that I don't want to type on the phone or text messages when I can't type and need to send a quick note. This app is free.

If you look at the pictures in this post, you can see screenshots of my first 2 pages of apps which are the ones I use the most. For the most part, I like free or very cheap apps. I've listed some of the pricier ones here which is probably good my most expensive apps are the best. It means I chose well. Be strategic on your apps and try to read user reviews. And there does seem to be an app for nearly everything.

What your favorite apps? Add them to the comments...

A Container for your Classroom

What's your container for your classroom? Now, let me first say that I think Jeff Utecht writes articulately about this with examples in his Thinking Stick blog post titled What's your container? That being said, he has probably helped popularize this terminology and idea in the region more recently but the concept and term has been used for some time.

I've been in many conversations here at the beginning of the year with teachers trying to decide what they are going to use as a container for their classroom. The meaning of container is how they are going to contain or hold together the content for their classes. This idea of a container brings coherency to instruction that may point to links all over the web, Google App files, or digital interaction just to name a few. It becomes one place where important materials related to instruction can be located.

CC Sealand Florida by Louis Vest

For some people, I think the term hub is more fitting. A hub is a centerpiece where other things spiral out. For some, all they need is one place to get students and then they point them all over the web to other resources. They need a location to store and organize all their links. They have no "stuff" because everything is on the web somewhere else with various Web 2.0 sites. Containers can act as hubs but in some ways imply more substantial content being posted on them.

To give an example, Moodle could be a container. It can link to whatever you like on the web but it is extremely useful for interaction such as discussion forums, dividing the class into groups, and posting files. Google sites or one of the wiki services can act as a container to hold files and "stuff" in a similar way. At the same time, a wiki can just be a hub with links and embedded code from other sites. A diigo list or a Google doc with hyperlinks might just act as a hub. A blog may act as either one.

So why is it important to distinguish the difference between a hub and a container? It's probably not. It is important is to clearly know your purpose and what you want to accomplish before you select a tool. Doing a blog because "everybody's doing a blog" is hardly a good reason. How will your container enhance, support, and engage students in learning? Think through what you want to do with your container/hub and consider how it can interactively engage students in your content. Then, select the best tool for the job.

Do you have suggestions for a container that you'd like to share? Post them in the comments.

Switching over to Diigo for News

I don't know if anyone ever checks my Be Literate Wikispace. I was posting some current news articles that I ran across to this wiki as much for myself as anyone. I found the wiki a bit tedious for the task so I have completely switched over to using Diigo. I don't post tons of links but you might find some news articles and exemplars of 21st century practices through this Diigo list. Check it out if you are interested.

http://www.diigo.com/list/pricedm/21st-century-schools-education

Needless to say, the wikispace will still be around with past news articles and some video resources, but don't expect more updates there.

Time Machine

If you have an Apple computer and are not using Time Machine, you are missing out. Time Machine is part of the Mac operating system (OS). Each day I come into my office, I just plug in my external hard drive. It automatically reads it and records any files that have changed. It will use up all the available memory on the hard drive and then delete the various versions so that it maintains a monthly, weekly, daily, and hourly backup. While plugged in, it will automatically backup each hour. The one caution as with however you back up, don’t carry the external hard drive with the laptop because if you bag gets stolen or lost, they both go.

Although this is a fantastic way to backup your machine, I was extremely impressed last week when I changed to a new computer. Again, a program within the Mac OS called Migration Assistant helps you setup a new computer. I simply selected setup machine with data from my Time Machine external hard drive. I started it up and let it run while I did some other things. In about 2 hours, the laptop was completely setup including my system preferences, account logins, printer and wireless settings, and even the desktop background. I just made a couple clicks and it was done. Very impressive.

My advice...use Time Machine if you have an Apple.

iPad Followup

I posted April 22nd and said the iPad was a gamechanger. Since then, 1 million devices have been sold. Rupert Murdoch spoke about the impact of the device on media subscriptions. A recent Mashable article showed the steep decline in netbook sales since the introduction of the iPad. I have had personal conversations with people that describe talks between Apple and the healthcare industry among others. Keyboards are not allowed in operating rooms because of contamination. However, an iPad provides a sealed device which can be sterilized and wiped down. Some have said there are many uses from healthcare to delivery/logistical services that do not want a camera, thus the reason for not including a camera on the first model.

In my opinion, all evidence that my previous statement holds true. The iPad is a gamechanger. It's not the device itself but the power and potential of the platform. Don't get me wrong. This doesn't mean I'm headed out to buy one. I am just confident I will at some point in the not-so-distant future.

Plugging Freetech4teachers Blog...and the Google Guide for Educators

I have found the Freetech4teachers Blog to be a bit overwhelming with the amount of content posted there regularly. However, I suppose information glut can be a good thing at times and the key is to skim and read sporadically rather than hitting every post. At least, that is my advice.

Richard Byrne has really done a good job of compiling resources. I particularly like his work to put together a guide to the Google tools available to teachers. With so many schools running Google Apps, this is a great resource for educators around the world.

I encourage you to peruse this blog. Tons of helpful resources are there. For example, Freeology offers printable resources like graphic orgnizers for teachers (see Byrne's blog post for more details). You can find virtual field trip resources and even links to tutorials like Mac for Beginners.

Make sure you are taking some time to explore the many tools available on the web to help students learn and make this type of professional reading part of your regular diet.

A Wiki Adventure

I recently had the opportunity to get an iPhone. After using it for nearly a month, I have found it to be a great tool for me and supports my mobile life of working between 2 schools. Overall, it is a very impressive little gadget. One of the great things about the iPhone is the apps available to do various tasks. One commercial I saw for an iPhone stated there was an app for nearly everything. From my experience and searching the App store, it seems pretty true. At the same time, it can be a bit overwhelming.

A few months ago, I read a blog post by Jeff Utecht which referenced a wiki as putting something out there and just letting others run with it to see what develops. Another article I read this week discussed "crowdsourcing".

In an effort to sort through the many iPod Touch & iPhone apps, I started a wiki that is open to anyone to compile your favorite apps, a short review/description, and the price. We consume so much on the internet but perhaps this a place you can contribute. For some of you, you regularly interact with sites like this. For others, you'd rather stay away. What do you think? Why don't you give it a try and note your favorite apps? Be a contributor.

http://appletips.wikispaces.com/

Relevant Learning

School must find ways to engage students in relevant ways. A colleague recently pointed out this website which turns a variety of topics among many core subjects into rap music. It is called Rhythm Rhyme Results. Not only does it take concepts and information and put it to lyrics that can be recalled more easily, but it actually has different versions of songs at different paces and with blanks to allow the learning process and scaffolding to occur. You do have to pay for the service but the website says much of the music is available for download via iTunes or Amazon. I didn't listen to all the music but it seemed like a neat concept and innovative way to engage students. Perhaps it is worth checking out for something you are teaching...

Automatic Captions

I recently saw this new feature discussed on the Google blog. It takes Youtube videos and automatically adds captions to them. The obvious application is the assistance to the hearing impaired. However, I think the potential of this type of technology is pretty cool, especially when applied to searching content without user effort to tag media.

Google also claims the captions can be downloaded into text. If you want to quote someone from a video, this makes it significantly easier. The use of captions can also be tied to certain cues in the video so you can skip to particular sections with ease.

Google translation tools can also translate video captions to other languages. Talk about crossing languages and making videos global...

A small blurb on the news but I see huge potential impacts and uses.

Wordle

I have digressed into more philosophical topics lately and I want to take a few posts and get back to some tools that some might find useful. Wordle (http://www.wordle.net) has been around for a while. One of its greatest strengths is its simplicity. Copy and paste some text in and let it generate a word collage for you. You can also put in websites. I put in this blog and got the following collage.

You can manually emphasize certain words (with a ~). You can also paste in a list and it will automatically resize words based on their frequency. This is a nice feature if you want to see results of feedback or adjectives from a group. For the next sample, I just copy and pasted in the mission statement from one of our schools.

You can also edit the colors and direction of words. I made this last Wordle from our school ESLRs.

Whether it is decorated your blog or classroom walls or measuring the frequency of responses, Wordle provides a nice graphical way to share text.

Twitter Followup

At the beginning of May this year, I posted about Twitter. At the time, I was debating whether or not to sign up. Over the summer, I decided to sign up for both Facebook and Twitter. If you really want to evaluate something, you have to give it a try. I have very few followers, barely double digits and I follow about 20 people.

After using it for nearly 2 months, I have found it useful for getting links to other resources. I follow key people and have gotten some great tips for good links and resources. After a month or so of use, I found that I didn't like following people that post too much. It becomes too much to filter through for the casual user. So I edited who I was following as a result. I also protected my profile. Although being a fan of open use and transparency, I had a few sketchy people start following me. I will say that Twitter quickly disabled some of these questionable accounts before I could even view who they were.

I'm still not an avid Twitter user but I check it a few times a week and post blog updates and an occasional thought to share there. Overall, the jury is still out for me but I do see some definite benefits of Twitter for professional growth and links. I also see how it can be a grand waste of time if you don't filter your lists and keep its uses intentional and focused.

It is similar to many of the tools that our students use. It's not about the tool, but how it can be leveraged to benefit our learning.

Things

Several people have asked me about Things which I referenced in a recent post. I really like its features. I used to use Checkoff, but like many task lists, the list just got longer and longer. It easily became too big to identify priorities.

In my opinion, setting priorities is where Things really helps me manage life.

Features I really like:

• Viewing Today tasks with the ability to drag & drop to shift list and set priorities for the day
• The Someday category which allows me to stick projects in a future to-do list area and knowing that it is not always popping up yet be there to review at any point
• Tag tasks so they are easily searchable, inclusive of setting priorities
• Manage multi-step projects by allowing me to prioritize and set dates for certain steps
• Drag and drop files into specific tasks (doesn't actually store the file but rather a shortcut to it)
• Scheduling tasks for certain dates and re-prioritizing tasks as needed to prioritize correctly
• Set custom shortcut keys so I can copy and paste information in quickly and easily
• Very intuitive interface so little learning curve in utilizing features
• Logs completed tasks so I can refer back or see what I have been doing with my time

I'm not trying to advocate that everyone go out and buy Things for their task list. It may not work for you. But perhaps the features that I like will help you think about how you are using your task list and what kinds of features you should look for and utilize to help you prioritize and manage life.

Simplifying Life - Part 1

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

- Robert Frost

As I embarked on another school year this fall, I reflected on the past and considered how I wanted to go forward. And I wanted to travel a different road. I think my reflections were based on 2 realizations: 1) We fill our time no matter how much or how little we have; 2) We want to and have the opportunity to do more things than time allows. These 2 concepts are coupled together and I have known them, but I have not changed my actions to adjust -- until now.

Priorities are critical. When we have more than we can do, what do we choose to do? If we just let life happen, odds are good we'll work on trivial things but are we working on what is most important? Sure, I get stuff done, but is it the right stuff?

I've made a decision--I am not going to just let life happen. I'm going to do what I can to prioritize. Please note: I did not say control. That's God's job. But I can prioritize what does come my way. Prioritizing starts with knowing what we are doing and what we need to do. And it means some stuff may not get done today. And it may mean some stuff never gets done because it should not be a priority.

So, how am I doing this? First, I am working with a task list. My previous task list was my post-it note on my desk or my email inbox. If life was good, I had 25-30 messages in my inbox in each of my 2 work inboxes so a total of 50-60 messages. When life got hectic, I would double that. That is a pretty poor way to manage tasks yet I have a strong suspicion that I'm not the only one that does this. Anyone need to confess?

Now, I read my emails. I leave them there if they will be responded to later in the day. If they aren't a priority for the day, I copy and paste the relevant part of the email to my task list and schedule it when it fits as a priority. And it may get rescheduled multiple times as I adapt to changing tasks. Responding is important, but it may not be important immediately. Of all the emails I get, a small part is actionable. The actionable part goes on my to-do list. The rest can be saved or deleted. My goal is to get my inbox at 0 messages each night before I go home. The exception is something I plan to respond to first thing the next morning. However, never more than 1 or 2 messages remain. In an effort of full disclosure, I have been doing this for 2+ weeks--so far, so good. All tasks don't come through email but it is just one example of what I am talking about. Using a task list also keeps you focused on the priorities you have set...not new distractions coming into your inbox or across your desk.

Getting organized is just one step I have taken. I use Things to accomplish this. It allows me to schedule tasks and even drag shortcuts of files into my to do list. Whether you use Things or something else, get organized and prioritize.

Google Lit Trips

I recently ran across Google Lit Trips. It utilizes Google Earth to enhance a literature lesson. I have not used this specific website and idea, but I really like the theory. It takes one technological tool and applies it to enhance and invigorate another area of study. Although cool in engaging students, the reason I particularly like this concept is that it takes this integration and allows teachers to share templates and lessons with each other. The concept is good and becomes better and more attainable for a wider group to use with students when it is shared and they collaborate.

That is 21st century thinking and implementation.

It takes us beyond our 4 walls of our classroom or the colleagues down the hall. It gives us access across the world to share excellent resources for the good of students. If you are interested in more info, you might check out this article on Edutopia.

When I tried to go to the Google Lit Trips page, it said it was down due to too much traffic. Perhaps I am not the only one that sees this as a good idea...

Common Myth #2

Common Myth #2: Apple costs too much and is a luxury laptop.

I have heard people say that Apple is the luxury machine that is too expensive. This is true in the sense that they do not offer a budget model that appeals to a cheaper market like many other manufacturers such as Dell, HP, or Compaq. But this is a bit bogus because it is not comparing apples to apples...(pardon the pun).

I have also heard individuals say that they can get a Windows-based PC spec for spec cheaper than an Apple. Again, I would tend to agree. If you get the exact same processor speed, RAM, memory, etc., Apple will not be the cheapest.

So it appears that Apple is 0 for 2 and perhaps they are too expensive. However, before I draw that conclusion, we need to take the operating system (OS) into account. To run Windows Vista, Microsoft said you could do it with 512 MB of RAM. They later revised that to something more like 1 GB. If you do some internet reading on the subject, you will find that you can "get by" with 2 GB of RAM but any serious user will probably want 4 GB for the Vista experience. For the record, Windows XP is fine and runs well off of 2 GB. Regardless, to perform adequately with graphics and multimedia, more speed and higher specs are needed. Overall, the whole computer market is seeking to "lighten up" their operating systems with Windows 7 and Apple's Snow Leopard. Whether or not this will really happen remains to be seen and this is good for everyone no matter what computer you have.

As a whole, the Mac OS is a lighter OS than Windows. It does not require the system resources in terms of RAM or memory. As a result, the specs on a Windows machine needs to be higher than that of an Apple for the same performance. This definitely varies by use. Multimedia is a good benchmark because it requires heavy resources and the Apple can handle more on less. As a result, the spec for spec comparison doesn't work out because I can't buy the same machine and run either system on it. Well, with the Apple, I can run both Windows & the Mac OS with Boot Camp or Parallels, but then I need to consider the specs needed to run both.

As a school here in Korea, the real question is what does a good student machine that runs for 3-4 years reliably cost? I am uncomfortable posting our prices in this public forum and will keep those within our community. However, I have found over the last 6 months that Dell, our previous supplier cannot compete with a comparable model at the same price. Context makes a big difference and this may not be true around the world. But in Korea, we are actually saving money, anywhere from $100-200 per computer by using Apples compared to our Dell prices. This is a comparison of the selected base models we recommend to students for either manufacturer. Prices definitely fluctuate, especially with the rapid changes in exchange rates in recent months. Overall, I would predict our student machines with Apple are cheaper right now but will probably break about even in the long run. Our goal is to offer a good student laptop for $1000-1200 USD equivalent and make it a good machine that will last a student 3-4 years. My interaction with other 1:1 laptop schools show this to be common practice and cost to students and parents.

Overall, I'm not saying Dell prices are unreasonable, but it does show that by choosing Apple, we aren't necessarily investing in the "Cadillac" of laptops. Don't get me wrong, I like Cadillacs...but I don't think this myth is an accurate representation of reality for us in our context.

Common Myth #1

Common Myth #1: Apple isn't compatible with Windows.

This is a broad generalization. Let's unpack this and see what is compatible and what isn't.

On the Mac OS, Mac Office 2008 runs just like it does on Windows. MS Word, Excel, & Powerpoint files can all be opened on either machine. I have noticed that once in awhile, an animation in a Powerpoint will get dropped between platforms. However, when this happened, I was also going between versions (I think I was going from Office 2007 to Mac Office 2004). Overall, the MS Office suite is compatible across platforms. MS Publisher does not open on any other application but Publisher. That is a Windows only application.

iWork is suite of applications for use on the Mac. iWork can import in any of the MS Office formats (except Publisher). They can export documents back out in office formats but certain advanced formatting like masking does not export correctly. The main reason for this is that some of the more advanced features just work in a very different fashion than MS Office. When exporting, these features that are not embedded into MS Office don't export correctly. Overall, I have not found this a problem as I bring documents in, rarely exporting out to Office. When I need to share an Apple created doc, I do so via PDF rather than the iWork suite. However, iWork has a beta version of online sharing which allows any user on any platform to access a document from the Web and give comments (but not actually change it).

Most image files come in JPG formats. However, PNG, TIFF, and GIF files are also used in various places. These all work across platforms and applications.

Movie files frequently come in MP4 format or MOV (Quicktime). Both formats work across platforms without difficulty. If one uses Windows Movie Maker, they may create an WMV file (Windows Media file). In the past, this has been a problem to play on the Mac. I have installed Flip4Mac (free plugin to download) which allows me to play WMV files. Although I don't use it frequently, I have not had any issues for close to 9 months of use. Have others had issues with this after getting any outstanding updates?

Adobe PDF files are designed to be easily maneuverable across platforms and computers. I have not used some of the Adobe CS4 suite to check compatibility. However, my Google search says that they are able to move between Windows and the Mac OS. Have any of the readers have any problem cross platforms?

Overall, more compatibility issues used to exist. Now, with the use of the Intel processor in the Macs, compatibility is not nearly the problem it was. Additionally, more and more web applications operate regardless of platform. This makes it advantageous for not only Mac and Windows platforms, but also the addition of mobile devices to access Web. 2.0 tools.

The Apple Move

Over this year, our school has decided to move to an Apple environment. We have been operating on Windows XP, largely via Dell computers for several years. We looked at Apple previously but Korea just didn't have the support we needed to make this happen. This initial exploration was actually before my work began in technology. However, after looking at this decision for over a year, we felt this was the right time to make a switch.

Some people argue you can do such and such with a PC or you can only do this with a Mac. I'm more of the mind that if you know what you are doing and have the right software, either one can really work for you. However, in evaluating the needs of our students and our teachers, we felt Apple was the way to go. As I have transitioned myself over the last 9 months, I see ways that I can be more productive, efficient and include more multimedia effectively in my work through the Mac OS, enhancing my ability to engage my audience and allowing more of my creativity to shine through. It is not that I can't do it on the Windows machine, it is just that it is much easier on the Mac and therefore I do things that I would not even try on Windows.

I mention multimedia and Apple is well known for their professional grade multimedia capabilities. Multimedia companies and education are two of the key places where Apple shines. And as we evaluate what we want students to do in school, more and more multimedia is required. In the same way, as we look at what engages students in teacher's lessons, multimedia can play a significant role. In my personal experience, I have included multimedia in presentations on the Mac that I would not have even considered on a Windows' machine.

Overall, the decision to move to the Apple platform is multi-faceted. I've only scratched the surface here. In the last couple weeks of school year, I will attempt to articulate some of the rationale behind our decision. I believe this rationale is the same reason why many schools continue to look to Apple to support their efforts to integrate technology throughout their school environment, particularly in their growing Asian market. Please stay tuned for more in this series and feel free to ask questions along the way...