SMF 102612 why aren't cell phones used in school?

Hi everybody,

I just attended the NCTM conference in Hartford, which talks a bit about how to teach math in a more interesting, technological way.  One of the things I find interesting is that there wasn't a SINGLE presentation on how to use the cell phone effectively in the classroom.  Now, I know that most folks assume that when kids are using phones in class they're being devious and breaking the rules.  This, by and large, is true.  However, most teachers don't ask the students to do so.  I think we are fighting a losing battle if we keep trying to keep phones out of the classroom.  What we should be doing is coming up with smartphone apps that actually help kids learn, and then helping kids use their cell phone powers for good instead of evil. 

Maybe at the next conference there will be one.

Have a good one,

~Mark

SMF 10/12/12 Google stuff (hangouts, talk, etc.)

Hi everybody,

Sorry about the DMV rants.  They were less about tech than my frustration.  So, back to business.  I've started using google hangouts and talk to replace my phone calls when I have enough service.  Firstly, they use data, not minutes, which makes me happy because I have unlimited data.  Secondly, they generally have really nice quality, and Thirdly, they can incorporate video.  Amazingly, while driving, I can videoconference.  Because I'm a safe driver, I don't look at the other person much, but it's still neat that you can.  Even though my service fluctuates between 3g 2 bars and full 4g LTE, I can usually make calls to other google subscribers on their smartphones or laptops with as much success as regular phone calls.  They get a bit flaky if you're doing voice and video over a 2 bar 3g connection, but they still work.  If I know I'm in a low service area, I'll usually choose just voice over a video teleconference.

Savings: no use of cell phone minutes, and free VIDEO.  I know apple has something like this - I believe it's called facetime - but I think it only works for iphone users of the same vintage (I.E. 4s to 4s).  Can anybody comment on this?

Hangouts are cool too, though I don't know as I'd try them with just a phone, especially while mobile.  I  would guess that you'd need a more stable, faster internet connection to sustain a video chat with more than one other person.  I haven't really tested its limits though, so I'll have to save that for another post.  One thing I've noticed though is that hangouts are a bit buggier/lower sound quality than the old microphone feature in google talk.  I think they'll work out the kinks, but my guess is that making them work for more than one person is what's making hangouts less functional for now.

Hope you enjoyed the read, and please comment,

~Mark

SMF 10/10/12 Time is Money.

Hi again,

I'm back from the DMV.  0 for 3 after 3 hours of waiting.  I've determined that the adage, "Time is Money" is the truth.  I know it's not that revelatory, but every time my life is wasted I think about it and wonder what I could have been doing with that time that I was forced to use for nonsense.  For instance, if, instead of lines and such, the DMV or other places where waiting is a problem allowed you to make appointments online, how much of our time would be saved?  If you assume that my time today was worth $10/hr, that's 30 bucks wasted.  Now multiply by all of those in the room with me - we're at at least $3000, PER DAY, of time that could be better spent.  We have to, as a society, get smarter about what we spend our time on, and how we apply it.  If just today's time was spent doing something productive, a stream or riverbed could have been cleaned, some kindergarten kids could have been read to, or whatever other community service you could dream up could have been accomplished.  Instead, we wasted time that could have been turned into money, if somebody could take the time to set up the process in a more efficient manner.  Hire an actuary and a few programmers for a couple weeks - I bet the whole system could be revamped so less time was wasted.

With the advent of smartphones, this could be even easier.  For instance, checking into a southwest flight online saves time AND money, because the hassle of figuring out where people are to sit is taken care of by the passengers themselves.  Similarly, if there was an online dmv signup, I could have figured out exactly which lines I'd have needed, and when they weren't as busy.  Efficiency is beautiful, and we have the technology to achieve it.  So what makes us not do so?  I think it was probably just complacency.  It's easier to do something the way it's always been done instead of innovating.  It's also less fun, efficient, and probably less cheap.

Can anybody suggest any better alternatives to common problems?  I think we all have that ability; we just need to apply ourselves to the problems at hand and get them taken care of.  We have the technology - we just need the will.

Have a good one,

~Mark

DMV app

Hi everyone,
I'm in DMV Hell, for the 2nd time in a week.  AND I HAVE TO COME BACK AGAIN.  Wouldn't it be great if there was some sort of app so that you could tell if it was busy?  You know, BEFORE you took your free period from school and drove 20 minutes?  This couldn't be too hard to program, could it?  I hate wasting my time.  So at least with my keyboard I get to write this blog while I wait.  Stiiiiiiill though, I could be doing actually productive things like correcting or lesson planning or sipping coffee listening to music.  Instead, surrounded by strangers, I'm trying to be patient and nice to everyone while every fiber of my being is screaminggggggggggggggg obscenities.  I think this is how Tourette's syndrome starts.  Repeated exposure to the DM effing V.  Seriously though, I      challenge all you smartypants readers out there, make a DMV app that will tell people the line length.  Do it.
Sorry for ranting.
~Mark

SMF 10/8/12 Limitations of cell phone data plans

So, I was in an office waiting for an appointment.  I was minding my own business and typing on my bluetooth keyboard, and actually getting some good work done instead of wasting the time.  The lady next to me asks whether she can do a cell phone data plan and get rid of her dsl.  Now, I really dislike DSL, but I'm pretty sure if the lady ever wants to download a movie or watch streaming video she's still going to want a data plan for her house instead of sharing her cell phone data plan.  Even if she has 4g LTE with full bars at her house, it wouldn't be much of an advantage.

http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/broadband-grudge-match-cable-vs-dsl-vs-4g/

This has a decent review of all of the options.  I don't think 4glte's there yet . . . I'm still hanging on to my cable (though i am way too cheap to afford $330 a month for business class).  Oh, ahem, not cheap, FRUGAL.

Speaking of that, unless you have unlimited data, 4gLTE does have that major drawback; if you have to worry about what you download, you shouldn't use this to replace your home service.  See my earlier blog about throttling bandwidth to convince customers to get rid of their unlimited plans.  In my current estimation, the best way to go is Verizon 4gLTE unlimited if you can still get it, plus a phone that can attach to your wifi at home for blazing fast cable internet.  If you're trying to cost cut, get rid of cable tv/satellite/homephone service and replace it with Netflix, Amazon VOD (Video on Demand), hulu, etc.  The only disadvantage to this is that you don't get live tv as quickly as somebody with cable, but I bet this will be changing sometime soon as well.

Have a good one,

~Mark