Geek Level - 4
I've stumbled upon something today that I think is one of the greatest things I've found in a while. While this post is geared somewhat towards network admins, this is great for teachers who are wanting web 2.0 tools available for them, but due to time restrains, the network admins at their school do not want to setup the tools for them.
The Microsoft web platform is a small application that installs on Windows Server 2008. After this is installed, you have the option of installing some of the Microsoft software that a log of web apps run, but you can also just go directly to installing apps. This will install apps such as Wordpress, Joomla, Wordpress, Drupal and the best one -- Moodle. When I say it will install these apps, it does almost all of it for you, and just prompts you for passwords and such to set. It's one of the greatest things I've seen for a while.
I have setup local versions of Moodle and Wordpress on windows machines in the past. Usually I have to set aside several hours of hunting down the current versions of PHP, Apache if I choose to run it, MySQL and others, install them, configure them, edit .ini files then hope and pray that what I have done will work.
When I went to install Moodle today for a new server I came across the Web Platform. I looked at it and thought that surely it wouldn't work right, but I was wrong. Once I selected Moodle and clicked "Install" it started. I watched it download MYSQL, PHP, and all of the other dependencies that is required. After a while, it prompted me to enter the MYSQL root password, then later on the database usernames and passwords that I wanted to use. That was it. I know this saved me at least two hours, and that is coming from someone who has done this before (albeit a few years ago), if it was my first time I know it would have been much more.
This is a great solution for not only network admins, but since this application installs on Windows systems XP and above, anyone could setup their own local test servers on any machine laying around just to play with some of the new software to see if they wanted to push for a bigger install. If you wanted to try out a local version of WordPress, you could set it up, and have our students access it via the IP address. While I wouldn't recommend that as your final install, it would be a great way to test things out.
If you want to take a look at it, you can check out the page here or just go straight to the download here.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
Journey to a PLN
PLN - Personal Learning Network. I have never been one that has enjoyed sitting in a mandatory faculty meeting listening to someone go on about whatever new educational acronym someone has thought up. Now I find myself jumping onto the newest bandwagon wholeheartedly.
At first look, one would think that I am taking on this venture merely because it pertains to technology, but I think there is a greater reason. In my position as my schools Technology Coordinator I have had the privilege to take part in an email discussion list amongst other Coordinators around the state. This list has been invaluable to me. So many times someone would post something they had tried only to have me excited to try it at my own school. I have had this thought for years that if other teachers could have the same type of lists to join, especially within their own disciplines, that they too could find something to get excited about and wish to share with their students. One thing that I have found through my own experience, I have always learned the most from teachers that were truly excited about what they were teaching. It's contagious.
So, now I have found that what I had wanted all along has been growing around me and I was completely oblivious to it. PLN's are exactly what I believe can help teachers get motivated, learn new things, make connections, and that will benefit the learning in their classrooms by tenfold.
If you are reading this without prior knowledge of PLN's, there are many great resources that I have found. One great resource is from Richard Byrne over at http://www.freetech4teachers.com. Follow this link to view one of his presentations on developing a PLN. http://www.freetech4teachers.com/p/develop-pln.html
At first look, one would think that I am taking on this venture merely because it pertains to technology, but I think there is a greater reason. In my position as my schools Technology Coordinator I have had the privilege to take part in an email discussion list amongst other Coordinators around the state. This list has been invaluable to me. So many times someone would post something they had tried only to have me excited to try it at my own school. I have had this thought for years that if other teachers could have the same type of lists to join, especially within their own disciplines, that they too could find something to get excited about and wish to share with their students. One thing that I have found through my own experience, I have always learned the most from teachers that were truly excited about what they were teaching. It's contagious.
So, now I have found that what I had wanted all along has been growing around me and I was completely oblivious to it. PLN's are exactly what I believe can help teachers get motivated, learn new things, make connections, and that will benefit the learning in their classrooms by tenfold.
If you are reading this without prior knowledge of PLN's, there are many great resources that I have found. One great resource is from Richard Byrne over at http://www.freetech4teachers.com. Follow this link to view one of his presentations on developing a PLN. http://www.freetech4teachers.com/p/develop-pln.html
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