On January 27, 2010, Apple announced the iPad. The iPad has been described as a “large iPod Touch” by most people who have seen the device on the web, in person, or in print. Some newspaper companies are hoping that this device will help save them by giving those who prefer ebooks and blogs a portable and “digital” way to view their products. Several book publishers seem to be hoping the same thing. With the success of Amazon.com’s Kindle, it would seem that they’d be correct in their assumptions, but I beg to differ.

When Apple introduced the iPod back in October 2001, Apple also introduced a new software application called iTunes. I’m sure almost everyone under the age of 60 has at least seen or used iTunes in some way. But what most people don’t know is what iTunes did to the record labels.

Before iTunes became popular you either had to buy an entire CD to get your favorite radio hit, use a cumbersome MP3 download service, or download via bit torrent or similar product illegally.

That meant that most consumers would just buy the entire CD, even if they didn’t like the nine or so other songs on the record. So, in turn, the record labels would make $5-XX off individual CD’s. But iTunes introduced a new platform for selling music. It was an easy way to buy individual songs for as low as $0.99! So people didn’t have to “waste” their money on the other songs on a record. But that also meant that the record label might only make $0.25-0.XX on a purchase. So the record labels did lose quite a bit of money at first, but in the end I think they make it up in volume, or at least make it close to still be worth selling for such a low price.

In my opinion that may be what will happen with the newspaper and book publishers. The publishers are going to either have to sell the product for a low price and make it up in volume or sell it for a ridiculously high amount and hope they sell enough to make it worth “losing” the cheapies like myself, who aren’t going to pay $XX for a digital copy of their product.

I feel newspapers in specific should give away their product for free and run it on an ad system similar to what The Batavian does; but I also feel that they are going to have change the style of writing to be more personal and community oriented.

Comment below to let me know what you think. Do you prefer to read the news or books on the web? Would you be willing to pay for a digital copy?

When people have flu-like symptoms, or a friend or relative does, the first thing they do is hop on Google to see if they can self-diagnose or learn more about the illness.

Those searches spike when there are a lot of people feeling sick.

Google has found that its search trends correlate to Center for Disease Control reports, but CDC lags Google's real-time results by about two weeks.

The current trends show minimal concern in the Buffalo and Rochester area (they don't break it down for Batavia specifically) about the flu this month. 

Learn more about how this works by clicking here.

Genesee Community College will host a Bio-Tech Science Fair from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Friday in the Forum at the Batavia Campus.

The Science Fair will involve four schools from throughout the GLOW region, including 225 elementary and 85 high school students.

The third- and fourth-graders will collectively come from Robert Morris Elementary (Batavia), Medina, Perry and York schools.

The participating teens will be from Batavia High School. They will mentor and lead the elementary students through a series of lab experiments and hands-on science activities that will expose them to interesting, challenging and current science topics with an emphasis on biotechnology.

The student teachers will have the opportunity to explore the area of teaching sciences and the rapidly growing field of biotechnology. They will also be encouraged to explore the many opportunities available to them in the world of science as well teaching and education, including the Biotechnology, AS degree offered at Genesee Community College.

All participants will have the opportunity to learn how to use scientific equipment, new technologies and computer software.

"I hope that the Bio-tech Science Fair exposes both our high school students and our elementary students to the exciting world of biotechnology," said Deborah Dunlevy, College Tech Prep coordinator at Genesee. "There is a great need for talented professionals in math, science, and technology. This is a unique opportunity for the students to become familiar with a cutting edge and exciting career field."

The fair is funded in part by the College's Tech Prep program and the President's Innovation Award grant.

For further information please contact Dunlevy, at 343-0055 x 6316 or dkdunlevy@genesee.edu . <http://dkdunlevy@genesee.edu .>

 


(Water Over the Dam)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How's your organizational plan going?
JOE: I got through one day and started yesterday on some changes to my website.
CALLIOPE: And?
JOE: Technology tripped me up again. My FTP program updated and then I was unable to log into my server.
CALLIOPE: Did you get it fixed?
JOE: No. I'm still stuck and will ask for some help from my Internet service provider.
CALLIOPE: Sounds frustrating.
JOE: It is. I worked on that and a problem with one of my e-mail accounts. Neither problem is resolved yet.
CALLIOPE: I take it that means you didn't get to work on your writing yesterday.
JOE: You take it correctly. So much for that plan.
CALLIOPE: You sound frustrated.
JOE: I am. Just when I start taking technology for granted it rears its ugly head and reminds me who's in charge.
CALLIOPE: I hope you get some answers and get back to work today.
JOE: I hope so too. Talk with you tomorrow.

(Dog Days of Summer)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Realizing I spoke too soon about my mastery of technology.
CALLIOPE: How so?
JOE: I thought I had everything under control with my websites and emails.
CALLIOPE: Not quite?
JOE: No. A while ago when I reloaded my websites, my e-mail got put somewhere else so it would not disappear. Friday I tried to put it back where it belonged but it got blocked.
CALLIOPE: So now what?
JOE: I called this morning to straighten it out and think it will be okay, but possibly not until tomorrow morning.
CALLIOPE: What are the implications for your e-book?
JOE: I want to make sure everything is working correctly before I post the file on my website.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like you're getting close.
JOE: That's the way it sounds to me too.
CALLIOPE: So now what?
JOE: I have correspondence to catch up with and then back to work on Marital Property. Talk with you tomorrow.

 



(Don't Curse the Darkness)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Making some progress.
CALLIOPE: Tell me.
JOE: I told you yesterday about my choice of how to distribute my book.
CALLIOPE: You did.
JOE: I got to work yesterday putting the technology in place.
CALLIOPE: With what results?
JOE: I needed another e-mail address to use to collect e-mail addresses from potential readers and distribute a password so they can download the book.
CALLIOPE: How did that go?
JOE: Making progress. I got one set up to handle an autoresponder.
CALLIOPE: Tell me what that is. We didn't have them in our heyday on Mt. Olympus.
JOE: I keep forgetting. An autoresponder is an automatic program built into an e-mail site which gathers and sends information automatically so I don't have to sit by the computer 24 hours a day waiting for people to write.
CALLIOPE: Sounds useful.
JOE: I think so. Next step is to build an easy to use order form for my website. A job for next week. Talk with you then.

 

(Ready to Relax)

JOE: Good afternoon Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good afternoon Joe. I wondered what became of you.
JOE: I have been wondering the same thing.
CALLIOPE: Have you come up with any answers?
JOE: I believe so. Mastering website technology at least to the point of getting satisfactory sites has taken me over to the point where it feels like an addiction.
CALLIOPE: How so?
JOE: I have reached the point where there is not much room left in my awareness for anything else.
CALLIOPE: What about your writing. I am barely keeping up with my journal and our conversations.
JOE: As you can, see it took me until now to get around to you.
CALLIOPE I do feel a tad slighted.
JOE: I was afraid of that. However I think the end is near or at least a plateau where I can stop to consider some other pursuits.
CALLIOPE: I'm glad to hear that.
JOE: I did manage to post my latest revisions to my Sliding Otter Website yesterday and am happy with it for the time being.
CALLIOPE: Then what's keeping you tethered?
JOE: Now I am hard at work on my Commonsense Wisdom site which is coming along nicely. I hope to be done with it in the next few days. Talk with you tomorrow.

 

(Dewitt Park)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: There's something about the electricity circulating around here today.
CALLIOPE: Tell me about it.
JOE: Yesterday I met with Chris at my local computer center about a few technology questions.
CALLIOPE: And?
JOE: I prepared myself to pay someone, probably him, to help me with adding a shopping cart, some forms and my blog to my website.
CALLIOPE: How did it turn out?
JOE: Good. After quite a discussion, he thought my emerging competence could handle everything I had in mind.
CALLIOPE: And if you get stuck?
JOE: He will be there to help me out of the muck.
CALLIOPE: So what's the problem?
JOE: I tried sweeping out my computer of some unneeded clutter and ended up erasing an innocent looking file necessary to start my computer. Hence a reload.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like a pain.
JOE: You said it. I'm back in business although a few programs don't quite act like I think they should. More work, but I think I'll take a break and go fishing with my grandson today. Talk with you tomorrow.

 
(Walking with Dinosaurs)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. Welcome to a new week.
JOE: Thank you.
CALLIOPE: What's this about dinosaurs?
JOE: Saturday morning I had a chance to see the much ballyhood Walking with Dinosaurs.
CALLIOPE: Did it meet your expectations?
JOE: More than that. I had questions about how lifelike giant puppets could be.
CALLIOPE: Tell me more.
JOE: The combination of excellent technology and imagination based on historical research resulted in a very entertaining and informative experience for my son, grandson and me.
CALLIOPE: Any lessons for you?
JOE: The point of bringing together technology and creativity is to reach the audience and connect with their needs and interests.
CALLIOPE: So it's the same process with the dinosaur show and with writing?
JOE: As far as I can tell it is.
CALLIOPE: Keep this in mind as you work on your website.
JOE: I certainly will. Talk with you tomorrow.

The Batavia City School district knows the importance of staying updated with technology. In November the district received the Torchlight Award from Promethean Inc, an international award-winning company which creates interactive learning technology to help teachers develop lessons that engage, educate, assess, and motivate learners.

Now the district has formed a committee to go wireless. Pamela Schunk, Director of Learning for Batavia City School District, said this will hopefully save money.

Schunk said the thing about technology is its expensive and  always changing, but the district is doing its best to meet the state’s standards.

New York State standards look at ways schools are developing their mission statements, and are constantly revising the standards.

Schunk said Batavia City School district develops their technology mission statement from the state’s standards and use it to guide everything they do.

The Technology Mission Statement
The Batavia City School District’s technology mission is to provide students with the technology, on-line resources, and bandwidth necessary to acquire the knowledge, develop the attitudes, and master the skills needed to meet the New York State Standards.

Just over a year teachers have been using a software program called Tech Paths. The program uses curriculum mapping which enables teachers to stay organized and communicate with other teachers and administrators.

All classrooms in the district have at least one computer and most have at least four student computers along with an inkjet or last printer. If the school needs new technology it is up to the teachers to apply for it.

Six technology classes are offered at Batavia High School that include, Desktop Publishing 1 and 2, Communications in the 21st Century, Media Production in the 21st Century, Fundamentals of Web Design, and Fundamentals of Java Programming.

“All students have to be engaged,” said Schunk about the goals of a learner centered classroom, “The information has to be relevant, and have meaning.” She continued saying it must be challenging, and teachers really have to know their students background ability, and interests.

From Genesee Community College:

Students will have a chance to take what they learn in the technology classroom and compete in an exciting hands-on event at the second annual Tech Wars competition, scheduled for March 19, 2009 at Genesee Community College in Batavia, NY. Registration for the College Tech Prep event begins at 9:00 AM and the competition starts at 9:30 AM. From catapults to robots, manual drafting to web page design, the imagination and creativity of some of the brightest students in the GLOW (Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming Counties) region will be showcased during this day-long event.

The competition is open to middle and high school students, who will participate in multiple project-based events of skill, chance, and ability. Students will compete in bridge building, drafting, sumo robots, T-shirt design, and carbon dioxide dragster racing, among other events. The highlight of this year's event will be the Sumo Robot Sled Pull.

"Hopefully, the interest in this competition will help to boost enrollments of technology classes because what is learned there can be transferred to initiatives at home, work and a wide range of careers on almost a daily basis," said Debbie Dunlevy, College Tech Prep Program Director and Coordinator Co-Chair of the Tech Wars competition. "We are very excited to host such a fun and educational event."

The Tech Wars competition, which may become open to school districts outside the GLOW region in the future, was inspired from a similar competition currently held through Niagara County Community College. That event is now in its twelfth year and attracts as many as 600 students from Western New York to compete.

"Ultimately, the interest of some students may go beyond the classroom where they develop such a deep interest in technology that they make a career of it. Someday those students may come back as a teacher or mentor of the technology students of the future," Dunlevy said.

College Tech Prep helps students explore various career options and make a smooth transition from high school to college and ultimately to professional careers. The Tech Wars is among several dynamic programs giving students the opportunity to work in hands-on learning encounters, often within business settings and with various professionals. College Tech Prep offers several distinctive career academies to high school students including: Heath, Legal, Information Technology, and the newest Theatre Arts Academy starting in September 2009. In addition, there is also a Virtual Enterprise Business program available to high school students.

For more information, please contact Debbie Dunlevy, College Tech Prep Program Director at Genesee Community College, at 585-343-0055 x6316 or dkdunlevy@genesee.edu. More information can also be found at the Tech Wars website, http://www.techwars.org.

This is more of a public service annoucement or a FYI instead of a news story, but isn't any more or less important.

Two Rochester news stations, Channel 13 (WHAM) and Channel 10 (WHEC) offer a free (depending on your texting plan) service to send text messages to your cellphone, notifying you in the event of a school closing.

I'm not going to preach which service to use (or what cellphone carrier you should be using). I present the facts and let people decide for themselves, with the occasional two cents.

Off the bat, most schools/companies/churches/etc will notify Channel 13 first in the event of a closing and then Channel 10. Some organizations don't notify Channel 10 at all, and vice versa. However, both stations end up with the same closings. It's really just a matter of time.

To use Channel 13's service, you have to register an account which takes about five minutes. Then you have the option to subscribe to a maximum of five organizations, for lack of a bettter word. You can also choose times throughout the day when to receive or not to receive notifications.

With Channel 10's service, it's less customisable and more straightforward. You type in your device e-mail address, and your sent a confirmation code via text message. Type in the confirmation code, click submit and you have a list of all of the organizations you can choose from. There's no limit either.

Personally, I use Channel 10's service. I keep track of several different schools and hate the limit that Channel 13 has on their service.

The links are below. Take your pick.

Channel 10 - WHEC

Channel 13 - WHAM

 

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Fine.
CALLIOPE: Did you do anything exciting over the weekend?
JOE: No. I was ready for an uneventful one. I spent it reading and relaxing.
CALLIOPE: What are you reading these days?
JOE: I finished Lee Child's novel, Nothing to Lose and am working on a rereading of The Poisonwood Bible.
CALLIOPE: Still working on on your voice for Marital Property?
JOE: Yes. But I have decided I like the first person approach and plan to complete revision from this perspective.
CALLIOPE: Glad you like the change. Anything going on in marketing?
JOE: I have a draft for my video, Are You Afraid of This Book. Now I am working on the technology. One approach provides better video and the other better sound. I am looking for an approach which provides both.
CALLIOPE: Have you discovered one?
JOE: I think my video camera would work best but it is being uncooperative at the moment and will not connect to my computer.
CALLIOPE: Have you narrowed down the problem?
JOE: I have pretty well decided it is the camera. The cord and computer seem to be working okay. Maybe I'll take it to the shop. Talk with you tomorrow.
(Relaxing in Jackson Square, Batavia, NY)

Another quick reminder.....School Budget Votes and School Board Members Voting is tomorrow in the City of Batavia.   Board Seats held by Wayne Guenther and Steve Hyde are up for Re-Election, there is no challengers.  Steve and Wayne have both done the office of Board of Education Member proud.  I hope the community comes out to support them. 

We also have the budget, which cuts the current tax rate by 2% or more and allows for the expansion of curriculum and the continuance of our award winning technology programs.  Batavia City School District is getting top grades for being one of the BEST SCHOOL DISTRICTS in Western New York.  All of our buildings (BHS, BMS & 3 Elementaries) recieved passing grades of distinction from New York State.  In short we are doing a fine job with the education process while realigning and reducing the tax burden on local residents and businesses. 

Also on the ballot is the approval of the 5+ Million Technology Budget that will add to the Security of all buildings as well as update current technology to include wireless and other outlets.  This will allow more students on computers at the same time and result in a better adaption of technology in the classroom.  Now here is the glitch....this has to pass by New York State Law by 60%.  I  have no clue why Small City School Building Projects need the 60% threshold while others only need 1 vote more in favor...but the fact is, we do.

With all that being said....please come out and support the Batavia City School's Budget, its Board of Education Members and the Technology Project.  It is the least we can do for our kids.  We appreciate your support.

From Kathie Scott, public information coordinator for the Batavia City School District:

Small City in Spotlight for Big Technology

Behind the scenes, The Batavia City School District has been preparing diligently for the national spotlight.

On May 4-6, the District will host a National School Boards Association (NSBA) Technology Tour. Approximately 75 participants from around the United State and Canada have signed up so far to spend a few days in Batavia to see first-hand why the District has dubbed this tour, Small City/Big Technology.

The event will include some “history” and current overviews of how technology is utilized for student learning throughout the District, information outlining the hardware and software installed or accessed, as well as tours of all the schools. During the tours, participants will be able go into our learner-centered classrooms to see the various technological tools in use by teachers and students in diverse subject areas, K-12.

Except for the visitors, it will be a fairly typical day in the District. Some students, for example, will be collecting data, analyzing and converting it into meaningful statistics and then creating circle graphs. Others will work independently on skill-building in subjects from reading to math. Partners will research topics on the internet to help them better prepare for their arguments in a debate. Groups will interact with students from across the District (or in other cases, from across the country) to discuss and critique literature.  One class will take digital photos and then edit as part of creating a multi-media presentation for the entire school.

To conclude each school’s tour, small instructional focus groups for the participants will enable District staff to share more specific information and answer questions about how technology fits in with instructional programs, age groups, and subject matter. A small sampling of those topics includes Using the Interactive Whiteboard, The Use of Technology in Data Mining, Educational Games, Technology and Special Education, Videoconferencing in the elementary Class, Technology to Enhance Foreign Language Instruction, Blog It!, Geochaching, and Technology in the Primary Classroom.

Another highlight of the visit will be a technology-on-stage performance, Cinemagic. For Cinemagic, students from all three elementary school choruses will perform a choral revue consisting of 38 songs from well-known movies. This particular multi-media performance was chosen for the NSBA Technology Tour participants because of its integration of technology with music. The schools' three music teachers began holding rehearsals with the 150 students several months ago in preparation for the production, which also was performed for District families, and for students at the three elementary schools. As part of their preparation, students were given rehearsal CD’s, produced with music software, so they could practice at home. In addition to lighting and staging techniques, the performance is notable for incorporating the use of PowerPoint and Moviemaker software.