Tag: chromebooks

That’s not innovating

Patrick CauleyLeave a comment

Tony and Patrick are back! Patrick is in Grand rapids attending the ATLIS conference. They will be talking about AI, innovating and how no one gives a flying hooey about the US PIRG report about Chromebooks.

As always, check out the show notes below and you can subscribe to our podcast from your very favorite podcasting app.

  1. ATLIS day 1
    1. Good workshops
    2. Innovation is not learning or using technology
    3. Grand Rapids might be nice – no idea but the weather sucks
  2. ChatGPT
    1. We are all aware that the Terms of Service require parental consent of children between the ages of 13-18 – what happens when a fair amount of people say no?
    2. Lawsuits on deck concerning intellectual property, enterprise and copyright
  3. VR questions
    1. How to model something in VR?
    2. How to send it directly to a 3D printer?
  4. Tony’s annoying AI conversation
    1. I need more info Tony
    2. Please read the disclaimers
  5. US PIRG’s Chromebook Report
    1. https://itbabble.com/2023/04/21/chromebooks-and-misleading-reports/
    2. Nobody cares

Episode 211

Patrick Cauley2 Comments
Photo by Rob Caterino – https://www.flickr.com/people/25030443@N03

That is a good picture of Michael Dudikoff – famed action star from the 80’s, 90’s, 2000’s and beyond. Want to know why he is our artwork? Listen to find out! Also, be sure to subscribe to us on your favorite podcasting app.

  1. Coach K – what’s going to happen to Duke? 
  2. What am I drinking? 
    1. Elysian Space Dust – https://www.elysianbrewing.com/beer/space-dust-ipa 
    2. Peppermint Tea
  3. Chromebooks on the market for over a decade – what has their impact been?
    1. https://www.reddit.com/r/chromeos/comments/trfz5j/now_that_chromebooks_have_been_on_the_market_for/ 
  4. The BORAT Malware – https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/new-borat-remote-access-malware-is-no-laughing-matter/ 
  5. Insurance is going to kick your ass if you don’t get compliant; Book title? Worth $15.00?

Sneaky, sneaky kids and electronic tests

Patrick Cauley1 Comment

This week, is a good week. I learned a whole lot about something this week and I thought I’d share it with you my good reader.

So let me layout the scenario for you. It is the end of an grading period at my school and like many other school this is a time for tests and projects. One class giving quite a few tests is our Spanish class. The teacher there uses on an online assessment tool, Edulastic for this tests and the students use Chromebooks. Since it is a language test and it is offered online, there are some ways that kids can, shall we say, get some online assistance (AKA cheating).

We, the tech department, thought we had this locked down. With Edulastic we can make a “Scene” that only allows the Edulastic website to open and that is it. No new tabs or searches allowed. We also blocked Google Translate from the Google translate control panel so that site or the extension could not be used and we patted ourself on our backs.

So students took the test and when we looked at GoGuardian to make sure they weren’t able to open any webs we noticed something odd. Something didn’t make sense. Check out the image below of a timeline of two different students.

Problem #1

We are stupid, or at least I am. There are plenty of translation extensions that students can download and install.

Guess what, extensions don’t need a website, so they are invisible to GoGuardian, so at the beginning of the week we thought there were students who were installing the extension before the test and then uninstalling it afterwards.

So, we disabled students’ ability to install apps/extensions from Google control panel. Pretty easy and we set up a Google form for students to request apps/extensions to be allowed that we could vet.

OK – now we can really pat ourselves on the back . . . right?

Problem #2

Did I mention that I was stupid? During a test that we were monitoring on GoGuardian we saw this.

So the student on the bottom is what it should look like during a test. A solid green line showing a student consistently on the Edulastic test. The student above was odd. Why was it so fragmented? Those gray slivers are open and empty tabs. What was happening?

So we looked a little deeper and saw this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How could this be? I mean we plugged all the holes . . .didn’t we? Right?

The teacher spoke to this student and he was pretty forth coming. He said that if you type a question the Google Omnibar, it will give an answer without performing a search!

Of course he is absolutely correct.

What you are seeing here is what Google calls instant search and there is a way for us to turn that off in the Google. There was also a translate feature in Google that we turned off as well. I guess this is what offers a translation for sites in foreign language.

Now do I pat myself on the back? No because I am sure the students will find another way. Just like the Dutch Boy and the leaky dike. I am just plugging holes as students find new and inventive ways to . . . “gain assistance.”

What have I become

I always thought that being working in technology – I’d be the cool guy on campus. I’d be the person people would go to with problems and want to talk tech with. I am that person, but I have also become something else.

I’ve become . . . The Man.

I’m OK with that.

 

Episode 155 – Gamechanger

Patrick CauleyLeave a comment

Tony and Patrick are back in another awesome episode of IT Babble. The big news here is Amazon Workspaces and the game changing opportunities it offers education. Check out all the talking points below and be sure to subscribe to us on iTunes or your favorite podcasting app.

  1. In 2018, Windows died at home and nobody cared by Jason Perlow of ZDNET
    1. https://www.zdnet.com/article/in-2018-windows-died-at-home-and-nobody-cared/
      1. K-12 and Higher education still uses laptops/desktops
  2. Your Smartphone is the Best Computer You Own by David Pierce NO 🙂
      1. https://www.wsj.com/articles/your-phone-is-the-best-computer-you-ownso-use-it-more-1527084001
    2. Schools typically follow business
    3. Should schools ditch laptops for “mobile” devices
  3. iPads vs. Chromebooks: Part 2 by Patrick Cauley
    1. https://itbabble.com/2018/06/04/ipads-vs-chromebooks-part-2-2018/
    2. Chromebooks it is!
    3. Interesting results of the student survey
  4. The accidental BYOD solution by Tony DePrato
    1. https://itbabble.com/2018/06/06/the-accidental-byod-solution/
    2. Amazon Workspaces
    3. Amazon Education – https://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/?&docId=1000412651
    4. WINE for Ubuntu – https://wiki.winehq.org/Ubuntu

As always you can download the episode here

Or listen below.

 

 

Episode 154 – Poop on the Desk

Patrick CauleyLeave a comment

Tony and Patrick are back and what an episode! Check out the talking points below and be sure to subscribe to us on iTunes or on your favorite podcasting app.

  1. The best gadgets are the ones you know how to use by Dieter Bohn
    1. https://www.theverge.com/2018/5/2/17302680/best-gadgets-tech-gear-liveblog-bag
    2. This applies to schools: hardware, software, SIS, gradebooks, etc.
    3. When is it good to make those changes?
  2. Access Denied: Controlling What Students Can Access by Tony DePrato
    1. https://itbabble.com/2018/05/05/controlling-what-students-can-access/
  3. iPads vs. Chromebooks update
    1. Student survey
  4. Tony’s testing with Amazon Work Spaces
    1. Tony tested Windows 10 with Amazon Work Spaces on a Chromebook
    2. It works
  5. End OF YEAR Process

You can download the episode here.

You can listen to it below.

Episode 150

Patrick CauleyLeave a comment

Episode 150 is HERE! For the special occasion we have brought back Mr. Omar Ghosn (cofounder of IT Babble) to talk ed tech once again. The episode is a little longer than normal but certainly a great one.

As always you can find our podcast on iTunes (please subscribe) or on your favorite podcasting app.

  1. Welcome to 150! – What’s everyone been up to?
  2. Social media in schools
    1. Should it be used at all?
    2. Instant messaging vs Social media
    3. If yes, how should it be used?
    4. Etiquette vs Ethics?
    5. FOMO vs JOMO?
      1. My 9 year old and her relationship with social media (Seesaw, Whatsapp, Musically)
      2. The Man Who Knew Too Littleby Sam Dolnick of the NY Times – https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/10/style/the-man-who-knew-too-little.html
    6. Eduro Learning Discussion about social media – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzCUtMDKhSY
    7. Tony’s post – https://itbabble.com/2018/03/18/its-time-to-regulate-social-media-in-schools/  
    8. https://gizmodo.com/study-being-a-teen-sucks-now-1822305426
  3. 1:1 Programs in schools – Mobile Devices vs Laptop
    1. Is a Chromebook a mobile device or a laptop
    2. Remix OS – http://www.jide.com/remixos-for-mobile
    3. Samsung DEX – http://www.samsung.com/global/galaxy/apps/samsung-dex/
    4. Omar’s prediction – modular design
  4. Eye strain because we are so connected
    1. Kids are being given iPads and numerous tasks on devices (screen time)
    2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_blue_light_technology
    3. F.Lux – https://justgetflux.com/
    4. Reading mode on mobile device
  5. Handwriting
    1. Should we continue to focus on it?
    2. Studies show a link between writing on paper and stronger “connections”
      1. https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/were-only-human/ink-on-paper-some-notes-on-note-taking.html
    3. And if students are to type…how can we “control” their devices in a BYOD setting? Most testing software does not lock you in – MAP testing software does

You can download this episode here!

 

Episode 145 – Chrompocalypse

Patrick CauleyLeave a comment

Patrick and Tony are back! This episode they talk about cheaper iPads, cell phone bans and the Chrompocalypse that happened. Oh and Patrick’s kids stop by to say hi 🙂

  1. Much Cheaper iPad Expected in 2018 by Henry T. Casey of laptopmag.com
    1. https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/ipad-2018-specs-price
    2. Will this help vs the Chromebook in schools?
    3. Predictions?
  2. France to impose total ban on mobile phones in schools by Henry Samuel of the Telegraph
    1. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/12/11/france-impose-total-ban-mobile-phones-schools/
    2. Could they actually do this?
    3. Distraction for schools?
    4. FOMO – Fear of Missing Out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear_of_missing_out
  3. Chromageddon Come Down: Educators are Wary After Thousands of Google Devices Fail by Sydney Johnson of edsurge.com
    1. https://www.edsurge.com/news/2017-12-13-chromageddon-come-down-educators-are-wary-after-thousands-of-google-devices-fail
    2. Schools here called it Chrompocalypse which is a better name
    3. Should schools be dettered by this?

You can subscribe to us on iTunes.

Download the episode here

 

 

Episode 138 – Body Cameras

Patrick CauleyLeave a comment

Tony and I are back! In this episode we talk about body cameras in the classroom and the official announcement that Chrome OS will support Android apps. It raises some questions.

  1. Body cameras in the classroom?
    1. http://www.theverge.com/2017/2/8/14545828/uk-schools-body-cameras-trials by: James Vincent
    2. Is this a good idea?
    3. Thoughts?
    4. http://www.samsung.com/us/explore/gear-360/?cid=ppc-
  2. Android apps on Chrome OS – officially
    1. https://www.technobuffalo.com/reviews/samsung-chromebook-pro-review/
    2. Is this a good thing?
    3. How would this work with GaFE? i. Play for Education – https://support.google.com/edu/play/answer/6056739?hl=en
    4. Any future for the iPad in education?
    5. http://techapple.net/2014/05/5-best-android-emulators-linux-run-android-apps-linuxubuntulinuxmintfedoraarchlinuxopensusemageiacentos-etc/
    6.  http://windowsreport.com/best-android-emulators-windows-10/
    7. https://eduproducts.withgoogle.com/

You can download the episode HERE!

You can also listen below.

Be sure to follow us on Podomatic and subscribe us to iTunes.

 

Episode 106 – Save Tony

Patrick CauleyLeave a comment

106

Today we discuss why Tony is missing, is Sesame Street on its way out and should schools even consider purchasing iPads now that Google Chromebooks make up more than 50% of devices in US schools. Check out the show notes below.

As always subscribe to us on iTunes, follow us on Podomatic or subscribe to us using your favorite podcasting app.

What Will HBO’s Sesame Street Look Like? by Jessica Pressler of Vulture

a. Link: http://www.vulture.com/2016/01/what-does-hbo-mean-for-sesame-street.html
b. Is this the beginning of the end?
c. Thoughts? Do schools still use it much anymore? d. Reading Rainbow –https://www.readingrainbow.com/ e. Malcolm Gladwell The Tipping Point –http://gladwell.com/the-tipping-point/

Apple loses more ground to Google’s Chromebook in education market

a. Link: http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2016/01/11/apple-loses-more-ground-googles-chromebook-education-market/78323158/
b. iPad Mini 2 – http://www.apple.com/shop/buy-ipad/ipad-mini-2
c. If you’re looking for devices do you even consider iPads anymore?

Download this episode HERE!