Middle School Matters on the Go #2

Gabcast! Middle School Matters on the Go #2

Middle School Matters on the Go #1

Gabcast! Middle School Matters on the Go #1

Remote Access

You can check out the updated version at Middle School Matters.
This is a real life check of the remote access.

We're moving

While we are still working on some pesky technical issues, we have pretty much worked out one issue. We're going to move to a "real" web page. Look for a link to follow once all the registration stuff has gone through (and someone writes us a web page).

Cheers.

Behind the Scenes

Middle School Matters has been hard at work behind the scene. Although it seems remarkably easy (more about this in a minute), there is a lot of work to be done behind the scene. Making the remote recording work, the remote hosting, proper tags and all is a bit of work. We want to make sure that you have a quality podcast to listen to when we debut in the Fall. Oh, we're pretty sure that the first few won't be perfect (OK, maybe they'll never be perfect, but you get the idea) but we'll try to start with some pretty dog gone decent quality. It's also a tough time of year as we are working on dealing with a very real budget crisis, preparing to close out this year and start up next year. Oh, what fun.



About that remarkably easy. Some of things that we are doing were absolutely impossible just a few years ago. One of us has some experience in college radio (just a, um, few years ago). The things that we can do now we didn't even dream about in that long ago experience. So, yes, on one hand, it is remarkably easy. However, remarkably easy (as any middle school educator can attest to) is a matter of perspective.

End of the Year

The year is winding down quickly. Someone pointed out to me the other day that we had 7 more Mondays for this school year. We have 8 more Fridays. While that means that this year is quickly coming to a close, it also means that our debut Podcast is coming up quickly. We've worked out some of the technical issues. We're going to polish some of that up and work on some of the procedural kind of things. Mostly though, we're getting to work on developing the kind of show that Middle School Educators will find:

• Useful
• Entertaining
• Humorous
• Thoughtful
• Insightful
• Relevant
• Intriguing
• Exciting

And much, much more! OK, so we aim a little high. As always, if you have any suggestions, drop us a line.

New Hope

I've long said that we are in time of great change in education. The changes that are taking place for middle school, high school and the rest of the educational experience bear that out. I've also said that the job of educators isn't the same one as it was 30 years ago. Heck, it isn't even the same job as 10 years ago. In fact, I'm not sure that it's the same job that Universities are currently preparing teachers for.



However, it wasn't completely clear to me exactly how the job was different. It is now becoming more and more clear. However, not everything is changing.



Let's start with the vestiges of what was. Our schedule is still derived from the farming schedule. In fact, lawmakers in Michigan like the schedule so much that we are barred by law from having students return to school before Labor Day. That is one example of what was.

Those same lawmakers also passed a law that every student must have an "on-line" experience. New schedule, meet the old schedule.



Teachers are being asked to do more and more. Yet we don't recognize that. We don't honor that. We don't applaud that.



How has the job changed?

More to come.