dnbailey.org

Cam's House

2012-03-15

I’m at Cam’s house….

Wonderful Wife

2012-03-06

I consider myself a pretty lucky guy. When i was younger I didn’t know if I’d ever find a woman that would put up with my eccentricities. Julia just so happens to be just as odd as I am.

Tonight we went out to eat, and it was so very comfortable just talking about our day over dinner. On the way out to the car I walked over an opened the door for her. She called me a dork. I was happy.

I used to imagine that being married would be hard, but it’s not. There are certainly tough days, but Julia is my best friend. We know that life will go on, and we will walk down the road together.

My Favorite Tools 2011

2011-12-23

This year has been a really busy one for me. It seems like I stay on the run 24/7, and I would not have been nearly as productive as I was without a few creative tools. Sitting here reflecting during Christmas break, I thought it would be worth writing about the tools I love!

Google Docs

I can’t explain how often I use Google Docs. In the classroom, this is an irreplaceable tool. From presentations to grading, I use it for all of my document management. At home I use it to store things for my various hobbies, and even participated in a fantasy soccer league using it (didn’t do the best job keeping up with my team, but my buddy John had a sweet setup).

Moleskine Journal

I have half a dozen of these classic little journals that I use for various purposes. My personal preference is for the large squared notebook. I like being able to draw and right and think in a space that I can review later. I know there are other journals out there that are probably cheaper, but there is just something intangible that attracts me to these stylish, functional notebooks.

iPhone

So I haven’t had my iPhone long, but it is quickly making itself one of my favorite devices. I love the camera and the simple clean interface. I have used other smart phones, but the iPhone is king for a reason. The ui is so user friendly that rarely find myself frustrated by things to don’t work right (this happens often, because I always find some little problem that annoys me).

Prezi

I make a lot of presentations for class, and they can get pretty boring to put together sometimes. Prezi makes it fun again. I really enjoy the simple, intuitive interface, and the students really like the way the ideas build a bigger picture.

Zebra F-701

I can be very picky when it comes to writing utensils, but I believe I have found my favorite. Zebra makes great pens to begin with, but this one is build like a tank. With pens I prefer function over form, and this pen performs.

Instagr.am

I love this app. It can take mundane objects and transform them into hipster gold. I don’t have time for cool toy cameras, but this app makes taking quick shots fun.

Those are the tools I love using. What tools can you not live without?

Educational Web Apps

2011-10-02

As an educator I often find myself viewing the world through an educational lens. When I find a new web app, I immediately start considering possible application in my classroom. However, integrating the technology proves to be more of a pain than it is worth. The few apps out there that target education are often outmoded or just plain suck.

I believe that education offers a wide open field application development. With many of the technology resources schools have implemented, tech staff spend all of their time maintaining or repairing dinosaurs. Instead they should be educating teachers and students on how to use the technology. Web applications offer a much more convenient model — less to install, config, and maintain. However, there just aren’t enough apps out there targeting education.

Developers should consider finding ways to target or provide education specific versions of their apps. Educators need to partner with these developers to start building products that meet the needs of students. I see a new frontier for both development and education. I think that I’d like to be a part of that new world.

Lazy Weekends

2011-09-17

My weekends are always too short. I spend my week trudging through my normal routine, and then the weekends are my play time. Unlike the stereotypical weenend of rest and laziness, my weekends are full of design, planning, building, and creating.

The result is burnout. I can’t think anymore. My brain is numb, and I feel sick. I feel like my wheels are spinning, but I’m moving no where. I’ve got to find some lazy weekends.

I believe that my goal for this fall will be to spend some lazy weekends reseting my brain. I’ll work all week and even stay up late to get it all done. When the weekend rolls around, I am going to push the rest of it aside and reset. I hope that I will see my life settings, and I will be able to be more productive.

Studio LMS

2011-09-14

Teaching art is a lot of fun. I get to work students on problems that they create. We work together to creatively solve their art problems using the skills learned in class. However, working one-on-one with 35 students in an hour and a half is difficult on the best of days. Inevitably some students have to wait for help. Others are able to avoid working, because no one is standing over them making them work.

This fundamental problem of too many students with too little time inspired me to start thinking of a work around. Being a tech head, my natural inclination was to seek out a web based solution. Ideally the solution would have the ability: to deliver instruction on a wide variety of techniques, to give the students a place to store images of their artwork, and to allow me to provide formative feedback based on those images. What I need is a lms, but none of the ones I have found accomplish my goals effieciently.

Knowing what I need, and not being able to find a solution is frustrating. Hence I decided that I would just build the tool that I need. In this way I can customize it to fit the unique demands of an studio art classroom. The lms tools available are primarily focused on academic subjects, and I believe it is time for differentiated tools to match the demands of the related arts.

If anyone is interested in working on the project and has experience developing web apps, please contact me. Find me on twitter (@dnbailey) or leave a comment below.

10 Years

2011-09-11

It has been a strange world since September 11th became more than just another day to mark off the calendar. A day of remembrance…

What do I remember though? The lives lost that day are surely at the forefront of most minds, but I find myself remembering more. I remember the classroom where I stood disbelieving the CNN report. My mind could not accept such cruel disregard for human life. Alas it would not the last time I was shocked by the apparent inhumanity of mankind.

So what should I remember? I remember the unity – a nation that felt like they belonged together. With so much divisive politics, it is easy to forget the lesson that September 11th teaches. We recognize our conneciton in the face of diversity, but we too easily forget the connection that we have with our neighbors and countrymen.

In rememberance of the victims of September 11th, I suggest that we all take time to consider the people around us. The selfless actions of the rescue personel from that day should act as a reminder of what it means to be a good neighbor. Let us all actively remember the people who died today ten years ago.

Genesis

2011-09-10

Everything needs a beginning, so I guess it is important to start this blog. I don’t plan on getting verbose on this post, but I do want to set out my goals for this blog.

I want to have a home for my random thoughts.
I want to allow my random thoughts to be accessed by the public.
I want to get feedback on my random thoughts.