The Apple iPad

I am not what you would call an 'early adopter' of new technology, that is if by technology you mean gadgets and tools - I don't have an iPhone....in fact I have never owned an iPod. I am very interested in the latest technology - I have been listening to music in MP3 format since 1999, that's probably why I prefer a simple MP3 player over an iPod.

I have read (with great interest) all about the Apple iPad that was unveiled today and it sounds pretty cool. I must admit that for a few moments I even thought, "I should get one of those." That was until I started to read a little more about it and came across this article:

What's Missing from the Apple iPad

The questions I have now are:

• Is it just an oversized iPhone?
• Is a touch screen/tablet computer?
• Is it a Kindle/Nook with a lot more features?

If the answer to the last question is yes, then the people at Apple are simply brilliant. It certainly tops other ebook readers in terms of features and it will be a great companion for the iBook store, just like the Kindle is for Amazon.

Now I begin to wonder.....do I "need" an iPhone, an iPad, and a MacBook? I have little doubt that MS students around the world will be telling their parents that they deifinitely need an iPad. This is a great opportunity to research this product together and weigh up its pros and cons, while at the same time strengthening the parent/child relationship. Your kids may be impressed that you even know what an iPad is!

The Power of Reflection

With 2009 drawing to a close now is a good time to reflect on the year and all of the highlights and challenges that occurred throughout the year.

As I prepare for the first two recruitment fairs in Sydney next week I have been reflecting on my recruiting experiences from earlier this year. I have been looking through my notes and my interview questions and thinking about what worked well, what needs to be improved, and what I have learned since then that can be incorporated this time around to enhance the interview experience for both myself and the candidate being interviewed.

While going through this process the power of reflection has really been evident - if we don't take the time to reflect and look for opportunities to improve then we run the risk of repeating the same mistakes, or even worse, we repeat a process that may be flawed. Modeling reflective practices for our students helps them to see the value in this process and enables them to engage in reflection of their own learning. Sometimes we see that the reflection can be equally as powerful as the learning process itself.