Category Archives: education

iOS Deployment Methods in Wisconsin K-12 Schools

iOS Deployment Survey

Over the past year I have studied iOS Deployment Methods in Wisconsin K-12 Schools in pursuit of my master’s degree from UW-Whitewater. Now that I have completed the program the results can be shared.

The zip file contains a copy of the report and a raw data sheet.

Download: iOS Deployment Methods in Wisconsin K-12 Schools

Many thanks to Dr. Eileen Schroeder and Dr. Liesl Hohenshell for supporting me all throughout.

That’s Not Right At All

Sometimes I like to throw professors a curveball in final exams. Here is one answer from my grad-school business course.

Present the essence of Lewin’s Change Management Model and its applicability for implementing IS.

One disputed belief is that Lewin was captured by rogue poacher businessmen. These businessmen ground Lewin into a fine powder and exported him out of the United States by labeling the product as “Essence of Lewin’s Change Management Model” to avoid entanglements with customs. Lewin’s essence proved very popular in Eastern medicine circles, where it eventually found its way back to California. Radical businessmen in the 1960’s and early 1970’s eventually incorporated Lewin’s Change Management Model into their operations. Most business scholars agree, however, that this is completely made-up bull****.

American Urbex

Solvay Coke & Gas

Over the past few years I have developed a fascination with photographing abandoned buildings. I have also had a strong desire to unravel the secrets pasts of these locations and have been successful to varying degrees.

I met with my professor Dr. Zarinnia at Culver’s one day for lunch a few weeks ago to discuss what I could do for my LibMedia Virtual Libraries final project. We spoke for an hour and a half about a wide variety of topics; our family backgrounds, travels abroad, personal interests, technology, and politics. Over the course of our conversation my fascination with photographing decay became apparent. I explained how my it all began and has progressed to something beyond just documentation. I want to talk to people, get their stories, collect factual information and connect the past with the present. The big question she posed to me was “How do you go about doing that?”

The project I came up with is American Urbex. It is a blog that chronicles my photography, mashes it up with geolocation maps, and includes access to resources that I use to research locations. It is by no means an extensive catalogue and there is much work to do. I plan on adding to it whenever the urge arises. At best it is a proof of concept, but one that I can certainly build upon.

So please check out American Urbex and bookmark it. Good things are on the horizon.

East St. Louis

My first experience with East St. Louis came from a text I had to read during my undergrad to obtain an education degree. The article talked about the city’s school system, extreme poverty, family life and the infrastructure found in East St. Louis. The article left an indelible mark in my mind.
In December 2009 my paternal grandmother passed away. The funeral was held in St. Louis. Prior to the ceremony my significant other and I drove through East St. Louis. I was fascinated by what I saw, but she was brought to tears.
East St. Louis was during the early 1900’s a city with growth potential. Major railroads, cattle stockyards, and heavy industry provided ample jobs for East St. Louis citizens. A serious of race related incidents, declining tax base, corporate wrangling, heavy industrial pollution, and a changing American economy plunged East St. Louis into extreme urban blight. The population peaked around the mid-1900s at 88,000, but has been in decline ever since. The 2000 census indicated that the population is now in the low 30,000s. I would not be surprised if the 2010 census shows even fewer.
Now 3 out of every 4 residents here lives on welfare. There are a few major businesses downtown: Popeye’s, Associated Bank, BP to name a few. But the city does not have much beyond that. Third-tier businesses like hair salons and liquor stores are the most common. Abandoned buildings litter the city. Urban Explorers need not do much research to look for what to photograph, they just need to pick a street corner. Buildings damaged by fire are also strewn about the city. According to one resident we spoke to there had been 15 fires within the past 10 days alone.
How could this happen in America?
Drew and I ventured into East St. Louis with the mindset that this city is worth documenting for other Americans to see. It was an odd experience unlike any other that we had ever had before. In a city that is ~98% black, two bald white photographers certainly stick out. Drew and I have had experiences in major metropolitan areas worldwide where being approached usually means that people are looking for money or trouble. That was not the case in East St. Louis. The people we met on the street thought that we were with Habitat for Humanity or other local non-profit organizations. We told them the truth – that we were interested in who they are and how they live. They were very supportive of us documenting the sad state of their neighborhoods. East St. Louis is a part of America, like any other. It deserves to have its voice heard.
If I ever had the chance, I would return to East St. Louis.
Research Resources:
Built St. Louis – Some of the buildings in this excellent photo tour are now long gone.
Savage Inequalities by Jonathan Kozol – Depicts the dire economic and education situation in East St. Louis at the start of the 1990’s.
East St. Louis on Wikipedia – Obligatory Wikipedia entry on East St. Louis.