Colonel Gallion unleashes his assault on technology, by using technology!

Greetings to all,

It has been awhile....... yes I know, I seem to say that every spring. It is good to be back in my lonely writer's garrett, dispensing wisdom (harrumph!) and fomenting things as yet nebulous and undefined. As followers of this blog know, last year's entries were devoted to our Corps Quartermaster, Captain Switzer, as he fought for his life, against esophageal cancer - a battle that he is still winning. Almost a year has passed since he had surgery and follow-up treatments, with the removal of "Earl" on July 19. A week ago, he was given a clean bill of health by his Duke University doctors, and he has never felt so good. The joy is back in his voice, he's learning to eat again, and he is working full time. To put it mildly, he is glad to be alive. I'll keep you posted from time to time.

As for me, my middle school baseball season is now over, fresh hostas have been planted in the garden, my student teacher has moved on to better things and we are now in the midst of the early phases of the 150th anniversary events for our War Between the States. Endview (Battle of Big Bethel) was quite a success and now we're poised for the second year's action at Spotsylvania, next weekend (May 20-22). Manassas looms on the horizon and Gettysburg (in an off-year) will be the first weekend in July. Okay, Colonel, you're digressing. What's this "assault on technology?"

Sorry. You know how I can be when I have a captive audience. At my school, like many of you at your workplace, I have to use technology, mostly in the form of computers, but often with other mechanical beasties that vex and annoy me. You see, it wouldn't be so bad if all I had to do is to write reports, handle e-mails and grade and save evaluation data. That I can do with ease. What gets me is when our well-meaning tech support people send us fists-full of new sites, tricks, gadgets and updates for our updates, all with very little time to practice a few, much less all of what we receive. I know a bunch of educational sites and applications very well, like Moodle, E-Grades, Google Docs, NBC Learn, Pearson, and a plethora of sites geared to my students' sussessful quest for knowledge. Then, along comes my student teacher, having been fully trained in the philosophy of teaching and armed to the teeth with even more technological skills tahn one person should be allowed to possess.

He and I made a deal; I would transform him into a dynamic teacher who can handle anything and everything related to middle school, and he would teach me some of this dangerous technology he so readily called upon each day, while teaching my students. So, your faithful correspondent tackled the likes of Prezi, Edmodo, Sporcle, and several others, with the curiosity of a first grader, the awe of one very old seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time, and the commensurate skills of Russia's 1914 Army confronting the German Army at Tannenburg. To say the least, my gaskets were blown, quickly, and I leaked oil all over the North Atlantic, while maintaining a smile and a pleasant, though mis-guided demeanor, as he schooled the teacher.

Now friends, one has two options in a case like this; one can seek refuge in the Wilderness like Old Joe Hooker or he can have Colonel Alexander lob a few shells, then signal the general advance. I have chosen the latter course, as being more honorable. You see, some of the technology my student teacher used, really delighted and challenged the kids; and if you can do that with seventh graders and keep them enthralled, you can pretty much dictate terms, even during a fire drill or thunder storm. I have latched onto a few of his more successful strategies, to get kids to interact, by learning about such sites as WallWisher.com. Though it sometimes has its glitches (what computer site doesn't eventually?) it is a way for students and teachers to communicate with "electronic sticky notes", about anything going on in the classroom and its learning routines. His students (Now again mine) left him and each other questions and answers about all our topics and lessons on the WallWisher page he created for them.

Lightbulb! Lightbulb! Lightbuld!!!!! Guess what? I've created one for Longstreet's Corps, so that you can post me comments and questions, about our shared hobby. I hope you will agree that this is one way to enhance our communication, with your help. All I ask is that you keep it strictly professional, to what we do - NO POLITICS. I will be moderating, and will read your posting before it goes public. If you are using it the way it is intended, no problems. I will ask that for each potential posting, you use your initials and the unit you belong to, as part of the Corps. Anonymous entries will not be posted.

I will check this site with as much frequency as I can, and will be glad to handle any topic or concern, such as interpretations of Gilham's Manual, staff work, period paperwork, the day-to-day history of the Army of Northern Virginia, tactics, officers, books - just about anything that you and I might engage as gainful interaction. Lieutenant Perkinson is already working to post this bit of technology on our website, Longstreetscorps.com . I'll look forward to your posts. One caveat to the format: those of you who are familiar with Twitter know that such a format limits you to a pre-designed character limit (140 for Twitter). The same is true of WallWisher, with a limit of 160 characters.

Please go to this url: (It is case sensitive - please enter it just like this) http://www.wallwisher.com/wall/rOGakSlj9p

I look forward to hearing from you.

Until next time,
Colonel Gallion