My Apple TV shows nothing but a black screen while using AirPlay.

This happen the other day to one of my teachers.  She said she was using AIrPlay to mirror her iPad to her classroom AppleTV.  It was working fine one day, then the next not so much.  The Apple TV was working. It showed us the standard Apple TV start menu, but as soon as we turn on AirPlay mirroring on the iPad...the TV went to a black screen.  

The frustrating part of this was that I was able to mirror; my iPad, iPod and my MacBook desktop using AirParrot.  So my thinking was that it must be some settings on her iPad.  I looked up this problem on the Apple tech support webpages and was told to do numerous things to troubleshoot and/or fix the issue. 

1- Here's  one real easy one to try first, shut down and restart your MacBook. NOT KIDDING!!  I found that a lot of my teachers never turn off their laptops, after a while (my theory) it's resources run down to such a low level it can't "power" the video signal to the Apple TV.  That's my theory and I'm sticking with it!

2- Apple suggested to; turn of the Bluetooth on the iPad, reboot my router/wireless access point, restart the iPad, then finally restart the Apple TV.  We unplugged the Apple TV from the back of the box, waited 10 seconds and plugged it back in...et voila!  I worked again.  WHO KNEW????  Our techie knew about this fix because this same exact issue had happen with our principal's Apple TV.  So before you go through all that rigor moral, just try unplugging and re-plugging.

3- Another fix I found to work was to update the software on the Apple TV.  One of my teachers got the black screen when he updated his Mac to OS High Sierra, as soon as I updated the Apple TV everything came back.

In U.S., Library Visits Outpaced Trips to Movies in 2019

Yep! According to Gallup, visiting the library remains the most common cultural activity Americans engage in, by far.   The heck with the Oscar's I'm attending the American Library Association Awards Gala this year!! :-)

The Big 6, Stanford University's Civic Online Reasoning Curriculum and research.

Everyone remembers going to your school's library (do they still have a libraries) and learning about the Big 6 Information Literacy model right? :-)

The Big 6

• Step 1 - Task Definition
• Step 2 - Information Seeking Strategies
• Step 3 - Location and Access
• Step 4 - Use of Information
• Step 5 - Synthesis
• Step 6 - Evaluation

I stumbled across Stanford University's Civic Online Reasoning (COR) site and my mind drifted back to the Big 6 lessons and where the COR curriculum would fit in.  According to the site, "The COR curriculum provides free lessons and assessments that help you teach students to evaluate online information that affects them, their communities, and the world."

Maybe I'm way off but it struck me that COR's idea of information evaluation was different than the Big 6, maybe it should become the Big 7?   


So I figured the Stanford site was a good resource to pass along along with the original Big 6 stuff.

The Big 6

Step 1 - Task Definition

1.1 Define the information problem

What does your teacher want you to do? Make sure you understand the requirements of the assignment. Ask your teacher to explain if the assignment seems vague or confusing. Restate the assignment in your own words and ask if you are correct.

1.2 Identify the information you need in order to complete the task (to solve the information problem)

What information do you need in order to do the assignment? Your teacher will often tell you what information you need. If he or she does not, it will help you to write a list of questions that you need to “look up.” Example: Let’s say the assignment is to write a paper and make a product about a notable African American. You choose Scott Joplin from the list that was provided by your teacher. She may or may not have told you why this person is notable. You need to figure out what information you need to find out about Scott Joplin. Here are some questions you may ask about him if you don’t know why he is notable:

Why was Scott Joplin notable?
When was he born and when did he die?
Where was he born?
Was his birthplace or childhood home any influence on his career?
How did his childhood influence his adult life and his career choice?
Who in his life were his influences or his role models?
Why do we remember him now?
What did he do that is an influence on my life or that of Americans today?
If your teacher told you that Scott Joplin is most noted for developing ragtime music, then you may add the questions:

What is ragtime music?
How did he develop ragtime music?
What instruments did he play?
Did he sing?
Of course, as you find information on Scott Joplin, you will use some that is not included in your original questions. Use these questions as a place to get started. You won’t waste as much time if you have a place to start.

Step 2 - Information Seeking Strategies

2.1 Determine the range of possible sources (brainstorm) 

This means that you need to make a list of all the possible sources of information that will help you answer the questions you wrote in Task Definition above. Consider library books, encyclopedias, and web sites to which your library subscribes (ask your librarian!), people who are experts in your subject, observation of your subject, free web sites and survey.  

2.2 Evaluate the different possible sources to determine priorities (select the best sources)

Now, look carefully at your list. Which ones are actually available to you and are understandable when you begin researching? Using information that you don't understand generally leads to cutting and pasting and should be avoided unless you are willing to ask for help to sort it out.

Step 3 - Location and Access

3.1 Locate sources

Figure out where you will get these sources. Beside each source, write its location. If it is a web site, list its web address. Try to use those that your teacher or librarian have linked or bookmarked. This will save you time. If your source is a person, figure out how you will contact him or her and make a note of this. Now, you will actually get the sources. You may have to get and use them one at a time. If so, come back to this step to locate each source.

3.2 Find information within sources

Now that you have the source in hand, how will you physically get the information you need? (Remember the questions you wrote in Task Definition?) This all depends on the source.

A. First make a list of words that will help you find information in all of your sources. These are called keywords. They are like synonyms and related words to your topic.You can find many of these in the questions you wrote in Big6 Task Definition. Watch the video below to see how you would go about creating keywords. 

B. Now make a list of the sources of information you will use. Beside each, note how you will access the information you need.

Book: Look at the index or table of contents for your topic and keywords

Encyclopedia: Use the index volume (usually the last volume in the set) for the topic and keywords.

Databases that are subscribed to by your library (such as Gale, Worldbook Online, etc.): type topic and keywords in the search box. Try them separately and some together. Ask your librarian for help if needed.

Free web sites: use topic and keywords in subject directories

Step 4 - Use of Information

4.1 Engage with the source (read, listen, view, touch)

Most likely you will need to read, listen or view your source. You are looking for the information you need. You may not need to read, listen to, or view all of your source information. You may be able to skip around, finding subheadings and topic sentences (read the first sentences in each paragraph) that will take you to your information.

4.2 Take out the relevant information from a source

It’s time to take some notes.

Step 5 - Synthesis

5.1 Organize information from multiple sources

Decide how you will put together the notes you took and ideas that you will add. You may:

Write a rough draft

Create an outline

Create a storyboard

Make a sketch

_______________ (any ideas?)

5.2 Present the information 

If your teacher assigns the product:

Make sure that you follow your teacher’s guidelines.

Add value to the product by including your ideas along with the information you found in books, web sites, and other sources. Make sure that your final product or paper is more than just a summary of what you found in the other sources.

Make a product or write a paper that you would be proud for anyone to read.

Include a bibliography. This is an alphabetized list of your sources. See the citation page for help. 

If you get to choose your final product:

Decide which product will best suit your subject. You may give an oral presentation using PowerPoint or write a paper. You may make a video or audio tape. Use technology if it is the best way to show the results of your information.

Step 6 - Evaluation

6.1 Judge your product (how effective were you)

Before turning in your assignment, compare it to the requirements that your teacher gave you.

Did you do everything and include all that was required for the assignment?

Did you give credit to all of your sources, written in the way your teacher requested?

Is your work neat?

Is your work complete and does it include heading information (name, date, etc.)

Would you be proud for anyone to view this work?

6.2 Judge your information problem-solving process (how efficient were you)

Think about the actions that you perform as you are working on this assignment. Did you learn some things that you can use again?

What did you learn that you can use again?

How will you use the skill(s) again?

What did you do well this time?

What would you do differently next time?

What information sources did you find useful? You may be able to use them again.

What information sources did you need but did not have? Be sure to talk to your librarian about getting them.

The “Big6™” is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more information, visit: www.big6.com

Schools are collecting new data in new ways about students with cutting-edge high-tech.

Saw this article in a recent Boston Globe and I'm still figuring out how I feel about it.  I did shake me head at the thought of students walking around school with sensors on them.

I know most professional (and college) teams collect toms of data on their athletes, to receive feedback on how their are performing and to optimize that level.  Are they getting enough sleep? How to managed their "work load".  Data seems to be the answer to everything but sometimes, I think not, just look at the Los Angeles Dodgers recent playoff performances.  Every decision was made on data reports (especially the late pitching matchups this past season) taking "gut feelings" and intuition out of the decision making but yet they have yet to win a World Series.  I think there's a happy medium between data and "intuition" I also worry about the privacy concerns that were mentioned.  Is this type of data collection overkill?  Just wanted to throw this out.

Schools are collecting new data in new ways about students with cutting-edge high-tech https://t.co/ji7UrajB77 via @BostonGlobe

— GMHS (@Gtown_gmhs) December 18, 2019

EBSCO databases, and schools that use them, under attack.

I must have had my head in a hole being this is the first I heard about this.  In February of 2017, challenges were brought to the Cherry Creek (Colorado) School concerning their use of EBSCO's databases. The challengers claim that EBSCO's databases contain pornography as well as other inappropriate material for young adults and that the school and their librarians were pushing it on students.  A number of organizations have jumped on the bandwagon and have forced schools to abandoned EBSCO's databases. My favorite statement from the following article is: "If middle or high school students are looking for sex on the internet, they do not start with library databases." 

For more about this, read James LaRue's article, "Education is not pornography". Mr LaRue is the Director of the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom.

Does everything you print from your Mac comes out double sided? Time to have a few CUPS of Earl Grey.

So excuse the pun. You have done everything:  page settings, gone into the printer/copier settings and changes everything to single sided...yet everything still prints DOUBLE SIDED??  WHAT'S UP WITH THAT?


I wish I knew what was up with that but I believe I can fix it.  You have change the default via CUPS, which is the core printing system of OS X.

• Open up your browser and go to http://localhost:631 . 
• By default, access to the CUPS page is blocked. To enable it, open Terminal and type "sudo cupsctl WebInterface=yes" (without the quotation marks). Enter the admin password (the password you use to login to your Mac--if you are setup up as the Admin for the Mac, you'll find out if you are if it does not work) when prompted and then refresh the browser. 
• With the CUPS web page open, select the Printers tab and then select the printer you want to modify. Then from the Administration drop menu, change to "Set Default Options". See the example below.

• This will show a new page with four menu headings (links); Options Installed, General, Banners and Policies. Select General.

• Scroll down the list until you see the Print Style menu. Change it from 2 Sided to 1 Sided and then scroll down the page until you see the Set Default Options button.

• Click on this button to save the change. You will then be prompted to log back into CUPS, using the Admin (user name) and same password you used above.
• Go to some document and web page and see if it will print single sided.

That All May Read; a National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. A Program from the Library of Congress.

Who says nothing good ever happens after 2 a.m.?  While I was watching the replay of the Patriots v. Colts game on the NFL network at 5 a.m. in the morning, I saw this PSA (public service announcement) about a program called That All May Read.  Please excuse the quality of the video I took it on my phone and it WAS 5 a.m. in the morning. :-)

National Library Service (NLS) is a free braille and talking book library service for people with temporary or permanent low vision, blindness, or a physical disability that prevents them from reading or holding the printed page. Through a national network of cooperating libraries, NLS offers books the way you want them: in braille or audio, mailed to your door for free or instantly downloadable.

NLS works to ensure that all may read by providing eligible patrons access to reading material regardless of age, economic circumstances, or technical expertise. Share the gift of reading, and spread the word about NLS so that all may read.

Click here for more information about the program. 

How The Heck is the 600 MHz Wireless Auction is Going to Impact Me?

Early September 2018,  I ordered a Shure wireless mic from B&H Photo Video for my school, late September 2018 I received an email from them stating that my product may be eligible for (up to ) $500 rebate!!  My mind spun with the thoughts of what I could do with ALL that extra cash.  So I used their link to see how much scarole I was eligible for, sadly to say it was only $50 but it was not for the new wireless system I bought but a trade-in offer for any older wireless systems I had. 

It seems that the FCC has auctioned part of the 600mhz spectrum to telecom companies and if your wireless system falls in that range...basically it becomes illegal to use and becomes a dinosaur on July 13, 2020. Starting October 13, 2018, the manufacturing, sale, lease or shipment of wireless microphones or similar devices that operate in the 600 MHz service band frequencies (617-652 MHz and 663-698 MHz) will be prohibited in the U.S. 

After I read this I almost passed out, all my schools mics in the Auditorium are Shure Wireless Systems. I ran down to the Aud and to my relief, found that they all operate in the 500MHz band...PHEW!  I only have one mic and receiver that operates in the 600Mhz range that will go bye-bye.  So you can do two things: 1) keep using the mics until the drop dead date and retire them to the antiquated AV equipment Hall of Fame Display or 2) use the this link (B&H's trade in offer), find how much your rebate is, send it back to the manufacture and use the money to purchase a new system.

To read more about this check out this article written by Daron James and how it will impact filmmaking.

Apple renews its commitment to education. From Tech & Learning Magazine, May 2018

Written by Phil Hintz, Director of Technology, Gurnee School District 65.

Click here for the article.

The Economist explains why 5G may be both faster and slower than the previous wireless generation

The promise of 5G may not be met until the launch of 6G.  Basically The Economist state the the coast to build 5G networks will cost a lot of money and consumers are not willing to pay for it...yet.  Read the article here.