Reader Todd Neumann writes:

Can you explain to me the big deal about push vs pull email. I have read about the differences. But I really don’t see what the big deal about having your computer or phone “pull” or check your account every 5 minutes.

Todd – on my iPhone, I have three accounts setup. I have my work account, should I want to check on my work email on the go, my Gmail, personal account, and my Yahoo! account. The first two are IMAP-based, and I manually check them each time I launch the Mail application on iPhone.

The third account from Yahoo! is “push” enabled, meaning, the phone will buzz or vibrate the instant the message is sent. This way, even if I’m not in an e-mail checking mood, someone can still get a message to me, just the same as if they had sent a text message.

Some prefer the push method because they will be notified as soon as things arrive. I honestly don’t use the Yahoo! account much, so I can’t speak for its necessity. I prefer to get messages on my own schedule, so the IMAP-based account is preferable for my needs. I think the push-model is preferred for folks who don’t use, or don’t pay for SMS-based messaging services.

You mention just having the phone check, via the pull method, often. I’ve found this is not very good when your coverage is poor: you’ll get errors, etc., that it can’t reach the server. It also taxes the server, just the same aggressively-set RSS newsreaders do.

Merlin wrote up a “Best of GTD” on his 43 Folders website, highlighting many of his posts, reviews, and discussions about the “getting things done” phenomenon and organizational tips.

I created a GTD staff development project focusing on Macintosh apps back a few years ago, and presented them at the “ETLC” – Educational Technology Leadership Conference sponsored by the Virginia Department of Education.

There are two GTD apps that I am trying to decide upon… which should I adopt? The time is ripe.

• Things
• OmniFocus

I will be presenting at the Virginia Society for Technology in Education this year in the Washington Lecture Hall on Monday at 4 PM. My talk is on how we can use podcast project-based lessons in the classroom, and tailor them to students who exhibit the traits of digital native learners.

Podcasting for Digital Natives from John Hendron on Vimeo.

I encourage viewers of this presentation, or live attendees of the conference, to post questions/comments to this blog post! Thanks!

Instructional Resources

• TechTimes Newsletter: PodPeople
• Podcasting with Garage Band
• Subscribing to RSS Feeds
• Podcasting with Audacity

Noteworthy Podcasts

• Principal Austin “Asks the Roadrunners”
• What do we do? (in Digital Graphics class)
• Mount Vernon x 5
• Art Smart Elementary Art Projects
• Yoakum-Doerr’s Podcasts

Tonight I had the opportunity to interview Tim Stahmer of AssortedStuff, who blogs and maintains a website highlighting 101 great websites for teachers.

This year, Tim is presenting and handling several workshops at the VSTE conference.

Listen to our interview in MP3 format or visit the VSTE podcast Edge website for even more interviews!

Today I once again got to see Mr. David Warlick at the Maggie Walker Governor’s School in Richmond as part of their staff development day.

Some notes for the presentation can be found on his wiki.

Most valuable for me were some new books that I had yet to read; I think they will be on my short list once I finish my current Prensky book.

Among the author(s) new to me was Richard Florida. I’m currently working on The Long Tail by Anderson, and I seemed to have found Wikinomics before anyone else (I liked the cover when it first came out). I have read some Daniel Pink, but his “Whole new mind” is a new one to me, I shall like to try that one too.

The most valuable thing about his presentation, I thought, was some of the dialog from Maggie Walker teachers. They challenged him on some points, and I would have liked to (at that point) diverted from the plan, and engaged them further (if I were Warlick).

My thanks go out to Patti Chappell for inviting us out two years now to share and hear Warlick during his visits.

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