About Me
- C. Thomas Parsons Jr.
- I am currently in graduate school at The University of Alabama. I am married to Nancy and have 2 children Stephanie and Todd. Stephanie and her husband have blessed us with 2 grandchildren Savannah 4 and Cooper 20 months. I am employed with a national contract foodservice company as a Corporate Controller
My Daughters Family
Savannah 4,Stephanie,Steve and Cooper 20 months
My Son and his Wife
Me, Laura, Todd, Wife
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Summer Internship
Summer term starts today, June 1, 2010. I will be doing my "Capstone Project" as a writing assistant for the Business and Learning Internship Program. I will keep everyone posted as I move forward to August 7th graduation.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Small Business America
When I think of Small Business America I think of my childhood home. The trips to the tiny grocery store, trips with my dad to the corner barber shop, that no matter what time of day or day of the week, the same old gentlemen were always there. You could tell they did not need a trim but that was just the place to be, and they always solved all the world’s problems and then they would all get up and leave at the same time.
Going to Mr. Pete’s grocery store with my friends, racing on our bicycles with baseball cards attached to our back tire made us sound like drivers at the Friday night short track. But in small town America that’s what we did. We would ride by Horace’s tire store and check the air in our tires. I think he enjoyed us coming by as much as we did the attention. His favorite thing to say to us was “you boys aren’t getting into any trouble are you?” We would always say “no sir” (by the way something you don’t hear from kids today), and he would always respond “well the days not over yet and we would all laugh out loud even though we heard it hundreds of times.
What has happened to this icon of America? “Small businesses represent the backbone of our economy. Every community benefits when the work force is strong.” According to John Kerry, Former Presidential Candidate and Chairman of Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, the federal government has done an abysmal job of ensuring that small businesses get their fair share of federal contracts. Without a doubt this country cannot succeed with large corporate business and small town business. There is no question that there is a place in America for both and we must preserve this history and tradition for survival.
I am a product of large corporate business; but it did not start out that way. The company I work for was started on a living room table between two relatives 57 years ago and has grown to the twenty-fifth contract foodservice in the United States. In my opinion this is what small business should be, giving one a chance to succeed. The small business owners I know are special people. Sometimes I wonder if they do it for the money or just the thought of helping someone. So, next time you need something for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or Christmas, drive a little farther, you might have to go out of your way but find the little corner store and help out the small business owner. After all, this is the heartbeat of America.
Going to Mr. Pete’s grocery store with my friends, racing on our bicycles with baseball cards attached to our back tire made us sound like drivers at the Friday night short track. But in small town America that’s what we did. We would ride by Horace’s tire store and check the air in our tires. I think he enjoyed us coming by as much as we did the attention. His favorite thing to say to us was “you boys aren’t getting into any trouble are you?” We would always say “no sir” (by the way something you don’t hear from kids today), and he would always respond “well the days not over yet and we would all laugh out loud even though we heard it hundreds of times.
What has happened to this icon of America? “Small businesses represent the backbone of our economy. Every community benefits when the work force is strong.” According to John Kerry, Former Presidential Candidate and Chairman of Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, the federal government has done an abysmal job of ensuring that small businesses get their fair share of federal contracts. Without a doubt this country cannot succeed with large corporate business and small town business. There is no question that there is a place in America for both and we must preserve this history and tradition for survival.
I am a product of large corporate business; but it did not start out that way. The company I work for was started on a living room table between two relatives 57 years ago and has grown to the twenty-fifth contract foodservice in the United States. In my opinion this is what small business should be, giving one a chance to succeed. The small business owners I know are special people. Sometimes I wonder if they do it for the money or just the thought of helping someone. So, next time you need something for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or Christmas, drive a little farther, you might have to go out of your way but find the little corner store and help out the small business owner. After all, this is the heartbeat of America.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
One Step Closer
Another great semester at BAMA. No doubt it was the hardest one yet but now I am only the "Capstone Project" away from graduation on August 7th.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Behavior
As I continue with my readings I found this very interested breakdown of behaviors and the famous people they use for each group. See which group you fall in.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Monday, April 12, 2010
Technology In the Classroom
Technology is ubiquitous, touching almost every part of our lives, our communities, our homes. Yet most schools lag far behind when it comes to integrating technology into classroom learning. Many are just beginning to explore the true potential tech offers for teaching and learning. Properly used, technology will help students acquire the skills they need to survive in a complex, highly technological knowledge-based economy.
Integrating technology into classroom instruction means more than teaching basic computer skills and software programs in a separate computer class. Effective tech integration must happen across the curriculum in ways that research shows deepen and enhance the learning process. In particular, it must support four key components of learning: active engagement, participation in groups, frequent interaction and feedback, and connection to real-world experts. Effective technology integration is achieved when the use of technology is routine and transparent and when technology supports curricular goals.
Many people believe that technology-enabled project learning is the new plus ultra of classroom instruction. Learning through projects while equipped with technology tools allows students to be intellectually challenged while providing them with a realistic snapshot of what the modern office looks like. Through projects, students acquire and refine their analysis and problem-solving skills as they work individually and in teams to find, process, and synthesize information they've found online.
The myriad resources of the online world also provide each classroom with more interesting, diverse, and current learning materials. The Web connects students to experts in the real world and provides numerous opportunities for expressing understanding through images, sound, and text.
New tech tools for visualizing and modeling, especially in the sciences, offer students ways to experiment and observe phenomenon and to view results in graphic ways that aid in understanding. And, as an added benefit, with technology tools and a project-learning approach, students are more likely to stay engaged and on task, reducing behavioral problems in the classroom.
Technology also changes the way teachers teach, offering educators effective ways to reach different types of learners and assess student understanding through multiple means. It also enhances the relationship between teacher and student. When technology is effectively integrated into subject areas, teachers grow into roles of adviser, content expert, and coach. Technology helps make teaching and learning more meaningful and fun.
Integrating technology into classroom instruction means more than teaching basic computer skills and software programs in a separate computer class. Effective tech integration must happen across the curriculum in ways that research shows deepen and enhance the learning process. In particular, it must support four key components of learning: active engagement, participation in groups, frequent interaction and feedback, and connection to real-world experts. Effective technology integration is achieved when the use of technology is routine and transparent and when technology supports curricular goals.
Many people believe that technology-enabled project learning is the new plus ultra of classroom instruction. Learning through projects while equipped with technology tools allows students to be intellectually challenged while providing them with a realistic snapshot of what the modern office looks like. Through projects, students acquire and refine their analysis and problem-solving skills as they work individually and in teams to find, process, and synthesize information they've found online.
The myriad resources of the online world also provide each classroom with more interesting, diverse, and current learning materials. The Web connects students to experts in the real world and provides numerous opportunities for expressing understanding through images, sound, and text.
New tech tools for visualizing and modeling, especially in the sciences, offer students ways to experiment and observe phenomenon and to view results in graphic ways that aid in understanding. And, as an added benefit, with technology tools and a project-learning approach, students are more likely to stay engaged and on task, reducing behavioral problems in the classroom.
Technology also changes the way teachers teach, offering educators effective ways to reach different types of learners and assess student understanding through multiple means. It also enhances the relationship between teacher and student. When technology is effectively integrated into subject areas, teachers grow into roles of adviser, content expert, and coach. Technology helps make teaching and learning more meaningful and fun.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Technology and Academic Achievement
During the Clinton Administration a presidential committee on educational technology noted there was too little research being conducted on the impact of technology in the classroom and called upon researchers to accept the challenge. Some researchers, perhaps too few, have accepted this responsibility. They are finding that it is difficult to isolate technology as a variable in good instruction, but they are finding that in the right circumstances, technology plays a positive role in enhancing academic achievement. Educators are increasingly focusing on this research, but must also be mindful of the circumstances in which research studies show technology has been a powerful learning tool. With this understanding of the context for success, educational leaders can shape programs that prepare teachers to use these powerful new learning tools effectively.
One of the programs targeted by NCLB is Title II-D-1&2 - Enhancing Education Through Technology (Ed Tech). The goal is to improve student academic achievement through the use of technology (The Facts About…, 2002). The plan is to teach children how to effectively integrate the technology available to them to improve student achievement and to become technologically literate by the 8th grade.
Technology should enhance learning. There is no value in just having access to it but more important how it is used. The ED Tech initiative plans to constantly develop new ways of applying technology into teaching and learning. In order to educate the public about the NCLB act, U.S. Secretary of State Rod Paige embarked on a 25-City No Child Left Behind Tour Across America. Paige (Denver, CO - Tour Stop 15, 2002) believes that "By harnessing technology, we can expand access to learning and close the achievement gap in America." One way is by e-learning which is a powerful option for parents and schools. With a click of a mouse button any student anywhere has the opportunity to learn. It increases flexibility for schools and promotes individual instruction to meet the needs of each student. Paige (New York, NY - Tour Stop 25, 2002) had a similar message in New York where he believed that "Technology is connecting parents to teachers, and, it is helping connect parents to assessments so we can measure the progress of every student".
The need for technology in the classrooms for improving literacy is also seen in the national and state standards.
Think about this!!
It makes no sense to buy 5,000 computers, network them and drop them into classrooms without providing substantial funding for staff development and education. There is a very good chance that 60-70% of those computers will be used less than 20% of each school day.
Return on Investment (with weak staff development)
3500 x 20% = 700 computers
1500 x 75% = 1125 computers
Total Effective Computer Use = 1825 computers
You'd be far better off buying 3,500 computers and spending the rest of the money on staff development so that most of the computers will be used most of the school day.
Makes sense to me.....
One of the programs targeted by NCLB is Title II-D-1&2 - Enhancing Education Through Technology (Ed Tech). The goal is to improve student academic achievement through the use of technology (The Facts About…, 2002). The plan is to teach children how to effectively integrate the technology available to them to improve student achievement and to become technologically literate by the 8th grade.
Technology should enhance learning. There is no value in just having access to it but more important how it is used. The ED Tech initiative plans to constantly develop new ways of applying technology into teaching and learning. In order to educate the public about the NCLB act, U.S. Secretary of State Rod Paige embarked on a 25-City No Child Left Behind Tour Across America. Paige (Denver, CO - Tour Stop 15, 2002) believes that "By harnessing technology, we can expand access to learning and close the achievement gap in America." One way is by e-learning which is a powerful option for parents and schools. With a click of a mouse button any student anywhere has the opportunity to learn. It increases flexibility for schools and promotes individual instruction to meet the needs of each student. Paige (New York, NY - Tour Stop 25, 2002) had a similar message in New York where he believed that "Technology is connecting parents to teachers, and, it is helping connect parents to assessments so we can measure the progress of every student".
The need for technology in the classrooms for improving literacy is also seen in the national and state standards.
Think about this!!
It makes no sense to buy 5,000 computers, network them and drop them into classrooms without providing substantial funding for staff development and education. There is a very good chance that 60-70% of those computers will be used less than 20% of each school day.
Return on Investment (with weak staff development)
3500 x 20% = 700 computers
1500 x 75% = 1125 computers
Total Effective Computer Use = 1825 computers
You'd be far better off buying 3,500 computers and spending the rest of the money on staff development so that most of the computers will be used most of the school day.
Makes sense to me.....
Monday, April 5, 2010
The Educational Technology Job Resource
I ran across this site while reading this weekend. It is a great site for technology job postings.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Office of Educational Technology
The Office of Educational Technology has issued a Executive Summary report titled "Transforming America's Education:Learning Powered by Technology" dated March 5, 2010.
The article emphasises the importance and goals using Technology in the classroom because in education now, no one size fits all.
The article emphasises the importance and goals using Technology in the classroom because in education now, no one size fits all.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Spring Break
It sure was nice to be off from school last week for Bama's spring break. Sounds kind of funny taking a spring break at my age but it is what it is. March 17 St. Patrick's day the wife and I went to Atlanta to see John Mayer again. 20,000 people sing a-long was great. He did a lot of stuff from 1998-2002 when he lived in Duluth, GA. The crowd went nuts. If you ever go to Phillips Arena in Atlanta stay at the Omni-CNN hotel because you never have to go outside and there is a walkway to the arena. This is the only way to see a concert.
I will be starting back on my readings this week for my project on behavior in the classroom. Until next time RTR.
I will be starting back on my readings this week for my project on behavior in the classroom. Until next time RTR.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Groundswell Book Review
My overall impression of groundswell is very positive. The authors explore social media solutions for many aspects of business and do it in an easy understandable way. They also include great case studies on companies like Lego, Sony, Dunkin Donuts, UPS and Dell just to name a few that we are all familiar with. Their description of Dell's movement from Hell to IdeaStorm is great. It took a crisis to get Dell started and then they took the strategy of working on one thing at a time, and making sure in the future they started hiring the right people that could make their groundswell happen I think it is because this and the other case studies in the book tend to revolve around individual people. This book is written to corporate America more than smaller businesses and entrepreneurs. It suggests some of the most expensive options out there to build social technology solutions and track your brand online.
Li and Bernoff break down social technology users into 6 categories, The Social Technographics Ladder: who creates, who reacts, etc? This is a helpful guide There are content creators in every demographic, after all. groundswell is great for helping you generate a plan of action. But one of the keys here is creativity and capturing the imagination and ownership of your audience. You and your company will have to try different social tools because what works for some might not work for others but at least the book gives you the master template to get started.
This is definitely a book about strategy. You won't find in-depth discussions of the technologies they are introducing, but you will find enough detail to give you both a basic understanding of what it is (blog, wiki, viral video, tags), and, more importantly, what its impact is on traditional institutional power structures. This is one of the features of the book I really liked. The clear discussion of how social technologies impact power relationships is also quite good. While the authors keep their discussions clear and simple, there is a lot of thought going on underneath the main theme. That was satisfying to me, as too many business books seem like fast food, quick and easy, but with an empty core.
Not all case studies were successful. One company failed totally to engage in the groundswell. This company decided to start a corporate blog led by someone who was both familiar with corporate communication and investor relations experience and have blogs posted from executive leaders. The planning time was eight months without one single post so it is obvious to much planning and not enough postings were the problem. So, the project was introduced again only this time they basically started from the bottom up. They recruited someone who was already blogging and built the corporate blog basically from bottom to top. Now everyone was part of the groundswell.
Finally, they address one of the thorniest issues of social technologies - ROI. In every section, they attempt to assign real numbers, based on the case studies, as to how ROI is calculated. While acknowledging the difficulty of measuring engagement, and the lack of professional consensus on measurement techniques as a whole, they do offer useful guidelines and examples.
Bottom line: This is an excellent strategy primer for senior managers and executives seeking to better understand the changing world of marketing and communications in the face of social technologies (and a serious wake-up call to the reluctant ones among them). It provides a variety of planning and action-oriented checklists and highlights potential pitfalls. Most importantly, the book is designed to help managers put together a strategy based on people and relationships vs. technology. In the end, as the authors remind us, it is the relationships that count. I think if we follow the example below we will all be part of the “groundswell”
Li and Bernoff break down social technology users into 6 categories, The Social Technographics Ladder: who creates, who reacts, etc? This is a helpful guide There are content creators in every demographic, after all. groundswell is great for helping you generate a plan of action. But one of the keys here is creativity and capturing the imagination and ownership of your audience. You and your company will have to try different social tools because what works for some might not work for others but at least the book gives you the master template to get started.
This is definitely a book about strategy. You won't find in-depth discussions of the technologies they are introducing, but you will find enough detail to give you both a basic understanding of what it is (blog, wiki, viral video, tags), and, more importantly, what its impact is on traditional institutional power structures. This is one of the features of the book I really liked. The clear discussion of how social technologies impact power relationships is also quite good. While the authors keep their discussions clear and simple, there is a lot of thought going on underneath the main theme. That was satisfying to me, as too many business books seem like fast food, quick and easy, but with an empty core.
Not all case studies were successful. One company failed totally to engage in the groundswell. This company decided to start a corporate blog led by someone who was both familiar with corporate communication and investor relations experience and have blogs posted from executive leaders. The planning time was eight months without one single post so it is obvious to much planning and not enough postings were the problem. So, the project was introduced again only this time they basically started from the bottom up. They recruited someone who was already blogging and built the corporate blog basically from bottom to top. Now everyone was part of the groundswell.
Finally, they address one of the thorniest issues of social technologies - ROI. In every section, they attempt to assign real numbers, based on the case studies, as to how ROI is calculated. While acknowledging the difficulty of measuring engagement, and the lack of professional consensus on measurement techniques as a whole, they do offer useful guidelines and examples.
Bottom line: This is an excellent strategy primer for senior managers and executives seeking to better understand the changing world of marketing and communications in the face of social technologies (and a serious wake-up call to the reluctant ones among them). It provides a variety of planning and action-oriented checklists and highlights potential pitfalls. Most importantly, the book is designed to help managers put together a strategy based on people and relationships vs. technology. In the end, as the authors remind us, it is the relationships that count. I think if we follow the example below we will all be part of the “groundswell”
Cool New Web Design -Nodes
I found this real cool Beta test site today just looking to see when daylight savings time starts. The good thing is it starts Sunday March 14th. If you go to the Nodes website you can try the beta version for free. Really cool.
Monday, March 8, 2010
MSN to revamp homepage
MSN is updating homepage to allow facebook and twitter postings on the homepage. This will definitely make social network postings much easier but will be a nightmare for employers.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
3 Stubborn PC problems you can fix
It seems like every computer has a mind of it's own. It's those annoying little problems that drive me crazy. Here is a good article from Microsoft that might help you fix a problem you might have.
view article
view article
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
It' March Already!
I cannot believe I turn 56 this month(and so does my wife). The hardest thing to believe however is my baby is turning 30. It seems like just yesterday me and her mom were bringing her home from the hospital. Now she has a 4 year old and 21 month old. Continuing to research e-learning for Dr. A's class and in Doc's class we are developing a web design and logo to launch a new website. This is really neat to see how talented my classmates are. I wish I had the cash and I would hire all of them and we would start our own web design and marketing firm. Until next time have a great day.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Social Media
It was amazing to me to watch the coverage yesterday of the Tsunami that fortunately did not reach the Hawaiian Islands. Wow, have times changed. In the past we would have to wait until after something happened to see the results. Yesterday, there was live SKYPE video, instant postings to social media and things that I am now familiar with and even understand how they did it. How fortunate we all are to be in the Interactive Technology phenomenon as it happens.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Another Monday
Well it's Monday again and where did that weekend go? Nothing going on so was able to do some reading for Dr. A's class and see where I am in my other classes. I feel pretty comfortable using the Dreamweaver software but it is imperative you add the Adobe Fireworks to the Dreamweaver package. It is a free trial 30 download which has made adding the pictures a smooth process. Until next time have a great day.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Works Tough
It's Thursday and I am busting it trying to complete our month end financial close. One person is recovering from surgery my team is not running on all cylinders. (Sounds like Jr. most of last year.) Classes are still going good at BAMA but believe me 12 hours is tough with a full time job but I keep telling myself it is not a long time to August. All the hard work will payoff for sure. I have really enjoyed learning Dreamweaver and designing my own website. Never thought I would ever do anything like that but with Doc's, Dr. A., and Dr. Mac's help and guidance I am well own my way. That's it for today.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
JM
A week ago tonight I went to see John Mayer with my wife. Without question John is going thru some trying times but after reading the article he brought most of it on himself. I think that goes for everyday life too! Sometimes we say things only to realize we have hurt the one we love or a co-worker or a friend. I don't know if any of you are fans of JM but based on the lyrics of the Broken Studies album he is in a very deep and dark place today.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Great Weekend
I have obviously got behind on my daily postings. We kept our grandchildren Cooper and Savannah this past weekend which was just a joy. My life seems to stop when these 2 are around. I have posted a picture of them along with my daughter Stephanie and her husband Steve. Yesterday my son Todd came over and watched the Daytona 500 together something we would attend when he was younger and before he got married. I will post a picture of him and his wife Laura and my grand dog Allie. Taking 12 hours this semester is definitely a challenge but by doing this I will graduate in August of this year if I "take care of business". I am continuing my readings and research for my project on e-Learning in the classroom. I have found many different opinions but hopefully I will be able to express my opinion of this topic.
Friday, February 5, 2010
e-learning
Today is February 5th and I am continuing to read articles, books, and other material as I progress during the term. I am on track with the our time schedule but cannot afford to get behind. The issue of computers in the classroom has great arguments on both sides and is clouding the issue. It is my goal to determine with support why we need to expand e-learning.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
National Champions
Class is going well so far. I have setup my wiki page and have linked my blog to that page and have changed it about 10 times. I think I have settled on one that is easy to read. Comments welcome. I guess you all can see I am a huge Bama football fan. I was lucky, no that is fortunate to be able to go to the National Championship and experience the game with son number #1 and son #2 (my son in law). I just wish every Alabama fan could have experienced that moment with us. That makes the 4th championship I have seem and 2nd with son #1(Todd). He was 8 years old when we beat Miami in "92.
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