Coming soon to Black Hawk County residents: the ability to text message 911.

The Black Hawk County 911 Service Board announced today it is the first in the nation to successfully receive text messages sent directly to 9-1-1.

The service was developed to meet the needs of residents with speech and hearing impairments. Currently, they use relay call centers or specialized communications devices.

But, the new service is not meant to replace the preferred method of calling 911. A regular phone call allows the operator to communicate more quickly with the caller. But, the new option will also benefit anyone in a situation where they aren’t able to make a phone call.

Right now the text messaging service is still in the test phase, but they plan to unveil it to the public in July.

Posted under Web/Tech

In case you missed it!

Posted under Web/Tech

Sorry for the late notice, but I just got an invite to a webinar this afternoon that I thought I’d pass along.

All this week there are online discussions planned to explore the relationship between education and technology as part of a Cyber Summit run by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. This afternoon, the conversation will focus on Iowa.

Here’s a quick summary:

“Today’s students must be prepared to be productive citizens in a global economy with advanced technologies and a diverse workforce. This is true for students in Iowa as much as for those in California or New York. That is why Iowa has passed the Iowa Core Curriculum, which includes concepts and skills needed for success in the 21st century. Iowa Department of Education Director Judy Jeffrey will outline the state’s efforts to not only implement 21st skills and concepts in the classroom, but change teaching and learning across the state.”

There are also discussion boards in addition to the live events. The Iowa webinar starts at 1 p.m. Click here to attend.

Pass it along!

Posted under Web/Tech

Today I had the privilege of reading to Mrs. Cutsforth’s kindergarten class at Kingsley Elementary. It was so much fun that when the book was finished, I sat on my stool, hesitant to leave. I wish I could have spent the whole day with them.

While I spend plenty of time reading, the art of reading at an angle so the pictures are visible and showing the appropriate enthusiasm and inflection is a skill I rarely use. But, the kids were so encouraging. They laughed when they were supposed to and crinkled their noses at the terrible smells I tried to portray.

We read the book Smelly Socks, where a girl is so enamored with her new socks that she won’t take them off. The moral of the story: socks smell better, look better and feel better when they are clean. It was a conclusion we could all get on board with.

So thanks to Kingsley for inviting me over!

Posted under My Adventures