Have a really awoken from a many months long nap??? Can't believe I haven't posted in soooooo long. I better get on the stick.

Taking a moment to acknowledge the passing of John McCain. I don't usually traffic in terms like "great" or "giant" or even "patriot" and definitely not "hero". But, in this case, all of those terms seem to fit the man whose funeral we witnessed today.

ATLIS 2016 -- Atlanta, GA -- Day 4

Today is the final day of the

ATLIS 2016 National Conference in Atlanta*

The main item on today's agenda is visits to selected schools in the Atlanta area.  The choices were

• Georgia Tech Invention Center
• Epstein School
• Mount Vernon Presbyterian School
• The Westminster Schools
• Trinity School of Atlanta

I was tempted by the Georgia Tech Invention Center but ended up deciding to go to Trinity.  My thinking was that, although it servers overall a younger age group, it was a better choice for me to visit a school rather than a university, however tempting Georgia Tech was.

We left the hotel around 8:30 a.m. on a bus and headed for Trinity.  We were met by Eugene Horn who is Trinity's IT Director.  Turns out he spent some years in Seattle so we had a little connection there.  I also had run into him at one of the sessions at the conference.

Trinity is quite a wonderful facility.  Their highest grade level is 6th.  They seem to have a vibrant technology department and the whole school was beautiful and very impressive.

We spent a fair amount of time in their recently redesigned and remodeled library and tech spaces including a maker space area.  We had a chance to chat with the primary teacher in the maker area, Kevin Howard, and Library Media Specialist, Rebekah Daniell.  They both seem to run very high quality programs.

Eugene was a great host and I came away from Trinity with vivid memories of their media studio, their open and full-of-light library, their very well organized and designed maker space, and just the beautiful condition of the whole school.  It's an amazing place!!!

I took a bunch of pictures which I hope to be able to add here at some point.  Here's one to whet the appetite:

*By the way, in the category of Preview of Coming Attractions, the ATLIS 2017 National Conference will take place in Los Angeles, CA, from April 23 - 26, 2017.

ATLIS 2016 -- Atlanta, GA -- Day 3

Welcome to Day 3 of ATLIS 2016 in Atlanta Georgia!

After breakfast, the first sessions was:

PD Crossfit -- Get Your Teaching Skills in Shape One Hour at a Time -- On Demand!
Presenters:

• Jackie Christensen from Blackbaud K12
• Laura Flynn from Louisville High School

Laura was the primary presenter and her emphasis was trying to rebrand PD so that people might view participating in professional development in a manner that echoed physical fitness.  In other words, that it is an activity and endeavor that people "do" on a regular basis and maybe do PD in shorter more compact units.  She worked to package a number of topics in one-hour activities that were posted on her LMS (Blackbaud) and the design was such that people could jump into an activity as they wished.  It's also true that she tries to create her "crossfit" topics on a regular basis and push out an announcement of a new topic about every week or two.

It occurred to me that I could add a sort of PD area on my Tech/Learning Haiku site although it may be more effective to create a separate site dedicated to professional development and keep it separate from all the tech tips and help topics housed now in the Tech/Learning site.

In planning her PD "crossfits" she mimics a pattern you might use to design a physical crossfit workout:

• Warm-up
• Practice
• Pulse Checking
• Teamwork
• Challenge Exercise
• Cool Down

I'm going to see if I can design some topics in this sort of compact style and see if I get any takers.

Another fundamental belief of Laura's when conceptualizing professional development training she works to have her design goal that the unit should be designed for learning not technology.

Next session was:
Privacy and EdTech Software -- Building Consensus and Minimizing Risk
Presenter:

• Bill Fitzgerald

Mr. Fitzgerald is part of CommonSense.Org (or Common Sense Media).  His blog is at:
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/users/bill-fitzgerald/bio
His presentation will be available on his blog at some point soon.  I'll be able to include more details once the presentation is posted since, once he made that announcement, I decided not to take more notes.  A couple things he mentioned that I'll include now was an encouragement to do "phishing fire drills" (like the security presentation yesterday also advocated).  Also lobbied for schools to get their communities to try and get to the point where people used password managers and not unencrypted spreadsheets or post-its or such totally non-secure methods.

Mr. Fitzgerald is also a strong proponent of doing what it takes to get one's school culture to accept ramped up password security including enterprise adoption of a password manager (he uses OnePass and also felt that LastPass was worth investigating).

One big question he posed was:  Who -- or what process -- decides what educational software is used in the classroom?  Who researches the Terms/Conditions as part of that software?

Sort of random security literacy question that he posed:  do your faculty members know how to encrypt a flashdrive?

Following session 2 was the general session called:
A Look Into The Future:  A Conversation About The Future of Education
Presenters:

• Brad Rathgeber -- Executive Director, Online School for Girls
• Kawai Lai - VP, Education Technology and Learning Services, NAIS
• Kevin Lewis -- Director of the Innovation Lab, First Data (Kevan said that First Data is a major player in the world of processing credit card use)

This was a general session devoted to a Q and A led by ATLIS Director Sarah Hanawald directed to the three folks listed above.

Some of the questions were chosen by Sarah and others came from tweets from the audience that were displayed on-screen during the conversation.

Afternoon "Deep Dive" I participated in was:
"Redesigning Professional Development: Come with a Question, Leave with a Plan"
Presenters:

• Kali Baird
• Ethan Delavan
• Kathryn Ulmer

This was a very interactive session where we participants were immediately divided up into small groups of two and asked to perform a number of exercises including coming up with our own super-hero moniker.

Geographical sidenote:  Presenter Ethan is from Bush and participants Jeff Tillinghast (University Prep), Daisy Steele (Caitlin Gabel), and I (Lakeside School) were all participants from the Northwest!!  So, at least in this session, the West Coast was amply represented!!!

ATLIS 2016 -- Atlanta, GA -- Day 2

After yesterday's good start, today I'm embarking on my first full day of the 2016 ATLIS National Conference in Atlanta.

The day began with the Opening Keynote: Making the K-12 College Connection.  The speakers were from the Georgia Institute of Technology. 

• Amit Jariwala -- Director of Design and Innovation
• Julie Linsey -- Associate Professor of CAD and Design

In addition to the professors, there were also two students who took part:

• Lauren Murphy
• Thomas Spencer

The main topic was the Invention Studio which is a space where all students are able to come and do maker-type projects with 3D printers, laser cutters, power tools, and much more.  I was impressed to learn that all students are welcome to use the facility.

After the keynote was a session titled:  The Worlds of Tech and Ed -- Bridging the Divide
Justin Culley was the presenter and his presentation was called "Relationship Building" -- an examination of the various issues and challenges of building effective and productive working relationships with the teachers one supports that will lead to greater integration of technology into their curricula.  A fairly significant amount of time was spent by table discussions where those of us at each table chatted about the importance of developing a level of trust between faculty members we support and ourselves.

The Evolution and Future of "SIS" -- Representatives of Veracross -- Presenters were Aaron Vogelsang and Rick Ellis
This was more of an overview of the ways in which an SIS system has evolved including the founding of Veracross and the movement to where now the main emphasis is web apps and cloud storage.

Demo of Veracross/Axiom -- Presenters were (again) Aaron Vogelsang and Rick Ellis.
This was a pretty much a sampler of how-to-use-Axiom with Aaron doing a series of demos; it was n't a hands-on practice session.  It was clear that Veracross CMS is a powerful tool and is capable of housing a great amount of data.  One point of Aaron's presentation was making the case that Veracross has a number of built-in tools that cover a wide range of data sorting and accessing tools for all the constituents of the school community.

Cyber Security: Now and Next -- Presenters were Jamie Britto and Daniel Hudkins
Jamie had an effective presentation about proactive steps that should be taken to help protect one's school from cyber attacks.  He put great emphasis on 2-step authentication (which he rolled out in a 30-month process that started with 9 administrators and then next level administrators and then the next level until he reached the "part time teachers and coaches".  He also sends out spoof phishing emails (maybe using a firm called SANS to do it) once a month.  Everyone is informed that this will happen but no one (not even Jamie) knows when one will arrive or what it will look like.

A point made by both Jamie and Daniel was the importance of examining the rentention policies of one's institution.  You can't lose data that you don't have.  They particularly encouraged careful thought about retention policies governing email and documents.

Daniel, from the Harker School, reported on their actual experience with a ransomware attack that took place at his school.  If nothing else, he put great emphasis on the importance of every school having a plan for when such an attack will happen.....not when.  Stats indicate to him that it's gonna happen to everyone someday.......  By the way, Mr. Hudkins at the Harker School notes that they've decided to pay for cyber insurance.  He doesn't necessarily recommend this move to everyone, but his school "went there".

ATLIS 2016 -- Atlanta, GA -- Day 1

I'm in Atlanta staying at the Loews Atlanta Hotel in Midtown Atlanta in order to attend

ATLIS 2016 National Conference:  Rising Above the Cloud

After registering earlier today, I attended my first session:

What's Next?  Transformative Trends in EdTech

Presenters:

Esin Sile, MindBridge Partners
Keith Gillette, MindBridge Partners
Scott Roy, Carney, Sandoe and Associates

The organizing principle for this session was roundtable discussion (there were three round tables with chairs in the conference meeting room).

The presenters offered survey results that asked respondents the relative importance they would assign to three trends:

• Student Data Privacy -- Protecting Student Rights in an Interconnected World
• 1-to-1 & BYOD -- Implementation Imperatives in Enabling Digital Learning
• Maker Movement -- Opportunities for Integrative Instruction, Innovation, and Problem-Solving

Polling the people in the room, the organizers decided that we would divide into three groups (one at each table) and discuss and explore the Maker Movement topic for 20 minutes or so and then report back to the full group.  The presenters provided us with a series of questions to frame our discussion.

Our table had a lively discussion after which our volunteer note-taker represented our discussion back to the group.

In fact, this discussion lasted nearly an hour.  After the table groups shared their individual discussions, the presenters decided we would simultaneously discuss the other two topics at separate tables for about 20 minutes.

We finished the session with brief sharing from both the Student Data and 1-to-1/BYOD groups.

Those of us in the session were generally impressed by the set of questions that facilitators had formulated for each topic.  It seems like a good idea to document those questions here.

Trend #1: Student Data Privacy
Protecting student rights in an interconnected world

Questions:
1. Do you have an established student data privacy policy at your institution? Who maintains it? How is it disseminated?
2. On what, if any, local, state and federal privacy standards is your student data privacy policy based?
3. What student data privacy best practices have you implemented in your institution?
4. How do you manage parental consent? Do you use any third-party tools to manage parental consent?
5. Do you allow faculty to create student accounts with outside vendors or do you manage that centrally?
6. If you allow faculty to create student accounts, how do you screen provider privacy policies?
7. When collecting assessment data to personalize student learning, what uses are acceptable and unacceptable? Who should have access to performance data tied to individual students?
8. How do you teach students and parents about the importance of protecting student identity and personal data online? Do you have a digital citizenship curriculum?
9. How do you manage student data privacy, password policies, data storage and encryption with cloud providers and third party vendors? Do you have established measures
such as policies, assessments, and training at your institutions?
10. At your school, is there a defined protocol for retiring accounts if a student leaves or graduates?


Trend #2: One-to-One and BYOD
Implementation imperatives in enabling digital learning

Questions:
1. For what percentage of your student population have you implemented a 1:1 or BYOD program?
2. At what grade levels do you think a 1:1 student:device ratio is appropriate and why?
3. What device requirements have you set for your 1:1 or BYOD program and why?
4. If you allow it, how does your faculty manage variation in platform capabilities in lesson design and delivery?
5. What adoption resistance have you faced among your faculty & how have you addressed it?
6. What resistance have you faced among your parents and how have you addressed it?
7. What faculty professional development strategies have you found effective in supporting your program?
8. What percentage of your faculty use of technology fall into each of the SAMR (Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition) levels?
9. By what metrics do you measure 1:1/BYOD program success?
10. What role have students played in your 1:1/BYOD program?
11. How do you address equity issues arising from families with different financial circumstances in a BYOD environment?
12. How do you manage application deployment and licensing for your students' devices?
13. What about a 1:M environment?


Trend #3:   Maker Movement
Opportunities for integrative instruction,  innovation, and problem-solving

Questions:
1. How and why have you integrated the maker movement and related PBL, Design Thinking, & STEAM threads  into your curricula?
2. Have you established a 'maker space'? If so, what technology is available in it? How & why is it used?
3. Does your school have a dedicated faculty member spearheading maker movement initiatives?
4. What level of involvement does the curriculum director have in relation to your makerspace initiatives?
5. Is your maker movement affiliated with your robotics club(s) or do you share resources between the groups (lab, equipment, faculty)?
6. Are there formal opportunities (newsletters, open house, competitions) for showcasing student work in the areas of maker space?
7. What is the relationship between your library your maker space?
8. What resources do you use for educational and professional development to support your students and staff with maker initiatives?
9. How are you measuring the effectiveness/success of your maker space initiatives?
10. How is your maker space movement funded?

To TV or not TV? Plus a billion other questions!!

Ever tried to shop for a new TV?  What an Alice in Wonderland of specs and screen sizes and refresh rates and screen resolutions and on and on and on and on.

How does anyone keep it all straight???

ATLIS 2015 -- Day 1

ATLIS -- Association of Technology Leaders in Independent Schools

The first-ever ATLIS National Conference started today.  Held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Foster City, CA (San Francisco Bay Area).

ATLIS came into being thanks to three co-founders

• Gabe Lucas -- Director of Technology, Castilleja School
• Kelsey Vrooman -- Director of Educational Technology, Urban School of San Francisco
• Stuart Posin -- Director of Academic & Administrative Technology, Marlborough School

The conference began with introductions from Gabe, Kelsey, and Stuart and celebration of the fact that this first ATLIS get-together far exceeded the goals set by the founders for this first conference.

The keynote was by Keith Krueger who is the CEO of the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) which is described as "a nonprofit organization that serves as the voice for K-12 school system technology leaders in North America."

Keith's topic was:  Building and Growing as an Education Technology Leader

My next stop was a "deep dive workshop" also led by Mr. Krueger.  The topic was:  Privacy Issues in Independent School Education

Afternoon sessions included Culture, Environment and Meaning: Critical Issues for Maker Spaces at 1:00 p.m. followed by Making the Most of Local, Online, and Face-to-Face Learning at 2:00 p.m.

Please forgive!

Okay.  Okay.

So I essentially did disappear.  

Well -- no promises -- but now I r-e-a-l-l-y hope to be better about keeping up with posting here.

The intent is there.  Now I need to prove myself up to the challenge!!!

As they say......stay posted.

Disappeared maybe but I'm still kickin'!!!

I don't know exactly why I never get around to posting new discoveries and cool stuff here -- it's not like I don't make the discoveries or try the cool things -- but I haven't been here to post for (obviously) a long time.

Anyway, I'm still around.  Maybe I'll do one of those New Year's Resolutions to be a more dedicated and consistent blogger!!  It's a thought!   :-)

In the meantime......Happy Holidays to One And All!  We're about to start 2014 believe it or not!!!

Post Post-Workshop Thoughts -- iPad Workshop -- EdTechTeacher.org -- Hauser Hall/Harvard -- July 8-10, 2013

Since I tend to be one who ruminates about things a bit -- some who know me would probably say that I spend WAY too much time in a state of rumination -- I've continued to reflect on my experience at the tablet conference.  To repeat, it was a great experience and I am extremely glad I went and grateful to my school for making it possible for me to be there.

Something I keep coming back to is the pedagogical rationale for all the talk among educators about the (some would say) radical changes happening in our schools where technology "revolutionizes" the classroom and the subjects we teach.  Some of the terms one hears include:  

• workflow
• flipping the classroom
• video, video, video
• digital literacy
• digital citizenship
• information society
• information management
• critical thinking
• collaboration
• 21st century competencies
• programming
• and so on

In my school, many of the above are oft-discussed, weighed, and touted as necessary components of our classrooms and curricula.  I have heard myself bringing up for discussion plenty of the topics in this list and I would argue that many of my fellow educators reflect and talk about the above with total sincerity.

Okay, so what's the big deal?

Probably nothing or ??????.  But what keeps popping backing into my head is the physical layout of the classroom at Harvard where this tablet workshop was held.  Four or five rows of student seats behind stationary tables in half-circles that descend from the last row of student seats to the first.  And what do we find "down in front"?  A chalkboard (or projector screen) and podium.  This is clearly where the professor "stands and delivers" (which was the case for our presenters at the workshop, as well).  The room did not offer any sort of the physical flexibility that I noticed.  It seemed like a totally traditional classroom that had "teacher-centric" written all over it.

And, on the couple days when we had to vacate the classroom we were using because a Harvard class was coming in, the Harvard class was totally run in that professor "stand and deliver" mode.

This I find quite interesting.

Why?

In think back on all the discussion we've had in my school about transforming the classroom, 21st century skills, critical thinking, etc., we talk as if these changes are revolutionzing education.  But, to the extent my school is a "prep" school preparing our kids for college (and explicitly for colleges like Harvard), it makes me wonder if were are doing our job to prepare them for the educational experience they will actually be having in those colleges they go to.

Just wondering.  No solid conclusions on my part.  No empirical studies.  I probably should ask some of our grads and see what their feedback would be.......but I do seriously reflect on what I REALLY should be doing to prepare my Middle Schoolers for their best educational future.  It is endlessly fascinating!!!!

Post-workshop Thoughts -- iPad Workshop -- EdTechTeacher.org -- Hauser Hall/Harvard -- July 8-10, 2013

So, dear reader, it’s been a week since I left the iPad Workshop organized and sponsored by EdTechTeacher.org and held in Hauser Hall on the campus of Harvard University.  It seems that a few words of reflection might be in order.

First, I tip my hat (figuratively, of course) to the two EdTechTeacher trainers that were running the workshop:  Samantha Morra and Carl Hooker    

For three days I sat in awe of Sam’s total command of all the things she talked and demo’d, along with her highly professional style whenever she was “up there in front” while always maintaining her extremely supportive, non-egotistical, mega-friendly personality.  Carl also had a “command of the facts” and was a very supportive presence always there to help out the 30 or so of us in the room.

Great as the in-class experience was, the question I need to revisit is the one I posed in my post prior to the start of the workshop:  What specific methodologies, techniques, skills brought to students, and apps did I learn about and experience during these three days spent in Cambridge?  What makes a tablet a “killer device” that transforms – or at least enhances – student learning?

Were I forced to answers those question, I’d have to voice a (to me) surprising degree of uncertainty as to the answers.  To cut to the chase, my conclusion, so far, is that a tablet is a very cool piece of hardware – and there is an amazing and impressive wealth of apps available for them – but it is not a game-changer.

Do I love the fact that these tablets are instant on/off?  Yes.  Do I love how light and portable they are?  Absolutely.  Do I enjoy the ways you access and manipulate the screen (swiping, tapping, drawing with a finger or stylus)?  You bet.  Do I think kids would love using these things?  Totally.  Do I find that a tablet can make it easier for people to collaborate?  Yup.

Did the workshop teach me how kids, by using a tablet can perform research projects in ways that are superior to a laptop?  Well, yes, in some ways.  A built-in camera can grab a shot or video of my frog dissection to which I can add an audio narration and then submit to my teacher.  I don’t think a traditional on-paper lab report comes close to showing my teacher how much I know about frog physiology let alone how to properly perform a dissection.  And a laptop often has a camera these days but is not nearly as portable and easy to manipulate as a tablet.  Tablet is way superior to a laptop if multimedia, in-class experiences (and off-campus -- documenting finding my frog in a nearby swamp) need to be captured.

But what about producing a major research and writing assignment about 19^th century United States presidents?  Or completing my short story for English?

The goal I keep repeating to my students when it comes to “data entry” to their computer is that I challenge them to be able to type in their ideas as fast as they can think.  This may be possible with a tablet’s on-screen keyboard but I have not seen empirical evidence that this is possible.

In the type of school where I teach, there is enough emphasis on writing and large-scale research projects, for example, that I’m unable to totally buy a tablet is the answer.

If kids could have two devices – a tablet and a laptop – that would be ideal.  Probably 4-5 years from now people may take it for granted to have both devices at hand or the hardware may morph into devices that are as light and easy to use as tablets but make it possible for the productivity efficiencies that are more native with today’s laptop.  Nothing stays still with technology.  Change is the way it’s always going to be.  It will be fascinating to see how this all plays out.

To get back to the workshop, it was absolutely a valuable experience for me.  The breadth of available apps that have to potential for big payoffs in the classroom and curriculum was amazing.  In fact, much of our time was spent on exploring these apps which was rewarding.  I’ve got many hours left of exploring them yet left to do.  Just look again at that table I included on Day 1.  What an impressive list!!

But I also have a lot of reflecting to do about keeping the focus on student learning and curricular development and improvement.

But that’s what’s so fun about this line of work:  there’s never a dull moment!!!

P.S.  If anyone actually reads this and can help me broaden my perceptions and learn ways I have not yet discovered about the advantages/capabilities of tablets in the classroom, please let me know.  I am absolutely, positively a life-long learner!!

iPad Workshop -- Day 3 -- EdTechTeacher.org -- Hauser Hall/Harvard -- July 10, 2013

Well, Day 3 has arrived.  In most ways, these sessions have breezed by and now we're at the final session of this workshop.  Kinda difficult to believe.....

The list of "apps on tap" for today include:

We started out spending some time hearing about how to project an iPad on a computer.  Most time was spent on Reflector which is an app that you install on both your computer (which apparently includes both Mac & Windows) and on the iPad you want to project.  More information about that available at:
http://www.airsquirrels.com/reflector/

Reflector is not the only option but, at $12.99, it is a relatively low-cost option for making it possible for a tablet to be mirrored on a screen

A .pdf of some instructions put together by EdTechTeacher can be found at:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-zMx78MK6cFNld2ZzZsSTBkVzQ/edit

Another option for "mirroring" an iPad is AirServer which appears to cost $14.99
http://www.airserver.com/

A further option with perhaps the most limitations/iffy would be to use Bluetooth

Then we spent a chunk of time watching the movie "trailers" that people made yesterday at the end of the day using iMovie.  Some pretty effective, not to mention entertaining and clever, videos were created in really a very few minutes by folks in the workshop using the Trailer tool in iMovie.  And iMovie makes it pretty nearly a breeze to do.  Easy to get sold on an app with such ease in putting together some video.

It would have been interesting, though, to create something more open-ended using iMovie rather than the trailers.  Those trailer templates are very well-designed and organized.  Again, they are a lot of fun, but I'm not sure the "trailer" approach would be that helpful with a video project in a classroom that has depth to it.  But, there's a lot to say for having fun making a project!!

Staying with the video topic, we briefly weighed the use of  YouTube as an option to upload class videos, particularly uploading and saving videos in one of the private modes that keep student work inaccessible to those who have no business watching them and yet available to all who should be able to see it.  Having this option is reassuring but pointing students to YouTube even with private URLs still begs the question of whether it is wise -- certainly with kids in elementary and middle school -- should be nosing around YouTube.  A number of schools represented by the workshop participants to not allow YouTube access by students at school.

In terms of some other options, reference was made to Vimeo and iTunes U although, a bit surprisingly to me, not SchoolTube.

Today's app expedition and share impressions included the following:

• Aurasma
• 30 Hands
• Haiku Deck
• Popplet Lite
• Nearpod
• Spreaker DJ
• TouchApp Creator
• Trading Cards
• Videolicious

The results of the group sharing of impressions of these apps is available here.

The final project of the workshop was next up on our agenda.  And our task.....

Use Book Creator to create a ePub of your experiences,

notes, resources, etc from the past 3 days

Use the agenda and Today’s Meet to guide you.

This was also a time when Sam and Carl circulated around the room answering some individual questions that people had about what we've explored since Monday.

Near the end of the day, Carl called our attention to a couple videos that speak to starting a movement and doing something to bring attention to an important cause.  Here were two examples of the power of video not to mention the power of the energy, creativity, and commitment our kids can bring to all of our lives.

Derek Sivers shows us how movements get started.  He shows video of the start of a movement all of which happens in less than 3 minutes.  Check it out.

Next came a very powerful video that was spearheaded by two kids with the help of an interested adult who had the means to create a song and record it.  This is a wonderful example of what our students can do not to mention the importance of putting kids in charge of projects that meets their passion. In this case, the idea was to create something to counter bullying and finding ways to help those who are the victims of mistreatment.  

Called "Lend a Hand", it is a YouTube video that was quite amazing to watch.  You can watch it here.

It was a great way to bring this workshop to a close and I'm grateful to both our facilitators for the great experience that was this iPad Classroom Workshop.

iPad Workshop -- Day 2 -- EdTechTeacher.org -- Hauser Hall/Harvard -- July 9, 2013

Day 2 began with a look at another site that offers teachers the ability to poll/quiz/test students.
InfuseLearning.com -- an online (free) resource for getting student responses, somewhat more flexible/useful than Socrative (including being able to download quick response items from kids) which you can't do with Socrative.  Also class rosters can be imported.

Another difference is that one form of answer can be a drawing.

Next we spent some time working with a "digital paper" app called Notability.  Notability Intro and Challenge by Sam available here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1gTiX6nZtpTweJJ6Sy_ssY0TYuG9W6493em5CK0kc6kk/edit#slide=id.p

We moved on to doing more image capture/screen capture and got some practice using a free avatar creator called Tellegami to narrate a pretend vacation with the appropriate image.  Examples of how to capture those images used both Maps (in iOS 6) and Google Earth.

(Psssst........Wordle and Tagxedo and ABCYA.com got mention here for word clouds, of course, but also avatar creation.)

Another app we got practice using is called Book Creator.

In the time before lunch, the presentation moved to Digital Citizenship and Copyright.  A great deal of importance was attached to "empathy" including the teaching of this concept in our classes.  In fact, Sam classified empathy as the 21st century skill and called the presentation she shared with us:  Empathy: The 21st Century Skill
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1LvVFNlolBLJWA-CsdTCLwdOfbgPsMKPlvVvV5HAgV7o/edit#slide=id.p

We looked at Common Sense Media and their tools for Education and then Creative Commons.  We were especially encouraged to -- if so moved -- license things we create using Creative Commons licences with the main goal of sharing.

Final thing before lunch was a look at Subtext and what it offers for reading, including free books and monitoring reading by students.

We moved on to some options for accessing a "whiteboard" on a tablet.  Focus was on EduCreations, ScreenChomp, and Skitch.  They even asked us to do a comparison (a Whiteboard app "smackdown") the results of which are here

Next app we visited was Explain Everything.  The presentation shared with us is available at:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1pRsew-wYcCjyXbkFtgZWEXqMtX6WIbVXs187HCK-nRc/edit#slide=id.p

Here's a video available on Vimeo that gives an intro to Explain Everying


Explain Everything 2.0 from MorrisCooke on Vimeo.


There is a lot of explore in the things listed above.  It was truly exciting to be introduced to such a wide variety of tools that seem to have the potential to offer teachers (and students) so much that will enhance teaching and learning.  Already, though, the thought keeps bubbling up......when will I possibly have time explore all these great things!!!!????

Next we moved on to a discussion of digital storytelling and to audio recording and video editing.  Garageband was the focus of our audio segment and iMovie for the video.

Some EdTechTeacher slides about iMovie are available here.

The final challenge of the day was to create a movie "trailer" using one of the built-in trailer templates that iMovie offers (many are very cool!) and go out of the classroom around the building -- whatever -- and add video recorded on the iPad or digital stills taken on the iPad to use in the trailer.  Fun!

Difficult to believe Day 2 is already over but looking forward to Day 3!

iPad Workshop -- Day 1 -- EdTechTeacher.org -- Hauser Hall/Harvard -- July 8, 2013

The iPad Classroom workshop began today at 8:30 a.m. in Hauser Hall on the Harvard campus in Cambridge, MA.  I did not have 100% of my wits about me and spent way too much time trying to figure out where Hauser Hall is.  May have been in the EdTech materials but I didn't have them with me and there was not a Harvard campus overview map ("You Are Here") to be found.  Thanks to a few kind Harvard-ites, I eventually found my way.

The EdTechTeacher.org presenters are:

Samantha Morra   sam@edtechteacher.org, @sammorra, Thoughts on Education
Carl Hooker  carl@edtechteacher.org, @mrhooker, Hooked on Innovation

This list of the EdTechTeacher Summer Workshops 2013 is available here: http://edtechteacher.org/index.php/summer-workshops/sw2013

The website for my specific workshop is at:   https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Pi71XZJ8nmyIujNteOynbCwgJJ3-cxN505ACaFu3q2w/pub

After round-the-room introductions, Sam and Carl had us do a quick look at Padlet -- http://padlet.com/
where you can create a virtual "wall" that kids can post to by name or anonymously (but cautioned mightily about the anonymous possibility)

and

TodaysMeet -- http://todaysmeet.com/
TodaysMeet sets up a dialog for anyone who knows the URL to the discussion.  It's kind of like a private, members only Twitter feed that you can set up and only have the people you want participating.  One was set up for our workshop but since they only last something like two weeks and then (poof) are gone, I can't include a link here.  However, TodaysMeet does make it possible to produce a .pdf of the TodaysMeet discussion and I have a copy of the comments & resources shared.

Our facilitators had us take a "Getting to Know You" Google Doc survey (form)

Then it was a turn at setting the focus for the whole workshop with the following framework models and EdTechTeacher articles:

Next, Sam covered the basics of the iPad hardware and its basic use with a Google Docs presentation:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1szATI2Nvh86a1xzaMKMMOxme2HVKRds0Jq_gLfuYlB8/edit#slide=id.p
She did a good job of covering those topics and even (at least for me) shared some tips that were totally new to me!

There's also a video introduction by EdTechTeacher at Vimeo:


iPad Basics from EdTechTeacher on Vimeo.


From this point on, we began an exploration of a variety of apps that can help fulfill the curricular concepts noted in the introduction.  Rather than comment on each (at least for now), I'm going to let the list of what we explored speak for itself unless I feel I really have to add a word or two.

Some discussion of the SAMR hierarchy (also above) which was part of the framework discussion.  SAMR & the Schneiderman version (below) are both worth much thought as how to incorporate into curricular design:

SAMR

Schneiderman

In terms of apps, the workshop appears to be primed to cover a great many.  The table below is a snapshot of the apps slated to be covered starting today through Wednesday.

From here on we explored a series of apps that are tools that can be used with an iPad to fulfill the curricular goals that we discussed earlier today.  This list is pretty much up there in the table (above).  Maybe because it's the first day, but, in any case, the standouts from today include:

Evernote -- information gathering and organizing tool

Chirp -- an audio version of the qr code

Socrative -- teacher and student versions -- creating quizzes both "on the fly" and scored-and-stored

ThingLink -- creating "rich" images....images with links and other content that enhance and enrich the images you share

'Twas a full day.  Looking forward to Day 2.

Upcoming iPad Workshop -- EdTechTeacher -- Thoughts Looking Forward to Tomorrow

Today I'm winging my way from Seattle to the other end of the United States.  In Boston, I plan to attend an iPad Workshop put on by EdTechTeacher.org which starts tomorrow and continues through Wednesday, July 10.  The location of the sessions will be in Hauser Hall on the Harvard University campus.  Each day starts at 8:30 a.m. and continues on through 3:30 in the afternoon.

Even though we don't use iPads at my school, the thinking behind attending a workshop where the focus is on "The iPad Classroom" (the workshop's actual title) is that learning more about how the iPad tablet can be and is used in classrooms will have applicability in the use of other tablets (i.e. Samsung Galaxy [Android] or Surface RT/Pro [Windows 8]) in the classrooms where I work.  The thinking here is that it's not literally so much the specific apps that are used but rather how a device like a tablet can offer kids tools not otherwise available and enhance what I hear referred to as "workflow".

What I'll be looking for, then, is the ways in which using a device such as a tablet offers specific ways to enhance learning for kids in the classroom.  Not that this is necessarily a contest between tablets and laptops to prove one is the superior to the other.   But, in my school where there is an existing 1-to-1 laptop program that begins in grade 7, this is a chance to begin to discovery whether or not a tablet device can materially add to the curriculum we offer to our 5th and 6th graders.

From this vantage point, the prospects are for a fascinating -- and rewarding -- time.

Three Cheers For Eccentricity!

Today I'm experiencing a bout of randomness.  In that spirit I offer a site that itself offers more than a few dollops of randomness:   Eccentric America.

If you have a few random moments, click here to take a look!

NCCE 2012 -- Day 4 -- Seattle

Soup to Nuts:  Teaching with Cloud Resources
Presenters:  Cindy Etherton

Although we haven't made any specific moves in the direction of moving our students to the "cloud" in a systematic way, the day for "cloud computing" for school-aged kids seems pretty much upon us.  Cindy offered a number of ideas that I will continue to explore and experiment with.  It goes without saying but say it I will.......nothing in educational technology is so certain as rapid change!  Never a dull moment!

NCCE 2012 -- Day 3 -- Seattle

Google Apps:  The Whole Kit and Caboodle

Presenters:  Marc Elliott, Director of Information Services; Tanya Narramore, Instructional Technology TOSA; Mike Sheldon, Manager of Information Systems; all from Bethel Public Schools

The story of this workshop was the story of Bethel's migration from a FirstClass system of tools to Google Apps.  By the end of the session, one could be pretty much sold on the superiority of what Google offers and the wisdom of leaving commercial services behind.

Opening Keynote -- Taylor Mali -- Poet

I'd have to confess to expending hardly a moment taking a look at who Taylor Mali was before it was time for his keynote.  I did take note of the name but little else.  Then when he was being introduced and he was described as a "poet" I did a mental double-take.  A what?  Wait a minute, am I at NCCE?  Is there some regional poetry slam going on at the WSCC right now and I wandered in the wrong keynote session?

Nope.  It turns it that 1) Taylor Mali *is* a poet and, 2) he was the keynote speaker at NCCE 2012.  It took a little while as he read some poems and did his opening shtick but it wasn't really that long before it became clear that Mr. Mali was not a very conventional poet and, furthermore, many of his poems were very entertaining and more than a few were quite thought-provoking.  He is a very effective performer, too.

In addition to his focus on poetry, he is also a dedicated advocate for learning and teaching.  He currently has a project to inspire 1000 people to make a commitment to become a teacher.  He is very close to reaching his goal and, actually, seems to have scheduled the fulfillment of this goal this coming April 7 (at which point he will cut off 11" of his hair [aka ponytail] and donate it to someone.....I forget who).

Like I say, many of his poems are very appealing.  Below you'll find a video version of his poem "What Teachers Make" from YouTube.

Best Web 2.0 for Online Learning

Presenter:  Katie Kotynski

A fairly straight-forward presentation that showcased a number of online resources that are useful in the classroom.  Katie anchored her presentation around her website called BestWebForEd Wiki site.

Integrate Computational Thinking Skills Using Scratch

Presenter:  Phil Big

The focus of this sessions was Scratch and Computational Thinking, just as the title suggests.  The main point was the set of four problem-solving skills/techniques that, it can be argued, our students need to be 21st century literate.  These skills include:  1) decomposition; 2) pattern recognition; 3) pattern generalization & abstraction; and 4) algorithm design.

Phil's contention is -- and it seems quite plausible -- that Scratch is a great vehicle to give students practice in developing, using, and refining those four skills.

NCCE 2012 -- Day 2 -- Seattle

Google Sketchup in the Classroom -- Part 1

Presenter -- Regina Cain

Google Sketchup in the Classroom -- Part 2

Presenter -- Regina Cain

These were long-form workshops (3 hours each; lasted all day with lunch break) taking a look at Google Sketchup.  Using a tutorial document from Google, Regina took us through step-by-step the various tools that Sketchup offers.

The non-pro version of Sketchup is free to all; the $400+ Pro version is available to teachers who go through an approval process in which they establish their bona fides as classroom teachers.

As a 3D design tool, Sketchup is indeed amazing.  Even I was able to create a couple structures -- including a fairly decent-looking schoolhouse with row upon row of windows, trees circling, and a bit of picket fence, too.  My doghouse was fairly decorative as doghouses go but I wasn't as proud of it as the schoolhouse I worked on in the latter stages of the workshop.