NCAIS Innovate 2013

North Carolina Association of Independent Schools 2

On Friday, I will be presenting at the NCAIS Innovate Conference at Noble Academy in Greensboro, NC. My session will be a repeat of sorts from the Mini-MOOC I did at the Google Apps for Education Summit. I think the idea of using a Google Site as a launching and training platform for any type of device program is incredibly worthwhile. I spoke about this fact at the Apple Event we hosted at our school yesterday on Information Technology aspects to consider for an iPad or other device program. Infrastructure is important, but so is building a community or digitally connected learners that are versed in both skills and citizenship in order to leverage the device. I think the iPad Passport that we have used the past two years is one of the reasons why our students and teachers have been able to extend the learning and not chasing issues like we have seen develop where schools rushed in. For instance, we asked our students to not update to iOS 7 which we could not prevent them from doing (I know) and except for two situations, no one did. In fact, one of the updates was done by a parent who was “helping” her son out by updating all of their families devices. Besides applauding our students restraint, I think we need to acknowledge they have learned about having honor and character as demonstrated with this test of delaying upgrading.

Here is a link to my presentation.

3 Free Tools to Manage Your Social Learning

I will be going to Canterbury School in Greensboro, NC for the NCAIS Innovate Conference where I will present a session called “3 Free Tools to Manage Your Social Learning”. While I do not consider myself a totally connected person, I do have a system that may help someone. Besides, I present at these conferences to challenge myself and my learning.

In the age of information that we live and teach in today, it can be hard to manage the flow of data. In this presentation, I will share with you 3 tools I use and love to manage my data stream. All are free. All work together. All are available on multiple devices. All connect you with others. To take most advantage of the time we have together, participants should come to the session with accounts already created.

Google Reader: Create a Google Account or sign up at http://www.google.com/reader

Twitter: http://twitter.com/

Instapaper: http://www.instapaper.com/

This is the presentation I will be using for my session III at 2:10 in room 117 Armfield Hall. This is the actual presentation.

Finding Your Voice with VoiceThread

 

Voice

 

‘Voice and Data’

http://www.flickr.com/photos/51035566106@N01/5302468

 

On April 8, 2011, I will be presenting a workshop at NCAIS Innovate focusing on and showcasing how students can learn to use VoiceThread to create a Digital Portfolio. In both of my Digital Learning classes students learn to reflect on their learning and find their voice by recording their reflective thoughts. I believe we need to do more of this type of work with our students as they often do not have the opportunity to both reflect and to tell the story of their learning. I also want my students to learn, collaborative communication as put forth by William M. Ferriter, Adam Garry in their book Teaching the iGeneration. From his Ed Tech Talk podcast on August 8, 2010 he offers this valuable quote:

Collaborative and competitive dialogue is something I talk about in Teaching the iGeneration and something that VoiceThread facilitates nicely.  We could talk about how our world emphasizes competitive dialogue—-kids are surrounded by marketing messages and celebrities and politicians screaming for attention and unwilling to listen to other viewpoints——but collaborative dialogue is essential for solving the kinds of global, cross-border challenges our world is facing.

Here are a few of my student’s Digital Portfolios (These are works in progress as we are still creating)

 


Link to Griffin’s Portfolio


Link to Madeline’s Portfolio

I also want you to find yourr voice by adding a sentence to a VoiceThread project based on Daniel Pink’s Drive book, and Two Simple Questions. Video is at: http://vimeo.com/8480171

Link to actual “What is Your Sentence”  http://damiddle.ed.voicethread.com/share/1695850/

 


May we all find our voice!