Tuesday, May 10, 2011

IT Summit 2011 Cool Tools Duel/Mash-Up by Dean Shareski, Alec Couros and Hall Davidson

Here's a link to last year's duel between Dean Shareski and Will Richardson: 2010 Cool Tool Duel

Cool Tools Duel by Dean Shareski, Alec Couros, Hall Davidson

Who is the winner of the tool duo? Poll Everywhere: bit.ly/itsummitvote
To submit your favourite tool - bit.ly/itsummitshare

Hall - Camstudio - Screen Capture Video

Alec - Tin Eye - Visual Search

Dean - ClassTools.net - Random Name and Word Picker

Hall - YouTube Mobile - Go to your youtube settings, mobile video uploader email address so you can email content right to your account or give it to others filmonthefly.org

Alec - WiTopia - To let you be from other states so that you can access stuff around filters. Costs $60

Dean - Google Search Stories Video Creator - Online video creator using live searching

Hall- Make the World's Best Webcam from Broken Camcorder by hooking it up to your laptop and it lets you zoom using the camecorder's more powerful zoom.

Alec- DropMocks or min.us - lets you upload photos and share them with others without creating an account.

Dean- MPEG streamclip - Squared 5 MPEG Streamclip lets you convert video into a useable format

Hall - Google Body - (TSA Camera using a bluetooth camera but only works in chrome) - bodybrowser.googlelabs.com

Alec - Storify- lets you see what is being said about anything you like and using the editor you can make it into a video. i.e. IT Summit - you can make it into a story

Dean - iPad App - Talking Tom - can be made into a video that you can upload and share

Hall - Blabberize - Lets you upload a picture and make them talk.

Alec - Synchtube - Lets you watch a video at the same time as others so you can watch it together

Dean - Let me Google that for you - Creates a video of you typing something into Google

Hall - Power Points into Movies - Save your powerpoint as a jpeg and then make them into a movie using movie maker or you tube. You can find power points from others using advance search and look only for .ppt files on a particular subject. Jamendo.com to add music

Dean - Stumbleupon - Lets you find interesting things that other people have tagged with things that you are interested in. Searching by tags.

Alec - crocodoc - let's you upload a document and add visual annotations

Hall - 45x Microscope with Camera A/B app (Lets you watch an iPhone camera on an iPad)

Dean - iMovie - lets you create a movie trailer that gives you a story board/shot list to help you figure out how to film your movie.

Alec - Aviary - Myna - lets you do online audio editing and provides some loops for music creation.

IT Summit - Tuesday Morning Keynote - Michael Wesch- Remixed Schools: Creating Learners in the 21st Century

Tuesday Morning keynote. Micheal Wesch: http://mediatedcultures.net

Students are finding it hard to find a connection to the classes they are required to take. There's something in the air that allows everyone around the world to connect using a variety of web apps. Trying to find From knowledgeable to knowledge-able. How to we move students towards this making education relevant in their lives.

The world is on fire - we need students to work together to solve the dire problems of our world. 

"Technology allows us to create connections without constraint. This has both positive and negative consequences."

Search out "Numa Numa" on Youtube for an example of world collaboration.

We express: individualism, independence, superficiality
But we value: community, relationships, authenticity
This creates a cultural tension- connection=constraint

Is learning only really all about acquiring information? What is learning all about? We only trust authority for good information that is beyond discussion because it is authorized information. Can authority be granted through discussion? example: Wikipedia

Transformations in Learning: 
"Receptive knowers" - Just taking in information
"subjective knowers" - Don't just take in information but discuss and filter information that they are taking in.
"procedural knowers" - ability to dig deeper and knowing more about the topic - "seperate knowers" - distance themselves from the subject at hand vs "connected knowers - making connections to the topic
"constructive knower" - develop the capacity of "what is" thinking develop participatory thinking.
Other source to check out: http://transformativelearningtheory.com

Knowledge-ability is a practice - we need to create an environment where this is practiced through a cycle of communication, empathy, and thoughtfulness.

Monday, May 9, 2011

IT Summit - Transforming Digital Storytelling with the Infusion of 21st Century Skills

Presented by representatives from Saskatoon Public, J. Byers, J. Berthelot, J. Salikin

Today's Meet http://www.todaysmeet.com/transforming

What a classroom has become. If you are doing what you always did before with new tools, then you don't need the new tools to do that. What we need to do is transform what we are doing and then support that with new tools.

Does using a word processor improve writing? Used Poll Everywhere to get audience input.
Link to handout to how to use word processors to improve the writing process: Techy Teacher

The learning spectrum - Literacy- learning the tools for the tools sake - level 1, Adapting the technology for learning sake (doing the same thing with new tools) - level 2, Transforming - We want the students to be producers - Level 3. Students go from being a consumer of information to a producer of information. Difference between open and closed questions. Quoted from Bernajean Porter.

We are moving from the "about" type questions to open questions. Students demonstrating that they understand the information and can present it in a new way that demonstrates deep thinking. More resources for Photostory.

It is not about the technology, it is about the learning. A highlight of ISTE's NETS for students. Teachers don't necessarily teach better just because they know technology. It is about the teaching.

IT Summit - Dean Shareski Keynote - Saskatchewan's Unsung Heroes of Educational Technology

My notes from Dean's keynote. Dean's blog is called Ideas and Thoughts

Heroes don't call themselves heroes. Heroes are people who are passionate about trying new things. In the end, they really want to make a difference in the lives in kids. Those are real heroes.

Tinkering and Play- Story #1
Connaught School in North Battleford - Leslie and Jim
How can we get the kids to take control and get them to where they want to go? Demonstrated use of 1:1 laptops and the integration of a SMART Board in Grade 1. They created a new sense of play and of wonder. What are the things that our students really do need.

Gever Tulley "You can figure out things by fooling around" - Ted Talk to check out.

Collaboration - Story #2
Shannon Auramenko and Stacey Monet - John Diefenbaker School in the Saskatchewan Rivers School Division
The Grade 2 Teacher working with the Tech specialist for the division in a co-teaching role. Integrating new technologies and ways of learning.

Reputation Management - Story #3
Ken Sogge, Horrizon School Division
Communications Manager for the School Division. Working to develop a network of school websites that connects schools over a large geographical expanse. Creating a transparent view into classrooms. They are letting people know what they are doing in their different schools.

"It is no longer enough to do powerful work if no one sees it." Chris Lehman.

2.0 Objectives for information officers: Create, Transform, Listen, Co-create, Provide, Accept.

Social Glue - Story #4
Glen Munro from Prairie South School Division, Network Administrator
Glen has a real online presence and has a passion for photography. When a school division is spread out, you don't get to know people the way you do when you all work in the same building. Online tools like Facebook, Twitter and Four Square can build relationships online between people who don't get to work together under the same roof. Getting to know your coworkers is important to being able to do a good job.

Social Learning and Inquiry - Story #5
Joanna Sanders Bobiash from Regina Public Schools
Demonstration of social learning in the classroom. Students working together to create a website that taught others about the disaster in Japan.

How did you contribute to the learning of others? What did you learn from others?

Teacher Librarians - Story #6
Carlene Walters - Saskatoon Public
Talking about good digital citizenship and what makes a good question. Carlene's role is to help students get to those deeper questions so that the synthesis and real deep understanding is there.

We have moved beyond a narrow version of "who to trust" from the news to developing our own "trust network" to know that the information we are getting is accurate.

Rethinking Learning - Story #7
Shelly Wright - Prairie South School Division
Shelly's blog - Has transformed her classroom to create a new role for herself as a mentor and leader. Her blog documents in detail the transformation of her teaching. We need to rethink the way things are done today to teach the students of tomorrow.

Personal Learning Networks - Story #8
Powerful Learning Practice - taking networked learning and bringing it into an in-school approach. Teachers from Saskatchewan and other Canadian provinces working together to talk about strategies and teaching online. Providing collaborative professional development. Creates opportunities to create openness and sharing amongst educators.

Technology will never replace teachers. However teachers who know hot to use technology effectively to help students to connect and learn will replace those who don't.

We need to become connectors and not just dispensers of information.

Become a narrative champion - tell others about the work of other teachers. Start sharing because they are too humble to do it themselves.

IT Summit Presentation - The Effective Integration of Handheld Devices into the Classroom

This week, I'm attending the two-day Saskatchewan IT Summit in Saskatoon. It is a great opportunity to meet with, hear from and discuss the integration of technology into the classroom with educators from across the province.

This morning, I will have the opportunity to present my experience about the integration of hand-held devices into my teaching. Here is an embedded copy of my presentation for those of you that are interested.
The two YouTube videos that I will show during my presentation are included in the slideshare. I am also showing this CNN video about the ongoing debate about the usage of cellphones in schools:

Monday, May 2, 2011

A presentation to North Battleford French Immersion Teachers

Today, I had the pleasure of presenting to the French Immersion Teachers in North Battleford about how to find resources online and how to share them with each other. The goal of my session was to provide some insights and tools to teachers to make it easier to work together. Often we are spending our time searching for the same things. It is not always easy to find the best resources to support our new curriculum. Why not work as a team to accomplish this task? Work smarter, not harder!

Here is a copy of my presentation (in French):

Here is the video I shared during my presentation that explains how Diigo works:


Diigo V5: Collect and Highlight, Then Remember! from diigobuzz on Vimeo.