EdCamp Detroit

Last Saturday, I attended EdCamp Detroit at Wayne State University, http://edcampdetroit.org/.  It was a conference designed to bring educators together to discuss technology that works.  The format was not typical; it was an unconference, a conference format quickly growing in popularity across the country.  You really need to experience it to understand it.  The organizers provide the basic framework, the people who attend decide what will be discussed.

The people who show up can volunteer to facilitate a session if they want to.  They write their topic and name on a piece of paper and tape it to the wall.  The conference organizers assign the sessions to specific times (session 1, 2, 3, 4)  and room numbers.  Attendees show up to the sessions they desire.  NO CONFERENCE BROCHURE.

What's neat about it is that the facilitators do not have to be experts on the topic.  The sessions tend to be more collaborative in nature with people sharing experiences and resources on the topic at hand.

I enjoyed a day of learning and collaboration.  I chose not to facilitate a session and it was nice for a change.  I am usually the one organizing, facilitating, and leading the conferences I attend.  I was able to go to this one with my learner hat on!

Sessions I attended:

Mobile Learning (Cheryl Lykowski):  This session was a great discussion about "Bring Your Own Devices," and many iPod/iPad apps were shared. Some apps I want to check out include SoundNote, QR readers, Discovery, Bluster, Inkling, and Teachers Assistant Pro.  Bookshare is coming soon!

Pseudoteaching (Steve Dickie):  I had never even heard this word, so it intrigued me.  This was another great discussion and it was all about effective teaching.  How do you really know if your students "got it?" Some lessons that seem to be perfect ones actually do not lead to student learning.  We discussed the use of video to help students understand.  Research from the Khan Academy has shown that sometimes using video that students can easily understand actually lead them to not attend to the content (they think they get it, and therefore do not pay attention).  The key is to keep it at just the right difficulty level (students need to be challenged, but not so challenged that they tune out). Keep the students questioning and active. Use frequent formative assessment techniques.

Edmodo, "Facebook" for Students:  This is an application I have used and like, and I'm hoping that it will be used by several teachers in my district next year. The teacher who presented (sorry, don't remember her name) uses Edmodo in place of a classroom website.  Her school is a 1:1 school, and actually the whole school uses Edmodo.  She said that students discovered that they could sign up for a teacher account on the Edmodo website and do naughty things.  To prevent this, they created a logon page that takes students directly to the school Edmodo site , not the main Edmodo site.  Good to know!

Last Saturday, I attended EdCamp Detroit at Wayne State University.  It was a conference designed to bring educators together to discuss technology that works.  The format was not typical; it was an unconference, a conference format quickly growing in popularity across the country.  You really need to experience it to understand it.  The organizers provide the basic framework, the people who attend decide what will be discussed.  Thanks to @thenerdyteacher and the other conference organizers!

The people who show up can volunteer to facilitate a session if they want to.  They write their topic and name on a piece of paper and tape it to the wall.  The conference organizers assign the sessions to specific times (session 1, 2, 3, 4)  and room numbers.  Attendees show up to the sessions they desire.  NO CONFERENCE BROCHURE.

What's neat about it is that the facilitators do not have to be experts on the topic.  The sessions tend to be more collaborative in nature with people sharing experiences and resources on the topic at hand.  People go away getting the learning they want and need.

I enjoyed a day of learning and collaboration.  I chose not to facilitate a session and it was nice for a change.  I am usually the one organizing, facilitating, and leading the conferences I attend.  I was able to go to this one with my learner hat on!

Sessions I attended:

• Mobile Learning (Cheryl Lykowski):  This session was a great discussion about "Bring Your Own Devices," and many iPod/iPad apps were shared. Some apps I want to check out include SoundNote, DiscoveryEducation, Bluster, Inkling, and Teachers Assistant Pro.  Bookshare is coming soon for students with print disabilities!

• Pseudoteaching (Steve Dickie):  I had never even heard this word, so it intrigued me.  This was another great discussion and it was all about effective teaching.  How do you really know if your students "got it?" Some lessons that seem to be perfect ones actually do not lead to student learning.  We discussed the use of video to help students understand.  Research from the Khan Academy has shown that sometimes using video that students can easily understand actually lead them to not attend to the content (they think they get it, and therefore do not pay attention).  The key is to keep it at just the right difficulty level (students need to be challenged, but not so challenged that they tune out). Keep the students questioning and active. Use frequent formative assessment techniques.

• Edmodo - "Facebook" for Students:  This is an application I have used and like, and I'm hoping that it will be used by several teachers in my district next year. The teacher who presented (sorry, don't remember her name) uses Edmodo in place of a classroom website.  Her school is a 1:1 school, and actually the whole school uses Edmodo.  She said that students discovered that they could sign up for a teacher account on the Edmodo website and do naughty things.  To prevent this, they created a logon page that takes students directly to the school Edmodo site , not the main Edmodo site.  Good to know!

• Google Lit Trips (Cheryl Lykowski) - I've been meaning to learn more about Google Lit Trips for a few years now.  I found out that there are many that have been created and and ready to be used by educators.  They are indexed by grade level and book on Jerome Burg's blog.  Yes, they are ready to go!  You can also create your own and directions for making them are also on Jerome's blog.

I'd like to give the unconference format a try in my school district.  I know that we have built a culture of collaboration and that it would work for us if we set the stage right.  I can envision this format eventually being used on professional development days at each school, with teachers sharing and learning what they want and need to learn.

Technology Grant Opportunity for Michigan Educators

Each year, MACUL supports Michigan educators by funding grants of up to $1500 to support effective use of technology in the classroom.  Apply any time between now and June 8, 2011. 

Applications should include the outline of a project that focuses on an instructional use of a computer or related equipment which has the potential of being replicated in other settings.

To qualify, you must be a MACUL member.

Detailed information about the requirements is available on the MACUL website.  http://www.macul.org.  Go to the “Grants and Awards” page and click on “2011-12 MACUL Grant Information.”  Be sure to see the grant writing tips.  There are links to the application, rubric, and timeline.

Tech policies... Helpful or Hindrance?

Technology can provide the means for anyone to use, change, remix, create, publish, and share all kinds of content.  As a result, many people of all ages are finding that technology can provide the means for which they can make a difference in the world.  Some examples include establishing online fundraisers for friends in need, writing on websites, blogs, or social networking platforms to share ideas, and showing off creative talents in hopes that a future employer will see them.  However, sometimes the policies that schools have in place can prevent students from using technology in these kinds of creative ways to make learning meaningful and relevant.

 My district is working on revising our acceptable use policy, and I think we are getting close.   It is hard to write policy that is broad enough to include new technological advancements that have not yet been discovered, and not so limiting so that teachers won’t want to use technology because it is so much extra work.   From what I’ve found in my research, many districts across the country need guidance on how to update existing technology policies.

 Some districts feel they need to block nearly every site that involves any aspect of social networking  in order to comply with CIPA legislation (Child Internet Protection Act).  In my opinion, this is not the answer, as our students will not learn how to interact and be safe on these types of sites in a supervised environment; instead they’ll be figuring it out on their own, sometimes with bad consequences.  Another law to consider when creating policy is the Protecting Children in the 21^st Century, which requires schools to educate students about appropriate online behavior.  We can tell students how to act appropriately online, or we can help them learn to be responsible online citizens in an online environment.  It's not hard to guess which will work better.

 CoSN created a document, Acceptable Use Policies in Web 2.0 and Mobile Era, A Guide for School Districts, that was very helpful to me as I worked to understand all the implications of updating tech policy.  This document outlines the laws which must be followed, and provides tips and links to good examples.

Once we have our Acceptable Use Policy (which may be called a Responsible Use Policy) in place, we will work on providing recommended practices for staff as they use the Internet for personal reasons.  The purpose of this document will be to educate. 

I've been studying educational policy as part of my work as a Fellow in the Educational Policy Fellowship Program.  I have been doing a lot of work and study about all matters relating to educational policy.... politics, legislation, needed changes, funding, attitudes, stakeholders, and more.  I didn't know that policy could be so fascinating!   I feel fortunate to be able to apply what I'm learning to the real world, working to update our district tech policy!

Take-Aways from Washington DC Trip

I attended the Educational Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP) Washington DC Seminar the past four days. EPFP is a a 10-month in-service leadership development program sponsored by the Institute for Educational Leadership.  The  program is designed to provide a forum for exploring public policy issues, link participants to key figures who shape and influence the process, and develop new leadership skills for education and community leaders. 

The Washington Policy Seminar I just had the pleasure of experiencing focused on key issues and policy initiatives that are being heavily debated at this time. It couldn't have been a better time to be in DC to get a glimpse of how the government works as government officials work to agree on the budget to prevent a government shut down.  We heard opinions from a wide variety of perspectives (Democrats/Republicans/Senators/Representatives/DC Staff/Political Analysts) about what was actually occuring from minute to minute, and it was fascinating.   I will certainly read/listen to and watch the news from a different lens from now on.   There are so many factors our legislators must consider when making their decisions... and I believe that the general public is basically unaware of many of the hidden intricacies of any given issue and doesn't really understand the need for give-and-take to make the best decisions as the founders of our nation intended.   I have a new appreciation for the work that our legislators do and  have a better understanding of all the steps that are necessary in order for any work to get done.  I also believe that my voice is an important one that needs to be heard, and  I have established connections that will enable me to do this.

From the top-notch EPFP Washington Seminar speakers:

• Alan Berube, Brookings Institute:  "Educational leaders must confront the demographic data from metropolitan areas."  Metropolitan areas that are growing at a fast pace are ethnically diverse and embrace the needs of other cultures.  They also have the greatest percentage of people with 4 year college degrees.


• Norm Ornstein, American Enterprise Institute: "When looking at areas to reduce government spending, we must separate spending that is an investment in the future from those that can be reduced."


• Stan Collender, former staffs of the House and Senate Budget Committees: "One of our biggest problems is that people believe that education only benefits the person educated."


• Judy Schneider, Senior Analyst, Congressional Research Service: "Congress is not driven by policy alone; instead it is driven by policy, procedure, and politics."

I appreciate the opportunity to be involved with EPFP.   Thank you, MACUL, for sponsoring me.  Count on me to volunteer for the advocacy committee!

On a Techie High

The annual MACUL Conference was held this past week.  The word on the street is that the conference was the best ever.  This is good news to me, because I'm on the Board of Directors and helped plan and carry it off.   :)    There were over 4,000 attendees and I could feel the high level of energy and enthusiasm among those who were there.  I kept really busy with organizational tasks throughout the conference, and was only able to make a few of the sessions, so I look forward to keeping my own learning going; there are many ways to do this:

• Check out the awesome resource materials posted by presenters on the Speakers' page of the MACUL website.


• Browse through the #macul11 tweets. Conference attendees posted quotes, links, ideas, questions, photos, and more.


• Follow the discussions going on at MACULSpace.  I just added a forum for sharing your "best of MACUL" stories.


• Read the posts on the MACUL Conference Blog.


• The keynotes and some of the featured speakers were videotaped.  The videos will soon be available on Michigan Streamnet.

But wait... there's more!  The day after the MACUL Conference, my district hosted the Stir it Up with Discovery Education Conference.  It was sponsored by Discovery Education, and it was like a "mini MACUL Conference."  Many educators who were not able to get away for the MACUL Conference came. There were 75 attendees from at least 15 SE Michigan school districts.  We were lucky to have Discovery Education's Mike Bryant, Matt Monjan, and Porter Palmer there.   The Michigan Discovery Education Leadership Team planned and presented at the event: Cheryl Lykowski, Eric Strommer, Gina Loveless, Lisa Wickman, Cindy Carson, and me.  Walled Lake educators who presented included Mark Lada, Randy Micallef, Jennifer Bond, Rob Osterman, and Mark Hess.  Support for technology integration by the Walled Lake Consolidated Schools administrative team was apparent, as many attended:  Superintendent Gutman; Assistant Superintendent Barry; Director of Technology & Data Analysis, Mark Hess; Director of Community Relations, Judy Evola; and the hosting school's principal, Brad Paddock.  AWESOME!   You can check out the conference wiki for session handouts and other electronic resources.

I'm tired physically, but am intellectually energized!

Return to Sender

I was browsing through the electronic version of The Journal this morning. The cover story, "Return to Sender" by Dan Gordon, is a thought-provoking article about the role of technology in educational reform.

"Work readiness is no longer just about the three R's; now it's also about turning information and knowledge through web sesarching and vetting. It's about developing effective multimedia presentations.  It's about seamlessly using digital tools to collaborate and problem solve."

Almost all decisions we make are impacted by persuasive digital media:  what to buy, where to go on vacation, who to vote for, and what to think about current events and issues.  Graduating students who can use digital media to deliver a message have a much better chance of landing a job in the workplace. 

"If the United States is to stay economically powerful in this global economy, we have to develop the next generation of STEM professionals - young people who are not only good at math and science, but who think creatively and work in teams.  The platform for doing that is technology."  We cannot fix our schools by using the technology that we have to teach students the same way we always have.  We need to be brave, take risks, think outside of the box, don't try to do it alone, and provide learning opportunities for students that are interesting and based on real situations and problems.  Figuring out a way to do that on a systemic level is the challenge.

Unintended Uses of Twitter

Twitter is everywhere.  I started using it in March of 2007, when it was a communication medium that I used with other ed techies out there (I still use it for this purpose).  I learned quickly how it could benefit me... My position was/is unique in my school district, so I often did not have colleagues who I can collaborate with on many of my projects. Twitter helped me get connected to others all across the nation (and the world) who I could turn to for support and encouragement.  I'm now connected with others who know what I'm talking about when I ask about such things as codecs, applets, and glogs.  Sharing and learning is what I do with Twitter.

I recently saw a 8 minute TED-Talks video featuring Evan Williams, one of the co-founders of Twitter.  He talked about how Twitter originally was created as an experimental broadcast medium, and that the growth of Twitter came as a result of unexpected uses invented by users.  Examples:  Users invented a way to respond to each other by using the @ symbol.  Users also invented a way to search for posts about a topic by other Twitter users (#hashtags).  Twitter has been used during times of disaster and political unrest.  Mr. Williams had no idea that his little experiment would end up being such a valuable tool.  He ends his speech with this remark:  "Follow your hunches, but never assume where they will go."  Enjoy his 8 minute TED Talk.