Sony Education - First Grade Case Study - Xperia Tablet in Action - YouTube

Sony's venture into K-12 education via its Xperia tablet might have gone the way of the dodo bird but some of viva video app our ambassador resources still remain as great tools in teaching and learning.

Sony Education - First Grade Case Study - Xperia Tablet in Action - YouTube.

Use Coach's Eye as the elusive Android flipping WB - YouTube

Use Coach's Eye as the elusive Android flipping WB - YouTube.

Education Apps from Learning Gems for Android and other devices - YouTube

Education Apps from Learning Gems for Android and other devices - YouTube.

Google for Education: Announcing Drive for Education: The 21st century backpack for students

Check out the recent announcement from Google.  As a teacher, I hate paper and ask students to work exclusively with Google Drive. I see Drive for Education to have incredible possibilities.

Here are the selling points root explorer apk Google is promoting and I see life for educators and students getting easier from each one.

Drive for Education will be available to all Google Apps for Education customers at no charge and will include:

• Unlimited storage: No more worrying about how much space you have left or about which user needs more gigabytes. Drive for Education supports individual files up to 5TB in size and will be available in coming weeks.


• Vault: Google Apps Vault, our solution for search and discovery for compliance needs, will be coming free to all Apps for Education users by the end of the year.


• Enhanced Auditing: Reporting and auditing tools and an Audit API easily let you see the activity of a file, are also on the way.

Check out all of the details at Google's Education Blog.

Google for Education: Announcing Drive for Education: The 21st century backpack for students.

#CUERockStar Teacher Camp Florida - January 2015

Last winter sucked. This winter is going to suck. CUE Rock Star Teacher Camp Melbourne, Florida will not.

Join me for three full days of learning rom January 17th to the 19th at Melbourne's Stone Magnet Middle School, just blocks from the Intercoastal Waterway and Atlantic Ocean as the wildly successful teacher learning franchise ventures outside of California once again.

Rock Star Camps are all about building relationships and collaborating. Each is capped at 100 attendees and 10 faculty to preserve a 10:1 ratio.

The day starts with 2 minute shred sessions where presenters do their best to convince attendees to come to their offerings.  Then we go right into a 2 hour hands-on morning ses
sion followed by a 2 hour lunch. Yes, a 2 hour lunch. The day wraps with an afternoon round of 2 hour sessions. Each of the three days will have a different focus like Google Apps, multimedia production, and digital pedagogy.

Register or apply to serve as faculty at the link below. Faculty receive free registration and lodging.

CUE Rock Star Teacher Camps | CUE.

Become a SAMR-ai with Android Devices - migoogle14

Michigan Google Conference is coming on November 4.

Here is one of my featured sessions.

Become a SAMR-ai with Android Devices - migoogle14.

These ARE the Droids you are looking for: Getting started with Android in your building (migoogle14)

Michigan Google Conference is coming on November 4.

Here is one of my featured sessions.

These ARE the Droids you are looking for: Getting started with Android in your building (migoogle14).

Detroit Pistons finally do something right - teaching kids literacy concepts

As a long-time Detroit Pistons fan I have shaken my head at many of their recent management decisions and recent woeful seasons on the court.

The franchise got something exceptionally right recently though. Broadcaster Greg Kelser hosts a couple of videos aimed at improving literacy, specifically students' abilities to stake and back up claims and understanding that every writer brings a different point of view.

The videos were produced as part of the team's outreach into public education for schools in Oakland County, Michigan - the area surrounding the Piston's Auburn Hills arena and headquarters.





 

Join the conversation at the Edtechs @ GR Rally - Sept. 26

Be part of great discussions within the Michigan educational technology community on Friday September 26. I will be there and can't wait to spend the day tackling the day's essential question of

How do we coach educators so that pedagogy and curriculum drives technology integration?

 

Taking the Shooting Gallery to the Wild Side - Jon Corippo's new book

[caption id="attachment_704" align="alignleft" width="225"] Studying environmental impacts and learning to think cinematically[/caption]

Yesterday presented a chance to work with innovative teachers and embed some technology instruction into middle school math and science investigations. Despite the 49 degree temps and constant mist, it proved to be a tremendously rewarding afternoon.

A lesson I have used for three years now is called the Shooting Gallery. It was developed by Jon Corippo as a way to lay film making foundations for students in the classroom. It is one thing to provide the opportunity for students to share learning in video form, but it is a whole other ballgame when you can give them techniques that greatly ramp up the quality of video they are producing.  That is how I use this lesson and it's why I approached a couple of our middle school teachers who are leading an integrated math and science class that studies our local watershed.

Students in the STREAM class at Hamilton Middle School by Ted Malefyt and Nate Alkire study and then share their learning in a number of ways beyond pencil and paper. Coming up they will be presenting projects to a panel similar to the ABC show Shark Tank. We want to give these kids all of the digital tools we can so that their work impresses somebody besides their grandma.

Here is a slide deck Jon and his students built.

Shooting Gallery Level One from Jon Corippo

Download the shot sheet here so your students can track their progress as they practice these cinematic angles.

Here is an example from years past of kids using iMovie to assemble all of their clips. 

In addition to these resources you can now download Jon's free iBook that is an expansion of this lesson. It can serve as a great digital text for giving your students more tricks and tools for making great videos.

 

Aha! 15 moments that shaped our world

Funders and Founders presents this great infographic detailing 15 aha moments that shaped our world...some quite literally (see Caresse Crosby).

"Before any entrepreneur became successful there was a time they did not know what to do. And then the aha moment happened. How?"

by annavital.

Flocabulary and Common Sense Media team up on Digital Citizenship

We use Flocabulary.com at Blue Star Elementary to help develop student academic vocabulary knowledge via Marzano's Six Steps. Kids love the catchy hip hop songs and animated videos.

Here is a great one that Flocabulary produced in association with Common Sense Media to teach the top rules kids....or any of us should remember when posting to social media.

The great thing about anything Flocabulary does is that it sticks with kids. They really get it.

 

Check out the new themes in Google Forms

Note: The following post refers to forms in Google Apps for Education. Using forms in a non-GAFE apps account will look completely different. The "general" accounts allow for personal customization of forms.

To all of you people who like to tell me that Google Apps for Education lacks the "cutesiness" you desire, just go check out all of the new themes in Google Forms.

The Art Dept. at Google has been doing a lot more lately that stuffing their faces at the nearby company stocked kitchen and getting their complimentary massages.

There are now 21 designs and many of the most basic ones remain but fans of the spilt glue bottle will be disappointed that it is no longer an option.

Check them out by going to Drive.Google.com and pressing Create -> Form.

In addition, San Diego high school teacher and fellow Google Certified Teacher Jen Roberts shared via Twitter today that by the end of the month a feature will be added to Google Apps for Education domains allowing customizable themes.

[caption id="attachment_689" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Lots of cool new options in Google Forms[/caption]

TEDx: Shawn Achor - "The Happiness Advantage: Linking Positive Brains to Performance"

If you lay a foundation of happiness in your school or classroom or your life then productivity, creativity, energy, and satisfaction will follow. It doesn't work the other way around.

Here is to a happy new school year.

Tailor reading level for student Google searches

I just saw a great tweet from Tara Becker-Utess.

My start at collecting tech resources for struggling learners. Adjusting google search by reading level. http://t.co/qkukbRu3MJ #miched

— Tara Becker-Utess (@t_becker10) August 22, 2014

Tara is building upon an idea that Tammy Lind presented at Best of MACUL presents CUE Rock Star this summer in Saugatuck. The cool thing about most techniques designed for struggling learners is that almost anyone can benefit from them. Tara and Tammy inspired me to lay out the quick and easy steps that allow students to search by reading level. This will come in hugely handy this year as I teach my elementary students to formulate effective searches.

Here you go.

1. After performing a Google Search, click on Search Tools


2. Next click on reading level
   


3. Choose the reading level. In my example I am simulating third graders doing African animal reports. I will ask them to click "Basic" and this will return only results that are the easiest to read.
   

These three clicks can greatly tailor the types of search results students receive, making the experience more useful for everyone.

Here is more great stuff from Tammy's ISTE 14 presentation on this very topic.

All of the motivation you need for a great school year

Whether you have been "back at it" for weeks or if you have removed all months and weeks from your calendar after next in hopes of preventing the inevitable, here is a little motivation from the genius of Michael Mills at the University of Central Arkansas to get the juices flowing for a great school year.



Michael and a panel of other educators want to continue their mission of hacking professional development. If you liked the video, give them a vote to present at South by Southwest this Spring in Austin, TX.

Gary Abud Jr. nails the essence of #MichEd

Check out the fabulous piece current Michigan Teacher of the Year Gary Abub Jr. created for the Detroit News today.

It is great to see so many people I consider close friends and colleagues featured in the piece as well. We really have something special here in Michigan. In fact it has inspired me to coin a new slogan.

"Michigan public education: #42 in per pupil funding, #1 in heart!"

Photo Friday: No hating on the tablet shooters

Last year at ISTE a trio of us headed down to the San Antonio River Walk for a media safari.

I was "that guy" that some of you make fun of who takes vacation photos with his iPad or other tablet. What you see below are some pretty good twilight shots made with the Sony Xperia Z Android tablet. As much as I love my 3rd generation iPad, the Z made me a believer in the "other side" and I don't think I would produce nearly the same results with my Apple device. Before you go hatin' on "that guy" again, realize they might be on to something. Besides, there are a bundle of post-production apps that can then either enhance of take the photos to a new level of creativity.

Although my tablet has some varied photo settings, the key to these shots was stability.  For each one I found a solid surface to lean the device against. For the "Esquire" shot I employed the self timer so there wouldn't be any wiggle in my image. Camera shake more than anything will derail your low light shooting.  The Xperia Z received a major upgrade in optics over its predecessor the Xperia S and features other fabulous Sony quality components.

Hacking #ISTE

Last summer I hacked the ISTE conference in San Antonio. Now before you send the federal agents, windbreakers and all to seize my Macbook Air, let me explain what I mean by "hacked".

I didn't hack into any computer system or manipulate any records. I would have no idea where to even start that process other than with some eleven-year-old's instruction video on YouTube. Just think of my "hacking" as attending the massive educational technology conference in a non-traditional way to meet my own personal needs.

San Antonio was my third ISTE but I never did register for the 2013 conference. I still learned as much, if not more than I did in Denver and in San Diego. I saved between $300 - $450  and  had an amazing learning experience. Here is how.

ISTE has gotten so big that I liken it to the Super Bowl. The game or in this case the conference sessions are just one piece of the overall circus. At the Super Bowl there is the NFL Experience which is an interactive fan zone of displays and activities. There are often celebrities and players signing autographs as well as countless other ways to have fun. The NFL's corporate sponsors also descend on the host city and put on tons of parties and promotions open to anyone and not just ticket holders for the game. ISTE is the same way now. The exhibit hall is easily the biggest single gathering of edtech resources anywhere in the United States and free evening receptions will keep anyone stuffed all week. Just don't check your cholesterol for a couple of weeks. Other user-organized, non-affiliated events like the Apple Distinguished Educator photo walks also abound. The 2012 walk in San Diego was my single favorite part of the trip.

[caption id="attachment_650" align="alignleft" width="300"] invaluable learning time with Rushton Hurley and Dr. Courtney Steffens[/caption]

ISTE does charge $50 for exhibit hall passes but comped ones can be found quite easily  by checking vendor websites. Thanks to the great people at Spelling City for the two days of passes they sent me last year. By camping out at some of the bigger booths like Google's and Adobe's I caught session after session from people like Kyle Pace and Leslie Fisher, all of which were of the same quality state conferences run up as featured classes.

Most valuable though at ISTE is the chance to spend face-to-face time with some of the most incredible people in the world of education.  During the previous two conferences I attended very few sessions because the social area conversations and networking opportunities were too compelling to leave.  In San Antonio I didn't have that dilemma. Lunch with Rushton Hurley and Ken Shelton (yep...name dropping) was worth the hassle of flying through O'Hare on a stormy day.

Let me state for the record that I truly appreciate all ISTE does for education in general and all the organization puts into their annual epic nerdfest. Without such a tremendous conference program, all of the ancillary benefits I am describing wouldn't exist. That goes also for all who give presentations. These people still endure a significant amount of cost and give their time to make the event what it is. For thousands upon thousands of educators every year the conference provides exactly what they need and if you have never been I highly recommend doing the full boat. I should also add to that record that I was careful in San Antonio to respect physical conference boundaries accessible to full-paying registrants. There was no sneaking past or "just acting like I belong".

I have gotten some kickback from a few people in the edtech world who state  that I am missing the  "intent" of the conference. To me the intent of ISTE is to bring educators together and help them grow professionally. That is exactly what I get from it. The irony lies in the fact that most of us, including the critics take great joy in mastering a digital tool and then McGyvering it to meet our own needs in a special way. Isn't that all I am doing by attending ISTE this way?

Right now I have a few factors up in the air and may or may not make it to Atlanta. I am hopeful a few pieces will fall into place and I can spend a few days with all who will be on their own learning adventures. Make the most of your ISTE experience, however you choose to do so.

Insanely Great Science Journals from 1:1 Android 1st Graders

The first graders in Kristi Zoerhof's class at Bentheim Elementary each have their own Sony Android tablet.

This spring the class studied the metamorphosis of caterpillars into butterflies. Kristi sent the students daily pictures via Chirp and then by using the Skitch app, each student annotated his or her observations. Students then built beautiful journals of the entire process in the Book Creator app.

By using real pictures and annotation tools, students were able to create truly scientific products as opposed to the old cartoonish drawings they used to make in their science journals. The depth of exploration and knowledge displayed is fascinating.

A year ago, Kristi tried this project as part of a pilot with Sony. That class organized findings in Pic Collage. Employing Book Creator has taken it to a completely new level as the app creates an ePub readable on many electronic devices.  To share it here I had to convert the .ePub in Zamzar to a PDF and upload it to Issuu.

 

Below is one student's beautiful work. Original .ePub to download

#WWDC14 Family Sharing coming to iOS 8

The Apple World Wide Developer Conference keynote is classic Apple showmanship with the promise of many new features coming to OSX Yosemite and iOS 8.

There are some mind blowing features coming to the Mac that may be very helpful in the classroom like the annotation of photos without using Preview, easier search in Safari, and more ways to move content from iOS devices to Macs.

The feature most intriguing to me though is what Apple calls "Family Sharing" on iOS devices.  Up to six family members whose Apple IDs use the same credit card can now have shared access to each other's calendars, reminder lists, media like music and movies, as well as the "find my device" apps.

[caption id="attachment_640" align="alignleft" width="811"] Kids even have to ask permission before they may download apps with the family sharing feature.[/caption]

As families become increasingly more mobile and each member spends more time on his or her own device, the sharing of this information can help everyone know where the other one is, what is on the family agenda, and who needs to get what stuff at the store.  I know it will help mine.

Thanks Flocabulary!

This year in Hamilton, building students' academic vocabulary has been a primary focus.

Thanks to everyone at Flocabulary.com for your fabulous videos that have made learning so much fun. Here is a little remix of Double Trouble to show you just how much fun kids at Blue Star Elementary had rocking out during lunchtime.

Photo Friday: High Speed Shutter

Here is a shot taken with the shutter speed set high. With enough light you can capture millisecond moments. Here the crayons appear to floating under the spell of one of my former students Lauren.

The beauty of the digital DSLR camera is that you can take shot after shot until you get it just right.

[caption id="attachment_632" align="alignleft" width="693"] high speed shutter[/caption]

WOTV: A Unique Preschool - Taking learning out of the classroom

West Michigan ABC affiliate WOTV did a fantastic piece on Hamilton's Little Hawks Preschool. This is just one aspect of why I am so lucky to teach where I do. These kids are getting a great start and getting to spend their days outside in a beautiful preserve. School really is about developing the whole child.

25 words better than "rigorous"

In this age of educational reform, the words "rigor" and "rigorous" get thrown around as a manner of painting a picture of students developing deep knowledge and meeting high expectations. For the most part the words are used with the best of intentions. They are however losing their meaning as they become more and more cliché.

Luckily people in education are starting to re-think our overuse of these words. It is not hard to do when we take a look at their actual meanings.

Take a look at this screenshot from Thesaurus.com for "rigorous".


 

 

Do we really want our schools to be harsh,  brutal, oppressive, and ironhanded? I don't. Here are twenty-five words that I feel paint a much better picture of the kinds of schools we want to lead and have our students experience.

challenging
encompassing
growth-inspiring
robust
enriching
expectation-ladened
vigorous
hearty
dynamic
compelling
highpowered
demanding
engaging
captivating
preparatory
deep
rich
strapping
brawny
stout
percolating
amplifying
enhancing
souped-up
elaborate

We should strive to get the absolute most from our students and develop their talents. That experience doesn't have to be an unpleasant one. It is a safe bet everyone involved will grow even more if we aren't so ironhanded.

Point and Shoot 3D Modeling with 123D Catch

The cat sculpture above was created by one of our third graders in art class. It is a nice piece of work in the style of artist Laurel Burch. After it and others were displayed in the library for a couple of weeks students took them home.

We were able to create a 3D interactive digital replica simply through the iPad's camera and the 123D Catch app from Autodesk.

The app directs the user through a series of shots in order to capture all angles of a 3D object. After some rendering, the app sews together all overlapping images and creates a digital version. It is extremely easy.

The cool thing is that content created in any of the 123D apps can be further edited and developed via a companion Autodesk web app. The cat sculpture had a lot of excess space in the model like bookshelves and background that I was able to remove. Be warned though. Some of the models you send from your mobile device to the app can be pretty big and take significant time and memory to load. Once I cut out the extras, working with model was much smoother.

These models can also be printed at home if you have a compatible 3D printer or 3D prints can be ordered through Autodesk. If you thought the world of Maker Faires and 3D modeling was far beyond your tech savviness, this app makes the process as easy as point and shoot.

10 Seconds from Infotech

Here is a quick peek at the fun we make in Infotech. First Graders were writing and drawing in KidPix about their favorite online activities and then enjoying them. This sing-along broke out in the most impromptu manner.

Demystifying the new iMovie

Jon Corippo and I presented on Advanced iMovie techniques at the 2013 MACUL conference in Detroit. Since then, iMovie has undergone some significant changes.

A number of the old habit workflows no longer work. This was the scene at the Connected Educator Un/conference about a month ago. Several of us were completely stumped at using green screen in the newest version.

How intuitive are the new controls in latest version of iMovie? This easy. Thanks @billvanlooteach pic.twitter.com/e6pTNsJB6q

— Andy Losik (@mrlosik) April 26, 2014

Jon recently overhauled the Advanced iMovie Techniques slide deck for the new version, demystifying all of the changes. Enjoy.
 

Hands on Advanced iMovie techniques 2013 from Jon Corippo

Photo Friday: Market Day

Here is another one from 2007. It is one of my favorite pics to use as a writing prompt because there are so many colors, the danger sign, and interactions happening in it. I took it from the shuttle bus window as my wife and I traveled from our resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic back to the airport.

Photo Friday: Blue Skies

I can't believe it has been seven years since I took this picture. It was one of the first pictures I really liked that I took with my new Nikon D40. It was also the first warm day to be outside shooting that spring.

After thinking the Memorial Day Parade started at 9:30 instead of 9:00 we ventured to the Blue Star Elementary playground to enjoy the great holiday weather. The blue skies had returned and launched another beautiful Michigan summer along the Lake Michigan shore.

The Untapped Power of Apple's Preview

Hands down my favorite feature of Keynote is the Instant Alpha tool. It takes out background color and really makes a huge difference when creating presentations with icons and logos. I also do a ton of creative layout and design work in Keynote. With Instant Alpha it functions just like Photoshop.

My only complaint was that although I could export slides as images, I couldn't export images with transparent backgrounds.

I shared this with my buddy Jon Corippo the other night and he mentioned using Preview to do it. I had really only ever used Preview to view .pdf files on my Mac. Jon explained that he builds in Keynote, saves as an image, and then opens it in Preview. The same Instant Alpha in Keynote exists on the "Edit Toolbar" in Preview (VIEW - Show Edit Toolbar). Once you alpha out your background you can export (under FILE) as a .png.

I had no idea.

The Edit Toolbar also allows you to add text and shapes, as well as crop and adjust your image...all for free.

Fourteen years of handing out superpowers

As the school year winds down it seems like all we do is check off one more task from from a never-ending to-do list. Reflecting is one of those things we need to do but don't always do. This week I submitted my last monthly newsletter for the year. What I teach is called Infotech. It is in the elementary specials rotation with music, art, and phys. ed. Kids come to me for an hour each week. The program is kind of my baby because I was one of the two founding teachers and have been able to mold it pretty much to my wishes along the way. I can't believe it has been fourteen years since we sat down to craft this thing. Below are my reflections that I placed in the specials news section this week.

As I take a second to look back over the last fourteen years of Infotech, it is pretty amazing how much it has changed.

We started out as one of the first school districts in Michigan to have wireless laptops with our blue Apple "clamshell" iBooks. Since then we have moved to being much more web-based and have MacBooks with ten times the capabilities of the original iBooks.

We utilize many of Google's Apps for Education and we have Apple iPads running iOS and Sony tablets that run Android. It seems like we are broadening students' exposure to more and more tools and devices every year.

One thing hasn't changed though. The goal of Infotech has been and always will be to build technology skills that students can use to enhance learning in their regular classroom. I call them "learning superpowers" that allow them to access information in amazing ways and to share what they learn in amazing ways. Here is to many more great years to come in Infotech.

#MichEd Un/Conference Excellent Adventure Keynote

Thanks Brad Wilson and #TeamJXN for polishing up my keynote address from the  Connected Educator Un/Conference. There is a little Easter Egg in this so stick around for the whole thing.

 

 

 

Autodesk offering free software to educators

Autodesk has built itself into a huge force on the industrial design and 3D animation fronts in gaming and entertainment.

Now they are making a big push for education and inviting educators to use all of their software for free.

There are some amazing design apps for as young as 4th grade and some serious high-end tools for computer-aided drafting and video editing projects as well.

For a good place to start, go to the app store and find anything "123d" for your iPad. Let your kids figure out how quickly they can begin molding and modeling. Be warned that you will probably want to get a 3D printer though so you can make their creations a reality .

My favorite so far is the Catch app that lets you shoot panoramic shots of an object and then the apps builds it into a 3D digital model. I showed our art teacher how I created a digital version of one of the 3rd grade sculptures a girl at Blue Star Elementary made. This gives us the ability to save physical creativity in digital portfolios or share it far beyond school walls.

Autodesk is involved in so much. I was surprised to learn they also make the Pixlr online creativity suite, Tinkerbox app (iOS), and the Instructables app (iOS and Android).

Look for what I hear will be an impressive presence at ISTE this summer.

I would bet serious money that this company will become a major, well-known force in education in the next 5 years...if not a lot sooner.

A view from above

Check out the Earth from the International Space Station 230 miles above at a speed up to 17,000 miles per hour. 
Live streaming video by UstreamTo find out where the ISS is use this tracker.

Discovery Communications cans "Bad Teachers"

Designed to expose shocking facts about educators, "Bad Teachers" premiered last week on the Investigation Discovery network. Its run lasted one week after parent company Discovery Communications pulled the plug on the series today.

Steve Dembo, writing for Discovery Education posted the following statement on the organization's blog today.

"Discovery Education’s mission is to celebrate and support the millions of dedicated professionals around the world who have made teaching their life’s work.

As such, we share your concerns with the ID program “Bad Teacher.”

Discovery Communications operates over 200 channels worldwide and 14 in the US, including the entertainment channel ID. The program “Bad Teacher” on ID is not associated with, nor does it reflect the beliefs of, Discovery Education.

We appreciate the support of the educational community for bringing this to our attention and we are pleased to share that Discovery Communications has decided to immediately cancel this program, removing it from ID’s on-air and online schedule.

At Discovery Education, we hold teachers and the teaching profession in the highest regard. We remain committed to supporting educators around the world in their tireless efforts to enhance the culture of learning for every child, every day."

Thank you Discovery Communications and Discovery Education for all you do.

Okay CBS, it is time for you to do the same with your new sitcom with a similar name.

Explore The World Of Chromville In Augmented Reality

The developers at Spain's Chromville are busily creating an augmented reality world for users of all ages. By printing and then coloring pages depicting different characters and parts of the Chromville world, "explorers" use the special app available in Android and iOS to make their scenes come to life.



Here is the backstory on this mystical land according to Chromville.com.

"The ancient world Chromville, is well known for its power source of color. It´s placed in a galaxy far, far away and there are at least five villages: Firecity, Stonetown, Greenland, Waterville and Cloudskingdom. Its inhabitants, the Chromers, look like their environment and live in peace thanks to the colorful beauty of their homeland. However, the planet´s color is fading away mysteriously in some regions and they are in danger of losing its power.

Your quest is to help Chromers to discover the enigma and solve the color problem of their planet. Paint and play with your friends and family to discover all the interactive mysteries of this adventure."

The app is still in beta but performance is consistent enough to start using it with students. Chromville is planning on expanding quickly and is currently (April 2014) running a writing contest so students can play a role in developing the narrativesoccurring in the different villages.

As a teacher, my favorite aspect is the open-endedness of the site. The app and coloring pages help bring characters to life...but who these characters are and what makes them special is only limited by the user's imagination.

Hands-down though my favorite feature is the blank character maker. I may...or may not have created my own Mr. T in Chromville. All I can say is, "I pity the fool who doesn't give this site and app a spin."

This instructional video shows how to get started.

 

 

Hangin' with #2GuysShow, Havin' a Daqri, Talkin' #CUERockStar

Great stuff from Drew and Brad as they discuss Augmented Reality creation through Daqri.

I jumped in at the end to talk about #CUERockstar Saugatuck coming up in July as well as a bunch of other awesome things like this performance from Pearl Jam.


Catch the 2 Guys Show every Tuesday night at 9:00 PM EDT.

Congration, you have great voice.

Do you really want to see where our over-emphasis on developing  "voice" in writing and our lack of emphasis on spelling and grammar is taking us?

[caption id="attachment_535" align="alignleft" width="300"] image via @crylenol on Twitter[/caption]

Look no further than the Walmart bakery.  Spelling matters. Grammar matters. This cake artist conveyed a lovely message, a really heartfelt one and even added a new word to the lexicon. Unfortunately that gets lost in the grammar.

I hope it tasted good.  It seems like spelling and grammar ought to garner a deep discount off of the $15 asking price.

Going Big - Caine's Arcade Style

[caption id="attachment_532" align="alignleft" width="225"] Willis Tower, Caine's Arcade Style[/caption]

Inspired by all of the creativity and ingenuity involved in the building of Caine's Arcade, I took our annual research of the World's tallest skyscrapers into the cardboard construction world.

This project with third graders took on many layers.
-Learning to research, looking

[caption id="attachment_545" align="alignleft" width="225"] One World Trade Center Freedom Tower[/caption]

for specific facts
-Manipulating and studying models in Sketchup
-Understanding and calculating scale, 200 feet in real life equaled one foot of cardboard
-Engineering of a free-standing structure
-Creativity and style
-Developing perseverance and stamina when the best laid plans fall flat, literally

Some projects came together much better than others. We are dedicating one final class period to our architecture next week. At that time, we will sit down and take a hard look at what went well and what did not go well. Not all buildings are are going to stand as well as this version of the Willis Tower in Chicago. The biggest challenge will be for the kids to tell me why their building experience went well or what could have gone better. They are just third graders. If we don't give them the chance to try projects like this and experience the trials and tribulations of collaboration then we can't expect it just to naturally happen.

The Joy of Reading: "Happy" by Pharell Williams

I love playing this song for my students. It was only natural to mash up some Discovery Education footage from some of my favorite story videos to demonstrate the true joy that lies in reading.

Be happy my friends.

The Power of Community and a Little Creativity #HTownStrong

[caption id="attachment_525" align="alignleft" width="240"] doodling on the iPad becomes a symbol for galvanizing a community[/caption]

On an early December evening  of last year I plopped emotionally exhausted into the big leather chair I plop into on most evenings.  I fired up the Neu.Draw app on my iPad to unwind and within a few minutes I had crafted a Hamilton Community Schools version of the Boston Strong logo.

You see, it had been a rough few days around the little town in West Michigan where I teach. A few days earlier one of our very best teachers had been taken from us in an auto accident on his way to school. Josh Hoppe was all that is right with teaching and inspiring learners. Kids were hurting. Teachers were hurting. The whole town was hurting.  Josh's funeral would be the next morning and for me personally the logo was just a way of digging for some extra strength to get beyond the sadness and hurt.

Like a lot of things, I posted it to social media and within a few minutes people were asking to borrow it as their avatars. I happily obliged and over the course of the next few days I started to see it more and more. Now, I literally see it everywhere in this community, especially on social media where countless people I know and don't know are using it to represent their pride for a community that has time and time again come together to support each other. Just today I noticed that the parent volunteer office had added it to its letterhead and the Hamilton Baseball team was featuring it on its new shirts.

Pretty cool! I don't care about intellectual royalties. I am just honored a great community finds something it likes in something I created, well borrowed from the Boston community. It has served the same purpose in Beantown.

I am a big fan of irony and here is the funny part. Shortly after I moved to Hamilton in 1997, the University of Iowa told Hamilton we could no longer use the school's stenciled Hawkeye logo. There was a community-wide logo contest. I won $400...for second place. No, I didn't have my design chosen as the community's new rallying point over fifteen years ago. I am glad they like my second attempt.

Stay strong H-Town!

Make the amazing by combining Discovery Education and iMovie.

Here is a step-by-step screencast for using the great footage available from Discovery Education Streaming in conjunction with the superpowers the iMovie trailer feature delivers.

In the video I demonstrate making trailers on a Mac. The same can done with an iOS device as well. The process is similar but varies slightly. One of my edtech pioneer heroes Kathy Schrock offers up this super guide.

Check out additional hints and ideas on this process as I host Discovery's "DENvice" this week on Facebook.

An Ultimate Guide On Aptoide And Its Usability

When it comes to sharing all kind of niceties on your Android phone, it is the Aptiode that you may seek to have. It is easy to download the best kind of games that is tough to find on other play store and enjoy the way your entertainment hits the upper mark. This app is described as an inclusive app through which you may download the games and discover the things that you seek to have.

Aptoide is itself a large digital market which helps you find the best app for your phone. Downloading this app is easier and there are no technological issues involved. This guide describes the features of this app which makes you it downloaded instantly on your system.

Features of the app

While talking about the app features, just have a look below which is as follows:

• No need to sign-up or register on the app store


• Apps downloading can be paused for a later stage with the help of resume and cancel features


• Games can also be downloaded


• Updates are available in an automatic way


• Being a secure app, you can get it downloaded on your phone without any kind of problem


• Users can also upload the apps on their own store which also remains accessible to other people as well

How effective is this app for iOS devices?

For iOS following features can be accessible:

• You can install the apps and games you like for free


• Gets updated quickly so that more apps are available


• Being available in different languages, this app also serves as an alternative to many other applications

This app was developed for android based OS but with the help of Cydia, this app also works on iOS devices.

Following steps help you download Aptoide for iOS devices:

• First of all, install the latest iOS version on your phone to make it safe and secure


• Through safari, you can search for your favorite engine


• Through the download link for Cydia, first, download this app then follow the steps below


• After the pages have been downloaded, go to the bottom of your screen


• New options are opened in the windows from where go to the Add to Home Screen

Safety and security of the device has a lot to do with the way in which any app is being run. Make sure that Cydia is downloaded from the web link which is reliable and safe and this is what makes this app truly desirable in terms of entertainment it provides.

The major USP of this app is that this app works well in case of slow net connections thus saving your mobile data too. Usability of the app lies in making it more workable and providing to you the facility to have an access to large numbers games and other apps right there. Aptoide for iPhone is highly efficient and has proved its mettle to the world when it comes to providing a flawless entertainment experience.

 

Shazam for PC Download – Free on Windows(7/8.1/10) Using Bluestacks

Shazam for PC is the thing that I am will talk about in this post. Shazam is extraordinary compared to other approaches to distinguish the music that is being played in your environment. You can know the name of the melody inside the portion of seconds. It likewise distinguishes what you are viewing on TV. You can find out about the shows you are viewing on TV. It turned out to be exceptionally prominent lately.

This Shazam Online PC was established in 1999. More than 100 million clients downloaded this application in play store. It just uses your versatile or PC's receiver to perceive the music. In the event that the music playing in your surroundings coordinated with any of the tunes in Shazam's database, it will disclose to you the melody that is playing in your close-by.

Shazam for Computer Free Download:

As I said over, this application is solely created to use on advanced cells. Shockingly, there is no official application to download and introduce Shazam for the PC. Try not to Worry; Where there is a will, there is a way. Like that, there is likewise an approach to introduce Shazam for PC Windows 8.1/8/7 and Mac.

Here, you require an android emulator to utilize Shazam on Laptop. Android emulator causes you to play android applications on your Windows and Mac working frameworks. Along these lines, in the first place, you need to download an android emulator or application player on your PC.

• The best android emulator is bluestacks.

Essentially, there are two forms of bluestacks. One is the web based introducing emulator and other is Offline installer emulator.

• You require the web association with introduce Bluestacks online installer record. In this way, ensure you have legitimate web association while introducing it.


• Presently, Bluestacks disconnected installer, you require not have any web association with finish the establishment, dissimilar to bluestacks online installer.

In the event that you need Bluestacks Offline Installer, you can download it from the connection given underneath. Establishment direction is additionally given.

Shazam for PC or Laptop Windows 8.1,8,7 and Mac:

• Dispatch bluestacks application from your desktop.


• It might take few moments to open.


• You can discover "seek box" on the landing page of bluestacks programming.


• Tap on the hunt box to look what you need.


• Sort "Shazam" in the hunt box and don't press enter.


• You will see a few outcomes underneath the inquiry box in regards to your hunt question.


• Tap on the one you need to introduce and the present window explores to Google Play Store.


• You can see Install choice there and tap on it.


• Your Shazam for PC download begins instantly and establishment will be done consequently after got done with downloading.

You can see the introduced applications in landing page or My applications segment.

In the event that Shazam application is recorded there implies you introduced Shazam for Windows effectively.

That is it. Make the most of your new involvement with Shazam on your PC. In the event that you have any inquiries with respect to the establishment or use, you can ask us utilizing the remark box gave beneath. We react as quickly as time permits.

[Fix] Showbox App Update Not Working, Server Not Available

Showbox Apk is the latest Android application which has made a lot of buzz in incitement piece. With the tremendous database of Movies, TV Series, and Anime, one can stream and download every single substance available. Showbox App is committed to Android arrange and if you wish tantamount kind of App then MovieBox For iOS is the best duplicate which you can download for iPads and iPhones. As Showbox Apk is for the most part looked and used Movie App, I get it's optimal and most surely understood of its kind.

We all in all are especially mindful of the way that it's not open at Google Play Store and could be downloaded from outside sources. Here, I've been reviving this post as often as possible with the true objective that you can get Showbox Apk Download guaranteed. Honestly, in case you are looking for a greater number of options than these Top Movie Apps For Android is the best place in any case.

If you've been using Showbox for long at that point bumbles like Showbox apk not working or Stopped working, Screen cement with complete power blackout is unreasonably ordinary and every one of us confronts these sorts of issues. Nonetheless, don't worry, here you will get a starting late revived record. So instantly we should make sense of how to download Showbox apk for Android.

Download Showbox Apk | Latest Showbox Version 4.91

Showbox Apk interpretation 4.91 is out now and faultlessly working now. Regardless, in light of huge development and customer activity all over application goes detached. This I figure is an occasion of server stack. Essentially as with each bug settle, execution is also growing, we in general will'be seeing an all the more effective shape in best in class days.

For the latest adjustment, which is Showbox apk 4.91, take a gander at underneath coordinate download interface. Essentially hit "Tail Me" and get invigorated copy of your best film App.

Invigorate: Showbox is back and this time it's working outstandingly. Showbox Not Working 4.91 latest variation is open now. For each one of those going up against issues, we have attempted and endeavored terrarium App. Terrarium requires VPN applications to get the opportunity to content. You can get free VPN programming here. It will be significantly more easy to movies using these free film goals.

So resulting to downloading Showbox for Android now its turn for Blackberry users.Why should we persist, if all People are getting a charge out of App on their propelled cell phones by then we ought to get in our Blackberry too.

The working course of action of blackberry is Android based so there is no issue, you can without a lot of an extend download and present Show box on Blackberry also.

Mobdro for Android | Install Mobdro App (Apk) on Android

Clients hunting down a video spilling application can discover a considerable measure of such applications over the Internet. In any case, it is exceptionally troublesome for the greater part of them to choose a decent one from that gigantic gathering of applications. Be that as it may, today we will help those clients with the survey of a decent video gushing application which can give all the expected highlights to the clients. Indeed, I am discussing the Mobdro App, which is found to have a decent client base crosswise over different parts of the World. In this way, would could it be that caused the expanded Mobdro download among the clients. Give us a chance to observe this. Download Mobdro APK for android and ios should be possible today.

Contrasting with the other prevalent video spilling applications, which requires the clients to pay for viewing their most loved shows, the Mobdro APK is totally not quite the same as them. In this application, you can watch your TV appears for nothing as well as select and view a great deal of motion pictures, sports channels, news channels and so forth. All that you get in the Mobdro App is free and that makes it so extraordinary for the clients.

You Must likewise observe the Mobdro For iOS manage in which we gave guidelines about how to utilize it on iphone and Apple iOS gadgets. This application will enable you to observe every one of your shows without missing any points of interest.

The quantity of fulfilled Android clients of this application is expanding step by step. It can be introduced in the PCs moreover. In any case, as of now the Mobdro APK download is not accessible for the iOS gadgets and they can't utilize it until further notice. Two distinct adaptations of the Mobdro App download are accessible, the free form and the top notch variant. For a typical client who needs to utilize this application sometimes can proceed with the free form. A consistent client can strive for the exceptional variant with extra highlights. Its truly simple to utilize.

WHY MOBDRO APP FOR ANDROID?

On the off chance that you need to choose the Mobdro App as the spilling application for your cell phones, there ought to be some purpose behind it. Here I can give you a considerable measure of reasons which will help you to comprehend the contrast between the Mobdro App and the others. The most vital motivation to choose the Mobdro for Android is the accessibility of free recordings for gushing. All your most loved TV indicates are accessible here in this application alongside an enormous accumulation of motion pictures of all circumstances. It likewise incorporates Sports Channels and News Channels too. This application can without much of a stretch supplant the necessity of a Television for these reasons. What's more, the most recognizable thing is that not at all like the Television all these are accessible for nothing in the Mobdro App. Mobdro Download should be possible in the wake of perusing all the data about it here. Mobdro APK can be truly useful for fulfilling your children as well.

The interface of the Mobdro App is additionally outlined in an extremely easy to understand way and there are segments where clients can without much of a stretch locate the most slanting recordings. The Mobdro application free form permits bookmarking of your most loved recordings which will be useful to check them again when required. The Mobdro for Android premium adaptation is more valuable for this reason with the alternative to download the recordings on the web and view them regardless of the possibility that you are disconnected. We prescribe this application to every one of the perusers of our site.

The Mobdro for Android additionally incorporates a sharing alternative in this application which can be useful in offering your most loved recordings to others. Coordination with Chromecast is another great component of this App. It can help the clients to cast the recordings into a greater screen and have the most extreme pleasure. Clients are likewise observed suspecting if the Mobdro APK Download is sheltered or not. Since the time it was discharged, no issues are accounted for with respect to this application that can bring up issues about the wellbeing of this application. Henceforth you can download and utilize the Mobdro App with no stresses of security.

Understanding Mobdro for iPhone and How To Download The App

Almost half of the world has heard of mobdro application but most of them are unaware of the true meaning and application of it. This application used to be maximum used in UK and US, but today the app is used all across the world. This app primarily is meant for android users. Today while designing an app, it is seen that developers designs app for android users and later think about the accessibility on PC and IOS. All the features that this app involves are user friendly and quite easy to understand and handle. With this app you can easily watch all the online TV shows and movies while on the go. This app is also available for Kodi, iPhone/iPad and Mobdro For Chromecaste.

Knowing about the app

When you are thinking about downloading this application then first you have to make sure that on your device you are having Mobdro APK file. Primarily you need to install the Mobdro APK file on your device. For flawless glitch free operation, you need to follow the instruction systematically, then you will certainly be able to install the file. Today you will come across number of sites where you will come across direct link to download the app. So it’s not like you have to search a lot but right before downloading make sure you have chosen the right resource.

App for IOS

Today for iOS this innovative application can be downloaded. The app is known to be as Mobdro For iPhone is mostly downloaded by iPhone users, Mac users and iPad users, while going through the instructions and following you have to make sure first, you have understood everything properly. As if you haven’t clearly understood then it may happen that you make a mistake and you have to resume everything again.

Safety standards

Now number of individuals ponder seriously about the safety standards of Mobdro and how far it is secure and legal to download and utilize. Such concerns are unavoidable as when it comes to downloading an app with bigger claims safety and legality comes to mind, as none would love to run through the risk. This app is practically a media gushing app bent on offering good measure of media substance. The app does not have its own substance rather it is known to import substances from varying other sources and offers the same to the clients. The app imports item from those sources, which intend to operate safely securely, without compromising at any point.

Downloading the app

It’s always recommended to download the app from its official site, as downloading same from its actual site would keep you safe from all your tensions, worries and concerns. Then there are other locales from where this app can be downloaded. But downloading this app from any locale comes with a little possibility that you may attract malware and infection together with the APK record. So eventually, your system may suffer. Hence, right before downloading the app, make sure you are downloading the app from a reliable site.

 

Thank You Michael - a Video Response

Way back in January, my fellow nerdy friend Rushton Hurley shared with me a fabulous video posted on his NextVista.org site called "My Name is Michael" and I subsequently shared it here on this blog.

The video is by a California middle schooler who has Autism and with the help of his teacher, Michael shares his daily struggles and desire to be included by his peers. It is powerfully honest and as I began to show it my upper elementary students I could tell they really "got" his message. The response on this site was great too and Michael's mom actually took time to leave a little thank you in the comments.

To harness some of the energy generated from our discussions in the classroom, the kids and I began to brainstorm what we might be able to do in order to let Michael know we appreciate the courage it took to make his video and that we all deepened our awareness of Autism from his work. What follows is a student-created video response.

This one is for you Michael!

Thank You Michael from Andy Losik on Vimeo.

 

Best of MACUL presents #CueRockStar Saugatuck Updates

A lot of progress has been made on this summer's CUE Rock Star Camp Saugatuck  since we first announced it back in February.

We have assembled an absolute All-Star faculty made up of several Apple Distinguished Educators, Google Certified Teachers, a recent tech director of the year, the current MACUL Tech Educator of the Year, and California's "Oustanding Emerging Teacher" for 2014. Not only are these people "kind of a big deal" in the educational technology world, they were all hand selected because they possess the uncanny ability to work with teachers in a fun way.

We have also begun to solidify what will be offered each day. Check out our growing list of sessions to see the wide variety of offerings.

The Rock Star format is all about allowing attendees to build relationships and have tons of fun. Here is our daily schedule.

Daily Schedule:

9:00      Coffee

9:30      Shred Sessions - Presenters hype their daily sessions

10:00    Session 1 - Hands on learning

12:00    Lunch/Networking

2:00      Session 2 (with ice cream break) - Hands on learning

4:00      Closing

Optional "After party" - Cut loose with your fellow Rock Stars for a couple of evening excursions to the Saugatuck Dune Rides and Fenn Valley Winery.

Camp will be held on July 23-25th at Douglas Elementary and Hamilton High School.

So...I am hoping lots of our local educators will take advantage of this professional learning opportunity. Register today at cue.org/rscamp.

Join the #MichEd movement. Share great teaching in Michigan.

Great things are happening in the classrooms across Michigan and many educators are realizing they have the tools to tell their own stories. We are no longer at the mercy of how politicians or portray us or what stories the media chooses to tell.

The #MichEd Video Challenge is aimed at collecting all of the awesomeness in one spot. Please consider sharing the great things you are doing with your students. We must tell our own stories. We are the only ones who really know how they go.

Update: #FlippedClassroom Flop

Mako by Emma from Andy Losik on Vimeo.

So it has been three weeks since my attempt to get second graders making movies crashed and burned right before my principal's eyes for my formal observation.

I can't tell you how much support my sharing that experience generated from readers of my blog and friends on social media. I stated then that it was actually an experience I needed because I was bound to grow from it and see this project through to completion.

Now three weeks later I am proud to share that over half of the second graders have successfully completed their projects. Check out Emma's above.

Along the way the kids began to express their frustration over the amount of background noise that kept interfering with their voiceover work. Others simply struggled with using that specific feature in iMovie. To assist in this step, I slowed down the process and worked one-on-one with them on this part. One kid would record at a time with me away from where the rest were working quietly. To provide help to those still just trying to reach this step, I set up a Genius Bar just like at the Apple store. Kids who had mastered the process set up shop to help other students. Those completely done or waiting to record voice could select from a handful of problem solving games like Tinkerball and Tumble Town.

Projects are getting done with quality. Kids are getting one-on-one time with me. Kids are helping kids while others build additional skills...and I got better as a teacher. It just took a few lumps getting to this point. As far as the observation goes, my principal came back yesterday and liked the progress. He even spent a little time working at the Genius Bar helping kids with their videos.

Before you post... T.H.I.N.K!

Here is a great tool for building digital citizenship. It was originally posted at Edutopia.org and reminds us all to think before we post something online. This acronym isn't just good for kids but is a reminder for adults as well.

Is your Teaching an Excellent Adventure or Bogus Journey?

On April 26th I will be delivering the Un/Keynote at the Connected Educator Un/Conference in Jackson, Michigan.

I posted earlier about the hands-on session I will be leading but here is a peek at the opening address I am hammering out down in the basement.

Un-Keynote Opening: Never before in history have educators had more amazing tools to bring learning to life. Even better is that we don't have to take this journey alone. Let's explore ways to engage learners and find amazing traveling partners close to home and around the globe. Let's crank up the energy and recharge as we push to make the most of every second we have left in 2014.

Come on out to Jackson in late April...unless you are just going to be hanging around a Circle K trying to figure out how to do your history report.

 

---

"Happy" Wednesday!

It's a rainy Wednesday with the threat of snow showers this afternoon in Michigan. Yuck! Luckily when I checked Facebook this morning, Patti Harju had posted this fabulous video from a group of Michigan kids.

I hope it adds as much "Happy" to your day as it did mine!

#MACUL14 Lightining Talk: 15 seconds with 15 great Michigan Educators

Today I had the honor to present a Lightning Talk at Michigan's MACUL Conference. The concept is to tell a story in twenty slides in five minutes. Quick math reveals that each slide only lasts on the screen for fifteen seconds.

I chose to take my five minutes and salute fifteen amazing Michigan educators whose contribution to my personal learning network have allowed me to learn all that I have and keep me going in my daily teaching life. It was a live version of the Twitter #FollowFriday hashtag.

Here they are. I could easily produce a list of fifteen more over and over again. I learn from hundreds of great people constantly.

 


Ben Rimes: @techsavvyed
Kristi Zoerhof: @kristizoerhof
Brad Wilson: @dreambition
Rebecca Wildman: @rebeccawildman
Brad Waid: @techbradwaid
Drew Minock: @techminock
John Sowash: @jrsowash
Karen Bosch: @karlyb
Mark Behnke: @mbanksvid
Amber Kowatch: @amberkowatch
Tony Dilaura: @anthonydilaura
David Prindlw: @dprindle
Kelly Kermode: @coachk
Dave Tebo: @tebotweets
Dan Spencer: @runfardvs

There are so many more and I will salute them periodically throughout the months to come. Thanks to all of these great people.

 

#FlippedClassroom Flop

Yesterday I had my announced teacher observation for my overall performance evaluation and....well, let's just say the hour could have gone a lot better.

Second graders were beginning the process of creating their first iMovies, ones that will involve the reporting of animal facts in a voice-over with stunning images from Arkive.org. I had taught this lesson twice in the last week and it had been a great experience. I figured it would be a home run for the evaluation. I however, fell victim to a trap I was consciously avoiding...trying to put on a good show instead of just good teaching.

In retrospect, I was really just trying to do too much. I wanted to show my ability to screencast or "DVR my teaching" so I prerecorded the steps kids would need to follow in order to make the movie. We would focus mainly on Day 1's task of collecting three images and organizing them in iPhoto. I have the video posted at MrLosik.Blogspot.com and now as they work on the project, they can review the steps instead of me repeating myself.

Things started to unravel when I fired up the screencast as the introduction. I have done this before in other lessons and it allows me to "co-teach" with my own instructions. The problem this time was that I had no sound coming from my speakers. All the kids could hear was the laptop and it was too faint, even as I tried to explain things along with the video.

That was the "I do it" portion. Next we did a "We do it" where the kids helped me go through the process. By the time we were ready to send them to the "You do it" independent portion they were squirrelly from me keeping them on the floor for too long.

In retrospect, the screencast should have been held back until next time. It still have a lot of merit and when we revisit this activity. Showing it off to have it included in the observation clouded the educational benefit of it and caused the kids to be on the floor too long. I am also questioning when the right age is to use principles of the flipped classroom is with students. Second Grade might be a little young. That is the learning I took away from it.

As for the rest of the period, it took some work and individualized attention but all students completed their Day 1 task of collecting the images and organizing them. A number of them began to research their animal facts as well. Next time will go better I promised them and told them that their hard work will pay off in the end.

My principal was understanding and commented that he liked my ability to make adjustments. He says that he is looking forward to coming back and seeing the finished product. That is fair. I trust the projects will be amazing.

Disclaimer: No, this is not a flipped classroom in the truest sense but uses principles of the flipped classroom. It was still a flop.

Sub plans from the snowbank, thanks to Google Drive

I have been a Google Docs guys since before there were Google Docs. We used "Writely" in my online graduate classes back in 2005. On Friday, Google Docs got me out of a real pickle...well partially.

When I left my house for the typical 30 minute commute to Bentheim Elementary School there were strong winds and a little light snow was falling.  All area schools were open because when officials had made their early morning checks conditions were good with what forecasters called "light snow" slowly making its way to the Eastern shore of Lake Michigan. As I got closer to the open farmland to the east, those winds had kicked up the worst white-out conditions I have experienced during my thirty-plus years of living in Michigan. When I got to M-40 I witnessed a jack-knifed semi and cars plowing into each other. After some of the chaos cleared I continued my journey and made harrowing crossing after crossing through intersections with no visibility and no stop signs for cross-traffic. Two miles later I would find myself smacked up against a snowbank, having been clipped by a Ford F-150 that was completely invisible in the storm until I was in the middle of the intersection and it was approaching from 10 yards to my right.

First thought: I am okay.

Second thought: What about the other driver? As I got out to check on him, he and his wife were headed my way to see how I was. Luckily we had all come through the collision physically unscathed.

Third thought: Uh...those emergency sub plans I have been meaning to get to since September sure would be nice to have sitting on my desk right about now.

After calling police, my wife, and school to inform them of the incident and that we were all unharmed I went into McGyver-mode and started digging into the Google Drive app on my iPhone. Within just a few minutes, I was able to cobble together enough activities to keep 5 grade levels of kids engaged for the rest of the day. I emailed them to our fabulous librarian who helped set up the substitute they were able to secure for me.

Google Drive does so much for me as a teacher. I know some people can't get beyond how sterile the documents are (Foof them up with fonts and borders in Word later.) but  I never worry about work not being saved. Students share with me to turn in documents. We have classes collaborating on presentations and the list goes on and on. On Friday, Google Docs kept the learning going even when my Ford Escape and I weren't able to go anywhere.

Now if Google could somehow figure out how to do extensive body work with just a few keystrokes....

The Connected Educator Un/Conference: April 26th Preview

I am looking forward to April for so many reasons and one of them is the  Connected Educator Un/Conference in Jackson on April 26th.

I will be delivering the opening address (Wow, what an honor!) and then doing a session entitled "If you can't build it in Keynote, you don't need it."

I sat down Wednesday with un/conference coordinator Dan Spencer to talk about the conference and what attendees can expect from the "learn by doing" session.

 

Fix your grammar

From the geniuses who brought us the best tool ever for stamping out vertical video syndrome comes "Fix your grammar."

We can make all of the excuses we want for why such terrible grammar is perpetuated not only across the Internet but by an alarming amount of of our society. Here are a handful of funny reminders for all of us and especially our older students.

Enjoy...and hope with me a sequel is in the works directed at knocking "I seen" from the world's lexicon for good.

Elementary Market Day: A great 'maker' experience

Two  of the really cool events that happen at the elementary school where I teach and the elementary school where my daughter attends are the student-led market days.  The two schools put their own spin on market day, but the premise is the same.

It is a mini maker faire, DIY entrepreneurial experience where students develop, market, and then sell handmade wares to classmates. My daughter used unwanted upholstery samples to create microfiber computer/smart phone screen cleaners and cloth book marks. Other projects kids made included root beer floats, pvc pipe marshmallow shooters, and laser cut metal letters painted in popular university colors glued on a magnet. I have even seen a massage booth and a miniature golf hole complete with volcano.

What an amazing outpouring of creativity was on display in those gymnasiums!

Products have to be pre-approved by staff but created primarily by the students themselves. Each school has students advertise during the days leading up to the big sales day either via poster or promotional spots they deliver live during morning announcements.

At Douglas Elementary, Market Day works as a fundraiser where proceeds go toward the end of the year 5th grade celebration at a local fun spot. Raising money this way gives the kids a stake in the efforts and builds a sense of giving and working toward a shared cause. Items are sold to other kids and nobody ends up with ugly wrapping paper and overpriced cheese logs like the average fund raiser.

At Blue Star Elementary, teachers use Market Day to build meaning around economic concepts like operating costs and profit. Students have to use their own money or seek a loan from family members. All costs have to be detailed and recorded. These students get to keep all of the money from their sales but must re-pay any loans immediately.

Talk about authentic assessment when it comes to whether kids developed and marketed a successful product.

The thing I like most about the Market Day concept is that it lets each kid develop something they enjoy from their own interests and background. These are just a couple of ways to hold Market Day. I am sure with a little more creativity, there are lots of other ways too.

Life is Too Short for $#%++% Professional Development

Life is too short for crappy professional development and on Saturday February 8, several of us at the inaugural Nova Now Conference had a great conversation about where professional development in education often comes up short.

This wasn't just a gripe session but one where we discussed what works well in professional development and what we as teacher-leaders can do to help foster better learning experiences for all of our colleagues in association with our admin teams.

The following slides were the collaborative effort and summary of our conversation.

Dean Shareski: What ever happened to joy in Education?

Last summer I had to pleasure to finally meet Dean Shareski, someone whose tweets have informed me and entertained me for years and whose "EdTech Posse" show was one of the first podcasts I ever listened to.

In addition to his duties teaching at the University of Saskatchewan, Dean is also the Canadian community manager for Discovery Education. Dean capped a fabulous week for me at the  Discovery Educator Network Summer Institute with a version of the following talk. As those of in most of North America slug through this endless winter it is important to reflect on Dean's essential question: "Whatever happened to joy in Education?"  I think most of us could use a little joy right now.

I am excited that Dean will be here in Michigan next month sharing this presentation at MACUL.


Enjoy and spread a little joy today as well.

Autism really speaks in student-made video

"Autism Speaks" is a slogan used by those working hard to raise awareness for the genetic disorder. Their efforts must be applauded but nothing I have seen about life with autism has struck me like the student-made video below.

Rushton Hurley, the undisputed nicest guy in educational technology shared this link from his NextVista.org website with me a couple of weeks ago. What struck me was that this young man, Michael, was sharing his deepest feelings. People with autism struggle mightily understanding emotions and have an even harder time communicating them. In the footnotes, Rushton shares that this 3 and a half minute video took more than seven months for Michael and his teacher Mr. Lozano to produce. This truly is autism speaking.

I have shown this video to a number of third and fourth grade classes. Each time their is pin-drop silence and very thoughtful reflections on Michael's words. One student stated, "You don't have to have autism to feel like Michael." No buddy, you don't.

Take a few minutes to listen to Michael and please share his great message.

Keynote beyond Presentations

Apple's Keynote is great for presentations but the tool can be used for so much more. In this screencast I explain diagramming, employing advanced photo editing techniques, and creating high-end looking video production. Created with Camtasia 2 for Mac.

2 Guys Show: Jon Corippo talks all things CUE Rock Star Teacher Camp

The founder of CUE Rock Star Jon Corippo hung out with Drew Minock and Brad Waid on the 2 Guys Show Tuesday night and talked about the evolution of one of the coolest professional development franchises ever. Jon will be here in West Michigan this summer co-directing Rock Star Teacher Camp Saugatuck with me.

Jon and I connected in 2011 when we became Apple Distinguished Educators in Arizona. We've been friends and even co-presenters ever since and it's been all leading up to this summer adventure we are hosting.

Get the inside story on Rock Star and  a little glimpse into what is coming to Saugatuck in July.