Concordia Ed Tech Podcast

Description “The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play. So we sat in the house all that cold, cold, wet day. I sat there with Sally. We sat there, we two. And I said, “How I wish we had something to do.”” Does that sound familiar? Is your family weary Of viral contagions and weather quiet dreary? Does schooling online seem unfun and boring? Are you finding at nine you’re still in bed snoring? Wake up! There’s a world of learning to learn! Who knows what awaits us at each learning turn? Today we have students who’ll bring you a smile. Instead of leaning ten feet, they learned a Cyber School mile! Discover that learning’s not something you’re given. Learning to learn is there for the driven. So drive with these students as they speak with some glee On learning to learn Epidemiology! Lessons Learned Dennis - Weiyun Cloud for sharing video in China. $158 RMB for 6TB for 6months Daniel – Google FI – Thank you!  Within 2 months, I have been on 3 different continents, 5 different countries and 4 states - only one bill and unlimited data.  Phenomenal! Chris – What time is it in your students’ time zones? Ask no more! https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/personal.html Fun Fact The CDC On July 1, 1946 the Communicable Disease Center (CDC) opened its doors and occupied one floor of a small building in Atlanta. Its primary mission was simple yet highly challenging: prevent malaria from spreading across the nation. Armed with a budget of only $10 million and fewer than 400 employees, the agency’s early challenges included obtaining enough trucks, sprayers, and shovels necessary to wage war on mosquitoes. Today Budget is 1.2 Billion (Source: https://www.cdc.gov/about/history/index.html) Notes & Links GUESTS: High School Applied Learning Epidemiology Students - Kelly, Amy, Maddie, Corey One of the first covid-19 assignments was to create a timeline.  These are two student examples: https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/timeline3/latest/embed/index.html?source=1jnaPI3kBxxEmGb69dfD8aQ2LhlYJPEQgRH7ihz_02TY&font=Default&lang=en&initial_zoom=2&height=650 https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/timeline3/latest/embed/index.html?source=13-Zgqyk-EXpXzznZwyZz_cA_6rqvsMfmxQBXMs-BMwg&font=Default&lang=en&initial_zoom=2&height=650 A student made a video including Tips on Mask Usage for our Community: https://youtu.be/BQUBe22P-i0?fbclid=IwAR0wt7QNg1U1nPxcWy2u0KtRXn10YvAoczd9XTmBWoNPGDQAPDD-DWp993k This is a video about the outbreak that a student made “for fun” - it was not part of any assignment.  She does make a mistake that makes Todd grind his teeth but it’s still a great video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSc3_Ic_pnk&t=128s&fbclid=IwAR0BrCEl5zPKH1hGqa3A8aowx17VnSnHoovX_MnZika2KW2FRE4criLToUI This is a longer video – we got a set of questions from a HS class in Washington state and our kids who are still in Shanghai answered their questions: https://ensemble.concordiashanghai.org/Watch/studentsanswercovidquestions

Description It’s Tuesday so I must be in California.  Or maybe it’s Malaysia.  Or Hong Kong, or Beijing.  If you’re not sure where you are, or when you’re going back, then odds are you’re an international teacher in China trying to navigate what school looks like when you can’t meet in person.  If you are, then we feel your pain.  On today’s podcast we are connecting virtually to talk about virtual school.  How does it work? What are you doing? What works? What doesn’t? And what innovative tools and practices are you implementing? Lessons Learned Dennis -  Handbrake – for video compression https://handbrake.fr/downloads.php Daniel -  worldtimebuddy.com has been so helpful. MS Team is all over the world. Chris -  Zoom works great! Fun Fact ILOVEYOU is one of the most well-known and destructive viruses of all time.  It’s been 20 years since ILOVEYOU was let loose on the internet.  If you got an email today like the one that was sent around in 2000, you’d never open it. The virus came in an email with a subject line that said “I love you!” People clicked into the email regardless of the fact the email wasn’t from anyone they knew.  The malware was a worm that was downloaded by clicking on an attachment called ‘LOVE-LETTER-FOR-YOU.TXT.vbs’. ILOVEYOU overwrote system files and personal files and spread itself over and over and over again. ILOVEYOU was so effective it actually held the Guinness World Record as the most ‘virulent’ virus of all time.  Cost of the malware: $15 billion. Notes & Links Simplify lessons to the least access to technology. Using tools for daily interaction – Flipgrid, Voicethread, Padlet, Question: How much should be synchronous vs. Asynchronous?  How should you use it? Synchronous – Maintaining relationships Asynchronous – Deep learning Question: How does learning change in this setting? Here are my guiding principles moving forward: · Life is about relationships. Period. · Start & end with the essentials o How will I know that you learned the essentials? · Do less, not more · Connect with your students and make sure that you connect with fellow teachers · I love Project-Based Learning! https://studentsatthecenterhub.org/resource/buck-institute-for-education-bie/ · I love WeChat! · I love Zoom! https://zoom.us/ · I love FlipGrid! https://flipgrid.com/ · I love threaded discussions!

Description Worried about catching the Novel Corona Virus? Well, Christopher Walkin’s got a message for you. “Guess what? I got a feva’,  and the only prescription is more cowbell.” Walkin’s character knew instinctively how to apply what the academic community is still struggling to implement: a Growth Mindset. Walkin knew that to make a good song great takes many iterations; that we must not accept just good enough as we work our way to greatness. We, too, embrace learning as an iterative process as we ask, can we really be Growth Mindset oriented if we simply change what we say without also changing what we do? Recently released research reveals radical rethinking results in rapid remediation of Fixed Mindset practices. Lessons Learned Dennis -  Screencastify - full features now free for videos under 5 min. https://www.screencastify.com/buy Daniel -  Reader View Chris - A app that removes all ambiguity and makes everything you say crystal clear … does not exist. Oh, how I want that app. Fun Fact Fun Fact:  Casablanca Casablanca was shot in sequential order for the sole reason that the script was not finished; often writer Howard Koch would deliver recently typed scenes the same day they would be shot. Source: https://www.westword.com/arts/five-things-you-may-not-know-about-casablanca-5815141 Notes & Links Articles for discussion: Debate Arises over Teaching “Growth Mindsets” to Motivate Students “Austin’s Butterfly”

Description Xinnian Hao!  Happy New Year.  This is the year of perfect vision, though it does seem strange to say it’s 2020.  It sounds like that should still be in the future. But the FUTURE IS NOW and if you’re wondering what the future will bring, we’ll clarify for you, focusing on the techsperts and what they think the big Ed Tech Trends in 2020 will be.  We might even throw in a few opinions of our own. Lessons Learned Dennis -  That extra 3 inches makes all the difference (Economy Plus Baby!) Daniel -  More of a tip:  Date everything this year using the full 2020. Chris - If you are traveling, set you gadget clocks to the new time zone as soon as possible Fun Fact Fun Fact:  Future predictions for 2020 from long ago https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-30379986 https://www.wired.com/2014/05/victorian-postcards-predict-future/ Notes & Links Articles for discussion: eSchool News EdTech Predictions for 2020 https://www.eschoolnews.com/2020/01/01/k-12-edtech-predictions-for-2020/ ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) https://www.scilearn.com/6-things-to-know-about-essa/ “I Don’t Think I’m an EdTech Guy Anymore” by Dean Shareski https://ideasandthoughts.org/2019/12/30/i-dont-think-im-an-edtech-guy-anymore/

Description It’s that most wonderful time of the year.  Time to don those ugly sweaters, grab a mug of eggnog (or mulled wine),  put on your comfy slippers and gather round the 4K Streaming YouTube virtual fireplace.  If that doesn’t put you in the proper mood for an Ed Tech Christmas just think of these two words - CHRISTMAS BREAK!  (I know WE are.) But before we skip town we’ve got a gift to give to you - we are going to share our FAVORITE Christmas movies - with a little EdTech Twist. Lessons Learned Dennis -  Do you hear that Jingle in my pocket?  It’s Jingle Plus! Daniel -  Bluetooth headphones w/mic connected to Phone for recording presentations. Chris - Sometimes the best thing you can do is not express your idea. Seriously. I am reminded that Judeo-Christian Scripture, “...  tells us that silence can help us avoid sinning (Proverbs 10:19), gain respect (Proverbs 11:12), and is deemed wise and intelligent (Proverbs 17:28). In other words, you may be blessed by holding your tongue … And we know that self-control, a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), is a discipline that is blessed.” https://unlockingthebible.org/2016/04/knowing-when-to-speak-and-when-to-be-silent/ Fun Fact Egg Nog Where did it come from? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eggnog#History Notes & Links Top 5 Christmas Movies - with an EdTech Twist (In no particular order) It’s a Wonderful Life Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer Miracle on 34th Street Christmas Story Home Alone

Description (domo arigato Mr. Roboto) That’s right we’re talking about the rock band Styx … well, not really. But we are talking about … wait for it … robots! Not really the “Klaatu barada nikto” Gort-style robots of The Day The Earth Stood Still fame, but the less earth-threatening kind. You know, the kind that our kids build, program, and operate right here in school. Lessons Learned Dennis - https://www.classroomscreen.com/ A simple tool to help manage your classroom. Daniel -  Private Channels in Teams - You must create a new channel. Chris - Android phone-controlled robots! “Most robots are run by the Arduino board, and there are wireless Arduino shields which allow the robot to communicate wirelessly by using a Bluetooth or WiFi module.” https://robotsauthority.com 10-ideas-for-school-robot-projects Fun Fact Automatons Radiolab Episode: https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/radiolab/articles/radiolab-clockwork-miracle Want to see the mechanical monk? https://io9.gizmodo.com/this-450-year-old-clockwork-monk-is-fully-operational-5956937 Notes & Links 10 Reasons Why Your School Must have A Robotics Program Coding and Computer Science. ... Maker–based Learning. ... Career Skills. ... Arts: The “A” in STEAM / Digital Arts Instruction. ... Innovation, Problem Solving, Creativity. ... Motivation and Engagement. ... Collaboration and ”Cooper-tition” ... Sport of the Mind / 'e-Sport' Engineering STEM learning across the curriculum Life & Developmental Skills (ok, that’s 11) Don’t have time for a robotics class?  Integrate Robots into your curriculum. GR1 - Program robots to move on a number line to model addition and subtraction sentences. ELA - Storytelling. Program robots (Ozobots) to be the actor in a story. So many curriculum ideas and lesson plans to explore - CodeHS and CodeCombat and CodeSpark for Educators/Librarians and Hour of Code (https://hourofcode.com/hk/en/learn)

Description On today’s podcast we’re talking about STUDENT engagement.  What does that mean? Are you paying attention? We hope you are! We also hope that you give us some of your attention as we look at the topic of engagement from three different perspectives. Lessons Learned Chris - Sometimes your dog really does eat your homework. Dennis - New YouTube “Made for Kids” Setting.  New setting for your videos and channels to comply with COPPA https://youtu.be/-JzXiSkoFKw Daniel - Hidden Reader Mode in Chrome https://www.howtogeek.com/423643/how-to-use-google-chromes-hidden-reader-mode/ Fun Fact Clouds A cloud can weigh more than a million pounds. Clouds are not as light and fluffy as they appear. In fact, researchers have found that a single cloud weighs about 1.1 million pounds. How do they know? Well, that number is calculated by taking the water density of a cloud and multiplying it by its volume. Fortunately, the cloud can still "float" at that weight because the air below it is even heavier. https://bestlifeonline.com/weird-amazing-facts/ Notes & Links Chris Carter: https://www.learningscientists.org/blog/2019/11/7/interest-and-engagement?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=new_post_from_the_learning_scientists&utm_term=2019-11-08 Daniel Mendes: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb19/vol76/num05/Diving-Beneath-the-Surface.aspx Dennis Grice: This Wall Street Journal story looks at a program to use EEG (electroencephalogram) technology with students at a primary school near Shanghai, China. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMLsHI8aV0g

Description Happy Birthday Internet! Or maybe it we should say Happy Birthday ARPAnet.  50 years ago this week the first data transmission was sent from room 3420 at UCLA’s Boelter Hall to another computer at the Stanford Research Institute.  It was the beginning of the ARPAnet which laid the groundwork for what we now know as the Internet. Seriously, imagine what life would be like without the Internet! I can’t. Hey, you wouldn’t even be able to hear us as we share stories about the early days of the Internet so for that reason alone, we are thankful. Lessons Learned Chris - The Eisenhower Decision Matrix: “What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important.” - Dwight David Eisenhower, 34th POTUS Important and Urgent -  Do it! Important but not urgent - Decide when (schedule it)! Not important but urgent - Delegate it! Not important and not urgent - Delete it! https://blog.trello.com/eisenhower-matrix-productivity-tool-trello-board Dennis - Just text or call me - using Microsoft Teams. Daniel - Notion - Fabulous tool for brain dump.  I characterize it as wiki 2.0 on steroids. Fun Fact Smoke Signals This early form of communication most often associated with Native Americans, actually originated (according to Wikipedia) in China around 850 BC.  soldiers stationed along the Great Wall would alert each other of impending enemy attack by signaling from tower to tower. “Misuse of the smoke signal is known to have contributed to the fall of the Western Zhou Dynasty in the 8th century BCE. King You of Zhou had a habit of fooling his warlords with false warning beacons in order to amuse Bao Si, his concubine.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke_signal#cite_note-1 Notes & Links SPECIAL GUEST: Joel Klammer, HS Physics Teacher and Robotics Coach   Fun Fact: Joel was one of the first people with an email address and shares some fun stories from the early days of the Internet.

Description Hey! Did you ever think we would be asked back to Podcast LIVE at another ACAMIS Tech Conference? I didn’t. Well, Despite their better judgement, we are MAKING IT HAPPEN live, here, at the home of our podcast - Concordia International School Shanghai.  We’ve got a LIVE and lively audience and some amazing guests who will be sharing what THEY made and HOW they made it happen. Lessons Learned Dennis - There are two different Microsoft Forms.  Forms and “Forms for Excel”. If you want your forms to populate a live Excel Online Spreadsheet, you better pick “Forms for Excel” Daniel - Dr. Li Jiang - Stanford professor and co-Chair of SUGAR Network and involved with the Stanford D School design thinking program -Dr. Jiang talks about going beyond Computational Thinking to AI thinking curriculum.  Basic ideas behind deep learning and cognitive computing. https://sugar-network.org/about Chris - “Love people for who they are, and not who you want them to be.” I believe this should be the mantra of all coaches, and maybe just all people. These words of wisdom resonate with me deeply. For these and other thoughtful thoughts like the “Five Day Teacher Challenge” check out our Ed Tech friend and colleague Rushton Hurley’s blog linked in the show notes. http://rushtonh.com/2019/10/14/for-who-they-are/ Fun Fact The Monks’ Penance The first strong beer (5-6% ABV) was brewed by Catholic monks in the 16th century to them make it through their Lenten fasts without losing too much weight.  The Bavarian abbot was concerned that the merriment brought on by the delightful brew might not be pious - especially during the holy days - so he sent a barrel to the Vatican for an official ruling.  The cardinals in Rome, who were wine drinkers, took one taste of the bitter brew and not only gave official approval, but actually commended the monks for accepting the extra penance of drinking it. (Source: The Book of Strange Facts and Useless Information by Scot Morris) Notes & Links What a great conference so far? Do you agree?l. Students that MADE it happen. Modular Drone - Samuel Xu Student Media Services "Visual Graphics" Student Interest Group (SIG) - Athena & Andrew (Team Leaders) How do YOU make it happen? Mel Varga - STEAM Cart: Concept to Market  

Description One if by land, two if by sea, and three if by dirigible … Just in case you haven’t heard, the ACAMIS Tech Conference is coming! (We might have mentioned it once or twice) In fact, it’s just around the corner.  Today on the podcast we’re going to give a little preview of just one of the awesome ideas being addressed.  Ralph Emmerink from Xiamen International School will be here to give us a preview of his session on how technology can help our students with “the 4C’s” (Critical thinking, Creativity, Collaboration, Communication). Hashtag: nospoilers Lessons Learned Chris - Once again, I am thankful that I always back up my hard drive ... Dennis - Digital Archiving.  Are you able to access and view files from 10 years ago? What should you do so old codecs work with current technology?  SWF Files, but what about old digital video, Hi8, S-VHS, 8mm film.  Will what you want to see be playable when you want to see it? Daniel - iOS 13 - Apple has implemented new “smarter” battery charging, in order to help stave off your iPhone’s battery going bad too quickly. What this means is your phone may charge more slowly when you leave it plugged in for a long time. It will initially charge to 80 percent, and then will charge the final 20 percent more slowly. Plug the phone in before it asks you to enter a low-power mode; iOS will ask you to turn that on when you hit 20 percent power. Plug it in when the phone is between 30 and 40 percent. Phones will get to 80 percent quickly if you're doing a fast charge. Pull the plug at 80 to 90, as going to full 100 percent when using a high-voltage charger can put some strain on the battery(called trickle charging.) Keep the phone battery charge between 30 and 80 percent to increase its lifespan.   Fun Fact Thomas Edison When implementing a new technology, sometimes things don’t always go as planned.  This was the case back near the turn of the century when Thomas Edison was a special guest at the Bijou Theater for the first performance of a play staged under electric lights.  As you might guess things didn’t go exactly as planned when after intermission lights started to flicker and go dim.  Embarrassed, Edison excused himself, took off his formal clothes, and went to the basement to personally shovel coal to keep the generator going for the rest of the performance and the fancy dress banquet afterwards which was supposed to be held in his honor.  (Source:  The Book of Strange Facts and Useless Information by Scot Morris)     Notes & Links SPECIAL GUEST: Ralph Emmerink , Xiamen International School Born and raised in the Netherlands, Ralph received his BEd in History and an MA in Globalisation and Development Studies there. He is presently teaching MYP I&S and Design Tech at Xiamen International School, Xiamen, PRC. He is Google Certified and has presented workshops on technology integration in Mexico, the USA, China, and Hong Kong. Technology integration is his passion and thus he is constantly looking for new and innovative ways to assure that students demonstrate their learning in an engaging, creative and collaborative manner, preparing them for the future.   Discussion: Talk about your background with technology in education. Technology Do’s and Don’ts? - Essential conditions for successful tech integration. What are the 4 C’s?

Description Picture this: it’s the middle of the night and you are thinking about how to make tomorrow’s lesson more engaging.  You turn to the internet and search through endless lesson ideas and you find that perfect gem, that perfect idea. All you need to do is download  a new application that can be downloaded from the internet or the App store. You download it and start using it with your kids. Kids have to go in and create an account.  It took two minutes because they used their Google or Office365 authentication credentials and they are off and running. Awesome, right? Well … today’s episode is all about all those little apps, software downloads and hardware that make your IT department’s blood pressure rise.  It is called Shadow IT. Lessons Learned Dennis - I will make the world’s worst Secret Santa Daniel - VLC for Mobile is awesome - Share video files over IP address and create playlists. Chris - Recording feedback is faster than writing feedback, and the kids actually listen! Fun Fact A standard “trick” used by telephone tech support people in the 1990’s was to tell you to defrag your hard drive.  This gave them up to an hour of time to stall until they could come up with an actual solution to your problem. Notes & Links Shadow IT is the term for hardware, software and applications acquired by an organization’s users without going through the IT department.   Gartner Research says 40% of all IT spending at a company occurs outside the IT department. Make Sure to Vet Educational Apps Teachers don’t think they can get the apps they need through official channels in a timely manner. Strategy: districts can perform their own vetting of in-demand applications. This can be as simple as ensuring the apps come from a reputable source and offer reasonable security and privacy protections for user data. Educate Users on Shadow IT Risks An attacker could create a fake application or add hidden, malicious functionality to a good application. When users install the app, they inadvertently install malware on their device. Now the attacker has full access to the users’ data and devices, and can use that access to attack and compromise other district systems. It’s hard to get buy-in on security and privacy risks There’s no way the district can be responsible for supporting every product and service people find on their own, Enforce Network Access Restrictions One option is to configure network security technologies to prevent the use of selected shadow IT cloud-based services. Solution: It’s also possible to restrict local apps on devices issued by the school district. For example, mobile devices can be set up to download software only from app stores the district has approved. Use Security Controls to Monitor for Threats Monitor web traffic, email and other forms of communication to stop users from accessing malicious websites, domains and other internet-based resources. Implications Besides security risks, some of the implications of Shadow IT are: Wasted time Shadow IT adds hidden costs to organizations, consisting largely of non-IT workers in finance, marketing, HR, etc, who spend a significant amount of time discussing and re-checking the validity of certain data, setting up and managing systems and software without experience. Inconsistent business logic If a ‘shadow IT’ spreadsheet application encapsulates its own definitions and calculations, it is likely that over time inconsistencies will arise from the accumulation of small differences from one version to another and from one group to another, as spreadsheets are often copied and modified. In addition, many errors that occur from either lack of understanding of the concepts or incorrect use of the spreadsheet frequently go undetected due to a lack of rigorous testing and version control. Inconsistent approach Even when the definitions and formulas are correct, the methodology for doing analysis can be distorted by the arrangement and flow of linked spreadsheets, or the process itself can be wrong. Wasted investment Shadow IT applications sometimes prevent full Return on investment (ROI) from investments in systems that are designed to perform the functions now replaced by Shadow IT. This is often seen in Data warehousing (DW) and Business informatics (BI) projects, which are initiated with good intentions, where the broader and consistent usage of DW and BI in the organization never really starts off. This can also be caused by management failure to anticipate deployment, licensing and system capacity costs when attempting to deliver DW & BI solutions. Adopting an internal cost model that forces potential new users of the DW/BI system to choose cheaper (shadow) alternatives, also plays a part in preventing successful enterprise implementation. Inefficiencies Shadow IT can be a barrier to innovation by blocking the establishment of more efficient work processes. Additional performance bottlenecks and new single points of failure may be introduced when Shadow IT systems layer on top of existing systems. Data might be exported from a shared system to a spreadsheet to perform the critical tasks or analysis. Higher risk of data loss or leaks Shadow IT data backup procedures may not be provided or audited. Personnel and contractors in Shadow IT operations may not be put through normal education, procedures or vetting processes. Originators of Shadow IT systems may leave the organization often leaving with proprietary data or leaving behind complicated systems the remainder of staff cannot manage. Barrier to enhancement Shadow IT can act as a brake on the adoption of new technology. Because IT artifacts, e.g., spreadsheets, are deployed to fill critical needs, they must be replaced carefully. But lacking adequate documentation, controls and standards, that process is slow and error-prone. Organizational dysfunction Shadow IT creates a dysfunctional environment leading to animosity between IT and non-IT related groups within an organization. Improper motivations behind Shadow IT efforts such as seeking job-security (i.e., "Bob is the only person with this data," or "What will happen if he leaves?"), data hoarding, self-promotion, favor trading, etc. can lead to significant management issues. A 2015 survey of over 400 global CIOs showed 90% of CIOs worldwide find themselves by-passed by line of business at least sometimes. One third (31%) of CIOs globally are routinely side-lined when it comes to making IT purchasing decisions. Effect on IT Departments According to Gartner, by 2015, 35 percent of enterprise IT expenditures for most organizations will be managed outside the IT department's budget. Examples: Examples of these unofficial data flows include USB flash drives or other portable data storage devices, MSN Messenger or other online messaging software, Gmail or other online e-mail services, Google Docs or other online document sharing and Skype or other online VOIP software—and other less straightforward products: self-developed Access databases and self-developed Excel spreadsheets and macros. Security risks arise when data or applications move outside protected systems, networks, physical location, or security domains. A 2012 French survey [5] of 129 IT managers revealed some examples of shadow IT : Excel macro 19% software 17% cloud solutions 16% ERP 12% BI systems 9% Websites 8% hardware 6% VoIP 5% shadow IT support 5% shadow IT project 3% BYOD 3%. Another form of shadow IT comes by way of OAuth connected applications, where a user authorizes access to a third-party application via a sanctioned application. For example, the user can use their Facebook credentials to log into Spotify or another 3rd party application via their corporate cloud app (Google G Suite or Microsoft Office 365). With this access, the 3rd party app may have excessive access to the sanctioned app, thereby introducing up unintended risk. Resource: 4 Tips for Controlling Shadow IT 2016 Shadow Data Report   Android Warning: Devious Malware Found Inside 34 Apps Already Installed By 100M+ Users

Description Can you imagine a world without Google?  Our students just can’t even. For those of us who remember the days when you actually had to go to a library to do research, or remember how to use a card catalog or an ERIC search, we think kids these days have it so easy.  But is it? Is Google the savior it is purported to be? Or has it just made us lazy? Lessons Learned Dennis - Google “Wizard of Oz” Click the shoes then click the tornado Chris - Google “Thanos,” click on the cartoon glove, and watch what happens. Daniel - ctrl+two finger scroll - (Mac) You can zoom closer on your screen wherever you put the mouse. Fun Fact (From our Corrections & Retractions department) Our fun fact from last week was not accurate.  The 7% we quoted from John Borg, is a misinterpretation  of the “7-38-55 rule” postulated by Albert Mehrabian https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/misinterpretation-7-38-55-rule-pedja-jovanovic/ It is more accurate to say the 60-70% is body language, and that “What we say is less important than how we say it.” Notes & Links Digital natives are not better at sniffing out fake news! The information for how to spot misleading websites is often from a document created in 1998 Adults (56% in a trial study) could not tell fake news from real news Esteemed Historians failed to sniff out a highly biased site from a mainstream site. Learn & Teach, do not filter WHOIS IP Lookup (for free!) https://www.ultratools.com/tools/ipWhoisLookup Positive Learning in the Age of Information https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783658195663 Why Google Can’t Save Us https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-658-19567-0_13 Sam Wineburg   https://ed.stanford.edu/faculty/wineburg

Description In our last episode we debated the advantages of Face to Face versus Online Professional Development.  Here to continue that discussion, we are bringing in an expert or should we say tech-spert?. One who sees the value in Face to Face learning, Matt Kelsey is an Educational Technology Director and Chair of the ACAMIS Technology Conference and he will be here to share his thoughts with us as well as inspire us with his tech wisdom. Lessons Learned Chris - Creativity happens more often with an unstructured environment that includes beverage, brains, and bratwurst than in a strictly structured environment with a pre-set agenda. Daniel - MS Teams > CMD+G Dennis - New SeeSaw features. Multipage and Chrome Reflection Extension Fun Fact An authority on body language, James Borg says that human communication consists of 93% body language and paralinguistic cues, while just 7% consists of words. Notes & Links SPECIAL GUEST: Matt Kelsey (Information gleaned from trolling his Linked-In profile % Twitter feed) A third culture kid from a family of International School teachers, he has worked at international schools in Kuwait, Mali and China since 2010. Director Of Educational Technology - Nansha College Preparatory Academy in Guangzhou Chair of the ACAMIS Technology Conference Doctoral Candidate Started “Breakfast Slam” where teachers share cool technology ideas over breakfast. ACAMIS Tech Conference - In China for the unique needs of schools in China

Description You step up to the counter to order your Professional Development.  “Will your learning be here or take-away? Would you like a hot apple pie with that?”  On Today’s Podcast we tackle the persistent question: What is better professional development - Online or Face to Face?  Do you have an opinion? I know some of us do. Join us as we argue the finer points of each and see which one comes out on top when the dust settles. Lessons Learned Chris - Empathy and compassion are not synonymous, at least not in the realm of psychology. Having empathy means having a kindred emotional reaction to another person’s emotional state. Compassion is a choice, not an emotion. Compassion is choosing to take positive action in order to assist another person. It comes very close to the concept of “agape” love. Daniel - We default to what we know - Spreadsheets example Dennis - iPhone Camera Setting - If you’ve updated your iOS recently, know that “High Efficiency” is not as efficient as “Most Compatible”. Fun Fact Ice cubes will be clearer if you fill the tray with warm rather than cold water.  Warm water prevents the formation and entrapment of tiny air bubbles during the freezing process which, aside from mineral impurities, is the usual cause of cloudy ice cubes. (SOURCE: The Book of Strange Facts and Useless Information by Scot Morris) Notes & Links Face to Face (Connect People/If you want to know the “Why”) Relational/Social Serendipitous Inspirational Re-energizing Focused More energizing if it is something you CHOOSE rather than something mandatory Online (Find Solution/If you want to know the “How”) Isolating Specific Purpose/Objective Task Oriented Deep Dive Easily Distracted  

Description Does the institution we know as “modern education” encourage and celebrate the outliers? How do you think a young Albert Einstein, Mozart, or Nikola Tesla would do as students in your school? Would their curiosity be celebrated or scolded?  Would they be encouraged to pursue their passions, or forced to conform to the curriculum? And, provocatively, should education be trying to adapt itself to myriad, diverse learners? Join us today for a lively discussion about ways to tweak what we do for those potential geniuses who are just “wired differently”. Lessons Learned Chris - “...education is what others do to you and learning is what you do for yourself.” - Joi Ito, The Educational Tyranny of the NeruroTypical Daniel - cmd-return - Dennis - Locking Notes on your iPhone. http://sciencenotebooking.blogspot.com/2019/08/password-protect-iphone-notes.html Fun Fact Nicolaus Copernicus - Polish astronomer who first postulated that the Earth travels around the sun was also the father of buttered bread.  (SOURCE: The Book of Strange Facts and Useless Information by Scot Morris)   Notes & Links Article in Wired Magazine - https://www.wired.com/story/tyranny-neurotypicals-unschooling-education   Book: NeuroTribes   Book: Life, Animated   Book: Lifelong Kindergarten

Description When talking about teaching and technology, terrific teachers tell tales of transformative teamwork.  Today on the podcast we’ll talk with the talented Rushton Hurley who is back in Shanghai and joining us once again to share ways to bring excellence to our schools and classrooms. Lessons Learned Daniel - If you buy an iphone X(R or S) from China, Hong Kong or Macau you can get a Dual Sim Card phone.  Something I have been requesting from the Apple smartphone lineup for years.  Android users have a lot of options. Dennis - Unsplash.com Rushton - 7000 islands in The Philippines Fun Fact Our students do a lot of writing. How do they compare to the Daily word count of famous writers? https://wordcounter.net/blog/2017/12/04/103207_the-daily-word-counts-of-19-famous-writers.html   Notes & Links SPECIAL GUEST HOST:  Rushton Hurley Just got back from two weeks working with teachers in the Philippines. New book coming soon titled “Technology, Teamwork, and Excellence”   NBA player Kyle Korver can write well - Privileged (https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/kyle-korver-utah-jazz-nba)  

Description So many topics. So Little time.  On today’s show we couldn’t decide on a single topic so we’ve decided to leave it up to … fate? Chance?  Dumb luck?  Rest assured no matter what topic comes up you  - our loyal listener - are going to be a winner.  Join us today as we spin the “Wheel of AWESOME TOPICS” Lessons Learned Chris - Our reactions to our problems and challenges can often make them worse. We have to practice self-control and thoughtfulness when confronted with a situation. Remain calm in crisis, seek healing in offense, always assume the best from your friends and colleagues. Daniel - The new OneDrive app for Mac in Mojave OS allows for entire Sharepoint folders to be sync but stay in the cloud.  The folder looks like a OneDrive folder on your computer. Dennis - iPhone Photos - use Pano to mimic a wide angle lens Fun Fact The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two Miller’s Law by George A. Miller of Harvard University's Department of Psychology -  It is often interpreted to argue that the number of objects an average human can hold in short-term memory is 7 ± 2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Magical_Number_Seven,_Plus_or_Minus_Two   Notes & Links The Wheel of Awesome Topics Information you wish you had before Would you like to take it back? Technology you wish you could have back? Pet Peeve I can’t wait for this! Person I would like to interview on the podcast

Description It’s late at night.  You’ve just settled down to sleep.  Then you hear a vibration from the smartphone on your nightstand.  Can you resist the urge to check it? Smartphones and now smart watches are - or at least seem to be - an essential part of our life. We look at them frequently to check facebook, instagram, news, sports, weather, or to see what our best friend is eating right now.  But do the benefits of these devices outweigh the distractions?  If we as adults have a trouble resisting the temptation to be on our devices, should we be concerned about our students as well? We’ll share what we think  along with the thoughts of some amazing educators here in Asia. Lessons Learned Chris - “Fine” is not an acceptable answer if you are asking how someone is doing. If you are going to ask how someone is feeling, then really mean it. Really meaning it, don’t let a casual “Fine” end it, especially if you suspect that not everything is fine. If you are really interested in how a person is fairing then ask them. If not, a simple “Hello” will do. https://www.retrievalpractice.org/strategies/2019/4/24/how-are-you Daniel - Reviewed DaVinci Resolve 16 - free NLE editor https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/ was released at NAB couple weeks ago with a new ‘Cut Page’ is starting to look familiar: FCPX Dennis - Skype video sharing.  Share videos asynchronously. Must be under 1 minute. Fun Fact Apple Watch Statistics https://expandedramblings.com/index.php/apple-watch-statistics/ Notes & Links We asked this question on WeChat: “With California and Ontario banning cell phones from schools...we wanted your thoughts on the topic.  Do the benefits of Smartphones/Smartwatches outweigh the distractions?  Your thoughts? Any interesting articles, blog pieces that we should consider?”   Here is a condensed version of the rich responses we received.

Description Learning is all about relationships.  If this is the first time you’ve heard us say that then you are new around here. Welcome to our podcast! Today we take that mantra and apply it to Professional Development (PD) because, as educators, if we are not connecting with others we are missing out on an essential (THE essential?) component of professional growth.  Join us as we welcome - all the way from the land of Nebraska - Brent Dieckhoff who will share his journey to help teachers CONNECT, GROW, and SHARE what they learn. Lessons Learned Chris - Write it down! I had a serendipitous conversation with one of our Middle School counselors yesterday in which she informed me of a wonderful gift she once gave to her daughter. She wrote down specific, significant moments in her daughter’s high school life that made her proud of her daughter. She gave her daughter the journal of proud moments as a graduation gift. Wow! What an idea! So, I started a journal for my own daughter, who is a sophomore. I know that she doesn’t listen to this show so I’m safe telling you, but don’t tell her! Daniel - Using Panoramic mode to get the perfect vertical shot. Dennis - The Queen owns all the swans in England.  https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/why-the-queen-owns-every-swan Fun Fact Do you “never forget a face”? Maybe you are among that special 1-2% of the population that are “super-recognizers”.  The average person can recognize about 20% of the faces they see.  A “super-recognizer” is that rare individual who can can remember 80% of the faces they see, even if they’ve only seen them once, years ago.  These people have been quite helpful, sometimes even more effective than facial recognition technology, in fighting crime. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/nov/11/super-recognisers-police-the-people-who-never-forget-a-face   Notes & Links Brent Dieckhoff is a product of International Schools. He is now a teacher, professor with a passion for helping teachers learn to use technology in a meaningful way, but more importantly to connect and learn from each other.  He has come all the way from Seward, Nebraska to the little town of Shanghai to share his story.   https://tec21connect.com/

Description Virtual Reality.  Augmented Reality.  Global Online Collaboration.  Smart Phones. Smart TV’s.  Smart Watches.  Smart Cars. Artificial Intelligence.  Does trying to keep up with today’s technology make your head spin?  How did we get here?  What’s next?  Today we bring in an expert on the technology of education past, and the digital tech that’s going to take us into the future (no pressure there) Hall Davidson. Lessons Learned Chris - Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good (attributed to Voltaire, paraphrasing an early Italian dictionary). Daniel - Google Doodle - Celebrating Bach - AI Dennis - Where in Google Earth is Carmen Sandiego Fun Fact Original Oregon Trail https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Oregon_Trail_(series) Notes & Links Last week we celebrated the 30th Anniversary of the World Wide Web. This week we’ve brought in a special guest who’s been helping teachers use the power of the web since its inception and also is on the forefront of how internet connectivity can impact students today and into the future.  Please welcome our...   ...SPECIAL GUEST: Hall Davidson http://www.discoveryeducation.com/what-we-offer/professional-development/speakers-bureau/hall-davidson.cfm

Description Do you remember what it was like to be a student in grade school?  Are you getting flashbacks of Field days, recess, team sports and Mrs. Scranton’s music recorder class or...are you among the many that are breaking out in cold sweat thinking about tests, group projects, bullying and peer pressure!  Well today we revisit our childhood and put ourselves in the shoes of our students with our special guest Dr. Michael Thompson as we get his input on how technology has impacted this relationship. Lessons Learned Chris - Some lessons from teaching Morality & Ethics. Nothing gets an argument started more than perceptions of unfairness or intentional harm and that is because, of the five channels of moral decision making, fairness/reciprocity and harm/care are the two channels that nearly everyone agrees are extremely important. Add to that the reality that how we perceive issues of justice varies between individuals. Some of us see justice as equality of opportunity (freedom). Others see it as equality of result (welfare). One person’s justice is another person’s injustice. On the personal level a whole bunch of negativity and friction can be avoided if we recognize that we hold differing understandings of what is fair and just. Instead of escalating tensions we can overcome the “us versus them” mentality by recognizing the basic good intentions in each other. We can do this by looking beneath the surface issues to the fairness/reciprocity and harm/care principles that underlie most conflicts, and separate the sacred from the pseudo-sacred. A great place to start learning the ins and out of conflict resolution and negotiation can be found in Robert Mnookin’s book Bargaining with the Devil: When to Negotiate, When to Fight. Robert Mnookin is the Samuel Williston Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, the Chair of the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School. http://www.bargainingwiththedevil.com/   Daniel - Tableau Public is awesome.  You can take your LinkedIn data and you can play around with various viz charts. Dennis - Student’s use iMovie to find main idea.  Grade 4 students had to take 1-2 minute interviews and edit them down to a 20 second sound bite.  Listening to teams discuss what is important and what is not, was education gold! Fun Fact Top 5 causes of stress Jobs and The Workplace Financial Problems Personal Relationships Children Daily Hassles / Being Too Busy So, which one is involved as families wrestle with the hopes and dreams of getting children into college? Answer: All of them! https://www.verywellmind.com/what-are-the-main-causes-of-stress-3145063   Notes & Links Michael G. Thompson, Ph.D. is a consultant, NY Times best-selling author and psychologist specializing in children and families.  He has worked in more than seven hundred schools across the United States, as well as in international schools in Central America, Europe, Africa and Asia.  Dr. Thompson is the author of several books dealing with today’s pressures of school and how to help students navigate this period of time with poise and confidence.   Resources: http://michaelthompson-phd.com/ Twitter: @MGThompsonPHD

Description Ring the bells!  Sound the trumpets! Crank up the party machine!  It’s time to celebrate! This week, that wonderful invention, that thing we could not live without, turns 30 years old.  What are we talking about? The WORLD WIDE WEB of course! Can you remember what you life was like before the web? Can you imagine life without it now?  Do you remember when it was possible to disconnect and relax? We can’t. Today we reflect on this Mah-velous invention and its profound impact on education as we know it. Lessons Learned Chris - Let me ask you a question. Do you find yourself seeking more opportunities for solitude and quiet spaces than in the past? I’m not sure if this is a “lessons learned” or just a hunch, but here it goes. I’ve taken the Myers-Briggs test a number of time and each time I’m about as extreme an extrovert as the scale can bear. Still, this year, I find myself more frequently seeking solitude and quiet places to work. I actually think I could work from home, and that has never been the case previous to this year. Please email me if you are trending like I am. My hunch is that we all need some disconnected time, even the most extraverted among us, and that the web, and the internet that supports it, has largely removed that disconnected time. Daniel - Living in a Google-less world is possible!  It just takes approaching workflow differently. Dennis - RANT!  I did not log out! YOU(Microsoft) logged me out! Fun Fact The official name for the “#” hashtag or pound symbol is the “octothorpe”. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/octothorpe Notes & Links “Information Management: A Proposal” by Tim Berners Lee. SOURCE: https://home.cern/events/web30 What he envisioned is the WWW as we know it today - not to be confused with the Internet.  (What’s the difference?) Daniel - Amplified my abilities: to learn (encyclopedia vs Youtube);to be productive (shared calendars); to live remotely and feel part of education community (Twitter) Dennis - Global connectivity and collaboration. Do you remember WebQuests? https://webquest.org Why The Web Won’t Be Nirvana (1995 Newsweek Article) Why the Internet Will Fail (1995 Essay)   BIG thanks to Tim Berners-Lee...

Description Do you live spur of the moment? .... by the seat of your pants? Take it as it comes? Well, turn off the radio, because today we are talking about living by design … the latest in Design Thinking by Ariel Raz. Lessons Learned

Description Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, it’s that time of year, and because we LOVE you... - It’s Baaaaacck!! Because you loved it before - and because we couldn’t come up with a better topic for today’s show -  it’s time for another edition of ...

Description Picture your school.  Your classrooms. Your staff meetings.  Your professional development. Do you see the JOY?  Is joy an integral part of your day, or something you only do if you have extra time?  Today we welcome our special guest,

Description Picture your school.  Your classrooms. Your staff meetings.  Your professional development. Do you see the JOY?  Is joy an integral part of your day, or something you only do if you have extra time?  Today we welcome our special guest,

Description Picture your school.  Your classrooms. Your staff meetings.  Your professional development. Do you see the JOY?  Is joy an integral part of your day, or something you only do if you have extra time?  Today we welcome our special guest,

Description We’ve got a question for you.  Where do you go for inspiration?  When you need something to energize or refocus you, or perhaps you just need to turn the Shang-lows, back into Shang-highs, what resources do you tap?

Description We’ve got a question for you.  Where do you go for inspiration?  When you need something to energize or refocus you, or perhaps you just need to turn the Shang-lows, back into Shang-highs, what resources do you tap?

Description We’ve got a question for you.  Where do you go for inspiration?  When you need something to energize or refocus you, or perhaps you just need to turn the Shang-lows, back into Shang-highs, what resources do you tap?

Description Well, it is that most wonderful time of the year, - With the kids jingle belling, - And everyone telling, - you be of good cheer... - So, be of good cheer! Today we gleefully and cheerfully explore the art and science of creating lesso...

Description Well, it is that most wonderful time of the year, - With the kids jingle belling, - And everyone telling, - you be of good cheer... - So, be of good cheer! Today we gleefully and cheerfully explore the art and science of creating lesso...

Description Well, it is that most wonderful time of the year, - With the kids jingle belling, - And everyone telling, - you be of good cheer... - So, be of good cheer! Today we gleefully and cheerfully explore the art and science of creating lesso...

Description It has been said that there is a time for everything. a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak.

Description It has been said that there is a time for everything. a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak. Well today it is a time for us to Give Thanks for our favorite EdTech Tools, Apps, and learning strategies.  We’re glad you are taking the time to be with us as we bring you our “Top 10 Techie Things We’re Thankful For” Lessons Learned Chris - Emotional states change the choices that we make when faced with an ethical choice. Do yourself a favor. Don’t make a choice when you’re emotionally charged. Daniel -  Not having an initial plan for your video project will lead you to change your video project halfway will lead to chaos. Dennis - Backup your iPhone (specifically photos) because...you never know. Fun Thanksgiving Facts Thanksgiving didn't become a national holiday until over 200 years later! Sarah Josepha Hale, the woman who actually wrote the classic song “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” convinced President Lincoln in 1863 to make Thanksgiving a national holiday, after writing letters for 17 years campaigning for this to happen.   According to a 2015 Harris Poll, Almost eight in 10 agree that the second helpings of stuffing, mashed potatoes, and pie beat out the big dinner itself.   More Thanksgiving Fun Facts http://allparenting.com/my-life/articles/969379/20-thanksgiving-fun-facts-to-teach-kids   Notes & Links Thank you Microsoft for buying Flipgrid and making it free!   Thank you QuickTime Player for the wonderful tool for capturing learning.   Thank you Tim Berners-Lee. In the 1980s, research at CERN in Switzerland by British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee resulted in the World Wide Web..   Thank you Augmented Reality for helping students experience amazing erosion simulations the help them clearly understand the concept of wind erosion over time.   Thank you Google for releasing Tour Creator and allowing Students to Create their own 360 tours. https://vr.google.com/tourcreator/  Thank you SeeSaw.  Thank you Ensemble Video Platform - (Our own private YouTube) sharing student created work so it can be accessed easily without a VPN.  Capturing events live. https://www.ensemblevideo.com/   QR Codes - because watching an elementary student type in a web site URL can be painful.   The Undo. (CTRL+Z)  If only life had an undo button as well.  Administrators who support their teachers and encourage creativity and innovation.  

Description It has been said that there is a time for everything. a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak. Well today it is a time for us to Give Thanks for our favorite EdTech Tools, Apps, and learning strategies.  We’re glad you are taking the time to be with us as we bring you our “Top 10 Techie Things We’re Thankful For” Lessons Learned Chris - Emotional states change the choices that we make when faced with an ethical choice. Do yourself a favor. Don’t make a choice when you’re emotionally charged. Daniel -  Not having an initial plan for your video project will lead you to change your video project halfway will lead to chaos. Dennis - Backup your iPhone (specifically photos) because...you never know. Fun Thanksgiving Facts Thanksgiving didn't become a national holiday until over 200 years later! Sarah Josepha Hale, the woman who actually wrote the classic song “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” convinced President Lincoln in 1863 to make Thanksgiving a national holiday, after writing letters for 17 years campaigning for this to happen.   According to a 2015 Harris Poll, Almost eight in 10 agree that the second helpings of stuffing, mashed potatoes, and pie beat out the big dinner itself.   More Thanksgiving Fun Facts http://allparenting.com/my-life/articles/969379/20-thanksgiving-fun-facts-to-teach-kids   Notes & Links Thank you Microsoft for buying Flipgrid and making it free!   Thank you QuickTime Player for the wonderful tool for capturing learning.   Thank you Tim Berners-Lee. In the 1980s, research at CERN in Switzerland by British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee resulted in the World Wide Web..   Thank you Augmented Reality for helping students experience amazing erosion simulations the help them clearly understand the concept of wind erosion over time.   Thank you Google for releasing Tour Creator and allowing Students to Create their own 360 tours. https://vr.google.com/tourcreator/  Thank you SeeSaw.  Thank you Ensemble Video Platform - (Our own private YouTube) sharing student created work so it can be accessed easily without a VPN.  Capturing events live. https://www.ensemblevideo.com/   QR Codes - because watching an elementary student type in a web site URL can be painful.   The Undo. (CTRL+Z)  If only life had an undo button as well.  Administrators who support their teachers and encourage creativity and innovation.  

Description There’s a lot of debate over the appropriateness of technology use in Early Childhood, but we’re excited about the possibilities of using technology to keep parents informed and collect evidence of learning.

Description There’s a lot of debate over the appropriateness of technology use in Early Childhood, but we’re excited about the possibilities of using technology to keep parents informed and collect evidence of learning.  Today we take a look at a tool called SeeSaw and how it is being used here at Concordia in Preschool and Pre-K. AND because we are definitely NOT experts working with 3 & 4 year olds, we’ve brought in one of our own Early Childhood teachers to share how she and her students are using this tool to “show what they know”. Lessons Learned Chris - Whenever you are in a position of power in an unequal power relationship, be it parent and child, teacher and student, employer and employee, one of the hardest and most necessary challenges is maintaining the ability to see the relationship through the eyes of the other person. If you fail to do this, if you fall back on what is essentially a “Because I said so” or “My way or the highway” approach then you will destroy any hope of a relationship built on trust and mutual respect. As a dad and teacher I remind myself of this often. Daniel -  Power Poses for confidence - puff out your chest, plant your hands on your hips, and stand with feet hip-width apart https://www.inc.com/business-insider/amy-cuddy-the-poses-that-will-boost-your-confidence.html Dennis - MERGE Cube AR.  Finally playing with the one I got in my ACAMIS Goody Bag.  Apps like Mr. Body, Galactic Explorer, Hologlobe. Merge community on FB has great ideas. Fun Fact(s) Kindergarten: 1852, coined by German educator Friedrich Fröbel (1782-1852) in reference to his method of developing intelligence in young children. Kindergarten means a garden of children, and Froebel, the inventor of it, or rather, as he would prefer to express it, the discoverer of the method of Nature, meant to symbolize by the name the spirit and plan of treatment. How does the gardener treat his plants? He studies their individual natures, and puts them into such circumstances of soil and atmosphere as enable them to grow, flower, and bring forth fruit,-- also to renew their manifestation year after year. https://www.etymonline.com/word/kindergarten   Notes & Links SPECIAL GUEST: Emily Hays - Concordia Pre-K Teacher and SeeSaw Ambassador   Topics of discussion: Reasons for using SeeSaw Parent Communication Collecting evidence of learning, and connecting with skills Early foundations of Digital Citizenship. How are students empowered to manage and share their own learning?  

Description There’s a lot of debate over the appropriateness of technology use in Early Childhood, but we’re excited about the possibilities of using technology to keep parents informed and collect evidence of learning.  Today we take a look at a tool called SeeSaw and how it is being used here at Concordia in Preschool and Pre-K. AND because we are definitely NOT experts working with 3 & 4 year olds, we’ve brought in one of our own Early Childhood teachers to share how she and her students are using this tool to “show what they know”. Lessons Learned Chris - Whenever you are in a position of power in an unequal power relationship, be it parent and child, teacher and student, employer and employee, one of the hardest and most necessary challenges is maintaining the ability to see the relationship through the eyes of the other person. If you fail to do this, if you fall back on what is essentially a “Because I said so” or “My way or the highway” approach then you will destroy any hope of a relationship built on trust and mutual respect. As a dad and teacher I remind myself of this often. Daniel -  Power Poses for confidence - puff out your chest, plant your hands on your hips, and stand with feet hip-width apart https://www.inc.com/business-insider/amy-cuddy-the-poses-that-will-boost-your-confidence.html Dennis - MERGE Cube AR.  Finally playing with the one I got in my ACAMIS Goody Bag.  Apps like Mr. Body, Galactic Explorer, Hologlobe. Merge community on FB has great ideas. Fun Fact(s) Kindergarten: 1852, coined by German educator Friedrich Fröbel (1782-1852) in reference to his method of developing intelligence in young children. Kindergarten means a garden of children, and Froebel, the inventor of it, or rather, as he would prefer to express it, the discoverer of the method of Nature, meant to symbolize by the name the spirit and plan of treatment. How does the gardener treat his plants? He studies their individual natures, and puts them into such circumstances of soil and atmosphere as enable them to grow, flower, and bring forth fruit,-- also to renew their manifestation year after year. https://www.etymonline.com/word/kindergarten   Notes & Links SPECIAL GUEST: Emily Hays - Concordia Pre-K Teacher and SeeSaw Ambassador   Topics of discussion: Reasons for using SeeSaw Parent Communication Collecting evidence of learning, and connecting with skills Early foundations of Digital Citizenship. How are students empowered to manage and share their own learning?  

Description Already this season you’ve heard us talk about Game Design and Gamificiation, well today we’re Kickin’ it up a notch and sharing how students are taking ownership of their learning by designing their own “gamified” learning experi...

Description Already this season you’ve heard us talk about Game Design and Gamificiation, well today we’re Kickin’ it up a notch and sharing how students are taking ownership of their learning by designing their own “gamified” learning experiences. When students design their own learning experiences you know you’ve got something special. Lessons Learned Chris - Seeing  situations from multiple perspectives will never be natural but is always necessary if we are to avoid getting into a mono-vision rut of how we see the world. Daniel -  Experimenting with vertical video for Instagram editing in Final Cut Pro  - Larry Jordan https://larryjordan.com/articles/create-and-edit-vertical-video-in-final-cut-pro-x/ Dennis - Augmented Reality helping elementary student learn about Erosion.  https://arsandbox.ucdavis.edu/instructions/ Fun Fact(s) Harry Houdini Houdini took his stage name from magician Robert-Houdin, whose autobiography inspired him. Houdini was born in Hungary in 1874 as Erik Weisz. He performed as Ehrich the Great early in his career. An early aficionado of aviation, Houdini learned to pilot his own Voisin biplane and was the third person to fly across Australia in 1910. In December 1914, Houdini was summoned to a private meeting at the White House with President Woodrow Wilson, who told him, "I envy your ability of escaping out of tight places. Sometimes I wish I were able to do the same." https://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/stories/15-fascinating-facts-about-houdini   Notes & Links SPECIAL GUEST: Joshua (HS Student) NHS Students are designing their own BreakoutEDU Games.  Why?   Concordia BreakoutEDU Experience from last Spring - https://citizen-c.me/literary-life/breakout?rq=breakout  

Description Already this season you’ve heard us talk about Game Design and Gamificiation, well today we’re Kickin’ it up a notch and sharing how students are taking ownership of their learning by designing their own “gamified” learning experiences. When students design their own learning experiences you know you’ve got something special. Lessons Learned Chris - Seeing  situations from multiple perspectives will never be natural but is always necessary if we are to avoid getting into a mono-vision rut of how we see the world. Daniel -  Experimenting with vertical video for Instagram editing in Final Cut Pro  - Larry Jordan https://larryjordan.com/articles/create-and-edit-vertical-video-in-final-cut-pro-x/ Dennis - Augmented Reality helping elementary student learn about Erosion.  https://arsandbox.ucdavis.edu/instructions/ Fun Fact(s) Harry Houdini Houdini took his stage name from magician Robert-Houdin, whose autobiography inspired him. Houdini was born in Hungary in 1874 as Erik Weisz. He performed as Ehrich the Great early in his career. An early aficionado of aviation, Houdini learned to pilot his own Voisin biplane and was the third person to fly across Australia in 1910. In December 1914, Houdini was summoned to a private meeting at the White House with President Woodrow Wilson, who told him, "I envy your ability of escaping out of tight places. Sometimes I wish I were able to do the same." https://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/stories/15-fascinating-facts-about-houdini   Notes & Links SPECIAL GUEST: Joshua (HS Student) NHS Students are designing their own BreakoutEDU Games.  Why?   Concordia BreakoutEDU Experience from last Spring - https://citizen-c.me/literary-life/breakout?rq=breakout  

Description Every second of each day: 8,239 Tweets sent 876 Instagram photos uploaded 3,427 Skype calls 63,TB of Internet traffic 70,248 Google searches 76,004 YouTube videos viewed 2,739,223 Emails sent So what can we learn from all this data?

Description Every second of each day: 8,239 Tweets sent 876 Instagram photos uploaded 3,427 Skype calls 63,TB of Internet traffic 70,248 Google searches 76,004 YouTube videos viewed 2,739,223 Emails sent So what can we learn from all this data?  What can we do with this data? Well we are very fortunate to have a colleague who leads our school; the region; and soon will be chairing a world conference on Big Data to share his thoughts on how we can successfully introduce students to the topic of Big Data. Lessons Learned Chris - Managing one’s energy is more important than managing time. Daniel - HP Reveal - formerly Aurasma - Had fun imagining the creative ways to implement augmented reality. Dennis - Virtual Tours - Veer.tv Fun Fact(s) Every IT person felt validated this week when NASA Repaired the Hubble gyroscope by “turning it off and back on again”  https://www.engadget.com/2018/10/24/nasa-hubble-gyroscope-fix/ Notes & Links SPECIAL GUEST:  Dr. Peter Tong has taught Mathematics and Physics in Australia, Canada, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.  He was an aerospace engineer in Canada prior to becoming a teacher. He has multiple Engineering degrees including a Ph.D in Aerospace Engineering.   Topics of Discussion: Datafication The BIG DATA Conference BIG DATA in Elementary School Block Chain

Description Every second of each day: 8,239 Tweets sent 876 Instagram photos uploaded 3,427 Skype calls 63,TB of Internet traffic 70,248 Google searches 76,004 YouTube videos viewed 2,739,223 Emails sent So what can we learn from all this data?  What can we do with this data? Well we are very fortunate to have a colleague who leads our school; the region; and soon will be chairing a world conference on Big Data to share his thoughts on how we can successfully introduce students to the topic of Big Data. Lessons Learned Chris - Managing one’s energy is more important than managing time. Daniel - HP Reveal - formerly Aurasma - Had fun imagining the creative ways to implement augmented reality. Dennis - Virtual Tours - Veer.tv Fun Fact(s) Every IT person felt validated this week when NASA Repaired the Hubble gyroscope by “turning it off and back on again”  https://www.engadget.com/2018/10/24/nasa-hubble-gyroscope-fix/ Notes & Links SPECIAL GUEST:  Dr. Peter Tong has taught Mathematics and Physics in Australia, Canada, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.  He was an aerospace engineer in Canada prior to becoming a teacher. He has multiple Engineering degrees including a Ph.D in Aerospace Engineering.   Topics of Discussion: Datafication The BIG DATA Conference BIG DATA in Elementary School Block Chain

Description Today we are live from the Western Academy Beijing auditorium, home of the 2018 ACAMIS Technology Conference! Our audience is made up of our wonderful colleagues working in international schools throughout China and Mongolia,

Description Today we are live from the Western Academy Beijing auditorium, home of the 2018 ACAMIS Technology Conference! Our audience is made up of our wonderful colleagues working in international schools throughout China and Mongolia, and I will add that they have not been paid to be here. So, either they somehow actually chose to be here in a moment of extremely poor judgement or they collectively took a wrong turn on the way to the exit. Either way, we’re ever so glad they’re here. Lessons Learned Chris - When you plan for sub coverage for a conference double check the date you told the sub to show up. Daniel - Craig Kemp’s keynote stands out: School’s  Digital Learning Model “To integrate technology purposefully and authentically….start with the WHY and establish Non-Negotiables with Consistency.  (Apple Certified Teacher and Common Sense Digital Citizenship Certified Teacher) Dennis - If you need students to record their voice and want to minimize the noise in your classroom, the solution can be found on Taobao.  Kudos to Casey Koschmeder who found these retro telephone handsets.  Want to look awesome? You need one of these. Fun Fact(s) Why is the leap day always in February? Well, because it only has 28 days. When Julius Ceasar reformed the calendar he added two months, July (named after himself) and August. At that point February had 30 days in it. When Julius was eventually followed by Augustus, Augustus Caesar thought his month was as worthy as July so he ordered that two days be taken from February. So blame him for the silly mnemonic device we have to learn. Notes & Links ACAMIS THEME: L.E.A.P. (Learn, Engage, Apply, Personalize) LEARN - What have you learned at the conference? (Audience Poll)  Here is a sampling of the audience shares… “I am using menti.com next week!” Kendal Reilly “Sphero Mini” - Benjamin Bin “Dollar Street and Dear Delta” - Lina Farrow “Gap Minder, Nearpod” - Steve Stander “New tools for formative assessment!” Sarah Wenn “Mindshow synchronous/asynchronous VR collaborative recording software. It’s also free! ” - Jenny Sabin & Richard “Google Lit Trips & Google Earth” - Adam Amster “Classcraft” - Hui “Digging into to Unity to program MergeCube” - Ben Leung “I love Anchor if you’re interested in starting a podcast at your school. Free.” - Sandra Chow “Relationships Matter - Empatico.org (connect them to the world!)” - Jason Kaiser “affinity.serif.com/en-us/” - james Dyson “Squishy Circuits and Sketch-Notes” - Annie “AR Yearbook”- Irwin “Veer.tv” - Mel Varga “Tapping into Twitter for expertise and sharing own learnings” - Victor “I programmed my first robot!” - Tori Greene Thanks to all who participated in our WeChat. ENGAGE - How do you use technology to engage learners? SPECIAL GUEST: Aaron Foster - High School AP Environmental Science Teacher at Nansha College Preparatory Academy. Recently finished Masters in Game Based Learning. APPLY & PERSONALIZE - It’s not about you. Oh, The Things That You Know (text) Oh, The Things That You Know (Ensemble Video Link) (Google Video Link)  

Description Today we are live from the Western Academy Beijing auditorium, home of the 2018 ACAMIS Technology Conference! Our audience is made up of our wonderful colleagues working in international schools throughout China and Mongolia, and I will add that they have not been paid to be here. So, either they somehow actually chose to be here in a moment of extremely poor judgement or they collectively took a wrong turn on the way to the exit. Either way, we’re ever so glad they’re here. Lessons Learned Chris - When you plan for sub coverage for a conference double check the date you told the sub to show up. Daniel - Craig Kemp’s keynote stands out: School’s  Digital Learning Model “To integrate technology purposefully and authentically….start with the WHY and establish Non-Negotiables with Consistency.  (Apple Certified Teacher and Common Sense Digital Citizenship Certified Teacher) Dennis - If you need students to record their voice and want to minimize the noise in your classroom, the solution can be found on Taobao.  Kudos to Casey Koschmeder who found these retro telephone handsets.  Want to look awesome? You need one of these. Fun Fact(s) Why is the leap day always in February? Well, because it only has 28 days. When Julius Ceasar reformed the calendar he added two months, July (named after himself) and August. At that point February had 30 days in it. When Julius was eventually followed by Augustus, Augustus Caesar thought his month was as worthy as July so he ordered that two days be taken from February. So blame him for the silly mnemonic device we have to learn. Notes & Links ACAMIS THEME: L.E.A.P. (Learn, Engage, Apply, Personalize) LEARN - What have you learned at the conference? (Audience Poll)  Here is a sampling of the audience shares… “I am using menti.com next week!” Kendal Reilly “Sphero Mini” - Benjamin Bin “Dollar Street and Dear Delta” - Lina Farrow “Gap Minder, Nearpod” - Steve Stander “New tools for formative assessment!” Sarah Wenn “Mindshow synchronous/asynchronous VR collaborative recording software. It’s also free! ” - Jenny Sabin & Richard “Google Lit Trips & Google Earth” - Adam Amster “Classcraft” - Hui “Digging into to Unity to program MergeCube” - Ben Leung “I love Anchor if you’re interested in starting a podcast at your school. Free.” - Sandra Chow “Relationships Matter - Empatico.org (connect them to the world!)” - Jason Kaiser “affinity.serif.com/en-us/” - james Dyson “Squishy Circuits and Sketch-Notes” - Annie “AR Yearbook”- Irwin “Veer.tv” - Mel Varga “Tapping into Twitter for expertise and sharing own learnings” - Victor “I programmed my first robot!” - Tori Greene Thanks to all who participated in our WeChat. ENGAGE - How do you use technology to engage learners? SPECIAL GUEST: Aaron Foster - High School AP Environmental Science Teacher at Nansha College Preparatory Academy. Recently finished Masters in Game Based Learning. APPLY & PERSONALIZE - It’s not about you. Oh, The Things That You Know (text) Oh, The Things That You Know (Ensemble Video Link) (Google Video Link)  

Description I like games. Elvenar, Clash of Clans, Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne … I’ve played them all, with pleasure. But this is a podcast focusing on education and technology, right? Where is there room to play games in that?!? Sure,

Description I like games. Elvenar, Clash of Clans, Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne … I’ve played them all, with pleasure. But this is a podcast focusing on education and technology, right? Where is there room to play games in that?!? Sure, we want to make our classes fun, but …  Well, you may have heard about games and gamification in education. Today we talk with a specialist who helps schools and school districts bring the learning power of games into the classroom, or maybe even take the “room” out of class . Lessons Learned Chris - to beat jet lag, get out and exhaust yourself for the first three days Daniel - Using Hootsuite to schedule posting of my tweets.  PubPDAsia. Dennis - Laser Cutting Rocks! Thanks Joel Klammer. Vince - Lego Serious Play Fun Fact(s) The original Dungeons and Dragons was released as a 3 book box set in  1974. Gary Gygax, one of the creators, claims the name was chosen by his two-year-old daughter Cindy — who, when presented with a number of choices of possible names, exclaimed, "Oh Daddy, I like Dungeons and Dragons best!"   Notes & Links We are joined today by Vince Siu co-founder of Press Start Hong Kong - a first-of-its-kind games consultancy with a mission to explore the world through games and to unlock the full potential of games as a platform for learning, innovation and inspiration.   For more info about what Vince is up to, go to http://www.pressstart.com.hk/