Storytelling for the YouTube Generation: The remixed culture

During the technology update portion for our district's opening day, I spoke with staff about viewing YouTube as a genre.  This genre is viral short-form film and is embedded in the lives of each and everyone one of our YouTube generation students.  Here are a few strategies and examples as discussed during the presentation that...

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#D68learns: Opening Day 2014!

Welcome back to a brand new school year! Here are a few materials we will be utilizing during our Opening Day session: Link to presentation slides - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Padlet Story Starters Learn more about...

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District 68 Twitter Talks

I had the incredible opportunity to spend an hour after school with the staff of Murphy Elementary School yesterday to talk about the benefits of using Twitter.  As I shared the benefits for using this incredible tech tool, it wasn't so much about "how" to use Twitter as opposed to "why" educators use it.  The presentation revolved...

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Blubbr.tv: The edu-version of Scene It!

Growing up, I used to love to play the game Scene It with my friends and family.  It would usually be the common staple to bringing together my family with our family friends on a Saturday night back when I was in high school.  In fact, it became so common place that my dog would charge to the TV screen when the film reel sound...

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Infusing High & Low Tech Strategies with Student Reflection and Feedback

In my previous post I discussed the beginning portion of my workshop with 2nd year teachers in our district (see the Tech Timeline post).  Here's a copy of the slides I put together via Haiku Deck (and then later hosted and tweaked on Google Presentation) on design thinking to help promote metacognition.  The ideas presented...

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From fire to Google Glass: a technology timeline

I was privileged to spend an hour after school with a group of 2nd year teachers in our district to talk to them about strategies to promote metacognition via the design thinking model.  Before we got into the nitty-gritty of it all, we had a conversation around what the word technology really means and how a new perspective...

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My Brain on #ICE14

I've been at the 2014 ICE conference for the last three days... yeah, it's my first time here. I can seriously say that my brain has caught on fire at ICE.  I've had the privilege to surround myself with brilliant Illinois educators and listen to my techie, passionate, guru mentors delve deep into what it truly means to engage the...

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