Cross-post from Sylvia Duckworth at the maplesyrupedu blogA couple of weeks ago, thanks to my friend Sandra Chow, I was invited to experience Google Expeditions at Lawrence Heights Middle School (TDSB) in Toronto. (Photo courtesy Julie Millan)My first thought as the day unfolded was that the hype about Google Expeditions is well-deserved: this is one amazing tool. Students and teachers alike were enthralled from the beginning of the day to the end. Led by Chris Zhu from Google, teachers were able to choose from a list of about 100 different expeditions to try out with their students and we were given a brief training on how to use the app prior to our sessions.The premise of the app is that you can take your students on virtual field trips around the world. The places we visited included: The Great Barrier Reef, The Moon, the Seven Wonders of the World, a rainforest in the Congo, and much more (in the rainforest, the students came face to face with a gorilla which provoked a lot of screams!)However, you DO need the Google Cardboard viewers and devices (smartphones) to insert into the viewers to experience virtual reality. Fortunately, the Google Expeditions leader supplies these for your students: Chris came with 60 viewers and devices for us to use, so we were able to rotate many classes during the entire day. Unfortunately, the Expeditions kit is not yet available to the public: Chris told us that it won’t be available until the end of the year. This means that the only way that you will get to experience the full Google Expeditions repertoire is if a Google rep comes to your school to demonstrate it. Many schools have applied but only a few get chosen.HOWEVER…. If you are going to the EdTechTeam Ontario GAFE Summit  on April 9/10 in Kitchener, you can experience Google Expeditions yourself! Yup, you read that right. Thanks to Google head office in Toronto, we have managed to secure a full kit of Google Expeditions (30 Android devices, 30 Google Cardboards, 1 teacher’s tablet) for the entire weekend. Sandra and I will be providing sessions all weekend long, allowing teachers a hands-on experience with the Expeditions app and Virtual Reality.If you can’t make it to Kitchener, however, we have put a mini-presentation together with links to many Virtual Reality apps you can explore right away (but no Google Expeditions). For more information, you can also read Holly Clark’s blog post  or Rolland Chidiac’s blogpost. In addition, Molly Schroeder has some great resources here, and Jim Sill’s resources are here.Below are some photos taken of Lawrence Heights Middle School and Joyce Public School students and staff: What a great group! Thanks Julie Millan and Sandra Chow for sharing the images:~Sylvia Duckworth

Thanks to the boom in eLearning resources, we no longer need to try to solve every eLearning challenge from scratch. There are hundreds of eLearning experts online who’ve been there, tried that, and even worn the t-shirt (we’re looking at you eLearning Brothers). In fact, there are so many potentially useful eLearning websites available that it can be hard to keep up, week to week and month to month. So we asked our own experts at LearnUpon to name the sites they check in with, no matter how busy their day is. Bookmark these tried and tested websites to give your eLearning an extra kick any time you need it.   Elucidat & their eLearning Superstars Who should read: Instructional Designers and course developers keen to speed up their processes Check in: Twice a week First up, Elucidat provide a HTML5 authoring tool that we like a lot at LearnUpon. The tool’s USP is also the inspiration behind many of Elucidat’s articles: how to create eLearning courses as quickly and efficiently as possible. While there are quite a few authoring tools that help create responsive courses, Elucidat is laser-focused on helping users to deliver projects an impressive 50% faster than usual. Most of Elucidat’s extremely practical content is written by Customer Success Director Steve Penfold, who’s passionate about making the lives of learning and training managers easier. Sign up for Elucidat’s weekly email to get practical tips for every phase of the eLearning planning and production process. And bonus points for Elucidat’s Elearning Superstars, a website that draws on the best eLearning examples from top companies like Virgin, Toyota, the BBC and Tesco to email three pieces of inspiration every Tuesday.   Craig Weiss Who should read: If you’re in the market for an LMS or have an active interest in the industry Check in: Once a week You can’t afford to miss Craig Weiss’s take on the LMS industry because no-one else does. His recent title win of most influential person in corporate eLearning for 2016 is just one of many similar accolades he’s been honored with. The strapline of Weiss’s influential E-Learning 24/7 blog - "the truth and realities of eLearning" - gives you an accurate idea of what to expect. With his blog now read in 154 countries, this eLearning analyst, consultant and adviser calls the LMS market as he sees it. And Weiss knows the international market better than most. You’re as likely to bump into him at a conference in Berlin as Boston. His post-conference wrap-ups are a highlight, especially his unique take on the facilities and refreshments details that really matter to attendees. You’ll soon need to keep up with Weiss offline too. His book, "a How To Guide for an LMS" will be published under ATD’s imprint. Full disclosure: LearnUpon was named Weiss’s best SMB LMS in the world for 2015.   Tin Can API Who should read: Course developers interested in the tech side of things Check in: When you’re working with Tin Can The ability of the Tin Can (xAPI) to handle all kinds of mobile learning has seen its popularity grow rapidly over the past few years. This entry on our list is the place to get to grips with it. Bookmark the website and check in when you need a little extra help with the course content format, from understanding how it works to actually writing code and other resources for eLearning developers. The easiest way to keep up with the movement is to sign up for their monthly newsletter, which delivers all kinds of useful info on the Tin Can API, from spec updates to dates for educational webinars. Bonus tip: read a guide by Lisa, one of our Senior Customer Support Reps, on how to publish to Tin Can API with Articulate Storyline 2. Recommended by CTO Des Anderson: Another good website for developers is the Rustici GitHub repos where you can download sample code for various projects related to TinCan.   Aurion Learning Who should read: Course developers with an eye for design Check in: Once a month Aurion Learning is home to all kinds of eLearning experts who use unusually creative techniques to help the company’s clients find a solution for L&D challenges. And keeping all of those experts around is very handy when you need to create guides for everything from course content to planning and strategy. We try to catch an Aurion masterclass whenever they’re in town to get a behind-the-scenes look at the most recent tips and tricks the extended team has tested. It also gives us a chance to catch up with eLearning friends and learn from Aurion’s masterful presentations. John Curran, Chairman of the eLearningNetwork kicked off the most recent session with a whistlestop tour of what’s happening now and what’s coming next in eLearning. Aurion’s SlideShare presentations are one of the best examples of how the team draws on deep internal expertise to showcase some of their most impressive projects.   eLearningIndustry.com Who should read: eLearning professionals and Instructional Designers who want to be part of the eLearning industry’s largest online community Check in: 2-3 times a week eLearning Industry has no less than 8 sites dedicated to all things eLearning. Their primary site, eLearningIndustry.com, features articles, free resources, information on upcoming eLearning events (both online and offline) and even has comprehensive directories for authoring tools, LMSs and content providers. With authors like Christopher Pappas, Jay Cross and Li Whybrow, the site features articles on every aspect of eLearning so there’s something for everyone. Everyone in eLearning should have this website in their bookmarks. And given their 90,000 followers on Twitter, everyone probably does! It’s worth subscribing to their newsletter to get all the top posts delivered straight to your inbox. Marketing Manager Caroline Lawless says: There’s an unreal amount of content on the site so it’s probably best choosing your area of interest from the drop-down menu in the Articles link. If you’re feeling really brave you may even consider publishing one of you own articles.   Jeff Cobb & Tagoras.com Who should read: If you want to deliver better eLearning for associations and professional bodies Check in: Once a week The eLearning needs of associations and professional bodies differ a lot from other organizations and as a result good resources can be tougher to track down. Jeff Cobb’s Tagoras website is essential if you’re on the hunt for an LMS that can really manage an association’s requirements. It’s worth subscribing to the RSS feed of the blog alone for the regular research and reviews Cobb publishes on association-specific news in the LMS market.   E-Learning Heroes and The Rapid E-Learning blog Who should read: Course developers in search of help and inspiration Check in: Twice a week These two eLearning websites are run by the team behind Articulate’s authoring software. If you use Articulate’s Storyline tool already, both websites are a must bookmark. If you don’t, you’ll still find lots here to help with course development and design. Community Manager David Anderson oversees E-Learning Heroes, the home of the Articulate community. The website is packed with crowd-sourced learnings that will inspire lots of new ideas and save hours of tricky production time. When you start to really feel at home, you might tackle a weekly e‑Learning challenge and test your skills against some fierce but friendly competitors. Tom Kuhlmann’s Rapid E-Learning website claims to be of the best instructional design blogs in the industry. Every week, Tom dishes up incredibly practical tutorials and templates that promise to turn us all into eLearning heroes.   Talented Learning Who should read: If you want to stay up-to-date with LMS industry news Check in: Once a week Have you been researching the international LMS market for 15 years? Well Talented Learning’s John Leh has and that’s reason enough to bookmark this website. After working in LMS sales for over 10 years, John put his knowledge to public use when he became lead learning technology analyst at Talented Learning. With a focus on enterprise and association learning, John’s research, reports and webinars are particularly useful if your LMS buying cycle is long and involved. But it’s also a great place to check for news, reviews and trends across the learning technology industry. Full disclosure: LearnUpon’s Caoimhín was named one of Talented Learning’s top 10 LMS demonstrators in the world in 2015.   Learning Solutions Magazine Who should read: Anyone who makes critical decisions about eLearning management and design Check in: Twice a week Learning Solutions Magazine is a handy place to catch up on what the main eLearning thought leaders have to say. Published by The eLearning Guild since 2002, it’s one of the industry’s oldest resources for practical information on everything from strategies, tools, technologies, to best practices for the management and design of eLearning. The quality of contributors alone is a reason to add Learning Solutions to your bookmarks. Hundreds of the industry’s biggest names tackle cutting-edge issues in what I’m guessing once was an actual magazine. Today it’s an all but encyclopedic online repository of all kinds of great content, including case studies, reviews, interviews, tips and news.   ATD Who should read: Talent development pros on the hunt for data-driven research Check in: 2-3 times a week If you’re really serious about professional development, you’re probably already a member of an association or professional body that works hard to keep your knowledge and certifications fresh. You might even already be a member of ATD, which prides itself on being the biggest association for professionals working in Talent Development. ATD do all the usual things you’d expect from an association that helps members to become eLearning experts. Their annual conference is a must-visit. It’s one of the biggest in the industry, as you might guess from their 30,000 Twitter followers. But the reason you really should check in with them is for their research, or what their email newsletter calls the "Science of Learning". Although you need to be a member to benefit from the full catalogue of resources, there’s still a lot of good stuff available to casual visitors through ATD’s Community of Practice.   TrainingZone Who should read: Training Managers and Training Developers will get the most from this one Check in: Twice a week Our favorite area of TrainingZone is the Community, which is updated almost daily with thought-provoking questions and innovative ideas. Having recently updated the website with a bold new design, it’s all change at TrainingZone. The team is also set to launch their own podcast in early 2016. TrainingZone’s Twitter account already boasts 10,000 followers and is the best way to keep up with the extensive original and curated content the team pushes every day.   Patti Shank Who should read: Readers keen to improve how their organization does learning Check in: Once a fortnight Patti Shank’s PhD is only the first sign that she takes learning very seriously. An expert in instructional design and technology, AND organizational learning, Patti’s analytical posts go deep and wide, covering very different topics with equally impressive expertise. So it’s no surprise that Patti regularly features on annual top 10 eLearning movers and shakers lists. Once a Research Director of The eLearning Guild, Patti draws on her knowledge to show readers how their learning environments could work better. You’ll find Patti’s content on a number of websites already mentioned here, including ATD’s Science of Learning blog and Learning Solutions Magazine. The best place to (try to) keep up with her is on Twitter, where she regularly moderates the #chat2lrn tweetchat. You’ll also catch Patti on LinkedIn Pulse, where she publishes and curates her top eLearning content.   eLearning Brothers Who should read: Designers who can’t get enough Adobe Captivate and Articulate Storyline templates Check in: Twice a week You’ll know the eLearning Brothers as soon as you see them. In the sea of shirts and dresses at any given eLearning conference, you’ll spot a bunch of high-energy guys and gals in bright orange t-shirts, probably holding megaphones and distributing goodies to excited fans. You’ll see from the company’s backstory that these real-life brothers do things a little bit differently. That includes their content which is anything but boring. Lucky for course designers and developers, the eLearning Brothers are also on a mission: to build the world’s largest library of templates for online training programs. Customers pay an annual membership fee to access over 25,000 eLearning templates, including quizzes, interactions, layouts, and much more. There’s also plenty of free inspiration to help visitors avoid boring learners with dull course content.   eLearningCoach Who should read: Smart designers who are serious about designing great learning experiences Check in: Once a fortnight Instructional Designer and eLearning Specialist Connie Malamed is probably better known as the eLearning Coach. An early adopter of innovative formats, Connie has already developed both an app for iPhone and Android and a podcast. The eLearning Coach podcast interviews authors and experts with interesting things to say about creating and delivering courses today. Connie even has an interesting take on the blog format, describing it as a "blogazine" in typically trailblazing style. This website’s also a must-bookmark for designers in search of excellent resources on subjects like storyboarding, testing and UI/UX.   David Kelly Who should read: eLearning pros disappointed they can’t make that unmissable conference Check in: Before and after eLearning events Although David’s background is as a Training, Learning, and Performance Consultant, he’s also an eLearning Twitter pioneer. A frequent speaker at heavyweight industry events like Learning Solutions and DevLearn, one of David’s big ideas is "backchannel learning." Because you can’t make it to every conference, avoid FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) with David’s curated lists of conference and chat resources. It’s the next best thing to being there and definitely worth a bookmark.   Bonus tip: our blog! Sign up for the best in eLearning and the latest news from our LMS.   Want to read more? Sign up to get our latest posts! The post 15 eLearning websites everyone should bookmark appeared first on LearnUpon.

Last week (11th-15th Jan), I had the opportunity to engage in the ‘open magic box’ that is Bring Your Own Device For Learning or #BYOD4L on social media. I had taken part in 2015, but this year I also volunteered as a community mentor and helped facilitate a tweetchat. BYOD4L is a fantastic community that spans the global education sector and focuses on the use of mobile/smart devices in learning and teaching. It runs over a week and participants have the opportunity to engage through a variety of online communities; Google+, Facebook and Twitter and at a time and place appropriate to them (often people are in different timezones).Each of the 5 days has a theme from the ‘5 Cs’; Connecting, Communicating, Curating Collaborating and  Creating and participants are encouraged to engage with various learning and teaching scenarios that relate to the theme and the potential use of mobile technologies. I posted thoughts on these themes in 2015 and submitted them as part of a portfolio to gain accreditation through digital badges that signify the skills that I have developed. For the 2016 iteration of the course, I’m now collating evidence to support an application for the mentoring badge.Part of the mentoring process involved responding to, as well as instigating conversations within online spaces, which for me are on Google+ and Twitter. I also co-facilitated Tuesday’s #BYOD4Lchat on Communicating which ran from 8-9pm. It was great to connect with so many other educators interested in the use of technology to support learning and a storify of the conversation was made available for reference and for those that couldn’t join us at that time.It was a great experience to connect with colleagues across the sector and I’d recommend others to get involved in the next run. Contact the team to discuss opportunities for using mobile devices in learning and teaching.

Hace un par de semanas me contactaron desde la web de Educacontic del Ministerio de Educación para ofrecerme escribir un artículo sobre STEM. Éste es el resultado:http://www.educacontic.es/blog/stem-por-que-ensenar-programacion-en-la-escuela-i-andonisanzhttp://www.educacontic.es/blog/stem-por-que-ensenar-programacion-en-la-escuela-ii-andonisanzhttp://www.educacontic.es/blog/stem-por-que-ensenar-programacion-en-la-escuela-iii-andonisanz

Next week I'll be giving a presentation in Durango at the Basque Country's Public School Digital Conference.Enrolling is free, and you can meet me on the 28th at 12:30pm. See you there!http://eskoladigitala.euskaleskolapublikoa.eus/

Toward the beginning of last week, I was FINALLY able to start reading EXPlore Like a Pirate in the hopes of vamping up my gamification … well … game in my classroom. First impressions? Do you ever open a book, novel or other, and think, "wow, this is going to[Read more] The post Thoughts on EXPlore Like a Pirate and Gamification in the Classroom appeared first on Teaching with Technology.

It’s that time of the year again. Learning Technologies, the largest European gathering of L&D professionals, is upon us. As we’ll be attending both days in full force (03-04 February 2016 | Olympia, London), here comes a brief summary of what to expect from the show.

Note: the following is a guest post by Shanthi Cumaraswamy Streat… As online teachers, you are already used to the online world and all that it entails. So, the world of blogging is not going to necessarily be alien to you. Some of you may already be edubloggers, while some of you may be contemplating […] The post How To Get New Students through Blogging appeared first on Teaching ESL Online.

Just as we were about to rip December 2015 from the wall and greet the new year, I saw an article and accompanying video in the New York Times called "The Wisdom of the Aged,"  which contained advice on leading a good life by those over 85. It occurred to me that many of the lessons had applications in the business world. Let us know what these thoughts do to stimulate your own thinking as we set sail into 2016. The quotes are from the article, the paragraphs are mine.   "Stay engaged."  The more we allow ourselves to be "fully present" and engaged at work, the more likely we are to make our best contribution and have our best experience of work. When we "phone it in," or are distant, or barely present at all, there’s very little we can expect that will be rewarding and satisfying.   "Try to be happy."  Are you a glass-half-empty or glass-half-full kind of person? Wherever you are on the continuum, see what you can do to slide yourself toward the end of optimism. Remember: focusing on the negative begins a downward spiral and focusing on the positive tends to lift us up.   "Have a curious mind."  I think not only does curiosity keep us youthful in spirit, it also expands our horizons and allows us to "jump across" silos in the workplace. Express your curiosity with frequency. "Tell me more" is a great way to continue — and deepen — a conversation. As deep and probing questions, to build relationships and solve problems. There’s a Stephen R. Covey quote I like connected to this notion, "Seek first to understand, then to be understood."   "Find pleasure and reward in doing for others." Yes, I know, we all have more to do than we think we can possibly do on our own "to do" lists. Please meet your deadlines and deliverables; do what you say you will do (perhaps the most basic foundation on which trust is built). AND . . . if time allows and the desire to build relationships grows, see how you can be helpful to others. This might take the form of "just listening" or offering some informal coaching or actually sharing someone’s load to free them of some stress in the completion of a task.   "Don’t give in or give up."  Sometimes work can feel overwhelming. To the degree possible, see if you can "hang in there" with it. Don’t sabotage yourself with negative thinking. ("I can’t do this."  "I’m not smart/creative/competent enough."  "Why do I even try?" etc.) Instead, take that proverbial deep breath, take a short walk or move away from your computer and stretch that body to get some blood flowing. After, take another approach to what’s at hand. Ask for help if you need it and exercise that "stick-to-it-ive-ness" muscle, perhaps approaching the current dilemma from a different approach or perspective.   "Don’t waste time on anger or worry."  Things are not always fair and just and sometimes, we’re completely entitled to be angry. If you notice a great deal of energy is expended on being angry, see what you can do to turn that around. Can you reasonably work to change something in the system that’s creating this anger? Can you "let it go" and use that energy directed in another way? Similarly, imagine the time we’d save if we relinquished worry! There are some things we just can’t control - they’ll either happen or not.  Worrying about those things doesn’t help much. And for the things that are in our control, perhaps that expenditure of energy spent on worrying could be better applied to preparation or influencing or solving a problem.   "Accept the mixture of happiness and sadness."  Think about its meaning in your own life, right now, whatever age you are. Can we, indeed, accept the ebb and flow of happiness and sadness, or the paradoxical experience of them being present in our life simultaneously? Can we accept what is, as it is? Yes, of course, we’ll have goals and ambitions and ways in which we want to grow and stretch and develop, and be challenged and rewarded . . . and even be happier than we are now. Offer appreciation and gratitude for things as they are in their complicated mix. Name them as "trying." Accept the ebb.   What life wisdom do you apply at work? What New Year’s resolutions do you hope to apply in 2016?   The post Applying Life Wisdom from Our Elders in the Workplace appeared first on Ariel Group.        Related StoriesWhy Biases Ruin the WorkplaceVirtual Conflict: Your Focus Determines Your OutcomeFlying Unfriendly Skies: 6 Ways to Manage Change 

Acquisitions. Mergers. Turnover. New technology systems and software. Economic shifts. Operational redesigns. New hires. In today’s workplace, change is no longer seen as three to six months of turbulence. Instead, the uncertainty can last for much longer, even years. In the midst of that uncertainty, teams tread water and attempt to keep legacy projects afloat. All the while, it would seem that they are - to borrow a popular phrase - "rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic." While some remain engaged, many adopt a "wait and see" stance - and you lose time and productivity in the duration. You can imagine that adding "something new to learn" isn’t always met with the greatest enthusiasm when employees are worried that their projects, department or job may not exist after the transition is complete. So, how can leaders: Maintain composure and empower their employees during a transition phase that seems to have no end in sight? Reassure their staff that despite the turmoil, our strategy and mission remains clear? Get employees to embrace change and add new skills to tweak the way they perform? The simple answer? By having presence. Let me indulge you in a story. I’m on an "adventure vacation," helping my best friend Pam celebrate her 40th birthday. Keep in mind, I am not an adventure traveler. Yet, I find myself standing in the middle of the hot, oppressively humid Costa Rican rainforest. We’ve been walking for almost an hour under a verdant canopy of vines and dense foliage. Orchid flowers dripping from trees. Toucans nesting in branches. Under the hardhat I’m wearing, sweat is dripping down my brow. At the same time, a harness chafes uncomfortably against my legs. You see, Pam has decided that to celebrate her birthday, she wants all of us to go zip lining. I find myself thinking that if I could have found my way back to the base lodge through this jungle, I would have bailed by now. Sebastian, our local guide, leads us to the first platform. He methodically goes through the instructions. I don’t hear a thing. I’m too paralyzed with fear to take in his words. When he finishes the demonstration he turns to the group and asks, "Who here is most afraid?" Pam reaches over and raises my hand. "Come, come up to the platform," Sebastian says. "What is your name?" I can’t speak. My tongue is glued to the top of my mouth. I am so nervous my knees are actually knocking together. I know he can see the terror in my eyes. "Did you hear my instructions?" His voice is calm and steady. I shake my head, no. He repeats patiently, "I’m going to clip you to the line. All you need to do is hold on here. Scrunch your legs up tight. And, most importantly, keep your eyes open!" I shake my head "No, Sebastian, I’m not ready to…" He pushes me off the platform. I can feel the wind whipping against my face…I am holding tight to the line…I scrunch up my knees…finally, I remember…open your eyes. Oh, my lord! It is MAGNIFICENT! I am zipping along suspended by a thread over a lush, rainforest valley. Then, before I can fully take in the majesty of the world under me — BAM! — I am on the other side. Sebastian’s assistant grabs the line and my feet are firmly planted on the next platform. We can all learn much from Sebastian about leading change. His instincts about how to get folks to jump into the abyss were spot on. Here’s what he did right: The EQ Check-In "Who here is most afraid?" With those words, Sebastian acknowledged that he knew he was asking us to take a huge leap into the unknown, and that we might have feelings about that risk. You’ve got to address the 800-lb. gorilla in the room - or the gaping abyss in the rainforest. Taking a moment to pause, check in, and see how folks are feeling in the face of change is key. Often the biggest thing getting in the way of transforming your organization is unspoken or unacknowledged feelings. Be patient. Stick to your message. Repeat. Sebastian must have gone through these zip line instructions a bazillion times. But he still had the energy to patiently and methodically repeat his message to ensure that I got it. As leaders we often tire of our own change message before our people on the frontline really get it. But we can’t give up. Don’t be afraid to push! When all else fails you may have to give your employees a nudge off the platform.  But before you do - don’t forget to remind them to keep their eyes open. They may even enjoy the ride!   What about you? How do you use your presence to help employees through a difficult transition that seems to never end? Tell us in the comments below. The post Presence in the Face of Change Management appeared first on Ariel Group.        Related StoriesApplying Life Wisdom from Our Elders in the WorkplaceFrom the Director’s Playbook: Endorse, Endorse, EndorseWhy Biases Ruin the Workplace