Hello everyone!I apologize for not getting any new podcast out in a little while. I have been extremely busy wrapping up a few projects and finishing up the Fall semester. But don't fret, I have 3 or 4 new interviews on there way with better audio quality and hopefully full transcriptions as well.One of the projects I had the pleasure to be apart of was a podcast for SHAPE America on adapted physical education. It was a lot of fun and I wanted to share with you episode one of the three part episode.Click here to get the episode:)

The new National Education Technology Plan was launched today. Having worked on the 2000 version of the plan, I was anxious to read the document entitled "Future Ready Learning: Reimagining the Role of Technology in Education". The #NETP16 provides a current look at successful technology practices in schools across the country and includes five major categories -- learning, teaching, leadership, assessment, and infrastructure. There were no real surprises for me in the document, and I know of many schools who have already met many of the goals and recommendations outlined in the document.  However, for those schools and districts who are still working on embedding technology more meaningfully into teaching, learning, and leadership, the NETP includes short vignettes that can help continue the conversation around technology in their schools. And, with a robust bibliography of resources and people consulted for these overviews, the NETP will allow those who are in the planning stage to contact the subjects of the vignettes and ask questions (or read their blog) to find out more about the steps they took to move ahead in this area. The NETP document is arranged in a fashion that make it easy for all members of the education community to understand what the current best practices are in the use of technology to support teaching and learning. Higher education faculty can use the NETP to plan their instruction for pre-service teachers. Pre-service teachers can use ideas from one of the vignettes and conduct an action research project. School and district leaders can use the NETP to help board members, parents, and community members to better understand what works in today's classroom. Teachers can take each chapter of the NETP and turn it into a PLC to discuss what is best for their school, grade level, and classroom. There were a few items that jumped out at me, probably because they were ideas and thoughts that I am passionate about. The first was a new phrase to me-- "the digital use divide". The student use of technology for creation rather than consumption is something that is near and dear to my heart, and that is what this phrase is all about.  The second was found in the chapter on assessment. The overview of next generation digital assessments becoming more project-based and meaningful for the student is exciting! With more powerful back-end hardware and software and robust infrastructure in schools, I believe the time is finally here that this will become a reality.  School districts should consider combining the study of The National Education Technology Plan 2016 and the New Media Consortium's K-12 Horizon Report, which provides a five-year out look into innovations in technology that can impact teaching and learning. By combining best practices with exciting new ideas, I believe the use of technology in the classroom to support teaching and learning in a meaningful and innovative way will become the norm and and help our students get ready for whatever awaits them in the future!   Visit Kathy's Web pages: Kathy Schrock's Home Page Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything

So as promised, let's talk about the benefits of how fitness and health relate to students’ academic performance and student persistence. We've captured data through wearable technologies!  Here's how:Research supports a direct correlation with fitness and improved grades (see results from Purdue University: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijWW8kgXDD0). Therefore, we hypothesized that if students could monitor their health with wearable technologies, they might just improve their health and increase student persistence in the classroom also. We began by having interested teachers explore various wearable technologies. The winner was the Flex Fitbit due to cost and functionality. We secured grant funding adding: "Innovative technology to support physical activity to promote increased retention and completion" to the budget.Teachers experimented with their usage and were immediately excited about the possibilities. We introduced the concept to students during their regular orientation.  Those who were interested and applied became part of our pilot group of students. An orientation and weekly checkpoints discussing the tips of the trade and the science involved in fitness kept the buzz going.  Students impressively shared unexpected results of how they were drinking more water and monitoring their rest along with walking and exercising more to achieve their health and wellness goals. Specific results reported students having to say this about their experience:"It helped me realize how inactive I was and that I need to do more exercise." "I learned that science is improving our daily lives,and that we as a society will live longer and healthier if we maintain common sense also run,walk, sleep, and eat healthy."But, the learning didn't stop when they left the classroom.  In fact, they shared it with their families, friends, and classmates. Nine out of the original 11 (91%) completed until the end of term.  To date, seven of the current students completed the survey attesting to the following.  One graduated and is working on enrolling into college level courses.  Two passed some parts of the GED® exam with a few others scheduled to take the exam now.Want to see more?  Take a look.  Make certain to scroll to the bottom to see our shining stars!  https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1uDnSNEixfH7lHFjHBGGDwn2KeKKd5MsWtIPKbtfPUuo/present#slide=id.p4

Greetings! Here are some of the recent additions to my Edtech Archive; a curated repository of over 7000 free educational web resources. 20150407 - 20150408 software,  3D_printing, autoCAD, modelling, software: Autodesk 123D Design - a collection of free, shallow learning curve apps for 2D and 3D modelling; physics, astronautics, training, space, NASA: Project PoSSUM - Polar Suborbital Science […] The post Additions to the Edtech Archive 42 appeared first on Many Pebbles, One Pond: The EdTech Archive.

Greetings! Here are some of the recent additions to my Edtech Archive; a curated repository of over 7000 free educational web resources. 20150408-20150417 energy, mapping, maps, interactive, energy consumption: Community Energy Explorer - This website provides a set of tools for exploring community energy. The left menu and buttons below will show you some tools for investigating […] The post Additions to the Edtech Archive 43 appeared first on Many Pebbles, One Pond: The EdTech Archive.

The following is a guest post by Chris Rush. He is a fellow online teacher and TEOC member. Take it away, Chris… When I first started teaching online, I was bursting with excitement.  I was ready to build a website, create a business, and make a huge difference in the world, all by working from […] The post Five Ways to Use LinkedIn to Get New Students for Your Tutoring Business appeared first on Teaching ESL Online.

In the very fast-paced and competitive world of sales and marketing, it can be tricky to find solid footing. It can be even trickier to make sure you stand out from your competitors.Which brings us to our main point: You need to find new ways to connect with prospects and customers. Don’t stress about it, just pick up the phone to connect! That’s the great advice of Stacey Engle, Vice President of Marketing for Fierce, who recently explained why talking can prove to be better than texting.Tell me about your business and the solutions it offers customers?Fierce is a global leadership training company that transforms the way companies communicate and connect with their employees and customers. We partner with our clients to build conversational skills that create more candor, engagement, and accountability. Our vision is to better the world one conversation at a time. Fierce Conversations change the way we connect with each other, they alter our perceptions of what it means to lead, and they become the behavior that propels individuals and teams toward success. We facilitate workshops inside of companies both in person and virtually, as well as train facilitators to use our content. We are translated into 12 different languages and work globally in organizations, from Fortune 50 to start-ups to nonprofits.What are some challenges you are facing at this time and what are you doing to overcome those hurdles?One challenge that we are focusing on is a better way to connect with all of our Fierce Facilitators around the world. They are our champions inside of organizations, and we value each and every one of them. Next year, we are continuing to develop our Salesforce Community portal called MyFierce.What’s the best advice you’ve ever received and why?Always be truthful. I think this is the best advice, because it relates to all facets of life and business. First and foremost, it is important to be truthful with yourself. Asking "what am I pretending not to know? Why am I assuming this about x or y or he or she?" Always seeking that truth. Only when you are grounded in your truth can you really help move the needles for others. And secondly, it is relevant to be truthful with business and marketing. It sounds so simple, yet so many people find the reasons why they shouldn’t or don’t have to. Share your realities, share what you are learning, share your truth. Don’t lie and pretend to know something you don’t. Don’t compromise what others can handle. It is a surefire way to erode success — both internally and externally.What’s the worst business advice you’ve received and why?When I was young in my career, I stayed with a company for four years. At about year two I was told, "You need to bounce around and experience new things. It is a mistake to stay — you will stagnate." I think that is very short-sighted. In today’s fast-paced, always-changing world, it can be tempting to move from one problem to another, or one company to another, but it is so valuable to get a deeper understanding and perspective that sometimes only comes with time. I think that is relevant for so many marketing challenges, especially when looking at business impact. You have to be interested in short and long-term results. If you’re dedicated, you want to learn more.What are three tips for companies that are looking to connect with their prospects?Be authentic. Our work is all about being real and showing up as yourself. Use your real face. It is important to be with integrity with what you do and sell. People on the other end of the conversation — in person, behind the screen, or on the phone — will be able to tell.Do your thing. It can be tempting to always try new things — it is required for sales and marketing teams. And yet, it is important to continue to do what you know uniquely works for your company. That thing that only you can do. Our Fierce customers still appreciate how our relationships started with personal notes and invitations. It is powerful to build relationships like that.Pick up the phone. Being a conversations company, I am a big proponent of picking up the phone. People crave connection in the workplace these days, and according to recent research, more people text than call now. Be different. Pick up the phone — it works.What’s the story behind your company name?Fierce, Inc. was founded after Susan Scott published Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work & in Life One Conversation at a Time. When she originally wrote the book, the publisher wanted her to change the word from "Fierce" to "Powerful." However, she refused. Fierce, with its name, was meant to make a splash and a statement.What is your company’s superpower and why?Superhuman strength. Having fierce conversations is not easy. It takes a lot of courage and strength to express how you feel and say what you mean. Superhuman strength allows you to do the things you think you can’t. Great conversations unlock that power.by Erin Sherbert, Content Marketing Manager, SalesforceView the full article here.The post A Fierce Chat with Salesforce: Tips for Engaging with Prospects in the Age of Over-Connectivity appeared first on Fierce, Inc..

This week’s Fierce resource was originally published on Harvard Business Review and explores how to not only engage but also inspire your employees.Recent studies by Bain & Company found that inspired employees are 125% more productive than satisfied employees and 56% more productive than engaged employees.So I ask: How do we take employees from satisfied to truly inspired?It starts by looking at the top. Managers and leaders are often the ones who decide where an organization’s resources and efforts get invested. Too often they focus solely on monetary incentives, which can lead to a purely transactional relationship. According to the article Engaging Your Employees is Good, but Don’t Stop There, real inspiration starts by connecting your team’s or the individuals’ mission to the company’s overall purpose.Are you meeting each individual’s pyramid of needs?"The foundational elements—call them employee satisfaction—are fundamentals such as having a safe work environment and the tools necessary to do the job. Abraham Maslow taught us that we can’t concern ourselves with higher goals until we have the necessities of life, including security. So it is in the workplace: first things first.Read the article.The post Fierce Resource: Engaging Your Employees is Good, but Don’t Stop There appeared first on Fierce, Inc..

 You've likely seen this great video about the importance of the First Follower, popularized by Ted Talks.  In the book The Righteous Mind, Jonathan Haidt shares this quote: "...focusing on leadership alone is like trying to understand clapping  by studying only the left hand." He claims that the correct question is not why people want to lead, but why people want to follow. Haidt says that people will follow leaders who:Establish credibility to the followers around why he or she is the leaderWill be fair and just, and avoid playing favoritesMost importantly, make a convincing argument that there can only be one leader (him or her)How much time do you fake leadership? How much time do you actually spend leading? Is your investment appropriate or lacking? We must prioritize the time and energy to make the team feel like a family, with shared values but differences that create 'a whole brain'. Everyone eating at their desk alone is not driving trust and teamwork. Things like celebrating birthdays, project success or here in Indy, an afternoon at the Indy 500 practice have long been eliminated  to focus on real work. Leadership is real work. 'Not leading' is faking it.  When I updated our ATD Leadership Training book early in 2015, I revisited our approach to  leadership programs. I don't believe you can teach leadership, although I used to fake it by thinking we could. I do believe that we can provoke leadership, helping each individual connect with others in the room to build the leader building blocks specifically for their  situation and passion. Our two-day leadership simulation is a great example of provoking leadership growth. We're happy to run the simulation for you (bhelt@russellmartin.com), or you can use this book to do it yourself.  ​

Elearning Superstars is a curated list of inspiring elearning examples, published every Tuesday. Subscribe to get weekly updates via email. Tesco: Dynamic board game teaches people the knowledge and skills for handling fire safety issues Why we like it: Demonstrates a range of gaming features such as bonus cards, beat the clock and points board. Easy to consume with the content broken up into 10 mini games. Scenario driven, addressing 10 key core behaviours complying with fire safety regulations. The game should take around one hour to complete fully, with learners achieving a gold, silver or bronze medal for each mini-game. Once a mini-game has been completed, learners will be delivered with end of game feedback. The game engine is adaptable, so different content can be built on it. Runs well on mobile devices and desktops. Visit elearning: Tesco’s compliance training board game Barclays: Digital Driving Licence is an accredited training program for workforce development Why we like it: Demonstrates a strong partnership model and blended learning. Uses open badges as well as formal accreditation can be used to verify learners’ achievements (a model that offers endorsement as well as accreditation). Offers some gaming devices to make the learning fun - e.g. the use of leaderboards to compare your scores with others on the program. Designed to be "mobile first" (although it works equally well on a desktop). Visit elearning: Barclays’ Digital Driving Licence Channel 4: Learning To Take Risks is an award winning elearning program Why we like it: Successfully links the "important but dull" messages of compliance to the aspirational goals of taking risks and pushing boundaries. Builds competence, not just compliance by focussing less on knowledge and more on actions. Captures and reflects client culture and brand by using bold images from well-known broadcast output. Uses audio voice-over narration provided by the familiar and popular voice of Channel 4 continuity announcer Corie Brown. Draws on authentic scenarios with video-based ‘mini documentaries’ and dynamic scrolling stories Highly visual learning experience, with minimal text on screen, a simple interface, and contemporary touch-screen design styles. The end result was an attractive and engaging blend of text, graphics, audio and video. Visit elearning: Channel 4’s Learning To Take Risks 3 inspiring elearning examples from Tesco, Barclays and Channel 4Click To Tweet The post 3 inspiring elearning examples from Tesco, Barclays and Channel 4 appeared first on Elucidat Blog.