Ah, the final day of the conference... well, for me anyway. I had to leave a day early unfortunately, but at least I was able to keep up with some of the sessions I missed via other attendees and their livetweeting. All hail Twitter, allower of distance conference attendance!1) Keynote: General Stan McChrystalTying in to the conference theme of change, McChrystal talked about the vital need to adapt. As an example, he pointed to a famous plane crash that happened despite great flying conditions, a functional airplane, lots of safety equipment, and a competent crew.This seems like the least likely set up for a tragic plane crash story, and yet the crash happened anyway. Why, you might ask? Because of a combination of too many new and complex safety features (which caused confusion) and insufficient crew communication skills (which made the confusion even worse). Things changed with how the plane functioned and how the crew needed to work together, the crew hadn't adapted to this change, and a sad, but likely preventable, crash happened as a result.So what does this mean to us? The rate of change has accelerated, which makes it hard for us to keep up, but all the more important for us to learn how to adapt to. Unfortunately, we have an adaptability gap... a big difference between how much we're currently adapting and how much we actually need to adapt. But McChrystal says there are three key ways to learn to bridge that gap, so we can learn to adapt at the speed life is actually moving and learn from the experience.The first part of this bridge is avoiding predictive hubris. Predictive hubris is the feeling that you can always use the same rules over and over to predict what's going to happen. In the rapidly changing world McChrystal described, though, often the rules we think we know can suddenly get shifted, or even thrown out the window entirely. What we need to do is give people the ability to quickly move with this change and figure out what the new rules of the game are, all without having to depend on someone else to tell them what do do.In the case of the air crash I mentioned earlier, after it happened airlines realized they needed to become more adaptable. To do this, crews were trained on adaptability, situational awareness, and flexibility so they could become better at dealing with unexpected situations. And do you know what happened as a result? Airline safety skyrocketed.The second part is shared consciousness. Sure, rapid change is tricky, but if you build bonds of trust and common purpose in your teams, that shared pool of knowledge can do amazing things and adapt quickly. That trust and knowledge can make it easier to understand how each person in the team needs to react when change happens, which makes it smoother and faster for the overall team to change.The final piece is empowered execution. Teams where people feel micromanaged and/or unable to affect change end up being unable to adapt effectively. Empowering execution gives people the ability to do things themselves and to take ownership of their work. That means they'll be more likely to directly point out (and even fix) issues they see and be emotionally invested in the work, both of which lead to better results.2) Build Your Company Tribe: Engaging Employees Through Online CollaborationSpeaker: Andi CampbellThis session was a case study on how LAZ Parking, a company that specializes in parking lots, leveraged an internal social network for training and collaboration.LAZ Parking wanted to encourage employees to collaborate and feel connected to each other. That said, with 7800 employees working at 1900 locations across 24 states, sharing between employees was more than a bit tricky. Sure, in-person collaboration was limited, but LAZ Parking realized that there was another option: an internal social network.In doing some initial analysis of this idea, LAZ Parking realized they had not one, but two ideal target markets for a social network: all employees (for general sharing) and participants in their management training program (for more specialized sharing). And so, rather than try and make one social network try and be all things to all people, they instead set up two separate networks: one for each target audience.Here's a peek at one of the social sites they createdBoth networks functioned relatively the same way. Like a simplified Facebook, they showed posts in a reverse chronological order, and let people share status updates, photos, and other user-created content. The company-wide site focused on sharing community-building content, like team photos and events. The site for the manager training program, on the other hand, focused more on tying in to course assignments and discussions, allowing users to learn from each other. What was great is that because LAZ Parking smartly made two different social networks, neither one got diluted. Both were able to focus on their core goals, which helped them resonate with the people who used them.So, overall both sites were considered to be successes. But LAZ Parking is the first to say that social networks like this aren't a one-size-fits-all tool. They attributed much of their success to their company culture. They already had a positive work culture with a lot of trust, which made it much easier to get people to feel comfortable sharing with each other. I can't imagine this would have worked nearly as well in a toxic work environment. They also took their learners and corporate culture into account when designing how their social networks would function. A different audience might require a very different set up in order to work well in that workplace.3) Sweet Caroline! A Super Set List for Sensational Learning Sessions!Speaker: Rick LozanoSo this was my last session of the conference and, with its high-energy and practical message, it was quite possibly the perfect way to end my time at ASTD ICE.Like the stand up comedy session I saw the day before, this was another session that talked about what we in L&D can learn from another set of professionals. In this case, the title tells you all you need to know about what other career we'd be learning from: professional musicians. Here are the main points of the session, in handy dandy photo format!I *could* recap his main points, but this is even better: the recap Lozano made himself.While I quite enjoyed the entire session, there was one point Lozano made that really stuck with me: that it's so important to find ways to connect the things we're passionate about outside of L&D to the work we do inside of L&D. Sure, it would have been easy for Lozano to keep his music life separate from his work life. I mean, it's not immediately apparent how they connect and that's definitely the approach many people take to their work life and their personal life. But no, he made the intuitive leap that helped him see how the skills he built as a musician and performer could actually complement and enhance his abilities as a trainer and facilitator. When you can find ways to leverage one skill to improve another, that makes your work stronger. But when you can also find ways to combine two things that you love, and to not have to live as though your passions are completely separate, that does even more. It means you don't have to pretend that your life is segmented off into completely unconnected portions, and you can instead work in a way that's authentic to everything you care about. That's some pretty powerful stuff when it comes to helping you feel excited about the work you do everyday.Sure, not everyone is a professional musician, so we're not all going to pull our inspiration from our work onstage, but we all have things we care about outside of work that, when you do a bit of digging, can actually connect to our work in L&D. Maybe you're passionate about coaching your kid's sports team, and you leverage that to help you lead projects at work. Perhaps you enjoy scrapbooking, so you use the layout skills you learned from that to create beautiful and effective PowerPoint presentations and class materials. Maybe you're like me and you've found a way to turn your nerdy love of gadgets and software into a role where you show others the ways tech can help make training more effective. Where ever your passions are, find a way to tap into them to fuel your work and your passion about that work.And with that came the end to my time at ASTD ICE. I was sad to have missed the last day of the conference, but at least I got to see the Twitter backchannel coverage of the rebranding announcement while I waited at the airport for my flight home. My thoughts on that? Well, other people have covered it with more historical perspective than I ever could (I quite liked David Kelly's take on it) but I will say this: this early on there's no way to really know what the what the long-term ramifications of the change will be. I, for one, am definitely interested in seeing what comes of it.

So the other week an article started making it's way around Twitter that listed out all the reasons people shouldn't live tweet during presentations. If you haven't already seen it, go check out this link. It's a short read and I'll be here when you get back.Now, obviously I'm someone who's pretty invested in livetweeting events, but I decided to go in to the article with an open mind anyway because there's always room to revise your thoughts about something, right? But the more I read of it, the more I felt like it was written entirely from the perspective of someone who just didn't understand the mindset of the average livetweeter I've met. I felt the author's heart was in the right place, but the experience of livetweeting was so alien to him that he ended up misinterpreting people's intentions.It's not about wanting to prove we're smart, or having a distraction, or feeling disengaged with the speaker. It's something else entirely, and something I think has real value, both for those of us who tweet and the people in our online community. And so, I thought it might be worth the time to sum up some of the reasons people like me live tweet.If you get the hang of it, it can lead to some of the very best notes you've ever takenNo matter how fascinating a talk is, there's no way an audience member can remember every detail from a talk. This is why most of us took notes in school... so we could review and remember the main points later. This is also why a lot of us livetweet. It's notes you can review later, only they happen to be shareable notes that others can view almost immediately after you write them down. Also, because you're often writing notes for an audience who isn't there (more on that in a bit) it means that you have to take exceptionally good notes so they'll understand what's going on. It actually trains you to make more precise notes than you'd have made if they were just for you.Sure, I know that when I livetweet I'm taking a bit of a hit to my attention by trying to do two things at once, but I more than make up for it in reviewing my tweets later. In fact, I find that I have a much better time retaining information I learned from talks I livetweet than talks I just sit and passively listen to.The backchannel adds depth to the talkThe article claims you can't possible be engaged with a speaker and the backchannel tweets about the talk. Yeah... we're going to have to agree to disagree on that one. If you're very comfortable with your tech it's actually possible for some people, particularly if they're also speed readers and fast typists, to pull this off. If you're one of those people, then the backchannel is an amazing resource to tap into. You'll find content you missed tweeting, questions and comments about the talk, and even related information and links that people share with the group.These individual tweets and conversations add layers to the content of the talk, letting you explore it, question it, and connect it to other information in ways you never could have on your own. The backchannel is like a shared knowledge pool where everyone adds their own insights and thoughts to make something even greater than just the talk itself. And because it's all on Twitter you can check it out in the moment, revisit it again later, or even collect that knowledge in something else like a blog post or Storify.It challenges you to make content connections fastGetting good at livetweeting usually means pushing yourself not to just repeat what's being said, but to add your own thoughts and make links to information you've learn previously, all at an incredibly fast pace. This can be overwhelming at first, but once you get used to it it's like giving your brain a workout for critical thinking. I don't think it ever stops being exhausting, but it does make you a faster thinker over time.We gain a community to talk about the content withYou can learn a lot from listening to a session, but what can make the content even stickier is talking about it with others. Interacting with the backchannel while livetweeting helps you do this, both during the session (and yes, I do think you can learn to do this and still give attention to the speaker) and afterwards. The conversation during the session is great, particularly when the topic at hand is contentious or tricky to get a hold of, but it's actually the continued conversation afterwards that I find even more useful. Speakers often don't see it, but people in the Twitter backchannel often talk about content from a talk long after it's over. And that's a great way for that information to actually stick.It's not always just for usIt's nice when you can go to a conference just to satisfy your own curiosity and professional development. For a lot of people, though, that's not a luxury they have. They've been sent as a team or company representative, and livetweeting the event so that their coworkers can basically attend the conference remotely is the means by which they can convince their employeers to send them to a conference in the first place. Without it, they might not even be in the room right now.That said, there are non-financial reasons we want to share too. Many times I've gone to conferences that friends and aquaintences would love to go to, but can't. When I livetweet a session they're interested in that helps them get some of the information they missed by not being there, and that's a kind thing to do for other people.Sometimes we're just nerds who love sharingThis one is particularly true in my industry, because you usually don't go into L&D if there's not some part of you that gets excited about being able to share information with others. For some people, getting to geek out on Twitter about a session they're enjoying is part of the fun of the experience. It brings us joy to be able to share the cool things we're learning with other people, and I think that's an instinct we should be trying to encourage, not stamp out.____________________________________________________So those are some of the reasons I'm so passionate about the value of livetweeting. I know it's not the right kind of experience for everyone, and I'm sure there are just as many people who would find it disracting as there are people like me who find it enjoyable. But all and all I'm glad that it's something people have started doing, and I hope that this blog post is able to explain why some of us love it so much.Are there any reasons you love livetweeting that I missed? Have any questions about livetweeting that I didn't address? Let me know in the comments.

Yes, it's that time of year again. Time for what I'd call the Comic-Con for us learning tech nerds: DevLearn!If you've ever read my blog or followed me on Twitter you likely have a pretty good idea of how I feel about this event (CliffsNotes version: I adore it). You're also likely used to me live tweeting practically the entire thing. Unfortunately, this year is going to be a bit different. Fortunately, it's for a really good reason.I'm happy to say that this year I'll be hosting one of the three Learning Stages at DevLearn (the eLearning Tools stage, to be exact). We've got a bunch of amazing presenters at the stage on Wednesday and Thursday... seriously, you should click this link and check them out. You should also pop by the stage and say hi. if you're at the conference.Hosting a stage has a number of responsibilities, though, and I'm not sure I'll be able to balance them AND live tweet at the same time. So I'm going to be upfront and not commit to tweeting non-stop about those sessions (I'll definitely share highlights though).That said, I am planning on live tweeting the parts of the conference where I'm not hosting a stage, which means you can expect me to cover the keynotes and Friday sessions. I'm also still planning on doing my end-of-day wrap up posts where I'll cover the most exciting things I saw each day.If you're hoping to get even more live tweeting coverage, my lovely and brilliant coworkers @erbvillage and @jsteeveslepage are planning on some DevLearn live tweet coverage of their own, so you might want to check out their feeds. You should also check them out because they're awesome people (note: I may be extremely biased in my evaluation of them, but you should still follow them anyway).And with that, I'll leave you with a picture of the scariest thing I've ever witnessed in Vegas...You are WELCOME!See you at DevLearn tomorrow!

Why look at that... I'm acually here at DevLearn!Today wasn't a full DevLearn day for me... acttually, a lot of today was spent in transit. But there are a few highlights of the day I thought I'd share before I crash into an exhauted, jet-lagged pile and fall asleep (only to more than likely automatically wake up at my normal Toronto wakeup time with my luck):New HotelSo DevLearn changed hotels this year, from the Aria to the Bellagio. I hate to say it, but I'm not enamoured with the Bellagio. As much as I love the hotel fountains (seriously, they are worth the hype), the rest of this place isn't that impressive. I mean, it's still nice, don't get me wrong, but it's not Aria-nice. It feels older, the rooms aren't as slick, and honestly it feels a bit overpriced for what you get. That said, even a so-so Vegas hotel is still lovely.xAPI HyperdriveThis was a cool 3-hour event/competition that debuted at DevLearn this year. The basic setup was a single stage and projection screen, a large number of speakers, and a panel of judges. Unfortunately I missed the first few minutes of it (and likely the introduction), but my understanding was that speakers were each given 5 minutes to talk about an innovative xAPI project they were working on and highlight what about it it particular was spiffy. The panel of judges then had a chance to ask a few quick questions to find out more about the project. This sort of quick burst "elevator speech" approach honestly reminded me a great deal of DemoFest, only with each person taking a turn rather than all the presentations going on at once. I thought the idea of this event was great. Because of the fast-paced format, I got to learn so much about so many different ways companies have used xAPI, from sales training to increasing engagement at a children's museum. That said, you could see that many of the speakers were struggling with the limit of how to talk about their project in 5 minutes (and make it shine to boot). I wonder if a set of coaching resources for these speakers on how to quickly summarize the key aspects of a project in such a short time frame (and how to weave in storytelling techniques to make their presentation come alive) would have helped? Regardless, I was happy to see a new and innovative event at DevLearn.In case you're curious, here are some quick notes I took about the multitude of xAPI projects that we saw at this event:-Training new teachers-Preparing volunteers to do work in Haiti-Intersystem data sharing in military training (to prevent silos in training and simulations)-xAPI-based scavenger hunt for training. xAPI reports data on people interacting with points (qr codes) in the scavenger hunt-Using a portal and app version of sales onboarding training leveraging xAPI to connect both. Content could be accessed offline and SCORM content was enclosed in an xAPI wrapper to upscale it-Use xAPI to better track data and measure competencies with more precision (levelling up like character stats in RPGs)-Creating a backbone platform to link system of record, content (including informal learning), and distribution-Creating community-based collaborative learning environment with peer-to-peer information sharing-Game-based approach to teaching management concepts. Mobile first... Casual, quick game-Increasing children's museum engagement using RFID tags imbedded in a badge. Taggs interact with exhibits. Also gives museum data about how kids interact with the museumLobsicleIt's not a trip to Vegas if I don't go do something weird, and THIS time I had a bunch of coworkers with me who were along for the ride! Our first "only in Vegas" adventure was the much talked about Lobsicle from Lobster Me: essentially a lobster tail on a stick (don't worry, it's piping hot, not frozen). It's a hilarious source of nutrients, and I managed to convince SEVERAL coworkers to snack on a lobsicle today. Here's my proof:No one was brave enough to get the battered and deep fried version, not even me, but it was still a strage and wonderful Vegas experience.TomorrowTomorrow is the first day of the main DevLearn event, and also my first day hosting the eLearning Tools learning stage (http://www.elearningguild.com/DevLearn/content/3441/devlearn-2014-conference--expo--learning-stages--elearning-tools). I'm really exicted about the speakers we'll have there this week, so definitely stop by tomorrow if you have a chance. Also, I may be a shy extrovert, but I'd love to say hi to any of you (look for the girl with the pink streaked hair and chances are it'll be me). On a related note, I may have (repeatedly) bragged today about conquering the other learning stages by brute force, so if anyone wants to join my noble cause and fight the good fight, I'm looking for recruits for my invasion forces.  ;)  *laugh*Also, let's not forget the reason most of us are EXTRA giddy about this year's DevLearn: Neil deGrasse Tyson!

It's January, so you know what that means: I'm on my way to ATD TechKnowledge (quite literally, as I'm typing this at the airport while I wait for my flight)! Once again I'll be there for the full three days of the main conference and will be trying to cover as much as I can through live tweeting and blogging. I'm also considering experimenting with recording a few videos... well, if the wi-fi upload speeds at my hotel decide to accommodate that. We'll cross our fingers for that one. I'm still not sure of the exact sessions I'll be livetweeting, but I'll definitely be covering the keynotes at the very least.I'm also happy to be involved with two events at TechKnowledge this year:1) E-Learning Checkup - Wednesday from 1:30-2:30pmSo this is a nifty event for this year. If you have an eLearning course that you'd love someone else's feedback on, you can bring it to this session and get 15 minutes of expert feedback, including tips and suggestions for making your course even more awesome. As weird as I feel about calling myself an "expert", I'm really excited about having the opportunity to chat with people about their courses, and I'm looking forward to seeing what cool things everyone is creating. While I'm happy to talk about anything related to eLearning, I'm probably most useful to you if you want to come up with some new ideas for graphic design, storytelling, simulations, and/or user-focused design.2) Everything I Ever Needed to Know About Simulations I Learned From Video Games - Thursday from 10:30-11:45amHooray! I get to talk about video games and training simulations for more than an hour! Video games and simulations have a lot in common, both from a player perspective as well as a development one. In this session I'm going to chat about what years of gaming, as well as research in to how video games are developed, have taught me about how to write and build more effective (and more enjoyable) sims for training. Whether you create process-oriented sims, like software training, or soft-skills ones, such as coaching simulations, I'll have a bunch of practical tips for you that you can use immediately. Plus, I'm going to share some recommendations for specific video games that can teach you more about creating fantastic sims. Yup... you can justify playing games as professional development!On a tech nerd note, this will be my first conference experimenting with using an iPad Mini & keyboard instead of my usual full-sized iPad set up. I'll likely post about the difference and how I feel about the MUCH smaller keyboard once the conference is over. So far, though, the biggest difference I've noticed is just how much lighter this setup is!If you're at the conference, I'm looking forward to seeing you there! If not, see you on the backchannel.  :)

It's the end of Day 1 at TechKnowledge, and I thought I'd try something a bit different for my wrapup post: a video!

As most of you know, I experimented with doing videos this TechKnowledge instead of blog posts. You can find the collection of day reviews (and one bit of silly bonus content) here:Day 1Day 2Day 3Bonus content!!! Chatty DolphinSo what did I think of making videos instead of blog posts? Well, once I got over the weirdness of having to watch myself on camera, I was pretty happy with the results. The blog posts I used to write were more in-depth, but often took hours to produce, and this time commitment meant I usually skimped on sleep throughout the conference. Not ideal, that's for sure. Doing videos, on the other hand, was much less time intensive (although, admittedly, also had less depth of content).As far as I'm concerned it was a good experiment, and one I'm likely going to do again at Learning Solutions in March. I'd love to get your feedback on what about the videos you liked, what could use a bit of tweaking, and what content you wish I'd added or skipped. Thanks in advance!

Okay, so this week the E-Learning Heroes design challenge was something that had practically been written for me: "Design a Cover Slide for the Oddest E-Learning Course Title of the Year" (you can read all about it here). I love ridiculous things like this, so I got excited and started contemplating ideas... and almost immediately a terrible, horrible idea came to mind. A topic that technically someone might have to really make eLearning about... but not any eLearning I'd want to take, that's for sure.It was an evil idea, but once it got in my head I realized I'd have to make it.Ewwwwwwwwwwww!Side note: If you don't know what a cloaca is, go and Google it now. Warning: it is something you can never unlearn.

It's the night before one of the most fun events of the year (and one that's happily NOT in Vegas): Learning Solutions! I just had an amusing day of playing absurd pirate mini golf with my work siblings, AKA: two of my awesome co-workers, and my mom. It should surprise no one that none of us are going to ditch L&D for a professional mini-golf career, but we had a great time in spite of our lack of athletic ability. Now I'm just settling in, getting excited about my schedule, and thinking about the sessions I'm going to see. Once again, I'm going to try and live tweet this thing, and here's my intended schedule for the next three days. It may change a little bit here and there, but this is at least what I expect I'll be live tweeting each day:Wednesday8:30-10:00 AM - Keynote - Return on imaginationSpeaker:Tom Wujec10:45-11:45 AM - Featured session: Bridging the gender gapSpeakers: Jennifer Hofmann, Mark Lassoff, Megan Torrance, and David Kelly1:00-2:00 PM - I know it's ugly, but I can't tell you why: Fixing common design mistakesSpeaker: Bianca WoodsOh look... it's my own session! Yeah... I somehow suspect I won't be live tweeting this one.2:30-3:30 PM - The second-screen experience: Designing a paperless classroomSpeaker: Andrew VecchiarelliAndrew is one of the awesome co-workers I mentioned earlier and you should totally go to his session. Also, I've seen his content and it is GOOD!  4:00-5:00 PM - Interactive video for training: Secrets of successSpeakers: Cass Sapir and Ty Marbut Thursday8:30-10:00 AM - Keynote- The future of learning at workSpeaker: Michael Furdyk10:45-11:45 AM - Training hacks to improve your practiceSpeaker: David Glow1:00-2:00 PM - Serious game secrets: What, why, where, who cares?Speaker: Andrew Hughes2:30-3:30 PM - Free and low-cost eLearning tools you should know!Speaker: Joe Ganci3:45-4:45 PM - BYOL: Project paramedic: Tools and resources to resuscitate your projectsSpeaker: Coline Son Lee4:45-6:45 PM - LS DemoFestFriday8:30-9:30 AM - BYOL: Video 101 - Creating captivating videos on a budgetSpeakers: Amanda Mahoney and Stacy Bodenner10:00-11:00 AM - BYOL: Video 102 - Building your intermediate video skillsSpeakers: Amanda Mahoney and Stacy Bodenner11:15 AM-12:30 PM - Keynote: Design thinking to enhance learningSpeaker: Juliette LaMontagneHope to see you there, either in-person or on the backchannel!

Now that I've been to quite a few conferences, I'm starting to get a good handle on what I like dragging around with me each day. Curious about what I think is worth the trouble to keep on you? Check out this video:So I'm curious... what are your conference best bets?

So let's talk about "technology in education".What does that mean exactly? Years ago, when I began learning about technology, (and rapidly teaching about it as I grew in awe of how it could improve performance), Dr. Chrys Panayiotou Sr., a valued colleague and respected professor took the time to explain to me how the origins of the word, "technology" actually stemmed from the Greek word, "technologia". A quick search confirms that the first part, "techne" may "be interpreted as skill or craft and ‘logia’ the comprehension of knowledge. Technology can be seen as a process that is handed down through society to transform and improve our lives" (Selwyn, 2011).Think about that. Just like my colleague had described, that could essentially be interpreted to mean any tool which changes lives for the better!The slate and chalk? Quill pen? Gutenberg's press?Ok, so let's advance to the meaning we all think of today when we think about the word "technology". Today, we think of digital technology, right? We see a plethora of digital technology everywhere we look. And people are using that digital technology. All generations, all cultures, all economic statuses have proven to be able to and want to learn from that technology. Hmmm, so if it’s "everywhere", how come we don’t see it infused into all segments of education, the field which is the foundation for all other fields? Here's an awesome timeline of digital technology's exponential growth: http://www.tiki-toki.com/timeline/entry/23941/Evolution-of-Educational-Technology/#vars!date=1960-12-20_07:35:36!  (This is yet, again, another fabulous resource compliments of Dr. Curry, my first professor in Morehead State University’s Educational Technology doctoral program,who is inspiring me to continue in my quest in becoming the best version of myself. In the first video lesson I watched of him, he described educators as being "servants". As I pursue bettering myself, I've become keenly aware that the more we give, the more we get.) :)The most current definition of Educational Technology as of today (and let's remember the "exponential growth concept" in case it's different by the time I finish typing) may be defined as: "Educational technology... is the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using and managing appropriate technological processes and resources" (Richey, R.C., 2008).Wow! "Ethical practice." There it is again, defining education. It is the practice of finding and using the best resources we can to change lives for the better.To me, that seems to be a perfect way to define what great teachers strive for. According to respected collegiate circles, a good faculty member "teaches, researches, and serves" (Merrill, 2000). There it is again. Makes sense to me. Most teachers I know, especially our Adult Ed team, went into teaching because they truly cared about their students... not necessarily to be rich . :)I have had the pleasure of teaching Technology in Education to future and current teachers and, therefore, have the opportunity at the beginning of every term to get the students to think exactly about what this means to them. We go through the eras of technology use with examples from sand being used on a desk for students to learn the art of writing, to the use of pencils and posters, on up to the digital era.Then, I take my students through the exponential growth of the tools within this era. I clarify that from this point forward when we speak of technology, we will be honing in on digital technology. To my delight, the students have evolved from ~60% a few years ago to 100% of them now walking into my class saturated with technology in their pockets, on their shoulder and/or hanging from their ears.  They BYOD (bring their own devices)! :)Conversely, I also recognize a profoundly slower evolution in students even considering that these tools can be used in the classroom, disproportionate to the rate of technological growth. In fact, it reminds me of the Harry Chapin song which describes how students’ creativity is plucked from them: "There are so many colors in a flower, so many colors in the morning sun, so many colors in a flower and I see every one;" but, the teacher says: "Green leaves are green, young man. Flowers are red. There’s no need to see flowers any other way, but the way they always have been seen." And, there you have the summation of what I read between the lines that my students are telling me. They are not "allowed" to have cell phones, iPods, iPads, tablets, laptops, or anything else they can Google knowledge from in a classroom. They learn from these tools all day long, but are told to power-down upon entering an educational facility. In fact, they are also shocked about how little technology still exists within the classrooms they grew up in and/or their children’s classrooms once they get into a few lessons with me. My joy comes in watching the transformation of them throughout the term. A good portion of them become crusaders ready to energize their classrooms with the same technology that invigorates their everyday personal lives. But, perhaps, showing you might clarify what it’s all about. Here are some final projects (FREE lessons :)) from my students this year. The first was created by an ESL and grade school instructor.  The second incorporated civics into her lesson.  Sound familiar? :)http://estellepanagakos.weebly.com/introduction.html http://131272126989131361.weebly.com/ This is what it’s about. Technology’s exponential growth is not as important as the impact we can make on other’s lives exponentially when we use it. My purpose? Make a Difference, positively impacting our communities. Looks like this is a right fit for me!   Not most different than most of the wonderful teachers I know.  :)

So, I had the pleasure of presenting at a STEM Expo today for students.  My given topic:"Technology." No problem with that!   I have a ton of resources I would love to share with students to engage them in their learning!  With every opportunity comes responsibility, however.  As teachers, we get to be the ones on the front-line to bring them that news. So, I thought we would first look at the wonderful merits of the technologies our students use.  (And, they do use it.  ~3 out of 250 said they didn't use social media.  ~2 out of that 250 didn't have a smartphone.) I showed them a video of what could go wrong if they left a digital media imprint that was unfavorable of them.  Watch this funny video clip of the job applicant who can't quite bluff his way out with charisma and charm after making poor social media choices:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcnO5tH0gf4Then, we discussed how we can make certain this doesn't happen to us:It begins with the actions: Don't type it, say it or do it (don't forget, your friend's are videotaping you too) unless you would do it in front of your grandmother or the President of the United States.  It DOESN'T go away.  Try plugging something into the Way Back Machine (http://archive.org/web/) like the ircc website which has been gone for years.   There are ways to retrieve it!  Repeat the mantra above. Then, on to security:  Make your social media as secure as you can.  Protect you and your loved ones from predators and smears.  So when that "friend" does post something to your page you wouldn't want your grandmother to see, you have just a few more minutes to "hide" it before it's retrieved one day.  Don't give identifiable information (SS #, etc.); log out of everything you log in to.Now, brand yourself!  Your students will work hard to market themselves for a job.  Let's teach them to make use of technology to work smarter, not harder.  I grouped the students into pairs (they shouldn't know each other) and told them to Google their partner.  Of course, we had ground rules.  We discussed how they would close a page if something lewd came up on the computer; be respectful; and, their goal was to see if they could describe their partner by Googling their name.     The result: Most were happy to find a professional image they would want an employer to see.  Almost just as many would not want an employer to see their results.  Some couldn't find their partner, but a  lot of other people with their name. Concern arose if those names also returned mug shots or similar images.And, lastly, some couldn't find anything... at least on the first or second page of the 400 million.  (Some where surprised to see their name, address and phone number come up one the White pages, though.)My point to them: Don't let your future university or employer wonder which picture is yours.  You drive your digital footprint by making certain you follow the 3-Steps above to brand your image with the message you wish to portray. Then, use other tools to help you bring the portrait you wish to create to the top and bury the others. I use a free tool called Brand Yourself, but there are lots out there.   Google it. :)Google me.  The first page which comes up should display the professional image I wish to portray.  That's not by accident. So, go on.  Help me preach the importance of teaching our students how to drive their image before just handing them the keys to the Internet Highway.   What does your digital imprint look like?  P.S. I had a student ask me once: "Ms. Ensmann, you always tell us to 'Google it.' What did people do before Google?"    I told him that they weren't as smart as him.  They didn't have the world of knowledge in their pocket like we do. (Typically, the volumes of knowledge were left at home to get dusty on a shelf.:))

This blog has been posted to iCivics' website: https://www.icivics.org/news/playing-it-forward-impact-impact-projectsCheck it out! :)

As we approach the holidays, I ask you to consider it a time to turn off the desk computer (yes, I actually said that) and literally move! This month I share a project with you which my fellow classmates and I created in an effort  towards improving our health, while benefiting others along the way. Next issue we’ll look at the benefits of how fitness andhealth relate to students’ academic performance, and how we can capture this data with wearable technologies!    "I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things." - Mother Theresa My classmates and I live 971 miles apart but yet worked collaboratively using technologies online.  Our goal was to empower others to get active, increase those endorphins, improve performance and life! Synchronously, we worked "face-to-face" using Google Hangouts, Google Docs, Google Present, and Weebly.  Our biggest find was actually discovered by one of my students, however.  Twoodo is a Web 2.0 planning tool designed to organize teams with useful accountability measures. Since educators around the nation are using Twitter for PD, hashtags are also a part of the of the ingenious components embedded within this tool.  So enjoy these important tools to engage YOUR students. Ask me for guidance.  In the meantime?  Check out our final project and let us know how you’re MOVING  over the holidays!  Enjoy your break, wonderful teachers!  http://runningwithapurpose.weebly.com/

Commit to the Plan! Educators attempting to build an effective lesson often subscribe to the belief that the three-part lesson is the key to a successful day. Although the research has not been compiled as to what makes a lesson successful when it comes to the integration of technology ,there is a practice that is commonly overlooked by most educators. Whether a teacher is tenured or straight out of a pre-service program, there seems to be a common failure to plan for a successful lesson. Incredibly, the quintessential practice itself - planning - is more than often overlooked when it comes to integrating technology in the classroom in a sustainable way.  I can personally guarantee that planning for the integration of technology is NOT taught in colleges, universities and most, if not all, AQ courses provided across the country. The classical arguement upheld by many educators surrounding the effectiveness or lack thereof of technology is difficult to disprove when educators refuse to formally make it a part of their plans. In this context, it is impossible to amass critical data regarding the effectiveness of technology in education.  Don’t get me wrong here - we already know that there is an inherent need for technology, but until data begins to support the obvious, it is difficult to navigate the ocean liner that is education on the sea of progress. We often tiptoe around the idea behind creating a plan because of the professional courtesy that our roles purvey. However , if change is to be sustained the plan is an integral part of that change, that progress and most importantly its sustainability. All new endeavours usually require a blueprint so it is mind-boggling to fathom why changes in education would not require the same. The plan does not just act as a guideline for the activity but also acts as a silent contract between the educator and his or her students, a commitment to the change that is needed now more than ever before.

  The DatalyzeMe App I still find it funny that most of the software out there has been developed by imaginative people who have found a scratch that needs to be itched. Now that isn’t really funny, until you THINK about where the innovation comes from in relation to who it is supposed to serve. My first ever attempt at creating an app was developed from the teacher’s eye  to test it against the trends of the market at large.  I guess the question I really want to ask is: "Do the things that I value as a teacher really mean much to the rest of the world?" or better yet: "Are the youth really that interested in their own learning?" The reason I ask these questions is because the app  is solely developed to create a self-awareness in each and every student about who they are as learners. If the app fails then I have failed to understand the priorities of our youth… OR I have only begun to change that perception  for them. Can’t wait to find out - Stay tuned.. 12 weeks on the market - 520 downloads  so far…  

1. Know them as Learners: Now don’t shy away from this because it sounds obvious. Really, the idea behind this point comes as two key notions. First is that utter trust and belief that you should have that each of your students are genuinely interested in learning. And even more importantly they are actually VERY interested in learning about themselves. All educators should see their students in that light… And be sure to provide their students with opportunities not just to learn about the curriculum, learn about their interests but most importantly - to learn about themselves. 2. Know them as Contributors; In the 13 years of teaching across all grades and panels I have yet to meet a child that does not genuinely want to contribute in some way. They may seem resistant to you but I would challenge every educator with the question: What opportunities to you provide your students to contribute? And how often? More important than providing the opportunity to contribute - take the time to show them that their contributions are valued. This will eventually lead to the coveted ‘risk-free’ environment that innovation and creativity so badly need to thrive! 3. Know them as Relationships. By far the most important factor in learning has less to do with content knowledge as much as it does the relationship between teacher and student. Though last on this list it is absolutely the most important. It is also last on this list because it is very hard to achieve unless you have provided opportunities for them to learn about themselves as well as opportunities to contribute. You see, regardless of your personality type, your learning environment will foster a growing relationship because of a respectful, risk free environment in which your students will thrive. Your students will find themselves drawn to your teaching and most importantly they will be drawn to you.

I posted this to my other site: DatalyzeMe.com - as part of my APP Development experiment.  I guess my own inquiry is: Do my priorities as a teacher really matter to the students we teach? 1. See Yourself as a Learner: I know that school is not always a priority in your world, but once upon a time you were curious! Curious to know how things worked and why the world is the way it is..  As you get older you tend to change your priorities from trying to find out the how and why to just managing all of the who’s, what’s and where’s! The bottom line is that you still have that Learner DNA inside you. Learning doesn’t always have to be about what you do in school. That’s the beauty of it! Start with learning about yourself. Start with getting to know what you love to do, what you are not that great at and what you would like to learn. If you start with yourself, you will begin to see that the outside world will begin to help you learn just about anything that you want. 2. Believe That You are a Contributor I have coached basketball, volleyball, swimming, track and cross country and would never have been successful without my team’s advice and input about strategies, practices and even the way we communicate. This communication is VERY important in the classroom too! Your ideas are important! It doesn’t matter if they are not chosen or if they seem strange to others! You are young and if you exercise your imagination, you’ll have so many ideas that it doesn’t matter which ones get used and which ones don’t. Think of yourself as ABUNDANT with ideas and inventions. Believe that you can contribute from your strengths to any conversation or project. Believe that you are a contributor. 3. Know You Are an Important Relationship. The most incredible experience of life is knowing that you are a part of something gigantic! You mean something to someone! Your parents, friends, teachers, brothers and sisters… whether times are good or times are rough, you are an important part of your relationships. As you learn more and more about yourself, you will understand how to work inside each and every one of your relationships. The hardest part is having the confidence to be yourself and not somebody else.   Begin with these: See, Believe, Know - and incredible things will happen from here on in!

Spoiler Alert! Father of 3 and soon to be 4, I often find myself standing longer than a grown man should in the toy aisle. Reminiscing at the same time as reliving childhood fantasy I gleefully watch my children engage their imaginations at play. But when I opened my first ‘non-80’s’ Lego kit I was thrown abruptly into a harsh reality of rigid conformity. It was like a bucket of cold water… I opened the box with my then 4 year old son and my hands began to tremble as I slowly tore the plastic bags that neatly organized hundreds of obscure parts that I had never seen before… Each bag numbered precisely as it coincided with specific instructions that held no less than 50-60 steps to build the pictured toy on the cover. My forehead beaded with sweat as confusion rushed into the grey matter.. I was trapped… I was panicking.. I was being forced to conform. Now of course being an 80’s child I never followed the instructions on a Lego box - they were only suggestions. And the blocks were usually large and easy to manipulate compared to the myriad of minuscule morsels they sell now for an arm and a leg. But this experience, this love, this passion that once resided in this master builder was now being questioned by a 4 year old who demanded to know why he should build something without using the instructions! "But Julie" I would say (his name is Julius) "Building from your imagination is so much better!!" But even so, his peculiarly sharp mind became fixated on the instructions. It wasn’t until a campaign of about 6 weeks did he finally let go and now… He has become a budding Master Builder himself. The movie is really a strong commentary on conformity and how it has crushed creativity throughout the ages. Though the movie is meant to be timeless the presence of an older lego set - the astronauts whose helmets always split at the chin - was a stark reminder of how it ‘used to be’. You see even Lego was making fun of itself as it examined how inflexible it’s current kits really are. The movie also depicts the creative Master Builders as a hidden rebellion that seeks to undermine the status quo. The movie does so well to build that antithesis yet all the while it makes Emit - a conformist - the actual hero! Now Emit does contribute the virtues of collaboration and compassion to the adventure so there appears to be some reconciliation. It really wasn’t until the astronaut was finally allowed to build a space ship his way that our hero was finally removed from grave danger. In the end the movie moves into a true life reality that sees a father and his young son argue about how to play with Lego… But in this case it was the opposite of my situation with Julius. In the movie the father’s use of Lego was rigid and grounded firmly in the instructions. The child wanted the freedom to create. In one of the proudest moments of my life as a dad - my son and daughter both rose up in the middle of the theatre and began shouting at the screen, demanding of the father to allow his son to use his imagination!! And I let them scream to their hearts delight! Think about what we do as educators. When we teach do we think the lesson is ours? Or is it theirs? Is the classroom our space or theirs? Our values or theirs? Who are we to constantly instruction their imaginations to oblivion?

This is NOT a Top 10 Article As the world of education continues its search for skills that transcend convention, we scour the web for a package of ideas that come ready made to help us prepare our children for  the future. Everywhere we look, there is one content farm or another publishing the top 5, 6 or 50 tools and strategies that we need in education to become ’21st Century Teachers and Learners’. Unfortunately I find them lacking, published only for tweets, hits and advertising. That is not what education should be about. As a Catholic educator in Ontario, Canada, it was far from my mind to explore a document that was well over a decade old until it was brought to my attention by a friend, colleague and mentor - Michael Wetzel, the Principal of Blessed Pope John Paul II in Toronto.  In fact, as I began to focus on the Ontario Catholic Graduate Expectations (the CGE’s),  I began featuring the seven guiding principles in my talks and workshops across the province. You see - when educators sit in one of my audiences, they tend to expect a razzle dazzle workshop that urges them to begin using tech in the classroom. But when my audience is presented with the CGE’s, there is now an immediate sense of surprised relief as they begin to understand how simple it is to navigate 21st Century teaching in the light of these expectations. Take a look below and compare these 7 concepts to how you approach 21st Century Education. In Ontario, the Institute for Catholic Education governs the CGE’s. The original documents may be viewed here.   1. The Discerning Believer Believe it or not, we as Catholics are encouraged to reflect, to question and to reform our beliefs and our faith. Our calling here is NOT ONLY to promote social responsibility and solidarity, but to also respect ALL faith traditions, world religions and the life-journeys of ALL people of good will. This expectation calls us to be critical and responsible, not recluse or easily led. 2. The Effective Communicator The entire world of education agrees that the skill of Communication is one that the graduate of 2030 and beyond will need to master in order to be a contributor to society. Looking at the graphic, you will notice that the ears are quite exaggerated to show how important a role listening plays in communication. Now more than ever, we need people who are honest and clear about their ideas, and who integrate their faith in the use of arts, media and technology. 3. The Creative and Holistic Thinker I’m not entirely sure this one needs to much explanation. Creativity always tops the list of needed skills for 2030 and beyond. It’s when we add the beauty of holistic thinking that we solve problems in an innovative and responsible way. This thinker cannot be trapped within one subject area - this thinker longs to integrate all parts of the whole. 4. A Self-Directed, Responsible, Life-Long Learner Yet another skill that educators have identified to guide our future into 2030 and beyond. Leadership, innovation, initiative, flexibility and adaptability. This skill helps develop confidence, respect and dignity for one’s self and others. This skill resides in those who constantly self-reflect, self-evaluate and make changes to improve. Our future depends on this skill more than any other for the sake of balance and a higher standard of living for us all. This is every educator’s dream… 5. The Collaborative Contributor It has become the mantra for all of education to call for our schools to provide more and more opportunities for collaboration. Yet, time and time again they fail to provide the ‘HOW-TO’ of collaboration - especially for the youngest members of our society. What does it mean to be interdependent, to think critically and to not only work to your own potential but to help those around you reach theirs? There must be respect and appreciation for originality and integrity especially in the 21st Century. Contributions made to the growth of the team are just as important to the growth of the project.   6. A Caring Family Member It would be very hard to argue that the family structure is under immense pressure to stay together. Words like compassion and love are only effective when they are bound by respect - not the bottom dollar as so many clever marketing campaigns will have us believe. Intimacy and love are bound to value and honour within the family context. Unity, strength and honour bind the family together and that strength feeds the community in the light of our God-given gifts. What a beautiful and critically important principle. 7. A Responsible Citizen When we look at some of the horrible things that streak across the web, it’s hard not to panic. Cyber-bullying, harassment, defamation and degradation can all be weakened, if not eliminated if we embrace the basic principles of accountability, equality, democracy, peace and justice. The responsible citizen in our Catholic view, should find it difficult to walk away when there is someone in need, seeks and grants forgiveness but also respects and affirms diversity of our world’s people and cultures. This is all done in the formation of Catholic traditions. I realize that it may not be ‘trendy’ to use faith as a TOP 10 article but let me tell you something - if it’s right, it’s right and if it works, it works.  No system is perfect, but this one has such beauty and a positive outlook that is hard to overlook.    

Step #1 I think we can all agree that collaboration is a key 21st-century skill. We will leave the matter of defining collaboration and examining how do execute it for another blog but in this case let’s talk about setting the classroom up to make collaboration viable. The environment has to allow for collaboration and so we must consider furniture that can be rearranged without damaging the floor. (Yes! Break out the tennis balls!) If the student feel it necessary to change the layout of the classroom then the furniture should allow easy change around without too much effort. Step #2 When you do rearrange the classroom you still have to take the responsibility for maintaining a safe environment. I know this not a very trendy topic but we must consider that anytime we move our classroom furniture or important your furniture into the classroom. I think a safe and simple rule to have in your room is just to ensure that all exit paths are clear and free of cable, wires or any other clutter. Step #3 By far the most challenging of all three steps is for the teacher to look at the classroom as a work in progress. There may never be a perfect layout or configuration for collaboration however there must be the flexibility and understanding that we can try different things before we arrive at our final destination. The students should also feel stress-free as they try new configurations as well. Not all students will be able to accept the change on the fly so prepare students ahead of time either by a schedule or let them know 3 to 4 days in advance that you will be changing the layout of the classroom with their help. Having said that, the true 21st-century classroom will of course allow for student input into the physical layout of the classroom. The layout is the first step of ownership over what the classroom looks like for your students. Give them as much input as they feel necessary for each and every configuration in the classroom. In this way they will take ownership over their area of learning and become more involved in their own learning. Make note I have made no mention of the technology when it comes to the 21st-century classroom… Yet

Slowly Gaining Momentum The DatalyzeMe App is just about to undergo its first makeover. As a teacher, tinkering with this thing has pretty much taken over my life! Adding major elements of gamification and more opportunities for students to see how they spend their time graphically top the list of modifications this round. In the meantime, here is my first infographic based on the data collected to date: Our next infographic will display just how students are using their time after school…

The image below is taken from: http://eiagallo.blogspot.ca/?m=1 Want ideas and resources?  Visit this teacher’s site! Follow her on twitter: @ElissaIagallo Yes… I’m aware - this is a top ‘something’ article… and yes, I’m aware that I haven’t been the biggest proponent of ‘top something’ articles… but I can assure you.. I’m not a content farm… so here it goes! Last week I blogged about how the Ontario Catholic Graduate Expectations provide a solid, attainable recipe for the acquisition of 21st Century skills. This week I’m going to blog about how kindergarten teachers and ECE’s across the country are really the pioneers of implementation of 21st-century practice. Over the past six months I’ve had the honour and the privilege of working with my school board’s Early Years Team and I have learned so much about what it really means to be a 21st Century Teacher! I thank @tulimari @tpucci13 for bringing me along this journey!   3 Key Challenges That Kindergarten Teams Face Implementing FDK (My Perception) #1: Implementing the notions of play-based learning and student-driven curriculum within the confines of 100 years of tradition. Most of our kindergarten teams face the misconception that play-based learning is a sheep in wolf’s clothing. In reality, there is ample evidence to show that play and gamification develop and reinforce new neurological pathways in the brain and lead to development of self-regulation and problem solving skills. For more information check out the Kindergarten Guide found here and the subsequent sources cited within.   #2: To stray from the curriculum will certainly doom us all. Kindergarten teams have been tasked with bringing children to the curriculum - not the other way ’round. When a child arrives at school with a burning question, it could very well drive the learning of the day. It is then up to the teacher to make connections with the curriculum and provide feedback to guide. Imagine how risky that really is!   #3: Kindergarten teams know all-to-well that there is a low chance of teachers in subsequent grades continuing this approach once they leave the annals of the kindergarten classroom…. for now.   Do not doubt that kindergarten teams have had questions about implementation and they have questioned the ideas behind the full day kindergarten program, play-based learning, and inquiry-based learning. But they have questioned it for the benefit and the growth of their mission to show that this is the right way to approach education.   And so…. the 3 Things That Make Kindergarten Teams ALL 21C   1. Flexibility of Environment:   With FDK being implemented across the province, many of our teams have had to flex their environment to adapt to the new play-based stations and some have had to face rearranging their rooms regularly to find that different configurations serve different purposes. Imagine the mind-set of a teacher who is willing to make those changes for the sake of student learning. Imagine how you would feel if there was an expectation to adapt your learning space regularly to suit student learning. Many of our Kindergarten teams face that challenge everyday and have learned to provide that flexible environment.   2. Student Voice Drives Learning   "Bring the child to the curriculum… not the other way ’round." I am completely amazed at how many of our kindergarten teams are willing to guide learning based on what the children bring to school. Considering this requires teachers to leave the ‘tick-box’ specific curriculum expectations behind, it entails a risk and one worth taking. Children across our great province are arriving at school with questions and curiosities that drive an entire day or even week of learning. Such learning not only meets expectations, it exceeds and crosses curricula in ways you could never imagine. This is also when visual documentation of learning and the process of learning becomes paramount! These opportunities become ample and provide growth opportunities for teachers themselves. The children become the ‘living curriculum’.   3. Relinquishing Control:   Above all else, the sense that there will be chaos without regimented control must be put to rest. For there to be true organic learning Kindergarten teams have come to understand that in many cases, the plan enters when the first child enters the room. Or, the plan is altered as soon as an inquisitive question arises from the floor or the group exercise. By far fear of losing control dominates many teachers’ minds, but really, once we embrace chaos - or what we perceive to be chaos - incredible things happen.