Each day I am inspired and motivated by so many talented, passionate leaders in our community. I would like to acknowledge and give special things to the following individuals for all they have contributed and the impact they have had on so many. My 2011 Edublog Award Nominations: Best group blog: The Connected Principals Best new blog Mrs. Krebs Class Blog Best individual blog  Langwitches Silvia Tolisana Best ed tech / resource sharing blog Free Technology for Teachers Most influential blog post  Five Ways to Tell Students They Matter Best twitter hashtag #YOUMATTER Best Student Blog: You Matter Young Leaders Blog Best teacher blog: CoolCat Teacher  Best Social Network: Classroom 2.0 Ning  Best librarian / library blog:  Shannon Miller- VanMeter Voice Best educational use of audio / video / visual / podcast:  TeacherCast Best educational wiki:  Cybraryman Best open PD / unconference / webinar series:  Wes Fryer- K12 Online Conference Lifetime achievement:  Steve Hargadon  

As mobile applications begin to be an integral part of elearning solutions, it is increasingly important to have a robust, flexible, and easy to use content management system (CMS). Not only will your CMS support the widest possible range of content types, including documents, audio, video, animation, multimedia, and web pages, it should also integrate well with other servers, databases, and

I love helping learners think more critically and creatively — teaching students strategies and techniques to fuel their imaginations, sustain their passionate curiosities, and challenge them to persevere as they problem solve through difficult tasks and content. This week, I will be taking these Habitude-building conversations to the business world. I will be sharing with small business leaders one of my favorite strategies called SCAMPER.  SCAMPER was originally created by Bob Earle and popularized by Michael Michalko in his excellent book, Thinkertoys. to strengthen an individual or an organizations ability to question, imagine and adapt.  See why it is one of my favorites? SCAMPER requires us to consider what we can: S - Substitute - components, materials, people C - Combine - mix, combine with other assemblies or services, integrate A - Adapt - alter, change function, use part of another element M - Mix, Modify - increase or reduce in scale, change shape, modify attributes P - Put to another use E - Erase/Eliminate - remove elements, simplify, reduce to core functionality R - RePurpose/ReverseReUse - turn inside out or upside down. SCAMPERing can add fluency, flexibility, originality ,and "Ummmph" to any idea or project. It is a powerful and easy way to stay motivated, relevant, and excited about what we do! I am excited for the conversations to come. Consider what SCAMPER can do for you? SCAMPER View more presentations from Angela Maiers. Related articles Creative Thinkering (consultkeith.com) Stimulate Creativity with the SCAMPER Mnemonic [Brain Hack] (lifehacker.com) To Be or Not to Be…Creative (800ceoread.com) Get creative ideas in 5 minutes. [John Brooker] (ecademy.com) You: Concentrate, Then Stop Thinking to Generate More Creative Insights [Brain Hack] (lifehacker.com) Think Visual: A challenge to stretch your imagination (mindmappingsoftwareblog.com)

Welcome to an interview with Sameer Bhatia, founder of ProProfs, innovators in interactive elearning elements which are used in mlearning and elearning, with degrees, including online teaching degrees.  1. What is your name and your relation to elearning? I am Sameer Bhatia, the founder of ProProfs. ProProfs provides comprehensive elearning tools for building, testing and applying knowledge

The nominations are in and voting has now begun for the 2011 Edublog Awards. This is a not only a gesture of support for the individuals who have contributed to our community; it is a great place to discover new voices, talent, and resources among the list of  blogs/bloggers nominated. I want to extend a special thanks to all those who nominated this blog. I am honored and humbled to announce my nominations in the following six categories.  If you have a moment I would so appreciate your vote for any or all of the following:  Best Individual Blog 2011           Best Use of Audio/Video/Podcast- Angela Maiers YouTube Channel   Most Influential Blog Post -  YOU MATTER: 2 Words Changing the World           Best Individual Tweeter     Best Twitter Hashtag: #YouMatter         Lifetime Achievement 2011           There are lots of incredibly well qualified candidates out there, so please take time to vote. Voting will be open until December 13th.  All you need to do to vote is visit the voting page, select a category and select your favorite blog. And you can vote once a day! "Win or lose", I am truly honored and blessed to have the opportunity to be in this incredible community of passionate educators. Thank you for all you do! #YOUMATTER Good luck to my nominees, and to everyone else who is on the ballot!.

Welcome to an interview with Paige Johnson, Intel Corporation, on Project RED, a research-based method to bring technology into the new "smart" schools.   1.       What is your name and your relation to elearning? My name is Paige Johnson and I am the education strategist for Intel Corporation. Intel gets directly involved in education programs, political advocacy and technology access

Please mark your calendars and adjust your schedules to the presenters, participants, and organizers of the 2011 K-12 Online Conference in an "AfterGlow" Closing Live Event on Monday, December 12th at 6:00pm PT / 7:00pm MT / 8:00pm CT / 9:00pm ET. The Afterglow" is a fun, celebratory event held in Blackboard Collaborate. It will provide opportunities for presenters to share the stories behind their presentations as well as give participants a chance to ask questions of the presenters. The Blackboard Collaborate session lin is: http://tinyurl.com/cr20live. (This link may be shared with others on Twitter, Plurk, blogs, etc. Please cross-post this information on your own blog, if possible, so we can amplify this live event and draw a big crowd of educators!) In addition to joining our upcoming live event, we invite you to check out and comment on a special "backstories of the 2011 K-12 Online Conference" Voicethread. Several of our presenters have already chimed in. Please add your voice and commentary! In case you missed it:  The K12 Online Conference Keynote: The Sandbox Manifesto Related Slides: The Sandbox Manifesto: Life, Learning and Success on the Social Web Related Presentations: Permission to Play Please Related articles Lessons from the Sandbox ‘Tis the season for personalized professional development - on your own terms K12 Online Conference Reflections- Week 1

Mobile learning via smartphone has been a possibility for learners since the earliest smartphones (T-Mobile Sidekick was an early example), but the the recent explosion in apps, access, and the essential ubiquity of mobile devices, there is a growing demand for instructional content that meshes with the learner's lifestyle and learning habits. In a smartphone world, developers can no longer

YouTube provides free, unlimited access to tens of thousands of videos of high quality educational content and has the potential to be one of the most valuable education resources for students and teachers. The challenge is finding the most useful and highest quality content amidst the "other" content that distracts kids from using YouTube as a learning channel. Fortunately Google recognized this problem and has just launched a solution called YouTube for Schools. This blog post on YouTube further explains: We’ve been hearing from teachers that they want to use the vast array of educational videos on YouTube in their classrooms, but are concerned that students will be distracted by the latest music video or cute cat, or a video that wasn’t appropriate for students. While schools that restrict access to YouTube may solve this distraction concern, they also limit access to hundreds of thousands of educational videos on YouTube that could help bring photosynthesis to life, or show what life was like in ancient Greece. YouTube is trying to make the site an open conversation. Teachers can suggest new playlists and comments to help further integrate YouTube in the classroom. Highlights of the changes are summarized in this new video: Does this new school-friendly version of YouTube hold possibilites for your classroom? Related articles YouTube for Schools arrives Opening up a world of educational content with YouTube for Schools YouTube Teachers - Ideas for Using Videos in Your Classroom

Welcome to an interview with an Adobe Youth Voices Aspire Award finalist, Dantorie Reeves, age 16, from Mt. Pleasant High School, San Jose, California. Adobe Youth Voices aims to empower youth in underserved communities around the globe with real-world experiences and 21st century tools to communicate their ideas, exhibit their potential, and take action in their communities. You can vote until

Can you envision today’s high school or college students carrying out jobs like these: Bio-botic Physcian Chef-farmer (agri-restaurateur) Clone rancher Digital archaeologist Drone dispatcher Exozoologist Energy Harvester Global system architect Holodeck trainer Mobile BioMass Therapist Personal brand manager Smart car interior advertisement sales representative Space junk hauler Transhumanist consultant Robotician The World Future Society; an organization served with the charge of  making those predictions can. In their recently released special report (PDF) these were among some of  the 70 specific jobs predicted for 2030. Whether or not Digital archaeologist or Transhumanist consultant will make the list of the hottest new careers in 2030 no one can say, but it begs the question for all to consider: Ten years from now, 20 years from now, what relevant work skills will be shaped by the continued rise in global connectivity, smart technology and new media, and who knows what other social/cultural drivers? The Institute for the Future a non-profit research group has taken a close look at these big disruptive shifts and shares in this A 19-page report (PDF) the key work skills that will be needed to fulfil these new roles. Below is a summary image: We are facing times of unprecedented challenge. Combining our current research-based forecasts of skills and competencies, real-world examples, and staying abreast of these shaping forces will help us to support students in identifying and acquiring the abilities they need to thrive in this very very different and amazing world. What Habitudes do you believe they will need most? Related articles 10 Skills All Students Need in Any Job Market (bigthink.com) What Does it Mean to be a Transhumanist? (acceleratingfuture.com) The Future Of Learning, Transformed By Software (businessinsider.com) The destination of life (ryubg.wordpress.com) The Future is a Balancing Act (conversationagent.com) Students ‘seek jobs, not uni’ (career-advice.monster.co.uk) What Will Be the Business Skills of the Future (readwriteweb.com) The Top 10 Tech Skills Your Teen Needs Now (education.com)

Now available -- access to 14 writing flowcharts for college success! Device-agnostic display with friendly navigation bars and scalable graphics and fonts for all varieties of screens (smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc.) is critical for online courses. Welcome to the new Writing Flowchart Portal, which is smartphone/tablet/ and laptop friendly! Flowcharts Ready-to-Use Take a Position  Is

Welcome to an interview with Anny Liu, one of the winners of the first-ever Adobe Youth Voices Aspire Awards. Liu, age 17, and a student at Balboa High School in Redwood City, CA, won a Silver Award for Animation. Her project, LOOK, was created in conjunction with her co-author Janice Lee. Here is the text of E-Learning Queen's interview with Anny Liu. 1. What is your name and what is your

Guest Post submitted by Elaine Hirsch who has written some great new ideas on the necessity of of using the "wisdom of the crowd" to advance our personal and professional goals.  Thank you Elaine, for this great insight! Using crowdsourcing for a more productive business is an idea that should be considered by any and all businessowners. It can take the place of traditional hierarchies and can even cut down the time it takes to get tasks done throughout the office. Crowdsourcing efforts can sometimes produce more reliable information than those provided by experts and graduates from online PhD programs. Using one of the three methods listed could save a great deal of time and resources. The most obvious form of this is the "idea competition" that many businesses have resorted to for solving the most incredible (and mundane) problems. The use of Twitter and other social media outlets to present a problem to the masses is a form of crowdsourcing that many people have seen without even knowing. Finding trending topics on Twitter shows what the masses are interested in so businesses can record the effectiveness of their marketing efforts. There are businesses that do more than simply post problems online and wait for answers. The competition might end in a job with the company that needs the solution or a cash prize. However, this is the simplest of forms. Using social media is cheap (usually free) and is easy to access. Sometimes, a company might need to go to greater lengths for answers. Just reading Jeff Howe’s Twitter feed is, in a way a form of crowdsourcing, as it allows Mr. Howe to aggregate information from the masses to his feed. Researchers in Montreal created a video game that was intended to discover the solution to a gene-sequencing problem that has baffled them for years. They released the video game for anyone to play, and the gamers that played the game faithfully ended up solving a problem that men in white lab coats with doctorates could not. This form of crowdsourcing does not discriminate by age or ability level. Since crowdsourcing leverages the size rather than the intelligence of its sample group, the aggregated information gathered is much more important than the individual data points. Crowdsourcing.org also lists many forms of crowdsourcing. Crowdfunding is used as a source for capital for new projects. Rather than leaning on rich venture capitalists, a small business can create a network of people who are offering what little they can to the cause. Crowdsourcing is also the form of funding that propelled the Presidential campaign of Barack Obama in 2008. Because crowdsourcing is a way to connect the world, it can bring together engaging people with just the click of a mouse. Since each additional user of a social network further expands the scale of the tool, social networks can be scaled in a low-cost manner to meet the demands of today’s online populations. With the wisdom of the crowds becoming just as useful as the opinions of experts in certain fields of study, crowdsourcing will be an important phenomenon to consider. With these inspiring words from Elaine, I hope you can all go and make an effort to explore tapping into the power of collaboration at a new level today! Remember- WE ARE SMARTER TOGETHER!!  Thanks for the reminder, Elaine!  Related articles Social Media and the Crowdsourcing: Applicability & Effectiveness So Far (socialmediaclub.org) University Studies Crowdsourcing for Intelligence (abcnews.go.com) Crowdsourced Ideas Make Participating in Government Cool Again (PA Times October 2011) (inesmergel.wordpress.com) What are the characteristics of a crowdsourced investigation? A case study in crowdsourcing investigative journalism part 5 (onlinejournalismblog.com) Crowdsourcing versus Creativity [Alan Stevens] (ecademy.com) Crowdsourcing: The NEW work model (leydahernandez.com)

Welcome to an interview with Jaley Bruursema,  one of the winners of the first-ever Adobe Youth Voices Aspire Awards. Jaley B, age 14, and a student at Augustus H. Burley Elementary School in Chicago, IL, won a Silver Award for Narrative Video. Jaley's project, Gone, was created in conjunction with co-authors Anna Gould, Teagan Letscher, Elyssa Saldana, and Avery Weiland. The students were

As I woke up this morning, thinking of the best way to share with you how much I love and appreciate your presence in my life, my friend Jure Klepic sent the following video and message to all his friends and followers. There is nothing like a feeling when someone you dont know, you never meet tells you that YOU MATTER. In that spirit, I share with you his wonderful and beautiful gift! Happy Holidays friends - YOU MATTER to me! Related articles Endless possibilities when you know that #youmatter 2 Words Changing the World YOU MATTER- Going Global What If You Knew You Mattered?

E-Learning Queen is thrilled to announce that its sister blog, FringeJournal,  has been nominated for a 2012 Fascination Award in the Creative Writing Teacher Blog Category! The nomination was given for FringeJournal's "Iraq, American Soldiers in Iraq, Werewoves of Paraguay and War: El Luison." Online creative writing programs are found in many online courses and programs. Ranging from

As 2011 comes to a close,  I wanted to share with you the top posts of the year as a way to celebrate the conversations we have had and honor the insights and ideas you have shared. It was hard to pick just 11; so I selected the posts that you the readers reacted to most through your tweets, likes, comments and shares. I love what I do and  love the interaction I have with this amazing community of learners. Keep letting me know what matters most you and what I can do to make next year even better together! Top 11 Posts of 2011 1.  You Matter- 2 Words Changing the World 2.  The 12 Most Important Ways to Let People Know They Matter 3.  Honoring Genius Now! 4.  Permission to Play..Please? 5.  The Power of Noticing 6.  5 Ways to Tweet Like A Champion 7.  12 Most Important Things to Know About Kids Today 8.  Superman Ain’t Comin’ and Why That’s a Good Thing 9.  Social is the New Search 10.  Jobs of the Future - Will Our Students Be Prepared? 11.  Celebrating Teachers - A Collection of Online Resources Looking forward to continuing the learning with you in 2012!!

The beauty of mobile learning is that it allows you to access content any time, anywhere. However, there can be a few bumps in the road. It can be very tedious to download content in a way that allows you to listen or view the material, even if you're not online. In addition, downloading can be cumbersome if you have to go through several different apps and portals. If you're enrolled in an

Hello Friends and Happy New Year! Like many of you, I am reflecting on the last 365 days and making "My TO BE" list for the coming year hoping to ensure that 2012 is a year that matters. There are literally hundreds of books, posts, and pieces of advice that we use to raise the bar in our professional and personal lives. So many of these things make sense (eat right, exercise more, limit the chocolate, etc,,) and we fully intend to be diligent in their implementation into our habits and lives. And yet, somewhere between Jan 1st and Jan. 1st, we don’t quite make the mark. (Speaking from personal experience!) The most important lesson I learned in 2011 is the life we wish for comes not from doing something big and drastic but rather by committing to do one small thing a day that really matters to/for someone else.  I am making that a renewed commitment in  2012 to everyday, for 365 days, to let someone in my life know that they matter to me. A few seconds of your time could mean the world to someone. Lets make sure that everyday in 2012 is a day that matters! Happy New Year!!   If video does not automatically play - Click to View Here.  

What role can online dictionaries play in e-learning? Finding just the right word to use, or understanding the true meaning of a word is often a matter of context as well as denotative meaning. Dictionaries can fall short because they do not always adequately present the full spectrum of meaning(s), and they are not flexible enough to engage deep learning. To offer a solution, Ultralingua

Morals? Ethics? Being open, authentic, transparent?Sure, we’ve all heard them. It’s ubiquitous when it comes to conversations about business, education, and social media success. These are all practices important to being "Above the Line" and the topic of one of my favorite Twitter Chats:  #SMmanners I am excited this week to be co-hosting #SMmanners with the Twitter Chat King himself,  Mr, Jure Klepic. Our guests will be Brent Williams (@1BrentWilliams) and Andrew B.  Clark (@TheBrandChef) ; two of the co-founders of Above the Line America. They will be discussing the importance of doing business "Above the Line" and the important tenants of Abundance Authenticity Accountability Action Appreciation topics that both educators and business organizations will find fascinating. Here are details for the chat: Date:  Tuesday January 10, 2011 Time: 10 PM EST Hashtags: #SMmanners and #Abovetheline If this is your first Twitter chat, check out these great getting started tips: How to Get Started With Twitter Chats My Twitter Chat Toolbox How to Set up TweetGrid to Monitor Twitter chat 5 Ways to  Tweet Like a Champion For more information on and upcoming chat topics  and  #SMmaners follow the amazing Dabney Port (@DabneyPorte) Founder of #SMmanners , #SlumberParty & Co Founder of #SMgirlfriends Related articles: Twitter Chats - Experiences, Value Propositions, Tips and Tricks Nurph: Twitter-Connected Chat Rooms Ready for a Tweet Chat? 5 Tips on How to Join the Conversation 20 Game-Changing Twitter Chats

My friend and mentor Seth Godin says, "only reason to give a speech is to change the world", so that is the context and the inspiration I share this message and manifesto with you: 2 Words Changing The World These two words can change your mood, change your mind, and have the power to change lives and the world world if we understand and leverage them in the right way" Angela Maiers TED Talk June 2011 YOU MATTER.   I am not telling you something that you don’t already know - Mattering Matters. In fact, I’m sure you will agree that it is of the utmost importance to tell our families, our customers, clients, and community - they matter. But who tells you? Before we can convince anyone else that we matter we must first convince ourselves.  This is not a desperate attempt to justify our existence nor glorify our importance. Knowing we matter is key to our existence as important to our survival as air, food, and water. Consider this Manifesto an acknowledgement of your significance and an official reminder that …. 1. YOU ARE ENOUGH Do you even realize how much difference you can make? You don’t have to be rich or famous; there is not age limit or specific skill set to acquire. Your presence- your essence- your passion is enough. You already have what it takes to make the world a better place. Making a difference to the world may seem like an enormous task, but it is in fact the collective effort of everyone to make small contributions with a lot of heart. You are just what the world is waiting for. 2.  YOU HAVE INFLUENCE Knowing you can make a difference in the world is sometimes scary to accept. To realize you can literally alter the path of the world is a bit overwhelming. Yet it’s important to accept the influence you own. Whether you accept it or not, you’re changing the course of humanity. The degree to which you do so it entirely up to you. 3. YOU ARE A GENIUS Seth Godin defines genius as the act of solving a problem in a way no one has solved it before. It has nothing to do with winning a Nobel prize in physics or certain levels of schooling. It’s about using human insight and initiative to find original solutions that matter. The question is: Have you ever done that? Read on… 4. YOU HAVE A CONTRIBUTION TO MAKE "Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something." - Author Unknown Your painting can bring a smile to someones face. Your poetry can lift someone out of a deep slump. Your passion can lead to the creation of something magnificent. The size of the contribution you make is is not what matters most. What counts is the effort. We have a responsibility to seek ways to contribute, large and small. 5.  YOU HAVE A GIFT THAT OTHERS NEED "Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared." - Buddha Happiness and love are the two greatest gifts you can give to the world. Too often, we’re too indulged in our own gratifications  we forget there are people in this world whom we can make a little happier and feel more loved. These interventions, ideas, and ideals are the gifts we can give to society. And as the saying goes, "The more we give, the more we’ll receive." 6. YOU ARE THE CHANGE "Be the change the world need to see" Ghandi Sometimes it is in the small encounters with others that we recognize twe matter, that our presence is important. A shared smile, an unexpected kindness, leaving each encounter with another positive. It is in these small moments we find opportunity to make the choice to matter. In doing so, we create the relationship, we create the change. We make the world a better place. 7. YOUR ACTIONS DEFINE YOU IMPACT "How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." - Anne Frank Action is the worlds greatest currency.If you choose to remain passive in how you live, you still have an impact. If you choose to remain quiet on issues that drive you, that too influences humanity. There is no one best time to start to make a difference to the world. You don’t need to wait till you have the time; you don’t have to wait till you make more money; you don’t have to wait to let someone know they matter. Start with these two words, and you will will know how much that  little efforts counts today. 8. YOU MATTER! To matter means to be of consequence, of importance (but not self-importance;) significant, relevant, worthy of note and of crucial value. To feel appreciated and valued, marginalized, abandoned or ignored.  The world may not always affirm this. Your employer may not always tell you that you - and the work you do - are valued. You friends and family without knowing it may not communicate the importance of your presence in their lives. But that doesn’t mean that what you do and who you are doesn’t have a profound impact on the world. It does. And you do. In the big scheme of things - you make a difference. A big difference. The world would be a very different place - a lesser place - without you. About this Manifesto: The YOU MATTER Manifesto is more than just a cheerful sentiment; it is a call to action. Empower yourself and realise the importance of contributing to the world by living your genius. Work on that talent and know you are responsible to put to use the gifts that have been entrusted to you. Mattering is a process not an event.  Take your dreams and your talents seriously. Consider and Share: How do you take responsibility for YOU Matter? How do you let others know they matter? Let’s make our time together matter! This is only the beginning!