Every year on September 15, innovative educators around the world celebrate International Dot Day by making time to encourage their students’ creativity and genius potential. Inspired by Peter H. Reynolds treasured story, The Dot, students are encouraged to "make their mark" by starting simply with a dot and then seeing where that dot takes you. I am especially looking forward to this year’s event. I have partnered with Peter and the amazing team at FableVision in an effort to connect like-minded educators willing to share their passions and talent with one another across the larger world community.   Over 350,000 educators and students have registered so far for International Dot Day and have signed up to share their stories with one another using the Skype in The Classroom Network. It is awe-inspiring to see children, teachers, leaders and entire communities representing all 50 states and spanning 6 continents join together to let one another know how much they matter to the world. And, this is a perfect time to issue a challenge to all the worldchangers and leaders in your community to Make Their Mark and Make it Matter. There is still time to participate so please join us: If you are a teacher/school and want to participate, there is still time to sign up your students at  http://fablevisionlearning.com/dotday/signup.html.  If you are a student  and want to participate, talk with your teacher and parent. Join Our Community Facebook pages to get frequent updates and ideas for Dot Day and share how your school/community is Choosing2Matter. Follow Us (@angelamaiers @PeterHReynolds) on Twitter Using the Hashtags :  #DotDay  #MakeURMark  #Choose2Matter Visit http://fablevisionlearning.com/dotday/ to learn more about International Dot Day, activity suggestions, resources, a global map showing participants and a peek at the dots being created by celebrities.     Make sure that you get registered on the Skype In The Classroom Network. We will be using the SITC platform as a way to enable  teachers participating from around the world a way to find and connect with one another. (if you already have a Skype account you can login with the same details. If you don’t have a Skype account already, you can create one here.)  

Late Victorian writer George Gissing and his works are not well known, but they are emotionally gripping, psychologically realistic, and ultimately both destabilizing and reinforcing of how we come to understand the world around us vis-a-vis rapid cultural and technological change. To correct the fact that his works have slipped into invisibility, The Fringe Journal is launching a series of

For the past year, my first Monday of the month have been filled with insights and inspiration from the worlds top leaders who faithfully gather on Twitter for one of the most powerful and productive chat streams on Twitter: The chat is co-hosted by Social Media Branding Strategist, Peggy Fitzpatrick (@PegFitzpatrick) and Creative Director,  Paul Biedermann (@PaulBiedermann) who each month invite the community to an engage with leading authors like Guy Kawasaki, Oliver Blanchard, Mari Smith and Jay Baur using guided discussion questions that challenge both writer and reader. I have learned a lot from this super smart crew, and I am very very proud to be part of this community.  It is what makes this Monday night even more special to me.  I have the distinguished honor of being a featured author and a #mybookclub guest. We have an exciting show planned for Monday Sep 10, 8pm EST entitled :  Show Me Your HABITUDES  based on the ideas and insights from my new book: Classroom Habitudes. In Classroom Habitudes, I outline strategic lessons and conversations around the following key habits and attitudes of successful individuals across time and discipline: Imagination Curiosity Self Awareness Courage Adaptability Perseverance Passion It is more than a "how-to" guide for teaching 21st Century Skills and competencies. It is a "how-to-be" guide that provides a clear and explicit profile of the learner, worker, and citizen the world is expecting us TO BE.  Whether you are helping students pass algebra or seeking to uncover their spirit of creativity within your organization, these lessons will improve the chances of success in both big and small ventures. Do you agree? I hope that you are able to share your thoughts and #Habitudes live with us. Whether you lead a team of one or a force of thousands, we are all leaders in some way,  #mybookclub is  It is THE place to be this Monday evening. 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  #MyBookClub follow the amazing Peggy Fitzpatrick (@Pegfitzpatrick).

Mexico has six basins that produce oil and gas, and tremendous offshore, deep Gulf of Mexico resources. There is also shale potential in formations that extend south from the South Texas Eagle Ford. Still, according to statistics released by Pemex, Mexico’s oil and gas production has declined 25% since the 1980s. The problem has stemmed partially from a lack of investment, and difficulties in

As I write this blog post, over 500,000 students from schools in every state and across six continents to make their mark on the world. As they prepare for the International Dot Day Celebration, many are collaborating and connecting using Skype technology and the powerful network of Skype In the Classroom to find one another. This has to be one of the most powerful experiences for students as Skype enables students to connect, collaborate, and communicate with other students across the globe. It creates an opportunity for students to learn from each other, to have authentic audiences for their work, and to meet others who can further their learning. And as I learned first hand, Skype has the power to bring awareness and action to causes that matter in the world. As teacher her Bridget McCrea put it: "Skype take students where no school bus can take them and to give them experiences that will last a lifetime, and who knows? Maybe it will inspire some of them to become leaders someday." It’s a powerful (and FREE) resource that’s just waiting for you to join the Hundreds of AMAZING teachers taking time to open their classrooms to these global learning experiences. Getting Started is Easy:  This Guide encompasses step-by-step help from Skype projects, preparing your students for a Skype call, transforming a Skype call into a Learning call to student job responsibilities before, during and after the actual call. You can also view this Skype techtorial  for additional support. Finding Other Educators to Connect With: The directories below will help you find and connect with other educator’s looking for classroom partnerships. If you are creating this project in response to the Choose2Matter Initiative, please include ‘Choose2Matter’ in the title or description of the project so like-minded people can find you and your students! Skype in Schools Directory Choose2Matter Community Eduskypers Phonebook Meet the Author Directory Partners In Learning Network The Following Resources will give you ideas, strategies and insight on how you might use Skype In YOUR Classroom: Learning Languages On Skype How I taught My Kids to Use Skype 50 Interesting Ways to Use SITC Power fo Skype Beyond the Classroom Around the World in 80 Classrooms Homeschooling and Skype

Welcome to a mini-lecture learning object on one of the first sea novels, or "nautical tales," Mr. Midshipman Easy (1836) by Captain Frederick Marryat.  The full text is available at Internet Archive. An audio recording is available via Librivox. To access the interactive learning object, please click the Learning Object Link. Click the graphic to go to the learning object for Mr. Midshipman

This is a guest post by Eric Williams, Superintendent York County School Division. Follow Eric on Twitter. Too often educators adopt a content coverage mentality to prepare students for high-stakes tests. They try to cram a ton of facts into students’ heads without engaging students in deeper, longer-lasting learning. International Dot Day and the Choose2Matter movement are opportunities for teachers, principals, superintendents and others to reject the content coverage mentality and articulate a more compelling vision of teaching and learning. With this vision, students commit themselves enthusiastically to work that makes a difference locally, nationally, and/or globally. Students learn the content and skills of the curriculum as they choose to matter. International Dot Day is inspired by Peter Reynolds children’s book The Dot. The Dot tells the story of Vashti, a little girl who is dared by her teacher to "make her mark." Based on registrations, over 500,000 students are participating in Dot Day September 15-ish. Students from all areas within our school district are participating in International Dot Day. The level of participation by school varies ranging from an entire school, to entire grade levels or departments, to a few classes. Students in each of our nineteen schools will make their mark matter during the school year. Third grade students will research options for fertilizing soil in rural communities as part of managing actual charitable contributions. Sixth grade students will write letters and create videotaped public service announcements for 5th grade students regarding lockers, homework, and other topics relating to the transition to middle school. High school students will engage in oyster restoration to improve water quality and increase the native oyster population. Students at all levels will create tutorials using screencasting, Claymation, and videotaping in a variety of content areas, including Driver’s Education, Spanish, Algebra, and Biology. They will publish these tutorials for a global audience on the Internet. You can read blog posts relating to these and other similar projects via the links provided at the end of this post. Student Dots from Mount Vernon Elementary School Participation in International Dot Day can launch sustained efforts to support students as they do work that matters. Participation in Dot Day can generate excitement, extend understanding of the concept of choosing to matter, build community, and make connections. These examples illustrate the different ways schools can use participation in Dot Day to launch a year of doing work that matters: Students, teachers and administrators are making their own dots. Dot Day Digital Quilt of Magruder Elementary School Staff Dots High School students are Skyping with elementary school students for a read-aloud of The Dot and related activities. Multiple schools are planning aerial photographs of students and staff standing together forming a Dot, making their mark as a school. Waller Mill Elementary School, with a Dot Week of activities, provides other examples of using International Dot Day to kick off sustained efforts to support students’ making their mark matter. WMES Display in Front Hall will Display Dots Soon A bulletin board near the entrance to the school will display staff and student dots. Gold frames will initially exhibit student dots and eventually exhibit other student work that makes a difference. The morning show will feature students sharing their commitment to make their mark matter. Students will write responses, some of which will be published as blog posts, in response to a school-wide common writing prompt relating to making one’s mark matter. Gold Frames, Just Like Vashti Used! Here are five steps you can take to participate in International Dot Day: Visit the official Dot Day web site to learn more and view resources for instructional activities.Here are five steps you can take to participate in International Dot Day: Read Angela Maier’s blog post regarding connecting the dots to change the world.  Sign your students up to participate in International Dot Day. Register for the Skype in the Classroom network to use videoconferencing to participate in Dot Day and followup activities throughout the year. Exchange ideas with others through Twitter using the #DotDay #Choose2Matter and #MakeURMark hashtags.   Participating in International Dot Day can be an effective part of engaging students in deeper, longer-lasting learning through projects that make a difference.  When students learn the content and skills of the curriculum through these projects, we see that a content-coverage mentality that focuses on just exposing students to content is not the best perspective. So, join educators and students around the globe in connecting their dots to make a difference locally, nationally, and/or globally.

This was originally posted on eFaceToday. I am inviting you to join us at their weekly chat coming Wednesday night, 9/19 at 9EDT/6PST. Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdkrebs #YouMatter - These two words hold so much power and potential in supporting kids in today’s world. School students come to us with unlimited potential and oftentimes all it takes is for them to feel a little extra support, confidence and love from their parents and educators to help them rise to the occasion. This week, we’ve invited @AngelaMaiers to our weekly Parent-Teacher Chat to help provide us the very best strategies in raising self esteem for students everywhere.  Angela’s life path has always been about teaching and communication. Her twenty years as an educator and her passionate pursuit of literacy and learning, gave her a healthy dose of courage and skills that have led to a variety of wonderful experiences, including classroom and University teaching, instructional coaching, research, writing, publishing, corporate training, and starting my own business. More on Angela Maiers can be found on her website here and in her TEDxDesMoines talk below. Also invited to this discussion is 2012 Blue Ribbon School Principal Tony Sinanis, whose school (Cantiague Elementary), employs multiple "bucket-filling" opportunities for its learning community. We’ll hear from Tony and others on applying these strategies at home and at school. Please join us on Wednesday night, 9/19 at 9EDT/6PST. Together we’ll create a gDOC school newsletter resource for educators & parents on student self-esteem. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FHdHUzRnms

Business simulations and other types of interactive elearning are more important than ever, especially as the simulations have more connections to real-world applications and problems. Welcome to an interview with Veijo Kyösti of Cesim, a Finnish educational technology company. 1.  What is your name and your relation to elearning? My name is Veijo Kyösti, Co-Founder and Managing Director of

Many of you have asked me to repost the YOU MATTER Manifesto image from my last post. Feel free to share the Manifesto with anyone who truly matters to you. I promise it will make their day!   Read the full story of the manifesto here.

I had a great time on the webshow, eLearnChat, with host Rick Zanotti and fellow elearning expert Dawn J. Mahoney -- they are quite funny when they start riffing and I have to say it was seriously fun. We talked about new trends in training, and how to be effective in a global context when we're looking at very specific topics and areas for training. A great time was had by all -- I was in

There are still a large number of folks who believe that Social Media is about the tools you choose and the content you create. Champion Tweeters, Bloggers, and Network Leaders think differently. They spend their time on the social web and in their communities with a different behavior set, mindset and belief system. I call these Habitudes — as success is a combination of disciplined habit and battle hard attitude. These "Social Media Habitudes" are what separate them from the rest of the pack. Their decisions about tools, techniques and trends are shaped and molded by their Habitudes. You have the ability to teach, guide, influence, activate, catalyze, transform, elevate, and make deeper connections every time you enter this space, but only if you are willing to make the following Habitudes a priority: 1. Insatiable curiosity Champion leaders and learners are curious about everything. They have learned that great questions are the best way to have a meaningful conversation, the best way to rope in a mentor and the best way to look like a star performer. Make it a priority to listen to people asking great questions. Be in charge of the questions you ask and keep a list of the best questions you hear. Use this to create a question toolboxyou can use and apply to every social media interaction you have. 2. Audacious imagination Imagination is not just for kids. Discovery, innovation, creativity, and learning all begin with imagination. We all have creative potential to dig a bit deeper, stretch ourselves father, and dream a whole lot bigger than we are now. You can increase your exposure to new ideas, look for new patterns and see how you can combine ideas to improve upon existing strategies and solutions. Learn to tap into this capacity by using one of my favorite strategies is called SCAMPER. Let the processes guide you in through the journey of looking for new ideas and craft your strategy to how to implement those ideas creatively. Opportunity awaits you. 3. Fearless learning A desire to learn new things and stay on top of trends is key to success in any social media endeavor. Eric Hoffer captured it best when he said, "In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists." Don’t be equipped for irrelevance — keep learning.The moment you proclaim yourself to be "expert," "guru," or "master of of your domain," you lose. Be sure any social media plan involves time and a budget dedicated to ongoing training and education. Use this knowledge and content to move you towards your objectives; and always remember to give thanks to your "teachers" in the process! Here is a great list of places to jump start your journey. 4. Unwavering persistence and perseverance I have learned that most things of lasting value take time and discipline to achieve, and social media is not different. There will be good days. And there will be bad days. There will be times when you want to turn around, pack it up, and call it quits. Like any ability we wish to master, a level of commitment and discipline is required. Be persistent in your engagement within the communities that you are a part of. Be willing to make an investment in time and people rather than the latest "get more traffic and followers" approach. The implementation of a social media strategy means more than just one or two events or tools. The key to moving forward is consistency and commitment. 5. Courage with confidence For those unfamiliar with technology and new to social media, I understand jumping into the world of social media can be scary. It’s a big step, especially if you’re accustomed to "old habits." But now is not the time to be timid. In today’s rapid fire economy, it is imperative that you be willing to accept, learn how to use, and implement social media and new technologies. Your competitors certainly are. Luckily you don’t have to take the jump in alone. There are tons of ways to find individuals to learn from and be mentored by. Be confident in your power to be the change. 6. Adaptability and agility Adaptability is more than just serving change; it is using change as a growth opportunity. In fact, with anticipation of change, you can control change. This kind of development requires robust adaptability. The world opens up for adaptable learners, as they approach each task and challenge willing to be a beginner. They approach their learning and life with a beginner’s mindset. These learners embrace challenges with openness and flexibility. Those willing to ability to adapt their own cultural behaviour and judgements to different situations and to people from different cultures. 7. Self awareness Putting out a honest and accurate sense of who/what you are is more than a nicety; it is a necessity for your social media success. You will not be trusted, admired or valued, if you are not real. Even if you are representing a company or brand; the people on the receiving end of everything you put out need to know you are real. This kind of authenticity takes commitment and dedication. Take time to really get to know what matters to you, hone your story, and share passion in everything you do. Give people a reason to want to know more! 8. Empathetic compassion In a social economy, being interested trumps being interesting. To be interested in another requires empathy and engenders compassion. Empathy — thinking about other’s needs, feelings, and perceptions before your own — is the secret ingredient needed for transformation and the inspiration necessary to finding meaningful connections and lasting relationships. Empathy is not a strategy; it takes asking, listening and responding in a way that instills trust and conveys passion into any/all types of engagement. Leaders on the social web out-listen and out love their competitors.Consider what you might do to listen more thoughtfully, notice more intentionally; the rewards are immeasurable. 9. Gracious generosity We lead our lives in the company of others. In social media (and in life) we are remembered for what we give and not what we get. In this space, if you give out help, you get back help. If you give out information, you get it back. And if you give out love, what is returned may just take your breath away. There is an opportunity everyday to exceed people’s expectations; to offer up the best you have from a hot-off-the-press news story to a must-have tip or resource. Surprise them, thank them with a retweet or direct message and never miss a chance to show the people how much they matter to you. 10. Realistic optimism No doubt, we live in challenging and complex times. We also live in a time where nearlyANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. As a leader, your ability to be hopeful and dispense hope is crucial to helping those you serve thrive in face of difficulty. And there is much to be hopeful for. Believe in the incredible power of the human mind. Of doing something that makes a difference. Of working hard. Of laughing and learning. Of all the things that will cross your path. Of the ability to start something new. All these bring the hope of something great to come. 11. Resilience Resilience involves being able to change direction. Failure is easy to repeat. You simply do the exact same thing you did previously while expecting the result to be different. (I believe this was Einstein’s definition of insanity.) It takes effort to consider alternative approaches and to maintain the hope that making such changes can yield better results. Ambiguity is unsettling. Faced with it, the temptation is to reach for a fast (and potentially wrongheaded) solution. A leader with the Habitudes holds steady, synthesizing information from many sources and acts strategically before abandoning or apply a tactic or strategy. To get good at this, you have to: •  Seek patterns in multiple sources of data and encourage others to do the same •  Question prevailing assumptions and test multiple hypotheses simultaneously •  Plan for Roadblocks and commit to efforts to overcome potential setbacks. Some questions to ponder as you examine your social media strategy: •  How resilient are you in face of challenge? •  How am I modeling resilience in my behavior and actions? •  How do I convey the importance of resilience to others who face challenges and obstacles? 12. Relentless passion What I love most about teaching five-year-olds, is their huge capacity to put themselves fully into the things they enjoy; with no fear or restraint. It’s their passion that stands out and inspires others around them. Like great innovators, scientists, artists, and world leaders, five-year-olds understand that passion is the ingredient that makes the impossible a little more possible. Passion is the genius of genius. I believe passion to be the single most important asset we have on the web and in the world. Passion is what differentiates us consistently over time. It needs to be nurtured, evolved, and invigorated with constant attention in order to keep it true and alive. Any leader who decides to adopt this level of intensity and conviction will be valued and admired. For those leaders willing to become more passion-driven, the following resources can help you in your journey. So, what do you think? Would you follow leaders with these traits and qualities? What can we add or do to help nurture those who seek or are called to serve? This post was written and published at 12most.

Facebook announced today a new integration with personal file storage company Dropbox. Now, you can share files to Facebook Groups using Dropbox’s cloud-based storage system. According to Facebook, this new feature does not replace the current ability to upload files from your computer.  It opens up the ability for people to upload files that they already have stored in the cloud to Groups (as long as they are stored in Dropbox.) Facebook is rolling out the feature today, so look for DropBox option in your FB Group very soon, and for more about how to use Dropbox and Facebook Groups, check out the DropBox help center.   We are very excited to explore this in the Choose2Matter Facebook Group and C2M Community if you have not joined, please do. We are almost 5,000 teachers/leaders strong working hard to do work that matters. So, what do you think? How do you see this improving your ability to manage the content and conversation happening in FB groups? Hat tip to Richard Byrnes for the find!

The need for innovative instructional design that works in many different types of organizational settings for many different types of learners is surging now with the advent of mobile devices. Welcome to an interview with Jeff Kissinger, Rollins College. Jeff designs and administers new programs in one of the nation's most innovative college, which is known for its passionate approach to

As a long-time Communication Studies professor, who teaches Interpersonal Communication, I have understandably devoured Angela Maiers’ You Matter message. I had the good fortune to first interact with Angela during Jodi Okun’s #CollegeCash chat, when I asked her how this message can apply to the college crowd. I watched Angela’s TEDxTalk and felt that You Matter was so inspiring—for a young audience, who hadn’t yet been darkened by the real world. I asked Angela, "How can I possibly help my students, 18-year-old’s on up, some of whom have been absolutely crushed by their environments and their circumstances, who don’t believe they deserve education… to perceive that they matter? How do I get them to accept my help when they flat refuse it? When I try to do everything I can to help them and then they withdraw from my course anyway? How do I get them to believe that they matter?" Obviously, there wasn’t enough time in Angela’s guest spot on #CollegeCash for her to fully answer my question, though she gave me some ideas. Fortunately, Angela kept in touch with me. In my quest to not let Angela’s manifesto escape the college crowd, I asked her if I could incorporate her message and TEDxTalks into actual assignments for Instructor’s Manuals and websites that I was working on for Oxford University Press ancillary products. In the next two weeks, as my students and I go through Chapters 3 and 4, Communication and the Self and Perception and Others, I am going to bring one of those assignments to life. My students are going to watch Angela’s TEDTalk and then she has agreed to Skype into my classroom and speak with my students about "You Matter," from their perspective. Will you, Angela’s blog audience, join my students and I… and do some homework, too? Will you join us in the assignment? Yes? Fabulous! Here are your questions: 1. How can those who have interdependent self-perception positively adopt the "you matter" principal? 2. Once one reaches their teen years or adulthood, is it too late for the "you matter" message to positively impact one’s self-esteem if their environment didn’t promote this message? Explain your rationale. How could someone strive to own or adopt how much they matter during these years? (Just FYI: My students will cite specific terms about the theories of self and perceptual tendencies the chapters in their responses!) 3. Tell three unsuspecting people in your life "you matter" and report their reactions. Based on their response, how do you perceive that you impacted their perceptions of themselves, even for a moment? What would it mean to you to have someone say "you matter" at this point in your life? Angela will be visiting the Highline Community College Interpersonal Communication (CMST 210) class on October 8th. We’ll report back and tell you what college students have to say about their perception of "You Matter." Ellen Bremen Ellen Bremen is tenured faculty in the Communication Studies department at Highline Community College (since 2004), outside of Seattle, Washington and the author of Say This, NOT That to Your College Professor:  36 Talking Tips for College Success

There are many ways to learn, and one of the most dramatic approaches to situated, experiential learning is a field seminar or field trip. Welcome to an interview with Jason Terrell, Talent Attraction Manager, US University Relations, BP, who discusses BP's "Ultimate Field Trip Experience."    Q: What is the BP UFT competition? The Ultimate Field Trip is a two-week global experience

For the past several weeks, I have been preparing a series of workshops for school and community leaders who are ready to embrace social media and explore the powerful ways new social technologies and platforms can be used in classrooms and schools. As I outlined, re-outlined and tweaked the schedule trying to craft the "perfect" day,  I kept coming back to how I could frame the conversation beyond the content of the day and show how much it means and will mean for a leader to make a commitment to this work. I wanted to share the following message not only to those attending the sessions, but to all school leaders ready to jump in and move their district and their communities to the next level.   Dear Leader, First, let me say I’m thrilled that social media is on your radar as something you realize requires studying, experiencing and investigating. I’m ecstatic that you aren’t looking at social media as something that can be taught in one or two quick workshops or handed over to a third party that you hire to run your schools website or Twitter account. I say these things with gratitude and as I know many of your colleagues still do not quite get why you are taking time off school to go "mess around with apps" and sign up for those "time-wasting sites" like Facebook and Twitter.  I know you encounter many leaders, in and out of our field, who are not willing to ask the questions that you are asking Questions like: (HT to Scott McLeod) What can we do to increase the cognitive complexity of students’ day-to-day work so that they are more often doing deeper thinking and learning work? What can we do to better incorporate digital technologies into students’ deeper thinking and learning work in ways that are authentic, relevant, meaningful, and powerful? What can we do to give students more agency and ownership of what they learn, when they learn, how they learn, and how they show what they’ve learned? What can we do to build the internal capacity of both individual educators and school systems to be better learners and faster change agents? As we move toward more cognitively-complex, technology-suffused learning environments, how do we bring educators, board members, parents, communities, policymakers, and higher education along with us? As we move toward more cognitively-complex, technology-suffused learning environments, how do we ensure that traditionally-underserved student and family populations aren’t further disadvantaged? As we move toward more cognitively-complex, technology-suffused learning environments, what individual and societal mindsets - and local, state, and federal policy supports and/or barriers - need reconsideration? What can we do to better recognize and assess when students’ deeper thinking and learning work is (or isn’t) occurring? So getting to our agenda, our efforts this day are not only about how and in what ways you will use social media, but how you as a leader, a powerful and emerging brand, will discover a new level of leadership and learning capacity. What do I mean by that. You understand and embrace that you are the face of your school and represent the values and traditions that it is known for. Aside from that, YOU are a brand that represents brave and bold leadership. Who you are and what you model as a leader and learner can inspire and empower those you lead and serve.  You have made the commitment to "TO BE" the change.  By "going first" you are now in a position to say:  I understand.  I have been there.  I know exactly what your feeling. Here’s what helped me. Together we will spend a day exploring amazing tools and platforms, and more importantly how we can elevate and extend their use to: Improve Relationships Increase Productivity Save Time and Money Shoulder Burdens and Ease Insecurities Work Smarter and Happier STAY PASSIONATE This will not be an easy day. You will find your self feeling overwhelmed, saturated with information and wondering how you are going to make sense of it all. It’s okay, because you do not have to make sense of it all. You have a network waiting to help you do exactly that. Leadership is lonely, and I can assure you that attempting this road alone is not a path I would recommend. I am so looking forward to learning from you and beside you. I welcome and am energized by the challenges ahead and take comfort in knowing that I too am not going it alone. Your Guide in Real Time! Angela   Lets Do This R.I.G.H.T. Getting technology r.i.g.h.t from Angela Maiers

Creative writing, literature, as well as highly personal writing are catalysts in e-learning because they have the capacity to engage deep emotions. Welcome to an interview with Franklin Lafayette King, whose writing is haunting, emotionally compelling, and emotionally engaging. He has also been a trailblazer in elearning, pushing the envelope with technology and also emotionally-engaging,

Happy Monday Friends! I am excited to announce a new schedule for my blog, one that is sure to inspire and inform. Teachers With The Habitudes is a new blog series celebrating and chronicling the learning and lives of talented educators from across the globe seeking to equip their students with the skills and strategies demanded in the 21st Century world and workforce. When I started working on the first version of Classroom Habitudes, the 21st Century skills debate was in full swing. Despite numerous white papers, acts of legislation, and newly mandated curriculum, there was little practical application of how these lessons would actually look and feel inside real classrooms. I set out on a quest to outline explicitly what lessons and conversations around the Habitudes of Curiosity, Imagination, Perseverance, Courage, Adaptability, Self Awareness and Passion looked and sounded like for teachers and students. Four years and hundreds of lessons later, we have concrete examples of examples of schools, leaders and educators that have committed to implementing the Habitudes and can point to positive learning outcomes as a result of their passion and efforts. I am honored and thrilled to share their successes with all of you. Every week on the blog, we will showcase a Teacher With the Habitudes. Through their story, you will see how and in what ways these lessons can be successfully integrated and implemented in your school and community. For those of you new to the Habitudes, the following resources and ideas can get you started: Click here to READ A SAMPLE CHAPTER and  first hand how the lessons are organized. If you are ready to see more, check out the HABITUDES RESOURCE WIKI. Download any of the following FREE REPRODUCIBLES to help you in your lesson planning and implementation efforts. These reproducibles include handouts to copy and share, as well as forms you can fill in electronically. Defining the Habitudes Definitions and Descriptions of the Habitudes Dream Team Members General Habitude Reflections Genius Questions See ALL REPRODUCIBLES FOR THE HABITUDES HERE. You can ORDER YOUR OWN COPY NOW  and explore first hand the over 60+ lessons and strategies. This will be an interactive series so come back often to read the latest post, comment with your own stories and ideas and check out the latest lessons and ideas.  And if YOU have the Habitudes, I would love to hear from you. Share with us how your lesson went, how you customized it for your students, and what secret sauce you added to make it even better.  Just follow the Guest Post Submission Guidelines and share your genius with the world! For a complete list of the posts in this series, click the "Teacher With The Habitudes" tab on the right sidebar.  

Werewolves that feed on corpses in old cemeteries, shape-shifting creatures that kidnap children and turn them into dunces, and an Incubus creature that can slip in during siesta impregnate sleeping young women -- these are just a few of the very interesting Paraguayan mythological figures that populated the classic 90s television series, Sombras en la Noche. A stunning commercial success when it

The 2012 Global Education Conference is November 12 - 17 this year, and if you haven’t been a part of this amazing, online, 5-day, 24-hour-a-day event, we sure hope you will join us this year! There’s lots of amazing news about the conference below (really), so skim down below and find that which is important to you: 1. The conference is free to attend. If you join the conference network, you’ll be kept informed of the details and new announcements. 2. You can still submit to present! The deadline to submit proposals for both the Global Education Conference and the affiliated iEARN Annual Conference and Youth Summit are October 29th. This is a highly inclusive event with a focus on participation-we’ll have hundreds of sessions from educators around the world, and even if you’ve never presented before, we hope you will consider sharing your experiences and expertise in connecting educators, classrooms, and students globally. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a conference more dedicated to peer professional development, so jump right in! This also means that we have extended the deadline for film exhibition submissions. If you’ve got a  digital film to share on a global topic, check out this post for more details. 3. Even though we are still accepting proposals to present, the current schedule of accepted sessions has been posted! You’ll find the hourly listing of sessions in any one of 36 times zones here. (We’re quite proud of how easy it is for anyone in the world to attend and participate in the conference in their own time zone!) More sessions are being added daily. 4. We’re starting our drive for volunteer moderators, which also means that we have our first training sessions for presenters and moderators starting next week. We love our volunteer moderators, and you don’t have to be an expert to help us with this crucial part of the conference program. To learn more or to sign up as a volunteer moderator, go here. To see the training sessions that are scheduled, go to the session schedule for your time zone. 5. Lucy Gray has done it again this year with another INCREDIBLE set of keynote speakers for the conference. Seriously, you are going to be blown away.  Check them out here. Tell your friends. Email everyone you know. Really, the lineup is THAT SERIOUSLY AMAZING. I don’t want to diminish your excitement at seeing the whole list, but (I’m whispering): Dale Dogherty, Karen Cator, Larry Johnson, Dan Russell, and Tony Wagner just to start. Really. Go look… 6. We have a gaming strand this year! We’re  thrilled to be working with BrainPOP to highlight game play within a global education context. 7. We’re also working with Cisco’s GETideas.org and EdSurge on a specialized conference strand that will focus on innovative and collaboration technologies with the potential to transform learning experiences for students around the globe. This strand will focus on companies offering tools and resources that support the mission of the conference and showcase global collaborations between groups. 8. We’re still accepting conference sponsors and non-profit partners. Organizations interested in financially supporting the conference, please email me at steve@hargadon.com. Potential non-profit partners can sign up here. 9. We depend on the community to help get the word out about the conference, since this is a free event and built by the community. So please do spread the word! Forward this email, blog or tweet about the conference (#globaled12), or send the conference website link (http://www.globaleducationconference.com) to your own mailing list. Global education has never been more important, and there’s really nothing quite like our free and highly-participative online conference to help make a difference in the lives of students, educators, administrators, parents, families, and communities. This is a guest post by Steve Hargadon.