My "Monday on a Wednesday" mood captured and immortalized as a GIF. This animated GIF brought to you courtesy of phhhoto. It’s been an interesting new social space/app for creating and sharing animated GIFs. There’s a lot of really creative art there, and I hope the community that continues to embrace it keeps it classy. I’ve seen a lot of other animated GIF apps come and go, permanently sidelined to the "not school friendly" portion of apps and social spaces I explore thanks to the average teenager doing what average teenagers do best….be obnoxious. Not that there’s anything wrong with that…we were all teenagers once. Update: Nevermind, it looks as though they’re aiming to be "the perfect party app"….so much for a productive school tool.

This Friday we’re going to have 300 fourth graders participating in a day long "tech camp" for kids. Led by the fourth grade teachers and some tech-savvy colleagues from our county-wide instructional technology group, the students will have a chance to explore applications, create digital stories, and "play with a purpose" with a lot of the technology we have in our district. Special thanks to Matt Karsten for having the idea to give it a try, and leading us all through the experience. To be fair, there’s a lot of nervous energy floating through the elementary building that will play host to the event, as we’ve never tried to tackle something like this before. It’s positive nervous energy, and we’re hoping the students and the teachers all come away with some good experiences. Personally, I’m hoping that it will serve as a catalyst for conversation surrounding technology in the building, and our district; how far do we push technology for the sake of using technology, and how do we create regular opportunities to explore new tools and tech in a playful manner. I’ve led lunch and learns, after school gathering, and small conversations during planning times, but they’ve all been met with limited success. As for the rest of this week’s Tech Direct Chat podcast, we address some Chrome vs. Firefox questions, wrestle with how to permanently delete Google Docs (hint, don’t do it if you’re not sure who is still using it), and we have a moment of silence for the passing of Leonard Nimoy. That and the usual half-witted banter between Pete and myself takes place. Click here to listen to this week’s Tech Director Chat (or listen below) Click here to subscribe via iTunes (Mac and iOS) Click here to subscribe via Stitcher (Android and iOS) Timestamps for this week’s questions: 1:05 What has Pete been up to today? 3:00 What are your thoughts about the upcoming 4th grade technology day? 5:50 What is Pete going to be teaching students during the 4th grade technology day? 7:20 Should Ben evaluate Pete’s ability to teach? 7:38 Is it in the works that all high school classrooms will have interactive whiteboards? 9:17 Pete just can’t answer a straight question. 10:05 What’s the difference between Chrome and Firefox? A listener is having a hard time making Chrome their "go to" browser after years of Firefox use. 13:18 Can I delete items from my Google Drive? If so, how so I go about doing it? 15:20 Be careful before deleting files in Google Drive that you’ve shared with others! 16:40 How does someone get added to the MCS Classifieds email list? 17:23 Why does Pete get to bring his dog to school? 18:23 Stump Pete! 20:13 A moment of silence for Leonard Nimoy 20:24 JW asks, what is your favorite guitar intro, and can you play it for us?   Tech Director Chat - Live Long and Prosper

I have no problem putting myself in front of a camera and acting, performing, "hamming it up", or delivering other recorded performance. It seems many Millennials are comfortable being YouTubers as well, putting themselves in front of the camera for school work, personal projects, or just sharing thoughts. However, I’ve also noticed that a large number of students and teachers can become quite shy when asked to get in front of a camera and perform. The number of students that are uncomfortable with it dwindles each year, but many teachers are still firmly in the "don’t put me on camera" camp. I’ve tried a few tricks to get them more comfortable when recording video; filming some "ice breaker" questions for interviews, so by the time we get to the good stuff the camera is already rolling and they’ve forgotten about it is one of my favorite tricks. I’ve also had a good amount of luck with encouraging students to perform multiple takes, so they can select the best one later, rather than be stuck with one embarrassing shot. Then last week I decided to turn on my video camera while my kids were playing around in front of my podcasting microphone. This is the result. It was a great example of simple unstructured play; Dad’s microphone sounds awesome when we plug headphones into it, so let’s see what our voice sounds like when we make goofy noises, fart sounds, and other vocal tricks (mostly variations on fart noises and songs from hit movies). I captured 30 minutes of the video, and cut it down to just about 2 minutes. My hope is to use it to lighten the mood for future video and media workshops. I might be biased since they’re my kids, but I think it’s a humorous video that would help remind those reluctant to step in front of a camera that confidence comes through play. Playful learning is essential in establishing a more comfortable environment, and has the potential to help shy and reluctant video participants become more comfortable with being in front of the camera. I’ll keep you posted on the reaction to it, but feel free to use it in any workshops you need to help lighten up.

A few weeks ago I shared a small game I had developed for a conversation-based conference session. It was a riff on "Cards Against Humanity," and utilized the Education Jargon Generator found on Science Geek to provide the kind of stereotypical edu-jargon that makes up most large conference session titles. The answer cards were all blank. I realize now that was a mistake. While I intended the game to be farcical, it was a bit too open ended; some people took to it immediately, while others were a bit lost. That was a mistake I’ve hopefully rectified with version 2.0 of the game, which I’ve now officially titled "Edu-Jargon." The game now includes close to 45 "fill in the blank" edu-jargon conference session titles, and close to 50 answers taken from the more lighthearted side of teaching. In other words, the game is now a mash up of the more stiff collared side of educational theory, and the more "real world" nature of educational practice. I’m bound and determined to turn "Edu-Jargon" into a full fledged card game, but it still needs a few more months of development, refinement, and a lot more play testing. It’s going to be worth it too, because every time I play test the game with a new group of people, the laughs are louder, the card combinations are funnier, and I see people really click with it. I knew last Saturday at EdCamp OAISD that I had to bring this game to life when one of the players created the following line of edu-jargon with three cards: "The global reality of forgetting to feed the classroom pet over break, and mystery meat Monday in the cafeteria." My plan is to have this in full playable form by the summer (275 cards), with a small run (perhaps Kickstarter) of professionally printed cards, complete with original logo, graphics, and colors. I also plan to make it absolutely free (in the spirit of Cards Against Humanity) as downloadable PDFs for those that don’t want a shrink-wrapped copy. It’s strange bringing something like this into the world and sharing it on my blog; I’m fearful someone with more resources than I have will find the idea, print off a few hundred copies with a custom card print house, and sell through the tiny market I feel there is for it. Then I remind myself that my readership is infinitesimally small, the idea is most likely NOT that great, most people only come here looking for "tech tips," and I don’t exactly play nice with the big names in Education Technology circles, which means it won’t be getting the kind of overly gratuitous shares on social media. In other words, my ego is far bigger than the reality of how far my thoughts wrap around the globe, and how good the game actually is. If you’d like to download the game in its current form right now and play test it for me, please do! You can download the PDFs below, as well as the instructions for how to play. There are two full sheets of black "question cards" and two full sheets of white "answer" cards, with one blank sheet of answer cards for players to fill in their own answers. It’s still a work in progress, but if you play it and like it, or want to offer me feedback, please leave comments! Edu-Jargon Instruction (Google Doc) Edu-Jargon - Black Cards Sheet One (PDF) Edu-Jargon - Black Cards Sheet Two (PDF) Edu-Jargon - White Cards Blank (PDF) Edu-Jargon - White Cards Sheet One (PDF) Edu-Jargon - White Cards Sheet Two (PDF)  

This post is two weeks late in happening. A LOT has been going on, and I dropped almost all of my blogging, commenting, reading habits the last three weeks or so in order to focus on work, MACUL, and a host of other tasks that have been piling up. Suffice it to say, you’ve probably already heard this episode if you’re following the Tech Director Chat podcast via other means. If not….enjoy! Click here to listen to this week’s Tech Director Chat (or listen below) Click here to subscribe via iTunes (Mac and iOS) Click here to subscribe via Stitcher (Android and iOS) Timestamps for this week’s questions: 1:00 What has Pete been up to? 1:35 How is Pete doing with his ongoing chats with teachers? 2:30 Pete is repairing iPads? 4:45 Nancy wants to know, are there any technology grants out there to apply for? 8:00 Ben finally gets around to answering Nancy’s question about technology grants from MPEF, Meemic, and Donors Choose. 10:03 JW asks if we can improve the speed of our next teacher laptop purchases. 10:55 JW also asks if we can entertain the idea of MacBook Airs for teachers? 13:00 Andrew wants to know, what can teachers do to make technology run smoothly? 15:00 Ben asks Pete to narrow down his advice to one thing to help technology run smoothly. 17:40 Ben shares his big tip for making technology run smoothly in the classroom. 20:00 Stump Pete! 20:35 Who or what is the next big thing in music? Tech Director Chat - Making Technology Run Smoothly in the Classroom

Every once and awhile, you need some time off. Time off from a busy work schedule, a few months of bitter cold temperatures and snow, or maybe just a week off from tech questions. Apparently, our listeners at school decided this was a week for more personal questions than tech-related. This week’s episode delves into my Tech Director’s personal life, from jamming with Big Head Todd & the Monsters on his vacation, to his former life an an athletic trainer for the Chicago Blackhawks. The podcast was actually a blast to record, and it was now of our best….until iCloud ate the media file and we had to re-record. Hopefully we kept our energy up, and were able to usher in Spring Break on a casual, fun-filled note. Here’s a special bonus; Pete jamming with his rock idols on vacation: Click here to listen to this week’s Tech Director Chat (or listen below) Click here to subscribe via iTunes (Mac and iOS) Click here to subscribe via Stitcher (Android and iOS) Timestamps for this week’s questions: :52 Yes, Ben accidentally lost the first recording of the podcast this week. 2:03 What has Pete been up to today? 2:13 What is the morning Tech Dept. meeting all about? 4:35 JW wants to know, what’s the best thing Pete did on his vacation? 5:11 Why does Pete call "Big Head Todd & the Monsters" his favorite band? 7:00 Cheryl wants to know, when are you getting married?! 8:13 Dr. Bird wants to know, did you use computers when you worked with the Chicago Blackhawks? 9:55 Were there any big technology tools that you used in your former life as an athletic trainer? 10:40 Todd wants to know, who do you have winning your NCAA bracket? 12:00 Todd was curious about anything exciting that came out of the MACUL conference. 12:50 Ben has a growing Google Presentation with all MACUL attendees thoughts shared on it. 15:25 Stump Pete! 16:25 Which Beach Boy declined an invitation from "Uncle Sam" to join the army in 1967? Tech Director Chat - Spring Break!

Conversation around my dinner table isn’t always what most families would consider to be normal…or polite for that matter. My wife and I are both educators, and we encourage our children to be curious. So much so we will wind up following lengthy tangents of "why" questions far beyond what "normal" parents might endure. Which is how a simple question about what snakes eat eventually led to whether they actually poop or not (we were done with dinner at this point). My past life working in a children’s book store quickly reminded me that Everyone Poops, but my children and I were curious as to "how" it actually happened. My wife was thoroughly put off by the conversation at that point, so we headed over to the computer and did a search on Youtube without her. Yes, snakes do poop. For those of you still reading this post, the point isn’t about whether serpents defecate. The point is about finding time to honor curiosity that doesn’t always fit into our pre-planned, pre-scheduled routines; there were at least a dozen other videos about snake poop on the first page of search results, and it gave rise to a host of other questions. My son (age five) immediately wanted to know what the inside of a snake looked like. After a quick search or two for "snake anatomy," I found a student produced video about the anatomy of a snake: Not satisfied with a simple drawing, my kids wondered what a snake’s heart and insides actually looked like, so I guided them through a bit more searching and we found an actual rattlesnake dissection video. Was it disgusting? For some, yes. But it was also an authentic inquiry based on a small conversation born out of curiosity. The reality that you can learn just about anything you want using Youtube or a search engine isn’t new; it’s not going to turn heads like Khan Academy has, and it’s certainly not going to be buzzing around circles of educational technology veterans. But it did make me wonder just how many opportunities we still miss to satisfy genuine moments of curiosity. The time my children and I spent invested in our "snake poop" inquiry took all of five minutes, and we became much more well versed in the inner workings and biology of serpents; at least knowledgeable enough to ask better questions about a snake’s anatomy (why do they have two lungs, and not one? If they have actual spines and ribs, how are they able to bend so much?). I wonder how often we find time to honor those questions in the classroom. How many educators would be willing to allow some "bite sized" moments of informal learning with teacher-guided exploration of questions each week, or even each day? What if you had an "ask anything" box in your classroom where students could drop curiosities on slips of paper, with one or two questions being explored each week? What if you tasked students with sharing their own discoveries with you and their classmates. Not as a full blown "20 time" project; but a more communal way to explore small curiosities together. Plenty of classrooms are doing "Genius Hour" and "20 time" as full blown projects throughout the year, but I know that can be incredibly daunting for many. What if we started small? What if we had "Genius Snacks" or "Genius Moments" as a way to ease into the more informal learning that takes place all the time outside of the classroom?

Full warning to any regular readers of the blog, this post is Michigan-centric! Sorry. Every year thousands of teachers need to renew their teaching certificate in the state of Michigan, and have to negotiate a labyrinthine system of websites, databases, and logins to make sure they have all of their professional development hours properly inputted. In the last few years, Disitrct Provided Professional Development Hours (DPPD) have played an increasingly important role in helping teachers receive their teaching certificate renewals, but in many school districts budget cuts have left no one in central office to help teachers navigate the process. After a lot of questions from teachers, I decided to create a simple screencast walking someone through the process of inputting DPPD to the Michigan Online Educator Certification System, to ensure that you have all of your hours properly recorded before it comes time to renew your teaching certificate. It’s not terribly witty, goofy, or fun; just practical. If you’re in Michigan and have teachers in need of this, please share!

This week’s episode focused on some more practical issues of web browsers, operating system upgrades, and hinted at Pete’s upcoming involvement in helping the Village of Mattawan get some truly high speed internet as opposed to the slow speeds residents currently have. There still plenty of smaller rural communities that big telecom companies don’t want to invest in as there’s not a clear return on their investment. We also addressed a good question about Google Chrome vs. Firefox, but discovered after we recorded this that not all recommendations are good, as we learned the hard that our student information system is bet not used with Google Chrome at the elementary level for many crucial functions. Firefox is the go-to to make sure everything works as well as advertised. Outside of the browser issues, we chat about new teacher laptops, the hype around the Apple Watch, and Pete gets stumped! Click here to listen to this week’s Tech Director Chat (or listen below) Click here to subscribe via iTunes (Mac and iOS) Click here to subscribe via Stitcher (Android and iOS) Timestamps for this week’s questions: 1:03 What has Pete been up to today? 2:40 Is Pete helping the Village of Mattawan get "real" high speed internet? 5:25 Someone would like an explanation for using Google Chrome instead of Safari. 6:45 Ben thinks there are probably one of two reasons that people want to use Chrome. 9:35 Someone wants to know, what’s going on with Safari Montage? 13:20 Todd wants to know, will you be purchasing the Apple Watch? 16:20 Pete struggles with putting his phone on silent. 18:46 What’s up with Mac OS X Yosemite, will we have it soon? 19:00 We’re getting new teacher laptops for the staff! 20:32 Stump Pete! 22:05 Which musician, in 1994, recorded and played all of the instruments for his band’s debut album? Tech Director Chat - Apple Watches & New Laptops

This week we answer ALL the questions! Well, just about all of them, and what a varied bunch of questions they were. From blended learning and basic tech help, to some deeper questions about evaluating IT and what to do as we look at the future of DVDs, there’s a little bit of something for everyone in this episode. Pete has a moment of silence as he contemplates an interesting question from Jeremy on Twitter about how the Technology Department can be more connected to the classroom and get better feedback, I talk about how he’s embraced the cloud when it comes to video, and we even touch upon some ways to safely dispose of older technology (hint, the Michigan DEQ has a database of locations in each county to call for Hazardous or eWaste collections or more information). Pete also gets to share his favorite acoustic guitar maker, Volbrecht, as he catches a break from last week’s near guess. Click here to listen to this week’s Tech Director Chat (or listen below) Click here to subscribe via iTunes (Mac and iOS) Click here to subscribe via Stitcher (Android and iOS) Timestamps for this week’s questions: 1:09 What has Pete been up to today? 1:42 Is "borked" a professional IT term? 2:21 What do we do with old outdated equipment that’s collecting dust? 5:13 Brian from Twitter wants to know, how can we get certain filetypes unblocked for school computers? 7:35 Kevin is curious to know, what should I do with all the instructional DVDs that I have when we upgrade to new computers without DVD drives? 10:15 Ben has embraced the cloud, and uses Vimeo, Youtube, and Google Drive for videos. 11:30 Nancy wants to know, what’s the best way to remove apps from an iPad so they don’t come back when you sync it with your computer? 13:42 Jeremy from Twitter wants to know how the technology can team be more connected to classroom teachers for evaluation and feedback? 18:33 When it comes to Blended Learning, what would be a good online environment to use? 21:56 Stump Pete! 22:12 Pete screwed up last week. 23:21 Nancy wants to know, in your your opinion, who makes the best acoustic guitars? Tech Director Chat - The Death of DVDs?

This week’s episode gave Pete and I a chance to delve into a topic that was mentioned in last week’s podcast, and it’s one that certainly deserves not just one good conversation, but many. Web filters can be both a teacher’s bane and blessing while navigating the internet with students. Yes, they are often heavy handed in what they block (most web filters pull from pre-built lists of "block sites" that are updated constantly via computer algorithms), but they also provide safe comfortable boundaries for teachers that want to ensure certain areas of the web stay dark for students. It’s a constant struggle trying to find the happy medium between providing a secure walled garden for students, yet poking enough holes through the walls for learners to explore beyond the walls. We repeatedly come back to issues, conversations, and arguments about what we allow through our school filters, and I’m glad that we do; as the social web continues to evolve, web sites that were once branded as educationally irrelevant  (YouTube, Twitter, Forums, etc.) have begun to poke their way into the classroom in many meaningful ways. Videos, tweets, and dedicated discussion forums are all a part of many classrooms, especially blended learning environments, and the default "we must block these spaces because anything could be going on there" sentiment is falling away to a much more digital and social media savvy culture. Whether it helps move the line of what gets blocked in the short term, I would urge all teachers, administrators, and tech directors to have regular conversations about what gets blocked and why; not from the standpoint of complaining and nagging either. The conversations should be educational, aspirational, and above all sense moderated with a good dose of reasonable expectations and some common sense classroom management structures in place for dealing with a more "open" web at school. To be clear, there are many areas of the web that will always be blocked at school, and I will always say "no" to certain segments of social media and the web (I’m looking at you Tumblr). We certainly didn’t get into that much detail in the podcast, but I’d love to hear your thoughts on control over the web filters, and what sort of balancing act should be in place for managing it. Click here to listen to this week’s Tech Director Chat (or listen below) Click here to subscribe via iTunes (Mac and iOS) Click here to subscribe via Stitcher (Android and iOS) Timestamps for this week’s questions: 1:00 What has Pete been up to today? 2:47 Wanda from Twitter wants to know, can teachers have access to the web filter? 4:29 Could you see a special group of individuals that have the same web filter rights as the Tech Director? 7:10 Will teachers have the option to purchase their old laptops that are being replaced? 9:24 Elvis wants to know, is Pete moving because he just got married? 10:45 Jason from Twitter wanted to know, what should the bare minimum device be for a student to be successful in a 21st century classroom? 13:50 Is Chrome OS a real Operating System? 15:17 Stump Pete! 15:52 Does Ben censor Pete? 16:20 Elvis wants to know, what’s the hardest song you’ve ever tried to play? 18:35 Wait, Ben doesn’t listen to music? Tech Director Chat - Who Controls the Web Filter?

If you’re a parent with children of gaming age, or a teacher that hasn’t been hiding in a bubble of luddite ideals, Minecraft is huge! So much so that LEGO has gone on record as wishing they had built it and Microsoft bought it for a cool 2.5 billion dollars late last year; yes, that’s billion. It’s a juggernaut, and while I’ve played with it off and on for a few years alongside my daughter and DS106 folks, I haven’t really dipped into the Minecraft EDU waters; a special version of Minecraft made just for classrooms. For those that have explored Minecraft in the classroom already, these ideas may not be terribly new, innovative, or informative; it’s just a place for me to gather some good starting points as I begin to explore the world of Minecraft beyond  the playful building I’ve experienced. If you want a quick idea of what Minecraft EDU is all about, the PBS Idea Channel did a great short piece with the Joel Levin, the man behind it! Special thanks to Marnie Diem (@getteaching) for sharing the following thoughts, tips, and experiences she’s had this year with Minecraft in her classroom. I was fortunate to sit in on her session at EdCamp Detroit this weekend. Have students mine various ores, minerals, and materials then sort them based on various classifications and properties Recreate historical events and places with a collaborative class build Challenge students to build their school (in scale) to talk about measurement, proportions, etc. Help teach students how to code using the Minecraft mod, "Learn to Mod" Practice cooperative learning by sharing devices and establishing student roles (navigator, builder, etc.) Engage students in expository writing by having them write reflectively about their Minecraft building experiences Students can explore economic concepts and develop entrepreneurial skills by creating their own businesses within Minecraft to sell services or goods Introduce concepts of electricity and simple circuity through the use of redstone circuits Rent your own Minecraft Realm or server for students to create a world online accessible at school and home Play with science concepts like heredity through the breeding of animals The growth of playful learning and virtual worlds that encourage exploration and discovery makes me jealous of my colleagues that are still in the classroom. I’m often asked if I wish I still had students, and the truth is that there are days when I’m tempted to leave my desk in the technology office to go back into the classroom; perhaps I can find a classroom to adopt me for next school year.

If you’re a science teacher that values inquiry, harbors feelings of nostalgia for Mr. Wizard, or just likes to provide your students with curiosity-filled discrepant events like the one below, then you owe it to yourself to subscribe to the Smarter Everyday channel on Youtube. I love the way that Destin, the channel’s creator, walks viewers through the explanation of scientific phenomena with energy and passion. His ability to describe how the Prince Rupert’s Drop, a glass sculpture created by dropping molten glass into cold water, doesn’t actual shatter from the force of a hammer blow, but the subsequent vibration in the tip of the tail is fascinating! At first glance, the glass appears to explode when stricken with a hammer, but the slow motion video reveals that it survives the blow easily; it’s the vibration in the tip of the drop milliseconds later that causes the glass to shatter. It makes me wonder how engaging it would be to challenge students to find or explain their own discrepant events using Youtube. I know the majority of educators that use Youtube see it mostly as a vehicle for consumption, with students watching content. It would be interesting to see teachers pushing students to the point of analyzing and then creating their own science videos as a form of performance assessment. I’m sure many exist out there; the trouble is having the time to search for them all. I found the following URN Student Science Youtube playlist which appears to be a part of the University of Nottingham’s Student-run radio station. The production value is higher than average, which is to be expected by a college level production. It’s actually a bit exciting to see a project at the university level embrace the more casual and playful nature of the web to help educate others and provide some real world projects (creating the videos) for the college students involved. I’m tempted to see if I could convince a teacher I work with to create a unit in which their science students are given the same task.

It’s late, I know, I know! Insert "end of the year, far too busy excuse" here. Thankfully, it’s only a week off, and with the final podcast being recorded later this week, that will make 26 conversations revolving around technology and education that Pete and I have had this year…well 26 conversations that we’ve actually documented. I’ve got some ideas on where to take this for next year, as well as incorporating more voices from learners and teachers, but for now, enjoy! Our teachers are getting new laptops this summer, and there’s a lot of concern over the lose of DVD drives (we’re going to MacBook Airs), and we address those concerns with some optimism about moving to online video. We talk about how certain technology purchases are made, and thanks to Todd Bloch and Michael Medvinsky, we also answer some "big" questions about trying to put learning first when it comes to technology. Click here to listen to this week’s Tech Director Chat (or listen below) Click here to subscribe via iTunes (Mac and iOS) Click here to subscribe via Stitcher (Android and iOS) Timestamps for this week’s questions: 0:51 What has Pete been up to today? 2:47 Todd from Twitter wants to know, what is the most important thing for teachers to know about technology? 3:55 So the most important thing about technology is to ask for help? 5:30 So what does Ben think about Todd’s question? 6:54 Michael from Twitter wants to know, how are we ensuring that thinking and learning drive our use of technology? 10:20 What does Pete think about Michael’s question? 13:00 Wait, are we really getting new laptops? 14:00 Will the new laptops be in before the end of the school year? 15:42 Why didn’t we order the laptops earlier in the year? 16:40 So, what are the specs on the new laptops? Are Macbook Airs slower? 18:26 Stump Pete! 18:43 The "Artist" wants to know who is Ronnie Tutt? 20:13 Pete wins some glitter flowers! Tech Director Chat - Putting Learning First

For many years I protested that I had no clear need to attend the annual International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Conference. From the social media streams and vendor receptions, it has the appearance of an ostentatious event focused on selling the latest and greatest gadgets, apps, and technology solutions to educators. Many of my colleagues and educator friends have protested, "but Ben, the connections?! How can you be missing out?" Truth be told, I’ve been intentional about the individuals that I’ve networked with; I’ve prioritized developing relationships with educators that I have the opportunity to collaborate with face-to-face at state-level or regional events. Many in the ISTE crowds would likely see my actions, and choice not to attend in previous years, as shortsighted, professionally unsound, and otherwise snobbish of me. All of that may be true. Regardless, I didn’t want to attend this major event until I had something to offer to the collective whole. I’ve been to conferences with national scope before, but they’ve all been smaller gatherings focused on specific topics (games, STEM, social activism, etc.) and I’ve played a role in either presenting, volunteering, or leading a workshop. This last year, I finally found a hands-on presentation model that I felt was unique enough to bring to the bigger ISTE table without using the words "best, app, tools, or epic" in the title. On a professional level, I’m prouder than I should be about that. I’ll be writing about the presentation, and reflecting on how it was received by attendees, later in the week. For now, I wanted to have a bit of fun documenting my first ever day at the ISTE conference with a classic "Animated GIF Day" post! If you’re curious, check in on this post throughout the day for updates. 3:34 AM - I got up at what I like to call "stupid early" and took care of shaving, showering, and heading out for the airport. The last time I can remember getting up this early was for an ill fated attempt to score a Black Friday deal several years ago…looking back, the crummy free webcam I got from Best Buy really wasn’t worth the dark circles under my eyes by 10 am. I’m guessing ISTE will prove to be a much more worthwhile reason for getting up so early.   4:30 AM - I can’t remember the last time I drove down such a lonely stretch of road. Other than a few garbage trucks getting an early start on the day, the road was rather empty. I live 45 minutes away from the South Bend Airport, so I had a nice peaceful drive, caught up on a bit of This American Life listening, and fought the urge to stop at McDonald’s (fast food is not good food).   5:45 AM - 10 minutes before takeoff. I had the lovely sounds of water bubbling behind me. Still not quite ready for breakfast, and the white noise of the fountain almost put me to sleep waiting for the plane.   7:25 AM - Detroit’s airport has one of the strangest lighted tunnels I’ve ever been through at an airport. Most underground walkways connect travelers to terminals with bright cheerful lights and happy tones. In Detroit, it’s a mix between modern jazz and meloncholy tunes that often sound like a computer-composed experiment in producing sullen travelers. At times the tunnel is almost completely dark, with deep purples, blues, and streaks of red threatening anyone who dare make their way along the moving walkways.   10:00 AM - Finally landed in Philadelphia, and traveling comfortably on the commuter rail into the city. I’m not sure what it is, but I’ve always felt comfortable on mass transit. I know some don’t enjoy the cramped feel of it, but I love blending into the scene, being a part of the crowd yet separate. We’re all traveling in a thousand directions, but for a few moments, we travel together. The blur of the stone block walls alongside the commuter rail was fascinating. Much better than the typical concrete you see in "newer" cities.   11:30 AM - After making it through registration and finding my way to the cavernous vendor hall, I did what any sensible 30-something male with a mild mid life crisis would do; I went straight to the LEGO booth. I met a wonderful teacher named Amanda, who was sadly not on social media, who talked about the transformative effect that LEGOs and play have had on her school. Robots are of course the big draw, but there were plenty of other LEGO kits and I had a fun time playing learning.   1:15 PM - I had only eaten two complimentary graham crackers on the plane thus far today, and the word "hangry" was taking on new meaning. I decided to wander down to the Reading Market Terminal where I tried what I can only assume is some strange Philadelphia version of a Pastrami on Rye. Coleslaw, Russian dressing sauce, and served cold, I think I’m going to hold out until I get myself a cheesesteak before I pass judgement on the local culinary quirks. 2:30 PM - I found myself firmly anchored in the Blogger’s Cafe, working with Aaron Sams on the session we’re leading tomorrow. I know, I know, my first day of ISTE, and all I did was make it through the vendor hall and then work! It was worth it for me; and I got a small taste of why people enjoy coming to this large conference. Over the course of two hours I was able to chat with friends from New York, California, Pennsylvania, and even some from back home in Michigan. It felt good to spend so much time connecting with people after a morning of travel, rather than sit through sessions all afternoon. I may do another animated GIF day later in the week, but I fear the time I spend trying to capture good moments that are "gif fable" greatly outweighs the lose in time for sessions, exhibits, and conversations. Here’s hoping I can accomplish all of the above in the next few days. It’s time to sign off for the day, relax a bit, and maybe stem the nerves before I present tomorrow afternoon!

Tricia Fugelstad is more than just an elementary art teacher and technology enthusiast. She’s a digital artist savant, elevating even the simplest of 6-second videos to a level I will probably never equal; I’m both impressed and slightly jealous of her work. Jealous in that I don’t possess the inherent imagination to mix digital and analog mediums the way Tricia does so easily. And impressed that while her personality and style is quick to surface with her cheerful Do Ink app work, she can just as easily shift into artwork that starts to scratch through to deeper emotions. Tricia’s playfulness and creativity is evident in her bright kid-friendly creations. Her artwork is full of playful images of robots, flowers, and warm memories of the world. And that playfulness lends itself to a more "magical" piece of 6-second video that’s more than just a seamless Vine; it’s a small vignette of art both old and new juxtaposed in a way that is intimately familiar. And just when you can’t imagine it getting any better, she does what all great artists do; she brings real life pain, courage, and hope into her work. Her husband, Dave, was involved in a motorcycle accident in 2014 that severely damaged his spinal cord. She’s documented his recovery on her blog, created a super hero in his honor, and continues to be #DaveStrong as she shares both his recovery and their relationship through Vine. Tricia isn’t just a Vine "user." She’s an artist that expresses herself beautifully through the medium, and demonstrates to all of us that the power of the tools educators like myself use isn’t in knowing where every menu option lies, and what shortcuts will best expedite our path to better efficiency. The power comes from the intimacy of our creations, and how we share our emotions with the world.

If you’re the type of geek that stays current on scientific news out of MIT, this is not new for you. For everyone else, the MIT-developed camera that can capture up to one trillion frames a second (yes, that’s a "T") is mind boggling, yet conceptually clear. In existence for a few years, the Photon Camera is not only quick enough to capture light waves as they travel through space, but it can also see around corners by capturing bouncing light. I was reminded of just how amazing technology like this is when a old 2013 Youtube video from Nova made it’s way across my Twitter feed yesterday. Again, nothing new…but for those that haven’t seen it, it’s downright amazing, and brought to mind all of the slow motion image captures that surely graced science text books in many of our formative years. You know that ones I’m talking about: Harold Edgerton’s "Bullet Through Apple" http://americanart.si.edu/collections/search/artwork/?id=32694 It’s technology like this that excites me. Yes, Augmented Reality is cool, Google Apps make life more efficient, and Apple manages to find new ways to "wow" everyone with shiny new hardware every year. But being able to capture a light wave as it propagates across empty space, see it splash across the surface of an object, and the subsequent shadow formed a few seconds later after it’s washed over the subject and finally bounced into the wall behind it; that kind of technology is revolutionary on a scale that will truly change the way we see our world. People look back with their first memories of powerful instructional technology tools with fondness, but the indelible moments of our future scientists’ memories will be marked with the first cameras that could capture the speed of light.

I don’t typically ask for direct help via digital or social media avenues; I’m a traditionalist, and prefer face to face conversations. However, I’ve found that when I’ve asked for help, I’ve been blessed with an over abundance of support from my #michED friends and colleagues. So rather than beat around the bush, I’ll be direct. I need your help! I’m crafting a short video presentation for the 2015 K12 Online Conference, and it’s missing something….your voices! I’ve spent the last few years collecting stories of connection, openness, and sharing from around Michigan, and while I have many compelling stories and examples of connection, including some of my own, it just doesn’t sound right coming from a single voice. I want the thousands of educators from around the globe that partake in the annual K12 Online Conference to experience your voices, your realities, and your amazing stories of how education here in Michigan is stronger because of the connections you’ve made with other educators, classrooms, or among your students. There are many ways to help out! Text Simply leave a comment on this blog post sharing your story of connections with links to any special websites or resources that help illustrate your story. Audio Use the SpeakPipe voicemail box below to record up to 90 seconds of your story of connections. You can preview it before submitting in case your nervous about how it turns out. Video If you’re eager and able to share video, I would LOVE to include it with my presentation, as it would be the ultimate visual experience for K12 Online Conference attendees. You can upload the video below using by Drop it To Me link. Please include a brief introduction with your name, your job, and the school/institution you work for in the video. Any type of video is welcome, including a "webcam" style interview, a piece produced for another project, or perhaps just a simple montage or images and/or video as you describe your story. https://dropitto.me/michedconnections Brad Wilson’s "Voice of #michED" Series on Youtube would be a GREAT model to follow! I need your help to make this presentation powerful! I can do it on my own, but it will lack the luster, the character, and the power of your voices! Please share this post with any #michED educator you know!

Wow, what a break! Pete and I have been recording new episodes of Tech Director Chat since early September, but I’ve used excuse after excuse for not publishing them; "I’m too busy" comes up most often, followed closely by "is this really that valuable to those I’m serving and supporting at work?" taking a large mind share of the excuses. I really do try to work hard at being responsive and responsible to my school district and staff, which is why this blog bounces around between my own personal thoughts and more tech-heavy "how to" elements. Regardless of the wait, here it is, a brand new season of the podcast begins! I’m in a new role that has put a lot more on his plate, and Pete is still recovering from one of our busiest starts to the school yet ever! This marks the start of our weekly conversation, and it was filled with plenty of good questions! Managing Spotlight on your Macs, Speck coming through after a defective bunch of cases, Ben geeks out over an Avery label maker addon for Google Docs, and Pete gets philosophical about whether we even need to teach students how to use technology. Click here to listen to this week’s Tech Director Chat (or listen below) Click here to subscribe via iTunes (Mac and iOS) Click here to subscribe via Stitcher (Android and iOS) Timestamps for this week’s questions: 1:12 What has Pete been up to? 3:50 How many help tickets do we have at the moment? 4:26 Speck cases are failing? Get your help tickets in! 6:40 How did one of the students change their school picture to a Minion? 8:30 Do we even need to teach students how to use computers? - Hole in the Wall 9:25 What’s up with the new Spotlight on the Macs? 10:55 What’s a Google add-on that we should all be using? 14:50 Stump Pete! 15:42 What is the most successful musical group of all time? Tech Director Chat - We’re Back!

Quite possibly yes is the answer to that question! The ability to access information and collaborative tools made possible through tablets, laptops, and mobile devices is certainly no gimmick. The better question revolves around what teachers can do to leverage the 1:1 access of a fully "connected" learning environment; and perhaps more importantly, what they don’t do, despite having access to so much. Every year I see more teachers finding creative ways to utilize a small group of computers and devices with their classes in much deeper and innovative ways than merely putting a laptop in front of each student and asking them to all type/research/present on the same topic. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying there’s anything bad with the standard five paragraph essay, or ensuring that students have the stamina to conduct regular research or write day in and day out. The new media landscape of the internet is surviving on the regular churn of "branded content" from the likes of Buzzfeed, HuffPo, and other websites. That type of content can only exist with the help of writers, designers, and other "creatives" that have the stamina to put out an impressive amount of work day in and day out. However, preparing students for life after high school means that we often need to give them a diverse range of opportunities, and in the case of at least one extremely successful software development company, that could mean having them work in a shared computing environment. But enough of me blathering on; I hope you enjoy this episode of "Tech Director Chat" with special guest, Ben Tomlinson of the Van Buren County ISD. Click here to listen to this week’s Tech Director Chat (or listen below) Click here to subscribe via iTunes (Mac and iOS) Click here to subscribe via Stitcher (Android and iOS) Timestamps for this week’s questions: 0:41 Pete isn’t here! 3:05 Someone asks Ben Tomlinson about creative ways to manage laptop carts at the high school. 6:55 It sounds like a party going on in the Tech Department 7:30 What happens if we guarantee every high school teacher a specific number of computers, rather than a full cart? 9:30 Is the model of 1:1 technology use in education a gimmick? 13:07 Does Ben Tomlinson have an example of getting students started down the collaborative path of technology use? 17:00 Stump Not Pete! 18:00 Will Ben Tomlinson be getting a Smart Watch? Tech Director Chat - Is 1 to 1 Computing a Gimmick?

No, this is not a curmudgeonly post deriding a social media platform that many in the tech world claim is dead (news flash, educators and You-tubers love their free social networks). But sadly, like many in the ed tech world, for every Google Apps for Education account you have, you’ve likely unwittingly established a Google+ Profile. Which means for someone like me, I have half a dozen "ghost" accounts on the social media platform, taunting people into following them, pretending to be the "real me." It becomes extra frustrating when I see Google+ recommend that I follow myself as someone of interest. So rather than live the lives of multiple personalities running around Google+, I’ve decided to dispatch my social media horcruxes until I’ve restored my digital soul to just one Google+ account that I can confidently manage without confusion. It wasn’t that difficult to do, and if you’re in the same boat, I would highly recommend doing the same…for your sanity’s sake. You can watch the video below, or on Youtube here to see just how easy it is to delete your Google+ account.  

Pete is back! And he’s ready to tackle the hard questions about policy review, what makes him tick as a tech administrator, and cell phones in the classroom! Well, maybe only one of this is truly a difficult question to grapple with, but I enjoy the banter none the less. We finish up our list of questions from our high school that were compiled at the start of the school year, and talk about the advantages…and disadvantages of the use of cell phones in the classroom for learning. In fact, I highly recommend checking out an interesting piece from NPR about the rampant use, or rather misuse, of cell phones in college courses. We finish up the episode with Pete’s philosophy on being a tech admin, and a question from JW that proves Pete truly has no regrets in life. Click here to listen to this week’s Tech Director Chat (or listen below) Click here to subscribe via iTunes (Mac and iOS) Click here to subscribe via Stitcher (Android and iOS) Timestamps for this week’s questions: 2:25 What has Pete been up to? 3:17 Ben is curious how much time a Tech Director spends reviewing policy. 4:46 JW asks, has the final decision been made on the "teacher tech control stations"? 10:04 What are the best methods of handling cell phone use in the classroom? 15:15 Chris from Twitter wants to know, what’s important to you as an admin? 16:34 Stump Pete! 17:00 JW wants to know, what do you wish you had learned when you were younger? You can talk about the show or continue the conversations on Twitter using the hashtag #TechDirectorChat or chatting up Ben (@techsavvyed) or Pete (@ppoggione) on Twitter. Tech Director Chat - Cells Phones in the Classroom?

I was asked last week by one of my teachers to provide an online, possibly collaborative, video editing tool. It was an easy question for me, as I’ve been using WeVideo with students and teachers throughout the district for years. At one point, we had so many users that one of the co-founders of the service contacted me to talk about the high volume of students we had working with WeVideo, and setting up a possible school-wide account. While that partnership never came to fruition (we have Macs, and iMovie does far more than WeVideo does currently), the appeal of video editing in an online environment has continued to lure the interest of teachers; students could start a project at home, and finish online, or vice versa, without the need to take devices home or work on the same device for the duration of a project. That lure still pulls at me as well, but I’ve started to wonder about the structure of a "collaborative video project" and the very nature of technology-driven collaboration. The idea of students working collaboratively on large video projects in the cloud is tempting, but in practice it leaves me with more questions than answers. It’s easy to understand the defacto collaborative work process that many schools have adopted with Google Docs; students can all write on the same document synchronously, editing various portions of the text, revising selected passages, or making changes based on shared annotations and comments. These are all digital writing practices that fundamentally changed the way we think about collaborative writing. But when it comes to group video production, the process is already heavily collaborative through traditional means; students have clear roles (script writing, camera work, directing, "on screen talent", etc.), the editing process is typically a collaborative conversation around editing choices. And the fundamental shift that made online writing tools so powerful has yet to truly transform video editing; synchronous video editing is currently not a viable method of working on a group video project. Without being able to "walk back" to previous edits or revisions (unless you’ve saved at each step along the way, and let’s be honest how many of our students do that), it’s a pretty linear process, with video editing marching in one direction typically. But that doesn’t stop people from asking me for collaborative video editing options, nor does it stop them from asking about other collaborative creative tools; audio editing tools for collaborative podcasts, and communal social streams where individuals shared a group social media account are two of the most requested items for assistance with. And I get it; we want students to be able to work at any time, collaboratively within a group, in the same exact way many tech-savvy and connected educators now operate. We certainly need to honor the call to have students working and publishing collaboratively with technology, spelled out by the Common Core State Standards, but does the technology itself need to drive the collaboration, or serve as the linch pin for the collaborative efforts? Should we work on establishing effective collaborative group norms and routines before we try to shoe-horn a piece of technology into a project in the name of efficiency? Are there projects that could have been more successful, had we focused first on what the collaboration looks like, and then on the technology that will serve as the work or publishing environment? Do we sometimes allow ourselves to be caught up with the allure of "students must work collaboratively" to the point where every aspect of a project must be done in an "all hands on deck" manner? If we were to focus on just the collaborative process first, what would that look like sans technology?

Holy cow, we made it to 30 episodes! That’s the biggest milestone I can celebrate for the podcast at the moment. The listenership is hovering somewhere around 195 average listeners, and a number of Technology Directors and administrators in Michigan have either commented, emailed, or mentioned at a conference that they listen, and I’m flattered. We certainly aren’t doing anything earth shatteringly amazing in our school district with technology (although the teachers constantly amaze us with with their big projects), and we have plenty of flaws when it comes to providing appropriate staffing, support, and resources. So it’s nice to hear that others are interested in what Pete and I are saying, and listen in on our weekly conversation, and I hope that it can serve as a catalyst for others to create more open dialogues in their school districts about the intersection of technology and curriculum. In this week’s episode we share a few grant sources for starting some small projects with technology, and we talk about how we’re focusing our bond dollars towards technology work stations for teachers. Click here to listen to this week’s Tech Director Chat (or listen below) Click here to subscribe via iTunes (Mac and iOS) Click here to subscribe via Stitcher (Android and iOS) Grant resources mentioned in the podcast: MPEF Brainstrong - For Mattawan Teachers only Meemic Grants - For Educators in Michigan Best Buy Community Grants State Farm Good Neighboor Grants Timestamps for this week’s questions: 1:18 What if education success was like baseball batting averages? 2:03 What has Pete been up to? 2:53 We have 3D printers at the Later Elementary? 4:22 JW asks, how are the plans for new technology in the bond going? 6:08 Why did the High School and Middle School lose internet before Thanksgiving? 6:55 So we’re ready to send out all of the RFPs for the technology work? 7:45 What new technology will be available to teachers in the bond? 10:13 What is the quickest and easiest way to get iPads into your classroom? 12:10 Pete totally tricks Ben into reading his own question! 13:58 Stump Pete! 14:22 What is the most successful band to come out of Kalamazoo? You can talk about the show or continue the conversations on Twitter using the hashtag #TechDirectorChat or chatting up Ben (@techsavvyed) or Pete (@ppoggione) on Twitter.   Tech Director Chat - Providing $$$ for Technology