ETC 2017

Welcome ETC 2017 Participants!

You will find the resources for all four of my ETC sessions on this page. Please feel free to explore any and all of them! Click on the session title or image to go to the page for that session, which includes the presentation and the relevant resources.

If you have any questions, or would like to get in touch, please click here to contact me. If you’d like to find out more about me, please feel free to explore this site, or if you’re looking for my bio, please click here.

Pre-Conference: Sharing Student Learning Through Social Media

SSLTSMWe’ve all had the experience of settling an argument in a restaurant with a quick Wikipedia search, or navigating around a new city with Google Maps, but all too often our use of technology in the classroom is disconnected from these types of real-world uses. However, when we learn with technology the way we live with technology, the classroom can be just as relevant and engaging as our everyday digital interactions. How can we make the connection between our real-life experiences and our classroom learning environment so that we can better prepare our students to excel in this dynamic and interconnected world?

In this pre-conference, participants will be actively engaged in deepening their understanding of the SAMR and TPACK models of curriculum development, so that they have the foundation for effectively and efficiently using technology in their classroom. Hands-on exploration of tools for creating, capturing and curating student learning (like Instagram, blogs, Flipboard, Snapchat, Vine, and Twitter) will be embedded throughout our time together so that participants walk away with new tools and techniques they can use on Monday.

Workshop 1: The Power of Audience

tpoaWe know that students are spending lots of time on social media: watching, commenting, sharing, and creating. Often, we tend to view this as “wasted time”, but in looking closer at the skills, habits and dispositions it takes to be a successful creator in social media spaces, we can see that this is a great space for learning.

Successful social media content creators are building audience, community and influence on a global scale – with tools that our students have at their fingertips: an internet connection and a laptop. Can we, as educators, tap into these kind of engaging environments to help our students build audience, and influence, around ideas that matter, in the spaces they enjoy?

Workshop 2: First Steps To Transformative Learning

fsttlTransforming student learning through technology is an exciting, but challenging, goal for many teachers. We want to try new things in our classrooms, but often struggle to know where to start, or how to effectively implement these new tools. This session will explore three key frameworks for successful integration of technology in a creative and innovative way without chasing after the latest fads.

Combining the SAMR model (substitution, augmentation, modification, redefinition), TPACK (technological, pedagogical and content knowledge), and the Design Cycle (investigate, plan, create, evaluate), provides a clear structure for designing and implementing exciting and innovative learning experiences in the classroom.

Workshop 3: Making Time to Create

MakingTimetoCreateMany of us find ourselves saying that we’re “not creative” or that we don’t have the time to allow our students to be creative in class. But there is lots of interesting research that shows that spending time in creative spaces not only makes us happier, but helps us process our thinking and understand the world around us. Making time to create, and valuing that process, opens us up to potential failure and helps us instill a growth mindset. Sharing our creative works can also help us connect with others in ways that extends our thinking, inspires us, and helps us grow in meaningful ways.

There is clearly lots of value in making time to create, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. We need practice, we need encouragement, and we need time. How can we make sure we bring these kinds of ongoing creative experiences to our classrooms on a regular basis? How can we make sure we are providing our students with the time to explore and find their medium for creativity? How can we build in structures that help them develop understandings about how to be creative? This session will focus on the value and purpose of creativity in a classroom setting, as well as strategies and suggestions for making time to create – for both you and your learners.