Workshops

One- and two-day workshops designed with your school community in mind. I have recently offered the following workshops. All presentations can be developed into extended workshops for a more in-depth and hands-on experience.

 

Sharing Student Learning Through Social Media

We’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.

 

Transforming Student Learning

Our students are sharing their own unique passions and creativity in online spaces every day. We see them teaching others on YouTube, capturing unique moments on Instagram, creatively making connections on Snapchat, and collaboratively building (and then sharing) virtual worlds in spaces like Minecraft. So many (if not all) of these rich learning and sharing experiences are happening outside of school time – and completely separate from their world of school. How can we tap into their energy and enthusiasm for their own learning in an academic environment?

Within the SAMR framework of curriculum development (substitution, augmentation, modification, redefinition), we will explore a variety of ways that young learners are sharing their passions in online spaces, uncover opportunities for bringing these kinds of experiences into our classrooms, and develop a deeper understanding of how creativity and innovation can lead to transformative learning.

 

Transforming Your Classroom

Teaching internationally can be a real adventure. The excitement, enthusiasm and challenge that comes with our everyday experiences are what makes teaching internationally so rewarding. You’re already a risk taker! One of the most exciting ways to take risks in your classroom is to use technology to redefine the way we teach and learn.

The SAMR model of curriculum development highlights 4 phases of growth (between enhancement and transformation): substitution, augmentation, modification, and redefinition. Together with the workshop participants we will explore new ways to move towards transformation in your classroom. From new pedagogical approaches, to effective technology tools, to transferrable skills, and a deeper understanding of digital citizenship, we will use this workshop as another exciting opportunity to take a risk and try something new!

 

The 21st Century Classroom

Using the backwards design process, learn how to embed authentic use of technology into a project-based learning experiences for your students. With a focus on pedagogy, explore the use of several web 2.0 tools like blogs, wikis, podcasts and collaborative multimedia in various classroom examples from around the world.

Ease of use, accessibility, and authentic audience make these simple tools an engaging and motivating facet to any classroom. From project design to classroom management, enhance your students’ learning through a redesigned look at the 21st century classroom.

 

Making the Shift Happen

Embracing 21st century learning on a school-wide basis is a complex process. From developing a shared understanding of a 21st century learning environment to ensuring quality technological infrastructure to embracing a new perspective on teaching and learning, there are many pieces to this puzzle.

From the individual classroom practitioner, to the technology facilitator, to the school administrator, this hands-on, project-based workshop will bring together the essential components of a 21st century school: Envisioning the Future, Pedagogy, Staffing, Community, and Infrastructure.

 

Connecting Classrooms Across Continents

Ready to “flatten” your classroom walls? Looking to take web 2.0 tools to the next level by developing exciting and authentic projects that allow your students to interact with partners around the world? It may be time to tackle a globally collaborative project in your classroom!

Globally collaborative projects are an exciting way to engage your students in authentic and meaningful learning across cultures and continents. Successfully combining a variety of web 2.0 tools (like blogs, wikis, Skype, IM, social networks, etc) can remove the barriers of time and distance to connect your class with others around the world. Not only do students love to meet their far-flung peers, but learning to collaborate and create in an entirely online and inter-cultural environment will clearly be a critical skill for their future.

Learn how to develop a successful global project – from design and planning to implementation and product, as well as see examples of engaging projects from all grade levels. Tips for success based on learning experiences from past global collaborations, along with resources and samples of current globally collaborative projects will be shared.

 

The 21st Century Educator

What exactly do RSS, blogs, wikis, podcasts, social networking and VOIP have to do with your professional practice? How can web 2.0 technologies change the way you learn, communicate, collaborate and teach?

This workshop will focus on practical ways to utilize free web 2.0 tools to develop a personal learning network that will transform your professional practice and open your eyes to new possibilities in the classroom!

 

Authentic Assessment and Digital Media in the Classroom with Andrew Churches

Are you ready to enhance your classroom environment through the use of digital media? Are your students interested in demonstrating their understanding and creativity through projects like movies, visual imagery, digital storytelling and podcasting?

The potential of learning with digital media is both exciting and daunting: from developing a framework for students to build effective project management skills, to the evaluation and assessment of (and for) learning, using multimedia in the classroom requires careful thought and planning.

This workshop will help teachers understand how to successfully and enjoyably bring the exciting world of digital media into their classroom environment.

 

The Networked Educator with Chris Betcher

Would you like to learn from a network of like-minded educators in your field – anytime, anywhere – for free? Building, developing and maintaining a personal learning network can have a profound impact on your teaching, make connections you never thought were possible, and prepare you for the rapidly changing future of learning. Unleash the power of networked learning in your classroom!

Participants will explore new and innovative technologies, current research, and evidence about networked learning through engaging collaborative activities. Examples of networked learning “in action” using tools like Twitter, RSS, podcasts, blogs, and Diigo will also be shared in this hands-on, project-based, weekend workshop.

 

Create the Future with Julie Lindsay

Explore exciting web 2.0 tools (like blogs, wikis, podcasts, Twitter, digital storytelling, and social bookmarking) through this project-based, practical 2-day workshop. A hands-on approach is emphasized with opportunities for learners at all levels to explore, discuss and model 21st Century pedagogy using digital tools. The focus of the workshop is for participants to design an engaging, technology-rich, collaborative project to implement in their classroom.

Participants will work in teams on ideas and objectives including Web 2.0 skill building, global collaboration and project management, designed to flatten the learning experience. Break out sessions will include building a personal learning network and digital portfolio development, digital citizenship best practice, and enhancing your web 2.0 toolbox. This workshop is designed to open doors to new modes of teaching and learning and focus on the learner (teacher and student) as a communicator, collaborator and creator.

Presentations

Making Time to Create

Many 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.

 

The Power of Audience

We 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?

 

Top Tech Tools to Inspire Creativity

One of the most challenging things about bringing technology into your classroom is knowing which tool to use, and when! There are so many new tools available – and more every day – that finding the right one for the right task can be the hardest part. This session will highlight 5 of my favorite tools to help your students demonstrate and share their creativity. We’ll explore these 5 favorites not because they’re the “hottest new thing” but because they work, they’ve been used by educators around the world, they’re free (right now), and they’re easy to implement.

 

Designing Technology Rich Learning

Sometimes technology seems like an add on – something we do at the end of a unit to make sure that we’re “using tech” – but actually designing your units to authentically embed technology from the very first lesson can not only make teaching the unit easier for you, but it can also make the experience even more engaging and empowering for your students.

In this session, we’ll explore how to make any unit technology rich in just 5 steps – plus a natural format to structure student projects so they are scaffolded for success! Once you try designing technology rich learning like this, you’ll never go back!

 

5 Key Critical Literacy Skills for the Digital Age

In a world of fake news and alternative facts, understanding how to navigate the endless stream of content at our fingertips is even more essential than ever! In this session we’ll explore 5 steps to developing a successful digital learning ecosystem – for both you and your learners!

 

First Steps To Transformative Learning

Transforming 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.

 

Teaching With Devices in the Classroom

Using technology with students has tons of potential, but there are some consistent challenges that we often face, including, student distraction, teachers feeling like they’re losing control of what students are actually doing when they’re on their devices, and growing concern about the amount of time that students spend on their devices, to name a few. This session will highlight strategies and approaches to help manage and mitigate those challenges within your classroom – and to keep innovating with the tools you have in an engaging and empowering learning environment for your students!  
 
 

Helping Parents Understand Your Connected Classroom

As teachers, we’re often excited about the new ways we can use technology in our classrooms – but parents don’t always feel the same way. How can you help them understand what it means to have a connected classroom? And why should their children be sharing their learning with a wider audience? This session will highlight the different ways you can support and educate parents about the value of using technology for learning.
 

The Difference Between Ordinary & Extraordinary: Telling (and Owning) Your School’s Story (for School Leaders)

We’re all proud of our schools, our students, and our community. Our students are engaged in outstanding learning experiences on a daily basis, but these are rarely documented or shared outside the individual classroom in a purposeful way. How can we, as school leaders, highlight the amazing work of both our students and our teachers in spaces that connect within and beyond our immediate school community? Why should we share? What should we share? Where should we share? What tools should we use?

We all know that if you’re not telling the story of your school, someone else is! Ordinary schools leave it up to someone else to tell their story, extraordinary schools plan, coordinate and purposefully share their story with intention and focus. Leave today’s workshop with an understanding of why sharing your story is so critical, how to harness the multitude of tools you can use to share your story, and an individualized action plan for taking your school’s story from ordinary to extraordinary!

 

Cultivating Community: Helping Parents Understand the Power of Technology for Learning

In our technology-rich schools, we are often focused on ensuring that we have the right tools so that teachers and students can use technology effectively in the classroom. We spend plenty of professional development time and funds on training teachers to transform learning for their students. On top of all that, in many of our schools, we employ coaches to help teachers continue to develop their skills with technology. However, many schools still struggle to help parents understand why students (and teachers) are spending so much time with technology.

Developing a parent education program, specifically around technology and learning, can help build a sense of community within the school, support teachers and schools in their efforts to transform learning, and create a network of positive and engaged parents who will advocate for the school’s technology goals. This session will highlight key elements of parent education programs I have developed and facilitated over the past 8 years at International School Bangkok, Yokohama International School and NIST International School, as well as the positive outcomes of those programs for all three school communities.

 

Bang for Your Buck: Getting the Most out of Your Technology Coach(es)

In our technology-rich schools, we know that changing classroom practice doesn’t end with the distribution of hardware and software. Building and sustaining current teaching and learning practices requires strong pedagogical support. Many schools have hired technology coaches (sometimes called facilitators or coordinators) to fulfil this role because they understand that it is the partnership between the teacher and coach that brings out the full potential of any laptop program.

However, not all coaching teams are created equally, and we can easily see that coaching is more effective in some schools than others. Is it all a matter of personality? Or skill set? Or expectations? This session will highlight key elements of a successful technology coaching program including what to expect from your coaches, as well as strategies and suggestions for hiring, building and sustaining a successful coaching team, based on experiences at International School Bangkok, Yokohama International School and NIST International School.

 

Looking for Learning in a Digital Classroom (for School Leaders)

Our teachers and students have access to a wide variety of devices – everything from one laptop per student, to sets of iPads or tablets for each classroom. But how do we know that those devices are being used to transform learning, and not just replicate what’s always been done, now in digital form? Or even worse, when the technology is used just for the sake of using technology, with no true purpose at all?

What should we be looking for when observing teachers and students in action? How can we tell that student learning is deeper, more authentic, or more relevant to today’s world when they’re using digital tools? How do we know that student learning is reaching the transforman level of the SAMR framework when we have only a few minutes in each classroom?

Starting with a deeper understanding of the SAMR and TPACK models of technology integration, this session will give administrators key areas to focus on during classroom observation so that they can evaluate and support teachers in their goals to transform student learning through the use of technology.

 

Living with Laptops: A Digital Citizenship Workshop For Parents

At this parent workshop, we will talk about the elements of Digital Citizenship: including online safety, responsibility, behavior and balance – what they are, why they are important, how we can make good choices (meaning open and honest conversations with children, rather than monitoring/tracking), the difference between interacting in a face to face environment and an online environment, as well as parenting strategies to support this kind of behavior at home.

 

Navigating the Digital World With Teens (For Parents)

We know that developing strategies for maintaining a healthy, balanced lifestyle in technology-rich school is a key priority for many families. We all struggle to manage our many devices, from mobiles, to laptops, to kindles, to iPods, and everything that comes next. During this session, together with your children, we will share and discuss ideas and strategies to help your family build and maintain a healthy and well-balanced lifestyle based on current research, experiences here at school and suggestions from families at a variety of international schools.

 

Digital Citizenship: The Forgotten Fundamental

In our excitement to use new technology tools to enable our students to connect, collaborate and share, we often neglect the attitudes, behaviors and ethics that go along with online interactions. This session will highlight the essential aspects of digital citizenship and share examples of how these skills and concepts are integrated into the learning experiences of students at Yokohama International School, Japan.

 

Connecting Your Community: How to Develop a Blogging Platform for Your School

A blogging portal is a great way to help make the learning environment in your classroom or school transparent to all stakeholders while connecting the whole community. This presentation will share the vision and implementation process, as well as concrete examples from Yokohama International School’s successful blogging portal, The Learning Hub.

 

Transforming Your Classroom

Teaching internationally can be a real adventure. The excitement, enthusiasm and challenge that comes with our everyday experiences can be a great metaphor for our journey with technology in the classroom. You’re already a risk taker! Here is an opportunity to try something new in your classroom! A mini-keynote designed to inspire and make connections to our real-life experiences, this presentation is a short 10 minutes.

 

Making a Lasting Impact

You might not realize it, but you’re a graphic designer – and so are your students. Finding, arranging and citing unique media to successfully communicate a message is increasingly crucial. Learn how to share Creative Commons media, engage audiences with “Presentation Zen” techniques, and empower students to become responsible digital creators.

 

Hardware is Not Enough: The Teacher-Facilitator Partnership

Whether your school has already gone 1:1 or you’re just thinking about it, changing classroom practice doesn’t end with the distribution of hardware and software. Building and sustaining 21st century teaching and learning practices requires a new kind of support structure, focusing on human relationships and pedagogy. Many schools label this position as a Technology Facilitator, but there are a surprising number that don’t yet see the need for this role. It is the partnership between the teacher and facilitator that brings out the full potential of any laptop program. In this session, Chrissy Hellyer (grade 5 classroom teacher) and Kim Cofino (Technology and Learning Coordinator) will describe and share examples of their successful Teacher-Facilitator partnership at the International School Bangkok (and beyond). Chrissy will offer insights, examples and resources from the perspective of the practicing classroom teacher. Kim will offer strategies, processes and resources from the perspective of the technology facilitator.

 

Keynote: Going Global: Culture Shock, Convergence and the Future of Education

Everything I need to know about the future of education I learned, not from kindergarten, but from living overseas. Looking at daily life in foreign lands reveals a colorful spectrum of inspiring metaphors for the shifts we need to make in education. Featuring voices from students and teachers from around the globe, this presentation will start with a look through an expatriate’s eyes at some vibrant details of daily life in many lands. Often what we may find initially chaotic, disorienting and strange in other countries can actually spark new ways of thinking about teaching and learning. Then, again through the voices and viewpoints of teachers and students from all around the world, we’ll examine the unique aptitudes which allow successful expats to thrive in any environment: adaptability, flexibility, the ability to understand differing viewpoints and constructs, and the communications skills to collaborate across cultural, religious and linguistic barriers. These are exactly the skills that future students and teachers will need to confidently enter the digital, global, converging, collaborative world of tomorrow – wherever they might be physically located.

 

The 21st Century Learner

Looking to engage your students through the use of new technologies? Wondering about the key skills and attributes they will need for their future? Ready to start adapting your classroom to the needs of the 21st century learner? In this presentation we will focus on strategies for helping students learn with technology the way they live with technology. Bring the engagement and excitement students have about connected learning into your classroom by embracing the new technologies and skills students are experiencing outside of school.

 

Connecting to Learn, Learning to Connect: Social Networking in the Classroom

Social Networks (like Ning) are a great way to: engage learners, empower all students, enhance dialogue and discussion, connect with classrooms around the school or around the world, promote and share multimedia hassle-free, differentiate by ability level and interest, and enable learners to be leaders in a truly collaborative environment. Find out how social networks are being used in classrooms at all grade levels (from second grade to twelfth grade) to create globally collaborative projects, engage students at the appropriate learning level, and enhance curricular conversations outside the classroom. Rationale, online safety, planning process and classroom social networking examples and resources will be shared.