May 28, 2014

Calling All Teachers and Students: Google Show & Share Webinar

Through the ongoing feedback and ideas from our networks we are evolving the concept of the Google Show and Share and taking it to a new level by including student voice in our May 29th webinar (10:30-11:30 am). We are so excited! Tomorrow three CBE educators and their students will be sharing how they are using Google Apps for Education in their classrooms and schools.

Here is a sneak-a-peak of just some of the "GAFE in action" ideas being shared by students and teachers tomorrow:

  • learning through juicy questions
  • sharing learning
  • formative assessment through Google Forms
  • collaboration on group projects
  • how Google Drive has impacted the use of iPads
  • increasing awareness of learning
  • maximizing productivity
We are hosting this webinar during school hours in order to create an opportunity for teachers and students across the CBE to come together to learn and share online. We encourage you to join the webinar with: your students, your colleagues, other classrooms in your school, students in your learning commons. It can be projected on a SmartBoard for a large group to gather round and take part in the learning. There will be opportunities to ask questions throughout the session using the chat feature or your mic. 
Access the webinar room:  http://eduadvisory.adobeconnect.com/iltpl/ 

Support
The session will be hosted using the web conferencing interface, Adobe Connect. If you have never attended an Adobe Connect webinar before, the following resources may be helpful:

Important Notes
  • If possible, please access the webinar room at least 15 minutes before the start of the session to provide time to go through the audio set-up wizard (located under the "meeting" menu when you are in the webinar room)
  • For best performance it is recommended you use a hard-wired connection (blue cord) if possible and turn off your wifi connection
  • If you think you will ask questions using audio during the session, an external microphone is recommended (questions can also be submitted through the chat interface)
  • Please make sure you connect your headset/microphone to your computer prior to entering the webinar room.
Can't Attend? No Problem!
If you are unable to attend this session the recording will be available later in CORE. We have a variety of ways to stay connected and to find out when resources are available. Choose the one(s) that work for you!
Looking forward to seeing you online tomorrow morning!

Tannis Emann
on behalf of the ILT team

May 21, 2014

Mobile Learning Show and Share (May 22) - Rescheduled

With the school year winding down and transitions being planned, Spring time can be a busy time for many people.  As a result, we have had to reschedule the Mobile Learning Show and Share originally planned for Thursday May 22 at 4:30 pm at the CTC.  We are hoping to offer this opportunity again in the Fall and will let you know when we've got a date.

There are still a few more Professional Learning opportunities available before school's out. We'd love to see you there.



PLN Networking:
PLN in 3D - May 27 - 4:30 pm - Tom Baines School

Show and Shares:
Google Webinar - May 29 - 10:30 am - online (with students)

Learning Commons:
3D Printing - May 28 - 4:30 pm - CTC
Library to Learning Commons - June 2 - 4:30 pm - CTC

To register for any of these sessions, please look at the calendar widget on the right and view the description details. 

May 14, 2014

Design Thinking | Fibre Tech and Wearables

What a pleasure to work with such an engaged group - and so willing to all pitch in and support each other. I'm so honoured to have been part of this event and look forward to what comes next!! (Kathleen Long, birchblanket@shaw.ca)

The second session in our Design Series was a huge hit! Participants had the opportunity to learn how to make a Rainbow Loom bracelet, how to create using felt and how to make a light-up badge!



We opened the session talking about Design Thinking, and some resources that have inspired the design thinking series.  Most notable is the book, Invent to Learn by Sylvia Libow Martinez & Gary Stager. We told the story of Caine's Arcade, about a young man who invented an arcade out of cardboard boxes and inspired a documentary.





Shannon Hoover inspired us to get involved in the wearable technology revolution with a presentation on the future of wearable technology.  He shared some of the creations presented at the recent Make Fashion Gala.

We have created a list of resources to share, and we'd love to add more! 

Please join the conversation on twitter @CBEILT, #yycbe, #cbectf, #designthinking, and at our Google Plus Community. Let us know how you are "designing for learning" in your classroom!



May 09, 2014

What does flying a drone have to do with school tech planning?

I had the opportunity to work with the Principal and staff of King George School around school technology planning (STT).  It just so happened that one of the parents at the school shared this awesome video with us prior to our engagement and we used it as a provocation to talk about how expressive activities lead to expressive outcomes (Eisner, 1979). Expressive activities precede outcomes and don't necessarily have any precise objectives.  The video below is an example of an expressive activity.  The parent decided to take his children outside to build and fly a consumer available drone. The drone came with a high-definition camera built in and they captured spectacular footage of the school yard.  He didn't plan the activity with objectives in mind. He simply wanted to have his children play.





So what's the connection between the STT and the conversation around expressive activities and outcomes? How do the two fit together? 

What came out of this was a rich conversation around all the possible outcomes these "Drone Kids at King George" might have experienced during and after this activity.  Teachers talked about possible scientific investigations they could engage in and the exciting narratives that could be written. They shared examples of expressive activities they experienced with students in the past and the learning that came out of it. They spoke about the need to offer opportunities for students to play and explore while designing appropriate learning tasks. 

Teachers also talked about the need to examine their digital learning environment.  How can the infrastructure support this type of learning?  What network capacity do they have?  What ed tech do they currently have in their school that can be used in different ways? Do they need additional ed tech to support their school development goals, and what would that look like?

After the conversation, teachers had an opportunity to play in the teacher studio at the Career and Technology Center at Lord Shaughnessy High School.  They explored Arduino's and Makey Makeys, built with lego and circuit boards, and dived into the world of mobile apps.

There are so many possibilities for learning.  As we are all architects in this landscape, what are your possibilities?  

Thanks to the students at King George School, Forrest and Meadow (future student) and their dad, Trevor Shaw.

Eisner, Elliot W. The Educational Imagination: On the Design and Evaluation of School Programs. New York: Macmillan, 1979. Print.

Shafina Dharamsi
Learning Specialist, Learning Innovation
@shafinad

May 08, 2014

Keep on Moving!

PLN's are growing! The networks are sharing and we are very excited about all the opportunities that lie ahead.  Just to give you some perspective, in two months we have had over:
  • 4000 views on this blog
  • 160 educators join the Google+ community
  • 270 followers on the @cbeilt Twitter community
We've been following, responding, and listening attentively to what CBE educators have to say. Here are just a few ed tech transactions that have taken place in the G+ community:
  • All things Maker
    • Maker Kits are being piloted in some CBE schools in the hopes of being offered to all schools in the near future. Brian Simmon's at Twelve Mile Coulee has shared some of his experiences with Maker Kits in the Classroom.
    • Maker Stations are popping up everywhere and Mike MacKenzie at Keeler School is on it.  He shares his school's Learning Commons story and explains how students come to build when the tools are offered.
  • Google Apps
  • 64 Days of Learning
  • Using social media to connect with the world
There is so much more learning ahead and that's why ILT will be offering more PLN sessions in May and June.  

PLN Networking:
May 8 and 27 at 4:30

Show and Shares:
Mobile Learning on May 22
Google on May 29 (with students)

CORE:
Student Moderation on May 13
CIA Networking on May 14

Learning Commons:
3D Printing on May 28
Library to Learning Commons on June 2

To register for any of these sessions, please look at the calendar widget on the right and view the description details. 

Shafina Dharamsi 
on behalf of the ILT team