Creative Ed Tech
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Templates
  • Game Shows
  • Listicles
  • Trainings

My "force myself to write and be creative" Blog

So long Summer!

8/8/2016

0 Comments

 
Whoa... its been about two months since my last blog post, but hey... summer makes it a little hard to keep a writing routine. And since I am making excuses about summertime laziness, I will make this post about my summer. Now actually, this is really a sequel to an earlier blog post I wrote at the end of last school year about reflecting back on my year. It was titled My Year By The Numbers. I used the hashtag #ednumbers on Twitter to share my reflections and asked if anyone else wants, they can use my template or make their own. Below are some of the from other educators around the country who gave it a try. 
Picture
Now, as I start back at my job, I thought about doing this reflection again but using numbers look back at my summer. 

Check out my "Summer By The Numbers" below

As you can see, it was not a slow and quiet summer, but one filled with travel and experiences. Along the way I did try to grow professionally. I read blogs and books, listened to podcasts and spent time reflecting.
Picture

If you would like to make your own one of these you can start from scratch or use the following  template I made. The template is a stripped down version of my summer infographic. 

Here is the Google Drawing template. (use File - Make a Copy to have your own version)  

If you are looking into doing one of these I CAN'T RECOMMEND ENOUGH using the website thenounproject.com to search for icons. It is an incredible resource, one you really should check out. 

Although this is a fun way for any of us to reflect back at our summer, I really think that this could be a fun activity for students to
1) share about themselves and their summer vacation and
2) learn many of the skills in creating a graphic while using Google Drawing, such as layering, nudging, color theory and so many more. 

If you or your students end up using these for your "Summer By The Numbers" please share back with me and use the #ednumbers as well. 
0 Comments

CUE Rockstar: Redwood City

6/23/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
I presented at my first CUE Rockstar in Tahoe during the summer of 2013. I loved the style of how PD was given; slower placed, make & take, and FUN. This year I was fortunate enough to present again but time in Redwood City with my podcast partner Brian Briggs taking the lead. In my whirlwind of early summer travel I drove make from a weekend in Lake Tahoe and had Briggs pick me up after about 45 minutes at home. Briggs brought with him another for this expedition, his 11 year old daughter. Once he showed, I piled myself and my stuff in his Prius and off we went on our road trip to the bay area.
Picture
check this lady out... she's rocking BB-8 in the back seat!
The ride was long (especially after my 2 hour ride down from Tahoe) but fun, with a games like “how well does Briggs know his daughter” (he got only 60%) .
We arrived and joined some of the other presenters (also known as “lead learners”) for dinner and then got ready for the three days of awesomeness. 

Day One:
The day kicked off with seeing old friends and meeting some new. Reconnecting with the people who you see online is truly special. For example getting to see Diane Main and her rock star son Cameron again is always a joy.
As per all Rock Star events, presenters have to sell their session. Meaning that during the morning introductions, you have one minute to sell everyone to come to your session. These are filled with some heckling and laughs and are a fun part of what Rock Stars are.
Picture
I presented on Using Photos in the Classroom with a focus on introducing them to Google Photos (which is my favorite and most under the radar Google tool out there). I had the usual wow’d faces when they saw the features like:
  • Unlimited(ish) Storage
  • Searchablility of your Photos
  • Albums & Movies created from your photos
Then taking a page from Nicole Dalesio’s session I saw in the past I had them head out for a photo walk to spell CUE in a Photo Grid collage

Day Two:
Briggs and I offered our podcasting session. Here we showed both how to find & listen to podcasts as well as how to get started on making one of your own. Those who attended all seemed interested in starting their own be it for their class, school or entire district.  We even had some of the CUE staff themselves swing by including Mike Lawrence whom we used as a Guinea pig to create a demo podcast. Thanks for being a good sport Mike and yes, I will check out “blue grass covers of popular songs” like you suggested. 
Picture
We finished this day of with a killer visit to the Google headquarters in Mountain View. I saw a Google self driving car, got a tour and was even able to hop on one of the Google bikes for a spin
Picture

Day Three:
For this day I was only able to do one session but had a big group of teachers looking for ways to use Games in the Classroom. We mostly focused on game shows and had a loud and fun time playing these and discussing how we could use these in our classes. 
You can check out these games we played at my Game Shows link in my navigation on top. 

If you haven't had the chance to attend one of these events you should check them out. They are some of the most rewarding professional development opportunities out there. 
Picture
0 Comments

Watering Rocks

4/12/2016

2 Comments

 
​Recently in the a slow Voxer group for #connectedTL there was a conversation about reaching teachers during professional development trainings. In this talk there was great point made about how at times trying to provide PD to teachers can feel like "watering rocks".  This struck home with many of us who to provide PD. We've felt the room, seen the checked out looks, and noticed teachers on their phones. But hey... haven't we all felt that in the classroom too?

Back to the rocks.

Now what was interesting though, was how many in the Voxer group talked about solutions and that Growth Mindset we all here about. So, instead of the analogy about the futility of watering a rock, the conversation changed to what that water can do. "Moss can grow on rocks" and "Water can move mountains".
Picture
So, yes.. we should focus on this word which my college football coach Chris Ault, used all the time (and which drove me crazy!)  Stick–to–itiveness!

I just looked this up and yes... this is a word! How is that possible!?!?!?!

Sorry for questioning you Coach (is it wrong to be 44 years old and still a little intimidated by your old coach, even if I have 6 inches and 80 pounds on him?)


And now to my share. 

I was inspired by these different ideas of water and rocks so I made a collage. Enjoy!
Picture
I know I will miss some, but shout outs go to Roland Aichele, Jenna Rogers, Mark Loundy, Tom Covington and Rhonda Corippo for these insights on rocks!


BTW.. .have you participated in a slow chat or slow Voxer group? Great way to get inspired during the week! Drop a comment on this blog or shoot me a message if you would like to know more about  these.
2 Comments

    RSS Feed

    Recent Posts

    Libraries and "What I'm Reading" Template​

    Tough Talk... Political Conversations in the Classroom
    ​

    Goodbye Padlet

    #ArmMeWith
    ​

    UPDATE: The New Tab I Open In Chrome Is...
    ​
    Orbits

    Twitter Hashtags for Education

    Top Five Non Education Podcast Episodes of 2017

    5 Ideas For Your Home Page

    ​
    The Importance of Taking Notes

    8 podcast episodes you should check out

    ​Blocking
    ​
    Waiting for the Tidal Wave


    Be a power user when editing your photos

    Thanks Smartphone

    Episode V: The Classroom Strikes Back

    Is it too late to apologize to my senior English teacher?

    ​Want to make a movie? Have you heard of PowerPoint?

    ​
    Make Your Own Memes

    My 100th Blog Post

    What Is The Internet?

    Bingo for the Classroom


    Bring Star Wars Into Any Classroom

    Sticky Notes & Candy Wrappers from Google Drawing

    Top 15 Google April Fool's pranks

    ​
    CUE 2017 Reflections

    ​​
    Visual Primary Sources

    Twitter is like.... 

    My Top 10 Chrome Extensions

    ​Share Your Stickers

    I'm Not Really The Best Co-Worker


    So, You Want To Start A Podcast?

    What Does Your New Tab Do?

    My favorite Google Docs sharing request

    Build Your Own Green Screen Kits

    Need Music and Sounds for your next Project?

    ​What's In Your Bag?

    3 Tips for Teaching With Images

    ​6 Degrees of Wikipedia

    Candy Quiz!
    ​

    Am I The Only One Who Didn't Know About "Alt Codes"?

    Have you heard of Fiverr yet?

    4 Fake Headline Generators

    Hour of Code: Check... Now What?

    To Scan or Not Scan... That is the Question!
    ​
    #createwith
    chromebooks


    How little classrooms have changed

    Tips for having student listen to audio clips

    "I Finally Got Twitter!".

    YouTube Tools You Maybe Haven't Thought Of

    Ed Tech Cartoons

    9 Tools for Making Quick Videos

    ​
    Google Innovator Update

    Wish Me Luck!


    Agendas Using Google Slides

    Yes, I Used To Collect Comic Books

    So long Summer!

    On A Midnight Plane From Georgia

    History Dinner Party

    My Year By The Numbers
    ​

    12 Things Students Should Never Do on Social Media

    What's In A Name?

    I'm The Map!

    Historical Images in Lego

    Sharing Podcasts

    Ken Robinson is going to Check This Out!

    Code Monkey
    ​

    8 Student Blogs to Check Out
    ​

    Watering Rocks

    A "Bittersweet" lesson on copyright

    "Don’t Copy That Floppy" Software Piracy

    Fun & Games with Google Maps

    Bring Star Wars Into Any Classroom

    Fact vs Fiction

    CUE 16 Reflections

    Where, How and Why to find good copyright free images

    7 Reasons To Start Using Google Photos


    "School of Rock" & Project Based Learning

    Learn About Search

    More Ideas For Using Padlet

    Fictional Twitter Profiles

    Blogging... Who, What, When, Where, Why
    ​
    Newsletters


    Ed Camp 123 Reflections

    NASA's Apollo photos online​

    Creative Ways to use Tag Clouds​

    Virtual Reality: Apps, Ideas & Resources

    George Lucas Likes Ice Cream

    Top 6 Star Wars Parody Songs

    More Twitter Stuff - Visual Twitter Tools

    ​Sticky Notes to help understand Twitter





    ​
    Categories

    All
    App Smashing
    Blogging
    Collaboration
    CUE
    Digital-citizenship
    Digital Storytelling
    Flickr
    Google
    Graphic Organizers
    Green Screen
    Lang Arts
    Newsletter
    Podcasting
    Professional Development
    Project Based Learning
    Science
    Social Studies
    Space
    Star Wars
    TCM Resources
    Twitter
    Virtual Reality

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Templates
  • Game Shows
  • Listicles
  • Trainings