This picture was made using green screen and PhotoBooth. Kevin Honeycutt, Mike Cook and others from ESSDACK built this VW Bus out of plywood. It was also used and the check-in desk and Podcasting studio during the conference!! In fact, this is what Kevin was working on when I interrupted and had him SKYPE into my class and talk to my summer tech class of pre-sercvice teachers.
Link to Photos from Kevin from the conference
I just returned from the Podstock 2010 conference in Old Town Wichita. It was AMAZING. I mean amazing. I presented two sessions, Celebrate Kansas Voices and the first session I did, Changing the Face of Teaching one Teacher at a Time was packed out the door. That is a bit unnerving for sure. But what a great group of teachers, it truly was the audience that made my session interesting, they had questions, and shared resources and had opinions. It was a rich discussion. Such fun!!
Actually, as I was walking from my hotel room in the very cool Hotel at Old Town that morning to the conference facility across the street, I was thinking to myself, “I sure hope nobody shows at my session, so I can to one of theother sessions. Man, there were so many good sessions. I am feeling very honored needless to say.
I do think it speaks more to the conference organizers Kevin Honeycutt and ESSDACK, for having the right variety and number of sessions for the number of folks in attendance. Podstock is just a different kind of tech conference. There is tons & tons to learn from the sessions, but more from the people. The conversations are so very rich. It is not overwhelming or high pressure. I don’t know about you, and I do love to attend ISTE, but ISTE is somewhat overwhelming, just because of the size. Podstock is small by comparison. I think the intimacy is what makes it so darn powerful. There really is the opportunity to get to know and talk to everyone at the conference. I met so many teachers that I now feel connect to. My PLN just grew, which means I grew and have more people to call on for help when I need to.
Everyone was sharing resources and things from sessions via Plurk. So even if you weren’t in the session, you could get the resources. My Plurk handle is (cyndidannerkuhn). I have been a Plurk user for some time, but, I always considered myself more into Twitter (cyndidannerkuhn). BUT, this experience really showed me the power of the conversations that can take place in Plurk. I think tomorrow in my summer class of Pre-service teachers, I will show Plurk in-depth, usually I do Twitter in-depth and just mention Plurk.
So, please be watching for the shout-out on both about 2:00 Monday and help my very apprehensive pre-service teachers learn about Plurk and Twitter and the power of a PLN.
I brought a friend with me to Podstock, Cathie Klein, teacher, Seaman High School, 9th grade center. Cathines teachs a career life skills type class. She had never been to a tech conference before and during our 2+ hour drive home we talked about the conference non-stop and how she could convince her administration that more teachers from her school needed to attend Podstock next summer. She told me about all the ideas she learned to integrate into her classroom this fall. We were going a hundred miles a minute (talking, not driving). Anyway, it is so exciting the impact this had on us both.
I wish more tech coordinators and administrators would attend Podstock next July 15-16. It would be an eye-opener for them for sure. I am sure it would hlep them move forward with technology in their schools. At the very least, it might give them a new perspective and get the conversation started.
My wheels are turning! I am trying to think of a way I could make PODSTOCK2011 a required part of my summer technology class. It would be such a rich experience for my pre-service teachers to come learn and become a part of the conversations with these amazing teachers. Not sure how to make it happen, but clearly, I am going to be doing some serious researching, thinking and likely arm twisting. If you have ideas or suggestions, please post them in comments.
So, I guess, what I am really trying to say is, mark your calendars for July 15 & 16 next year and plan to attend Podstock 2011. Join the Ning at http://podstock.ning.com/ so you can keep up on developments. You will be glad you did!! I PROMISE.
Links and Resources for Podstock2010 (I will keep adding more as I find them)
Podstock, or What’s a New Yorker doing at a Kansas regional ed tech conference?
Wallwisher site with tons of resource
Voicethread, the Power of Plurk
Digital Revolution on Wallwisher
Plurker with Podstock resources
Kimberly Wrights Website (Mayor of Podstock or was it Podsock?)
Diigo Bookmarks from Karin Bell
Picked up the ISTE Daily Leader News today and discovered Kevin Honeycutt and I were pictured on page 10.
It has been an excellent conference so far, I have attend great session and learned a great deal. The convention floor with the vendors is always and education too. I even a couple of thing, Adobe Creative Suite Design Premium. I am pretty excited since it is so darn expensive and I can’t really give a compelling enough argument about why I need it based on what I do now. So, I am pretty pumped to have my very own copy, legally.
If you have never had the opportunity to attend the ISTE conference, you should, it is absolutley worth your time and money and would go a long way to moving you forward with technology.
ISTE Daily Leader DL2010-Day3_web (PDF for entire issue)
Link to all issues of the Daily Leader
Start planning now–ISTE 2011 in Philadelphia: http://www.isteconference.org/2011/
Your pencil can reach the world.. from Kevin Honeycutt’s blog Triadigital Learning
This morning I had a fun conversation with Kevin Honeycutt via Skype, I was home in my comfy chair, looking a mess because I had just returned from exercising. I mean a mess!! So, if you watch the podcast, be prepared!.
Kevin was stranded in the airport in Minneapolis waiting for a flight. We had our normal catching up conversation about what we are doing and then we always share resources. Needless to say, that is always the rich part for me.
First we did a little podcast promoting the Celebrate Kansas Voices workshop in August. I am sure he will get it uploaded to his Driving Questions Podcast when he gets home, or maybe to his YouTube site.
What is CKV?
Celebrate Kansas Voices presented by Story Chasers, Inc. (a nonprofit) and other partner organizations. CKV is a statewide digital storytelling project empowering learners to become digital witnesses, archiving local oral history and sharing that history safely on the global stage of the Internet. Our project is starting in 2010, based on the successful Celebrate Oklahoma Voices project which started in 2006. They have trained over 500 teacher in Oklahoma and have 16+ workshops this summer. Out goal is the same, train all the teachers in Kansas.
Join our Ning site and keep updated on developments or register to attend the firs of many workshop in August. Apply online to participate in the August 4-6, 2010 “Celebrate Kansas Voices” workshop at Kansas State University in Manhattan! More info is available.
By the way, if you are from another state and what to attend, please come!! We would love to have you.
After our CKV conversation for his podcast, he stopped recording and he told me about his Art Snacks YouTube phone call. Actually, it was more about his amazement that YouTube called him about his Shark Drawing video. ArtSnacks Great White Shark: This an many other lessons on ArtSnacks.org
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uToNXv0Gik0
Hello!
I want to invite you all to attend Podstock2010 July 16th and 17th in Old Town Wichita. Podstock is a two day conference focused on leveraging 21st century tools in education. The sessions provided there will acquaint participants with many free tools for your district like podcasting, digital multi-media, collaborative tools, hand held devices like iPods, iPads and much more. While helping educators learn to use many of today’s free and powerful tools, the conference also provides an opportunity for educators to build strong and lasting support networks with other forward looking educators from around the country. I want to take this opportunity to personally invite you to come or to bring a team and attend this powerful learning experience.
Join our network at: http://podstock.ning.com
or register at: https://shop.essdack.org/podstockshop/
For more information call Pam at: 620-663-9566 Call toll free: 877-563-9566
Thanks for your time and I hope to get to meet you there!
Kevin Honeycutt
“Our kids will spend the rest of their lives in the future. Are we getting them ready?”
The GenYes blog had a though provoking post the other day.
“Changes in technology mirror changes in society and culture, and can impact schools in a number of ways. Some schools hide their heads in the sand. Some take extreme stands like the principal quoted above. Some attempt to address the issues more evenhandedly, even though the law is not clear, nor is the “right” thing to do always obvious.“
There is a copy of an an email sent home from a New Jersey middle school principal attempting to curb cyberbullying at his school. GenYes, makes some good points and give some links to excellent resources. I love how Sylvia ends the post:
“The problem with this principal’s plan is that it won’t work. We simply can’t put this genie back in the bottle. We HAVE to address the issue of digital citizenship in the real climate that children actually live in.
This is a floodgate well and truly open, whether or not you declare it closed.”
I agree. I am always stunned, amazed and frustrated when schools have everything locked down so tightly that is is basically pointless to even try to use the internet for curriculum. And then when the tech director, say e-Rate requires it, I just want to scream!!!
When my kids were old enough to drive, I did not just give them the cars keys and say “go.” I sat beside them and taught them how to drive and navigate the highway safely. That is what we, and by we, I mean Parents and Teachers need to be doing, teaching them to “drive the Internet Safely,” rather than block everything and impede education. Teachers know what needs to be taught in their classrooms and how to handle things. Seems like we need to trust them to make decisions about how they are going to integrate Internet use in their classrooms and curriculum as well. I have said this before, were has all the trust gone!!!
My friend, Wesley Fryer, had a great post a couple weeks ago simply called WOW! It was a string of screen captures at a school district he was attempting to do professional development with TEACHERS. The screen captures were the message that pops-up with the blocking security software. Very few words, but very powerful message. Check it out. http://www.speedofcreativity.org/?s=Wow
Kevin Honeycutt, another friend does amazing Online Safety and Cyber-bullying trainings for kids, teachers, parents and communities. Check him out at http://kevinhoneycutt.com/ click on trainings. Kevin is the best presenter on this topic I have ever seen. His passion is contagious!!
Additional Resources
8 Tools to Track Your Footprints on the Web
Cyber Tipline
Stop Bullying Now
Wired Safety
Net Smarts
To Catch a Predator
Safe Kids
Tech Talk for Families
More resources on my Website at:http://cyndidannerkuhn.info/CDK/Internet_Safety.html
School change: Push versus pull, My Kids Turn
I’ve been reading a lot lately about how our world is changing from a “push” approach, to a “pull” approach. I’ve heard a couple of good examples of the old “push” method, TV and education. The TV executives make a command decision about which programs you get to watch. What day they are on, what time they are on, and if they will continued be on.
In the “pull” world you set your DVR and watch it whenever you want, furthermore, you can fast-forward through the commercials if you want. But the real “pull” world is YouTube. You can search for almost anything, and watch at any time, just about anything you want. There are no elites deciding what you get to see when you get to see it, it’s all up to you.
Another good example of the old-style “push” world is education. Our students are told what they have to take, when they have to take it, with very little if any choice. We have elite individuals who have decided what THE “standards” need to be for every child, and most of our curriculum in K-12 schools is mandated by colleges.
I’m very proud of the project my colleagues at ESSDACK have launched. It is truly a “pull” approach. The name of the project, and the website, are My Kids Turn. Each of the six programs, soon to be expanded to 10, contains video clips designed to help parents with the educational needs of their kids.
Jane Seward’s channel is called Magic Spell, and is intended for parents who want help their children become better spellers. Michelle Flaming’s channel is called By The Numbers, and is designed to give parents strategies to help their kids understand and love math. Reneé Smith and Jaime Hendricks team up on Just Deserts. Just Deserts gives parents table games that can be played with their kids at meal time, that support and enrich their learning at school.
Jodi Case has developed Learn, Grow, and Bloom, which is designed for parents with toddlers through pre-school with language and speaking, build pre–reading and math skills. Great Games, Better Brains is produced by Glenn Wiebe and Jaime Hendricks and helps parents explore the wild and woolly world of video games for their children, from an educational point of view. And finally, Kevin Honeycutt is featured in Raising Digital Kids. Kevin is a national presenter who often speaks on Internet safety and the use of technology by kids.
We are betting that, in the 21st century, the world will continue becoming a “pull” world. We believe that the use of “pull” approaches to learning will lead to real school change. Check out the website and see what you think. Can you imagine your school, or your classroom, or your children’s learning experience becoming customized and individualized through new technologies? – Steve Wyckoff
Well, I would have to describe my four days in Cupertino, CA as an out of body experience. Wow!!! I went for a professional development institute. And when I left Manhattan after looking at the agenda for the workshop, I thought to myself, “I am pretty comfortable with most of the topics on the agenda, I should be fine.” Clearly, I know very little. I learned so darn much I think my brain is running out my ears!!
As with most gatherings of educators, you learn as much, if not more, from the other participants during break time conversations and over meals than from the official presenters. Not that the official presenters weren’t great, they were, but the conversations were RICH. I met so many amazing educators. And even though this was at Apple headquarters and sponsored by Apple, it was not a sales pitch, it was about learning and education. I am so impressed.
We did have lunch in the MAC Cafe, where the employees eat daily. Again, WOW!! Great food, great atmosphere and oh my the choices!! I would weight 300 pounds if I had that place to eat for lunch everyday. We also had the opportunty to purchase something in the the “The Company Story.” I am now the proud owner of a couple of logo shirts and a zip-up sweatshirt which I will have to hide from my daughter or she will make it hers!!
I did see Steve Jobs walking into the MAC Cafe for lunch, so that was exciting.
I did learn a great deal about the iPad I want one, and will purchase an iPad the moment I can spare the bucks. I hope that it is in my immediate future. After what I saw and playing with it for a a short time, I truly believe the iPad is going to be transformational in education. I especially believe it will be for literacy and the way we read. Check out some of the children’s books, for example Toy Story or Alice in Wonderland. Wow, it is better than paper, it is almost as if it is 3D, it can read it to you, highlighting the words as it reads, or as a parent, I can read and record it for my child and it does about a zillion other things. There is a FREE app and a paid one, the paid one is only $4.99 and is rich and robust. The iPad might just get all kids reading. I am so much more impressed that I expected to be.
Resource for the iPad:
The best way to experience the web, email, photos….
.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BtsQ35VukQ
iPad details Hand’s-On
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JPTaoDwOz4
PC Magazine Review, April 05, 2010 – The best way to know if the Apple iPad is right for you is to test-drive it at home. Hard to do that without buying it first. It’s easier to simply watch this video of PCMag Editor-in-Chief Lance Ulanoff and his family trying it out in their home. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaW_K3i7vUs&feature=related
Wired Magazine Review - April 05, 2010 – Wired.com takes a look at Apple’s latest creation, the iPad. Sporting a beautiful, responsive 9.7 inch touchscreen and a store chock-full of useful apps, the iPad presents an intuitive way to casually consume media. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=see2JlWpQQY
Wired Magazine 5 Cool Apps -April 20, 2010 - Wired.com tries out 5 iPad apps that could be worth your while. Apps included are Flight Control, Beautiful Planet HD, Air Harp, Marvel Comics and Weather HD. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkAn28Bg0bI
Lang Lang Plays Flight of the Bumblebee on the iPad at the San Fransisco Symphony http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvplGbCBaLA
iPad Pro Keys by Kevin Honeycutt
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wk5wWHh7k_U
Meet the iPad
It has a revolutionary, 9.7-inch, high-resolution, Multi-Touch screen. And it can run almost 140,000 apps from the App Store. All in a design thats just 1.5 lbs and 0.5 inches thin. For as little as $499. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-YAQ1wfNqc
iPad and searching the Internet
iPad is the best way to experience the web. See how the Safari app on iPad lets you view whole pages in portrait or landscape on the large multi-touch screen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJWfReUwMSg
iPad and Photos
Theres nothing like viewing and sharing photos on iPad. See how the Photos app lets you browse your pictures with a flick, preview them with a pinch, and show them off in an incredible slideshow. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC95ARd96wI
iPad and Video
Watching video on iPad is like having a big screen right in your hands. See for yourself how the 9.7-inch high-resolution display and onscreen controls make iPad perfect for watching HD movies, TV shows, podcasts, and more.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeEA1-9vlTw
Tutorial: How to Read you old (non-ebub) eBooks using iBooks
http://www.touchmyapps.com/2010/04/21/ipad-tutorial-how-to-read-your-old-non-epub-ebooks-using-ibooks/
I Need My Teachers To Learn was Written and Performed by Kevin Honeycutt and produced by Charlie Mahoney (who also played percussion, bass, and Piano). This has gone through many incarnations, but after hooking up some good mics and recording equipment, I think we have a keeper. This recording includes background vocals from the Turning Point Learning Center Choir, which is composed of our virtual and face-2-face students.
http://kevinhoneycutt.org
http://www.charliemahoney.com/
http://artsnacks.org
https://tplcvirtualprogram.wikispaces…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CIh7FWv4UA]
