Moving at the Speed of Creativity Podcasts

In 2010 more than ever, organizers of the conference worked hard to (in the words of Chris Betcher during our debrief) upset and turn around the traditional model of stand and deliver, sit-and-get professional development for educators. At the conference, participants self-selected a cohort group focused on specific themes. Each cohort was led by a team of two co-facilitators. In this debriefing, cohort facilitators shared what worked well, what didn't, what they/we would have changed and done differently, and our main "takeaways" from this fantastic learning conference. Cohort facilitators for the 2.010 conference included Alec Couros, Amanda Decardy, Ann Krembs, Carol Jordan, Chris Betcher, Darren Kuropatwa, David Elliott, David Larson, Jeff Utecht, Julie Lindsay, Jon Zurfluh, Kim Cofino, Madeleine Brookes, Melinda Alford, Michael Boll, Michael Lambert, Laurie Heikkila, Liz Davis, Steve Hargadon, Tim Lauer, and Wes Fryer. Cohort themes were Changing Role of our Libraries and School, Digital and Visual Literacy, Education in 2020, First Steps in Changing the Classroom, Fostering a Culture of Learning and Creativity, Leading the Pack - Leadership for Change, Online Education, Relationship Between Teachers and Students, Social Media Tools in Schools, and The Future of Learning.

Will was presenting at the "Teaching The 21st Century Student" conference hosted by Education Service Center Region 16 in the Amarillo Civic Center. Refer to the podcast shownotes for links to Will's presentation slides on Google Docs (117 of them) as well as my text notes (with additional links) from his presentation. Many thanks to Will for not only sharing this presentation, but also granting permission for this recording to be shared here.

Kevin explains "tags are ways to see things." He explains how important it is to understand and use tags in today's networked, digital environment, and gives advice about how to balance the need to create rules or guidelines for tagging, but also leave the door wide enough so people are encouraged to contribute. Kevin also explains his passion for the FREE Art Snacks learning community, and how he has cultivated that vibrant learning community since 2007. If you know ANYONE interested in art, drawing, and/or creativity, they need to know about Art Snacks. Check out the podcast shownotes for links to referenced resources.

The first part is an interview with World War II Navy Ace Ed Wendorf, who scored eight kills in the Pacific theater as a Hellcat pilot. Ed holds the distinction of being the only US Navy pilot in history to make a one eyed, one handed, no hook, no flap, no brake landing on an aircraft carrier. Three weeks later Ed was out of the hospital, back in the cockpit fighting the Japanese in the Pacific skies again. After the interview with Ed, this recording includes several recordings of docents aboard the USS Midway sharing information about the ship and the men who served aboard her. Many thanks to Ed for granting permission for this interview to be recorded and shared. Please take time to thank the military veterans you know and meet, past and present, who have sacrificed so much for our nation.

Leslie shared this session at the Great Lakes 1:1 Computing Conference on November 9, 2009. It was titled, "Leadership: The Critical Factor (for 1:1 success.)" As Leslie describes, the leadership factor, vision, and "the why" of one to one learning is one of the most critical pieces of a transformational learning initiative. A compelling, articulated vision for 1:1 learning is pivotal, along with the ability for leaders to connect that vision to the outside world. Refer to the podcast shownotes for links and more information about the One to One Institute and their outstanding annual conference.

...in St Paul, Minnesota on 12 Nov 2010, at the School Community of Excellence. Ruslana is an educator originally from Ukraine, and has worked for years with English Language Learners. She is focused on educating teachers as well as students about the rights they have in the United States as ELLs. Her website is "a place where students, teachers, community members, or anyone else passionate about equity and advocacy for English learners can choose tools that send the message of empowerment. The tools you will find here will help you empower and advocate for your English Learners. These tools are great conversation starters. Engage with your community in courageous conversations! Wear a t-shirt! Start talking! Serve as a "spokesperson for the welfare of all learners in a multicultural context." In addition to sharing our interview in this podcast, I also share a poem and story which Ruslana sent to me and asked I include in this recording. Many of our classrooms are more diverse than ever, and the information about which Ruslana is passionate to share is critical for us all to understand. In becoming more aware of ELL rights and effective strategies to help second language learners, we can all become better educators for all our students.

Cheryl and Michelle are educators at Grand View School in Oklahoma, which is near Tahlequah. Grand View is one of nineteen Oklahoma schools implementing a 1:1 laptop initiative this year funded by Federal Title IID funds administered by the Oklahoma State Department of Education. Grand View went with HP laptops for their 1:1 initiative because as a service provider and repair provider, HP was right next door-- literally. They did not want to work with a company out of state, when they could work with a company that can literally "swing by" their school when repairs are needed. This was a FANTASTIC session, and as you'll hear reveals SO many positive ingredients which are coming together for project-based, transformed learning at Grand View School. The official session description is: "Our school has gone from two computer labs to interactive whiteboards to a 1:1 laptop project in a little over a year. What it takes... what to watch out for... what you can prepare for... and what you can expect."

Tomorrow on November 2, 2010, Oklahoma voters will go the polls and have an opportunity to approve State Question 744. SQ 744 is a proposed amendment to the Oklahoma Constitution which would require the legislature to allocate to education at LEAST the average amount of funds allocated by our surrounding six states. Currently, Oklahoma is WAY behind our neighboring states and in national comparisons for education spending. In this podcast, Walton Robinson explains the background of SQ 744 and responds to several common questions which people are raising about this proposal. Walton is the communications director for the Yes to 744 campaign. According to Walton, there are over $5.6 billion in tax giveaways in the current Oklahoma budget. Some of those tax credits, for the elderly and for veterans, should be maintained. Many others, however, represent pork projects which benefit only narrow special interests. SQ 744 does not mandate a tax increase, but leaves it up to the Oklahoma legislature to determine funding mechanisms. Walton responds to the "no accountability" charge of 744 opponents, explaining that the EXISTING "Office of Oversight and Accountability" in the State Department of Education will be responsible for reporting on and auditing the increased educational spending mandated by 744. Those opposing 744 are supporting the status quo for education in Oklahoma, and as Walton explains they do NOT have an alternative plan. Walton also explains why the Oklahoma lottery has NOT helped Oklahoma students, teachers and schools, because the legislature chose to SUPPLANT rather than SUPPLEMENT educational funding levels after the lottery went into effect. After listening to this podcast, I hope you will be even more resolved to vote YES for State Question 744 and will explain to others why the students in our state deserve the equitable funding provided by this state Constitutional amendment.

The official session description was: As the economy began to slow, Google continued to post positive quarterly earnings. The New York Times headline in 2008 declared, "Google defies economy." Maybe the truth is that Google defines the economy and leaders have much to learn about acting "Googley." This workshop will explore Google's Nine Notions of Innovation and how one school uses these principles and ways you may apply them to your school environment. An article written by our Headmaster and a consultant, which goes into even more depth and what our presentation is based on, is also provided.

This session was described as "A hands-on workshop with iPod Touch apps designed especially for young children." Please refer to the podcast shownotes for links to my text notes of this session, along with a link to the AppsFire page of Sheri and Shelley which includes ALL the iOS applications they discussed in this outstanding presentation.

On September 30th and October 1, 2010, The Martin Institute hosted it's first education conference, featuring two keynotes and 36 breakout sessions for area educators. This is the first educational conference I've attended where EVERY conference session was streamed LIVE over Ustream, and also archived for later viewing. Links to these sessions are available or are being added to the conference wiki, and are also available on the conference Ustream channels. It was also unique for one of the keynotes to be presented via Skype from an educator located on another continent. Tom Barrett from Nottingham, England, (@tombarrett on Twitter) presented about inspiring and engaging students with writing for an authentic audience using blogs. Clif discussed lessons learned from the conference, the unique opportunity the Martin Institute has to bring digitally blended professional development opportunities to educators throughout the south-central United States, and the GREAT doorprizes given away at the conference: Five new iPads and three new Flip cameras!

The focus of our session was different techniques for saving online videos from websites like YouTube, Vimeo, etc. to your local computer's hard drive. This skill is important for teachers and librarians wanting to integrate the use of online videos in class with students for several reasons. First of all, in locations like China and many U.S. schools, video sharing websites like YouTube and Vimeo are blocked by content filters. In order to access these websites in these locations, for instance, a VPN service or proxy service must be used. Teachers in U.S. schools which block video sharing sites may need to download videos at home and bring them to school. In addition to exploring different free techniques for downloading "offline" versions of online videos from sites like YouTube, I explained how to use the software MPEG Streamclip to convert downloaded FLV (Flash format) files into other formats which play in media players like QuickTime and Windows Media Player. I also explained how to use MPEG Streamclip to "trim" video clips into shorter versions, which can then be exported and shared in class with students. I turned the recorder on about 10 minutes after our session began, so the longer explanation of using UnPlug for Firefox is not included in this recording. Please refer to the podcast shownotes for links to all reference resources in this podcast.

According to their website: Oklahoma Robotics LLC is a group of design engineers ready to take on your custom project. They have worked in various fields including electronics, programing, audio/video, computer, renewable energy, electric vehicles, and more. We are now the US distributor for the LifeTech lithium line of products. Call us to find out about this quality line of lithium batteries and how we can customize it for your specific needs. Oklahoma Robotics is one of the few companies in Oklahoma that offers EV conversions and EV conversion consultation. Nathan Parrow is a Oklahoma State certified EV technician. We are now offering classes in basic electronics and robotics featuring LEDs and Beetle Bots. Contact us for more information about teaching a class for your group or event. [end of website description] I met Nathan thanks to the workshop Oklahoma Robotics offered about making LED light pens and "painting" with LED light pens and digital cameras at the Oklahoma City CoWorking Collaborative. Refer to the podcast shownotes for links and resources related to our conversation on Friday, August 27, 2010.

I was not able to attend this session in person, but Debbie Boyer enthusiasticaly recommended Cheryl as an innovative presenter and Cheryl generously gave permission for me to record and share this session. The official description of the session was: Participants will experience easy ways to incorporate web and other technology into the classroom. Examples include instant polling, cellphone activities, random student selectors. Applicable to any grade level, but our focus will be 7-12. [END] All the websites Cheryl shared during this session are linked from her social bookmarks on www.delicious.com/cfreeman806.

Stacia was responsible for getting Google involved with NORAD Tracks Santa and taking the program (which dates from the 1950s) to the next level with Google Earth, KML files, embedded YouTube videos, and more. Check out the podcast shownotes for links to the official NORAD Tracks Santa website, YouTube channel, and more. I interviewed Stacia at Camp Alexander, Colorado, when we were both there for the closing campfire of our boys' summer camp experience.