Unleash The Superhero In You - NYSCATE 2016

Source: NYSCATE

The theme for the 2016 annual conference of the New York State Association For Computers And Technologies In Education (NYSCATE) was "Unleash The Superhero In You." This effective branding throughout the conference hall — and the colorful capes given to every attendee — spoke volumes to the notion of teachers as heroes in seizing opportunities and embracing technology, and often struggling against the curmudgeonly villains standing in their ways.

Source: NYSCATE

After three days of sessions and keynotes, kiosks and meet-ups, it was more clear than ever that educators are feeling they have the necessary tools to invigorate the learning potential of their students. Every teacher we met was excited to try a new web app or a backchannel to decentralize daily instruction. As Chromebooks catch up to (or surpass) iOS devices, the Google Apps For Education (GAFE) suite of tools is clearly permeating state-wide districts. As videos and online media put information squarely in the hands of learners, both children and teachers feel more empowered than ever to chart their own courses in meeting the various standards.

For our part, we are grateful to the 60+ participants who sat on the floor and stood against the walls for our presentation on Sunday, November 20, 2016, about “Student Videos & Animations Empower Creativity.” We apologize to those who were turned away for space reasons, and we have put all of our resources and slides online to share with any interested parties. Thank you to all of the attendees for the insightful questions and terrific recommendations about lessons and tools related to student projects and videos.

In hearing from the other experts in the terrific workshops during the conference, highlights that stood out included the tips on formative assessments from Steve Garton (@sgarton121) and Jeff Mao (@jmao121) of Common Sense Education, as well as the annual App Smackdown from Rich Colosi (@richardcolosi), Ryan Orilio (@ryanorilio), Mike Amante (@mamante), and Monica Burns (@classtechtips).

Other eye-opening sessions were engaging the writing process using Google Apps, WeVideo, and Recap with Megan Hugg (@Megan Hugg) and Lindsey Peet (@LindsMariePeet); liberating students from paper using ePortfolios with Betsy Hardy; and tapping the lesser-known features of Google with Carol LaRow (@larowc). Student coding, blended writing, and shared collaboration also emerged as recurring themes within the high-quality professional development. Perhaps the keynote comment by Adam Bellow (@adambellow) summed it up best, "Technology does not drive change; it just enables it."

Source: ASIDE 2016

The lake-effect snowstorm that blanketed downtown may have kept some New Yorkers homebound, but it made for a tight-knit group in the warm confines of the Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center. It also meant that Dinosaur BBQ was blissfully quiet on Sunday night, as we savored our favorite fried green tomatoes and spicy pulled pork. Pane Vino on North Water Street continued to rank as one of the best restaurants anywhere in the nation. And we also recommend Starry Nites Cafe in the arts district as a short hop away for a quick latte and chicken chili after perusing handmade jewelry at Craft Company No. 6.

Finally, we want once again to give a big shout out of thanks to the NYSCATE conference organizers for all they did in staging this seamless annual get-together. The smoothy run sessions and the high-quality breakfast / lunch / dinner included in the overall fee, as well as the warm welcomes and conversations throughout the event, confirmed once again why this is the best confab of the year. See you in 2017.

Source: NYSCATE

Social Media Is An Opportunity - Not A Problem In The Classroom

Source: ASIDE 2015

The resolute attitude of many schools to resist the “Social Age” by blocking websites within their walls strikes at the core of what it means to collectively share ideas. The system seems stuck in the notion that kids will do bad things if they have access to social media. Hello! They have access to it anyway, just not in school. We shake our heads every time we hear educators who want to share digital projects but can’t because of a school’s firewall. Some educators depend on the very students they teach to share when the leave the building in order to promote their work.

Source: ASIDE 2015

We value the opportunities at our disposal for creating digital portfolios with our students, running Tumblr pages for the humanities, maps, and classwork, using Twitter (@BCDS_History_56, @BCDS_History_78>)and Kidblog, and sharing through Padlet to engage in the open practice of real-life skills.

Social media is not the culprit. In this day and age, digital environments are not separate from physical environments. If we want our students to understand the importance of building a healthy, digital footprint for prospective college applications and employment, then practice is imperative. It can’t be taught from a book.

Source: ASIDE 2015

Like other educators, we see the value in using social media. We are fortunate to work in a school that believes students learn by actively and responsibly participating in an online community of practice. We firmly believe that learning communities that allow students to use social media in their education build stronger digital citizens. They also encourage parents to be more proactive in the online behavior of their children by participating as digital partners.

We made a passionate plea to educators in our presentation, entitled “Tear Down This Firewall: Using Social Media To Engage Students And Parents,” at the annual NYSCATE conference. We showed multiple ways that we have incorporated social media in the elementary and middle school classrooms, as well as demonstrated how the skills learned from social media include context, framing, information, perspective, questioning, and problem-solving. We hope the solid foundation in instruction behind our students’ work will provide motivation for others to approach their administrations to unblock valuable web resources for learning. We included our SlideShare presentation here.

Tear Down This Firewall: Using Social Media To Engage Students & Parents from The American Society For Innovation Design In Education

The value of modeling, practicing, and incorporating social media into the curricula to better educate learners for a world that exists now is vital to their development. It builds the collectiveness of the community and a trusted bond between all participants, including administrators, faculty, students, and parents. Most importantly, it takes the fear out of the equation.

 In 2010, Rachel Botsam coined the term “collaborative consumption” in her critically acclaimed book, What’s Mine is Yours: How Collaborative Consumption is Changing the Way We Live. The theory of “collaborative consumption” is the reinvention of traditional market behaviors that are taking place at a rate not seen before as a result of technology. These changes affect more than just the economy; they influence and disrupt traditional learning environments as well. It shouldn’t be a “Them vs. Us” mentality; instead, it should build a collaborative network of making, sharing, and responding.

Source: ASIDE 2015

Yet despite this social revolution in an on-demand, real-time world, schools are still resistant to change, even though educators try desperately to show the value of collaborative work by using social networking.

As for the students, the firewalls may not be crumbling yet inside the bricks and mortar, but outside, learning takes on a life of its own, unfiltered without restrictions. They hunt and gather wherever they can, and technology has opened that door.

Students need to construct their social capital through shared networks, and schools need to participate in building it, not restricting it.

For other resources please see:

• How To Comment On Social Media: An Infographic Of Tips For High Quality Feedback 
• Student Video Projects In Vine: The Six-Second Constraint Encourages Creativity 
• Collective Consumption: Social Media and Active Learning 
• Engaging Tools To Teach Social Media 
• The Uber Generation Of Learning - Fast, Efficient, And Driven By Tech

Student Video Projects In Vine: The Six-Second Constraint Encourages Creativity

Source: Vine

Poets have long considered the sonnet and the quatrain as the highest forms of poetry. The strict meters, the rigid rhyme schemes, and the unbreakable line limits force poets to create elegant verse within exacting structures. In other words, if writers can craft soaring language under such restrictive rules, then they have true talent.

Making Vine videos with students falls into a similar category. Vine is a social network owned by Twitter that allows users to record or upload clips no more than 6.5 seconds in length. With over 200 million users and 1.5 billion daily loops, Vine has created overnight celebrities and has changed the way kids watch, generate, and share content.

The ease of publishing makes Vine a terrific tool for the classroom. The strict time limit of the videos forces students to maximize the pithiness of their messages. In other words, the short videos demand:

1. Efficiency of narration
2. Effectiveness of visuals
3. Concision of message

Students cannot be wasteful in language or vague in communication. They must get their points across succinctly and above all creatively. They are compelled to invent novel ways to pack a lot of meaning into a tight space.

For example, our eighth-graders have been studying how technology and inventions transformed society in the late 1800s. We, therefore, invited them to conduct a mini-research project about modern inventions in the contemporary era that have similarly revolutionized daily life. Our instructions, storyboards, and rubrics are included in this post. We have also included several examples of the innovative approaches that students took to produce these brief films. For other ideas about incorporating Vine in the classroom, check out 20 Ways To Use Twitter's Vine In Education.

As with all social media, there is plenty of content on Vine that would not be appropriate for all ages. That is why digital citizenship needs to be a crucial partner with digital publishing. As with all online activities, educators need to encourage students to be their own filters, to use their own good judgment in engaging with social media.

How To Comment In Social Media - An Infographic Of Tips For High Quality Feedback

Students are writing more than ever before. They are tapping out rapid-fire fingerstrokes across multiple platforms. From text messages to social media, children and adults of all ages are engaging like never before with the written word. This type of transliteracy emphasizes more than ever the need for thoughtful conversations and clear instructions that guide students in how best to express high quality feedback.

Most remarks in the comment sections of Instagram and YouTube are useless. They are either crass or curt, sprinkled with emoji that do more to satisfy the ego of the commenter than to further the richness of the page.

Instead, high quality comments on blogs and social media should create a dialogue that furthers the colloquy and deepens the learning. Replies on Twitter, for example, should offer suggestions or make interpersonal connections. Thoughtful comments in social media should add information, incorporate links, or most importantly, ask questions.

Susan Sedro offers a terrific post about "Teaching Children To Comment On Blogs" on her site, "Adventures In Educational Blogging." She includes a presentation, a document, and a rubric to help teachers incorporate successful commenting into their lessons. Similarly, Danielle Degelman recently shared on Twitter (@deedegs) a photo of her whiteboard with excellent tips on helping students comment successfully.

We learned a lot from both Sedro's and Degelman's suggestions. For our own learners, we combined these two teachers' ideas with a few of our own to make a handy one-sheet for our students. For example, our seventh-graders used it to exchange feedback via Twitter (#BCDSHist7) on their Thirteen Colonies research projects.

Here is the infographic we made to promote positive engagement through social media:

10 Ways To Use The Meerkat Streaming Video App In Education

Source: Meerkat

The new Meerkat app has taken the tech world by storm. Especially in the cubicles of Silicon Valley and the newsrooms of political sites, early adopters of Meerkat are trying to figure out how this real-time streaming video app will transform both social media and news reporting.

In the run-up to the 2016 presidential campaign, major news personalities have been signing up for Meerkat like their jobs depend on it — and maybe they do. Now, no political candidate is safe from a phone’s camera lens. More than ever before, any citizen solider can become a news maker. Just like the Internet heralded the slow demise of the daily print newspaper, Meerkat may spell the end of corporate news conglomerates.

Source: Meerkat

Essentially, Meerkat merges the best of real-time video sources into one app. It is a combination of FaceTime, Skype, Vine, Instagram, and Google Hangouts. It makes any person with an iPhone capable of broadcasting live TV. 

Once you authorize Meerkat, all of your Twitter followers will see your video, live, immediately in their stream. The video is saved on your device, but for your followers, à la SnapChat, the video disappears after airing. Because it piggybacks onto your already existing Twitter network, Meerkat has no barriers to entry. Your current followers will see whatever you are broadcasting. Compared to prior technologies, it elevates a time-delayed recording or a static photograph into an instantaneous, interpersonal communication.

The possibilities for using Meerkat in education are only beginning to emerge. Here are 10 possible uses for the Meerkat app in the classroom or in working with students in general:

1. Real-time streaming of class lessons to kids who are absent or at home
2. Genuine remote learning for children in rural or inaccessible environments
3. Super-chats of study groups before tests and quizzes
4. Global connections across continents for widespread cohorts of schools and learners
5. In-the-moment broadcasts of school plays, sporting events, and assemblies for families
6. Authentic connections for working parents to classroom events like speeches and projects
7. Sincere professional development for teachers to join educational conferences remotely
8. Democratization of TED talks and other "experts" to reach all audiences without webinars
9. Immediate access to major news stories and current events on mobile devices
10. Tracking of political candidates for 2016 in history and Social Studies classes

Source: Meerkat

Meerkat follows the same privacy safeguards as Twitter. There are, however, potential risks in welcoming Meerkat into the classroom. These concerns echo similar abuse of apps like SnapChat, Yik Yak, and others, but to a possibly magnified degree. For example, if a student were to broadcast live video from the locker room, or during an altercation, or without peer permission, it could lead to serious ramifications. Like all use of social media, though, regular and meaningful education regarding digital citizenship can help young people avoid improper usage and instead reap the benefits of its learning potential.

If Parents Can Work From Home, Why Can't Students? A Snow Day Doesn't Have To Be A "No" Day

Source: ASIDE 2015

We have another snow day today. The relentless snow this winter has forced many schools into crisis mode. Teachers are panicking about missed curriculum and make-up days. But with today’s access to mobile technology, shouldn’t there be a middle ground between all or nothing learning? Genuine remote learning should be a regular practice, not just a prediction. Even amid record-breaking blizzards, a snow day shouldn't have to be a “no” day.

Students frequently get sick and miss school. Consider, too, how many times you've seen a kid in your classroom who really shouldn’t be there. He has his head down, or has bags under his eyes, or has his mind clearly elsewhere. How many times have you noticed a student who truly needs a break? She's been burning the candle at both ends, or has been bearing the weight of a bully, or has been negotiating a tough family situation.

Source: ASIDE 2015

A kid sometimes needs a personal day. It used to be that a student’s absence meant a day of missed learning. Today, this not only seems strange, it seems unforgivable.

For parents, “working from home” is a common occurrence. Many companies have no problem with their employees telecommuting at a distance, staying in contact via phone, email, and instant message. With all of the dynamic digital tools available to schools today, why can’t students work from home? Many teachers post all of their assignments online anyway.

Source: ASIDE 2015

Video conferencing and social media and collaborative documents all offer easy avenues to engage a class of home-bound learners. Many teachers use these resources daily inside of the classroom. Why can’t these tools also be tapped to coordinate a corps of kids, either in real-time or at the students’ own paces? 

Backchanneling, for example, has emerged as a valuable way to invite feedback and questions during an in-class lesson. If we can turn backchannels into forechannels, then we can transform these supplemental tools into primary vehicles for distance education.

Tools for remote learning:

Sources: Company Logos

• TodaysMeet - The leading real-time channel, TodaysMeet creates discussion groups for instant message communication.
• Twitter - The ultimate social media tool for education, Twitter mimics the classroom environment with chats, text, links, images, and videos.
• Croak.it - Both teachers and students can create a 30-second audio file with a url that can be embedded in a backchannel, website, or tweet.
• Remind - This free way for teachers to text students protects everyone's privacy and instantly reaches kids on their phones.
• Cel.ly - Cel.ly creates individual social networks via its texting feature that can be moderated directly from a smartphone.

Sources: Company Logos

• Verso - Flipped learning with Verso can include videos, images, or links in self-contained classes with rich commenting features.
• eduCanon - This site collects videos from across the web and allows teachers to add flipped learning elements.
• EDpuzzle - Teachers can crop videos and add questions and explanations to fit any age group.
• Zaption - Zaption makes videos interactive by adding assessments.
• audioBoom - Teachers can record podcasts to pass lessons on to students, and kids can capture their own answers, readings, or projects.

Sources: Company Logos

• Nearpod - The teacher guides the presentation, and students on their own devices see the slides progress as they interact from anywhere with polls and assessments.
• Issuu - Intended to publish webzines, Issuu turns any .pdf into a scrolling web document for students to read and save at their leisure.
• iBooks Author - The ability to publish customized content on iBooks is becoming easier and easier.
• Wikispaces - Still one of the most flexible platforms for a class website, Wikispaces accepts any media and any embedded content.

Sources: Company Logos

• Skype - Teachers can broadcast themselves in full video and audio to reach students in their homes.
• Facetime - As more and more schools opt for iPads and Apple TVs, Facetime provides an easy way to videoconference.
• Google+ Hangouts - Multiple participants from any device can come together in a live-streaming video chat.

Sources: Company Logos

• Google Docs - Google Drive keeps getting better and better, and the real-time collaboration is still the industry standard for essays, presentations, and spreadsheets.
• Padlet - Padlet is an infinitely customizable public space with customized urls to post text, links, images, videos, and student projects.
• Dropbox - The larger storage capacity of Dropbox makes it ideal for file-sharing.
• Email - When in doubt, simple email can allow students and teachers to swap instructions, questions, and assignments.

Our Nominees For The 2014 Edublog Awards

Source: Edublog Awards

If you know an outstanding educator, or if you have benefited this year from the insights of your PLN, consider nominating a teacher-leader for the 2014 Edublog Awards. This 11th-annual recognition pays tribute to the voices who help inspire learning at every level.

Our 2014 nominations are below. Because so many educators make a far-reaching impact every day, be sure to make your own nominations, and tweet out your choices at #eddies14.

Best individual blog - Teach Thought

Terry Heick is a former English teacher who curates a startling array of perspectives. The write-ups range from on-the-ground suggestions for compelling apps to pie-in-the-sky wish lists for education's future.

Best group blog - MindShift

We're not sure how they do it, but the writers at MindShift always seem to be one step ahead of the pack in framing the debate over contemporary learning. Their blog is the first place we go each morning to feel energized for the day.

Source: Edublog Awards

Best ed tech / resource sharing blog - History Tech

Glenn Wiebe (@glennw98) features targeted, detailed, actionable ideas for implementing Social Studies resources in creative, layered ways. We learn a ton from his blending of history and technology.

Best library / librarian blog - The Library Voice, by Shannon McClintock Miller

Shannon Miller (@shannonmmiller) hosts the terrific #tlchat. As a teacher-librarian and tech integration specialist, she also blogs in a lively, authentic voice about literacy and media.

Most influential blog post of the year - "Dear Time Magazine..."
Nancy Chewning of Leading By Example wrote this blistering broadside in response to Time's overly simplistic cover about teachers as "rotten apples." This passionate and eloquent defense of teaching rallied nationwide educators to her cause and reminded families about true service and sacrifice.  

Best individual tweeter - Lisa Palmieri, Ph.D. (@Learn21Tech)

Lisa is a Director of Technology & Learning Innovation whose tweets embody that sweet spot of sharing, collaboration, and progressive thinking. We recommend following her on Twitter for first-class links and engaging chat banter.

Best twitter hashtag - #dtk12chat
The Design Thinking K12 chat on Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. is one of our favorites. It invites expert minds and real-life solutions to daily learning debates.

Best free web tool - Padlet

Padlet is the best publishing platform for teachers and students. This free collaborative whiteboard can be customized in both design and url to feature text, links, videos, projects, embed codes, and just about anything else kids can create.

Best educational use of audio / video / visual / podcast - EdChat Radio

EdChat Radio offers a microphone to teachers across the country to explore the latest learning debates. Podcasts in iTunes and the Bam! Radio Network use each week's #EdChat as a springboard into a more detailed colloquy about the modern classroom.

Best open PD - NYSCATE
The New York State Association for Computers and Technologies in Education hosts the most eye-opening and relaxing annual gathering for tools and concepts that push the leading edge of learning.

Best educational use of a social network - #ptchat and ParentCamp

The generous folks at #ptchat keep our Wednesday evenings hopping with their own superb chat at 9:00 p.m. They also organize "ParentCamps" to open up the unconference opportunity for parents and teachers to come together to help children most effectively.

Best mobile app - Adobe Voice

Adobe Voice is finally the app we've been waiting for. It combines text, images, icons, music, video, and motion into free, seamless videos that can be created in minutes.

Lifetime achievement - Gina Sipley
As a teacher, writer, and edupreneur, Gina Sipley (@GSipley) is doing it all. She's an educator at all levels, from K12 to college, an instructional designer, a global consultant, a Teacher Of The Future, a columnist, a coder, a mentor, a PhD candidate, and a leader among EdTechWomen.  

We wish we could acknowledge all of the kind educators who have made an impact on our teaching this year. Thank you to all of the dedicated professionals making a difference each day.

What Role Should Blogs Play In The Life Of An Educator?

Source: ASIDE, 2014

A recent #EdChat Radio show on the Bam! Radio Network discussed the topic of teacher blogging. We were invited to participate in the broadcast with hosts Tom Whitby (@tomwhitby) and Nancy Blair (@blairteach). The conversation on "What Role Should Blogs Play In The Life Of An Educator?" broached a range of topics about online writing and publishing for both teachers and students. Check out the podcast, or download the show for free from iTunes.

A few of the insights included:

Source: Jackstreet;
Bam! Radio Network

• Blogging levels the playing field; expressing one's opinions about education is no longer about status or access
• Writing a blog is not just about publishing, but it is also about sharing in a community of fellow educators
• Blogging validates the voice of each teacher and allows niche ideas to rise to the mainstream
• Blogging is the new normal for student writing, and teachers can model this literacy
• Commenting is an important skill for young people to master and also an avenue for all teachers to enter the conversation
• Publishing adds a pleasant pressure to stay relevant and maintain helpful resources

For other information about teacher podcasts and online broadcasts, we recommend the full slate of educational programs on the Bam! Network. Also, take a look at the article, "Add #EdChat Radio To Your PLN."

Our Nominees For The 2013 Edublog Awards

Source: Edublog Awards

It’s time to nominate outstanding educators for the 2013 Edublog Awards. This 10th-annual honor roll recognizes leaders who offer insights and resources to the teaching community.

We’ve learned an enormous amount from previous Edublog winners. In highlighting this year’s nominees, we don’t mean to leave out all of the generous mentors and coaches who are part of our daily inspiration. We feel privileged to count all of them among our PLN.

Be sure to make your own nominations, and tweet your choices at #eddies13.

Here are our picks. If you haven’t already, we hope you get to know these amazing thinkers and educators:

Best individual blog - Larry Ferlazzo

The range, depth, and frequency of Larry Ferlazzo's posts are unmatched. His "Best Of..." lists are an educator's dream.

Best group blog - MindShift

It seems like we read and want to tweet every post from the MindShift team. Sometimes we refrain, just so we don't seem like obsessive fans.

Best new blog - Maptia 

Crowdsourced geography, what could be better?

Best ed tech / resource sharing blog - Edudemic

Edudemic consistently is at the leading edge of ideas and tools that resonate with contemporary teachers.

Best teacher blog - Web 2.0 Classroom

Steven Anderson's site is a perfect blend of expert resources and down-to-earth dialogue.

Best library / librarian blog - Connect The Pop

Peter Gutierrez's blog on media literacy at the School Library Journal is one of our favorites -- a scholarly, teacher-focused investigation with terrific analysis.

Best administrator blog - Brendan Schneider

Brendan Schneider urges schools to embrace social media as competitive marketing tools.

Most influential blog post of the year - Okay, we have two: Teacher’s Resignation Letter: ‘My Profession … No Longer Exists' and My Son’s Grades Are Too High

Best individual tweeter - Nancy Blair

We first met Nancy Blair in the airport back in November 2011, on our way to the NMSA conference (now AMLE). She was enormously helpful then, and she's been an invaluable chat partner since. She's at the top of anyone's must-follow list.

Best twitter hashtag - #lrnchat

This chat begins each Thursday at 8:30 p.m. (EST) with participants volunteering what they learned that week. It's a great tone setter for a great chat.

Best free web tool - Padlet

Padlet has expanded from its early germination as Wallwisher into an enormously flexible collaborative whiteboard on which to share posts, pictures, media, and embeddable ideas for class learning.

Best educational use of audio / video / visual / podcast - EdChat Radio

Every week EdChat Radio offers free podcasts via iTunes and the Bam! Radio Network on a variety of forward-thinking topics from that week's illuminating #EdChat session.

Best educational use of a social network - #tlap

Dave Burgess has attracted a motivated band of school scalawags with his masterful book, Teach Like A Pirate.

Best mobile app - Pinterest

Pinterest is not only a dominant visual sharing site for educational resources, but its app is elegant and efficient in allowing users to repin items in a quick and appealing swipe.

Lifetime achievement - Tom Whitby

Tom Whitby is not only a co-founder of #EdChat and EdChat radio, but he is an open-hearted presence at conferences and a skilled practitioner in education. His blog, My Island View, consistently explores the nuances of modern pedagogy.

If you are wondering where to start with your own nominations, check out EdTech Magazine's list of 2013 Must-Read K-12 IT Blogs.

Add #Edchat Radio To Your PLN

Source: #Edchat Radio

With the overwhelming number of new technologies, web tools, apps, and curricular demands, it almost seems impossible to keep up with everything. One solution we’ve never looked back on was adding Twitter to our PLN and following the #edchat hashtag.

If you are one of those educators who says, “I don’t have time to tweet,” fret not; there are other ways to follow up on the weekly #edchat conversations. The associated wiki page archives the transcripts from each chat. It’s fairly easy, therefore, to go back and review the exchanges that took place. They won’t disappoint.

Still feeling inundated with not enough time to read the weekly banter? Then check out the #Edchat Radio broadcasts on The Bam! Radio Network. Tom Whitby, co-founder of #edchat, hosts the show with Nancy Blair, an education consultant. The 12-15 minute interviews with educators in the trenches coincide with the topics covered in the weekly chats on Twitter. The casual, roundtable discussions are open, frank, and refreshing. The podcasts are also available as free downloads from the Apple iTunes store.

Source: Bam! Radio

Over the past two years, we have written posts about the importance of Twitter for professional development, and we still stand by that mantra. There are many targeted chats by grade level, discipline, and theme to truly inspire and engage teacher-learners willing to take the plunge. Whether you lurk, participate, read, or listen, take advantage of the free exchange of ideas on social media.

#Edchat takes place every Tuesday at 12:00 noon and 7:00 p.m. (EST). Join the movement! Check out this video produced by co-founder Shelly Terrell.



Other resources about #edchat:

• What is #edchat?
• #Edchat: Join the conversation

20 Ways To Use Twitter's Vine In Education

Source: iTunes

Twitter's new Vine app has gained a cadre of followers, but it has flown under the radar in educational circles. The application allows users to create six-second video clips. Just like Twitter's defining limit of 140 characters, the time constraint on Vine is meant both to encourage pithiness and to conserve bandwidth.

We haven't yet experimented with Vine in the classroom, but already we can imagine a range of uses for future projects and lessons. Just as some educators were slow to embrace Twitter's open platform, they may gradually enjoy toying with Vine's easy-to-use interface and immediate gratification. For 1:1 iPad schools, the free app could prove particularly useful.

Source: Social News Daily

To be fair, Vine is not the only video capture service. It could just be a knee-jerk offering for a more grown-up version of Snapchat or a more dynamic Instagram. But at its best, Vine might be the next virtual playground for creativity. Ideally, it will become one of those applications where teachers cannot preconceive of the inventive directions that students will pursue.

Source: CIO

As with all unregulated social media applications, schools should be careful about letting students run rampant through all of Vine's content. Recent articles have pointed out that some of the early postings have been smutty in nature. Until Twitter adds filters to block offensive content, educational institutions should be guarded about allowing Vine's unfettered use in classrooms. In fact, a 17+ age restriction could be temporary or permanent.

Here are some of Vine's possible future uses for education:

Applications:

1. Pair with information on a class website or blog
2. Announce homework to students and parents
3. Model how students should execute a task
4. Market a school's upcoming events to followers
5. "Tease" new units for kids and families
6. Record student reactions to texts
7. Think-pair-share in a virtual field
8. Grab "preview" or "exit interview" understandings
9. Offer parent testimonials for admissions
10. Build advisory or homeroom unity

Projects:

1. Design mini-book trailers
2. Film solutions to math problems
3. Identify symbols and silent metaphors
4. Recreate drawing or painting methods
5. Document science labs
6. Capture instructions for computer tools
7. Create "real-life" Vokis
8. Animate stop-motion characters
9. Recite famous quotations
10. Impersonate historical figures

Connect 4 Learning: NYSCATE 2012

Source: NYSCATE

We just finished attending three days at the NYSCATE 2012 Connect 4 Learning conference in Rochester. The New York State Association for Computers and Technologies in Education (NYSCATE) assembled another stellar roster of speakers covering technology and learning. We met a lot of impressive educators who shared their expertise and resources.

It was great finally to meet in person many of the respected professionals we've admired via Twitter. The Social Media Kiosk offered a welcoming forum (and coffee!) for exchanging ideas. Cheers to @TomWhitby, @JimTiffinJr, @JenLaubscher, and @AdamBellow for their insights and friendly conversation. We are excited to follow the progress of Tom Whitby's #edchat radio broadcasts, with downloadable podcasts and expanding participation. Adam Bellow's keynote and session of web tools also proved why he's a down-to-earth master of his craft.

Source: ASIDE, 2012

The conference offered many subtle touches that encouraged collegiality and partnership during the well-paced days. Appy Hour presented a nicely self-initiated venue for trading favorite iPad tips. Collectable pieces of flair for each person's lanyard also perfectly mimicked the triumph of badging in the progressive classroom.

One clear message from all of the NYSCATE sessions was the relevance of social networks, BYOD, and mobile learning. These practices are no longer "emerging" but rather essential to contemporary learning.

Many thanks to the generous crowd who attended our two Monday sessions: D-LIT: Design, Literacy, Info & Tech and 10 Ways Twitter Makes Us Better Teachers. All of the resources and links highlighted in our workshops are available via the two links. We look forward to tweeting with our new friends and our expanding PLN of collaborators.

Our favorite hour was spent in the jam-packed Cascade room with Carol LaRow, who enlightened us to Google's dynamic special features. With humor and clear enjoyment, Carol opened our eyes to the amazing shortcuts and research options hidden within Google's search portfolio.

Source: Dinosaur BBQ

Finally, if you're ever at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center, watch the ball game at Legends but stroll three blocks for lunch at Dinosaur BBQ. The pulled pork and fried green tomatoes are worth the walk.

Twitter: The Best PD For Educators

Source: Elliott Design

Free, instantaneous and self-directed, social networks like Twitter carry enormous benefits for educators’ professional development. By following national experts and participating in worldwide chats, even skeptical teachers can share lessons, explore theories, and trade resources.

Many simple ways exist for teachers to gain insights into eye-opening concepts, articles, and resources through cooperative technology. Professional development can often be costly, but free social networks empower both educators and students to direct their own learning and internalize best practices from esteemed experts and fellow instructors.

Social networking has become an integral part of most families’ lives, but it has not yet become synonymous with education. As daily leaders in their students’ lives, teachers also need to be technological leaders in tapping into dynamic information streams like Twitter, Pinterest, and others to collect best practices and motivate young learners.

Benefits Of Twitter For Teachers

10 Ways Twitter Has Made Better Teachers
Who Am I? The Ten Types Of Twitter Chat Participants
Teaching With Twitter Visualizations

Open publication - Free publishing - More education

Twitter Basics

Teaching Teachers To Tweet
Cybraryman's Educational Chats
Twitter - A Necessity For Educators In 2012
3 Tips For Teachers New To Twitter
25 Ways To Get The Most Out Of Twitter
100 Of The Best Twitter Tools For Teachers By Category

Source: Education Week, Greg Kulowiec

Examples Of Twitter Chats

#edchat Archive
#2ndchat Archive
#sschat Archive

Twitter Hashtags

The Teacher's Quick Guide To Educational Twitter Hashtags
Cybraryman's Educational Hashtags
The 2012 A-Z List Of Educational Twitter Hashtags
In Praise Of The Hashtag 

Advanced Twitter

In The Pinterest Of Education
17 Ways To Visualize The Twitter Universe
15 Handy Twitter Tips And Tricks
8 Useful And/Or Fun Twitter Tools
The 20 Best Pinterest Boards About Educational Technology
Twitterize Yourself Into An Infographic
Tweet Topic Explorer