Moving at the Speed of Creativity Podcasts

Podcast402: Montana Teachers Share "Why We Teach"

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 23:37:43 -0500

This podcast features twenty-five Montana teachers and one Oklahoma teacher answering the question, "Why We Teach?" Many of these teachers share stories about the teacher or teachers who inspired them to join the profession, and why they have persevered as education professionals. These recordings were originally made using the free AudioBoo (Classic) app on iPads, and then imported into the free software program Audacity. A twenty minute video tutorial about this process is available and linked in the podcast shownotes, along with other referenced sites.

Podcast401: Why Club Penguin Is Awesome

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 21:52:17 -0500

This podcast is an interview with 9 year old Rachel, who has been playing Club Penguin on and off for the past three years. Rachel discusses what she enjoys doing in a Club Penguin, password issues she has learned about, safety issues, and some suggestions for kids who are new to the game. This podcast was entirely recorded, edited and published on an iPad using Voice Record Pro, DropBox, GoodReader, iTransfer, WordPress for iOS, a self-hosted WordPress blog, and an iRig microphone.

Podcast400: Lessons Learned After Two Days of Scratch Camp (March 2013)

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 14:09:13 -0500

This podcast is a recorded conversation between Chris Simon and Wesley Fryer after day two of the Spring Break 2013 Scratch Camp at Skyview Elementary School in Yukon, Oklahoma. Scratch is a wonderful, FREE software program from MIT which allows students to create games, tell stories, create animations, and make many other kinds of interactive projects. Scratch is ideal for helping students develop computational thinking and problem solving skills, tied to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) skills. Chris and Wesley are co-facilitating a 5 day Scratch Camp over Spring Break for students in grades 2 through 6, sponsored by “The Div.” The Div is a local OKC non-profit based in Edmond, focused on empowering youth to gain digital literacy skills and learn about job opportunities in technology-related fields. Check out the podcast shownotes for links to the Oklahoma Scratch Camp curriculum, Scratch Club website, and other resources.

Podcast399: Cell Phone Digital Storytelling with Narrable - An Interview with Dustin Curzon

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 21:53:30 -0600

This podcast is an audio recording of an interview with Dustin Curzon, one of the co-founders of Narrable. According to Dustin, "Narrable is for intergenerational stories that matter." Dustin is based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Together with Narrable co-founders in Phoenix, Arizona, and the development team in Bangalore, India, Narrable is growing into a platform which empowers people of all ages and generations to share their stories with photos using their phones and web browsers. Narrable is currently a browser-based digital storytelling service, and allows users to record audio with both computer microphones as well as phones (cell phones and land line phones.) Narrable works GREAT on the iPad now! In this interview, Dustin previews some upcoming Narrable features including an iOS app to be announced in March at SXSW in Austin, and "Group Narrables" to be announced later this spring. Next week on Tuesday, February 26, at 4 pm CST, Narrable will be hosting a "Teacher Roundtable" Google Hangout On-Air to discuss Narrable for the classroom and the features teachers would like to see in future versions of the platform. Check the podcast shownotes for links to resources referenced in this interview, including the upcoming Teacher Roundtable.

Podcast398: A Student’s Experiences in Oklahoma City Public Schools Virtual School

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 23:01:20 -0600

This first podcast of 2013 on “Moving at the Speed of Creativity Podcasts” features an interview with Jackson, an 11th grader in Oklahoma City Public Schools, who took a virtual course in fall 2012 through the OKCPS Innovations K-12 Virtual Institute. The Innovations K-12 Virtual Institute is Oklahoma City Public Schools’ virtual school, provided at no cost to current students in the district. OKCPS has contracted with Connections Academy to provide a variety of virtual course options for students. In this 18 minute interview, Jackson shares his experiences taking an English class online last semester including a discussion of the benefits as well as challenges of taking the class online. Jackson is a student at Classen School of Advanced Studies in OKCPS, and took the English course for “course recovery” since he did not get an English credit last year when he was an AFS exchange student in France. Check out the podcast shownotes for links to iOKCPS and other referenced resources.

Podcast397: Takeaways from and Reflections on the 2012 EDUCAUSE Conference

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:15:36 -0600

This is a “podcast from the road” by Wesley Fryer reflecting on the 2012 EDUCAUSE conference. In the podcast Wesley discusses learning management systems including the free/beta LMS OpenClass from Pearson, Kuali open source solutions for higher education, badge-based learning initiatives and tools, open journals / open academic publishing, Wolfram Alpha, MOOCs and native mobile apps vs mobile websites. Check out the podcast shownotes for referenced links / resources.

Podcast396: Six Iowa Teachers & Librarians Share Their Digital Learning Journeys

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 20:50:59 -0500

A select group of 19 K-12 teachers and teacher/librarians in the College Community School District in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has been participating in a series of professional development workshops to further develop their skills with and understanding of digital literacy. As a culminating activity for a two day workshop on “Mapping Media to the Curriculum” with Wesley Fryer, teachers collaboratively interviewed six of their colleagues about their “digital learning journeys” and the ways they are reflecting their learning about digital literacy in the online digital portfolios they have been creating in the past several months. Check out the podcast shownotes for links to the individual posts which teachers created to accompany each interview at the close of the workshop. Learn more on maps.playingwithmedia.com.

Podcast395: Iowa Teachers & Librarians Discuss Mapping Media to the Curriculum (Lessons Learned)

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 20:12:52 -0500

This audio podcast is a combined series of six, three minute “radio shows” created by teachers and teacher/librarians in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in the College Community School District on October 3, 2012. Participants in this two day workshop on “Mapping Media to the Common Core” with Wesley Fryer learned to facilitate lessons with student created-media including interactive writing, narrated art, 5 photo stories, and radio shows. Hat tip to Marco Torres for the term “quick victories” in the context of edtech professional development, used by some of the radio show participants in this combined podcast. Check out the podcast shownotes for links to the collaborative Google Docs, “sandbox” professional development blog, AudioBoo recordings, and other products created by teachers in this workshop. Learn more on maps.playingwithmedia.com.

Podcast394: Rachel Teaches about Scratch and eBook Writing in Fort Worth

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 15:48:48 -0500

This edited podcast includes a 25 minute excerpt of the keynote address at the TechnoPalooza 2012 educational technology conference in Northwest ISD, held on July 24, 2012. In this excerpt, 8 year old Rachel Fryer shares about her experiences with Scratch software this summer in Scratch Camp. In addition, she tells some stories about how she co-created the eBook "Snowflake Gets Lost" last year in second grade, and demonstrates how she created an enhanced/multimedia eBook during "iPad Media Camp" this summer using the apps Story Patch and Book Creator. This is the first audio podcast I've attempted to create entirely on an iPad, using the free Hokusai Audio Editor along with other apps. Refer to the podcast shownotes for more information about other apps used, as well as websites Rachel referenced in her presentation. I'll write a post soon detailing my lessons learned trying to create a multi-track audio podcast entirely on an iPad.

Podcast393: Reflections on UnPlug’d 2012 with David Truss & Gail Lovely

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 23:25:03 -0500

This podcast includes reflections with David Truss and Gail Lovely at the close of the UnPlug’d 2012 Conference at Northern Edge Algonquin in Ontario, Canada. Refer to the podcast shownotes for referenced and related links to UnPlug’d.

Podcast392: Lessons Learned from June 2012 iPad Media Camp

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 23:53:09 -0500

This podcast includes a recording of June 2012 iPad Media Camp participant “takeaways” as well as reflections by facilitator Wesley Fryer about lessons learned from this three day workshop. Refer to podcast shownotes for referenced links and resources. If you are interested in hosting an iPad Media Camp workshop for teachers at your school or in your organization, please contact Wesley Fryer! Spots are still available for the July 11-13 iPad Media Camp in Oklahoma City.

Podcast391: Voices from Mobile Learning 2012

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 00:13:49 -0600

This podcast is a combined series of recordings created by participants in Wesley Fryer's "Simple Ideas for Powerful Sharing" media scavenger hunt session at the Mobile Learning 2012 conference in Phoenix, Arizona, on April 12, 2012. These reflections were submitted as audio and video reflections in response to several questions provided in the media scavenger hunt instructions. Access these instructions from the podcast shownotes on a mobile-friendly website, as an ePUB ebook, a Kindle .MOBI eBook, or a PDF file. Please refer to the podcast shownotes for additional links, including the Posterous blog where all these responses were posted by participants. Many thanks to all participants, and to Peggy George whose encouragement led to this "voices from the conference" podcast. Lots of great ideas and important perceptions were shared here which school leaders should consider as we continue to explore what it can mean to be "21st century learners" in mobile computing environments.

Podcast390: Why Play With Media?

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 11:41:48 -0500

This podcast is a recording of Wesley Fryer's keynote address on March 16, 2012, at the district professional development day of Yarmouth Public Schools in Yarmouth, Maine. The guiding question for the entire day of learning was: How can we inspire and empower ourselves as learners to create, play and share? The three "subquestions" which framed the day of professional development were: How will student demonstrations of learning be more innovative in my classroom? How will I as a teacher move toward more choices for students to demonstrate learning? How can I share or celebrate my students’ work? How do I balance learning the tool and using the tool for learning? [end of questions] This keynote kicked off the day, which included three panels of breakout sessions led by Yarmouth teachers, a work/play/practice time, and a group sharing time in the high school auditorium to round out the day's learning. Please refer to the podcast shownotes not only for a link to the PD day wiki (which includes digital handouts for all sessions) but also to the websites I've setup for sharing eBooks as well as student media project examples.

Podcast389: Improving Literacy with Media in Higher Education

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 11:35:50 -0600

This podcast is a recording of Wesley Fryer's keynote address on March 3, 2012, at the Enhancing Teaching & Learning Conference hosted by the Kansas City Professional Development Council in Kansas City, Missouri. The session description was: Interested in helping students become better readers, writers, and critical thinkers? We need to "play with media" to become more effective communicators and improve our media literacy skills as both learners and citizens. As you learn to play with digital text, images, audio and video, you will communicate more creatively and flexibly with a wider variety of options. Author and educator Wesley Fryer will inspire and empower you, as a creative person, to expand your personal senses of digital literacy and digital agency as a multimedia communicator! Refer to the podcast shownotes for links to referenced videos and resources, as well as the presentation slides on SlideShare.

Podcast388: Oklahoma CCSS, TLE & Virtual School & Education Reform Update (Feb 2012)

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 17:16:38 -0600

This podcast by Wesley Fryer is an attempted synthesis of a variety of issues and updates mentioned in conference presentations, workshops, and news articles from the past several weeks regarding Oklahoma "educational reform" efforts. These include our state's transition to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), the Teacher Leader Evaluation (TLE) system, proposed legislative changes for K-12 schools regarding virtual schools and other issues involving mandated, highs takes testing and teacher evaluation. As is the case with ALL the content on my blog, these opinions are my own and do not necessarily represent the views of my past, present, or future employers. Please share feedback or questions as comments to this post. Lots is happening in our state with respect to "school reform," and we need to remain informed as voters as well as advocates for our children.

Podcast387:TechShoppingCart Episode 11 – Christmas 2011 Apps and Gadgets

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 11:31:55 -0600

The Technology Shopping Cart podcast has been digitally resurrected after a 3 year hiatus of podfading! In this recorded call from December 23, 2011, Alice Barr, Karen Montgomery, and Wesley Fryer discussed a variety of iOS applications and technology gadgets on our wish lists for Christmas 2011. Refer to the podcast shownotes for links to all the items we discussed in the podcast!

Podcast386: Implementing 1:1 Classrooms in Grand View Schools, Oklahoma

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:43:57 -0600

This podcast is a a recording of Cheryl Beaman and Michelle Barnes' presentation, "Implementing 1:1 Classrooms" at the 2011 Innovative Learning Institute in Norman, Oklahoma, on November 10th. This annual conference is hosted by the K-20 Center at the University of Oklahoma. Cheryl Beaman is the director of technology for Grandview Public Schools, and Michelle Barnes is a 6th grade reading teacher as well as technology integration specialist in Grandview Schools. Grandview school leaders not only have the RIGHT vision and focus for their 1:1 program, they also have the RIGHT policies (driven by administrative vision for learning) when it comes to school Internet content filtering and professional development. This was a fantastic session and you don't want to miss it! If only ALL our school leaders in Oklahoma could have the vision, passion, and understanding of digital learning like leaders of Grandview Public Schools do! The official session description was: "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." As you'll hear in their presentation, the network infrastructure and Internet bandwidth are key parts of the successful foundation built for digital learning in Grandview Schools. NewNet 66 has been and continues to be a key partner for the district when it comes to networking, connectivity, infrastructure, etc. Last year at the ILI Cheryl and Michelle's presentation was absolutely the BEST and most inspiring presentation I was able to attend. This year I was not able to attend in person because of my scheduled presentation, but Dawn Pearce DID make it and recorded this session with permission. MANY thanks to Cheryl, Michelle, and Dawn. Enjoy and be inspired by some of Oklahoma's finest, most creative and passionate educators! Please refer to the podcast shownotes for links to additional information and ways to connect further with Cheryl and Michelle.

Podcast385: Interview with Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi (Glenn Stoop)

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:44:01 -0600

This podcast is an interview with Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, portrayed by historical character actor Glenn Stoop. French artist Auguste Bartholdi conceived and sculpted the design for "Liberty Enlightening the World," more commonly known today as The Statue of Liberty. It took 21 years from the initial conversation among Free Masons in Paris in 1865 about the idea of creating this symbol of liberty to the public unveiling of the statue in the United States in New York City. This interview was recorded on Liberty Island in The Statue of Liberty Park on November 5, 2011. "Travel is the death of prejudice," according to Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain.) Through his travels to Africa as well as the United States, Auguste Bartholdi found that statement to be true. A central tenet of the Free Mason order was individual liberty, and in his historically-based responses to interview questions Bartholdi explains the background of the Masons promoting the idea of Lady Liberty. The work and influence of Edouard Rene de Laboulaye was vital in this process, which eventually led to a private meeting between U.S. President Ulysses Grant and Auguste Bartholdi making plans for "Liberty Enlightening the World. "This was a wonderful opportunity to step back in time and learn both about and from Auguste Bartholdi. Many thanks for Glenn Stoop for sharing his historical/theatrical passion and skills through reinactments and conversations like this one! Refer to the podcast shownotes for more information about Auguste Bartholdi, Glenn Stoop, the Statue of Liberty, and Laboulaye. This interview was recorded using the built-in microphone of an iPhone4 and the free version of the iTalk application. Transition music was created by Wesley Fryer using royalty-free loops in the software program, GarageBand. Thanks to 8 year old Rachel Fryer for sharing her voice in the outro.

Podcast384: Michael Wesch at Heartland eLearning 2011

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 20:44:04 -0500

This podcast is a recording of Michael Wesch's keynote presentation at the Heartland eLearning Conference in Edmond, Oklahoma, on March 8, 2011. This was a superb and provocative presentation about teaching, learning, lecturing, engagement, student interests, meaning, identity, recognition, and many other issues. In his keynote he suggested we need to move from simply getting our students to be "knowledgeable" to being "knowledge-ABLE." This is a shift from students being good knowledge regurgitators to saavy knowledge filters, sharers and creators. He suggests we need to go "beyond critical thinking" and "beyond information literacy" in our classes today to successfully prepare students for our present and future. In the keynote he also shared stories from his doctoral research in New Guinea and what true culture shock is: a total loss of personal identity. Dr. Wesch is an assistant professor of cultural anthropology at Kansas State University, and has co-created several viral videos on YouTube with his undergraduate students. Refer to the podcast shownotes for related links to this presentation.

Podcast383: Creating eBook Yearbooks of Student Work

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:15:01 -0500

This podcast is a recording of Wesley Fryer’s 12 minute presentation on the panel, “Navigating the Road Ahead: A Guided Discussion of Ebooks in K-12 Libraries,” for the October 12, 2012 webinar “EBOOKS The New Normal: how libraries are leveraging the eBook opportunity.” This full-day webinar was sponsored by Library Journal and School Library Journal. Check out the podcast shownotes for links to presentation slides and referenced resources from this presentation.

Podcast382: A Digital Witness in Tahrir Square, Egypt in January 2011

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:13:32 -0500

This podcast is an audio interview with Rawond, a student originally from Alexandria, Egypt, who was in Tahrir Square (Cairo, Egypt) for the Arab Spring uprising and revolution. In this short interview, she describes her experiences as well as her pessimism for the lack of real political change in Egypt as of today. For more information about Arab Spring, please check out the collaborative project on arabspring.wikispaces.com.

Podcast381: Reach for the Stars Using Media in Your Classroom

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 13:40:26 -0500

This podcast is an audio recording of Wesley Fryer's keynote address, “Reach for the Stars Using Media in Your Classroom,” on September 28, 2011, in Concord, New Hampshire. This presentation was shared for a gathering celebrating the 30th anniversary of NHSTE (New Hampshire’s Affiliate of the International Society for Technology in Education) at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord. The presentation focused on our obligations to be multimedia communicators as educators, the basics of “Playing with Media,” and examples of outstanding student media projects from New Hampshire students. Amidst a continuing barrage of exciting new technologies like the Apple iPad, Amazon Fire and Google Chromebook, the right question to ask is NOT, “Should we buy X device for our students?” The right question to ask is, “What do we want our students to DO with the tool we buy?” Check out the podcast shownotes for links to the presentation slides as well as referenced links and videos from the presentation.

Podcast380: The Summer of Podfading is OVER: Let's Talk eBooks!

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 23:48:52 -0500

My summer of podfading (not podcasting) is over! (Hat tip to Dan Schmidt for the term, "podfading.") In this episode I discusss eBooks and many of the things I learned this summer writing the eBook, "Playing with Media: simple ideas for powerful sharing." These include ideas about different eBook formats, software which can be used for creating and converting eBooks, and different websites for selling and distributing eBooks. I also share some advice for classroom teachers interested in creating eBooks for student work at the end of the academic year. Be sure to check out the podcast shownotes for links! It's great to be podcasting again!

Podcast379: Discussing Education Reform & High Stakes Testing in Oklahoma on the Studio46 Podcast

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sat, 28 May 2011 22:35:35 -0500

This podcast includes a twenty-three minute excerpt of the Studio46 Podcast from May 16, 2011, published by the Edmond Sun newspaper and Oklahoma Christian University. Dr. Brian Bush, Executive Director of Oklahoma Christian's Academy of Leadership & Liberty in Edmond, is the host of the Studio46 podcast and interviewed Wesley Fryer for the final portion of the May 16th show. Following a panel discussion about recent education reform legislation signed into law in Oklahoma in May 2011, Brian asked Wesley the following questions: How did you get interested in educational technology? Are standardized tests the right measure for student learning in our schools? How is the development of Smartboards affecting learning in our schools? Tell us about one to one laptop learning programs in Oklahoma schools. What do you think of Oklahoma superintendent Janet Barresi's 3R's agenda for school reform? What is a better way to provide accountability and good learning outcomes in our schools rather than high stakes testing? Is the law ending social promotion at 3rd grade in Oklahoma schools a good thing? Is the new law providing a letter grade for each Oklahoma school, measuring their performance, good for educational reform in our state? Refer to the podcast shownotes for links to the Studio46 podcast and other referenced websites. Many thanks to the Edmond Sun and Brian Bush for this opportunity to discuss educational politics and school reform issues in this public venue.

Podcast378: The EdReach Media Network - Empowering Educator Voices Worldwide

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sun, 08 May 2011 10:43:19 -0500

This podcast is an interview with EdReach Media Network Founders Scott Meech, Daniel Rezac, Jay Blackman, and Judith Epcke on May 6, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. The mission of EdReach is "to take education forward, by bringing voices together." The vision of EdReach is to provide "...a platform for passionate, outspoken educators- aiming to strengthen their voices by highlighting innovation in the field of education, through reporting critical educational news and providing commentary and criticism of the educational issues of the day." Admist the negative barrage of news amplified by mainstream media outlets today, we need EdReach and the educator voices it seeks to amplify more than ever. Check out the podcast shownotes for more links to follow and subscribe to EdReach. Consider not only becoming an EdReach Network follower, but also a contributor!

Podcast377: iPad Stylus Recommendations from Kevin Helmer

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 22:57:02 -0500

This podcast is an interview with Kevin Helmer, iPad artist and digital road warrior, at the Celebrate Texas Voices digital storytelling workshop in Lubbock, Texas, on April 19, 2011. Kevin discusses four different "capacitive" stylus pens he uses with his iPad and their relative merits. He also discusses several apps he's used and likes for annotated note taking on the iPad. Check the podcast shownotes for product links.

Podcast376: Reflections on the 2011 Intellectual Warrior's Conference

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 21:39:51 -0500

This podcast is a reflection from the road by Wesley Fryer following the morning sessions of the 2011 Intellectual Warrior's Conference held at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, on April 12th. Refer to the podcast shownotes for links to Wesley's presentation slides (on SlideShare) for his opening address, "Effective Uses of Educational Technology: Blended, Continuous Learning in the 21st Century Military" as well as text notes from other morning presenters.

Podcast375: Technology Leadership Advice for 60 New Oklahoma Superintendents

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 23:17:47 -0500

This podcast is a recording of Wesley Fryer's presentation on April 6, 2011, for sixty new Oklahoma superintendents discussing technology leadership, blended learning, and ideas for successfully leading both teachers and students in our twenty-first century classrooms. Superintendents in the audience for this presentation were attending the tenth meeting of their first year superintendents academy, organized by the Oklahoma State Department of Education. Special thanks to Shelly Hickman of the Oklahoma SDE for extending this invitation to share ideas with these state educational leaders. Please refer to the podcast shownotes for links to presentation slides as well as other referenced resources.

Podcast374: iPads for Differentiation in a Primary Classroom

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 18:13:24 -0500

This podcast is an audio recording of Jessica Asbury and Daniel Wessel's presentation, "iPad: A Tool for Differentiation" at the MACE Conference on March 4, 2011. The recording is initially a little hard to listen to because the audio from played videos in the session compete with the presenters, but STICK WITH IT! This was a FANTASTIC session and you'll want to hear everything Jessica and Daniel had to share. Jessica is a 1st grade teacher at Lansing Elementary School, and Daniel is the technology director for Lansing Public Schools. Refer to the podcast shownotes for links to referenced apps, a link to my text notes from this session, and (coming soon when I find it) a link to an iPhone-recorded version of the video shared at the start of this presentation.

Podcast373: Innovation, Creativity and Future Schools

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 23:25:07 -0600

This podcast from the road is a reflection on Steven Johnson's book, "Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation" and the ways ideas from this book can be applied to our personal learning as educators as well as the future schools we may aspire to build.

Podcast372: Sharing the Power of Digital Storytelling in Hangzhou, China with Joe Lambert and Wesley Fryer

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 17:49:51 -0600

This is a podcast recording of a presentation by Joe Lambert and Wesley Fryer on digital storytelling at the 21st Century Learning Conference in Hongzhou, China on November 2, 2009. Our English presentations were translated as we spoke into Mandarin Chinese. Joe Lambert is the executive director of the Center for Digital Storytelling, based in Berkeley, California. Wesley Fryer is the executive director of Story Chasers Inc. based in Edmond, Oklahoma. The title of Wesley's presentation, which came first in the presentation, was CCC in the 21C: Creating, Communicating, and Collaborating. The title of Joe's presentation was The Place of Story, and it begins at the 40:30 point of this recording. A question and answer period was provided after the presentations. Links are provided in the podcast shownotes to additional resources related to these presentations and topics.

Podcast371: Cartooning Around in Language Arts by Malia Triggs

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 20:54:58 -0600

This is a podcast recording of Malia Triggs' presentation "Cartooning Around in Language Arts" at the 2011 Mississippi Educational Computing Association annual conference in Jackson on February 8th. Malia is a 5th and 6th grade teacher in Forrest County School District. She discussed how elementary language arts teachers can use the website "Go Animate" with students to help them create short videos in conjunction with writing assignments meeting language arts standards. The official session description was: Learn how incorporating free online animation programs into your language arts lessons can guarantee engagement and excitement, while covering all your objectives in one project. You will explore such reading objectives as, setting, character, author's purpose, etc. You will explore language skills such as, vivid language, figurative language, steps in the writing process, etc. Student work samples will be available, as well as, a timeline of assignments and MS framework objectives met.

Podcast 370: Cool Tools for the Classroom by Dr Carl Owens

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 16:42:18 -0600

This is a podcast recording of Dr. Carl Owens' presentation, "Cool Tools for the Classroom," at the 2011 Mississippi Educational Computing Association annual conference in Jackson on February 8th. Carl is a Professor and the Director of Technology at the College of Education, Tennessee Technological University. The official description of Carl's session was: The session will explore many new and exciting tools for teachers who are using digital technology in the classroom. Participants will then select tools and explore their uses in the educational environment. These will include digital cameras, digital microscopes, podcasting tools, music creation tools, and a number of applications to enhance teaching and learning.

Podcast 369: Debriefing the Learning 2.010 Conferece in Shanghai, China

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 13:43:59 -0600

This podcast is a recording of the final debriefing among organizers and cohort facilitators at the conclusion of the Learning 2.010 Conference at Concordia International School in Shanghai, China, on September 17, 2010. 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.

Podcast 368: Learning in a Networked World: For Our Students and For Ourselves by Will Richardson

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 17:57:39 -0600

This is a podcast recording of Will Richardson's keynote, "Learning in a Networked World: For Our Students and For Ourselves" on January 17, 2011, in Amarillo, Texas. 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.

Podcast 367: Tags Are Ways to See Things (Kevin Honeycutt on Tag Teams & Art Snacks)

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 21:22:26 -0600

In this podcast conversation from March 2010, Kevin Honeycutt discusses the importance of adding meta information (tags) to videos, photos, and other pieces of media uploaded to social networking sites like Ning networks. 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.

Podcast366: Interviews with Navy WWII Ace Ed Wendorf and Docents Aboard the USS Midway

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 21:44:58 -0600

This podcast is a series of recordings from our family's tour aboard the USS Midway in San Diego, California, on March 17, 2010. 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.

Podcast365: Leadership Lessons for 1:1 Learning Projects from Leslie Wilson (The One-to-One Institute)

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 11:16:02 -0600

This podcast is a recording of a presentation on November 9, 2009, by Leslie Wilson, chief executive officer of the One-to-One Institute and former co-leader of Michigan's Freedom to Learn Project. 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.

Podcast364: The ELL Bill of Rights - An Interview with Ruslana Westerlund

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 20:11:47 -0600

This podcast is an interview with Ruslana Westerlund, the creator of the ELL Bill of Rights (ellbillofrights.com) and the keynote speaker at the "Co-teaching and Collaboration 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.

Podcast363: Implementing 1:1 Prepare Our Students for Their Future... TODAY!

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 22:54:04 -0500

This podcast is a recording of Cheryl Beaman and Michelle Barnes' presentation, "Implementing 1:1 Prepare Our Students for Their Future... TODAY!" at the Innovative Learning Institute sponsored by the K20 Center at the University of Oklahoma on November 4, 2010. 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."

Podcast362: State Question 744 and Oklahoma Education Funding @YESon744

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 15:13:49 -0500

If you are an Oklahoma voter, take 17 minutes and listen to this audio podcast. 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.

Podcast361: Be Like Google (as a school community)

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 22:46:51 -0500

This podcast is a recording of Cathy Kyle and Susan Droke's presentation, "Be Like Google" at the 1 Oct 2010 Martin Institute for Teaching Excellence's fall conference in Memphis, Tennessee. 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.

Podcast360: Say YES to WikiPedia by Philip Cummings

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 22:02:07 -0500

This podcast is a recording of Philip Cummings' presentation, "Say Yes to WikiPedia" on 1 Oct 2010 at the Martin Institute for Teaching Excellence's fall conference in Memphis, Tennessee. The session description was: "Students can use Wikipedia to develop critical thinking skills through authentic learning and real-life research and publishing." Philip's co-presenter, Julie Forbess, is a teacher at Millington Central High School in Shelby County Schools, Millington, Tennessee, but was not able to attend the conference. This project provides an outstanding opportunity for students to not only demonstrate real-world research skills, but also contribute to their community by more comprehensively reflecting facts about their area for digital visitors on WikiPedia.

Podcast359: PODDY Training: iPod Touches in the Early Childhood Classroom

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 17:43:17 -0500

This podcast is a recording of Sheri Burkeen and Shelley Herzke's presentation, "PODDY Training: iPod Touches in the Early Childhood Classroom" on 1 Oct 2010 at the Martin Institute for Teaching Excellence's fall conference. 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.

Podcast358: Lessons Learned Ustreaming EVERY Conference Presentation (and more) with Clif Mims #micon

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 14:53:48 -0500

This podcast is a recording with Dr. Clif Mims, a professor at the University of Memphis and the Executive Director of The Martin Institute for Teaching Excellence in Memphis, Tennessee. 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!

Podcast357: Options for Saving and Trimming Online Video to Your Local Hard Drive

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 11:22:06 -0500

This podcast is a recording of an unconference session at the Learning 2.010 Conference in Shanghai, China, on September 18, 2010. 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.

Podcast356: Discussing EV (Electric Vehicle) Technology and Plugin Hybrids with Nathan Parrow of Oklahoma Robotics LLC

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 17:23:25 -0500

This podcast is a recording of an interview with Nathan Parrow of Oklahoma Robotics LLC, discussing EV (electric vehicle) technology and plugin hybrids. 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.

Podcast355: Cool Tech Tools for the Classroom by Cheryl Freeman

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 22:58:38 -0500

Cheryl Freeman is a math teacher at Canyon High School, in Canyon, Texas, and presented "Cool Tech Tools for the Classroom" on August 17, 2010 during the district's annual professional development fall conference. 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.

Podcast354: Behind the Curtain of the NORAD Tracks Santa Program

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 22:23:41 -0500

This podcast is a fortuitous interview recording with Stacia Reddish, who was the US Air Force Public Affairs officer in charge of the "NORAD Tracks Santa" program for five years. 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.

Podcast353: Free, Online K-12 Education Options for ALL Oklahoma Students via Epic One on One Charter School

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 14:34:44 -0500

This podcast is an interview with David Chaney of Epic Charter Schools in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on June 25, 2010. In early-June 2010, Oklahoma governor Brad Henry signed Senate Bill 2319 into law which radically changes the groundrules for online, virtual learning in Oklahoma. In this podcast, David discusses the model of virtual learning which is now available FREE for ANY K-12 student in the state of Oklahoma through Epic One on One Charter School, and a little background about how the law in Oklahoma changed about two weeks ago to permit statewide online enrollments. David explains each student in Oklahoma receives a "student allocation" from the state, which is calculated based on an "Average Daily Membership" formula. Oklahoma K-12 students can enroll full-time OR part-time in the online program offered by Epic Charter Schools, no matter where they live in our state. The law requires public school districts in which students are residents permit students to still participate in after school, extracurricular activities (including sports) even if the student is enrolled fulltime in an online charter school. Oklahoma law currently restricts charter schools from physically existing anywhere outside the Oklahoma City and Tulsa metro areas, because of population restrictions written into the law. According to the Oklahoma State Department of Education's website, "State law authorizes charter schools in 12 school districts: Broken Arrow, Edmond, Jenks, Midwest City/Del City, Moore, Mustang, Oklahoma City, Owasso, Putnam City, Sand Springs, Tulsa and Union Public Schools." The constitutionality of this charter school restriction was legally challenged for a time by the Tulsa Public Schools, but that challenge was eventually dropped. Based in part on the model of Golden Valley Charter School in California, David and others have created a charter school model which does NOT lock parents and students into the use of curriculum from a single or sharply defined list of curriculum providers. Instead, parents are permitted to direct the expenditure of a portion of their child's "student allocation" from the state (approximately $1000) through Epic Charter School, to select online curriculum as well as other instructional materials appropriate to the student's grade level, skills, and needs. These instructional materials CAN include a laptop computer. In fact, one of the marketing messages of Epic is, "Ask how to get a free computer!" Epic Charter School is sponsored by the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) in Edmond, but is an official charter school in the Oklahoma City Public Schools. To my knowlege, none of our major media outlets in the state (newspapers or television stations) have run an article or a segment on Senate Bill 2319 and its implications for free, publicly funded online learning options in our state. This situation brings to my mind the ideas in Clayton Christenson's book, "Disrupting Class." The learning landscape of the twenty-first century continues to become even more interesting, and online learning is clearly a big part of the disruptive changes which are reshaping public education today. Refer to the podcast shownotes for links and resources referenced in this podcast interview.

Podcast352: Artillery at the Battle of Yorktown, Revolutionary War Field Surgery, and the Battle of Great Bridge

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 22:22:42 -0500

This podcast features three different recordings from the Yorktown Victory Center in Yorktown, Virginia, on July 3, 2010. Historical interpreters on the site brought history alive for our family and others in attendance, describing a 6 pound gun as well as mortar like those used in the siege of Yorktown which ended the American Revolutionary War. The same interpreter also shared (earlier in the day) a presentation about field hospitals and the the work of surgeons in the Revolutionary War. The final recording tells the story of The Battle of Great Bridge, an important but lesser known battle from early in the war which led to the evacuation of British forces from Virginia for five years of the war. Refer to the podcast shownotes for referenced links and resources related to this podcast. It seems appropriate to share this podcast on Independence Day here in the United States! Happy Birthday to the USA!

Podcast351: Leading Schools with Digital Vision in a Bubblesheet World (part 2 of 2)

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 23:31:42 -0500

Part 2 of 2: This podcast is a recording of a presentation by Wesley Fryer on June 16, 2010, in San Antonio, Texas, at the summer administrative leadership conference for Northeast ISD. This was a 2+ hour presentation, so the recordings have been separated into two parts. See the podcast shownotes for links to referenced videos and resources. (Audio from shared videos has been edited out of this recording.) The session description was: Much of the world has gone digital, so must learning at school. Creativity is vital, and good leadership matters. Stagnant, accomodation-level technology integration makes technology investments in our schools a waste of money. School leaders can and should encourage teachers to use digital learning tools in transformative ways to open new doors of opportunity for students as well as parents. By focusing on creating, communicating / sharing, and collaborating, principals can help develop a shared instructional vocabularly with teachers which is focused on student engagement. Without creation, there can be no creativity. How will you let your students create? How will you give students choices? How will your students teach the curriculum? These are essential questions to ask together with teachers, as we seek to effectively (and legally) "talk with media / pictures" and leverage the constructive power of digital media tools for learning inside and outside the classroom.

Podcast350: Leading Schools with Digital Vision in a Bubblesheet World (part 1 of 2)

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:52:15 -0500

This podcast is a recording of a presentation by Wesley Fryer on June 16, 2010, in San Antonio, Texas, at the summer administrative leadership conference for Northeast ISD. This was a 2+ hour presentation, so the recordings have been separated into two parts. See the podcast shownotes for links to referenced videos and resources. (Audio from shared videos has been edited out of this recording.) The session description was: Much of the world has gone digital, so must learning at school. Creativity is vital, and good leadership matters. Stagnant, accomodation-level technology integration makes technology investments in our schools a waste of money. School leaders can and should encourage teachers to use digital learning tools in transformative ways to open new doors of opportunity for students as well as parents. By focusing on creating, communicating / sharing, and collaborating, principals can help develop a shared instructional vocabularly with teachers which is focused on student engagement. Without creation, there can be no creativity. How will you let your students create? How will you give students choices? How will your students teach the curriculum? These are essential questions to ask together with teachers, as we seek to effectively (and legally) "talk with media / pictures" and leverage the constructive power of digital media tools for learning inside and outside the classroom.

Podcast349: Crisis in the School: Redesigning the Delivery Model by Steve Wyckoff

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 21:37:19 -0500

This podcast is a recording of a presentation by Steve Wyckoff at the June 2, 2010 iConnect, iLearn Conference in Colby, Kansas. The title of Steve's session was, "Crisis in the School: Redesigning the Delivery Model." Steve relates how ESSDACK (The Educational Services and Staff Development Association of Central Kansas) hosted a summit last April for schools to study different alternatives for redesigning educational models focusing on project-based learning. I titled my text notes from Steve's presentation, "Helping kids connect to their passions and become remarkable: SAVING money shifting to Project Based Learning." Educators in Erie, Kansas, (USD 101) have found that by shifting to a project-based learning model students can be more engaged in their learning, while teachers shift their roles to be the "facilitators" rather than just the "deliverers" of the curriculum. This model can prove LESS expensive than the traditional school staffing model. Steve explains how.

Podcast348: Reflections on Technology Classes for PreService Education Teachers (Part 1)

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sat, 15 May 2010 09:59:21 -0500

This podcast is a recording of a conversation over skype on May 14, 2010, with Dean Mantz in Sterling, Kansas, Dean Shareski in Moosejaw, Saskatchewan, Cyndi Danner-Kuhn in Manhattan, Kansas, and Wesley Fryer in Edmond, Oklahoma. For the past several years, each participant has taught pre-service technology classes for undergraduate college students. In this conversation (which runs long, about an hour and a half) topics ranged from how course activities are selected, structured and assessed, epiphany or "a-ha" moments in teaching, changes which have been made to the course or how the course is taught (mixing face-to-face, online and blended modalities) and how to best leverage face-to-face interaction opportunities with students. LOTS of great ideas here. Check the podcast shownotes for most (if not all) of the referenced websites, curricula and resources from our conversation. This podcast is labeled (part 1) because we plan to continue the discussion in upcoming months!

Podcast347: Be The Change You Want To See In Schools - Integrating Technology and Making Connections to Create Change

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 20:49:01 -0500

This podcast is a recording of Shannon Miller's presentation with her students at the Iowa 1:1 Institute in Des Moines on April 7, 2010. The title of their presentation was, "Be The Change You Want To See In Schools: Integrating Technology and Making Connections to Create Change." Shannon is the teacher librarian / media specialist / technology coordinator at Van Meter School in Iowa. All the resources referenced by Shannon and her students in this fantastic presentation are available on a Google Site she created, which is linked in the podcast shownotes. This is the first year of the 1:1 laptop program at Van Meter Schools. It is clear to me that Shannon, administrators at Van Meter, as well as students and teachers have embraced a powerful combination of ingredients to not simple "do school" as it has traditionally been delivered in classrooms, but rather intentionally seek to transform the teaching and learning process. As you'll hear Shannon describe in her presentation, educators at Van Meter are helping students connect with their own passions in different domains. Students are not only writing and publishing about these topics, they are also reaching out to other experts in other places with Skype, Twitter, and other technologies. Van Meter schools are on the forefront of the learning revolution, and it was a treat to hear from Shannon as well as her students who are literally on the "front lines of change" at Van Meter. Please refer to the podcast shownotes for additional links and resources related to this presentation.

Podcast346: Discussing Digital Literacy with Educators in the New Literacies Collaborative

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 22:09:57 -0500

This podcast is a recording of a Ustream presentation by Wesley Fryer on 16 April 2010 to educators at North Carolina State in the New Literacies Collaborative. We used a Google Moderator Topic Series to solicit questions for this open forum. Tablet technologies, 1 to 1 laptop initiatives, digital literacy, and helping students improve their critical thinking skills by making the shift from media consumer to media prosumer. Some of the questions addressed were: Will tablet technologies transform the predominant ways people use technology to work and communicate, or is it a passing fad? Mis-information seems to be at an all time high in our political world. How can we help students become good consumers of information, well informed citizens? How are disciplines affected by digital or new literacies? Do tablet technologies have a significant advantage over smart phone technologies for educators? How do you see literacy changing in the schools your work with? How is 1:1 changing how we define literacy? and for that matter how do you define literacy and the new literacies? How much of a limitation to 1 to 1 in education is the lack of flash on the iPad? I've used Flash based online resources extensively with my students.

Podcast345: Open Educational Resources (OER) - Iowa 1:1 Institute

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 21:50:57 -0500

As more schools embrace 1:1 learning on a variety of platforms, the importance of digital curriculum will grow. Open Educational Resources (OER) are licensed under terms which permit other educators to both use and (in some cases) remix content to fit the standards, context, and needs of their classrooms. This podcast is a recording of a session on OER shared by Wesley Fryer on April 7, 2010, in Des Moines, Iowa at the Iowa 1:1 Institute sponsored by CASTLE. Audio from shared videos has been edited out of this podcast recording. Original videos are available in the Google Presentation, linked in the podcast shownotes.

Podcast344: Technology Trends in Higher Education (April 2010)

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 17:07:41 -0500

What are the technology trends in April 2010 which college faculty need to understand and leverage to extend opportunities for student learning? This podcast is a recording of a presentation shared by Wesley Fryer at Northeastern State University in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, on 9 April 2010. This presentation addresses the following topics: Tablets, Cloud Computing, Social Media, Laptops / Mobile Devices, Online Publishing, Multimedia Texts, Online Video, Digital Footprints, Open Licensing / OER, and Visual Communication. Audio from shared videos has been edited out of this podcast recording. Original videos are available in the Google Presentation, linked in the podcast shownotes.

Podcast343: Reflections on Race to the Top, State Charter School Laws, and Linking Teacher Performance to Student Test Scores

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 15:16:16 -0500

This podcast is an excerpt of the April 1, 2010 Seedlings webcast on EdTechTalk, featuring commentary by Wesley Fryer focusing on Race to the Top and current "educational reform" efforts in the United States spearheaded by the Obama administration. Wesley discussed the apparent goals of Race to the Top, which appear to be public funding of for-profit schools (through the expansion of publicly-funded charter schools in the United States) as well as linking "teacher performance" measurements to student test score performance. The opinions expressed in this podcast and webcast are those of Wesley Fryer, and do NOT necessarily represent the views of the Seedlings or EdTechTalk. The Seedlings are Maine educators Bob Sprankle, Cheryl Oakes and Alice Barr. Wesley was the guest on the Seedlings webcast on April 1st. Please refer to the podcast shownotes for links to the full webcast recording, as well as additional links and resources related to this topic.

Podcast342: A 12 Year Old's Favorite iPod Touch / iPhone Games (March 2010)

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 22:03:54 -0500

This podcast from the road features an interview with 12 year old Alexander, who discusses several of his favorite applications and games for the iPod Touch and iPhone. These include InstaPaper, Pandora's Box, Doodle Jump, F.A.S.T., Civilization Revolution, A Doodle Fly, Angry Birds, Eliminate Pro / COPES, and Balloons TD. Alexander shared a summary of each application, described why he likes it, and also reflected on the design elements for mobile games more generally which stand out from the crowd for him.

Podcast341: Discussing Fan Fiction, Harry Potter Stories, and InstaPaper for the iPod Touch

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 21:30:34 -0500

This podcast from the road features an interview with 12 year old Alexander, who discusses his extensive use of the website FanFiction to read imaginative book chapters writen by other people around the world based on characters from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter book series. In the past year, Alexander has read approximately eight different books written by authors publishing on FanFiction.net. With almost half a million Harry Potter related stories on FanFiction now, it is important to use advanced search query / filtering techniques to find stories you want to read. Alexander discusses how he uses FanFiction, tips for searching for books, and how he uses the free version of the iPod Touch application InstaPaper to create mobile-optimized, offline versions of FanFiction book chapers he is reading. This enables him to read FanFiction book chapters even when he is offline / not connected to a WiFi hotspot. InstaPaper is also beneficial because it optimizes the text size and reading experience for saved webpages, making the saved webpage function similarly to an eBook on the Kindle for iPhone application.

Podcast340: On board the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus in Yukon, Oklahoma (interview with Ryan L’Esperance)

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 14:44:33 -0600

On Wednesday, February 17, 2010, the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus visited Yukon Public Schools in Oklahoma. This podcast features a seven minute interview with Ryan L’Esperance, an audio engineer who works and lives on the tour bus ten months of the year. According to the official website of the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus: The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus is a non-profit 501(c)(3) mobile audio and HD video recording and production facility. Since 1998, the Bus has provided free hands-on programs to hundreds of high schools, colleges, Boys and Girls Clubs, music festivals, concerts, conventions and community organizations. Working together with some of the biggest names in music, the Lennon Bus encourages students to play music, write songs, engineer recording sessions and produce video projects using the latest audio, video, and live sound equipment. The interior is divided into three separate studio environments that can be opened to create one large studio. The front studio is a cutting-edge audio and video production room. The rear studio offers pro-level recording and mixing at the highest possible resolution, as well as an iso booth for acoustic recordings, and a chromate (green screen) booth. Powered by Apple computers, the studios feature traditional musical instruments and the latest Sony HD products and solutions. Also on-board is a Mackie P.A. system enabling performances on the side of the Bus. [end of website quotation] What a fantastic, creative opportunity for students in Yukon Public Schools, Oklahoma!

Podcast339: Communicating in the Digital Age (Presentation for Pioneer Library System Librarians)

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 12:23:35 -0600

This podcast is a recording of a presentation shared by Wesley Fryer with librarians and staff of the Pioneer Library System of Oklahoma on February 15, 2010, in Moore. Our digital communications landscape today includes far more than email. By working in the "cloud" using collaborative environments like Google Docs and Google Reader, we flexibly access as well as share information on a variety of computing platforms. This session is a practical overview of the communications landscape of the early 21st century, as well as tips for library media specialists about ways to constructively and powerfully utilize these capabilities.

Podcast338: Bring Curriculum Alive with SCRATCH by Susan Andrews and Students

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 16:41:46 -0600

This podcast is a recording of Susan Andrews' presentation, "Bring Curriculum Alive with SCRATCH" at the 2010 METC Conference. The official program description was: Are your students ready to meet 21st Century skills using a fun, simple and free computer programming language to create curriculum related projects? SCRATCH was designed to allow students to use math with lots of ingenuity to create interactive stories, games, music and art while integrating concepts from every area of their curriculum. BYOL - Scratch installed. Download from scratch.mit.edu/download.

Podcast337: Evangelizing Educational Transformation and 1:1 Learning in Iowa Schools

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:12:35 -0600

On January 28, 2010, a group of students in grades 5-12 from Van Meter, Iowa, shared testimonies for the Iowa House/Senate Education Appropriations Committee about 21st Century Learning and the way learners can be empowered with digital tools. This podcast is an audio recording of a skype conversation with Deron Durflinger, secondary principal of Van Meter schools, and John C. Carver, superintendent of schools in Van Meter. Deron and John skyped in to a full day workshop just outside St Paul, Minnesota, which I was facilitating for CASTLE (The UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education.) These Van Meter students got the attention of Iowa legislators last Thursday, who need to understand the power and potential of 1:1, blended learning. In this podcast, Deron and John share part of the story of 1:1 learning in Van Meter and their administrative vision for transformed learning in the 21st century.

Podcast336: Personal Updates and Voices of ACTEM - Talking with Richard Byrne, Bob Sprankle and Kern Kelley

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:02:20 -0600

It's been awhile since my last podcast! No podfading here, however.... In this podcast I share a recap of several technology initiatives in which I've been involved in the past month, some thoughts about Larry Lessig's EduCause presentation in November 2009, and a couple short interviews at the ACTEM conference in Maine with Richard Byrne, Bob Sprankle and Kern Kelley. Please refer to the podcast shownotes for referenced links!

Podcast335: Classroom Basics for 1:1 Computing by Shawn Massey and Wynn Draper-Bryant

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 22:46:56 -0600

This podcast is a recording of a presentation by Shawn Massey and Wynn Draper-Bryant of Flint Community Schools, Michigan, at the One to One Institute's annual conference in Chicago, Illinois, on November 10, 2009. The title of their session was Classroom Basics for 1:1 Computing. Shawn was the project director for the Flint Community Schools “Freedom to Learn Project,” and Wynn has been a classroom teacher for 36 years. If they take her laptops away from her students, Wynn says she'd have to retire! In Flint Community Schools, select campuses have been implementing one to one laptop learning projects for almost eight years. Shawn and Wynn shared a wide variety of perspectives and ideas in this presentation, including many practical tips for other educators currently implementing 1:1 or considering the implementation of 1:1 learning projects. I particularly enjoyed and appreciated the way Shawn and Wynn integrated student comments and quotations into their presentation. I will include a link to my own textual notes from this presentation in the podcast shownotes, along with additional resource links referenced by Shawn and Wynn. Shawn and Wynn's messages about how important it is to keep moving forward, support the people who solve the problems, and celebrate the victories of everyone involved as you walk down this road of one to one computing together are 100% on target. We can learn a great deal from these passionate Michigan educators about ways to most effectively solicit community buy-in for one to one learning and support one to one projects for the long term. The PD model, the "dine and dialog" events, and the constant dialog, showcasting, and celebrations which were a part of their Freedom to Learn Project implementation plan are exemplary and can be used as models for other 1:1 programs. As Shawn says, however, remember "one size does NOT fit all." It's critical to be flexible, adaptable, and LISTEN to all the stakeholders as you move forward with 1:1 project implementation.

Podcast334: One to One Learning with Open Source Netbooks is Practical, Affordable and Powerful - Learn Why

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:32:03 -0600

One to one learning with wireless, digital devices in the hands of every learner in the classroom is the future. With netbooks running over 100 free educational applications on Ubuntu Linux, that dream can be a reality in your classroom and school district today, not tomorrow. As I explain in the introduction to this podcast featuring two interviews, I have lost NONE of my enthusiasum for Apple and Macintosh computers, but I think it would be foolish to ignore the powerful and affordable computing and learning opportunities now offered by netbooks as well as open source software. After sharing a plug for the upcoming FREE K-12 Online Conference in December and an introduction to these interviews, this podcast includes an interview with Warren Luebkeman. Warren is a co-founder of the Open 1:1 Nonprofit organization, which is based in Maine and provides a FREE Ubuntu image for netbooks loaded with over 100 educational and productivity applications. That recording was made at the ACTEM 2009 conference in Augusta, Maine in October. The second interview is with Alex Inman, who has been implementing and supporting 1:1 initiatives for over 8 years in Milwaukee and St Louis. Alex shared a presentation at the One to One Institute's November 2009 conference called "Saving Money on Your One-to-One Program." In this interview Alex specifically addresses the viability and power of Ubuntu as a platform on netbook computers for student learning. He discusses powerful open source solutions like iTalc (for desktop monitoring) and iFolder (for cross-platform remote file sharing.) Additionally, he addresses the importance of support for "cultural change" in schools for 1:1 laptop learning initiatives. That buy-in from top leadership all the way down the classroom is even more important for laptop initiative success than the platform / hardware.

Podcast333: Reflections on Social Media, School Change, 21st Century Learning Skills, and China

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:17:35 -0600

This podcast is a reflection I recorded on a flight back to the United States from the October / November 2009 21st Century Learning Conference in Hongzhou, China. There are some issues about which I am reticent to blog, given their poliltical sensitivity in China, but want to share and reflect upon because of the importance they have for a variety of reasons. In this podcast I reflect about social media, the similarities faced by Chinese as well as U.S. educational leaders seeking to integrate digital technologies and 21st century skills into formal school settings, and the opportunities presented by social media for educational as well as societal change. I became more aware of "the power of place" and the uneven distribution we have today of digital technologies and open access to digital content as a result of my experiences in China this week. The opportunity to disagree, to speak openly, and to form groups are all so important within a free society. I would like to present a new session at upcoming conferences titled something like, "Don't Filter Your Network Like a Communist." We need to recognize the value and importance of open access and discourse in our society and in our schools, and take steps to insure our learners are empowered to create, communicate, and collaborate on a regular basis. Note: A little after the twenty minute point of this podcast, for some reason there is some distortion in the recording. This distortion just persists for about 20 seconds, however, and does clear up for the remainder. My apologies for this, I'm not sure what happened!

Podcast332: WordPress Saves Lives - Learn How #actem09

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 09:54:51 -0500

This podcast is a recording of the ACTEM 2009 conference breakout session, "WordPress Saves Lives - Learn How," by Wesley Fryer on October 16, 2009. ACTEM is the Association of Computer Technology Educators in Maine, and their 2009 conference was held in Augusta. The official conference description for this session was: WordPress is a free, open-source content management system (CMS) and blogging platform which powers many dynamic, engaging websites today. Whether you are a classroom teacher, a librarian, a school administrator, an instructional technology specialist or an IT technician, you should know about WordPress and the powerful as well as moderated / safe ways it can be used to publish interactive content online. In this session we'll explore the basics of Wordpress as well as the extensible features it offers with custom themes and plug-ins. Help end the online suffering which continues thanks to websites created with Microsoft Frontpage in the late 1990s! Learn about WordPress, use it, and share its power with others! [END OF DESCRIPTION] Check out the podcast shownotes for referenced links and resources from this session.

Podcast331: Leveraging the Potential of Social Media for School Public Relations

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:16:26 -0500

This podcast is a recorded presentation from the 2009 Oklahoma School Public Relations Association conference at Quartz Mountain on April 23, 2009. This session, presented by Wesley Fryer, was titled, “Leveraging the Potential of Social Media for School Public Relations.” The official presentation description was: Social media technologies offer excellent opportunities for school public relations officials as well as teachers, administrators, librarians and others to communicate with parents and other community constituents. In this session we’ll explore how educators and students are using Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, as well as a variety of wiki and blog platforms to “tell their story” about the wonderful learning experiences and opportunities available in their schools. We’ll address legal issues including confidentiality, CIPA, FERPA, and liability concerns, as well as practical issues like how to moderate community comments as well as student-created text and media postings. School officials should proactively embrace opportunities to use social media technologies in smart and effective ways to safely communicate with constituents on the global stage which is the Internet.* This session will showcase current examples of educational leaders who are doing this successfully, as well as share ideas for how school leaders can get started. [end of description] Refer to the podcast shownotes for links to presentation slides on SlideShare as well as referenced videos and websites

Podcast330: Get Out of Your FUNK, Cut the JIVE! Make Your Classroom Come Alive!!!

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:13:17 -0500

This podcast is a recorded presentation from the Podstock 2009 conference on May 1 in Wichita, Kansas, by some of the most innovative elementary teachers you could ever hope to meet. Linley Voboril, Tamara Padfield, and Kimberly Herron presented this session titled, Get Out of Your FUNK, Cut the JIVE! Make Your Classroom Come Alive!!! The official conference description for this session was: Get your students totally psyched about Social Studies by seamlessly integrating technology into your classroom. We have weaved Google apps, Voice Thread, iMovie, podcasting, and many other 2.0 tools into content to make learning seriously groovy! [end of description] Linley's bio on the conference website stated: I am a fifth grade teacher at a very progressive district in Inman, Kansas. Our fifth and sixth grade classrooms are the recipients of back-to-back Technology Rich Classroom grants for the past two years. As educators, we have worked hard to seamlessly weave technology into existing curriculum and develop new, exciting activities to accompany that. As a teacher of 17 years, ranging from kindergarten through 6th grade, including special education, I feel empowered by technology. The excitement to share and learn with other educators has impacted my instruction in numerous ways. I received my undergraduate degree from Kansas Wesleyan University and my Master's degree from Wichita State University. I have had the privilege of teaching 13 years in the McPherson school district and four years at Inman. [end] Kimberly noted in her conference bio: The utilization of project-based research, cooperative learning, computer software and web 2.0 tools. These tools enhance the educational experience of her students helping them achieve both academic and personal growth. [end] I thoughtlessly placed my recorder for this session right next to the projector fan, so there was a lot of background noise in this original recording. I attempted to use Apple's Soundtrack Pro to remove a lot of the background noise, but the results are just marginally better. Please accept my apologies for the uncharacteristically poor quality of this audio recording - but realize the IDEAS these teachers shared are fantastic!

Podcast329: Playing Civilization Revolution on the iPod Touch / iPhone

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 22:55:33 -0500

This podcast features an interview with 11 year old Alexander, discussing his experiences playing the iPod Touch / iPhone version of the game Civilization Revolution. According to the English WikiPedia entry for the game: Civilization Revolution is a turn based strategy game. In past installments the player had more control over the rules of the game and often the game could last for more than ten hours. In Civilization Revolution the games for the most part can be finished within three hours... Players can control one of 16 different civilizations, each with a different leader. Each civilization starts the game with a different special bonus that can be either a technology, a Great Person, or a special ability. As the game progresses through time, the civilizations also obtain new abilities when they reach a specific number of technologies. In a given game each civilization can have up to four bonuses that vary from civilization to civilization. Many of the civilizations have specific specialized units that only they can build but unlike previous installments, these are for looks only. Special units do not possess abilities beyond the normal unit but may have varying stats. [END OF WIKIPEDIA TEXT] Alexander first played the "lite" / free version of the game, and over the Labor Day weekend bought the game (on sale) for $3 US. I'm amazed how complex this game is, and how far games have advanced in the past years. Alexander also contrasts this game to the online, browser game Travian, which he has also played extensively.

Podcast328: Students as Self-Advocates: Why/How Learners Should Craft Their Own Digital Footprints (Ginger Lumen)

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 22:01:50 -0500

This podcast features a recording of Ginger Lumen's presentation with her students at the 2009 PodStock conference entitled, "Students as Self-Advocates: Why/How Learners Should Craft Their Own Digital Footprints." The official conference description of the session was: When you last "Googled" your name, what did you find? All learners should ponder those results when considering potential colleges, scholarships, jobs, and even future mates. Is it better for the results to come up poorly or not at all? Come learn how we can help our children become more digitally literate and earn an A+ in Digital Citizenship. [END OF DESCRIPTION] The Podstock conference bio for Ginger Lumen stated: Ginger is the Director of the f2f Program at Turning Point Learning Center, a charter school in Emporia, KS. The f2f Program has been developing over the past 3 years with a PBL, 21st Century, global orientation for our 5th-8th graders. The result has been the Life Practice Model, where students are practicing skills and habits that will truly prepare them for the real world. Ginger graduated from Emporia State University with a BSE in Social Science and an MS in Psychology/Special Education: Gifted Education. She also serves as the KS Education Policy and Legislative Liaison for the Kansas Association for the Gifted, Talented, and Creative and serves as part of the Kansas Learning First Alliance. [END OF BIO] Please refer to the podcast shownotes for related links and resources.

Podcast327: Using Digital Technologies and Personal Learning Networks to Enhance Learning by Clif Mims (Podstock09 Keynote)

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 22:45:48 -0500

This podcast is a recording of Dr. Clif Mim's outstanding keynote on day 2 of the Podstock 2009 conference held in Wichita, Kansas, on May 2, 2009. The title of Clif's session was, "Using Digital Technologies and Personal Learning Networks to Enhance Learning." Clif's website bio states: Clif Mims is a native of the Mississippi Delta and has more than 16 years of teaching experience. He taught elementary and middle school students and coached basketball and math teams to numerous championships. He later became a faculty member at the University of Georgia while simultaneously earning his Ph.D. in Instructional Technology from UGA. Dr. Mims became an assistant professor of elementary mathematics at the University of Mississippi in 2003. Clif joined the University of Memphis' Instructional Design and Technology faculty in 2005 and now serves as Program Coordinator. His research interests are related to the effective integration of technology with the processes of teaching and learning, especially in teacher education. [end of bio] This was a great session by Clif! Please refer to the podcast shownotes for links to Clif's slides, Ustream video archives of this session, and additional related resources.

Podcast326: Reflections on the Google Teacher Academy - Boulder, Colorado

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 22:17:24 -0500

This podcast was mobile-recorded from the road, driving across Kansas following the Google Teacher Academy in Boulder, Colorado, on August 5, 2009. The GTA is a packed day of learning, and I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to not only learn more about Google and Google Tools, but also network with some extremely innovative teachers from around the United States. According to the official GTA website: The Google Teacher Academy is a FREE professional development experience designed to help K-12 educators get the most from innovative technologies. Each Academy is an intensive, one-day event where participants get hands-on experience with Google's free products and other technologies, learn about innovative instructional strategies, receive resources to share with colleagues, and immerse themselves in an innovative corporate environment. Upon completion, Academy participants become Google Certified Teachers who share what they learn with other K-12 educators in their local region. [end of description] This podcast includes some of my reflections on my experiences as well as learning takeaways from #gtaco.

Podcast325: Implementing a Shared Vision for Digital Learning in Kingman, Kansas

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 22:28:18 -0500

This podcast is an interview with Scott Carter, superintendent of schools in Kingman, Kansas. Scott is continuing to lead his district to implement a bold strategic plan which was collaboratively created three years ago. The district's top priority is to support "learning connected and related to the real world through the use of integrated curriculum." The second priority involves orienting education and curriculum to the interests and abilities of students. Priority three is informing and engaging the communities [served by the school district] through coordination with all city and county entities, and the fourth priority is to be a leader in using technology as a leaning tool. These strategic goals are being operationalized in several ways in Kingman, including a focus on administrative expectations for effective technology integration (utilizing the LoTi framework and H.E.A.T. analysis tools) and a new middle school one-to-one learning initiative in 2009-2010 utilizing Lenovo netbooks. Thanks to Scott for sharing background information about the work of educators in his district to prepare students to thrive in the 21st century. I also included a shout-out to Scott Elias and Melinda Miller for their fantastic podcast, The Practical Principals, which I listened to today on my commute to and from Kingman. If you're a school administrator, don't miss "The New Administrators Wiki" project they showcased in their episode from April 2009. See the podcast shownotes for links!

Podcast324: Gaming, Fun, and Digital Citizenship at the Internet Cafe in Cushing, Oklahoma

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 20:04:06 -0500

This podcast is a recording of an interview I conducted in February 2009 with Linda the Computer Lady at her Internet Cafe in Cushing, Oklahoma. The young people in Cushing (as well as older folks who are digitally inclined) are extremely fortunate to have an entrepreneur like Linda in their community who has provided this accountable and safe environment for Internet-based gaming and fun since 2004. Where Internet Cafes focused on gaming for teens have failed in some other Oklahoma communities, this business in Cushing (a small community of approximately 8000 people) is continuing to survive. Linda’s cafe is the 21st century version of the corner drug store or soda fountain. I was impressed with the ways Linda maintains a climate of accountability for her patrons, and the ways she is helping them learn about digital citizenship, accountability, and the responsible use of digital resources as they enjoy gaming online. In the introduction to the podcast, I also share a few experiences about testing the Platronics 470 headset for podcasting. I recorded this interview after recording a webcast for the Oklahoma Technology Assistance Center (OTAC) which is located across the street from Linda’s Internet Cafe in Cushing. I wish all our Oklahoma communities could have an Internet Cafe environment like Linda’s to enjoy and in which they could learn.

Podcast323: R U In My Space? Y Have A Social Media Policy Guideline? (NECC09 Preso by Karen Montgomery and Wesley Fryer)

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 17:02:37 -0500

This podcast is a recording of the presentation "R U In My Space? Y Have A Social Media Policy Guideline?" at the NECC 2009 conference in Washington D.C. on July 1, 2009. Karen Montgomery and Wesley Fryer shared this presentation, along with Gina Hartman who joined us via Skype. Gina and Karen collaborated with others to create social media guidelines in spring 2009 for the Francis Howell School District in Saint Louis, Missouri. The official session description at NECC was: As school districts explore the use of social computing throughout the school day and as an approach to extend instruction, many educators are making the decision to create a wiki, publish video online, or to participate in blogging, social networking or virtual worlds. Social media guidelines encourage educators to participate in social computing and strive to create an atmosphere of trust and individual accountability. Teachers who must hide their online activity because of nonexistent social media guidelines risk losing their jobs and reputations. A better approach is to collaboratively develop a policy that is acceptable to administrators, school board members, teachers and parents allowing for involvement in the global conversation in which many are contributing. (end of description) Please join our Facebook group, linked in the podcast shownotes. This is an important conversation which needs to take place with students, teachers, and parents in all our schools.

Podcast322: Powerful Ingredients for Blended Learning (Ingredients 1 - 5)

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:42:57 -0500

This podcast is a recording of a videoconference I shared with educators in Texas and Ohio on July 7, 2009, as part of the summer Tandberg Connections professional development program. The session description was: Good teaching is similar in many ways to good cooking. Recipes are helpful, but master cooks often modify those to meet different needs and situations. The same is true for teachers. If we extend this analogy of cooking to teaching and learning in a web 2.0 world, what are the best "ingredients" to use as we help both teachers and students learn to be more effective, safe, and powerful communicators in our flat world? In this working session we will focus on five key ingredients: Social Bookmarking, Collaborative Document Writing, Synchronous Conferencing, Online Photo Sharing, and Minimal Click Digital Storytelling. Cooking can be intimidating for novices, but richly rewarding. Let's learn to cook up some gourmet learning with some powerful (and free) web 2.0 tools! (end of description) We addressed ingredients one through five (of ten) in this session. Learn more about the Powerful Ingredients writing project (which Karen Montgomery and I are doing) by visiting powerfulingredients.com.

Podcast321: Getting a Global Perspective - The Power of Collaborative Projects by Dyane Smokorowski

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 20:33:43 -0500

This fantastic presentation by Dyane Smokorowski (Mrs. Smoke) was shared at the PodStock 2009 conference in Wichita, Kansas, on May 1, 2009. Dyane is an instructional technology coach in Andover, Kansas, and is one of the most enthusiastic advocates for telecollaboration in the classroom you’ll likely ever hear! The official description for this Podstock09 session was: Telecollaboration refers to the activity of engaging learners in intercultural exchange with students from other countries through the use of online learning. The learning outcomes of these exchanges can be both powerful and enlightening with an amazing potential for language, data collection, and global awareness. The best part of these projects is they are easier than ever to implement with the use of Web 2.0 tools. Here we’ll explore different collaborative projects and how your classroom can open the door to global learning.

Podcast320: Lessons Learned Recording, Editing, and Publishing Digital Audio

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 23:33:16 -0500

This podcast is a collection of recorded audio from a workshop shared with teachers in Gadsden City Schools, Alabama, on June 10, 2009. In the workshop, teachers learned how to use a Sony UX-70 mp3 digital audio recorder to record audio in an oral history interview. Teachers also learned how to use free Audacity software to do some basic audio editing of their recording: selecting different clips of audio, deleting selections, splitting selections into new tracks, moving tracks to different places in the recording, importing background music, adjusting the audio level so it does not overwhelm the narration, and exporting the finished, edited audio file as a WAV or MP3 file. Teachers were introduced to the free website SlideShare, which can be used to upload PowerPoint and other multimedia presentation files that are synchronized to recorded audio. Following our workshop, I interviewed Eric Lee, who is an educational technology professional development specialist with the “Technology In Motion” project of the Alambama State Department of Education. This podcast concludes with a brief overview of some excellent educational application for the iPod Touch (iTouch) as well as the procedures for subscribing to free podcasts on the iTunes Store.

Podcast319: Integrating Podcasting into the Classroom Using Moodle by Dean Mantz and Brian Richter (PodStock2009)

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 08:14:46 -0500

This podcast is a recording of Dean Mantz and Brian Richter's presentation on May 2, 2009, at the PodStock 2009 conference titled, "Integrating Podcasting into the Classroom Using Moodle." The session description was: How you use podcasting in the classroom-Integrating them into the class using moodle. This will include a quick lesson on how to do a Drop.io cellphone podcast. Dean's bio in the PodStock09 program was: Dean Mantz is currently at USD 376 in Sterling, Kansas as their Network Coordinator. One of the biggest benefits of taking this position is getting to work with my wife and be in the same school district as both of my children. As a teacher I was responsible for developing an Exploring Technology module class. I also taught American History. In 2000, I assisted in the development of the Rice County Technology Academy. The academy provided opportunities for students to enroll in a variety of career curriculums. Students could participate in A+ training, Webmaster curriculum, and develop themselves as Certified Cisco Network Associates. I have truly enjoyed my time working with kids and teachers on how to integrate technology. Brian's PodStock09 bio was: Brian Richter has taught at Sterling High School since 1989 in the Social Science department. During that time, he has focused much of his time integrating the teaching of economics into world and US history. He has served as a staff teacher and consultant for the Kansas Council on Economic Education for the last six years and also serves as an Adjunct Professor at Sterling College in Sterling, Kansas. He was selected as the Kansas Economic Teacher of the Year in 2006. Brian graduated from Emporia State University in 1989 and earned his Master’s Degree in Teaching Social Sciences from ESU in 1995. He is following his father’s footsteps; Don Richter of Syracuse was elected to the Kansas Teacher Hall of Fame class of 1995.

Podcast318: Empowering Students as Digital Witnesses (Storychasing Part I - PodStock09 Keynote)

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Wed, 20 May 2009 07:47:53 -0500

This podcast is a recording of my keynote address for the 2009 PodStock conference, held in Wichita, Kansas, on May 1-2, 2009. This part 1 of a 2 part series on Storychasing: Empowering Students as Digital Witnesses. Part 2 will be presented online this weekend on Saturday, May 23, 2009, at 1900 GMT (2 pm CST) as a keynote for the Webheads in Action Convergence 2009 Conference. Please join us for part 2! (It will also be recorded and shared here afterwards.) The official conference program description for this sesson was/is: Just as a stormchaser uses available technologies, knowledge and skills to pursue and document an impending thunderstorm, storychasers use their tools and abilities to document stories of local, regional, national or international interest. In our classrooms and after-school programs, as educators we can empower learners of all ages to become digital witnesses and responsible citizen journalists as storychasers. Whether on a school field trip, conducting research for a class project or school journalism assignment, or interviewing local residents to share about their lives and experiences, storychasers can and are utilizing a rich array of new media tools to create, communicate, and collaborate. Come learn how to join the storychaser's communication revolution, and catalyze the development of a diverse array of 21st century as well as traditional literacy skills with students in your local community who can become empowered storychasers!

Podcast317: Comparing Drop.io and Gabcast for Cell Phone Digital Recording

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sun, 17 May 2009 22:42:18 -0500

In this podcast from the road, I compare the available features, limitations, and relative benefits of using the web service drop.io compared to Gabcast for cell phone (or regular land line phone) digital recording. Gcast is another available option for phone-in recording, and I discuss it a bit as well. Both Gabcast and Gcast became commercial-only phone recording services in the spring of 2009, but drop.io still offers 100 MB or about 450 minutes of free phone recording to anyone. In the podcast I provide an overview of a lecturecasting via cell phone pilot project I helped facilitate this past spring with a local university using Gabcast, and also describe how participants in our Celebrate Oklahoma Voices digital storytelling project have used Gabcast in the past to permit relatives in different towns to record and share oral history interviews digitally. Cell phone digital recording can be used to create “no-edit” podcasts which are immediately available on the Internet for others to access. When students are asked to provide summary podcasts of instructor lectures for class, these types of solutions can be ideal. It is also wonderful to be able to empower ANYONE with access to a phone to be able to provide audio input or feedback for a project. I am loving drop.io and highly commend it to you. Check out the shownotes for this podcast for extensive links to the resources mentioned in this episode.

Podcast316: Behold the Glory and Honor of the Snack Leader!

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Mon, 11 May 2009 21:42:50 -0500

This week, the honor of being her preschool class snack leader falls again to my five year old daughter, Rachel. Inspired by her enthusiasm and excitement for the honor and responsibilities of being the class snack leader, this podcast features some dramatic narration from her dad, a little John Williams music reminding us of closing scene of "A New Hope," and Rachel herself sharing her well-laid plans for this week when again she becomes, THE SNACK LEADER. This podcast was recorded in GarageBand 2009 using several of the built-in vocal effects as well as the default audio ducking for imported jingles.

Podcast315: Exemplary Educational Entrepreneurship in Higher Education - The Fort Hays State University Connection to China by Dr. Edward Hammond

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Fri, 08 May 2009 23:21:48 -0500

This podcast is a recording of the luncheon presentation by Dr. Edward Hammond, President of Fort Hays State University, at the Rotary Club of Manhattan, Kansas, on April 30, 2009. Dr. Hammond shared the extraordinary story of Ft Hays State University and their relationship to the government as well as educational institutions in China. He began his address by placing the relationship of Ft Hays, Kansas, and the United States overall with China. From foreign investment in U.S. debt instruments, to oil interests, to grain needs, China has a deep relationship with the United States as well as Kansas specifically. Before hearing Dr. Hammond present, I was not aware of the “surrender” policy of China for its own residents when they return to their own country with U.S. dollars. I also had no idea that Ft Hays State University had played and continues to play such a leading role in both providing educational opportunities in China by U.S. professors as well as subsidizing lower tuition costs for Kansas students as a result of this innovative partership program. Many thanks to Dr. Hammond for both sharing these thoughts at Rotary in Manhattan and giving me permission to record and share his message here as a podcast. There are more English speaking citizens in China than there are in the entire United States. The statistics shared by Dr. Hammond paint a clear picture of the increasing importance of China to US relations in the years ahead. Higher education leaders should take not and pay attention to the message of Dr. Hammond as well as the trail he has helped to blaze through these partnerships with Chinese leaders as the President of Fort Hays State.

Podcast314: An Innovative Partnership Supporting Families with Autistic Children in Central Oklahoma (Developing play skills, sharing resources, reducing isolation)

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Mon, 04 May 2009 21:47:43 -0500

This podcast is a recording of an interview with Renee Damon, Jenny Moyano, Teri Jones, and Shelly Fryer on May 4, 2009. Participants discussed an innovative partnership involving the Oklahoma Autism Alliance, the Oklahoma Family Center for Autism, First Presbyterian Church of Edmond, and the Edmond Family Center for Autism. Parents of children diagnosed with autism can frequently feel isolated. In addition, children with autism often have comparatively fewer opportunities to intentionally develop important play skills as well as socialization skills in supportive environments away from school or a clinic. Nursery staff and members of First Presbyterian Church of Edmond are providing evening care for children diagnosied with autism once per month so parents can attend support group meetings together. In addition, an innovative play group program involving a mix of autistic as well as typical children ranging in age from 20 months to three years is being held weekly to develop play skills. Children learn to work with playdough, play with kitchen toys, dolls, blocks, toy cars, and tools / construction toys in a six week program of planned activities. Melinda J. Smith’s book, “Teaching Play Skills to Children with Autism” has been an important influence on the development of this playgroup. This partnership is an example of a wonderful collaboration between a chuch community, local families, and a variety of support agencies to better meet the needs of autistic children and their families in central Oklahoma.

Podcast313: Top 10 Reasons to Be a StoryChaser

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 23:27:21 -0500

Storychasing is using digital recording devices to create, archive and share digital stories on the web. Story Chasers, Inc. is a new nonprofit, educational organization incorporated in the state of Oklahoma which presents the Celebrate Oklahoma Voices oral history project in partnership with a variety of other Oklahoma organizations. In this podcast, recorded on the road with a Sony ICD-UX70 mp3 audio recorder, I provide an overview of ten reasons learners of all ages should consider becoming storychasers in their local communities. These ideas will be presented this coming Friday, May 1, 2009, at the PodStock conference in Wichita, Kansas. If you have feedback, ideas, critiques, or suggestions relating to these ideas, please let me know so I can incorporate them in my presentation Friday! The top 10 reasons to be a Storychaser discussed in this podcast are: 1- Touch hearts and win over parents, 2- Develop literacy skills, 3- Develop critical thinking skills, 4- Provide a window into learning, 5- Preserve family and local history, 6- Model constructive uses of digital and social media, 7- Develop digital citizenship, 8- Develop digital literacy and 21st century skills, 9- Inspire creativity, 10- Catalyze the learning revolution locally. Overall, of course, another great reason to be a storychaser is to have FUN!

Podcast312: Reinventing Education for the 21st Century (Designing School 2.0)

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 19:14:34 -0500

This podcast is a recording of my opening keynote session at the 2009 eTechOhio conference, held in Columbus, Ohio, on February 2, 2009. This is the audio-only mp3 version, a video podcast version is available on the eTechOhio09 portal in iTunesU Ohio. Check the podcast shownotes for a direct link to iTunes. The official conference program description for this session was: As Thomas Friedman persuasively argued in this book "The World is Flat," we live in a very different and rapidly changing economic and cultural environment. Schools need to change to prepare students for the dynamic opportunities of the 21st century workforce. Collaboration in most of our schools today is still called "cheating." Our factory model of transmission-based education must be transformed into one where learners regularly collaborate, access and "remix" digital information, and extend their learning beyond the traditional bell schedule. One to one laptop initiatives, where every student and teacher have wireless computing devices; schools and libraries becoming community learning hubs offering public wireless and wired connectivity to the Internet; and the deregulation of education which frees learners to spend time in real-world, problem-based and project-based learning need to become hallmarks of education in the 21st century. This presentation shares this vision for reinventing education: Designing School 2.0, and offers suggestions for how civic leaders can move toward this vision at local levels.

Podcast311: Digital Magic Tricks - An ecclectic series of digital learning tools and techniques

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 17:54:23 -0500

This podcast is a recording of my presentation at the Oklahoma Technology Association (OTA) conference on February 11, 2009, in Oklahoma City. Check the podcast shownotes for links to the session wiki, which includes referenced websites and tools as well as others we didn't have time to address in this session. The official program description was: Often the most valuable learning outcome of a professional conference is a single website, collaboration idea, or software application which can transformatively help students and teachers more effectively demonstrate mastery of knowledge and skills included in the curriculum. This presentation focuses on a diverse array of web 2.0 tools teachers and librarians can use to enhance classroom websites, collaborative projects, and multimedia reports created by students individually or in distributed teams.

Podcast310: All a Twitter about Twitter: Micro-Blogging as a Professional Networking Tool by Beth Knittle (MASSCUE 2008)

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 17:28:46 -0500

This podcast is a recording of a presentation shared by Beth Knittle titled, "All a Twitter about Twitter: Micro-Blogging as a Professional Networking Tool." Beth shared this presentation on November 19, 2008, at the MASSCUE 2008 conference in Sturbridge, MA. I helped out a little bit sharing some ideas too. The official program description was: Twitter is a free social messaging service for staying connected in real- time, using the web, your phone, or IM. It is a cross between chat and micro-blogging. Twitter can play a key role in developing a learning environment. Participating in the network can provide just-in-time support and continued learning, and it facilitates a better understanding of the people you collaborate with. Come discover some tips and tricks to make Twitter work for you. (We’ll also examine Plurk, another Twitter- like tool.) Wesley Fryer, a world-class Twitterer, will join the discussion.

Podcast309: Google Apps - Implementation and Changing the Way We Do Business (from CoSN09)

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:58:55 -0500

This podcast is a recording of a session presented by Meghen Ehrich and Sharon Tompson, school technology support staff members from Prince George's County Public Schools in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. This session was shared on March 10, 2009, at the CoSN 2009 conference in Austin, Texas. The official conference program description for this session was: Prince George’s County Public Schools decided in March 2008 to implement the Google Apps Suite. The panel will share their experiences on how they migrated 28,000 users from Microsoft Exchange to Gmail. Google is integrated into the network and users are provided with single sign-on access. It’s also a ubiquitous tool for staff to access their work from anywhere. In addition, the panel will discuss how they are providing 1000+cell phone users with options, how they are securing the environment, providing tools for e-discovery, and will identify future plans for integrating Google Apps with a LMS to create a low cost anytime, anywhere learning environment for all staff and students.

Podcast308: A Long Overdue Personal and Professional Life Update (March 2009)

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 23:38:05 -0500

If you listened to Podcast299: Dreaming of the Storychaser’s Peace Train, you might have wondered just want sort of disruptive changes were taking place in my life (this past January) which I was only able to reference obliquely in that podcast. In this 40 minute podcast recorded in the car this past week driving up to Kansas for Spring Break, I discuss some of those changes and my new professional status as an independent / international learning consultant. I also share some reflections on the changes I've experienced as an educator and learner the past three years, since moving to Oklahoma from Texas. We're living in dynamic times, and as one door closes another one opens. Please refer to the podcast shownotes for links to my updated list of professional development workshops, keynote addresses, and other presentation topics I have and am able to present for educators worldwide.

Podcast307: The Challenges of Integrating Web 2.0 in Missouri Schools by Bob Martin

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 07:00:45 -0500

This podcast is a recording of Bob Martin's presentation at the 2009 COSN Conference in Austin, Texas, on March 11th. Bob is a technology leader for MORENET, a nonprofit providing a variety of technology services (including connectivity as an ISP) for over 500 schools in the state of Missouri. MORENET is part of the University of Missouri. Over the past year, Bob and others at MORENET have led a series of roundtable discussions with a variety of educational stakeholders in Missouri, talking about the issues surrounding the use of web 2.0 technologies in schools. Through their research, which Bob summarized and synthesized in this session, MORENET leaders have identified significant disconnects between the vision of educational technology and school change leaders regarding web 2.0 technologies, and the framework / outlook of many other educational leaders in schools who have and continue to enact policies which (in many cases) obstruct the effective use of web 2.0 technologies in the classroom. Many thanks to Bob and others at MORENET for conducting and sharing these research findings. We need more dialog about these issues in our schools, and organizations like MORENET are ideally situated to catalyze these conversations to get school leaders thinking differently about the ways communication and collaboration tools are being leverated (or not utilized) by students and teachers in their schools today.

Podcast306: Voices of COSN 2009 (Grantwrangler, a handheld data projector, and cloud-based computing)

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 23:46:10 -0500

This podcast from the 2009 COSN conference in Austin, Texas, features interviews with three individuals focusing on the website Grantwrangler, the 3M Micro Professional Projector MPro110, and the cloud-based computing model embraced by the company Stoneware Inc.

Podcast305: Science Education from a Technology Leader’s Perspective by Dr. David Thornburg

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 22:55:40 -0500

This podcast is a recording of Dr. David Thorburg's presentation "Science Education from a Technology Leader’s Perspective" at the 2009 CoSN Conference on March 11, 2009. The official conference program description of this session was: K-12 education science, technology, engineering and mathematics is a hot topic today, with conversations spanning from the classroom to the Oval Office. Technology can be used in ways that help address many of the challenges facing K-12 STEM programs. This dynamic talk explores five challenges: Shortage of qualified teachers; Learning that science is a vibrant human activity, cutting back on hand’s- on science instruction; Science as inquiry and projects; Connecting science to other subjects. By moving toward a more constructionist approach to science instruction, taking advantage of various cutting-edge probe-ware tools and other computer based resources, many of these challenges can be addressed in ways that greatly increase student appreciation for more analytical subjects. Our economic recovery requires a highly educated populace, and this presentation tackles some of those challenges head-on.

Podcast304: The Landscape of 21st Century Learning: Personalised and Differentiated (learning@school09 keynote)

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 12:24:16 -0600

This podcast is an audio recording of my keynote address on February 27, 2009, in Rotorua, New Zealand, for the Learning@School 2009 Conference. I also included some reflections I recorded on stage just prior to the keynote. The official conference presentation description of this session was: Personalised, differentiated learning defines exemplary education in the 21st century. Blended learning models offer teachers and students a diverse menu of content delivery and assessment options which can be tailored to meet individual needs. In this session we will explore how a variety of web-based environments and instructional strategies are permitting educators to provide learners with choices in not only the ways they can access and consume content, but also in the ways they “show what they know” through performance-based assessment methods.

Podcast303: Transforming Pedagogy in NZ Schools, Duck Hunting in Hobbiton, the Easy Talk Microphone, and Kid Witness News

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 18:19:14 -0600

This podcast includes a series of three interviews from the Learning@School 2009 conference in Rotorua, New Zealand. The first is an interview with Dean, a school principal near Matamata. One of the families whose children attend at Dean's school own the farm where Hobbiton was built for the film trilogy The Lord of the Rings. He has actually gone duck hunting there! Two new movies based on J.R.R. Tolkien's book "The Hobbit" are in production now and scheduled for worldwide release in December 2011 and December 2012. See the WikiPedia link in the podcast shownotes for more details. The final interview is with a Panasonic representative about their worldwide digital storytelling contest "Kid Witness News."

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 14:20:53 -0800

This presentation, Copyright for Educators, was shared at the ITSC 2009 Conference in Portland, Oregon, on February 16, 2009, by Wesley Fryer. This presentation is also available via Slideshare as a synchronized multimedia slide presentation also. (See the podcast shownotes for the link and other referenced resources.) The session description was: Teachers, principals, and students all need to understand not only the basics of US copyright law as they relate to the creation and publication of media products, but also the opportunities presented for LEGAL remixing and reuse of media materials licensed through Creative Commons. This session presents practical suggestions for schools, educators, and students to avoid intellectual property liability problems and empower learners to LEGALLY create as well as share a wide variety of media/knowledge products on the global stage. We will focus specifically on fair use provisions of US copyright law and address common misconceptions about fair use which often inhibit/chill legal educational uses of multimedia materials.

Podcast301: How to Create a Great PowerPoint Without Breaking the Law: Take 2.0 by Alvin Trusty

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:57:13 -0600

This presentation was shared by Dr. Alvin Trusty at eTechOhio 2009 on February 2, 2009, in Columbus. The official session description was: This is a followup to last year's presentation of this topic. Learn how to create an engaging presentation using free resources and established techniques in visual design. How much does "fair use" protect a teacher from the copyright police? Explore the four factors of "fair use" and look at licensing strategies like Creative Commons.

Podcast300: Educator Voices from the eTechOhio 2009 Conference

wesfryer@pobox.com (Wesley A. Fryer) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 20:49:54 -0500

This podcast includes a series of six interviews I recorded at the eTechOhio 2009 conference in Columbus on February 2, 2009. The episode begins with Gabe Ross, a student at Ohio State University studying video production and part of the documentary film crew at the eTechOhio 2009 conference. Second, Kieli Fergusen of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati tells about the virtual learning opportunities offered by the center via web-based videos, podcasts, and videoconferencing / virtual field trips. Third, Lee Gambol of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History discusses their extensive array of virtual field trips for students not only focusing on natural history topics but also health issues. Lee has had extensive experiences designing and delivering virtual field trips, and shared some of the best practices they follow at CMNH as well as some of the lessons they've learend after making MANY connections about diverse topics with K-12 students. Fourth, Elise Hillis of eTechOhio discusses details of the release today of iTunesU Ohio. This is a statewide portal for PK-20 educators and learners in Ohio as well as around the world, featuring over 1500 audio and video podcasts today at launch. Fifth, Sasha Thackaberry of The Idea Center in Cleveland discusses their innovative videoconferences providing career exploration opportunities for students. She also discusses professional development opportunities available via WVIZ/PBS ideastream. Last of all, Leslie Charles, videoconferencing coordinator for Muskingum Valley Educational Service Center in Zanesville, Ohio. They are offering a variety of professional development opportunities for teachers as well as exciting course offerings for students which includes a new class in Mandarin Chinese.