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I subscribe to the daily TED Talks as a means for ensuring that at least once a day I spend 5-10 minutes focusing my learning around how to grow as a leader, engage in innovative thinking, and increase inter-personal skills.

While not all of the TED Talks focus on education or technology, almost every single one does offer some advice on how to view the world differently and engage in practice of empathy. I find those qualities are needed in every sector, but most importantly in education.

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Gabe Zichermann: How games make kids smarter

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Can playing video games make you more productive? Gabe Zichermann shows how games are making kids better problem-solvers, and will make us better at everything from driving to multi-tasking.

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EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY AND MOBILE LEARNING BLOG

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EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY AND MOBILE LEARNING BLOG

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This is a blog that I follow and read daily.  The focus is on bite-sized, ready-to-implement ideas for teachers to be able to take back to their classroom.

What's great about this blog is that it covers all facets of educational technology, not just the newest trends. But, it does also bring to the reader's attention some cutting edge technologies that are just breaking through, and helps explain them in approachable ways. I love this blog, because I can usually share it with DLCs and teachers without the need for explaining any technology-ese that many other Ed Tech blogs include.

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Educational Technology and Mobile Learning

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July 21, 2016
Pokémon Go is a cultural phenomenon that has gained so much in popularity over the last few weeks. This is basically an augmented reality game that you can play through your smart phone. The app uses the coordinates of your GPS to determine your location in the real world and provides you with Pokémon characters to view and catch. 'Pokémon are out there, and you need to find them. As you walk around a neighbourhood, your smartphone will vibrate when there's a Pokémon nearby. Take aim and throw a Poké Ball... You'll have to stay alert, or it might get away!'

Since its introduction a few weeks ago, Pokémon Go has made such a huge buzz in the EdTech community with teachers and educators debating the different possibilities to integrate the game into learning and teaching. This Reddit thread titled ' Can Pokemon Go Provide Educational Benefit' captures part of the heated discussion surrounding the potential use of this game in education. EdTech bloggers like Kathy Schrok and Sherry Terrel talk about the various ways Pokemon Go can be adapted in education. In her interesting article ' Pokemon Go in The Classroom' Schrock shares her thoughts on 'how to use the game to expand the learning and target some of the literacies we want students to attain.' She suggested using the game to help kids learn about data literacy, create visually appealing infographics, create mapped Google Pokemon Go Trips based on real places students have visited while playing the game, and engage students in digital storytelling activities using screenshots from the game. Pokémon Go can also help language learners. In her post ' 9 Fun Ways to Practice English with Pokemon Go ', Terrel explains how language teachers can use this game to help (ESl) students learn and develop their language skills.

As for Catherine Little from The Star, PokémonGo can be an effective tool to help kids develop mapping skills and learn about responsible use of GPS. And as she stated "Parents could use the game to help children learn mapping and responsible use of GPS. Even adults could use a refresher in not blindly following GPS instructions. There are also financial literacy lessons to be learned with respect to the use of mobile data plans and their limitations. Parents can help their children learn to balance the game with their other responsibilities."

And because playing Pokémon Go requires players to go out and look for Pokemon characters in the real world, many perceive of the game as providing a strong incentive for kids to get out and move enhancing thus their overall physical health.

Pokémon Go is also ideal for autistic learners. In an interesting article published in the Independent, Australian autism expert Craig Smith talks about the numerous educational benefits of Pokémon Go for autistic students. He particularly stressed the importance of the game in improving autistic students social skills and raising their motivation and engagement in learning.

For more resources on the educational potential of Pokemon Go, check out these links:

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Everything Teachers Need to Know about Pokémon Go

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July 21, 2016 Pokémon Go is a cultural phenomenon that has gained so much in popularity over the last few weeks. This is basically an augmented reality game that you can play through your smart phone. The app uses the coordinates of your GPS to determine your location in the real world and provides you with Pokémon characters to view and catch.

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This PLN is different from the others I list here, as it is an in-person PLN.  Technology Across District Lines (or TADL) is an organization made up of members from different Orange County School Districts with a very informal structure.  The group meets once a month, cycling its meeting locations between different districts (Anaheim, La Habra, Garden Grove, Fullerton, and others).

Educators from all different roles are invited to these monthly meetings, from teachers to principals, TOSAs to District personnel. There is no formal agenda, no traditional training, but rather an opportunity for groups of educators to simply talk about what they're doing, what they want to do, and what problems they face. The structure changes each month, with one district hosting a BreakoutEDU session and then discussing how to implement, and another district sharing their Green Screen studio and letting all the visitors create photos and videos using all kinds of equipment and software.

I love this PLN as it helps all of us who are in our own districts see that our struggles are not just our own, and that our successes deserved to be shared with others.

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Facebook is a PLN I use in multiple ways, almost as a conglomeration of a other PLNs.  I mostly have family and friends on Facebook, but I do also have lots of people from my school district who I've made close, professional connections with through various projects and school services.

Through this PLN, I share about my family and personal life, which has led to making closer bounds with co-workers.  When we see each other's families, vacations, home life, and weekend activities, it helps us understand each other on a more human level, as opposed to simply focusing just on the project immediately in front of us.

In addition to personal posts, I also share education-related resources -- just like I do on Twitter.  But, in this case, I can share these resources with people who I work with in real life, which means that these new ideas and resources don't just live with me and someone thousands of miles away.  I can actually work with someone in my district on these ground -breaking programs and services.

There are dangers to this, of course, and that's why I'm extremely careful of what I post or say. Additionally, Anaheim Elementary School District has a "Social Media Guidelines" document that helps employees know how to conduct themselves online, through their personal social media, in a way that will keep them safe.

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This PLN is my oldest and most curated one I engage in.  I've spent 8 years following people who I read about online, respect in the world of education, or connect with at conferences.

I post very often to Twitter (more than I do anywhere else).  It's through posting to Twitter that I started to realize early on where my passion in educational technology laid.  As I started to get notifications of who was following me, I started to notice a trend.  It was from educators and businesses focusing on computer programming that I noticed most of my posts were around coding.  This was about 6 years ago, and since it's become my passion.

Where Facebook is a digital PLN that I use to continue and expand my connections with people who I know in-person, Twitter is the opposite.  It's still pretty jarring to be at a conference, and have someone come up and say hello, who I've never met before -- only to realize it's someone who I connect with often on Twitter.  These greetings quickly turn to business, and result in learning something new or getting assistance with a program I'm working on. Twitter is a PLN that has an uncanny ability to help make long-distance, digital connections seem personal.

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Are you interested in using Twitter or other social media as a teaching tool? Our culture has transformed significantly where online distribution of ideas has become commonplace. Our students' needs have shifted and they require digital citizenship skills.

We've seen all sorts of creative use cases, but here are the most common forms: Teachers and students use Twitter for communication and conversation so they can keep the in-class discussion going after class! Twitter is a great way to add context to content especially when students need to study a topic and find experts in the field and ask them questions on Twitter!
Below, you will find some great resources for your school community to help jump into using social media, specifically Twitter, as a learning tool.

Click on a link below to access a resource:

As you know, being a teacher means you're uniquely positioned to provide valuable guidance and insight to your students around areas related to online safety and digital citizenship. We want to provide you the information you need to help your students feel as safe in the virtual classroom as they do in their "real world" classrooms.
Trying to figure out how to start the conversation around digital citizenship or where to begin with online safety? Here's some quick starter topics:

Help teens evaluate whether or not something is okay to be shared online. Remind them to think before they tweet.

Encourage kindness by discussing the importance of empathy.

Promote critical thinking and encourage discussion by asking students questions like "Do you know the people who look at your profile?" and "What are some different ways your Tweet could be interpreted?"

Start a conversation about protecting your personal information and controlling your settings.

You can find a more detailed list of online safety tips for teachers here.

Further useful safety resources:
Twitter Help Center: Online safety basics, tips for teachers, parents and teens, and how to report a violation.
Connect Safely: For parents, teens, educators, and policy makers interested in the impacts of social-media, safety tips and the latest family tech news.
Edudemic: Guidance on popular technology and learning resources.
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There are many aspects of digital citizenship that teachers should consider when using social media or other technology in the classroom. To begin, here are two resources that have lots of practical ideas about how to begin teaching students about what it means to be a responsible digital citizen. These resources are specifically targeted at students, and give lots of ideas about how to use them in the classroom.

Teaching digital citizenship can also include the teacher modeling expected behaviors. Here are some resources to help teachers consider their online activities. Thinking through the way you interact online is important, and these resources discuss the myriad issues surrounding the way teachers use social media and create their own digital footprint.

Global Digital Citizenship Project - great guide to how to set up a digital identity, with tips for each step. It also has links to sample Student Online Safety Agreements for each level (elementary, middle and high school). The resource is background information from the book Literacy is Not Enough by Lee Crockett.

5 Keys to Creating Digital Identity with more general tips applicable for anyone, not just teachers. The article is from from Forbes Magazine, written by contributor Alexander Taub.

George Couros, a principal from Toronto, is a leader in helping teachers think through digital identity. Here are resources that he has shared or curated:

George Couros' guide to creating a digital footprint - these resources (curated as a google document) is a good starting point. It discusses why it's important for teachers to think about digital identity

Brand: You is aimed specifically at teachers to help them think through what it means to have a social media presence. Based on the Forbes article (which is now not online) that claimed an "online presence" will replace traditional resumes/CVs.

Resources on digital leadership - a collection of links from diigo with articles to educational journals, blog posts, and other information about being an educational leader and maintaining a strong digital identity.

Personal social media vs. professional social media usage - this argues that blending personal and professional in order to model digital citizenship is a good idea for teachers. With examples of negative SM usage by students/teachers

Back to the top Understanding Twitter How Teachers Can Use Twitter

Twitter for Teachers - a comprehensive google document created by George Couros that walks you through creating an account, finding teachers to follow, and understanding how Twitter works, with a glossary of terms and testimonials from teachers about Twitter

Twitter for Teachers - a guide for teachers, created and curated by Kathy Schrock, an educational technology director, Google Certified Teacher, and partner with Discovery Education

Building Your PLN (Personal Learning Network) from Steven Anderson and a LiveBinder of resources (curated by Tim WIlhelmus)

Building a Personal Learning Network on Twitter - Tom Whitby has a developed a great resource for how to build your own personal learning network on Twitter.

Hashtags for Teachers - a master list of educational hashtags from Cybrary Man (includes hashtags like - #edchat #edtechchat #flipclass #caedchat)

Ways for Teachers to Use Twitter With Students Back to the top
Explaining how Twitter is a viable tool for learning; sample release forms; using twitter with ELD students.
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Resources for Teachers introducing Twitter to students; example assignments; assessment rubrics.

Can Tweeting Help Your Teaching - A brief introduction to how Twitter can enhance teaching: "Twitter won't change your life, but it might make your job more fun and a little easier." [National Education Association]

Structured Twitter Assignments - Examples of how Twitter is being used in innovative ways in higher education. [Agile Learning, by Derek Bruff, Director of the Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching and a senior lecturer in the Vanderbilt Department of Mathematics.]

Getting Started with KQED Do Now - A worksheet for students to understand KQED Do Now and basic online safety guidelines for using Twitter. [Erin Kahn, Notre Dame High School, Belmont]

"Using Twitter in EFL Education" - Accessible academic article that provides a strong rationale for using Twitter in the classroom along with an easy guide for starting out. Most helpful are the suggested activities (initiation, composition, vocabulary, listening, and research). [In JALT CALL Journal, by Cathrine-Mette (Trine) Mork, Tama University, Japan.]

A sample Rubric for KQED/Twitter Do Now weekly assignments. [Amanda Levin, Berkeley High School, CA.]

Another sample Rubric for KQED/Twitter Do Now weekly assignments. [Janelle Bence, New Tech High School @ Coppell, TX.]

A formal research study into the use of twitter by educators - provides new (formal) insight into how teachers use social networking sites. ["The End of Isolation", Elizabeth Alderton, et al, Journal of Online Learning and Teaching.]

Power Searching with Google - This online course will help you and your students improve your Google searching for credible information. [Google.]

A guide created by Twitter on Using Twitter in Education [Twitter]

A list of popular Twitter Hashtags for educators. [Creative Education UK.]

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Below are some useful media formats (and resources to learn them) that students can create if you are interested in getting them to produce a more extensive form of argument with multimedia components. Here's a list of free media formats and tools that can help students produce a variety of multimedia arguments. If you are interested in learning how to use these tools, please visit our online professional development training modules or our video tutorials on how to use these tools. You can also visit our multimedia toolkit for great examples and worksheets to help develop strong media projects with your students.

Currently, if you choose not to use Twitter, there are several other platforms that could be used to network peer to peer inside and outside the classroom, in either public or private settings. For KQED Do Now, we support teachers and students to use our comments section at the bottom of each Do Now post. Each Do Now is also posted on KQED Education's Facebook page. Coming soon, we will be hosting the Do Now conversations on other education-centered platforms. More to come.
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This resource was produced in collaboration between the Trust and Safety Team at Twitter, KQED, Amanda Levin, Cheryl Morris, and Brian Williams.

Guide to Using Twitter in Your Teaching Practice

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Guide to Using Twitter in Your Teaching Practice

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Are you interested in using Twitter or other social media as a teaching tool? Our culture has transformed significantly where online distribution of ideas has become commonplace. Our students' needs have shifted and they require digital citizenship skills. We've seen all sorts of creative use c