Thursday, March 21, 2013

A Day of Learning at MACUL 2013


Wow! I had an amazing day at MACUL today! The best part of the day was learning with my friend and watching her excitement about all of the new ideas and techniques that she learned. I can't wait to share some of the new technologies that I've learned about today with my coworkers, my students, and all of you! 

KEYNOTE SPEAKER 

The Keynote speaker today was Kevin Honeycutt @kevinhoneycutt. He did an amazing job of discussing how we can be the motivators for our students. He described how we can influence our student’s lives through our dedication and engagement techniques. He explained how twitter can help us teach our students how to develop their inner filter process. One idea that Kevin shared was that using apps and social platforms like Edmodo helps us to provide a safe place that our students can rehearse their social behaviors before they create their own online presence. It was a very informational, inspiring, and humorous hour!

ADVANCED iMOVIE TECHNIQUES 

The next session I attended was presented by Jon Corippo @jcorippo and Andy Losik @mrlosik. They are both ADE’s and presented a very enlightening session on advanced techniques for iMovie. Most of the discussion centered on iMovie and Keynote for the Mac, which I am new to, but they also discussed how these techniques can be used on the iPad, which I’m more familiar with. I learned about how to use a green screen, the difference between digital storytelling and cinematic narratives, and the best types of equipment to use. I would love to begin to implement a news program with my elementary kids. I’m so inspired by these two guys and all of the new techniques I’ve just learned!

APPLE TECHNOLOGIES, iTUNES U, & THE BEST APPS FOR TRANSFORMING STUDENT AND STAFF LEARNING IN A ONE-TO-ONE SCHOOL 

Fred Sitkins, Principal, and Rebecca Wildman, 4th Grade Teacher, both from Boyne City, presented this program. They recently implemented a 1:1 initiative in their school. Staff from my elementary school recently visited their school to get ideas as we rollout our 1:1 program. They are amazing! There was so much I learned here, but the point that sticks out most for me is how to create iTunes U lessons. Rebecca created units for her 4th graders and posts them to iTunes U. This way her students can download them on their iPads before they leave school. Whether they have Wi-Fi at home or not, now they can complete their homework at home using their iPad. This is a great idea. Check out Rebecca’s lessons on iTunes U by browsing the K-12 section of the catalog and selecting Boyne City Schools.

DON’T BE THUNDERSTRUCK WITH TODAY’S TECHNOLOGY

Mindy Lynch and Tracy Lemkie, teachers from Ravenna Public Schools, shared their tips and trick for electrifying digital learning in their elementary classrooms. They shared information about Pixie, Edmodo, Voki, BrainPop, and MANY apps! These ladies are funky & spunky! They provided an inspirational and motivating session that was topped off with great swag! Check out Mindy Lynch’s blog at http://blogs.muskegonisd.org/mlynch

OSX AND iOS TOOLS FOR STUDENT SUCCESS

Mark Coppin is the Director of Assistive Technology at Anne Carlsen Center in North Dakota. He is an ADE who graced us with his presence and his plethora of knowledge on accessibility options on iPad and Mac devices. He provided so much information about the wonderful features of Apple devices and how they can be implemented in the classroom and for personal use. Check out the handouts he shared with us here!

THAT’S IT FOR THURSDAY!

I had a great day, but I’m on information overload! I’m looking forward to getting some rest and getting started again tomorrow morning. Check back here for more information about my activities at MACUL 2013.

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