(Almost) all our content from 2006 to 2017 is archived and available online under a Creative Commons license. Please read this post from June 2018 for more background and updates about our conference and current status.
2014 2014-Gamification

Gaming the conference

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k12game

This is a first for the K12 Online conference — our very own game!

Kevin Hodgson, keynoter for the Games and Gamification strand of this year’s conference, has developed this two-part game to nudge us all forward into sharing and engagement around this year’s conference.

It is, in a word, amazing!

Thanks to Kevin and all who play.

And if you haven’t checked out Kevin’s presentation yet, make sure to do that.

2014 Announcements

K12Online14 Day Five: October 24, 2014

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K12Online2014-500x500Welcome to day five of the 2014 K-12 Online Conference! All presentations are listed and linked on our main conference schedule.

It’s the last day of week one. Lots more to come!  So much to think about. You can always come back to play sessions you missed or those you want to see again. Everything is archived.

 

Today’s sessions:

STORIES FOR LEARNING

Out My Window  by Erin Olson and Leslie Pralle Keehn

Collaboration with TwitCast by Dr. Monte Tatom

How Schools Are Preparing Students To Be Real World Ready by Chris Turnbull

GAMIFICATION AND GAMING

Five Steps to Level Up Your Teaching by Sarah Thomas

If you’re not already, be sure to follow us on Twitter and “like” us on FacebookSubscribe to our email list if you’re not already receiving email updates from us. Also remember all video presentations are available in iPad / iPhone / iPod touch compatible format in our iTunesU Portal! If you tweet about the conference please use the Twitter hashtag #k12online14.

2014 2014-Stories for Learning

How Schools Are Preparing Students To Be Real World Ready

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Presenter: Chris Turnbull
Location: Saint Paul, MN, United States
@TurnbullChris

Presentation Description: “Real world ready” is a phrase that has evolved in the education world over the past several decades. Beginning with a focus on literacy and math skills needed to be successful adults and productive members of society and being revised over the years as norms and expectations for college enrollment changed and expanded to a larger section of graduating high school students and the knowledge and preparation they would need for the types of careers they might pursue changed. In my opinion, the phrase has now evolved to include all states of learning and tools, both in-school and beyond, that help the student gain knowledge or skills and make connections that will help him/her to understand the global, connected world better and to be prepare himself/herself for the life-long learning and adapting he/she will need to make connections, adapt, grow, evolve, and excel outside of the traditional classroom walls. Real world ready is an unending, changing state flexible enough to keep up with the advances of our society and limited only by students’ imagination and creativity and the impact that schools can have in either a positive or negative way. The technology that is evolving today has a direct impact on the jobs and careers available for our students’ futures. As educators, we have to ensure that we are preparing our students for 21st century careers and not those of the past. By integrating technology into our teaching, we can ignite students’ passions to engage them in school and build their skills in the areas of creativity, collaboration, research, and problem solving.

Link to presentation’s supporting documents:
http://playlearnteach.blogspot.com/2014/10/k12-online-conference-how-schools-are.html

Additional Information:
What does “Real World Ready” mean to you? Contribute your thoughts here – http://playlearnteach.blogspot.com/2014/10/k12-online-conference-how-schools-are.html and share a recommendation of a great iPad app or interactive website.

Have a great project-based lesson that you have done with your students? Add it to the form in the blog and take away an idea or two to try with your class.

2014 2014-Gamification

Five Steps to Level Up Your Teaching

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Presenter: Sarah Thomas
Location: Woodbridge, VA
@sarahdateechur

Presentation Title: Five Steps to Level Up Your Teaching

Presentation Description: The face of instruction is changing, as educators often struggle to engage digital natives. Gamification, or applying game mechanics to non-traditional settings, has proved to be an innovative and effective way to capture the interest of today’s learners. In this session, educators will be provided with a simple framework to help them begin the process of gamifying their classroom. This video presentation will incorporate various resources to gamify for little or no money.

Link to presentation’s supporting documents:

tinyurl.com/sarahdateechur-gamification

Additional Information:
Blog: sarahdateechur.com
EduMatch Project: edumatch.education
App: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/app-4-teechurs/id897181453?ls=1&mt=8

2014 2014-Stories for Learning

Collaboration with TwitCast

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Presenter: Dr. M. Monte Tatom
Location: Henderson, TN, USA
@drmmtatom

Presentation Description: Participants will learn creative ways to use TwitCasting for students, parents, community, administration, faculty, and staff. TwitCasting is a great way for students and teachers to share up-to-date information and receive feedback using the class hashtag.
ISTE Standards addressed:
ISTE Standard-S 2B: TwitCasting will provide students an opportunity to share information and ideas with classmates, students in other countries and their teachers.
ISTE Standard-T 3C: TwitCasting will give teachers the ability to share relevant information and ideas to students, parents, and peers.
ISTE Standard-A 2B: TwitCasting will give the administrator the opportunity to model and promote the frequent and effective use of technology for learning.

 

Link to presentation’s supporting documents:
http://drmmtatom.weebly.com/blog/category/twitcasting

2014 2014-Stories for Learning

Out My Window

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Presenter: Leslie Pralle Keehn, Erin Olson
Location: Blairsburg

@lprallekeehn

@eolsonteacher

Presentation Description: Out My Window was born from a quest to have students gain global perspective. OMW classrooms share their story with the world. Inspired by the 5 themes of geography, students reveal cultural awareness & understanding through poetry & photography.

Goals for the session:
To involve more classrooms in the quest to gain global perspective
To showcase the power of content and concept convergence
To provide an example of meaningful technology integration
To honor student voice and ability to create for an audience

Our perspective is shaped by our experiences. Those experiences are shaped by where we live. The themes of geography can be addressed through personal narrative, and when that happens an appreciation for all that is experienced and all that is seen is heightened. Stories are the thread connecting us all. Using geography, photography, and poetry participants can share and celebrate their story. Because the project is about sharing all of this, an audience can gain also connect to the creator’s story.

Out My Window transforms how we look at and teach geography by making it a cross-curricular tool to connect with a global community. Honoring student voice and perspective in the process of not just consuming, but creating content also honors the power of the human story. Traditionally, geography is not viewed as poetic. The emotion poetry can incite connected to geography’s theme is transformative. Imagine if more students globally gained an appreciation for people and their perspectives…imagine how that would influence empathy.

 

Link to presentation’s supporting documents:

#outmywindow1415

2014 Announcements

K12Online14 Day Four: October 23, 2014

Published by:

K12Online2014-500x500Welcome to day four of the 2014 K-12 Online Conference! All presentations are listed and linked on our main conference schedule.

It’s the fourth day of of week one. Lots more to come!  You can always come back and watch some sessions later- everything is archived.

 

Today’s sessions:

STORIES FOR LEARNING

My Journey with Technology by Cassidy Hall

We Are All Connected by Tim Holt

Digital Tools for Challenged Learners- Leveling the Playing Field! by Cheryl Oakes

GAMIFICATION AND GAMING

Gamification: It’s not all fun and games! by Avi Spector

If you’re not already, be sure to follow us on Twitter and “like” us on FacebookSubscribe to our email list if you’re not already receiving email updates from us. Also remember all video presentations are available in iPad / iPhone / iPod touch compatible format in our iTunesU Portal! If you tweet about the conference please use the Twitter hashtag #k12online14.

2014 2014-Stories for Learning

Digital Tools for Challenged Learners- Leveling the Playing Field!

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Presenter: Cheryl Oakes
Location: Wells, Maine, USA
@cheryloakes50

Presentation Description: This presentation encompasses Cheryl’s passion for leveling the playing field for challenged learners by using digital tools to access their learning. Tried and true apps and extensions will be shared, student comments and student examples will be available as well.

Link to presentation’s supporting documents:
Presentation links

Additional Information:
Cheryl’s web site: http://cheryloakes.com/
Cheryl Steele Oakes MEd., is an educator with 30+ years experience, a Google Certified Teacher since 2008, former technology educator, former technology and special education administrator and currently a high school resource room teacher. Cheryl also has experience as a former State of Maine- MLTI-SEED trainer, one third of the SEEDLINGs Podcast, and yearly co-host of Geek of the Week ACTEM. Cheryl has presented throughout NE, ISTE, ATIA, ACTEM and several GAFE Summits. Cheryl is passionate about Chrome Extensions and Apps as a way for challenged learners to succeed on an equal playing field.

2014 2014-Gamification

Gamification: It’s not all fun and games!

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Presenter: Avi Spector
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
@a_spector

Presentation Description: Gamification can be defined as taking a closer look at the engaging and motivating aspects of video games and then applying these elements to a learning environment. Gamification incorporates positive reinforcement, collaboration, and recognition of achievements; it is not about bringing video games into a classroom! In this session, we’ll focus on seven key elements of Gamified classroom. We’ll also explore Gamification classroom models from two different language teachers.

Link to presentation’s supporting documents:

http://www.pinterest.com/lalandema/gamification/

Additional Information:
Avi Spector is a pedagogical consultant with the Riverside School Board and the RECIT FGA Regional Service. He is also a member of the Adobe Education Leaders Program. With a strong belief that pedagogy should always drive technology in the classroom, Avi helps teachers find relevant and sustainable ways of using technology to enhance learning and develop student competencies. Avi has been an avid gamer since childhood and is thrilled to see how the engaging and motivating elements of his favorite pastime are now being applied (and taken seriously!) in education.

Connect with Avi on Twitter (@a_spector) or on his pedagogy focused website at www.beyondthetools.com

2014 2014-Stories for Learning

We Are All Connected

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Presenter: Tim Holt
Location: United States
@timholt2007

Presentation Description: What do West Texas Highways, abandoned buildings, London Based English translators, Cancer Research, and a man dressed in a pink flamingo outfit have to do with connecting our students? In “We are all Connected” Tim Holt takes the viewers through a personal journey of self discovery and learns the important lesson that we are all indeed connected, even in places where you might think we are not.

Link to presentation’s supporting documents:
http://holtthink.tumblr. com

Additional Information:
Tim has a Master’s Degree in Curriculum Instruction, and another in Education Leadership. Tim has been in the education field for over 27 years, first as a teacher, then an education facilitator, a researcher, and a Director of Instructional Technology. And if you count his years as a student, he pretty much has been in education all his life.

Tim is a past President of the Science Teachers Association of Texas (STAT) and as well as being a Past President of the Technology Directors Special Interest Group (TECSIG) of the Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA). He is the recipient of the ISTE “Pink Jacket” award for achievement in Education Technology.

His blog, Holtthink (Holtthink.tumblr.com) was named one of the top 50 most influential Education Technology blogs for the second year in a row by Ed Tech Magazine.

Tim lives in Canutillo Texas, just outside of El Paso, where he has been a lifelong resident of the area. He is married to Lora Holt and has 4 wonderful children.