EdTechTeacher Innovation Summit

From cave walls to Facebook walls, we have always embraced visual communication. Dual coding theory of cognition reiterates the importance of visual imagery in respect to our thinking processes - that in fact we need visual language in addition to verbal or text-based coding of stimuli. With the changing media landscape, our streams, memes, and zines have exploded with imagery, ushering in a need for visual literacy skills. We are quickly moving from images as decoration and augmentation to images as sole content and communication tool. We have some false beliefs about visual language - that it is equated with “art”, requiring “talent” from “creative types” - and therefore it is unfortunately often not overtly taught and practiced in schools. Technology has affected knowledge in such a way as to diminish the value of “raw” information and increase the value of sense-making, as well as chip away at attention spans, sparking a need for distillation of complex ideas. Images can essentialize the cumbersome in beautiful ways. They have a “stickiness” for the viewer and challenge the critical thinking of the creator.

This hands-on session will explore the “Whys” of visual literacy and offer participants an opportunity to tinker and play with:
iconography and metaphorical thinking
pictograms, “Shortology”, emoji, meme stories, and gifs
graphic design, graphic facilitation, infographics and sketchnotes
photography, cinemagrams (moving photos)
icon-based annotations and marginalia
using images to leverage CVs, social media, and presentations

We’ll experiment with ways to use visual language for personal knowledge management, amplification of knowledge and creative work, critical thinking, social interaction (conversation), and other forms of creative and intellectual expression.

Trailer for workshop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYNQ2hzbeQI

The cell phone is the most quickly adopted consumer technology in the history of the world. According to the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, 91% of adults own a cell phone. In this interactive workshop, participants will explore the latest research on technology usage. Participants will also leave with research driven strategies and tools that empower ELL parents with invaluable information about their district (e.g., DELAC, DAC, etc.), school (e.g., SSC, ELAC, PTA, events, etc.), and classroom (e.g., homework assignments, classroom news, etc.) via cell phones/smart phones.

Come and hear how Selma Unified School District's middle school uses web-based applications to communicate with ELL parents. Also, experience first-hand how teachers use these applications to effectively reach-out to parents. By the end of the workshop, participants will learn and leave with five different free, web-based, applications that will engage and communicate with parents.

PRESENTATION LINK:  goo.gl/IzOtWl

Storytelling provides students with opportunities to construct narrative, express their ideas, and stretch their imaginations. With the Book Creator app, students of all ages can combine text, drawing, images, video, audio, and more to create and publish their own books. In this hands-on, collaborative session, you will learn how to harness the power of this app to develop student projects for any grade level.

This hands-on Innovation Lab provides participants the opportunity to apply three C’s — Creativity, Collaboration, and Communication — with Explain Everything in the service of student and teacher learning. Creativity: Learn about the design, animation, and screencast editing features of the interactive whiteboard and how they can be used in support of creative expression. Collaboration: Utilize the real-time collaboration [brand new in 2016!] of the Explain Everything Collaborative Whiteboard for next-generation group activities, brainstorming, and problem solving. Communication: Optimize content workflows and remove technical barriers so that technology truly supports, if not enhances, human relationships and the content and contexts created around them.

 

Have you ever needed to teach a child to play a video game? What makes that experience draw kids to learn so much, so quickly, and invest so much time and effort? Learn powerful ways to infuse "play to learn" into your classroom, school and district. These strategies will not only allow for student innovation, but staff innovation as well. Have your device powered up for this interactive session. Scott shares his framework and adaptable ideas for infusing play into your daily lessons to maximize instructional impact. Who's ready to play?

Presenter Slides 

Google Apps for Education and Chrome Extensions provide creative and collaborative learning opportunities for Chromebook and laptop classrooms. In this session we will explore uses of Google Drive, the Chrome Browser, and select Google Apps in ways that facilitate creative student demonstrations of learning. Participants will be introduced to valuable "Add-Ons" that extend the functionality of Google Drive, "Extensions" that boost Chrome's capabilities, as well as Google-friendly apps that facilitate a wide range of innovative possibilities. Showcased tools include Kaizena, VideoNot.es, Screencastify, Snagit, Movenote, and more. In all, this session will provide participants with a strong foundation for powerful and creative student Google integration.

Presentation Slides 

Learning to code doesn't have to begin with learning a programming language. With apps like Hopscotch and Scratch Jr., learning to code becomes the by-product of creation process. In this Innovation Lab, we will explore the apps available to create digital stories using logic and animations. You will be having so much fun creating and sharing that you won't even notice you are also learning to code. Teachers looking to introduce coding into their classrooms are welcome.

Presentation Slides, Challenges, and Resources

Using student created animations in science can significantly increase student understanding of complex processes and improve their engagement. Come to this hands on session to learn the why and the how to use student created animations in your science classroom.

Presenter Materials 

What we see has a profound effect on what we learn and remember. Graphic design and photo editing used to be left to the experts, but no longer! The Canva app and website provide a simpler way to create presentations, posters, and other designs. During this hands-on session, we will combine Canva with some basic design literacy guidelines to help your students create better visual presentations that strengthen their ability to communicate what they know, think, and feel.

An iPad or laptop can be used.

Presenter's Materials