Mobile Learning Experience 2013

In this beginners session, you will learn the basics of how to use your iPad. Learn how to personalize your iPad with all the different features offered in the settings. Then learn how to enable restrictions on your iPad for home or school. Discover how to adapt your iPad for special needs students in the accessibility features. All the basic tips and tricks for classroom management will be covered with @ipadsammy.

Administrative support is the most important factor of a school's success with any program. School heads, leaders, department heads, business officers, and other decision makers will want to attend this session, discussing the do's and don'ts of implementing mobile devices. Spanning across all aspects involved, topics discussed will include technical requirements and best practices, professional development, BYOD vs school-owned, public relations, parental involvement, student preparedness, and much more.

Transform your instruction by becoming an “untethered” teacher! Teachers currently have a problem when utilizing technology in their classroom; many of the most popular tools (laptops, document cameras, interactive whiteboards, etc.) end up tethering the instructor to their equipment rather than allowing them to interact directly with students. During this session the presenters will demonstrate how iPads and Apple TV’s can work seamlessly in an instructional setting as a teacher presentation device, freeing them to interact more directly with their students.

Experience how the iPad and Apple TV provide an ideal situation for teachers to become untethered and move about the room freely to monitor and coach students while teaching a lesson. Improve instructional pedagogy by seeing what students see and gain the ability to provide instant feedback to students while moving about the room. The teacher’s position in the room can impact the dynamics and feel of a lesson.

Learn how to easily import, create, and share instructional resources for Common Core aligned lessons from the iPad using apps such as DropBox, Google Drive, or Explain Everything.

See how the iPad and Apple TV increases the amount of student engagement and interactivity during the lesson. How students can share their own thinking and learning from the iPad as the screen is mirrored via the Apple TV – allowing the students to become the teacher!

During the session, attendees will have an opportunity to experience the feel of presenting and instructing while being “untethered” from the font of the room. Be sure to bring your iPads!

Stories and video of classroom instruction showing how this model works in practice will be shared, from both standard and “flipped” classroom implementations. Presentation content, lesson plans and classroom procedures will be available to participants online through the presenters website. Whether your are a beginner or intermediate user of iPads and Apple TVs, this session will meet your needs and answer your questions.

Co-presented with Robyn Griffith  

When educators begin to encourage students to bring their own technology tools into the classroom, fundamental changes in the learning process occur. The ultimate goal of a Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT) initiative is to improve opportunities for student learning. What should happen during the first five days in a BYOT classroom to initiate a successful implementation? In this session, learn how to start your BYOT program or to give it a necessary reboot. Be prepared to hear firsthand experiences with BYOT and to construct new strategies to build a firm foundation out of the first five days of BYOT to support the rest of the school year!

Android is the fastest-growing mobile device operating system in the world, yet they still do not receive the recognition they deserve.

The purpose of this session is to demonstrate ways to integrate and implement Android applications in the classroom. Teachers need to begin with a few apps, be comfortable with them to able to use them efficiently and successfully with students. The apps that will be featured were chosen for their ability to let students and teachers create using their Android device. This session will not only give ideas to take back to the classroom, but will also show how to present and share these projects, personally and globally.

Quick Response (QR) codes are becoming more and more popular in the educational setting. The presenter of this session will show the participants how easy it is to read and create your own QR codes for creating various activities. The participants will be provided with multiple ideas for how to use QR codes including scavenger hunts, homework help, book reviews, newsletters, and a fabulous time saver of creating a “Me Code” where you can put your contact details in a QR Code to post outside your classroom/office door. All the demonstrated apps are free and can be adapted for use in all grade levels and subject areas. Before you attend this session, please download i-nigma for your iOS or Android device. This session is for all levels of expertise.

Web-based applications (web apps) are growing by leaps and bounds. They are becoming essential to teachers and districts who can't afford client-based software and the licenses.

The purpose of this session is to demonstrate ways to integrate and implement Web-based apps in the classroom. Teachers need to begin with a few apps, be comfortable with them to able to use them efficiently and successfully with students. The apps that will be featured were chosen for their ability to let students and teachers create using their web-based app. This session will not only give ideas to take back to the classroom, but will also show how to present and share these projects, personally and globally.

There's amazing potential when you have an iPad in your hand. While Apple says that you already know how to use it, there are many things you would never figure out unless someone told you. Tony Vincent is ready to tell you about many of those magical things. Learn about tips for using the keyboard, treating your battery right, projecting the screen, finding quality apps and app sales, and more. The best part is that Tony will share these wondrous tidbits using the top creation apps. You'll see humorous animations, simple collages, insightful comics, stunning slideshows, and educational movies—all made on an iPad.

A typical concern for many BYOT teacher is how to plan activities when you know that the students in your classes will come in with many different devices. This session will offer the participants multiple resources that can be used by the teacher to meet the multi device needs as well as creating useful, relevant, and fun activities. We will be using Google forms, poll everywhere, and other great resources. All the demonstrated programs and apps are free and can be adapted for use in all grade levels and subject areas. This session is intended for beginners and intermediate skill levels.

Teachers everywhere are looking for great ways to transition into paperless classrooms while still managing to keep their students engaged.  This session explores the easy use of interactive Keynotes on the iPad, creating an engaging and collaborative experience for students.  Participants will not only be given multiple examples of how to use Keynotes in an Elementary Classroom for Reading, Math, and Science, but they will also be shown a “how-to” on creating these interactive Keynotes and transferring them to iPads in the students’ hands.

Co-presented with Nancy Goodnight 

Want to keep your students on task, be able to monitor their behavior while mobile, have the ability to run behavior reports for parents, and check for student understanding at the end of a lesson? Join us to learn about a variety of free classroom management apps and the ways that Flagstaff teachers are making use of these apps in the classroom. During this hands-on session we will investigate the functionality of several apps and discuss how the suite of apps can be used to manage student behavior. This session will include time dedicated to learning about the app and then facilitated discussion on the use of each app within the classroom for student behavior management. Participants will come away from the session with an understanding of many apps that can help them become mobile with their classroom management. The apps that will be used are: ClassDojo, Student Clicker – Socrative, Teacher Clicker – Socrative, Too Noisy, Random Name Selector, and Giant Timer. Participants should download these apps ahead of time, in order to fully participate in the session.

Co-presented with Brad Kamradt and Mary Knight  

Learn how to start an after-school Storychasers (new media journalism) club which can amplify stories of wonderful learning at school as well as provide opportunities for students to use mobile devices to develop digital literacy skills. Learn about the experiences and lessons learned of elementary students and teachers in Yukon, Oklahoma, who have participated in after-school Storychasers clubs since the Spring of 2012. Learn about ways to use web publishing platforms like WordPress and Blogger to solicit as well as moderate student submitted blog posts, and ideas for developing a digital badging system using BadgeOS (free) and Credly to encourage the development of students’ digital communication skills.
http://storychasers.org/clubs/ 

There are so many applications available for mobile devices and not enough time to use them all! Teachers are pursuing the magic app that will motivate their students, help them achieve, develop their digital age skills, and sustain their interest. In this session, determine new ways to hunt for apps; investigate their potential strengths and weaknesses; and capture some great apps from your colleagues. Come prepared with an app to share, and maybe you will even discover the magic app!

Do you want to learn about geocaching? Or how to geocache with your mobile device? Or how to incorporate geocaching into your K-12 classroom? Or, do you just want to break up a day of sitting in conference rooms to get outside for some fresh air and exercise? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this session is for you.

After a brief classroom introduction, participants will venture outside of the conference center and use their GPS-enabled mobile devices to locate geocaches hidden near the conference resort. After hopefully locating several geocaches, the session will conclude with a brainstorming session on how GPS-enabled mobile devices can be integrated into K-12 classrooms.

Before the session, download the free app from Geocaching.com entitled Geocaching Intro. It’s available for three devices:

iPhone/iPad (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/geocaching-intro/id329541503?mt=8)

Android (http://store.dodost.com/navigation/geocaching-intro/)

Windows 7 Phone (http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/geocaching-live/33e84192-f9f3-425a-840d-dd2907808b33)

OR download any other app that activates the GPS feature of your mobile device.

The session instructor uses the $9.99 version of Geocaching by Geocaching.com, but she suggests that everyone use the free app, Geocaching Intro, first – and download the full version later if they get hooked!

Participants will learn about the origins of geocaching, how to use the Geocaching Intro app and all the features of that app, how to use the web resource: geocaching.com, as well as guidelines for geocaching, and guidelines for finding and hiding caches.

This session will employ a learn-by-doing, constructivist approach to ensure that participants are actively engaged, challenged to learn and integrate new concepts, working collaboratively with other participants, learning from their mistakes, and applying their new understandings and skills to their own teaching/learning situations. As such, the session will model one approach to using GPS-enabled devices in K-12 classrooms.

The Fourth Grade of Sidwell Friends has had a 1:1 program for several years. But when we moved from netbooks to iPads, things changed. What changed during our first year with these devices and why? As one teacher shares a classroom’s triumphs, challenges, and surprises, we will discuss: How does a technological platform impact teaching and learning? What new work becomes possible with a new tool? How does a community respect old priorities while establishing new ones? How can it both be not about the iPad and all about the iPad? New and experienced tech integrators are invited to come and share in this reflective session.  

In this session, participants will immerse themselves in the use of iBooks Author as a powerful and purposeful tool in making novel studies truly a 21st Century experience! By learning how to create and scaffold an iBook, to embedding widgets and assigning "apptivities," participants will come away with a working knowledge of how to create a novel study using iBooks as the ultimate iPad delivery platform for teacher and students.

The session will begin with a “how-to” on navigating iBooks Author with a special emphasis on using the available widgets and creating apptivities that promote critical thinking. Learn how to set up chapters, add video, links, along with widgets that allow for keynotes, picture galleries, quizzes and more! In order to fully participate in this hands-on session, participants will need a Macbook running Lion with the free iBooks Author app downloaded.

Once creation is complete, attention will shift to the finished product using iBooks on the iPad. Participants will see how adding pictures brings setting and vocabulary to life; understand the impact of adding a keynote that allows for student manipulation on the iPad; realize the power of interactive assessments at students’ fingertips; and, can develop rigorous, paperless assignments using available apps. An iBook novel study will be shared with participants allowing for a personal view into the expectations and flow of the student experience.

The session will conclude with a quick look at the logistics of using iBooks in your classroom, including syncing and file sharing through iTunes.

Ready to take your novel studies into the digital age? If so, this session will give you the skills and confidence to jump into iBooks Author to create an engaging and interactive “novel” experience for your students!

*Apps used in this session include: Keynote, Pages, Educreations, Doodlebuddy, i-nigma and iMovie

Co-presented with Amy Vedeikis 

Learn how to create a free mobile application for your class for iOS (iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch) as well as Android smartphones/tablets. In this session we will learn how to create both web apps (which run via a web browser and do not require Apple Store / Android Marketplace approval) as well as basic, native mobile apps. Several different, free mobile app development options will be explored and demonstrated. No prior programming experience is required! Become an educational leader in the mobile learning revolution by offering your students opportunities to access your course content via a customized, mobile application YOU create and update!

http://wiki.wesfryer.com/Home/handouts/apps

Come to this session if you want to know how to make podcasts, vodcasts, and screencasts. Step-by-step instructions will be given to develop these audio and video files. Practical tips and ideas will be provided as ideas for how to create and use podcasts, vodcasts, and screencasts as teacher made resources, or how they can be given to students to create for activities or assessments. All the demonstrated programs and apps are free and can be adapted for use in all grade levels and subject areas.

Please note that the screencasts will be demonstrated for the iPad during this session and not for an Android device. The participants attending this session can choose to just listen and try out the ideas later as the session will be fast paced. If the participants want to follow along with the step by step activities please download Audacity to your laptops beforehand and ScreenChomp and ShowMe to your iOS device.

Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplay Games, or MMO’s, have dominated the computer gaming industry for the last several years. MMO’s go beyond traditional computer gaming, though. They are vibrant, persistent, and surprisingly social worlds, and now many of them are mobile! As educators begin to take their first steps into these spaces, we’re finding that there’s a wealth of often overlooked educational value for our learners. Join Peggy Sheehy and explore the highly popular MMO, World of Warcraft, as well as the free ELA curriculum, "WoWinSchool: The Hero’s Journey". Peggy has been running this program with 6th -10th grade students since 2008, and has a wealth of tips and tricks to share! Not only will you be introduced to World of Warcraft, but you’ll also learn strategies used to adapt worlds like these to our classrooms, and the concepts you’ll learn can be adapted to any MMO, including Lord of the Rings Online, Guild Wars 2, RuneScape, and others. Grab your sword, strap on your armor, and don your educator’s cap of wisdom as we embark on a quest for learning!

Padlet and Lino are the two best online sticky note services around. They are web-based and work great on iPads, PCs, Macs, smartphones, and tablets. Walls can be set up so that students can use them without logins or passwords, making them easy to infuse into lessons. And the sticky notes aren't limited to text–they can have images, videos, and hyperlinks. Discover how teachers are using these virtual message boards everyday to collect student products, power communication, and fuel productive collaboration.

Mobile learning is not yet pervasive in PK-2 classrooms, but its potential is enormous. This session is designed to specifically help those teachers and administrators who accept the challenge to integrate mobile technologies into their schools and classrooms. It provides both a list of apps suited for PK-2 classrooms, and numerous instructional strategies that (1) foster active, participatory learning, (2) increase student engagement in the learning process, and (3) create exciting, empowering, exploratory, student-centered learning environments.

Using iPads and age-appropriate apps gives PK-2 classroom teachers many opportunities to instill in young students a curiosity about geography, science, mathematics, social studies, language, and the world in which they live. A multitude of these apps turn iPads into multidisciplinary, inquiry-driven, field-based tools useful across all curricula.

Many apps support multiple learning styles, presenting data that is visual, auditory, and kinesthetic, and the iPad’s tactile interface and media-friendly approach introduce a new element into the learning experience for young students. iPads and well-chosen apps can capture the imagination of students and motivate them to learn more on their own.

This session explores five accessibility features (zoom magnification, large text, speak selection, assistivetouch, guided access) that are useful for PK-2 classrooms. Finally, this session showcases six criteria for evaluating mobile apps that help children learn in real world, context-rich, student-centered environments in which learning is relevant and focused on concrete approaches to solving real-world problems. I label these criteria the 6Cs and evaluate to what extent does an app allow teachers and students to create, communicate, connect, collaborate, contextualize and critique.

This session will be full of practical tips and ideas which can be taken directly back to the classroom. Designed for elementary and middle school math teachers, this session will demonstrate a great many useful apps and show the participants how to create authentic real-world activities. These activities are directly aligned to the Common Core mathematical practices. Free apps have been selected where possible and highlight great math apps from the many thousands of apps available.

With the Flipped Classroom, teachers turn the traditional classroom structure on its head and use technology - typically, mobile devices such as iPads, tablets, or laptops - to reorganize class so that students maximize the value of their time with their teachers and peers. However, after providing students with custom content to consume on mobile devices, and assessing them with student response systems, what does this flipped learning really look like? In this session, we will examine scenarios from elementary through high school that provide examples of these "upside down" learning environments where students engage, explore, and collaborate. The Flipped Classroom isn’t just about bringing iPads or tablets into classrooms - it’s about using them to transform the way that students learn.

Participants in this session will learn that their public library has so much more to offer than books, audio books and ebooks. Did you know that many public libraries provide apps for reading magazines, downloading music and learning languages? Come to this session to learn how to find, download and use mobile apps to access free content in multiple formats. This session will be especially useful for novices and will provide instruction for downloading apps for multiple devices. Participants should bring their library cards to the session and confirm any PINs or login information associated with that card.

Everyone knows that individual apps have a purpose but what if you use two or three or four apps to create an end result? Learn how to use multiple apps in a process called app stacking to create a richer end result. We want to encourage students to explore and internalize the different app functions so they can create projects on their own and truly understand the underpinnings and possibilities of going mobile.

The presenter of this session will cover the basics of augmented reality (AR). The participants will be shown how AR can be used in the educational setting and we will go through step by step instructions of how to create our own augmented reality using Aurasma. Workshop participants will need Aurasma downloaded to their iOS or Android device to participate in the session. All the demonstrated programs and apps are free and can be adapted for use in the majority of grade levels and subject areas. This session is intended for those with little to no experience in using AR.

A truck just backed up to the school and dumped out 500 shiny new mobile devices!!! ...Now what...? How are you going to get the apps, books and documents on those machines that your students need? Do you want to manage access? What about security? Oh... and about that camera... Got a headache yet?
Come hear about some of the great options that are out there for managing mobile devices. Bob Martin is a trainer with MOREnet, University of Missouri and he travels the state of Missouri assisting schools with the selection, application and management of mobile devices and has tons of information and a few case studies to share. We will talk options, costs, features and answer as many questions as we can in this informational session.

Empirical research in mobile language learning is still scarce. The purpose of this session is to report on a pilot study that explores the role of mobile technology in the learning and teaching of a foreign language. There are fundamental properties of mobile devices - such as portability, individuality, interactivity and connectivity - that are essential to foreign language education, in that they enhance exposure and noticing, promote interaction and develop corrective feedback. The mobile device used is iPad3 primarily because it is compatible with the most recent applications for the development of interactive skills and, compared to other mobile devices, it has a wider high-resolution touch screen, which helps learners’ focus, raising their awareness and making them notice key language features.

A class of sixth graders was observed in their first year of learning Italian and compared to the sixth grade class of the previous year, now in seventh grade. The application ‘Notability’ replaced both textbook and notebook. In line with the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), all language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) were practiced, with a particular focus on spoken interaction.

Students were emailed the material the teacher wanted them to work on, they opened it using ‘Notability’ and did their assignments – aural, oral or written; in pairs or individually, depending on the task. This application also allows audio-recording, therefore students recorded themselves in spoken production tasks, and recorded each other in spoken interaction tasks. Most importantly, they could listen to their own recordings and self-evaluate their performance. Once the assignments in their various formats were completed, they were sent to the teacher for evaluation.

At the end of the year, a comprehensive standardized level test was administered. Results indicate that this year's sixth graders performed better in listening (+19.65%), spoken interaction (+18.66%) and reading (+23.66%), whereas the average score in writing is the same across the two groups of sixth graders. While the seven graders have improved their score in all components since last year, surprisingly, in spoken interaction, the sixth graders outperformed them by 15%.

These results are even more compelling given the fact that this year's sixth grade group has increased twofold since last year's. What makes the results particularly significant is that both groups shared the same teacher, the same curriculum and the same textbook. What seemed to have made the difference is the introduction of the iPad. Results thus, show that, thanks to mobile technology, the sixth graders of the current year have progressed better than the sixth graders of the previous year.

Co-presented with Adena Dershowitz

Click for the online handout.

Overview
Modern technology has changed what a discussion looks like and how many voices can be heard at one time. Mobile based discussions provide a chance for "All" students to participate and share what they know. Learn how to implement mobile based discussion strategies to build a community of connected learners fully engaged in class and beyond school hours.

Objectives:
Attendees will get a chance to tap into the mobile-based best practices for engaging students in discussions anyday, anytime. At the end of the presentation teachers will…
Know how to implement mobile based discussion strategies to build a community of connected learners fully engaged in class.

Building a Community
Do your students feel like they are part of a community or just attending a class? In this segment we will provide strategies to increase student by-in, class involvement, and maintain connectedness outside of the school day. Social media options for building a community could include any of the following: Facebook Page, Edmodo, Class Blog.

Discussions Beyond the Classroom
Class time is precious! Think about the times when there that extra, interesting academic topic to discuss that doesn’t need teacher guidance or doesn’t have to fit into the schedule. Google Groups or a Learning Management System threaded discussion (like Schoology) are tools that allow students to see everyone’s ideas and comment over an extended time. Strategies used with these tools are academic topics to be explored, opinions to be expressed, reflecting on a topic already learned, commenting on other students’ thoughts, expressing support for student performance or providing constructive criticism. These tools can spark discussions during class and continue beyond the school day.

Democratization of Class Discussion
Don’t rely on a handful of vocal students, bring all your students into the conversation with mobile devices. Using Google Forms or Socrative, you can empower your students to express their opinions and share their knowledge. When you couple these tools with a projector, your students receive recognition and are accountable to their classmates for their responses. These strategies can motivate and fully engage the entire class.

Co-presented with Dan McDowell 

Evernote is a suite of products that can be used on a variety of mobile devices that aims to help users act upon ideas, projects and experiences. This session will show attendees how Evernote and it's suite of products can be used on an iPad, iPhone or iPod touch to transform the way teachers organise and keep student assessment. Teachers and students alike now have the ability to stay organised, improve productivity and workflow and become more accountable for documenting and collecting student assessment and data. Using Evernote products on tablets and smart phones as well as mobile computers allows students and teachers to have all assessment and portfolios easily accessible and synchronised across multiple devices. A hands on workshop, presentations and discussion to allow attendees to begin using Evernote to enable them to become a paperless, organised teaching and learning professional. Attendees are asked to come with the following products installed on their device- Evernote, Skitch, Penultimate, Kustomnote, Explain Everything and Dolphin Browser. 

Lacking creativity? Let Android apps do the hard work for you. Learn how to use a single app to manipulate a photo or video, how to create a single project using multiple apps, and how to share your work with the world. BYOD and play along with us! We will be looking at Magisto, WeVideo, VidTrim, Pixlr Express, Snapseed, Photo Grid, Textgram, Skitch and more if time allows.  

Envision a classroom filled with eager students. In that same classroom, students have access to iPads and Vernier probe ware as core components for instruction. Most importantly, the students are investigating a real-world problem in hopes of finding a solution for improving the world around them. Educationally, this scenario is ideal fodder for rigor and relevance! Merge eager students and real world applications with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and the Common Core to create an educational environment filled with inquiry and problem-based learning. During this session participants will experience all of these components in action via video clips, digital artifacts, and lesson experiences collected onboard the STEM Exploration Lab, a K-5 mobile classroom. Featured lesson samples will include Changes Around Our World: Physical and Chemical, Growing Strong: Interdependence of Living Things, Environmental Alert: Water and Air Quality, and Exploring STEM: Careers and Skills for Success. Student activities related to these lessons and the format for classroom delivery will be demonstrated and practiced briefly throughout the session. A few demonstrations to look forward to will be digital science note booking, simple data collection for K-2 students, and the vital role of student reflection in the classroom. Evidence of seamless integration across the curriculum promises to be inspiring! Featured apps participants may want to download prior to attending the session for demonstration use include iMotionHD by Fingerlab, Popplet Lite by Notion, Pic Stitch by Big Blue Clip, LLC, Evernote, SketchBook Express by Autodesk, Inc., i-nigma by 3GVision (or your favorite QR code reader) and Trading Cards by ReadWriteThink. All levels of technology users welcome!

If you follow the Twitter feed at a conference, you'll catch short, powerful phrases that inspire and make you think. Tom Daccord's "Failure is...mandatory" for instance, or Singapore's "Teach less, learn more". Having a "mantra" or guiding message in your head doesn't create change, but it can be an inspiration for moving toward change with a purpose. Mantras are a key tool in our professional development process. Learn how searching for, selecting, and evolving personal mantras helped to facilitate group conversations and promote personal progress.

Sidwell Friends School’s Lower School technology coordinator and a fourth grade classroom teacher will
share how identifying mantras related to teachers’ experiences and learning with iPads has created a collaborative spirit among the faculty, and inspired teachers to evaluate and challenge themselves to grow and take risks as they integrate iPads into their program. The conversations around mantras has lead to deeper conversations about our teaching, and public conversations via our collaborative blog, “iPad Adventures in Lower School”.

Come to this interactive session to learn how to inspire your colleagues to think big, share mantras and hear those of others, and start to focus in on the guiding messages that will lead your next efforts to achieve the goals and meet the challenges you are facing at your school. 

Co-presented with Leslie Younge

You can't read a document about education and learning without seeing the word creativity. We all know how important creativity is in the 21st century and yet with all the other demands, it can often be a challenge to make it a regular part of the day. Creativity is like a muscle, it needs to be practiced and worked on daily. This session will showcase a few simple ideas that can be embedded into any classroom with 5 minutes and a bit of technology.

One of the biggest things an organization needs to consider before and during implementation of mobile devices is professional development. Yet, as a teacher, how many times has professional development directly impacted your classroom? Too often, professional development is something done TO you, not FOR you, with no regard to your classroom needs. This is especially true when people are trying to communicate too much information in not enough time about a new device, app, etc. The new Edcamp model of professional development capitalizes on each teacher’s unique types of expertise and areas of need. It reminds us that we don’t have to hire a consultant to get new learning. We are all experts.

Many times, Edcamp looks like a conference, but it can be implemented in many other situations, including in a site-based professional development session or even with students. This session will show how you can implement the Edcamp model in your own setting and learn from those people already around us. We’ll analyze the model, look at possibilities for implementation, and then do it! We’ll run our own tiny Edcamp event in the last half of the session. No need to wonder exactly what it looks like, you’ll have done it! Come find out how Everyone is an Expert at Edcamp!

Apps pre-installed: (none)
Devices: (any)
Grade levels: (any)
Expertise: (any)

Learning to integrate your iPad into a classroom setting can be difficult. Teachers get bogged down with the details of different apps, trying to explain every detail of how to use an app to the students. In this session, Felix Jacomino and Jon Samuelson, show you how to let go and let the students take charge of their own learning with the iPad. Learn new tricks as they demonstrate the teacher's role as the guide by the side for student learning. 

Who says you can’t flip the learning in an elementary classroom? Come and experience how the Creighton School District in Phoenix, AZ has utilized iPads to facilitate flipped classrooms in 1st through 4th grade environments already teaching to the Common Core Standards. These iPad flipped classrooms are meeting the needs of both regular education and English Language Learner students. Never flipped a lesson before? This session can get you started.

Learn about the extensive professional development provided to teachers. See how ongoing training is tailored to their needs through job-embedded coaching and mentoring.

Experience how the flipped classroom model allows for more one on one in class time with the teacher and provides opportunities for building critical thinking and problem solving skills, student collaboration and communication, and integration of project based learning.

See a variety of ways teachers quickly and easily create video lessons aligned to Common Core State Standards on their iPads or laptops for student “at home” assignments.

Observe how using iPads in the flipped classroom environment provides enriched learning opportunities for students both throughout the school day and at home.

Learn about the suite of apps both students and teachers use to create and share content for learning and reflection, including Mail, Quick Voice Recorder, Haiku Deck, Pic Collage, and a variety of interactive whiteboard apps.

Put on your teacher hat! Plan and create a video lesson using the Explain Everything, Educreations, or ScreenChomp apps (be sure to download one of these apps prior to the session). Then share your video lesson with the group via AirPlay and an Apple TV.

Co-presented with Robyn Griffith

You've surely seen those black and white squares in advertisements, on buildings, and stuck to bananas. They are QR codes, and they are being put to great use in classrooms. See exactly how QR codes can save time and help make classrooms a little more interactive. Tony Vincent will share some of his favorite free online tools for creating codes and some very creative ways they are used for teaching and learning.

Please download the i-nigma app before the session begins.

Imagine an interactive whiteboard you can hold in your hand. Imagine any content you create on your little whiteboard -- text, drawing, or images, all with your recorded narration -- can instantly be shared with your students online.

If you have an iPad with the free Educreations app, you've got everything you just imagined.
Educreations combines mobile learning with flipped learning. Instead of lecturing your students, show them in a format they can play, pause, and rewind from any Internet-connected device.
In this session you will use Educreations to create and upload lessons. You'll record your voice, write, type, draw, and insert photos.

This session is designed for iPad users from beginner on up who teach any grade level.
Educreations works on iPads running iOS 5.0 or later. Before you arrive for this session, please install Educreations on your iPad and create your Educreations account. 

There are two priorities to the successful implementation of a technology infused project. First, have a strong instructional plan for using, setting up, managing, and deploying hardware and software. Second, is to provide tailored professional development that includes ongoing, job-embedded coaching and mentoring. Following these two priorities has contributed to the success of Creighton School District’s Project iAchieve: Using iPods and iPads to Enhance Learning.

Learn how Project iAchieve teachers are provided with training and professional development that focuses on improving teaching and learning rather than just how to use the technology hardware and software.

There will be two major components to the session: Initial training and professional development; followed by a focus on continuous job-embedded coaching and mentoring.

During the initial training and professional development portion of the session, attendees with come away with an understanding of six essentials to technology professional development: time, location, access to the technology, addressing individual participant differences, modeling of technology use, and opportunities for hands on use of the resources.

Learn the importance of developing a basic understanding of the technology hardware and software, managing equipment, classroom management, developing procedures for technology use in the classroom, lesson planning, and how to prepare students for use of the technology.

The second phase of the session will focus on the ongoing, job-embedded coaching and mentoring that is vital to keeping a technology project moving along. Presenters will discuss classroom observations and providing effective feedback, individual teacher coaching and planning sessions, modeling through co-teaching in the classroom, and establishing Professional Learning Communities (PLC’s) for communication and collaboration.

At the conclusion of the session, attendees will be given the opportunity to brainstorm and plan a technology professional development session. Attendees will be provided with sample professional development agendas and planning materials.

Co-presented with Robyn Griffith   

This session is a fast paced look at a number of current educational topics that have some degree of controversy. It is a staple session at edcamps. Partcipants will be faced with a number of topics and be given 5 minutes to choose a side and share insights as to whether an idea "rocks" or "sucks". The intent is not to debate but to learn and discover new perspectives on topics you either have vested interests, have some idea about or know very little about but would like to learn. 

As schools and districts explore "the new", it's essential more than ever to build social capital with all stakeholders. Communication goes beyond monthly or weekly newsletters. This session will explore the ways in which technology can serve as a way to engage and connect those interested parties and build social capital as a commodity essential for continued innovation. 

Celebrate Differences! Celebrate Collaboration! Celebrate Creativity!

Come to this session to learn how a serendipitous meeting between three very diverse people turned into a productive collaboration to create a must-have app for educators. Presenters will not only showcase the app they have created, they will also discuss the process they used to turn a dream into a reality. Imagine this unlikely scenario:

The People: Three individuals - a university student in his early 20s (Travis Allen), a veteran, recently-retired university professor (Dr. Alice Christie), and the CEO of Mobicip, a company devoted to online child safety (Suren Ramasubbu) – met at Mobile Learning Experience 2011. They differed in age, experience, profession, gender, and ethnicity. But, they shared a common passion and goal to improve the online learning experiences of pre-school through university students. They met for dinner and shared their ideas and visions about creating THE APP for educators. They exchanged contact information and vowed to meet again.

The Common Goal: Unlike many such meetings, these three individuals actually did meet again; and then again, and again - occasionally face-to-face, but mostly online. Their goal was to create a single ‘workspace’ environment (or mobile app) that educators could use to locate the best educational apps at any grade level in any curricular area.

The Challenge: They soon realized that their good intentions could only take them so far in actualizing a great idea. Communication and productivity in a distributed team are interdependent, but often difficult to achieve.

The Process for Overcoming the Challenge: Through trial and error, the team developed tacit guidelines to facilitate the process of turning a dream into a reality. These guidelines included: setting realistic agendas and timelines (the most difficult task), using one collaborative document to which all members contribute (thus eliminating multiple emails), striving for clarity, brevity, and adherence to previously agreed-upon conventions in all communications, being open to and respectful of the suggestions of all teammates, and being respectful of each team member's individual skills and areas of expertise.

The App: Apps4iSchool allows users to search an extensive database of free/inexpensive apps for use in K-12 classrooms. Users can filter by platform (iPhone/iPod Touch or iPad), price (free/paid), subject area, grade level, activity type, or common core standards. In addition, an instructional strategy for using each app is included.

Because there are millions of apps on the market, finding really relevant, engaging ones that facilitate learning can be a bit daunting. Participants will use this app to identify apps that are appropriate for their classrooms. In addition, participants will (1) be able identify be able to identify criteria for evaluating apps for mobile devices, (2) have access to a list of over 200 of the best educational apps, (3) be ready to download a dozen apps for use in their classrooms, (4) experience the joy of learning that students will feel when they use apps on mobile devices in their classrooms, (5) ignite their students' love of learning with this interactive, educational app for mobile devices,
and (6) have access to a website for ongoing reference and support about educational apps in PK-12 classrooms.

Come to this session to see collaboration in action, and to see the result of this unlikely collaboration. Apps4iSchool is FREE to all educators.

It's show and tell time! Tony Vincent brought some of his favorite gadgets, gizmos, and accessories to show you. They include an automated cameraman, a Bluethooth-controlled ball, a Wi-Fi controlled flying drone, wireless speakers, microphones, web cams, a sticker printer, and a 3D motion controller.

While Tony has a lot to share, there is plenty of time for you to come up and show off your favorite techie things!

Wouldn't it be great if you could neatly organize all of your online content, sites you constantly use in the classroom in one place? Weebly is the site for you! They give you two free websites per email address. This session will help you build a personal website very quickly and easily that may include title, text, photos, links to other pages and more! You can then send your students there for any sites regularly used in the classroom or accessed in the computer lab or at home. You can link video, store worksheets, publish calendars and maintain control over your content from home or work. Join this session to see the many uses of Weebly!

Please bring a laptop to this session so that you can start a Weebly! 

Sharing is the most important part of learning. But what are the best ways to share using the iPad, iPod or iPhone? Jenny will lead you through some activities so you can successfully share using iDevices.

Please bring your iPad or iPod or iPhone with the following suggested apps installed: Dropbox, Explain Everything , iBooks, Plain Text, Keynote, Twitter, Dropvox, Blogpress, Lino, Vimeo, AudioBoo, Bump, Mover, instashare, Duplicam, QR code generator, i-nigma, and Wifi Photo. Also a Gmail account would be handy.

At SAS, we believe in the power of mobile learning. From supplemental tools for classroom instruction to comprehensive, interactive lessons, mobile apps are transforming education allowing for learning to occur anytime, anywhere. Mobile learning not only motivates and meets the needs of 21st century students, but also aligns with the skills and competencies demanded by today’s workplace. Therefore, we at SAS, along with our consortium of teachers, students, and domain experts, are creating innovative, practical mobile apps to help facilitate progression toward the mobile-enhanced, ubiquitous classroom—at no cost and ad-free! Among these apps is SAS® Read Aloud: a storytime experience for early readers, SAS® Math Stretch: drill and practice for elementary math, SAS® Data Notebook: a digital 3-ring binder for students of all ages, and SAS Flashcards®: a study tool featuring user created content.

However, adopting and integrating mobile learning into current pedagogy has generated new and unique challenges yet to be fully resolved. With so many apps available in the App Store educators are often left wondering how to best identify quality applications and how can these be integrated into their current classroom?

To help participants of this session answer these questions, we will provide:

• A discussion of SAS’ philosophy for developing quality research-based educational apps that involves integrating expertise of researcher, teachers, students, and domain experts.
• An introduction to SAS’s suite of innovative, research-based mobile apps for education available at no cost and ad-free.
• An outline of case studies and implementation strategies for supporting mobile learning as identified by our expert consortium of classroom teachers.

Co-presented with Jennifer Sabourin 

The camera is perhaps the greatest overlooked feature present on most mobile devices. But if you come to this session you will learn how students can use the camera to support and build vocabulary, create digital portfolios, represent operations in math, and build critical thinking. We will learn a little bit, go out in small groups and take some photos, and then return to the session room and make magic with the photos you took. Look at the session description a week before the conference for a list of photo apps you could download before the session.