Mobile Learning Experience 2013

Bring your drink ticket and mingle with other mobile-minded educators.

The reception is sponsored by app developers. Their apps appear on the slideshow playing during the reception.

The sponsors include: Answer Underground, Atlas Learning Inc., iHomeEducator Inc., Kidsemail.org, Mobile Learning Services, Montessori, MorrisCooke, Pyxwise Software, Inc., SonicPics, Spinlight, Splash Math, Squirrels LLC, TheAnswerPad.com, Wanderful Interactive Storybooks, and Wisekids. 

 

Mobile technology tools have the power to radically transform teaching and learning experiences in the digital age!  When students can access any information using the technology tools in their pockets, what happens to the role of the teacher?  What are the particular needs and characteristics of digital age students?  Although students are often experts with mobile devices, they may not realize how to learn with them. Discover how educators and students can utilize innovative technology tools to energize and mobilize learning in their schools, classrooms, and communities.

Peggy Sheehy has been using virtual worlds and games in her teaching since 2006. Although education has finally noticed gaming and virtual worlds, this attention has divided into two very different perspectives. Some see engagement, concentration and collaboration, while others see isolation, social dysfunction and addiction. And most recently, the "Gamification Bandwagon" has come to town–layering another level of hype and confusion onto the topic that only serves to provide some interests with an easy sell- while marginalizing the powerful impact these tools have in the hands of skilled educators. Now more than ever, mobile technology has afforded possibilities for us to harness this powerful pedagogy and allow for authentic agency in learning! However, it's often the educators who have difficulty seeing the relevance of games to some portion of their curriculum. It's time to dispel the myths surrounding these concepts, and draw clear connections between games and learning. As the role of mobile devices continues to grow more and more pervasive in our everyday lives, we can support a return to "playfulness literacy." Education can’t afford to stand still but must continue to evolve and adapt to the needs of its learners. Games can help us to create a rich, dynamic and challenging learning environment, tapping into a resource that has cultural resonance for our students. Peggy Sheehy will discuss why games engage us, how we can harness that engagement for learning and provide examples of this solid pedagogical approach happening right now in schools all over the world, and give attendees practical examples and resources to begin using these powerful learning platforms. 

Come experience 13 presentations back-to-back! Each presentation has exactly 20 slides timed to advance every 15 seconds. That gives each speaker exactly five minutes. Presentations will be about a variety of mobile learning topics and stories.

Here's our presentation lineup:

Education 3.0: Altering Round Peg in Round Whole Education
Jackie Gerstein, Ed.D.
@jackiegerstein 

Learning Mobile Learning
Felix Jacomino
@felixjacomino

My Device Can Beat Up Your Device
Andy King
@MoTechTrainer

The World Wide Web Without Water Wings
Dierdre Shetler
@dierdreshetler

PLNs and Making Connections
Jenny Ashby
@jjash

Creativity
John Kain
@johnckain

Make an Appointment to Play with Scratch
Wesley Fryer
@wfryer

Being a Life-Long Learner
Alice Christie
@DrAliceChristie

Technology Coaching: The Key to Successful Technology Integration
Suzanne Sallee
@ssallee

What I Know
Rodney Turner
@techyturner

The Importance of Play
Katherine Burdick
@iAppleLearner

Just Humor Me
John Spencer
@edrethink

Whatasizing Education
Carl Hooker
@mrhooker

There's is a constant debate about the use of technology versus helping students with basic skills. Of course these are mutually exclusive but in the midst of all this conversation, we sometimes miss the tenets of learning that really matter. What is it we really want for our children and how might technology support these? People's needs really haven't changed over time and yet technology affords us some wonderful ways we can focus on the things that make us more human, not less. Dean will share a few ideas that all teachers can bring back to their classrooms and focus on the things that really matter.