2009 K-12 Online Conference Video Podcast Channel

Much of digital citizenship education focuses on adults compiling information to share with students, this method provides a framework for students to conduct authentic research with global partners on the aspects of digital citizenship and creation of action projects at their schools. This presentation’s goal is to: 1) demonstrate the efficacy of a project based approach to digital citizenship education, 2) provide insight into teen-mentoring of younger students, 3) effective coaching practices for teachers and educators wishing to encourage a project based learning approach to digital citizenship, 4) an overview of the aspects of digital citizenship salient to teenagers around the world and what they think the message of educators should be to their students, and 5) a concrete experience allowing students who have thoroughly researched this topic to share their thoughts with a global audience and engage in global discussion on this. This is a compilation of student views, research, and beliefs as it relates to digital topics and how these should be taught in schools.

New users of virtual worlds can find the interfaces and controls of 3D platforms difficult and confusing. Currently in Second life new users initially find their avatars in a space for orientation with other new users and possibly with helpers and guides to assist them. This video looks at different approaches to the design of these areas.

Every educator needs to build and maintain his or her own teacher Website. Technology provides teachers with more effective ways to communicate with students, their families, and the community than ever before. This session will help you learn how to use technology to communicate with different audiences through your classroom website. There are endless benefits of a maintaining a classroom Website. A classroom website gives students Resources, Relevance, Connections, Access and Experience. This session will provide links and resources to simple tools that allow any teacher, regardless of technical know-how, to create a live Website for free. The best way is for schools to install and support a tool that allows teachers to create Websites easily, but since many schools are not at that point yet, teachers should given both the encouragement and the freedom to build their own sites. You can make use of some very good tools for building free, live classroom Websites. I may leave out your favorite, so please add yours to the list, or tell us know what tool your school is using and what you like and dislike about it!

A chat with Jen Wagner about Online Projects. Ideas of how to start planning your own project. Several projects will be highlighted as “examples” and “possibilities”.

Are you using your iPod Touch/iPhone to simply check your email or answer your phone? Did you know that there many other uses of the iPod Touch that can help with some of your professional responsibilities? This presentation will show you apps and success stories from administrators in the field that are using the iPod Touch/iPhone for data collection, organization, creating a mobile office, and personal professional development.

Bored by status quo professional development and stale in service workshops? Why not throw a party! LAN: Learning Is Social is the story of how North Vancouver School District used the presentations of the K12 Online Conference to breathe new life into professional development. LAN parties can be a powerful vehicle for professional development and change. This presentation defines the concept and shares our experience with the hope that others will be inspired to find creative ways to share the message of the K-12 Online Conference.

Current accepted forms of professional development provide opportunities for small bites and quick-fix solutions but do not encourage immersion, ongoing conversations and collaborative sharing of experiences. Adoption of a learning confluence amongst educators can and will make a difference within a school and extend the learning beyond the immediate environment. Based on recent practice at an international school, a model of teacher engagement and improved pedagogical approach has been developed that leads the way into transformed learning in the classroom. Using a face-to-face meeting format, including expert advisers and a virtual component, educators extended their learning boundaries and embraced constructivism with the purpose of challenging themselves to ‘lean into the sharp edges’ of 21st century education.

Videoconferencing can bring the world to your classroom. It allows educators to bridge the divide by bringing experiences to rural students; by engaging conversations and interactions between urban and rural students and by connecting students globally. Whether using desktop videoconferencing or room based videoconferencing, educators can bridge the divide between “dabbling” in videoconferencing to fully integrating with solid classroom instructional strategies.

Rather than sending all pupils work home at the end of the school year, E-books allow teachers to compile collections of work to be displayed on the WWW quite soon after it is completed. Colin Hill presents how he creates E-books, proving to eb a motivation for writing, as learners know that their work is going to be on display.

The iPod Touch can function as an important educational tool inside and outside the classroom. With the increased purchases of netbooks this last year, there seems to be a push for schools to put more machines into students hands. At a price point even lower than current netbooks the iPod Touch is a great compliment to any classroom. While many schools still do not allow cell phones, an iPod Touch bridges that gap. Wifi access provides a tremendous opportunity for students and teachers to browse the web, type a response, record audio or calculate a problem. The form factor makes many classroom tasks manageable while the design of the device requires far less technical support than most laptops. The main focus of this presentation is how teachers can accomplish common tasks in the classroom, but also includes how students can use the tool for their own studies. Most of the applications discussed are free or a few dollars. Viewers will learn concrete ways they can use their iPod Touch in the classroom the following day.