07.13.08
The iSummit Triple Crown
It’s always great to have completed a technology conference. I leave feeling satisfied and inspired. This year’s iSummit was no different. Of course it didn’t hurt that everyone who attended from my school walked away with a fantastic door prize (an iPod Touch, 2 Higher Ground laptop cases, and Laptop Lojack)! As I looked back through my notes and the projects I started in Nashville, I thought it might be nice to do a quick post about the top three things I learned and plan to use in my classroom as a result of iSummit:
One of the coolest tips that I took away from The Coalition of Lighthouse Schools iSummit this year came from Lucy Gray in a session about all the educational tools that Google offers teachers. Lucy’s class “Enhancing Your Digital Workflow” taught me all about Google Earth, Google Apps for Educators, Google Reads, and Google Sky (the latter two were new to me). In Google Docs and Spreadsheets, there is a function available that allows users to find the answers to questions such as “What is the population of Atlanta?” or “Where was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. born?” simply by entering an “entity” and an “attribute” into a cell in Google spreadsheets. Check it out! Here is a complete list of what Google offers.
Dr. Carl Owens from Tennessee Tech taught us all about “Cool Tools for Classroom Use. Along with various devices and assistive technologies that teachers can use in the classroom, he told us about “Cable in the Classroom,” a Web resource with educational online video, a list of classroom-friendly recordings, parent tips, podcasts, lesson plans, etc. You’ll be impressed by all the information under the Cable Resources for Learning link.
Julene Reed showed us how students can use Photo Booth to superimpose personalized backdrops behind photos and videos. By the way, did you know you can take video through Photo Booth?! In Julene’s session on iMovie ‘08, we were using Photo Booth version 2.0.2 to capture our video, and with it we could drag photos from iPhoto into Photo Booth and apply them as our video backdrops. Be sure you have advanced to the fourth page of the Photo Booth effects if you want to try it; once there, you will see empty cells into which you can drag your own photos. I think it’s awesome–so simple!
Thank you to all the Apple Distinguished Educators who gave of their time to teach us: Julene Reed, Lucy Gray, Ty Richardson, Cathleen Richardson, Joe Morris, Carl Owens, Larry Anderson, etc. We enjoyed every minute, and we’ll see you next year!
July 13, 2008 at 6:17 pm
Wow, Stephanie! Thanks for your kind words. I’m glad you some valuable tidbits in the mounds of information that I threw at you all!
I thoroughly enjoyed myself at iSummit, too, and I particularly loved seeing the Ensworth. The smallness of the conference made it special; I felt that people had bonded by the end.
Anyway, thanks again and keep in touch. See you next year hopefully!
Lucy
July 14, 2008 at 3:24 am
Stephanie–
While you give accolades to others for what you learned, I watched closely during iSummit and found that it was YOU who provided the inspiration to the event! In a couple of the sessions, I was behind you and watched as you were creating, right along with the instructor, and it was blatantly evident to me that you are a brilliant, resourceful, creative, engaging teacher.
Keep up your stellar efforts and know that you made quite the positive impression upon us ADEs. Also, please stay in touch during the year. (And, when the application to become an ADE opens up, be sure to submit your stuff so you can wear the t-shirt with us!)
–Dr. Larry S. Anderson, Founder/CEO
National Center for Technology Planning
P. O. Box 2393 • Tupelo, MS 38803
http://www.nctp.com
Podcast: Think Like A Leader (nctpcast.libsyn.com)
July 15, 2008 at 2:13 am
Stephanie,
Thanks so much for your very kind words about our presentations at the conference. While we certainly take pride in being able to present you all with teaching and learning alternatives, I don’t think you all really know how much it means to us to be a part of such a conference, and interact with so many people like yourself.
The free exchange of ideas and excitement that filled all of the classrooms during the sessions was great – and contagious! I’m sure all of the presenters got as much out of the conference as you did. I, for one, am just really happy to hear that it was both enjoyable and beneficial to you all!
Thanks again… stay in touch!