One of the goals of my blog is to research, curate and effectively share information with my audience. Conferences are a great aggregator of expertise and information that have inspired some of my most popular blog posts. Here's three strategies that I've used to crowdsource my research and harness the conference backchannel. All three tools employ hashtags - the popular practice where conference attendees include a common tag in their tweets. Typically conference organizers will designate an official hashtag - some combination of letters / numbers prefixed with a hash symbol "#."
Use Twitter Visualizers
There are many great Twitter visualizers that can be set up to automatically gather specific Twitter #hashtags. Two of my favorites are Wiffiti and Twitter StreamGraphs. Wiffiti displays entire tweets, while StreamGraphs graphs frequency of keywords within the tweets. Both are interesting visualizations of the conference backchannel. Each tool is free and can be embedded on your blog. And neither requires you to attend the conference.
Here's how I used these visualizers to cover the 2010 ASCD conference.
For some fun, I used StreamGraphs to blog "comparative coverage" of two conferences that were in session at the same time in this post, "Humanities Conference Smackdown! AHA vs MLA Twitter Visualizers."
Use Prezi
Prezi is a presentation tool that adds a dimension of space and scale to information. It can be displayed both as a stand alone presentation and embedded on a blog. Here's how I used Prezi at the ITSC 2011 conference in Portland Ore, where I had been invited to attend as a guest blogger. My onsite tools included my MacBook, iPhone and Flip Video.
During the conference I attended sessions to gather photos / video and tweeted my observations along the way. I also gathered content from other attendees by following the conference hashtag #ITSC11. The finished Prezis can include - tweets, images, video, YouTube video, PDF's, screenshots, text, hyperlinks and clipart.
Periodically I gathered all the content and created a Prezi. (BTW - I used the same Prezi technique to blog the San Antonio ASCD in 2010.)
Use Storify
Storify is a new platform that allows users to quickly tell a story using material from the social web. Recently I received an invitation to try out their beta and I've been putting it to use as conference blogging tool.
The Storify web-based interface divides your screen in two columns. On the left (screenshot - to the left) are a variety of social media feeds - Twitter, FaceBook, Flickr, YouTube, RSS feeds, Google searches, SlideShare as well as any URL you select. It also has built in search tools that allow you explore your sources using hashtags. My favorite feature is that the Twitter search allows you to exclude RTs. As you find your content, you drag it to the right side of your screen where you also have options to add text, delete or re-order content. When your Storify finished it can be embedded in your blog. To help you get the word out Storify sends out a Tweet to anyone you have quoted.
Here's how I used Storify to cover the recent 2011 ASCD conference in San Francisco. I received many positive comments from viewers who thought I gathered some of the best social media being posted from the conference. I saved them the time of wading through all the RTs, side comments, and promotional tweets. BTW - I did not attend the conference.
Stay tuned for may ongoing conference coverage - I'm sure there's a new tool being created that I'll get to take for a spin!
This post wraps up my work as guest blogger at the Instructional Technology Strategies Conference 2/20-22, 2011 in Portland, Oregon. It was my first ITSC conference, but it won't be my last. A very impressive line up of facilitators and knowledgeable participants. I'll be back next year! Enjoy the Prezi.
See more of my ITSC11 posts.
More of my Prezis.
I'm pleased to be invited as a guest blogger to the Instructional Technology Strategies Conference 2/20-22 in Portland, Oregon. Here's the first installment.
Big hat tip to Mike Gwaltney who helped gather content. Be sure to stop by his blog "Democratizing Knowledge" for more ITSC 11 coverage.
Stay tuned for more of my ITSC11 posts.
Don't forget to conference tweet use hashtag #ITSC11
More of my Prezis
I'm pleased to be invited as a guest blogger to the Instructional Technology Strategies Conference (ITSC) Feb 20-22. Here's my Prezi introduction to my adopted city of Portland, Oregon. Looking forward to meeting all of you.
Stay tuned for more of my ITSC11 posts.
Don't forget to conference tweet use hashtag #ITSC11
More of my Prezis
Click here to go the Prezi.
Then click “More” to view full screen. Use arrows at base of Prezi to navigate forward and back through a predefined path. Or use your mouse to explore and zoom the Prezi. Click on hyperlinks in the Prezi to more information about the historic bicycles.
For a PDF version of the Prezi click here.
I'm pleased to have been invited by the educators at the Smithsonian Institution to do a guest blog post using museum resources. It's a great opportunity to illustrate a question that I often pose to educators – when do we stop modeling for students and free them to take responsibility for their learning? For example, the document-based approach (DBQ) can be a great way for students to “be the historian,” but too often we “over curate” the historic material we share with students. When that happens, the teacher is the active historian and the student is merely a passive recipient of information. For more on that subject see my post: Essential Question: Who is the Teacher in Your Classroom? All across the curriculum, students are told to “analyze” material, but their thinking is constrained by the mandated Venn diagram or T-chart. Developing a comparative schema is messy work – but that's where the learning takes place. When the student fills out the teacher's Venn diagram, they aren't analyzing, their filing information into predefined locations.
Of course, students do need proper scaffolding. Opportunities to learn different analytic models – cause / effect, problem / solution, sequencing, continuity / change. It makes sense to provide them some graphic organizers to help master the models. But at some point, you must turn them loose and give them the chance to explore, discover, create. Put another way, if your entire class comes back with the same comparative analysis – you did the thinking, they didn't.
I was attracted to the Smithsonian Bicycle collection for two reasons. From an academic perspective, the images of historic bicycles could be analyzed by students without a great deal of background knowledge. My lesson provides a minimum of explanation and gives students more opportunities to develop their own model of how bicycles and bicycle culture evolved over time. On the personal side, much of the year, I live in Portland Oregon – heartland of the urban bike culture. We don't own a car, but rely on our bikes, walking and public transport. (That's me with granddaughter Zoe on my Electra Townie bike).
Some of my photographs of contemporary bikes are from Portland, where creative types continue to evolve new designs. I've been using Prezi on my blog and in my presentations since it was launched. For many years I've been an advocate of the DBQ. This is my first attempt to combine the two.
Step 1: Choosing the Analytic Approach Students need experience using a variety of analytic approaches. Continuity and change is a perspective that has a central role in historic/chronological thinking and it can be used in other disciplines across the curriculum. In this lesson, students are given images of historic bicycles with a minimal amount of supporting text. Starting with concrete observations, students look for patterns of change and continuity (elements that changed, e.g., size / number of wheels, speed, stability and those that remained relatively constant , e.g., human powered, seated posture, need for brakes). Finally, they are asked develop a way to express what they’ve learned. This gives them an audience other than their teacher.
Step 2: Making It Relevant To make learning relevant and set the stage for self-reflection, students need the opportunity to explore their own approaches. For this reason, I don’t provide a graphic organizer. That would mean that I, not the students, did the analysis. This opened-ended assignment invites students to develop their own graphic or narrative model to express what they’ve learned. Another aspect of relevance is authentic audience and purpose. Therefore I recommend that students be asked to think of how they would share their continuity/change model with younger students.
At left: Man astride "1882 Columbia Expert" with son?
Step 3: Making It Rigorous Students should begin by focusing on the lower level comprehension skills (What am I looking at? What materials were used? How were bicycles propelled and steered?) Next they can move to higher level skills.
Step 4: Encouraging Students to Reflect On Their Learning Students that have the opportunity to explore their own approaches have a learning experience that can be a basis for reflection. Since they will likely develop different analytic models than their classmates, they have a chance to compare and learn from each others’ conclusions. When asked to develop a way to explain their model to younger peers, students can reflect on how their model suits their audience and purpose. For reflective prompts you can use with your students see my Taxonomy of Reflection.
Step 5: Taking It Further These possible activity extensions can encourage students to think more about bicycles continuity, and change.
If you're a reader of my blog, you know that I'm a big fan of Prezi, the non-linear presentation tool. Prezi has just announced a new feature - Prezi Meeting which allows multiple users to remotely collaborate on the same Prezi screen. Imagine your students mind-mapping in real time on Prezi's "limitless whiteboard."
Note: Team members will need an email accounts to be invited to participate. Select “Invite to edit” to generate a link that you can send to anyone. When your invited collaborators open the link, you will see their avatars. Text, images, and videos added to the prezi are visible to everyone, giving remote team members the sensation of being in the same creative space together. (When you are invited to co-edit a prezi you will enter the Prezi Meeting in Show mode upon clicking the link. To start co-editing the prezi, switch to Edit mode).
For more detailed instructions on how to use Prezi meeting click here.
This is my final Prezi report on the San Antonio ASCD 2010 conference. Producing six reports in three days involved a bit of a learning curve. When I get a chance I intend to write a "how-to" post with Prezi tips. Thanks to ASCD for inviting me to be a guest blogger at the conference. They are great people and gracious hosts. I met so many wonderful educators at the conference. Thanks for all you do! Direct link to this Prezi
For all my ASCD conference coverage click here.
Download CompassLearning ACSD Pulse Poll Results
Here's my latest Prezi documenting Sunday afternoon at the 2010 ASCD conference in San Antonio. Click the arrow, give it moment to load, then click to advance and navigate. Direct link to this Prezi
For all my ASCD conference coverage click here
BTW - You can find the cub scout YouTube yideo here
Here's my latest Prezi documenting the 2010 ASCD conference in San Antonio.
Click the arrow, give it moment to load, then click to advance and navigate.
ASCD 2010 - Sunday AM on Prezi
For all my ASCD conference coverage click here
Here's my latest Prezi documenting the 2010 ASCD conference in San Antonio.
Click the arrow, give it moment to load, then click to advance and navigate.
ASCD 2010 Saturday PM on Prezi
For all my ASCD 2010 conference coverage click here
It's Saturday morning at the ASCD conference in San Antonio. I'm on my mid morning break and thought I post my next installment of my Prezi coverage. Click the arrow, give it moment to load, then click to advance and navigate. ... Enjoy.
For all my ASCD conference coverage click here
I arrived at the ASCD conference in San Antonio today. So much to plan for over the next few days. Thought I'd try to capture it in a Prezi. Click the arrow, give it moment to load, then click to advance and navigate.
For a full screen version - click ASCD 10 Friday
Made with Prezi
For more of my coverage of the 2010 ASCD conference check out these posts:
Twitter Visualization: What are the Key Words being Tweeted at ASCD Conference 2010
Use Wiffiti to Follow the Twitter Backchannel at ASCD Conference 2010
Prezi is a great new presentation software that replaces the lineal PowerPoint style with the ability to present text, videos and images in a unique zooming style. You can find out more about Prezi at my earlier post. Here are more samples of how I used Prezi to cover the 2010 ASCD conference.
Please note that I updated this post on July 1, 2010. 1. Open your online Prezi presentation and click the embed link (lower right in this screen shot.) 2. You will get the dialogue box below. You may want to adjust the pixel size to fit into your blog columns. Copy and paste the html code into your blog.
Prezi's embed options have changed.
I've been having great fun with Prezi a new web-based presentation software currently in private beta mode. (You can submit a request to be included in the beta.) Prezi allows you to easily create maps of texts, images, videos, PDFs, drawings and present them in a nonlinear way. The menu for adding elements has a very unique navigational approach. (Easier to experience than describe.) Once you've added your text and graphics you can define a path through the material. But you can also click on any element in the presentation and zoom until it fits the whole screen. Likewise you can zoom out to reveal the larger presentation canvas. Here's a link to the Prezi online manual.
Once completed the presentations can be saved on the Prezi server or downloaded to your computer as a fully functional file set for presentation. (Once downloaded to your computer the presentation is no longer editable.) Prezi will host your presentation to share with others via the web. You can set permissions open up or limit viewers. You can even collaborate by allowing group editing.
I've been working on a brainstorming Prezi (embedded below -click arrow to play). You can click on any element to fully enlarge. For example, click on the image of Ben Stein and the video clip will play. Click on any of the bracket or circle frames and the defined area will fill the screen. Hold down the "R" key on your keyboard and the left mouse will rotate the screen. Use your mouse wheel to zoom in or out. You can explore the presentation using your mouse to pan and zoom or use the path I defined by using the arrows in the lower right. There you will also find a fill screen icon. Here's a direct link to the presentation.