Coding for Kids

I've been learning how to do simple programming using some of the devices students are using in classrooms today. Below, I learned how to create a thermometer using a little device called a Microbit.  

Here is a video I made when I finally got it to work. Next step, create something using the compass and the built-in accelerometer.

Digital Citizenship

Last summer, at the ISTE Conference in Chicago, CEO Richard Culatta reminded the audience at the first keynote that Digital Citizenship is Not a List of Don’ts.

While developing a talk on Digital Citizenship, I came across a blog posting that I wanted to share. The author reminds us that it is not a one time lesson at the beginning of the year and that the work continues all year (https://www.erintegration.com/2017/02/21/digital-citizenship-all-year/).

When you ask your students for help . . .

I was invited to create a one-credit class called "Emerging Technologies in Teaching" which will run this Winter. I wanted the perspective of my students so I asked Sean Mason (not shown) and Stacey Fenton (below) to drop what they were doing in LTEC 632 and give me some ideas.

Sean has been filling a spreadsheet with fantastic readings and suggestions for activities and yesterday, over coffee, Stacey Fenton and I sketched out a fantastic strategy we will use. 

Collaboration works.

McVey and Fenton wrapping the brainstorming with a selfie

ISTE's Award

Last week, at a conference (ECOO and BIT) in Ontario, I was honored to present ISTE's Making IT Happen jacket to Kim Gill, a legend in Canadian Ed Tech. I'm thoroughly enjoying my work on the Board of Directors.

5 emerging technologies that will 'disrupt' education over the next 5 years

5 Technologies that will disrupt (influence what we teach and students learn) education over the next 5 years
(per Braid Waid at the Mercy High Tech Talk on 11.2.18)

• AR (mass appeal; most appropriate for education; cheaper, easier to use)
• VR (high immersive experience to the individual)
• MR (Pikachu; the digital asset understands its environment)
• ML (machine learning) computers having the ability to learn without being specifically programmed; device recognizes your patterns and makes predictions
• AI - an intelligent agent that perceives its environment and makes decisions to maximize the chances of achieving its goals (e.g., Alexa, Siri, Google Home & formerly Microsoft’s PaperClip)

Some of these are in use today. What do you think about this? How has it affected you? How will it influence your teaching?