Get Animated Images Created For You By Google+

In case you missed the news about the Auto Awesome feature roll-out in Google+ a while back, if you upload a series of photos taken in succession (at least 5) into Google+, Auto Awesome will automatically stitch the photos into a repeating animation.  You can turn Auto Awesome on/off in your Google+ settings:

Here's the first one I created of my 2-year old dancing in our kitchen.

In addition to creating motion images, there are four other Auto Awesome features:  HDR, Smile, Pano, and Mix.  You can read more about them here.  Enjoy!

Searching - One of the most important skills you need to learn today

Today, just about anything you want to learn is available at your fingertips.  The key is knowing how to effectively and efficiently find what you're looking for and validate that it's accurate information.  The search tools and apps are becoming more sophisticated by the day, but there are still searching strategies and tips that everyone should know to help improve your results and get to the answers you seek.  We all occasionally complain that we don't have enough time, so better searching should help you acquire a few more precious moments in your day.

Better searching could also save you from making a big mistake....

Or save the day in a tight pinch...

Or make you a hero with your kids...

Or even land you that dream job...

While these examples are fun, often times the problem you are trying to solve or the research you are trying to gather requires you to dig deeper than the first hits you get from a simple search.  I believe that searching should be taught or reviewed in every class, regardless of grade level, at the beginning of each year.  Heck, I'd even go so far as to say that we should consider making it part of high school graduation requirements in some way.  Maybe one day.  Until then, there are lots of opportunities to improve your searching skills on your own.  For many, including me, the search engine of choice is Google and there are two phenomenal self-paced courses that you can take at any time to help you learn the power searching skills you need.  Even if you don't want to go through the courses, the brief videos would still be worth your time to watch.  I strongly recommend that you check them out at http://www.powersearchingwithgoogle.com/.

Add Voice Overs to Your Photos with Fotobabble

Scrolling through my Google+ feed, I came across a post that introduced me to Fotobabble.  This easy to use tool allows you to upload a photo, add your own voice over, and then grab the embed code to include your finished product in a blog post, web page, or other site.  Here's my first creation.  Just click the play button in the middle to hear the recording.

Put Your PLN In Your Pocket

There are plenty of other posts and articles out there that speak to the power and value of growing your Personal Learning Network (PLN), especially through the use of Twitter.  Let me just say ditto to all of them.  I have probably learned more through Twitter than most graduate courses I have participated in and easily with much less effort.  I mean, once you follow the right people, especially those Twitter first-responders that seem to find all the right resources to share before anyone else, they lead you right to the water and all you have to do is drink.

Photo by John Connell - http://goo.gl/A4IHY

One concern I have heard, however, is becoming overwhelmed by all the great resources that come flooding in at all times of the day and night from multiple different sources.  Sometimes it's just impossible to stay on top of everything and the fear of missing something valuable can distract your focus from the task you are supposed to be working on.  I am truly in awe and quite jealous of those that have the time, dedication, and drive to be connected what seems like 24/7, especially those with families that they continue to always have time for.

Time to come clean.  I can honestly say that I have neglected to follow more people on Twitter and Google+ (my two primary PLN tools) because of this very infowhelm.  The thought of missing something, for me, was greater than not even having the opportunity to know about it at all.  I have finally decided that I can no longer use that excuse.  Instead, I have made it my goal to start following more people and to find a way to make it more efficient for myself.  My first step to becoming more efficient is to find a tool that allows me to quickly scroll through all of my social networking tools, blogs, web sites, and other resources and easily store the ones I think I might want to look into so that I can dive into them whenever I can carve out the time to do so.  Enter stage right... Pocket.  

There are a few good tools out there like Pocket, such as Instapaper and Readability, but I'm choosing Pocket because of its integration with over 300+ apps (most importantly the ones I use), the ability to access it from any one of the 7 different devices I use between home and work both on and offline, and the recent announcement that "Pocket" Is Now Chrome Native App That Works Offline on Your Chromebook!  Besides, sometimes you just have to choose one and run with it.

The next important step is to schedule time each day, even if it's just 15 minutes, to review a few of the resources I put in my Pocket and then clear them out once I'm done with them.

So, I'm giving it a go.  I think I can do this.  I think Pocket is going to help.  I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me!  Actually, I'm going to start liking and following more people from now on.  I'm just going to put my PLN in my Pocket.

I'd love to hear from others about what they do and what tools they use to stay connected and manage all the "good stuff."

Reflection on ISTE 2013 - I'm Proud

The ISTE conference is one of my favorite events of the year and this year's conference did not disappoint.  As each day progressed I learned, I presented, I connected, I was inspired, I questioned, I challenged, and, above everything else, I was proud.  Be forewarned, I'm about to roll out a bulleted list of some of the things I was proud about:

• I was proud because our district was able to send at least five teachers to the conference for the fifth straight year.
• I was proud because our district was able to send our two instructional technology coaches to the conference for the second straight year and just that we now have instructional tech coaches in our district.
• I was proud because one of our principals, Jason Markey, attended the conference for the third straight year.
• Heck, I was proud just to know Jason Markey (@JasonMMarkey) during the conference and learn first-hand how connected and respected he has become in just a few short years as Assistant Principal and now Principal of East Leyden High School.  He hates when I say this, but I do really want to be him when I grow up.
• I was proud because the more I experienced the more I became convinced that we are doing things right in our district.  We eliminated the obstacle of access by issuing a Chromebook to all 3,500 of our students last year and have truly started moving teaching and learning to the Web.
• I was proud because so many people from across the country now know about Leyden Community High School District 212 and are interested in what we are doing and how we are doing it.
• I was proud because I know that the big topics of promoting creativity and collaboration that emerged out of every session I attended IS happening in our district.
• I was proud because many of the tools that were shared are being used by lots of our teachers.
• I was proud because a few people I met actually jotted down or even tweeted out some of the things I said... like "Don't print.  Publish, post, and share."
• I was proud to be among so many passionate educators that really understand what a modern education should really consist of.
• I was proud that much of what I learned will actually help me be a better father in addition to a better Director of Technology.
• I was proud just to be a member of ISTE.
• Oh yeah, one more, I was proud because my hometown Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup and I was able to be with so many friends, both old and new, when those glorious 17 seconds transpired and victory was ours!  By the way, I'm still looking for someone that has a good picture of those of us that stormed the Alamo and took a group photo there.

I still have some considerable work to do to organize what I learned this year from all my notes so that I can best answer the question "now what?" and share everything with the teachers and administrators at Leyden  (I'm sure I'll be proud of that, too, if it ever gets done).  However, so much of the "goodness" from ISTE is available online that even those that couldn't attend can still benefit greatly from many of the sessions and keynotes that took place.  A perfect place to start is with the ISTE 2013 Conference Playlist on YouTube.

Attending the ISTE conference is an experience I wish for every educator.  If you haven't yet had the chance to go, you need to find a way to get there.  Start planning now for ISTE 2014 in Atlanta from June 28-July 1, 2014!

Chromebook Check In at Leyden

Two hundred and eighty four days ago I was writing a post about how 1:1 With Chromebooks Becomes a Reality at Leyden.  Tomorrow, May 24, is the last day of the year for our students.  I still cannot believe this year is over.  Next to my first year of teaching back in 1995-1996, this was by far the most highly anticipated year in my career.  Having been the Director of Technology for Leyden High School District 212 for the past 12 years, I have orchestrated and been a part of many changes, but nothing even comes close to what we accomplished this year.  But we did it!  And we didn't just survive our first year with every one of our students having a Chromebook, we flourished!.  Everyone is responsible for our success:  the teachers, the students, the parents, the administrators, the Board of Education, the tech staff, the maintenance staff, and the entire Leyden community.  For links to numerous resources about our journey during the past year, check out this page.  We certainly attracted a lot of attention from other educators around the country and were happy to participate in numerous conversations, email exchanges, Google Hangouts, webinars, and we even hosted four official site visit days for over 240 educators from five different states.  We were the beneficiaries of lots of advice and guidance during our planning and research phases and enjoy paying it forward.  We have even organized a three day 1:1 Summer Symposium from July 31-August 2 , 2013 to share an in depth look at what we've done and how we've done it.  Shameless plug - we still have about 90 spots available.

Now, with one day left, of course it's time for one more "first" of the year.  Chromebook collection!  In our model, the district owns the Chromebooks and we issue them to each student much like we issue them text books or a locker to use for the year.  The students will turn in their devices, chargers, and cases and then get the exact same ones re-issued to them at the beginning of next year or during summer school.  The devices from the senior class will be assigned to our incoming Freshmen. Having started the transformation of how we approach teaching and learning by moving much of it to the Web, we knew that our students would need their devices all the way through their last final exam.  Many of them have actually needed their Chromebooks to take certain parts of their exams online.  Others have simply needed continued access to the digital resources and review materials that have accumulated in OpenClass, our learning management system, and their Google Drives throughout the year.  And so that leaves us with one day with one final exam and then the collection of almost 2,700 Chromebooks.  The good news is that our seniors turned in their devices last week, so we only need to collect about 3/4 of our entire 3,500 device fleet in one day.  Here is a quick outline of our Chromebook collection plan:

The Database
My outstanding team developed a comprehensive database system that ties in with our student management system to keep track of all Chromebooks, charges, and cases checked out and assigned to students.  It was also used to keep track of loaners that were checked out to students when they forgot their devices, didn't have them fully charged, or had their devices in for service.  Eventually, the database was also set up to check in the Chromebooks, record charges for certain damages, and email the students a receipt of their turned in equipment.

The Check In Form

A check in form was designed that includes student information, their assigned Chromebook and charger identification numbers, and an inspection check sheet.  

Senior Collection
During the last week of attendance for seniors, they were allowed to turn in their Chromebooks to our

student-run tech support class at any time.  On their last day of attendance we set up a mass collection location in each of our buildings (the library at East Leyden and the field house at West Leyden).  Those students that didn't turn in their equipment early waited in line after their last exam, had their equipment inspected, and then scanned into the system.


Underclass Collection
All students are expected to bring their equipment to their last final exam.  After the exam, their teachers will complete the physical inspection, fill out the check in form, and rubber band together the Chromebook in its case with the charger and check in form.  Later in the day, teams of support staff will visit every classroom and transport the boxes of equipment to a holding area in each building.  In the following days, other teams of support staff will scan in all of the equipment into the database system.

Storage

Our talented maintenance department built a series of "cubbies" to store the equipment.  Each cubbie has

been labeled with asset tag numbers to match those of the Chromebooks.  All of the Chromebooks, chargers, and cases will be stored in these cubbies for the summer.










Our remarkable assistant principals hammered out the majority of the logistics of our Chromebook check in plan and the senior collection went extremely well.  We are now hoping for similar results with the underclass tomorrow.  I'm confident we're ready.  We've met every other challenge that going 1:1 this year threw at us and found great successes time after time.

Stay tuned to my blog for more reflections and statistics about the digital evolution of Leyden Community High School District 212 this past year.

Leyden's 1:1 Summer Symposium

If you've read some of my other posts (Blog Series about 1:1 with Chromebooks at Leyden, 1:1 with Chromebooks Becomes a Reality at Leyden, Teacher Dashboard - Another piece to our 1:1 puzzle, or any others) you have already read about how incredible and historic this school year has been for us in Leyden Community High School District 212 with all 3,500 students getting issued Chromebooks.  What I have yet to post is how happy we have been to share what we're doing with other educators.  We greatly appreciated all the help, advice, and guidance we received while we were researching and planning out our digital evolution into a 1:1 teaching and learning environment and have been more than willing to pay it forward.  By the end of the year, we will have hosted four official site visit days for 226 educators from 46 different schools/districts in 5 different states.  In addition, we have participated in dozens (could be pushing close to a hundred by now) of phone conversations, email exchanges, Google hangouts, webinars, face-to-face Q&A sessions, and other forms of communication.  We are now happy to announce that we have added yet another opportunity to share what we are doing with others in the form of a 3-day summer symposium from July 31 - August 2, 2013.  Some of the highlights include the following:

• An agenda divided into four tracks for different types of school/district stakeholders: Leading Track, Instruction Track, Technology Track, and Teacher Demonstrations.
• A special keynote address each day of the symposium.
• July 31 - Jaime Casap
• August 1 - Chris Lehmann
• August 2 - George Couros
• An opportunity to hear directly from Leyden teachers, students, and parents.
• A real bargain at only $200 per person.
• Social/networking events are currently being organized.
• Lots more!

Registration for those that pre-registered is currently taking place and will open up to the public on Monday, March 25.  If you're interested, please check out the Leyden 2013 1:1 Summer Symposium website to learn more and get registered.

Leyden High School District 212's

 2013 1:1 Summer Symposium