Thoughts on #Mobile2015
So Iām back from the Mobile Learning Experience. AlthoughĀ ābackā means a 90-minute drive north to Queen Creek. Hardly anything to feel sorry about if you compare my travel with people like Jenny Ashby and Jonathan Nalder who live in Australia. But back for me means time to put the pieces together, reflect on my learning, and share my thoughts. So here we go...
Thought #1 - Connections
This was my first professional conference in nearly 10 years. A lot has changed in that time. But the biggest shift has been in global connections through tools like Twitter. Some of the heavy hitters in educational technology were at this conference and I had a chance to meet many of them. I spent time with Adam Bellow, Jon Samuelson, Felix Jacomino, Jenny Ashby, Katherine Burdick, Tony Vincent, and Erin Klein (shameless name-dropping). I have to tell you, it was extremely intimidating to be in their company. But just listening to them speak, and every once in awhile chiming in with my own insight, gave me such inspiration to be a teacher leader. It also validated so much of what Iāve been doing at Knox Gifted Academy.
Thought #2 - Fear
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I mentioned being intimidated by being in the presence of my super heroes. But my fear was much deeper than that. Of course I was nervous presenting on behalf of Remind. It was my first time doing so for a group of strangers. But my fear might be more pathological. I am an introvert through and through. It is my nature. Not sure if itās how Iāve always been, but it is who I am now. And while I feel comfortable around my family and my teammates, I want to run and hide in large groups, especially groups where I know no one. Such was the case at Mobile2015. I present once again at the Chandler Unified Gifted Summit in July. This will be much more comfortable in that most of the people there Iāll know. But I need to take a risk at this conference. I need to reach outside my comfort zone, my circle of trusted friends, and talk and learn from those I donāt know.
Thought #3 - Pedagogy
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Wes Fryerās Visual Note-Taking session was one of the most powerful and challenging for me. The idea behind his session was to help develop a new sense of making meaning as a professional. We all have doodlers in our classes. And visual note-taking is nothing more than a formal way of doodling to connect the dots of some new content. We were introduced to several new tools - as was the case in every Mobile2015 session - and challenged to make meaning of two videos explaining the Coriolis Effect. While Iām at the Gifted Summit in July, my goal is to use visual note-taking as often as I can. And to not use it as a tool to share with others, but simply a tool for my own metacognition. One day, after much practice with visual note-taking, perhaps Iāll lead some PD session on this newer way of making meaning.
Thought #4 - Tools
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Within hours I was overwhelmed with the number of apps showcased at Mobile2015. I tried to takes notes about them or even download them to my phone and tablet. But it was too much. I had to quickly filter tools that would fit my individual needs as well as the needs of my students. Sorry to my colleagues if I am not bringing back a bunch of primary resources, but it was too much for me to handle. Yet in this mass overflow of apps, I was able to pick out three that I would like to use with my students and the KGA faculty. First, I would like to see more teachers using Instagram as a communication tool. And while a picture is worth a 1000 words, a picture with a few carefully selected words and icons is worth a million more. Jonathan Nalder spoke about infopics, using a picture and overlays to tell a story. I plan on using Over (and Nutshell for video infopics) to help share whatās going on in 5th grade. Perhaps students can even create these on paper which I can share on my Instagram page. Second, Iād like to try out Voxer with my teammates and other colleagues (one of my teammates and I tried it out for a few days then left it). Based on the sheer number of people who use this walkie-talkie app, it must be important. I need to determine this for myself by testing it out. And finally, I want to start using Poll Everywhere. Polling your class or an audience is nothing new. But what Poll Everywhere does is makes the real-time responses dynamic and engaging. I could probably try out a new app every school day next year, but Iād never get good at any of them. So this year, Iāll try the three I mentioned above.
Big Thanks to Remind
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Without the encouragement of Brett Kopf, Clara GalƔn, Rachel Niederman, and the rest of the Remind team, I would have never taken a risk to present at Mobile2015. They took a chance on me, someone who had never presented before. They gave me the confidence that I could best represent their company. They trusted me. And that means the world to me. So, to all of you at Remind, I thank you for this opportunity. I hope that my session was a success in your eyes. I hope I met your standards. I hope I get to do it again.
