Are you ConnectED?

In June 2013, President Obama announced the ConnectED initiative, designed to enrich K-12 education for every student in America. ConnectED empowers teachers with the best technology and the training to make the most of it, and empowers students through individualized learning and rich, digital content.

The ConnectED initiative, among other things, aims to:

• Provide educators with support and training in using educational technology to improve student learning
• Encourage technology companies to develop feature-rich educational devices that are price-competitive with basic textbooks
• Produce graduates with the 21st century skills they will need to succeed in the workplace.

If you’ve not investigated the ConnectED Initiative since it was announced, it’s worth a re-visit.   Many large Information technology companies have pledged free software and resources for schools, teachers and students.

Each of those categories have information on how you can request and receive free and low cost resources just by asking.

#adobe, #connected, #educational-technology, #microsoft, #software, #teaching

You’re Invited to edCampGR 2015!

We want your brainpower!

Educators, Teachers, Specialists, and College Students lend me your browser window for just a moment. We can hardly believe that the 5th edCampGR is just around the corner!
The BEST education professional learning event in GR will be on Saturday, November 7, 2015 at Kent Innovation High on the campus of Kent ISD.

To register and attend for free, visit: http://edcampgr.org/ – Oh, and there is a free lunch too!

Are you new to edCampGR or want more information? Read on!

What is edCampGR?

edCamps are about meeting interesting people, talking about what you want to talk about, and listening to what you’re interested in. Subjects of discussion have ranged from classroom management, student engagement, integrating technology, helping students with disabilities and world domination. (No, there wasn’t a talk on the last thing, rather how we can change education systems from within!)  You see, the talks are not set beforehand, it’s you, the attendees, who give edCampGR direction and content. We’ve even applied for SCECHs, so you can get some PD hours for your next re-certification. Nice, huh?

What’s the format?

Talks are 50 minutes long, with ten minutes in between. You’re welcome to sit in on a conversation or hang out in the many comfortable collaboration areas and talk; it’s all the same with us. If you facilitate a talk, we don’t care how you run it – so long as you don’t get us in trouble! Give a monologue, a Q&A or a round table; it’s your topic, your presentation, your audience. If people didn’t want to spend 50 minutes on your topic, they wouldn’t be there.

Don’t know what to talk about?

Certainly you have some relatively unique experiences. What do you do that you think is awesome? What’s something in your classroom you’ve done that you’re proud of? It doesn’t matter if the height of your accomplishment is making to the end of the week without pulling your hair out; if people are interested, they will show up at your talk. If they aren’t interested, they will probably attend one of the other talks during that time slot.  Edcamps are all about finding what interests you.

But I’m not an expert!

Sure you are! If you know the first thing about a subject, you know more than people who don’t. And, yes, people who know more than you will probably attend your talk. Interact with them; you both have something to learn from each other. Chances are, if you’re both really interested in a subject, you’ll find yourselves looking for each other in the open areas of the school, later.

But perhaps you’re… Shy?

That’s fine. Come on in, take a look around and get a feel for things. Sit in on the talk which interests you or hang around in the open spaces and network with other people. Perhaps you’ll be inspired to talk about something later. You never really know, and that’s the awesome part of an edCamp.

How can you help?

Please help us connect with you and your colleagues, friends, and others in your circle of influence. Share the event info and registration link, and interact with us here:

Website: http://edcampgr.org/
Twitter: @edcampgr
Google+Community.: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/116540025724820255268

Registration

It’s Free! – click here and share with your contacts

Questions?

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about the event?  ronhoutman@kentisd.org
I’d love to have you attend and learn with us. Make sure to sign up today, tell your friends, and plan to learn more than your brain can handle! We’re looking forward to meeting you!
Ron – @ronhoutman
Chief Cat Herder and edCampGR coordinator

#edcamp, #educational-technology, #professional-development, #teaching