My presentations for Melbourne GAFE Summit held at Xavier College on 22nd and 23rd September, 2015.
This video was a contribution to Alan Levine’s 2015 K12 Online Conference presentation ‘True Stories of Open Sharing‘
I often stop and wonder, how did I get here? It wasn’t one particular moment, rather a series of interconnected happenings which makes up my ‘unexpected adventure’. I first had a go at telling this fractured story on my blog. However, every time I think about it, other people and events seem to stand out.
Collaboration, Communication and Creativity – Exploring the Tools for Change
Blurb for the session:
How many fantastic ideas or initiatives have failed not because of the strength of the idea, but because it failed to be heard. Change need not be restricted to the lone nut. This session is about using the power of technology to transform ideas into movements. Whether you are trying to develop a team in a school or connect a network of people, Aaron will provide a great array of practical examples for how to build change from the ground on up and why technology is the leverage that every idea needs to go from being good to great.
Ignite the Learning in Your Classroom by Leading the Way
Blurb for the session:
This session will provide you with another point of view on how to flip learning. Often we talk about changing our classrooms, putting students at the centre, connecting with authentic audiences and flipping instruction. However, the first thing that needs to be flipped is the role of the educator. Instead of focusing on being a teacher, we need to go back to the beginning and become learners once again. From using social bookmarking to connect with a community, to keeping a blog to share thoughts and reflections, this will be a hands on session focusing on taking the next step in and outside of the classroom. Throughout, Aaron will provide examples of how today more than ever technology allows us to be the drivers of our own learning.
My presentations from DigiCon15 Conference organised by DLTV held at Swinburne University, 24th and 25th July 2015
Digital Creating and Making (Fringe Festival)
Session Description
So often we come to conferences and see new applications flashed around, showing their possibilities and potential, only to discover that in practise they require more time and energy than was previously realised. What is often missing ingredient in all of this is constraint. This can be the time allocated or our particular knowledge and skillset, but it also exists within programs whether it be functionality or the focus of the task at hand. Too often such constraints go unseen, but by identifying them, it provides us with more clarity and allows us to get on with things in a more focused manner.
Quick Makes is about giving the chance to tinker with a range of applications and programs, each with their own constraints, to discover that creating, making and engaging with technology is not only easy but can be fun, especially when we are focused. From mashing up a website with Mozilla Thimble to creating your own visual with Google Draw, spend a few minutes exploring the potential for technology to make giving a voice to learning more doable.
Beyond two core value propositions, your team will be lost and not know what they are chasing:
newness
performance
customisation
“getting the job done”
design
brand/status
price
cost reduction
risk reduction
accessibility
convenience/usability
I love this post and it has really make me reconsider how I think about the choice of schools. Question though, are there some things that schools consider as ‘options’ which should be a given in today’s day and age? For example, is it essential (is anything essential) that students have access to technology to support their learning? Or is it ok that technology is something that the school down the road is into, not us.
For some Google Apps for Education simply offers a more efficient way of doing what is already being done, while for others the idea of collaborating and moving to the cloud is a game changer. Although it is essential to develop a clear implementation plan, it is also important to find the small wins along the way which helps demonstrate the way that Google can revolutionise the way we collaborate and communicate in and out of the classroom. From conducting surveys, to creating digital workbooks, to managing learning goals, to sharing presentations, to developing digital community, this presentation will be jam packed with practical samples and examples. Aaron hopes to spur on new ideas and start the conversation about what you can do in your school to make change.
So You Want To Be a Google Educator
Have you ever wanted to become a Google Educator, but didn’t really know what was involved or where to start? This session is for you. Having recently gone through the process myself, I will unpack what it is all about, what is involved, the challenges you will face and how it all fits in the wider scheme of things. Throughout, I will provide you with some tips and tricks to support you along the way.
Listening to the Voices In and Out of the Classroom
Here is the blurb for the session that Steve Brophy and I presented:
One of the biggest challenges in education today is how to empower everyone and give a voice to every learner, this means moving beyond listening to those who seek to be heard and finding ways to capture every voice in and out of the classroom. From collaborating on a document to using a learning response system to reflect on a unit of work, this session will look at not only how we can use various web 2.0 tools to capture the different voices in and out of the classroom, but also how these tools can be used to provoke and prompt further into ongoing dialogue. Presenting our thoughts and reflections from a wide range of settings and scenarios, both Primary and Secondary, we hope that you leave this session armed with an array of tools and ideas that will help you go and listen to some of those lost and hidden voices today.
DAVIS. _ Helen Barbara. Mum, wish you were still here, but am at peace that you are no longer suffering. Forever together at heart _ Aaron and Jess. P.S. Maybe Karaoke some other time? Nanny Helen, thank you for always playing with me. I loved our time at the park. You are with the twinkle stars now watching over me always. Love forever _ Gracie. xx
My mother’s death notice publish in the Herald-Sun and affiliated papers.
