More Podcast Shout Outs - #PodcastPD #TryPod

Last week I started something I hope to continue as a regular post, some Podcast Shout Outs where I share some of the shows I listen to and specifically point out a few episodes I thought were pretty significant or just plain fun. I'm pulling this idea of having a regular post that's more fun that meaty from Mr. MacSparky himself who for a while was posting some of his favorite Jazz Musicians via YouTube videos on Fridays on his site MacSparky.com, which is a site I'd highly recommend! So here we go!

I'm going to start with one of my all-time favorite podcasts and it's one I've already written about here on ETB previously, The Pen Addict with hosts Myke Hurley, co-founder of the Relay FM podcast network, and the Pen Addict himself, Brad Dowdy. This is one of my favorite podcasts partly because it seems so strange to have a podcast about pens, paper, and other analog things, but also because of the chemistry, these two friends have as co-hosts. If you enjoy writing with specific pens or on specific paper, or if you really love geeking out about your office supplies, or just want to listen to an enjoyable podcast, this is a great place to start. Plus, let's be real, isn't their artwork some of the coolest you've ever seen for a podcast? I've been teased for being such an analog lover, but I stand by my previous post, still the MOST popular post on ETB to date, Analog Love where I mention the need for both the digital AND the analog in order to have balance in life. And really, what educator isn't just a little bit obsessed with a specific pen and/or paper product? I think that's part of what brought most of us to education in the first place. Give The Pen Addict a listen and then be sure to thank me later, because I'm almost positive you'll LOVE it!

For my next suggestion, I'm going to recommend a new favorite I've just recently come across called Switched On Pop, and excellent podcast that breaks down how popular music works and what makes it tick. As a member of the Panoply Podcast Network hosts Nate Sloan and Charlie Harding dig deep into analyzing Pop music to see why we should consider it a work of art and what is actually going on amidst all the rhythms and sounds. For example, on Episode 79 - 808s and Havana Heartbreak, the fellas walk through Camila Cabello’s “Havana” and share how a little drum machine from Japan (the Roland TR-808) came to become such a major part of this song as well as Hip Hop music all over. They also share how the simplistic sounding piano part actually has ties back to all of Cuban music's history. It was an incredible look at how one song can pack such musical historical content and teaches you all about it a fun and entertaining manner. Plus they put together Spotify playlists with all sorts of songs that will help you get into the grove of the tune(s) they talk about in the episodes. If you love music and really getting nerdy about how songs work then this is a must-listen show for you!

And for my final recommendation, I turn to PodcastPD, a great show on the Education Podcast Network that's all about making sure educators take advantage of effective and fun professional development, and using Podcasts for some of that PD. This great podcast is a fortnightly (every two weeks) show that has three excellent hosts, Chris Nesi of House of #EdTech fame, Stacey Lindes who is the founder of the #PodcastPD Twitter chat this show stems from, and AJ Bianco who loves promoting the #CoffeeEDU approach to PD. One of the reasons I LOVE PodcastPD is because I actually know Chris and Stacey in the 3D world and have had the privilege to hang out with them a time or two so whenever I listen I truly feel like I'm there with them. I love the insightful comments these three friends regularly share about different aspects of professional development and all the excellent tips they also pass on. One of my favorite parts of the show is when they share what they are currently listening to and you get a chance to learn about even more excellent podcasts. And if you're anything like Stacey, and me for that matter, your list of podcasts you listen to will just keep ballooning until you don't know how you'll ever catch up. But don't worry about catching up, just give some of their suggestions a try and you'll be amazed at how many great podcasts there really are out there.

I hope you take a chance on these excellent podcasts and have fun listening and learning from them as well. And remember, just because a podcast doesn't seem education on its face value, there's bound to be some learning going on while listening.

Hackers are Humans Too

Source: Amazon.com

I just finished watching one of my favorite movies from the mid-90s that still has some very timely messages, even if the visual effects come across as extremely corny. The movie is Hackers and it came out it 1995. If you haven't seen it, or just can't remember watching it, it's available on Amazon Prime Video, so go watch it and then come back, I'll wait. If you don't want to wait, you check out this awesome summary of the main protagonists of the film, courtesy of Nicholas Slayton's Medium article about the 20th Anniversary of the film published back on September 16, 2015 (yes, that means the film is now 22.5 years old, but whatever, it still rocks!).

The film follows Dade Murphy (Jonny Lee Miller), a hacker known as “Zero Cool” who crashed more than a thousand computers and hurt the Stock Market as a kid. He’s banned from using a Internet-connected computer until he’s 18, which the film quickly gets to as Dade and his mom move to New York City. He rechristens himself “Crash Override” (possibly the only hacker name more awesome than Zero Cool) and soon finds himself entangled with other hackers — the loony Cereal Killer, cocky Phreak, wise Lord Nikon and Dade’s enemy and crush, Kate “Acid Burn” Libby. The heroes are a racially and gender-mixed group from different backgrounds but a shared belief in altruism.

Now, that doesn't give anything away that you don't find out about in the first 15 minutes or so, plus, the movie is 22+ years old, spoilers are to be expected on some level. But seriously, the film covers some very interesting themes and topics like youth activism, doing the right thing even in the face of corrupted authorities, and self-empowerment, to name a few. But what I find the most interesting is the theme the authorities in the film are trying to push that ALL hackers are bad and criminal. I find it very interesting that so often that is the message we have heard in the media regarding hackers and the hacking community and yet, how often are we alerted to major issues and online concerns from altruistic hackers trying to make the world a better and safer place?

Source: SideReel.com

I don't watch a lot of TV but one of my favorite shows fits right into this same topic, but handles the actual technology a bit better and more realistic, Mr. Robot from the USA Network. This one is also on Amazon Prime Video, at least the first two seasons are. Season Three is still not available as it's the newest season, but I am waiting very patiently for it to come on over. I am loving this show because as I have learned with my job, there is way more to online safety than some people realize and Data Privacy is a MUCH larger issue than many educators (and the general population) even care to realize. We all LOVE free apps and services but how many of us realize that if we aren't paying for the service or app that we then become the product being harvested and sold? The data we provide to the app or service becomes a digital currency of sorts that is traded and sold to others so the company behind our current favorite free app or service can continue to exist. And yet, when the companies behind the free services and apps suddenly tell us they need to start charging a fee to stay alive how often do we freak out and lose it because we now have to provide them with money to continue using what we've grown accustomed to using for free?

A great example of this is Padlet changing their pricing structure and what seemed like half the educational sector on Twitter had a fit! Jeff Bradbury of the TeacherCast Educational Network was able to discuss these changes with Nitesh Goel, the Padlet CEO directly and it was a great discussion. If you haven't already heard the interview I highly recommend it. But the gist of the discussion was that Padlet has grown to more than 10 Million monthly users and it's not feasible for them to keep supporting that level of use for free. There are a LOT of things that have to happen in the background for any service to work and Padlet has been covering their own bill fully, which can't be cheap. There has been a paid tier for the last 2-3 years, but most people never knew about it. It really is a great episode of the TeacherCast Podcast and I highly recommend you go listen to the full thing.

Back to the original subject. I love both the movie Hackers and the series Mr. Robot because they both showcase what hackers can do and yet, unlike most media where hackers are only ever presented in the negative light, both of these media examples showcase the wide range of hackers and what they can do along with some of the reasoning behind what they do. I'm not saying all hackers are any one thing because they aren't. There are some very malicious hackers out there causing all sorts of trouble and these hackers are known as Black Hats while the hackers using their skills more for good are known as White Hats. But the group I find the most interesting are the ones in the middle, the ones who don't necessarily have a single viewpoint and can be swayed back and forth between the two sides. These hackers are known as Gray Hats because they aren't on one single side of the fence but do a little of both good and bad, depending on their moods. I feel that more often than not, most hackers actually fall into this category than either side. This is why we need to help our students see the world as it is and not try to shut them out so much. We need to trust them more and allow them to make mistakes in an educational setting so we can help them establish a moral compass so they can make those hard decisions about what they should be doing online.

If nothing else comes from this rambling post, I hope you do take some time to watch these shows on hackers and the hacker community to see they are multi-dimensional people, just like you and me.

Podcast Shout Outs - #TryPod #PodcastPD

While I may have missed the official #TryPod month of March, I feel like I need to write more about my love of podcasts and share some of what I've been listening to these days. I have a HUGE obsession with podcasts and know so many great podcast creators that I think I'd like to start a new regular thing here on EdTechBabble where I share out what I'm either listening to or some shows that are worth checking out. I'm not 100% sure if this segment will get a name of its own or if I'll just tag it with #TryPod to keep people seeing it and learning more. And since I have so many great podcasts in my Overcast app, my podcatcher of choice, I figure I should start sharing some of them out sooner than later! So without further ado, here are a couple of great shows and/or episodes of shows I think you should check out this weekend.

House of #EdTech, Episode 104 - UCET Recap - Hosting a Conference

I was recently back on the House of #EdTech podcast, hosted by my good friend Chris Nesi as we did a Recap of the UCET 2018 Conference back in March. The episode was awesome because we were able to record it LIVE at the University of Utah right after the #UCET18 conference had ended. My other good friend Lynn Smargis was also on the episode and it was great to have some time to talk with friends about a conference I help to plan and make happen each year. We discuss UCET and some of the great things that happened this year as well as some tips on planning and hosting a conference. It was awesome and I feel I need to thank Kyte Learning once again for helping to bring Chris out to Utah so he could present and attend #UCET18! You should check out this episode and also check out Kyte Learning to see how they can help you improve your teaching practice. And if you haven't already subscribed to the House of #EdTech podcast, what are you waiting for? It's one of the BEST education podcasts around and if you don't believe me, check out what ISTE had to say about it.

Educators 2 Educators podcast, Season 2 Episode 2 - Student-Led Conferences

Back in February, my good friend Heather Campbell was a guest on the Educators to Educators podcast, hosted by Carrie Conover. This was a new podcast for me, but I totally listened because my friend Heather was a guest and then the show was added to my podcatcher for good. Carrie is a great podcast host and I've since gone back and listened to most of the back catalog which is great! The episode was awesome because Heather was able to share some of the amazing things she is doing in her 4th-grade classroom. You should totally go listen because she talks a lot about the power of student-led conferences and why you should be doing them with your students. If you aren't already subscribed to this podcast, you better add it to your list.


Leader of Learning Podcast

The final shout out for this week's edition of #TryPod is the Leader of Learning podcast, hosted by my pal Dan Kreiness. Dan is an Instructional Coach in Connecticut and is doing some great work with his podcast and is coming up on eight months behind the mic. What is the show about? From the website:

Leader of Learning is a website, a podcast, and a blog that explores transformational leadership in education. It is where educators can come find inspiration to transform education through effective leadership. It is a community where educators can realize their leadership potential regardless of their position or title. What originally launched as just a blog and was improved with a podcast has now evolved into an educational movement and community of educational leaders who are poised to lead necessary changes in the field of education in the United States and beyond.

This is another must listen podcast as Dan talks with amazing guests every fortnight, every other week, about what it takes to be a leader in education and that it doesn't require a title to lead, just the will and desire to do it. I've learned a TON from listening to Dan and his guests and I know you will too. Plus Dan is a great guy. I've been working with him online for a while in the #PassTheScopeEDU community and was even able to meet him in 3D at ISTE 2017 in San Antonio, Texas. So do yourself a favor and subscribe to the Leader of Learning podcast and get learning with Dan!

Outlier Podcast Festival, May 11th, 2018 - #OutlierPodFest

I am a HUGE podcast fan and have been for YEARS! In fact, I've been in the planning stage for my own podcast for almost as many years as I've been a fan. As my buddy Chris Nesi, host of the fabulous House of #EdTech podcast, keeps telling me, I just need to hit Record and get going! I'm hoping to make some changes to my life and schedule that should allow for me to get my act in gear and get a show started, soonish.

One of the things I'm looking forward to is a podcast festival that's happening in my hometown of St. George, Utah and the fact that I'll not only be attending it but also helping with the crew who is putting it on. I'm super excited! I tend to have a bit of a habit of helping with conferences, but it's all out of good intentions.

The name of this conference is the Outlier Podcast Festival and it will be taking place on Friday, May 11th at the Dixie Technical College in St. George, Utah from 9 am - 4 pm. From the website:

The Outlier Podcast Festival is an event held in St George, Utah where podcasters and digital influencers gather to learn, network, and connect IRL. 

It’s a festival full of speakers, workshops, breakout sessions, live shows and more. 

If you're interested in podcasting or are looking to grow as a digital influencer then you won't want to miss this.

If you think you may want to come and join us on Friday, May 11th, I have a couple of coupon codes that you'll want to take note of as they'll help with the cost of the ticket. 

• Students get in for FREE just by selecting "Student"
• Educators can use the code "Derek" and get 15% off
• Everyone else can use the code "ETB" and receive 10% off

You're gonna want to go to OutliersCS.com and click on the RSVP link to register. While you're on the site, check out the incredible lineup of speakers and presenters because there are WAY too many to list them all here, but this is not just some small town gathering, it's gonna have some of the best podcasters out there. If you're near Southwestern Utah and you love podcasts and podcasting you NEED to look into making the trip out to learn more and see where this event can take you. 

If you have any questions about the Outlier Podcast Festival, feel free to reach out and let me know. If I can't get you the answer you want, I'll be able to get you in touch with some of the others on the planning committee. You can check out the Facebook Event page for more details as well. And if you want to become a Sponsor for the event, please reach out and let's discuss it more. 

I hope to see you all in my neck of the woods on Friday, May 11th at the Outlier Podcast Festival!

#OutlierPodFest

Online Tool Xmarks Closing down May 1st

I received a VERY sad email on March 30th explaining that one of my favorite tech tools was closing down. I have been a fan of and user of Xmarks for MANY years and it was due to my love of Xmarks that I purchased a subscription to LastPass as they were being bundled.

If you go to Xmarks.com now you'll see a very sad message at the top of the screen letting you know "LogMeIn is retiring Xmarks from its line of products as of May 1, 2018. After this date, you will no longer have access to Xmarks." Not gonna lie, I will probably cry a little for Xmarks on April 30th.

I found Xmarks back in my 2nd year of teaching when I was getting discouraged that my bookmarks wouldn't sync across different browsers. I was using a PC at school in my classroom but was one of those people who used Firefox, Safari for PC, Google Chrome, and Internet Explorer (only when absolutely necessary) but hated that if I bookmarked something in one browser I had to then remember to bookmark it in the other three browsers if I wanted to have feature parity between all four tools. That's when I found Xmarks, formerly called FoxMarks, a great tool that allowed me to sync my bookmarks across all of my browsers. I thought I had died and gone to nerd heaven, but my happiness was short-lived as Xmarks was worried about money and had announced it would be shutting down services in January 2011. Many users went into panic mode and decided it was time to try and pay money to keep the service alive, pledging between $10-30 each year to use a Premium version of the tool, but basically just pay to keep it alive. I was so worried because I had grown to depend on this tool to keep me in sync across my different web browsers.

It was looking rather dim for keeping Xmarks alive until December 2, 2010, when LastPass, an online tool to keep your passwords safe and secure, announced it would be acquiring Xmarks and keeping it alive and running. Many nerds, myself included, cheered because our beloved Xmarks would be saved. Then on October 9, 2015, LastPass was acquired by LogMeIn who then stated they would keep Xmarks alive and support the tool. That was until March 30, 2018, when I received the sad email telling me Xmarks would be shuttered on May 1, 2018.

Not what I wanted to hear at all. Now I have to start all over again and see if there is a tool that will allow me to keep all of my bookmarks in sync across different web browsers. I know I can do it across the same web browser, but I prefer to use different web browsers for different purposes. If you happen to know of a tool that will allow me to fulfill this need, PLEASE share it with me.

Thank you, Xmarks for helping me keep my sanity as a classroom teacher who used a PC at work but all Macs an iOS devices at home! I was able to work more effectively and efficiently because I knew I could sync my bookmarks across browsers and even access all of my bookmarks via the web in case I was checking it from a different machine. You will be dearly missed by this nerd!

Note: Thanks to the authors of the Xmarks Wikipedia page for help remembering the exact dates of the different acquisitions!

New Sesame Street Autism Book

I have a bit of an obsession with Kickstarter, a website that allows people to crowdfund their ideas to fruition. I love the whole idea of Kickstarter and may even create something that allows me to use the site to help bring something to life, but until then I'll continue to back projects that call out to me and demand to be backed when my own personal funds allow.

The most recent project I have found that looks intriguing is from none other than Sesame Street, you know, the amazing little show that teaches kids all sorts of great things they should know. Well, Sesame Street is more than just a show and this project is aiming to help people see it. The project is called "Help Prevent Bullying with Sesame Street’s New Autism Book" and its purpose is to crowdfund a new digital storybook to help raise more awareness of Autism and more importantly how to help kids with Autism deal with bullying, a sad situation that unfortunately needs addressing. Check out the video below.



Now that you have a better understanding of the project, go check out its Kickstarter page and back whatever level you feel comfortable backing. One thing to keep in mind, if they don't reach their goal of $75,000 by Friday, May 11th at 4 pm Eastern Time (1 pm Pacific Time) then they won't receive ANY of the funds, so be sure to back it before then.

How does this apply to schools and education? I think this is a PERFECT fit for schools and education. It seems like more and more children are being diagnosed with Autism and what better book to have available for teachers and students to learn more about Autism. While I haven't watched too many of the newer episodes of Sesame Street, I know that I LOVED watching it when I was a kid and was always impressed by how amazing each episode was. If there's a group or organization committed to helping kids learn and grow, I think Sesame Street fits that description.

So get out there and help support this great project by backing and sharing it today!

Apple Education Event in Chicago

It appears Apple will be holding an Education Event tomorrow on Tuesday, March 27th at Lane Tech College Prep High School in Chicago, IL. As many different tech news sites are reporting, this isn't going to be your normal Apple Event, especially since it won't be held on their own campus, but what exactly will they be unveiling? It appears the leaks haven't been as open on this event, we actually have a chance to be surprised instead of knowing all about the new fun. 

I listen to a lot of podcasts and on the most recent episode of Connected (Episode #185: The Myke Hurley School of Excellence), Stephen and Myke discuss some of their thoughts on the subject during which Stephen brings up the fact that Apple seems to be blown away by schools moving to Chromebooks for students instead of Mac laptops and/or iPads due primarily to the price differences. As someone who works in education and with multiple school districts and charter schools, I can say that is what's been happening down in my part of the world. It's hard for a school district or charter school to justify the price difference of a Mac laptop or iPad when they can purchase a Chromebook for as low as $250 or less. 

Last night on Twitter, Dr. Will Deyamport shared a YouTube video, included below, by Rene Ritchie where Rene shares some thoughts on Apple creating a laptop running iOS inside instead of its traditional macOS, check it out below.

While Rene isn't the first or only person talking about this idea of a laptop running iOS, I think this is an interesting idea none-the-less. Apple has a history of releasing Education-only hardware (Anybody remember the old e-Macs?) but it's been a while since they actually make specific hardware instead of just offering a different SKU. 

While I think the idea of an iOS laptop could be pretty cool and would be VERY interested in getting one for myself, I have to wonder if this idea is too little too late? It makes me remember the fact that when the iPad originally came out in January 2010 Microsoft had a monopoly on office-y software but then Microsoft President Steve Balmer wouldn't agree to put any of the Office apps on the iPad. What happened due to that decision? Many people, including those in education, realized they didn't actually NEED Microsoft Office to get work done and could use other apps. Then in 2012, Google released Google Drive and again, many realized they didn't NEED Microsoft Office because they could use Google Docs, Slides, and Sheets to get work done for FREE. Microsoft has since had a change in leadership and now you can find all of the Microsoft Office apps on iOS, but because it took them so long to release their apps on iOS, many people realized they didn't NEED to use them anymore. In fact, there are many people who don't even install Microsoft Office on their computers because they can use Google Drive instead. 

Why do I bring all this up? Many schools, which were largely Apple schools, have left Apple products behind and moved almost entirely to Chromebooks due in large part to the difference in price. Could Apple announce an amazing device that will bring the cost closer to that of Chromebooks and help win back the Education field? I don't know, but I sure would like to see them try it. 

So how can you plan to follow this event? It won't be live-streamed like most of the modern Apple events, possibly due to the "field trip" style of the event and not having their state-of-the-art facility, or possibly due to the fact this will be happening in a school, so how can you follow it? You're going to have to go back in time to when Live Blogging was a thing and follow your favorite site(s). I think I'll be following along with a couple of my preferred sites including, Six Colors and the Six Colors liveblog Twitter account, The Verge, and MacStories. 

What do you think Apple with discuss or announce in their Education Event tomorrow? Let me know. 

Get Back Up - #30DayProject - Day 07

Source: Pixabay.com

I've had a really challenging weekend and don't know what to say. I start this #30DayProject because I want to spend more time writing and reflecting on my educational practice and I drop the ball after 6 days! In my defense, I've had some family issues that have moved the focus of my time to things that are more pressing. But, even though I missed 3 days I won't miss my numbering and I'll continue on in the process. I will get back up on the horse and return to regular posts.

I can't help but think about a great book I bought but haven't had the time to read yet called The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed * by Jessica Lahey. Side note, I tweeted about my desire to read The Gift of Failure in a recent #UTedChat and Jessica Lahey not only thanked me in the chat, she also sent me a handwritten thank you card! I couldn't believe it! A handwritten thank you card from a New York Time's Best Selling author! I was shocked! It was so nice of her to do that.

Image Source

Anyway, back to the book. I bought the book in order to participate in a Twitter Book Chat but life hit me so hard I wasn't able to read it with the group. I've always been a big proponent for looking at failure in a positive light because I believe that is where we learn the most, from our shortcomings and when we mess up. In fact, I always told First Attempt In Learning or Frequent Attempts In Learning. Regardless of how you look at it, I believe the only way you truly "fail" at something is when you quit trying and stop. For this reason, I will continue forward with my #30DayProject even though I "failed" by missing 3 days. I will continue working and hopefully learning as I go.
my students that Fail was nothing more than an acronym for

Thanks for sticking around!
__________

* Yes this is an affiliate link to Amazon and if you purchase the book from this link I will receive a very small kickback for referring you. If you don't like referral links, here is a non-referral link to the same book.

Riding A Bike - #30DayProject - Day 06

Source: Pixaby.com

I did something today that I haven't done in a long time, rode a bike. Now I didn't go on a long ride but I still got on a bike, two different bikes in fact, and rode them down the street and back to my house. I couldn't tell you the last time I rode a bike and yet I was able to hop on the bikes today and got riding without any issues at all.

Why is this important and why should it appear on an educational site? It's important for the same reason I can recite my multiplication facts up to 12 without much issues. It's important for the same reason I can recite some of the memorized poems and scriptures of my youth. It's important because when something is truly learned and, dare I say "mastered," it stays with you for life. I'm not a huge proponent of making/asking kids to memorize things unless they are needed on a regular basis because we now live in a world where it's so easy to pull a computer out of your pocket and search on Google for the answer. And yet, there are some things I believe are that necessary to memorize in order to make life easier for kids. Those things, like multiplication facts, scriptures, helpful songs/poems that help you learn, are worthwhile enough that kids still need to use some of their biological hard drive space to house it permanently and not just in the short-term cache. And even more than asking students to memorize things, if we can help them learn something so deeply that it is able to be stored on their permanent hard drive then we are actually making a difference in their lives.

Source: Pixabay.com

A couple days ago I had something amazing happen, my first-year students graduated high school. I never thought I'd see that day and yet, I didn't actually see it. My students graduated and I didn't even try to attend the event. Why not? I don't know, I just didn't realize it was happening that night because I wasn't invited to attend. I didn't attend because I was spending time with my family and visiting different doctors for medical check-ups. I didn't attend because life happened. And it was okay because I know those students learned things in my class and in their subsequent classes that will stick with them and allow them to be better people. They learned things to allow them to one day, sitting in a meeting at work, sitting in a class at University, sitting at home with their own kids, get back on their proverbial bike and get riding because they have that information permanently stored in their minds. And on that day, they'll think back to when they first learned the thing they're thinking about and realize it wasn't so bad to have worked hard in school. And they may even remember their 4th grade teacher and his crazy ways.

Congrats Class of 2017! You did it, you graduated High School and get to move on to the rest of your life. Best of luck!

p.s. It's technically still Saturday here in Utah so I haven't missed a day yet! But I'm just barely making it.

Life, Challenges, and Hope - #30DayProject - Day 05

Image Source: Pixabay.com

Sometimes life hands you a crummy situation and you have to decide how you want to deal with it. Do you want to be angry and frustrated because you didn't get what you wanted or do you face life head-on and take what comes your way with strength and determination to make the best of it? I don't know where I am right now as I deal with health concerns for my Mom and the very real fact that her days may be numbered here on this Earth. I want to be 100% optimistic about her healing and getting back to full health, but I have to be realistic and know that there is a very real chance she won't be around to see her grandchildren graduate high school or get married. I love my mother very much and am really struggling with her health issues but I know that God is real and He loves me and my family and has a plan for our lives. And yet, knowing that doesn't make it any easier for me to deal with the pain and heartache I've been dealing with recently.

Visiting Voxer HQ in 2016

I love the Voxer app because it allows me to connect with people on a deeper level than Twitter or Facebook because you can hear the other person's voice and there's something about that idea that pushes you past the basics of communication. As with many tech tools, I tend to be involved in LOTS of different Voxer groups of all kinds. One of those groups has helped me deal with my Mom's health issues and concerns and it's not your normal group. The group is one where we share more spiritual messages and ideas than anything else. In fact, the group was created as a place where we could gather to share our thoughts and beliefs about God and His ways. I am very grateful for my spiritual family in my Voxer group because no matter what my concern is, I know they care about me and are willing to pray for me as well as with me. And that's a beautiful thing. Earlier I shared a link to a Mormon.org article because I am in fact a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or what many call a Mormon. And while I think I'm the only Mormon in my religious Voxer group, it doesn't matter because we all lift each other up and help each other out and I find that to be beautiful.

I don't really know why I'm writing this all here on an EdTech website other than I feel this is something that should belong here in my Babble category because not everything I do is Education or Technology and if you want to get to know the real me then you need to know more than the EdTech side. All educators are more than their classroom, teaching assignment, or extra roles (which are often many) and yet we don't always allow ourselves to show that online. As I've already said here, this site is about me and the way I see education and life. This is life for me right now and I felt the need to share it with y'all.

Thanks.

Talks and Panels on Video - #30DayProject - Day 04

DigCitSummit @ Twitter HQ

I have had some pretty amazing things happen in the last couple of years and I just realized I haven't posted about a couple of them here. Back in October 2016 I was invited to attend the DigCitSummit @ Twitter Headquarters and speak on a panel of amazing educators on the topic of How Can We Think Outside The Box Regarding Teaching and Spreading Digital Citizenship and Media Literacy? It was a lot of fun and I learned a ton from my fellow panelists as well as the rest of the presenters and other panels that day. Below is the video from that panel discussion for your viewing pleasure, so please enjoy.

And yes, that was in fact my lovely wife calling me to check in and see how the conference was going. Ad yes, I forgot to turn my computer on Do Not Disturb mode so everyone was able to hear the ringing. But at least we were able to laugh it off and show that it's not the end of the world when something like that happens during your presentation. The other member of the panel included the following:

Panel Moderator: Alan Katzman (@SocialAssurity)

Panelists: Jaime Donally (@jaimedonally) 

Derek Larson (@lars3eb) 

Casper Pieters (@DCSOOCed) 

Chris Priebe (@chrispriebe) 

Erin Reilly (@ebreilly) 

Kristin Ziemke (@Kristinziemke)

UCET 2017

The other cool thing I wanted to share with you is the video footage of my first ever Ignite Talk that I gave at the UCET 2017 Conference at the University of Utah on March 17, 2017. The topic was Connecting Globally and Locally as Educators and it was the most challenging talk I've ever given. If you're not familiar with the Ignite Talk format it is 20 slides that automatically change every 15 seconds for a total of a 5-minute presentation! It was exhilarating and challenging and I can't wait for my chance to do another one. The filming started a little late so you actually miss my first two slides, but I think you still end up with a pretty good idea of how the talk turned out.

Have you had a presentation, talk, or panel recorded before? How did you feel when you finally found out it was available to watch online? I know I was both nervous and excited to watch. I hope you enjoy the above videos. Let me know your thoughts and how you think I could improve my method. 

Thanks for reading and watching!

New Challenge - #30DayProject - Day 02

You may have noticed that I have recently started writing a little more here on the site, hopefully that's a good thing. I was inspired by my good pal Stacey Lindes (@iRunTech) as I watched her write more on her site iRunTech.me and try to live a more Writerly Life. It was actually Stacey who convinced me to start the #100DayProject with her last year. I was actually pretty happy I did it because I didn't think I could write every day for 100 days, which I didn't quite achieve, but it was still a lot of fun trying.

I've decided I wanted to try being more deliberate with my reflection process now that I'm coming up on a whole year with my new job and feel like I'm starting to understand what I'm doing. I've missed writing so regularly and hope that by taking part in another challenge it will help me jump start the process. While I want to do another challenge, I don't think I want to commit to another #100DayProject so I'm going to start a little slower and try for a #30DayProject instead and then see where it takes me from there. So like with the #100DayProject, I plan to have the same rules in place to help me along the way of this #30DayProject.

Rules: 

1. I will have at least 1 post per day on EdTechBabble.net tagged with #30DayProject. I may do more than one, but I have to post at least once per day.
2. In order to make that happen, you may see all sorts of different things posted here besides just education or technology topics, but that's where the "babble" part of the title comes into play. 
3. In order for it to be considered a "post" it has to have at least 1 paragraph of text that is my own writing, not just a quick picture or quote. I want to see if I can improve my writing by taking part in this challenge and this is a good way to keep me honest. You may see some link-posts where I am sending you to check out another great article from some other site, but I will still include at least a paragraph of my own commentary with the link. A great example of a link post is when I wrote about Making Space on iOS where I linked to an article that Bradley Chambers wrote about how to move things around to make more space on an iOS device. It was a great article and I still stand by the ideas he shared. 

I hope you all will consider joining in the crazy fun of making something for 30 days to see what you can come up with. And if you do, please be sure to tag it with #30DayProject so we can all see what great stuff you are making. Here's to 30 days of fun! 

#PassTheScopeEDU - 2 Days Late - #30DayProject - Day 01

Source: Brian Smith - @BrianRSmithSR

Last week was another excellent #PassTheScopeEDU event. If you didn't see the scopes live, you should totally check out the #PassTheScopeEDU hashtag and watch them soon because it was great! I once again was able to take part in the event but I wasn't there on the scheduled 3rd Thursday typical of the event because something happened that got in the way of my filming, life happened and it was okay.

I was finally able to get on camera two days late on Saturday and share some of my #aMAYzingMoments from the 2016-17 school year along with the reason for me being late, I was busy spending time with my family. We need to be sure to take the time needed to show our families that we care about them as much (or hopefully more than) the students in our classes. I loved working with my students and colleagues each and every day, but my own family was the reason why I was out there with my students, I was making a living to provide for my own family. Be sure to take the time needed to show your family you care and they mean the world to you.

I linked the Periscope above, but in case you can't find it up there, here it is again. And feel free to join us in the next edition of #PassTheScopeEDU, each and every 3rd Thursday of the month, unless of course you're busy spending time with your family and need to join in a little later.

Similar

I spent a lot of time today driving (roughly 8 hours) from my home in Southern Utah to Salt Lake City in Northern Utah for meetings. The meetings were successful and we had some excellent conversations about how our state should act when it comes to the technical needs and concerns of its schools, medical facilities, and libraries. Being from an education background I assumed I would care mostly about the needs of the schools and somewhat ignore the needs of the other groups, but I was wrong. The more I listened to each short presentation shared the more I realized just how much each of the groups in the meeting were similar and dealing with issues and concerns that matched those of my own schools I work with. And it was there in that room I realized how important it is to actually listen to others fully before making judgments or casting out the falsehoods you may believe.

So, remember, we are more similar than different and we should be willing to give each other a complete chance.

New Job and Guest Hosting #HouseOfEdTech

I've had a pretty amazing and busy last couple of weeks that have kept me from writing here like I'd like to do. Not that that's any real excuse, but this may actually be a decent reason for why I've been absent for so long. While I spent a lot of time traveling and enjoying family time this summer, I had a life-changing event occur that has left me feeling very excited and nervous all at the same time.

My new home, SEDC!

As of August 1st, 2016, I am no longer a classroom teacher. I've left my post as a 5th grade teacher working with some of the most amazing educators in the state of Utah, if not the entire country, in order to accept the position of Technology Director of Southwest Educational Development Center (SEDC) in Southern Utah. While I have been working on my Administrative Endorsement to work in the area of Educational Leadership, this is a position that is kind of a dream come true! I get to work with some of the best educational technology integrationists and network specialists along with an outstanding Autism Specialist, the most organized office manager and kindest director you could ask for, it's like I'm dreaming here!

While I will miss my time working directly with amazing students and their very patient parents, I look forward to working with teachers to help them in their quest to become the best educators around! I will be working with the six Southwestern counties/school districts in the beautiful state of Utah! I've already spent time in five of the districts and I can't wait to work with each of the 100+ schools in my region.

House of #EdTech Episode 67

While I haven't done the best of job explaining my new position here, I recently had the chance to appear as the guest host for the #HouseOfEdTech podcast with my pal Chris Nesi last week. In that episode, Chris had me explain all about my new position and the process it took for me to apply for and ultimately get the job. You should consider heading over to ChrisNesi.com/67 and listen to Episode 67 of his excellent podcast #HouseOfEdTech. In fact, if you aren't already subscribed to the #HouseOfEdTech then you should correct that mistake and subscribe to one of my absolute favorite podcasts around. Chris produces a great new episode every two weeks and in it you will find excellent tips and tricks that you can "listen to today and use tomorrow." Thanks Chris for letting me come on the show and share my good news!

So, to recap, I have accepted a new position as the Technology Director of SEDC in Southwestern Utah, leaving the classroom after a wonderful eight years working with students. While I'll miss it, I'm already loving the new gig and look forward to all the new things I will learn. I also appeared as the guest host of Episode 67 of #HouseOfEdTech with Chris Nesi. Go ahead and have a listen at ChrisNesi.com/67.

Music Fun - #100DayProject - Day 101

As many of you already know, I am a lover of almost all forms of music. I played in school bands from 6th grade until college where I even received a partial scholarship for my musical experience and commitment. I finally had to quit organized symphonic band when I entered my Elementary Education coursework. Maybe that was one of the reasons I was so excited to go back and play with the retirement concert for my college band director.

Image Source: Pixabay.com

While perusing Facebook today, one of my friends shared an amazing video where a man by the name of Grant Woolard had arranged (and I say composed even though this person didn't write the music) 57 classical songs by 38 different composers. I absolutely LOVED the video and ended up re-sharing it amongst my friends. I've now gone and watched it on YouTube where at the time of this writing it had 2.7 million views! So take a couple minutes and enjoy a very fun piece of classical music mashed up with other great classical songs. And if you play the piano, even just a little like I do, tell me you don't want to buy the sheet music.

I love sharing music-based items because I feel that music is something that ALL kids need to have in their lives and more than just listening to it. I believe that learning how to play a musical instrument helped me in all aspects of my life and especially in school. While it was difficult at times to finish all my homework and still have time for sports and practicing music, I wouldn't trade my musical experiences for anything! I was able to perform in many locations including Disneyland, Fullerton State Jazz Festival, UNLV, across Utah, and even on the stage of Carnegie Hall. None of which involved my time in rock bands and taking part in our mini-tour across Southern Nevada and Northern Utah. I have been very blessed to enjoy many different experiences through music that without I would be a different person.

Please help encourage your students to get involved with music and learn to play an instrument because you never know, they may just come back and thank you for it one day!

Edit:
I added the name of the man who composed and arranged this amazing work. His name is Grant Woolard and you should check out his other stuff on YouTube as well.

My Prayer - #100DayProject - Day 099

I don't even know where to start with this post today, which is part of the reason I'm so late. But I'm going to try anyway and hope to say something meaningful and helpful.

Image Source: Pixabay.com

This has been a hard couple of days here in the United States of America, a place where we are only still united by name. We have watched three horrendous situations take fold and I don't believe there is an end in sight. Our country is broken and in need of someone more than just a doctor, but a healer.

While reading through Facebook, I was reminded of a beautiful and powerful quote by Mahatma Ghandi.

An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.

How can we not see that the more we attack each other, the farther we get from any real solution? We are supposed to be the greatest country in the world, the example of what a Free Nation should look like, and yet, we're too busy fighting amongst ourselves and killing one another we've forgotten it.

I have a friend who is vacationing in Washington, D.C. right now and he shared some beautiful pictures of his visit on Facebook as well. One of the places he stopped was the Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial and while enjoying his picture, I couldn't help but think of the great Reverend's quote about hate multiplying hate.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness;
only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate;
only love can do that.
Hate multiplies hate,
violence multiplies violence,
and toughness multiplies toughness
in a descending spiral of destruction....
The chain reaction of evil --
hate begetting hate,
wars producing more wars --
must be broken,
or we shall be plunged
into the dark abyss of annihilation.

Image Source: Pixabay.com

When will we recognize that the only way to fix out country is to fix ourselves? We need to work to destroy the hate from within and then, and only then, will we be able to move past this despair and destruction from within. At this point, it doesn't matter who started what may well become a second Civil War of our nation, it only matters who is the truly stronger one to help end it.

I pray that God will help us in this country to find a solution to our divisions. I pray that He will bless our great nation to once again be the example of what a Free Nation should be. But even with all my prayers, I know that the way God answers us is through each other. He doesn't usually send angels to fix things, He sends us to fix things. We need to willing to follow through with the simple but powerful feelings and promptings we feel throughout the day to serve one another and help make our homes, schools, cities, counties, states, and country a better place. The change we NEED in this country will begin with each and every one of us and how we decide to live each day. I pray that we can live up to that challenge to help each other feel of God's love for you.

Quiet Time - #100DayProject - Day 097

I am the kind of person who loves to sit quietly and think. I usually say "sit and do nothing," but I don't think that's an accurate statement because can you really do nothing? Maybe you can, but I can't because my mind tends to wander anyways so I might as well let it and then it becomes thinking about stuff. So, I am a person who likes to sit and think. Maybe that's one of the reasons why I enjoy driving so much. There is very little to "do" besides drive and think. I realize you can listen to audio entertainment (music, podcasts, audiobooks, etc.) or talk with people, but I often drive places alone and actually enjoy the silence when not enjoying some level of audio entertainment.

Image Source: Pixabay.com

In the last 48 hours, I have spent close to five hours driving in a car by myself and enjoying the silence and time to think. While I did listen to a few podcasts (thanks, Chris Nesi for another excellent episode of the #HouseOfEdTech) and some audiobooks, I actually spent some time in quiet solitude to consider all that I've been blessed to do this year so far and to wonder a bit about where I'm headed in the future. And do you know what? It was an incredibly relaxing time in the car.

While spending some time on Twitter tonight, I came across a tweet that was retweeted by the Best Keynote group that really struck a cord with me. The tweet is below.

I actually enjoy waiting rooms/spaces. It's a rare moment where your only option is to reflect or think.

— Connor Janzen (@Cjanz) July 6, 2016

How often do we allow ourselves to just sit quietly and reflect and think, especially while waiting for an appointment? I agree with Connor and also enjoy my time while waiting. And yet, sometimes still pull out my pocket computer and mess around. Why do we feel the need to constantly be connected to our phones instead of letting ourselves let go? I don't have an answer and am still working on unplugging more often in the spare moments we have throughout the day.

I hope we can all find ways to unplug and learn to enjoy the quiet in our lives. Because life has so few of those moments left, it'd be a shame to waste them all playing games or messing around on social media all the time. Here's to unplugging a little more and thinking about life.

Kindness - #100DayProject - Day 096

Have you ever had someone compliment you out of the blue that made you feel special and loved? Or are you the type of person who immediately wondered what their catch was, why were they complimenting you out of nowhere? I like to think I'm more of the first example, but more often than not I tend to be the reluctant accepter of nice things. I don't think I'm the only one here, but I'm so confused as to why I do it. Why do we second-guess others who are trying to be kind?

So what set off this thinking process today? I spent the day teaching a class on Web 2.0 for my school district when I noticed a strange tweet addressed to me. As we were talking about Twitter (social media being a good example of Web 2.0 - a term I kind of loathe) I noticed I had a notification show up on my phone for the following tweet.

@lars3eb You make my robot face break into a smile. #TheNiceBot

— The NiceBot (@TheNiceBot) July 5, 2016

Are you kidding me? What is this all about? Is this some kind of joke? Who's behind this thing? Sadly, these were some of my initial thoughts about this super nice comment. While I don't understand who is responsible, the more I step back, the more grateful I am for someone creating something so kind in a world where it's the norm to be a jerk online.

Who or what is @TheNiceBot? According to its Twitter bio:

I am The NiceBot. Something mean is posted on Twitter every 60 seconds, so I have been programmed to deliver random niceness every 30 seconds. Have a nice day!

It's also linked to an organization called Champions Against Bullying who are committed to "creating a society where every child has the opportunity to develop, learn and thrive in an environment without fear, without violence and without limitation." On their home page they have a short video PSA that almost made me cry because of its message. Check it out below.

How often do we wait until it's too late to say something kind? Imagine what those kind words could have done for those teens if they had actually heard them instead of just have them be posted after they were gone. I for one think it's time to step up and start sharing more good online and being more kind. It may have taken receiving a compliment from a strange Twitter account to get me on this path, but that's okay as long as I get on the path. Let's all start taking time to be a little more kind online and help those we care about (both online and off) to see just how important and special they are to us.

Thanks for @TheNiceBot and those who created you. Your simple message of kindness has inspired me to be a little kinder, a little more willing to be kind. Here's to helping Champions Against Bullying reach their goal of creating a society where kids can live "without fear, without violence and without limitation." Let's make a difference!

Happy 4th of July - #100DayProject - Day 095

Happy 4th of July!

God bless America, home of the free because of the brave!


via GIPHY

I feel so honored to call the U.S.A. my home because of what this country stands for. I have been blessed to have a number of family members serve in the Armed Forces and am forever indebted to them and the many more who have also served to protect this home of mine. While I recognize America isn't without its flaws and issues, we are all very blessed to call this great country home.

God bless the U.S.A.!