Episode 8.01 Closing the Loop Greetings and Welcome to the final Potentially Useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast. Danelle Brostrom and I attempted to not be excessively maudlin and succeeded to some extent as we looked back on 8 years of potentially useful podcasting while "closing the Loop".

Moment of Zen: Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.” ― Lucius Annaeus Seneca*

The Rundown:Reflections On A Project

Why it Started
- A fun, Innovative PD vehicle to share best practices with edtech.
- Initial concept included a full multimedia project inspired by Grantland.com but downsized within the first year due to unrealistic expectations of an already over worked team. Some articles from Stephie Luyt and David Noller can still be found on Medium.com
- Podcasts allowed for a long form conversation to help demystify technology for our educators and allow for thought provoking discussion from our amazing team of Edtech experts.

By the Numbers:

Number of years - 8; TCAPSLoop started podcasting early 2016. TCAPSLoop Weekly #1 was March 2017
Number of episodes - OVER 200!!!!!

Highlights:

Helped inspire and/or launch at least 3 other edtech podcasts (remember when we were TRENDING on apple podcasts????)
Favorite special guests
- Emmanuel Schanzer - data science - in 2023
- Stephie Luyt - books, books, books!
- cast.org
- Favorite episodes - top 3 I’d recommend for people to listen to RIGHT NOW
- Universal Design for Learning with Cast.org | TCAPSLoop Podcast 2024
- Considering Age Appropriate AI | TCAPSLoop Podcast 2024
- ALL DIGCIT PODS, but especially Bonus Pod! Common Sense EDU Digital Citizenship Week Discussion | TCAPSLoop Podcast 2023 First DigCit pod: Oct 17, 2017

What's Next:

All things AI, Accessibility, Closing the design, use, and access divides (NETP), continued work on the MACUL Board serving the membership of MACUL (Conference chair for MACUL26 in GR - 50th anniversary of the org)

Recommendations

Hard Fork
Body Electric
Twenty Thousand Hertz
For the Purpose Of - Kent ISD

Tech Tool of the Week

Common Sense Media and cast.org :)

Final Thoughts:

Podcast series will still remain out in the ether for people to listen, reflect, share
Tech tools come and go. Good teaching is timeless.
Pause for people. Put down the device. Go outside.

Where can we find you?

Danelle - brostromda@tcaps.net or Linked In (brostromda)
TCAPSLoop can be found at a thrift store, estate sale or antique store near you.

Thank you for listening to the podcast on Apple podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Pocketcast, Podbean, Castbox, Overcast, Bullhorn, or wherever else you got your ear candy. gekawabamin meenawa and...

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

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Greetings and Welcome to another Potentially Useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast. We are here to rebuke the commonly held belief that teachers have the summers off. Danelle Brostrom and Daneille Humphry from Northwest Ed discuss the past, present and future of our favorite summer event not associated with water, WIREDTC!

Moment of Zen:The expert in anything was once a beginner." - Helen Hayes

The Rundown:* What is WIREDTC? What is the history of this event? * What changes are we looking forward to this year? + New partners + New format + New timeslot + New vibe * Where can educators find out more information about WIREDTC? + www.wiredtc.net + Registration is open now!

Tech Tool of the Week edWeb

Free professional development from industry leaders like Common Sense.

Specifically, this upcoming one sounds AMAZING: Dreams Take Flight with THE BLUE ANGELS - edWeb

Goblin Tools

goblin.tools is a collection of small, simple, single-task tools, mostly designed to help neurodivergent people with tasks they find overwhelming or difficult.

Please rate and review the podcast on your app of choice and leave us a comment on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram

Thank you so much for listening and inspiring!

Hosts: Danelle Brostrom, Larry Burden

Special Guests: Daneille Humphry

Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

Cover art created with help from Adobe Firefly.

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Greetings and Welcome to another Potentially Useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast. I’m so pumped for this episode as we are joined by Melissa Sanjeh and Bryan Dean of cast.org. They are here to de-mystify UDL and get you on board to implement their amazing resources into your practice, in the classroom, or district-wide. This is a must listen for any educator invested in the education of ALL students.

Moment of Zen:“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.” ― Charles DickensThe Rundown:Key Goals of the Podcast:

Visibility for cast.org and what it can offer educators/schools
Increase depth of understanding around accessibility/UDL

Audience for the Podcast:

K-12 educators
Administrators

Questions/Topics

What is cast.org? What are the goals of your organization?
Why is accessibility important and necessary? What are some common accessibility barriers educators might be overlooking?
How does UDL fit in? How can UDL benefit ALL learners?
Connection between your work at cast.org and the NETP
What advice would you give educators who are just starting to explore UDL, accessibility, and cast.org?
Looking towards the future, what are your predictions for the role of accessibility and UDL in education?

From a district leadership perspective, how do we make this into just something that we DO in our district/school?

Additional Questions:

Can you share some success stories or personal anecdotes about accessibility and UDL in action?
Can you share a Tech Tool for our listeners? What will help them learn more about the topic or what will help them be more accessible?

Tech Tool of the WeekCast.org

Please rate and review the podcast on your app of choice and leave us a comment on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram

Thank you so much for listening and inspiring!

Hosts: Danelle Brostrom, Larry Burden

Special Guests: Melissa Sanjeh, Bryan Dean

Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

Cover art created with help from Adobe Firefly.

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Greetings and Welcome to another Potentially Useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast. Today's show includes potential pulitzer prize winning novelist, Danelle Brostrom as well as her ghost writer in this alternate reality, Stephie Luyt. We will be discussing all things Libraries including three school library associated bills currently working their way through Michigan State Congress and how they'll effect our Certified Librarians. We focus on Information Literacy, Artificial Intelligence and of course, Bluey.

Moment of Zen:“The person who deserves most pity is a lonesome one on a rainy day who doesn’t know how to read.” — Benjamin FranklinThe Letter:Dear Senate Education Committee Members,

Thank you for your thoughtful consideration and questions about the “Library in Every School” bills that are sponsored by Senator Camilleri (SB741, SB742) and Senator Bayer (SB743).

At yesterday’s Senate Education Committee Meeting, members of the committee asked for data about school libraries. The Michigan Association of School Librarians (MASL) has a wealth of data and we will share some of it below in several forms.

Please reach out if you have questions about this data or would like to meet to have any of your questions answered.

Thank you very much,

Kathy Lester

MASL Advocacy Co-Chair, Immediate Past-President AASL, Adjunct Faculty Wayne State University

Alexa Lalejini

MASL Advocacy Co-Chair, School Librarian, Rockford Public Schools

Stephie Luyt

MASL Advocacy Co-Chair, School Librarian, Traverse City Area Public Schools

Carrie Betts,

MASL President, School Librarian, Birmingham Public School District, AASL National School Library of the Year

Christine Beachler,

MASL President-Elect, School Librarian, Lowell Public Schools

DATA ABOUT THE POSITIVE IMPACT OF SCHOOL LIBRARIANS

Correlation between reading scores and school librarians in Michigan

According to the latest data, Michigan 46th in the nation in the ratio of students to school librarians (ratio of 2788 students per school librarian from 2021-2022) and 43rd in 3rd grade NAEP reading scores.

Michigan Study About the Impact of School Librarians

In Michigan, a Library of Michigan research study showed that school library media programs have a statistically significant positive impact on reading achievement in grades 4, 7, and 11. Specifically, this study showed that schools with librarians have 35 percent more fourth graders who score proficient or above than school without librarians (see page ix of the study). The Michigan reading test scores rise with the extent to which the state’s school library programs are headed by qualified school librarians. The relationship between school libraries and test scores cannot be explained away by other school or community conditions at any school level.

The Impact of Michigan School Libraries on Academic Achievement: Kids Who Have Libraries Succeed

Other research and data about the positive impact of school librarians

The Michigan Association of School Librarians has put together a document that summarizes the different ways that school librarians have a positive impact on students and includes links to research for each item.

bit.ly/slibevid

A good article that summarizes much of the research

The article below is a great article that summarizes much of the research.

Lance, K.C. & Kachel, D.E. (2018). Why school librarians matter: What years of research tell us. Phi Delta Kappan, 99 (7), 15-20.

An infographic about the impact of school librarians on students with cited research studies: bit.ly/slheights

Tech Tool of the WeekTeaching Books is the new Sora extra!

Please rate and review the podcast on your app of choice and leave us a comment on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram

Thank you so much for listening and inspiring!

Hosts: Danelle Brostrom, Larry Burden

Special Guest: Stephie Luyt

Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

Cover art created with help from Adobe Firefly.

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Greetings and Welcome to another Potentially Useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast. After several rather stress inducing weeks at TCAPSLoop towers we decided to keep this episode light by focusing on some great tech tools to get you through the stretch run of the school year. So let’s start the calming process by inhaling this weeks TCAPS Loop Moment of Zen:

Moment of Zen:“Be like a duck. Calm on the surface, but always paddling like the dickens underneath.” —Michael CaineThe Rundown:Canva for podcasting

1. How To Create a Podcast in Canva
2. Free and customizable podcast templates

Google Classroom Practice Sets

1. 1. Practice sets - Google for Education 2. Uses AI to help find and attach supplemental study material 3. Uses AI to deliver insights about assignment/class

AI Test Kitchen from Google

Comic Sans Criminal

Additional Inspiration:

Dr. Nagler Named COSN EmpowerED Superintendent of the Year
Too much screen time? U-M pioneers digital wellness program for youths | University of Michigan News
In the legislature now: The American Privacy Rights Act of 2024

Tech Tool of the WeekBluey. Just watch it.

Watch - Bluey Official Website
NPR Bluey Podcast

Please rate and review the podcast on your app of choice and leave us a comment on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram

Thank you so much for listening and inspiring!

Hosts: Danelle Brostrom, Larry Burden

Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

Cover art created with help from Adobe Firefly.

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Greetings and Welcome to another Potentially Useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast. This episode dives into the world of AI prompts with guest Pete Milne, REMC Director! We explore best practices for crafting effective prompts, ensuring responsible AI use, and leveraging Pete's expertise to elevate your ed-tech game. Buckle up and get ready to unlock the appropriate use of AI in your practice!

Moment of Zen:“The power to question is the basis of all human progress.” – Indira GandhiThe Rundown:Crafting Powerful Prompts: Pete shares key tips for creating clear, concise, and effective prompts that guide AI tools towards your desired outcome.

Reliable Sources & Verification: Learn the importance of including reputable sources in your prompts and double-checking information for accuracy.

Responsible AI Use: We discuss crucial considerations like avoiding PII (Personally Identifiable Information) and verifying sources to ensure ethical and responsible AI integration.

Practice Makes Perfect: Pete emphasizes the importance of practice when crafting prompts. Explore scenarios like those offered by Common Sense Education (https://www.commonsense.org/education/collections/ai-literacy-lessons-for-grades-6-12)) to hone your skills.

AI as Your Partner: AI is best used as an assistant or thought partner, not a replacement for our expertise.

Tech Tool of the WeekREMC 2Central

REMC Association of Michigan
REMC SAVE
Control Alt Achieve: Super Prompt - An AI Prompt to Create AI Prompts
The Prepare Framework – AI Pioneers
Doc for Getting Started with Prompts
Enhancing Efficiency & Effectiveness While Providing Accommodations for All - April (asynchronous)
Sketchnoting - April 17th (noon - 3:30)
PSTL in a Box - May (asynchronous)

Please rate and review the podcast on your app of choice and leave us a comment on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram

Thank you so much for listening and inspiring!

Hosts: Danelle Brostrom, Larry Burden

Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

Cover art created with help from Adobe Firefly.

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Greetings and Welcome to another Potentially Useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast. Danelle's leveled up after her successful quest through MACUL 2024 and will guide us into the exciting realm of Developmentally Appropriate AI in Education. We know our youngest learners must develop the necessary critical thinking skills to navigate a landscape where AI will be ubiquitous. So, gear-up, fellow ed-tech explorers, as we embark on a journey through bytes, and building blocks.

Moment of Zen:There are very few human beings who receive the truth, complete and staggering, by instant illumination. Most of them acquire it fragment by fragment, on a small scale, by successive developments, cellularly, like a laborious mosaic. - Anais NinThe Rundown:Thoughts on Access vs. Exposure in regards to AI in schools

Generative AI has potential benefits for education and risks that must be thoughtfully managed.

Early Elementary - Bite sized digital citizenship, scaffolding to big ideas

AI is not a human
“Peek under the hood” to see how these things work
Critical Thinking
- AI hallucinations
- AI created images
Slow down and self reflect AND Seek facts and evidence (5 core dispositions of digital citizenship)
Not directly on AI systems - under 13

Later Elementary

Problem solvers, if we aren’t careful, they will learn to rely on this kind of tech rather than solving their own problems
Ask ChatGPT questions, but the teacher is always in the drivers seat.
Spend a LOT of time thinking critically about the answers
Not directly on AI systems - under 13

Middle School

CAUTION! “Over 13? Let’s get them on AI!” Developmentally what do we know about middle school brains? They lack impulse control. Set guardrails and limits.
Exercises in which students ask a generative AI chatbot to answer a question or write an essay and then critique it—looking for factual errors, etc.
“It should be used as a tool to complement and challenge the critical-thinking skills that come online at this age,”

High School

High school students are fast becoming sophisticated users of programs like ChatGPT.
Teachers may feel their main duty at this stage is to police students and make sure they’re not using ChatGPT, Photomath, and similar technologies to do their assignments. But experts say that educators have a more important role to play: primarily, to teach students the limitations of the technology. The text and images created by generative AI programs, for example, can be plagued with biases, stereotypes, and inaccuracies.
“Exercise your natural suspicions. Doubt the machine. Don’t take answers at face value”
AI is an important component of their education, but it still needs boundaries and guidance.
AI Literacy Lessons for Grades 6–12 | Common Sense Education

Tech Tool of the WeekAI Literacy Lessons for Grades 6–12 | Common Sense Education

Rate, Review and Subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Pocketcast, Podbean, Castbox, Overcast, Bullhorn, or wherever else you get your ear candy.

Please rate and review the podcast on your app of choice and leave us a comment on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram

Thank you so much for listening and inspiring!

Hosts: Danelle Brostrom, Larry Burden

Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

Cover art created with help from Adobe Firefly.

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Greetings and Welcome to another Potentially Useful, From the Desk of the Director, episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast. Evan O’branovic is already back up for a second helping at the Edtech Buffett. In todays episode, we'll talk trends and tips to leverage technology for enhancing student engagement, streamlining administrative tasks, and fostering a collaborative learning environment while attempting to avoid rambling incoherently for 20 minutes.

Moment of Zen:“We shape clay into a pot, but it’s the emptiness inside that holds whatever we want - Tao Te Ching

The Rundown:* What's the difference between an Learning Management System (LMS) and a Classroom Management System (CMS)? * What questions are you asking when looking at these solutions? * What outcomes are you hoping for? How are you planning to measure success? * What’s next? * Please rate and review the podcast on your app of choice and leave us a comment on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram

Thank you so much for listening and inspiring!

Hosts: Evan Obranovic, Larry Burden

Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

Cover art created with help from Adobe Firefly.

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Greetings and Welcome to another "Potentially Useful" episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast. We are excited to be joined by Amber Wade, Wayne RESA’s Assistive Technology Consultant to follow up on our NETP conversations concerning Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Accessibility and provide some potentially useful tips for educators attempting to implement UDL in their practice.

Moment of Zen:“Let’s stop ‘tolerating’ or ‘accepting’ difference, as if we’re so much better for not being different in the first place. Instead, let’s celebrate difference, because in this world it takes a lot of guts to be different.”― Kate BornsteinThe Rundown:Key Goals of the Podcast:

Increase understanding of UDL
Increase depth of understanding around accessibility
Offer practical tips for educators regarding UDL/Accessibility

Audience for the Podcast:

K-12 educators
Administrators

General Accessibility Questions:

For educators unfamiliar with accessibility, what's the simplest way to explain its importance in education?
What are some common accessibility barriers educators might be overlooking?
Are there free or low-cost resources educators can use to make their classrooms more accessible?

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Questions:

Can you explain the core principles of UDL in a way that educators can easily understand?
How can UDL benefit all learners, not just those with disabilities?
What practical strategies can educators use to implement UDL in their classrooms?
How can UDL be used to promote a more inclusive and equitable learning environment?

Implementation and Challenge Questions:

What are some of the biggest challenges educators face when implementing UDL?
What advice would you give educators who are just starting to explore UDL?
Looking towards the future, what are your predictions for the role of accessibility and UDL in education?

Tech Tool of the WeekAlt+Shift: Every Learner Has Special Needs. Learners do not need to be “ready” to be included. Programs need to be ready to support all learners.

Digital Promise Edtech Pilot Framework: The Edtech Pilot Framework provides a step-by-step process to help education leaders and technology developers run successful educational technology (edtech) pilots.

Rate, Review and Subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Pocketcast, Podbean, Castbox, Overcast, Bullhorn, or wherever else you get your ear candy.

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

Please rate and review the podcast on your app of choice and leave us a comment on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram

Thank you so much for listening and inspiring!

Hosts: Danelle Brostrom, Larry Burden

Special Guest: Amber Wade

Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

Cover art created with help from Adobe Firefly.

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Greetings and Welcome to another Potentially Useful, From the Desk of the Director, episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast. It’s part 3 of our NETP series so strap in as we uncover the gap between those with tech access and those without, and explore how it shapes learning. We'll dive into impacts and share possible solutions to bridge this divide.

Moment of Zen:“We are greater than, and greater for, the sum of us.” – Heather McGheeThe Rundown:Follow along by downloading the National EdTech Plan (NETP): A Call to Action for Closing the Digital Access, Design, and Use Divides

Some Key Points:

Digital Infrastructure and Devices (inside and outside of school)
- Availability
- Affordability
- Adoption (this is where we see edtech working with families on digcit)
Note that this section also includes info on making sure your data is accurate about the haves and have-nots.
Accessibility
- Accessibility
- Assistive Technology
- Accessible Educational Materials (AEM)
Digital Health, Safety, and Citizenship (Focus on both in school AND OUT)
- Digital Health - mindful tech use, setting digital boundaries, healthy sleep routines
- Digital Safety - Privacy, Cybersecurity, Cyberbullying, Online Harassment
- Digital Citizenship - responsible online behavior, digital footprint, copyright, algorithmic literacy (love that phrase)
Cultural Responsiveness and Educator Support and Training are also a part of this!

All while keeping in mind a lens of equity and potential unintended consequences.

NETP Recommendations for Closing the Access Divide

1. Develop a “Portrait of a Learning Environment” to set expectations around habits and abilities no matter what the space. (States, District)
2. Establish and maintain a cabinet-level edtech director to ensure the wise and effective spending of edtech funds. (States, Districts)
3. Conduct regular needs assessments to ensure technology properly supports learning. (States, Districts, Building-Level Administrators)
4. Develop model processes and guidelines for device refresh policies based on local funding structures. (States, Districts)
5. Leverage state purchasing power or regional buying consortia when purchasing edtech hardware, software, and services. (States, Districts)
6. Develop learning technology plans in consultation with a broad group of stakeholders and according to established review cycles. (States, Districts, Building-Level Administrators)
7. Leverage public/private partnerships and community collaboration to bring broadband internet access to previously under-connected areas and ensure student access to “everywhere, all-the-time learning.” (States, Districts, Building-Level Administrators)
8. Develop processes and structures that ensure the inclusion of accessibility as a component of procurement processes. (States, Districts, Building-Level Administrators)
9. Plan for and incorporate skills and expectations across all grade levels and subject areas for Digital Health, Safety, and Citizenship, and Media Literacy. (States, Districts, BuildingLevel Administrators)

Tech Tool of the WeekProfessional Learning on the go. You likely know this if you are a listener of ours… podcasts are a great place to get digestible chunks of professional development.

One of my recent favorites is:

AEM Center: The Accessible Learning Experience Podcast

Rate, Review and Subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Pocketcast, Podbean, Castbox, Overcast, Bullhorn, or wherever else you get your ear candy.

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

Please rate and review the podcast on your app of choice and leave us a comment on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram

Thank you so much for listening and inspiring!

Hosts: Danelle Brostrom, Larry Burden, Evan Obranovic

Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

Cover art created with help from Adobe Firefly.

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Greetings and Welcome to another Potentially Useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast. Today, we embark on an ambitious mission to bridge the Digital Design Divide. Part 2 of our NETP series aims to dismantle barriers and explore the implications and envisioning a future where every educator, regardless of circumstance, has equitable access to the tools and resources they need to embody this weeks TCAPS Loop Moment of Zen:

Moment of Zen:The secret of all victory lies in the organization of the non-obvious. - Marcus AureliusThe Rundown:Follow along by downloading the National EdTech Plan (NETP): A Call to Action for Closing the Digital Access, Design, and Use Divides

Some Key Points:

What is the Digital Design Divide and why is Danelle the solution?
Importance of the Profile of an Educator as well as connecting it to the Portrait of a Graduate
Incorporate the Design Process: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Deliver, and Test

NETP Recommendations for Closing the Design Divide

Develop a “Portrait of an Educator” outlining the cognitive, personal, and interpersonal competencies educators should have to design learning experiences that help students develop the skills and attributes outlined in the profile of a graduate. (States, Districts)
Design and sustain systems that support ongoing learning for new and veteran teachers and administrators, providing them with the time and space needed to design learning opportunities aligned with the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Framework. (States, Districts, Building-Level Administrators)
Implement feedback mechanisms that empower educators to become leaders and codesigners of professional learning experiences. (Districts, Building-Level Administrators)
Provide educators and administrators with professional learning that supports the development of digital literacy skills so that they can model these skills for students and the broader school community. (States, Districts, Building-Level Administrators)
Develop processes for evaluating the potential effectiveness of digital tools before purchase, including the use of research and evidence. (State, District, Building-Level Administrators)
Foster an inclusive technology ecosystem that solicits input from diverse stakeholders to collaborate on decision-making for technology purchases, learning space design, and curriculum planning. (States, Districts, Building-Level Administrators)
Support and facilitate a systemic culture that builds trust and empowers educators to enhance and grow their professional practice to meet the needs of each student. (States, Districts, Building-Level Administrators)
Regularly solicit educator feedback and evaluate professional learning efforts to ensure alignment with the Portrait of an Educator. (District, Building-Level Administrators)

Tech Tool of the WeekProfessional Learning on the go. You likely know this if you are a listener of ours… podcasts are a great place to get digestible chunks of professional development.

One of my recent favorites is:

AEM Center: The Accessible Learning Experience Podcast

Rate, Review and Subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Pocketcast, Podbean, Castbox, Overcast, Bullhorn, or wherever else you get your ear candy.

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

Please rate and review the podcast on your app of choice and leave us a comment on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram

Thank you so much for listening and inspiring!

Hosts: Danelle Brostrom, Larry Burden

Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

Cover art created with help from Adobe Firefly.

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Greetings and Welcome to another Potentially Useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast. Let us now embark on a journey through the intricate web of education, technology, and equity. Today, we're diving deep into the 2024 National Education Technology Plan. Join us as we navigate through the waves of innovation, unpacking the strategies aimed at bridging the digital divide and ensuring equitable access to educational resources for all learners. We'll unravel the threads of this ambitious plan, shedding light on its impact and implications for our classrooms.

Moment of Zen:Organization is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it's not all mixed up. - A.A. MilneThe Rundown:Follow along by downloading the National EdTech Plan (NETP): A Call to Action for Closing the Digital Access, Design, and Use Divides

What is the National EdTech Plan? How did it come to be?
Building on the concept of the Instructional core, this plan considers the barriers to equitable support of learning through edtech as three divides:
1. Digital Use Divide
2. Digital Design Divide
3. Digital Access Divide

As a path to closing these divides, the NETP also provides actionable recommendations to advance the effective use of technology to support teaching and learning.

Many schools in the United States have greater connectivity and access to devices and digital learning resources than ever before due to the need for emergency remote learning brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this continued bridging of the access divide will only add to the failure of edtech to deliver on its promises if systems do not consider its use in conjunction with all components of the instructional core. This NETP attempts to chart a path for all schools, educators, and students to realize the potential of technology in supporting better “everywhere, all-the-time” learning.

Tech Tool of the WeekCAST - great source for learning more about UDL

https://www.cast.org/

Rate, Review and Subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Pocketcast, Podbean, Castbox, Overcast, Bullhorn, or wherever else you get your ear candy.

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

Please rate and review the podcast on your app of choice and leave us a comment on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram

Thank you so much for listening and inspiring!

Hosts: Danelle Brostrom, Larry Burden

Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

Cover art created with help from Adobe Firefly.

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Greetings and Welcome to another Potentially Useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast, your guide to navigating the 5 pillars of Information Literacy! We'll discuss some tools for decoding fake news and sleuthing through biased sources, we're here to Spark the surfing skills needed to separate fact from fiction.

Moment of Zen:A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on. ― Cordell HullThe Rundown:Things we need to infuse in our schools:

Digital Literacy - Digital literacy aims to teach students how to use information and communications technologies effectively, responsibly, and ethically. It’s how we interact and live in a digital world

News Literacy - News literacy is focused on helping students understand the role that credible information and a free press play in their lives and in a robust democracy, and seeks to help them determine the credibility of news and other information.

Media Literacy - Media literacy generally refers to a broad discipline that seeks to teach students how to access, analyze, evaluate, create and take action using all forms of communication (including entertainment media). (Join the movement — News Literacy Project)

AI Literacy - AI Literacy, Explained.pdf

Information Literacy - Information literacy is aligned with library sciences and seeks to help students find, evaluate, and use information effectively. It’s all of the above!

It’s important to teach kids HOW to think, not what to think. It all comes down to thinking critically about what you’re consuming.

How can we do this in the classroom?Here are some great resources discussed in the pod:

Common Sense Media

News Literacy Project

aiEDU

This month we are “Giving some love to #InfoLit”. Check out these Daily Sparks for your classrooms. We hope it sparks this style of learning.

Introduction Document: TCAPS Daily Sparks - February 2024 - Giving some Love to #InfoLit

Daily Sparks: Daily Sparks February 2024 - for Information Literacy

Tech Tool of the Weekhttps://www.youtube.com/@MediaWise

Rate, Review and Subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Pocketcast, Podbean, Castbox, Overcast, Bullhorn, or wherever else you get your ear candy.

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

Please rate and review the podcast on your app of choice and leave us a comment on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram

Thank you so much for listening and inspiring!

Hosts: Danelle Brostrom, Larry Burden

Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

Cover art created with help from Adobe Firefly.

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Greetings and Welcome to another Potentially Useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast. We may not be the Rotten Tomatoes of Children's books (and we probably don't want to be) but we do have the Siskel or Ebert of the TCAPSLoop, Stephie Luyt and Danelle Brostrom to help rank 5 of the top books up for consideration for this years Caldecott Award.

Moment of Zen:To avoid criticism say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.” ― Elbert HubbardThe Rundown:Danelle's List:

An American Story
Big
Tomfoolery
There was a Party for Langston
The Tree and the River

Stephie's List:

Big
There was a Party for Langston
An American Story
Tomfoolery
The Tree and the River

Larry's List:

Big
The Tree and the River
There was a Party for Langston
An American Story
Tomfoolery

Tech Tool of the WeekFirst Book Marketplace

Addressing the needs of students by providing educators and program leaders serving low-income communities with access to free and low-cost books and resources to help create educational equity.

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Please rate and review the podcast on your app of choice and leave us a comment on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram

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Hosts: Danelle Brostrom, Larry Burden

Guest: Stephie Luyt

Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

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Greetings and Welcome to another Potentially Useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast. TCAPS Executive Director of Technology, Evan O'branovic is about to cover dangerous terrain like a digital Bear Grylls. On todays episode our unflinching guide will lead us through the edtech thicket that is Mobile Device Management to the promise land of iPads and chromebooks living together in the same tech ecosystem.

Moment of Zen:“Never fear quarrels, but seek hazardous adventures.” ― Alexandre Dumas

The Rundown:* What is an MDM and why is it important? * How has Mosyle changed our Technology Departments attitude about iPads * Mobile device vs. Laptop/Chromebook * What should you look for in an MDM? * Please rate and review the podcast on your app of choice and leave us a comment on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram

Thank you so much for listening and inspiring!

Hosts: Evan Obranovic, Larry Burden

Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

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Greetings and Welcome to another Potentially Useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast. Joining me on this harrowing adventure to the tower of Babel, is the roguish edtech cavalier, Danelle Brostrom and the land’s most clever archivist Stephie Luyt.

Moment of Zen

“Story, as it turns out, was crucial to our evolution -- more so than opposable thumbs. Opposable thumbs let us hang on; story told us what to hang on to.” - Lisa Cron

The Rundown

Library Advocacy work - where we are, where we are aiming
Books and Media - Building To Read, To Watch lists

More show notes coming soon.

Tech Tool of the Week

WiredTC and AIedu Learning Series! Register Now!

Please rate and review the podcast on your app of choice and leave us a comment on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram

Thank you so much for listening and inspiring!

Hosts: Danelle Brostrom, Larry Burden

Guest: Stephie Luyt

Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

Cover art created with help from Adobe Firefly.

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Oh boy, this one was an adventure! What started as a conversation about Dr. Sabba Quidwai's Design Thinking Keynote at the MACUL, Michigan Virtual AI Summit, unravelled into a much deeper discussion about problem-solving the evolving relationship between technology as a tool and it's ability to enrich our relationships with students. The pod sparked some hard discussions on the fascinating crossroads of artificial intelligence and education.

Moment of Zen

“To say that something is designed means it has intentions that go beyond its function. Otherwise it’s just planning.” — Ayse Birsel

The Rundown

Discussing Dr. Sabba Quidwai's Keynote
What is Design Thinking? How does Design Thinking benefit you in a world of AI?
What are the rules we should be breaking? Root Cause?
Not everyone is on the same page yet with AI.
“Cultures of innovation begin with a culture of empathy.”

Tech Tool of the Week

AI Algorithms: HowKhanmigo -

Please rate and review the podcast on your app of choice and leave us a comment on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram

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Hosts: Danelle Brostrom, Larry Burden

Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

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Greetings and Welcome to another "Potentially Useful" episode of the TCAPSLoop From the Desk of the Director Podcast. Our fearless leader recently presented at an Acronym-ed Education Conference where he attempted to bring the sexy back to school district education al technology systems. Was he successful? I’ll let you be the judge after listening to the pod.

Tech Tool of the WeekMosyle is the only solution that fully integrates 6 different applications on a single Apple‑only platform, allowing Schools to easily and automatically deploy, manage & protect all their Apple devices.

Please rate and review the podcast on your app of choice and leave us a comment on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram

Thank you so much for listening and inspiring!

Hosts: Evan Obranovic, Larry Burden

Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

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Greetings and Welcome to another Potentially Useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast. Danelle and I had the sincere pleasure of sharing a conversation with the Founder, and Chief Curriculum Architect of Bootstrap, Emmanuel Schanzer. Emmanuel makes a compelling and passionate case for the inclusion of data science throughout K-12 curricula.

You can learn more about Emmanuel's work at Bootstrapworld.org

Please rate and review the podcast on your app of choice and leave us a comment on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram

Thank you so much for listening and inspiring!

Hosts: Danelle Brostrom, Larry Burden

Guest: Emmanuel Schanzer

Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

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Greetings and welcome to a potentially useful guide through the digital maze. In this episode, we'll attempt to unravel the mysteries of social media and empower you to ride the algorithmic wave, engage an audience, and create a healthy online environment for growth.

Moment of Zen

“The whole idea of compassion is based on a keen awareness of the interdependence of all these living beings, which are all part of one another, and all involved in one another. - Thomas Merton

Tech Tool of the Week

AI Algorithms: How Well Do They Know You? | Common Sense Education

Please rate and review the podcast on your app of choice and leave us a comment on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram

Thank you so much for listening and inspiring!

Hosts: Danelle Brostrom, Larry Burden

Guest: Megan Molloy

Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

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Greetings and welcome to some potentially useful "Tips to Unlock the Practical Potential of Artificial Intelligence in Education." We aim to offer actionable tips to seamlessly integrate artificial intelligence into your teaching practices. Far from replacing teachers, AI serves as a dynamic tool to amplify your impact, to help foster personalized learning experiences and streamline your administrative tasks. Discover how practical AI can enrich the learning environment, empower your practice, and redefine the future of education."

The Rundown00:34 - Moment of Zen

“People who count their chickens before they are hatched act very wisely because chickens run about so absurdly that it's impossible to count them accurately.” - Oscar Wilde

02:18 - FOCUS ON SEL:

Reference Article: 4 Ways to Use AI in Implementing Restorative Practices

04:29 - CREATE RESTORATIVE REFLECTIONS

Prompt: A student violated (school rule). Generate five reflection questions to help the student think about their choices and improve their behavior and rectify the situation. This should be at a third-grade reading level.
Confidentiality is always key.

07:30 - COMPOSE CUSTOMIZED SOCIAL STORIES

Prompt: Write a narrative about a fifth-grade student who stole another student’s lunch money and then returned it and apologized, at a third-grade reading level, 500 words in length.

09:22 - GENERATE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR RESTORATIVE CIRCLES

Prompt: Generate 10 open-ended questions I can use to facilitate a discussion about excessive cell phone use with my students.

10:26 - BUILD CREATIVE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING LESSON PLANS

Generate a multistep lesson plan that teaches students how to (name the skill, such as use coping skills, use appropriate language, walk in the hallways, clean up after themselves, get along with others, etc.), at a fourth-grade level.

11:05 - FOCUS ON EFFICIENCY

DOK Questions
Vocabulary Words and Definitions (can be done in a pre-teaching format for equity)

15:08 - FOCUS ON EQUITY

Choice Board Generator - UDL
Assignment Scaffolder, Clear Directions - ADHD/IEP
Accommodation Suggestions

22:10 - Tech Tool of the Week

Magic School - MagicSchool.ai
OpenAI - Teaching with AI

Please rate and review the podcast on your app of choice and leave us a comment on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram

Thank you so much for listening and inspiring!

Hosts: Danelle Brostrom, Larry Burden

Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

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In a rapidly advancing digital era, the need for computer science education has never been more crucial. It's not just about learning to code; it's about fostering critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and preparing students for a future where technology is at the forefront of every industry.

Today, we're diving deep into the reasons why educators, parents, and policymakers are recognizing the value of bringing computational thinking into the curriculum and why computer science is more than coding.

The Rundown00:36 - Moment of Zen

Computations are everywhere, once you begin to look at things in a certain way. - Rudy Rucker

01:00 - ChatGPT changes in the news!

02:14 - What is Computer Science?

03:24 - What is Computational Thinking? - Computational thinking is an interrelated set of skills and practices for solving complex problems, a way to learn topics in many disciplines, and a necessity for fully participating in a computational world - Digital Promise Computational Thinking for Next Generation Science Toolkit

06:30 - In Michigan, and all over the US, there is a big focus on reaching all students with CS, especially those not currently well-represented in CS careers. Why is this important?

Demographics show that 67% of AI specialists are white and 91% are men.
https://advocacy.code.org/state-handouts/Michigan.pdf
2023 State of CS Report

08:42 - More than a Glitch - Meredith Broussard

09:30 - Vocational models, Micro-learning and Equity

12:41 - What is a "Foundational Computer Science Class" and why is it a baseline? - MI CS Standards

17:02 - TCAPS Computer Science Weeks - bit.ly/TCAPSCodes

20:57 - Computer Science and Digital Citizenship

22:51 - Tech Tool of the Week: https://www.csedweek.org/

Additional Resources to share:

CS Equity Guide (written for California, but useful for us as well)
CS Summit - 11/3/23
Copy of CS for MI 2023 Slide Deck - CS Leadership Summit
IET Grant - Michigan - Copy of 2023-2024 Implementing Effective Use of Technology Grant Overview
99b Grant - Michigan - 99b Grant Criteria Overview

Please rate and review the podcast on your app of choice and leave us a comment on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram

Thank you so much for listening and inspiring!

Hosts: Danelle Brostrom, Larry Burden

Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

Cover art created with help from Adobe Firefly.

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We're on our 4th AI podcast and the water just keeps getting deeper. Our goal was to discuss the importance of student equity in regards to Artificial Intelligence. The actual conversation went considerably broader and promises more to come.

The Rundown00:28 - Moment of Zen

"Ability is nothing without opportunity." - Napoleon Bonaparte

01:12 - It's all happening very quickly, Is the April 2023, AI and Our Kids: Common Sense Considerations and Guidance for Parents, Educators, and Policymakers; A Common Sense Media Position Paper, already outdated?

03:04 - Equity and the new digital divide:

AI and the next digital divide in education | Brookings
Artificial Intelligence is already here; we need to make access more equitable _ EdSource.pdf
How AI tools both help and hinder equity in higher ed.pdf

5:48 - It's game changing tool. Let's learn from or inclusion of Digital Citizenship lessons.

6:30 - How do Large Language Models (LLM's) work? The bias of the data set.

MIT Student Used AI to make her headshot "more professional". It gave her lighter skin and blue eyes.

9:54 - 80/20 data science model

10:55 - EdSource Article: Researchers Linda Choi & Candice Handjojo

33% of 12- to 17-year-olds nationwide — had already used ChatGPT to help with school assignments.
A nationwide survey revealed that 72% of K-12 teachers had not received guidance and training

11:45 - Good AI Guidelines:

AI Guidance for Schools Toolkit
💡Teach AI — aiEDU

14:01 - Upcoming Professional Development:

AI Professional Development - WIREDTC/aiEDU- Stay Tuned to wiredtc.net to sign up!

15:17 - How are you finding good AI tools?

MACUL
TCEA
💡Teach AI — aiEDU

💡RumorGuard

16:43 - Are we Chicken Little? Is this another thing that we are overhyping?

17:24 - Inside Higher Ed article written by Susan D’Agostino

“the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology released a report offering insights and recommendations on AI in teaching and learning. The report is 71 pages, but if pressed, its message might be reduced to five words contained within it: “Emphasize humans-in-the-loop.”

18:01 - Tech Tool of the Week: Good AI Toolkits

💡AI Literacy Lessons for Grades 6–12 | Common Sense Education
💡Proper Citation - Traditional citations:
MLA format - How to Cite Generative AI - MLA Format
APA format - How to Cite ChatGPT - APA Format
"AI Credits" section - disclose how they used AI for this assessment including brainstorming, outlining, feedback on their writing, and such.
Eric Curts example: Generative AI - Including an AI Credits Section

19:34 - How does a teacher fit AI in?

DISTRICT LEVEL RESOURCE:

✅AI Guidance for Schools Toolkit

If AI gives every child a personal tutor, and every teacher a personal assistant, what are the implications if we don’t use these tools?

Thank you so much for listening...

and inspiring!

Hosts: Danelle Brostrom, Larry Burden

Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

Cover art created with help from Adobe Firefly.

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According to ChatGPT our guest today is a visionary leader who has been driving a transformative change within our school district bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience in implementing AI solutions in the classroom. Evan will be sharing insights on the potential of AI to revolutionize education, the challenges and ethical considerations that come with it, and the exciting projects they've been working on to make learning more engaging, effective, and accessible. If he doesn't end up doing these things you can find Evan O'branovic on LinkedIn and express your displeasure.

The Rundown01:01 - Moment of Zen

“I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

01:41 - What are the best AI tips you’ve come across so far?

04:24 - What should schools be focusing on?

12:09 - What's the role of Artificial Intelligence in five years?

14:23 - Artificial Intelligence and student equity.

15:55 - What are you using AI for?

Thanks again for listening and inspiring!

Links to the Socials coming soon!

Hosts: Evan O'branovic, Larry Burden

Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

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This is one of the best conversations we've had on the pod. Part 2 of our 3 part Artificial Intelligence in Education primer is a must listen. the podcast runs longer than usual because the conversation touched on many important topic regarding the future of education as a whole. We take our diamond tipped carbide bits and drill down into the education systems subfloor to test it’s foundations for the future Artificial Intelligence load.

The Rundown00:55 - Moment of Zen

“Chickity-check yo' self before you wreck yo' self” - Ice Cube

01:20 - “If we don’t talk about it, if we don’t begin the conversation, it’s going to happen anyways and we just won’t get to be part of the conversation,” he said. “We just have to be forward thinking and not fear change.” - Jake Carr, mr.carr.on.the.web

01:55 - How will AI change classroom experience?

05:33 - Using AI to build to mastery

06:55 - AI bias, accuracy, equity

10:28 - Be cautious with your AI investment

13:49 - Student privacy

17:21 - Breaking News! Executive Order regarding AI

18:22 - Hallucinations

19:22 - AI and changing skill sets

20:14 - Galaxy Brain Ideas Future thinking with AI!

"In looking at coverage of the kinds of writing uploaded from ChatGPT, Shelley Rodrigo the senior Writing Director University of Arizona, also present-elect of NCTE, said it’s easy to see a pattern that others have commented on: Most of it looks like something that would score well on an AP exam. “Part of me is like, ‘O.K., so that potentially is a sign that that system is broken.’”

32:50 - Tech Tool of the Week:

links coming soon!

Thanks again for listening and inspiring!

Links to the Socials coming soon!

Hosts: Danelle Brostrom, Larry Burden

Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

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Today's introduction is composed by ChatGPT...

"Today we're delving into the fascinating world of Artificial Intelligence in Education. AI is transforming the way we learn and teach, and we're here to explore the potential, challenges, and opportunities it brings to our educational landscape. In this episode, we'll discuss how AI is personalizing learning, enhancing classroom experiences, and even changing the role of educators. So, whether you're an AI enthusiast, an educator looking to stay ahead of the curve, or a even a student curious about the future of learning, stay tuned because we've got a lot to uncover."

The Rundown01:24 - Moment of Zen

“Machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men, but no machine can do the work of one extraordinary man.” - Alan Turing

04:21 - What is AI? What is ChatGPT?

AI is here to stay, and will only get more powerful
Students can use it to write essays and do other classwork
AI Detectors are not great Detecting AI may be impossible. That's a big problem for teachers.
AI will cause us to rethink traditional assignments. What assignments/practices need to be changed, adjusted, or thrown out?
In the near future, AI will be seamless - it’s foolish to think it wont touch every aspect of our work

06:54 - AI and cheating - not a simple correlation - how can it support teaching and learning?

AI can save teachers time (complete mundane administrative tasks)
AI can create first drafts (students and teachers)
AI can summarize content, create presentations, suggest ways to demonstrate understanding
AI can create examples, non-examples
AI can add perspective, context, and ideas to the classroom (can take on a persona)

11:29 - Favorite AI tools for teachers:

Chat GPT - https://chat.openai.com/
https://www.perplexity.ai/
Heypi.com
https://firefly.adobe.com/
Canva - magic features - https://www.canva.com/magic-design/

18:29 - Tech Tool of the Week:

Diffit.me - Use it to align intervention materials with what is being covered in class

https://web.diffit.me/ explains more about what it can do

Thanks again for listening and inspiring!

Links to the Socials coming soon!

Hosts: Danelle Brostrom, Larry Burden

Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

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It's a Bonus TCAPS Loop Podcast! Jennifer Ehalt from Common Sense Education hosts Matt Smith from MACUL and our very own Danelle Brostrom as they kick off DigCit week.

Thank you Jen for allowing us to repurpose your content for the podcast! Check out Common Sense Education for all the DigCit content and stay plugged into the TCAPS socials for more info regarding TCAPS' own DigCit week.

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Shortly after the Wall Street Journal published the article "Chromebooks were once good for schools now there becoming e-waste," TCAPS' Executive Director of Technology and todays co-host Evan O'Branovic had a conversation with the Ticker’s Craig Manning for his article “The Chromebook Question: Do School Laptops Cost Too Much For What They Offer?" On today's podcast we dive a bit deeper into that question and recommend some criteria to consider before making your next edtech investment.

The Rundown00:54 - Moment of Zen

“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.”

Marie Curie

01:26 -Ticker Chromebook article background

05:02 - TCAPS Chromebook history

09:04 - What is the right device? the conversation is changing.

09:47 - 4 principles school boards and parents should consider when purchasing EdTech - 2022 Article in the Conversation by Lucas Johnson

10:24 - Why Technology?

SAMR Method

14:08 - Is it compatible with current infrastructure?

21:00 - Safety and student privacy?

23:24 - Why Chrombooks?

Thanks again for listening and inspiring!

Links to the Socials coming soon!

Hosts: Evan O'Branovic, Larry Burden

Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

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Did you know Common Sense Education’s Digital Citizenship Week has occurred every 3rd week in October for the last 11 years? That's shockingly longer than this podcast has been potentially useful and certainly longer than TikTok has been a thing. In those years this topic has only become more relevant to our students and there well being and education. Today's pod is a sneak peak into what to expect and what resources are available on Common Sense Education.

The Rundown00:49 - Moment of Zen

“May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.”

– Nelson Mandela

01:13 - DigCit Week Introduction and History

02:45 - What have we learned from previous years?

04:04 - What's new this year?

New Digital Well-Being lessons for Middle School and High School were co-developed with the Center for Digital Thriving at Harvard Graduate School of Education.
New Device Advice lessons for grades K-5 are a great way to help young students build healthy habits with media and tech.
Free resources: https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-citizenship-week

07:35 - What are your plans for engagement?

Elementary Resources
Middle School Resources
High School Resources
Common Sense Recognition Program - get recognized for your leadership and your work in this space.

10:05 - A protocol to get this in front of students?

This is low hanging fruit. Common Sense has made it so easy to make this a “thing” in your district or school - it’s important and necessary and lifesaving to get people talking about digital citizenship.

12:57 - Common Sense Family Engagement Toolkits

It's a perfect time to share things from the Family Engagement Toolkits in district and school newsletters: https://www.commonsense.org/education/toolkit/family-engagement-resources, conversation starters: https://www.commonsense.org/education/family-resources

14:35 - Tech Tool of the Week:

Common Sense - Protecting Student Privacy for Teachers - https://www.commonsense.org/education/training/privacy

Thanks again for listening and inspiring!

Links to the Socials coming soon!

Hosts: Danelle Brostrom, Larry Burden

Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

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We are back for the 7th year of potentially useful TCAPSLoop EdTech Podcasts. This week's episode set's up some of the topics we will likely be covering throughout the year as Danelle and I countdown our "Top 3 Topics in Education for 2023/24".

The Rundown00:59 - Moment of Zen

Maybe it’s not about trying to fix something that’s broken. Maybe it’s about starting over and creating something better.” – Unknown

01:21 - State of the Pod Address

03:42 - The Top 3 Topics in Education

04:38 - Danelle’s #3: Accessibility - using research to ensure inclusion

TCEA Webinar last week
captions
accessible colors 10% of male population is color blind
hyperlinks not saying “click here”
Google Apps includes ALT text for images

07:35 - Larry's #3: Microlearning -Microlearning is the delivery of learning content in a short, succinct way, typically 3-5 minutes. Condensing large quantities of information into bite-sized training drives better engagement and knowledge retention for learners, and saves valuable time and money for employers.

Microlearning Strategies: https://www.edume.com/blog/what-is-microlearning
“Today’s employees (students) are overwhelmed, distracted and impatient”. - Josh Bersin
Modern Learner Infographic
The Forgetting Curve
Research shows that microlearning improves focus and supports long-term knowledge retention by up to 80%
Learners are 95% more likely to retain information presented in video format.
68.1% of all global website visits in 2020 came from mobile devices
Show students how to curate their social platforms to maximize personal learning and growth. Prune the feed toward specific content areas. It will give you those small doses of microlearning around the subject matter of interest.

11:02 - Danelle’s #2 - Digital Wellness - intersection of is widely known as digital citizenship with news literacy.

New report from Common Sense - Constant Companion: A Week in the Life of a Young Person's Smartphone Use | Common Sense Media
- This year, Common Sense has focused our research efforts on hearing directly from young people about both the role and the impact of media and technology in their lives. This report fills a gap in our understanding of how teens actually use their smartphones, combining data from kids' phones themselves with feedback from our Youth Advisory Council. And they told us that the draw of their smartphone is both complicated and powerful. Here's what else we learned from this report:
  - Teens are fielding a barrage of notifications from the apps on their phones. On a typical day, participants received a median of 237 notifications. Of those, about a quarter arrived during the school day, and 5% at night.
  - School phone use is common, and policies are inconsistent. During school hours almost all of the participants used their phones at least once, for a median of 43 minutes. But they also reported that policies about phone use in schools vary—sometimes even from classroom to classroom—and aren't always enforced.
  - Smartphones both help and hurt sleep. Over half of participants used their phones on school nights, often to listen to music to wind down or get to sleep. But sometimes their days are so busy that they only get to relax with their phone at bedtime, and that pushes sleep later.
  - The good news is, many young people reported they have grown savvier about their phone's attempts to draw them in, and they're taking steps to protect their digital wellbeing, like setting time limits and prioritizing certain types of notifications. But the business model of these apps and devices hinges upon young people picking up their phones and engaging with them as much as possible, and it's clear that teens are struggling to set boundaries. Research like this helps shed light on what young people are really doing on their phones, and allows families, educators, and leaders to better understand where and when to provide support. But the industry can take steps to recognize that young people need to be able to use their phones for all of their important benefits but without the challenges that negative content, persuasive design, and aggressive business models pose to digital well-being.
News Literacy in a time of AI - AI can be used to create videos, images, text that can easily fool you if you’re not on top of it. The News Literacy Project - https://newslit.org/ - is doing amazing work in this space, and I’m excited to highlight their offerings for our listeners this year.

13:01 - Larry’s # 2 - Academic Recovery/Accelerated Learning - Accelerated learning may sound like a method for speeding through lessons to cover everything students didn’t learn in previous grades. It's not. Accelerated learning does not look back. It moves kids forward to tackle grade-level content, providing them with help when they need it. It’s not “just-in-case” remediation. It's “just-in-time” scaffolding.

Techniques: https://www.hmhco.com/blog/accelerated-learning-techniques-for-the-classroom
High Impact Tutoring: https://annenberg.brown.edu/sites/default/files/EdResearch_for_Recovery_Design_Principles_1.pdf

15:25 - Consensus #1 - Artificial Intelligence - We’ve stepped on the gas instead of hitting the brakes.

Stanford Graduate School of Education Dean Daniel Schwartz in his opening remarks. “I want to emphasize that a lot of AI is also going to automate really bad ways of teaching. So [we need to] think about it as a way of creating new types of teaching.”
Eduaide
Khanmigo
https://www.unite.ai/10-best-ai-tools-for-education/

20:23 - Tech Tool of the Week:

FigJam - jamboard sunsetting in 2024

Thanks again for listening and inspiring!

Hosts: Danelle Brostrom, Larry Burden

Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

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TCAPSLoop Pod Topic: Summer Opportunities for Professional Development and Fun!

The Run Down:

(02:58) WIREDTC - wiredtc.net

Highlights include sessions on AI, esports, SEL, digcit, powerschool, computational thinking, Canva, etc.

(07:05) Doodle for your Noodle

More information and sign up: Doodle For Your Noodle - Professional Learning - REMC Home

(08:55) TCAPS Digital Wellness Choice Board

Learn More: Adult Learning Digital Wellness Choice Board
Sign up: Digital Wellness Learning Series Sign Up

(11:34) REMC Courses

(12:03) Michigan Virtual MyPD -

Use METS 2022 Fall Rally playlist or
TCAPS Loop Podcast content to design your own PD opportunity

(13:24) Big Conferences

CSTA
ISTE (one is virtual, one has a virtual option)

(14:12) Tech Tool of the Week:

Check out your local library

TADL does BATA bus passes, 3d printing, Library of Things, Online Resources like Libby, MICHIGAN ACTIVITY PASS (Dennos Museum)

(01:02) Moment of Zen:

“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.”

― John Lubbock, The Use Of Life

Hosts: Danelle Brostrom, Larry Burden Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

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TCAPSLoop Pod Topic: Making sure students are "Tech Ready" post graduation.

The Run Down:

(00:21) Diversity through exploration
(04:29) How do you teach "Resiliency"
(07:31) Employers want "Collaborators"
(8:37) Tech Skills
(10:27) TCAPS Portrait of a Graduate, "Collaborator"
(11:53) TCAPS Portrait of a Graduate, "Resilient"
(13:20) The stats that back it up.
(17:30) Backpack of tech survival tools
(19:29) Soft skills are the key
(20:34) Digital Literacy

(22:16) Moment of Zen:

“Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” - John Dewey

Hosts: David Noller, Larry Burden Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

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Topic for the Week: Virtual Experiences

There's nothing quite like a field trip: That day when permission slips grant students golden tickets to an experience outside the classroom.

Although virtual field trips don't physically bring kids to new locations, they make use of the web and video to amplify online learning in an experiential way. Virtual field trips can be informative and inspiring. They are inclusive because they don’t depend on funding from PTO (that may or may not be there), grant applications, etc. All the ones we are going to talk about today are FREE.

So where do you start? You might already have a topic in mind, which will narrow your choices. However, you'll also want to consider what type of virtual field trips to try.

Livestreaming - means students watch a live feed from a camera in another location.

Interactive exploration offers students a multimedia experience that's usually more hands-on and open-ended. This might look like a 3d online tour.

Video visits take kids to a location (by video) where a host or narrator provides information.

Scheduled and guided virtual field trips feature a live guide or museum docent -- often on-site -- who takes students through the experience virtually.

The Run Down:

(02:04) Danelle's big ISTE announcement
(04:40) This weeks topic: Virtual Trips
(05:59) Types of Virtual Experiences
(7:49) Advice for picking a Virtual Trip for your class
(10:25) Google Arts & Culture

All the Links:

Livestreaming or Live Cams -

Live Cameras | San Diego Zoo
Webcams | Smithsonian's National Zoo

Virtual Field Trips/Tours -

National Museum of Natural History Virtual Tours
American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, United States
Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants
- Also on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ExploringByTheSeat
Take a Virtual Visit to a National Park
Educator Resources - Teachers (U.S. National Park Service)
Virtual Field Trips - The Nature Conservancy
Programs | National Air and Space Museum
Field Trip Opportunities | NASA
HistoryView

Google Offerings:

https://www.google.com/maps/about/treks/#/grid
- Great Barrier Reef one is AWESOME
Google Arts & Culture and National Parks

https://artsandculture.google.com/ if you have VR in your school

Tech Tool of the Week:

(12:30) Remember that MACUL grants are open!!

(01:16) Moment of Zen:

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”

― St. Augustine

Hosts: Danelle Brostrom, Larry Burden Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

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TCAPSLoop Pod Topic: Large-scale Classroom A/V update district-wide. (Large scale Tech Projects in general)

The Run Down:

(01:50) Tackling a major project
(06:12) Keeping up with technology
(08:00) Where do you start
(16:20) Making sure it's manageable
(19:30) Replacement cycles
(21:00) Involving teacher and students
(25:00) When is good, good enough

Tech Tool of the Week:

(27:37) Wireless Projectors

(01:00) Moment of Zen:

“If future generations are to remember us more with gratitude than sorrow, we must achieve more than just the miracles of technology. We must also leave them a glimpse of the world as it was created, not just as it looked when we got through with it.”

Lyndon B. Johnson, Former President of the United States of America

Hosts: Evan O'Branovic, Larry Burden
Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

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TCAPSLoop Pod Topic: Apps & Extensions We Love - Join us for a fun discussion of the apps and Chrome extensions we love!

Chrome Extensions We Love:

(02:23) Library Extension
(05:03) Toucan (learn a language while you browse)
(07:48) https://coolors.co/ - Coolers has a Chrome extension!
(09:38) For students especially - Block Youtube Feed

Apps We Love:

(11:19) Headspace Meditation App - FREE for educators!
(12:08) HiHello - virtual business cards

Tech Tool of the Week:

(15:18) NameDrop.io - Pronounce names correctly

(01:00) Moment of Zen:

“The intentions of a tool are what it does. A hammer intends to strike, a vise intends to hold fast, a lever intends to lift. They are what it is made for. But sometimes a tool may have other uses that you don't know. Sometimes in doing what you intend, you also do what the knife intends, without knowing.” - Philip Pullman

Bonus content from Danelle on the Patreon...wait, we don't have a Patreon:PD Opportunity - Abbott Elementary TV Series Study - https://michiganvirtual.org/course/abbott-elementary-tv-series-study/

Hosts: Danelle Brostrom, Larry Burden
Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

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TCAPSLoop Pod Topic: FREE EdTech Tools to Try Now!

(4:08) Chat GPT - use AI as a teacher to give kids examples, and help secondary students figure out how to use it as a starting point to expand from.
(10:43) Canva - A free-to-use online graphic design tool for schools! https://blog.tcea.org/student-podcasting-canva/
(15:13) Talking Points - allows teachers to more easily communicate with families who don’t speak english as a first language

(17:46) Tech Tool of the Week: WIREDTC site!! Wiredtc.net

Keynote Announcement! Alexis Dahl will be the 2023 WiredTC Keynote Speaker! Check out her amazing YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@AlexisDahl

(00:37) Moment of Zen:

“The chief beauty about time is that you cannot waste it in advance. The next year, the next day, the next hour are lying ready for you, as perfect, as unspoiled, as if you had never wasted or misapplied a single moment in all your life. You can turn over a new leaf every hour if you choose.”

― Arnold Bennett

Hosts: Danelle Brostrom, Larry Burden

Production: Larry Burden

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Episode 6.4Greetings and Welcome to another potentially useful TCAPSLoop EdTechPodcast!! Today's episode focuses on the future of Artificial Intelligence in education, specifically the updates to the OpenAI ChatGPT. While we discuss the concerns and drawbacks of AI there is also a realization that it's not going anywhere and will only increase in prevalence. David and Danelle provide possible uses and solutions for using it in an educator's practice.

TCAPSLoop Moment of Zen!"I can only show you the door, you're the one that has to walk through it" – Morpheus

Tech Tool of the WeekCanva text to image feature

"Picture This" AI informed plant identifier mobile app

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Episode 6.3 - A DigCit Doctors Appointment Greetings and Welcome to another potentially useful TCAPSLoop EdTechPodcast!! Today's show features Larry Burden, the ed-tech twitter famous, Danelle Brostrom, and a Lake Woebegon expatriate, Stephie Luyt.

TCAPSLoop moment of zen

“The most important thing an institution does is not to prepare a student for a career but for a life as a citizen.” – Frank Newman

Digital Citizenship Week has passed but TCAPSLoop just won't give it up. Danelle and Stephie present the EdVolve Framework for discussion and get into a deeper discussion regarding the difficulties of implementing digcit lessons into a districts curriculum.

Tech Tool of the Week Killer Underwear Invasion by Elise Gravel

"This middle grade graphic nonfiction is an ingenious introduction to media literacy for kids."

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Episode 6.2

Greetings and Welcome to another potentially useful TCAPSLoop EdTechPodcast. Pod guests include the TechnNollerGist, David Noller, and TCAPS Director of Technology, Evan O'Branovic. We usher in Digital Citizenship week with a discussion around a recent study out of the University of Colorado, Boulder regarding "screentime" and it's effects on our children. The study has some surprising conclusions that may change how we pursue digital citizenship and digital literacy.

TCAPSLoop Moment of Zen:

“And as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.”

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Well, hello there!

It's time for another season of the TCAPSLoop Edtech podcast, where once again we attempt to demystify educational technology and inspire our fellow educators, parents and any other sentient beings to embrace these amazing educational tools and ideas.

TCAPSLoop Moment of Zen:

Once you learn to read, you will be forever free. - Frederick Douglass

On Today's Agenda: Stephie is joined by High School Head Librarians: Genevieve Minor, and Larissa Vanderzee to discuss what's new at their libraries including peer and writer mentoring. They also touch on the process of putting together a collection and other resources libraries can provide for students. Finally we acknowledge "Banned Books Week," September 18-24. Originally launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. This week we invite you to, "join librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular."

Tech Tool of the Week: Developing Digital Detectives: Rethinking Banned Books Week

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Well, hello there!

TCAPSLoop Moment of Zen:

Once you learn to read, you will be forever free. - Frederick Douglass

Tech Tool of the Week: Developing Digital Detectives: Rethinking Banned Books Week

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Episode 5.24

Hello and Welcome to another potentially useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast!! Joining this three ring circus; she’s not too MACUL for school, it’s Danelle Brostrom! The Bass Baron of the Bari Sax, it’s the TechNollerGist, David Noller! and she’s having to add another wing to her house to hold all her kiddos, well deserved, end of year awards, it’s Stephi Luyt!

TCAPSLoop Moment of Zen

“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” ― Marcel Proust

Thank you for another great year of the TCAPSLoop Podcast. We just finished our 5th year of this silliness and I’m grateful for the shared wisdom, thoughtfulness and friendship.

Contrary to popular belief, educators rarely take the summer off. I know we all take the idea of being Lifelong learners pretty seriously so the question posed for today’s episode is what are your learning goals for the summer?

Tech Tool of the Week:

GET OUTSIDE!

In closing, you can find us on Twitter @tcapsloop, @brostromda @technollergist @stephieluyt

Rate, Review and Subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Audible, TuneIn, Pocket casts, Downcast, Overcast, or wherever else you get your ear candy.

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

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Episode 5.23

Hello and Welcome to another potentially useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast!! Today's pod features Stephi Luyt and Andy Schuck from the Traverse Area District Library discussing local Public Library Summer Reading Programs!

TCAPSLoop Moment of Zen

“Reading one book is like eating one potato chip.” - Diane Duane

The Agenda

TADL's Summer Program Offerings

Public School and Public Library partnerships

A look behind the Stacks? What does a Librarian actually do.

Tech Tool of the Week:

Learn some fun new facts and activities at DKFindOut.com

Join the TADL Summer Library Challenge!

In closing, you can find us on Twitter @TCAPSLoop, and @stephieluyt

Rate, Review and Subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Audible, TuneIn, Pocket casts, Downcast, Overcast, or wherever else you get your ear candy.

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

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Episode 5.22

Hello and Welcome to another potentially useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast!! Joining the pod today your summer tour guide of this EdTech paradise, Danelle Brostrom!

TCAPSLoop Moment of Zen

“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value." - Albert Einstein

The Agenda

Not much to add to this weeks agenda but encouraging the Loopheads to go to:

Wiredtc.net and sign up for this years amazing EdTech Conference in beautiful Traverse City.

If that didn't satiate your need for summer professional development check out:

https://sites.google.com/tcapsstudent.net/edtech/summer-learning - for more amazing opportunities.

Tech Tool of the Week:

Elevate and highlight Sarah Wood - EdTech Consultant from Kent ISD.

I love her themed rooms - Star Wars, Womens History Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and it’s awesome that she freely shares awesome content with Michigan educators! Thank you Sarah!

Twitter - Sarah Wood (@myedtechworld) / Twitter

Website - myedtechworld.weebly.com

Subscribe for email notifications: My Ed Tech World - Blog

In closing, you can find us on Twitter @TCAPSLoop, and @brostromda

Rate, Review and Subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Audible, TuneIn, Pocket casts, Downcast, Overcast, or wherever else you get your ear candy.

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

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Episode 5.21

Hello and Welcome to another potentially useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast!! Joining the pod today is a model of uncommon sense, the TechNollerGist, David Noller and balancing the scales of law and chaos, the ever pragmatic, Danelle Brostrom!

TCAPSLoop Moment of Zen

“Once a new technology rolls over you, if you're not part of the steamroller, you're part of the road.” - Stewart Brand, Writer

The Agenda

Our friends at Common Sense Media recently released "The Common Sense Census: Media Use by Tweens and Teens, 2021." We discuss how it was framed by the pandemic, what some of the key points are, and whether the findings mirror what we are seeing from our own students.

Tech Tool of the Week:

TeachDigCit.com

Digital Citizenship Curricular Framework for PK-12

Leveling Skills and Concepts for Student Success

In closing, you can find us on Twitter @TCAPSLoop, @brostromda, and @technollergist

Rate, Review and Subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Audible, TuneIn, Pocket casts, Downcast, Overcast, or wherever else you get your ear candy.

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

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Episode 5.20

Hello and Welcome to another potentially useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast!! Traverse City Area Public Schools Elementary Library Coordinator, Stephie Luyt and Middle School Librarian, Melissa Baumann join me for this weeks pod!

TCAPSLoop Moment of Zen

I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book. ― Groucho Marx

It was so great to have Melissa join us on the pod as she shared some great ideas for promoting literacy within her school including a book March Madness Bracket, a Netflix style "trending" board and much more.

Tech Tool of the Week:

Name Drop, include a recording of your correct name pronunciation in your email signature.

In closing, you can find us on Twitter @TCAPSLoop and @stephieluyt.

Rate, Review and Subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Audible, TuneIn, Pocket casts, Downcast, Overcast, or wherever else you get your ear candy.

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

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Episode 5.19: Making Good Edtech Choices

I'm joined on the pod by a legendary coach that won’t lose her last game to their arch-rival, It’s Danelle Brostrom! And also joining the pod is the Sultan of Seesaw, the Scion of Spiceworks, the Pontiff of Powerschool, Mr. Evan O'Branovic!

TCAPSLoop Moment of Zen

“Life is a web of intersections and choices. Your 1st choice is to recognize an intersection. Your 2nd choice is to be grateful for it.” ― Ryan Lilly

In today's pod we discuss common mistakes educators make when selecting classroom technology? Below are some questions to ask before going rogue and purchasing and implementing new classroom technologies:

What is your learning goal?
What’s your teaching and learning philosophy?
What’s your context? Check out the EdSurge Product Index for more guidance on appropriate classroom technology

Tech Tool of the Week:

Awesome PBS resources for learning more about our amazing great lakes.

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/

In closing, you can find us on Twitter @TCAPSLoop, @brostromda and @evanobranovic.

Rate, Review and Subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Audible, TuneIn, Pocket casts, Downcast, Overcast, or wherever else you get your ear candy.

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

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Episode 5.19

Hello and Welcome to another potentially useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast!! Like Tom Holland, her Career Exploration is Uncharted, It’s Danelle Brostrom joining me on the pod along with the STEM Career Sherpa of Northwest Michigan, It’s Shelly VanderMuelen.

TCAPSLoop Moment of Zen:

“If You Aim At Nothing, You Hit Nothing.” ― Zig Ziglar

The Agenda:

What does the STEM Career Sherpa do?
1. 1. Support counselors and educators in career exploration-lessons, resources, events 2. EDP’s and school improvement legislation 3. Promote and help teach/implement EiE, PSTL, Coding, etc.
How have career outlooks changed since WE joined the workforce?
1. 1. Awareness of what was ahead- Technology Changes 2. Number of jobs, length of stay at a job
What can teachers (and parents really) do to encourage kids to think about careers?
1. 1. Replace, “what do you want to do when you grow up?” with, "What problems do you want to solve? what are you curious about? what interests you? what are your skills?"
How can you help teachers in our region do this work?
1. 1. Integrating discussions of skills versus interests 2. Redefining “success.” Not just salary, but growth and learning, impact, and work values 3. Connecting subjects to careers- making learning connections more relevant 4. Encouraging questioning- how do you use math, language, etc in your job?
We talk a lot about the ISTE Standards on this podcast (in Michigan remember…the tech competencies are called the MITECS). How is the work you are supporting and encouraging teachers to do in the classroom connected to those ISTE Student Standards of knowledge constructor, computational thinker, global collaborator, etc.
1. 1. Empowered learner–Encouraging students to become problem solvers…ALL students 2. Knowledge constructor, innovative designer, computational thinker–Use the design process when exploring careers 3. Employers are looking for communicators, problem solvers, reliability/responsibility, teamwork 4. Global collaborator/life long learner. K-12 education is only beginning for a life-long learner
What tech tool would you recommend to our listeners? Do you have something that you love that makes your life easier?
1. 1. Xello- Secondary 2. VIrginia Career View https://www.vaview.net/k5/check-it/kids-search/
Tell me one thing you are working on that you are totally jazzed about. :)
1. Career Profiles–integrating with events, math, Michigan Works
2. PSTL- Integrating learning and engagement, SEL, Careers, STEM and more

Tech Tool of the Week:

Professional Learning Courses!

https://plp.michiganvirtual.org/ - some are free.

Go Open Michigan

GoOpenMichigan is a collaborative initiative that enables educational entities throughout Michigan to create, share, and access openly-licensed educational resources (OER, also known as open education resources). OER are free digital materials that can be used or modified to adjust to student needs; they are openly-licensed unhampered by many traditional copyright limitations. #GoOpenMichigan encourages all Michigan educators and learners to create, share, and use digital resources with the end goals of providing equitable access to great learning materials throughout the state, and supporting new approaches to learning and teaching for all Michiganders.

Feel free to visit at https://goopenmichigan.org

In closing, you can find us on Twitter @TCAPSLoop and @brostromda.

Rate, Review and Subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Audible, TuneIn, Pocket casts, Downcast, Overcast, or wherever else you get your ear candy.

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

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Episode 5.18

Today's cast includes your humble podcast host, Larry Burden, an "Optional Expression of Learning," the TechNollerGist, David Noller, and his tag team partner coming off the top ISTE turnbuckle, Danelle Brostrom!

TCAPSLoop moment of zen:

“To banish imperfection is to destroy expression, to check exertion, to paralyze vitality.” ― John Ruskin, The Stones of Venice

The Agenda:

ISTE Standard 1.6 -- Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals.

Discuss how students can use online tools to create their own expressions of learning. How to express learning about a play, musical notation, or a mathematical concept?

written work
podcast
demonstration website
screencast
YouTube recording
responsible use of remixed digital resources

Because this is a "Standard" and not an "Assignment" it is a skill and a practice that K-12 students and teachers can engage in developmentally appropriate ways. While it might be disruptive in the early stages, it can develop into a common practice and routine... similar to using Google Suite, Google Classroom, or Brightspace.

Example: Use scale modeling to build a replica of something in the real world.

Optional Expressions of Learning:

3D Printed scale model including how calculations of scale are necessary
Graph paper representation of room layout and structure
Minecraft screencast of real building build to scale (Gracie made the Mighty Mac in Minecraft in 6th grade)
YouTube video: Using scale to read a map and plan a trip
Website: How to use scale to understand distance and/or size

Requirements:

Guide on the Side mentality
Repeated practice of student choice
- Throughout a school year
- From K-12
- Across the curriculum
Awareness of tools (not expertise); expertise of students
Patience, willingness to accept failure
Acceptance of alternate expressions of learning as valid

MITECS: https://www.techplan.org/edtech-initiatives/mitecs/

Tech Tool of the Week:

Global OneNess Project - Language Keepers feature unit

Also, remember to practice good information hygiene - https://newslit.org/tips-tools/information-hygiene-sanitize-before-you-share/

A massive war in a fast-moving digital age. We've never seen it. Be careful with what you're sharing, the bots and bad actors are out in full force. Follow credible media outlets and journalists, many who are on the ground reporting. Important time for real information. - Ken Haddad (Michigan journalist/writer)

In closing, you can find us on Twitter @TCAPSLoop and @TheTechNollerGist and @brostromda.

Rate, Review and Subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Audible, TuneIn, Pocket casts, Downcast, Overcast, or wherever else you get your ear candy.

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

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Episode 5.17

Hello and Welcome to another potentially useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast!!

Stephie has invited Kara Gregory, the founder of PoWeR Book Bags, to be our special guest on the pod. PoWeR Book Bags is a non-profit organization that provides books and much more to the area's underprivileged families. Our hope is that this conversation will inspire you as much as it did Stephie and myself.

Click here to learn more about volunteering.

TCAPSLoop Moment of Zen

“Service to others is the rent you pay for your time here on earth.” - Mohammed Ali

There is no TechTool of the Week on this pod because we wanted to spend as much time as possible with Kara and her organization.

In closing, you can find us on Twitter @TCAPSLoop and @stephieluyt.

Rate, Review and Subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Audible, TuneIn, Pocket casts, Downcast, Overcast, or wherever else you get your ear candy.

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

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Episode 5.16: All the Love for Seesaw

Hello and Welcome to another potentially useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast!! My co-host is so engaged in the shiny silver lining she’s pleasantly unaware of the ominous cloud it is attached to, it’s DBro?, Danelle Brostrom!

Moment of Zen:

A well-developed sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to your steps as you walk the tightrope of life. - William Arthur Ward

The Agenda:

Teachers have been finding some amazing new ways of incorporating Seesaw as a core part of their lower elementary lesson planning. Danelle does a deep dive into what it’s offering those teaching our littles.

We Have The Links:

Seesaw - https://web.seesaw.me/
ISTE Standards - https://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards-for-students
Book - Building Blocks for Tiny Techies by Jamila "Mia" Leonard

Tech Tool of the Week:

Upcoming PD:

METS Group Winter Rally - Week of Feb 21 - Sessions will premiere on YouTube channel
REMC - Great courses, virtual, free SCECH
MACUL - 3/16-3/19 in person in Grand Rapids - Workshops look awesome!

In closing, you can find us on Twitter @TCAPSLoop and @brostomda.

Rate, Review and Subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Audible, TuneIn, Pocket casts, Downcast, Overcast, or wherever else you get your ear candy.

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

Building Blocks for Tiny Techies: A Teacher's Guide to Digital Learning in Primary Classrooms

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Episode 5.15

Hello and Welcome to another potentially useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast!! My guest today is perpetually dealing with white-out conditions, it’s the TechNollerGist, David Noller!

TCAPSLoop Moment of Zen

“Trust is built with consistency” - Lincoln Chafee

The Agenda:

Teachers and learners need things to be available in the same way in expected patterns and in repeated contexts. Technology-mediated experiences allow us to pursue any number of opportunities online, but it is how we start those procedures and what we do with them that can build or destroy consistency and learning.

Establishing routines: how to introduce learning, how to pursue the activity, what to do when you're finished, helps learners "place" the activity in a learning mindset as opposed to "another thing to do."

If a teacher uses warm-ups or exit tickets, establish those routines around the technology-mediated learning experiences, too.

Where are assignments located? Keep it consistent, even if it's unique for you.

Tech Tool of the Week:

Join the Wordl Hive!

Create your own custom Wordl at: mywordle.me

Create Wordle's of different lengths at: hellowordl.net

In closing, you can find us on Twitter @TCAPSLoop and @TechNollerGist.

Rate, Review and Subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Audible, TuneIn, Pocket casts, Downcast, Overcast, or wherever else you get your ear candy.

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

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Episode 5.14

Hello and Welcome to another potentially useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast!! Joining me on todays podcast is Stephi Luyt and the Traverse City Central High School student hosts of the "Decisively Useful" podcast, Tuesday Talks with Team 1711, Lauren and Gwen?

Moment of Zen:

“You're only as young as the last time you changed your mind.”

The Agenda:

We ask Lauren and Gwen the hard hitting questions regarding their adventures in podcasting, being on the marketing side of a FIRST Robotics team, and much more!

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

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Episode 5.12

Hello and Welcome to another potentially useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast!! My first guest is refusing to succumb to temptation or bitterness, it’s Danelle Brostrom and though she often experiences finite disappointment, she never loses infinite hope, it’s Stephi Luyt!

Moment of Zen

This weeks Moment of Zen is not an occasional act, it is a permanent attitude.

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?'”

The Agenda

Stephi joins us on the pod today to discuss putting together a Bookwalk for Martin Luther King Day and how our school district and community are partnering to encourage students to embrace the spirit of service and offer opportunities for involvement to our children.

Tech Tool of the Week:

Google Arts and Culture

Blob Opera

Google MyMaps

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

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Episode 5.11

Hello and Welcome to another potentially useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast!! Joining me after using all her multi-versal edtech abilities to bend one hour of code into a full week, it’s Danelle Brostrom and streaming in from an undisclosed location outside the Matrix, pulling all the TCAPS strings, it’s Sophie Legault-Bradly!

Moment of Zen

The first step to expanding your reality is to discard the tendency to exclude things from possibility

E. E. Cummings

The Agenda

Not since we had Thomas Paolacci on the pod have we had someone behind the scenes who is this essential to maintaining a school district. Sophie is TCAPS' Database Manager, think switchboard operator but with millions of connections to maintain at all times. She kindly lets us know how she makes the digital spaghetti that feeds the staff and students of our school district.

Tech Tool of the Week:

Screencastify

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

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Episode 5.10

Hello and Welcome to another potentially useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast!! Joining me from a construction site…in your mind, it’s the Technollergist, David Noller and Danelle Brostrom. After the holidays many schools begin Research Project season. With that in mind we revisit the ISTE Standard 1.3 - Knowledge Constructor, and it's importance in gathering and curating reliable information for student work.

Moment of Zen

The larger the island of knowledge, the longer the shoreline of wonder. - Ralph W. Sockman

The Agenda

"We are drowning in information but starved for knowledge."

ISTE Standard #1.3: Knowledge Constructor, which has to do with how students research, determine credible sources to use, collect information and draw conclusions, and share that with others.

Standard #1.3: Knowledge Constructor, which has to do with how students research, determine credible sources to use, collect information and draw conclusions, and share that with others

1.3.a Students plan and employ effective research strategies to locate information and other resources for their intellectual or creative pursuits.

1.3.b Students evaluate the accuracy, perspective, credibility and relevance of information, media, data or other resources.

1.3.c Students curate information from digital resources using a variety of tools and methods to create collections of artifacts that demonstrate meaningful connections or conclusions.

1.3.d Students build knowledge by actively exploring real-world issues and problems, developing ideas and theories and pursuing answers and solutions.

Tech Tool of the Week

CommonSense.org list of Most Reliable and Credible Sources
TCAPS Library Information Databases
MEL.org

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

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Episode 5.9

Hello and Welcome to another potentially useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast!! Joining me from TCAPSLoops' North Pole Office is our own well-read, gift giving EdTech elves, Danelle Brostrom and Stephie Luyt!

Moment of Zen

“It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” –Mother Theresa

The Agenda Teaching Books * 3 Minute Video Introduction for Teaching Books

Gift Guide * METS Group - Kerry Guiliano created this STEM gift guide for kids * Purdue Engineering Gift Guide * One resource that I didn't mention, but definitely should have: https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/privacynotincluded/

Tech Tool of the Week: Teaching Books Name Game Thank you for listening and inspiring.

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Episode 5.8

Hello and Welcome to another potentially useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast!! Virtually packed into this pods Google Meet like digital sardines is Danelle, David and TCAPS Seneschal of STEM, our Constable of Coding, it’s Heidi Skodack. All here to herald the arrival of this years Hour of Code.

TCAPSLoop Moment of Zen:

You get the best effort from others not by lighting a fire beneath them, but by building a fire within.

Bob Nelson

The Agenda:

What is the Hour of Code?
What skills are kids developing when they code?
Why should a teacher run one of these in the classroom?
Talk about the theme for 2021 and some of the NEW activities.
Advice for a teacher who hasn’t done an hour of code but wants to try it.
Share our site for teachers: https://bit.ly/tcapscodes
What is #CSforgood

Tech Tool of the Week:

GoOpenMichigan: Northwestern Lower Michigan STEM Career Profiles

Thanks for listening and inspiring.

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Episode 5.7

Hello and Welcome to another potentially useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast!! Though autumn is her favorite time of the year because all the leaves turn from green to maize however after last weekend she may be feeling blue it’s Stephi Luyt! Joining us on this, "Getting to Know You," is possibly the most important guest we’ve ever had…because she’s my boss,it's TCAPS' Executive Director of Communications, Ginger Smith!

TCAPSLoop Moment of Zen

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.

George Bernard Shaw

Tech Tool of the Week

Teaching Books

Bar code scanning for adding to your booklists.

Thanks for listening and inspiring.

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Episode 5.6

Hello and Welcome to another potentially useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast! I’m joined by TCAPS own Mentat, the Technollorgist, David Noller and special guest Mitch Heethuis, who directed TCAPS Credit Recovery Program this past summer. Mitch shares his insights on specially designed teacher created courses created on BrightspaceD2L, used for credit recovery.

Moment of Zen

"The mystery of life isn't a problem to solve, but a reality to experience."

Frank Herbert, 'Dune'.

The Agenda

What was the goal when you started planning for last summer’s credit recovery courses?
How did the COVID pandemic affect student success and/or participation in the summer courses?
Who worked to develop these courses?
How effective were these courses?
Did you see a higher percentage of recovery in students in TCAPS built courses compared to other courses? Vice versa?
Can you talk about the variety of courses? Which courses were more difficult to implement with a technology-mediated experience?
Did students prefer these over other available courses? (Edgenuity, etc.)
How would you view the success of the summer?
What needs to be different or be repeated?
What important insights did you gain from last summer’s experience?

Thanks for listening and inspiring.

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Episode 5.5

Hello and Welcome to another potentially useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast!! Joining the pod today is the ever effervescent, Danelle Brostrom to discuss some of the newest Google Apps for Education updates!

TCAPSLoop Moment of Zen

“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.”

― Thich Nhat Hanh

The Agenda

Google Chat & Spaces

Google Calendar Time Insights

Google Calendar Agenda

Google Meet Auto Exposure

Google Sites Custom Themes

Google Docs watermark and clickable checklists

Coolsymbol.com

Google Drive for Desktop

Google Forms Settings

Coming Soon! GMail Avatars

Google Profiles

Productivity Tip: Unsubscribe in GMail!

Tech Tool of the Week: Digital Citizenship Week: News Literacy Project

@tcapsloop
@brostromda

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

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Episode 5.4

Hello and Welcome to another potentially useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast!! I’m cautiously optimistic that I won’t regret inviting our guest the TechNollergist, David Noller on this weeks show.

TCAPSLoop Moment of Zen

“I think 99 times and I find nothing. I stop thinking, swim in silence, and the truth comes to me.” - Albert Einstein

The Agenda

I'd like to introduce you to a new member of the TCAPSLoop topic list: MICIP, Michigan Integrated Continuous Improvement Process. David shares some his early thoughts on the new process and how EdTech can help in the adoption of the MICIP Mindset.

@tcapsloop
@brostromda
@ stephieluyt
@ technollergist

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

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Episode 5.3 Hello and Welcome to another potentially useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast!! The episode guest list includes a proud Wolverine, Stephie Luyt and joining us finally, an alum of the Library of Alexandria, HicksBo@tcaps.net, Mr. Bob Hicks!

Moment of Zen

“Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. "

Izaak Walton

It was an honor to accompany Mr. Hicks for a short portion of his TCAPS journey and it's truly our pleasure to have him on the pod before he draw's this journey to its close. We are blessed to have him share his 30+ years of EdTech wisdom on the Pod.

And again, we'd like to apologize for the poor audio, we have our best people on it...well maybe not our best.

@tcapsloop
@stephieluyt
Subscribe to the Podcast on Podbean, iTunes, Stitcher, Tune In, Downcast, Overcast, the Google Play Store, Spotify or wherever else you get your ear candy!

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

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Episode 5.2 Hello and Welcome to another potentially useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast! Joining today's podcast is the paragon of podcast partners, Danelle Brostrom and crashing this Google Meet is the Baron of Brightspace, aka the Captain of Classlink, aka the Grand Admiral of Google Apps, Evan Obranovic.

TCAPSLoop Moment of Zen

“The secret to getting ahead is getting started.”

― Mark Twain

The Rundown Danelle and Evan take out their ISTE approved crystal balls and enlighten us on what we can expect from this 2021/22 school year discussing Classlink, Google tips, classroom upgrades, mushroom coffee and how does it all make teaching and learning better for our students and educators?

Tech Tool of the Week: GMail Templates

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

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Episode 5.1 Hello and Welcome to another potentially useful season of the TCAPSLoop Podcast!! I’d like to reintroduce the TCAPSLoop Cabinet, Our Prime Minister of Powerschool, Danelle Brostrom, The Secretary of Digital Literacy, Stephie Luyt, and our own Special Agent of Chaos, The TechNollerGist, David Noller.

TCAPSLoop Moment of Zen

It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome. William James

Our Agenda: * What were your take aways from last year * TC WIRED Recap * What are you excited about this year * Any other derailing tangents that David will happily take us down

Tech Tool of the Week: Teaching Books

An engaging collection of resources that brings books to life.

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

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Episode 129

Hello and Welcome to another potentially useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast!! Danelle and I are joined by a very special guest from a real honest-to-goodness classroom that will very shortly have actual teaching and learning happening in it. 4th grade teacher Sam Walter shares how he makes meaningful connections with his students and finds joy n his craft!

TCAPSLoops Moment of Zen

Vulnerability is the birthplace of connection and the path to the feeling of worthiness. If it doesn't feel vulnerable, the sharing is probably not constructive. - Brene Brown

Tech Tool of the Week:

Idea Share Slideshow

PLAYDATE Digital Age Teaching Exploration - PLAYDATE MI - Professional Learning

Danelle's favorite - Kids Tell a Joke

100 Kids Tell a Joke | 100 Kids | HiHo Kids

Thank you for listening and inspiring.

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Episode 128

Hello and Welcome to another potentially useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast! I’m not entirely sure if I’m legally allowed to introduce the co-hosts without first asking their consent so you'll have to listen for that reveal.

TCAPSLoops Moment of Zen

A little consideration, A little thought for others, makes all the difference. - A.A. Milne

Turns out Social Media isn’t all bad. I was browsing through teacher twitter a few weeks ago and came across a great tool shared by our #edtech hero, Liz Kolb concerning student privacy and immediately thought this would be a great pod topic. Not surprisingly Danelle and Stephie saw it too and had started scripting out a one act play based on the chart. Sadly, Stephie and Danelle were not quite prepared to share the trailer for the their new production but they do share thoughts on student privacy and copyright in the classroom.

Potentially Useful Links:

Digital Legal Responsibilities for Teachers chart by Liz Kolb Ethics in a Digital World by Kristen Mattson Creative Commons Licenses

Tech Tool of the Week:

Sources for Icons Use with attribution - https://www.flaticon.com/ Freely use (but cannot sell) - https://fonts.google.com/icons Thanks for listening and inspiring!

Ethics in a Digital World: Guiding Students Through Society’s Biggest Questions

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Hello and Welcome to another potentially useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast!! My name is Larry Burden and I’m joined remotely by the ever inspiring Danelle Brostrom, the TechNollerGist, David Noller and our very special guest, TCAPS UpNorth Virtual Teacher. Marie Willis.

Moment of Zen

Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.

Marie joined us prior to the break and we couldn’t be more excited to finally be able to share her wisdom and enthusiasm regarding her experiences as a teacher in a remote environment. This may be one of the best TCAPSLoop episodes EVER!

Let’s Go!

Thank you for listening and inspiring?

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Episode 126

Hello and Welcome to another potentially joyful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast!! I’m filled with gratitude to be joined by Ted Lasso of EdTech Coaches, Danelle Brostrom and the TCAPS Director of Joyfulness (unofficial title) Heidi Skodak.

Moment of Zen

Happiness is a direction. Not a place. - Sydney J. Harris

We continually return to the fact that this has been an unprecedented year in education. One thing it has forced us to do is re-evaluate not only the platforms we use to educate but how we, as educators approach our work and life to create a safe and healthy environment for our kiddos so that they can be successful students and people. In our school district this has led to some deeper investigation on what it means to be successful. To that end our leadership teams and school community have adopted the #PositivelyTCAPS mantra and a book study into Shawn Anchor's bestselling book, "The Happiness Advantage."

Tech Tool of the Week:

Game About Squares - Beware! Highly Addicting

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

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Episode 125

Hello and Welcome to another potentially useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast featuring a chat with Certified TCAPSLoop host from a Long, Long time ago at a Middle School Far, Far away, Traverse City West Middle School Spanish Teacher, Mr. Andy Baumann!

Moment of Zen

Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose. - Yoda

We’ve mentioned several times recently that our District has adopted a Learning Management System (LMS). Though much of the discussion with Andy is specific to Brightspace D2L I believe there are many nuggets of wisdom shared by a habitual early adopter of edtech. I hope you enjoy the conversation.

Tech Tool of the Week

Using the embed code from your Google Slide show in your Brightpace/D2L Announcements. The announcement post will automatically update when you modify the Google slideshow. It’s as simple as cutting and pasting. All the slide show functionality, hot links etc. will be included! Baumann Certified Tutorial forthcoming!

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

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Episode 124

Hello and Welcome to another potentially useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast! Today I’m joined by Danelle Brostrom and Grand Poobah of Pedagogy, Mr. Andy Phillips (que the triumphant entrance music)!

Moment of Zen

You don't have to worry about burning bridges, if you're building your own. - Kerry E. Wagner

I recently saw a tweet celebrating the first day of March 2021 and a reply stated it’s more like the 366th day of March 2020. Needless to say there has been a great deal of change over the past year and a great deal more has been asked of educators to adapt to those changes. Andy has joined us to help share and celebrate the different ways teachers have embraced change and increased their own learning.

Tech Tool of the Week:

Manage Your Google Account Page

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

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Episode 123

We’re Back! for another potentially useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast!! I’m joined, not in the studio, by the Master of the EdTech Arts Danelle Brostrom and her partner in Pedagogical Mysticism, The TechNollerGist,, David Noller!

Moment of Zen

Don’t confuse aptitude with mastery

We took a short break but the edtech world kept spinning so it seems like we should attempt to catch the listeners up on the most potentially useful tools for their classrooms.

Google Updates:

(graphic courtesy of @jrsowash)

Tech Tool of the Week

Experiments with Google - The Creatability Collection is my favorite :) Blooket KenKen Puzzle

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

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TCAPSLoop Episode 122: Tech Tools

Hello and Welcome to another potentially useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast!!

We all know that January through March is the meat of our educational year. It’s where we see some amazing gains in our kiddos learning and where we settle into the rhythms of our classrooms. It can also be where we get stuck in old habits and mired in repetition. So this week we are sharing past "Tech Tools of the Week," to spark creativity, inspiration and fun through these winter months. Enjoy and thank you for listening and inspiring.

Moment of Zen

“Tools for survival are all around. Those with a calm heart and mind ,will recognize these tools and use them for the greater good. Quiet the noises inside and outside of you, so you can use the tools too.”

― Christine E. Szymanski

Potentially Useful Links

Should This Exist Podcast Specific episode: https://shouldthisexist.com/deepfake-detective/ New York Times Whats Going On In This Graph? Wheel of Names TCAPS Elementary Libraries Facebook Page Accessibility in GSuite

EDU in 90: Accessible Docs and Presentations

EDU in 90: GSuite Accessibility Features

Dennos Museum site Dennos Museum YouTube Channel Occupation information, including videos of people doing the work, for thousands of careers

Career Exploration videos in the Learning Express Library on MeL.org

NearPod

Socrative

Formative

Mentimeter

Pear Deck

Kahout

EdPuzzle

TeachingBooks.net - Author Name Pronunciation

News Literacy Project

Animated video you can share with students

News Literacy Quiz - Take the quiz.

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Episode 121

Hello and Welcome to another potentially useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast with the "D" in D2L, Danelle Brostrom!

Moment of Zen

“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” –Walt Disney

Potentially Useful Info

Find the latest Brightspace D2L tips and tricks on the TCAPS EdTech Help Site.

Tech Tool of the Week:

MACUL is doing a teaser book study with Liz Kolb’s new book: Learning First, Technology Second in Practice: New Strategies, Research, and Tools for Student Success. After signup, they will send you chapter 5 to read (which showcases 12 authentic lessons designed by K-12 teachers that meet all three elements of the Triple E Framework, with suggestions on how to improve lessons with technology). There is also a virtual chat this Saturday to talk about it. SCECH are available!

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

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Episode 120

Hello and Welcome to another potentially useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast! Joining the pod today is our favorite ALA Awards Red Carpet Correspondence team, Danelle Brostrom, and Stephie Luyt to discuss Stephie's pick for the 2021 Caldecott and Newberry Book Awards!

Moment of Zen

The unread story is not a story; it is little black marks on wood pulp. The reader, reading it, makes it live: a live thing, a story. —Ursula K. Le Guin

All the Books and Links!

Caldecott contenders:

Honeybee, Candace Fleming, ill. Eric Rohmann

Packs: Strength in Numbers, Hannah Salyer

The Blue House, Phoebe Wahl

My Best Friend, Julie Fogliano, ill. Jillian Tamaki

Outside In, Deborah Underwood, ill. Cindy Derby

A Girl Like Me, Angela Johnson, ill. Nina Crews

A Polar Bear in the Snow, Mac Barnett, ill. Shawn Harris

Exquisite : The Poetry and Life of Gwendolyn Brooks, Suzanne Slade, ill. Cozbi Cabrera

We Are Water Protectors, Carole Lindstrom, ill. Michaela Goade - Stephie's Pick!

All Because You Matter, Tami Charles, ill. Bryan Collier

Your Place in the Universe, Jason Chin

Newbery contenders:

King and the Dragon Flies, Kacen Callender - Stephie's Pick

From the Desk of Zoe Washington, Janae Marks

Fighting Words, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Echo Mountain, Lauren Wolk

Here in the Real World, Sara Pennypacker

Prairie Lotus, Linda Sue Park

Watch the Announcements Live!

Battle of the Books Grand Traverse

Tech Tool(s) of the Week:

TeachingBooks.net - Author Name Pronunciation

News Literacy Week (January 25-29, 2021)

News Literacy Project
Animated video you can share with students
News Literacy Quiz - Take the quiz.
Follow the hashtag #NewsLiteracyWeek and educate yourself

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

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Episode 119

"Hello and Welcome" to another potentially useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast! The only way he could get on was by Meet Bombing the show, we're joined by the TechNollerGist, David Noller!

Moment of Zen

It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.

TechNollerGist Tech Tool(s) of the Week:

Tools to get instant formative student feedback in the classroom or remote.

NearPod
Socrative
Formative
Mentimeter
Pear Deck
Kahout
EdPuzzle

Tutorials and Updates:

TCAPSTECH Help Site: Staff Support
TCAPS247.com for Student and Parent Support

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

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TCAPSLoop Podcast Episode 118: Mastering MeL.org Hello and Welcome to another potentially useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast! We are so excited to have Ann Kaskinen from MEL.org joining us for this "very useful," episode.

Moment of Zen

Reading is an act of civilization; it’s one of the greatest acts of civilization because it takes the free raw material of the mind and builds castles of possibilities. —Ben Okri

MeL.org Highlights eBook collection for K-12 - 70% nonfiction, unlimited users and access

NoveList - Readers’ advisory tool, search by themes, genres, etc.

Britannica - vetted, authoritative sources for K-12 with a user friendly interface

Pebble Go - great for younger learners, read aloud, visual format

Britannica Chrome Extension

MeL.org tutorials from Ann Kaskinen

WIRED TC MeL.org for Elementary

WIRED TC MeL.org for Secondary

Tech Tool of the Week Occupation information, including videos of people doing the work, for thousands of careers

Career Exploration videos in the Learning Express Library on MeL.org

Thank you for listening and inspiring!

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Episode 117

Hello and Welcome to another potentially useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast with Larry Burden, Danelle Brostrom, and Stephie Luyt. It's the most wonderful time of the year which means the irreplaceable TCAPSLoop Holiday Gift Guide!

Moment of Zen

“Kindness is like snow. It beautifies everything it covers.”

TCAPSLoop Holiday Gift Guide

Danelle's List:

http://tinyurl.com/holidaystemlist20 from METS Group
Engineering Gift Guide - INSPIRE - Purdue University
Raspberry Pi
Kazoo Magazine

Stephie's List:

MAME MISelf in Books List
MeL.org Hobbies and Crafts Reference Center
Loom (lots of options, but this is the one we have)
Ink set
Dip pen
Screenagers 2020 Non-Tech Holiday Gift List
Gingerbread decorating kits at Moomers (and ice cream sandwiches)

Larry's List:

Tech Will Save Us Synth Wave Kit, Electro Dough Kit
Design and Drill See-Through Creative Workshop
Magna Tiles

Tech Tool of the Week

Dennos Museum site Dennos Museum YouTube Channel Tutorials and Updates:

TCAPSTECH Help Site: Staff Support
TCAPS247.com for Student and Parent Support

Closing:

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
@tcapsloop
@brostromda
@stephieluyt
Subscribe to the Podcast on Podbean, iTunes, Stitcher, Tune In, Downcast, Overcast, the Google Play Store, Spotify or wherever else you get your ear candy! Like the podcast? Leave a review on iTunes, It really helps get the pod to show up on aggregators and we also love hearing from you.

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

Melissa & Doug Wooden Multi-Craft Weaving Loom: Extra-Large Frame (22.75 x 16.5 inches)

Speedball Sketching Pen Set - 2 Penholders w/ 6 Pen Tips

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Episode 116

Hello and Welcome to another potentially useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast! We went deep sea guest fishing and caught a whopper as we welcome TCAPS Superintendent, Dr. John VanWagoner.

Moment of Zen:

“Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm.”

—Publilius Syrus

Stuff We Talked About:

How has the idea of school leadership changed over the past year?

Having lead two districts in attempts to ramp up remote learning under tight timeframes, what have you learned? What has worked? What hasn't?

What gains do you believe we will see from adopting and LMS? Short-term? Long-term?

We often discuss Digital Citizenship and Media Literacy on the Pod. How do you feel we can best incorporate these topics into the curriculum and the public conversation?

What makes you hopeful looking forward to 2021?

Tech Tool of the Week:

Accessibility in GSuite

EDU in 90: Accessible Docs and Presentations
EDU in 90: GSuite Accessibility Features

More Support:

TCAPSTECH Help Site
TCAPS247.com

Get in the Loop!

@tcapsloop
@brostromda
@Jvanw

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

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Episode 115

Hello and Welcome another episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast! In this episode Danelle and Stephie share some great tips and literacy resources you should embrace while teaching and learning remotely.

Before cutting into the meat of the show let’s spend some time researching this weeks Moment of Zen.

“Any fool can know. The point is to understand.”

-Albert Einstein

Pod Topic: Virtual Reading Resources

Michigan eLibrary (MeL.org)

International Education Week Read Alouds

Live from the Opera House: It’s Storytime! Read Alouds and Activities

Virtual Book Bags: Science

Virtual Book Bags: Social Studies

ASL Stories and Resources

Kate Messner’s Read Wonder and Learn

Tech Tool of the Week:

TCAPS Elementary Libraries Facebook Page

Tutorials and Updates:

TCAPSTECH Help Site

TCAPS247.com

Colby Sharp video on why picture books are great!

Great Tweet by @MrsAGilliam

"Recently, I changed my wording from what questions do you have to what questions do you think someone struggling to understand might have. It has been a game changer. The student struggling doesn’t have to be the one asking but their question is usually covered."

Closing

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
@tcapsloop
@brostromda
Subscribe to the Podcast on Podbean, iTunes, Stitcher, Tune In, Downcast, Overcast, the Google Play Store, Spotify or wherever else you get your ear candy! Like the podcast? Leave a review on iTunes, It really helps get the pod to show up on aggregators and we also love hearing from you.

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

Thanks Loop Team!

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Episode 114

Hello and Welcome another episode of the TCAPSTechLoop Podcast with Larry Burden and Danelle Brostrom. Also joining us on this special episode are TCAPS UpNorth Virtual Live Expert Educators sharing some hard won wisdom they have earned over the past months of Remote Teaching.

Moment of Zen

I will not follow where the path may lead, but I will go where there is no path, and I will leave a trail.

Useful Links

Assigning "Journey's" leveled readers in Think Central

Teacher Tips from Katie Simons

Tech Tool of the Week

Wheel of Names

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Hello and Welcome another episode of the TCAPSTechLoop Podcast! It's a full podcast with Danelle Brostrom, David Noller, Heidi Skodack and Evan Obranovic all here to discuss the adoption and progression of the Learning Management System, Brightspace D2L. Before cutting into the meat of the show I’d like to announce the election results for this weeks Moment of Zen.

"Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself."

Pod Questions:

What is a Learning Management System (LMS) and what will it do for our students and teachers?

Where is TCAPS at with the roll out?

What are some of the successes and hurdles so far?

Where can you find help?

Tech Tool of the Week:

New York Times Whats Going On In This Graph?

Tutorials and Updates:

TCAPSTECH Help Site: Staff Support
TCAPS247.com for Student and Parent Support
TechNollerGist on Youtube with a bevy of tutorials

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Episode 112

Danelle and Stephie are joined by the President, Dave Johnson! Dave is the Michigan Council for Social Studies Chief of State and joins us to discuss media literacy and critical thinking in digital world.

Moment of Zen

"Too often we...enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." - John F. Kennedy

Pod Resources:

https://newslit.org/

https://get.checkology.org/

https://www.newseum.org/

https://www.misocialstudies.org/

https://www.allsides.com/unbiased-balanced-news

In addition, this week is Media Literacy Week, so the New York Times created a Lesson of the Day, “How to Deal With a Crisis of Misinformation,” and a Student Opinion question, “Should Media Literacy Be a Required Course in School?” to help students think critically about their own habits in consuming and sharing information.

Book Recommendation:

https://www.amazon.com/Future-Feeling-Building-Empathy-Tech-Obsessed/dp/1542041848

Tech Tool of the Week

Should This Exist Podcast

Specific episode: https://shouldthisexist.com/deepfake-detective/ Hosted by Caterina Fake, Should This Exist? is a show that takes a single technology and asks: What is its greatest potential? And what could possibly go wrong?

With fascinating guests and great stories, we’ll talk about astounding technologies. Like robots who could become our caregivers in old age. Video games that aim to replace the SAT and reveal our hidden potential. Virtual reality that could heal our trauma and rewire our brains.

Our boldest new technologies can help us flourish as human beings … or destroy the very thing that makes us human.

The Future of Feeling: Building Empathy in a Tech-Obsessed World

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Pod Topic: Internet Safety and Access

Guests: David Noller and Thomas Paolocci

Questions:

What did we learn about internet access for our students?
How are we overcoming the hurdles?
With are students increasingly online how are we helping them stay safe?
What tips can you give our students and parents to help stay safe online?

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A topic we try to hit a few times a year as the digital landscape is constantly changing and it has changed dramatically over the past several months. Listen to the pod as we discuss some great tips to help parents and students navigate the digital landscape. Danelle and Stephie have also revamped and revised their "Digital Parenting" presentation, which is choc full of great resources.

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Welcome to another Potentially Useful Episode of the TCAPSTechLoop Podcast! Joining the pod today is the TechNollerGist, David Noller and TCAPS Director of Technology Evan O'Branovic to discuss Remote Learning and Access to better bridge the "Digital Divide".

Moment of Zen.

"Equality is leaving the door open for anyone who has the means to approach it; Equity is ensuring there is a pathway to that door for those who need it."

Tutorials and Updates:

TCAPSTECH Help Site: Staff Support

TCAPS247.com for Student and Parent Support

Storytime: A Rock is Lively, Read by NMC President Nick Nissley

One Final Question:

Is there an #edtech tool you tried last year that you can’t live without this year?

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

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Welcome to another Potentially Useful Episode of the TCAPSLoop EdTech Podcast! My name is Larry Burden and coming to us virtually from a land far far away it’s Danelle Brostrom, and from across the hallway we are joined by the Grand Poobah of Pedagogy it’s Andy Phillips!

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Welcome back to another Potentially Useful Episode of the TCAPSLoop Edtech Podcast!

This weeks Moment of Zen:

"Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving."

Terry Pratchett

Topics Discussed on today's show:

What we learned last spring

How is that knowledge being leveraged

D2L and Brightspace + Google Apps for Education

New Devices

Staff Laptops
Student Chromebooks
New Projectors coming?

Media Literacy, Mindfulness & Empathy?

Tech Tool of the Week:

Google Meet Update

and MEL.org updates

Tutorials and Updates:

Google Meet “Chrome Tab” Tutorial
Live at the Opera House: It's Storytime!
www.tcaps.net/safestart
TCAPSTech Help Site
Light the Path to a Happy Kid series
TCAPS SafeStart

“The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.”

― Albert Einstein

Thanks for listening and inspiring!

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We're Back!!! Kinda. Over the next several weeks we will be sharing some of Danelle's best TechTools of the Week and an occasional Moment of Zen. Stay tuned and stay healthy.

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Episode 108 of the EdTech Loop Podcast takes on Digital Literacy without going full "Black Mirror." Danelle and Stephi share information gathered from the Traverse Area District Library and Northwestern Michigan College collaborative presentation on "Media Misinformation." We also share some tips for parents, students, and teachers on navigating media mindfully.

Useful Links Civic Misinformation Presentation: http://bit.ly/civicmisinfo

All Sides Website: https://www.allsides.com/unbiased-balanced-news

Media Bias Charts: https://www.adfontesmedia.com/?v=402f03a963ba https://www.allsides.com/media-bias/media-bias-ratings

Chris Yiu Data Tracking Twitter Thread: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1004754363745734656.html

More Articles: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/12/10/social-media-outpaces-print-newspapers-in-the-u-s-as-a-news-source/ https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/12/05/503581220/fake-or-real-how-to-self-check-the-news-and-get-the-facts https://newslit.org/educators/checkology/ https://www.remc.org/classroom-resources/media-literacy/ http://factitious.augamestudio.com/#/

Tech Tool of the Week: https://learn.kqed.org/discussions?page=1

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Our favorite Library Media Specialist makes here triumphant Awards Season return in episode 9 of the BiblioTech podcast. Stephie breaks down the ALA awards and shares some of her favorite selections from the list of amazing children's literature. We also touch on what's new in our own school libraries, and how our librarians do so much more than just promoting literacy.

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The EdTech Loop Podcast is joined again by the folks from MiHSEF to update Danelle and I on the current state of ESports in Michigan. Check out the MiHSEF website for all the resources regarding how to get a team started at your school.

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The @TechNollerGist, David Noller shares some ideas on how to include the creative process in your classroom and some additional resources to help get your students to explore their creativity.

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Episode 106 of the EdTech Loop Podcast features special guests Andy Phillips, TCAPS Director of Curriculum and Dave Johnson, Northern Michigan Learning Consortium Instructional Consultant, in one of our most informative podcasts we've dropped. We dive deep into Social Studies Standards and the Inquiry Mindset. Transcripts for this show will be coming soon.

Resources Discussed on the POD today: 1. ISTE Standards for Students 2. http://www.c3teachers.org/ 3. https://www.misocialstudies.org/ 4. http://ss.oaisd.org/about-giants.html 5. http://textbooks.wmisd.org/ 6. http://textbooks.wmisd.org/InquiryHub/index.html

Tech Tools of the Week: Danelle Recommends

Dive Into Inquiry and Inquiry Mindset - both by Trevor MacKenzie

Great exclusive content online on Trevor’s website: trevormackenzie.com/exclusive-content

Webinars, companion resources, book club resources, sketchnotes, videos, etc.

Dave Recommends:

Inquiry Design Model: Building Inquiry in Social Studies - Kathy Swan, John Lee, and S.G. Grant

Blueprinting an Inquiry-Based Curriculum: Planning with the Inquiry Design Model - Kathy Swan, John Lee, and S.G. Grant

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The EdTech Loop Podcast revisits it's favorite subject: Digital Citizenship! We discuss the latest METS Group Virtual Rally, changes and improvements to digcitcommit.org and the five #digcit ISTE competencies and so much more in this jam packed episode.

“I want us to ask ourselves every day, how are we using technology to make a real difference in people’s lives?” - Barak Obama

Useful Links: * Lauren Villaluz @senoraluz - Dig Cit Commit: Reflecting On Our Practice as Coaches & Leaders * Standards - DigCit found in Coaches, Education Leaders, Educators (citizen strand) * AI and Humanity Study Group * https://learn.kqed.org/discussions * Podcast - Note to Self - How to Create Good Digital Citizens * Nancy Watson - @nancywtech - infographic and app (https://digcit.glideapp.io/) - question starters for kids * Follow @digcitcommit on Twitter - also #digcitcommit - Poster

Show Transcript Larry Burden 0:05 Look at this neat stuff you can do with technology, it's great.

Yeah, I host a Tech podcast. I like GIFs.

It's Episode 105 of the EdTech Loop podcast, my name is Larry Burden and she's just got back from Iowa after developing a voting app that probably shouldn't have made it past beta, it's Danelle Brostrom. Too soon?

Danelle Brostrom 0:34 No, I like it. I love it.

Larry Burden 0:36 I may have rushed the intro, but meditated thoughtfully while considering this week's moment of Zen.

Moment of Zen 0:42 Slow down and make building relationships as important as building projects.

Larry Burden 0:49 The delegate from Sabin has chosen not to abstain from voting for this week's meat of the show, Dive into DigCit. So, I think earlier this year we were going through our, the different topics that we're going to cover, and we're discussing digital, digital citizenship which we are want to do, and I think at some point in time we were like, you know what, we've probably done too much. We've probably done too much digit digital citizenship. And I would say, I disagree strongly with the delegate from Sabin. I think this is probably the most important topic we ever cover on the podcast for a number of reasons, and by the amount of notes, that you have I'm pretty confident that, that's an accurate take. So, go ahead. I've got some thoughts but you had, it was like stream of consciousness, Google Doc-ing. It was amazing. I'm like, Wow!

Danelle Brostrom 1:49 It really was stream of consciousness Please don't copy and paste that into the show.

Larry Burden 1:52 It's going, For sure.

Danelle Brostrom 1:53 Um, okay so let me kind of frame today's discussion, huge, huge shout out to the METS Group, The Michigan Educational Technology Specialists. On Friday, January 31st, they held their 2020 Virtual Rally, and it's a half day, it's all online, it's different sessions. They had sessions on accessibility, Copyright, PBL, giving quality feedback. The quality of these sessions are just top notch. They're phenomenal. And I love that they're all recorded and online, so those of us who may have missed a session because of a meeting, or had to teach in the morning, or whatever, they're all there and you can watch the sessions, right now. So I do want you to include that link in the show notes because I think that is really important that does frame our discussion today. My favorite session was by a Tech Integrationist from downstate Lauren Villaluz. You can find her on Twitter, she's @senoraluz. She did a session called DigCitCommit, reflecting on our practice as coaches and leaders. And honestly Larry I went into the session like, oh I know a lot about digital citizenship, let's, let's see what she's got to talk about, has to share. And wow, I feel like I knew nothing, because it was all brand new and I want to be honest I'm, I'm nervous that I'm not gonna give this topic what, what I could. There's, there's just so much here. So, ISTE recently released five competencies for digital citizenship. So instead of having this conversation be one of fear and negativity and this list of don'ts. They're really shifting it to this list of do's. They're shifting the conversation to one of inclusivity, and empathy, and action. And it all started out with these five competencies, and I guess it was like, ISTE put out this call to action and 2018 that asked educators to do one thing, one small thing to advance, advance digital citizenship in the world, and then they were going to kind of look at the impact of all those small things combined. And now it's grown into this DigCitCommit movement, which I want to talk about today. And it just continues to grow. Like, these competencies are amazing. So I do want to go through them.

Larry Burden 4:13 Before you do because I, when I was going through this in my negligible research, it struck me that, as we've been covering digital citizenship and as you said, it's been kind of the don't do's, as opposed to the do's, and I think it was because we were trying to fit what our concept of, an old concept of citizenship was in a new model, or a new environment. It's taking a new definition of citizenship to fit with the new environment. What we were doing before was not working.

Danelle Brostrom 4:48 Right.

Larry Burden 4:49 It probably shouldn't have because this was a developing concept. I think the fruit is ripened, and you could tell by the, by what your research had come up with, and how surprised you were with what was there when you started diving in. I'm really excited about this because this is, this is the I think the start of that redefinition of what citizenship is. And as we've, as I've stated before, and as we've talked about before. The kids are ahead of this, are way, way ahead of what the new environment, what citizenship in the new environment is. I think it's going to be a lot harder for the teachers, and a lot harder for other adults, because we are stuck in an old model.

Danelle Brostrom 5:32 Totally. There is a really great podcast I want to plug to, "Note to Self," did a podcast called, "How to Create Good Digital Citizens," and um, Manoush Zomorodi she's the host of that one, she talked to Richard Colada, who's the CEO of ISTE. And I love how they set it up. They talk about these five competencies, but they set it up like, so we live in a society, and to be a citizen of this society you have to follow certain rules. And, you know, you stop at stoplights, and you pay your taxes, and they're their rules that you follow. And then they're also those unwritten rules like: you're sitting next to someone at a cafe, you don't reach over and steal their fries or take a slurp of their coffee because it looks good. There are just things that you don't do, but then what would it be like if we had this world that didn't.

Larry Burden 5:59 You haven't seen me in a coffee shop. Sampling as I go.

Danelle Brostrom 6:25 You didn't ruin my train of thought at all Larry, I'm gonna keep going.

Larry Burden 6:29 Cafe' Au Let, Ooh yummy.

Danelle Brostrom 6:30 But what do you do in this world, it, when, when there aren't rules and what would that be like, and well that's kind of what we've got going on online right now, and that our kids are poised to be this much more civilized digital universe, but only if we'd start teaching them now. Otherwise, nothing's going to happen. So they really go through the five competencies one by one and talk about them. I think it's really worth a good listen. But, um so those five competencies: the first one is inclusive. I'm open to hearing and respectfully recognizing multiple viewpoints, and I engage with others online with respect, and empathy. What a beautiful world. Right?

Larry Burden 7:12 Yes. Yes. I'm let you go through them.

Danelle Brostrom 7:16 Number two: informed, I evaluate the accuracy, perspective and validity of digital media and social posts. Number three: engaged, I use technology and digital channels for civic engagement to solve problems and be a force for good in both physical and virtual communities. I love that, force for good.

Larry Burden 7:36 I want to stop here, if I could, because that one struck me in a negative way. Because, observing what goes on online, especially in social formats, I tend to disengage, because it's very difficult to engage constructively, because that's really not the way citizenship works online currently. But I like the concept behind what that said. I just didn't know how plausible it was, or what actions would have to happen to make, make it plausible. And what I came up with, it, just you know after a few seconds was, all we really need to do when looking at all these, and we'll continue with the other, the other two. Two? Is put them all under one umbrella and just say slow down. Because you're not going to be able to focus on any of these without slowing down. And that in the environment, the digital environment is Go, Go, Go, fast, fast, fast, whether it's on purpose, whether it's the thought or the mindset that we're bringing into it, or a model that is trying to drive attention needs you to not recognize and think thoughtfully about what you're doing you're mindful about what you're doing. Going into any of these, we need to slow down, and that and be mindful and recognize where we're at so then we can actually make these standards actionable.

Danelle Brostrom 9:17 Yeah, that's true.

Number four: balanced, I make informed decisions about how to prioritize my time and activities online and off. And then number five: alert, I am aware of my online actions, and I know how to be safe and create safe spaces for others, online. So what's pretty cool is that ISTE has taken those five competencies and they are working with Common Sense Media and a lot of other awesome organizations.

Larry Burden 9:44 All the, all the organizations.

Danelle Brostrom 9:46 All the organizations who are already working in that digital citizenship realm. They kind of came together to commit to bringing high quality resources in one location. So, I mean there's resources everywhere and this is a collective effort to bring it all together and found that digcitcommit.org. Wow, what is on here is incredible. Like I said, Common Sense Media, Brainpop, DigCit Institute. There's some new resources that I hadn't heard of. There's some resources specifically on the intersection of AI and humanity, which I'm totally interested in. I just joined the AI and humanity study group from the Digital Citizenship Institute. Larry, they are going to talk about Black Mirror episodes! What! I'm trying to talk to people in my life about it and they're not interested, so I need, these are my people. I'm totally hooked on these discussion topics from KQED.org. They're under the, "Learn," section and there are topics that you can give to, they say Middle and High School, I think it could even do some of these with upper El. And just things like: should the US have universal healthcare, should be raise the federal minimum wage, can we trust social media influencers, should we get rid of the Electoral College, should zoos exist, should school start later? And they have these little videos that are backed by research. And then on this site kids are actually sharing their responses, and I think you could do some awesome things in the classroom with these real, authentic issues. There's just so much here. It's brilliant to put it all in one place, this DigCitCommit.org.

Larry Burden 11:24 Without being negative, it almost, it almost was overwhelming, but the fact that it was all, all there, and all the disparate groups, like all of them, were represented, tells me that things are starting to coalesce into a more cohesive message which is so necessary. Because it is. We go to ISTE, we go to digitcommit, we go to Google, we go to Common Sense Media. All these different places were kind of all saying similar things and we were touching on all of them. Guess where they're all at now. They're all, they're all in one one spot and I named, some of them.

Danelle Brostrom 12:04 Yeah,

Larry Burden 12:05 But they're all there. So, all the people, and that's the wonderful thing, or one of the really hopeful things about the digital culture is the fact that all these people could actually go, Oh, we're all part of the same community. Let's get together and really leverage our voice.

Danelle Brostrom 12:26 It, it is building a culture. It's not doing one lesson in February, or one lesson when you talk about this specific unit, it really is building a culture where you're talking about real issues with kids that, that they're struggling with. And, and digital citizenship is in the Educator Standards from ISTE, and it's in those Ed Tech Coach Standards, but it's also in those Educational Leaders Standards. So as an administrator, one of the ISTE Standards is: Equity and Citizenship Advocate. So how are you not only telling the teachers to do digital citizenship, but how are you modeling that in your own life, and I think that's important too. I mean, as an educator, there are kind of different levels to this. You know, are you, are you just grabbing images from Google and creating your stuff? Or are you, you know, going through and citing where you got those images from, and talking to your kids about citations, and why you chose this image over this one, and how to find appropriate images. All that kind of stuff that just happens organically as you're teaching, that's that's how this should be. It should be a part of, a part of culture, and I think these five competencies are going to help get there, and man, this DigCitCommit, there's a lot there. But I think the important thing is, is that at least it's all in one place now and these groups are kind of working together. I think what all of us should do is we should commit to do it like, like what the CEO of ISTE said at, in 2018 commit to doing one thing, pick one thing you're going to try. Nancy Watson, she's @nancywtech on Twitter. She created this cool app using "Glide." We talked a little bit about "Glide," before, it's "Glide," app and you can create, you put things into a spreadsheet and then it bumps this really cool app. Yeah, yeah David was really excited about it. But if you go to digcit.glideapp.io. It's this app that she created, and you can click on, "Primary," you can click on, "High School," and it gives you these easy questions starters within those five competencies. So, I love that there are people out there that are trying to create and make this usable. I think we commit to doing one thing and I really think we just, we...this is the start. It's all here, and then I think the next step is going to be to try to curate it, and what's good for you and what's good for other people, and just try to organize it all. It's just amazing. Anyway, think about that Barack Obama quote: I want us to ask ourselves every day how are we using technology to make a real difference in people's lives." And I think that this stuff is going to make a real difference if we help it grow.

Larry Burden 15:00 You know, you're, you're, you're talking about the conversations that can be had. The important conversations that can be had, online. I think one of the things that we've struggled with is how, what is the appropriate way to have those conversations. We're now setting some societal rules, or considering setting some societal rules on how to have that discourse online, and we're starting to come to a consensus around what being a good digital citizen is.

Danelle Brostrom 15:33 For sure, and I don't think you can say anymore, I don't teach tech, I don't have time for that. This is so essential to society.

Larry Burden 15:43 There are so many resources on this site for ways to incorporate. Some of them aren't going to work for you. Just do one, give it a shot. If that doesn't work, there's another, don't worry about it.

Danelle Brostrom 15:56 And there are resources on there for families as well. I know that they linked up Google's, "Be Internet Awesome," created some family resources, and those were on that site as well. I was looking at those discussions. Those are discussions I can have with my family, and with my own children at home. So there are things that I can do as a parent, and there are things, I mean, we all know adults should be looking at these competencies to and try to clean up our digital footprint. Right? Fair enough?

Larry Burden 16:24 I'm speechless really.

Danelle Brostrom 16:26 But I just, I think that this stuff is good for everyone.

Larry Burden 16:30 When you're having these conversations with your child. Allow the time to have the conversation. Give them the time to consider. Because some of the conversations, some of these thoughts aren't necessarily going to be things that they're going to want, A: want to have conversations around, and B: have thoughts ready. They're going to need some time to kind of consider. And if we're rushing, there you're going to feel rushed and frustrated and then that conversation is not going to take place. So if you are having that conversation, make sure that you're giving the time for the conversation to really unfold because these are not yes or no answers. These are conversations to be had, and probably some tough ones, because more than likely, as adults, we're not modeling the greatest behavior here.

Danelle Brostrom 17:22 And now Larry you have older kids so maybe, I mean tell me if I'm totally off base on this one but, I think it needs to be a conversation to, it doesn't need to be you know preachy because I think that it's valuable, their opinion with technology. And you know, that they see it as an extension. And there was an article, I just shared it on Twitter, and it was from a 17 year old who quit social media, and his point that everyone else is on social media and kids think I'm weird because I'm not. Like, that's a perspective that we might not have considered. So to recognize that perspective, and have a conversation about that perspective, instead of coming in preachy as an adult, I think that's important.

Larry Burden 18:03 I think in many ways, their relationship with their digital lives is much more mature than adults are. And when I say mature, it's not that they're more mature than adults, but their digital lives have matured as far as their understanding of a digital life, has maturity because they've been on it more. The person that they're bringing isn't as mature, necessarily, but how they're interacting oftentimes is. And I think we need to when we're having those conversations, respect the fact that the information that they're giving us is probably going to have more depth and breadth than we're giving it. And we could probably learn a lot from, how they're interacting with it. Because really our depth of knowledge in the digital environment is going to be, most likely, less than theirs.

Danelle Brostrom 18:53 I think the more you can have it be a conversation rather than a preaching, the farther you're gonna get. But adults need to learn these competencies too. I just wanna say that.

Larry Burden 19:02 And to be honest, I mean that's really what our, what our what this podcast audience is, is adults,

Danelle Brostrom 19:06 For sure, we all need to look.

Larry Burden 19:08 We have to recognize, and I think any adult that's listening to this, is listening to it because they're thoughtful about this topic. So, when we, when we're reticent about bringing it up as adults, it's very clear why, that there's work to be done.

Danelle Brostrom 19:25 There is. So check out DigCitCommit. You can follow them on Twitter. There's also a DigCitCommit hashtag, and then DigCitCommit.org. And again, huge shout-out to the METS Group and Lauren Villaluz for bringing this to that virtual rally, yeah.

Larry Burden 19:42 Awesome. Tech Tool of the Week?

Techtool of the Week 19:43 Tech Tool of the Week. There is an event coming up. This DigCitCommit group was putting together a DigCitCommit Virtual Congress. They're doing it February, 11th and 12th. Informative inspirational, virtual event, and they've got students speakers, they've got teachers, keynotes, youth leaders, lightning rounds, spotlights of successful digital initiatives. It's super, super cool and there's stuff going on for two days straight. So I would, I already signed up to attend and I'm just gonna check on the ones that fit with my schedule. But I think this is so cool, and you can use a lot of these with, with students, check that out. I'm DigCitCommit.org and it's found under the events section.

Larry Burden 20:30 Awesome. Tutorials and Updates, just want to let you know there's gonna be more posts coming soon. I have to get a TechNollerGist podcast out here relatively soon. But on my end, there's a lot of, I was backed up with a lot of editing. So there's a lot of stuff that is going to be happening hopefully soon on the EdTech Loop podcast so stay tuned. For instance prepare for the return of transcripts. I'm like six episodes behind on transcripts so those will be coming up because we do actually respect some of those ADA requirements and, I really want to make sure that our podcast is available for everybody.

Danelle Brostrom 21:05 Very inclusive of you Larry,

Larry Burden 21:06 Yes we're, we're trying, we are definitely trying. This is something new that I'm going to bring up, and I just came up with it so.

Danelle Brostrom 21:12 Is that why you didn't prep me ahead of time?

Larry Burden 21:12 Absolutely. This is not really a segment. This is just I want to end, I want to before we go into the closing, I want to put this in there. And we need to title because my title is, "I Demand Answers," but that seems a little forceful. But I want to have a question at the end of every pod, every pod to spark that discussion. And this one's really simple. How do you included DigCit in your, in your curriculum? We know what needs to be included. There's not necessarily any spot specifically for it. So I'm really curious on how educators are attempting to incorporate digital citizenship and those lessons into their, into their curriculum, how do you make it work?

Danelle Brostrom 21:32 And how you make it work after listening to this podcast today?

Larry Burden 21:53 Bingo, Bingo. So, in closing, follow us on Facebook and Twitter @tcapsloop,

Danelle Brostrom 21:58 @brostromda,

Larry Burden 21:59 bringing my A game, subscribe to the podcast on Podbean, iTunes, Stitcher, Tune-in Downcast, Overcast, Google Play Store, Spotify or wherever else you get your ear candy. Leave review, we love the feedback. And again, answer that question, just #edtechloop on Twitter. With that answer, and thank you for listening and inspiring.

Danelle Brostrom 22:22 There's a group that's going to talk about Black Mirror, What!

Transcribed by https://otter.ai

Tech Tool of the Week: DigCitCommit Virtual Congress

I Demand Answers! How are you including #digcit in your classroom? (respond using #edtechloop)

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Episode 13 of the TechNollerGist Podcast featuring Traverse City Area Public Schools EdTech Coach, David Noller, sharing some great tips on managing digital device usage in your classroom.

Show Transcripts: David Noller 0:06 Legos on it you step on them and say things. Then I respond. That's how this works.

Larry Burden 0:10 Scream in pain.

David Noller 0:11 I can't tell you how excited I am.

Larry Burden 0:17 It's Episode 14 of the TechNollerGist podcast I'm Larry Burden and he always feels like somebody is watching him, or at least should be. It's the TechNollerGist, David Noller.

David Noller 0:27 For full entertainment value, should be.

Larry Burden 0:29 Should be, and maybe for the safety of others but that's,

David Noller 0:32 Not participating, just observing.

Larry Burden 0:35 Exactly.

David Noller 0:35 Fair enough.

Larry Burden 0:36 Today's topic should you choose to accept it, Keeping the lids down or managing in-class device usage. So you just showed me your, your show notes. And I had mentioned, I'm just going to ceed the floor because we've talked about several of the items that you had sent me previously in other pods, and anybody that has digital devices in their classroom, which is pretty much everybody. I mean, K-12, at this point,

David Noller 1:03 Right,

Larry Burden 1:04 How to manage that device and make it a successful learning tool, I think is...any advice is good advice. So,

David Noller 1:11 Yeah, I'm going to start with something I see at the high school every day. When I walk in and I parked in my spot. There will often be a parent, waiting for their student, parked in the handicapped space. That driver does not have a tag or a license plate. It's just a convenient place to pick up their child from school. They know they're not supposed to park there, but they do it anyway because it's convenient. Every day we see people drive through those stop signs. Like the Michigan rolling stop, and sometimes just there's nobody in the crosswalk we're just going to go.

Larry Burden 1:42 I've been in your high school. Oftentimes is not a rolling stop there's no consideration of stopping whatsoever.

David Noller 1:47 I'm being generous. So, you know, they know they're not supposed to, but it's not convenient for them to stop for some reason so they just keep on going through, often with their students in the car with them and what they're doing is demonstrating that rules are for sometimes, and when you're confronted with legal and ethical dilemmas you can kind of determine your response based on whether or not anybody's watching.

Larry Burden 1:49 You're not breaking the law unless you get caught.

David Noller 2:16 Well there you go. It's not illegal unless you're caught. You're still breaking the law.

Larry Burden 2:20 yeah, valid

David Noller 2:20 So the reason I bring that up is because of what I want to bring up with the, the first item, which is; within the ISTE standards, there are standards for students, and there are standards for teachers. And for the student it says that, students engage in positive, safe, legal and ethical behavior when using technology, including social interactions online, or when using networked devices. We give them network devices, the ISTE standard is that they will engage in use those tools in a legal, ethical way. But there's also a teacher strand, to the ISTE standards, and under Citizen, 3.C., mentor students and safe, legal, and ethical practices with digital tools, and the protection of intellectual rights and property. And 3.D., model and promote the management of personal data, and digital identity and protect student data privacy.

Larry Burden 3:14 I see where we're going here.

David Noller 3:15 Yeah, so, like the parents or others who drive through a stop sign or wait to pick up the child in the handicap space, we as teachers need to model legal and ethical behavior for our students if we're going to ask them to do the same. And that has a lot to do with device management as it turns out.

Larry Burden 3:37 Okay,

David Noller 3:37 Because modeling legal and ethical behavior doesn't just mean citing your sources. Using pictures in your presentation and citing them and making sure that you're using them in a legal and ethical way. It also has to do with how that students participating in the social world of the classroom, and that we've responded to some of the challenges we've had with mobile devices by just banning them. Kids can't have phones in the room because they don't know how to use them properly and so we're just going to say, you can't have them. But everybody's got a laptop. And you still have to manage their participation in that community in a way that they can demonstrate legal and ethical behavior. And for that to happen I think teachers need to structure their lessons so that the student is in the habit of using that device in the educational model, and that's it. And not using it to distract themselves, etc. I think that gets into maybe not the legal aspect, but the ethical aspect of using the tool.

Larry Burden 4:36 I like to compare it to a hammer. It's a great tool for what it's used for. But you don't go, you know what, there's no nail around here right now, so feel free to do whatever you want with that hammer.

David Noller 4:48 I love that. Yeah, there's no nail so use it for whatever you want to. And honestly, I think that's a great metaphor for what happens in classrooms. We start students on a task, maybe there's not a, an end game, or a time limit and kids finish and then all of a sudden they're like, well?

Larry Burden 5:07 I've got this hammer.

David Noller 5:08 I've got this hammer to use, let me, let me pound a hole in the wall. And I think, in part, this might be based on some of our old practices. The old devices we used to have in the classroom took like 30 seconds to a minute to boot up, and make some of the teachers of my generation are used to seeing open laptops, because to shut them down, and then to open it back up again. You lost a couple minutes of instructional time.

Larry Burden 5:31 I remember having conversations, not long ago where we would discuss, okay we have to understand that there's going to be a boot up time right and be patient with that.

David Noller 5:41 Right. These Chrome devices, boot up instantly. So, I've even changed my practice where we had a warm up question where they responded on, on Google Classroom. Then they close their lids. I gave them a little bit of information that they needed in order to do the next task, open your lids. Do that task. They had seven minutes to do that task, close your lids. We did, we played a game today, we did a simulation of village building, world building, in my sociology class. Lids were down for that, and then last three minutes, open up your laptop and respond to that review question after the experience. So it was up, down, up, down, up, down, all throughout the day, and not once did a kid have enough time to do my task and get distracted away from the learning of the day. I had a kid fall asleep, that had nothing to do with the device, didn't go to bed till four in the morning. So it's not perfect, but it wasn't the devices fault that somebody got off task. And it wasn't my lack of managing their experience with the devices fault.

Larry Burden 6:50 I completely see where that paradigm is changed from the past where a teacher would have a laptop time, open them up, recognize it's going to take a minute and a half to get the laptop up, and we're going to do whatever we can while that while that lid is up, and then when we close that lid, it's done.

David Noller 7:10 I used to actually scheduled warm ups, during open the lid time. So we get the computers, bring it back to our tables, open them up, set the power, and then do like, our opening question while it powered up. And in that, you know kids are constantly going back and forth checking to see if it's up okay now it's time for my password. So that kind of stepping through a lesson, I guess I'm jumping back to the example, that kind of stepping through the lesson when it's intentional, and you're like, this is a question that's going to take three minutes and then close your lids. Then you do your instruction, whatever you're going to do for the day. If they are ready to respond, then they open it back up again. I think that's something that we're not seeing a lot of in the classroom. That we're not seeing teachers manage the availability. And I, that as an opening step, it's actually very easy to do. It's something everybody can do. And I think it's going to resolve a large percentage of problems that people might be having already in the classroom. I have some other ideas for other things, but that's probably the biggest, easiest one to do. Just managing is it open or closed.

Larry Burden 8:18 Lid's up, lid's down. I think that makes a lot of sense. It's very easy for the teacher visually to see...

David Noller 8:24 Oh, that's the thing.

Larry Burden 8:25 where you are.

David Noller 8:26 When you say, close your lids please. And I'm always very nice about it, close your lids please. They all go down. And there's the one kid who's like, maybe he's just trying to finish that question, and maybe he's, right? But I know, and I might give them like time, just to like, once I'm ready to launch into my thing and then if I have to say it again it goes down. They're not going to fight about that. In regards to like the stepping through the lesson, I set many deadlines, and I put up timers. I don't necessarily have the timer on the board. I'll have it on my watch so I can then say, well I'm going to give you a couple more minutes. Plus, I don't really like the kids knowing how much time they have. At least on a countdown timer where they can be like, let's see we got five minutes, well, hey by the way we're going after school for pizza, you know,

Larry Burden 9:12 30 seconds,

David Noller 9:13 you've got a couple minutes.

Larry Burden 9:13 30 seconds before the timers up,

David Noller 9:15 So I manage the time on my watch, but I tell them, You have five minutes to answer this question. And then if I see that they're still engaged in the question, and most people are still writing or whatever they're doing that I'm asking them to do. Yup you have one more minute, and then that minute turns into a minute and a half and sometimes two.

Larry Burden 9:34 If the classroom is engaged, you have the ability to say,

David Noller 9:37 Yeah, and then as I see like half of the kids are done. 30 seconds. I know that was a long minute sorry everybody, I lost track. 30 seconds, you know, I kind of pretend that I wasn't paying attention. Those mini timers have made such a difference in my class in terms of helping kids manage their time by me managing it for them. And sometimes there, there's kids who are slow and processing, and I'll tell all of my students look, we're not all going to process at the same time, if it takes a little extra time to do something, we can manage that, or we can account for that. But so often these small things are like formative assessment, anyway. And I'm just stepping through the lesson. And it also goes back to the idea of engaging all of your students whenever you can. Instead of asking a question and then saying, who knows the answer and having those two, three kids always raised their hand. This is part of that process I've talked about before of, everybody's engaged in the material, and then we go to volunteers for the explanations and things, so that even if I don't get everybody talking in a, in a classroom, I've got everybody thinking and writing before that even starts.

Larry Burden 10:45 It's a great way to manage your classroom momentum to. You're eliminating a lot of dead time.

David Noller 10:49 When other people are answering a question that they've been called on verbally, students can tune out. When everyone's engaged and answering the same question at the same time and you have three minutes and tick, tock, and here we go, 30 seconds. Okay, write your last sentence. Okay, time's up. There's a positive sense of urgency about that. The process just lends itself towards more participation and more engagement.

Larry Burden 11:11 Learning is hard work. It's mentally taxing. Or, we hope it is, and the model that you're talking about is actually pretty similar to kind of a common practice right now among Creatives. The Pomodoro technique for timing, where you, you work in four 25 minute cycles. So you work for 25 minutes. Take a five minute break 25 minutes, five minute break after four of those you take a 15 minute break, and then you continue that cycle. So you're not, you have a minute or five minutes every 25 minutes to take a step back, regroup and then jump back in, and that kind of keeps that creative momentum going as opposed to kind of slogging through something. Which, now, how long is the attention span of a teenager.

David Noller 11:59 Exactly. And so, you know, part of what we're talking about here is how device management leads to improved learning. It's not just about maintaining discipline, it's about improving instruction. And I think those practices of stepping through lessons, providing mini timelines, things like that. I think that's going to improve instruction at the same time that improves the relationship everybody has with the device in the room.

Larry Burden 12:23 Two birds one stone. Very simple,

David Noller 12:25 A couple more things, one is being very transparent about what you know as a teacher, with your students. I have demonstrated to my kids what texting under the table looks like, what texting from a backpack looks like, what texting from inside my purse looks like. I know what those body shapes look like. But you've got a kid kind of leaning back, he's got one hand down at his side and he's got his hand in his pocket, but it's only halfway in his pocket, and he's kind of looking at the outside of his pocket. He's texting somebody. I know what that looks like. So I'll demonstrate it to him and say, look, I shouldn't see any of the following postures, and they kind of laugh, and they kind of, they get it, they're high school kids. But I also point out things like, "game face." I never want to see your game face, and they're used to hearing game face like sports. But the game face that I'm talking,

Larry Burden 13:18 This is a, this is an audio pod and you're going to show me the game face and I'm going to be like I really wish. So explain this.

David Noller 13:23 I'm gonna be descriptive becuase I know this is an audio pod. Game face happens when the kid has his Chromebook open, and he's got two fingers on either side of the keyboard right down where the shift key is, and then his eyes are staring, his mouth is open, and his face is slack, and you can tell he's doing something like playing the snake game, or Tetris or something that's taking all of his attention. Because he looks focused, just not focused on you. And if he's only using those two fingers for like the arrow keys and the shift, he's not typing a paper. So, game face is another thing that I bring up, and I say, I know what it looks like, I know what you're doing. When you say, No I'm not. I say yes you were. And then we will both say, No I'm not, and I'll say yes you were, and then we'll agree that you were doing it and then we'll move on. And, you know, again, maybe it's because it's high school, I get to use that kind of humor as a way to bridge the gap between, I'm recognizing it, but I'm not shaming you, but we all know you're not supposed to be doing that so let's not.

Larry Burden 14:27 Yeah,

David Noller 14:28 I'm just transparent with them about what I know, and what I see, and what, what I see means. The last thing that has to do with management has to do with community standards. You know, we encourage our students to be good digital citizens, and we encourage them to be part of a community. And at West we have the standards to treat all people with dignity, honesty, respect and trust. And part of respecting other people has to do with ensuring and helping to accommodate their success. And so I tell my kids that if you have a friend, or table-mate, or somebody nearby who you see as distracting themselves. You know that you want that person to do well, it's okay to say, maybe you should do the thing that we're all also doing. To say something kindly and respectfully, to encourage that student to get back on track. And that can be a tough thing to do.

Larry Burden 15:18 I was just gonna say that's, that's a tough ask, but I would say, more, more likely to be effective, because it's peer to peer.

David Noller 15:26 And it is a tough ask in a normal classroom. It's not a tough ask in a band or in a choir or in a football team, or in a theater department. It's tougher in a classroom where there's less natural affinity and less natural...

Larry Burden 15:41 There's not the natural common goal.

David Noller 15:43 Yeah.

Larry Burden 15:43 Let me change that. There's not a perceived common goal. There is a common goal. The common goal's there. We're supposed to be learning the content and demonstrating our learning in the class. For whatever reason, oftentimes, that's not a perceived common goal.

David Noller 15:59 Right. I can't obviously judge a kid whether or not they're able to get somebody back on track, but I'm hoping that by offering that as something that would be a good thing to do, somebody's going to take advantage of that, and be the good friend and help their buddy get back on track.

Larry Burden 16:13 If you get one or two a year. Awesome, awesome. And you know what those one or two probably created a preventative environment for 7, 8, 9, 10,12 other ones, so.

David Noller 16:24 One final thing I would add; if you are somebody who you see a lot of these violations that you think are problematic in your classroom, and you know you're constantly doing battle. Review the acceptable use policies once in a while. You know, freshmen coming in might have signed that page without even reading it.

Larry Burden 16:44 What?

David Noller 16:45 What? AUP is the acceptable use policies. Get a copy, go over them with your students. Use them as a reading strategy, figure out what they mean, and encourage them to read and understand what it is that they've agreed to when they've signed that paper to get that device. I think, taking one of those,

Larry Burden 17:04 Great tool by the way for later in life when they're signing those agreements, or clicking on that, "I agreed the terms," and

David Noller 17:11 Yeah

Larry Burden 17:11 yeah

David Noller 17:12 I didn't read, yep, except you know certain places and certain organizations are going to hold you accountable for those, and there's going to be consequences from the, you weren't really planning on. So yeah, I think reviewing those acceptable use policies is totally fair game in any class where you have concerns over how students are using devices.

Larry Burden 17:30 Absolutely. You have physical arrangement?

David Noller 17:33 Thanks for reminding me of that because I didn't read it in my own show notes. A lot of teachers have a problem with offering online test taking environments because they're afraid of cheating. I understand that. I try to give tests that are less cheat-able. By being less knowledge based and more like application, higher level thinking...

Larry Burden 17:55 Show me your work.

David Noller 17:56 demonstrations. But there are times when you've got to ask, do you know what this thing is. And sometimes that involves multiple choice. So there's a couple strategies, ones not physical, one's physical. The not physical one is using, like when I use Google Forms to create quizzes, I have a couple questions and then I put in a section break so that when that kid hits next those two questions and his answers are now off his screen. So unless everybody goes through at the same pace, they're not going to have the open paper. Or that that smart kids answer key, and the Scantron, that's not going to be up. Okay, so one is organizing your, your exam if you're using an online one in such a way that they step through in, in steps instead of doing it all in one screen. The physical arrangement, and my kids, my students are always surprised that I do this, and I think it's because others don't. When they take a quiz, I have them move their chair from where they're, it normally is where they're looking at the front of the room, and they put it on the other side of the table so they're looking at the back of the room.

Larry Burden 19:02 Okay.

David Noller 19:02 And we tip our heads. Why, because then I see their screen. And if I stay relatively in the back of the room, they can't see where I'm looking. I might be looking at your screen, I might be looking at somebody else's screen. I tell them if I see your screen flashed to another tab. I'm going to assume you're cheating and you're going to take a zero, and I'm going to apologize if you didn't cheat, but that's the behavior of cheating. So stay on your quiz tab, don't leave it. When you're done, close your lid. And so, when my kids take a quiz.

Larry Burden 19:39 Clear and specific instructions help as well.

David Noller 19:41 I see all of their screens. I know that they're on the quiz tab only. They close their lid when they're done, and I can see who's on and who's not. So my physical arrangement by just simply having them sit on the other side of the desk. I have full view of their screens.

Larry Burden 19:57 You know my initial thought was, why don't you just go to the back of the room and that way you don't have the kind of chaos of the move. But I was thinking more deeply about it and by changing the environment, you've created a different mindset in the student as well, just by having them move. And now they're in test mode.

David Noller 20:17 That's part of it, it's test mode, the things they normally have access to look at in the room tend to be at the front. So I removed that distractor from it. I also put them in a position where they're less certain about where I am. Because if I'm in the back of the room there's only a few places for me to go because of how the class is arranged. The front of the room has more space for me to move around. So I can very quickly and quietly moved from one part of the room to another without anybody seeing me in their peripheral vision. Maybe that just means I want to be a spy or a ninja.

Larry Burden 20:50 Which is true.

David Noller 20:51 Those things might be true.

Larry Burden 20:52 and I think, I think might is not strong enough.

David Noller 20:55 But I like being a spy, ninja teacher too.

Larry Burden 20:57 Is there anything else before I move on.

David Noller 20:59 No, go ahead.

Larry Burden 21:00 This Pods Getting Gamey!

David Noller 21:07 So last year I started developing this, and, I teach Sociology so I get to play along. I get to play around with society stuff. So I developed a kind of society building game, where they get a number of points to spend each round on upgrades to their village, and based on the combinations that they choose, I have predetermined like consequences for that. So, there's always a group that wants to pick in the first round, improved weapons and military training. That group didn't do anything with food. They all of a sudden become beholden to another society that took agriculture. But then they can trade their defense, their defensive capacity for the food that's available at that other place. But that's just the first round, by the time we get to the third, fourth and fifth round. We've got groups that are attacking other villages, other villages that are saying, we'll help you defend against them if you'll do X, and it becomes a lesson in how societies structure themselves around a common goal, how societies will create alliances with other groups within the society when it's convenient, but are quick to abandon those when it no longer becomes useful or advantageous. And we talked about structural functionalism, conflict theory. We can talk about tribalism, there's so many things that that can come out of that. But the first few steps feel like a game, and then it feels like survival. Like the first few steps, they're like, oh yeah we'll take horse trading, or we'll take, caravans, so we can move around. And then they realize, well if they took caravan and economics, and food storage, they can now provide food to all these other people and manange the whole trade system. Where the warfare people, they realized today, they said, whent can we attack and I said right now and we started rolling dice. And I put the dice roller in the screen, and everything was determined by the dice roll. And I just made this all up as we went. This might not be for everybody, but I will say, whether the game comes from your head or it comes from a box, no matter when I use it, kids always say that's the most fun I've ever had learning. The kids are learning a lot about values, and social structure, and organization, and power discrepancy and all that thing. It's as a result of participating in this simulation that's happening.

Larry Burden 23:30 I would love to see how you incorporate your teaching, in the game, in the moment. Whereas where you're pointing out what these things are and what this moment represents or how you do that.

David Noller 23:41 Yeah, you know it's interesting because I don't talk a lot about it during the game and let it play. Because I want to keep everybody as active and then into it as possible. So we're going to play another 15-20 minutes on Monday and then I'm going to ask questions about how does this relate to the concepts that we've been studying all week.

Larry Burden 23:59 I'm gonna let it go because we can keep talking about this. In closing, follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @tcapsloop

David Noller 24:04 @technollergist

Larry Burden 24:05 Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Tune-in, Google Play Store, Spotify or anywhere else you get your ear candy. Remember, you're never too old to play.

David Noller 24:13 Play a game today, they're good for you.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai

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Danelle says: Search smarter, not harder! This episode of the EdTech Loop Podcast has some great tips for getting more out of your search.

Databases - mel.org search vs internet search

Go through the databases offered and when you might use them:

Britannica Fundamentals K-2
Britannica School Elementary 3-4
Britannica School Middle
eBook K-8 collection
Spanish Encyclopedia
Explora for Elementary Schools
PEBBLE GO PreK-3
World Book Early Learning
World Book Kids

Gale Power Search (mentioned in TechNollerGist)

Super cool specialized Google searches - https://www.lifewire.com/other-search-engines-4039631

Google Trends - explores how Google data can be used to tell stories
Google Patents - search to see and read patents from around the world (more info)
Google Scholar - Google Scholar is a freely accessible web search engine that indexes the full text or metadata of scholarly literature across an array of publishing formats and disciplines.

Tech Tool of the Week:

Global School Play Day - Feb 5, 2020 #GSPD2020

CALL FOR TOYS - Tell your class to bring anything they wish to play with to school on Wednesday, February 5, 2020. The only restrictions: they must bring toys and these toys may NOT require batteries or electricity. No devices. Give them some ideas, since today's kids rarely play and often own very few toys: board games, dolls, Legos, blocks, trucks, cars, racetracks, playing cards, empty cardboard boxes, markers, jigsaw puzzles, blankets (for forts), social games (charades, Pictionary, etc.) The only exception on the electronics rule would be a board game that has an electronic timer, an electronics play kit, or similar. How about taking your students out in the dirt or snow to dig, explore and get messy? You may want to show your students photos of past GSPD events to open their eyes to unfamiliar types of unstructured play.

PLAY! NO SCREENS - NO STRUCTURE - ALL DAY LONG

On February 5, 2020, allow your students to spread their toys out around the room or take the kids outside and just PLAY!

Don't organize anything for your students.
Don't tell them how to play with the toys/games.
Don't interfere with your students unless you see something that could get you fired or would physically hurt a child (this does not include something that may be physically uncomfortable for a child.)
Don't Leave Them Unsupervised as the day is unstructured by adults, but not unsupervised.

Other than taking a few pictures/videos, try to be invisible and let the kids play. This is a day of unstructured play, not playful teacher-led lessons. You will be amazed at what your kids come up with!

What If?

What if... you can't run your Global School Play Day on February 5th? Do it on another day! The important thing is your kids and colleagues need to be free from thinking that play is a waste of time and begin to see the value in it.

What if… you don’t want to play ALL day? That’s fine. Make it the hour of play. Again, the point of Global School Play Day is to raise awareness and start discussions. We do encourage you though to take the plunge and dedicate a whole day to unstructured play. You will cause others to ask why you would give up a whole day "just for playing."

What if... you want to do #GSPD with your high school or college class? Go for it! Big kids need to play, too!

What if… you want to jump in and play with your kids? Can adults play, too? That’s up to you, but the concept of GSPD is to get kids playing freely without adult intervention or structure. If you get down on the floor with your kids, be sure to let them just play. Resist the temptation to organize, discipline, and teach.

What if...you want to have your students use iPads or computers? Well, no one is going to tell you what to do, but this is NOT the concept of Global School Play Day. GSPD is a day to get away from staring at screens and instead interacting with peers. [Note: the organizers of GSPD are NOT opposed to technology use for children.]

WIREDTC - mark calendars, big announcements, including keynote, are coming SOON.

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Episode 103 of the EdTech Loop podcast has Danelle braking out the oversized scissors to help you cut through the digital clutter.

Cut Through the Email Clutter: Gmail
1. Increase productivity by sorting (star before folder names)
  1. *Action Required - green tagged
  2. *Waiting for Response - yellow tagged
2. Settings
  1. Show “send and archive” button in reply
  2. Smart Compose (predictive writing suggestions appear as you compose an email)
  3. Smart reply (three suggestions for replies)
3. Templates - “save draft as template”
Cut Through the Grading Clutter: Streamline grading process
1. Catlin Tucker high school English teacher and a featured speaker for MACUL 2020 - video:LIVE at Fall CUE 2019: She talks about the struggles with grading. “It’s time to rethink our workflow. The teacher is doing the lion share of the work in the classroom. We know that the person doing the work is the person who is doing the learning. Why would we rob our students of the opportunity to learn. We have to reimagine our workflow so that our students are doing the work in the classroom.” Her example of a student led workflow:
  1. Student completes assignment.
  2. Student corrects mechanics using Grammarly before it’s “done.”
  3. Teacher gives students an exemplar and a rubric.
  4. Student is asked to look at what they did, compare it to the exemplar, assess their own skills using the rubric.
  5. Student reflects in a learning log.

In this scenario, the students are doing the heavy cognitive lifting. They are doing the learning. Instead of asking “How can I”....reframe the question as “How can the students…” She shares some pretty awesome key shifts in the YouTube video - Teach students to track, monitor, and reflect on their progress, provide timely actionable feedback in class AS students work, make time to grade student projects with the students sitting next to you, partner with students and prioritize their agency

1. Research to support student directed learning - it’s all throughout the ISTE Standards for Educators and Students.
Cut Through the Distraction Clutter: New Year, New You, Digital Wellness - https://istedigcitpln.wixsite.com/home/digital-wellness (go here during pod), based off Manoush Zomoradi’s book: Bored and Brilliant:How Spacing Out Can Unlock Your Most Productive and Creative Self builds on that experiment to demonstrate how to rethink our gadget use to live better and smarter in this new digital ecosystem. Zomorodi explains the connection between boredom and original thinking, exploring how we can harness boredom’s hidden benefits to become our most productive and creative selves without totally abandoning our gadgets in the process. Grounding the book in the neuroscience and cognitive psychology of “mind wandering,” she illuminates what our brains do when we’re doing nothing at all. Also a TED talk
1. 5 days - Keep phone in pocket, photo free day, delete that app, take a “fauxcation”, one small observation, dream house (creativity exercise)
2. Data Savvy Project: https://istedigcitpln.wixsite.com/home/data-savvy-series
3. FYI-Manoush is coming to MACUL 2020 and has two awesome podcasts, also started The Privacy Paradox (take back your digital data):
  1. IRL - “Online Life is Real Life. Privacy breaches, closed platforms, hacking, fake news, or cyber bullying, we the people have the power to change the course of the Internet, keeping it ethical, safe, wierd, and wonderful for everyone.”
  2. Note to Self - “Is your phone watching you? Can texting make you smarter? Note to Self explores these and other essential quandaries facing anyone trying to preserve their humanity in the digital age.”
Cut Through The Edtech Noise
1. Use your experts - everyone has a site online that will “help your students flourish” and will be the “gamechanger”. Use your experts and ask their advice! They have studied this stuff, they know the research, and if they don’t, it’s their job to do the digging for you…. 1. EdTech Coach 2. Tech Dept 3. REMC/ISD

Another Useful Link: https://www.ted.com/talks/yves_morieux_as_work_gets_more_complex_6_rules_to_simplify?language=en#t-4333

Tech tool of the Week:

New Year, New You, Digital Wellness - https://istedigcitpln.wixsite.com/home/digital-wellness

https://medium.com/@whenifeellike/what-ive-learnt-as-a-17-year-old-who-deleted-all-social-media-d282274d4edd

Transcripts will be coming.

Bored and Brilliant: How Spacing Out Can Unlock Your Most Productive and Creative Self

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The TechNollerGist shares some #edtech resources you should be using but might not be, as well as an update on his classroom gamification, it's Monopoly time!

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The EdTech Loop is back from winter break and ready to enrich your practice with potentially useful, "Tips for New Teachers."

Transcripts coming soon!

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Our annual, "5 Favorite EdTech Things," podcast for in 2020. Show notes and transcript will be coming on the horizon. Enjoy the Pod!

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It’s Episode 100 of the EdTech Loop Podcast! Danelle and I are celebrating this shocking centenarian milestone with Stephie Luyt for a very special episode of the Loop; not just because it’s the 100th pod, but because it’s the most potentially useful pod we have recorded, 10 Tips for Digital Parents.

The Full Presentation: tinyurl.com/TCAPSdiglit2

Transcripts will be coming.

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The EdTechLoop Pod is joined by a special guest this week as TCAPS STEM Coordinator, Heidi Skodack, shares her thoughts on the upcoming Hour of Code activities and STEM opportunities for students of all ages. Get involved in the "Hour of Code" December 9-15!

Show Transcripts Larry Burden 0:04 Whatever you say is etched in stone.

Or at least when I was doing the little research that I did.

Heidi Skodack 0:13 Do you agree?

Danelle Brostrom 0:14 I do,

Larry Burden 0:15 We have to be able to hear you.

Heidi Skodack 0:16 Okay, this could go really bad.

Larry Burden 0:19 I am unconcerned.

It's Episode 99 of the EdTech Loop podcast, my name is Larry Burden and she still hasn't figured out how the zombies got into her Minecraft castle, it's Danelle Brostrom, and at long last, our quest is complete, as we joyously welcome TCAPS STEM Curriculum leader Heidi Skodak. I know you have many other titles, but we're just gonna stick with that one. Through a process of trial and error, I have crafted this week's moment of Zen.

Moment of Zen 0:51 I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough. We must apply. Being willing is not enough. We must do.

Larry Burden 1:01 A little Leonardo da Vinci for you there. We've eliminated all the unnecessary ingredients so we could truly appreciate the flavor of this week's meat of the show. Hour of Code. So every year, somehow when we do these podcasts, we make mention of the Hour of Code. We kind of, this is a really cool thing we should get involved in, after the podcast where we've mentioned it, we go, next year we need to have somebody on to discuss this before the Hour of Code so that we can get more people involved. So this year we have the person that knows it all.

Heidi Skodack 1:37 Definitely not the case, nobody can know it all.

Larry Burden 1:39 Definetly no the case, I was talking about Danelle.

Danelle Brostrom 1:43 No, no. We can dive right in though.

Larry Burden 1:45 Alright dive right in, I know you have a bunch of questions and I'm gonna throw a lot. I was mentioning to Danielle before the podcast that this is... I'm looking for some marketing materials here, because I have a daughter that's about ready to go off into college, who's a Maker but doesn't really realize that she's a Maker. And I've been trying for years to get her involved, a little bit more involved in, and we're discussing this earlier, Computer Sciences, computer programming, STEM, coding, whatever you want to call it. So I'm going to use all these materials, all the things that we're getting today on her.

Heidi Skodack 2:20 That's perfect, you have the sleeper makers are the best. They don't realize they like STEM and computer science, until they've actually gone and done job experiences or job shadows with other people to realize what they actually love to do is create and make and, in the space called early STEM.

Danelle Brostrom 2:38 So why, why are colleges and businesses, the workforce, why are we pushing kids to do STEM? Why are they looking for kids that are interested in STEM?

Heidi Skodack 2:47 There's a long answer and a short answer to that. The short answer really is that the jobs of the future really are going to be related to computer science, and science, technology, engineering, and math and how those you bring together to actually develop careers, based on those things. So computer scientist is one area that is a big push right now. They talk about, at code.org, they talk about the different areas and careers that you can go into related to STEM.

Larry Burden 3:15 So, again, huge researcher me. Not really. It seems like there is a giant gap in what industries need, what our job force, what is needed in the job force and what we are actually preparing kids for. How are we setting up kids, you know, through the Hour of Code, and through our programming in our classrooms, how are we setting kids up to be introduced to coding, or computer science?

Heidi Skodack 3:43 Well I think we have a lot of work to do. We certainly aren't where we need to be K through 12. And it's a difficult task because you're really thinking about things, and jobs of the future that don't exist yet. So that's, that's a big hurdle to overcome but getting students exposed at the earliest age; kindergarten, first grade, second grade, you know, that's where it all starts in jobs the future. If you're at all in tune with things that are happening in Traverse City there's, you know, a group called TC Connect, which has now joined up with the Chamber of Commerce, to talk about where the jobs are going to be in the future in Traverse City, and their goal really is to bring high tech jobs back to Traverse City, so our Boomerang students, our kids right, who go off to college and get a, or have education in the area of computer science, programming anything STEM, when they come back they have jobs. And so they recognize the need, our local need for building that capacity in our students and it has to start in K through 12. So how do we build that capacity at a young age, which means building capacity of the teachers to recognize the importance of implementing some STEM based activities and computer science activities in the classroom starting in kindergarten.

Danelle Brostrom 4:56 Do you think it's a, think it's a hard sell or do you think that's an easy sell. When you go out and talk to teachers about this, the new kinds of skills that our students need, do you, are teachers nodding and being like, Yeah, let's do it, let's go, or do they have some hesitations? Can you talk about that?

Heidi Skodack 5:12 I don't think I've run into anybody who has said, Do we really need that?

Danelle Brostrom 5:16 That's crazy.

Heidi Skodack 5:18 Yes, exactly. But I do run into apprehension because when I mean we're going to talk about really, you know, Hour of Code, I do run into some pushback in, I don't know how to code, how can I teach my kid, I have no experience at all in computer science or coding, how, how am I going to be able to teach that to my students? And so that's really what the conversation, that's where you get pushback from is, how can I do it I've never done it myself. Because as a teacher, you always want to be the expert in the room. Well those days are kind of gone. You have to be sometimes learning with the students on new ideas in, especially related to computer science.

Larry Burden 5:54 I have a weird question, and this is this kind of came to me right before the podcast. It's odd because when I was in high school, a millennia ago, there was a computer programming class, we had to take computer programming, it was just, it was one of those things, we think this is going to be important so we learned how to like, you know, do the if and then type of statements and it was really really basic, and then it seemed to like drop off the map for a while. And obviously now it's starting to be, starting to become re-ingrained in what we do, but why did it between the late 80's, early 90's and now, there was a gap where, I mean it was always it's kind of there but as far as a priority, a curricular priority, I don't think it was there.

Heidi Skodack 6:40 And that is absolutely true. What happened I mean, that was one of those like, Oregon Trail. Right?

Larry Burden 6:46 Exactly.

Heidi Skodack 6:47 Elementary school.

Danelle Brostrom 6:48 Right.

Heidi Skodack 6:49 So, but I do, I do think there in, in the past, you know, in the 90's people were using coding to do very particular jobs, right. And now everything you touch, a lot of times has some sort of coding in it. I mean, think about your cars, or your phones. I mean that was prior to cell phones really, that where everybody had a cell phone. So the technology that's been developed and just the amount of code that's needed to run those devices, and those different things has completely changed. So before it would be something large, like, you know when you're thinking about NASA, right? They're going to use, we would expect to see a bunch of coding in the 90's. But we didn't expect all those personal devices, and how rapidly the technology changed for the demand for that coding piece, and I also think it is part of that Maker Movement when you're able to go online and YouTube questions and answers on what you're trying to do yourself, and to try to problem solve those things, and do coding yourself. You can find thousands of web, websites that actually teach coding to all age groups.

Danelle Brostrom 7:54 That is the most amazing piece of this. My nine year old wants an alarm for her bedroom door for Christmas, that can keep her sister out. And I can go,

Heidi Skodack 8:03 She's gonna make it right.

Danelle Brostrom 8:04 Exactly, that's the thing. Because of course that's what she wants. But we can buy one for like $40 on Amazon, and it's this kid friendly, blah, blah, blah, that has a swipe card and stuff, or I just googled, how to do it, and found awesome instructions that were in plain English, with items I can go purchase right here, and I'm just gonna give her a box of stuff and she's gonna build it, and she's gonna code it. Like we can we can get the Raspberry Pi, we can do all these things that can make things happen and I think that's exciting for kids, and that's exciting for us, and it's incredible to me the amount of what you can do yourself really.

Heidi Skodack 8:40 And just the language like Raspberry Pi, right?

Larry Burden 8:43 yeah

Heidi Skodack 8:43 A lot of parents are like, the kids will ask for a Raspberry Pi and they're like, that's an easy gift. Run down to Grand Traverse Pie Company and pick up a rasberry pie.

Danelle Brostrom 8:51 We could get one of those too but.

Larry Burden 8:53 Just had one of those a couple days ago for Thanksgiving. It was fabulous.

Heidi Skodack 8:58 That's the interesting piece is that language sometimes, there's a language barrier between kids and their parents. And a lot of times they're purchasing things for their students that are related to technology, and coding, and computer science that they know nothing about. They recognize very clearly the need for, you know, exposing their students to new and different things related to those areas but a lot of times they don't know anything about it. So it's, it's scary, because there's the technology piece, like a lot of times what you deal with Danelle, balanced with dude, they're asking for something about STEM and computer science, tell me what else you want?

Danelle Brostrom 9:36 Yes, yes. So you mentioned the apprehension and not completely knowing everything and I totally see that when I'm out working with teachers, so tell us by the Hour of Code is such a perfect introduction, um such a perfect vehicle for teachers to do this.

Heidi Skodack 9:49 So the Hour of Code walks teachers with zero, or anybody for that matter, because I mean, part of the goal is to get the teachers interested with their students. The other is, how do we engage parents to do the Hour of Code at home, so they can actually see not only how easy it is, but the resources that are available for them to help their students in the future. So Hour of Code is a step-by-step, small little videos that if you're in the lower El. grades, you can show the video on your screen and then do the steps with the students on their own devices that they have. But really walks them through step-by-step and engaging things. So the, the new one really this year, or maybe it was out last year is dance party. So everyone likes dance party because students get to develop a character that does certain dance moves. You can make it dab right?

Danelle Brostrom 10:40 To Old Town Road, I may have been doing in my office this morning, it happens.

Heidi Skodack 10:43 You can select, you know, is it a bear, is it a frog, and then select the music that the frog will dance to, and really walk them through the process of movement and using block coding, which is really the basic beginning part of coding is drag and drop. So, it really, very descript, tells you exactly what is going to happen, and then you select features, and then you drag and drop to take those blocks and put them into a program. So it does give you the option if you're more advanced to actually see the code that's actually spitting out. Because you and I remember the days of, you know, what code looked like is very different. Block coding wasn't around and you are actually typing all those things and putting, you know, your pseudo code next to it so the next person who comes behind you, knows what you are coding. So, very different, very accessible, drag and drop clicks. If you don't get it right, there's a helper at the top that you can click on and it will walk you through the steps to fix your programming if it doesn't work. Typically, you can do it under an hour, a lot of times if you have, if you're little kids a lot of times play with video games and things like that. So, it might take you under an hour to do it. Usually kids are faster than the teachers, when the teachers are just learning. But everybody has fun. Jame McCall is gonna do a little coding session for us too. We want to show how easy it is. I'm gonna see if I can recruit some, a couple principals.

Larry Burden 12:08 If she could do it, everybody can do it.

Heidi Skodack 12:10 Yes.

Larry Burden 12:11 Sorry Jame, sorry,

Heidi Skodack 12:13 So just to, just to show people with no experience have gone in and done a lesson on coding in an hour or less. And just that exposure to just that process, that thinking process of what do I want to do, you have to really think about what your end product is.

Danelle Brostrom 12:29 Code.org has done an amazing job of bringing in all these different Hour of Code resources. They are there aren't just, you know, four or five that you get to pick from. There really are, maybe 100 different ones.

Larry Burden 12:39 So many.

Danelle Brostrom 12:40 Yep, and some are unplugged so some don't use any devices. There's some, some really really basic ones that are great for pre-readers, where they're just moving along. And then there's, like, like how you mentioned, the ones that are all the way where you can actually write the code, and you can actually develop your own app., or create something from scratch. I think the, the amount of options that are there can sometimes be overwhelming too, but as a teacher I just grabbed one and started playing it and was like, Oh, this one would be great for my kids. And like that, that's an easy way to, to kind of get started. And I cannot stress how user friendly the products are too, because I've been in a classroom with kids, and the kids are like, I'm stuck I don't know where to go, and I look at it and I have no idea where to go, and I can't figure out what the problem is, and I just asked. I'm like hey, anyone got puzzle eight on the Star Wars one, and then some kid comes over and helps them and I'm like woo. Yes, I don't have to do that one. But, just to see the kids persevere and get help from their neighbors, like there's, there's so many good skills that are happening when kids are doing this Hour of Code.

Larry Burden 13:41 I can't stress this enough, pre-reader. This is for every single classroom in any school district, even without a device. I was talking to my wife this morning about Hour of Code. She has a toddler classroom.

Heidi Skodack 13:41 Yes,

Larry Burden 13:42 I'm pretty sure there's probably something for your classroom.

Heidi Skodack 13:55 Yes there is, Pre-K.

Larry Burden 13:59 So toddler, toddler, all the way to your seniors, every classroom in the school district, could be doing something involving Hour of Code. That's so cool.

Heidi Skodack 14:12 And that's just a drop in the bucket, I mean Hour of Code is a drop a bucket. But it really could spur some interest in other things for the students. So, well worth it. So, I mean that's why we want to really blow up Hour of Code, create a little competition. I know really it's a joint collaboration between, you know STEM and the Technology Department to be able to support teachers as they attempt to do the Hour of Code with their students. So I'm really excited about it.

Larry Burden 14:40 So, I have a question. How do we embed STEM education, this the big, this is the big question. This is going right in there. How do we embed STEM education in our curriculum, especially in that Lower-El, Upper-El area. You know, we have classes, and we're developing more classes in our high schools, in our middle schools. I don't think we've got enough, really, to and I don't think it's, it's mandated, the way we would probably really need it to be for it to be successful, as successful as it should be in our public schools, but I really think due to time constraints or, again, some mandates, what can we do to get it more embedded in our curriculum in those elementary years? Big question.

Heidi Skodack 15:29 Well that, that is the question. I thought you had the answer to that.

Larry Burden 15:35 Way above my pay grade.

Danelle Brostrom 15:36 I promised her not difficult questions Larry.

Heidi Skodack 15:40 That actually is an excellent question. It's one that we have struggled with for a long time because of the time constraints especially Elementary. So, one of the biggest things that came into play was, if we were talking about our Math and ELA, there's a little bit of a hierarchy to, you know, core curriculum. So, a lot of times, ELA and Math gets the majority of the time that teachers spend. And then Science and Social Studies, and the question is is where does STEM fit in. Because STEM stands for: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, and it's not those individually, it's the collaboration of all together, right? So where do we find places in the curriculum that already exist, where we can make sure that we're identifying and emphasizing those STEM activities that are taking place. It's really project-based, hands-on learning and the integration of all of that together. And so, the biggest question we had is, how are we going to fit it in? Our answer right now is that we are implementing the FOSS Science Curriculum, right. We're trying to kill two birds with one stone because FOSS has STEM embedded activities within the FOSS program. And so it's not only teaching science, but the students in their activities are incorporating those STEM pieces in there. So we're not only covering topics within, how you do a project-based learning related to STEM, but we're also covering our science standards within there. And so our avenue right now is using the FOSS curriculum to embed some of those STEM activities. Because, I was constantly brought back to the fact that we can do all these outside STEM activities: robotics, tech-girls, you know recycle racers, and the things that we offer in the district, but our goal is to reach every single student, and how do we give every single student the opportunity. Science and FOSS was the solution because it actually embedded it and we could use it all at the same time. Really, that was the passion, how can we include it where kids going to see it every day. So right now we have it rolled into fourth and fifth grade. Third tri we'll get it rolled into the FOSS science curriculum into third grade. So we'll have third, fourth, and fifth grade, with FOSS science and embedded STEM curriculum within those units of study for the students. So, not a full fix yet, but at least we know that we're at least getting it to every student in third, fourth, and fifth grade.

Larry Burden 18:03 Definite step in the right direction.

Danelle Brostrom 18:05 This kind of transformation isn't going to move as quickly as we want it to. It just isn't because it's so very different and you are talking about more of the project-based learning, and the making, and that's, it's just very different. So I think it's okay to work slowly in that respect.

Heidi Skodack 18:21 And Danelle, you and I have had many conversations about silos, and breaking down those silos and

Danelle Brostrom 18:26 That's hard,

Heidi Skodack 18:26 It's when those pieces happen, when all those are coming together that you see awesome results and excitement in students for learning as well as a deeper understanding because they have the application.

Larry Burden 18:40 It could be argued that the STEM curriculum is already there. It's the STEM mindset, and the STEM activities in the curriculum that isn't there. So really, it is, it's just finding, it's finding curriculum that has that, that Maker mindset involved. It's finding that math curriculum, or incorporating a Making mindset into the current math, math curriculum that will bring STEM into what we do in the classroom.

Heidi Skodack 19:06 We'll get into it later I think when we talk about computational thinking. And, and those are all aspects of things we want students to experience and do, but it's about how you're doing that together as one instead of, I'm just going to do math, I'm just going to do science, I'm just going to do tech. It's when they all come together.

Danelle Brostrom 19:24 And that's where our worlds overlap, because that's 100% what those ISTE Standards are about and specifically...

Larry Burden 19:31 Great segue, that was awesome.

Danelle Brostrom 19:32 I know right, I was already gonna talk about the computational thinking stuff, but, but yeah computational thinking is a big part of those ISTE Standards so even if the kids don't go into coding, when they're learning to code they're being a better thinker, and they're breaking up problems into simpler parts, and improving their designs over time. All those kinds of things are the core pieces of computational thinking, but they're good to know no matter what you're doing. Right? They're good everywhere, no matter what industry you're in. I mean, I can't tell you how many times, I'm not coding but I'm definitely trying to solve problems and changing up my plan because that didn't work.

Heidi Skodack 20:08 Right, whether you're on the side of doing the coding, or on the other side where you're actually operating the machine that has all the coding in it. I mean, there has to be that thought process of, you know, what is happening when a problem occurs? You know, what, how do I solve that problem? Is it a call to tech right away for some support or is it something I problem solve myself? Because the, the tools that we're, even if you're not on the side of coding, the tools that we're using are so high tech now you have to be able to have some of those problem solving skills built in, no matter what your job is or where you are.

Danelle Brostrom 20:39 Can you talk to us about the new K-12, Computer Science Standards? I'm so excited about these and I know you are too, so.

Heidi Skodack 20:44 So, Computer Science Standards were adopted last year at the end of the year. And those really require all students to have K through 12, computer science experience. And again it's designed around the same things, the ISTE standards, the STEM Standards, getting more STEM into schools, and Computer Science Standards, and what those look like. The good news is, is that the, as a state we recognize the importance of it. Are we ahead of the game? Not at all. I don't think at all in Michigan as far as computer science goes. But we're getting there. And the point is, we're doing it right direction. We have a couple of things going in. I went to Computer Science Summit in Arkansas, believe it or not. So, to myself I said, really, there's a lot of computer science going on, Arkansas?

Danelle Brostrom 20:45 Go check it out.

Heidi Skodack 20:51 Yeah, go check it out. So I went. And, it really was a summit from all the governors throughout the United States that were there, and talked about what programs they were implementing, and what kind of funding they had behind the support. And Hattie he was there to talk to us. Had a good chat with him, and I was really interested in how far ahead Arkansas was, South Carolina was, in their implementation of computer science standards. But one of the things that was critical was the piece that number one, you had adopted standards in your state, and the second piece is that they had somebody leading it at the state level, which is coming as well. That's coming next, is where we will have a person that actually leads, what is the implementation of computer science going to look like in schools, and what resources do we have available. Because we know, sometimes we get mandates and we don't necessarily have all the resources. But it's how we respond to what is coming that really makes the difference. So I think our attempt at blowing up code.org or blowing up our code this year, we'll, we'll put a little bit of dent in it. But the standards are very clearly outlined, and they're very simple at the elementary levels, but it really is about the process of thinking and problem solving. It's going to be great, but it's also going to, we have to again, adjust and adapt to how is that going to fit in the curriculum. Do we force it in somewhere? So it's really about again, intentionally looking at what is already offered, where does it naturally make sense to put lessons and computer science in K through 12, and starting to think about it before we have some sort of mandate as far as what that's gonna look like. That work excites me, simply because it's good for kids and you're looking for ways to give them more exposure

Danelle Brostrom 23:18 And Heidi, I have to say too I'm so excited to see the digital citizenship portions, and cybersecurity written into those K-12 Computer Science Standards because even, and I'm looking at the lower elementary standards right now, and they're talking about networks and the internet, explain what passwords are and why we use them, and why we have to use strong passwords to protect our devices. Like yes, and then there's under impacts of computing, work respectfully and responsibly with others online, keep logging information private, logoff devices appropriately. Like, all those things we talked about in the digital citizenship realm, I'm seeing embedded in these standards too, which is beautiful.

Heidi Skodack 23:56 I mean, that becomes, just the way we do business.

Larry Burden 23:59 If you're going to teach computer science, you probably should teach how to, teach our students how to do it appropriately.

Danelle Brostrom 24:05 And how to do it safely.

Larry Burden 24:06 It's a foundational, fundamental piece. We were talking about definitions earlier. So now you know we've dropped computer science and computer programming and STEM and all these things, and coding. They're all separate things. What are some of those definitions when we talk computer science, what are we, what are we saying?

Danelle Brostrom 24:22 I get them all mixed up, I'll be honest. Help us Heidi.

Heidi Skodack 24:27 I don't know if I have the answer to that one. Computer science is the broader picture, right? Computer science really encompasses all those different areas, and jobs and activities, like the umbrella that then coding and programming, you know, would be under. That's how I would probably define it.

Larry Burden 24:45 I think it's important to say that because I think sometimes especially our students and maybe even our parents have a, they see computer science, and they immediately think okay this is Calc three minimum. We're talking about this fear of math that we're trying to get over. And the,

Heidi Skodack 24:46 What is that? I don't now what that is.

Larry Burden 25:06 And I think sometimes when we say computer science, people immediately go there and that's not, it's so much more than that. A softening of that definition for people that are looking. Again, I'm, I'm looking at marketing to my child. And I'm thinking, if I say, well, honey, you need to pursue a career in computer science.

Danelle Brostrom 25:29 Think that's nerds behind their computer, but it's not!

Larry Burden 25:33 Yeah that's probably not going to be successful so. But then if I started talking about what coding means, and what programming means, and what work in a 3D realm means, and all the, all the potential applications of computer science, suddenly, that's a lot, shinier.

Heidi Skodack 25:51 I think a lot of times when you think of it related to careers. So, if you take those, that language out of there. I mean now that you have to, but if you take the language out of there about coding, and computer science but if you're working with students, you're talking about what are you interested in for your careers, and connecting those pathways of how is computer science embedded in those careers that you think you want to do? That's where you get kids connected. You know, if you talk about computer science or coding, they picture somebody in a cube farm all day just doing coding. That's not what it is. You know computer science could be thousands and thousands of careers related to computer science that people don't realize that, that are there. I mean, I think about the engineering classes at West and at Central, and even in their laser cutting machines and their small CNC machines that they have, that's all computer programming. So the person that's operating that and designing, doing the design and the making, and making decisions on where should that piece be cut out, how deep should the cut be and what is the location on the X, Y and Z axis, that's all, that's all related to computer science and coding. So I think when you have it in the conversations of careers, and then talk about how those computer science principles are linked to those, then that kind of breaks down a few barriers, than the picture of somebody sitting in a cube farm coding.

Danelle Brostrom 27:12 I think the more we can lean on their passions too, and then help show them how they can connect. Again, I think of my own child who her passions are animals, and taking things apart, and creating things. And then I watched her, she was reading that "Beauty and the Beak," book where they 3D print the beak for the eagle who doesn't have one, or it gets broken or somehow. And I remember seeing her eyes light up and she was like, "I could do this," and it was like, yes, yes you could. So just sometimes it's connecting those dots for kids because they don't realize that their passion for dance could go along with this really cool thing where they're coding the LED lights on the dance, you know what I mean it just, just connecting those dots.

Heidi Skodack 27:54 You know the design prosthetics which what you're talking about which has been, that field has completely changed. Because if you remember this, I always found this interesting because I thought, god if I was going to school again that would be very interesting to me. Right. You know when you think about prosthetics that were done in the 90's right, compared to what we see now, it's basically an artistry, that they do. It's out of chrome, and different materials, and metals and, and the design, in that art piece that design piece is an element that is seen throughout. As well as materials. I mean that science behind, behind the materials that they're choosing. I mean if you're running in the Paralympics we see the different things that they use there. But just that change in, it's not only functional, but it's aesthetically pleasing, and you're making decisions on materials and design. So, that area was always of interest to me because that has changed so rapidly lately.

Danelle Brostrom 28:52 There's your "A," Larry. Your "A," in STEAM.

Larry Burden 28:55 I was going to bring that up, so what subjects, this is on code.org, their little marketing slideshow had a slide, what subjects do students like a lot in high school? Not surprisingly, the highest was art and design, second was performing arts, third, computer science and engineering. Now I would argue, art and design right now is computer science. If you're going to get into the field of Art and Design, well not even behind. I mean if you're doing, and certainly in performing arts, if you're doing anything in, in theater in the background or in film in the background. You're going to do 3D modeling. You're going to, it's all programming now, it's all computer science, it's all understanding those processes. If you're in computer gaming and doing the art for that, 3D modeling, 3D rendering. Art and design and performing arts, just wrap it into the computer sciences, really. It doesn't sound as sexy.

Heidi Skodack 29:52 Yes, and even in architecture. The flip time, and the expectation of time to get a set of plans done in do that modeling, that visualization modeling, completely changed. You used to have weeks in between and now the expectation because we have all these tools, because of computer science that we're able to use and do projects more quickly, right. So now we're spending our money on technology, and our time is decreasing, but the expectation is increasing, of what the expectations are. Same thing in theater arts, when you're designing those stagecraft, and,

Larry Burden 30:28 Those sets that they put together now.

Heidi Skodack 30:29 Those sets are done all ahead of time, including like how they're going to work. So those moveable pieces, like what do those gears look like, and how is that rotating. So more time is spent on the pre-planning, than it is on actually the design, construct, building so that is all done ahead of time in the design process that's amazing.

Danelle Brostrom 30:49 Heidi are we still seeing a gap in the amount of girls and minorities that are going into STEM fields, and doing coding or is that kind of changing do you think?

Heidi Skodack 30:57 It is changing. We're doing better, but we're still not there yet. Females and minorities in general, you know, to increase enrollment and excitement about going into those fields is super important. To have those diverse conversations with different people at the table is super important. So the more we can help students or guide them in that direction, you know you don't want to force somebody, you know, to do it. But certainly, you have to make sure that they had an opportunity to make that choice.

Danelle Brostrom 31:25 For sure.

Larry Burden 31:26 An educated choice.

Heidi Skodack 31:27 Yes.

Danelle Brostrom 31:27 And girls will typically look at coding in different ways to. Like isn't it true that they'll try to fix the problem, or try to create something that will make a difference. Like that's kind of what usually brings girls to the table. We need those kinds of, of students. And I love what you're doing with TechGirls. Can you talk about TechGirls real quick because I think that's such a cool thing that we're doing in our region.

Heidi Skodack 31:46 TechGirls, I actually started a group when I was in Farmington, but we started a group up here at Central in 2016, and their mission really is to increase awareness for females and minorities in anything related to STEM. And they won a grant last year to allow them to expand to West Senior High. They reached out to Elk Rapids, and did a lesson with a second grade class. Within the community, they volunteer at a Senior Citizens Center, helping them with their technology. They've done Recycle Racers with our kids at Eastern and then throughout the district last year. But really, their mission is to, you know, really build that mentorship so it's so important for them to see young women in those roles of leaders, that are leading those areas of technology and in STEM, and to know that there's a pathway for them moving forward. One of our TechGirls actually, you probably already heard the news on her last year, was Elizabeth Sanders won the Congressional App Award, and went to Washington DC, based on an app that she designed. And her app, of course, right about helping people. So her's was the Calc-u-saver, and you can actually download it online, and looks like a calculator, but if you're in a dangerous situation you can punch in your numbers, looks like a calculator, and it will send a message to your person to say, you know, come and pick me up. It has the location sensor on it you know, so they know where to pick you up and to call you back to get you out of that situation that you feel is uncomfortable or dangerous. So kudos to,

Danelle Brostrom 33:23 It's amazing.

Heidi Skodack 33:24 our TechGirl. So we're still working to expand that. I mean the goal would be lovely to have it at every school in the district but slow growth there. But we're working on it.

Danelle Brostrom 33:33 But you are, I mean you kind of do have it in every school because the little's see these high school girls that are, you know, it's a high schooler who, who's interested in the same kinds of things I am, and they're so cool, and I could do that. So, I mean I know that they're just based at our secondaries but man, the impact is so cool across the district.

Heidi Skodack 33:54 Getting there. And they're a great group of girls, and they volunteer for just about anything. And we can always count on them. So super proud of them.

Larry Burden 34:01 I have to say last question, if you have any other questions 'cause we are way over.

Danelle Brostrom 34:07 Well I was just gonna say, is there anything else that, that we didn't touch on that, that you want to share, that you want to talk about. Anything that you're like, oh, I wish they would have asked me that.

Heidi Skodack 34:15 Just that Hour of Code, the dates for the Hour of Code are December 9 through the 15th, but we've actually extended it through the 18th. Just make sure you get in your Hour of Code, and if there's any teachers that are interested or need help, contact, Danelle or myself, and we'll be happy to get them set up. Our goal was to create a competition, we want to see how many east side versus west side we're able to do the coding, and kind of have a leaderboard that's going to be on a website that we'll share with teachers and principals.

Larry Burden 34:46 Sounds great. TechTool of the Week!

TechTool of the Week 34:51 TechTool of the week, I just want to mention there are a ton of great resources for educators who are interested in doing coding in their classroom. Code.org has the HourofCode.com. There are posters that you can download and hang up. There are stickers that you can order. Then all of the different activities, and games, and things. And then don't forget about REMC, our local REMC has some different items that you can do coding with. If you go into their system and search for STEM, you can get things like: bloxals, Dash and Dot, Little Bits, Ozobots, Fearow and the drone, all those kinds of things you can do coding with as well, and they're, they're hands on. And then, if you're not local there are other REMC's do different things. Some REMC's I know have Microbits or the Osmos that you can check out that you can do coding with. But just definitely check and see what your REMC offers through that Classroom Makers Project because there are a lot of great resources over there.

Larry Burden 35:42 You mentioned drones and we should have hit on the drone thing. We'll get it next time, we'll get it next time. Tutorials and updates, just wanted to say, you know, last week we did that, the annual EdTech Loop Gift Guide, there's some great STEM gifts, great STEM gifts in that guide, so give that a listen, that pod listen. It was a really fun show. I want to also give a shout out to an upcoming special 100th episode of the EdTech Loop podcast on digital citizenship. It is like a digital citizenship blowout. Has all the information so look for that in the upcoming weeks. In closing, follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @tcapsloop

Danelle Brostrom 36:19 @brostromda

Heidi Skodack 36:20 @skodack

Larry Burden 36:21 Bam! Subscribe to the podcast on Podbean, iTunes, Stitcher, Tune-in, Downcast, Overcast, the Google Play Store, Spotify or wherever else you get your ear candy. Leave a review, we'd love the feedback. Thanks for listening and inspiring.

Danelle Brostrom 36:38 I can't see the time from where I'm sitting.

Beauty and the Beak: How Science, Technology, and a 3D-Printed Beak Rescued a Bald Eagle

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There's no need to get into any Black Friday lines this year. EdTech Loop already has you covered with the best gifts for the holiday season!

Podcast Transcript Larry Burden 0:03 No, that will not do.

Larry Burden 0:11 double check we're recording here.

Larry Burden 0:13 I'm very happy somebody prepped for this pod.

Stephie Luyt 0:15 I know.

Larry Burden 0:16 Not this guy.

Danelle Brostrom 0:16 Let's just scrap this one.

Stephie Luyt 0:18 Almost 40 is not old.

Larry Burden 0:19 Bada Boom Bada Bing

Larry Burden 0:26 It's Episode 98 of the EdTech Loop podcast My name is Larry Burden and she's planning to virtually camp out in Amazon's Black Friday line as soon as this podcast ends. it's Danelle Brostrom. And we are also joined by one of our favorite things Stephie Luyt. I've dug deep into the bargain bin for this week's moment of Zen.

Moment of Zen 0:46 Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.

Larry Burden 0:51 This pod might be a little late, as we wait to thaw this week's meat the show: the Annual Loop Holiday Gift Giving Guide. So guys, it's almost that time of the year. Next week, this blew me away by the way, you know, you start to see some Black Friday stuff, you know, coming in the mail and here and there and I'm like oh my gosh. So early this year. And then it hit me, it's next week.

Danelle Brostrom 1:19 Crazy.

Stephie Luyt 1:19 Yeah,

Larry Burden 1:20 So, help, help me out. We were talking before the pod, I am completely unprepared for the holiday season this year so enlighten me as to what, what are some wonderful things we can get for our people that we love.

Danelle Brostrom 1:33 Do you want to go first?

Stephie Luyt 1:34 I will, and I have a major theme because all of what I brought are, I brought book ideas. And part of that is because I just came back from a conference. So I was at the American Association of School Librarians conference and there were many authors and illustrators there. And, you know, you can't go wrong with a book. And so what I have is a range of books from our, for our littles up to our high school kiddos. Some you may have heard about because some have gotten some press and some are, were new to me. Let me start with the littles, and this book, it's called "Another," by Christian Robinson, and it is a sci-fi fantasy picture book that is wordless. So that's a lot. If you think about all that in all of those elements in a picture book without words for littles, preschool. The art is beautiful and there's an alternate universe that the kiddo and the animal take a little journey in. And I just, I'm so intrigued by this concept, and already there are multiple accolades rolling in for this book. So as we're getting close to my favorite time with the Caldicot, Newbery awards, I think we'll hear a lot more about, "Another." But put that one on your list if you have littles.

Larry Burden 2:53 What a great way to introduce our littlest ones to narrative.

Stephie Luyt 2:58 Yes,

Larry Burden 2:59 Get them understanding the concept of storytelling and story. So that when we're introducing them to words and vocabulary and reading, they already have an understanding of the structure...

Stephie Luyt 3:13 Absolutely

Larry Burden 3:14 of the story. Did you bring it?

Stephie Luyt 3:16 I didn't bring that one.

Larry Burden 3:20 The ultimate picture book and it's not here.

Stephie Luyt 3:22 It's not here but,

Larry Burden 3:23 because you recognized it's an audio podcast so why would you bring it.

Stephie Luyt 3:27 Well, partially because it's so popular right now I don't have a copy available, but I also, you know I come here and then I hold it up and you guys make fun of me.

Larry Burden 3:36 I would, I'm hurt, I would never.

Stephie Luyt 3:39 In the nicest way possible. So, maybe I'll give you a couple more of the littles and then we can go back and forth.

Danelle Brostrom 3:45 Deal.

Stephie Luyt 3:45 Okay, there's a book called, "The Undefeated," by Kwame Alexander and illustrated by Kadir Nelson, and if you're familiar with those names you probably have seen them in a number of other books. But this is a love letter to the experience of African Americans, and it actually was connected to an ESPN special called, "The Undefeated." But it is a poem, and the artwork by Kadir Nelson is photorealistic so his, his illustrations are as gorgeous as you can imagine. And topic wise, you know that's, there's some heavy stuff in there, and it's tells just a beautiful narrative of the experience of African Americans, touching on a lot of issues. But there's a lot of meat in this book and it's just gorgeous. So, I don't have it, but I can, I can, I can picture it in my mind.

Larry Burden 4:37 We trust you. We trust you.

Stephie Luyt 4:39 I've seen it and have, I highly recommend it. We do have it in a couple of libraries.

Larry Burden 4:44 What age group would that be?

Stephie Luyt 4:45 Well, you know I would call it for mid to upper elementary. I think the, the depth of some of the history would be more meaningful to older elementary and up, and older even kiddos. But in terms of the story, kids will understand it.

Larry Burden 5:02 And as we said before picture books aren't just for our,

Stephie Luyt 5:06 Correct.

Larry Burden 5:07 Lower El.,

Stephie Luyt 5:08 The book, "Another," by Christian Robinson, could be used at all levels. A wordless picture book, I mean kids of all ages and adults would tell a different story as they're looking through it, as you know all ages, it would, it appeals for everyone.

Larry Burden 5:20 It'd be perfect for a podcast studio. Oh that's right.

Stephie Luyt 5:25 Oh sorry guys.

Danelle Brostrom 5:26 Love it.

Stephie Luyt 5:26 And then another book that is, it was written by Sonia Sotomayor, from the Supreme Court, you may have heard of her, and Raphael Lopez is the illustrator. And it's called, "Just Ask." And it's all about kids who have any kind of, I would say, lack of a better word, difference. So kids who, it was written because Sonia Sotomayor was diagnosed with diabetes when she was a child, and she always felt like when she'd be having medication, or getting a shot, that kids were always curious and wondering, but people wouldn't ask. And so the book is all about how everybody has something that is on their plate that they're dealing with. And so it touches on ADHD, allergies, learning differences of all types, different types of disabilities, and the whole focus is, everybody has differences, let's, let's ask, let's be curious and it's, l et's talk about, and embrace, and celebrate these things that are, everybody has that are different. So beautiful illustrations again. Raphael Lopez has done a number of books and it's, it's a really neat partnership.

Danelle Brostrom 6:34 Amazing books. Thank you.

Stephie Luyt 6:36 You're welcome.

Danelle Brostrom 6:36 Well, I feel like I'm struggling to follow those because I brought all, like, fun tech things.

Stephie Luyt 6:44 I think that sounds perfect.

Danelle Brostrom 6:45 I feel like you need the balance which is why you should do both,

Stephie Luyt 6:47 Absolutely.

Danelle Brostrom 6:48 So talking about the things for the littles. I'll talk about my stuff for littles first. I want to remind everyone about Kiwi Crate. That is one of my favorite things. I think it's a great, holiday season is a great time to think about starting a Kiwi Crate because it's a gift that would last the entire year. It is either a simple, single kit, or you can set up with a subscription. So they would get one every single month. And they have crates all the way down to 0 to 2, 2 to 4, all the way up to 14 and up. And the crates are focused on making, they're focused on creativity, there's one that's focused on art, one is focused on tinkering. And it gives the kids all the things that they need to do this project. And it's pretty cool because when it comes, the kids, they smile, my own kids they make the project that's there. And it's pretty cool and it keeps us intrigued and entertained for a little while. And then I watch it kind of evolve, like I watch that project will change into something else and they'll try to figure out how they can change it and make it better. So I see them playing with it longer than just that first session, and I like that it brings new ideas into my house every month.

Stephie Luyt 7:55 Yep. And I think they've expanded one that's for, as you mentioned older kids and that that's newer. That is on my list of possibilities for my kiddos because we've never had it but my niece's do and they've loved it. And I always think to myself, you know I could gather all these materials and do this project.

Danelle Brostrom 8:13 But I won't.

Stephie Luyt 8:15 So, it's really nice that Kiwi Crate does that for you, if you might be like me and have plans but they might not always pan out.

Danelle Brostrom 8:24 I also hate buying all of this stuff. Like you know, my kid wanted to take this little basketball thing with pom poms, okay but we needed 2 pom poms. Pom Poms come in a bag

Stephie Luyt 8:33 Of 100.

Danelle Brostrom 8:33 Yes. So now I have 400 pom poms around my house that are ridiculous.

Larry Burden 8:39 You mocked me years ago, when I, when I was, we were talking about Makers, Makerspace and, and collecting the stuff and I pointed out, like, I get that, it's really cool, but the organize, organizing of it can be a little bit cumbersome so you really want to be thinking about that when you're getting all that stuff. and look how look how it comes back around.

Danelle Brostrom 8:59 It does come back around.

Stephie Luyt 9:01 The Wise One.

Danelle Brostrom 9:03 Thanks, Larry.

Larry Burden 9:04 Though, I will say, with that, I'm listening to these suggestions and my kids are a little bit older and I'm like, I wonder if that'd be appropriate for me? Maybe I can ask them to give that to me? Maybe I want a Kiwi Crate.

Danelle Brostrom 9:17 The ones for older kids are really, really cool. For 14 and up they offer two options. One is a Maker kit. And then this eureka kit, which is all about engineering and science. And, like the one example that they make, you make a desk lamp. They show you how to make a desk lamp that uses pulleys and springs to make an adjustable lamp with an LED bulb. It's so cool. I know, we should get them here for the, the pod. Ukulele, and electric pencil sharpener, like. Okay, my next option is going to be for like that elementary school age kiddo. I have a Fitbit, and I love my fitness tracker and my child wanted one, and I started looking online and I was kind of frustrated with the options that were available. They were all from other countries. I didn't know about the tracking. You know I'm a little crazy about privacy, I'm just sayin'.

Larry Burden 10:10 Thank you for that actually. Somebody needs to.

Stephie Luyt 10:12 Obsesively intentional.

Danelle Brostrom 10:13 I do, I do worry about things like that, but I know that she really wanted a fitness tracker. So I was so excited to,

Larry Burden 10:20 Not the worst thing for a child to be obsessed about,

Danelle Brostrom 10:22 I know, she wants to count her steps. Fitbit came out with a new one recently called the ACE2. And it's made specifically for kids so it has special swim proof protection. It has some kid friendly graphics that you can put on the front, some kid friendly stats and goals celebrations. But it also has a parent component. I like that you can set it up under a family sharing plan and then your kids because they're under 13 they're given the special protections with their data that should happen for an under 13 year old. And it also, you get to kind of decide what features they get. Like if they want to have step challenges with their friends, they can only do with people you approve. Like, it kind of helps give me some of the control back which I really, really like. And they're running about $70 which doesn't feel crazy expensive for this kind of a fitness tracker. But there are some other features that I think are really, really smart that are on here. There is a timer, which the kids can set from the device. Why do I love that? Because I think of ADHD kids when they're sitting in classroom, and they need things broken up, and they need to be able to stand and go walk around, they need to be able to set themselves a timer. So, in a classroom setting, having a timer go off, well all of a sudden that makes you the one that everyone's looking at. But to have it on your watch that just vibrates a little bit, that you can set yourself, I think, gives a little bit of independence. It just recognizes that kids like, kids might need that. So, I'm a huge fan of the Fitbit Ace2.

Stephie Luyt 11:49 Sounds like a really thoughtful tool to. Well designed with kids in mind.

Larry Burden 11:52 Awesome. Like I said, my kids are,

Danelle Brostrom 11:55 I'm looking at you waiting for your gifts Larry. What do you have?

Larry Burden 11:57 I have a piece of paper with some stuff on it, and some really, really, really, smart friends.

Stephie Luyt 12:02 I have this book with me. Now our listeners cannot see it but, "Astronaut, Aquanaut," so it is a nonfiction National Geographic Kids book by Jennifer Swanson and she had consultation by Fabian Cousteau. So Jacque Cousteau's, I believe, grandson. if you've, if you have a kiddo who, our you have ever wondered like what would it really be like to be an astronaut, and what would it be like to be an aquanaut, and all those questions that might be forming in your mind right now are answered in this book. And the kid kind of questions, like the nitty gritty of what you do when you are living under water or in space. How does, how did the basic things happen? And I love the amount of research that went into the book, and the detail. And just really providing like a typical day in space, a typical day in the deep sea. Really well researched, lots of primary sources. And this is for kind of your, again, upper elementary, just with the reading level and the amount of information. But if you have a kid who's curious about any of these areas, I would highly recommend this one. And then I have two graphic novels. Ridley Pearson is writing a series about the Super Sons. So it's the sons of Batman, and the sons of Superman, and their backstory and their narrative. So, looking at a whole 'nother part of the superheroes, from the point of view of their sons. And I love, love, love this. Meg Cabot, who wrote The Princess Diaries as well as another, a number of other books is also jumping into graphic novels. They actually, at a session I attended at the conference, a group of writers and illustrators were talking about how, you know as we've talked about on the pod, the graphic novels are very popular in comics. And so a number of kid lit authors and illustrators went to basically, comic boot camp. They brought a bunch of popular authors and illustrators together to learn more about the genre. So Meg Cabot's jumped into writing, this is more of a comic format. But it's a character, Black Canary, and this is called, "Ignite." And Black Canary is a teenager who wants to follow in her dad's footsteps, and be a detective in Gotham City, and doesn't have, doesn't believe she has any superpowers, but then discovers that she does. And, great coming of age story, great female empowerment, what she can do, what she can't do by, what society's letting her do. Loved it, it's going to be, there'll be a sequel, if not more. So, and this I have to say out of all the books, all the new books I brought back from the conference, two of my three kids have read this multiple times and loved it. So this one got high recommendations from my small sample at home, and I loved it too, and Black Canary's power is that she can,

Larry Burden 14:49 Do we want to

Stephie Luyt 14:50 Okay, maybe not.

Larry Burden 14:50 No spoilers. No spoilers.

Danelle Brostrom 14:52 Um, let me do one and then I'll bump it back to you. So thinking about your middle and high school students, or even your adults because I'm thinking I might want one of these to. I'm really excited by the Dribble Up Ball. Dribble up.com, they're offering three different options: a smart soccer ball, a smart basketball and a smart medicine ball. Now what I think is kind of interesting is that it started as Kickstarter in 2017, but really mainstream within the last couple months. I've seen a lot of people talking about them. And essentially, there's a little stand a little tripod that you put your smartphone in, and then you stand back with your smart ball, like your soccer ball, and you can practice toe tapping drills and it will show you exactly where the ball needs to be, and you get points when it hits there. The medicine ball one is kind of for adults. There's a six pound and a 10 pound and you can do the workout. And when you lift the ball up and you get it in the right spot, the smartphone can sense where it is and it gives you a point for that. So you get points by being accurate, you get points by doing it faster. There's a lot of professional soccer teams that are actually using this to improve their accuracy and speed with some of these drills to build muscle memory. I think it's really, really cool to think of how you could improve your ball control skills with these virtual coaches. I think it's really, really cool for kids. I think that this is going to be big this Christmas. Check out DribbleUp.com.

Larry Burden 16:16 I love that, that's so cool.

Danelle Brostrom 16:16 I know, I want one.

Danelle Brostrom 16:18 There's a REMC person downstate, her name is Ann Smart, and she is bringing this PD using the dribble a ball and math. And she's going and talking to teachers about how they can use this in the classroom to help kids build their math skills. I'm really intrigued with the work that she's doing around it, so keep an eye out for them.

Larry Burden 16:39 You know some of our physical education teachers in elementary have used, or incorporated literature and some language arts into their, their classes and their lessons. What a great way to incorporate math for some cross curricular activities. I mean so, so cool.

Danelle Brostrom 16:57 Yeah, and it gets kids moving

Stephie Luyt 16:57 Really cool.

Danelle Brostrom 16:59 Yeah.

Stephie Luyt 16:59 A couple for middle school in particular. "Song for a Whale," so this book is about a deaf student who learns about a whale who's unable to communicate with other whales, and feels that she wants to help this whale. So she goes on this journey with the support of some characters. One thing I found really interesting is the author, Lynn Kelly, is a sign language interpreter herself. So she has a lot of experience working with people with hearing differences. And this is, you know, a kiddo who isn't feeling like she fits in and wants to reach out and help another creature that isn't fitting in. And it's this really exciting journey. And so kiddos, middle grade readers who love animals would be really drawn to this book and the power of this story is what recommends it to. A book called, "Other Words for Home," by Jasmine Warga, is a book told in verse, a novel in verse. And this is the story of a family who comes into Cincinnati from Syria and their experiences. They assimilate, and then as other relatives join her family seeing how she's come and changed, and her experiences and in her new area. What home means, what family means. I love that its in verse. It's another form for kids to really enjoy, and similar to "The Undefeated," being told as a poem form. So, "Other Words for Home," it's that one.

Danelle Brostrom 18:24 I only have one more. The last thing I'm going to mention is, so thinking about the holidays, it's a great time to add board games into your collection. Board games are great way to get the family together, and get them talking. One of my all time favorite board games is called Prime Climb.

Larry Burden 18:41 We've seen this, yeah.

Danelle Brostrom 18:42 I feel like I need to mention it every time because it's so good. Math for Love is the company that makes it, and it makes some other games for kids. Little Pok-a-Dot it out is another good one. But Prime Climb is, it's beautiful first of all, but then the mathematics involved, it's funny because I play it with my older child, and we change the rules a little bit because typically what you have to do, you roll the dice and then you can choose either to add, subtract, multiply or divide the number on your pawn by the number you roll. Like there's a lot of different computational thinking that's happening when kids are playing this game. But we changed the rules a little bit because division is still tricky for her, so I told her you can either add or multiply, we just kind of changed that a little bit. And then it was funny because then she played with my husband and he made a play by the rules which was a very different game for her. But then he came to me afterward, and he's a grown adult, and he was like that game was really fun. Like yeah it is, though it's really fun for adults, it's really fun for kids. There's a lot of thinking, and I kind of like that you get to control what you do. You have two pawns you can choose to move which one, you can choose which one you want to move, you can choose whether you want to bump somebody, there's just a lot of different choices you can make, and a lot of computational thinking and math that happens, and a lot of talking and fun. So, I would put Prime Climb on the list every time.

Stephie Luyt 20:00 I just added that to my shopping list. I have just one more book that I want to talk about, it's called, "Beauty Queens," by Libba Bray, it's a read alike for Lord of the Flies. So, there's an airplane crash with a group of girls who are headed to a beauty pageant. It is a story of what they do and the society that they form, and how they survive. And knocking out stereotypes, and looking at societal expectations. A fast moving, very creative take if you remember how the Lord of the Flies plays out. I highly recommend this one.

Larry Burden 20:38 In my attempts, my vain attempts to do some research I came across the Harry Potter Kano Coding Kit.

Danelle Brostrom 20:46 Oh Kano.

Stephie Luyt 20:47 Oh yeah.

Larry Burden 20:48 And you actually get a wand

Danelle Brostrom 20:49 There's a Harry Potter one now?

Larry Burden 20:51 You get a wand and you actually cast spells in code.

Danelle Brostrom 20:56 Larry.

Larry Burden 20:57 So, I don't know if it's good. I don't know if it's, you know, it's Harry Potter so like, kids aren't going to like it. Everybody's all over...I got one!

Danelle Brostrom 21:06 Well it's the Kano Kit to which has a good reputation.

Larry Burden 21:11 I was just kind of going through like Harry Potter and coding? That sounds okay.

Stephie Luyt 21:15 Yeah! Build a wand, learn to code, make magic.

Larry Burden 21:18 If somebody has that, please let us know what they think of it. What age groups would be appropriate for that. It's six and up, I saw but, right, it's Harry Potter so.

Danelle Brostrom 21:28 I would play it. Yet another thing we need to get for the Loop.

Stephie Luyt 21:33 We might need to test that on the pod.

Danelle Brostrom 21:34 I think we should.

Larry Burden 21:35 Are we all set.

Danelle Brostrom 21:36 We're set.

Techtool of the Week 21:36 TechTool of the Week.

Danelle Brostrom 21:41 TechTool of the Week. Purdue University, this is where I get my ideas from frankly. Every single year they put out an Engineering Gift Guide, and their gifts that they choose are tested by their engineering students, and they're looking for things that have good gameplay, that are quality, that have those open ended experiences that families can play together. And the quality of items that come out of there are just fantastic. They do include some books Stephie, but the books are things like, "Baby Learns to be a Structural Engineer." It sounds fantastic! But there are things for littles that they can do, all the way up to things that you would really be buying for your high school or older students. So the Purdue Engineering Gift Guide is phenomenal every single year. So check that out. It's great books, there's great stuff on there to. They also talked about Kiwi, they also talked about the Osmo which we talked about before that offers some hands on things with the, with the device. The Sphero, I think made that as well, which is a little coding robot. There's some good stuff on there.

Stephie Luyt 22:44 This is going to be very helpful for shopping at my house.

Larry Burden 22:48 And she's just basically gonna go down that list, check, check. Somebody already made my list, fabulous.

Stephie Luyt 22:54 Thank you.

Larry Burden 22:55 Tutorials and updates, I was just gonna say that, look for some new stuff, some additional content that's going to be on our podcast site upcoming. Danelle, and David, send out these great emails, tech resource emails, throughout the week and asked them, I didn't here back from Danelle...

Danelle Brostrom 23:13 You'd like to steal them.

Larry Burden 23:14 I want to steal them.

Danelle Brostrom 23:15 You may.

Larry Burden 23:15 Well you know, great, it's great content, and it'd be nice to get more people looking at that. More people can look at it, the more successful they will be with technology in the classroom. So, in closing, follow us on Facebook and Twitter @TCAPSLoop,

Danelle Brostrom 23:29 @brostromda.

Stephie Luyt 23:31 @StephieLuyt

Larry Burden 23:32 Subscribe to the podcast on podbean, iTunes, Stitcher, Tune-in, Downcast, Overcast, Spotify, the Google Play Store or wherever else you get your ear candy, leave a review, we love the feedback. Thanks for listening, and inspiring.

Stephie Luyt 23:47 Is the downcast, up... like all those things, are those real?

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Why is STEM so important in Michigan right now? Because Michigan businesses need STEM educated workers and currently those workers are not available. Businesses struggle to understand why it appears public education is not producing the workforce they need, while educators are attempting to teach kids collaboration, creative thinking and other 21st Century Skills, while navigating another legislative edict, state standards, and school district goals. Our guest Drea Weiner from MiSTEM is attempting to repair that disconnect, and helping to make education applicable to a real world setting by fitting STEM into the curriculum to meet the needs that businesses are desperately crying out for.

Elementary is Engineering Workshop November 26th

TCAPS Sabin Data Center

Acronym List MiSTEM - Michigan Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Network

TBAISD - Traverse Bay Intermediate School District

CHAREMISD - Charelvoix - Emmet Intermediate School District

ELA - English Language Arts

REMC - Regional Education Materials Center

METS - Michigan Education Technology Specialists

EVR - Experience Verification Route

EIE - Elementary is Engineering

REMC RITS - REMC Instructional Technology Specialists

SEL - Social Emotional Learning

DigCit - Digital Citizenship

Full Transcript: Drea Weiner 0:02 I'm pretending like I know what I'm doing but I don't actually know what I'm doing most days.

Larry Burden 0:11 The most important thing we can teach our kids is to recognize that everybody's just winging it.

Drea Weiner 0:15 Because you need to integrate that with your content.

Larry Burden 0:19 I want to do that. That looks like more fun.

Larry Burden 0:26 It's Episode 97 of the EdTechLoop podcast. My name is Larry Burden and she's been attempting to 3D print snow tires for her Hyundai Elantra, it's Danelle Brostrom, and we are also joined by Northern Michigan Sensei of STEM, it's Drea Weiner. Multiple snow days have allowed for additional time to meditate on this week's moment of Zen.

Moment of Zen 0:47 To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake. It is necessary to stand out in the cold.

Larry Burden 0:52 After several field attempts to brave the icy roads we've decided to stay home and fabricate this week's meat of the show. STEM heats up in Northern Michigan.

Danelle Brostrom 1:03 I wasn't ready for any of that Larry.

Larry Burden 1:03 I worked really hard to come up with a title.

Danelle Brostrom 1:03 It took you all week to write, didn't it?

Larry Burden 1:04 So I worked...

Larry Burden 1:10 Naw, about the last 15 minutes. Come on, there's no prep here. Okay, so thank you for joining us Drea, because I know your schedule is crazy. We've got tons of questions about what you do and what's happening with STEM in northern Michigan. I don't think we've actually covered a lot of STEM so far this year now so fill us in.

Drea Weiner 1:34 First one in. So yeah, so I'm the Regional Director for the MiSTEM network, and the MiSTEM network is a statewide effort to make sure that there's a cross curricular look at science, technology, engineering and mathematics, are we teaching those areas, are we teaching them in an integrated way, are we teaching them in a way that prepare our students for life beyond school, are we teaching them in a way that's applicable to the workforce. So that's kind of MiSTEM network, in a nutshell. I can talk to you about that for like hours on end but we'll, we'll end on that particular note.

Larry Burden 2:07 go ahead, you've got questions galore. Don't wait for me to just jump right in.

Danelle Brostrom 2:11 No, I'm just curious about the connection with business, you know and typically in schools we think about how, how we're teaching these skills, kind of on our own. Can you talk to me about the connection with business, why is that important?

Drea Weiner 2:22 So I would say that this is important because right now in Michigan, businesses do not want to engage, they do not want to invest in education. They do not understand the importance of engaging in education because they're having to do a lot of apprenticeships, a lot of workforce, work based learning within their own house because kids do not have the skill sets and which they need, and that's everything that's been expressed for me, like kids cannot problem solve, kids cannot critically think, they're not showing up on time, they don't have basic mathematics skills, they don't understand taxes which is, I don't know if I always fully understand taxes to be completely honest, but like having to sit down and explain, like here's the math on how you budget out your life because we do withhold your taxes from, from this end of things. So, from the business end of things they're just like we, we don't understand, you're not giving us what we need. Now from the educator side of things, here really like we're in charge of these kids from eight until three or whatever your school day is and like we're teaching your kids collaboration, and how to talk to each other, and here's the content that we're teaching in them, and here's like another legislative edict, and here's what our school districts coming from and, like, there's all these different components from a teacher's perspective over what they're having to do as well. And there's a disconnect between why a kid has to learn fractions in elementary school and like how that actually gets applied in the workforce, because Danielle you and I've worked with 3D printing and looking at decimal places, and so, for engineers when they're creating prototypes, if something's off by a fraction, you need to want to understand what that fraction is and two, understand like, if your material shrink by 1%, how do you change that to make sure that like, your materials don't shrink, and that your prototype is actually fitting when it's supposed to fit. And that's, and that's really the disconnect that we're trying to close with like how is your education applicable to a real world setting as well, and fitting that need that businesses are desperately crying out for because there are some people that will hire you for $60,000 on the floor in a manufacturing plant, and I'm pretty sure that's not the entry level of a teacher. So, like how do, we how do we make sure that kids can also get jobs, and stay in your communities, and be able to contribute to the economy. Once again, that's another like huge...

Danelle Brostrom 4:46 But this is such an important thing but it's a large task Drea. How are you, how are you getting started with this and how is the MiSTEM network finding a place where they can connect businesses and educators.

Drea Weiner 4:58 Yeah, so part of that is right now I'm doing a needs assessment of the whole region. So I covered TBAISD and I cover CHAREMISD. And so it's everything from looking at assessment scores, looking at what are the needs of the teachers have expressed to me, it's looking at the workforce data over what's projected to grow in the next 10 years. It's looking at, okay so if I'm going out and meeting with companies, what are the top five things coming up, like bubbling up through those conversations. Trying to figure out where these needs, and what's being discussed, and like how do those align. And it is a huge task, and I'm not in any way shape or form getting it right, right off the bat, but it's kind of one of those things that like how do I make sure that we're building in that iterative process of like, okay so, last year I've heard a lot of teachers needing like, I need help for supplies first because science is more expensive than an ELA project in your classroom. I need help. And I was just like, okay, I'll figure out how I can help you. Well, now that we're there, how do we, how do we move forward with like what is this cross curricular component look like, who's actually doing it in your classrooms, or who's, who's trying to do it but just needs help, who are the resources like yourself to reach out to, how do we get the workshops, like code.org and CS Fundamentals to the areas that need them. Like it's, a it's a lot and it requires a lot of people to bring to the table. It requires us to look at how we're currently using our resources, because my, my grant dollars and my dollars come from the state are meant to be generative and so, who else can I get to the table, in order to have an event or not even just an event, to have a program. And some of its, you know, here's how the ISD and I partner, because they are my fiscal. And here's how a business can come to the table and like, you know what I want an intern, and I'm like, great, which teachers have students that can actually, that are ready for an internship. Because that's part of it as well, the bringing people a table and let's talk about what these needs are saying.

Danelle Brostrom 7:01 And you said there's a whole network throughout Michigan of people just like you so if listeners aren't local to the TBAISD or CHAREM area, they, how would they find their MiSTEM person so they could learn more about this.

Drea Weiner 7:15 So I would go to michigan.gov/MiSTEM. You will be able to find your director there. And then part of its also reaching out to the other net, networks like REMC, like METS, the Math and Science Center Network etc.. Trying to figure out like, okay, so who are the, who are the people that I can connect with. I would start with the MiSTEM state site for, how do I connect with you.

Danelle Brostrom 7:39 The workforce wants these specific set of skills. Why is STEM the vehicle to get our kids there.

Drea Weiner 7:46 I would say, because it allows for a way that shows students how learning can be cross curricular and it shows how it can be applicable. So if you're working with, oh, I'm going to fall back on manufacturing because it's my experience. If a manufacturer for example wants an intern, they're going to go look for a student that has engineering experience, they're going to go look for a student that has solid science experience, they're going to look for a student whose teachers going to say, yeah, this kid shows up on time, apologizes when they don't show up on time, has the basic mathematics skills in order to push them forward, they asked for help, that was a huge one that's been coming up lately. You know, wide variety of my conversations of like, the kids, these kids know how to ask for help. And I would say STEM, like, a lot of the careers moving forward, are based in those four arenas. And like, more and more the workforce is working from home, you've got telecommuting going on. We actually have a really strong Computer Science Programmer base here in Traverse City that most people don't know about because they're all working from home. Yeah, if you're a homebody and you like to work from home and you've got solid, computer science skills like, people in New York City would rather hire someone from Traverse City than someone who lives in New York because it's a fraction of the price, and it's pretty competitive. Or go to the co-op if you do need to work with people. So that's another skill set that I don't think many teachers are aware of because most people don't realize, I won't say most people, I would say people who traditionally have to show up at a space for work, um, don't fully understand what it means to work from home. So if you're a kid that can't do an online course, like you have to have a lot of self regulation skills to be able to work from home. Because like, there are days where I work from home and it's great. I get to sit down and actually focus on what's going on. There are days where I'm just too distracted by how cute my cats are, and I have to go into the office because I will get nothing done. So that's, that's another example of the disconnect.

Larry Burden 9:48 You mentioned teachers a lot.

Drea Weiner 9:50 Yeah,

Larry Burden 9:50 And a concern that I have, or a question that I have is, is it teachers to MiSTEM, or is it District to MiSTEM? It seems like we're asking a teacher to do a lot,

Drea Weiner 10:04 Yeah,

Larry Burden 10:04 without support from the District, and it's such a large thing that we're asking them to do, I mean we're basically asking them to to look at their curriculum and figure out ways to fit, fit STEM in. It doesn't seem like that should necessarily be the teachers, I mean, it really doesn't seem like it should be the teacher's job or all on the teacher. It seems like the District should be supporting the teacher in their curriculum to allow for something as important as STEM to be embedded in what they do every day. It should just be there. How are we having those conversations.

Drea Weiner 10:39 Yeah, so I'm really, Yeah, I'm really glad that you brought that up because that is another layer of the MiSTEM network of looking at how do we talk with our district, districts. Because it should, in my opinion, it's got to be both. You have to have those gorilla educator teachers who, who are doing this regardless. Who's like, this look ,this work...

Larry Burden 10:56 Pushing it forward.

Drea Weiner 10:56 Pushing it forward, especially for an administrator who didn't teach that way. I've seen EVR I've been talking to people about CPM, Classroom Makers, over like a lot of that, students will show you their learning, how do you stop talking at the kids and help guide them through their learning. And that's an evolution from where some people were in the classroom you know maybe 20 years ago. And so, the, there's the flip side of that like okay, how does the district move forward with the research of what good learning looks like, and how do they support the teachers that way as well. And so that's a, that's another conversation and sometimes it's packing people up in the car and going to a school where they're doing that. And sometimes it's, you know, bringing people to the table or having business and education just sit at the same table and talk about what that means, and sometimes it's a district administrator, sometimes it's a principal, sometimes it's a teacher. So, yeah, that is a lot to ask teachers, and in no way shape or form do I expect every teacher to be like, yeah, let's go for this and like, if you don't have the support of your admin you're either one, not going to do it right, two not do it all, or three, do it but also have a really uphill battle.

Larry Burden 12:09 The resources end up, I mean we've seen it so many times in the classroom, a teacher has a great idea, or wants to pursue this, and the energy, the time, the resources, run out, or they move.

Drea Weiner 12:24 Yeah.

Larry Burden 12:24 So something happens at this one school and it's getting some traction but then the teacher gets moved to x school and then...

Drea Weiner 12:31 it's gone, because they take it to that school, yeah.

Larry Burden 12:34 And it's hard to get any real traction if it's not, kind of, site or District based. And I've just seen it too many times where they have that STEM classroom, and it's dedicated, and it's all good and then next year it's a closet.

Drea Weiner 12:49 Yeah, and I would say like from my vision, my personal one, I wouldn't say this is necessarily the whole MiSTEM networks vision, is that every teacher is comfortable with STEM. Like, long term, years down the road, like anyone is comfortable, like here's where, you know what we're going to do a literature and science lesson, and we're going to time together today, because I think everyone needs those skills, but until you have people from the administrative side of things and the teachers working together in that space, it's, it's going to be frustrating. And it's going, it's going to continue with teachers popping around and kids either getting it or not getting it depending on where that teacher, or helpful administrator is so.

Larry Burden 13:29 So there's a thing that's happening that maybe administrators and teachers should maybe get involved in. Isn't there like a workshop coming up.

Drea Weiner 13:35 Oh yeah, we've got our Elementary is Engineering Workshop, coming up pretty quickly here, which by the way you get a free Elementary is Engineering kit, if you decide to attend.

Larry Burden 13:46 Plug away.

Drea Weiner 13:47 Yeah.

Drea Weiner 13:48 So Heidi Skodeck is the one who's running the workshop for us, and she's been fantastic in helping me plan this, and it's been a long time coming. And so, here's a way that, here's a program that looks at how do you apply engineering in an elementary classroom. It's all tied to a story about a something related to other solar ovens, or building bridges or, I think designing circuits. So if you, if you do circuits with your kiddos, or you, or if you've designed solar ovens with your kiddos before just here's another way that you can do it that's also ties back to some of your standards and, you know, Heidi Skodeck your STEM person is on board for this, so like you know you're going to get some level of support in addition to, you're going to walk away with, you get to choose from one of those three kits to have that go back in your classroom. And I know, that you guys have the materials in your Elementary Materials Center to check out more kits, if you decide that you really like Elementary is Engineering.

Larry Burden 14:46 I think this is a great model for this. So we have the MiSTEM network partnering with our, a District administrator, working with district resources to support teachers.

Drea Weiner 14:56 And MiSTEM resources as well, yeah.

Larry Burden 14:58 Exactly.

Drea Weiner 14:58 And that's kind of, that's kind of what this is supposed to do, is like, the one kit that you get to take home back and keep your classroom, like that's technically coming out of my funds. There'll be a sticker on it but overall I don't care. There's more resources back in your Elementary Material Center that you guys can just check out, and that you don't have to worry about how am I going to replenish this kit once I use all the consumables because you have the Center for that.

Danelle Brostrom 15:18 I will say to, kudos for choosing that program because I think the Engineering is Elementary kit and their philosophy is phenomenal. It is top notch for kids, and I also think it's great for, you know you mentioned educators that have built solar ovens before and want something different, I think it's great for the educator who has no clue what they're doing and it's just excited about trying to help kids learn.

Larry Burden 15:39 Yeah.

Danelle Brostrom 15:39 It's very easy to get into.

Drea Weiner 15:41 Yeah. And honestly, so how I'm structured is that there's me and then I have an advisory council from the local level. And I have an education subcommittee of that and so Heidi sits on that board, Annette Cole that's on that committee, but then Shelly VanderMeulan, who used to work in your Elementary Material Center sit's on it. Michael George sits on it. We've got someone from CHAREM and the NMLC group that sits on it. And then we've got a teacher from Greenspire who sits on it too. So here's our education resource within the committee and like they're the ones who actually self identified that because they recognize that we're not doing a lot of engineering or science at the elementary level, and they're just like you know what we've used this before and it's a pretty easy entry toward, that's not scary for teachers to use.

Larry Burden 16:27 Give us the details for the Workshop.

Drea Weiner 16:28 OK, so the Workshop, you can register on our MiSTEM page for the local one. So my local link is MiSTEM.tbaisd.org. And TBA my fiscal so, what, I service many organizations, but they are my fiscal so the their name gets in the URL right now. And so you go under, Educators, there's a whole resource for you, for you guys that lists out any workshops that's going to be popping up in the area. And you would go, the registration link is there. If you are struggling with your administrator for sub costs, what you would be able to do though is that we actually have a Teacher Professional Learning Scholarship that you can apply for, and be like, oh, okay, great, you know what, you're willing to cover my sub costs, great, if you're not from within TCAPS and, like, then you're starting to get the argument over, well the drive to Northport, we don't know if we can, like pay your gas, or your mileage, or what happens if a snowstorm happens. You can also apply for that, for that scholarship as well and we'll pay your mileage and whatnot. And that's not just for this workshop, that's for any workshop or conference. If you want to go to MACUL let us know, we're going to do a carpool down there, I'm sure. But like, that, that's what that scholarship is for is to make sure that you guys can attend this workshop. The workshop itself is November 26. We need you to register as soon as possible. It will be first come first serve so I'll let you guys know when it is full. I will feed you so you don't walk away hungry that day. The rest is all on Heidi. Like she's, she's going to be the one leading you guys through it.

Danelle Brostrom 18:05 Now you also have many grants available right now.

Drea Weiner 18:08 Yeah,

Danelle Brostrom 18:08 Can you talk about those?

Drea Weiner 18:09 This is my second year as Regional Director, and I spent a lot of time listening to educators both out and about in the community and also in their classroom. Listening to the different consultants both from within TCAPS, and within TBA, and listening to my fellow MiSTEM Directors. So what came up from all of those conversations was, we don't have the resources. How can we just try this if, like I don't want to spend $1,000 or $500 on additional materials like out of my own pocket. So we created a mini grant system where like, okay you've got an a, an idea of how you can bring STEM into your classroom, great. For the first tier, which is, I just want to try something, $500, I just want to try. Great, come, apply, we'll review it to make sure that you've actually thought it through. This is not meant for, oh, we're out of crayons in our classroom, or we're, like it's not meant to replenish anything, it's meant to actually be for a project of some kind.

Larry Burden 19:09 I really think Ozobots are cool but I don't have a plan to do it.

Drea Weiner 19:12 Yeah, something like that, or hey I really want to start a Blockables in my classroom, or I want a set of iPads, but I don't know what, you would do in fact have to think about what this is through. Or, like, once again, if you want to go to the EIE workshop and you'll find another one that you really want but maybe you're a little worried about like, when you're going to get your stuff. You can apply for this grant and get a whole nother kit to try. It's really meant to be like, think about what you want to try in your classroom. Here's some funds for this. It is meant for materials, not for just like hiring in a consultant or something like that to come into your classroom. It is that for materials for you to do. But like, that's what that's for. And then we have a second tier, which is $1,000, where if you're working in a team environment that includes business or the community that's, that's a little bit more meaningful, that's showing like, here's how it's a little bit more cross curricular, this is how we're bringing in the workforce component. Like, for example, if you're, if you've decided to code.org like all their resources for code.org are free, but you, there are programmers here in town who are very much aware that computer science is not necessarily being taught in our schools and they want it to because their kids are here in these schools, and they're just like you know what let's use Microbits in the classroom. But Microbits are $15 a pop not including the alligator clips and how do we, who's going to teach the kids the Python. Well then you can bring in, you can purchase all the stuff for the micro bits, you can bring in the community partner to help the kids with what your programming is going to be, but also Microbits has a free curriculum that's either tied to code.org their own thing, Project Lead the Way, I think there's one more I'm not entirely sure. But anyways, there's at least those three that you can apply to your classroom, but you do need some seed funding to purchase the materials for your class. And that's what the thousand dollar one is for, because we really want people talking to each other. We really want people reaching out to each other over like, what does this look like. And so those applications, which also can be found on our website, are due, November 27th, with the goal to have them announced in December, so you can do this right after the school, no the turn of the year, and give us your feedback and your evaluations before the end of the school year so you're not losing your mind. So that's, that's what the mini grants are for. And I...

Larry Burden 21:34 You have all the resources.

Drea Weiner 21:36 Not all of them but I'm trying, I'm trying pretty hard. Yeah, and so, and that came out of, that idea came out of actually another region, another MiSTEM region in the state was doing it, and they didn't reach 100% saturation, but it allowed for certain schools who typically either get forgotten or lost to explore how to do STEM in their classrooms. And once again, I'm not prescribing what you do, you do have to think it through, you do have to tie it to your standards, you do. And if you need help reaching out to a community member I've got people who can help you with that. There's that part as well, because I know, reaching out to community members can be scary. You still have to have a, have at least thought it through. Because if you give me an application that it looks like you're just purchasing classroom materials and that's it, I'm going to tell you no on that one, so.

Danelle Brostrom 22:25 So what do you hope for in terms of the future of this program?

Drea Weiner 22:28 Oh my gosh, so I hope for, oh, gosh,

Larry Burden 22:32 World domination?

Drea Weiner 22:33 World domination in STEM! Um, what I'm really hoping for is that teachers feel empowered by, well by their administrators, by the state, by community partners to try things out in their classroom, and to not feel the fear of how does this tie back into what I'm doing. Like you, you have people you can go out and ask questions to. I'm hoping that kids are thinking, like, maybe you ask the kids what they want to do. We want to work on an erosion project, or we want to go to the bay and count like how many birds have died from whatever bird flu is going on. Like, you know, how do you bring in the student voice to this. How do you have a full supportive community coming in saying this is how, these are our issues, please kids come solve this, because I think that's another component, or how do we expose kids to these type of careers that no one knows are going to be out there in 20 years.

Larry Burden 23:31 It seems like, you know, I think STEM gets labeled or viewed sometimes as coding.

Drea Weiner 23:36 Yeah,

Larry Burden 23:37 It's coding, you know, and so...

Drea Weiner 23:38 or it's FIRST Robotics and exclusively FIRST Robotics.

Larry Burden 23:41 Exactly whereas, whereas really it's more about problem solving, it's taking, its taking learning and making it applicable.

Drea Weiner 23:47 If you're talking about food chains, okay, let's talk about the invasive species that are found out in our bay. Let's talk about like, why is it important for the micro plastics, that from the 3D printers, how do we make sure that those do not wind up in our food chain and wind up in the fish that we also eat when we go fishin'. You know, how does that affect us? And, you know, we talk about food chains, we talk about food webs, we talk about, you know pollution on some level, what does that actually mean? That's what it's all about.

Larry Burden 24:17 It's really, it's just good practice, it's good educational practice.

Drea Weiner 24:20 Yeah.

Larry Burden 24:21 We just have to maybe take that one, one extra step, that one courageous step away from what's, what's built into the curriculum we're getting from wherever we're getting our curriculum from, and going okay how can this be applied to something that our students care about.

Drea Weiner 24:40 Yeah.

Danelle Brostrom 24:41 And I love the State of Michigan is saying that this is valuable. They're, they're putting money behind it, they're not just giving us some other mandate that we have to do. They're saying this is important and we're going to give you people that will help guide you and make this happen, so it's fortunate.

Drea Weiner 24:53 Yeah, Yeah. And I would also say that our Legis., a lot of my work is Legislator based. That's where some of my requirements come from, which a lot of those are listening to the businesses. And so I'm someone where if something doesn't make sense, a teacher can be like, Drea, here's my concern, this is what's popping up, and if it's something that is systemic, because let's face it, a lot of these issues are systemic, I get to go down to Lansing and advocate for what's going on. And the Executive Director of the program. Megan Schrauben, and she's the one who, like meets with the governor's office saying, okay here's where we're struggling with in STEM education, and you really need to listen to this. So that's, that's another piece of what I do like I don't get to spend the days in the classrooms with the kiddos and see like them doing it every day, most days. But I at least get to like take those stories with me and, and advocate.

Larry Burden 25:48 So, Tech Tool of the Week!

Techtool of the Week 25:52 Tech Tool of the Week, I want to talk about the STEM in Literature Project. Drea, Would you like to tell us a little bit about that.

Drea Weiner 25:57 Oh sure, I'm gonna have to let everyone know that my hat is shifting here a little bit I'm not just the MiSTEM Regional Director for us. I'm also one of the REMC RITS members for us. And this,

Larry Burden 26:11 I just want to stop really quick. We're going to have an acronym, like list, because you've thrown about seven of them out and they usually stop and go, and what does that mean, but we're just gonna let this go.

Drea Weiner 26:24 Once again I work with Legislators so I like it doesn't, I have now like become so accustomed to them I don't even realize it using them anymore.

Danelle Brostrom 26:32 That's okay.

Drea Weiner 26:33 Yeah, SEL, that was a new one I had to teach one of my co workers this week it was great social emotional learning. All right. Yeah,

Danelle Brostrom 26:40 STEM in Literature Project, tell us.

Drea Weiner 26:42 Promoting STEM through Literature Project. Okay, so this came out of the REMC Classroom Makers Project. And I think the thought was a, first of all this, I do not own this project, one, it is a REMC project, and two, Judy Bowling, and Kerry Giuliano are the wonderful, masterful ladies throughout the state who came up with this project and have been promoting it at every single ed tech conferences this summer. And this year, they are doing full day workshops throughout the state of how do you apply this. Anyways, taking another step back, is that this came from the Classroom Makers Project where they're using all that Make philosophy in the classroom, and how do you, how do you give students time to actually ask questions and inquire, and through their own space by Making great. Some of the things that people were running into, teachers were running into throughout the state were like, that's great how does this tie in to my standards. That's great. We've got a third grade reading bill coming down the pipeline, we don't have time for this. Okay, well maybe it fits, you know, on the day before Thanksgiving where all the kids are squirrely but you know, I don't really see this as something that I can continuously have in my classroom. And so looking at the third grade reading bill, the feedback from the teachers, and like how does this tie into my classroom, how do I get my administrators on board. Those two wonderful ladies, Kerry and Judy, they actually went and like, okay let's go look at which books that are, for the most part, based on real people, and that have design thinking, and making in their story. And so they picked out all of these books, many of them are by people of color, or marginalized voices, or like people who suffer from autism. And, like, here are these stories that they also have created like a pseudo, like, I don't know if they're called key cards or it's like a pseudo lesson plan Danelle help me out a little.

Danelle Brostrom 28:35 Yeah there's a lesson plan, and there's sample questions that you can use. There's also simple activities that you can connect with the maker kits that are waiting your MC for you to be checked out. Or if you read the book yourself you might come up with three other ideas on how you can use making to connect these. They're phenomenal books and the work that those ladies have done is top notch.

Drea Weiner 28:54 Yeah, and they're free. So we have those books at REMC for you to check out. We have the list of materials that require, that go along with the lesson plans. Okay, so here we have these free materials for you to check out and actually go back and apply it in your classroom, we also, like they're K-12. I sat down with a secondary English consultant over at TBA, and I was like hey, so these are picture books, and usually when I think about picture books it's for elementary school but they're telling me this is K-12, this is not

Larry Burden 29:23 You're in a safe place here.

Drea Weiner 29:23 This is not my area of expertise, and then like I shared with her the website. I shared with her, here's a lesson plan, one of the lesson plans tied to one of the books. She immediately tied three different standards for sixth grade into the lesson plan. And so, that's kind of one of the things to, where if you guys are confused about how do I fit this in, like what does this look like in my classroom, like this is meant to be K-12 and like there are people here within TCAPS, there's here, there's people within TBA who are just like, let me, let me help you out.

Danelle Brostrom 29:56 Um, but go to the website it's bit.ly/pstlmaker. And you can see the resources that are available

Larry Burden 30:03 My tagline, I've got this. And of course I have to throw the A in there because I love STEAM. Yeah, STEAM is Lit. No? Yeah, no? Okay, moving on.

Danelle Brostrom 30:12 Rolling the eyes just a little Larry.

Larry Burden 30:14 Tutorials and updates, I just wanted to throw out, um, you shared with me yesterday. Two days ago, your DigCit for Parents.

Danelle Brostrom 30:22 Oh yeah,

Larry Burden 30:23 Which I thought was awesome,

Danelle Brostrom 30:25 and Stephie, I didn't do it on my own.

Larry Burden 30:28 Well you shared it on your own.

Danelle Brostrom 30:29 I had to give credit.

Larry Burden 30:30 But the presentation is great, there's so much in there, and I have a feeling we're going to be doing a lot with that in the upcoming weeks because I think it's really important to be communicating some of those resources with our parents. It's just, it's just too important. In closing, follow us on Facebook and Twitter @TCAPSLoop

Danelle Brostrom 30:48 @brostromda

Drea Weiner 30:49 @dreaweiner

Larry Burden 30:49 Subscribe to the podcast on Podbean, iTunes, Stitcher, Tune-in, Downcast, Overcast, the Google Play Store or wherever else you get your ear candy. Leave review, we love the feedback. Thanks for listening and inspiring.

Danelle Brostrom 31:03 Yes. This is why I love you.

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It's early November here in Northern Michigan but it already feels like mid December, possibly February, and we're trying to avoid early onset cabin fever, so we look to Danelle and Stephie to provide some much needed "Ed-Tech Inspiration," to get through the bleak early winter.

Show Transcript: Danelle Brostrom 0:00 Obviously it's smarter than I am.

Larry Burden 0:08 Where's this come from

Danelle Brostrom 0:08 because you have to edit out all the stupid things that we say,

Stephie Luyt 0:11 Now the pressures on.

Larry Burden 0:13 gotta delete that

Stephie Luyt 0:14 You're like Botox.

Larry Burden 0:21 It's Episode 96 of the EdTech Loop podcast. My name is Larry Burden and she drank a bit too much of the apocalyptic Kool Aid after binging 16 straight hours of Black Mirror its Danelle Brostrom. And here to reel our Ed tech hero back from the dark side, it's Stephie Luyt. To coax Danelle back from the edge, this week's moment of zen trends hopeful.

Moment of Zen 0:44 I hope that in this year to come you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world, you're doing things you've never done before. And more importantly, you're doing something.

Larry Burden 1:06 After checking the unseasonably cold hourly forecast our decision was made to stay in, and partake in this week's meat of the show: Ed Tech Inspiration. It's Northern Michigan here, it's early November, it already feels like mid December, possibly February, and we're trying to not get into that early kind of hunker down mood. So we needed to find a little inspiration today. It was a great idea that Danelle had yesterday, as far as coming up with a topic for this podcast. So we all have lists, let's just jump right into this.

Danelle Brostrom 1:43 I can start. My first favorite thing that I love right now, Common Sense Media had an amazing blog post on ISTE. It was written by Liz Cline who's their VP of Education Programs, and her idea is to, "Pause for People." We talk a lot about digital lives and how to find balance with your media and real life, and I think this idea of pausing for people is beautiful, and it's simple, and it's a great thing to keep in mind. So when you're in real life and someone is talking to you, pause what you're doing and privilege that human standing in front of you over what's on your screen.

And she says this, "I'm no tech hater. I strongly believe that technology does help connect us with people in meaningful ways, and it should be used for powerful learning in the classroom. But even with all that potential the face to face interactions that you could be having. You should be having, starting now."

I love that idea of pausing for people, and I'm really trying to do that when I'm in meetings when I'm, when somebody comes in and interupts me at my desk either turning around for my screen or closing my screen and just pausing for people. It's a great thing to talk about with kids in the classroom to.

Stephie Luyt 2:45 That's a beautiful way to say that whole idea of a balance between how we use tech and how we, how we function IRL. It's a really good way to think about it. There's nothing more valuable than pausing for someone, and having that conversation.

Larry Burden 3:02 I love that you're making an active step to do that. Sometimes we want to do that but we still have our device up, or we have our device open and it's amazing how our eyes just naturally fall back down into it. David Noller, the TechNollerGist, mentioned that when he's using devices in his class they're open, as soon as they're not being used, he tells them, close the device, close the lid. It's easy to get distracted by the device. So we need to be probably very, very deliberate in what we do to make sure that we are pausing for people.

Danelle Brostrom 3:36 And tell people around you that this is something that you're trying to do too because I want you to check me on it. If we're in a meeting together and you see me not pausing, remind me of that. My kids have been checking me on it. My four year old will say, and I've got her saying this, I told her what to say so it's really funny when she says it, but she'll say, "daddy, what's more important right now me or your phone?" and he's like, okay, that is a kick in the teeth, I'm putting this phone down. You are more important to me always. But I think that's a good, you know, pausing for people, we need to make sure we're doing that.

Stephie Luyt 4:05 I also feel like in meetings and in just events in general I feel like people are trying to be more mindful about that. I feel like there was a time where it was, hey great look at how busy you are, I'm going to check these four different things, and I'm going to have this open, and I'm going to be looking at this device, and, and that was almost a good thing. But I feel like that pendulum has swung a little bit and we're seeing more, I'm seeing more active examples in adults of trying to model that balance because we can't multitask in the way that we think we can. I 100% can't, and I think the research proves most people can't.

Larry Burden 4:39 I can almost guarantee you guys do it when you go into a meeting. I take a look at the table and see how many people have their phone on the table. And over the past year I've noticed, less.

Stephie Luyt 4:51 I agree.

Larry Burden 4:52 Whereas so that trend that you're talking about, I think is taking hold. I think people are recognizing that the multitasking skill, isn't really a skill.

Danelle Brostrom 5:01 I agree, it makes my heart happy.

Stephie Luyt 5:03 My first favorite thing is, is pretty nerdy, but I've been doing a lot of looking into evidence based practice in libraries which comes out of the healthcare field

Larry Burden 5:13 I'm not going next.

Danelle Brostrom 5:14 I like this one already.

Stephie Luyt 5:15 The part I wanted to highlight is you can collect subjective data, as well as objective data. And the piece in subjective data that is meaningful to me is really that idea of a narrative and the storytelling. It's falls under the "anec-data." So anecdotal data. And it's telling the story about the connections. It can be about anything, but the something I'm thinking about is the number of our schools are focused heavily on relationship building and connections. And they are always doing that but for some it's like the top focus this year. And just trying to quantify for lack of a better word, how some of those connections get made with individual students or staff members in the library, and how valuable that is for way down the road, even. I just read a report last night, it was from NPR, and it was some research that had been done that, if a student even has one positive connection with an adult, it can help buffer them against, really some of the things that come up on like the ACES Survey, our those childhood trauma experiences. And like, those meaningful connections, and even what seems like a small interaction reaps benefits down the road. And so my point here is just saying that having anec-data to show those connections, it's very valuable. Like, that is time well spent. And it's kind of the same idea that Danelle is talking about in terms of making connections. Like, those, those connections are meaningful, and they can be very powerful for our kiddos. So, anec-data is my one of my favorite things.

Larry Burden 6:53 At the start of last year, our opening PD for the school year. We focused on something called the ISSN, the Intense Student Support Network. And I don't know if this happened over at Central High School, but I know at West Senior High, all the people that attended that PD wrote down something that they were going to do for students, be mindful of doing for students that year. And we ended up having, documenting the full list of things. And as far as something that would create a positive environment and would be what, what, what's the term again?

Stephie Luyt 7:25 anec-data

Larry Burden 7:26 Anec-data, that was, you know, I look at it because it was a spreadsheet of anec-data, and it was, it was very inspiring. We actually made a video out of it with the running, the running comments. "I want to make a kid, one students smile today," I'm going to say hi to a student everyday," "I'm going to try to imagine, trying to focus on their needs over mine." And we just it was all, just so many great comments from our educators, and it was nice that they had a moment to reflect. Because sometimes it's hard to reflect on that anec-data and recognize how important it is because you're wrapped up in so many other things. It's nice that, that became a focus.

Danelle Brostrom 8:03 Everything we should be doing. Kids, if they don't have that they can't learn. And that, those are the kinds of things we, we need to be doing every day.

Larry Burden 8:10 I'm not nearly as cool as that.

Danelle Brostrom 8:12 What'cha got Larry.

Larry Burden 8:14 The thing that I'm inspired about or that's inspiring me is the continued focus on STEAM and STEAM education. I love the A. I so love of the A. You know, we're all familiar with, with STEM, science, technology, engineering, and math. Throw the arts in there. Some of the comments that I ran across were, "It removes limitations and replaces them with wonder, critique, inquiry and innovation." The four C's, the 21st century skills, are all based, kind of in that artistic mindset, the creative mindset, collaboration creativity, critical thinking, and communication. Art is the tool to get those things done. So it's kind of like that connective tissue. It's like if STEM is the muscles and the, the skeletal structure. The A is the tendon, it's the ligament. It's all connecting it together, and I think that that's always been kind of a separate thing. You know, we always look at it any of our schools, especially high schools, the Arts Wing, it's kind of over there, it's those kids, you know, the artsy kids. And later on in life, when we're in business, or in any other field, we always go for it we really wish we had that creative person to kind of, not only bring some visual flair, but the viewpoint, the value of the viewpoint of, of a Creative, to look at a problem, and do that problem solving, from an outside perspective, I think is really what the A, brings to STEM is that, that creative problem solving.

Stephie Luyt 9:46 The jobs, and the challenges, and the fields that aren't even created yet, like, the creative problem solvers of the world are going to be able to make the future happen. That is so, such a valuable perspective.

Larry Burden 9:59 Next,

Danelle Brostrom 9:59 Next, the next thing that I am super inspired by are the Michigan Social Studies Standards.

Stephie Luyt 10:05 Interesting.

Danelle Brostrom 10:06 I know, right. You would never thought that one would have been on my list. No, they just were approved in January 2019 and it was after.

Larry Burden 10:13 You just had a meeting on this.

Danelle Brostrom 10:13 I did that's why it's kind of in my, in the forefront of my brain right now. They were approved after this big five year discussion and it became political as these things often do, but the final draft is the part that I love. It has this heavy focus on inquiry, and the entire first few pages of the Standards introduction talks all about how social studies should be taught. And how different it is from how we used to teach it. So it's heavy into inquiry and that should be the primary form of instruction for social studies. And that students and then they put, and teachers, kind of in parentheses, like as a second thought, like, oh yeah teachers should help too. But mostly the students should be crafting these investigative questions that matter. That teachers should provide and help students develop tangible opportunities to take informed action. And I just love this focus on inquiry. If we do true inquiry, then I think we can come, we can knock out like 95% of those ISTE Standards that we work so hard on.

Stephie Luyt 11:07 And ASL.

Danelle Brostrom 11:08 Right? It's, it's beautiful. I think Trevor Mackenzie's work on incredible become important as we unpack with the shift and kind of how, how this changes our teaching. He wrote a series of books, one is called, "Dive Into Inquiry," that I'm in the middle of right now. But he has another book called, "Inquiry Mindset," that's more K-7 focused. This one is more K-12 focused. But even just looking at his companion website, there are a ton of resources that, how to take students from, here's what inquiry is, which is wouldn't be very structured into this like free inquiry work students are actually solving problems that they care about. And I just, I love that scaffolding, and there's, there's even a section that I was thinking about he calls, "Teacher Librarians Your Inquiry Superhero." That they're the ones who are really helping you understand and empower within this learning idea. It's just, it's beautiful. I'm excited to see how inquiry into the social studies standards really changes the way we teach and how it starts to excite kids. This is a topic I'm passionate about, social studies instruction, and I'm excited to see how we can make kids passionate about this too.

Stephie Luyt 12:15 And let them follow what they're curious about reminds me a little bit of Genius Hour. It's that same following the, the area that you're passionate about, and, and seeing kids in that world, it's pretty empowering.

Larry Burden 12:29 The fact that this is actually in the standard is great. I think we have educators that do this, that focus on this. Our superintendent was just in, was mentioning in a board meeting recently that he was in a classroom where he was observing a teacher do exactly this. I think she's been doing it for years. The fact that it's a standard shows was me, or tells me that we're recognizing that we are we are no longer the gatekeepers of knowledge, and that our job really is to spark curiosity and inquiry. And the fact that it's a fundamental shift now it's not just something we're talking about it's actually embedded in the standards. We're not talking about content. We're talking about,

Danelle Brostrom 13:13 Process

Larry Burden 13:14 Process. That is a foundational shift in how we're educating and how we're expected to be educating.

Danelle Brostrom 13:21 It's amazing to see that in our standard.

Larry Burden 13:23 Two years ago we were frustrated that we had been talking about this. And it wasn't happening fast enough, and now...

Danelle Brostrom 13:30 It's there, and I would definitely encourage people to go to Trevor Mackenzie's website because there are a lot of resources on how to start inquiry. One of the things that he shares, and it's kind of fantastic. He took the UN Sustainable Development Goals and made this, I guess it's a slideshow, and each of the squares are interactive. So you click on the one that talks about poverty, or you click on the one that talks about access to clean water, and it shows you this little kid friendly video that would be a great starter for inquiry into that topic. Response, it's real world, it's inquiry, it's going to be great for kids and teachers.

Stephie Luyt 14:06 My next thing is everything over at TADL. I spent yesterday there. Thanks to TADL for hosting our PD. We had our K-12 library staff there for the morning and they were gracious enough to provide the meeting space. And just being reminded again, I spend a lot of time at TADL, but we have such a gem there of resources, as well as a community space. And the number of innovative programs and opportunities to our, for our community. Every time I'm there there's something else that I think, oh my gosh they're doing this. You know you can borrow a theremin, if you want to do that.

Larry Burden 14:44 Because why wouldn't you.

Stephie Luyt 14:44 It's not everyday, right? Besides the theremin lots of other gear for any kind of audio visual project that you might have. You know, it's just a beautiful community space, and I actually looped back over to the library at the end of the day, my son had robotics, so I started the day there early and then was there at the end of the day and saw some of the same teens that had been there all day, taking part in all of what's there for teens, you know. And I thought what a great space, you know, being there, so much yesterday, just saw kind of the, the evolution of the day. And like, how people are using this. It's just, it's just awesome, and I just wanted to thank them for the experience being there, but also just say that's one of my favorite things currently.

Danelle Brostrom 15:25 I would agree with you totally. Yesterday I was there as well picking up some MELCAT resources that I had ordered online and shipped right to my local library. And I walked in and

Larry Burden 15:35 Shout out to MELCAT.

Danelle Brostrom 15:36 I know, right? My kid was there and she was looking for some things. And that, that idea of connections with people, they are just so wonderful about talking to a child at their level, finding out what they're interested in, helping them find books. We're first taken the the card catalogs, they can look it up. And then helping them find that book on the shelf. And then, offering this additional series that they might be interested in. Like, they know their stuff, and they know how to get kids excited by reading.

Stephie Luyt 16:02 Absolutely. They're a great partner. One thing that I noticed yesterday that then looped around today, I, there's a sign in the, in the teen section and it lists all the dewey numbers for topics that you might not want to ask about. So, just think of a topic that as a kiddo you might be nervous to ask about, you know? And then as I was driving here today there was a story on the news about a person who was, you know what, growing up had some, some things that they were figuring out and spending a lot of time in the library and trying to learn about some of these issues but not wanting to ask questions, and so kind of fumbling their way through how to find the right materials. And I thought what a great thing that they're posting some information like, you might not want to ask but here's some places to start your inquiry.

Larry Burden 16:48 Is ours a diamond in the rough?

Danelle Brostrom 16:50 We are really fortunate for all we have in our library for the size of our community. We have just a really innovative, forward thinking staff over there. I mean, there are a lot of fantastic libraries, but I think we're just, we're extra fortunate and what we have in the size of our town.

Larry Burden 17:08 I was going to kind of jump off my STEAM conversation and actually go into one of the ISTE Standards. I really liked the Design Thinking Standard. So, students use a variety of technologies within a design process to identify and solve problems by creating new, useful or imaginative solutions. Kind of piggybacking off of what I was saying before. It's somewhat similar, but again it's taking a lot, maybe oftentimes several problems and looking at them as a whole, and then getting our students to, instead of focusing on the small point also look at the bigger picture and teaching some of those design skills and recognizing the usefulness of those design skills and design thinking is, is very important. You know, Stephie, you had commented on maybe not liking the word standard. But really, maybe instead of standard, maybe a different word would be design. Because really that's what it is. They're taking the social studies curriculum, or the social studies standards and they're actually looking at social studies design, and how best can we create a system that will educate our students in the social studies field, most efficiently and most productively. It's a standard, yes, but really it's a design, and I think that's really something that is exciting that you see that pop up, obviously in the ISTE standards as something that's really important. Moving it along.

Danelle Brostrom 18:34 I only have one more thing and it's eSports. Wow, last week's pod was amazing. Um, I'm reading, "The New Childhood, Raising Kids to Thrive in a Connected World," by Jordan Shapiro. I don't agree with everything in the book but he does lay out a lot of things that kids can learn through gaming. It's super interesting, reminds me a lot of the Jane McGonigal book, the "Reality is Broken." She talked about why gaming makes us better. And I think I really got that sense last week talking to the guys. That the things that they're doing with eSports, and the MiHSEF is so much more than just having kids on video games. It's all of these essential skills that they're learning through video gaming, and it was so cool. So that's another thing that I love.

Larry Burden 19:16 One of the neat things about eSports is the fact that you can get all these kids together in a community. It's an online community, but it's a constructive, controlled online community. One of the things that a lot of parents, including myself, would have wished for, for my kids is neighborhood time. Where they can go outside, and explore, and play and find their friends and do whatever. It's this, "come back at five," that doesn't exist. It just does not exist because oftentimes schedules. They're here, they're there, a lot of our houses are far enough apart where the distance isn't really workable. Online is actually a place where that can happen, where you can get groups of kids together in a constructive, fun place. When we were out playing in the yard, in somebody's yard, it's not like we were being constructive. I mean we were because we're learning so many of those skills that would be learned through eSports. Similar, similar topics, similar skill sets, similar mindset. It's just the playing field has changed from the yard, which we can't, we can't seem to recreate anymore, to an online yard, which is available.

Danelle Brostrom 20:33 Did you read the Jordan Shapiro book?

Larry Burden 20:35 I did not.

Danelle Brostrom 20:35 That is exactly what he talks about. He goes through things like, that kids would have normally learned in the sandbox, and this is what they learned in the online sandbox, and it's the same thing. It's just in this online community versus this face to face community. And yes, you need balance, but they're also learning these things online. You need to read it, it's exactly what you're talking about.

Larry Burden 20:52 We've talked about this before, we're not leaving our students, or our kids at the playground and walking away. The eSports environment, creates a controlled environment. So suddenly that sandbox is being monitored. Instead of, we're just throwing them out there and, you know, who knows what's happening. There's adult moderation in that environment, which I think is really important.

Stephie Luyt 21:16 And adult modeling even like, yeah,

Larry Burden 21:19 We hope.

Stephie Luyt 21:19 Yeah. My next one is specific to this time of year but the, the Youth Media Awards. So the Children's Literature Awards will be announced in January, and so this time of year is such fun because there's such a buzz about what books might it be, and lists coming out, and people making predictions. And what happens for me as the immense addition to my reading list that I got this time of year, because it's like, oh, this one, this one, this one, this one, oh yes okay. So I just love the, the discussions happening around books and the, the buzz around books, and the excitement, and the discussions that are happening. And I'm headed to a conference next week and they'll be that times 1000 so this is it fun time.

Danelle Brostrom 22:03 So the stack next to your bed of the books you need to read...

Stephie Luyt 22:06 unsafe.

Larry Burden 22:08 I trying to think of your Twitter stack. Because I know, you know, after we had we mentioned Colby Sharp on a few pods and that obviously triggered an algorithm on Twitter at some point in time because we @ him a few times. And suddenly, I'm pretty up on all the new books and things that are coming out because that is my Twitter feed and I'm thinking, what is yours like? Is it just, just book, after book, after book?

Larry Burden 22:28 You've got to read this, you've got to read this, You've got to...

Stephie Luyt 22:28 Pretty much

Stephie Luyt 22:32 It's nerve wracking.

Larry Burden 22:32 I was just going to say, it's got to be overwhelming. I'm stressed just looking your mine and

Stephie Luyt 22:35 This is a fun time. Yeah.

Larry Burden 22:36 For sure.

Larry Burden 22:37 Stephie, do you have anything else?

Danelle Brostrom 22:37 I'm out.

Stephie Luyt 22:38 When you mentioned Colby Sharp, the one book that he, one of the books he talked about

Larry Burden 22:43 This year's Liz Kolb it would seem.

Danelle Brostrom 22:45 Colby Sharp

Stephie Luyt 22:46 He mentioned that he was reading "Atomic Habits." And then it popped up for a couple people, and so I just started it. So I can't say much about it but I am really encouraged by, it's an interesting look at sort of those small things, those small changes that you make. Nothing, in terms of a huge new philosophy, but I think it, it's really interesting, and if it gives me insight into how Colby Sharp reads 1000 books a year and then that can even translate for me to read a quarter of that number that would be a huge win for this book to help me do that. So get through that big list.

Larry Burden 23:25 I guess for there. TechTool of the Week.

Techtool of the Week 23:31 I want to share the, "Use Tech for Good," site. It's ustech4good.com, and they challenge youth and adults to find and create the good online. Replacing the fear with positive deliberate and constructive ways youth and adults can work together with technology. It is beautiful, and inspirational, and there's a ton of positive examples of youth in tech, and it's definitely my tech tool of the week.

Larry Burden 23:55 This is good stuff. Tutorials and Updates. TechNollerGist shockingly has a new tutorial, "Intro to Google Drive." I think there's a cottage industry on Google tutorials. Because Google updates and changes so many things so often, for the good 90% of the time. So, if you think you know Google Drive you probably don't, watch the tutorial, "Intro to Google Drive," by the TechNollerGist. Hey, I would ask for our listeners, leave a rating on iTunes and include your favorite trends in education in, in the review so it's a great way for us, A. to get reviews, so please leave a review, but also a great way to communicate with us on what you think is really cool in education right now. So leave a review and a trend. In closing, follow us on Facebook and Twitter @tcapsloop,

Danelle Brostrom 24:44 @brostromda,

Stephie Luyt 24:46 @StephiLuyt

Larry Burden 24:47 And get all the books. Subscribe to the podcast on podbean, iTunes, Stitcher and tune-in, downcast overcast, the Google Play Store, Spotify and wherever else you get your ear candy. Leave review, we love the feedback. Thanks for listening, and inspiring.

Danelle Brostrom 25:04 Jeez Larry, I wasn't gonna Black Mirror it.

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Wow! Danelle and I were so thankful to have Ted Kidd and Dylan Chapman join us for this is a jam packed eSports episode of the EdTech Loop Podcast. If you are at all curious about the eSports phenomenon this is a must listen as our guests break down almost any aspect you could think of concern the sport. As the TechNollerGist would say, "Play a game today, it's good for you."

Full Show Transcript:

Dylan Chapman 0:00 Yeah, I've got you loud and clear here.

Danelle Brostrom 0:07 We lost Dylan

Ted Kidd 0:08 He's frozen

Danelle Brostrom 0:09 I know. Awe,

Dylan Chapman 0:10 Hi, sorry about that. I got myself kicked out I think.

Danelle Brostrom 0:13 Larry. Are you ready?

Larry Burden 0:15 We are ready.

Larry Burden 0:21 It's Episode 95 of the EdTech Loop podcast. My name is Larry Burden and she'll choose Yoshi over Mario every time. It's Danelle Brostrom. For the first time ever on The EdTech Loop podcast we are joined remotely by the heroes of Michigan High School eSports, Dylan Chapman and Ted Kidd. Before they joined us in our endless quest to level up, we've already discovered this week's Moment of Zen.

Moment of Zen 0:47 Time passes, people move, like a rivers flow it never ends, a childish mind will turn to noble ambition.

Larry Burden 0:58 Danelle has taken over the cooking duties and has barred me from the kitchen so she could remotely prepare this week's meat of the show. The Rise of Esports.

Danelle Brostrom 1:19 So Ted, can you give us a little introduction on who you are?

Ted Kidd 1:22 Ted Kidd work at Pinckney Community Schools. I'm the Director of Technology Operations and which is kind of a glorified network janitor job.

Danelle Brostrom 1:31 And Dylan?

Dylan Chapman 1:32 I'm a high school social studies teacher at Grass Lake High School.

Danelle Brostrom 1:35 Tell me what is eSports?

Dylan Chapman 1:37 eSport s is competitive online video game play. It's a multi-billion dollar industry, and it's being played at everywhere from the high school, even middle school level, all the way up to collegiate, and professional play.

Danelle Brostrom 1:50 How long have eSports been going on here in Michigan?

Ted Kidd 1:52 At the high school level it's, this is kind of the fourth year. In our experience we've seen some competitive tournaments happen at Lawrence Technical University, they started that about three years ago, and then just recently, Dylan, myself and a few others in the state of Michigan have formed a organization called MiHSEF or Michigan High School eSports Federation, to allow all high school eSports programs to compete against each other for free.

Danelle Brostrom 2:24 Nice. What kind of benefits are the kids getting from eSports? Like how, how are you selling this to families because I guarantee you there's probably a lot of moms that are like, no that's not a real thing honey, go back to doing what you were doing before.

Dylan Chapman 2:34 Some of the things that are like life skills or lessons that students learn are things like, communication, teamwork, sportsmanship. In a lot of ways, it's like traditional sports and then a lot of other ways it's not. But they learn a lot of the skills that they would on the football field, but in a just a different environment. So some things that are different that I think that they learn, are things like self learning. They're definitely motivated internally, like by themselves to push themselves further. The players participate as coaches a lot more than, than traditional sports and that gives the students a sense of leadership and control.

Ted Kidd 3:12 The thing about eSports versus traditional sports, because you kind of mentioned as well, is the esports can be played all year round. So kids don't just play for, you know, a six week period and then leave. Some of them will play all year round. So they really get a sense of community when they enter an eSports program.

Dylan Chapman 3:34 As far as communities that are in doubt that eSports is something to participate in or worthwhile. I would just point to the major professional competitions that have been happening. Just recently, the Fortnite competition where a 16 year old took home the biggest prize purse in professional sports history of $3 million. To say that eSports is just kind of a, either a flash in the pan, or something that shouldn't be taken seriously, I would point to those major competitions, such as the League of Legends competitions that sell out arenas like Little Caesars Arena, Madison Square Garden, week after week. People are all in. If people don't know yet, they're just kind of out of the loop and they'll soon recognize that eSports is probably here to stay and it's going to take a bigger and bigger role, in the sports field. This kind of as a side note, the benefits of being a collegiate eSports player is it's not governed by the NCAA is governed by a different organization called NAC, and they had specifically written the rules that they don't have the amateurism standard where they can make, they can only make less than $1 on their likeness. So a big part of eSports revenue for individuals is their streaming and their online, like, influencer presence. So they're allowed to make all that money. They're allowed to play professionally, and they're also allowed to get scholarships to go to school at the same time.

Danelle Brostrom 4:59 That's amazing to me that a 16 year old could bring home a prize like that, and now we're selling out arenas like that for, for gaming. Did you ever see this, did you visualize this happening someday?

Dylan Chapman 5:12 I think eSports has gone through a couple generations of evolution. You could probably take it back to the days of Madden, and those kind of competitions. Super Smash Brothers, which is still a game that's played, was one of those original, kind of big major tournament play games. Those are still being played all around the country and including in places like Michigan where the prizes can get up there into the thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars depending on the size of the contest.

Ted Kidd 5:40 So Dylan, really, you can date this back to, you know, in the day of Pac Man, and Miss Pac Man where...

Dylan Chapman 5:46 Oh yeah,

Ted Kidd 5:47 kids would come together and have these little mini tournaments at the local arcade to see who's the best. This is basically dated back to, to a place where video games have started. You know, Calicovision and Atari, and all those game consoles lended themselves well to the local competition.

Dylan Chapman 6:07 I'd say if anything it's just becoming more widespread across age groups and demographics.

Ted Kidd 6:11 And now with the internet and fast internet speeds, playing from home is definitely an option for a lot of kids and that's how they practice and get better.

Danelle Brostrom 6:22 This is amazing. What kind of practice, do you think your eSport athletes are, what kind of practice times they putting in?

Ted Kidd 6:30 So in the Pinckney District, we let them practice twice a week, two hours a night after school. And then they have matches twice a week. Sometimes they'll, they'll stay a little bit later to, to play against each other, or do another scrimmage online. So we have the kids in, after school, two hours a night, pretty much four days a week.

Dylan Chapman 6:51 Same here with my program. I'm actually in my eSports lab right now. We were able to commandeer an underutilized space. And we have practice here after school four days a week. We have matches twice a week. And one of the benefits I would say for families is that it does help to manage screen time for the students. Like when they're obligated to play, they're not as apt to get on once they get home. They kind of have gotten it out of their system in a controlled environment, and they move on to doing the things that they're supposed to do when they get home.

Ted Kidd 7:23 Yeah, like family time, homework.

Danelle Brostrom 7:26 Good, we're advocating balance. What is the coach's role during those practices, what does the coach do to encourage?

Ted Kidd 7:34 I'm gonna say most schools don't have coaches, they have advisors. And my job as, as an advisor is to just make sure they're in the right games, they're participating with their own team. Occasionally, we'll, we'll look at replay game footage to see what went right, what went wrong. When you study the film, just like in football, you can see where you made mistakes and get better. And then there's a lot of organizing that has to happen with these eSports programs. So things like fundraising, and just communicating with parents. Making sure that Athletic Directors and Superintendents, and Building Principals know what is going on. That's important. Communication is key.

Dylan Chapman 8:18 Yeah, the administrative back end definitely takes the bulk of what the adults responsibility is when it comes to coaching. Most of the advisors don't have the hundreds and hundreds of hours of gameplay experience that the players themselves have. Which is why player coaches and captains play a different role than they do in traditional sports, and there's almost more responsibility and leadership on their shoulders because of that, which is in my opinion, all good.

Danelle Brostrom 8:45 You said that you have a lab at your school, what, what what kind of hardware needs to have to get started?

Dylan Chapman 8:49 Ted could probably talk about the technical side of this, but it definitely varies from school to school. Some schools are ready to go, all they have to do is kind of like, turn the lights on and they're able to do it. Some schools will have to have, bring your own equipment, for a time period until they're able to establish funding or get the resources that they need donated in whatever capacity.

Ted Kidd 9:08 The technical side of things, depending on the games that your school wants to play, typically have to have at least six computers. And six is the number of machines needed for the game called Overwatch. With a team of Overwatch, you need pretty high end machines. I mean you don't need, you don't need to buy $2,000 desktops or anything but, for example, in Pinckney, we got Black Friday deal last year, and picked up 12 machines for $530 each. So, depending on where you look for the deals and specials you can really pick up, what you need relatively cheaply. Thankfully we were able to get a loan from our Athletic Department to get us started. In lieu of buying computers, you can also subscribe to a service called Shadowgaming. I don't want to advertise for them but, Shadowgaming is a service that allows anybody to create an account, and essentially you log into their, their account, all the computing is done in the cloud, at their facilities, and they essentially stream you, what you're doing online. It's a neat service. Unfortunately it's $20 per month, per account, so it's kind of a pricey investment. But if you don't have the resources available to get computers, it's a, it's an option for schools. There are some schools that are sharing spaces. So CAD Lab machines are typically a good way to use an area for a multi purpose. So CAD labs definitely have the, typically have the horsepower needed to to play these games.

Dylan Chapman 10:47 At my school we're repurposing some Robotics laptops that had 3D rendering abilities, which gave us the computing power to run the games at a decent setting. But yeah, cloud based computer gaming services shadow is one, Nvidia, which is a graphics card producer, they also have another one. That one's currently free. If schools wanting to experiment with just one season of league play it would be a cheap way to dabble. But long term I think building your own machines is probably the most cost effective, and you can incorporate some hands on computer science learning. With what Ted has done to update those computers, long term, they're not going to go out of date so to speak, they can just be updated which is, I would say, a cheaper one of the sports to participate in if you think about the equipment costs for other traditionals so.

Danelle Brostrom 11:40 You guys have mentioned the games a couple times. Talk to me about the games? How are the games chosen? Do you choose the games? Are there multiple games? How does that all work?

Dylan Chapman 11:48 So with our high school league we've chosen to go with Teen rating and below. And what we're trying to do is mirror what colleges and universities are playing. And what the colleges and universities are doing is they're mirroring what the professionals are playing. It's not to say that that's the end goal for us is to produce professional players, but we want to open up a dialogue between colleges and universities and high schools, and give an avenue to students that aren't typically given those opportunities to get scholarships for athletics.

Ted Kidd 12:19 The Teen rating, and I want to call it milder is important for schools. Because if we were to go to a rated M for Mature type of a rating for some of these games, you're looking at games with a lot of graphic violence, bloody, gory, realistic weaponry. To expose kids to it at a high school level I think is, right now irresponsible. Only because we don't know how communities will react to it, first of all, and your administration will shut you down if you do that. So, at this point, it's not a battle I want to fight at my school. So we definitely stick to the T rating.

Danelle Brostrom 13:01 Now Dylan you mentioned scholarships. What kind of opportunities are available here, here in Michigan or beyond. But what kind of opportunities are available for these kids that are starting with you in the MiHSeF.

Dylan Chapman 13:11 So I'd say that there's probably going on a dozen schools that offer varsity programs, which is scholarship opportunities for eSports. Most of those games are the games that we're playing in our league. That spectrum of games could change and we'll, we'll change with those changes. Schools like Davenport University, Aquinas College, Western has a major eSports lab, and arena. They're working on getting their scholarship program in motion. Surrounding states, especially in the Midwest Great Lakes area have kind of been at eSports for a while longer. So they have opportunities outside of the state and actually also in Canada. There are schools that offer scholarships, and if you have an athlete, you know your typical multi sport athlete, 4.0, who's also a top tier game player, and eSports, they're kind of picking and choosing what schools that they want to go to. So I have a student who fits the bill and all those describers that I just mentioned and he's literally just getting hounded by college recruiters for scholarship opportunities where they're matching half of his tuition and then he can on top of that stack his academic scholarship. So nearly a full ride to Division Two, Division One schools.

Ted Kidd 14:25 I want to make sure we mentioned all the schools in Michigan that offer scholarships for eSports. Sienna Heights University, Jackson College, Alma College, Northwood University, Aquinas College, Davenport University and soon, Michigan Tech.

Danelle Brostrom 14:42 Why are colleges, I mean, and businesses looking for these eSports players.

Ted Kidd 14:48 So, colleges have seats to fill, we, we've just been up to Northwood University to tour their campus, tour the eSports facilities for our playoffs for the fall. And met with their Esports head coach. And he was just saying the university's tuition is down, they have seats to fill, and they're trying different ways to get kids to come to their college. I think in Michigan, we've, we've kind of had this population drain since the, the last recession in 2007 ish. And all the people that moved away took the kids with them. I think it's, it's really had an adverse effect on things like education. So, Northwood is doing anything and everything they can to get kids in those seats and eSports is just the next evolution of trying to entice, you know 10 kids from this population, 10 kids from that population. If you get 10 here 10 they're in a lot of different places, and all of a sudden you've made up for that, that loss.

Dylan Chapman 15:53 And you're pulling from a diverse background of students to, from all over the state, because the students who play eSports transcend different demographics, and they're all interested in the same sorts of things. Usually like STEM related fields. So, those jobs are in high demand, and jobs in computer science and Michigan, there's a huge skill gap when it comes to workers. So trying to entice those kids to come together with other like minded students to become future partners or, or collaborators on the next app or whatever it might be, is what colleges and universities are trying to attract so they could put that quill in their head of alumni that have been successful,

Ted Kidd 16:34 As far as businesses are concerned, I think they've already found out that the, the students that are interested in eSports typically have a stronger background in the STEM, STEAM areas. So they're looking at potential engineers, and maybe even graphic artists, video production people. Some of those people that are creative but have like a solid knowledge of math and science. And let's not forget to mention to that the United States military are doing the same thing. They're, they're actively recruiting eSports students as well.

Dylan Chapman 17:10 And it's got the 21st century skill set that businesses are looking for when it comes to people who are remote, who are working together and problem solving towards a common goal. Being communative being adaptable, all of those things you've learned in game and also translate well into the office space.

Danelle Brostrom 17:29 Quite a few connections to ISTE which we talk about as well in the edtech world. So, is gender equity, an issue, and eSports? And if so, what do you, what are you guys doing to help recruit some diverse people?

Dylan Chapman 17:41 I mean, I think there's definitely a stigma, and a stereotype that your typical gamers a 15 year old boy. But, research shows that men and women of all age groups play games in some capacity. I mean look at your phone, you probably have some game on there that's just a casual type of play. But almost everybody as a gamer, even if they don't know it. Bringing people from that kind of casual play to competitive, is what we try to bridge the divide on. In my program we have quite a few girls, and because you're a female in the esports world you're kind of given an inflated profile when it comes to college recruitment. So I use that as kind of something that says like hey, you're a big fish in a small pond when it comes to being a female in this field because STEM fields also need females at this time too so. It's just a way to connect the dots to say, this is a high demand, high, highly lucrative field of work. And here's some pathways to get you more familiar with...

Ted Kidd 18:41 So in, at the Pinckney eSports program for our fall season we have two girls and are playing out of 16 total students. So there's definitely, gender equity gap that we're seeing. We try to promote the girls as much as possible. Like on social media, especially last year when we had two students that got scholarships to, to colleges, and one of them was a, was a girl. And we did everything we could to make sure that her profile was, was featured on our social media site. Just saying, there are opportunities for, for women in this, in this area. And as a Tech Director, I don't have the skills needed personally to, to know how to bridge that gap and, but I'm always looking for ways to for people to tell me, hey, try this or try that. And I'm very receptive to it, because I know there is a gap there.

Danelle Brostrom 19:39 So, this sounds amazing and already I'm thinking that my, my kids need to do this. Do you, do you need to be a gaming superstar to join the team?

Ted Kidd 19:49 In, in Pinckney, you just have to be a body that shows up and plays. We do have a pay to participate fee, unfortunately, only because our district doesn't fund it out of their general funds. Anybody that's willing, able, and even if they're not able we try to accommodate, things like physical disabilities and handicaps as, as much as possible. So, yes, anybody, anybody can do this. At the lower levels, you know elementary, middle school, the first thing they can do is, is to get involved with Minecraft. I think Minecraft is an excellent entry point for eSports. Minecraft licenses are free for Michigan K-12,

Danelle Brostrom 20:30 Are there any interesting new developments happening with your program or your league that you'd like to share?

Dylan Chapman 20:35 Our playoffs, I'm excited about our playoffs. So we're making networking connections with different universities around the state and our playoffs will be held December 7 at Northwood University. We also have lined up our Spring and Winter playoffs as well at different universities across the state. All of our players are from all across the league are welcome to come and mingle with other students with similar interests, do some casual play and find out who the best in the state are.

Ted Kidd 21:04 We've had a lot of schools that have reached out to us to contact us and they just want to know how to get started. Just yesterday I got a call from, I think, Menominee?

Danelle Brostrom 21:15 Menominie, Yes,

Ted Kidd 21:16 The ISD reached out to me yesterday and we had a pretty good discussion about how all of their School Districts up there could get started in eSports. So it's nice that we're having an impact, not just, you know in the population center of Michigan but up in the Upper Peninsula where, you know, kids might not have the same opportunities available. So, from what I've heard it's the Principals of the high schools that had this conversation, trying to get the ISD to help them. It's nice that the ISD is taking a leadership role to to get things like that started,

Danelle Brostrom 21:48 What advice, did you give them? I'm curious, how do high schools get started with all this because yeah, this is amazing and we should all be doing it.

Ted Kidd 21:55 Depending on what area you want to focus on you, you want to talk to both teachers and technology professionals. It seems like the tech people are needed to, to get things going, to provide the technical expert, expertise. But really, if you want to do this you have to get buy-in from either Superintendent, Athletic Director, Principal. And you have to have those stakeholders kind of on your side, because if they're not, then your programs doomed. Then you have to make sure that you have enough student interest to run a program. Certain schools in Michigan, that have built eSports programs, but can't get the kids to actually show up and play, which is bizarre in my mind, but it has happened. So if you build it, they won't necessarily come.

Dylan Chapman 22:43 I would say first is kind of take the temperature of the school. See if there's an interest for it. If there is, find an advisor who's willing to dedicate a lot of time, and a lot of patience to starting a program. You definitely have to get in touch, like Ted said, with your technical support team because this is a lot of what I'm doing here is out of my skill set. We have a technical support staff member on our high school campus who helps me out almost on a daily basis to jump hurdles with connections, updates, and equipment all the time. Beyond that, organization, communication with the community on what you're doing, and buy-in from the top down,

Ted Kidd 23:22 The final steps would be, make sure you have the equipment or the service to, to run the program, and join a league.

Danelle Brostrom 23:29 How long is the competitive season, what kind of a commitment are we talking about?

Ted Kidd 23:32 So for the MiHSeF League, our seasons are anywhere between six to eight weeks with a playoff. It varies based on the participation we get and the number of divisions that we have to kind of assemble.

Dylan Chapman 23:44 I believe it's eight weeks.

Ted Kidd 23:45 Okay

Dylan Chapman 23:46 So this season we're playing two games, which are Super Smash Brothers Ultimate and Overwatch. We play on Tuesdays and Thursdays. That ran from about October 1 until mid November around that area. And then after Christmas break we're going to have a winter season, that will run from after Christmas break till right before spring break or so and then a spring season that runs from after spring break till just near summer. So different games throughout. Depending on interest we might add more games in. But like Ted said, the length of the season is really determined by the number of participating teams across the state. So schools have had multiple Super Smash Brothers teams and multiple Overwatch teams. It's been going really smooth.

Ted Kidd 24:29 Yeah, for our first season this fall, we had 12 schools participate. Which is incredible when we compare that to other states surrounding us and what they said their numbers were for their first seasons. So in Super Smash Brothers we have 25 teams from those 12 schools. In Overwatch, unfortunately we only have 11 teams. We have one school that didn't want to participate in Overwatch, and that's okay.

Dylan Chapman 24:52 This is our first season of our first year of operation and schools have been signing up as the season's been underway. So I imagine next year we'll have a much better turnout. And even next season with the games that we're playing will have a better turnout as far as number of schools.

Danelle Brostrom 25:08 I keep hearing those same two games being talked about. I keep hearing Super Smash Brothers and Overwatch. What is it about those two games that either coaches are interested in, or kids are interested in or why those two?

Danelle Brostrom 25:17 The kids are definitely interested in Super Smash Brothers right now. It is the hot game. There are not just our league running it but there's tournaments popping up at colleges. Like every other weekend we see colleges running a Super Smash tournament.

Dylan Chapman 25:34 It's a very casual, social game, but it can also be extremely technical. It's like a game that you can play with your grandma, and then a game that you can play with the most professional players. So it appeals to a wide variety of players. And then Overwatch is a team based strategy, kind of capture the flag type of game. Defend the, defend an area kind of game with a lot of communication that's necessary and character types. That game I can see how that is a feeder program into the US military.

Ted Kidd 26:07 The United States Army eSports team has an Overwatch team that, and they're always on Twitter, talking about how to do certain things. They create videos for, for other players. It's really a cool program.

Danelle Brostrom 26:21 What do you hope for in terms of the future of your program or this league?

Dylan Chapman 26:25 I just hope for it to expand further beyond. To incorporate more schools, of course.

Ted Kidd 26:30 Kind of the vision and mission that we have for MiHSeF is to make sure that eSports is something that's viable for Michigan K-12. We have applied for our nonprofit organization status. So we want to make sure that we are able to find sponsorships and partnerships with businesses so that we can provide opportunities for students. Some of the things that we were thinking about we're providing mini grants for schools that can't afford to start eSports. To give them that initial capital to maybe get a few machines and get going. Right now we just have to focus on getting started.

Dylan Chapman 27:07 I'd like to see a middle school program emerge as well if somebody wants to take the reins on that. Work with us to create interest at the middle school level and start building those skill sets so that way we have just, you know, just like the other traditional sports they have middle school football and basketball and baseball, if we can extend that down to the middle school level for eSports that'd be great. The more schools we get, we've got regional play, some interstate play, because, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, they all have eSports leagues as well, and we've been piggybacking off of what works for them to create the league that we have now.

Ted Kidd 27:40 Just because it's a sit down competition, doesn't mean that it's necessarily a event or sport that doesn't include some activity. One of the things that high schools right now are doing is looking at the psychological nature of eSports and, and how to make sure kids are in the right mindset to play. We've been looking at physical fitness programs and regiments with our conditioning coach in Pinckney. Unfortunately, we couldn't do it this year because our Athletic Director told us, Hey your kids need to have physicals in order to do some of this stuff. So right now we just have them kind of walking around the school in between matches just to, you know, kind of get loose, clear their heads.

Dylan Chapman 28:24 Some schools are doing some sort of like, meditative yoga in between sessions. Some schools run kickball tournaments on the weekends to, to balance activity with mental kind of activities. And in gameplay, there's stats out there that show the players heart rates get up into the 120's and their, their blood is pumping and they're excited. So it's not like a couch potato type of thing, it's a very edge of your seat kind of activity. And really containing excitement, and keeping a cool head is part of the challenge of eSports. And that's also a translatable skill into the office place which is trying to keep a cool head while trying to focus on your end result in a stressful environment.

Ted Kidd 29:05 There's a local food pantry in the Pinckney area that we always make sure that we have a fundraiser to benefit them. And it's all about the giving back, type of mentality. Always looking at ways to give back, is something that the eSports community as a whole has done. There's organizations like Gamers for Giving.

Dylan Chapman 29:29 Gamers Outreach, there's a program that started in Saline actually, Saline, Michigan, where gamers go around with portable consoles to the Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor and just play video games with them. So the eSports world is definitely all about giving back, even if they haven't hit this kind of superstar status, it gives players, a platform to make their mark in the world.

Danelle Brostrom 29:53 This is the stuff that I love and this is why I think this podcast is really important, because I feel like some people if they don't understand it they dismiss it. It's, it's just kids playing video games, I don't understand why this is, why this is athletic, or why this is good or, but all the things that the kids are learning while they're playing these games, it's, those are transfer, transferable to any industry, and college and we want the kids to do these kinds of things.

Ted Kidd 30:17 Because of the, the learning that can happen. Having the adults in the room is the important step to make sure that they are getting the things taught to them that they need to be. Simple things like not getting upset when you lose, lose a match. You know, teaching them sportsmanship. Those are the skills that they need to have because if they get upset while they're at work and they break a keyboard or throw a mouse, it could get them fired. So we want to make sure that we, we teach them those skills like they have in any other traditional sport.

Dylan Chapman 30:49 Except for we can also offer digital citizenship skills when communicating virtually with other schools and teams. So, how to communicate on a sportsman like level with other, with other players. And when we have hangups and problems, how to resolve those issues, in a negotiated, compromising way. It's good for the students to see that model by the advisors, and it's also nice to see the students do that.

Ted Kidd 31:11 I think those are the types of skills that you want to promote to kids in your area. That's like the core of why all these schools are doing these things is to teach those skills.

Danelle Brostrom 31:25 I feel like this is about to blow up and you guys have done a ton of work, getting this started in Michigan.

Ted Kidd 31:29 A ton of work is very much an understatement here. There, there has been so much work involved to get this going. It's, it really blows my mind about how much each one of our members schools have done, just getting started. How much our board has done to make this a reality. I give everybody that's involved a ton of credit for just participating, having some input, writing the rules for games, developing a Policy Handbook, driving to different places to have meetings with each other, just so that everybody's on the same page. It's been a lot of work, but it's also been fun.

Dylan Chapman 32:07 And it's been a 100% grassroots effort, based on a nonprofit, not for profit sort of model that's completely focused on student experience and student outcomes.

Danelle Brostrom 32:16 Larry's handing me questions as we speak, is the,

Dylan Chapman 32:20 Thanks Larry

Danelle Brostrom 32:20 is there MHSAA involvement with eSports?

Dylan Chapman 32:23 They're kind of sit and watch sit and wait, sort of pattern right now. What they would want to do if they were to do something like this, is they would probably try to get somebody to break the ice on this and do exactly what we're doing. We tried to write our rules and policies in line with their rules and policies so that way when they do take it on that there's no, you know, reinventing, what eSports is so that way the transitions just really smooth,

Ted Kidd 32:50 We've actually reached out to the MHSAA to gauge their interest and tell them about what we're doing. There is the reality that we're facing that they may not want to ever do eSports. And in which case, we're, you know, building the foundation for high school eSports in Michigan right now, and that wouldn't be a bad thing. It also wouldn't be a bad thing if they did take it over, as long as we were able to have some input and provide the framework and structure to allow that to happen.

Dylan Chapman 33:22 Because we, we kind of know what works now. So they definitely be seeking guidance from somebody who's been through it already. So we're definitely willing to work with them whenever they're ready to take on eSports as part of the Michigan High School Athletics Association umbrella.

Ted Kidd 33:37 We just want to get people involved. We want to get schools involved. We want to get students excited about this, and it gives them the opportunity to, you know, learn. Because then the opportunity to have potential scholarships in college.

Dylan Chapman 33:53 I've seen, not only do they have to hold themselves to the academic standards of eligibility requirements as far as what our schools policy is based on but their attitude towards school I've seen it change. I've seen their focus pick up, because I've built that relationship with them through eSports. And then I'm sure that's translating and other classes as well.

Ted Kidd 34:14 Perry High School in Perry, Michigan, Zach Gardner runs that program there, along with his desktop technician, Josh, and they have a really high free and reduced rate in their school. So one of the things that they've done is they've gotten a after school meal program for their kids.

Dylan Chapman 34:33 Which is federally funded and fully supported to pay the staff and buy the food, and now they're serving breakfast, lunch and dinner at their school. And they have a great after school activity which is eSports.

Ted Kidd 34:46 He's also been able to acquire some Title 4 funds for his program to actually buy things. Just because he has a high free and reduced population doesn't mean that his kids can't have all the nice things that every other school district can and should have. So he's been buying gaming chairs and upgrading his computers, buying gaming monitors. With a high free and reduced population, you have kids that just don't care about school. They're more interested in, in figuring out where their next meal is coming from. They might have situations at home that they don't want to have to deal with but have to deal with anyway. So he's trying to make it an atmosphere where kids can come and be in a safe environment,

Dylan Chapman 35:25 Make friends, learn how to deal with frustrations in a controlled environment. It's great.

Ted Kidd 35:29 And also, get them involved in school so that their grades are high enough to actually compete. He's had a couple of kids that were failing that he's just told them, Hey, you have to, you know, meet the minimum requirements to be part of this and thankfully they did. And I think that's a testament to how eSports can affect kids.

Dylan Chapman 35:48 if eSports can help a kid graduate high school, you know, mission accomplished. If they can get a scholarship on top of that,

Ted Kidd 35:53 Icing on the cake.

Danelle Brostrom 35:54 Exactly.

Dylan Chapman 35:55 I don't want to jinx myself but I haven't really seen the downside of eSports yet.

Danelle Brostrom 35:59 So where do we go if we want to learn more about MiHSeF or we want to get started?

Ted Kidd 36:03 MiHSeF website is mihsef.org. You can email info@mihsef.org, and somebody will answer any questions. All of our rules, there's some technical documents, policy handbooks.

Dylan Chapman 36:18 How to, how to start a eSports team PowerPoint presentation on there.

Ted Kidd 36:23 We're developing more and more documents as resources for schools. But the website is really the hub and spoke of MiHSeF right now, where you find any and all the information that we have.

Danelle Brostrom 36:36 Awesome! What is your Twitter for those of us who need to know?

Ted Kidd 36:39 I think it's just @MiHSeF, very easy.

Danelle Brostrom 36:41 Perfect. Honestly guys, MiHSeF and, and in your work you're providing some amazing opportunities to Michigan's kids so, thank you. This is awesome.

Dylan Chapman 36:49 We're glad to do it.

Ted Kidd 36:51 Definitely.

Larry Burden 36:51 So in closing, follow us on Facebook and Twitter @tcapsloop

Danelle Brostrom 36:54 @brostromda

Larry Burden 36:55 Subscribe to the podcast on podbean, iTunes, Stitcher, Tune-in, downcast, overcast, the Google Play Store and Spotify or wherever else you get your ear candy, leave a review we love the feedback. Thanks for listening and inspiring.

Danelle Brostrom 37:12 That was Fan-tas-stic.

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Last week we discussed COPPA and the thousands of data points children create just by living and using our personal devices. Students also create data points at school which we hope to use to support teachers in helping those students achieve at their very best. It comes in many forms. You have SAT data, mandated state reporting data, but you also have a kindergarten student identifying colors, that's data, too. It's everywhere.

TechTool of the Week: Copyrighteous Podcast

Full Transcript Larry Burden 0:00 big theme that no one's gonna get

Larry Burden 0:07 Think Twilight Zone, and then you lose faith in humanity.

Andy Phillips 0:11 It sounds uplifting.

Larry Burden 0:11 It's fun for me,

Danelle Brostrom 0:12 it's very interesting.

Andy Phillips 0:15 It's my favorite of all time.

Larry Burden 0:22 It's Episode 94 of the EdTech Loop podcast. My name is Larry Burden and her midi-chlorian count is off the charts it's Danelle Brostrom, and also joining us, the TCAPS Yoda of data, Mr. Andy Phillips. We've learned to trust our feelings, which has revealed this week's moment of Zen

Moment of Zen 0:40 Pass on what you have learned, strength, mastery, but weakness, folly, failure, also yes, failure.

Larry Burden 0:50 Stay for some soup, you must, if you are to partake in this week's meat of the show, the light side of data. So, last week, last week's episode, we had, we had kind of a darker, maybe a little darker..

Danelle Brostrom 1:05 It wasn't dark it was informative,

Larry Burden 1:06 it was informative, but we kind of talked about data and how maybe the privacy of our children can be invaded and some of, some data points regarding them might be used for a less than helpful purpose in their life. We wanted to have, Mr. Phillips on here, Andy on to discuss what our school districts do with data that can really help them really achieve and grow in their learning. So with that being said, How are we using student data.

Andy Phillips 1:40 First Larry, let me, let me say that I did listen to last week's podcast. Larry and I had a brief conversation last night at an organization outside of school. And we talked about, COPPA, which, which I learned about listening to the podcast. I also, it was awesome because I was picking up my kid from gymnastics, which is where I saw Larry, and to listen to the podcast and the amount of time it took me to get home, I listened to it I'm double speed.

Danelle Brostrom 2:07 Nice.

Larry Burden 2:08 Very high voices.

Andy Phillips 2:10 It was awesome, yes. And because I know both of you have made it way more entertaining.

Danelle Brostrom 2:13 It makes me talk even faster.

Andy Phillips 2:16 And my daughter was freaked out by it to.

Danelle Brostrom 2:17 Okay, I'm gonna do that.

Andy Phillips 2:19 So I did listen to it and it was interesting that we call, to me that's, that's data. Yeah, I get it. And you guys talking about the thousands of data points that are out there just by basically living, not doing anything crazy high tech all the time, just living and using your personal devices creates all these data points. Well students have data points to and that's what we'll talk about today, I would assume is how we use student, like, assessment type data which comes in all sorts of forms. So how do we use it? It goes from school board reporting, state reporting, to the best use of data, which is teachers using it to help their students achieve at their very best. So that's a broad question, but that's a super, super broad answer that's how we use it, and it comes, you know, it's all sorts of forms. You have SAT data, which is college entrance and it's also mandated state reporting data, but you also have a kindergarten student identifying colors, that's data, too. Because of that student can identify colors and the teacher sees that, well, that student needs work on colors or patterns or shapes or whatever. So it's everywhere.

Larry Burden 3:31 You just kind of have, you know, pretty much answer the second question, but I want to go a little bit deeper so the next question was what data is being collected? And you kind of did it broadly. On a district level and in the classroom level what are we, what are we targeting? What kind of data is targeted by the district? 'Cuz I think that's, as you said, we're always collecting data. Every teachers is in the classroom collecting data, it's called observation. What data are we then trying to track and really use? Because I think one of the neat things that we're doing, you know, the Blueprint to some extent is really going on here what data is useful, and then kind of focusing and tracking that. What kind of are some of those things that oh, this is what we really want to key in on?

Andy Phillips 4:13 First of all, if it's not useful, and we don't have to do it, we shouldn't do it. That's, that's the bottom line Danelle's nodding.

Danelle Brostrom 4:20 Write that down. Say that again for the people in the back.

Andy Phillips 4:22 Right, and that's something that we have worked on with teams. And an example of that is we've taken away a lot of assessments for, that were required in the elementary world that we just weren't using and teachers weren't using. And if they were using they still have the option of, of doing it, right. From the district level, we use the summative data the most: MSTEP, PSAT, SAT, NWEA, and I'm excited with this new data tool that Danelle, and I went to a thing on OTUS which compiles these data points together. So, last week at Traverse Heights, when they had their half-day release-day, probably for the first time, maybe, maybe not for the first time ever, but the first, for the first time without doing hours and hours of laborious cutting and pasting, I was able to show a fifth grade teacher, here are your students last four NWEA scores along with their two last M-STEP scores. So that teacher can then narrow down, these are my real bubble students. Because this student was proficient in M-STEP math last year but not this year, and NWEA scores indicate that the student has a shot at being proficient on M-STEP. What does she do with that data, she's aware, that's the most important thing in my opinion. She's just aware so that she just holds that student to this higher standard knowing that, yeah, your track record says, you can do it and you'll be a needle mover for our school. The more local it can be the better. Anything is data. You said it, observations are data and oftentimes teachers don't remember that or recognize that as being as important as some of this other stuff. I think another theme I say all the time whenever I'm working with teachers is you always should have a reason for what you're doing, and there should be some sort of output. And the reason for what you're doing is usually, whatever the assessment is going to be, right? So whatever that is, you should be using it to gauge how closely, students are coming into whatever the learning target is. I had a Moment of Zen moment. I did a...

Larry Burden 6:18 Only if it's a Yoda quote because that's what I was going with

Andy Phillips 6:20 It's not Yoda

Danelle Brostrom 6:22 Listened to last weeks pod and has a Moment of Zen, you need to come back often.

Andy Phillips 6:24 I've got a couple of them. Just because I, the Moments of Zen, make me laugh every time that I hear them. This is a good one. It's not Star Wars though, it's from Mark Twain

Moment of Zen 6:37 Data is like garbage. Better know what you're going to do with it before you collect it.

Andy Phillips 6:43 Are you going to put sound effects in there

Larry Burden 6:44 100% hundred percent. I might even change your voice, put you on half speed. Well, we have the data. We know how it's being collected. How are we communicating those findings with teachers? How are we making it useful? We have these, these points, these tools. We have the data, as you said, we want to know what we're going to do with it. So how are we communicating that?

Andy Phillips 7:07 Yeah. The more the teacher can own the data, the better. but there are so many, so many different areas that that data is located. That sometimes...

Larry Burden 7:18 Let's start at the district level and go down.

Andy Phillips 7:19 It can be a roadblock. Okay, well I'm thinking of how do we get this data to teachers. So NWEA is a really good example. Many teachers, probably most teachers, maybe even all teachers are pretty savvy at manipulating the NWEA Data Warehouse website. So they go on and probably look at a quadrant report which is maybe the best thing that...

Danelle Brostrom 7:38 I agree.

Andy Phillips 7:38 teachers can look at as far as just like a balcony view. But teachers are doing that themselves. It's not like, I mean some principals might give teachers a copy of maybe they're quite a report, but it's all about the teacher being able to mine it. And then, you know, as far as other data points go. It's just a matter of how savvy teachers are themselves at mining into it. Like I'm thinking another really rich source of data is Think Central, because we do all sorts of assessments on Think Central. But if the teacher isn't savvy about how to get in there and do it, and really look at the results, you can see results by Common Core State Standards in Think Central, but it takes some clicks to get there and often that can be a roadblock.

Larry Burden 8:20 I'm sorry to interrupt, what is Think Central?

Andy Phillips 8:23 It's the online testing tool that's our big publishing company for elementary reading and math. It's where all the assessments are housed, and kids take the tests through Think Central. So unit tests, passage tests, those kinds of things.

Larry Burden 8:42 So it's not all over the place. They're not having to search and...

Andy Phillips 8:44 Right, but the more savvy you are. So Danelle can speak to this too because there are teachers out there that get just gobs of really good information, and so when it comes time for something like report cards. Teachers can pull these really great reports, by doing smart things from Think Central, but their, I would say more savvy at being able to use it. And it definitely has, just like everything else, a personality to it. And sometimes it doesn't always, you know, work like we want it to work and whatever. But if you're less savvy, you're just probably doing what the minimum requirements are, and then what happens is the data? Probably not much.

Larry Burden 9:21 As a Tech Coach, what are you finding regarding Think Central and that usability, what questions are you being asked Danelle?

Danelle Brostrom 9:28 I love that we're at the point where we're asking these questions, frankly. I love that education is at this point where we're saying, how am I going to use this data today to make changes to my instruction tomorrow. And if I'm not using the data let's get rid of it. And how do I question what I'm giving the kids to decide whether it's actually going to make a difference or not. Like, I love that we're at a point in education where we're doing that. Because the beginning of my career, we weren't. We were still just following what we were supposed to be doing. We weren't, we weren't giving it that extra piece of thought, and using the data in this way. So I love that we're here. I totally agree with Andy. I think it just depends on the teachers comfort level with using that data. We've, we've done a really good job at collecting it but I think that next piece, and this is the same everywhere, I think that next piece of actually how to use that data to change your instruction is where we're at. I think we're doing, we're making strides with that every day.

Andy Phillips 10:18 One more thing to that I think is really important and relevant to this part of any kind of data conversation is that it shouldn't just be used, like for, for individual students, and individual student growth. And a lot of my work, probably my favorite part of my work, is when a teacher has a really good idea, and wants to try something in his or her classroom. You can use data to see if something is working or not. Instead of thinking how am I going to look at it today, to adjust for tomorrow. You can think of it, what do I want the data to show based on my hypothesis that this will be a needle mover for students. And so setting these goals then looking back, like holistically at, did this work. To either validate or to say you have to change what I thought wasn't going to work. That's another really powerful use of it, and that's another thing that wasn't really happening I don't think when we all started in this field. We would do something, and it basically sunsetted when the material got old or things ran its course. And we would maybe try something different and the only thing we had to prove anything might be MEAP scores or something like that. And even then, it was so, so in the past, whatever that data was that you can make..

Larry Burden 11:33 The MEAP was always well behind and not useful.

Andy Phillips 11:35 And the MSTEP continues to be. So we have all this data that's now in real time. But, I just wanted to put that in here that, that's another thing that teachers need to be empowered to use it for decision making for, for things that they, they think about. Just it's all over the place, when a teacher has an idea, and we can actually give it a shot and pilot something, the pilot comes along with, well what are the expectations, and if we don't meet those expectations we have to go back to either the way it was or rethink.

Danelle Brostrom 12:02 I think it's exciting for teachers because I think things are more concrete. It's not just kind of like oh, it feels like it's, it's, it's okay it's working.

Larry Burden 12:10 Driving down the road without headlights on.

Danelle Brostrom 12:11 Yeah, it feels more concrete and it's exciting for students because it's definitely we're doing things that are making a difference.

Larry Burden 12:17 What's the most striking or surprising piece of data that you've run into since you've been here?

Andy Phillips 12:24 Larry that would have been a great way to give me a heads up on before

Danelle Brostrom 12:25 Tough question, wow.

Larry Burden 12:25 I thought about it.

Andy Phillips 12:30 The most surprising thing to me was that, and continues to be that data is located in so many different places. And you really have to work to try to make sense of it for whatever different stakeholder group that you work with. Gosh, I'd say the most interesting thing and it probably was the same thing before I, before I came and will continue to be because it's like this, this big puzzle. It's really interesting to me that students who may be high achieving on one type of test, or are pretty high achieving like good AB students sometimes are not high achieving on some, like, like an M-STEP or like a PSAT. And so that's something that a lot of curriculum leaders at TCAPS are trying to really hone in on. Which is why I mentioned getting that data all compiled together so we can identify who those students are, and, and hopefully move the needle. But that continues to surprise me. So I just looked at a thing today, that I shared with someone that had a student who scored, like in the 80th percentile in the last iteration of NWEA math, but wasn't proficient on the last iteration of the M-STEP for that student, but was proficient on two years agos M-STEP. That's what's interesting to me. And, just to try to build more consistency in it for students, so that when it comes time to take that 11th grade SAT which is as high stakes as it gets. Because that's the thing that can get kids into college and financial assistance, and to make those more predictable. And, you know, if we can hone in on those types of students and really help them achieve proficiency that's going to be good for everybody.

Larry Burden 14:06 How does the Blueprint help in that communication process, in that finding out what information, what data is useful? You know, that back and forth. It's funny, I hear a lot of your meetings, because you're right next door to my office and I hear some really good discussion about data, how has that...

Andy Phillips 14:25 Do you hear the bad discussions?

Larry Burden 14:25 I put the headphones on.

Andy Phillips 14:25 Yeah, right.

Larry Burden 14:29 How does that, that structure help that dialogue?

Andy Phillips 14:32 Probably the most important thing we do with the Blueprint is something that is just really good practice whether your Blueprint District or not, but the Blueprint forces you to do it, is this thing called Performance Management. So every month the Instruction, Curriculum Instruction Team sits down basically with Principals, sometimes Assistant Principals, sometimes Teacher Leaders from each school, and we go over, basically the balcony view of data. And then Principals and those Teacher Leaders are prompted to have those same discussions with their building networks. Without something like the Blueprint, those things wouldn't be in place to do so regularly. And it just holds you to doing them regularly. And it forces you, and that's a, that's an okay word to use here, it forces you to pick some sort of data to discuss each month. And we have it all laid out. So like, the first month was M-STEP data, because it was September first time we've talked about it, since we came back from summertime. The next month was NWEA holistic proficiency data. This next month is going to be what we can mine out of Think Central. Getting local, talking about student grades with secondaries. But we're kind of forced to stick to the same timelines so that Principals know what to prepare for and so that you know we just don't going to be talking about when each month comes. That's a really powerful part of the Blueprint. It holds you to these things, and it makes you lay it out for the year so that you have something to follow.

Larry Burden 15:54 Teaching students is really complex, and I know in the past, having been some of those meeting, meetings, involving curriculum, it can spiral very quickly into a ton of different topics, and it's really hard to manage a meeting and make sure that you have an outcome that's workable and actionable. It's been interesting to hear those, the meetings, involving the Blueprint, because it always seems like there's something actionable coming out of it that's data driven.

Andy Phillips 16:20 Yep, when we're leading meetings, like we're having a social studies workbook committee that just, I'm organizing the agenda now and there's going to be data in that committee. We're going to put out there our struggling, 5th grade M-STEP Social Studies scores because that's the objective of that group. And that's, there's no reason not to make it the objective. There's no reason not to say that we're coming together, investing in teachers to make the work more robust for students because we think that'll move the needle with M-STEP scores. So yeah, even, even on stuff like that we're bringing data back into the conversation all the time.

Larry Burden 16:53 To tie in what we talked about last week, we are collecting all this data, how are we keeping it safe? And we all look at Danelle?

Andy Phillips 16:59 I learned about COPPA last night, at double speed, in my car so.

Danelle Brostrom 17:07 Well I think currently all the places where we are keeping data we've negotiated the terms of those agreements with those companies so we're good with those. It's all of the random things that we just need to get ahold of.

Larry Burden 17:19 The research has been done, and I think, I bring that up not to do a gotcha, I brought that up to, you know, if there are parents listening to this, to know that the main sources of data that we're using have been vetted.

Danelle Brostrom 17:35 Yes,

Larry Burden 17:35 You know, Danelle's read the,

Danelle Brostrom 17:37 We got you

Larry Burden 17:37 Terms, Danelle's read the policies. We're safe.

Andy Phillips 17:40 Yeah, something that I found interesting coming to TCAPS is we did have a Danelle and we did have this big, fairly large Technology Department that does do all those things. And it took, it takes a minute to get used to all the people that you have to tell, or communicate with of things that you're doing going forward so that people like Danelle can make sure the privacy policy, policy is okay. And if it's not, you know, how can we work, either work through it, or make sure that we adjust whatever our agreement is so that it is ok. So those things do happen sometimes you have to be reminded Oh, you didn't tell so and so and you should have told them in the beginning. Getting better at that.

Larry Burden 18:22 Well I think, I think we do have a bit of a Lone Ranger mentality sometimes in education. And, you know, we go off on our, our tangents. But the structures are there. The structure, structures are in place, not to put a lid on the creativity that's going on in the classroom, they're there to keep us safe in the classroom, and to support the teachers in doing what they could be doing. And making sure that, for instance the, the data that they're collecting from their students is safe and useful as you were saying earlier, you know if we're not using the data that's collected, we probably shouldn't be doing that assessment.

Andy Phillips 18:57 Mark Twain said that.

Larry Burden 19:01 With that, is there anything else Danelle?

Danelle Brostrom 19:04 No.

Larry Burden 19:04 All right. TechTool of the Week

Andy Phillips 19:08 Can I

Larry Burden 19:08 I'm sorry, I'm sorry

Andy Phillips 19:09 I prepared, I prepared, one more quote for this. This is a good Moment to Zen to.

Moment of Zen 19:13 Data will talk to you if you willing to listen.

Andy Phillips 19:16 By some guy named Jim Burgesson. And finally, I like this one too.

Moment of Zen 19:22 If we have data let's look at data, if all we have our opinions. Let's go with mine.

Andy Phillips 19:31 That's a good closing right?

Danelle Brostrom 19:32 That should be one your business card.

Larry Burden 19:33 Yes it should. TechTool of the Week. Beat that, follow that.

Techtool of the Week 19:42 I can't. There is a new podcast out that I'm really enjoying it's called Copyrighteous, and it's by Diana Gill. And what she's doing is kind of awesome. They're called micro podcasts, and they are discussing responsible creativity for educators. So, leading on our privacy and COPPA discussion last week. Her first episode was just a short little five minute snippet where students want to know how to use music safely in a video project. Here's how to use music safely in this video project. I'm really interested to see where this podcast goes because I think anytime we can get those short snippets about digital citizenship and media literacy to our teachers, the better off we are. So keep an eye on this podcast they're doing some pretty cool stuff,

Larry Burden 20:23 How long are they?

Danelle Brostrom 20:24 five minutes, boom, here's your stuff here's what you need to know. So Copyrighteous.

Larry Burden 20:28 Tutorials and updates, really, unbelievably, the TechNollerGist has no new tutorials this week which is the first time I think this year that he hasn't had at least two out. So, come on, come on, David, get busy.

Andy Phillips 20:41 Maybe he should hold one back so he has one in the can

Danelle Brostrom 20:42 Yeah David.

Larry Burden 20:47 Last weekend three, to be honest, so I guess we'll give them a break this time. So really, I was just going to give another shout-out to the COPPA podcast last week I think it was really informative and it would benefit anybody to listen I do believe. So in closing, follow us on Facebook and Twitter @TCAPSLoop

Danelle Brostrom 21:02 @Brostromda

Andy Phillips 21:04 @fishinspartyap

Larry Burden 21:06 All right! Subscribe to the podcast on podbean, iTunes, Stitcher, Tune-in, Downcast, Overcast, the Google Play Store and Spotify or wherever else you get your ear candy. Leave a review, we love the feedback. Thanks for listening and inspiring.

Andy Phillips 21:23 The next time if there's, if there's a focus for it, that would be lovely.

Larry Burden 21:27 Sure.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai

Music by Podington Bear

View Details

"The primary mission of COPPA is to place parents in control of what info is collected from their children. As a parent, I find this impossible." - Cheri Kiesecker

What is COPPA? In 1998 Congress made some value judgments about the potential harm to children due to online activity. That it was important for websites that are targeted towards kids to collect parental consent before they collect, use, or disclose any of the child's information and data. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), made some rules and suggestions as to how that would happen, and COPPA is the result of this work.

Show Notes and Links: COPPA Workshop Video

The Digital Playground - App Design, Data Collection, and Policy Implications - Jenny Radesky from U of M Medical School
State of the World in Children's Privacy - Panel 1

Twitter: #COPPAworkshop

Great articles about the FTC workshop:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/10/opinion/coppa-children-online-privacy.html

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2019-10-08-the-ftc-has-its-sights-on-coppa-and-edtech-providers-should-take-notice

Tech Tool of the Week: It's Digital Citizenship Week! Follow #digcitcommit. It has a ton of great ideas on incorporating this topic into your classroom. Also visit Common Sense Media for our #TechTooloftheWeek.

Show Transcript: Danelle Brostrom 0:04 Okay, can I tell you I'm worried about this topic.

Danelle Brostrom 0:12 What, is today Tuesday?

Danelle Brostrom 0:14 Danelle was awful this week so

Larry Burden 0:17 it'll be. We'll see

Danelle Brostrom 0:19 Can that be your intro. Heck yeah

Larry Burden 0:21 So there we go.

Larry Burden 0:26 It's Episode 93 of the EdTech Loop podcast my name is Larry Burden and she wishes she was at the hottest spot north of Havana, it's Danelle Brostrom. It's really cold in here.

Danelle Brostrom 0:37 It's really cold in here.

Larry Burden 0:38 After reading the iching's terms of service agreement, we've decided to share publicly this week's moment of Zen.

Moment of Zen 0:45 They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve, neither liberty, or safety.

Larry Burden 0:54 The rest of these essential ingredients are copyright protected, but we've, we've obtained the rights to add them to this week's meat of the show. The future of privacy. I had, I had a question to start out with but I really wanted, I wanted, I had these quotes and I'm like I want to start out with this and see where you go with it. So the quote this time was from Twitter, because Twitter, the primary mission, first, am I pronouncing right is it Copa?

Danelle Brostrom 1:20 COPPA,

Larry Burden 1:21 COPPA because they don't want it to be the Copacabana, which is the reference earlier.

Danelle Brostrom 1:24 I got'cha. Now I get it.

Larry Burden 1:27 There we go, and it's really cold in here. Did I mention it's cold in here?

Danelle Brostrom 1:29 It's cold in here.

Larry Burden 1:31 "The primary mission of COPPA is to place parents in control of what info is collected from their children. As a parent, I find this impossible." And that's from Cheri Kiesecker @cherkies. I do believe on Twitter, and I read that and I thought to myself. Yep. Yep. So, what is COPPA?

Danelle Brostrom 1:55 The original COPPA was passed in 1998, and it was enacted in 2000. So just, just think about that in terms of where we've come in ed tech first of all,

Larry Burden 2:04 First what is COPPA?

Danelle Brostrom 2:06 You're gonna kick me back there aren't you? Okay.

Larry Burden 2:08 Acronym time.

Danelle Brostrom 2:09 So, essentially Congress made some value judgments about the potential harm to children due to online activity, and so that it was important for websites that are targeted towards kids to collect parental consent before they collect, before they use or disclose any of the child's information and data. So the FTC, which is the Federal Trade Commission, made some rules and suggestions as to how that would happen, and COPPA is kind of the result of this work. So it really provides special protections for what they deem to be children which is actually under 13, which is another conversation that they had. But it's it really just tries to protect our littlest, our littlest, littles for thier online activity. So it's, what I was saying is it's interesting because the fact that this was thought of in '98, when the internet was really just starting to gain some traction and then enacted in 2000. That was 19 years ago. There was a small update done in 2013 which I want to talk about later but there's a lot that has happened since then. Which is why, I think, last week, the reason this topic came up on my radar at least. Last week the FTC had a workshop called "The Future of COPPA Rule," and they had an entire day's worth of some experts who were talking about this digital playground idea. And they had panels, they had experts, it was just amazing and fascinating and that's actually why it was late to record the podcast today because I was sitting in my office watching the tape from last week, so.

Larry Burden 3:43 You are correct, nerdy.

Danelle Brostrom 3:44 I know so nerdy, but I will link it up in the show notes because I think there's some really good, there's some good information and there were some sessions that were really really good so I will point those out.

Larry Burden 3:54 It seems to me that in the early 2000's, actually a little bit ahead of the game.

Danelle Brostrom 4:00 For sure, oh yeah.

Larry Burden 4:01 At that point in time, you know, some very smart people saw that there was going to potentially be some issues. As we've gone through the next two decades, it seems like we've kind of dropped the ball. Fumble!

Danelle Brostrom 4:11 We have, we have dropped the ball. But it's, I don't think it's really our fault. I think the, if you look at the, even just the amount of mobile devices in the home from when this was enacted to now, I mean you went from like 41% had smartphones to like 95% have smartphones and they're putting their kids on them. Just that tidal wave of an increase in devices. It was dramatic, and it was game changing, and I think we as parents and teachers are trying to keep up. I think our pediatricians are trying to keep up. The researchers are trying to keep up. And everyone's just trying to figure out how to manage it all. I don't think that we meant to drop the ball. I think that it was just all of a sudden the tsunami was coming at us and we were like, Oh, well, I wasn't prepared for that. So I think that in, I mentioned that in 2013 they did do some updates to it. They said things like, hold on I'm going to grab my notes because this is a really really meaty topic.

Larry Burden 5:11 There's a lot of notes,

Danelle Brostrom 5:12 There's a lot of notes. But they did increase the protections. They said that we are going to talk about new forms of PII. So, so, PII is, are all the things that we use to, to identify kids, so they are now talking about behavioral advertising, so identifiers that can recognize the user over time and across websites, that that can be considered PII. And photos, and videos, and audio files can be a kid's PII. So if you're putting an audio recording of a kid online, that's their personal identifiable information. Geolocation is also included in that. They increased some new forms of parental consent. So some new ways that parents can say yes I approve of this site or No, I don't. And then they also increased the coverage to talk about like, Internet of Things devices, like little vtech tablets and things like that. And platforms like YouTube were included for the first time. So, it was good that they made some changes there and I think, and they talked about this in the, in the panel, that there's, there's a lot more that they still need to do. And some countries are further ahead than us. Like looking at the GDPR that's over in Europe. They're a lot more strict, and they do provide people more control over their data. And California inacted some laws to increase protection for kids under 16, and that if you're a business you have to have like an age gate on your website that says are you for sure over 16m, and they have to opt in or opt out. It's not perfect, but I think

Larry Burden 6:41 Sounds, sounds less than enforceable.

Danelle Brostrom 6:44 It's, yes it is unfortunately. But I think the fact that people are talking about this, and people are asking for more regulation is just showing that we don't quite understand, we don't quite trust what companies are doing with our data. So, it's good that people are talking about this. It's great that they had this entire day of experts talking about this rule and how they can make things better for kids.

Larry Burden 7:07 You know briefly going through the thread, the corporations don't have a handle on it, the users certainly don't have a handle on it. I think there's a, there's a lack of understanding on some of the basic issues, probably because it is going so fast, I forget the TED talk, it was the Google Designer he was, a former Google Designer,

Danelle Brostrom 7:30 Okay,

Larry Burden 7:30 That brought up that really attention right now is the commodity. That's the currency, and I don't know if, I don't even know if companies really recognize, you know, or the powers that be really recognize that that is the case, even though they are marketing to it. One of the stats that did come up was, you know, 53% of kids ages three to four have already been online and have an online presence, and by the age of 18 every person has at least 70,000 data points, trackable data points. And that I have to say, I wouldn't doubt it that's old data.

Danelle Brostrom 8:13 Yeah,

Larry Burden 8:14 It came in reference to a particular business owner that mentioned that things aren't marketed, that their digital devices or online devices, aren't marketed to kids. Either, that was just a lie, or there was a lack of recognition that since most, most things online are based off of algorithms, anytime something is getting tracked and the, that data is getting logged the algorithm is going to feed marketing to the child. They're going to give them what they want based on the clicks and those data points. So even though this device isn't specifically marketed to the child, which I don't necessarily buy,

Danelle Brostrom 9:00 Right

Larry Burden 9:00 either, but it's a soft currency, even as a soft currency, that being attention, the algorithm is marketing to the child. Specifically, the individual child. We are allowing that, that currency to be spent.

Danelle Brostrom 9:18 You should,

Larry Burden 9:19 I told myself I wasn't gonna get on a soapbox and that took about five minutes.

Danelle Brostrom 9:23 You should go back Larry and watch the section of the FTC workshop. The first person who spoke, her name is Jenny Radesky, and she's from U of M medi, medical school. She was fascinating with the research that they've been doing down there on App design, data collection and policy implications. They did a content analysis of 135 apps that are marketed or played by children that were found in the kids section of the App Store. So, these aren't necessarily ones that were recommended for kids, but they were one that they said, sure kids can play 'em. We'll throw, throw them in the kids section. and they...

Larry Burden 10:00 Not to interrupt but, they're not recommended for kids, but if a kid is on the app store, and the data points that they're placing on the App Store lead them there, guess what, it is marketed to kids.

Danelle Brostrom 10:12 Right, and they found on those apps that were marketed towards kids, lots of pop up ads, bannered ad's, sponsored content. And some of them said things like sponsored content, but they're marketed towards preschoolers, and preschoolers can't read. So you're trying to get them to click on those things. Some of the ads even had inappropriate content for kids, guns and knives, adult themed content. The ad networks aren't filtering out the adult ads, and they're also using an adult centered design. They're trying to apply that to kids, and kids can't, kids can't distinguish, all the research shows that kids, even school age and school age and under, they can't distinguish what's going on with that advertisement. So applying an adult centered design to kids apps is really something we as a consumer need to, need to fight against because kids deserve content that is designed for them, and that is safe for them, and that is just not going to put them in situations where they're seeing all these things. That's not fair.

Larry Burden 11:13 That leads me to the question, so what is age appropriate design? I saw that a lot, in a lot of the, the tweets. What does that mean?

Danelle Brostrom 11:22 I would look to PBS as a leader in that. If you look at the stuff that PBS is putting out they are always thinking of the end user and the child. I mean, man, it goes back to Mr. Rogers Neighborhood ya know. I mean, I know but that was designed for a child, and what a child needs, and I think that, I think as a culture and as a society we need to recognize that kids need something different and kids deserve something different. And even if you look at the number of kids that are playing, we talked about the content that was marketed towards kids but a lot of the kids are playing the content that isn't marketed towards them and how do we, how do we keep them safe. I think it's our duty to give kids a better experience and I would look to PBS as a leader in that.

Larry Burden 12:09 So a couple things. Talking about Mr. Rogers

Danelle Brostrom 12:13 Awe, see. I did it to.

Larry Burden 12:16 And I want to bring up something called the Children's Fire. I think we may have talked about this as well. By a, it was a book by Tim McCartney, and he also had a talk and we'll link in the show notes to the talk. So I think it's really important. And the general concept, ya know, not to go too deep into it, is a healthy society puts the child first. And when they're making decisions on an adult level, the first question that's asked, before any other question is, is this good for our children? So when we're talking about age appropriate design, when we're talking about algorithms, when we're talking about any of this, on the highest level, on that, to be honest, on that corporate level, when they're when decisions are being made about what is, what is appropriate, or what is healthy, for our product, long term, really the first question that needs to be asked or should be asked is, is this good for our children. Until that happens a lot of the conversation around COPPA is going to probably miss, or is going to be hard to enforce, or hard to establish, because the will behind it isn't there. PBS is doing a very good job, but if the algorithm isn't leading the child to PBS, the child's not going to see it. Their decisions are going to be led some place else. And as Sherry Keisecker had said, "as a parent, I find it impossible," to keep track of those data points and really manage my child's online identity, without it being a real community effort.

Danelle Brostrom 13:59 I think it has to be. I don't think it's fair to put that on parents. And I think that's what our tech companies and our app makers have said. They've said, well parents need to use this monitoring software, and parents need to do a better job of being next to their kids when they're using their device to make sure that they're doing what's appropriate. Yeah, we should, but, wow, that is so ridiculously hard and you can't put another thing on my shoulders because as a parent, I am trying to do a million things and you've got kids with these devices that can move from room to room. It's not just sitting down and watching a television program together and talking about it, it's,

Larry Burden 14:35 They're not wrong. I mean, they're not wrong,

Danelle Brostrom 14:37 They're not wrong but man,

Larry Burden 14:39 but it should

Danelle Brostrom 14:39 help us out a little bit.

Larry Burden 14:40 Exactly, exactly. It's really easy for both the parent and the corporation, or the school, or whatever you know, entity, it is to say, it's somebody else's fault.

Danelle Brostrom 14:50 Yeah, right.

Larry Burden 14:52 And I'll go back to the, the Children's Fire, until all the parties involved start with the question: is this good for the child? we're probably going to miss the mark. It really does affect how our children are perceiving the world, and how they're educated, and how they grow, and what society they grow into.

Danelle Brostrom 15:14 And I think, EdTech needs to be talking about this. I know that sometimes when I have this discussion with my teachers, they're like: What are you doing, everyone else is using this app, nobody's talking about this, why are you, why are you bo..., why are you putting a lid on this? And I feel like, okay, not everyone is talking about this yet, but man, we have to be, especially in EdTech. ISTE did a survey and districts with over 1000 students, which I mean, we're over 10,000, but districts with over 1000 students are using approximately 548 different ed tech tools. And that came from the Project Unicorn site which if you don't know Project Unicorn, they're amazing. They do a lot of work with interoperability, so how can all these things talk to each other so that it doesn't end up being more work on the teachers part to collect all this data. It's another whole thing we'll talk about another time. But, but, man just 548 distinct ed tech tools. Think about all that data, and all of those kind of issues.

Larry Burden 16:11 In a district a tenth the size.

Danelle Brostrom 16:11 Yeah, all those companies are, their marketing to schools and schools are signing up because this is a great way to get kids engaged, or this is going to help with this one problem I have in the classroom, or this is going to make me more efficient, or whatever. But you can't rely on those tech companies to protect our kids data. We have to be, we have, we have to be on it, and we have to check it, and we have to use something else if that doesn't do what we want. I think this is a discussion worth having and especially, especially in Ed Tech.

Larry Burden 16:41 No matter what we do there's data points.

Danelle Brostrom 16:43 Yes, but we can do a better job for our children. Our children deserve better than what they're getting right now. They deserve to have control of their data. They deserve to say no, I am, I am six years old and I shouldn't be tracked and marketed towards. We, like what you talked about, we need to do better for our children if we want them to grow up in a society that just makes sense and it's good for them.

Larry Burden 17:08 Well I think we already have lost or don't have a handle on the ways in which our simplest attention is affecting the environment that's put in front of us. It's not 50's advertising, it's a lot more subtle, it's a lot softer, and a lot more invasive, and we don't see it and it, we certainly don't see it for our kids.

Danelle Brostrom 17:31 Here's what I think is encouraging though. There are experts looking at this. There are experts that are talking about this. And they are trying to make this better. That's important, I think five years ago, if you went to, go back to ed tech, if you went to any of your big ed tech conferences, this was not on anyone's radar at all. So I think the fact that you will see sessions about this, and people are talking about, about data and how we can do better for our kids. That's encouraging. So this isn't Black Mirror.

Larry Burden 18:00 Thank you. Thank you. So what were some of the findings?

Danelle Brostrom 18:03 Some of the work being done, just that. Well, they definitely need to look at COPPA again, and make sure that they're covering all the things that they want to cover with it. There was a lot of discussion about, is 13 the appropriate age? Should it be higher? No decisions were made, it was just a discussion among experts. And then I think one of the big things that they kept reiterating was that there is some potential harm with using emerging technologies, and they were concerned that people were going to go Oh, this is bad, we're out. But there's so much good there as well. So, I think you can't get freaked out and totally cut yourself off from everything which we talk about that a lot on this podcast. There's a lot of good things about, about e-learning that we can, you know, data can help support teachers make better decisions and we can really zero in on what that individual child needs, and we can do a lot of good things with letting kids be creative...

Larry Burden 19:08 Data is not necessarily bad.

Danelle Brostrom 19:10 No, data is not necessarily bad, and all those online things that we used to do those, those great things they do collect personal data, but we just need to be cautious. But the fact that it's not all bad I think that was a big thread throughout the conference. And then they also talked about whether schools and teachers can continue consenting on the behalf of parents. Because right now they can. There's a school official designation or something like that where I can say that yes we need this for school, I'm going to consent on the behalf of parents and let my kids use this. But parents should really be in control of their minor status. So there was a lot of discussion about that. I think that the FTC is going to revisit this and that, you know, time will tell what kind of protections we can put in place for our kids but I think it was encouraging.

Larry Burden 19:57 The fact that the discussion is happening, is a step in the right direction.

Danelle Brostrom 20:01 We're talking about it on the podcast...nerds.

Larry Burden 20:06 There's so much more meat on this bone,

Danelle Brostrom 20:08 No I'm, I think there are definitely some articles and some images from the recording that I want to link up and the recording and I'll do that in the show notes.

Larry Burden 20:17 Going back to the "what is age appropriate design," as we're bringing our children through the school system, incorporating appropriate digital literacy as they're going through. When they get to 13, the hope would be they're more literate, digitally literate and able to handle some of the decision making regarding data and privacy at that point because they've been made aware, and educated appropriately regarding it.

Danelle Brostrom 20:45 Boom. Can you TechTool of the Week me?

Larry Burden 20:47 Is it, is it that time. Is it TechTool of the Week time?

Techtool of the Week 20:54 It is Digital Citizenship Week, and there is a growing hashtag on Twitter. #Digcitcommit, where people are talking about what they can do in the next however long to increase their awareness, or their students awareness of digital citizenship. So, I, I just have to talk about Common Sense Media again. I think that's my TechTool of the Week that is an amazing resource, and no kidding, every single time I go there to look for something I find something new that I didn't know was on there and I get really excited about it. There are lessons that they offer for educators K-12 are fantastic. They're short, they're to the point, and they cover a wide range of topics in digital citizenship and media literacy. One of the things that they found in their research is that we talked to kids about...if you ask them about this privacy and data collection all that stuff, they, they know about passwords, they know that they should keep their password safe. They know that photo sharing is an issue. they know that they should ask people before they share their photo online. But, though, they don't understand the complex things about that you know a school has your data, and social media platforms have your data and all of those things. There are Common Sense Media lessons around. So I think the more that we can talk about those, those topics that are outside the norm. Common Sense Media is covering them. And they're talking about how images are altered and retouched and how companies market to you, and I just, I love their resources for educators. And what I found last week, though I got really excited about, they have some ready made presentations. So if you, or someone in your school district wants to talk to families about this but you think you're not an expert, you don't quite know all the information. Wow, none of us are experts. None of us know all the information, but opening up that conversation is a great place to start, and Common Sense Media has some amazing resources and presentations and question guides that you can use to start that conversation with families. So, Common Sense Media is my TechTool of the Week.

Larry Burden 22:53 Tutorials and updates. The TechNollerGist is just absolutely out of control. Power Teacher Pro and Bright Arrow introductions, Ed Tech Standards Framework, Help Options and more. And I'm thinking about Instagram. I haven't quite figured it out yet but I'm looking at all these tutorials and I'm like, you know what, I wonder if we can do something with those on Instagram. So, you know feel free to give me any feedback.

Danelle Brostrom 23:20 I'll read the Privacy Policy and then I'll tell you.

Larry Burden 23:23 Well played,

Danelle Brostrom 23:24 boom,

Larry Burden 23:25 In closing, follow us on Facebook and Twitter @TCAPSLoop,

Danelle Brostrom 23:27 @brostromda

Larry Burden 23:29 Subscribe to the podcast on podbean, iTunes, Stitcher, Tune-In, downcast ,overcast, the Google Play Store or wherever else you get your ear candy. Please leave a review, we love the feedback. Thanks for listening and inspiring.

Larry Burden 23:47 I'm going to edit a decent amount of that out.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai

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"The comic strip is no longer the comic strip. But in reality and illustrated novel. It is new and raw in form just now, but material for limitless intelligent development. And eventually, and inevitably, it will be a legitimate medium for the best writers and artists. It is already the embryo of a new art form." - Will Eisner

Show Transcript:

Stephie Luyt 0:01 I'm not fuming.

Larry Burden 0:02 She's fuming.

Stephie Luyt 0:02 I'm the opposite of fuming.

Danelle Brostrom 0:04 Aww, that's more calming.

Stephie Luyt 0:11 We just might ramble.

Larry Burden 0:12 This is a safe space. If you haven't noticed through the years that this is a safe rambling space.

Stephie Luyt 0:18 That's meaty.

Larry Burden 0:24 It is Episode 92 of the EdTechLoop podcast. My name is Larry Burden and she has yet to reveal her secret identity. It's Danelle Brostrom. And also joining us, her spunky super sidekick Stephie Luyt. Up in the TCAPS tower we gaze over the troubled streets of TC pondering this week's moment of Zen.

Moment of Zen 0:44 Grown ups are a strange breed. Their brains weigh close to three pounds. And that's not three pounds of cheery delight.

Larry Burden 0:53 We've added sweet onions, garlic, tomatoes and potatoes but today's stew isn't completed until we add this week's meat of the show: Graphic Novels are Good, 'Nuff Said.

Danelle Brostrom 1:04 Stephie, I'm so excited that you're here today.

Larry Burden 1:06 She jumps in.

Danelle Brostrom 1:07 I did jump in

Larry Burden 1:08 That wasn't the quote.

Danelle Brostrom 1:10 You told me to jump in.

Larry Burden 1:11 That wasn't the quote. I had the quote.

Danelle Brostrom 1:13 Oh, Larry.

Danelle Brostrom 1:14 Edit!

Larry Burden 1:15 We're gonna keep this goin'

Stephie Luyt 1:16 Graphic novels are good. You like said it all.

Larry Burden 1:21 I wanted to share this from Will Eisner.

Stephie Luyt 1:23 Yes.

Danelle Brostrom 1:24 Ok

Larry Burden 1:25 The comic strip is no longer the comic strip. But in reality and illustrated novel. It is new and raw in form just now, but material for limitless intelligent development. And eventually, and inevitably, it will be a legitimate medium for the best writers and artists. It is already the embryo of a new art form.

Stephie Luyt 1:45 Excellent.

Larry Burden 1:46 And go.

Stephie Luyt 1:48 I'm glad we let you go past the rest.

Danelle Brostrom 1:51 Stephie, you're always my "go to" about good books for kids. So you've got quite a few graphic novels there. Talk to me about graphic novels. Why are they all of a sudden, the thing to read for kids?

Stephie Luyt 2:02 Okay, well, and can I just loop back a little bit to something Larry just said, because I think there's an interesting discussion to be had about comic strips versus graphic novels, you might find them in the same spot in the library. And they have so much in common because the story is told so visually and both but a comic strip is often told over many installations. Like if you think about a traditional comic strip it'd be in a newspaper.

Larry Burden 2:29 It's serialized.

Stephie Luyt 2:30 Yes. And a different way to think about a graphic novel is the whole story is usually told in a book or two. And sometimes there's a trilogy or whatnot of you know, it can be...

Larry Burden 2:39 It's like a movie versus a TV show.

Stephie Luyt 2:41 Excellent example. 'Nuff said. When we're thinking about, you know, graphic novels and comic strips and that art form, one of the reasons it's become so popular is because of the quality of what is being produced, and especially for kids, young readers, and middle grade and I was never aware of the extent of graphic novels that are available for adults too. I was surprised. I shouldn't be surprised. But that's not a medium that I was spending a lot of time reading. I was spending a lot of time and do spend a lot of time on children and Y.A.. But there's a whole world of adult graphic novels, not adult in theme but adult, geared toward adults. One really popular one that people may know and one that I am familiar with is now a Broadway play. It's called "Fun Home" by Alison Bechdel.

Larry Burden 3:30 Saw it.

Stephie Luyt 3:31 Oh, tell us about it.

Larry Burden 3:32 It was fabulous. It was, saw it in Toronto. It was really literate, really interesting. I'm not going to break it down. But yeah, brought my, my children to it. It was really mature subject matter.

Stephie Luyt 3:44 Yep.

Larry Burden 3:45 I did not actually know that it was based off of a graphic novel, so.

Stephie Luyt 3:48 Yeah, a graphic memoir that she described as a tragic comic,

Larry Burden 3:52 difficult topics handled actually, pretty delicately.

Stephie Luyt 3:55 And with a lot of humor. That's my, I mean, that's how the book is, I'm assuming.

Larry Burden 4:00 Yeah, absolutely.

Stephie Luyt 4:01 Content geared totally toward adults, all the way down to our littles. There are graphic novels that are just exploding and grabbing kids, because of the strength of the stories. The strength of the stories and the quality of the illustrations and the art. At the end of the day, anything in terms of books or narratives that we see in a TV show or anything like that, it all boils down to a story. And the stories that are being told are just really rich and really strong. And, you know, in terms of just looking at data from a hard data side, I mean, explosion in terms of $80 million in increased sales in graphic novels since 2017, according to one stat that I found. And it's where many of our most talented, I think authors and illustrators are working in that form right now. It's an exciting time, because there's so much there to hook kids. There's content and storylines in that format that would appeal to all readers. And readers of all ages and abilities.

Danelle Brostrom 5:05 That was gonna be my next question. So if I have a low reader, or a high reader, I should look to graphic novels for them. It's not just one type of child.

Stephie Luyt 5:13 Absolutely, Absolutely. And we've talked about this before with looking at books that would have, you know, themes for younger kids, but would have a high level of reading. Classics, and a lot of classics have been turned into graphic novels. And we were chatting yesterday about "A Wrinkle in Time," and how that is more accessible for some kids to start with the graphic novel before reading "A Wrinkle in Time." Or, I mean, "Anne of Green Gables," is a graphic novel. Lots and lots of books have been turned into that format, and are hooking readers, which is really what, that's the goal that we have. Like, get our kids reading, right book for the right reader.

Larry Burden 5:17 All right, I want to know what you got?

Stephie Luyt 5:55 So in front of us, there's kind of a stack of books as there tends to be. There were, just last week, a number of books, a number of graphic novels that were released, but they also were previewed this summer at a couple conferences. So I would say that one of the biggest that has just come out is "Guts," by Raina Telgemeier, who is well known for her other books, "Drama," "Smile," "Sisters," "Ghosts," and "Guts," is the story of the author's experience as a fourth grader and dealing with anxiety and stomach aches that came with her anxiety. And I've seen write ups about it as such an important work for kids who are struggling with those kinds of issues and being able to read about them in such an accessible, comfortable way. It's been written up a whole bunch recently, New York Times all sorts of places, and it's excellent. You've read it, I know you enjoyed it.

Danelle Brostrom 6:49 Yeah, my whole family, we thought it was amazing. And even just that idea of some things, some things that I'm experiencing, are kind of like this main character, but they're a little bit different. So being able to talk about how you relate to that character is a really important skill for kids.

Stephie Luyt 7:08 And I think that's something that if you've been exposed and reading in the genre, recently, the none of the books are shying away from issues that kids are dealing with. Like there, there's meaty, tough issues, and a lot of, a lot of books, not just graphic novels, but presented in a way that kids can identify with and you know, make meaning in their own life from the experiences of what they're seeing the characters go through. Plus, they're also fun and funny. I mean, the format is, lends itself to also a little bit of, you know, light humor too, and sometimes full on humor. I mean, they're just like "Fun Home," like it tackles tough issues, but that format helps make it comfortable.

Larry Burden 7:48 A lot more accessible. Sometimes, especially with some of the tougher issues, It's good to have a, an accessible image, as opposed to the image that might be developed in your own head. It kind of gives you a safety net.

Stephie Luyt 8:02 I think that's true.

Larry Burden 8:02 So it's not quite as scary.

Stephie Luyt 8:04 So highly recommend "Guts." Also "White Bird," by R.J. Palacio, whose name would be familiar if you're, have read the "Wonder," books. And this story is of Julian, so the character from "Wonder." It's Julian's grandmother's story. Julian is one of the characters who is one of the bullies in the book, in the main book. And this tells the backstory of his family. It's very powerful, because it's about the war and her experience in the war. The artwork is gorgeous. They were actually at ALA giving away prints of her art, and it was something that you would hang up, it's gorgeous. But telling that full spectrum of the "Wonder," story, which has been hugely popular, and anyone who's read "Wonder," would enjoy seeing this side of the story, in this perspective. And it's, there's heavy issues in it. But it's beautifully told.

Larry Burden 9:01 We've talked about graphic novels before on the podcast, and forever graphic novels have gotten a bad rap. Why?

Stephie Luyt 9:10 I mean, people say, you know, the, the argument is, it's not real reading, because it's in small chunks. And it's not written out in the same format. And it's, it looks different. And it has all those illustrations. And, it is real reading, and kids are digesting the story in the same way. And they are taking in the same content. And they are processing the artwork as part of the story, which is a whole 'nother set of skills. And it's telling the story in a, in another way. I believe anything that hooks kids and makes them want to read is real reading.

Larry Burden 9:46 It's a narrative. You're, you're, you're teaching students, or kids to love, narrative and love storytelling.

Stephie Luyt 9:53 And then this is just a creative way that's, that the story is being presented, you know, with art involved. And you know, I think before we had all of this amazing content in a graphic novel form, comic strips would have been what had gotten a bad rap. It's the same argument, though, like you're still, a story is being told, like you said in small episodes or increments, but the narrative and the arc of the story, and this, you know, the the plat, and the twists, and all those, all of those elements of a good story exist in that format. It's told in a different way,

Larry Burden 10:26 The form doesn't really matter, the reason why books were printed the way books were printed, time in memoriam, is cost. The more words you can fit on a page, the cheaper the book is. It's publishable. We now have the opportunity to make picture books cheaply. So that's the reason why we're making picture books. It's still words, it's still narrative, it's still story. Why should we be stuck with an old world form, when we don't have to? Well, the question that I have is, why are authors choosing this format? Because it's available to them now. It's potentially a better way to tell a story. It just wasn't available to them. I remember as a, as a student, when I was young, and I was a struggling reader. There were just too many words on a page, I couldn't manage that amount of content. You know, and they're finding now that large print books are actually really helping kids because they can manage the content. Again, my escape was the graphic novel or the comic book, because there was really just less word, less words on the page. And I was able to get, get over a lot of those hurdles, in my reading, to the point where then I could go and read much richer texts. And I had fallen in love with the narrative, which is the important part for our kids. They'll read. They have to have those progressions, to the point where they can. They're not going to start with Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. They're just not.

Stephie Luyt 12:01 Nor is anyone.

Larry Burden 12:02 And it's not a competition,

Stephie Luyt 12:04 Right?

Larry Burden 12:04 So whatever gets them hooked, is the important thing. And I think we've talked about that,

Stephie Luyt 12:09 Right? And the visual are very engaging, and pull kids into the narrative, before they even get into the story. So I think it's it's a win, win. Was it the art? Or was it the story that grabbed you as a reader when you were young?

Larry Burden 12:24 Both.

Stephie Luyt 12:24 Both.

Larry Burden 12:25 Both. But I would say, you know, just like looking at an album cover, as you're going to the record store back in the day. You'd be like, oh, that's a cool album cover. I think I'm going to get it. And then you know, you listen to it, you might like it, you might not. The art was, was the entry point. The story is what kept you coming back?

Stephie Luyt 12:42 Absolutely.

Danelle Brostrom 12:43 Well, the goal should be to get kids to fall in love with reading. And part of getting kids to fall in love with reading is that they need to be able to see themselves in the story. And if you have a child who had issues, like we talked about "Guts," like with anxiety, typically you would have to look for a middle school or high school book. And that's not always going to have content in it that's appropriate for an elementary school kids. So I love how these graphic novels do tackle tough issues, and kids can actually see themselves in them, but it's done in a safe accessible way for kids.

Stephie Luyt 13:17 Absolutely. And issues that are really mainstream that kids are, lots of kids are dealing with, anxiety and other issues like that, but kids are also dealing with friend concerns. And there's lots of books that are just focused on real experiences of what kids are having. And the range of so many experiences, so many different situations. And I feel like books are really expanding into all of those. You know, starting to pull stories from lots and lots of different perspectives. I mean, we've talked a lot about you know, windows and mirrors, and, and books of all forms, graphic included are getting more and more experiences, more and more perspectives, more, just more looks at all the different ways people are experiencing the world. And I think that is a win for all readers, and especially our kiddos.

Larry Burden 14:04 Sure, what else we have?

Stephie Luyt 14:06 There's a trilogy that's been very popular, and the most recent one is called, "Sonny Rolls the Dice," getting adjusted to middle school. Kind of those same issues, friend issues. This one makes me giggle because it's about Dungeons and Dragons. So it's back in like the heyday of Dungeons and Dragons, which apparently is having a huge comeback.

Danelle Brostrom 14:24 What!

Danelle Brostrom 14:26 And then, "The Babysitters Club," books that are really popular that Raina Telgemaier has, she has done a number of graphic novels that are the "Babysitters Club." Based on the novels that were by Ann Martin. But this is for younger readers, because it's the "Babysitters Little Sister," is the title that we're looking at. So it's for younger kids than Upper El, even. So that is what, as you look through graphic novels, you really do see that there are books geared toward all ages. And you know, the "Lunch Lady," series and "Zita, the Space Girl," and the "Bone," books. Those are young Elementary, and then moving all the way through. So much for Upper El and Middle, and then High School. And as we talked about, lots and lots of titles for adults as well. I mean, there's a really powerful trilogy of books called, "March." And it's based on the experience of John Lewis. And, I think it was up for a National Book Award. Maybe the first one in the series. But that's telling, from his perspective of being involved in the civil rights movement, and telling all that important history through this powerful graphic novel format. And again, it just highlights that the graphic novel format is touching on all sorts of story. That it's touching on fiction, and nonfiction and memoir. And it's so hard to hear that it's not real reading because of all of what it encompasses in that, in that format. So what we have to do, I think, is just spend, lock ourselves in for the rest of the day and just read graphic novels. Is that okay?

Larry Burden 15:52 Oh, I'm in.

Danelle Brostrom 15:52 Okay.

Larry Burden 15:52 I'm 100% in, yeah,

Stephie Luyt 15:55 And graphic novels are satisfying, because you can get through them a little more quickly. So you'll feel accomplished on your reading list.

Larry Burden 16:01 There was some passion, in what you're saying.

Stephie Luyt 16:04 They're so great. I just love that the options are out there for kids. And they're so, and not just graphic novels, but there's so much out there, especially right now for, for young readers. The quality of what's coming out. And it's awesome.

Larry Burden 16:18 And I just thought about this because I'm reading a book, and as I'm going through, and like, "is this is a young adult book?" Like that was a bad thing. You know, I just in my head, How can we get that out of my head? Because I don't think I'm alone. In that, I'm an adult, I shouldn't be reading, whatever. I, really, and there's so much good content in the young adult section.

Stephie Luyt 16:40 There's so much good content everywhere.

Larry Burden 16:42 Well, Yeah.

Stephie Luyt 16:43 My book group, which is almost all English teachers at one of the high schools, we just read a picture book for our book club. And it's the story of Margaret Wise Brown. So the, you know, "Goodnight Moon," and it's, it's this amazing picture book about her, and that was our book club book. So I don't know what to tell you accept that embrace it. If you love the book, read it and take the story and, who cares if it's a YA, who cares if it's a children's book? That's my not super helpful comment.

Danelle Brostrom 17:15 Didn't "Harry Potter," kind of break that thought for a lot of people?

Larry Burden 17:19 I think so

Danelle Brostrom 17:20 I mean, aren't there are a lot of adults who gravitated to Harry Potter for the first time and went like, Whoa, there's actually good things in YA, I shouldn't dismiss that entire...

Stephie Luyt 17:29 Middle grade. Yeah,

Larry Burden 17:30 It's so, it's so simple in the sense that those books were thick.

Stephie Luyt 17:34 Right?

Larry Burden 17:35 So they must be literature,

Stephie Luyt 17:36 right?

Danelle Brostrom 17:37 It's true.

Larry Burden 17:38 If a graphic novel was a little thicker, suddenly, that's literature.

Stephie Luyt 17:43 So like, "Wonderstruck," or "Hugo Cabret."

Larry Burden 17:46 Yeah, I was thinking, yes.

Stephie Luyt 17:47 Those are almost all illustrations. And but, yes, a super thick book that would allay your, your feelings of...

Larry Burden 17:54 Make it, make it hard cover and

Stephie Luyt 17:56 if it's heavy, but it doesn't have to be boring and old to make it real literature.

Danelle Brostrom 18:01 Mic drop.

Larry Burden 18:02 Techtool of the Week

Danelle Brostrom 18:06 Techtool of the Week, we...

Larry Burden 18:08 That was so cute...

Stephie Luyt 18:09 We sort of have one. I think our TechTool of the Week was to...

Techtool of the Week 18:13 Just follow Colby Sharp. I can't always take a ton of Stephie's time to get good book recommendations. So...

Stephie Luyt 18:20 Yes you can.

Danelle Brostrom 18:20 be, being able to follow someone like Colby Sharp, who is in the classroom with kids. And reads how many books?

Danelle Brostrom 18:27 A thousand books a year. Following someone like him. Because he's always sharing the stuff that's coming out, that's new, and that's really, really good

Stephie Luyt 18:36 Yeah, the book you talked about it Wired just came out. It's called, "Maybe He Just Likes You." And it was the book, I think if I'm remembering how he phrased this, if you're going to read one book this year, that should be it, so.

Larry Burden 18:47 Great follow on Twitter, for sure. Um, I just want to throw it out tutorials and updates. I have to be honest, we have so many pods out there right now. So many podcasts and stuff that's been thrown up on YouTube. I'm not going to hit them all. So I'm just going to say, go to Danelle's YouTube page, go to the TechNollerGist's YouTube page, which just there's so much content there. The TCAPSLoop YouTube Channel has something on it. We did actually put the Evan O'branevic podcast on there, or at least a snippet of it. So, it's alive. "It's Alive! Alive! Closing, follow us on Facebook and Twitter @TCAPSLoop

Danelle Brostrom 19:26 @brostromda

Stephie Luyt 19:27 @StephieLuyt

Larry Burden 19:28 Subscribe to the podcast on podbean, iTunes, Stitcher, Tune-in, downcast, overcast, the Google Play Store or wherever else you get your ear candy. Please leave review. We love the feedback. Thanks for listening and inspiring.

Stephie Luyt 19:43 Okay, well, Are we still being recorded?

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Liz Kolb, the originator of the Triple E Framework, visited us over the summer delivering this year's WiredTC keynote. The TechNollerGist gives his own practical take on the "Framework" and how best to apply it to your technology use in the classroom.

Show Transcript: Larry Burden 0:00 What is this app with the little things poking out of it?

Larry Burden 0:05 Like, uh-oh, uh-oh something has gone amiss.

Larry Burden 0:15 All right, here we go. It's Episode 12 of the TechNollerGist podcast. The number is still correct. I know you debate. I'm Larry Burden, and he's been actively developing a framework to avoid frameworks. It's the TechNollerGist, David Noller.

David Noller 0:28 That's not inaccurate right there.

Larry Burden 0:30 You are the agent of chaos.

David Noller 0:33 I am an agent of chaos. That's great.

Larry Burden 0:34 Today's topic, should he, should he choose to accept it? practical Ed Tech, with the Triple E Framework?

David Noller 0:40 Yeah.

Larry Burden 0:41 So Liz Kolb, the originator of the Triple E Framework visited us over the summer. Did a little WiredTC keynote, which I thought was fabulous. We kind of discussed it a little bit in an earlier EdTech Loop podcast regarding the fact that she just got right into it, and went into the research it was your professional, I'm a professional, let's talk about professional stuff.

David Noller 1:04 Right, right.

Larry Burden 1:05 Um, but for those of us that did not attend the keynote, what is the Triple E Framework?

David Noller 1:12 So, I like to slow roll it in terms of just providing, like just the, the bare bones of the framework, right? Because I think in many ways, the framework reflects what has been good teaching all along. But highlights in a way that's, that's certainly useful for our teachers to know, and is great as a way to reflect on our practice. So the three big things of the framework are that we use, whatever resources we're using, whether it's a technology piece, a website, a tool, whatever it happens to be to engage, enhance, and extend learning. Those terms are pretty self explanatory. In terms of extending, we want to build a bridge to real world experience with the kids with the things we're doing with them. And if we can use a technology tool to do that, then we've met our duty to extend. We want to enhance the kids experience by helping them build to a more sophisticated understanding. And we do that through scaffolding. And that's where I keep coming back and saying, and that's always been good teaching. We've always tried to scaffold from simple to complex. But with some of the available tools we have, we can go higher than we could without those tools. When we're talking about paper and pencil, you can only go so far. If you can run a simulation, online, using these tools, we're taking this scaffold and we're building and higher.

Larry Burden 2:43 I hadn't thought about this before. But not only are you creating, and I think we lose this sometimes when we talk about using technology, you're creating scaffolding that goes higher, you're also creating scaffolding underneath. Because there's foundational skills that you need to have developed in yourself and in the students to get to the stuff up high.

David Noller 3:09 Sure. Sometimes we throw kids into the practice of the high stuff. And they learn those foundational things as they go. So the next time they encounter that tool, it's easier for them to use. There's no way around, you're going to have to use, you know, this library media research tool, the first time once. Once you've used it the first time once, then it's no longer the first time and you build those foundation, as you go through that process. When we do our senior research project in the spring. By the time they're seniors, they've used that library tool so many times that it's, I have to spend less time building the basement, and we can spend more time being intentional about our information gathering.

Larry Burden 3:50 Do you find that there are students, or how much time do you spend making sure the foundation is set before you go on into the lesson?

David Noller 4:00 I'm able to do it in a way that, I walk with them for the first few steps. I don't, I don't demo and then have them get in. We all get in together. We've already at that point thought about something that we're interested in finding more about. So we've already kind of set something that we're going to look for. So when we get into the tool, all we got to do now is figure out how to look for it. So while I'm putting in my search term they're putting in there's. I'm demonstrating it through the projector that's at the front of my room, but they're doing it for themselves. So when I asked them within this research tool to, to view the wheel of topics, and to be able to show how they can drill down to sub-topics and how they can use that to then get to specific resources. They're doing it with me. And not only are they learning the process, as they do it with me, they're being exposed to resources that they may very well use when it comes time to actually dig into the sources. They have the opportunity to both use the tool and discover meaningful content through the building of the foundation.

Larry Burden 5:02 According to the Triple E Framework, this would be a usable tech tool.

David Noller 5:06 Yeah.

Larry Burden 5:07 When do you use it? When, when are you being mindful of, does this fit into, does this tool that I'm using fit into the Triple E Framework.

David Noller 5:16 So, in terms of something new, that I'm, I'm trying for the first time, I'm going to be thinking about whether or not, is this something that engages students in a way that I can control time on task to make sure that they're engaged in the process the whole time. I've talked before about how one of the drawbacks of technology that happens is when a teacher says okay, I need you to do this. And then there's like half an hour. Too much time to get distracted, right? I'm gonna give you 30 minutes to do X, well, they're going to do X maybe, but they're also going to do Y, Z, Alpha, Beta, you know, etc. So I bear those kinds of lessons in mind about being intentional with time on task. And that's part of engagement.

Larry Burden 5:58 That would be one of the E's.

David Noller 6:00 About making sure that what I'm doing is part of a scaffolded process. And then the third thing, and this is the thing I've been thinking about most, is the extension part, I'm teaching creative writing. The first thing we did in the first week, well, the first thing, one of the things we did in our first week was establish a online portfolio that's they're going to be able to share with an authentic audience. Whether it's their parents or the whole world, or

Larry Burden 6:23 You were talking about the last year.

David Noller 6:24 I'm still working about that, right. But that's extending learning. Where the only way they're going to have that authentic audience is by using the technology tool that's available through this website creator. We're using Google Sites. And that's what we mean when we're talking about examining the, the technology tools that we use according to this framework. If the assignment extends, regardless of the technology tool, that's not what the frameworks really for. The framework is for looking, is this technology tool, useful as something that will extend the students learning? Then with extension, you know, we're talking about bridging to real world, we're talking about building critical skills that are real world skills. And when you have to put your work out there in front of an authentic audience who has the ability to comment and you have to manage that sort of feedback, personally, those are those soft skills about taking criticism and taking comment and being willing to share your work with others, because I mean, when we're in the world of work, or when the world of academia, someone's always looking over our shoulder. And so this is giving them a sort of...

Larry Burden 7:31 Sharing doesn't mean scaring.

David Noller 7:33 No, it doesn't always mean caring, either. But it does, it does mean that you have to have a kind of fortitude to, to manage whatever response you get.

Larry Burden 7:45 That's how you use it. When a teacher is considering it, when should they be looking at, in their lesson planning?

David Noller 7:54 Yeah,

Larry Burden 7:54 You know, what, at what point in time should they be like, is this, or is this not something that I should be incorporating into?

David Noller 8:01 I'd say it's step one. If you have a thought, hey, I'd like to use this website, this online tool, this simulation, whatever it happens to be, before you get into all the planning, and all the creation of assets that you're going to need to teach it, go through the framework? Does it, is it going to engage my students in a way that is going to keep their attention and time on task consistently? If "Yes," keep going? Is it going to enhance the students learning? Are they going to learn something more by, by doing it? One of the things that, that we've seen as a kind of negative example of that, are these academic games, these learning games, where after the kid does five or ten repetitions of learning, then they get to play a game as a reward. Sounds great. Except what we find is that those learners who are not the "Go-Get-Em," type will often just click through the answers, so they can play the game. So the game becomes an actual distraction from learning instead of being a motivation to learn. Because most of those, you don't have to get it right to get to the game, you just have to answer it.

Larry Burden 9:12 Only, even if you do, even if you do have to get it right, you basically just created a multiple choice, you know, press and guess type of situation,

David Noller 9:21 Right.

Larry Burden 9:22 That's not really extending. Though the game is exciting, and interesting. The actual learning hasn't changed at all.

David Noller 9:30 And if it's going to be a game, the the learning should come from the content of the game. Rather than, I answered five questions, now I get to play Space Invaders.

Larry Burden 9:38 Yeah, we're big fans of gamifying here.

David Noller 9:40 Oh, yeah,

Larry Burden 9:41 We are big fans, huge fans.

David Noller 9:43 I'm not a fan of traditional learning rewarded with games.

Larry Burden 9:47 They don't have context.

David Noller 9:48 I am a big fan of learning through games. And then the, the extension part. Is it giving you something to do that is taking the students beyond what they do in a traditional day? Is it taking them outside of the building? Is it taking them to real world, even soft skills of managing impulsivity or working with a team? Those kinds of things. So for me, it's from the beginning. If I'm gonna engage in this technology tool, It has to be intentional. And how do you make it intentional, you can follow this framework.

Larry Burden 10:18 You're saying that, maybe not flipping through Twitter and going, ooh, Flippity! Though we like Flippity. Flippity is really cool. I don't really know it. I'm just going to throw it in there and...

David Noller 10:29 Yeah,

Larry Burden 10:30 see how it works?

David Noller 10:31 Yeah, that's, that's been a challenge for us lately, is that there are so many great shiny baubles out there to play with on the internet, and sometimes we want to say, I gotta put this in front of my kids, they'll love it. But, you know, we've got the committee to review those things so we can make sure that we're protecting the kids privacy and their data and all that thing. So, part of being intentional about the, the Triple E Framework, we have to have as a corollary, also being intentional about data and privacy.

Larry Burden 10:57 Absolutely. Well, and also you might...

David Noller 11:00 Shout out Danelle.

Larry Burden 11:01 Thank you for going through all those, all that fine print in terms of agreements, it's, it's wow. Is there anything else on the Triple E?

David Noller 11:08 We can dig into all kinds of things. We can give examples. I will give you this as an example. And this will be my like, application outside of what I usually do. Kate Hansen teaches Spanish. And If you are I grew up in the decades before, a long time ago. I learned Spanish from worksheets and from repeat after me, and that's how we did it way back then, memorizing vocabulary. Ms. Hansen has been able to do engagement, enhancement, and extension, through things as simple as creating a running journal that the kids keep, where every time they write, they have to write 10% more than they did last time. So, it's a Google Doc, they do a word count to see what they did last time, and then with the new vocabulary and the new ways of speaking that they've been learning through comprehensive input method, they try to write a little more. And so, because they have that resource always available to them, they're always able to see what they've done. There's never a question of what did I do last time. In terms of like reflective learning, they're able to reflect every time they, they produce, they can reflect on what they did last time. She also has a as an extension piece. We have an exchange with a school in Leon, where the kids are pen pals, and even video pals with those students. And they send videos back and forth, they send notes back and forth, they talk about themselves. That's the kind of thing that it's not necessarily high tech. It's just a pen pal. But we're doing it through the internet, we're using the video capabilities across the internet. But it connects the students in a real meaningful, authentic way with a whole new audience. Native speakers of the language they're learning, and connects them in a way that, that builds those kind of soft skills of relationships and things too. So

Larry Burden 12:59 Enhancement, engagement,

David Noller 13:01 Extension

Larry Burden 13:02 Extension, bam, bam, bam,

David Noller 13:03 She has accidentally become an expert in the Triple E Framework. But that's kind of what I mean about good teaching. She's taken the tools that were available, and before we even started talking about Triple E, would be somebody that we could hold up as an example of someone who fully engages in the principles of the Triple E framework, because she's a good teacher.

Larry Burden 13:27 A good teacher will trip and fall into the Triple E Framework.

David Noller 13:31 Yeah, I think so. With a little help from your friends, Maybe a shove. A gentle push.

Larry Burden 13:38 If nothing else, Danelle to read those terms and policies.

David Noller 13:39 That's right.

Larry Burden 13:41 Before you use the tool.

David Noller 13:42 The Triple E Framework, it's like if you're trying to decide what to use, If you've got a pancake use a spatula.

Larry Burden 13:51 Thank you Uncle Buck.

David Noller 13:51 You know, right. Don't use the snow shovel unless you're making a four foot wide pancake. If the tools right for the job, it's right for the job, Look at the Triple E Framework. Make sure it's doing the things we need it to do. But don't jump into using a technology tool just because it's technology. It has to fit that framework in order to make meaning with the student learning.

Larry Burden 14:13 Love it. Absolutely love it. I don't know, it's early in the year. I don't know if you've got it yet. It's our favorite segment, "This Pods Getting Gamey."

Larry Burden 14:19 Are you gamifying anything this year?

David Noller 14:24 I did a thing.

Larry Burden 14:27 You've done a lot of things, Most of them aren't appropriate for the podcast.

David Noller 14:31 Wow! All right.

Larry Burden 14:33 Tread lightly sir, tread lightly.

David Noller 14:35 So, Sociology, you know, I did the monopoly thing I've done in the past. It's been successful to a degree here and there. It's been great. It's been okay. I wanted to do something simpler. And so I created a simple simulation where based on student choice, they had a list of half a dozen characteristics they could acquire. If they acquired two from that list they couldn't get any the other ones. I could see this being used, by the way, like a science class where you're designing a new species. What kind of, out of this six, what do you get? You get two. Okay, well, now you can't pick those. Once they pick those two characteristics for their society, whether it was advanced horse riding, or development of agriculture, or development of a market, that opened up another group of things that they could choose from in the next round. And they had to talk about, within the context of Structural Functionalism, this theory we're dealing with, what would help to create stability, and solidarity in their, in their society. Which roles had to be filled. In which direction were they going to go? One group went full warfare. They went, we want to develop weapons, we want to learn offensive strategy. They didn't take any food development. They didn't take any government. They didn't take any trading along the way. They could have specialized in inter-village trade, they didn't. All they did was war. The time it took to write this out was about 15 minutes, maybe. As I figured out the branches of these different skills and what they could open up, right. 15, 10, 15 minutes, super quick. And then the time came, and I turned to the group, the military group, I said, Who do you want to attack? Well, who's got the most money? They do. And how do I know that? Because I decided. They had a market, they had built a barn and a silo for storage. They developed their agriculture, they had a fence, okay, they are. We attack them. Well, they didn't know, the attacking group didn't know, that thee, that this rich group also invested in defensive warfare. And so there were losses on each side, but they were not conquered. And then immediately, one of my students says, "How about the rest of us form an alliance against them." And all of those principles that we'd been talking about in Structural Functionalism, about the roles that we take on in society, in order to create stability and protection. In order to have solidarity, so we have community within. All that stuff played out in the classroom, to the point where one group was literally shunned. And they were personally offended. Not just in the context of the game, but they're mad at their classmates for leaving them out, right? But, that was kind of the goal of the whole thing. So...

Larry Burden 17:28 If you're not gonna play nice,

David Noller 17:29 If you're not gonna play nice, you know, they're gonna kick sand or whatever, I don't know, what is it, they take their ball and go home. So, it was super simple, took me about 10 minutes to plan, maybe 15 max, and super effective. And it was paper and pencil, had nothing to do with technology, except for the fact that I typed out the rules on a Google Doc. But it was, it was a great way to engage kids in decision making, that demonstrated this theoretical framework, where at the end, they could all kind of give a A-Ha, I get it now.

Larry Burden 18:03 More frameworks from you. This is getting weird.

Larry Burden 18:06 But it's chaos, because you know, I had the rules, but I had to storytell the whole thing as we went. So...

Larry Burden 18:11 Okay, well let it pass.

David Noller 18:12 There's till some chaos.

Larry Burden 18:14 Tutorials and updates. I just wanted to point out that we had a, Meet the Tech Director pod, on Tuesday. Dropped yesterday I do believe. It's a very good pod. He had things to say.

David Noller 18:23 I will listen to those things.

Larry Burden 18:25 They were good. They were good things. We actually are going to, actually be putting a piece of that, a snippet of that on YouTube. The TCAPSLoop YouTube channel is active.

David Noller 18:34 All right.

Larry Burden 18:34 Now speaking of active YouTube channels,

David Noller 18:36 Yes,

Larry Burden 18:37 The TechNollerGist has always got something going on, on YouTube. Have you dropped anything new?

David Noller 18:41 There have been a couple recently. We're working on a project of, sort of like, TCAPS Tech 101, getting started kind of skills and things. So I've just put up a couple about, like real mundane stuff, like how to change your printer, how to access the TCAPS App Store for programs that are already installed on your device that you might need. Danielle just is working on one I think I linked it on on my page, because apparently I still things, but, on sort of the philosophy of technology integration in TCAPS. And then I also posted one about, where to find help in TCAPS when you have technology questions. There's our help desk extension 3-3325, there is on Google Drive, there's our team drive that has the tech toolbox. And then of course there's your educational technology coaches, Daniel Brostrom, and myself the TechNollerGist.

Larry Burden 19:38 All right. In closing Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @tcapsloop

David Noller 19:42 @TechNollerGist. What happened?

Larry Burden 19:45 I don't know that you didn't

David Noller 19:46 I wasn't listening to what you said. I assumed I was supposed to say something.

Larry Burden 19:49 You did exactly what you're supposed to do but you looked really confused doing it.

David Noller 19:52 I went somewhere in my head. And I don't know quite where I went.

Larry Burden 19:56 I don't know if I want to know where you went.

David Noller 19:58 I was thinking of a joke. How many surrealists does it take to change a light bulb?

Larry Burden 20:04 How many?

David Noller 20:05 banana.

Larry Burden 20:07 I was gonna say rhinoceros.

David Noller 20:09 Close.

Larry Burden 20:10 Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, the Google Play Store and anywhere else you get your ear candy. Remember, you're never too old to play.

David Noller 20:18 Play a game today, it's good for you.

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It's episode 91 of the EdTechLoop podcast and we are joined by the new boss, not quite the same as the old boss, Evan O'Branovic. Danelle and I grilled the poor guy on almost every current issue involving educational technology during this marathon pod. Evan shares some great insights and a "yes we can," mindset to the pod and District. This is a packed show, enjoy!

EdTechLoop on Youtube!

Transcript: Larry Burden 0:00

good parenting skills. This guy,

Danelle Brostrom 0:03

Come join us, in this small, sweaty office we call a studio

Evan O'Branovic 0:14

so great

Larry Burden 0:15

It's back here really, It's safe.

Larry Burden 0:18

I have no idea what I'm talking about now.

Larry Burden 0:23

It's Episode 91 of the EdTech Loop podcast. My name is Larry Burden and she's worryingly started every morning for the last month standing atop her desk declaring Oh Captain, my captain. It's Danielle Brostrom. She doesn't get the reference again. And we are joined by the new boss, not quite the same as the old boss. It's Evan O'Bran...O'Branovic

Evan O'Branovic 0:46

Obranovic

Larry Burden 0:46

Obranovic, I got it right. Yeah.

Evan O'Branovic 0:48

Nailed it.

Moment of Zen 0:49

Thank you, Karen. He's here to deepen our understanding around what's new and educational technology. Though not nearly as deep as this week's Moment of Zen. The pessimist complains about the wind, the optimist expects it to change, the leader adjust the sails.

Larry Burden 1:08

Though it may have been left unrefrigerated too long, and was surely about to turn, we finally have someone to cook this week's meat of the show. Meet the director.

Larry Burden 1:19

Welcome to the district.

Evan O'Branovic 1:20

Thank you.

Larry Burden 1:21

Before we get started, I'd like to take a moment and on behalf of the district make a blanket apology for Thomas, just in general, just in general. Besides that, what do you think so far.

Evan O'Branovic 1:33

I have been extremely impressed so far, coming in from a much smaller district. So, just the pure size and scope and sequence of everything that happens here is quite incredible.

Larry Burden 1:46

Overwhelming or more like well I can't wait to get my hands on all these...

Evan O'Branovic 1:50

Oh, both, yeah.

Larry Burden 1:51

Cool toys.

Evan O'Branovic 1:52

We've had plenty of overwhelming moments coming home, looking at my wife like, we're not in Aspen anymore. And then, but it's an extremely exciting opportunity as well so I think that's been kind of what saves those overwhelming moments is feeling like wow there's a lot that I can dig my hands into and the staff around me is incredible so it's been very exciting in that aspect.

Larry Burden 2:14

What brought you to Traverse City.

Evan O'Branovic 2:15

Well, I grew up downstate. So I'm from Michigan, the mitten, you know, originally and went to Michigan State, go green,

Larry Burden 2:25

Go blue,

Evan O'Branovic 2:25

yeah, I know I found that division up here, which is always good. And then I graduated with my degree in elementary education, decided that Michigan was not the place for me and took off out west. Never been to Colorado before but decided that was my time and ended up landing kind of your dream gig in Aspen, Colorado teaching fourth grade. So I did that for six years, convinced my now wife, then girlfriend to come out with me. She's a teacher as well. And then I got my Masters in educational technology, was pursued by my old Tech Director to become a Tech Integrator, found that extremely exciting, rewarding kind of where I wanted to be. And then was always kind of on the lookout for grandiose opportunities to come back to the home state. And so, when I saw this come up, it was something that I had to at least throw my hat in the ring for. And surprisingly, they picked me, which was very exciting and, and then just kind of made the call home and told our parents that were making the move. And like I said before, kind of, for me, being such a big place in terms of just like the scope of how many schools, and the amount of students, and what all happens here. When I got a chance to speak with, you know, staff and see the team that's in place, my final interview was actually flying out here, and kind of checking everything out, it really made that, that size not seem like such an obstacle that I couldn't overcome and so it was really comforting and kind of made that decision for me to take you know a step out of my comfort zone and do something a little bit bigger than myself and so yeah. So far I'm very happy with this decision, but we're only a month and a half in.

Danelle Brostrom 4:11

So what are the trends you see in technology? You know you've been in tech for a while, and, and Ed tech specifically for a while. What kinds of things do you see happening?

Evan O'Branovic 4:20

You know that's, that's been pretty interesting. From my perspective, I think what you'll find too is, is always that everyone has their two cents and what's tech shifting every so often and in multitude of directions, it's hard to really pinpoint it. And that's one of the exciting yet frustrating things about working with it to me. What I've noticed is mobile centric, meaning, just everything's got to be mobile to use. Can we use our phones, can we use tablets smaller devices. You know what, what in that mobile format can be applied to what we're trying to do because no one wants to waste time with, with computers anymore. In the sense of our big laptops, you know, which is pretty funny thinking how these things are, it's just, it's too heavy, I don't want to carry it with me. But I can have my phone. Can I do it on my phone? And I think our students, you know are the prime example of that. Teachers, were still in the transition but. So yeah, anything mobile, but then as we look at new devices, and you know the laptops, we're going to bring to the staff hopefully this year. It's what devices are touchscreen, which ones are small, and portable and easy to carry. Which ones can flip over into tablet mode. So those to me are just kind of, that's become the trend. What, what can get from point A to point B very easily. What can I pull out and work out on the fly. And so anything that drives to that point, I think is always, you know, kind of, you know, an excitement for people. They look at it, even if it may not be that great of a device, but if it's smaller, it's more mobile, it always will get a second look.

Evan O'Branovic 5:48

And then connectivity is big. Wi-Fi is water, at this point in our lives as we know. When the Wi-Fi went out last week, so.

Danelle Brostrom 5:57

Old fashion day is cool.

Evan O'Branovic 5:58

Old fashion day is cool and everyone gets, you know, real worked up about it because it is like you turned off their water supply. And, and I had several people, when I was doing a school tour that morning when it happened go. Should we just have Wi-Fi days, should we should we not have school if the internet's not there. And I'm like, that has become the first thought right. Can we even do what we need to do if the Wi Fi is not accessible which I think most of us who are a little bit older and came into it as a transition period where like, like you said, it's old fashioned day. So yeah, to me, the connectivity is huge and that goes for a lot of different things too. So, you know, whether it's to the internet, or just, you know, in the classroom setting to me it's always finding interesting how people perceive how they're connecting, meaning to like a display to showcase their class, or to their other students. You know, are those devices easily connectable? Can I bring up a student's screen and show what they're doing? Can I put my screen very easily up on the projector, TV, SMART Board whatever it's going to be? But whatever it is, does it work really quickly and can I do it without really having to have any sort of learning curve? So any devices and tools we can find that do that more simply, I think are home runs.

Evan O'Branovic 7:10

And then simple as best. I think as things have become more complicated, the less clicks someone has to do, the less work. If I don't have to read a manual and it'll auto set up for me, if it'll connect to that display for me, if the Wi Fi runs by itself, I love it. If it doesn't, and it takes a little digging, you know, with this world everything needs to be faster, quicker, more on point then it just becomes an instant point of frustration for someone who may not be as apt to look into that, and so, you know, what's simplest. But that goes for the tools that the teachers and students are using to. How many clicks does a kid need to use to get into that, you know, curriculum device or whatever the teachers using. And what kind of information do they have to share? I think that's become a big thing to. Do I have to give an email, a password and home address? Forget it, I don't know that kind of time. But if I just need an email and a password great, let's knock it out of the park. Or what kind of information do I need to give, which is a good thing people are becoming more aware of, you know what they're sharing and who has access to that. But that becomes a huge roadblock. And then I think there's a huge piece, from parents, students, Old Guard Teachers, Administrators, of less is more. Too much screen time, too much time on the device, are they really being used purposefully, which I agree with to some point. And so it's really a thoughtful consideration, I think going back to that purpose for use. How are we using it, and just because we have computers and we slap our kids in front of them is that mean they're really learning? Are they doing anything innovative? That's definitely not always the case, and I think you're just seeing that from everybody. Now it comes in different forms. So you'll have, you know, parents are very apt on one side of just, usually it's screen time. How much screen time is my kid getting, and hopefully getting them to ask the right questions of, screen time can be a question but it's, is it purposeful time? If it is, then it's probably worth them sitting down for a little while and using that device. But if they're just kind of doing facts or simple things that can be done in old fashioned day, then, yeah, I think less is more. We don't need to use technology for technology's sake. So that to me has been just kind of a big pickup and something from my role back in Colorado to what I'm seeing here is just the justification and or just the thoughtful use of that technology so that it's being used purposely.

Danelle Brostrom 9:30

Fits right into the ISTE Standards and the Triple E Framework stuff that we're really trying to push in this district.

Evan O'Branovic 9:35

Absolutely.

Danelle Brostrom 9:36

Create over consume.

Evan O'Branovic 9:37

Yes, yes creation to me is, is absolutely key. It's something that I think often gets overlooked. And it's, because it's not easy. It's not easy to have anyone, whether it's from the teacher level all the way down to the student, really try and create something, or look at how they're, they're creating or thinking, you know, a little bit broader than just accomplishing a task. It's always about tying a lot of things together, and you know, that always takes work so. That's tough for teachers, but that's where you're going to get meaningful connections. That's where the learning is going to happen. That's where I think it becomes very easy to justify having your kids on a piece of technology, your students on a device. Because of what the end product is, and the fact that it wasn't just for one simple, you know, task. They didn't just practice math facts. They created, you know, a website explaining a multitude of math concepts that they work together with, but that's not easy. So it takes a lot of work and that's the hard part for sure.

Danelle Brostrom 10:33

And a lot of time.

Larry Burden 10:34

So with time. One of the things that we do struggle with, you know, the kids like the mobile devices, the teachers like the mobile devices, everybody likes mobile devices. Yet, I know we, we struggle at the secondary levels with, maybe, misuse. We want them to be creative. We don't want them to be distracted. How do we, I guess, navigate that balancing act?

Evan O'Branovic 10:55

Yeah, that's a tough one. I don't think there's a, there are necessarily a sure fast answer to, this is how you make sure all your.

Larry Burden 11:02

Figure it all out. No one's, no one's.

Evan O'Branovic 11:04

Here's the button to press. That's what everyone wants. Which is always tough, you know. What button can I press? What, I feel like in that same, what app can I give my students so they can't do anything else? Right? What locks down the device? And to me, that's that's asking or approaching it from the wrong angle. So if we're worried about them, you know, we need to force them into this one spot, then, what the activity you're doing is not engaging enough. And that's a lot of ask for the teachers as well. So there's, I'm not trying to downplay what their job is, and that and how they're supposed to do that. But it's really, it starts with people like Danelle and that curriculum, the instructional side of how are you utilizing your mobile device, your laptops, your computers, any sort of technology, to be engaging with the students and making it purposeful. And I would hope in my experience, which has not been long, but with Danielle and David and our other team, our instructional team is, they have that opinion of, if it's not, then don't use it. And that's not to say you just throw it away in the garbage. But you really need to be like, it's okay to step away. I don't need to use this cool new thing all the time just for the sake of using it. So, it's going to take some work I think I'm changing just a mentality of a teacher, of the time, like Danielle mentioned, it would take to, you know, create something that's truly engaging, and how that would be implemented, and what that looks like. And then, you know, contingency plans. So, when it doesn't work, what are you going to do then? Because it's not going to work. I just always like to run under that assumption. It's gonna break. It's going to break probably in the middle of the most important part. And my favorite statement that I've had so far here in the district is, "oh yeah, we were working on that but then technology didn't work." And I'm like, Oh, well that's a bummer. I'm really disappointed that it didn't work. But that's a really broad term. So you know more specific is great but just, that's going to happen, you know, so I try and very kindly redirect that in the sense of, it absolutely it's just not going to work. We can't rely on it because, like I said, it's always changing, it's new things that we're trying to do are usually on the cutting edge, which is great. So you have to plan for a different way to approach it. And so that's kind of the way with that mobile device thing. It can become an absolute distraction and just detraction from what's happening in the classroom and so you either have to spend a lot of time, and I think even if you do, to plan something meaningful you might find that happening. And if that's happening, you need a parachute. How you going to bail out?

Larry Burden 13:39

What's your plan B?

Evan O'Branovic 13:40

What's your plan B?

Danelle Brostrom 13:41

I want to high five that answer because I think that I hear that on a weekly basis. How can I block my kids from YouTube? How can I keep my kids just on the one website that I want them to go on? And I think, like, as an adult, you have to learn how to balance all of this, and the phone, and just everything. And I think if we never K-12, talk to our kids about how to balance, and what that feels like, and that you struggle with it to. You just kind of send them off and then they don't know how to do it. I don't feel like you can lock everything down.

Evan O'Branovic 14:15

You can't lock everything down. And if that is your solution to everything then, again, I think just like you spoke to, you're not preparing them for the next level. And that's, you know, I think what everyone touts and everyone is truly deeply meaning to do so. You want to hopefully bring that conversation back around to them and be like, if we want to prepare them for college, no one's going to say, their professors not going, How can I lock them into this app, you can take all those quizzes with your friends next to you and multiple tabs open. So, is that really the goal, is that where we're moving towards? Because that puts a level of complication, onus on, you know, the people say, Thomas to crank things down in a way that becomes I just think unsustainable. You can't, you can't do it. And then again, it's one more thing to break. So you really have to be careful on that balance of, of how much control you want to have versus how much knowledge, skill set, practice you want to impart on those students and teachers to, to just do the tasks that they're trying to do or make meaningful ones, so that people just are naturally engaged in it. You don't have to keep refocusing them because chances are, unfortunately, that might not be the most best use of that time in that lesson. So having that reflection time is huge. And being able to, I guess, except that it was a dud. It's got to be okay I think especially in technology.

Larry Burden 15:40

You have to be willing to fail. The teacher has to be willing to fail. It's an opportunity to actually model that with a lesson. Sometimes I have, I have this great idea. Didn't work, let's...

Evan O'Branovic 15:51

Right,

Larry Burden 15:51

let's move on.

Evan O'Branovic 15:52

Yeah, because it will not work, it will, it will not work.

Larry Burden 15:56

We would like to get to the point, we talked about this a lot, is, you know, the hope that technology just becomes a tool. It's not even "technology" anymore. It's just, you know, one of many tools. And we're going back to that engagement piece and locking everything down. It's like taking the head off a hammer. Suddenly, it's not a useful tool anymore. Yes. Yeah. The head is the part that's going to hurt you, as well. But if you can instruct the, the educator and the student on the proper use. That would be the more beneficial route to take as opposed to making it no longer tool,

Danelle Brostrom 16:30

And the task design, I think that's a big part of this. Have really engaging tasks that draw kids in. Rather than just the lower level recall kind of stuff. That's what's going to keep kids where they need to be.

Evan O'Branovic 16:41

They just need an emphasis on that, from the top on down of, I think like Daniel mentioned, the time that's involved in that. It's a lot. So to think that you can do that in a 30 minute prep period, it's just not going to happen and that's okay. So hopefully we can start to, you know, as this becomes an absolute ingrained part of what's happening, which I think it very well is terms of using technology within, you know, our teaching day. To really be thoughtful about how we're supporting those teachers and staff to do that. And what that really looks like, and what the best practice is. And I think everyone around you is figuring that out. So I don't think TCAPS is ahead or behind. I think it's a learning process, but you really need to have that at the forefront. And at the same piece, the reflection of, well that plan does not work, or that amount of time is not going to cut it, or what the realistic expectation if this is the only time you can provide, then what can we actually get done that we think is valuable to our students, you know on our staff. And I mean those are hard conversations but I think they need to happen.

Danelle Brostrom 17:47

Okay, I know that you love Google. Favorite Google tool and why?

Evan O'Branovic 17:52

This is a good one. Um, I gotta go with a simple Google tool but one I've found the most fun in working with, you know, other teachers and students when I get a chance to get in there is Google Slides. I think it often gets overlooked. It's left as its PowerPoint. PowerPoint for Google I can share it with my students, great. I think there's a lot of little tips and tricks and hacks. Done a few presentations, you know, labeling it as such, with, that you can do with slides to really kind of change the dynamic of how you use it. So changing the page size, which is a super simple change in that, and it kind of changes the whole dynamic of what it's used. It becomes a magazine. You can print it out in eight and a half by eleven. Becomes a virtual, you know, publication where it looks like pages in a book that can be flipped through online. Adding different elements when you can put videos. My favorite thing to do, hopefully my friends back in Colorado, listen to this, I love GIFS. I love making GIFS. So, unfortunately not really funny, guess they're more, you know, educational training GIFS of how to do this that or the other. And so being able to make those short videos and then put them in a slideshow and so people can flip through as they deem necessary and go back and forth, has been my, was my go to in terms of any sort of instructional tool. And people seem to appreciate that far more than listening to my voice for three minutes droning on and on. Or being like, that two minutes, does that where he explained the part I already know? With the slideshow you can just flip back and forth and I just think it's fun to make GIFs. So, and then you get to put a funny one at the end. So I love that piece of slides, and just in general the some of the new adoptions they have with it. Using the, the speaker notes, letting the students be able to voice-to-text

Danelle Brostrom 19:47

Huge

Evan O'Branovic 19:48

into the speaker notes is big. When voice to type first came on a Google Docs so it was great tool for, you know, our students who couldn't type. And how are we going to get them so they would talk into the document. The document would write and then I'm trying to show a first grader how to copy and paste. And that's just, we're not using again, our time wisely. We're pulling the parachute very quickly. And so,

Larry Burden 20:09

What is developmentally appropriate? Not that, it turns out.

Evan O'Branovic 20:12

Absolutely. And so, it's a go to. And I like it because it's easily accessible. It's one that already people are familiar with. So, when you can kind of show them some really fun ways to utilize it. That's me, tops it for now. Slides is my favorite.

Danelle Brostrom 20:27

Good answer.

Evan O'Branovic 20:28

Choose your own adventures with slides. That's the best. create links to different pages, hide pages. All kids get a kick out of that especially when you let them make their own.

Larry Burden 20:38

I'm excited to do that.

Danelle Brostrom 20:40

So give us some insight into a few things we can expect from our TCAPS Technology Department this year.

Evan O'Branovic 20:45

These are well thought out and ever changing. But what I'm hoping to bring here, and utilize the people and the resource that already here which I've mentioned are great. So a big thing for us is going to be some curriculum partnerships. So how are we working well with our curriculum folks to do all the things that we've just been rambling on about? Without these two departments, you know, working together, being on the same page, communicating better, it's not going to happen. And so I'm really hoping to and by all signs pointing right now, I mean, it's, it's starting to work. But it's a work in progress of just opening those doors, creating those open lines, making sure that as much as curriculum may be on the forefront for some of the things we're doing as technology and like that same mentality to be on the flip. So, is curriculum thinking about technology and because so many of pretty much all new curriculum products involve technology in some way. So, are they first thought to reach out and be like, how is this going to work, what do I not know that I can ask these folks about? I just really want that to be pretty seamless. I want us to work hand in hand. That goes along the lines with doing some other things to that we've already started, like overlaying ISTE Standards into the existing curriculum. So where does it fit in? So not that it's one more thing for teachers. Which we all know does not work and they don't have enough time for. But whereas it just already fitting? And so we can do that groundwork with Curriculum's blessing which we've gotten and then present that to our teachers and be like, see how this is already happening or, point out projects that I know many of them are probably working on and be like, you're doing it. And now you just know what to call it. And that, to me is big, and I think, not to be able to reference ISTE Standards for Students and then Teachers themselves is doing, you know, a big disservice to how technology is really going to work with education. so it's really important to me.

Evan O'Branovic 22:40

And then the buzzword STEM. So, we have a lot of STEM talk and what that action actually looks like and technology is right in that. So, to think that we're not going to be involved in some way, is just not a possibility. So just, how we can help support that. Because everyone's talking about STEM and my experience is everyone has different views of what that actually means. It's a good word to say again my experience someone can probably comment, call in and comment.

Larry Burden 23:10

We can get it really confusing and throw STEAM in there and really have some conversations

Evan O'Branovic 23:13

STEAM to. But just like I just, I think I said to Danielle, I think everyone says the word STEM and then in their head goes, please don't ask me specifically what I'm talking about, when I say STEM.

Danelle Brostrom 23:24

That's my next question for you Evan.

Evan O'Branovic 23:25

Yeah, so please don't. Please don't ask me that. I'll say it closer to the mic so that it's more clear. Please don't ask me. But yeah, so that one's an important one.

Evan O'Branovic 23:36

We want to look at our workflow. There's so much going on with technology the department's so big, you know, between the data team, the instructional team, the network people. How are we working smarter, not harder. I think a lot of those systems are already in place, or at least, you know, been talked about. And I'm hoping to just help kind of drive that ship, and make sure that it does become more efficient, and people feel like their work is valued. And that we're not redoing things that already have been done well. And so just kind of tying that all together. The libraries are another important one, working with Stephie a lot on just starting by what everything looks like. How the libraries are operating, and what our kind of dreams and hopes are for those spaces, and how we can really turn them into moving from an old library model, which, again, I think it's just a national trend of just books in a room, to where it truly becomes a dynamic learning space. And again, that's a buzz thing, kind of like STEM, you'll see a lot of people want to do that. So, but I actually do want to do it, as I know many other people in this district do. So how is that going to look? It's not going to be easy, but I think we have all the pieces in place to really make some changes there. So looking at the libraries is going to be huge.

Evan O'Branovic 24:52

Lastly, in instructional support. The one thing that shocked me about coming here was we have 1.6, 1.6

Danelle Brostrom 24:59

Small but mighty.

Evan O'Branovic 24:59

Danelle and Dave instructional team for 15 or 16, schools technically, probably 16 officially right? How many students 10,000 plus,

Danelle Brostrom 25:12

and staff

Evan O'Branovic 25:13

and staff

Danelle Brostrom 25:14

and support staff.

Evan O'Branovic 25:16

And support staff.

Danelle Brostrom 25:16

and, and...

Evan O'Branovic 25:18

so as impressed as I was about everything,

Larry Burden 25:22

That's why the podcast is only 20 minutes long.

Evan O'Branovic 25:24

which I still am impressed. Just how we can help that. I'm coming from a district, to give myself away, very small, three schools. And I had two Tech Integrators, myself and another person for three schools, and we were jockeying to get a third. So we had seen, but I think that's hopefully a compliment to us the value of our position. And so we were hoping that to be most effective, we really needed one per school in order to help that staff, and, and touch base with all those people on a regular basis. And so now I'm coming to this place...

Larry Burden 26:01

There's a lot of smiles in here. We are holding the laughing in.

Evan O'Branovic 26:06

that is not very close to that. Which is unfortunate, and it's not the end of the world. And so I think, you know, looking at that, maximizing the time and the resources that Danelle, David and to an extent, Stephie, you have to really figure out how we can use that. And we've had some of those discussions. And then, you know, maybe down the road, If we can do a good job, which I think we will have showcasing that value of, is this a position we need to increase, bring into the fold, Really, you know, showcase how that can be helpful. If Danelle can see a building, or someone like a Danelle can see a building more than once every couple weeks in an ideal world which probably isn't even always plausible, You know, moon shot.

Larry Burden 26:53

Live the the dream, Danelle

Unknown Speaker 26:54

Moon shot

Larry Burden 26:54

live the dream,

Evan O'Branovic 26:55

The new guy, you know, he has a lot of hopes and dreams and then he settles into the reality. But I try and hold on to them for as long as possible so that we can make it happen.

Larry Burden 27:03

I didn't sound like you have, you've had a bedding in period at all. You basically jumped right into the fire. And,

Evan O'Branovic 27:08

yeah,

Larry Burden 27:08

it had been on the burner for a while.

Evan O'Branovic 27:10

Yeah, there was no, just relaxing. I've been told a variety of different timelines I have as the new guy. It goes anywhere from three months to a year. Some I'm hoping I get the year to really adjust myself. We'll see if the three months people will hold me to that and see if I got everything locked in within about three months. But it's a lot is a lot happening. And I definitely come from the instructional side of things. So that's my strengths, which I really enjoy doing. And something that you know, gets me going and then I've been trying to pick up, though I had some experience with all the technical side of things. You know, that's where I lean heavily on the Thomases the Bills,

Larry Burden 27:48

So Sorry,

Evan O'Branovic 27:49

All this

Evan O'Branovic 27:50

So, sorry.

Evan O'Branovic 27:51

You know, have their, have their own quirks, but are a great group of guys. And so, you know, I just lean really heavily on them to be like, what do I need to know to best help you, support you? That's what I'm all about. How can I support all these people? Because, they all do their jobs really well. They don't need me to micromanage. So I'm trying to avoid that. That's the goal.

Larry Burden 28:12

Well, it sounds like there's gonna be some pushing and asking that infrastructure to do some things that maybe it's not quite set up to do right now. And having a good understanding of that, allowing yourself some time to have a good understanding of that, so.

Evan O'Branovic 28:23

Yeah, we're working on a whole lotta "Yes," right now. So that's what I pitched at the beginning. Probably gonna over Yes. Meaning we'll say yes to a lot of things. And I'm sure we'll have to reel that back a little bit. But I'm hoping to that's all my vision of, of trying to build those relationships. Show people that we're here to support. But that goes in both ways, meaning and I want to say yes to our team internally to for ideas they have, suggestions on how to make things happen. And I think if we can do a little bit more of that and do it in a reasonable fashion that we can accomplish, we're really going to showcase the value. And then it becomes easier to get some of those high level big goals done. Like have more Tech Curriculum Coordinators and EdTech coaches. All those good things that I think are just as important as the infrastructure data side, which is also vitally important, but we, I want more of a balance.

Larry Burden 29:18

The goal is to have it unseen. And nobody asked questions about it. It just works. Now It's time to actually teach people the tool.

Evan O'Branovic 29:24

Right. Now, what's the data center? No one knows. It's just that building over there that used to be an old elementary. That's always fun to show people, though. People who don't have an awareness of what the data center here at TCAPS looks like. That is an incredible building and just operation from a school district standpoint. I've never seen anything like it. I'm sure they exist in other places. But I was blown away by that. And that, to me is a really exciting piece to have and to know it's already in place. So we're moving on past that.

Larry Burden 29:55

What else you got?

Danelle Brostrom 29:55

Wanna play game?

Evan O'Branovic 29:57

I do.

Danelle Brostrom 29:57

Okay. Brand new segment on the pad. This is called, This or That. Rapid fire. You gotta answer, okay?

Evan O'Branovic 30:04

So you're going to give you two options, and I just hit it with one or the other.

Danelle Brostrom 30:08

You got it, one or the other. Okay?

Evan O'Branovic 30:09

I can handle that.

Danelle Brostrom 30:10

First, Google Docs or Google Sheets?

Evan O'Branovic 30:13

Sheets.

Danelle Brostrom 30:14

Podcast or Radio?

Evan O'Branovic 30:16

Podcast.

Danelle Brostrom 30:17

Let's talk about devices, touchscreen or just use the mouse?

Evan O'Branovic 30:21

touchscreen.

Danelle Brostrom 30:22

Michigan State or U of M?

Evan O'Branovic 30:23

Michigan State.

Danelle Brostrom 30:24

Work with the Tech Department or go rogue?

Evan O'Branovic 30:29

Work with the Tech Department.

Danelle Brostrom 30:31

text or call on the phone millennial?

Evan O'Branovic 30:33

Text all day.

Danelle Brostrom 30:35

Lucy or Rosie?

Evan O'Branovic 30:39

Rosie.

Danelle Brostrom 30:39

I didn't think you were going to answer.

Larry Burden 30:39

I would not have answered that.

Evan O'Branovic 30:47

Not becuase...Rosie doesn't get the love my first born Lucy does. So my wife does a very nice job of taking care of Lucy and giving her everything and anything she wants. And don't get me wrong, she gets anything she wants for me too. But I try and lean on Rosie a little bit. she's second child and she needs that love, so I try and be that, that support system for her.

Danelle Brostrom 31:07

Nice

Evan O'Branovic 31:08

So that's what I'm leaning on. So we split. You know right now we can still play man to man. And do not have to go zone. So yeah, I'd say my wife's got Lucy. And I got Rosie.

Danelle Brostrom 31:18

Love it.

Larry Burden 31:19

Tech Tool of the Week.

Techtool of the Week 31:24

Tech Tool of the Week, Headspace is free for educators. This happened over the summer. Headspace is a meditation app. And it is also located on your computer. So you can use it either one. But they went free for educators, which is exciting because there's an entire section for kids. You know that we love using meditation to bring kids down after recess, to bring kids to a place of getting ready to take assessments, or just to a place of calm. And I think Headspace has some really good options for kids. There's a whole section where you can choose an age group and find really quick three to six minute meditations that are perfect for the classroom. So I'll put that link in the show notes.

Larry Burden 32:00

They do a great job. That particular app does a great job of actually teaching the concepts of mindfulness in a way that's understandable and not to cosmic.

Danelle Brostrom 32:08

The graphics are beautiful too. And it's just a really, really nice tool for educators.

Larry Burden 32:13

absolutely

Danelle Brostrom 32:13

I like it even better than Calm.

Evan O'Branovic 32:14

And they're doing full circle there. They're helping you maybe not want to be on your phone or an app with a phone or an app. So they're working themselves by being to good out of their own business but that's impressive. It's a good goal.

Larry Burden 32:26

All right, um, tutorials and updates just wanted to point out that we have a TechNollerGist pod recording on Thursday should drop on Friday. Just in time for the weekend. So clear out the calendars for the weekend so you can listen to the pod. You'd mentioned earlier TCAPSLoop YouTube channel is not dead yet. There will be things to be put on TCAPSLoop YouTube channel, it just hasn't happened yet this year. We're still early, give it some time. In closing Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @tcapsloop,

Danelle Brostrom 32:52

@brostromda,

Evan O'Branovic 32:54

@evanobranovic

Larry Burden 32:55

Nice. Subscribe to the podcast on podbean, iTunes, Stitcher, Tune-in, Downcast, Overcast, the Google Play Store and Spotify. Leave a review, we love the feedback. Thank you for listening and inspiring.

Larry Burden 33:08

Oh we're just gonna play that on a loop.

View Details

We've heeded the wise writing of "Ditch your Textbook's" Matt Miller, and hope to help you make your next PD not stink. We've all been there. You're partially through a session or keynote and are trying to decide if it's worth your time to sit through the rest. This episode will share some tips to make you a better presenter and help keep your colleagues engaged so they won't decide they have better things to do than listen to you.

Useful Links: http://ditchthattextbook.com/2019/09/25/27-tips-to-deliver-powerful-professional-development/

Jennifer Gonzalez covered this topic in the Cult of Pedagogy podcast as well…

Gamestorming: https://gamestorming.com/

METS at miGoogle

The Un-redacted Transcript Danelle Brostrom 0:00

That's not what is says on your business card

Larry Burden 0:11

It is not an inspiring car.

Danelle Brostrom 0:13

It gets great gas mileage,

Larry Burden 0:15

striving for mediocrity.

Larry Burden 0:18

Drives like a peach, hon.

Larry Burden 0:23

It's episode 90 of the EdTechLoop podcast, My name is Larry Burden, and she's decided to ditch my suggested pod topic, it's Danelle Brostrom. You can't find true wisdom from a textbook, but you can find it in this week's moment of Zen.

Moment of Zen 0:39

When you see a good person, Think of becoming like her or him. When you see someone not so good. Reflect on your own weak points.

Larry Burden 0:49

In an effort to develop a more professional palette, we've consulted the experts on how to better prepare, This, this week's meat of the show, making PD better professional development better. We've all been there. We have been into that session, and that keynote. Depends on your level of politeness. Do you sit through the whole session? Or do you get up and...

Danelle Brostrom 1:12

I sit through the session.

Larry Burden 1:14

I respect, see now I can go in and I'll have like a camera or something trying to get some shots are record it. And I have to go to the next session because I you know, I have to try to get a swath of information out of this, so.

Danelle Brostrom 1:28

Yeah, but sometimes you can't choose. Sometimes you're stuck in that bad PD because that's the PD you have to take. And then you're stuck.

Larry Burden 1:35

There is that yeah,

Danelle Brostrom 1:36

yeah,

Larry Burden 1:36

The initial pod topic that I was going to talk about,

Danelle Brostrom 1:39

that I ditched,

Larry Burden 1:41

Which I thought was going to be a winner, because we're going to talk about your favorite subject, Liz Kolb. She had a keynote this year at WiredTC. And I was actually going to talk about her keynote and the fact that she did not...she wasted no time. She basically came up there. And it was it was a different, a different vibe than most keynotes that I've been to because she was basically like, I'm a professional, you're a professional, you're here to get some information from me, I am giving you that information. Let's do this. Let's act like professionals. And I was looking through some of the resources that you had brought up. And I'm like, Yeah, like that.

Danelle Brostrom 2:22

Yeah, yeah, she was amazing. And, you know, the reason I ditched your topic, Larry, Matt Miller had a great post the other day on Twitter. And he's the writer of, "Ditch that Textbook." And he talked a lot about PD, and how sometimes it can be awful. And we've all sat through it. So he gave a ton of ideas on ways to make PD better, and then throw it out to the group. And it just kind of got me thinking that we do need to talk about this since the beginning of the year, and we're all a little rusty. So it's a good time to bring this back. And I'm guilty of this too, you know, you I've gone in and I've had so much information to present and very little time to do it. So I went wide instead of deep with a few topics. And I just, I bored them to death as I read from the slideshow, because I, I got nervous. And I knew I had a lot to cover. And, oh, ick, I hate that I falter to that if I'm not careful. So I think it's something to be aware of and really, really think about. And when you know better you do better. So Let's, let's go through some of these things.

Larry Burden 3:26

Make it useful.

Danelle Brostrom 3:26

Let's make it useful.

Larry Burden 3:27

So there's 21 I don't know if we're gonna make it through all 21.

Danelle Brostrom 3:29

No, I didn't want, I want to talk about the big ones.

Larry Burden 3:33

Okay, the first you have one specific one, because I want your explanation on this. So

Danelle Brostrom 3:38

The first one, I think he talked about this in a couple different ways. But I really think you need to think about your audience. And like you mentioned, Liz really did that she talked to her audience like they were professionals. But I think you need to find out where your audience is at, try to figure out what they're thinking, read your audience. Don't just read from your slideshow, look at them and kind of see how they're taking in the information. And I think just really trying to connect with them. So, you can ask them questions while you're there. You can try to ask them questions beforehand and a survey. But I think just finding out where your audience is coming from, and then trying to connect with them is like the number one thing you need to remember with doing PD, always.

Larry Burden 4:21

I have a feeling a lot of these are going to also apply to being a classroom teacher. It's kind of the same thing. It is kind of funny that oftentimes, especially in our field, the people that we're getting professional development, who are running these sessions are teachers, and then they get into this environment, and all those pedagogical...

Danelle Brostrom 4:41

Good word

Larry Burden 4:42

Skills kind of seem to go, sometimes, tend to go out the window. So anyway, I just wanted to...

Danelle Brostrom 4:47

No, I'm so glad you brought that up. Because yes, 100%. We are amazing educators and we deliver content to students in a way that is creative and interesting. And we make it fun. And we do all, we do it hands on, and then we get into PD mode and we go back to that lecture base. And I don't know why we forget all those things. You know, adults do learn differently. And there are some things that we can talk about at a later date. But for the most part, the adults deserve that same respect, and they should also...

Larry Burden 5:25

Taller children, with a shorter attention span.

Danelle Brostrom 5:28

True, especially teachers. But they deserve that same respect. They deserve PD that is creative, and inspiring, and interesting, and hands on, and I think Jennifer Gonzales covered this in a Cult of Pedagogy podcast, a while ago. But, she said the same thing. Like, treated just like teaching. Make a hands-on, differentiate, use guided practice. Like all those things that you know how to do with children, do them with adults in PD to. And yes, we should 100% be doing that.

Larry Burden 6:00

Got you off track, sorry.

Danelle Brostrom 6:01

No, that was that was on track, always.

Larry Burden 6:04

One time, one time I kept us on track.

Danelle Brostrom 6:08

And I think, I think and Matt Miller mentions this too, when he talks about giving them hands on practice, and giving them time to talk about what they're learning, and including a variety of examples. Like, again, all those are teacher tips that we shouldn't be doing. If, if you just deliver your content, and they never get a chance to talk about it. I think if you look at the research from Joyce and Showers, this resource on, research on coaching, but it's still says if you're just giving them theory all the time, it, only like five or 10% of the people are going to retain it and actually use it. So, you obviously want more than that, if you're taking the time to do a PD wasting everyone's, not wasting everyone's time, I did not mean that. But...

Larry Burden 6:49

Maximizing their time.

Danelle Brostrom 6:49

Maximizing their time, you have to make sure that you're doing more. You need to give them a chance to talk. You to give them a chance to try the tool with you there, walking around. Or just giving them a bunch of examples about how this, this can apply to these different situations. How can this apply to you as a third grade teacher? How Can this apply to you as an 11th grade teacher? Like how does this, how does this work? Like let's actually dive in and look at it instead of just, here's what I need to teach you.

Larry Burden 7:18

Earlier, I had mentioned that, you know, Liz Kolb had kind of gone directly into the topic and into the research very quickly. It doesn't mean you have to ditch the narrative. It's okay to tell a story and include the learning in, in a story. That's going to be more compelling, it's going to be, oftentimes that the person that session, or listening to that keynote, is going to have five more that day. There's a lot of information coming in, you're going to have to have some kind of a hook for it to be retained.

Danelle Brostrom 7:53

For sure. And I want to see us make PD more fun. Like, I sometimes I dread seeing those PD blocks on my calendar, those things that I have to go to because I think that it's going to be two hours or so that I'm going to be missing away from my family. How can, how can we make PD more fun? How could we, as presenters, could we, you know, change it up with a game or give them a short funny video. Like, when they're having fun, and research will tell us this one learning is enjoyable, better learning takes place. So, that goes for adults and for kids. So, never design a training you and want to set through yourself. You know, let's let's make it, Let's make it fun.

Larry Burden 8:42

While then going back to what you had said, I think, your first point, have some empathy as well. Recognize that it has to be fun for you or something that you see as fun, but take yourself out of it for a second and recognize that other people might have different interests or different points of view, and at least have that level of empathy.

Danelle Brostrom 9:01

For sure.

Larry Burden 9:01

What else

Danelle Brostrom 9:03

I really liked one of the topics or one of the tips that Matt Miller mentioned was to be your own unique self. And I think that this is something I really don't do. And I think it was something that I'd like to start. It just, he just talks about if you have a skill or talent, how can you use that to enhance your professional development? If You can sing or play an instrument? Could you create a song? If you can draw, or at least are willing to try, could you sketchnote your session as it's being presented? If you have a knack for making videos, make some of your own videos to include. I think that those are great ideas, because it just helps people connect with you. Especially if you're willing to be a little silly, or a little, a little different. I think that will help them remember what you're doing as well.

Larry Burden 9:47

As long as you’re topical.

Danelle Brostrom 9:48

Oh, of course.

Larry Burden 9:49

As long as your on topic that, I think

Danelle Brostrom 9:51

100% Yes,

Larry Burden 9:52

I'm going to guess you're gonna get to this. No to Edutainment. If you're up there just trying to grandstand and look at my video that I made.

Danelle Brostrom 10:04

Right, right. Right. Right. Right,

Larry Burden 10:05

It might be compelling. But if it's, if it has nothing to do with your topic, or maybe kind of does. They're spending time with you, make sure that time is well used.

Danelle Brostrom 10:16

Yes. 100%. Yes. And then the other one that I really thought was important. Just to keep the conversation going. They're, typically when you deliver a PD is something that you want them to do in their classrooms. So, how are you going to keep that conversation going, They're going to struggle, they're going to have, need, they're going to need you. They're going to need that group of learners that they learned with. So how do you keep that conversation going after? Do have them connect with you on Twitter? Do you have a Google Classroom setup so that way they can come on and ask questions later. It's just a nice way for people to have that recurring conversation and actually move the needle.

Larry Burden 10:52

I don't know what this one was. I'm gonna throw it out there.

Danelle Brostrom 10:54

Yeah.

Larry Burden 10:55

Speed dating activity. I have not witnessed this. I don't know what it actually it was. It was in his list. Yes. Did you read it? And have you done it? In a professional development setting. Want to clarify.

Danelle Brostrom 11:09

Going back, Larry, I did. I have done that before? I don't love that one. Honestly, unless I'm comfortable with the people around me. I don't always like...

Larry Burden 11:21

Because you're such an introvert. I recognized

Danelle Brostrom 11:23

sometimes I am. Sometimes, I don't know.

Larry Burden 11:26

Every, everybody that knows you right now is like...right.

Danelle Brostrom 11:29

You asked me. Sometimes I don't like it. Because sometimes I'm talking to people that I don't know about topics that I don't feel comfortable talking to people about. But I guess it gets people talking, which is what you want. You want people to be talking, you want them to have conversations, which it does. So Yes,

Larry Burden 11:46

It would push me out of my comfort zone as well. But sometimes you do have to do, if you're going, if you're going to go to a professional development seminar or professional development situation, you should be willing to be pushed out of your comfort zone.

Danelle Brostrom 11:57

Yes, yes, yes. But there's also some ideas that I think that connect to this PD topic. Things that I personally want to try. Gamestorming is a new thing that's kind of been making the rounds within the ed tech leaders. And it's a way of looking at, it says it's a set of co-creation tools used by innovators around the world, is what it says on their website. But it's really just, it's games, games, for opening, games for fresh thinking and ideas, games for team building, game for vision and strategy building. And I think that a lot of these ideas that they use on the gamestorming site, could be very easily adapted to PD. So I'm, I know I'm ordering the playbook. So that way, I can have some more ideas on how to use these resources. But that's definitely something that I'm going to be doing some personal research on, because I think that could help enhance PD. And again, include that conversation, we got people talking. And then another thing I want to mention on the METS Group, the Michigan Educational Technology Specialist, they are doing a session at MyGoogle this year. And it's a workshop session. It's on November 4 in the morning. And it's, now it's made for ed tech coaches. It's a session on ed tech coaching. But man, if anybody, If anybody locally, I say locally, statewide, knows how to deliver a good PD. It's that METS Group, that's kind of their specialty. Every PD I've ever gone to, and anything I've done with that group, they've been amazing at making PD not stink. So I think if you want to go, even if you're not an ed-tech specialist, if you are in this coaching role, or you are in an administrative role, and you deliver a PD, go to this with with, with that lens. They're going to talk about gamestorming. And they're going to go through some different ideas on how to deliver PD better. But, also kind of watch them and how they deliver PD because I think that you can learn a lot sitting in something that is really, really good.

Larry Burden 13:48

Not only take notes on the content, take notes on the presenter.

Danelle Brostrom 13:50

Because they're going to be amazing. Yeah, I'm sure of it. They deliver amazing PD. And that's kind of their thing. So go and learn what they do.

Larry Burden 13:57

Anything else?

Danelle Brostrom 13:58

I have nothing else on that.

Larry Burden 14:00

All right, Tech Tool of the Week.

Techtool of the Week 14:04

Kind of related, Remote for Slides. This is a game changer. It is a Chrome extension. So you add it on to your device. And then there's a website that you go to, and you go to that website on your phone, and then you can control your Google Slideshow through your phone. So all of a sudden bye bye clicker. I cannot tell you how many times I have lost, when I've been presenting out and...

Larry Burden 14:35

What's it called?

Danelle Brostrom 14:35

without the dongle. I have lost that I've left it plugged into machines. And then I've had to go say to Mr. Hicks, I need a new clicker. And It's really embarrassing. But, all I do is I just pull it up on my phone, and then I can run through my Google slideshow from anywhere. And It's amazing. And it's kind of a game changer for those who deliver a lot of PD.

Larry Burden 14:56

If you're presenter that's...

Danelle Brostrom 14:58

Yeah,

Larry Burden 14:59

Invariably your batteries are out. You forgot the dongles. Somebody else brings a clicker in, it doesn't quite work. It doesn't sync, it has to down, it has to download the app, it has ya know, firmware issues. It's always something that goes wrong with the clicker. So to actually have it on your phone and just bink, bink, bink. That's awesome.

Danelle Brostrom 15:17

Crazy easy. Crazy fast to setup. I think, from when I found it to when I was rolling through walking around the office telling everyone I know hey, check this out, guys. Maybe like four minutes. It's amazing.

Larry Burden 15:30

Tutorials and updates. We did a BiblioTech pod just a few days ago with Melissa Baumann on middle school libraries. That was really really interesting.

Danelle Brostrom 15:39

The better Baumann, I like that. I listen.

Larry Burden 15:42

Sorry, Andy. TechNollergist is actually up next week, first TechNollergist of the year. Very excited about that. I had a really interesting experience before I came down here and this is as far away from edu-tech as you could possibly get, I think. And it was a Stone Soup gathering. And I don't know if you're familiar with the Stone Soup parable, I'm sure everybody is, you've read the books. It's been around obviously for ever. But, an entire school, classroom, by classroom was going in and adding things to the big soup pot and you know, they put a stone in. Every, every class got to put one stone in. And it's a great way to A, incorporate the idea of sharing and caring into your school community. But also a great way to include the entire community, not just the school, but your local farmers. The school that we were at at had their own community gardens, so they actually used a lot of their own herbs and spices and things that they had grown. But we also had, they also had some local vendors come in and help with ingredients. It was fabulous. And they've done it for two years now. And it was neat to see the older students commenting on what it means. Any comments on Stone Soup? Your'e all, I wanted to be there.

Danelle Brostrom 16:58

I did want to be there.

Larry Burden 16:59

It smelled great by-the-way.

Danelle Brostrom 17:00

It's a good reminder that it takes a team to make something awesome.

Larry Burden 17:02

Yeah, yeah. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @TCAPSLoop

Danelle Brostrom 17:05

@brostromda

Larry Burden 17:06

Subscribe to the podcast on Podbean, iTunes, Stitcher, Tune-in, Downcast, Overcast, the Google Play Store and Spotify. Leave a review, we love the feedback. I can do that all with one breath.

Danelle Brostrom 17:16

You forgot to thank them.

Larry Burden 17:18

Oh, thank you for listening and inspiring.

Danelle Brostrom 17:20

I wasn't ready Larry,

Larry Burden 17:21

Thank you for listening and inspiring. How many times can I say it? Thank you for listening and, inspiring.

Danelle Brostrom 17:31

You always say something else, Larry.

Larry Burden 17:34

I don't know what to do with the rest of my day.

View Details

We know the elementary school media center is a safe, magical place for many kiddos to explore "Mirrors and Windows." We also know transitioning to Middle School can be pretty overwhelming at the start of the school year. We attempt to draw a Media Center Map for that new Middle School student who just forgot their locker combination, couldn’t find their 2nd hour class and is having a bad hair day (and now surprisingly cares)?

Useful Links TCAPS Online Catalog

Research in Context

East Middle School Library Media Center Website

Show Transcript Melissa Baumann 0:11

What do I need to know about a podcast?

Larry Burden 0:13

If there's something that we don't want I go through and edit it.

Larry Burden 0:16

Usually it's editing me.

Larry Burden 0:20

It is episode eight of BiblioTech podcast, my name is Larry Burden and she's more than ready to delve into the awkward preteen phase, it's Stephie Luyt with our special guest, the better Baumann, Melissa Baumann,

Melissa Baumann 0:32

Appreciate that. Thank you.

Larry Burden 0:33

We know the elementary school Media Center is a safe magical place for many kiddos to explore mirrors and windows. We also know transitioning to middle school can be pretty overwhelming at the start of the school year. Can we draw a middle school map for our new middle school students who just forgot their locker combinations, couldn't find their second hour class and are having a bad hair day, and now surprisingly, actually care. So, you know, I was thinking about this and I was going way way back into my days in middle school which, you know, it's kind of hazy, and there's kind of a sepia tone. And I remember going from that elementary school library which is so safe and so comforting and you know is the place to go into middle school and already panicked about everything and then there's a huge space, and where do I start, where do I go. What does that look like for for a sixth grade student? Maybe this isn't the direction you're going but that was the first thing that I thought about.

Melissa Baumann 1:27

Well, one thing that I'm doing this year is focusing on the sixth grade students so that they feel more comfortable so I've spent the last couple weeks having orientation for the sixth grade classes I just finished up at West Middle School, all the students came down with their teacher we went over the policies and procedures and then I had a scavenger hunt that was created for them, and they worked with a partner to explore the different spaces of the library, to examine how the collection, collection is arranged. And then we'll follow it up with the online resources, during their second visits to the library which will happen in two weeks. So I hope that they feel more comfortable already.

Stephie Luyt 2:04

And those, you know the move from our elementary spaces, yes smaller space, let fewer kids but our middle school libraries are just as welcoming and just as friendly and working on those same things mirrors and windows and once our kiddos get acclimated with the schedule and find feel comfortable with their classes and all that the library is just another wonderful place with lots of amazing resources both middle schools. So we're excited to have our sixth graders up in the middle schools and really excited to have Melissa in the middle schools. Melissa is new with us last year into the middle school but if you want to just tell us a little bit about what worlds you came from.

Melissa Baumann 2:42

Sure, I am definitely very familiar with middle school. I spent seven years in Chicago teaching at the middle school level, then I took some time off and then when I came back, and was hired by TCAPS I was doing a little bit of elementary Spanish, and then made my way back to middle school, because that's where I feel happiest. So I spent seven years teaching Spanish at West Middle School and then when the position in the library opened up I was extremely intrigued by that and wanted something new. And now I'm working on my degree so I think it's been the perfect choice for me.

Stephie Luyt 3:16

And Melissa is splitting time between both schools so kiddos will see her in both buildings east and west and. As well as our LMP's that are in both buildings who are there to help students with all sorts of check-out, check-in, book recommendations, anything. Those libraries are really top notch and functioning, really, with students needs first and doing an amazing job so.

Melissa Baumann 3:39

Absolutely.

Stephie Luyt 3:40

We're thrilled.

Melissa Baumann 3:40

Completely agree about that.

Larry Burden 3:41

So what are the, what are some of the differences between that elementary school library, and the middle school library? What can they expect that's maybe, maybe the same that will comfort them in, and what are some of the differences that might expand what they expect from a library. I think in terms of what would be the same, the access to all the literature and all the nonfiction and all the resources that kids would be looking for for their own exploration and interests and personal learning as well as in school learning. The logistics of how they visit the library has changed when they move into middle school they are much more individual focused in terms of they're going on their own time more often. Sometimes they're visiting with classes. But in elementary they're always for the most part accessing the library with their classes with exceptions they do go down a little bit, but I would say that they are more independent users with, and I would say that's the same for a lot of middle school, I mean they become more independent students, they're visiting classes you know, switching classes, making that switch. So it falls into that same sort of shift that they make in middle school. But I think all the things that they love about the library, are there, and even multiplied when they move up into the older grades.

Melissa Baumann 4:53

And I think that, especially the ELA teachers are committed to having those library visits with their students at the middle school, it just might not be as frequently. I think most of them are on a bi-weekly visit. But I have already started working with those teachers that have been coming in. And they do tend to bring their students in for maybe the first half of the period or the second half of the period so maybe a little bit shorter visit as well, when they come into the class but they are still committed to bringing their students down.

Larry Burden 5:20

I have these questions so I'm just going to float them out there and feel free to say Larry I've got my own and I would like to actually throw those in there to.

Larry Burden 5:27

So what are you guys doing to promote the middle school library?

Melissa Baumann 5:31

Yeah, that's a great question, um, the first thing that I noticed when I arrived on the scene last November was that there really wasn't an online presence for the library. So I followed the model of both of the high schools and worked with ReaAnn to create a web page for both East and West Middle Schools. It has access to the online catalog and the students can have access through the, to the databases. It has other great resources that are available on the web for them. And it also showcases what's coming up in the library so we're featuring the author visit that will be happening on the 30th at East Middle School, and at West Middle School we have a display going on to honor Banned Books Week,

Stephie Luyt 6:11

And it looks fabulous.

Melissa Baumann 6:12

Oh, thank you.

Stephie Luyt 6:13

Finding that online presence, is it in the cloud? Is it on the TCAPS web page?

Melissa Baumann 6:18

Right, so I wanted to make it as simple as possible for the students. So when they come to the cloud, they have a tile that they can access the online catalog specifically, or they have a tile that will take them to the web page for each Middle School. So it's, it's one click.

Stephie Luyt 6:34

I have a question just going back a little bit. When the kids are coming into the middle school and as we're talking about they're accessing the library sometimes more independently. When are the middle school libraries available for kids to use?

Melissa Baumann 6:45

Yeah, we covered this during orientation, and it's exciting because most of the sixth graders have already been utilizing the space, even though they didn't really know how to navigate the space. So pretty much around 7:15 in the morning, they're welcome to come in before school. Both libraries stay open for about 15 minutes after school, and then the students are welcome to come in during lunch, as long as there isn't a class that has the space checked out. They can stay for the entire time after they've been in the cafeteria, eating.

Stephie Luyt 7:13

So there's lots of access.

Melissa Baumann 7:14

Yes, and then of course, if a teacher independently wants to send a student down as long as they have a pass they're welcome to come in and use the space.

Stephie Luyt 7:22

And just because I know they'll be listeners who may not have been in our middle schools. This space can be used in lots of different ways but both sites have like, a really comfortable, like welcoming reading area, kind of like a bookstore. You know that feeling of some really neat comfortable chairs, some reading spaces, some learning spaces, some whole group learning, you know, there's this, this space accommodates lots of different needs, and I think there's a spot for everybody in the library.

Melissa Baumann 7:48

I full y agree, yes.

Larry Burden 7:50

If you were marketing to a student right now. What would a student not expect going into a middle school library. If they have the traditional mindset of what a media center, a library is, you had mentioned one thing already, the kind of book storey type of feel.

Stephie Luyt 8:05

yeah,

Larry Burden 8:06

What else, what else would they be surprised, maybe, or would surprise them?

Melissa Baumann 8:09

I think many of the students during the orientations have expressed that they're just surprised at how many books there are. They're not, they're just not used to having a collection that's as large as what we have at the middle schools.

Stephie Luyt 8:21

Maybe they'd be surprised to find the number of PlayAways, that some of the sites have. The PlayAways are another format to listen to an audiobook. It's everything's right there it's kind of like an mp3 player, which is kind of a fun technology for, for as a little bit like, I would say almost vintage a little bit.

Melissa Baumann 8:37

Yes.

Stephie Luyt 8:38

It's kind of like a Walkman. That's not for the middle school kids to know what I'm talking about. But East in particular has a really large collection of PlayAways, which have been very popular with students. I think our students would be pleasantly surprised to find all of the extra activities that happen through the library. I know that the book clubs have been really popular. Lots of contests and reading motivation and the author visit. I mean there's, they would be surprised by all the activities that, and would fit different niches, and kinda like some maker activities, puzzles, all sorts of things that you can, you can explore in the libraries.

Melissa Baumann 9:16

Yeah, East Middle School, last year, purchased a button maker. So on Wednesday, students can come down to the library in the Maker Space area and create buttons. They're 50 cents each, but that's been extremely popular. The book groups, at West we call it a book group at East we call it a book club. But those have been extremely popular. So much so that this year at East we have to have three separate groups rather than just one that we had last year. So we're going to do those by grade level. And at West, I've already had quite a few entries, especially since I was advertising the Book, Book Group during the orientation, so many students signed up while they were in the library, and I feel that that's going to be extremely popular as well.

Stephie Luyt 9:58

I have peeked at some of those Book Group titles and they are some amazing books that were selected for those groups and it's pretty exciting. I have a question and it's kind of a just from like looking at your side of the day. Is there a typical day for you, at all?

Melissa Baumann 10:15

I haven't found it

Stephie Luyt 10:16

I didn't think so, no two days are the same, right?

Melissa Baumann 10:19

No, in fact, not at all. Maybe a little bit these past couple weeks because I've really been focusing on the orientations with the sixth graders but other than that, I would say no. I'm in the classroom a lot doing presentations on the databases. I'm doing book talks in the library for classes that come down that complement the unit that they're working on in their ELA class. I'm working on behind the scene projects like the web page and Overdrive. So, I, I pretty much just am doing whatever I need to do on a daily basis to tackle about 20 different things.

Larry Burden 10:53

How do we or do we tie what happens in the media center to the classroom. And I'm guessing the database, the databases are that answer. So how does that communication take place?

Melissa Baumann 11:04

Well, prior to last year, nobody really was using the databases because they weren't aware that they were available to them so.

Larry Burden 11:11

That's a problem.

Melissa Baumann 11:12

That's a problem. That's why I wanted to make sure that we knew what resources were available and we had an easy place for them to be, all be stored. So now that the, most of the teachers are aware, because I spent a lot of time in the history classes last year, the language arts classes, some of the sixth and seventh grade social studies classes. So I think that now there's just this general awareness of the database and people are hungry for it. So I spent a lot of time in the classroom because showing the students the tools that are available when they use the research database. And they are extremely slick, they're awesome. I mean they align with our Google Drive, they can take notes right in the database, they can highlight, they can send things directly to their Google Drive. So I think that most have been extremely impressed with how easy it makes the research process. And it's all vetted materials so students don't have to take those necessary steps when they're just doing a search online to prove the authenticity, check the author's credentials, and, which are steps that they're unfortunately not taking on their own. So I feel they are extremely happy to have somebody doing that job for them.

Stephie Luyt 12:20

And then, and also you mentioned but integrating what choice books the kids are reading in alignment with their units for ELA.

Melissa Baumann 12:27

Right,

Stephie Luyt 12:27

So when they're making a choice book selection there's options that are given that have similar themes that complement what they're learning in ELA. So ELA is a main focus and, in terms of working with the library, but getting into all the other subject areas as well through the databases and through research projects that the kids are working on.

Larry Burden 12:45

So is the database available, just within the TCAPS network or does it kind of go with you with your Chromebook.

Melissa Baumann 12:53

Actually it's available. Two of the databases are funded by the district, and then I made the decision last year to purchase one specifically for the two middle school sites. And that one is called Research and Context, and it is designed for middle school students. So all of the content is very age appropriate, and the topics go along with the curriculum that is generally studied in the middle schools. So there's people, cultures, government, history, literature. It's just, there's a wide variety.

Larry Burden 13:22

We've talked about this on many of the EdTech Loop podcasts in the past and BiblioTech as well, curation is so important because when you have all that information out there, it's really is overwhelming. And as we were mentioning earlier in the open, middle school students don't need to be more overwhelmed. They're plenty, they're plenty overwhelmed so...

Melissa Baumann 13:42

Totally agree.

Larry Burden 13:43

To have a database that's, that sounds super user friendly and you guys have vetted it well. That's got it, just make their lives a little bit easier.

Stephie Luyt 13:53

It's a fabulous research...

Melissa Baumann 13:54

You know I'd like to think that they know how, how wonderful of a gift it is but I don't think they really remember like doing the stacks of note cards where you had to put the author, and highlight, and organize them by topic. So unfortunately I just don't think they they realize what a gift it is.

Larry Burden 14:09

I think, I think it's not only a gift, they don't have that perspective...

Melissa Baumann 14:13

Right.

Larry Burden 14:14

of that. But going into the online environment, and just doing research there where you have so much information and to not have some level of curation and vetting before you step into it, it stops people's research there, or their research is just poor because...

Melissa Baumann 14:32

Right

Larry Burden 14:32

You know, they're going to sites that have maybe less than credible information. It really can send somebody down the wrong path.

Melissa Baumann 14:39

Right.

Larry Burden 14:40

Or stop them immediately to have some vetted research and curated research for them, where they can go and just kind of do a one stop shop, really simplifies that process.

Danelle Brostrom 14:52

Absolutely.

Stephie Luyt 14:52

It takes out that whole element of, the need to doing all those steps, that making sure that the information is valid, and...

Melissa Baumann 15:00

I think the students are surprised, because one of my slides in my presentation is showing them the checklist of what they're supposed to be doing if they're going to do research just doing a Google search. And they're surprised to see how many steps they're supposed to be taking. And they fully admit, "I never do this, I never do this," and I, my follow-up is, okay, if you're not going to do that then, in order to be somebody who is doing good research, you need to rely on the database.

Stephie Luyt 15:26

You know, just being able to even know to access the database and to select the database so it's a good fit for your research and having those available to our kids. Like it's just setting them up for those research skills moving into high school, and then into college. And, and, and accessing the database which is so user friendly, but being able to access those tools so you're not having to do all of the, by hand making out, in writing out the way the resource needs to be cited and all of that. Like it, it really simplifies the process.

Larry Burden 15:55

Almost feel like we should have a different name the database for Middle School students. We're like, database, database, middle school kids going...

Stephie Luyt 16:03

Super Cool Research Tool.

Melissa Baumann 16:04

Yes, that looks like some of my students in my presentation. I can't say it's the most lively presentation to talk databases with middle school students, but I try to throw in some jokes when I can.

Larry Burden 16:14

I like the Super Cool Research Tool. Can we find some alliteration in there.

Melissa Baumann 16:18

I'll try and work that into my next one.

Larry Burden 16:21

The other aspect of this, the other partner in this, is the parent, is the parents. Do they have access to that, that slide show? Are we sharing that information? So when the student actually does get home with their Chromebook, again, because that's the great thing about these, these tools, is they can bring it home. If the parent isn't there to prompt, necessarily, those students, that's that's a partner that we were missing. So, are we communicating with them on the database on the Super Cool Research Tool.

Melissa Baumann 16:53

I think at this point, Most of the students would probably have that responsibility simply because they would be able to show their parents through the cloud, how they access those. I know that when I do the presentation, I'm always clear with the students that they can access this off site, they do not need to be on a TCAPS property. They might be prompted with a password, but it's clearly stated what that password is. And hopefully that their teachers are requiring them to do the research outside of school as well. And the parents would then come in contact with it. I don't think that we're necessarily putting anything out there directly to the parents at this time. But that would be a great, a great way to move in that direction.

Stephie Luyt 17:31

Share all of that with what's you know, all the resources and all the libraries.

Melissa Baumann 17:34

I would assume that their daily updates or their weekly update communication with parents might include, we had a research presentation over the databases this week, and so forth.

Stephie Luyt 17:44

Right, and if you know, if parents are accessing assignments in Powerschool and can see something like that coming up, they may prompt them to ask their student about, you know, what does this entail? And what are you using for research and hopefully, the students will remember that they have this great resource, and they're already using it at home to share.

Larry Burden 18:01

The super cool research tool

Melissa Baumann 18:03

That's the one.

Stephie Luyt 18:03

Yes.

Larry Burden 18:03

I'm patenting that by the way, it's trademarked.

Stephie Luyt 18:03

Trademarked, yes

Melissa Baumann 18:07

Yeah, I'm switching the title on my web page right now.

Larry Burden 18:13

You need like a little character, an avatar.

Stephie Luyt 18:17

I can see it.

Melissa Baumann 18:17

Superhero.

Larry Burden 18:17

I may have gone too far, I apologize.

Stephie Luyt 18:17

My only other question was, I mean, you know, your days are very full and no, two days are the same. But are there any upcoming events or projects or anything that you're excited about or that you want to share?

Melissa Baumann 18:29

Well, we do have the author visit that I mentioned that's taking place on September 30th at East Middle School. We were lucky enough to secure a couple of times in Peter Lerangis's afternoon. So he'll be coming and speaking to two different groups of students. We're going to host that in the library. Students were made aware of books that they could purchase, that they could get signed copies of his work any work, not just the one he's promoting, which will be coming out in October, which is Throwback. So I hope that that communication went out to the families and that students are making those purchases and can actually have a conversation with him when they go to get the book signed, following the presentation. So that's taking place on the 30th. The book clubs are gearing up. We have East Middle School, the preliminary meeting will be this week. And then West, we will be doing our first meeting mid October. We are looking at perhaps Girls Stolen, for the East Middle School selection for eighth grade. And for the selections that's West Middle School, I have to, I have to figure that out yet, because I just need to know what the numbers are to see how many we're going to have and how many copies I can secure, so.

Stephie Luyt 19:40

I know you have great choices.

Melissa Baumann 19:42

Yes. Oh, yes, I'm not gonna have any problem selecting a book.

Larry Burden 19:45

Do you have a Tech Tool of the Week?

Tech Tool of the Week 19:50 I would say our Tech Tool of the Week is the, the databases and specifically Research and Context that is Middle School specific and not subject specific. And that can be accessed on the cloud through the tile. And it is a resource for all subject areas in the middle school and very, as Melissa said, Middle School specific. So we'll include the link and more information about the Tech Tool of the Week in the show notes.

Larry Burden 20:16

To close it out. Updates, Latest EdTech Loop podcast was out, I think Wednesday it dropped, on Parent Communication, which is kind of nice, that's why I brought up the parent communication thing.

Stephie Luyt 20:28

Yeah, Perfect.

Larry Burden 20:28

We're recording a new one On Thursday. And then the TechNollergist has one I think next week as well. David Noller. He also dropped a tutorial on YouTube on the TechNollergist YouTube channel, TCAPS Communication Protocols. So, very district specific if you're interested in how a large district like ours or any small district communicates and manages keep all the craziness under control, we try, there's some good ideas there. So I think everybody use that. In closing Follow us on Facebook, Twitter @TCAPSLoop

Stephie Luyt 21:01

@StephieLuyt

Larry Burden 21:04

Subscribe to the podcast on Podbean, iTunes, Stitcher, the Google Play Store, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts, leave reviews, love the feedback. Exercise your mind, read a book.

Melissa Baumann 21:18

It was fun.

View Details

I'm a parent, you're a parent, we're also in the educational community and have the opportunity to see both sides of parental communication in education. In an effort to avoid a bunch of random notes shoved in the bottom of the students backpack, we want to talk about some ways that we can use technology to make communication better, easier on both ends, that makes sense, and create a partnership in education between the school and the parent.

Transcript:

Danelle Brostrom 0:01

Show Notes, shmoe notes.

Larry Burden 0:10

It is an agent of chaos.

Larry Burden 0:12

I've met agents of chaos.

Danelle Brostrom 0:12

My child is an agent of chaos.

Larry Burden 0:25

It's episode 89 of the EdTechLoop podcast. My name is Larry Burden and she's no longer using semaphore and signal towers, it's Danielle Brostrom. I have unearthed my past elementary school newsletters stuffed in the bottom of various backpacks for this week's moment of Zen.

Moment of Zen 0:40

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.

Larry Burden 0:47

We've taken the lid off the hibachi to let the sweet aroma entice our listeners to take a nibble at this week's meat of the show, engaging parents. I'm a parent, you're a parent, we're also in the educational community, we kind of see both sides. What have you noticed? Maybe on the, on the parental side first, as far as using tech to engage our, our partners in education.

Danelle Brostrom 1:14

Yeah, I would like to totally avoid that scenario that you talked about where there's a bunch of random notes shoved in the bottom of the backpack, because that is for real. That is real life, I find those notes the bottom of a backpack and in the bottom of a locker and smashed in the corners of the car. So I really like to avoid that. So I definitely want to talk about some ways that we can use technology to make communication better, easier on both ends and stuff that makes sense. I feel like this is a podcast we do at the beginning of every year. And it's different every time which is good. I think we're evolving. So I'm excited to talk about this today, Larry.

Larry Burden 1:49

You brought this up earlier, I did a little research, which is rare

Danelle Brostrom 1:51

I know.

Larry Burden 1:53

Thankfully, I came up with somebody else who had done even more research and has continued the research, Jessica Meachem, found her on Twitter. And she has a spreadsheet of almost every possible application that you could use to communicate with your parents, and has a list of all the attributes, What were your first reactions?

Danelle Brostrom 2:20

Well, the first thing that I noticed is that I love that she's broken it down by security and privacy issues, because that's a big thing for me. And then she also talks about like the price, The communication that's possible. And, this is a good place for teachers to start. And they can kind of see what works out for them. And we do have a lot of teachers that are using these external services like Remind and Bloomz and Class Tag, there's, there's a lot of them that she's detailed there. My suggestion is to just be careful with these. And here's why. I think about the parents that have four different kids at four different schools. And then The teachers are using four different services. And I think that if you look at it from the perspective of your customer, who is our families, It can be a full time job to keep up with all those messages from school and and the different services and some give you notifications. Like I know were on Bloomz right now and we get notified if anyone comments, which is super annoying at sign up for parent teacher conferences time, because I find out that Johnny's mom signed up and then I find out that Jill's mom signed up and you're like, take the notifications off, but now I'm nervous, I'm gonna miss something from school. So just, I, I love a lot of these services, I think they offer some really cool things. But I think what would be pretty cool is if your entire school decided, we're going to communicate with parents in this way. Like I've got one of my schools that everyone is using Bloomz, or, you know, maybe your if your, if your school or your district has adopted something, I think you should use that for just the sake of streamlining things for your customer. With the cool new messaging apps, they might work for you, but just make sure they're working for your families, too. And that is going to add value for them. So if your entire school can get on board and use one thing that would be ideal. And if your district can get on board with using one thing, that would be the best.

Larry Burden 4:14

Speaking of the district, we do have a one thing?

Danelle Brostrom 4:18

Yes, in our district, we do we have Bright Arrow.

Larry Burden 4:20

We have Bright Arrow. And that actually works through Power School. It's not the, maybe not as shiny, as some of the other apps, it does have some of the functionality. For instance, I know Remind, you know, is often used at more secondary schools.

Danelle Brostrom 4:37

Yeah.

Larry Burden 4:38

Specifically, because of its messaging function, it's, you know, it's very available on your iPhone, or your phones and other digital devices. Whereas our Power School solution via Bright Arrow does a pretty good job from what I've gathered for our parents, but also for our, our teachers as far as having it within their

Danelle Brostrom 5:02

grading interface.

Larry Burden 5:03

The grading interface they're already using. They're already there.

Danelle Brostrom 5:05

Yeah. It's interesting that you say that it is within Power School is only within Power School on the teacher end, on the parents and it comes right through their email. So that's, that's a really nice feature. I think email is the number one way teachers are communicating with families, whether they're using Bright Arrow or whether they're gathering parent contact emails, doing a distribution list. Parents, most of them are on email. So that seems to be something that's making sense for a lot of teachers. But the biggest thing I would want to say there is making sure that you're using BCC for families. If you just send it out blanket and you, you know, update everyone on your classroom news, that's awesome, because you should be keeping your families engaged. But if you put all of those addresses in the "to" line, then, you know, Julie replies with the question and says, Hey, I'm just wondering, did you see our backpack and then everyone on that list is getting it every single time. But if you put that in the BCC, and it's a blind carbon copy, as a parent, I can't see any of the other emails that are on the list. I can't see who else she sent, he or she or he is sending it to. And it just really, really cuts down on that reply all grossness. So

Larry Burden 6:13

answer to this, if you will, Yeah. When you do hit that send to all in Power School, how it does that automatically do will BCC.

Danelle Brostrom 6:24

Yes

Larry Burden 6:24

Okay, so for the most part, if you're going through your Power School, the likelihood of that bad thing happening is considerably reduced.

Danelle Brostrom 6:33

Correct, Correct.

Danelle Brostrom 6:34

And then other ways I was thinking about when we were talking about how to use tech to better engage families, I love the Google Classroom. Google Classroom has that built in progress report feature that will email families a daily or weekly summary of their kids work. I love that because it keeps parents involved if they want to be. Then the nice thing is, once you enter the parents email, You don't have to do a thing. Everything is automated. The bad thing is that you, you can't customize the report in any way. But it's ready to go every, every time that they get that subscription. So I really do like those Guardian Summaries in Google Classroom, I think those are solid.

Larry Burden 7:10

One of the nice things about both Google Classroom and Bright Arrow is, every teacher in our district has it. One of the things you mentioned earlier that we do want to try to avoid, and we might think that some of these extraneous apps, some of these extra apps are really cool and flashy and look great. But if you have three kids in the district, and each one of those teachers that has a different app that they're using, suddenly, that's a lot to manage as a parent, whereas every teacher has access to Google Classroom, and might be likely using it. Every teacher has access to Power School. It really limits the amount of interactions that the parent has to maintain. I would assume the likelihood of having interaction with the parent is increased if they're not having to try to manage, manage multiple avenues of communication. And really, the goal of the parent communication is not necessarily, we would hope, the one way communication. We want to create a partner in this communication in the education of their child. We need to have the feedback.

Danelle Brostrom 8:24

Yeah, 100%. And, you know, you talk about feedback. And it's funny, because I just said, you know, you should use form the ones that your district has put their support behind it, because it makes it easier for families. But I gotta mention Larry, one that I love, I do love Seesaw. We have so many elementary teachers using it that I feel like it's, it's almost become one that we support. I love that parents can see and they can comment on their students work, no matter where they are. I love that there's a place for classroom news, too. And I like it's all in one place. And it does, it does more than one thing. It's like, the Alton Brown thing where he says that you should never buy kitchen gadget unless it can be used for more than one thing. Seesaw is kind of like that for me, because it's got the student portion where they're creating their own portfolio and turning in their work and you're communicating with them. And then it's got this parent portion where you can see your child's work. And you can see, you can comment on it. And you can give them feedback. And then there's this other portion where the teacher can put classroom news and calendars and it's all connected into one app. I do like that, because then it's not just a messaging. It's not just this, it's kind of everything all in one package. So that, that is one that I really do like, that's an external service.

Larry Burden 9:38

What, why do you support Seesaw over some of the other ones that we...

Danelle Brostrom 9:41

Just because it offers all those pieces, when I go there, as a parent, I'm not just signing up for conferences, or just receiving that one way communication from the teacher. It's all of these other pieces. It's almost like, where the Google Classroom, I can see what my child is doing in class, I can see that too. It just feels like there's more there, it covers all those different areas, for me, as a parent.

Larry Burden 10:04

If you're listening outside of our district, recognize what your, your tech coaches, your Technology Department is aware of, and good at servicing. So if you have a large community of Seesaw users or Bloomz users might not be a bad way to go.

Danelle Brostrom 10:28

Because people will help you.

Larry Burden 10:28

Because of the support, as opposed to tracking out on your own. And then suddenly, when it's not working, or it's not doesn't have the functionality that you'd like, you have nobody to ask. So it kind of be aware of your environment and make sure that the people that, that would otherwise support you with the technology can support you, when you go off and use one of these tools. Parent communication is so important for the student, you know, the interaction to have, make sure that the parent is understanding where their student is at and that they're involved in their education is so important, we really do want to get it right.

Danelle Brostrom 11:03

Yeah,

Larry Burden 11:04

and not make it overwhelming for the parent, cuz that's going to end up turning the parent off.

Danelle Brostrom 11:08

And it's hard to look at it from that lens. You know, as a teacher, you're trying to be super efficient with your time and you're trying to do as best for your students. But to take that step back and say, if, if I were a parent in my classroom, what, what would this communication look like? And how can I improve it? Or if I, if I were a parent in the district, and we're getting all these different requests from different services, what would that look like to me. So kind of trying to really think of your customer, and what what they would want and what their needs are. And like, I like to think about, we've got some teachers that are still doing class websites, and having a web presence. And I think you should, I think that's great, I think there's a lot of value in there. But I don't think that can be the only place to communicate with families, your stuff is going to get missed if you just throw it up on the website, and then assume parents are going to go there and they have questions. They're probably not. They're probably not going to go there every Friday to see if you posted anything new. You really need to go to them instead of expecting them to come to you.

Larry Burden 12:07

The next stage or the next step on this. And where the parent communication really becomes powerful, is again, when we're allowing that communication to come back. And we're really become partners. It's also where things get messy, because sometimes it's a little bit hard when a parent gets all up in your business about what your doing.

Danelle Brostrom 12:28

Yeah, for sure.

Larry Burden 12:30

But I was, I was reading some research actually on this. And one of the studies had kind of three takeaways. One, obviously, that the emphasis on relationship building among parents and students is very important, Two, a focus on leadership development of parents really making our parents leaders in the education of their children. And three, I thought was the interesting one, and effort to bridge the gap and culture of, and power, between parents and educators. We contrast this community based approach with a more traditional school centric, individualistic, individualistic approach to parent involvement. The paradigm typically has been school to parent, we're on the mountaintop, and we're, we're preaching down to the parent. If we're expecting the parent to become a willing participant in their child's education. Broadly, I mean, there's always going to be parents that do that. But oftentimes, those parents are actually, you know, feeling as though they're speaking on equal terms with the educator.

Danelle Brostrom 13:34

I definitely think a phone call is always always the best, you know. That's something that they drill into you as a new teacher, that you should be making these positive phone calls home to and I definitely agree with that. Like, Hey, your kids is a great thing today. I just want to tell you about that. Because anytime you can build that relationship and put it more on that evil play, evil playing field? level, I know. Whoa.

Larry Burden 13:55

Agent of Chaos.

Danelle Brostrom 13:57

Fixer of the agent of chaos,

Larry Burden 13:59

We are, We are working into mid, mid season form.

Danelle Brostrom 14:03

Working into.

Larry Burden 14:03

We did not have a preseason. This year, there's no preseason, which just jumped right in.

Larry Burden 14:07

All right. Um, anything else that you'd like to add?

Danelle Brostrom 14:09

Yeah, um, the only other things that I want to add. Just whatever you use, I think being consistent. So trying to be regular with your communication, using the same service. Consistency is important. Being brief, there's so much that parents have to keep on top of. So the, don't waste your time with things like graphics or cute little things unless they add value. I think really just being brief with your communication is important. And then I think, use this to write the story of your classroom. Parents don't know what's going on every day. Sometimes the kids don't give them all the cool things that you're doing. Just use your communication to write the story of your classroom, consider pictures to. Parents love to see their kids little face learning. I just think the more you can use that tech to tell your story, the better.

Larry Burden 14:56

I know Bloomz user and posts a number of pictures. And that's the way that she's been able to get great interaction from her parents.

Danelle Brostrom 15:04

Not just Elementary, I think Secondary to. Like, you should show pictures of secondary kids doing cool stuff in the classroom.

Larry Burden 15:13

All right, Tech Tool of the Week.

Danelle Brostrom 15:18

Tech Tool of the Week, I want to share Flippity. Lissa Brunan, she presented for us at Wired, and she shared some stuff on some stuff on Flippity, and it was fantastic. Flippity is a great resource for teachers. It turns a Google spreadsheet into all kinds of cool stuff. You can turn it into a random name picker or a quiz show or flashcards or a timeline or a badge tracker. If you want to track your kids, or let them earn badges. My favorite is you can turn it into a progress indicator. So it turns your Google Spreadsheet into progress indicator bars, you can use it for a tournament bracket a matching game. It's just some really really cool ways to increase your students interactivity with this device and Flippity is phenomenal. I tried one the other day and was amazed at how quickly I was able to take the spreadsheet that they created, follow the directions, change the words and then publish that link. And then when I went to that link, it was all of a sudden a typing speed tester with content that I had put in so, Wow, flippity.net that is my Tech Tool of the Week.

Larry Burden 16:25

Great Tech Tool

Danelle Brostrom 16:25

Yeah, it's great.

Larry Burden 16:26

That one's been around for a little bit.

Danelle Brostrom 16:27

I know

Larry Burden 16:28

but a lot of teachers love it.

Danelle Brostrom 16:29

but we haven't used it enough. I don't think there's so many cool things on here.

Larry Burden 16:34

Tutorials and updates. The TechNollerGist has a Google Classroom Rubric Template. I haven't actually watched this one yet. So I don't know. I will be honest. I saw it out there like oh, this is a new one. I did not have time to check it out. I guarantee it's awesome because the TechNollerGist just made it. And also there was a really cool tweet that um, to an article actually it was the article that was cool. By A.J. Giuliani and I'm guessing you follow him?

Danelle Brostrom 16:58

Yes, I do.

Larry Burden 16:59

He's all over Twitter. But it's, "Empathy as the Most Important 21st Century Skill.” And I don't know if you've read the article. It is great. It is great. So I highly recommend taking the time and

Danelle Brostrom 17:13

Will do.

Larry Burden 17:13

Doing some reading so. AJGiuliani.com backslash empathy, the most important 21st Century Skills where the article is you'll find it on the many social medias as well. Before the building actually falls down I will close with, follow us on Facebook and Twitter @tcapsloop, @brostromda, subscribe to the podcast on podbean, iTunes, Stitcher, Tune-in, Downcast, Overcast, the Google Play Store and Spotify leave review. We love the feedback. Thanks for listening and inspiring.

Larry Burden 17:47

Drama, you didn;t like the drama?

Danelle Brostrom 17:50

I really did think the building was going to fall for a minute.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai

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Episode 88 of the EdTechLoop Weekly Podcast! After having our fill of caprese salads and grilled vegetarian kebabs it's finally time to whip up some #GoogleEdu marinade and slather it on this week's meat of the show, “We gave your kid a device...now what?”

Additional Links:

Parenting in the Digital Age Presentation

Parents - you can set limits and take the device away
Filter that home network

Screentime Rules From A Teacher

Guide to Parental Controls

Episode 88 Transcription:

Stephie Luyt 0:00

Hey, they still have dot matrix printers over there.

David Noller 0:05

Yes, they still have modems

Larry Burden 0:15

Should I be recording, hold on.

Stephie Luyt 0:15

You didn't save the day for them.

David Noller 0:16

I had a legitimate moral dilemma.

Larry Burden 0:19

I am recording by the way and you need to settle down.

Larry Burden 0:28

it's Episode 88 of the EDtechLoop podcast My name is Larry Burden and ignoring the fire marshals maximum occupancy warnings. It's Danielle Brostrom, Stephie Luyt, and the TechNollerGist, David Noller. We've packed up the beach towels and the sunscreen in favor of backpacks, Chromebooks, and this week's moment of Zen.

Moment of Zen 0:47

What is art? It is when you have paper, and you don't know why it's paper.

Larry Burden 0:54

Thank you from one of the students from my wife's toddler classroom for that one.

David Noller 1:00

It's when you have paper,

Larry Burden 1:01

and you don't know why,

David Noller 1:03

and you don't know why

Larry Burden 1:03

it's paper

David Noller 1:04

it's paper. Yeah, I gotta go.

David Noller 1:09

That, I want to think about that more than anything else right now.

Larry Burden 1:12

I know, she said that this morning and I was like, yeah I need that.

Larry Burden 1:19

We've lost the TechNollergist, after having our fill of caprese salads and grilled vegetarian kebabs it's finally time to whip up some Google Edu marinate and slather it on this week's meat of the show, we gave our kid a device...Now what. I love this topic and I think it's the perfect way to start the first pod of the year. Because really, we tend to focus on all these different things we can do with the device, the goals that we're trying to reach with the device. Let's, Let's start at the beginning, we've given them. This tool. Now, let's start looking at those transitional properties of what do you do with it to get to the goal. So what do you do, what do you supposed to do with the tool to reach your goal.

Danelle Brostrom 2:01

And I think this is where it becomes kind of becomes a thing because in our district we do give kids a device in sixth grade, and they get to take it home, and it's, it's, it's theirs to manage and the parents job to manage and I think that this is a great podcast for parents because we do need to give them some advice on what they can do to help manage this new media that's going to be in their home.

Larry Burden 2:26

On Twitter. We had two comments, two comments that came through when I asked this question, and I thought they framed it in the two in two ways that maybe we should look at the first comment from and I'm gonna get his name wrong and he's all over Twitter, he's great follow Anthony Locricchio, maybe, I don't know, I apologize, his comment, it's a learning tool, and it's yours, so treated as if it's the last one in the world. I think that's a great way to look at it because it is it's a it's a tool it's one of the things we're trying to focus on this year. But, B, it is access to everything, and how important is that, as an educational tool if they know how, if they have the foundational skills to use it appropriately. The other one was from Danielle Brostrom, practice balance every day, shut the device down once in a while, and look your friends in the eye. I think that's great and really it comes down to thinking about those two, two comments. First one, what can it do? second comment. What should it not do? We're giving them this tool. What can it do?

Danelle Brostrom 3:34

I think the first thing that parents do need to know is that all the Chromebooks that we send home are filtered. Schools are required by SEPA to filter, we filter all school loaned devices so they should be not able to access content that's inappropriate. I know that's a lot of parents concern, but I still think you should set up your home network and filters to do some filtering, on top of that. But, um, but we do have some filtering within so it is, it is open but how do you teach kids to use it for good and not evil I guess that's, that's another part of it.

Stephie Luyt 4:07

And how to kids learn that, like they, they're in charge of the device. The device is not in charge of them so that balance idea, how do they learn the skills and adults need those skills to making sure that you're not letting the distractions get to be too much and that you're limiting yourself on real life time and time on a device.

David Noller 4:28

So one of the things that we have thought about at home is that the device, whether it's the Chromebook that we give them or the smartphone. It all fits within and under the same umbrella family values so if something is something that we believe in for reading books or watching movies. The same is true of smart devices and computers. If having them access. something would, would go against what we think is right and good and just and true, it's that way, on, on a mobile device or on a Chromebook, as much as it is, anything else. So, I think, it was important for us to have that conversation early about what would mom or dad expect. And when I'm in the classroom and kids have choice reads where they get to pick a novel or pick a short story to read. I always have a line about, make sure that you're selecting something that fits your, your family's set of values. So that whoever you are responsible to will be okay with your choice.

Larry Burden 5:35

When they get the device and they bring the device home.That is the time to have that conversation.

David Noller 5:41

Sure, to have that intentional conversation about where does this fit within the context of everything else that makes up the family values and the family expectations.

Danelle Brostrom 5:51

100% and I think the biggest thing that I would want parents to know too is that they can always take that device away. The school, gave it to you yes, so that your child could do homework and research and do other educational things, but you are, as a parent, you are in charge of what happens in the home. You want to take it away, take it away if you feel like the amount of time that they're spending on it is too much, have a conversation with that child's teacher and see if the amount of time they're spending on is appropriate to the amount of homework that they're getting and blah blah blah but just as a parent parents sometimes don't they just need that permission to know that they can take that device away.

Larry Burden 6:29

We're kind of discussing specifically Chromebooks, but I think this is applicable to anytime you're introducing a digital device to a child. For us to presume that the first device that the child is getting is our Chromebook. I think would be disingenuous, or at least or at least. Yeah. So let's hope that the parent has already had that discussion with the child when they got their phone or they got their iPad or whatever device that they, you know, were first introduced to. What specifically about a TCAPS Chromebook, should they be discussing or doing. First thing, first thing that a parent should do when that

David Noller 7:11

After we've already had that discussion of values and all that from previous devices. You know you made a comment earlier about how you know treat this like it's an educational tool and it's the last one on earth, and I think that speaks back to the idea that, they're not ever going to think that way because they already have one probably in their hand. The current the smartphone or the tablet or whatever. They've been using those devices a long time and so I'm thinking about it from the instructional point of view about the management of the device as a learning tool. The first thing I did when my kids brought their son was charge it. Find a place every day that you're going to charge that thing and charges every night you're responsible for that. It's like taking care of a puppy. He give them the jobs that they have to do, and they have to do them every night, because if they don't, the puppy cries. We don't want the puppy to cry.

Danelle Brostrom 8:00

They don't charge the device the teacher cries.

David Noller 8:03

Well, again, you know, I've come from the high school perspective. And I kind of have this line about if you come with an uncharged device that's a you problem. That's one I'm not really probably going to solve for you. That's one that you're going to figure out how to navigate through that on your own. Now I'll help kids when they absolutely need it. But I like them to think of that as a responsibility that they have and if they create a roadblock for themselves they get to figure out the bridge to get over it, so.

Stephie Luyt 8:36

It is a device that is different from what they have at home, most likely because it has this extra layer of it's coming from school and it's being given to them to complete homework. And I think that is an extra discussion point for parents, and I think parents do sometimes feel like, okay the school gave this to them, I have less control over it as a device. But it's the same, it's, it's a device in the home and it has all these educational applications but there's also lots of distractions of course. So I think parents have to feel empowered that it's okay to manage it and help your child get those, you know, even the logistical steps in place of taking care of it like a device but also still has the power to...it still needs to be harnessed. And it, it's the parents still have that ultimate, that control over the device, even though it's coming from school.

David Noller 9:33

I wonder about the, the distractibility. We know that, you know, distractions are a click away. But, you know, I grew up with, with friends and and other people who: their note taking guide became a place to doodle on. You know, their, their book even became a place to draw pictures in, or whatever, and, and so the depth of distractibility is certainly increased because of the interactive nature of what they can access or videos or things that they can really sink themselves into. But in terms of the device itself being the main cause of that, I think it's more like the habits of the kids. And often what we see, is the kids that are, that tend towards distraction whether they have a device in front of them, or a blank sheet of paper, they're going to find a way to do something other than what they're supposed to. Whether it's watching YouTube, or writing their name and then outlining it in 95 different colors with magic markers or colored pencils.

Danelle Brostrom 10:33

Haven't we all done that, though. I mean, haven't we all started watching.

David Noller 10:37

Yes,

Danelle Brostrom 10:38

Something that made sense to what you were doing and then eight YouTube videos later.

David Noller 10:44

Uh-Huh,

Danelle Brostrom 10:44

We're watching videos and and yes I've done the same thing with doodling and then realize I missed half of the lecture. So how, I do think it's just important to be honest with kids about that that, hey, this happens to all of us when the tech is set up to keep us hooked and keep us down this rabbit hole.

David Noller 11:04

And I think it's important you said something about being honest and telling them that. To let them know, Look, I get caught down the rabbit hole to, once you recognize you're there, look for the light.

Danelle Brostrom 11:14

It's a meditation thing isn's it Larry?

Larry Burden 11:16

I was thinking that same thing, this is, this is mindfulness practice is really what we're talking about as far as this topics topics is concerned, and that there are kind of anti distraction tools out there I know there are different apps on phones to help, you know keep you on task. Timers that you can do. When a child is invested, if they're invested in what they're doing, they're going to be much less likely to want to be distracted. Now they're going to get distracted as we've all said. You wanted, you wanted to watch that the TED talk or, you know, a conference or whatever and you get distracted. It's if they're invested, they're going to be much more likely to recognize when they're distracted and then want to do something about it. So with that being said, What can we do as far as making the tool that it is, something that engages them. Okay, you have this device. Let's assume we're safe on it. Now what?

David Noller 12:16

Now I'm thinking of this from the teachers perspective.

Larry Burden 12:19

That's perfect.

David Noller 12:20

Okay, so I give my kids. Short deadlines like you have five minutes to do the following. If three minutes to do the following. I rarely give them something where they're on their device that takes longer than five to seven minutes. Because, and I, what I'll do with that is ask them some sort of interesting engaging question, at least I hope it is, right?

Danelle Brostrom 12:44

Yes, it is.

David Noller 12:45

And creative writing I'll give them a prompt that hopefully they've never thought of before, and I'll allow them to write for five to seven minutes, and then I give myself permission to cut them off. Who's still writing? Oh, you are okay, We'll wait. I give myself permission to cut these kids off to try to give them used to the sense of urgency when it comes to thinking and writing. So I think, asking interesting questions, providing short deadlines where there's no time to be distracted because if I give you three minutes. You're going to need all of it, for that question. And if you get done early. What are you going to do for 30 seconds that's going to get you down the rabbit hole. So that's one thing is that intentional planning with short deadlines. The other thing is that when I give them activities that take longer time. It's something kind of complex, or something where they're, they're doing the designing of the learning as they do it. So giving them lots of options in terms of what they're going to kind of collect as a resource, as they create the thing that they're, they're, they're doing.

Larry Burden 13:51

The exploration is built into the...

David Noller 13:53

It is, and it's guided so that it's not just go find, but it's, here's a set of resources, start here. So I've pre loaded a little bit with things that I know will work, so they don't get down the Google rabbit hole. But you know, preloaded with some things that work and then say if you've, if you've used these and you've gotten so far but you want to go further, then you can. But, but again, even those are, are steps in a way that. Here's the first task you about 10 minutes. Go. Okay, well let's see we got, okay. You never got there, okay i'll talk to you in just a second. Next thing is about seven minutes, 10 minutes, whatever, find this and do this thing, Go. And I use the expression on the mark, get set, go, a lot in class, because I want them to think of it, not like it's a race, but there's some urgency to the timeline.

Danelle Brostrom 14:42

So as a parent when you're at home and you don't have control over the task that the child has to do. You can do the same thing though with a simple kitchen kitchen timer like what we talked about earlier. You know, you, you work for 10 or seven minutes. Go. You're done. Take a break, shut it down, let's go do something else.

David Noller 14:59

Check in see where they're at.

Danelle Brostrom 15:01

Yeah,

David Noller 15:01

I intentionally structure my classes that way because, as much as we want to say get the kids up and moving around, there's not a ton of ways to do that authentically. It just feels like the amount of time we want to spend them moving will never reach. You know, there's gonna be some time in the seat that they're just gonna have to spend there. But if I can move it along with some energy and have them move, do different thing and different thing and different thing and step it in a way that keeps them interested and motivated.

Stephie Luyt 15:33

When I'm thinking about myself as a learner because I'm taking grad glasses. And the first time through when I was in school I was not distracted by having phones or having any of this. And so I resorted to using a timer. Like, if, and especially if it's something where I'm just consuming or reading or doing something I'm, not that, because I'm of course very engaged in reading, but if it's something that it might not be the most engaging that I'm working on I do have to set a timer so that I don't end up on my phone signing my kids up for soccer or doing whatever else is scheduling X, Y, or Z. You know, I'm not playing Crossy Road, but you're still distracted by what all those other things and you know when there's something that you're engaged in and you're doing the creation it's easier than being the consumer of the information in a lot of ways. And it's, but I, you know, same thing like I have to manage it in the same way as like little kiddos.

David Noller 16:26

I'll find, I'll start doing something on a short story and then learn something about an author, and then he was in a war, and then I have to go read up on that, and then oh wait, this was invented during that time, then I have to go read that thing. So I get stuck in those rabbit holes too and I do the same thing I set a timer on my watch. And I've got all these like preset little timers, and if I have a thing that I know I have to get done, I'll set a timer for 15 minutes from now and just let it buzz me. Am I still on track?

Larry Burden 16:51

It's so prevalent, it's not that any of us are more or less, though we are more or less distractible.

David Noller 16:58

Me,

Larry Burden 16:58

But everybody, especially for, for, for adults, I think it's almost more of an issue for adults. And we've talked about this in the past. Really for parents, one of the great things about what you were saying was that, that 10 minute period is then you're paying your attention to your kid every 10 minutes, which isn't necessarily happening and because, guess what, you're down the internet rabbit hole, you know, as well.

David Noller 17:26

There's so many things that, that our, that our adult lives are full with, but with the kids, their's to. It's not all necessarily YouTube and, and Instagram, it might be, you know, texting with their friend because they had a bad day and you're the one that's supposed to provide them comfort. I had to deal with that last year, there's so many things in their lives that are important to them that are part of that set of distractions, that I think we have to recognize that and give them a little bit of space to be able to encounter those things, like we do. But then teach them how to take a break from them and lets get done what we need to.

Larry Burden 18:03

Having that conversation early, having that when you introduce that digital device. Prior to them maybe becoming a little jaded, or already being down that rabbit hole, having that conversation. This will, it's not a question of, it might, this will be a distraction. Here are some tools.

David Noller 18:20

We always set a timer for our kids when they were in elementary school for their homework. And it was like 30 minutes. We just set the timer on the microwave and would have worked for 30 minutes and when the timer went off they could do whatever they wanted. We always did it in chunks like that. I didn't really think about that because it's been many, many years since they were in elementary school. That was the thing we did for our own kids just to give them a work time and then I go be a kid time, and then come back and finish your work time, and then you'll be a kid again.

Stephie Luyt 18:49

And that involves some hands on on your part, and I think really the best way to model and help kids to do that is to be hands on with them and, and, and manage you know okay, you're going to be on this, you're going to work on this for this amount of time and I'll check back with you. Unfortunately there is no easy way to set them up with the perfect, there's no perfect app that will do all that for you. And I think the perfect app is the parent or the caregiver who's involved in, and helping monitor, helping monitor and model.

Danelle Brostrom 19:20

That's what I was thinking too, is that parents too, I mean and me too, man. I'm working and trying to keep the house up and everything that has to be done when you're an adult, and managing your kids time on this device is a pain, and it's complicated and it's tricky and oh my gosh I just want to push a button and have it done for me because I don't have time to deal with it I mean that's the reality. But you have to do it. This isn't like something that you can opt out of really because the media will parent for you if you don't. This is something that you really have to do. And I think just the, I think we need to know too that everyone's kind of going through it together, you're not alone.

Larry Burden 20:01

We're definitely talking about the same thing, we're all on the same rabbit hole so it's, it's, it's good. But we're talking about attention, really recognizing that attention on a task is what we're trying to get our students to be able to maintain. One of the neat things that David had said was pre device, building some, some skills. I think that's a really interesting way to look at this is there are, there are a lot of digital skills that can be pre built before they get the device. And having some mental discipline regarding attention before they get the device, you know, early, when they're when they're maybe a little more moldable, maybe not in eighth grade, turns out, might be good. It's not giving them the device, it's recognizing that they are going to be living in a digital world. There are some skills that we can develop before they get the device that would be really useful. So that when you hand it to them they're prepared. What would those skills be? just dropping that one, boom.

David Noller 21:10

Sure,

Larry Burden 21:10

go get 'em.

Stephie Luyt 21:11

Well, recognizing when they've gotten off task and having, having an idea of, Okay, how do I get myself back on task and it was it done I do need to set a timer, or I need to switch to a different activity that's away from whatever I've been distracted by. I think, I mean, to label okay right now I'm off task. Now what and have a plan.

Danelle Brostrom 21:32

I think working with your children and your family and being present, being focused on who you're with, when you're with them. Focused on, it's the same idea just really focusing on the idea of being present and not being distracted by 18 different things.

Larry Burden 21:49

We're getting right around that time for sure. I wanted to talk about when we had that device over to one of our students, what does that mean for staff? What responsibilities they have once they've given that tool to a student?

David Noller 22:05

I think it changes how you interact with students, and how you plan, and how you design your lesson. Because if you're not intentionally using the tool. Then you're just sort of randomly, hoping that whatever you're going to do works. You wouldn't come into a classroom and hand a kid a textbook and say, find some neat information that you want to report out. You'd build in some structure to that. You'd build in some parameters. You would give them a certain amount of time to get it done. You would suggest a manner in which they could report out. You would plan intentionally with your tools in mind. The devices shouldn't just be another way to fill out a worksheet. So I think one of the things is that we want teachers to think about intentionally planning, so that they know that they're about to hand their kid a task that's going to have them on this device for X amount of minutes. Are you okay with that? Can your kids handle that? Are they ready for that experience? And I think if they can ask those, themselves, those questions, and say yes to those, then okay, we're ready to go. If there's any trepidation then maybe we need to be a little bit more intentional about that planning and what it is we actually expect to happen once we engage the kids with that device. My other thing for teachers is this. It's okay, like you say, to take the device away. Get used to saying lids down place, or however you want to say that. And it's, it's not optional. This is a time when our lids are closed. I do it all the time. I use my devices with my kids all the time. And they, they know that when I say lids down they go down, then they come back up and Chromebooks are so fast in terms of starting and stopping and starting, and that's okay. But if you forget to say lids down, that's and the kid gets off task and that's when teachers get upset, well there's such a distraction.

Stephie Luyt 24:02

And I think if, if parents touch base and say, my kids spending X amount of time on this device, you know, all night. What, to be able to communicate what your expectations were with the tools that they can help gauge like okay they are way out of bounds for these reasons. You know, this is what the teacher is looking for. And, and be mindful of what the kids are getting from for our secondary from all their other classes? You know, what, what is a reasonable expectation for amount of use on this device. And do they have to, you know, what's that big picture going to look like? And for parents to understand and like all of our teachers are, are thinking through those ideas and how to communicate those if a parent asks.

Danelle Brostrom 24:43

In the classroom first half, I would just remind teachers that you don't have to use them. You know, goes back to the whole, Liz Kolb stuff, use it when it makes sense if it doesn't make sense just because the kids have them, doesn't mean they have to use them. They can pick up a real book. That's good for them.

David Noller 24:57

Sure. I have a metaphor I use pretty regularly. Where there's the movie, "Uncle Buck." And he's making pancakes. And normally, we use a spatula to make pancakes and you flip them over. So if you're going to use a spatula for pancakes, that's fine. If you need a snow shovel, because your Uncle Buck making it three foot wide pancake. Use a snow shovel. But if you're making little six inch pancakes like you normally would, snow shovels too much. So use the whatever tool makes sense for the tasks that you're trying to do. If it's a book and paper, use a book and paper, if it's the internet and Chromebooks, then grab the snow shovel.

Larry Burden 25:40

It's interesting, technology is no longer cool.

David Noller 25:45

Right,

Stephie Luyt 25:46

It's neutral, it just is.

Larry Burden 25:46

It's neutral, what you can do with technology as a tool can be cool.

David Noller 25:53

For these kids the Internet has always existed.

Larry Burden 25:56

Times be changing. Anything else, there's there's I mean, there's a ton more we're just out of time so.

Stephie Luyt 26:01

I think there's a lot more to talk about. To be continued.

Larry Burden 26:04

All right. Hey, Do we have a tech tool of the week?

Tech Tool of the Week 26:09

REMC has this amazing course called, "21 Things for Students," and it is something that teachers can use in the classroom but I even think that this specific lesson is beneficial for parents. They just released a new quest five called, "Balancing My Media," and I love this especially in light of our discussion today because it has some great video resources, some great vocabulary, some great graphic organizers to help kids kind of organize their thoughts about their digital media balance, and there's just a lot here to help families and kids learn about how Tech has hooked and how we can try to break that. And I just think there's a lot here so I'll share that in the show notes.

Larry Burden 26:50

Tutorials and updates, not a whole lot. I did see a Chromebook Care and Management tutorial from from the TechNollerGist on YouTube so we'll definitely have that in the show notes. Just wanted to point out again it's, we have a we're hosted on a new site, podbean, podbean is the new podcast hoster so. You can find us now pretty much everywhere, and the podcast, podcast will now be transcribed so you can read the podcast. So very exciting there. In closing, follow us on Facebook and Twitter @TCAPSLoop,

Danelle Brostrom 27:21

@brostromda,

David Noller 27:22

@TechNollerGist,

Stephie Luyt 27:24

@StephieLuyt.

Larry Burden 27:25

Right, subscribe to the podcast on podbean iTunes, Stitcher, Tune-in, Downcast, Overcast, the Google Play Store, and Spotify. Leave a review, we love the feedback. We'd love your questions. Thanks for listening, and inspiring.

Larry Burden 27:41

That was that was all over the map.

Danelle Brostrom 27:43

That was a tricky one.

View Details

The school year is about to begin and the EdTech Loop crew is about ready to get back into the studio. Though I considered attempting to convince Danelle to record a new podcast over the Labour Day weekend, I instead recognized that I value our friendship and decided one more Best Of Episode is a more promising and healthy option. So pop in the earbuds, lay back on the beach towel and soak up the sun one more time before the school bell rings and join our “Digital Parenting,” conversation and as always thanks for listening and inspiring!

Danelle Brostrom 3:27

So I turned my phone off so that way it didn't brrrrr in the middle

instead of playing video games and just sit on the couch and veg.

Why are you always recording

Larry Burden 3:35

That will be the intro to the pod...and done. Oops.

It is Episode 38 of the TCAPSLoopweekly podcast. My name is Larry Burden and she's convinced Al Bundy was actually a highly enlightened Cyborg. It's Daniel Brostrom.

Danelle Brostrom 4:08

I know the reference this week, Larry.

Larry Burden 4:12

Oddly, I had to go farther back.

Carl Sagan was actually farther back, but still I had to go pretty far back. So well. How you doing?

Danelle Brostrom 4:22

Okay. It was great

Larry Burden 4:23

doing the Olympics watching.

Danelle Brostrom 4:25

Um, a little. We like curling.

Larry Burden 4:26

Who doens't like curling.

There was a tweet that I ran into on curling or how you watch how somebody watches curling, they had some explicit language, but it was pretty funny. It starts out the first minute, you're like, this is kind of boring. The 10th minute you're going you're like, ooh, he could have curled that stone a little bit better, maybe. The third one was like this highly like after like an hour and a half. You've got like this highly considered opinion on, you know, the tactics of curling. And by the end, you're just completely emotionally invested in it and screaming at the TV "Sweep!, Sweep!"

Danelle Brostrom 5:04

accurate.

Larry Burden 5:04

It's pretty funny. curling is your sport, anything else?

Danelle Brostrom 5:08

No, just curling.

Larry Burden 5:13

high levels of athleticism, and curling. I did the opening ceremonies and I haven't really I haven't, I haven't, dove, dove in. Once you dive into the... with what I've learned is once you dive into the Olympics, you're you're into all the sports. But I haven't I haven't gone there yet, which is a bummer. We watched one curling match. Okay, that was that was quite, that was enough.

Danelle Brostrom 5:36

Close enough enough.

Larry Burden 5:37

I have a feeling sooner or later the figure skating is going to take over my household because I have a lot of girls,

Danelle Brostrom 5:43

I do like the figure skating too. That is pretty cool.

Larry Burden 5:45

Moving on, it's time, to get into the downward dog position, Your lotus position. clear your mind. It's our moment of Zen.

Don't try to waste a lifetime by trying to banish all danger. Just spend a moment now and then to banish fear.

Relatively apt, As we dig into the meat of the show, Parenting in the digital age. And I wanted to start by asking this question, we hit this topic, you have your email, do we want to do this? Again? We've kind of done this. I don't think we can do this enough.

Danelle Brostrom 6:26

I know.

Larry Burden 6:26

I really don't i don't think it's going away. I don't think it's gone away. So, why do we keep coming back to this?

Danelle Brostrom 6:32

Well, it's really hard to parent, a digital kid, when you've never been a digital kid. You know, I when I grew up,

Larry Burden 6:39

The Wii doesn't count?

Danelle Brostrom 6:40

No, the Wii doesn't help. When I grew up. We I mean, we didn't have computers. I mean, we had computers, but nothing, nothing like we do today, until I got into college. And then we were able to use things like the internet for research, you know. Things have changed so much. And they changed so quickly. And our kids know how to do it. And they're on top of it. And they've got ways to get around how we think we've controlled it. So, the more help we can give families and the more we can get families talking about this, I think the better off our kids are going to be.

Larry Burden 7:13

Absolutely. So let's talk about this. You and Steffi are doing some presentations, and you dusted off an old Google slideshow. And I was going through it and Oh, wow. This is, you know, we've always talked, I think early on when we're having these discussions we were, finding it hard to find actionable things. Where this is, these are the things that parents, teachers can do. And I was going through the slideshow, and it was like, Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Um, the first one that hit me was make a plan. And If you want to give us some tips abroad, actually the slide show up, If you want to go through why making a plan is so important, because that I think that's, there's a reason why it's number one.

Yeah, no, I think making a plan is important making that plan before you actually give your child that device. This isn't like, you know, if my kid wants a finger laying, I go to the store and I buy one, they give it to her, whatever. This this, this is this is the most powerful computer in the world, and they can have it and be connected to everything. 24/7, so making this plan before you give them that device is really important. So think about things like timing, How old should your kids be? And we talked about that, wait until eighth," pledge and another podcast that some families are choosing to wait until the eighth grade point. And then thinking about like, what kinds of activities are you okay with your kids doing online? What kinds of time limits are you going to set? Can kids use media during homework time? Or is that kind of a know you're 100% focused on homework, nothing else? So trying to come up with this, this plan? What are your non negotiables? What are the things that are definitely unacceptable to you and communicate those with your kids. They have to know, this is the line, you do not cross it. And you can consider using a contract such as the 18 point iPhone contract, which is really, really good. It goes through things like I own your phone, I have the right to look at it anytime I want. Things like that. And then having you and your child sign it. Again, that communication with your kid is key. Definitely a non negotiable in our house is going to be the device free dinners. There's a lot of really great Will Ferrell commercials, where they're all sitting around a table and all the kids are like, I Miss Daddy, I Miss Daddy, too. I miss Daddy the most and they're like all sad. And then all of a sudden, you see that Will Ferrell is actually at the table with them, but he's on his phone. And He's like, like, like, like, like, oh, sorry, just five minutes, like, like, like. So you can see that they've I mean, they're trying to put it in a funny way. But in a lot of our families, you know, those devices are taking over that dinner table. And there's so much conversation and bonding that is missed when people are distracted. So I know that's a non negotiable in our house. And that is in our plan that we've made before we give our child a device. Things like rule breaking, you know, decide what the consequences will be when they break the rules. And then kind of plan ahead. The, your kids are going to do some curious searches, we call them. How are you going to address that? How are you going to address explicit text? How having a plan for what you're going to say what you're going to do? Are they going to lose their device? Are they not? Is it going to be punishment elsewhere. And then just staying connected, you know, the more you can foster your relationship with your kids, the more they're going to come to you when they have problems and run into something and I say when because they're going to run into something they don't know how to handle.

That's, that's being a kid. That goes back to the the failure podcast, that mindset, you know, the mistakes they're going to make with the digital device aren't necessarily bad, they're going to happen, it's going to happen. Being prepared for when it does happen, is showing good parenting skills. You know, having that plan is saying, okay, when this does happen, this is how we're going to react and not being surprised by it or taken aback or reacting out of fear.

Danelle Brostrom 11:13

Yeah, we can't react out of fear. And we can't say, we can't say I'm never going to give my kid a device, or I'm never going to let them connect to the internet. Because that's not realistic, you have to come from a place of, kind of, understanding and recognizing and setting them up in a safe way. So that way when they fail, you're kind of there to help them. Catch them.

Larry Burden 11:33

You mentioned it earlier is the modeling.

Yeah,

Don't be Will Ferrell. And I think we get caught in that a lot. That is...with making a plan, modeling, good digital citizenship or behavior with your device or self control is so important. You know, getting back to the mindfulness thing, we talked about these topics, all these topics, and they all kind of dovetail together into being good stewards of digital, our digital lives. And then modeling, stewardship and good behavior with those devices. And it's not a, If you, if you allow yourself to live your life on your device, your device, and the people that create apps for your device will be more than happy to allow you to do that, they're not going to say, Oh, you really shouldn't be using my app. So it really is up to you to make the decision. And as an adult, you're much more capable, you should be much more capable of making that decision, than your, your students, your kids. So It's really, you know, very, very important for you to do that modeling so that when your kid gets in that situation, then go, this is the right way to interact with my device. Being up, out in front of it, so that they know what correct usage looks like.

Danelle Brostrom 13:04

Yeah, they're always watc hing us. And that's scary. But yeah, the whole idea of modeling. And I worry a lot about plugged-in parents. That's what, that's what Common Sense Media calls it. They did a great research project a couple years ago called plugged-in parents and some of the statistics that came from that. Things like parents spend more than nine hours a day with their screens. But 78% of parents believe they're good role models for their children. So we don't see how much time we spend on our screens. And one of the, so my husband I last night and doing some research for this, I made him go on his phone, and you can look and see. It's under "Settings," and then your "battery life." And you can see what your battery life has been spent on in the last 24 hours, in the last seven days. And I was like, look at this. Do you see how much time you spent on Twitter? He's like, Oh, That's not right. Like it is right? That is, that is right.

Larry Burden 14:06

Trust me. It's right.

Danelle Brostrom 14:07

It is right. So just, but that whole idea of being that, that, that model for balance and mindfulness and being with the people who you're with, but, but it's also it's you need to know, like, if we just go with, Oh, I'm fine, I think I'm fine. No, you need to see those hard numbers and see how long you're on Twitter and how long you're on Facebook. So you can say, Whoa, that is almost a full day of my life that I spend. No I didn't. But I didn't I swear. It's embarrassing. But, But you need to have, you need to see it to be able to recognize how much time we're spending, doing things like that

Larry Burden 14:48

Self reflection is a good thing.

Danelle Brostrom 14:50

Self reflection. That's what we call it. But you know, when when 41% of our teens and our kids are feeling that our, that their parents are distracted, their parents aren't there with them, when they're on their device, I think that's a problem.

Larry Burden 15:04

Well, they'll find somebody to parent them,

Danelle Brostrom 15:07

The device will parent them and media will parent them.

Larry Burden 15:09

You're You're we were talking about the the wait until eighth pledge. And I think that's, I don't think that's a bad thing. I don't know...You were definitely swimming against the stream with that. You see a lot of the lot of the the iPads with with the with the babies with the kids with the, If it's not their phone, It's the parents phone. If it's not their iPad, It's their parents iPad. You know, allowing the device to be the parent, because we, we believe that we're very, very busy. And we're doing these things. And sometimes it's easier just to do that. That's another that's another role model. That's another modeling situation that you gotta gotta catch yourself, even though it is it is very easy. You hand a child an iPad and your, your parenting job is done. It'll come back later. But at that moment, it's you know, that situation is taken care of

Danelle Brostrom 16:13

Yeah but, as a parent, you have to think of the whole picture, like there are definitely times in Meijer where my kids are throwing stuff into the cart and messing with each other. And I'm like, here, you play Daniel Tiger, and here you read a book on the phone, just just, we just have to get through Meijer or, you know, we get home and I'm trying to make dinner and do all the things you need to do. And they're fighting, like here guys, go sit and watch Phineas and Ferb, I'm going to go in the kitchen and do dinner. Like, there are definitely times when that happens as a parent, that's just life. But there's also, we've made choices about what kinds of apps and games and TV shows we allow. And then we make choices on the amount of time, which is a lot smaller than it could be.

Larry Burden 16:52

And if you have that plan beforehand, it's going to be a lot easier to make appropriate decisions. So when you do allow for digital device usage, because you have a plan, you're not just giving them the world. At that point in time. You're giving them what you feel as a parent is the appropriate amount of the world. So that, you know, you understand the sandbox that they're playing in.

Danelle Brostrom 17:18

For sure, for sure. That and that's another thing that we tell parents is to get, get in that sandbox, you know. Do, do random spot checks of their phone and kind of see, see what what's on there. Make sure that you're the filter for downloading apps, you know, they don't get to just download any apps without you. But get in there. And if they want to download Instagram, you get on Instagram first and see what you think about it and see, see how easy it is to get into trouble or how hard it is and, and then you decide as a parent, whether you want them to have that on their device or not. And, you know, if there's a new video game that they want to play, you know, media has really changed I think about, and like the 1950s, when everyone would kind of gather together around the tiny little TV and you would have conversations, like media was that shared experience. And most living rooms now everybody's kind of on their own device, and nobody's really doing that interacting. So getting in that game yourself. So your kids want to play the video game, pick up the controller and play with them and see, see, see what that just try to recreate that shared experience and be in the game with them and know that they're going to move. You know, if they're on, they're not on Facebook, because we're on Facebook, but if they are on Facebook, it's because they have a nice, perfect version of themselves on Facebook for you, and family. But they're actually on Instagram. So you moved to Instagram, and then they moved to Snapchat. So you move to Snapchat. Like you need to follow and keep up with them, which is a full time job in itself, but you need to do as best that you can do to stay in the game with them.

Larry Burden 18:54

And when you do see, your parenting radar goes off because you see a post that they have, or a comment that they have that isn't appropriate, or it doesn't seem quite right. It is then thier, they will fight you on this. But it is your responsibility and your prerogative to say you need to delete this. This is not appropriate and isn't is not representative of, of you as a person and will probably get you in some level of trouble down the road. But really it is your call. As a parent thing, going back to what you were said, you said about, It's your device, you paid for it. And even beyond that, you know, throwing out the, "I paid for it," you know, saying is if you saw your child doing something inappropriate outside of their digital life, you would call them out for it and there would be, you know, repercussions or a conversation. The same thing should should hold for their digital lives as well. So when you do see something, It's a great, it's a great teachable moment.

Danelle Brostrom 20:00

For sure.

Larry Burden 20:01

You know, and those are in there, their digital life is not going to be stopping anytime soon. So it's just as important to call those moments out. If, If Little Johnny punches little Jill in the face, you're going to, obviously, there's going to be repercussions there. If little Jill snapchats inappropriate comments to little Johnny, the same holds true. There's damage done. We need to be able to look at those as equal situations and you know, treat them the same because they are the effects, you know, student you know, our kids very similarly.

Danelle Brostrom 20:40

So we need to remember to be having those conversations with our kids that the internet is loud, and the internet is permanent. So everything that you do, like I can only work hands, all the mistakes that we made weren't videoed, they weren't out for everyone to see. We were able to fail and make those mistakes and kind of be sheltered. But it's not that way anymore, their digital footprint is out there and it's not going away. So those inappropriate comments that they do make, could very well follow them and could affect them in the future in and jobs, and colleges, and the ramifications are just ridiculously crazy for our kids.

Larry Burden 21:17

And even there, there frame of reference is considerably smaller, you're telling them that they're going to, their text, or their Snapchat is going to affect their college career, it's probably gonna go right over their head, because I'm not really thinking about it. But letting them know that, that Snapchat was screenshot and though it was screenshot by a friend. You have a, you have a, you know, a bad day with that friend, and suddenly that screenshot is shared everywhere. And that's, you know, that's affecting them in the now and you will probably get there is much more likely to get their attention even though you're looking as a as a parent, you know, three, four or five 6, 10 years down the road. That's not where their field of vision is. So you, they might miss that point. It's not saying that that's not the important point. But whether or not they're going to be hearing that point. Eh, might not be close enough to home.

Danelle Brostrom 22:19

Yep. And that's okay. And one of the things that we definitely advocate for are short, repeated conversations, your kids need your guidance. They might not seem like they ever want your guidance, but just that's okay. Just keep keep hitting them with that, you know, they might not be listening now. But it might come back later. And we talked about some different conversation ideas like talking with kids about what does it mean, when your friend doesn't answer right away? Because the kids think, Oh, my gosh, she didn't answer my text, she must hate me. And they go into these little spirals. But maybe she's out playing basketball with her dad, like it's okay that she doesn't answer right away. And the whole idea that behind every online interaction, there's a real person. We talked before about how tech companies use like, some streaks to get you addicted, I think it's important for kids to have that knowledge. How the media reinforces gender stereotypes, impact versus intent with some of the language that happens online. Even just finding examples of kind and unkind comments, you can go on any social media site and see that and talking with your kids about that kind of stuff. We just need to continue to have these conversations. And one of the resources that we share with families is the screenagers website, they have something called Tech Talk Tuesdays, and every single Tuesday, they email you different conversation topics that you can have with your kids at the dinner table. And it's amazing, because I never, I mean, this list is awesome. But I never, I never think about it in the moment. But then on Tuesday, I get that email and I'm like, Oh, okay. Tonight, we're going to talk about these six topics. And I've got three conversation starters. And it's, it's a perfect reminder, and it's a perfect shell of what I should be doing.

Larry Burden 23:57

When we're going through this list. And you're you're mentioning resources, my thought was, this is not just for nerds.

Danelle Brostrom 24:15

Do you think thsi is just for nerds Larry? You are. I am!

Larry Burden 24:21

No, but, you know, I think a lot of times, you might think that, you know, doing these deep digital dives, that going to Common Sense Media, going to, what was the last one that you.

Danelle Brostrom 24:36

The Screenagers Tech Talk Tuesday.

Larry Burden 24:37

Tech Talk Tuesday, although I'm not, you know, that's not really my bag, you know, I'm not a I'm not a digital person, even though you're on your phone, checking Twitter, you know, 10-15 hours a day. Everybody is, everybody is a nerd now, certainly your kids, you know, the definition may have changed a little bit or a concept of it. We have to recognize that, that even though you're not coding, You are living a digital life. Everybody is living, living a digital life. So we have to be prepared for that. And we weren't taught in school, we weren't given the tools. You know, as parents, we were not given the tools, it wasn't part of our growing up process. You know, a lot of that a lot of the common sense stuff, m ost of the common sense stuff we received, just through growing up that was part of the process is kind of baked in the digital stuff was not. So we do need to kind of kind of backfill those resources, and it isn't going to necessarily be an, you know, obvious, because the playing fields changed. So we kind of have to relearn the rules or learn new rules. And check out those resources, even though it might not be your bag is probably a really wise thing to do.

Danelle Brostrom 26:00

For sure. Common Sense Media is one of my favorites. I love that. So, So ideally you should be having these conversations with. But with other parents, you should be talking to the parents of the kids in the houses where your your kid spends time. You know, my kid always has the best, my kid has the best friend, she spends time over there, I should be talking to her mom about media roles in their house. And we should just be having that conversation with the parents that are around us. But if we can't, or we don't feel like we have a parent group around us Common Sense, Media is great for that. Because there's a whole entire section on parent concerns. There's a whole entire section on parenting advice blog, so you can go on and you can get advice for how to deal with curious searches, or when to get your kid a cell phone or one the other day, it was just different things you can do to your own phone to help you be more in the moment. And I mean, there's the reviews and the ratings. And those are amazing, because you can go on and find reviews and ratings for any book, movie games, apps, any of that stuff, but the whole parenting section that you can join this online community and kind of lurk and see what's going on. And that you can have this group of knowledgeable parents around you as you go into the media digital battlefield. That's what it feels like sometimes, but it's just it's nice to have Common Sense Media in your bag.

Larry Burden 27:21

I think sometimes our kids think it's a battlefield.

Danelle Brostrom 27:22

It is a battlefield

Larry Burden 27:25

Give them helmets. Go on out there, get into the trenches!

Danelle Brostrom 27:28

It is.

Larry Burden 27:29

So You know, when I was thinking about this earlier, I thought less is more. But it's more better than none. I'm saying that as far as you know, less screen time is better, You know, but is more better than not isolating them from?

Danelle Brostrom 27:50

You can't isolate them from.

Larry Burden 27:52

I think that's what I was getting to. That ship has sailed.

Danelle Brostrom 27:56

Yeah.

Larry Burden 27:56

So at some point in time, they're going to live in the digital world.

Unknown Speaker 28:02

Larry, I saw a statistic yesterday, from a research paper that 98% of our kids ages two and over have access to a device

Larry Burden 28:11

ages 2, 2 and over

Danelle Brostrom 28:14

They can barely talk but they have access to a device. That's sailed.

Larry Burden 28:18

Yeah. So you can't, do the ostrich you put your head in the sand.

Danelle Brostrom 28:24

I want to.

Larry Burden 28:26

and say this is going away? It's not. You can say that we don't live that type of lifestyle. You probably do. So, and your kids certainly are. So educate yourself. Yeah, make sure that you're educated and that you have, I loved what you said about you know, talk about this with your friends, with your fellow parents, it doesn't necessarily have to be doing a bunch of research online. You know, find your peers and talk with them about it. I think that's a great idea.

Danelle Brostrom 28:58

Yeah. Because you can guarantee that they have the same concerns and the same frustrations and the same, "nobody knows what they're doing." That's like, that's like the secret of parenting that I found out recently. Nobody knows what they're doing. We're all just trying to figure it out as we go. But if I listened to like, what you know, and what you know, and what you know, and what, you know, I can kind of put it all together and, okay, I feel a little bit better, you know.

Larry Burden 29:17

And you know, we when we talk about our own social media environments, we tend not to Facebook, Twitter, whatever might be a great resource. Or Instagram might be a great resource for asking those questions. Except we don't, we don't we don't we don't actually you tend to use that we tend to paint paint a pretty picture of our lives, Instead of asking the tough questions, that those spaces might actually be useful, that. Though I would argue that sometimes those spaces don't lead to the conversations you'd like to have on those topics.

Danelle Brostrom 29:50

Now have it in person, have it around the coffee table?

Just be with people?

Larry Burden 29:56

Absolutely. So what else you got?

Danelle Brostrom 29:57

What else I got.

Larry Burden 29:57

There's a lot of slides.

Danelle Brostrom 30:00

There's a lot of really good information on here. And I would like to link this up, but like, okay, so we talked before that I'm a nerd. And yes, I am a nerd. But there's a bunch of really, really good books out right now that I would recommend, "The Art of Screen Time," how your family can balance digital media and real life, "Unselfie," why empathetic kids succeed in an all about me world, "Irresistible." We talked about that before the rise of addictive technology and the business of keeping us hooked. "Social Media Wellness," helping teens and tweens thrive in an unbalanced digital world. And then you know, we, we've talked about it sometimes on the Loop weekly podcast. So keeping in tune with what we're doing. And then the Common Sense Media and the Screenagers website, Those are my, my, if you want to branch out and do other reading, That's where I would recommend going to.

Larry Burden 30:48

Reading?

Danelle Brostrom 30:49

Reading. I read so many books. Yeah,

Larry Burden 30:52

that's a good thing.

Danelle Brostrom 30:52

It's a good thing.

Larry Burden 30:53

All right, anything else, or we're gonna be over. This conversation could go on much longer. I don't think we got to a quarter of the slides.

Danelle Brostrom 31:03

Are you saying I have too many slides?

Larry Burden 31:04

So again, going back to the email earlier, when you asked, "have we beaten this to death?" No, no, there'll be a no! we could do this every week. And I don't think it'd be enough to be honest. But I am cutting you off.

So Tech Tool of the Week,

Danelle Brostrom 31:24

Tech Tool of the Week, I want to share with you this really cool thing that my daughter got from the Public Library. I know some of our secondary schools at TCAPS and a couple of elementary schools have have these in their library, too. So this is called a Play Away. She's currently listening to Sarah Penny Packers novel called, "Packs." And This is the entire novel on this little device. So she plugs headphones into it. And she starts it and she can start and stop, she can play, She can change the speed of the reading, which I really like that kids that want to listen to a little faster, a little slower can have it. But what I like about this is it offers, it offers our kids access to novels that maybe they couldn't read themselves. We know that, that's why we give kids books on tape. But these are really, really cool. They're really tiny, they can fit in the pocket. She's listening to them in the car, this is the only way I can get her to do chores. because she'll put it on while she's doing things around the house. And my kid's a big reader, she walks into walls, let's be honest, she holds her book up and she walks into walls. Well, now she's listening. So she doesn't walk into walls all the time. So, we love Play Aways. But they have these for adults too. And I just think this is a really cool way to like I said, I'm a big reader, but I don't always have time to sit and physically read books, Play Aways are great for that. They're awesome. They have like I said they haven't for adults, but on the Public Library has quite a big selection. And our secondary schools have a selection as well. So...

Larry Burden 32:51

Little updates, tutorials and updates. Actually, I haven't checked the tutorial situation. So I don't know if anybody's put anything on there. Wanted to let you know, we recorded a "Gamification" pod with the TechNollerGist, yesterday that was a lot of fun. Was in Traverse Heights last week and did a fun actually Danielle was there, did a fun Maker Space Launch Pad little video that's that's posted. If you want to get a maker space going and you're wondering, what does it look like? That's a it's a nice little one minute video to kind of give you a brief, brief glimpse. They haven't got the Tech Tool a playlist up yet, but still want to do that. So all your tech tools of the week will be in one spot. And I wanted to bring up something that maybe isn't tech focused, but I thought was really important. East Middle School did a documentary on opioid use. And it is, it's a hard watch. And it was put together by the middle school students. It was the digital media class over at East Middle School. And I highly advise any parent to to watch it and sit down with their kids and watch. It's about 15 minutes long. But we'll have the link to that in the show notes, show notes. It's you know, digital citizenship and digital literacy is very important. This is kind of another side that's as far as parenting goes. It's kind of an ugly truth that I think a lot of times we want to avoid, But it is a problem. So I highly recommend watching that.

Danelle Brostrom 34:26

What class Larry did you say did that?

Larry Burden 34:28

It's the digital media class.

Danelle Brostrom 34:29

Awesome. They were trying to make...

TrojanTV

and community or something like that.

Larry Burden 34:34

Yeah, So I want to make the segue. Our Superintendent spoke about this at last night's board meeting, and he attempted to make a positive segue out of it. And it didn't work so I'm not even gonna try. So I'm just gonna say Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @TCAPSLoop

Danelle Brostrom 34:54

@brostromda

Larry Burden 34:56

Check out the TCAPSloop blog at tcapsloop.tcaps.net. Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud and the Google Play Store, leave a review. We love the feedback. Any advice that you have that you might want to share? Feel free to leave that to. So we'd love to have a conversation about this. What are you doing with your kids to help them deal with thier digital lives. Thanks for listening and inspiring.

Danelle Brostrom 35:27

That was good.

Larry Burden 35:28

That was good.

View Details

Again we jump into the Way Back machine and pay a visit with a slightly younger and more vivacious TechNollerGist who has thoughts on incorporating Design Thinking into the classroom. If you find the pod useful or at least mildly interesting, please subscribe and give us a rating on your app of choice and as always thanks for listening and inspiring!

Larry Burden 0:19

So much good content. So much good content.

David Noller 0:24

I was starting to worry about a few are getting my good side but I'm not sure I have one anymore.

Larry Burden 0:35

It's episode 5 of the TechNollerGist

David Noller 0:39

I keep thinking you're hanging on numbers like this is only the fifth one

Larry Burden 0:43

This is only the official fifth one, I checked. I was looking through the records and it was number five.

David Noller 0:48

All right,

Larry Burden 0:48

Unless my records are bad, which is very likely because like, math, not strong.

David Noller 0:52

That's not. I'm sure it's right.

Larry Burden 0:54

By the way, I am your humble host Larry Burden, and I'm joined by the man who's gamed the system. It's the TechNollerGist.

David Noller 0:59

That's right, gaming the system. I like that, I like it.

Larry Burden 1:02

David Noller, the TechNollerGist, the topic should you choose to accept it? Is design thinking?

David Noller 1:08

Do we not have a moment of Zen

Larry Burden 1:09

We, the moment of zen is that other that we don't talk about that other podcast?

David Noller 1:15

I'll give you one, the guy who directed.

Larry Burden 1:17

The TechNollerGist Tidbit,

David Noller 1:19

TechNollerGist Tidbit. The guy who directed The Red Balloon that famous French short film also invented the board game Risk.

Larry Burden 1:27

I didn't know that.

David Noller 1:33

So the idea of design, the design cycle in education. I started getting introduced. I started getting interested in this a couple years ago. And every time I saw the design cycle, I always felt like it feels like it's another lockstep and I know it wasn't supposed to. But every time I saw a model, it was start here, then do this, then do this, then repeat. And I understood the purpose of it that you introduce an idea, you create a hypothesis, you build something to test that hypothesis, you determine if there's any, anything you need to change in order for it to be more successful, you adjust it and you do it again. But it still felt like a pattern. It still felt like a...

Larry Burden 2:19

like something that was designed?

David Noller 2:20

like an unwieldy process.

Larry Burden 2:22

Okay, okay,

David Noller 2:23

Maybe it's my, my sort of, my approach to design in the first place, which is to sort of jump in and swim around for a while, and then take a look around and see where you are. And if there's sharks, then you obviously have to swim away. But, but if there's no sharks, you can keep going.

Larry Burden 2:39

Isn't that though, a system?

David Noller 2:41

it isn't a way

Larry Burden 2:43

you said that. And I'm like, that kind of mirrors the system that you just mentioned.

David Noller 2:49

And it does. And because you know, I'm kind of a visual person, When I would see those design cycles with a starting point, and then it would loop around and start again, It looks a little bit like a rat race, or a mouse wheel, I guess, is the thing. And I never want to get stuck on that mouse wheel. And we, we saw something when we went to the METS fall rally, which was the Michigan Educational Technology Specialists fall rally. And we did the design project. But the, the, the, the cycle, the design cycle came from Ford's model I Project,

Larry Burden 3:28

Okay.

David Noller 3:29

And It's another look at how to do innovation. It's another look at how to do a design cycle. And what I liked about it was that there there are the, what they call the the actions of innovation. And these are things that you would normally see on, on a design cycle. Uncover, which is the idea where we're trying to figure out what it is that's needed. Then we're going to define the problem, we're going to design something to address it, we're going to test it and optimize it, and then we're going to implement that solution. Okay, Those are the things that normally see in a design cycle, versions of that. But the Model I approach adds, things like being empathic. When you're working with your test audience, or the people who are going to be using that thing, that product, that idea. Engaging them with empathy. Now, that's an old human design concept. But the way it's engaged here is, is different in that, for some of the old design human design projects, you start with empathy. You talk to your consumer, you talk to your audience, you figure out what they need, and then you take over from there. And, and maybe it's just the way that the Model I laid out. But they have that empathy piece being, coming into the process at each step. So sure, in the beginning, when you're trying to understand the process, but also when you're designing it, and also when you're implementing it. And also when you are generating ideas. What they call the habits of the innovator, are sprinkled in throughout the actions of innovation. So you've got the action of design. And then you've got these habits and things like: taking risks, be empathetic, collaborate, stay curious, learn from failure, challenge the rules. So that at each step along the way of that design process, you're being reminded to challenge the rules, be empathetic, Stay curious, collaborate, take risks, all those things. And when I, when I saw that model, as somebody who is someone who kind of challenges status quo and looks to do things differently. It was, it's, it's another look at a design model that allows for a lot more customization and interaction, where the the empathy part isn't just in the beginning to figure out what you need. It flows through the whole project. If nothing else from the METS fall rally, that was my big takeaway. Was, was that new look at the model. Nothing, nothing in the model's, particularly brand new. We've been doing human, human design theory for a long time. But it's the way I think that it's implemented that I think was, for me, at least a new thing.

Larry Burden 6:12

It's not just the program, it actually shows you how to navigate the construct. Yeah. Which is different.

David Noller 6:18

Yeah, the "what" hasn't changed? Maybe the how, and maybe the why, I think maybe...

Larry Burden 6:23

Even maybe the who?

David Noller 6:24

yeah,

Larry Burden 6:25

Because really, what they're what they're doing is they're they're engaging, they're getting you to engage in it, and reflect on it as a, as an individual or as a group going through the process. I think that's different, you're not just looking at the process, you're actually engaged, and they're asking you to be subjective, right in the process, right, so that you're really engaged in it.

David Noller 6:45

And I think it's really reflective of, of teaching and how, how our staffs engaged in planning, where we're reading The Kite Runner right now. And you can, you can set, you can set your students up in the beginning, understanding where they're understanding where they're, where their prejudices might lie, or just their pre judgments about parts of the world or, or even about reading. And we can, we can engage those things early on. And then throughout the process. We do that all the time, we come back, and we check back in and we see have your attitudes changed? How have your, how has your understanding changed? I think that's built into a lot of our planning in the in the first place,

Larry Burden 7:23

You know, we're going through the ISTE standards for educators, right. And it just so happens, that next week, we're going to be jumping into the I do believe the fifth standard, which is designer. And yeah, well enough. And if I can read, I'm kind of curious what your take on it is? Educators design authentic learner driven activities and environments that recognize and accommodate learner variability?

David Noller 7:45

Yeah,

Larry Burden 7:46

I'm not going to go through the indicators and what that is. But it's interesting that in METS, there was there were discussions on this. Here in ISTE standards, it's important enough to be recognized. Why, and you mentioned that this is something that educators just do, why is there so much of an emphasis on this? When, to some extent, well, you know, we design we design all the time, we're designing curriculum, we're designing our classroom management process, you know...

David Noller 8:24

Sure. Why is there, why is there an emphasis when we already do it? Because I think there's a difference between, sort of accidentally walking into it and being intentional about it. And I think we all as teachers do it from time to time. But I think there's also a challenge that we can meet by being intentional about engaging it more often. Anytime we engage kids in a meaningful, learner centered activity, that's authentic, that gives them real world experience. We know, that's how they learn better. Sometimes we get stuck in, yeah, but I have to finish this chapter or, yeah, but I have a textbook and I started at page one, and I got to get to the last one. And sometimes I think we get stuck in curriculum, when if we take a step back and slowed down just a minute, we can engage them in things that are going to last longer, in terms of impact for them. Then, as, as needed by finishing the book, finishing the textbook, or getting to that last chapter. Now I know, I'm speaking for teachers who, you know, like math teachers, I've got the SAT to confront, you know, that's something that we know that they they have to deal with. But it's how we get the kids there. And I think sometimes we can get stuck in that curriculum. And sometimes we can get stuck in the way I've always done it. I'm actually kind of lucky in a way that it's rare that I have a textbook for any of my classes. I had a textbook for 10th grade, and I had a book that I used for AP Lit. But just about every other class I've taught has been go figure it out.

Larry Burden 10:01

Even the classrooms, in the pieces that are in the areas of the curricular, areas that have textbooks or have some pre, some designated materials that they have to go through. One of the neat things about design thinking I feel is what it's doing is saying, Look at your playing field. There are variables in every playing field, every game has rules. Every game has rules. Once you recognize what the playing field is, and what the rules are, now you can construct and design within those rules. Yeah, you know, it's nice that you have a little bit wider playing field, right. But really the, the, the concept behind the design thinking is is therefore any, any playing field, any game.

David Noller 10:45

Yeah. Any game. And the other nice thing is that within this within that philosophy that approach using design thinking, It also lends itself towards customizing your experiences for the kids who need the customization. I have three English language learners this year, exchange students from Germany, Italy, and Sweden. And I've had to make adjustments along the way, in order to make sure that their experience of the class is meaningful in a way that I mean, literally meaningful, like linguistically meaningful to them. And so we've we've added some new things within the, within how I teach to make that makes sense. Google Presentation now has live Closed Captioning of presentations. So as I present information, if I do it in a in a Google Presentation, It will live closed caption as I speak, and it's pretty accurate. It's pretty cool. I actually use a podcasting Mic to do it, because it can't hear me a little clearer. But that fits right into that part. As a designer of the empathy. I look at my audience, and I see who needs what, and then I make adjustments based on who needs that thing.

Larry Burden 11:54

I think every educator on some level is an artist. You have to be when as you're a designer, you're an artist, you're using creativity. And really the magic of, what happens in the classroom is exploring. But It's neat to see that the educator, and I think it would be good for the for the educator to recognize that they are exploring and they are digging into their their own creative mindset, their own design, mindset, the design mindset every time they look at their curricular area, right or their classroom, and they really think about it holistically and empathetically,

David Noller 12:31

And how can you get, how can you best get to the outcome that you're looking for for that audience? We have the same goal for all of our all of our students in terms of outcome, but how we get them there, because as part of that art, and sometimes we do adjust the outcome for our students. But we don't adjust it in a way that removes the meaning from it that it might be a slightly lower target, it might be a slightly different way to complete the target. But I don't think we ever change it to the point where the goal has lost its meaning.

Larry Burden 13:01

So you're going to go there earlier. But I and I kind of stopped I feel I gotta apologize. But so before we jump into it, I wanted to ask you a question because this is going to be a new segment of the TechNollerGist podcast, and I don't have a name for I was struggling to find a name for the segment, you know, we have in tech tool or in the TCAPSLoop weekly podcast, we have the Tech Tool of the week, we have our name,

David Noller 13:23

Right?

Larry Burden 13:24

We need a name for this. So I'm actually you know, anybody that's listening, if you've got a if you've got a name for like some kind of a gamification now gamified title,

David Noller 13:35

Okay, if I get to,

Larry Burden 13:37

absolutely.

David Noller 13:38

I'll have to think about? Yeah,

Larry Burden 13:40

So look out for that. So with that, what is, what is it?

David Noller 13:45

Here's the thing. So I thought maybe that's it. here's the here's the thing, that's actually a thing that I say quite a bit. So here's the thing. Last year, I talked about a version of Monopoly that I played with my sociology kids, right? I haven't done that yet this year. I'm playing around with where I do it in my in my semester, I did it.

Larry Burden 14:04

Are you designing?

David Noller 14:04

A little bit. I did it early last year. And I don't feel like it had the same kind of impact as when they had a little bit more under their belt. So I'm holding off on that. But I came away from the METS meetup that we had thinking more about design and engagement. And I keep coming back to games in the classroom. And we're reading The Kite Runner. And there's a section of the Kite Runner where the family is trying to escape because the Soviets have come and things are bad. And so they're they're, they're on their way out. And they have to figure out how to leave. And so we've done a little bit of background information with our kids about what's the social situation in Afghanistan and the time, I think it's 1979. The Soviets have returned to the country, if you look at a map of where they were, they kind of created a ring. And then Kabul was also a dangerous place to be. And so I gave the kids of the challenge of they were making decide how many people are in their family, and they they have to leave from the same neighborhood as our characters in Kite Runner. So we're working on 1979 political condition, but 2018 financial condition, because I didn't want them to have to, "How much is a plane ticket in 2018, verses 1979." The idea was, they had to come up with a route and plan out how much money they were going to spend, to get out. And they could go to any number of, of locations, I could go to North America, Australia, someplace in Africa, Japan, South Korea, UK, Europe. They could go pretty much anywhere they wanted to they had to figure out how to get there, in an affordable way. And that's all I said was affordable. I kind of tricked them. And when they were while they're traveling in the airport, if they had to buy food, it was twice what they would normally spend. If they were around town, just for average. I asked them to figure out how much per hundred miles it would cost them to drive. And then I asked them to use travel websites to figure out how much it costs to fly or take a bus or whatever from. So The goal is Escape Afghanistan. But...

Larry Burden 16:19

now we're not talking Afghani you bus fares. We're talking about bus fares,

David Noller 16:22

right?

Larry Burden 16:23

Just, you know, they said, having to go into the dark web. And

David Noller 16:25

Yeah, they said how we supposed to know how much it costs get from Kabul to whatever. And I said, Well, what do you think? And somebody said, Well, can we just figure out how much it costs to get from here to like Chicago, and then use that? Sure. Let's do that thing. It's not going to be 100% accurate. But for the purposes of what we were doing, It worked. So that that's all great. And that could be its own little thing on its own, probably. But that's just math. But this was the fun part, I thought. Whenever they changed modes of transportation, entered another city, cross the border, I rolled dice, and then I game mastered the condition. So I rolled it, I use six, six sided dice, I would roll these virtual dice and ones are failures. They're terrible. Sixes are awesome. They're great. And everything in between four and above is a success. Three and below is a not success. And based on the dice rolls, I would then tell a story. Normally, I would want the kids telling the story. But based on what we were doing. I was I was giving them complications that then they had to respond to. So there was a group that rolled really high and actually got to borrow their rich aunt's private plane and fly to Turkey. They weren't all the way home yet. But they got to that. Another group that rolled very low. One of the people in their group was abducted. There's other players who they ended up running out of money in Moscow. And so now they're in Moscow as an Afghani, not speaking the language with no money and can't go any further. After this whole thing was over, and we took an entire day to do this. And we role played out all kinds of things that people along the route that stopped you and demanded payment, somebody who was was treated very kindly by somebody that they met along the way, there was somebody who was put on a terror watch list, because their last name matched the name of somebody who had just committed an act of violence. So we had all these sort of historical and present day consequences that happened as a result of me rolling dice. So I wasn't just deciding, oh, you're gonna have a terrible thing, I would roll the dice and say, Well, here's what happens. We've talked a little bit about the design thing and the the idea of empathy. We started with the idea of we're going to do something to try to understand our characters better, because they're about to go through something that's, that's...

Larry Burden 18:53

Pretty difficult,

David Noller 18:54

Pretty difficult. And then we played this game. And the real kicker came at the end, when I said, Okay, everybody know, how much did y'all spend? And it was in the thousands, Right? And I said, Okay, here's the issue, though. The typical Afghan makes $400 a month, on average. So those are 2018 dollars you're playing with? How are you going to get that much money together to get your family out? And I said, so these really journeys that we just took? And we looked at all the list the money that we just spent, and one student from the back of the room says, they're just dreams. And I went, yes, that's, that's it. And and then I asked them to write about how that changed their understanding of refugees, people who try to escape countries, and why they do, and why they take the routes that they take? Why are people willing to get on a boat with 60 other people when it's supposed to only hold 15. So they have no other way.

Larry Burden 19:54

That chance is better than no chance.

David Noller 19:56

That chance is better than no chance and, and

Larry Burden 19:59

So you're saying I got a chance,

David Noller 20:01

You're saying there's a chance. So In the end, the whole game was designed to get the kids in a more empathetic place themselves as readers of the literature that we're considering and to have them experience even in that just that simulation, what goes through your mind when you're trying to get out. Because they really engaged in this. I was really proud of them for taking it seriously. There was one group, what they weren't willing to do is accept the negative. When we role played this out, a lot of the teams were they were very accepting of the negative. They, they knew they had to trade something good for something bad. There, were there were times when they had to decide, am I going to leave this other person behind? Or am I going to pay the bribe and be penniless from now on. And they confronted that, and they wrote about that. The one group that didn't really come along? Was because they didn't want to accept the negative, they didn't want to deal with the consequence. They wanted to just shield themselves from it. So they're not used to dealing with, you know, life changing consequence of

Larry Burden 21:07

zero sum game zero.

David Noller 21:09

That's right. So,

Larry Burden 21:11

so is this podcast about design or empathy?

David Noller 21:14

Yes. How can I not only use empathy to design the game, but then have the game produce empathy? In Human Design Theory, You start with empathy. And so if we're going to engage our kids in modern thinking about work. Our design companies, well, not even our design companies, our companies use these kinds of approaches and how they make decisions. Our kids need to get used to that kind of decentralized, more collaborative, decision making, engaging and empathy along the way so that their decisions can be informed by the human condition,

Larry Burden 21:55

If I can argue your point. I think our kids are,

David Noller 21:59

Yeah.

Larry Burden 22:00

I think, I think as educators were maybe you know, might be lagging a little bit in that process.

David Noller 22:08

That's great clarification. There's so many things where I think our kids are naturally already doing it. And we're trying to play catch up. They're used to being collaborative. When they play Fortnite, they're collaborating with Team all day long and talking to each other and giving each other instructions and, and helping each other accomplish something. If you don't understand it, but your friend does, ask him. A couple last little things. You know, one of the a couple of the things that we had were challenge the rules, take risks, and stay curious. Collaborate, okay, they collaborated, I had them working in groups, they had to figure this out together. The groups that did the best and had the the highest level engagement, and frankly, had the best times, were the ones that were really willing to role play it and to stay curious about, well, what happens if we go here? If is there, What's there that we can get? Is there a bus station? Is there a plane station?

Larry Burden 22:57

has questions,

David Noller 22:58

Google Maps does a great job of providing you with that information. The other part was challenging the rules, I would have kids and I love this would say, well, can we, don't give them a lot of rules. But they would say can we and then they prompt me with something that I hadn't thought of? Sure, you can do that. There's the group that said, Can we hire a private jet? Well, let's see what the dice say. They're the ones that rolled like five sixes and a five. At that point, I said, not only can you hire a private jet, You actually have a famous aunt who was an actress, and she has offered to foot the bill for you to get Turkey. She's flying there for film festival anyway. So as long as she's going there, she'll take your crew and then all you have to do is get from there to Greece, because they wanted to go to some someplace in Northern Greece. So that's the kind of thing that would happen along the way where they would challenge the the assumptions, even though there weren't really that many rules. But they would, they would, they would sort of challenge the context. And and I want to say yes, as much as I can. And then, and then, taking risks. And there was a kid who had to decide, he had to, he had to choose between either sacrificing himself, he was just going to not be alive anymore, or becoming a drug mule. Because stuff like that happens.

Larry Burden 24:11

Did you have, you said 3, 3, 6 sided dice or 18?

David Noller 24:14

6? 6? Yeah.

Larry Burden 24:16

So did you have that many variables set up? pre had you designed as? And The reason I say that is you know, you, you game?

David Noller 24:27

Yeah.

Larry Burden 24:27

And and have a penchant for storytelling?

David Noller 24:30

Yeah.

Larry Burden 24:31

Not every educator is going to have,

David Noller 24:33

understood

Larry Burden 24:34

have that skill. So what would you, and what we're going way long here, so then I shouldn't do this. What would you recommend for an educator that maybe doesn't have that skill set.

David Noller 24:47

When I have done this before, I've also used what I call chance cards. And I don't call them chance cards, monopoly calls them chance cards. But I would design a series of cards that have a consequence. And I could I could do this completely independently, where the kids come up and just grab a card and they see what happens. I like to be engaged in the kids. And I do enjoy the storytelling part. And so for me, rolling the dice and telling a story is easy. But I could, It would take an extra hour of preparation to prepare 30 chance cars of what's going to happen as a result. And you will, you could have still have the kids roll dice. And then if it's a good result, they pick from this pile. And if it's bad result, they pick from the other pile, they can set it up ahead of time on cards or just on a grid. They could ever everything typed out, and printed out, and have two columns of good result, bad results, and kind of cross things off as they happen.

Larry Burden 25:39

Good solution.

David Noller 25:40

Yeah.

Larry Burden 25:41

Alright. tutorials and updates. Just wanted to throw it again that we had a podcast last week on the blueprint with Dr. Grant Chandler was very interesting. Good stuff, if you're interested in how a school district is changing how it's running. We have another ISTE standards, collaborator, pod coming up, should be posted. Hopefully this week. It's been a busy week. So I'm a little bit behind. I wanted to just give you a shout out. The tutorials you've been putting out are, are awesome. You've been like the tutorial machine.

David Noller 26:13

You know, that's I decided this year that whenever anybody asked a question of how to I? Iwas going to instead of answering it, I was going to make them wait about two hours and create something that everybody can use. And one of the things that's going to be coming out hopefully tomorrow is how to convert your old Google classrooms to have a classroom page so that you can reuse those moving forward. And that's a whole new thing. And

Larry Burden 26:37

the thing is, if you actually look through the entirety of these tutorials, your, your ability to navigate and make google classroom work for you as an educator is going to be upgraded significantly.

David Noller 26:50

One of the most recent ones was the the student view of Google Classroom because I think there's some teachers that that want to see what it looks like for the kid before they're willing to jump in. And so that one's out there, and I have a YouTube channel that's connected with my school email account. I think my channel's just called David Noller.

Larry Burden 27:08

I do believe it is

David Noller 27:09

very creative.

Larry Burden 27:10

There's a new Tell Me About It, a podcast with Jame McCall and Allison McBride-Culver coming out as well. And check back it's been a couple episodes ago, but the BiblioTech Halloween podcast, She's got some great, it's that time of the year, and she's got some great suggestions for books for kids of all ages. So In closing, follow us on Facebook and Twitter @TCAPSLoop, @TechNollerGist.

David Noller 27:33

Ooh, yeah, excellent @TechNollerGist

Larry Burden 27:37

subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud and the Google Play Store. leave a review. We love the feedback and remember,

you're never too old to play.

David Noller 27:46

That's so true.

Play a game tonight.

View Details

It’s another Time Travel episode of the EdTechLoop Podcast as we dive back in the Feed with Marty McFly’s DeLorean to Episode 36 Failing to Fail with Danelle Brostrom where we stop trying to be perfect, but endeavour to be useful. And if you find the pod useful, take a moment and subscribe and give us a rating on your app of choice and as always thanks for listening and inspiring!

Danelle 0:26

We’re recording Right?

Danelle 0:32

think the word that I want to say.

Larry 0:36

I'm so confident I will not fail that I’m doing everything in sharpie.

Larry 0:51

It’s Episode 36 of the TCAPSLoop weekly podcast. My name is Larry Burden, and failing to be nominated for the Best ed tech podcast Grammy again this year. It's

Danelle 1:04

Danielle Brostrom

Larry 1:05

see I like that, like that. You held it in.

Larry 1:08

I'm happy to be back in our usual day.

Danelle

I know it's Tuesday

Larry

Tuesday is podcast day.

Danelle

All right. Nice.

Larry

Feeling into it, very into today. So um, how's it going?

Danelle

It's going great.

Larry

Anything new, anything exciting happening in your life? anything anything exciting?

Danelle 1:24

Well, today, we are starting the Launchpad, which is Traverse Heights maker space. So we're going to get some kids in there who have earned it and kind of see what they gravitate towards. My favorite part about maker spaces is getting in there and getting started. And then having the kids come in and say things like, why don't you have more Legos? Or, you really can use more duct tape? And then we go, oh, yeah, we need to get those things for the maker space. So I'm excited to get in, get kids in there, and hear their thoughts about what we're missing and what we need so we can get moving and grooving with some maker space stuff.

Larry 1:56

Get their minds goin’.

Danelle

Yeah, exactly.

Larry

So You know, our topic today is, is the failure of not failing.

Danelle

Yeah.

Larry

And I just want to come clean on something. So this month, I had been attempting to not do caffeine, or coffee. I, I failed this weekend.

Danelle

That's Okay.

Larry

And it was fabulous. It was absolutely fabulous.

Moving on from that moment of Zen, it is that time. So get into your lotus position, clear your mind.

Larry 2:28

We are supposed to learn from our mistakes. But how can we learn If We are not allowed to make them?

Danelle 2:36

Perfect moment of zen for today, Larry.

Larry 2:41

So let's get our knives our forks and cut into the meat of the show. Failing. Why is it so important?

Danelle 2:50

This is such a hard topic. I hate failure. I hate failure. I, I was the kid that would write my homework in pen and get to the end and make a mistake. And instead of getting white out or scribbling it or just continuing I would get a brand new piece of paper and re copy the entire thing again. It really and I I struggle with this. And I think educators as a whole, we struggle with this because the stakes are so big. You know, the kids in your class, they have one shot at second grade, they have one shot at sixth grade. You have all of these pressures on you from you know, you don't want to let down your administrator. You don't want to let down those parents, you don't want to let down the community. You you've got all this state requirements and state testing and evaluations and just, there's so much on you that it's so scary to step outside the box. And it's so scary to take that that inch of a step because oh my gosh, what if I fail? What iF I mess things up? What if this is not the right move? And I don't know if other professions have this. But man, it is so scary for educators.

Larry 4:10

I think it's true in every profession, I think, you know, we've been talking about, or at least in education, community, failure, and allowing our students to fail and learning from our mistakes has been a topic that we've been kind of pushing, I guess, in education for a while now. I don't want to say we pay lip service to it. But I don't think we grasp how ingrained The, the structures are in place to not allow our kids to fail or to fight against that concept. And I think it's true. I was we were talking before the show, I had done a you know, I was attempting to do some research for this. And I did the TED Talk deep dive. And the topics in regards to failure are across the board, from from business, to technology to education, everybody's saying the same thing. They're all saying, we need to allow time for failure, we need to embrace failure. And they all kind of also say the same thing. But everything is working against us. So you know, keep, I guess, keep going. My question is why is it so important? Why are we saying this is something that we that we need to, you know, really shift the paradigm of how we educate, you know, getting away from that winning and being perfect to let's, let's embrace the the mistake.

Danelle 5:37

I think all the research is showing us that embracing the mistake is what our kids need. And it's how we move forward in the society. I definitely would point to the Carol Dweck, “The Growth Mindset” book, her idea of just that your your mind is continuing to grow and learn and move forward. And that's that's just kind of how things work. Now, like one of the most successful companies, Google, that you know about their x. Yeah, they have a

Larry 6:05

moonshot,

Danelle 6:06

moonshot factory, Yes, they have a portion of their company called x. And it's a moonshot factory, they, they dream and they dream big. And they try to break stuff. And they try to do everything that they can to fail, because when you fail, They know that failure is true learning. So when you fail, you are held up on stage and everyone claps for you. And you get a bonus, and you get a vacation and they say, go home, You did great try again tomorrow and come back with a new idea. Because they know that when you fail, you're kind of taking all those things that were awful. Like they talked about Google Glass, specifically, It was one of their failures that came out of x. They take all the things that they learned from that. And then they use that to make a better product the next time or to just come up with better ideas next time. And I think that we need to learn from from that moonshot factory, we need to learn from that The Carol Dweck book and from the whole maker mindset that says, Yeah, you should fail, you should fail miserably. And we know that there's a lot of things in education that needs to change. And that to get to true change, we probably need to break the system completely rebuilt from the ground up. But how do we do that, and that's so scary, and

Larry 7:20

We hold things, So many of those things that were used to precious. And one of the, one of the TED talks that I listened to, it was on the Google X and it was Astro Teller, who was talking, And one of the, which is a great name.

Larry 7:36

shocking that he's in engineering. Who would’ve thought?

Unknown 7:40

So one of the things, one of the comments that he made was, we go into every project thinking we're going to kill the project, you know, that is their, their, their mindset is they get a great idea. And then the rest of the time as they're developing it, They're trying to kill it. And that forces you away from taking the path of least resistance. Most of the time, we're when we're working on a project, We're always looking for the easiest solution, not the best solution. And by going the opposite direction, They end up getting oftentimes the best solution or at least working through most of the flaws, by the time they get to a workable solution. Another thing that you had kind of mentioned was where do we you know, kind of where do we start? How does it how do we build this and one of the one of the issues that I think we come up with or one of the issues we run into is we're typically used to scaffolding, We scaffold one thing above on top of the other, and it makes it a lot of sense is very linear, it's supportive. There's structure underneath it. The problem is there's turbulence underneath it, we're we're trying to build a structure during an earthquake. And the earthquake is constant now, there's there's so much fluctuation, there's so much change, there's so much input, that it's not like we know what the surface is, anymore. There's too much change there. So does the scaffolding technique. Though it makes sense? And it's very intuitive to us. It doesn't necessarily the or the question, I guess would be does it apply to our current circumstance? Is it it's a great system, If The foundation is solid? Do we have to recognize now that the foundation is no longer solid. So that system, it does not make sense any longer. I was listening to By the way, a fabulous TED Talk. Eddie Obeng, super high energy, super fun. But he that's what he was talking about his comment again, on the fact that there's so much turbulence underneath. And when we do get out of it, We're told all these wonderful things about being creative and thinking out of the box. I mean, I mean, that thinking out of the box concept, The problem is, be creative. But if you do crazy things, I'll fire you. You know, the same thing goes for and I'm going on here, but the same thing goes for our students, I think, you know, we want them to, We want them to fail, We want them to take chances and be creative. But then we every single structure that we have in education is counter to that. Here are your grades here, your test results, here's you know, it's so when that is built in from the start. It's hard to kind of be a high school student not be looking that direction. If The goal is winning, There's only one winner, and everyone has failed. If it is usefulness, If the goal is usefulness than anyone taking part in the solution is successful.

Danelle 10:32

I never thought about it that way. But you're 100% correct. And

Larry 10:34

I think that's that maker space mindset.

Danelle 10:37

Like we want kids to be messy and uncomfortable and in fail and fall flat on your face. But we've got grades, and we've got test scores, and we've got all these other things in place that are fighting against that all the time.

Larry 10:51

So Danielle, what's the solution? Because I think we can go on. Not that I'm expecting a solution. In fact, what I'd love, I'd love to have some input on this, because I think this is a really important question. And I think it's something that has to be acknowledged. I mean, we look at our ISTE standards, we go through our ISTE standards all the time, because I think they're they're good things empowered learner, digital citizen, knowledge constructor, innovative designer, computational thinker, creative communicator, global collaborator, These are not easily scaffolded goals. Not a one of them. This is not a plus b equals C, there isn't one of these goals that you can make simple supporting structures to get to. However, the failure mindset, the mistake mindset, Oh, that all kind of makes sense. It all kind of leads into into these. How do we allow the time maybe that's a good place to start? How do we allow time to fail?

Danelle 11:48

You have to how do we not allow time to fail? We can't, we would do our kids a giant disservice if we don't allow that time to fail.

Larry 11:56

But it's an efficient, Daniel, it's not.

Danelle 11:59

You have to look at the long game though. They need this stuff. And we need to be talking with our kids. Like, when when I sit down with my with my daughter, and I say, let me tell you, mommy was really good to try to meditate. She was gonna try meditation. And I've gotten there twice. And It was awesome both times I did it. But that was going to be my goal. So telling her man, I failed at this, but I didn't fail because I learned so what did I learn? Okay, I learned that. And I talked with her about different structures that I'm going to put in place so that way I can do this or change my goal, or I think you just constantly have to be showing kids and I guess this top down, it's, you know, administrators, giving the teachers the get out of fail free card and telling them I want you to fail, I want you to try things and the teachers telling the kids, you know, I tried this and I failed. And here's how yucky it felt uncomfortable. But here's why No, it was good. Because I know that I learned and like this fits right into math, and it fits right into everything we want our kids to be doing, I think you you don't have an option. I mean, you just can't not do this with your kids.

Larry 13:10

When they get to that high school level, that middle school level and they've been indoctrinated into a if they were indoctrinated into a failure is good. Failure does not mean you're a loser failure actually means you're a winner if you're acknowledging it. And when they get into that middle school, when they're starting to really think for themselves, and you know, their, their self esteem isn't necessarily tied directly to what their parents say, having the strength of confidence that if they do make a mistake, it's good, as opposed to something that's going to be a hit to their self esteem. I think for their social socio emotional health, social emotional health, and well being. Having the mistake, the failure mindset be ingrained would be just just a wonderful thing. In their growth, I think they would grow much faster emotionally. If they went into, if they went into those years and into their adulthood with that failure mindset again, And You said it earlier? The long view, you know, kind of that long game in mind.

Danelle 14:14

Yeah, 100%.

Larry 14:16

I don't think we have any solutions here. Do we have any solutions here?

Danelle 14:19

We don't have any solutions. But we do. I mean, I would offer people to check out the “Growth Mindset” book. Check out the Astro Teller TED talk about x, the podcasts “Failure is an Option” by NPR Radio Hour, that was a really good summary of failure with a bunch of different stories. Check out some stuff on the maker movement because the maker movement is really really good at pushing this failure idea. So um, the AJ Giuliani's and the John Spencer's, They talk about failure a lot. And I would just do some learning for yourself about what it means to fail.

Larry 14:54

There's a there's a ton of TED talks that I will link to the show notes as well, that talk about this. It's it's really something it's a it's a restart, it is a reset in many ways. And I'm not necessarily a big fan of the full revolution tear down so we can build it back up. And actually, I take I take that back. Actually, I kind of am. To some extent, I don't think it needs to be a violent act, necessarily. But I think there's some there's something to be said for deconstruction sometimes. And I think we might need to take a hard look at that.

Danelle 15:24

You said that much more eloquently. That's what I meant, Larry.

Larry 15:29

So is there anything else you do have a lot of notes and I don't want to do,

Danelle 15:33

I have a lot of notes that are all about my failing is important. So we covered it.

Larry 15:38

Alright, so Tech Tool of the Week,

Danelle 15:39

Tech Tool of the Week, I'm super excited to check out this tech tool, Adobe Spark just released a big new thing that they are now free for students. So getting kids on Adobe Spark to do some digital storytelling. It's a pretty powerful graphic video stories, web page, graphic design programs. So I'm really excited to get some kids on here, specifically with the maker space and have them work on some digital storytelling. So I'm really excited that Adobe Spark is now free for students and has special things in place for under 13. So I can definitely use this with my kiddos.

Larry 16:18

This looks like fun.

Danelle 16:19

Yeah, I know,

Larry 16:20

Adobe makes great products, as we know. And usually a lot of times they're professional products in Spark is a great creative product by a company that understands how Creatives think this is cool. I can't wait to wait to see how you talk to other educators about implementing this in their classroom.

Danelle 16:40

I will say, I just read about it yesterday. So I'm really excited to get in there and test with some students today. So this is like brand new. All right. Ted, Ted talk about Tech, Tech Tool of the Week. Fail.

Larry 16:56

Tutorials and updates. I'm hoping to do a Baumann Certified this week. Maybe. I know there's an email in my inbox. We'll see if he if that's going to work out. Filming Vex Robotics at West Senior High. It is robotic season.

Danelle 17:10

It is Robotics Season

Larry 17:10

Gonna do some interviewing of some students and see what they're doing. You had mentioned earlier Traverse Heights Launchpad, plan on doing a segment and the Launch pad next week. Super excited about that. In closing, follow us on Facebook and Twitter @TCAPSLoop at @Brostromda and check out the TCAPSLoop blog at tcapsloop.tcaps.net. Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud, and the Google Play Store. leave a review. We love the feedback.

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It was Podcast moving day last week and the EdTechLoop Pod is happy to now be hosted by Podbean! However all the archived shows did not make it through the move so over the next few weeks before the school year begins I plan to post some of our most popular past episodes starting with the very first BiblioTech podcast featuring local writer and illustrator Brianne Farley. Please excuse the poor audio quality, we hadn’t dialed the studio or editing in yet but the interview is too good to not have on the feed. And as always, thanks for listening and inspiring.

Please forgive the first attempt to transcribe the podcast. As always, we will strive to improve.

0:00 - Stephie

This is Brianne Farley, and she is an author and illustrator, and a local Traverse City Area Public Schools, alumni, we're gonna chat today.

0:37 - Stephie

What’s your background, your educational background and career, what your career path has been. And if you want to look, you know, in when I say educational background. Back in elementary school, the experiences you had an elementary school how those have carried along with you and how you ended up in the career that you're in. Okay.

1:02 - Brianne

All right. Well, I started. Well when I moved up here to Traverse City when I was seven, and I started Old Mission, and we live actually right, my parents live right behind Old Mission.

Yeah okay and that's like the world's best playground. I think when I did when I first did a visit at Old Mission with my book that's like, all I talked to the kids about was, I was like, tell me about your playground. Is it the coolest is the pond still haunted. and they're like, No, and I was like, It’s still haunted.

1:37 - Brianne

And so I went to Old Mission and then, and then I went to the talented and gifted program at Central. And then, yeah and I went to East, Central High School, and

Stephie

When did you graduate?

Brianne

I graduated in ‘02. Yeah, I was the first class after the split. Okay, yeah.

Stephie

So one year after split.

Brianne

yeah yeah one year to split, and.

2:06 - Brianne

And then I went to McAllister college actually on the recommendation of my principal, Mr. Townsend,

Stephie

Mr Townsend Yeah, yeah,

Brianne

Funny enough, he’s been my principal since elementary school. Interesting. He kept moving up as I graduated and so yeah he’s been my principal forever and then you say, also go to college here.

Stephie

And then he and he promoted your book for you.

2:35 - Brianne

Yeah. Yeah, he's my publicist.

2:40 - Stephie

he's a great person

Brianne

he is great. He's so great. Um, and then after McAllister, I

Stephie

What was your focus there.

Brianne

Oh I went there for English. I like knew that I wanted to be an editor. And so I went for English and I really loved, art, but I thought that for some reason I had this idea that if I made art my career I would hate it, like, like you said, like the pressure of having to make something that makes me not like it anymore. So I really loved reading I loved books as a total bookworm growing up and, and so I knew I wanted to be an editor and then I went off to New York after a year of college, and did an editorial internship and totally hated it. Yeah. I really hated it. And

Stephie

What do you think it was. Did you find it too technical or too, was it, work was mundane?

Brianne

I was at a very small publishing house. And so I think that having a little bit of a different view of what editing was then what I saw at this house and which actually is probably not very accurate it's like how other houses edit but, um, yeah it was like it was a little too mundane it was I thought that I was going to be like in the trenches with the writers like helping them like what if you used this other word here and, and that's not what it was at this house.

4:13 - Stephie

Did you have much contact with authors.

Brianne

No, no, no. Yeah, it ended up being this very I mean it was like an internship, they were like yeah like organize our computer. Like, this is what editing is. So then, I, I was an art minor and then I went down to Chicago and was working at the Art Institute there and was an administrative assistant.

Stephie

Okay, did you like that.

Brianne

I really did yeah, that was a great job. The best part about it was that you could take classes for free at the School of the Art Institute. Yeah, so I started taking more classes and then I did a residency and, and then, was like why am I doing this is I should really, realy make that happen so I applied for grad school and went to SCAD for illustration and SCAD is the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Stephie

Georgia?

Brianne

Georgia. Yeah.

Stephie

And your focus was the illustration, and had that been your interest? Would you say, Did you find that and trust when you're in Chicago?

Brianne

No I, well, a little bit I had grown up loving Roald Dahl and Quinten Blake, and I'd actually went to his at TAG we had to write a speech every year about when I grow up, do they still do that? they should still do that because it tells you what you want to be when you grow up. ‘Cause that’s what I wrote my speech about. I was like, I want to be Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake. Although I guess the year before I said I wanted to be Benjamin Franklin and that didn't pan out.

Stephie

There’s still time

6:01 - Brianne

to be a founding father. It could still happen.

6:06 - Brianne

Yeah, so I said that that's what I wanted to do so. I think that that kind of stuck with me.

Stephie

As an illustrator, do you focus in a certain medium, or you explain that, like, what, what would an illustrator, what would that look like, like what classes did you take? What kind of a focus in your art education, did you have?

Brianne

Well, um, I think I lucked out, knowing that I was interested in children's books going into it. Because I was able to kind of tailor my graduate experience toward children's books, and actually my first book was a homework assignment in grad school, I took a class called directed projects which is basically, it's like a directed free-for-all, like, you pick a project that you want to do over the course of the whole semester. And, and it has to be a series of some sort of some people that like branding, like they've made up a brewery and branding, like you know made several different kinds of beer labels or something and, and I picked a kids book and...

Stephie

And did that become Ike?

Brianne

Yeah that became “Ike’s Incredible Ink.” Yeah, do your homework kids.

7:30 - Stephie

So, that was what year of school. How long have you been in?

Brianne

That, it's a two year program and that was the first quarter of my second year there.

Stephie

So, from that homework assignment, how did they get from there to the published book?

Brianne

Gosh, like a combination of super hard work and crazy good luck. Like anything in life. I kind of hit the ground running with this project and got...I was able to finish the entire book in the whole in 10 weeks. And you were only supposed to do three interior spreads and a cover, and I was, I don't know crazy person was like I'll do all of it and, so, which ended up being great, because I had; so Peter Brown, who's a author, Illustrator, he was coming to SKAD to give a presentation, and at the same time I knew that my friend Ryan who I was in grad school with had a friend Pete who was coming to town, I didn't realize that these are the same person. And so I was sitting in the grad studio at SKAD doing my work working on Ike, and Pete and Ryan came in we were hanging out and talking and then my professor walked in and he was like, oh, Brianne I see you’ve met Peter Brown. He's like, you should have them look at your book, and I was like, Oh, (laughing) okay. And so he took a look at it and send it to his agent and the agent liked it and now here we are. And now Peter’s one of my closest friends so that worked out to, socially.

9:21 - Stephie

Okay, so what were some of the steps like so then agents said, I really like this. Then what?

Brianne

Well, that's the trick with kids books is that you. It's very rare that you get your book published without an agent. Without an agent your manuscript goes into the slush pile they call it which is like about as organized as it sounds, but with an agent, you have all these doors open where the agent is kind of the first gatekeeper and they kind of carry a stable of people that whose work they like. And then they will go into the publishing companies and either in person or by email kind of promote your work and say like this is something that we're working on. We think that it would be a good match for you so they'll kind of try to pair you up with a, with an editor. And then the editor is usually the one that does the acquiring till they find a manuscript that they like that can either. If you're an author illustrator they'll have some sample drawings with the manuscripts and this year, just an author, it won't have any illustrations with it.

10:28 - Stephie

So from the time that it went to an agent and was selected, how long does it take typically or did it take for your book for your first book?

Brianne

Um, for my first book. It took about a year from, my agent is Paul Rodine, and it took about a year from when Paul picked it up to when Candlewick said hooray, we want your book. But it can go much faster than that. I don't, I don't know how long it takes us first books but yeah that's what happened with mine.

Stephie

And then it was published how soon after that?

11:09 - Brianne

Um, let's see well that was another funny one because that I had, you know, finished a book basically and then had to kind of go back to square one with their suggestions and revisions. But I think the whole process took maybe another, not quite another year altogether and then it takes another year to actually get public, come out into bookstores. So, like I finished this book “Secret Tree Fort” in April. Last April, and it comes out this coming April. Yeah.

11:50 - Stephie

And I can't wait to talk about that.

11:53 - Brianne

For Ike, having it published. So tell us about what it's like, it's in bookstores. Did you do a book tour? Did you get to talk with kids, I get to talk with kids. I didn't do a book tour that the publishing company sent me on or anything, I would, kind of, I'm going to get caught by the IRS telling you this but like, if I ever wanted to go on a trip I would call up a bookstore and be like, Hello, and just start writing off this trip.

But yeah, it was great, bookstores are really happy to have you because you're free and you help sell their books and you're kind of like an hour long babysitter. And then schools are great too I am, I was able to do a bunch of school visits with TCAPS last spring, yeah, it was.

Stephie

The weather was a little iffy, yeah.

12:52 - Brianne

Yeah, somewhere in there

Stephie

It could have been arranged in November.

Brianne

Could be anytime.

12:59 - Brianne

But, yeah, it's wonderful , the kids provide a lot of good feedback and you get to see like what they respond to and what they're interested in.

13:10 - Stephie

Do you have any like best quotes from kids a lot along the way about your book or funny questions?

13:20 - Brianne

When I first started, hats off to the teachers, I like knew nothing about crowd control and like what questions you could ask kids and whatnot, like, like you can't just be like, How are you, because they'll be like, “I'm going to a birthday party and there's a swimming pool and…”

And that was actually my very first reading as a kid raised his hand and said, “I'm going to a birthday party.”

Anyway, let me see, at the end of the presentations I draw a rocket with the kids and I like to tell them that they can that I'm going to draw Ike inside of the rocket but that they can draw whoever they want and I had a little kid, tell me that they're putting their grandma in the rocket to the moon, like I'm going to send my grandmother to the moon.

14:08 - Stephie

What happened with that.

Brianne

Yeah, so they yeah this is some pretty some pretty great stuff. I've also been really blown away with the other end of things, kids being like, so how do I get an agent? What's the difference between self publishing a published book? Who are you?

Stephie

Like a little kid. I mean some of those.

Brianne

Some of those questions came from like fifth graders but I was really impressed that they even...

14:38 - Stephie

When you're young, did you write for fun and to illustrate books for fun?

Brianne

Yeah, yeah. I actually, when I was in third grade. Our Old Mission did a program where you could write a book and the library would bind it and have like put a bar code on it and have it in the library and anybody could check it out. So that was really inspiring I got to do that.

Stephie

Do remember what you wrote for that book?

Brianne

Yeah, it was a book called, Trees are Homes, and I distinctly remember making the cover first and then kind, of just plowing my way through the rest of the book and the book kind of like taking a turn somewhere and then like not really being about that by the end.

Stephie

But cover was set.

Brianne

Trees are Homes, and it was like animals live in trees, so you should recycle, recycling's good, boy do I like paper, it just kinda like wandered.

15:37 - Stephie

Do you remember checking out friends books and like having friends check out your book. Do you remember having like...

Brianne

I do remember. I do remember going into the library and checking to see if anyone had checked out my book. Yeah, it's like the first version of like social media, any likes?

15:58 - Stephie

Well, that must be an amazing experience, now to see, Ike, and to see, Secret Tree Fort.

Brianne

Yeah, it's crazy like it when, when Ike first came out, I was on a road trip and stopped at this Barnes and Noble in the middle of nowhere and found it. Yeah, and one of my good friends lives in Anchorage, and she sent me a photo of like in her local library, and I was like, “oh, thanks for donating that book to your library,” and she was like, “it was just here.”

16:31 - Stephie

So “Secret Tree Fort,” comes out in April. Can you tell us a little bit about it?

Brianne

Sure, it's about, about two sisters and older sister just wants to read and the younger sister wants to the older sister to play with her.

Stephie

Does this have any connection to your own life?

Brianne

Oh yeah, it's incredibly biographical. This is me never wanting to put down a book. And this is my younger sister, little toe head, her being very energetic and wanting to play and we actually we did play together as kids, and when we did play a lot of what we did was plan tree forts, or tree houses we would have drawings of like okay on the third floor will have the observation deck and then the slide will lead to the pool. And we'd be like dad. Let's do this.

17:27 - Stephie

Did you have a tree fort?

Brianne

We did, we did, it was a, it was a box in a tree but it did have a zip line. Yeah that's all you need.

17:37 - Stephie

You just need a little, little bit of wood in a tree in your house. Yeah. Yeah. So illustration wise, did you use a similar sort of process when you were working on this book?

Brianne

No, not at all. I did a lot of print-making at McAllister this great printmaking professor, and I somehow I didn't even know that print-making existed before I got there. And she kind of opened up this whole world they really fell in love with it and so I guess I think a lot of my work is informed by printmaking but maybe by different processes. So, the first book is about a blob of ink who can somehow get up and walk. And so it's about ink and paper and craft and like making things with their hands so I wanted it to be made with ink and paper so it's it's ink line work and collaged paper that's actually collaged digitally. And then this is also kind of made digitally, I drew the book with charcoal and pencil and different layers. Okay, different pieces of paper so like the outline will be a piece of paper and then like the texture will be on another piece of paper and then I scan it all into the computer and color it digitally, which is a total headache. I don't know why I work like that but…

Stephie

What made you choose to do it that way does it give you more options.

19:11 - Brianne

Yeah, I think I really love getting the color right and the texture right is really important to me and I like it when the color and the format of the book kind of helps you tell the story. So, in this book, the younger sister is telling her older sister about this tree forth that she has that, you know, as she talks you kind of see the tree fruit in the background like growing floors and slides and the whale observation area. And, and I wanted to kind of, kind of interacting with an imaginary environment and I wanted there to be some visual cue that was like, “This isn't real.” “And this is real.” And so I made this real for myself that everything that was real would be very muted, and everything was imaginary you can be these technicolors, and the computer let you kind of set that up and play with it.

20:12 - Stephie

Did you enjoy that process? So, you know, very different from Ike. Did you enjoy doing it that way and was it a lesson to be learned would you do it that way again.

20:27 - Brianne

I don't know, actually, it’s funny that you ask. I had a publisher contact me and asked me to submit a sample of work and I like can you make it just like how you made “Secret Tree Fort,” and I was like, ugh. Okay, maybe if I was a better artist I wouldn't need to do it that way but it's like, I need to fuss with it forever to be like, oh no I made this tree dark so then this tree has to be light so then this part has to be more colorful but I don't know if I do it again. It's definitely really fun to work like that it's kind of like how you build a screen print. Yeah, I like that. I love the look of it. Yeah, and I love the control but, boy is it time consuming.

21:20 - Stephie

What I’ve seen of it, it’s beautiful. So when this book comes out will it be the same thing when you visit schools again, and maybe get a few bookstores at some exotic locations?

21:31 - Brianne

Hopefully, yeah. Yeah, I love doing school visits it's really, really fun. Yeah, I love doing the school visits, it's kind of like the opposite of sitting alone and drawing. Standing up in front of an auditorium of eight year olds.

21:54 - Stephie

When you mentioned that, that being alone and working, I know that you've been involved with A26. And can you tell us a little bit about, first what that is and what you've done.

Brianne

Sure. A26 is an amazing organization and I know that you said that Front Street Writers is kind of a little bit near it. A26 was started by the writer Dave Eggers and legend has it that he wanted to start a tutoring program in San Francisco and bought a commercial space, and then was told that, because it was a commercial space and zoned commercially it had to sell something and it couldn't just be a tutoring center and so he was like great we sell pirate supplies. And so the front of the store sold pirate supplies in the back of the store…

Stephie

I love that it happened that way.

22:50 - Brianne

Yeah, so then they were really surprised to find out the pirate supply section of the store kind of helped the kids, like it made it this like, very special space and it also helped take away the stigma like meeting after school homework assistance or like taking an extra writing class just for fun. I'm a big dork, that’s something I would do. And so, it helped with that and then also it was bringing in people from the neighborhood to be like, what is this place? And that led to people volunteering just because they like walked in to see what the Pirate Store was about. And then the revenue from selling like a tub of lard pays the rent on the stores. Yeah, so now it's nationwide and all of the stores had like a front and then there's a secret tutoring center in the background. So I think they want in Michigan, haven't been a robot repair shop.

Stephie

Yeah, yeah, Seattle is time travelers. I think there's a Bigfoot one. What’s New York?.

Brianne

It’s the superhero supply store. I first got involved with the one in Chicago, which is the spy supply store.

Stephie

Yeah, I just love to go in one.

Brianne

Yeah, yeah, it's the one in Chicago so funny that it has the sign out in front, that's like, nothing to see here, nobody needs to come in, you don't need anything. And for a while I had to change it because it was like two effective people are like, Oh, yeah.

24:18 - Stephie

And so did you do workshops there?

Brianne

Yeah, yeah, I did a comic book writing workshop and autobiographical comic book ratings that was great. And also the one. Oh, we did block printing with character descriptions so I had the kids make black print of face, and they wrote a character description of it and then they all traded prints and then wrote a description of that someone else's portrait. It's really fun activity Yeah.

Stephie

So thinking about working with kids and, have you thought about, like, doing something more like that doing more workshops with kids is that an area that you might pursue?

Brianne

Yeah, yeah, hopefully. That's the great part about living here now is I have all this extra time I was, I was working. When I first moved to New York I was working for random houses, uh, well first as an administrative assistant and then there's a book designer. And then I left to do more illustration but came as rehired as a freelance designer so I was working there part time. And then, and now that I live here, I can have a little bit more time on my hands, because I’m not working at Random House.

Stephie

So right now are you do your projects in the pipeline that are working on?

Brianne

I do. I don't know what am I allowed to share. I'm working on getting my promotional plan ready for it Secret Tree Fort. You start kind of amping that up about three months out but you have to know what you're going to do before the three months are here. And, and then I signed up to do it I can tell you about this. I signed up to do a book called “Charlotte the Scientist is Squished,” and that's my first book that I’m just illustrating in not writing on hey yeah.

Stephie

So where is that in the process?

Brianne

That is signed up...

Stephie

Sorry to interrupt you. How did you get connected to that book? Did the author see your work?

Brianne

No, that's, um, gosh that's another book was like, yeah, and like, usually it happens this way but I don't, that’s not how it happened for me, usually an author submits their manuscript to a publishing company and then the editor buys the manuscript, and then the editor and the art director work together to find an illustrator. But in this case, my agent represents the author and, and I had told my agent that I wanted, I was like I'd really like to try illustrating somebody else's manuscript. And I said, we've got this manuscript do you want to illustrate it and we'll send it out to publishers that way and I like there's no guarantee, they like they might drop your illustrations, like, whatever. Yeah yeah so that's how I got connected.

27:29 - Stephie

So, and that book will be coming out like I said a couple years away.

Brianne

That'll be coming out in spring ‘17.

Stephie

Okay, I’m excited to see it.

27:42 - Brianne

Yeah, me too. It's on the manuscript is being edited right now and is with the author. And as soon as they finalize the manuscript then I get a hold of it.

27:55 - Stephie

Will you be working on that here? will you be back in New York? Or can you work anywhere?

Brianne

Oh gosh, I don't know. Yeah, I can work anywhere. That's great anywhere that has Wi Fi and a flat surface.

28:11 - Stephie

Besides, what you've done in the book form,where else has your art appeared, what other format? Tell us about, tell us about your art, separate from books?

Brianne

Um, well, I did a couple publications with, I did a drawing for McSweeney's, and for the New York Times, did one for them. So I've done a couple editorial pieces here and there, but I found that editorial is like, kind of this constant, you need to keep reminding our directors that you're around, and I just I love doing children's book so much that I'd rather spend my time doing that.

Stephie

That's really your passion.

Brianne

It is it's so great, it's like it's like don't tell any other illustrators but it's like you get to, basically, you're like free rein you have like 32 pages to just go nuts, and with editorial it's really really fast turnaround and people make beautiful stuff. I really have a deep admiration for editorial illustrators but and I don't work that way very well.

Stephie

But it's gonna work, what you enjoy.

Brianne

Yeah. Yeah. can anybody see your art around town?

29:25 - Brianne

Oh, the Little Fleet. Yeah. That was the best job. Yeah, I did the mural at Little Fleet.

29:35 - Stephie

Tell us about that process?

Brianne

You introduced me to Allison. And Allison was so great. She actually, it was so funny because they had just moved here from Brooklyn, and I was living in Brooklyn, at the time, and she was like, oh yeah, she sent me a couple images of what she was interested in and she was like we want these free hand kind of line drawings on our wall, and I started sending her sketches and she's like, can you know, can you just come in and like, do crazy stuff all over the wall. It's like, Oh yeah, totally.

Stephie

And you did it. Tell us about like the actual process where people there?

Brianne

Oh yeah, they... I started at 11 in the morning so I got all set up before anybody came in, and then I just worked the whole day. And it was, yeah, there are people there and watching and luckily I was up on a ladder, with my back to everybody. I wasn’t too aware of anyone watching. That's pretty good. Yeah, and you're adorable daughter was there,

Stephie

She does love knowing there's.

30:47 - Briane

It's their balloon.

30:50 - Stephie

Did you? It has it looked like watching it that that you had planned out where things would go because everything fits so nicely, like how much pre-planning...

Brianne

Smoke and mirrors.

Stephie

Definitely. It looks that way. But can you just like did you look at this face and you're able to just, I mean how much of that was planned ahead in your mind and how much of it, and I mean I like out of the blue here.

Brianne

They told me that they wanted some like goofy characters and I've actually painted my bathroom in New York with chalkboard paint and had been actually like the week that she contacted me had filled my bathroom wall with these like crazy characters, and I sent her a photo of it and she was like, yeah, that's what we want. That works out well. So I had a kind of a eight and a half by 11 piece of paper with just some doodles on it and like character ideas, but all the layout was done on the fly. It was fun, it was exhausting. I think the only thing I knew going into it was that I wanted to have all of the characters marching in one direction because I wanted them to be like a fleet. Yeah, and I wanted to put that there's a cherry with a face in it that I knew that I wanted to up there, but...

Stephie

You obviously such an eye and experience. Was it nerve racking to do in front of people? And maybe we're looking back to people but have you ever painted like in a public setting?

Brianne

No, no. You know, I think I would have been, you know, if someone had come up to me and said, will you draw my portrait that would have terrified me but the fact that she was like, draw these crazy characters that you love drawing. I think that made it fine.

Stephie

Did you go back and change anything, or was it just as is.

32:56 - Brianne

No, Yeah, I think one girl I kind of made for myself was that I would get off the ladder as often as possible so that I could step back and look at it from a distance. I think that really helped. But for the most part if I, I kind of saw how things were fitting together as I was moving from left to right. But yeah, I think I did have a little freak out in the beginning, so I wasn't really sure about the paint. The paint was like going on the wall and was really weird way like I felt slimy and I was like this is terrible, like, no one told me that painting on a wall it feels different than drawing with the marker.

33:41 - Stephie

So that was your first time painting, something like that, of that scale?

33:46 - Brianne

Yeah, but now I love it funny. Yeah, I would love to do it again.

34:03 - Stephie

Okay. So switching gears a little bit. I'd love to talk about books and libraries, in particular. I mean we touched a little bit on the book project that you did at Old Mission but what are some of the things you remember now that you're, you know, in your career and following your passion for what you're doing and looking back at you know school libraries, public libraries and books in general I know you're a big reader and always were. What are some of the experiences you remember, and in what ways do you think school libraries and libraries in particular impacted you? Or some of your memories?

Brianne

Good question. I guess, I have really fond memories of my librarians feet, you know, she would kind of sit on like a big armchair and everyone would kind of like crowd around. I just, I remember I loved that, like intimacy of like being read to. Really wanting to know what happened next, like, I remember the librarian at Central reading us “The Giver” and just being like, oh, when I found out that it was color that had been missing I was like, “What!” stop everything. Being read to it's just so special and it really brings the books to life, and, and I found I was really surprised when I visited schools that told me that I was going to be presenting to first graders as well as fifth graders. It's like I hope this presentation works for all ages. And I was really surprised by how engaged the fifth graders were that they still love being read to and enjoy picture books and just get something totally different out of it.

Stephie

Absolutely, yeah. picture books are, they hit kids at all different levels. And some of them are really, and, and maybe not in particular yours but some are geared, really there's middle school kids and some projects that there are picture books that are at that level, I mean in the details well as, What's the subject and it's quite mature. It's always thought of as her very young children. The format is really not necessarily that way.

Brianne

You know I really think that's a mistake, actually I find myself when I talk about books trying not to say, kids books. I tried to say picture books cuz i mean i think that a lot of them are for audiences of all ages and that, and that booksellers are making a mistake kind of pigeon holing what age range, they can present to.Have you ever seen this book? Death, Duck, and the Tulip by Wolf Elbrooke? I think it's his name. He's a German guy. European kids books, they're like crazy like boobs, and there's all kinds of stuff in there. They’re a little bit edgier. It’s about a duck that meets death, and they kind of hang out together and then at the end of the book the duck dies, and that’s whole book and it's like really beautiful and, and just kind of like, this is what happens. Sometimes things die. And so it's like, I think it would be good. And it really struck me, you know, a certain age. Yeah, that was really really powerful, yeah. A good thing for kids of all ages.

Stephie

I don't think that kids stop needing to be or stuff enjoying to be read to. It's not, it doesn't end in fifth grade. Middle School, even when even High School, and the adults. Yeah, being read to is something that's pretty universal.

Brianne

Yeah, it's very soothing to be read to even as an adult, it's nice to have someone just read something out loud. And, and I think that you get you get access to, you know, like words that you might not normally hear read out loud, like you're like, Oh, it's not hors d'oeuvres? Yeah, I think, I think it's really important and I think, yeah, I think that there's I actually I find myself having a little bit of a hard time talking about like, like what my favorite picture books are because I'm like there’s the books that I love as a kid. And then there's the books that I love now, and I don't have, I don't have kids and so like I don't really know what it is that kids respond to and Charlotte who I work with at Smith and Jones studios she brought in this whole stack, she, she labeled them a post it notes and she's like these are good books. These are terrible books.

39:10 - Stephie

Like, what made those terrible? Was it content, they were boring was it…?

Brianne

Yeah, I mean, I think some of it was. I mean picture books I such a hard audience because you're appealing to a very young child and the parent that has to read it one hundred times in a row. And so I think some of them were books for her kids love them and she was like, I never want to see these books again. Yeah, yeah, but so I don't have that, I don't know I don't have the input of actual little kids so I'm going off like this is a beautiful book. I'm touched by this book, I don't know if kids would actually like it.

39:47 - Stephie

So the unfair question. What were some of your favorite books as now and as a kid, and not just picture books like what are some of your, you mentioned the Giver, just favorite books?

Brianne

I think the first book I remember being just obsessed with was the BFG Roald Dahl, and I loved that book. And then I went and read everything of Roald Dahl’s that I could find. He's super talented and dark. I love that too. Yeah. And I think as a kid I really, I really liked Sneeches by Dr. Seuss and, oh, Just a Dream by Chris Van Alsberg. That probably inspired Trees are Homes. Protect your environment. And what else: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, anything by Maurice Sendeck, the Little Bear books, and Where the Wild Things Are, Go Dog! Go! I recently re-read that and was like this book is brilliant. Yeah. And, and now...There's so much out there. Again, I'm like, I don't know if kids like these are not, but Greg Pizzoli is really great author, Illustrator. He just said a book about the “Watermelon Seed.” Okay, about a crocodile that follows a watermelon seed and Pool by, oh gosh, JHyeon Lee I think is her name and I think that that just one has a magical place in New York called the Society of illustrators and that's a museum slash art studio, that's just illustrations, And they hold, they do separate several competitions throughout the year but there's the original art show is just for children's books. And I think that that just won the original art show. It's a really cool space it's like this little converted townhouse, and it's kind of bright red door so you feel like you're kind of walking into a magical home.

Stephie

Wow, great, things like that are celebrated. What a wonderful spot to celebrate that kind of creativity.

42:16 - Brianne

That's the thing I miss most about Brooklyn is that a lot of my friends also wrote and illustrated book so they've also got some really beautiful books coming out.

Stephie

And their titles, you can share?

Brianne

Yeah. Um, let's see, Ruth Chan has her first book coming out which is, “Where's the Party,” which is about a cat that wants to throw a party but then all of his friends are busy. And it's based on her real cat Georgie. And let's see, my friend, Dasha Tolstikova has this really beautiful illustrated novel coming out I guess that's what you call it so it's long but it's not really a graphic novel, probably like a hundred pages, “A Year Without Mom.” And that's about when she grew up in Russia and her mom moved to America, and she stayed in Russia for another year and then followed her mom so it's about that year, she's 13.

Stephie

So, like a middle grade, Middle School?

Brianne

Yeah, probably for like that same age group, 12-13. And she's also got a couple of picture books coming out “The Jacket.” She illustrated and that's like doing really, really well. It's a, it's a book about a girl who, I guess it's about a book, who, a girl buys the book and he's so happy to have someone who loves them. It’s so cute.

43:44 - Stephie

So, yeah. Any other thoughts on experiences you remember, projects you did that standout related to books or illustration in school, other experiences in other schools or libraries that you remember?

44:00 - Brianne

Well, each. And, and the librarians and I think I was really lucky to be in that talented and gifted program they have a lot of really great like kind of interactive projects where you are encouraged to write and, and draw, or they would maybe give you like several options of how to complete a project which I think is really great for kids learn and express themselves in different ways so you could either you know like, put on a play or like make a board game. I think that's always the one I chose like make some stuff with your hands, you could make, like, a little sculpture. I remember really loving my science classes, because I like making all the models.

Stephie

Sure, yeah, it's interesting isn't it like even as a small, small young learner like those things that carry through, things that you love, you know, they might change, but some of those things stay. They are what is important to you even as an adult.

45:11 - Stephie

Well, are there, anything is there anything I didn't ask you that you want to share.

45:17 - Brianne

I can think of any. Any ideas?.

45:20 - Larry

Okay, so the voice from the other side of the monitor. There, there are three questions I want to ask if you have the time. The first one I was fascinated by the conversation you guys had about picture, picture books, not being available, or is this something with the authors and publishers now making picture books for adults. First of all, was that their coffee table books, but not really because oftentimes, coffee table books don't contain a narrative. There more non-fiction. There might be a correlation between and especially for high school readers that correlation between picture books, and then read and students that have enjoyed picture books then graduating to graphic novels yeah I mentioned graphic novels and I wanted to know if you felt there was a connection there between the picture book and the graphic novel.

Brianne

Definitely, I think that and I think graphic novels are really filling a hole that's been present in, in the books that are available that that graphic novels aren't just like superhero graphic novels anymore that you can get like these really beautiful narratives that, I think that this is the first year that a graphic novel won, oh gosh, I'm going to get it wrong, some big literary prize was won by a graphic novel this year

Stephie

For kids or adults?

Brianne

For kids it's like the Caldicot of, and I'm going to show you like such a dummy, I have to figure out what it is but it was like the Newbery, Yeah,

Stephie

El Daffo, I think it was an honor.

Brianne

Was it an honor?

Stephie

We’ll have to crack this detail, definitely.

47:10 - Brianne

It's a great book, you should check it

Stephie

It’s in our elementary libraries.

47:17 - Brianne

Because you can read it, like, I read it sitting in a cafe. You know the whole thing.

Stephie

Our libraries just received a donation from AAUW, for the book “Roller Girl.”

Brianne

I heard it’s wonderful.

47:30 - Stephie

Yes, and it has wonderful messages for young girls. But it was. I'm guessing it was the first time we've had from that group, a graphic novel donated which, you know, there's so much more. Yeah, the quality of graphic novels, has come so far. But it really connects with kids all readers it really. Yeah, we've seen that really sparks kids who may or may not love to read and then it kind of ties, you know, good, kids who love to read anyway are drawn to it but sometimes you're reluctant readers of graphic novels less intimidating.

Brianne

Yeah, yeah. Another. I have friends who teach in the Bronx who say that the graphic novels are this like huge gateway for kids that like might not even feel comfortable reading or maybe like English language learners or... it’s a nice, nice I like that and I think it makes, it can make, like, difficult topics more accessible. I think that, like I'd rather read a history graphic novel than like read a history book. Yeah.

48:36 - Stephie

And the graphic novel “The Fun House” which is for adults.

Brianne

Making so much. It's amazing so many ways right now which is funny because I taught that book in my autobiographical comic book writing class for A26. I mean, my friend Grace and I taught the class together and we just we photocopied, like one page out of a bunch of different books and showed kids like these are different styles of autobiographical comics.

Stephie

Well it, kinda as a segway but I think it's now on Broadway. It’s become a Play. And I think she has another graphic novel coming out.

49:15 - Brianne

I know that she's like a regular comic, like a series. But I think that that kind of predates “Fun Home” but I don't know who the next book is.

Stephie

Well and that was, you know, for, for example in “My Mom's” book we read, you know, it was the first time I think a lot of people were exposed to a graphic novel. It just it's come so, there's, there's just so much more at every level, and and that's an example of amazing illustrations, and amazing narrative as well.

Brianne

Yeah, I was really lucked into a great class, and that McAllister my first class was called superheroes. And it was English class that we studied graphic novels and then books about graphic novels, and books about superheroes, like Frankenstein and Orlando like these kind of like super human people in literature, but it was my, It was great, and it was my first exposure to, like, critical discussion about a graphic novel I think it was the first time I'd ever read a graphic novel. We read Watchmen. We read Dylan Horrocks, what is it called, “Hicksville,” it’s a great book. It's about New Zealand and they ended up studying abroad in New Zealand and then I came back and read it again was like, it's so cool because it's about the, I mean it's about a guy who loves comic books, but it's also about the, kind of mythology of New Zealand and, like, Captain Cook discovering New Zealand and his interaction with like the Maori people that were already in there legend of how New Zealand came to be and it's like you learn all this stuff. You don't even...

Stephie

You have to go back through this tape and make a reading list.

51:03 - Brianne

I spent way too much time with books.

51:11 - Stephie

something else who said that. I'll remember.

Larry

So I didn't realize that the graphic novel question was going to just..

Brianne

I love graphic novels! And I don’t love them as much as most people do. I’m, like, no connoisseur, but I do know that they're like, I think they're incredibly under appreciated, and should just be like, thrown out like confetti.

51:34 - Larry

As an Illustrator there’s a whole other conversation about how you relate to, to not only the pictures, specifically as an artist but also how you would tell your stories in a picture book, as opposed to a graphic novel and vice versa. But those aren’t the questions that I want to ask is that much longer. I think, you know, the idea is kind of keep this under an hour, and we're getting close to it. So, what I wanted to maybe close with if Stephie doesn't have any more questions, are two questions. One is, what is the most important thing and putting you on the spot here and I recognize this, what is the most important thing you believe you learn from a teacher.

52:31 - Brianne

I have no clue. Actually I guess cuz we're talking about like learning styles, because I think that's where that's kind of what we're going for with graphic novels was I like, that someone's learning style, I learned better with that. I also think it's important to do the learning style that you're not good at, and I, I, so when I was in, let's see, fourth, fifth and sixth grade so at TAG, we had to every week give a science report out loud in front of the entire class. And it's like, my deepest fear, like, like you would you rather be buried alive or give a report in front of class. And. And I think that that was incredibly helpful to kind of just like stand up there and just get used to it and like those communication skills are super helpful and every single part of your life going forward so I don't know if I'd say that they taught me to like face my fears or if they taught you that you can just like practice something and get good at it and, but. That persistence is more important than natural ability.

53:48 - Stephie

So then when you have 250 first through fifth graders staring gymnasium.

Brianne

Oh yeah, I was terrible. My first couple of presentations I was like, BLLL

Stephie

Looked very polished to everyone,

54:03 - Brianne

Not through natural ability, It was through like going home and being like, Okay, I need to redo my entire PowerPoint presentation. I think it's something that like is probably the most important part of a when kids go to those presentations is like seeing that there's a huge leap between where they are and like where they'll be as an adult, and that you can kind of be like, I was really bad at these things, and then you just do them a lot. And then you're good at them. Like I have friends were like, “your such a better drawer than I am,” and I'm like, “you're such a better lawyer than I am,” and they’re like, “I went to school for that,” and I'm like, “I did to.” It’s not magic, you just keep trying it.

54:51 - Stephie

And, and wanting to keep trying. Have the love for it. And that's, I mean the segue’s to but having kids, especially local like when you're talking to an Old Mission and when you talk to other schools in our district, for them to say she went, like, she sat here, she was in my school being a kid here, and then she's really doing the thing that I'm wanting to do. That is incredibly powerful for kids.

Brianne

Yeah, and I actually don't remember this, I vaguely remember it but a cartoonist came to Old Mission when I went there, and I guess I came home from that author visit and my and told my mom that I wanted to be a cartoonist and was, like super inspired by it, yeah, vaguely remember this guy coming but, yeah, that's has a huge impact on me. Yeah, just like opening up the scope of, like, what you think is possible.

Stephie

And I think the library is clear on that, yeah and experiences for kids. Bring the world in and through books to the world for kids.

Brianne

It opens you up to the things that you might not naturally seek out, like, I just went to our library on Woodmere the other day I was looking for books about Matisse and came home with a book about Danish chairs, because it was like sitting out on a table and I was like Oh, chairs! that’s what’s like, so magical about libraries is that you're like, you know, it's all just there. And you might kind of wander into something that you weren't looking for. And then the librarians are these like incredible gatekeepers who are just way smarter than I am.

56:37 - Stephie

But that's what we hope the libraries are doing is opening up all these possibilities.

Brianne

Yeah, and that's something that like the internet can't replace. I visited an elementary school, where the librarian stands in the hallway, and she has like hand picked out books for certain kids and as she sees them walk by she would be like this book is yours. This is a really cool. I’m sure that they feel really special.

Stephie

And knowing your readers, you know, connections.

57:11 - Larry

Okay. So last question. And then ties in exactly you segueing your segue. What advice would you give a student interested in pursuing a career in publishing? So, you inspired one of those, one of those kids.

Brianne

I hope you like ramen noodles. You will not be rich. I guess, yeah, I guess what we've been talking about. Of course you have a natural interest in certain things but that, that persistence will get you way farther than any, like, ability you may have like out of the gate, and that, Neil Gaiman gave a speech that I think about all the time where he said that you only have to be two of three things, either have to be talented, pleasant to work with, or on time, you only have to be like, be only two to those. It's like if you're pleasant to work and on time then you don't have to be that talented.

58:17 - Stephie

So true.

58:19 - Brianne

Yeah, you can. I think there's something, really something to be said for persistence and pleasantness.

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It’s Episode 88 of the not so newly branded EDtech Loop Podcast! We’re getting back to the podcast a little earlier this year with a few "Best Of," compilations from last years shows and maybe some commentary concerning this years WIREDTC Conference. Can't wait to get back in the studio to discuss what's new in Ed Tech!

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We've brewed the sun tea, donned the reader shades and positioned the deck chair for maximum solar exposure, because there's nothing better than a good summer read and Stephie is bringing the literary heat with some great suggestions for our youngest readers.

Join your Public Library’s Summer Reading Club - locally visit tadl.org/src19
Recruit a friend or family member to read the same book and discuss it
Try a book in a different format - audio, online, print
Read an award-winning book
Get lost in a series
Try a new genre - non-fiction, poetry, fiction, biography, etc.
Read a book that became a movie
Read aloud to a sibling or family member
Rewrite the ending to a favorite book
Find a podcast about your favorite author (The Yarn is a great option)
Read everyday!

K-2 Suggestions

3-5 Suggestions

A monthly podcast hosted by Stephanie Luyt and Larry Burden spreading the good word regarding Traverse City Area Public Schools, Public Education and Library/Media Services.

Please subscribe to and rate our podcast on iTunes, or join our conversation on twitter @tcapsloop or the tcapsloop facebook page and check out the what's new on the Loop.

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"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly - Teddy Roosevelt The EDtech Loop Podcast is asking you to boldly go where no educator has gone before by loosening your grip on the pedagogical steering wheel and making a plan to take some instructional chances in your classroom next year. Thank you Twitter and AJ Bianco and for the inspiration: Why Taking Risks in the Classroom Pays Off for Students and Teachers

Brene Brown - Netflix special: The Call to Courage

TechTool of the Week

METS Group! Who should join METS: Any educator who is interested in learning how to be more innovative...be more authentic...better reach kids. Anyone who wants a network of awesome teachers in your PLN!

Membership Renewal Facebook Group EdTech Summer Plans 2019 SUMMER Bring a Buddy Summer Scholarship

A weekly podcast hosted by Danelle Brostrom and Larry Burden and a cast of thousands spreading the good word regarding Traverse City Area Public Schools, Public Education and Education Technology.

Please subscribe to and rate our podcast on iTunes, or via email and join our conversation on twitter @tcapsloop or the tcapsloop facebook page and check out the what's new on the Loop.

Music provided by Podington Bear

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The TechNollerGist shares ideas on how to use real outcomes to promote student's best work. David considers how to set up next year's classes to support critical thinking, community critique and a safe performance space to increase student engagement and student voice.

A student's thoughts on how having a safe space can enhance a the ability to perform. Please subscribe to and rate our podcast on iTunes, or join our conversation on twitter @tcapsloop or the tcapsloop facebook page and check out the what's new on the Loop.

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We've got our fitbit set to "meetings" for this weeks EdTech Loop podcast. Danelle has more simple suggestions to make big impacts in your classroom.

FOR THE CLASSROOM: SKETCHNOTING * Sketchnoting: The Powerful Effects of Drawing on Learning (video) * One Pagers: A Simple Trick for Success with One-Pagers (Cult of Pedagogy)

FOR THE CLASSROOM: CHOICE BOARDS AND LEARNING MENUS * Interactive Learning Menus (Choice Boards) with G Suite – FREE Templates (Shake Up Learning)

FOR YOU: WALK AND TALK MEETINGS * How to Do Walking Meetings Right (Harvard Business Review) * 7 Reasons to Schedule Walking Meetings (Inc.) * Got a Meeting? Take a Walk (TED video)

TechTool of the Week

KNOW COPYRIGHT LAWS! TEACHERS HAVE TO FOLLOW COPYRIGHT TOO. Fair Use will only get you so far!

Federal jury: HISD staff repeatedly violated copyright laws, owe company $9.2M (Houston Chronicle)

Barb Rosenstock (author)

https://twitter.com/barbrosenstock/status/1130610969414197248

Resources for you to learn more about Copyright: * Be Legal & Fair (21 Things for Teachers)

Resources for you to use when teaching your kids about Copyright: * 4 Great Lesson Plans on Copyright (Common Sense Media)

A weekly podcast hosted by Danelle Brostrom and Larry Burden and a cast of thousands spreading the good word regarding Traverse City Area Public Schools, Public Education and Education Technology.

Please subscribe to and rate our podcast on iTunes, or via email and join our conversation on twitter @tcapsloop or the tcapsloop facebook page and check out the what's new on the Loop. Music provided by Podington Bear

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It's the annual EdTech Loop WiredTC preview show! We spotlight some highlights of Northern Michigan's premier Education Conference including our Keynote speakers:

Liz Kolb

Colby Sharp

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Wayback Machine

Transcripts are still in the works...getting there. Enjoy the show!

A weekly podcast hosted by Danelle Brostrom and Larry Burden and a cast of thousands spreading the good word regarding Traverse City Area Public Schools, Public Education and Education Technology.

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Teaching and Learning Doesn’t Have to End When Summer Starts! Danelle shares some great ideas for keeping minds active over the summer break.

TCAPS247 OK GO Sandbox Art For Kids Hub - YouTube

Resources from Chris Woods - @dailystem * Daily STEM Resources * The Daily STEM News

Keva Brain Builders - Can you create your own challenge cards?

Prime Climb

Take apart Technology - see how it works - put back together (if you can)

Cardboard - Google Cardboard Challenge ideas

Stop Motion and Green Screen (dollar store supplies)

TechTool of the Week

MicroBit $15 on Sparkfun - one of my favorite sites for maker stuff!

Transcripts are still in the works...getting there. Enjoy the show!

A weekly podcast hosted by Danelle Brostrom and Larry Burden and a cast of thousands spreading the good word regarding Traverse City Area Public Schools, Public Education and Education Technology.

Please subscribe to and rate our podcast on iTunes, or via email and join our conversation on twitter @tcapsloop or the tcapsloop facebook page and check out the what's new on the Loop.

Music provided by Podington Bear

MindWare KEVA Brainbuilders - 3D brain building STEM challenges for boys & girls - Try to build the image - Practice spatial thinking - 20 planks & 30 puzzles

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It's the long awaited sister to the TCAPSLoop (EdTech Loop) Google Update episode. The TechNollerGist dives Jacques Custeau deep into the latest and greatest with Google Classroom.

These are a few of my favorite things…

Something old, some things new

Teach kids how to use Classroom effectively.

Project your process
Narrate your instructions
Rely on shoulder-partners
Clarify with Patience — We good? Everyone with me? Questions? Anyone not there?

Grading interface

Score — auto-record in Classroom
Comment bank — hashtags
Next! — or drop down menu
Private note — communicate directly with student; kid gets email
Return — one at a time, or all at once

Select by Topics/Table of Contents — April update

Depending on your screen size/resolution
Drop-down menu takes kids to specific location
Left-hand selectable menu
No more scrolling forever!

Post to top — April update

New work posts to top of lists
Works in newly classes only — get excited for the fall!

Student selector — May update

Only on mobile devices
If you’re in a district that allows iOS devices, Student Selector works!
Keeps teacher in the kid group!

Filter by Topic — April update

Topic as evolved into unit heading
Selects only the assignments under that topic
Important to give clear directions: Open your Classroom page / Go to the “Japanese Mythology” topic from the drop-down menu, or use the menu on the left / Open the “Connections” assignment.

Organize Stream

Move to top is back (as of February)
Using topics is a good way to avoid scrolling through the uncategorized, overpopulated Stream

Please subscribe to and rate our podcast on iTunes, or join our conversation on twitter @tcapsloop or the tcapsloop facebook page and check out the what's new on the Loop.

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It's Staff Appreciation Week at Traverse City Area Public Schools, our home School District, and every year we attempt to get out into the buildings to allow staff the opportunity to show appreciation to other members of their school community. The episode is pretty TCAPS-centric but the spirit and gratitude to educators and support staff is universal. To anyone involved in educating our children, thanks for listening and inspiring.

TechTool of the Week

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!

Transcripts are still in the works...getting there. Enjoy the show!

A weekly podcast hosted by Danelle Brostrom and Larry Burden and a cast of thousands spreading the good word regarding Traverse City Area Public Schools, Public Education and Education Technology.

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EdTech Loop Episode 82...Information OverloadiTunes Google Play Stitcher Tune-In RSSFeeling a little overwhelmed by the barage of information? Are you thinking it's impossible to keep up? So are we.

Danelle and I are joined by Stephie Luyt to discuss thoughts and strategies on how to cope with "information overload."

Information Overload Images to use in the classroom: Dr Kristen Mattson - Pinterest board - https://www.pinterest.com/DrKMattson/dig-cit-discussions/ A great article on today's topic by the Interaction Design Foundation A new podcast by ISTE!

Transcripts are still in the works...getting there. Enjoy the show! A weekly podcast hosted by Danelle Brostrom and Larry Burden and a cast of thousands spreading the good word regarding Traverse City Area Public Schools, Public Education and Education Technology. Please subscribe to and rate our podcast on iTunes, or via email and join our conversation on twitter @tcapsloop or the tcapsloop facebook page and check out the what's new on the Loop. Music provided by Podington Bear

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TCAPSLoop Weekly Episode 81...EdTech CensusiTunes Google Play Stitcher Tune-In RSSWe rate few things more important for our students than Digital Literacy and Citizenship, so we obviously deemed The Common Sense Census: Inside the 21st Century Classroom published by Common Sense Media podcast worthy. This report gives a great baseline for where we are currently in teaching these important digital tools.

Key Findings Infographic Adding Audio to Slides - Eric Curts Schedule Emails to Send - Showed up this week!

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TCAPSLoop Weekly Episode 80...Summer ConferencesiTunes Google Play Stitcher Tune-In RSSWe talk a lot about self care. Investing in yourself can come in many forms...beach reads, meditation, worldwide adventures…

Self care also means investing in your career, and time away from your regular routine can be the perfect opportunity to learn something new.

There are SO many opportunities to connect with your teaching tribe in the upcoming months! Spring & Summer ConferencesPersonalized Learning ConferenceMay 6-8, Kent ISD (Grand Rapids) $50 * Conference is May 7 - site visits are May 6, May 8th * Includes site visits to Kenowa Hills and Kent Innovation High School * Focus on innovation, student led learning, personalized learning

REMC Classroom Makers SummitJune 20 - Midland MI FREE * Focus on supporting Michigan classroom teachers who have integrated making into their teaching practice or who are interested in integrating the Maker Movement into their classroom. The day will allow attendees to explore maker-centered tools and trends, gain valuable resources, and connect with maker-minded educators. * Staying true to the spirit of REMC Classroom Makers the day will offer plenty of hands-on opportunities, a collaborative environment, and chances to flex your maker skills! * Call for Presenters - due May 6

ISTEJune 23-36 - Philadelphia * Call for Speakers - due April 26 * Over 1,400 sessions

NERD CAMP July 8-9 - Parma, MI FREE * Run by Colby Sharp * Authors, illustrators * Day 1 is much like a traditional education conference. We have scheduled speakers to get you all fired up about teaching reading and writing in the classroom. * Day 2 of nErDcamp is designed differently than your typical conference. It's an (un)conference with a focus on literacy in learning. That's literacy in every and all areas -- science and math, we're talking to you too! * Nerd Camp JR - registration opens May 1

Lake Michigan Tech Conference July 22 - Coloma, MI * Run by Daniel Mares * Focused strands of literacy, STEM, assessment * AMAZING conference * Call for Presenters - due this Friday!

WIREDTCAugust 12 - Traverse City, MI * Liz Kolb - keynote - focus on learning first, technology second * NEWS: Adding in a second keynote - Colby Sharp - literacy! * Focus on ISTE Standards and AASL Standards

Virtual Opportunities EduPaths#michED Twitter ChatREMC CoursesMACUL Teach Wonder Professional Learning Program Chris WoodsWebsite - DailySTEMPodcast: STEM Everyday

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TCAPSLoop Weekly Episode 79...Google Apps UpdatesiTunes Google Play Stitcher Tune-In RSSREMEMBER, IT'S NOT ABOUT GOOGLE….IT'S ABOUT THE LEARNING.GOOGLE SLIDESImmediate Closed Captioning in Google Slides: Great for english language learners or anyone who processes new information through reading

Audio in Google Slides: * Enhance presentations in Slides with audio * 25 Ways to Use Audio in Google Slides Projects

Voice Type Speaker Notes Great to teach students they can copy-paste into Slides GOOGLE CALENDARGoal Setting with Google Calendar

GMAILSmart Compose, Smart Response, Smart Reply: * NEW: Smart response text has moved in to the subject line. * Push tab to keep any suggestion * Can turn off this feature in settings

Nudges: * Gmail will suggest emails to reply to or follow up on * Can turn this feature off in settings.

Dynamic Email: * Respond to and close comments in Docs right from Gmail * Take action and stay up-to-date with dynamic email in Gmail

Gmail Confidential Mode (beta) - With confidential mode, it’s easier to protect sensitive content in your emails by creating expiration dates or revoking previously sent messages, and removing options for recipients to forward, copy, print, and download:

Keep data secure with Gmail confidential mode (beta)

Schedule messages to be delivered later: Right Now Send Later - Coming next week!

GOOGLE DRIVEDrive - Priority Page: Work smarter with the new Priority page in Drive

GOOGLE MEETGoogle Meet - when you present your screen in a Hangouts Meet, your camera’s video feed will remain visible:

Simultaneously present and be seen with Hangouts Meet

GOOGLE DUO:Facetime for Google

OTHER FUN STUFFChromebook Simulator is an animated interactive tutorial that walks you through various Chrome OS tasks. On the left, you have a menu, and on the right, a picture of a Chromebook where you can try things like updating your Chromebook and resetting it etc.:

Chromebook Simulator Experiments with Google: * https://experiments.withgoogle.com/groove-pizza * https://experiments.withgoogle.com/mixlab * https://experiments.withgoogle.com/justaline

Digital Garage - Online courses, designed for adults who want to increase their skills: https://learndigital.withgoogle.com/digitalgarage

Where in Google Earth is Carmen Sandiego? Your mission, gumshoe: Catch Carmen Sandiego in Google Earth

WHERE CAN YOU FIND THESE THINGS?Google Launch Release Calendar EDU in 90 - YouTube Video Series - EDU in 90 is a video series from Google for Education, with new episodes three times each month. Each episode, we'll focus on an important topic for educators, administrators, and school leaders - things like product updates, new programs, and helpful resources for the classroom.

REMEMBER, IT'S NOT ABOUT GOOGLE….IT'S ABOUT THE LEARNING. Technology is not a solution. It’s an opportunity to do something different and something amazing!

My Favorite Google Experts!Kasey BellBlog: Shake Up LearningMACUL Presentations: https://shakeuplearning.com/macul-2019/ Podcasts: Shake Up Learning Show, Google Teacher Tribe Eric CurtsBlog: Control Alt Achieve Favorite Google Presentations: Hipster Google and Hipster Google 2

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Relational Mindset Part 1: Personalize Learning This may be a bit far afield from our usual "edtech" focus but the TechNollerGist has some thoughts on the importance of building intentional relationships with EACH student. Personalize Learning

Developing Relationships have the same capacity for predicting success as IQ or Standardized Test Scores.
According to John Hattie and Robert Marzano, having good relationships with teachers have effect sizes of 0.72 and 0.87, respectively. (0.8 is a large effect, and 1.2 is a very large effect)

Learn names — super simple? super impactful! * personal connection * make the learning of their names visible… * let them see you struggle but persevere * Strategies * Students say their name before they speak * Use desk name tags * Alliteration or association * Inject the TECH * Photo gallery * Games: Kahoot or Quizizz — MC

“Me Bag” * teacher shares items with class * connect items to stories that tell who we are * relate to students as a person first, and as a teacher second * open to students — a few per day * inject the TECH * Video tour * Presentation (Google, Prezi, etc) * Photostory * Website

Share everyday problems * easy way to connect to students * share a personal problem from your own life * students share reactions and solutions * set expectations to avoid inappropriate responses, but use errors as teachable moments * demonstrate that difficult problems can be solved with strategies, patience, perseverance, critical thinking

Share progress on goals * share goal and tell them how you plan to meet them * share setbacks and how you overcome them * model goal-setting and the process * students set own personal goals * establish a collective goal for the entire class * Promotes sense of belonging/ownership * Promotes community

Please subscribe to and rate our podcast on iTunes, or join our conversation on twitter @tcapsloop or the tcapsloop facebook page and check out the what's new on the Loop.

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TCAPSLoop Weekly Episode 77...Classroom LibraryiTunes Google Play Stitcher Tune-In RSSThough this Classroom Library doesn’t contain Rumi, Sun Tzu or Ron Burgandy, Stephie Luyt was able to make some suggestions that would meet the needs of your classroom. So dust off those leather bound volumes that smell of rich mahogany and take a listen to this weeks TCAPSLoop Weekly. Check out these additional resources:

Seattle Global Reading Challenge We Need Diverse Books Books for woke kids - younger grades TeachingBooks.net

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the TechNollerGist Episode 8...Student ChoiceiTunes Google Play Stitcher Student ChoiceLeveraging tech tools and student tech interest to increase student choice and voice and (hopefully) increase engagement. * social media as research * twitter conversations with experts * databases with millions of topics (Gale Power Search, MelCat, Mel.org) * passion projects injected into research * research SKILLS matter way more than CONTENT of the topic!

Senior Research Project Topics and authentic research * Great Lakes Surfing and Need for Conservation

Twitter conversation with Surfrider founder
Nursing education
interviewed nurse practitioner
video recorded interview with nursing instructor at CTC; video part of presentation
Who's responsible for policing online harassment
Research includes video game company EULAs and participant regulations
Research includes autobiographical video posted by female gamer regularly subjected to sexual harassment, misogyny and threats of violence
The challenges of foster care (and what to do about it)
Email interview with foster parent who adopted a teenager
Promoting more technical/trade education
smartphone recorded interviews with TBA CTC teachers and students

Please subscribe to and rate our podcast on iTunes, or join our conversation on twitter @tcapsloop or the tcapsloop facebook page and check out the what's new on the Loop.

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TCAPSLoop Weekly Episode 76...Up North STEM!iTunes Google Play Stitcher Tune-In RSSThere is no chance that this show will underwhelm in our pursuit of progress over perfection as we are joined by the Northern Michigan Sage of STEM, Drea Weiner. She shares some of the amazing progress made in creating collaborations with local industry and our classrooms.

Check out these links for more inspiration: * Drea Weiner - Twitter * MiSTEM Network * Northwestern Lower MiSTEM Network - Twitter, Facebook, Website * Dash and Dot * Keva Planks - Brain Builders Kit * Little Bits * Snap Circuits * REMC - Checkout STEM kits (Search for STEM) * Maker Summit - June 20 in Midland * 3D Printer Gutter Car Derby

STEM Goodies!STEM Role Model Posters (free download) Civil Air Patrol - $35 membership

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TCAPSLoop Weekly Episode 75...Get Tidy!iTunes Google Play Stitcher Tune-In RSS Danelle has brought dozens of specifically sized, color coordinated boxes into the studio in an attempt to get education organized, minimized and to rekindle our joy of learning.

Things to get rid of because they don't bring joy:1. Trying every new shiny ball tech site that comes out (rationale: check privacy policies, does it help reach your learning goals, I personally LOVE sites that can be used for more than one thing). 2. Saving all my teaching materials from a specific grade "just in case" I get put back in that grade (rationale: things change, new curriculum, etc...). 3. Saying YES to everything (rationale: teachers are burned out; pick a few extra things that feed your soul and do those well). 4. Homework (rationale: stress on families, and kids; let's make it intentional and stick to large outcomes we really want--reading every night, math flash cards--and have families do that instead of a random worksheet). 5. Sit and "Git" PD (rationale: listening to and consuming new knowledge is good, but having time to work with the learning in a hands on manner is better; this is part of the rationale behind changing the format of this summer's WIRETC, check out this Awesome article to reference...) 6. Reply All - Please. Just. Stop. This does NOT bring me joy. Awesome article on how to use Cc and Bcc.

Things that bring joy:1. Parent Teacher Conferences (rationale: opportunity to see parents and connect with families to create a collaborative learning team for the student; parents could be in the classroom even more often). 2. Collaboration time - there is never enough time to learn from your colleagues; let's do more of that. 3. Twitter chats - opens doors to new learning and to my teaching tribe; see #2. 4. Books - SO many great books about education, technology, and leadership out right now; but beware #2 from the first list. 5. Using technology to bring kids faster, better feedback (Google Docs, Classroom....awesome article to reference) Again, let's do more of this. 6. Announcing snowdays in a fun way. :) Thanks for the awesome meme smile TCAPS! :)

METS Virtual RallyAll the Session are archived!

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BiblioTech Podcast Episode 6...Awards SeasoniTunes GooglePlay Stitcher Tune-In RSSAfter a few false starts due to the Polar Vortex, Stephie has managed to brave the frozen wastes of Northern Michigan to thaw the TCAPSLoop studios with her hot takes on this year’s ALA Book Awards. And the Winners Are:* The Parker Inheritance (Johnson) - Coretta Scott King Award * The Girl Who Drew Butterflies (Sidman) - Sibert Medal * Front Desk (Yang) - Asian/American Award for Literature * Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World (Blake) - Stonewall Book Award (Honoree) * Hello Lighthouse (Blackwell) - Caldecott Medal

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