Clif's Notes

Back-to-School EduTweetUp (August 2010)

The first Memphis EduTweetUp was such a success that we all agreed to have another once the new school year began. All K-12 educators are invited to join us for food and fun as teachers from many different schools and districts connect and share ideas. The evening will conclude with a Web 2.0 Smackdown during which attendees can volunteer to share quick demos (under 3 minutes) of some of their favorite Web 2.0 tools and services. Note that free wi-fi will be available in the dining room. We’ll also have a computer projector and screen.

We’ll be meeting at Panera Bread (4530 Poplar) from 5:30 to 7:30 PM on Tuesday, August 31, 2010. Please help us spread the word via Twitter, Facebook, on your blog(s), email, etc., and include the event tag: #metu. Note that Non-Twitter-using teachers are absolutely welcome to join us, too. There is no registration fee but please help us make appropriate restaurant reservations by RSVP-ing using the buttons in the Tweetvite widget below.

Proposed Agenda

• Mix and Mingle
• Supper
• Upcoming Opportunities in Memphis Area
• Web 2.0 Smackdown

Event Tag: #metu

• Memphis EduTweetUp (May 2010)
• Memphis EduTweetUp: About the Web 2.0 Smackdown
• Wrap-Up of Memphis EduTweetUp (May 2010)
• Together We Learn More

Wrap-Up of Memphis EduTweetUp (May 2010)

Memphis’ inaugural EduTweetUp was a great event. Eighteen teachers from many different schools and districts in the greater Memphis area, Tipton County, TN, and Byhalia, MS, enjoyed an evening of food and fun as we networked and shared ideas. The Web 2.0 Smackdown was a fun way for us to share online technologies and services and discuss strategies for integrating them with teaching and learning. A special thanks to Melissa Smith for co-organizing the event.

Below are the slides from the meeting followed by a few resources from the evening.

Review the tweets and links using the event tag: #metu.

EduTweetUps for the Fall are already in the works. Please add your information to the Memphis EduTweetUp database to receive information about future events.

MidSouthEdTech is a Google Group open to anyone in the region interested in educational technology.

Here are the links from the Web 2.0 Smackdown.

• Memphis EduTweetUp: About the Web 2.0 Smackdown
• Back-to-School EduTweetUp (August 2010)
• Memphis EduTweetUp (May 2010)
• This Afternoon at EBC

Memphis EduTweetUp: About the Web 2.0 Smackdown

We’re planning on concluding next week’s Memphis EduTweetUp with a Web 2.0 Smackdown. Here are a few details for those unfamiliar with a smackdown.

Rules and Organization

Volunteers will choose one of their favorite Web 2.0 tools or social technologies and quickly demo it for the group making sure to share ways that it can be integrated with teaching and learning.

Each demo is allowed a maximum of 3 minutes. Finish in under the time limit or face the Smackdown!

Warning: This is fast and frantic (and lots of crazy fun) — Thus the term SMACKDOWN!!!! The goal is to involve as many people as possible and learn about as many new resources as possible.

Please RSVP
Please help us make appropriate restaurant reservations by RSVP-ing regarding your attendance here.

Invite Others
Please help us spread the word via Twitter, Facebook, your blog(s), email, etc., and include the event tag: #metu.

Event Tag: #metu

• Memphis EduTweetUp (May 2010)
• Back-to-School EduTweetUp (August 2010)
• Wrap-Up of Memphis EduTweetUp (May 2010)
• Why Twitter?

Memphis EduTweetUp (May 2010)

All K-12 educators are invited to join us for food and fun as teachers from many different schools and districts connect and share ideas. The evening will conclude with a Web 2.0 Smackdown during which attendees can volunteer to share quick demos (under 3 minutes) of some of their favorite Web 2.0 tools and services. Note that free wi-fi will be available in the dining room. We’ll also have a computer projector and screen.

We’ll be meeting at Amerigo Italian Restaurant (1239 Ridgeway Rd.) at 5:00 PM on Tuesday, May 11, 2010. Please help us spread the word via Twitter, Facebook, on your blog(s), email, etc., and include the event tag: #metu. Note that Non-Twitter-using teachers are absolutely welcome to join us, too. There is no registration fee but please help us make appropriate restaurant reservations by RSVP-ing using the buttons in the Tweetvite widget below.

Proposed Agenda

• Mix and Mingle
• Supper
• Upcoming Opportunities in Memphis Area
• Web 2.0 Smackdown

Event Tag: #metu

• Back-to-School EduTweetUp (August 2010)
• Memphis EduTweetUp: About the Web 2.0 Smackdown
• Wrap-Up of Memphis EduTweetUp (May 2010)
• Day of Discovery in Memphis

Together We Learn More

I encourage new visitors to the website and blog to join our professional learning network (PLN) via Facebook and Google Friend Connect so that we can all engage in more active and collaborative ways. I hope you’ll join our educational community (click on the buttons below) and let’s have fun learning together. Please feel free to invite other educators, preservice teachers, homeschool families, and anyone with an interest in education and technology, too.

• Using Facebook Pages
• New Diigo Group: Mobile Technology and Education
• Ning for Teacher Educators
• New Diigo Group

Using Facebook Pages

I’ve recently setup a Facebook page for Clif Mims.com which includes my entire educational website and this blog. This provides us additional avenues for sharing resources and engaging with people that share an interest in education, technology, instructional design, curriculum, professional development, technology integration, Web 2.0 and social media, and more. I’ve added fan box widgets to my website and towards the bottom of the right-hand menu of this blog which show off a few random avatars of people that have already become fans.

Please click the gray “Become a Fan” button and join the learning and fun.

• Together We Learn More
• Tech Review: MyBlogLog
• This Afternoon at EBC
• It’s Good to Be Back

New Diigo Group: Mobile Technology and Education

I’m a big, big fan of Diigo. I appreciate that I can save and share bookmarks, highlight and leave comments on webpages, annotate resources, host and participate in groups and forums on particular topics, message and interact with friends and colleagues, and much more. It’s a very big component of my personal learning network (PLN). I’m also impressed and pleased that the Diigo founders and employees listened to its community of teacher-users and developed Diigo for Educators (More fondly referred to as EduDiigo). Here are some thoughts about about why teachers and learners might use Diigo.

New Group
I started a new group dedicated to the topic of mobile technology and learning. I invite everyone with an interest/expertise in the topic to become an active member.

Other Groups
FYI, consider joining these other groups, too.

Friend Me
Please feel free to friend me because, as I frequently say, “Together we learn more.”

• New Diigo Group
• Together We Learn More
• Developing Educational Technology Courses
• Diigo 101 Podcast

Connecting the Classroom and Outside World (Feedback Requested)

Educators, what are some strategies for connecting the classroom with the outside world?

NOTE: I’d like to share responses in an upcoming workshop/presentation and on my blog and wiki. You can submit your ideas using the form below, share your text/audio/video reply in the Comments section of this post or respond via Twitter, Plurk or on your blog using the tag #thruwalls. You can also view the compiled database of suggested strategies on my wiki, Learning Telecollaboratively.

Share this post using http://tr.im/104.

Conversation tag: #thruwalls

• Connecting the Classroom and Outside World
• Students and PLNs (Feedback Requested)
• Educators and PLNs (Feedback Requested)
• Reply to Miguel Guhlin

Breaking through the Walls of the Classroom (iCiL Keynote)

These are the slides for my keynote address for the iConnect iLearn Conference. Unfortunately some of the animations and formatting were lost when uploaded to my SlideBoom. The presentation wiki contains the database of teacher-generated strategies for breaking through the walls of the classroom and all the presentation resources. I hope to create a Vidcast or SlideCast of this presentation once things settle down.

• Using Digital Technologies and PLNs to Enhance Learning
• Breaking through the Walls of the Classroom (KCS PD)
• Connecting the Classroom and Outside World
• Multiple Representations of Understanding with Technology

Mobile Devices in the Classroom (Thinking Out Loud #4)

THINKING OUT LOUD
Episode 004

• AudioBoo in the Classroom (Thinking Out Loud #3)
• Announcing “Thinking Out Loud”
• How Would Your Classroom Be Different?
• One of My Professional Pet Peeves