23 Mobile Things: 10. Sharing Photos

I was 7 when Ten was released. I'm currently 29 as Thing 10 is reached. Coincidence?

...

Yes, absolutely. But I appreciate you ruminating on that for just a minute -- attempting to find a nonexistent correlation between those two things.

Anyhow, on to the big show.

Thing 10 of 23 Mobile Things is all about sharing photos using our mobile devices. For me, how can I make sure everyone in the world is completely aware of my obsession with my cat? This stuff is critical, ya'll!

Thing 10 suggests two mobile apps:

1) Instagram
2) Snapchat

I actively use both.

My Instragram feed is so stereotypical, its almost made up.

It's basically a lot of cat pictures, 

pictures of food, 

and the occasional friend adventure...

...with a filter overlay that makes me look cooler than I am. 

The one outlier might be a roller derby picture here or there,

but I suppose my derby career is a story for another time.

My Snapchat activity largely consists of sending and receiving group 'snaps' amongst a select group of friends, all attempting to out-irony ourselves with ridiculous photos.

Alright, so not exactly the stuff of deep learning or thoughtful introspection. Nevertheless, I love it. I admit it. I love it.

Sharing photos is oodles of fun. Getting glimpses into my friends' and loved ones' lives is awfully pleasing, and no, I don't get too annoyed seeing endless pictures of your baby, or your dog, or your vacation that I wish I was taking. In fact, I find it all to be downright pleasing.

I guess I don't have much of substance to say about this post other than I've embraced mobile sharing of photos. So yeah, that's it.

I guess I'll just leave it at that.

On Kids

I once maintained a blog about my life. It's now defunct, and I needn't share it with you as it was a personal (not professional) blog. If you feel offended, or off-put, or overtly curious about why I might not share, take a moment to reflect on Context Collapse and feel satisfied that I'm only properly conducting myself online (insert smiley face here).

However, I will share one post.

I wrote this post on July 11, 2011. It's on kids. A friend shared with me that this blog post inspired her to quit her job and go into childcare, which is so humbling at a visceral level that I can't even articulate how that made me feel in words.

I figured I'd share it here because it's relevant to the topic of this professional blog, and because after going back and re-reading it three years later, I want to remember everything I felt the day and I sat down to write it. So here it is:

"Kids: They dance before they learn there is anything that isn't music." William Stafford

Ask anyone who knew me growing up and they'd have laughed at the thought of me working with kids. And by laugh I mean wince. I wasn't known to be caring. Nurturing never suited me, and for all the female anatomy I possess (you know, just the usual), maternal instincts never seemed to fuse within my genes. I was insensitive, youngest-child selfish, and maybe even slightly oblivious to the outside world and those who wandered around it. God help me, how I ended up becoming a teacher has yet to be reconciled in my brain. All I know is that whatever cosmic mishap or post adolescent idealism got in the way of a more lucrative livelihood deserves to be applauded. Revered.

Kids. Oh my god, kids. They opened my heart more than I care to admit, and far more than I can assume shows. I nanny for elementary aged kids during the summer and just today I had to stop, close my eyes, and wonder how a ten year old could make me so happy. There's just something about these little people that reminds me of how much of an idiot I am, and how much better I ought to be. Seriously. They've got it figured out. Kids smile when they're happy. They eat when they're hungry. They yell and kick and fight for what they want. They show love because they love you and disdain because they don't. They live moment to moment in a seemingly endless quest to have fun, all the while entertaining ignited brains whose concept of limit and impossibility are advantageously underdeveloped. They're so damn fun, and if you spend even a little time with them...not as an adult, or parent, or caregiver, or teacher, but as a peer...you begin to realize how easily you can revert to that mentality. And then you smile.

We were swimming at the beach today. We took turns pulling each other in the inner tube, ate fruit snacks between refreshing dips, built sandcastles with rooms you could look into, complete with sofas and thrones. We buried each other in sand, let popsicle drops drip down our sun burnt chins, commented on the way the woman next to us seemed to be sitting in a peculiar way. We didn't want, we simply were, and that's an amazing place to be.

I'm certain I'll write a lot about teaching, so I'll share those stories another time. Not to mention my nephews, who I might love more than anything in this world. But for now, I thank the kids. I credit them with opening something up in me that had previously lied dormant and dull. I am the best version of myself when I'm among them, and they haven't the slightest idea of what they've given to me. It's a little bit love, a little bit maternal, but mostly valuable perspective and a passion for something in this world I can devote myself to exultantly. 

Never underestimate them, talk down to them, discourage them. They'll consistently rise to your highest expectations, impress you with their imaginative sagacity, and teach you so much if you're willing to revert and learn. Every kid is an artist until they're told they're bad at art, a singer until they're told they missed a note. Every kid's an engineer until they're scolded for building a fort, a gymnast until they're told to stay in their seat. Every single kid is a scientist until it's no longer polite to play with your food. 

I love them so much sometimes that it actually hurts. And frankly, that's just someone I never thought that I could be.

23 Mobile Things: 9. Taking & Editing Photos

Getting dressed "to the 9's" is an idiom for being all fancy like. These guys know what's up:

In honor of all this fanciness, let's go on to Thing 9 of 23 Mobile Things, which I have no doubt will be equally dapper.

Today we explore taking and editing photos on our mobile devices. Yay! This is something I (and I presume many) use their mobile devices for all the time. Remember the days of carrying around a digital camera? I've got like 3 in a drawer somewhere right about now.

So yeah...taking photos with my iPhone is wonderful. The quality is good (enough), the convenience is fabulous, and there are a world of apps to make my mediocre photography skills appear far better than they actually are.

Let's start with my most used: I'm an Instagram-er -- have been for years. Something about those filters can take ugly to significantly less ugly. It's also perfect for catching my jerk cat red handed (pawed?):

I'm also a big fan of VSCO Cam, which is geared toward those who appreciate a streamlined/minimalist/zen aesthetic -- inspired by the Nordic influences that are everywhere in clothes and furnishing these days. Just look! (pun intended):

Lastly, Cycloramic is definitely my go-to panoramic app. It's pretty much fool proof. I was lucky enough to download it when it was free, but it looks like it's up to $1.99 these days. Might still be worth it. Check out the quick shot I just did of our school's locker bay:

What does Thing 9 have to say? They actually shared several photography apps I've never used before: LINE Camera, Photo Editor by Aviary, Color Splurge, and CamMe. I took a peek -- Color Splurge and Photo Editor might have some potential for my use. My first attempt at Color Splurge is below...it was fun (though you'll have to excuse my ridiculous subject matter):

So there you have it. Camera fun for everyone. Hit me with your best (snap) shot or camera apps!

23 Mobile Things: 8. Social Media Management Tools

Dear Magic 8 Ball,
Will Thing 8 bring me great joy?

Well, far be it from me to deny the power that is The Magic 8 Ball, so I guess we're in for a good one.

As the title indicates, Thing 8 of 23 Mobile Things is all about Social Media Management Tools. In other words, how can I manage my PinTwitterFacePlusInstaTubeFlickTumbLinked page?

Truthfully, I don't use many social media management tools. I guess I'm old school in that way -- when I want to check up on Facebook, I go to facebook.com. Or if I'm feeling really old school, I might even go to thefacebook.com (apologies...reference is strongly preferential to my fellow late 20-somethings).

Really, the only social media management tools I use are for Twitter...and that's mainly because following hashtags and chats on the site or app itself is a pain. On my MacBook, I use the TweetDeck App to be able to participate in chats and follow hashtags. On my iPad, I use the TweetCaster App. Both are dandy for my purposes.

So knowing I haven't tried many social media management tools, I decided to give a few of Thing 8's suggestions a shot. Here are my thoughts:

1) Cloze App:

Ok, seriously...I just wrote that and then immediately decided to opt out as I was about to download and test out the app.

Do I see the potential value in tools like this? Yeah, totally. But truthfully, my current systems for managing social media work just fine. More importantly, I try to severely limit the number of third party apps and programs I give access to my social media accounts unless I truly, truly need them.

For that reason, I'm going to leave it at that.

How....ummmm...anticlimactic.

Dear Magic 8 Ball,
Fail.

Memories...

I've recently decided it's critical to reflect on your own school experiences if you've deciding to become a teacher. How can we impact the experiences of our students without truly understanding our own?

In talking with teachers, I often find they've become educators for one of two reasons:

A) Because they loved school and the teacher(s) they had growing up

B) Because they found school boring, and had little connection to their teacher(s) growing up

I definitely fall into the B category. While very successful in school, I found it to be a trivial and contrived exercise. Don't get me wrong -- I loved the idea of school. Absolutely loved it. From kindergarten through college, I enjoyed every minute of it, but it had very little to do with the content. I was social, and being around my friends made me happy. I didn't find school to be difficult, and it didn't take long to figure out "the game."

Generally speaking, I could float through the academics, and enjoy the social aspects as I pleased.

This got me thinking...

If I so vividly remember the approach I took to school, how can I use that experience to understand the experiences of our kids? Maybe I can't. Truthfully, though, I have to believe that the more I understand the kid-me perception of school, the more the adult-me can react accordingly.

So here's what I did. I wrote down every single memory from kindergarten through 12th grade. Every single one.

I purposely left out social interactions (locker chat, lunch room conversations, out of school events, etc). Honestly, I remember a whole lot more of these. 

Instead I focused entirely on academic memories -- and only included social aspects if they directly impacted the structure or depth of my learning.

My conclusion: I put a lot of effort into recollection, and in the end, I don't remember a whole lot. I had smatterings of lessons here and there...a teacher's comment...an activity...a class...

It's astounding how little impact those 6 hours a day had on my long term memory.

What does it mean? 

I'm not sure. I can't imagine it's a good thing.

I don't want to get too idealistic, and I can certainly put into context the memory prioritization of an adolescent. That said, I can't deny my disappointment. For all the hard work and thought adult-me puts into making our schools engaging and full of impact, I don't see that impact's prevalence at all in my own experiences.

Am I overreacting?

Yeah, maybe.

But I refuse to believe this is a forgone conclusion. I truly believe we as teachers can have lasting impact on our kids. That learning can be profound and long term. That experiences can be relevant and always remembered. That what we do today will matter 20 years down the road. 

Impact. Remembered. Profound. Matter. 

I remember a lot of things as a kid, but school just wasn't one of them.

So there we go. I'll say it and I mean it...

I want school to be a place worth remembering.  

--- If you're curious, you can read all of my kindergarten through 12th grade memories by clicking HERE. Don't judge ;) ---

23 Mobile Things: 7. Content Saving & Sharing

There are 7 Seas, 7 Deadly Sins, 7 Continents, 7 Wonders of the World, 7 Colors in a Rainbow, 7 Days in a Week, 7 Heavens, 7 Liberal Arts, 7-Eleven...

...and, of course, the world renowned Thing Number 7.

Thing 7 of 23 Mobile Things is about Content Saving & Sharing. As you can see, the post references two tools that allow you to save and share content in the cloud. Content sharing and social bookmarking are game changers in my book. The ease with which recommendations, reviews, and suggestions are shared about every imaginable topic is pretty mind blowing. Becoming adept at navigating this world seems to make life a whole lot easier.

The post suggests Pinterest and Bitly. I'm a big fan of both. But that's just scratching the surface. There are a countless ways content can be saved and shared on the internets.

Diigo comes to mind (a social bookmarking app), eduClipper is the new kid on the block (shall we label it the Pinterest of Education?), and even old faithful Twitter works (You post article or idea -- I read article or idea). All become quick avenues for getting what we've found useful out there for all to enjoy. Sharing is caring, friends. Sharing is caring.

In this grossly overused technique, the author incorporates a gratuitously
 cute image to make an otherwise boring post seem slightly more interesting.
The author is sorry she's not sorry.

So, how do you save and share content on your mobile device? (not a rhetorical question)

23 Mobile Things: 6. Creating and Editing Docs

Because apparently one Sesame Street reference wasn't enough during 23 Mobile Things, we're on to Bert's favorite number you guys! Oh the joy!

So Bert, what does your favorite number hold for us? Looks like Thing 6 is dedicated to creating and editing docs on our mobile devices. Thing 6 offers 3 apps for our perusing: CloudOn, Quickoffice, and SignNow. I'm 2/3 on having tried these out, with SignNow being the odd man out. For that reason, I decided to start there.

SignNow is actually a pretty cool and practical concept. It's sole purpose is to give people an easy way to sign electronic documents. Nifty.

Here's how it works...

Step 1: Open Word or PDF Document into SignNow (you're given a whole bunch of options of how or from where you can load a document). It's super simple.

Step 2: Click where you need to sign and choose Insert Signature (you also have the option to insert text, today's date or a check mark).

Step 3: A new big screen pops up for you to sign with a finger or stylus. Something about the sensitivity of the program makes even your finger signature appear very "scriptish." You can see mine below:

Once your signature is added to the document, you can send it via email or "Open In" other apps. Not too shabby!

Well there you have it, folks. This is is ElizEducation, signing off!  (I'm sorry...I couldn't help myself)

Inter-District Collaboration {and other related adventures}

We are a privileged bunch; teachers and educators, that is. We work in a job where receiving support to improve upon our weaknesses is an expectation, and continual growth in our areas of strength is afforded time.

I'm not saying it's done perfectly, but it's done.

I have plenty of friends and acquaintances in industries where this is not the case. Where an area of weakness is looked at as fixed, or a liability that cannot be afforded time, and in many cases, a downfall worthy of getting "the ax."

Schools are a supportive environment, however. We're in the business of growth, support, continuous learning, and an unwavering belief that human beings are capable of amazing things, including (but not limited to) the ability to make tremendous gains and improvements if given the right conditions.

That said, traditionally, a great deal of this support has been provided within the school or the district: Coaches helping teachers, PLC's supporting one another, Principals guiding growth, Leadership teams implementing relevant professional development, etc.

Something I've noticed explode over the last couple of years is this support reaching beyond the building or district to outside inter-district collaboration opportunities. I'm not referencing the digital PLN (of which I'm a huge advocate and participant). We'll save that discussion for another time. I'm referencing neighboring districts making concerted efforts to learn from one another and grow together. I'll give a few examples:

1) The district I work for is a 1:1 iDevice district. We moved in that direction at the same time that an area district was doing the same. Knowing that, our superintendents made a conscientious effort to create levels of support between our respective staffs.

2) I work in the area of instructional coaching. Many other area districts also have existing or newly developed coaching models. In an effort to share and expand our collective expertise, we hold a combination of face to face and online community meetings to learn from one another.

3) Just yesterday, I attended a free and internally-developed event to support quality learning and teaching with iPads. Many area districts have some arrangement of iPads available to them. The event brought many of these districts together for a day of learning, with sessions led by educators who are on the front line of using learning technologies in their classrooms.

Each of these three examples are all positive, productive, and growth minded events that I am privileged to have experienced.

These are just three of the MANY examples I could share of examples where districts are coming together. Seriously -- an incredible amount of these support groups, EdCamps, online communities, informal gatherings, and inter-district checkins and collaborations are popping up all the time. I can't over emphasize their pervasiveness in current education (at least in the area in which I live).

So here's my take:

YES! YES! YES!

I'm ecstatic to see districts moving beyond their sheltered vision of education to learn from outside districts that have taken a different approach or work with students unlike their own. I question whether you should work in education if you don't see the value in constructing meaning together, collective intelligence, and meaningful collaboration.

However...

There's something wrong. It comes in the form of unhealthy competition. It comes in the form of public relations, and shiny things, and neglecting to admit our faults. There's an undercurrent of "hey, look how great we're doing" that sometimes overshadows the honest conversations and productive work that happens during inter-district convening. It's not any one district or any one person. I'm guilty of having done it before myself. There seems to be a dissecting and knit-picky microscope imposed upon outside district practices, and a somewhat guarded 'dog and pony show' presented by those within. It's not even close to all the time, and it's certainly not every time. Overall, the good far outweighs the bad, but there have been isolated incidences where I've felt it, and I've seen it, and there's no place for it in this incredibly difficult and demanding work.

It's not that I don't want us to celebrate our strengths and achievements. I understand the propensity for doing so, and we can all learn from these successes. Instead, I challenge us to be humble and honest in this most difficult of professions. These are not cars, or houses, or pieces of jewelry we're selling out. It's kids.

When we open ourselves up to collaboration, and fail to be honest about areas of need, we don't suffer.

We don't suffer, but the kids certainly do.

23 Mobile Things: 5. Notetaking

According to Numerology.com, the most official website of all the websites, the number 5 is the 'most dynamic and energetic of all the single digit numbers.' Fittingly, it correlates with the dynamic and energetic exercise that is....

...wait for it...

...NOTETAKING! YEAH!

Alright, so maybe notetaking is the most glamourous thing in the world, but it sure does come in handy on any mobile device. My MacBook, iPad, and iPhone have all been outfitted with the most essential ways I've identified to record my notes, which makes forgetting everything I need to do significantly less likely.

Most of the time.

Anyhow, Thing 5 provided several suggestions for notetaking apps to make life simpler and more, uh, recorded.

I chose to check out the one that seemed the most appealing based off of the description, which happened to be Bamboo Paper. While the utility of the app is nothing special, I found the aesthetics and format to be rather appealing. Each notebook looks like a digital version of a Moleskine®, which I liked. Notebooks can be protected by passcodes, allow adjustment of cover colors, and paper type options include blank white, lined, graph, and checklists (among others).

Within the pages of the notebook, images can be embedded, students can draw with their finger or stylus, and an eraser will take care of mistakes. Notebooks can be shared through a variety of mediums (Evernote, Dropbox, Facebook, Email, etc.). The major annoyance in the app is the excessive amount of in-app purchases you come across by clicking around the features. My favorite pros are the aesthetics and ease with which a user can manipulate the content on the page.

All and all, a pretty decent app. I don't see it replacing any of my current systems, but I can see it coming in handy for things like graph paper or subject-separated notebooks in a classroom.

Any favorite notetaking apps you'd like to share? How about a little numerology reading while you're here? ;)

So...I Read a Post Today

It was this:

10 Ways Teacher Planning Should Adjust to the Google Generation by Terry Heick.

I liked the article just fine. It speaks to our need as teachers to recognize the context in which our current students live, and adjust our teaching and instruction accordingly. Pretty straightforward, right?

I'd hope so, but I'm not so sure.

I think the concept itself squares just fine with teachers, but when it comes to student results, I wonder how often we attribute our willingness to meet students where they are as a primary reason why they perform the way they do.

Hear me out.

We know external factors contribute to student learning. Socioeconomic status. Parent involvement. Chemical use. Living situations. Peer pressure. Etc. Etc. Etc.

But if we choose to take on this exceptional challenge of making sure each and every student leaves our schools seeing no obstacles to his or her future, then we ought to start reimagining the approach we take to do that.

We have to meet kids where they are. We have to accept them as products of the generation from which they've come and the environments from which they've been raised. If they don't seem like the kids we taught 5 years ago, it's because they're not. What are we doing to ensure that the work we ask them to do is meaningful, relevant, and thought provoking so that kids feel investing in the time they give us, and leave our classrooms with the type of profound learning we so badly want for them?

It won't happen unless we're willing to take a serious look at who those kids are and how that influences what we need to do to reach them.

I know this isn't a new idea. It's essentially a regurgitation of a million and one conversations we've all had. Nevertheless, it's a reminder that wouldn't hurt to reiterate every single day.

23 Mobile Things: 4. Keeping Up

1 2 3 4, Tell me that you'll teach me more...

Apologies if I just put that song into you head. I had a hard time resisting.

So, we're on to Thing 4 of 23 Things, and this one is all about keeping up. The article explains RSS feeds and apps one could use to compile a feed such as Zite or Flipboard. Truthfully, the only thing I really learned from Thing 4 was that RSS stands "Really Simple Syndicate."

That said, it doesn't mean there wasn't value in this particular Thing. While I may already use an RSS feed, I think the importance in this post is really about continuous learning. I love RSS feeds because it gives me a little organization in the otherwise chaotic world of information and opinion about my profession. There are countless articles and sources for continuous exploration in education. One needs a way to filter.

Keep on readin' on.

23 Mobile Things: 3. Utilities

3...3 of 23 Things to learn from! Muah-ha-ha-ha! 

Thing 3 of 23 Mobile Things is all about utilities. In other words, let's make life easier, eh?

Among the many apps suggested by Thing 3, I immediately latched on to the idea of RedLaser. Although I've heard of this app many times before, I had yet to actually download it and put it to use. This is SHOCKING. No, not because I'm tech-obsessed, but rather because I'm extremely cheap. So, so cheap.

RedLaser works like this: Download app. Go shopping. Scan product barcode. Find matching product at other store for cheaper. Go to other store. By product for less money. Smile.

Easy peezy. What are your favorite utility apps? Do share.

When Will Kids Take Ownership Over Their Learning?

When we open up our classrooms to something worth learning about.

I just had one of the best experiences of my life as an educator. It's all because a student took ownership for their learning, and a teacher set up her classroom to make that possible.

Let me tell you a story that (forgive my silly adjective) is so cute beyond belief, it just has to put a smile on your face.

One of the required classes for our 6th and 7th grade students is a course called World Cultures. Students explore different cultures, build intercultural empathy, study languages, and engage in the sciences of sociology and anthropology. One unit in 7th grade is focused on the work of Jane Elliot -- more commonly know as the "Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes" exercise. If you've never watched the video, you should. What a courageous learning experience for a teacher to design -- particularly when you consider the context of the time.

After watching the video and discussing with their peers, students were exceptionally engaged. They drew conclusions about the past, found parallels in the present, and made connections to their own experiences. They were IN. So in in fact...

...that during lunch on one of the days they had been discussing the video, a student used his school iPad to do more research on Jane Elliot. Low and behold, he dug in so deep he came across of phone number. And being a 7th grade boy still navigating the boundaries of social more, he called it! He called it three times in fact!

Jane was in the shower. Seriously. Haha, so after seeing three missed calls in a matter of minutes, and assuming it was something important, she called back. Here we are...a 7th grade boy in the midst of a very loud lunch room is having a chat with someone he learned about in class. He explained to her that they watched her video in class and were all very interested in her work. I can only imagine what Ms. Elliot was thinking.

Following lunch, the students returned to class.

7th Grade Boy: "Guess what Ms. Miller -- I just called Jane Elliot!"
Ms. Miller: "No you didn't."
7th Grade Boy: "No seriously...I just talked to her! She was like a grandma...she asked about the weather."
Ms. Miller: "What!?"

Ms. Miller, being the gracious and wonderful teacher and human being that she is, promptly emailed Ms. Elliot to thank her for being so kind to her student, and to also tactfully apologize for her student calling her at home! Ms. Elliot, being the gracious and wonderful teacher and human being that she is, promptly shared how touched she was by our students' interest in her work, and offered to set up a Skype session to answer questions and interact with the class.

I love this. Don't you love this!?

Such a wonderful example of students driving their own learning, pushing beyond the 50 minutes of class offered to them, leveraging technology and communication to make connections that would have never been possible without, and ultimately deepening the learning and engagement for the entire class.

Today I had the privilege of sitting in on the Skype session with Jane Elliot. I don't use the term 'privilege' lightly. She is an amazing woman of strong character who is unapologetic in how she criticizes our teachers, schools, and society at large for perpetuating the acceptability of racism.

She was not polite. She was not careful. She was real.

The students were shocked, excited, surprised, engaged, and invested all at once. They heard about the realities of the ills of our world. They thought about things they were never asked to think about before, and had the chance to deconstruct a perspective that isn't readily available in their daily lives.

I honestly wish you could've been there too. It was unbelievable. Not a single person walked out of that classroom without deeply evaluating the role racism plays in our society, and their part in it...myself included.

THAT, my friends, is an example of a student taking ownership over their learning. THAT, my friends, is the definition of authentic engagement.

THAT, my friends, is an experience every student (and human being) deserves to have.