Learning in the Lou

 In this post we will describe how to create a Crash Course style video using WeVideo. We will show you how to: create a storyboard setting up your surroundings controlling for sound adding graphics in your video adding text layering in sound publishing What is a Crash Course video? Watch this video. What do you see and what do you notice? Now, watch it again with these things in mind - What is the speaker doing throughout out the film? How does her voice sound? How did they use audio, music and sound effects, to help tell the story? How was B Roll used? What about text and popup images? Storyboard Any video project can be difficult, to make it 97% easier we always recommend using a storyboard. We create this sample to make a copy of, or feel free to use something like post-it notes. The key is to make your thinking visible. If you plan your shots and visuals, the whole project will come together quickly. This single tool will greatly reduce the amount of work you need to do and i...

 I still love the idea of flipping the classroom but not in the way we used to. A big idea hit me about 1/2 through this article , the part about origami. I would add one part, I would have each student rerun the origami experiment at their own desks with their own devices. Have them compare the two experiences. Some of these ideas are worth exploring. One final thought, flipped isn't always for learning at home. This would make a perfect center.

Here are two super easy ways for students to share their work with the world. Google Sites What I love about this is the kids are building a website that can serve many purposes. It can start by sharing writing and move to different types of media they create. I would recommend this if you want to have the kids build a learning portfolio throughout the year.  Getting started with Sites takes about 30 seconds. I recommend either YouTubing it or using the Google created Help Center . Padlet Using Padlet is as easy as adding Post-It notes to a physical wall. The kids click, write and publish. I have recommended using this post to get up to speed quickly.  Then hit this 20 Ways post on Ditch That Textbook. Today I really like #2 and #11.

We created this post in 2018 but started in 2014 with Mystery Skype in the classroom. Mystery Skype is anywhere from 30-60 minutes of critically thinking and solving the mystery of where the other class is calling from. In a super short amount of time your students will learn more about the globe/map/geography than they normally would in class. This is a great use of time for some of those days when you know the attention span might not be the best, like before a break. This is a modern version of twenty questions. Here is my path to Mystery Skype Success. Read this general post . Then read this old post . What I like are the job descriptions.  Read this ISTE post . Final post , some of this will now sound familiar. Create your plan. Execute and reflect.

I love the idea of leveling myself up with useful skills that I can use immediately. Not every single part of these are immediately useful, all the steps that it requires builds important technological pathways in my head. I have finished one of the three, but have so many new understandings and ideas making the time spent a great investment.  Here are the top three that I have found so far. Microsoft Educator We all have access to a ton of Microsoft products and have used them for years. I started this course and have identified a ton of things we need to do more with. I feel some of the topics will reinforce or add value to things we are already doing. I am most excited to dive into what they offer for OneNote. Google Certifications I started but have not gone very far yet. While the test costs $10, it will help you dive deep into everything Google has to offer teachers and students. You can keep leveling up to become a coach or innovator. Apple Learning Coach I earned this over ...

Sometimes I am out of ideas, energy and motivation. There are a lot of things I do to regain all of that. Somedays it is walking through the halls of a school. Somedays I drink a gallon of coffee in a very short amount of time. Other times I watch just the first 30 minutes of Full Metal Jacket, it always makes me laugh and remember some good times. I also watch a ton of great YouTubes. Here are my top few that remind me why I show up each day, all of these are school friendly unlike FMJ. I am having issues embedding, so I will just link to these videos. The puzzle of motivation - Dan Pink  Check out his Pink casts, always short and powerful The power of believing that you can improve - Carol Dweck  I saw Carol present a year ago, super interesting ideas. Do schools kill creativity? Sir Ken Robinson I also saw Sir Ken, the best hour of any conference. This is a moving video, one I have watched maybe 30 times so far. Each time I rewatch, I get a little something new. You can'...

I have been using ChatGPT for a while and wanted to give an update on how it has been going. I was asked to write a letter of recommendation for a teacher pursuing a grant. That task would usually take me at least 90 minutes, it only took 20 with GPT. I wrote another letter of recommendation for someone seeking a new position. Maybe seven minutes later I was finished.  The other day I was talking with a teacher and we used GPT to write a five day lesson plan for a specific student. A five day individualized plan done in seconds.  In all of these examples I, or we, tweaked what the AI created to make it our own. I would never recommend using any resource without reading and reviewing it completely. And of course the AI will make mistakes and give you incorrect information. Anything you download from TpT and search on Google will give you misinformation from time to time. As far as I can tell, there are no perfect systems. In this post I want to add a few more details to build o...