Chromebooks: My Take

By Dr. Will

Like a lot of you, over the past years, I have heard and read a great deal about Chromebooks. Being an instructional technologist at a K-12 school district with some experience with iPod Touches and iPads, I was curious to see what the Chromebook could do. Especially, since I have seen what happens when administrators and teachers want apps that older devices cannot download. This left me searching for a device that teachers could not only use to expand and deliver engaging learning experiences for their students, but a device that could both grow with the expectations of the teachers and administrators, as well as with the learning needs of the students. And I was hoping that the Chromebook could be such a device.

About four months ago, I was issued a Chromebook. I was immediately impressed with its setup and the speed in which it booted up. Just like that I was up and running, and ready to see what the Chromebook could do. The following is a quick review of my experiences:

The learning curve is zero. You power up a Chromebook, put in your gmail account and password, and you are off and running. What's so awesome about this is is there is no training needed to learn how to operate the Chromebook - which is a big win for an instructional technologist. The zero learning curve allows us (instructional technologists) the opportunity to focus our work on teaching teachers how to use the Chromebook for instructional purposes.

It's portability is king.  Yeah, I know an iPad is portable, but I couldn't do the work that I do on a regular basis on an ipad. For example, I am a district administrator for Compass Learning in the district. Part of that includes adding teachers and students to Compass. With my Chromebook, I have been able to be away from the office and add logins in a jiffy. In fact, I once received an email from a teacher, and I was able to add her and create several logins for another teacher from the comfort of a parking lot.  Now try doing that with an iPad.

The Chrome apps make up for not having a device with a traditional hard drive that has an operating system pre-loaded with video and audio creation applications. This is important because Common Core requires students to create products using digital tools. To create such products on a Chromebook, students can use WeVideo for video editing and ScreenCastle for screencasting. Those apps are free in the Chrome store. 

GAFE is golden.  What do I need to say about gmail, Google Drive, Google+, Google Calender, Google Docs, etc.? Once again I know that those apps can be accessed via any device. However, since each individual's email account is associated with those apps, this makes using the Chromebook that much more awesome, because students can share Chromebooks. Each class can have its own set. This is perfect for schools and school districts with limited funds. 

The price is grrrrrrreat!  Just like Tony the Tiger, I am giddy about the price of the Chromebook. At the higher end, excluding the Pixel, the Lenovo Chromebook is $399, the HP Chromebook 14, and the Acer C720P Touchscreen are both $299. The lower end features the Acer C720 at $199, and the Samsung Chromebook at $249. 

The low cost of purchasing, managing (additional $30), and maintaining a Chromebook is a major plus for schools, particularly if your district is thinking about going 1:1. 

OK. I must admit that I have yet to see the Chromebook in action inside a classroom outside of students on Compass. That said, I am a believer in what the Chromebook offers, and what is possible under the guidance of a good teacher. I see the Chromebook as a game-changer, and device that could make blended learning a reality for a K-12 school district. 

Tell me what you think. What are your thoughts about the Chromebook?

About the author:  Dr. Will Deyamport, III is an innovative thought leader in connected education, leading the design and implementation of collaborative initiatives in support of teaching, learning, and professional development. His research is in how educators can use technology-supported Personal Learning Networks to individualize their professional development, as well as the challenges affecting the adoption of new learning environments and technologies. Dr. Will is a frequent presenter at conferences, guest lecturer, and regularly blogs and produces online content focused on the educational uses of web tools and social technologies. He is an alumnus of Capella University, where he earned his Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership and Management.

Dr. Deyamport's dream job is to become the Executive Director of TED.

11

By Dr. Will

This blog post is inspired by Krissy Venosdale's post Eleven. Here are eleven random facts, followed by an answer to each of Krissy's eleven questions. 

Eleven Random Facts About Me:

1. I never, ever make the bed.
2. I order the same two things at restaurants, unless I am at an Italian or Mexican or sandwich spot. Those two things are a burger or a steak.
3. I am a converted Apple computer guy. Shhh... Don't tell my Mac friends.
4. I have a huge sweet tooth. Ice cream is my kryptonite. 
5. I cannot get enough of watching TV and movies. So much so that I went to film school. Yes, I have a B.A. in Radio, TV, and Film.
6. I broke my collarbone in my early teens.
7. I don't like eggs, cheese without meat, oatmeal, grits, shrimp, okra, or white milk. 
8. I think Chuck Bartowski is the man. Chuck was/is my TV show, except for the last season. They jumped the shark.
9. I was pretty much a C student in high school until the 11th and 12th grades. 
10. Last year, I wore a size 12 shoe; this year I wear a size 13 shoe.

Now, eleven answers to Krissy's questions… 

1.  What inspires you most  of all?

Engagement and dialogue and talking with people. Meeting new people of participating in discussions invigorate me. I get excited. I feel alive. I am energized by the exchange. 

I am inspired by my faith. One of the things I love most about Islam is seeing the many different faces and races at prayer. With so much drama and racism and sexism and folks segregating themselves. It's refreshing to see people not seeing you as a color, but as a brother and part of the human community.

2.  What is the best food you’ve ever tried while traveling?

When I used to live in Boston, the best food I ever ate was at a Dominican spot in Jamaica Plain. They made the best arroz con pollo. The lady would ask "Quieres jugo de pollo?" Do you want chicken juice on your rice? 

Do I? 

Claro que si!

3. What is your favorite holiday? Why?

My favorite holiday is any time I get to spend time with my wife. We have so much fun together. Traveling with her is the best. I am geeked about our next trip.

4. What is one school supply that you could not teach without?

Since I am an instructional technologist, the one school supply I absolutely need is my Macbook. Without, I couldn't deliver one workshop or do any of the other administrative aspects of my job. While I am thinking of it, I also need the internet. 

5. What’s your typical morning beverage?

I don't have a typical morning beverage. I prefer tea over coffee, but I normally don't make time to make myself a cup. My first beverage of the day is usually a soda. Yikes!

6. When you fly, window seat or aisle?

Easy. Window seat. I love looking out the plane and seeing what everything looks like. 

7. Describe the best teacher you had when you were in school.

My best teacher was my dissertation chair. Dr. Alyce LeBlanc is a champion of her students. She also knows how to get tough and how to get the best out of her students. Dr. LB will forever be a mentor. 

8. Do you enjoy cooking? Anything specific?

I can't say that I enjoy cooking. I very much do enjoy eating. 

My best dish used to be spaghetti, but my wife has bested me with hers. Currently, I am quite fond of my steak. However, I think the crockpot and the marinade do all of the work.

9. What book are you currently reading?

I am not currently reading a book. I read a lot of blog posts and magazines. My favorite magazine is Fast Company. Though, I am looking forward to buying Eric Sheninger's new book Digital Leadership. 

10. What’s your all time favorite movie?

"When Harry Met Sally" and "Brown Sugar." 

11. If at the end of your life, there is just room for one word on your grave marker, what do you think it will be?

Alhamdulillah (All praise is due to Allah (SWT).

Interview with Michael Graham: Author of Google Apps Meets Common Core

Google Apps Meets Common Core is a fantastic book for any teacher, administrator, or instructional technologist who is interested in integrating Google Apps into the classroom. Michael Graham does a masterful job at explaining each tool and including lessons for how each tool can be used to deliver an array of learning experiences that meet the Common Core.

I love this book and urge you to pick up a copy for every educator you know... At least, buy a copy for yourself.

My RSCON4 Presi- If you build it, they will come: Flipping Professional Development

By Will Deyamport, III, Ed.D.

Today at 2pm CST, I presented at RSCON, an online global education conference. This was my second time presenting.  I won't bore you with my feelings or try to wow you with my experiences.  I just ask that you check out the video and let me know what you think. I also want you to visit Twitter and connect with folks from RSCON.



About the author: Dr. Will Deyamport, III is an innovative thought leader in connected education, leading the design and implementation of collaborative initiatives in support of teaching, learning, and professional development. His research is in the challenges affecting the adoption of new learning environments and technologies, as well as how such technologies can be used by educators to individualize their professional development. Dr. Will is a frequent presenter at conferences, guest lecturer, and regularly blogs and produces online content focused on the educational uses of web tools and social technologies. He is an alumnus of Capella University, where he earned his Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership and Management.

The Bedley Bros #EdChat Ep 30: Dr. Will Deyamport

Can you believe it? Check out your boy on The Bedley Brothers 30th episode. Watch me explain why I don't teach like a pirate.

Insights and Megabytes: My Experiences as a K-12 Instructional Technologist

By Will Deyamport, III, Ed.D.

Dr. Will Deyamport, III is an innovative thought leader in connected education, leading the design and implementation of collaborative initiatives in support of teaching, learning, and professional development. His research is in the andragogical challenges affecting the adoption of new learning environments and technologies, as well as how such technologies can be used by educators to individualize their professional development. Dr. Will is a frequent presenter at conferences, guest lecturer, and regularly blogs and produces online content focused on the educational uses of web tools and social technologies. He is an alumnus of Capella University, where he earned his Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership and Management.

RSCON4 Presentation Interview

By Dr. Will

On October 12, 2013 at 2pm CST, I will be presenting on flipping professional development at RSCON4. In marketing for the conference, I was interviewed by Bruno Andrade about my presentation. The interview can be viewed below:



The following is a full description of my presentation:

Aligning with the principles of flipping the classroom, the aim of this workshop is to demonstrate how to practically and effectively use Edmodo, Google+, and Youtube to offer varying modalities to fit the professional learning needs of teachers.

The facilitator will present three social technologies and how each can be used to address the individual professional learning needs of teachers. From networking and engaging in conversations with other educators to participating in self-paced online courses to having access to a repository of training videos, this workshop offers a glimpse into flipping professional development.

About the author: Dr. Will Deyamport, III is an innovative thought leader in connected education, leading the design and implementation of collaborative initiatives in support of teaching, learning, and professional development. His research is in the andragogical challenges affecting the adoption of new learning environments and technologies, as well as how such technologies can be used by educators to individualize their professional development. Dr. Will is a frequent presenter at conferences, guest lecturer, and regularly blogs and produces online content focused on the educational uses of web tools and social technologies. He is an alumnus of Capella University, where he earned his Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership and Management.

Peoplegogy TV: Interview with Tracy Brisson

I interview author, recruiter, and educational consultant,Tracy Brisson, We talk about her latest book: Confessions of a Teacher Recruiter: How to Create an Extraordinary Resume and Hook Your Dream Job.

More info on Tracy:

Tracy Brisson is the Founder and CEO of The Opportunities Project, a national talent development, career coaching, and recruitment consulting agency. Since opening its doors in 2010, The Opportunities Project has helped over 1,000 individuals reach career success through speaking engagements, workshops, and one-on-one and group coaching, and helped organizations hire nearly 500 new team members through its consulting services.

Instructional Tech Integrators/Coaches Community Hangout #1

Streamed live on Jul 23, 2013

Instructional Tech Integrators/Coaches Community Hangout

Social Media Chat with Ryan Pena from Capella University

Peoplegogy TV: Your One Sentence

Streamed live on Jul 8, 2013

Peoplegogy TV: Your One Sentence

This is the first episode of Peoplegogy TV, which is a show dedicated to discussing how educators can become their best selve.

In this episode, I was joined by Jerry "Cybraryman" Blumengarten and Jaime Vandergrift.

You can connect with Jerry on Twitter at:https://twitter.com/cybraryman1 and view his blog at:http://www.cybraryman.com/

Jamie can be found on Twitter at:https://twitter.com/JaimeVanderG. You can also check out her about.me page at: http://about.me/jaimevandergrift

Twitter Webinar with Tom Whitford and Victoria Olson

I discuss the benefits of Twitter and developing a Personal Learning Network with school administrator, Tom Whitford and teacher and instructional technologist, Victoria Olson. Wanna connect with Tom and Victoria on Twitter? If so, you connect with Tom here: (@twhitford) and Victoria here: (@MsVictoriaOlson)

Google Hangouts Training

Published on Jun 25, 2013

I walk teachers through the ways to start a GHO and talk about ways teachers can use a GHO to create a myriad of engaging learning experiences for their students.

Transition Q & A: Will Deyamport, III

Dr. Jennifer Polk runs From PhD to Life, a site dedicated to assisting doctoral students with the transition from academia to the real-world. Part of a feature of her site, Jennifer does Q & A series with folks who have doctorates, but have decided to pursue careers outside of academia. As you can tell from the title of this post, I am one of the folks included in the series.

Here is a sample of my Q & A on From Phd to Life:

What did you hope for in terms of employment as you completed your PhD?

Originally, I had hopes of becoming a professor and one day leading a digital learning center or institute at a university. That all changed once I started doing the research on adjunct pay and benefits. (There are no benefits.) I soon realized that becoming a university professor wasn’t in the cards for me. Especially because I have this terrible habit of liking to eat and having a place to live.

Read the full Q & A here.

Current vs. Future - Capella University Experience

Streamed live on Jun 20, 2013

Current vs. Future - Capella University Experience

I talk with Ryan Pena from Capella University about my experiences as a former learner. We also talked about how technology, such as Google Hangouts can be used to enhance the learning experience of students.

Introduction to Skype in the Classroom Training Video

Published on Jun 17, 2013

In this video, I introduce teachers to the concept of using Skype in their classroom.

Edmodo Training Video

Youtube Training Video

Published on Jun 12, 2013

I talk about how teachers can use Youtube to find content to show in their classrooms, find an array of tutorials, and discover content that assists in their professional growth.

LinkedIn Training Video

Published on Jun 12, 2013

I talk about how teachers can use LinkedIn to host their resume, create an eportfolio, participate in discussions, and connect and network with other professionals.

What You need to Know about Class Dojo

By Erin Wolfhope

Have you heard of Class Dojo?  Do you have colleagues that love it?  Would you like to know more about it? 

Class Dojo is a handy service that can easily be added to your digital toolbox, and be used daily in your classroom.  www.classdojo.com offers both desktop and mobile applications (iOS and Android) for ease of use and convenience.  Class Dojo is designed to be used as a classroom management system to track both positive and negative behaviors using points.  Once you create your free account you create your classes and enter your students' names.  Each student has a customizable avatar you can choose one of the many avatars provided, or import your own.  Next you create a list of positive and negative behaviors.  Each behavior corresponds to an icon, and you can customize behaviors to meet the needs of your classroom.  Be specific with the behaviors you choose to include, as this will make your reports the most accurate.  Your class roster, behaviors, avatars, and point displays are all easy to edit after your initial class set-up.  Parent codes are available for parents to create an account to view their child’s progress.  So... that’s the gist of the program. 

Here’s how it worked for me this year:

I work on a team with 2 other teachers in a 70’s style open classroom/pod set-up. Back in August we decided that we didn’t like our management system that we had been using, and we agreed that we’d try Class Dojo out.  We liked the paperless aspect, the ease of parent connections, and the fact that Class Dojo went with us everywhere via our iPads and iPhones.

We each have our own classroom, but we have no doors to separate our classrooms from one another.  We rotate classes within the pod.  For example, I teach kindergarten Language Arts and first grade math.  So I see different kiddos at different points during the day.  In order to keep all info on all of our students we all share one Class Dojo account with 3 classes; kindergarten, first grade, and second grade.  So far, the app and desktop version have been handling all three of us logged on simultaneously pretty nicely. 

Initially, it was difficult to remember to use Class Dojo while teaching, and working with students.  However, it didn’t take long for the students to catch on and look for Class Dojo being projected on the board.  Their enjoyment in seeing their name on the screen with a +1 beside it was incredible.  As a team, we learned the incredible power of an encouraging point, and how it inspired not just the recipient of the point, but most of the class.  Our students responded quite well to Class Dojo, and while accruing more and more points was enough of a goal for most we decided to incorporate some additional awards based on points; sticker, lunch buddy, extra playground equipment.  We reset our students' points at the end of the month, but you can reset them whenever you choose.  You can even choose to reset points by individual students. 

The data and reports gathered by Class Dojo is quite possibly the most incredible aspect of the whole program.  The reports are generated by Class Dojo, and show points received and lost, sorts behaviors, and shows trends by time and day.   This data is perfect for RTI (Response to Intervention). 

The people behind Class Dojo are always listening, changing, and upgrading.  They want to hear any and all suggestions and they have made numerous changes throughout this school year.  Class Dojo has been a great addition to my classroom, and I’m excited to use it again year after year.

About the author: Erin is a K-2 teacher in a Multi-Age classroom set up.  She primarily teaches kindergarten language arts and first grade math.  Erin completed her masters degree in Instructional Media last year with Wilkes University and Discovery Education.  She strives to use tech in her classroom to help students share, create, and collaborate.  Erin live in Hickory, North Carolina with my husband, Jeff and son, Lucas.    

You can contact Erin in the following ways: eraines@gmail.com, @ewolfhope, ewolfhope.blogspot.com

Diana Rhoten on Sparking Student Interests with Informal Learning

Published on Jun 4, 2013

Sociologist and digital learning expert Diana Rhoten founded the New Youth City Learning Network to help organizations like museums and libraries design digitally-enabled learning activities built to tap into kids' interests and teach 21st-century skills. More resources at http://www.edutopia.org/diana-rhoten-...

Arfah Farooq at TEDxNewham

Published on Jun 5, 2013

Arfah is 22 year old born and bred Newham resident. Always involved in endless projects and passionate about youth empowerment has led her to co-found Discoverables a new website that helps young people find and develop their key skills and strengths and share them with potential employers. Empowering and equipping them to be resilient to tell their story their way. Arfah will be doing a quick 3 minute talking about how to build the resilience muscle by gamifying your life.

Google+ Training Video

By Dr. Will Deyamport, III

Published on Jun 6, 2013

This is a training video for teachers on how to use Google+

About the author: Dr. Will Deyamport, III, Ed.D. is a connected educator who specializes in digital media learning and development. His research is in using web tools and social technologies for professional development, teaching and learning, and social good. Dr. Will works as an instructional technologist for a school district in Hattiesburg, MS.

Online Doctorates: Fact or Fiction

Uploaded on May 31, 2013

This is a discussion about online doctorates and the personal stories of two individuals who chose that option.

Becky Naughton, a high school teacher, and Leah Macvie, an instructional designer at the college level, join me to talk about why they chose an online doctorate and their plans for the future.

Check out Leah here: http://about.me/leahmacvie and connect with Becky here: https://twitter.com/NaughtonBecky

My Journey to Becoming a Certified Family Life Educator

By Jessica Estrella

My name is Jessica Estrella, and I am a Master’s student majoring in Child Development at TWU. I began my graduate school studies in the fall of 2011 and I have one more year to complete my coursework. My personal goal for after the conclusion of this degree is to become a CertifiedFamily Life Educator. I decided to pursue my graduate degree in Child Development and pursue my CFLE for a variety of reasons. I have grown up in a tight-knit family and have always viewed my family as an extremely important aspect in my life. The classes that I have taken have further shown me how family dynamics change and adapt over time. I have also known that somehow during my career I have wanted to help others.                                          

During my time so far in graduate school, I have found several areas to be helpful to me regarding my degree and learning more about family life education. I have found that being involved in student organizations to be highly helpful. These organizations have provided me a way to network, as well as hearing presentations from various individuals in the field of family sciences. I have also learned that collaborating with others is an extremely helpful aspect in school and I can see myself collaborating a great deal as a family life educator. In addition to student organizations, being a member of national organizations in the field of family sciences has been highly beneficial to me as well. I have been a member of the National Council on Family Relations since the fall of 2011. This has been a wonderful organization to be involved in and I have especially liked reading the quarterly newsletters regarding the field of family sciences.  

I started using Twitter in January of this year. One of my goals for joining Twitter was to be able to connect with other CFLE’s and finding new ways to connect with others. In the few short months that I have been using Twitter, I have grown to love it and have found it to be very useful in my daily life. I hope to continue to use Twitter to connect with others as I continue on in my journey to becoming a CFLE.   

About the author: Jessica Estrella is a graduate student at Texas Woman’s University where she is majoring in Child Development. Jessica is originally from Friendswood Texas, and has been going to school and living in the north Texas area for the past seven years. She graduated high school in 2004 and spent her first two years of college at San Jacinto Community College where she was a music student. In the fall of 2006, Jessica transferred to Texas Woman’s University. In May of 2010, she received her Bachelor’s degree from Texas Woman’s University in Music Therapy.