Monday, May 30, 2011

This Week's Live and Interactive Webinars in Blackboard Collaborate (Formerly Elluminate)

Below are this week's public, free, and interactive Webinars through LearnCentral.org, the social learning network for education that I work on for Blackboard Collaborate (formerly Elluminate).

The time of the events below will show up automatically in your own time zone when you are registered in LearnCentral and when you have chosen your time zone in your profile, or you can check the new event time converter on the event page. Event recordings are posted and available after the events if you aren't able to attend them live. If you are looking for an easy calendar import / RSS feed for these events, you'll now find a link on your calendar page or the calendar page of specific groups!

We hope you will consider hosting your own public webinars using the free LearnCentral public room--instructions are available by joining the "Host Your Own Webinar" group on the main announcement tab (http://www.learncentral.org/group/3432/host-your-own-webinars).

Thanks for your attention, and see you online!

TECH TALK TUESDAYS: NUMERACY AND THE IDEVICE (Australia Series)
Tue 30 May 12:00AM New York / Tue 31 May 04:00AM GMT / Tue 31 May 02:00PM Sydney
Anne Mirtschin. Lets get real with number! Using numbers with meaning to enhance numeracy via the iPod or ipad. There's an app for almost all numeracy learning. Plus there are real life apps that supply so much number information daily with meaning that we can take advantage of in our numeracy lessons. Allowing students to express their Mathematical knowledge in their hands couldn't be easier on the idevices. Come and get some great examples that you can use in your numeracy classes. (Primary focus but many work flows can be adapted for higher levels).
http://www.learncentral.org/event/162602

JAMES BOSCO ON "DIGITAL MEDIA AND PARTICIPATORY LEARNING" (Future of Education Series)
Tue 31 May 08:00PM New York / Wed 1 Jun 12:00AM GMT / Wed 1 Jun 10:00AM Sydney
Steve Hargadon. Steve Hargadon interviews James Bosco, Principle Investigator at the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN). For the past 3 years CoSN has been involved in a project which is called "Participatory Learning in Schools: Leadership and Policy." This project is funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and is included in the Foundation's digital media and learning program. Jim asks if "participatory learning" is just another set of buzzwords that will be here today and gone tomorrow? What does "participatory learning" actually mean, and how does it intersect with digital media? What has the CoSN project revealed about efforts in school districts to confront the challenges and seize the opportunities of participatory learning?
http://www.learncentral.org/node/162493

ACTION RESEARCH IN EDUCATION (Host Your Own Webinar Series)
Wed 1 Jun 04:00AM New York / Wed 1 Jun 08:00AM GMT / Wed 1 Jun 06:00PM Sydney
Hery The. This presentation covers basic approach on educational action research and basic technique on this research.
http://www.learncentral.org/event/162599

ET@LKING: DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP (Australia Series)
Wed 1 Jun 06:00AM New York / Wed 1 Jun 10:00AM GMT / Wed 1 Jun 08:00PM Sydney
Coach Carole. Join this webinar to discuss what is needed to be a responsible digital citizen.
http://www.learncentral.org/event/162489

KATE FRIDKIS, MONIKA HARDY, LISA NIELSEN, AND CLARK ALDRICH: PANEL DISCUSSION ON "UNSCHOOLING" (Future of Education Series)
Wed 1 Jun 08:00PM New York / Thu 2 Jun 12:00AM GMT / Thu 2 Jun 10:00AM Sydney
Steve Hargadon. This webinar will feature a panel moderated by Steve Hargadon discussing "unschooling" with Kate Fridkis, Monika Hardy, Lisa Nielsen, and Clark Aldrich. We'll use Clark's recently-published book, Unschooling Rules, as the basis for the conversation. In particular, we'll look at the innovative methods of education that can be found in home-schooling and unschooling, and how those principles could be applied to public school settings.
http://www.learncentral.org/node/162494

"COMMUNITY CONNECT" AUSTRALIA SERIES (Australia Series)
Thu 2 Jun 06:00AM New York / Thu 2 Jun 10:00AM GMT / Thu 2 Jun 08:00PM Sydney
Junita Lyon. oin "Community Connect" as guest presenter renowned blogger and educator Chris Betcher takes us around the wordpress dashboard and helps you understand further how to implement Blogs in your classroom practice or for your personal use.
http://www.learncentral.org/event/162603

CAL NEWPORT ON HOW TO BE A HIGH SCHOOL SUPERSTAR ("HACK YOUR EDUCATION" SERIES) (Future of Education Series)
Thu 2 Jun 08:00PM New York / Fri 3 Jun 12:00AM GMT / Fri 3 Jun 10:00AM Sydney
Steve Hargadon. Join Steve as he interviews Cal Newport, author of How to Be a High School Superstar: A Revolutionary Plan to Get into College by Standing Out (Without Burning Out). For three years Cal interviewed what he calls "relaxed superstars:" students who live relaxed and happy high school lives and who get admitted to the colleges of their choice. He brings a unique perspective to the "student success" literature, by recommending that students who want to do well should 1) "underschedule" themselves by scheduling free time for exploring, 2) master one serious interest, and 3) pursue accomplishments that are "hard to explain, not hard to do."
http://www.learncentral.org/event/142216

AMAZON TRIBE STUDY: IS MATH INBORN? (Math 2.0 Series)
Fri 3 Jun 02:00PM New York / Fri 3 Jun 06:00PM GMT / Sat 4 Jun 04:00AM Sydney
Maria Droujkova. Pierre Pica will introduce his math, language, cognition studies with peoples in tribal and industrial societies.
http://www.learncentral.org/node/162630

ISTE 2011, EDUBLOGGERCON, ISTEUNPLUGGED, AND TEACHER 2.0 (Classroom 2.0 LIVE)
Sat 4 Jun 12:00PM New York / Sat 4 Jun 04:00PM GMT / Sun 5 Jun 02:00AM Sydney
Kim Caise, Lorna Costantini and Peggy George. Join us as our special guest, Steve Hargadon, share information about the ISTE 2010 Conference in Philadalphia, June 25-29. Information will include tips for participating in the conference both in person and virtually such as EduBloggerCon, ISTE Unplugged, the Bloggers Cafe, and how to prepare to maximize your experience during the conference. Steve will also introduce Teacher 2.0 and lead a conversation about how you can get involved. http://www.teacher20.com Teacher 2.0 is an independent network for educators to explore their interests and passions, and to build a network of support for educators at all levels. Through this community, with online events, interviews, and workshops, our goal is to have educators help each other become re-energized about finding and following their passions--as a part of their careers and in their contributions to the world.
http://www.learncentral.org/node/162496

June 2 - Interview with Cal Newport on "Being a High School Superstar"

Join me Thursday, June 2nd, for a live and interactive Future of Education with Cal Newport, author of How to Be a High School Superstar:  A Revolutionary Plan to Get into College by Standing Out (Without Burning Out).  For three years Cal interviewed what he calls "relaxed superstars:" students who live relaxed and happy high school lives and who get admitted to the colleges of their choice. He brings a unique perspective to the "student success" literature, by recommending that students who want to do well should 1) "underschedule" themselves so they have free time for exploring, 2) master one serious interest, and 3) pursue accomplishments that are "hard to explain, not hard to do."

"Disguised as a peppy college-admission guide, Newport's book is actually a profound, life-affirming manifesto for ambitious high school students. Forego the sleepless and cynical path to college acceptance. Instead, blaze your trail to the Ivy League by living a full life and immersing yourself in things that matter. Relax. Find meaning. Be you."  -- David Shenk, author of The Genius in All of Us

Date: Thursday, June 2nd, 2011
Time: 5pm Pacific / 8pm Eastern / 12am GMT (next day--international times here)
Duration: 1 hour
Location: In Elluminate. Log in at http://tr.im/futureofed. The Elluminate room will be open up to 30 minutes before the event if you want to come in early. To make sure that your computer is configured for Elluminate, please visit http://www.elluminate.com/support. Recordings of the session will be posted within a day of the event here.
Event Recording: The recording of the session will be posted here afterwards.  The LearnCentral event page is http://www.learncentral.org/event/142216.

Cal Newport graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Dartmouth College in 2004, and earned a Ph.D in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT in 2009. He's currently a postdoctoral associate at MIT and is the author of How to Become a Straight-A Student (Broadway Books, 2006) and How to Win at College (Broadway Books, 2005). His third book, How to Be a High School Superstar, was published in 2010.

Newport has appeared as a student success expert on ABC, NBC, and CBS and on over 50 radio networks, including ABC Radio, USA Radio, and XM Satellite Radio. His advice has been featured in major print publications including The Washington Post, The Guardian, and The Seattle Times, and on some of the Internet's most popular sites, including Lifehacker and Boing Boing. His books have been taught in college classrooms and included in college textbooks, and his articles have appeared in the Wall Street Journal's College Journal, the Dartmouth Alumni Magazine, Flak Magazine, FLYP Magazine, and College Bound Magazine. In addition, Newport runs Study Hacks, the Internet's most visited student advice blog.


How to Be a High School Superstar: A Revolutionary Plan to Get into College by Standing Out (Without Burning Out)

June 1 - Panel Discussion on "Unschooling"

Join me Wednesday, June 1st, for a live and interactive Future of Education panel discussion on "unschooling." Our panelists are Clark Aldrich, Kate Fridkis, Monika Hardy, and Lisa Nielsen. We'll use Clark's recently-published book, Unschooling Rules, as the basis for the conversation. In particular, we'll look at the innovative methods of education that can be found in home-schooling and unschooling, and how those principles could be applied to public school settings.

From the Wikipedia article on Unschooling:  "Unschooling is a range of educational philosophies and practices centered on allowing children to learn through their natural life experiences, including child directed play, game play, household responsibilities, work experience, and social interaction, rather than through a more traditional school curriculum. Unschooling encourages exploration of activities led by the children themselves, facilitated by the adults. Unschooling differs from conventional schooling principally in the thesis that standard curricula and conventional grading methods, as well as other features of traditional schooling, are counterproductive to the goal of maximizing the education of each child."

Date: Wednesday, June 1st, 2011
Time: 5pm Pacific / 8pm Eastern / 12am GMT (next day--international times here)
Duration: 1 hour
Location: In Elluminate. Log in at http://tr.im/futureofed. The Elluminate room will be open up to 30 minutes before the event if you want to come in early. To make sure that your computer is configured for Elluminate, please visit http://www.elluminate.com/support. Recordings of the session will be posted within a day of the event here.
Event Recording: The recording of the session will be posted here afterwards.  The LearnCentral event page is http://www.learncentral.org/node/162494.

Clark Aldrich is a global education thought leader, labeled a guru by Fortune Magazine.  His experience ranges from spending years working with children at a leading environmental education foundation to serving on boards of universities, of companies, and in the intelligence community.

Clark Aldrich is also one of the top educational game designers in the world, including the recent anti-doping game underwritten by the World Anti-Doping Agency.  His educational games are market leaders in their categories, use custom Artificial Intelligence systems, have been rigorously proven to drive long term desired changes in competence and conviction, and have been translated and deployed in dozens of countries and languages.  He is also a pioneer in educational games for deaf and blind students.

His projects have been award- and patent-winning and generated millions in revenue.  Aldrich is also the author of Unschooling Rules (Greenleaf, 2011) and four earlier books: Simulations and the Future of Learning (Wiley, 2004), Learning By Doing (Wiley, 2005), The Complete Guide to Simulations and Serious Games (Wiley, 2009), and Learning Online with Games, Simulations, and Virtual Worlds (Wiley, 2009).

Aldrich's work has been featured in hundreds of sources, including CBS, ABC, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CNN, NPR, CNET, Business 2.0, BusinessWeek, U.S. News and World Reports. Clients (past and present) include Harvard Business School Publishing, Cisco, Microsoft, Department of Defense, Full Sail University's Master of Educational Media program, Center for Army Leadership, HP, Shell, GM, UPS, McDonald's, and the National Security Agency. He was also the Governor's representative on Connecticut's Joint Committee on Educational Technology.

Clark Aldrich founded and serves as the Managing Partner of Clark Aldrich Designs to enable new results from education.  Clark Aldrich and his colleagues work with corporate, military, government, and academic organizations balancing both strategic and hands-on work.  Previously Aldrich was the founder and director of research for Gartner’s online learning analysis. He graduated from Brown University with a degree in Cognitive Science, and earlier in his career worked on special projects for Xerox' executive team.

Lisa Nielsen is best known as creator of The Innovative Educator blog and Transforming Education for the 21st Century learning network. Lisa is an outspoken and passionate advocate of learning innovatively. She is frequently covered by local and national media for her views on “Passion (not data) Driven Learning,” "Thinking Outside the Ban" to harness the power of technology for learning, and for providing a voice to educators and students. Ms. Nielsen also writes for Huffington Post, Tech & Learning, and Leading & Learning and is the author of the soon- to-be-released book, Teaching Generation Text.  Most recently Lisa has been exploring the possibility of applying unschooling pedagogy in a school environment.

Based in New York City, Ms. Nielsen currently serves as an educational administrator. She has worked for more than a decade in various capacities helping schools and districts to educate in innovative ways that will prepare students for 21st century success. You can follow her on Twitter @InnovativeEdu.  )Disclaimer: The information shared does not reflect the opinions or endorsement of her employer.)

Kate Fridkis recently received a Master's from Columbia University. She writes for HuffPo and AOL's MyDaily.com, blogs at Eat the Damn Cake and Un-schooled, and is the lay cantor at a synagogue in central NJ. She loves bagels.





Monika Hardy is facilitating a district innovation lab 2010-2011, where students are creating projects/courses per passion.  More about Monika's work is at http://labconnections.blogspot.com and http://www.monkblogs.blogspot.com.







Unschooling Rules: 55 Ways to Unlearn What We Know About Schools and Rediscover Education

May 31 - Interview with James Bosco on Digital Media and Participatory Learning

Join me Tuesday, May 31st, for a live and interactive Future of Education webinar with James Bosco, Principle Investigator at the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN).  For the past 3 years CoSN has been involved in a project which is called "Participatory Learning in Schools: Leadership and Policy." This project is funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and is included in the Foundation's digital media and learning program.  Jim asks if "participatory learning" is just another set of buzzwords that will be here today and gone tomorrow? What does "participatory learning" actually mean, and how does it intersect with digital media? What has the CoSN project revealed about efforts in school districts to confront the challenges and seize the opportunities of participatory learning?

Date: Tuesday, May 31st, 2011
Time: 5pm Pacific / 8pm Eastern / 12am GMT (next day--international times here)
Duration: 1 hour
Location: In Elluminate. Log in at http://tr.im/futureofed. The Elluminate room will be open up to 30 minutes before the event if you want to come in early. To make sure that your computer is configured for Elluminate, please visit http://www.elluminate.com/support. Recordings of the session will be posted within a day of the event here.
Event Recording: The recording of the session will be posted here afterwards.  The LearnCentral event page is http://www.learncentral.org/node/162493.

James Bosco is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Educational Studies at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan.  He obtained a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1961. His Master’s degree in education was earned at University of Pittsburgh in 1963. In 1966, he was awarded a Doctorate from Teacher’s College Columbia University with a specialization in curriculum research and theory development.

Bosco is currently serving as principal investigator for a MacArthur Foundation project titled "Schools and Participatory Culture: Overcoming Organizational and Policy Barriers."

He has held various administrative positions at Western Michigan University such as the Director of Educational Research, the Director of the Grand Rapids Public Schools – Western Michigan University Center for Educational Studies, the Merze Tate Center for Research and Information Processing, and the Director of the Office of Educational Technology. He was the Chief Research Officer and also the director of External Technology Relations for the WMU College of Education. Most recently he served as the  WMU Coordinator for the “Kalamazoo Promise” which began in November 2005.  He held this position from March, 2006 until June, 2008.  The Kalamazoo Promise  provides four year post-secondary scholarships for every graduating high school student in Kalamazoo the Promise has been the catalyst for educational reform and area economic/community development.  The Kalamazoo Promise has inspired similar initiatives  in a number of cities around the U.S.

His teaching responsibilities involved  graduate level courses in research methods and in undergraduate and graduate level courses in educational technology. He led efforts to develop an on-line master’s program at WMU for school technology directors and he taught courses in the program.  This program was one of the first of its kind in the U.S. His early work on educational technology focused on the design, development,  and evaluation of interactive video learning applications  and he played a key role in development projects with the Upjohn Pharmaceutical Company, Clarke Equipment Company, and the General Motors - United Auto Workers Human Resource Center. This work led to a series of multi-media training products and publications on that topic. Additionally, he directed a U.S. Department of Defense project pertaining to the repurposing of training materials produced by the DoD for civilian use.

Over the past twenty years, he has been actively engaged in policy formation and development projects pertaining to educational and school reform. From 1990 to 1996 he served as co-director for a Kellogg Foundation project dealing with the restructuring of a secondary school in Kalamazoo. From 1991 to 1994 he was principal investigator for an evaluation of a Star Schools Project sponsored by a grant from the United States Department of Education. The project was a three-state consortium involving New York, Pennsylvania, and Michigan and focused on the development and implementation of multi-media and telecommunication technologies in school programs. He was the Director of the Southwestern Michigan Interconnect for Learning Experiences which was and was one of the eight hubs in Michigan that were established in order to begin connecting Michigan schools to the Internet in the mid-nineties. In 1997-98 he was the director of a project funded by the Michigan Department of Education pertaining to the reform of teacher education through the integration of information technology.

At the state level, some of his major involvements have been as a member of the committee appointed by the State Board of Education that developed technology standards for entry level teachers and as member of the State of Michigan advisory committees for the State Superintendent of Public Instruction and for the State Board of Education. He was a member of U.S. Senator Carl Levin’s educational technology working group which developed a series of initiatives to pertaining to innovative uses of technology in Michigan schools. He served as chair of the Michigan Board of Directors for the Michigan Tech Corp and was the Michigan coordinator of ThinkQuest.

At the national and international level, Bosco was the 1997 chairperson for the  Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) National Conference and he served as the  chair of the CoSN board in 1998. During the period of his chairmanship of CoSN he was involved in efforts to establish the eRate in the U.S. He testified before the U.S. Copyright Commission during the development of the Copyright Millenium Act on behalf of K-12  educaiton. He played  a major role in encouraging linkages between educational technology in the U.S. and other nations by establishing an International Committee for CoSN which has had active and effective consequences in fostering international cooperation and collaboration among policy makers and  educational leaders with regard to the use of educational technology in schools .  He has chaired or co-chaired that Committee since its inception in 1998.   He has participated in delegations of national education technology leaders to Europe, Australia, and Scandinavia.   James Bosco also co-chairs the CoSN International Symposia which bring together U.S. educational technology policy leaders along with their counterparts from around the world to focus on a key topic on a yearly basis.  He was responsible for forming a national consortium and chaired the advisory board of the” Technology Standards for School Administrators.” Those standards developed were adopted by ISTE as the “NetsA” standards.

James Bosco’s publications over the past twenty years have been focused on the issue of educational and school reform. He was the editor of a special issue of the Peabody Journal of Education titled, “Beyond the Computer Revolution” in the Fall of 1986 and wrote a paper for the issue titled, “The Organization of Schools and the Use of Computers to Improve Schools.” In 1995, he was commissioned to write a paper entitled, Schooling and Learning in an Information Society for the United States Congress which appeared in a report by the U.S. Congressional Office of Technology Assessment called Future Visions. He wrote the article in the last edition (1996) of the Handbook of Research on Teacher Education dealing with “Alternatives to Public Education.” In September, 1999, he completed a study of state K-12 technology networks and was involved in a successful effort to create a national organization for state educational technology directors. Among his most recent work have been invited presentations in Ireland, the U.K, and Australia  focused specifically on school and education reform such as: “Toward a Balanced Appraisal of Educational Technology in U.S. Schools and a Recognition of Seven Leadership Challenges:” (Washington D.C. 2003); “Is it Possible to Reform Schools? Toward Keeping the Promise of ICT in Schools” (Dublin,2004); “Building New Schools” Sydney, 2005.)

Saturday, May 21, 2011

This Week's Live and Interactive Webinars in Blackboard Collaborate (Formerly Elluminate)

Below are this week's public, free, and interactive Webinars through LearnCentral.org, the social learning network for education that I work on for Blackboard Collaborate (formerly Elluminate).

The time of the events below will show up automatically in your own time zone when you are registered in LearnCentral and when you have chosen your time zone in your profile, or you can check the new event time converter on the event page. Event recordings are posted and available after the events if you aren't able to attend them live. If you are looking for an easy calendar import / RSS feed for these events, you'll now find a link on your calendar page or the calendar page of specific groups!

We hope you will consider hosting your own public webinars using the free LearnCentral public room--instructions are available by joining the "Host Your Own Webinar" group on the main announcement tab (http://www.learncentral.org/group/3432/host-your-own-webinars).

Thanks for your attention, and see you online!

EPORTFOLIO MONTH: MAY WEBINAR #4 (Australia Series)
Sun 22 May 08:30PM New York / Mon 23 May 12:30AM GMT / Mon 23 May 10:30AM Sydney
Coach Carole. The Australian Flexible Learning Framework (Framework) is supporting the EpCoP with an interactive e-Gemssession on 23 May. The e-Gems session will workshop the newly developed Key considerations for implementing an e-portfolio system(outlined in an E-portfolios blog post)based on the findings from the 2009 and 2010 E-portfolios implementation trials. Participants will discuss the best way to implement these considerations for their organisation and clients.
http://www.learncentral.org/event/155919

PEER-ED PEER COACHING BYTE-COLLECTING COACHING EVIDENCE (Host Your Own Webinar Series)
Mon 23 May 07:00PM New York / Mon 23 May 11:00PM GMT / Tue 24 May 09:00AM Sydney
Shelee King George. Peer-Ed’s Peer Coaching Webinar Bytes are intended to connect peer coaching facilitators and their coaches. Each 30 minute Webinar will focus on one topic, deliver a short presentation, and then provide an opportunity to ask questions and/or share other strategies. This byte will feature Jane Miller, Educational Technology Facilitator for Spokane Public Schools. Hear how Spokane is maximizing their effect of Peer Coaching and collecting artifacts through the use of Excel to create a unique collaboration log that provides coaches with a structure for planning meetings and the collection of reflections. Consider how you can use this log in your own coaching work. Learn.Connect. Share.
http://www.learncentral.org/event/158078

TECH TALK TUESDAYS: DIGITAL STORYTELLING (Australia Series)
Tue 23 May 02:00AM New York / Tue 24 May 06:00AM GMT / Tue 24 May 04:00PM Sydney
Anne Mirstchin. At this stage the session will feature Richard Lambert (to be confirmed) Richard will share his passion for digital storytelling and its application in the classroom.
http://www.learncentral.org/event/160321

IMAGINENATION MATTERS (Host Your Own Webinar Series)
Tue 24 May 07:00PM New York / Tue 24 May 11:00PM GMT / Wed 25 May 09:00AM Sydney
Jeff Stanzler. ImagineNation Matters is a web-based project of the University of Michigan Schools of Information and Education that uses role-playing and mentorship to bring to life the stories of significant events and places in the history and cultural life of our nation. Learn about this free, story-based project in which university students serve as “mentors” to students in grades 3-6, portraying the characters from stories that explore topics ranging from state government to healthy eating, and helping to nurture an array of writing and thinking skills.
http://www.learncentral.org/event/160391

LINGUAFOLIO ONLINE FOR STARTALK (Host Your Own Webinar Series)
Tue 24 May 07:00PM New York / Tue 24 May 11:00PM GMT / Wed 25 May 09:00AM Sydney
Krystal Sundstrom. We will discuss LinguaFolio Online for STARTALK programs, and share information on how to register, how to navigate the tool, and how to integrate LinguaFolio Online with your STARTALK program.
http://www.learncentral.org/event/154413

STEVE DENNING ON RADICAL MANAGEMENT AND EDUCATION (Future of Education Series)
Tue 24 May 08:00PM New York / Wed 25 May 12:00AM GMT / Wed 25 May 10:00AM Sydney
Steve Hargadon. Join me, Steve Hargadon, for a live and interactive FutureofEducation.com webinar with author and consultant Stephen Denning as we discuss his most recent book, The Leader's Guide to Radical Management. We'll discuss the imminent changes he sees in the workplace, and the impact those changes are likely to have on how we think both about educating and the educational workplace. In the last 25 years, Steve writes, "startups created 40 million jobs in the US, while established firms created almost none." Traditional management, he argues, is broken, and this is reflected in the fact that only 20% of workers are passionate about their jobs. The implications of his book relate not just to how we think about teaching and learning, but also to how we organize the work and the workplaces of teachers.
http://www.learncentral.org/event/142215

ET@LKING: A GOOGLE GATHERING (Australia Series)
Wed 25 May 06:00AM New York / Wed 25 May 10:00AM GMT / Wed 25 May 08:00PM Sydney
Anne Mirstchin. Following on from last session's topic on the google teacher academy, participants will be given the opportunity to share their favourite google apps and how they use them. Creating forms in google will feature first. So, come along, bring your questions, ideas and ways in which you use the apps and share with us all.
http://www.learncentral.org/event/160322

FRONTIER SD= PEER COACHING WEBEVENT (Host Your Own Webinar Series)
Wed 25 May 04:30PM New York / Wed 25 May 08:30PM GMT / Thu 26 May 06:30AM Sydney
Shelee King George. This session will extend Frontier School Division's Peer Coaching training. Focus on Trust and protocols from Session 6 and 7 of the Peer Coaching Program hosted on the Parters in Learning Network. Training will be led byPeer-Ed.
http://www.learncentral.org/event/159399

SIR KEN ROBINSON ON "OUT OF OUR MINDS" (Future of Education Series)
Wed 25 May 08:00PM New York / Thu 26 May 00 GMT / Thu 26 May 10:00AM Sydney
Steve Hargadon. Join me, Steve Hargadon, for a live and interactive FutureofEducation.com webinar with Sir Ken Robinson about the extensively revised and updated version of his best-selling classic, Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative. We'll talk about why it is essential to promote creativity, what happens in schools to make us think we are not creative, and what schools and organizations can do to develop creativity and innovation in a deliberate and systematic way.
http://www.stevehargadon.com/2011/05/may-25-interview-with-sir-ken-robinson.html

HOODA MATH (Math 2.0 Series)
Wed 25 May 09:30PM New York / Thu 26 May 01:30AM GMT / Thu 26 May 11:30AM Sydney
Maria Droujkova. During the event, Michael Edlavitch of Hooda Math will discuss his free game, movie and tutorial portal.
http://www.learncentral.org/node/160638

KINDLE TRICKS AND TIPS (BEYOND BUYING FROM AMAZON!) (Host Your Own Webinar Series)
Thu 26 May 07:00PM New York / Thu 26 May 11:00PM GMT / Fri 27 May 09:00AM Sydney
Kristin Fontichiaro . Part of the 4tvirtualcon.com conference at the U of Michigan, we'll look at how we can add free, quality content to Kindles and other ereaders to positively impact learning. 7-8pm EST.
http://www.learncentral.org/event/160458

ONLINE LEARNING: STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS--FOLLOW-UP (Admin 2.0)
Thu 26 May 07:00PM New York / Thu 26 May 11:00PM GMT / Fri 27 May 09:00AM Sydney
Jason Borgen. Leadership 3.0 Symposium's Online Learning Summit consisted of national, state, and local experts in online learning programs. Attend this webinar to hear some of the emerging trends in online learning programs and how your schools and districts can be on the cutting edge.
http://www.learncentral.org/event/158903

CSOV STUDENT NEWS (Host Your Own Webinar Series)
Fri 27 May 08:00AM New York / Fri 27 May 12:00PM GMT / Fri 27 May 10:00PM Sydney
Molly Williams. Join Molly for a student news broadcast.
http://www.learncentral.org/event/159275

May 25 - Interview with Sir Ken Robinson on Creativity

Join me Wednesday, May 25th, for a live and interactive FutureofEducation.com webinar with Sir Ken Robinson about the extensively revised and updated version of his best-selling classic, Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative.  We'll talk about why it is essential to promote creativity, what happens in schools to make us think we are not creative, and what schools and organizations can do to develop creativity and innovation in a deliberate and systematic way.

Date: Wednesday, May 25th, 2011
Time: 5pm Pacific / 8pm Eastern / 12am GMT (next day--international times here)
Duration: 1 hour
Location: In Elluminate. Log in at http://tr.im/futureofed. The Elluminate room will be open up to 30 minutes before the event if you want to come in early. To make sure that your computer is configured for Elluminate, please visit http://www.elluminate.com/support. Recordings of the session will be posted within a day of the event here.

Sir Ken Robinson, PhD is an internationally recognized leader in the development of education, creativity and innovation.  He is also one of the world’s leading speakers with a profound impact on audiences everywhere.  The videos of his famous 2006 and 2010 talks to the prestigious TED Conference have been seen by an estimated 200 million people in over 150 countries.

He works with governments in Europe, Asia and the USA, with international agencies, Fortune 500 companies and some of the world’s leading cultural organizations. In 1998, he led a national commission on creativity, education and the economy for the UK Government. All Our Futures: Creativity, Culture and Education (The Robinson Report) was published to wide acclaim in 1999. He was the central figure in developing a strategy for creative and economic development as part of the Peace Process in Northern Ireland, working with the ministers for training, education enterprise and culture. The resulting blueprint for change, Unlocking Creativity, was adopted by politicians of all parties and by business, education and cultural leaders across the Province. He was one of four international advisors to the Singapore Government for its strategy to become the creative hub of South East Asia.

For twelve years, he was professor of education at the University of Warwick in the UK and is now professor emeritus. He has received honorary degrees from the Rhode Island School of Design, Ringling College of Arts and Design, the Open University and the Central School of Speech and Drama, Birmingham City University and the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. He was been honored with the Athena Award of the Rhode Island School of Design for services to the arts and education; the Peabody Medal for contributions to the arts and culture in the United States, the LEGO Prize for international achievement in education, and the Benjamin Franklin Medal of the Royal Society of Arts for outstanding contributions to cultural relations between the United Kingdom and the United States. In 2005, he was named as one of Time/Fortune/CNN’s ‘Principal Voices’. In 2003, he received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II for his services to the arts. He speaks to audiences throughout the world on the creative challenges facing business and education in the new global economies.

His book The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything (Penguin/Viking 2009) is a New York Times best seller and has been translated into twenty-one languages. His latest book is a 10th anniversary edition of his classic work on creativity and innovation, Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative (Capstone/Wiley).  Sir Ken was born in Liverpool, UK, as one of seven children. He is married to Therese (Lady) Robinson. They have two children, James and Kate, and now live in Los Angeles, California.

The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything

Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative

May 24 Interview - Steve Denning on the 21st Century Workplace and Education

Join me Tuesday, May 24th, for a live and interactive FutureofEducation.com webinar with author and consultant Stephen Denning as we discuss his most recent book, The Leader's Guide to Radical Management.  We'll discuss the imminent changes he sees in the workplace, and the impact those changes are likely to have on how we think both about educating and the educational workplace.  In the last 25 years, Steve writes, "startups created 40 million jobs in the US, while established firms created almost none."  Traditional management, he argues, is broken, and this is reflected in the fact that only 20% of workers are passionate about their jobs.  The implications of his book relate not just to how we think about teaching and learning, but also to how we organize the work and the workplaces of teachers.

Date: Tuesday, May 24th, 2011
Time: 5pm Pacific / 8pm Eastern / 12am GMT (next day--international times here)
Duration: 1 hour
Location: In Elluminate. Log in at http://tr.im/futureofed. The Elluminate room will be open up to 30 minutes before the event if you want to come in early. To make sure that your computer is configured for Elluminate, please visit http://www.elluminate.com/support. Recordings of the session will be posted within a day of the event at the event page.
Event and Recording Page: http://www.learncentral.org/event/142215

Steve Denning is the author of the award-winning books, The Leader's Guide to Radical Management: Re-inventing the Workplace for the 21st Century (Jossey-Bass, 2010), The Secret Language of Leadership (Jossey-Bass, 2007) and The Leader's Guide to Storytelling (Jossey-Bass, 2005).

From 1996 to 2000, Steve was the Program Director, Knowledge Management at the World Bank where he spearheaded the organizational knowledge sharing program.  In November 2000, Steve Denning was selected as one of the world’s ten Most Admired Knowledge Leaders (Teleos).  He now works with organizations in the U.S., Europe, Asia and Australia on leadership, innovation, business narrative and most recently, radical management.

Steve was born and educated in Sydney, Australia. He studied law and psychology at Sydney University and worked as a lawyer in Sydney for several years. He did a postgraduate degree in law at Oxford University in the U.K. Steve then joined the World Bank where he worked for several decades in many capacities and held various management positions, including Director of the Southern Africa Department from 1990 to 1994 and Director of the Africa Region from 1994 to 1996. From 1996 to 2000, Steve was the Program Director, Knowledge Management at the World Bank.

The Leader's Guide to Radical Management: Reinventing the Workplace for the 21st Century

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

May 19th - Chris Guillebeau on The Art of Non-Conformity

Join me Thursday, May 19th, for a live and interactive FutureofEducation.com webinar with Chris Buillebeau, author of The Art of Non-Conformity: Set Your Own Rules, Live the Life You Want, and Change the World.  This is part of the series of interviews I've been doing on personal "branding" and the ways that the Internet magnifies the ability for both students and teachers to follow individualized passions and interests.  In the evolving world of the internet, where non-conformity could become the rule rather than the exception, we'll discuss how this could change how we think about both educational and career paths.

Date: Thursday, May 19th, 2011
Time: 5pm Pacific / 8pm Eastern / 12am GMT (next day--international times here)
Duration: 1 hour
Location: In Elluminate. Log in at http://tr.im/futureofed. The Elluminate room will be open up to 30 minutes before the event if you want to come in early. To make sure that your computer is configured for Elluminate, please visit http://www.elluminate.com/support. Recordings of the session will be posted within a day of the event at the event page.
Event and Recording Page:  http://www.learncentral.org/event/157506


The Art of Non-Conformity: Set Your Own Rules, Live the Life You Want, and Change the WorldPublishers Blurb:  If you've ever thought, "There must be more to life than this," The Art of Non-Conformity is for you. Based on Chris Guillebeau's popular online manifesto "A Brief Guide to World Domination," The Art of Non-Conformity defies common assumptions about life and work while arming you with the tools to live differently. You'll discover how to live on your own terms by exploring creative self-employment, radical goal-setting, contrarian travel, and embracing life as a constant adventure. Inspired and guided by Chris's own story and those of others who have pursued unconventional lives, you can devise your own plan for world domination-and make the world a better place at the same time.

Chris Guillebeau in his own words:  "I served as a volunteer executive for a medical charity in West Africa from 2002-2006. It was thrilling, challenging, and exhausting—all good qualities to have in an adventure. I gave keynote speeches to presidents, hung out with warlords, and learned far more in those four years than anything I learned in college.

"After my time in West Africa came to an end in 2006, I came to Seattle for a graduate program in International Studies at the University of Washington. I enjoyed my studies, but I enjoyed travel even more – during every break between quarters, I traveled independently to countries like Burma, Uganda, Jordan, Macedonia, and 20 more.

"So far I’ve been to more than 150 countries, but there’s a long list of places I haven’t made it to yet. It’s going to take a while, so I’ve given myself two more years until I’m 35 years old. (Any good goal has a deadline.)

"I have been self-employed for my entire adult life, having successfully avoided the dreaded “real job” for more than a decade. My entrepreneurial history has ranged from importing coffee from Jamaica, search engine optimization in its early days, Google Adwords and Adsense arbitrage, and building a small publishing company while volunteering in Africa. I now write on this site and sell Unconventional Guides.

"I live with my wife Jolie, an artist and teacher who has been to more than 40 countries of her own. Jolie is nice about letting me travel the world whenever I want as long as I promise to keep coming back. We live in our adopted city of Portland, Oregon."

Monday, May 16, 2011

May 17th - Mark Fenske on The Winner's Brain

Join me Tuesday, May 17th, for a live and interactive FutureofEducation.com webinar with Mark Fenske, co-author of The Winner's Brain: 8 Strategies Great Minds Use to Achieve Success.  We'll explore the current scientific progress on understanding the brain and cognitive processes, how that is informing psychology, and what the implications for education might be.

Date: Tuesday, May 17th, 2011
Time: 5pm Pacific / 8pm Eastern / 12am GMT (next day--international times here)
Duration: 1 hour
Location: In Elluminate. Log in at http://tr.im/futureofed. The Elluminate room will be open up to 30 minutes before the event if you want to come in early. To make sure that your computer is configured for Elluminate, please visit http://www.elluminate.com/support. Recordings of the session will be posted within a day of the event at the event page.
Event and Recording Page:  http://www.learncentral.org/event/154676


MARK FENSKE, PhD, a neuroscientist and former faculty member at Harvard Medical School, is an Assistant Professor in Psychology at the University of Guelph. His research combines neuroimaging and studies of behavior to examine how the brain’s attention and emotion systems
can enhance performance. He lives in Guelph, Ontario.

The Winner's Brain: 8 Strategies Great Minds Use to Achieve Success

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Week of May 15, 2011 - Live, Interactive, and Free Webinars in Blackboard Collaborate (Formerly Elluminate)

Below are this week's public, free, and interactive Webinars through LearnCentral.org, the social learning network for education that I work on for Blackboard Collaborate (formerly Elluminate).

The time of the events below will show up automatically in your own time zone when you are registered in LearnCentral and when you have chosen your time zone in your profile, or you can check the new event time converter on the event page. Event recordings are posted and available after the events if you aren't able to attend them live. If you are looking for an easy calendar import / RSS feed for these events, you'll now find a link on your calendar page or the calendar page of specific groups!

We hope you will consider hosting your own public webinars using the free LearnCentral public room--instructions are available by joining the "Host Your Own Webinar" group on the main announcement tab (http://www.learncentral.org/group/3432/host-your-own-webinars).

Thanks for your attention, and see you online!

O-MUN DEMO DEBATE (Host Your Own Webinar Series)
Mon 16 May 08:30AM New York / Mon 16 May 12:30PM GMT / Mon 16 May 10:30PM Sydney
Jingshen Zhao. Online Model United Nations (O-MUN.org) is bringing United Nations simulations for secondary school students to Elluminate. We will be preparing from 12:30-13:00 UTC and debating from 13:00 to 14:30 UTC. Members of the public are welcome to represent countries or observe as guests.
http://www.learncentral.org/event/157963

EPORTFOLIOS IN MAY: EPORTFOLIOS IN THE TRADES (Australia Series)
Mon 16 May 06:00PM New York / Mon 16 May 10:00PM GMT / Tue 17 May 08:00AM Sydney
Coach Carole. Eportfolio presentations from the hairdressing & building & construction industries; plus culinary arts & public health
http://www.learncentral.org/event/154482

SIGMS WEBINAR (TL Cafe)
Mon 16 May 08:00PM New York / Tue 17 May 12:00AM GMT / Tue 17 May 10:00AM Sydney
Gwyneth Jones.
http://www.learncentral.org/event/133554

TECH TALK TUESDAYS: WITHIN, ACROSS, BEYOND : USING TECHNOLOGY TO CONNECT KIDS AND REALISE A VISION (Australia Series)
Tue 16 May 02:00AM New York / Tue 17 May 06:00AM GMT / Tue 17 May 04:00PM Sydney
Anne Mirstchin. This presentation will focus on the following : connecting kids within the school using a wordpress multi-blog site and buddypress; connecting kids across schools through interschool discussions, using videoconferencing; and connecting kids beyond schools to our Virtual Experts, a team of online scientists, historians, graphic designers, filmmakers and engineers who help our kids in their learning. Come join us and share in this exciting use of technology in the classroom. Rob Spaglia and Simone Uren will be guest presenters.
http://www.learncentral.org/event/156583

ISTE SIGVE SPEAKER SESSION (Host Your Own Webinar Series)
Tue 17 May 08:00PM New York / Wed 18 May 12:00AM GMT / Wed 18 May 10:00AM Sydney
Scott Merrick. John Lester will speak about the use of web-based virtual worlds as platforms for learning and collaboration. He will be hosting his presentation in Jibe, a web-based multiuser virtual world platform based on Unity3d and developed by ReactionGrid. John will speak about the unique affordances of web-based multiuser virtual worlds, how Jibe can be integrated with web-based learning management systems and web-based collaboration applications, and how the game-based development tools of Unity3d can be used to create immersive learning experiences.
http://www.learncentral.org/event/142089

MARK FENSKE ON "THE WINNER'S BRAIN" (Future of Education Series)
Tue 17 May 08:00PM New York / Wed 18 May 12:00AM GMT / Wed 18 May 10:00AM Sydney
Steve Hargadon. Steve interviews Mark Fenske about his book, The Winner's Brain.
http://www.learncentral.org/event/154676

COETAIL COURSE 2 (Host Your Own Webinar Series)
Wed 18 May 06:00AM New York / Wed 18 May 10:00AM GMT / Wed 18 May 08:00PM Sydney
Kim Cofino. The 21st Century learner had been bombarded with new technology, access to wide ranging global communication, and a plethora of information. Accompanying this new world of learning are ethical, moral, and emotional considerations that are changing the way in which are students are interacting with the world. This course will explore current issues inherent in our technological world.
http://www.learncentral.org/event/157506

ET@LKING: THE GOOGLE TEACHER ACADEMY (Australia Series)
Wed 18 May 08:00AM New York / Wed 18 May 12:00PM GMT / Wed 18 May 10:00PM Sydney
Anne Mirstchin. Listen to Tony Richards, Roland Gesthuizen, Chris Betcher, Andrew Williamson and others as they share their experiences at the recent Google Academy in Sydney. Come and join in the conversations and consider how google and its apps can be used in education.
http://www.learncentral.org/event/157506

LIVE SESSION WITH DR.KIRT RUSNEKO (Host Your Own Webinar Series)
Wed 18 May 10:30AM New York / Wed 18 May 02:30PM GMT / Thu 19 May 12:30AM Sydney
Jim Gerry. "Migration and the Reproductive Strategies of Loggerhead Turtles" Dr. Kirt Rusenko, Gumbo Limbo Center and Florida Atlantic University
http://www.learncentral.org/event/157506

LINGUAFOLIO ONLINE FOR STARTALK (Host Your Own Webinar Series)
Wed 18 May 01:00PM New York / Wed 18 May 05:00PM GMT / Thu 19 May 03:00AM Sydney
Krystal Sundstrom. We will discuss LinguaFolio Online for STARTALK programs, and share information on how to register, how to navigate the tool, and how to integrate LinguaFolio Online with your STARTALK program.
http://www.learncentral.org/event/157506

LIVE SESSION WITH DR. KIRT RUSNEKO (Host Your Own Webinar Series)
Wed 18 May 03:30PM New York / Wed 18 May 07:30PM GMT / Thu 19 May 05:30AM Sydney
Jim Gerry. "Migration and the Reproductive Strategies of Loggerhead Turtles" Dr. Kirt Rusenko, Gumbo Limbo Center and Florida Atlantic University
http://www.learncentral.org/event/157506

CHRIS GUILLEBEAU ON "THE ART OF NON-CONFORMITY" (Future of Education Series)
Thu 19 May 08:00PM New York / Fri 20 May 12:00AM GMT / Fri 20 May 10:00AM Sydney
Steve Hargadon. Join Steve Hargadon as he interviews Chris Guillebeau about his book, The Art of Non-Conformity.
http://www.learncentral.org/event/157506

POWER OF PROJECTS (Classroom 2.0 LIVE)
Sat 21 May 12:00PM New York / Sat 21 May 04:00PM GMT / Sun 22 May 02:00AM Sydney
Kim Caise, Lorna Costantini and Peggy George. Jen Wagner will share the power of having your students participate in collaborative projects connecting with other classrooms around the world.
http://www.learncentral.org/event/157506

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

May 12th - Paul Kimmelman on School Improvement, Innovation, and Educator Engagement

Join me Thursday, May 12th, for a live and interactive FutureofEducation.com webinar with Paul Kimmelman on his book The School Leadership Triangle: From Compliance to Innovation.  Dr. Kimmelman believes that while educational leaders must be responsive to federal policy mandates, compliance alone will not guarantee continuous school improvement; and he believes that leaders must create conditions that foster innovative solutions to perennial problems and engage all educators in systemic reform.

Date: Thursday, May 12th, 2011
Time: 5pm Pacific / 8pm Eastern / 12am GMT (next day--international times here)
Duration: 1 hour
Location: In Elluminate. Log in at http://tr.im/futureofed. The Elluminate room will be open up to 30 minutes before the event if you want to come in early. To make sure that your computer is configured for Elluminate, please visit http://www.elluminate.com/support. Recordings of the session will be posted within a day of the event at the event page.
Event and Recording Pagehttp://www.learncentral.org/event/154674


Paul L. Kimmelman, Ed.D. is senior advisor in Education, Human Development and the Workforce (EHDW) at the American Institutes for Research. He works on federal and state policy, gives legislative updates to constituents, and makes presentations on building organizational capacity and innovation planning. In his 33 years in K–12 education, he has been a teacher, assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent and superintendent. He has also been an adjunct professor at colleges/universities, Program Coordinator for Organizational Leadership at Argosy University, and an educational consultant.

As superintendent, Dr. Kimmelman helped the Lima, Ohio, district successfully comply with a federal desegregation order. As a superintendent in Illinois, he was President of the First in the World Consortium, recognized by President Clinton and Secretary of Education Richard Riley when they visited Illinois to announce their world-class successful work.

Dr. Kimmelman was appointed by former U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley to the National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st Century and served on the Third International Mathematics and Science Study Technical Review Panel. He was appointed by U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige to serve on the Teacher Assistance Corps.

He has written numerous articles and three books on education. His most recent book is The School Leadership Triangle: From Compliance to Innovation.

The School Leadership Triangle: From Compliance to Innovation

Monday, May 09, 2011

May 10 - A Second Panel Discussion on Passion-based Education

Join me Tuesday, May 10th, for a live and interactive FutureofEducation.com panel discussion on passion-based education with Angela Maiers, Amy Sandvold, Lisa Nielsen, and George Couros.  This is the same set of panelists (wahoo!) who discussed this topic with me at the closing session of the AZTEA virtual conference ten days ago, and you can watch the Elluminate recording of that session here. We'll continue the conversation by talking about teachers and their own passions, about creating passion-friendly classrooms and schools, and more.  Because Amy and Angela are co-authors of the book The Passion-Driven Classroom: A Framework for Teaching and Learning, we'll also dive more into the "Clubhouse Classroom" concept detailed in that book.

Date: Tuesday, May 10th, 2011
Time: 5pm Pacific / 8pm Eastern / 12am GMT (next day--international times here)
Duration: 1 hour
Location: In Elluminate. Log in at http://tr.im/futureofed. The Elluminate room will be open up to 30 minutes before the event if you want to come in early. To make sure that your computer is configured for Elluminate, please visit http://www.elluminate.com/support. Recordings of the session will be posted within a day of the event at the event page.
Event and Recording Pagehttp://www.learncentral.org/event/154672

Angela Maiers is an award-winning educator, speaker, consultant and professional trainer known for her work in literacy, leadership and global communications. She is a consistently energized and recognized worldwide speaker greatly impacting leadership through not only the education field, but the international business community as well.  Challenging educational philosophies and business ethics, Angela strives to achieve total synergy and unstoppable energy by reconstructing the thought process of many dated ideologies.

Today, Angela is at the forefront of New Literacy and Web 2.0 technologies. An active blogger and social media evangelist, she’s deeply committed to helping learners understand the transformational power of technology. Her intimate knowledge of teaching and learning, down-to-earth style, and powerful message of personal empowerment have made her a highly sought after keynote speaker and a vibrant courageous voice in both the business and education space.

As owner and lead consultant at Maiers Educational Services, she uses her passion for literacy and technology to discover creative ways to assist schools and organizations in meeting their learning and productivity goals.

She is an alumna of The University of Iowa with a Masters degree in Educational Supervision and Reading. She has spent 22 years working in Elementary, Middle and University settings as a classroom teacher, reading specialist, coach, special programs facilitator, and University Professor.

When she is not at home in Clive, Iowa, spending time with her husband and two teenage children, you will find her on her blog or on Twitter at @angelamaiers - her favorite space for thinking, creating, and pushing the scope of her imagination and learning.

Lisa Nielsen is best known as creator of The Innovative Educator blog and Transforming Education for the 21st Century learning network. Lisa is an outspoken and passionate advocate of learning innovatively. She is frequently covered by local and national media for her views on “Passion (not data) Driven Learning,” "Thinking Outside the Ban" to harness the power of technology for learning, and for providing a voice to educators and students. Ms. Nielsen also writes for Huffington Post, Tech & Learning, EdReformer, and Leading & Learning and is the author of the soon- to-be-released book, Teaching Generation Text.

Based in New York City, Ms. Nielsen currently serves as an educational administrator. She has worked for more than a decade in various capacities supporting schools and districts in providing innovative learning opportunities that will prepare students for 21st century success. You can follow her on Twitter @InnovativeEdu (Disclaimer: The information shared does not reflect the opinions or endorsement of her employer.)

Amy Sandvold is a Roman Catholic School Principal at Sacred Heart School and the soon-to-be Principal at the Blessed Maria Assunta Pallotta Middle School (open 2012) for the Cedar Valley Catholic Schools (Archdiocese of Dubuque) in Waterloo, Iowa.

Amy has served in both public and private schools in rural, urban and suburban areas. She has experience teaching Title I Reading and as a 3rd and 5th grade classroom teacher, and served as a full-time literacy coach. She has been an Education Programs & School Improvement Consultant for the Iowa Department of Education and has taught several courses at the University of Northern Iowa.

Amy has presented on numerous literacy and school improvement topics at regional and international conferences. Amy holds a BA and Master of Arts in Education K-12 Reading Specialist, and has an Advanced Studies Certificate in PreK– 12 Educational Leadership.

Amy blogs at http://thepassiondrivenleader.wordpress.com.

George Couros is currently school principal of Forest Green School and Connections for Learning, located in Stony Plain, Alberta, Canada.  The schools are from ages K-12, and he loves working with kids of all ages.  He is passionate about distributed leadership within his school, and believes that creating a collaborative environment with all stakeholders, will help to ensure that educators meet the best needs of all children.  You can learn more about George on his own blog entitled “The Principal of Change”. George is also the creator of the “Connected Principals” site because he knew that we can learn so much from a strong team of educators with different backgrounds, as opposed to the view of only one.  It is imperative that as educators, we are learners first.

The Passion-Driven Classroom: A Framework for Teaching & Learning