Please contact me if you are interested in providing any of the following presentations to your whole staff or to smaller teams. Each presentation is designed to include interaction among participants using Critical Friends Group protocols to foster reflective and collaborative thinking, and each presentation can be tailored to accommodate a hands-on environment (delivered in a computer lab or a room where participants can use laptops with wireless internet connections.) Time requirements for each presentation can be adjusted for your schedule, with a recommended minimum of 1 hour for each presentation and a maximum of 3 hours.

Additionally, most of the information in each presentation can also be delivered through video web-casting if time and location constraints prevent an “on location” presentation.

Contact me for questions or additional information.

Why Web 2.0 Works
In this day of high-stakes testing and frequent complaints from teachers that they “don’t have time to use technology” in the classroom, this presentation seeks to bridge the gap to help teachers see that technology doesn’t have to be an add-on that distracts them from focusing on the curriculum. Rather than accepting an either/or mentality, we can begin to connect technology to the accepted “best practices” that our districts expect to see in our classrooms.  Connections are made between Web 2.0 tools and effective pedagogy: Marzano’s Classroom Instruction That Works, Bloom’s Taxonomy, Breaking Ranks, etc.  Participants will learn about specific Web 2.0 tools that can be used by teachers, and strategies that can be used with those tools that align with and support research-based effective instructional methods. Reference will be made to specific instructional strategies and a variety of examples will be shared covering all content areas from K-12 to college/university levels.

Wikified Schools: Wikis for School Improvement
Web 2.0 is not just for the classroom. The use of Web 2.0 tools can increase and improve communication, collaboration, and cooperation across all levels of a school or education organization. In this presentation we will explore the use of one particular Web 2.0 tool — the Wiki — as a highly effective communication and collaboration tool that enhances the effectiveness of school or district leadership teams. Wikis will be defined and participants will learn basic wiki usage syntax and guidelines as well as see some live examples of wikis being used by schools for development of school improvement plans and various other knowledge management purposes. Related topics such as RSS and blogs will also be covered briefly. B.Y.O.L.

Google Docs: Communicate, Collaborate, Create!
B.Y.O.L. (Bring Your Own Laptop)
Google Docs provide educators with free online collaborative tools that can not only enhance professional work, but increase productivity while freeing up time and server space!  In this session we cover the basics of using Google Docs (and Spreadsheets, Forms, and Presentations), discuss tips & tricks for better use of Google Docs, and learn how to maximize features to communicate, collaborate, and create.  Examples will cover professional productivity as well as classroom applications.

It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere!
B.Y.O.L. (Bring Your Own Laptop)
Learn about tools that allow you to collaborate globally with other educators or with other classrooms! This presentation provides an introduction to a selection of easy-to-use, FREE tools that make global communication & collaboration possible, and also highlights a few successful collaborative classroom projects that allowed students to collaborate with other students around the world.

Grow Your Own PLN (Professional/Personal Learning Network)
B.Y.O.L. (Bring Your Own Laptop)
Educators around the world have discovered the value of developing an online learning network of peers who share similar learning interests.  Learn how they are developing these PLNs, explore the free online tools they are using, and start “growing your own” PLN in this session.  Laptop recommended for full learning experience.

21st Century Literacy & sexykitten365@email.com
The common myth about today’s students is that they are all much more technologically proficient that older generations. Research from workplace and post-secondary surveys disputes this mythology. In this presentation we will discuss why this myth is so prevalent, what is wrong with this myth, and what we as educators need to do about it. We will also discuss some of the changes in the 21st Century workplace that will require our students (as well as educators) to develop new 21st Century Literacies in order to compete and collaborate globally.

21st Century Teachers
What does this new, “flat” world of global collaboration and communication mean for teachers? How do these changes impact the teaching profession and what can teachers be doing right now to “keep up” with these ever-increasing changes in our world? This interactive session will give participants the opportunity to explore these questions and to brainstorm ideas for moving individual and/or school practice forward to create relevant and meaningful 21st Century learning experiences for all learners. B.Y.O.L.