InnEdCO 2018

I recently learned of the acceptance of my workshop/presentation for this summer's InnEdCO conference in Keystone, Colorado. Last year, I presented a beginner's workshop for teachers to learn the basics of TinkerCAD, possible 3D printer options, and how to fund a 3D printer through crowd sourcing (Donor's Choose).

I'll change my presentation this year to include an advance level within the workshop. It will still be open to beginners, but I'll have an option within my Google Slide deck for participants to explore the classroom features for TinkerCAD. It now allows teachers to setup classroom accounts, have students easily join the online classroom community, and for teachers to push out specific lessons to students in your online classroom.

I'm not sure when I'll present my workshop, but it will be a 3 hour time slot during the regular conference dates:

Tuesday, June 12--Thursday, June 14

I'm truly grateful to InnEdCO for giving me this opportunity to share and learn.

InnEdCO 2017 -- Keynote Speaker

Building Blocks for the Future of Schools
-Dr. Scott McLeod (Dangerously Irrelevant)

Amazing vs Normal
Kids doing amazing things outside of school:
-Student blogging about school lunches
-Students creating video tutorials on video games

How do we give students the opportunities to do amazing things?

Formal learning vs Learning outside of school (often far more engaging and meaningful)
-How do we begin to give students voice/choice in what they learn?
-Project-based learning -- Genus Hour projects
-Engagement is the key - How do we increase engagement in our classrooms so kids aren't bored out of their minds?
     **Coming from a person who didn't care for school growing up - the most important thing we can do is increase student engagement**

4 Big Shifts:
-Higher level thinking -- moving away from regurgitating facts to solving problems
-Student agency -- student have voice/choice
-Authentic work -- real world application within the larger community
-Technology infusion -- technology allows for the 1st 3 shifts (above) to happen in innovative ways

Helpful resources:
http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/resources/3-big-shifts-8-building-blocks-and-some-guiding-questions
http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2013/08/7-building-blocks-for-the-future-of-schools.html
http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/resources/trudacot 
http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2017/03/where-do-we-set-the-bar.html

InnEdCO Conference

The great Paige Dersham and I are officially on the books for this summer's InnEdCO Conference from June 12-15 in Keystone, CO. Our session is on Tuesday, June 13 from 8-10 am.

During our workshop session, we'll present how our students use TinkerCAD to design 3D objects, how we print those objects using a 3D printer, and how other educators can fund this through Donor's Choose. We want educators leaving our workshop with the ability to create a 3D object using TinkerCAD and to create a project on Donor's Choose to start funding their own 3D printer.

Session Title: 3D Designing, Printing, and Making
Date: 06/13/2017
Start Time: 8:00
End Time: 10:00
Location: Crestone 3

InnEdCO Presentation Submissions

During Thanksgiving Break, I submitted an application to present at the 2017 Innovative Education Colorado Conference (InnEdCO) in Keystone, CO. All submissions are up for review on the InnEdCO website.

Here are the steps to vote for me:

1) Go to the InnEdCO website

2) Find my application on the first page under Jonathan Almon

3) Click "Review this Session"

4) Fill out the Google Form

Thanks in advance for helping me get out in front of an audience. I've never presented at a conference, so I'm excited for the opportunity!

-JA

InnEdCO Call for Presenters

I've had the fortune of attending the InnEdCO (formely TIE) conference a few different times when it was held in Copper Mountain, Colorado. After a hiatus due to the ISTE conference being in Denver last summer, InnEdCO is back in the beautiful Colorado mountain town of Keystone from June 12-15, 2017.

InnEdCO recently released their call for presenters for this innovative conference. You can go to InnEdCO's website to learn more about how to submit an application for review. Applications are due November 28th. I'll be submitting an application with a colleague with the idea of creating a workshop for attendees. Fingers crossed!