Thursday, January 9, 2014

Hour of Code and Beyond

I had an #eduawesome hangout today with Dr. Sam Patterson discussing our participation in the Hour of Code event and next steps to continue coding with kids. You can watch the entire hangout below.  

To continue the conversation, you can find us on Google+: +Sam Patterson Ed.D. +Rae Fearing  or Twitter @raefearing @sampatue
This hangout on air is also archived on my YouTube Channel.




Best quote from the discussion: 
"Sharing is our new superpower" - Dr. Sam Patterson

Resources mentioned in the discussion:

Code.org website with all of the Hour of Code Tutorials

Wes Fryer's Blog: Moving at the Speed of Creativity (posts on coding and Hopscotch)

Wes Fryer's Hopscotch Challenges eBook

Dr. Sam Patterson's Blog: My Paperless Classroom

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

My 5 #Eduwins from EdCamp Home 2.0

Ed Camp Home 2.0
Badge courtesy of +Kevin Ashworth 
On Saturday, January 4, 2014, I attended EdCamp Home 2.0. This was my 3rd EdCamp and 2nd EdCamp Home.  There is a certain magic when you participate in an EdCamp and I felt it again on Saturday. Yes, I learn at the sessions, but I also leave with new connections.  I have never attended an EdCamp as just a participant. I have always either been a moderator or the organizer (EdCamp Del Norte) and I think this enhances the experience even more by allowing me to connect with more people.

Here are my 5 Biggest #Eduwins from EdCamp Home 2.0

1. +Chip Chase and I had a 1 on 1 conversation about the effectiveness of educational technology.  One of the best things about EdCamps is that they are participant driven, you get what when you need it.  During session 2 we had a great discussion about how to measure our effectiveness as professional developers and technology integrators. We were the only two in the hangout, but it was an important conversation.  When do you ever get to talk to someone who does your same job, 1 on 1 for 40 minutes, uninterrupted?  Golden.

2.  I joined a new Google+ Community for Professional Developers and Educational Coaches.  There were several sessions I wanted to attend but wasn't able to.  One session was about supporting Professional Developers and Educational Coaches.  +Markette Pierce was in the session and started a Google + community afterwards to extend the conversation. I joined the community and two days later I was in a Google Hangout with Markette and +Jon Schull discussing how we support the learning of teachers. Jon asked me the best questions, I love how professors always make you think.

3.  I helped introduce my friend  +Stephanie Wayment to her first EdCamp.



4. Practice moderating Google Hangouts on Air  I enjoy pushing myself to try new things and I believe in learning by doing.  This was another opportunity to experience moderating a hangout.  Things go smoother each time!

5.  I was able to moderate a session and got this cool badge designed by +Kevin Ashworth



Did you miss EdCamp Home?  Links below will take you to all of the sessions video archives for EdCamp Home 2.0.
Session 1
Session 2
Slam