On Friday, April 12th, Google Certified Teachers and Trainers were invited to come back to Google NYC for a GCT Reboot to find out about the latest and greatest happenings with Google technologies in education. In this hangout, Reboot attendees Alice Barr, John Calvert, Jesse Lubinsky and Jennifer Cronk discussed the event in detail. We were particularly lucky to have Alice join us as she was one of the organizers of this year's GCT Reboot. Overall we were so happy with how GCT Reboot 2013 turned out and simply can not wait for the next one!

For more information on the Google Certified Teacher program, you can click here.

Following the LHRIC Tech Expo at the Edith Macy Conference Center on April 5th, 2013, several members of NY TECH ED did a debrief to discuss the conference. Among the topics covered were sessions we liked, new information we found valuable, as well as a conversation about the conference structure.

Conference notes from the day can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/techexpo13

Additionally, NY TECH ED was able to record several sessions from the confernce. They can be found here: http://www.nyteched.org/tech-expo-hangouts.html

If you have any feedback from the conference, please feel free to add your thoughts below!

On Tuesday, April 9th, the New York Technology Educators Network (NYTEN) held a meeting at the Lower Hudson Regional Information Center (LHRIC) to discuss several items of interest to technology leadership from regional districts. Video from the session can be found above.

Dr. Dennis Lauro, the LHRIC Executive Director, presented information to the group on PARCC. That presentation can be found here: NYTEN Presentation by Dennis Lauro 4-9-2013

What can I say? I love the Tech Expo just that much.  Second in my mind only to going to Google on one of the Google Certified Teacher events, (Yeah! next week!) the LHRIC's Tech Expo has become one of those events that is a "must"  for many of us in the Hudson Valley.  

This year promises to be as, if not more, significant for our learning and personal growth. The LHRIC has secured both @YongZhaoUO / Dr. Yong Zhao, and @karlfisch / Karl Fisch for this year's expo. Which is another reason why I am so excited, we have real faces and voices behind the well-known  Ed Tech names we see so often on Twitter and blogs.  And should I even bother to mention the PowerPoint that will go down in infamy?  "Did You Know?" I am sure Mr. Karl Fisch had no idea that the small presentation for faculty would be shown globally to motivate teachers and students.


I can not hear "Last of the Mohicans" with out remembering how moved I was by that presentation. So here it is, the original, because of even out of all the flashy 2 point oh (v 2.0, 3.0) the original is what was a game changer for me. 


Please use our collaborative Google Doc to keep notes, NY TECH ED has inserted a table of contents to easily navigate to your session and share notes.  See you at the conference!


So here it is, the presentation that changed how we all present:

Last week's session on Google Docs generated a lot of questions over setting up Google Apps in school districts. In fact, so many questions were generated that we decided to separate it off into a completely new hangout. Here, Clarkstown and Scarsdale share some of the decision-making processes they used when designing their Google Apps infrastructure. They also field questions and offer advice on what they would do differently if they had the chance to do it again. This is really great stuff for anyone interested in implementing Google Apps in their own districts.

Last week's hangout on Google Docs was very informative. The video recording of that hangout below. The Kern Kelley video on Google Docs Management that John Calvert mentioned during the session can be found here:

Additionally, we wanted to share out some other great resources to assist everyone in using Google Docs. Here are some of our favorites:

1. Tom Barrett has a fantastic website on Interesting Ways to use various technologies in the classroom. One of his presentations is 37 Interesting Ways to Use Google Docs In The Classroom. We highly recommend Tom's site as it features ways to incorporate many other technologies including other Google products.
2. From the GettingSmart blog: 5 Ways to Use Google Docs in the Classroom
3. The Comprehensive Guide to Google's Free Tools for Educators, Teachers, and Students which was compiled by Med Kharbach, editor of the Educational Technology and Mobile Learning blog.
4. From the Cool Tools for 21st Century Learners blog: Great Ways to Use Google Docs - Presented Visually
5. TeachThought's 52 Tips & Tricks For Google Docs In The Classroom
   

Have any other great resources on Google Docs that you like? Please share them with us in the comments section!

I could not help but share this little jem. In response to a question in the G.C.T. Group (Google Certified Teachers) Ryan Bretag posted his phenominal resources and step by step guide to getting educators to use Google +.

We have only just begun to tap into this fantastic resource here in Clarkstown, and I will be sure to go through every word that Ryan offers on the subject.  This is really nice on the heels of attending the NY/NJ Google Apps Summit last week where Google+ was showcased on a few occasions as a possible substitute for a LMS (Learning Management System like Moodle, Schoology or Blackboard).

Digital Storytelling is the practice of using computer-based tools to tell stories.  A group of 6th grade middle school students researched infectious diseases in science class and then wrote a script  about what they learned.  In order to make their story come to life the used iMovie to create a podcast/vodcast.   The students were excited about this project due to the fact that it was engaging and that they  were able to be creative about their video production.  Students learned how to use iMovie to make their stories come to life, they added copyright free images and sounds to enhance their production.  Once the movies were exported, we uploaded them to Ensemble Video.  

Here are samples:
  
Scarlett Fever 

Rubella 

West Nile Virus 

We are interested to learn how you others are infusing digital storytelling in their curriculum.  What tools are you using?  Please comment and share any additional resources you may have.