I was fortunate to attend and present a session at the
ED Camp NYC unconference back in December 2010. The session I facilitated was entitled: "
Igniting a Culture of Innovation" and it explored how schools can utilize Google Apps for Education to build their online learning communities from the ground up. We also discussed the professional development model I have used in several schools to support the growth of collaborative online learning environments, along with strategies for implementing an action plan connected to a school Google Apps roll out. Overall, I was really happy with how the session went, and it gave me the opportunity to share the ideas I'm working on with educators from across the country.
Another session I was particularly excited about was Al Doyle's session on game design. During the session, he introduced us to
Gamestar Mechanic, a powerful tool that allows participants to design a video game from scratch. No programming experience is required to use Gamestar, but critical thinking and a collaborative spirit is a must.
"We play, design, and we share," said Mr. Doyle This is a powerful tool that pushes students critical thinking and promotes collaborative social learning experiences."
I look forward to attending EdCamp again next year.
I'm catching up on EdCamp NYC posts. Thank you for your reflection. I'm glad your session went well! I was able to attend most of Al Doyle's session, as well. My son has been playing with the three tools he shared. I recently had fun watching Digital Media: New Learners of the 21st Century" and seeing Al in the video. We'll be planning an EdCamp NYC for 2011 over the summer.
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