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P3 Remix

My P3 Experience, Remixed
*Disclaimer: This post really doesn’t serve any educational purpose. It is just a post for me to share something I enjoy while doing a little reflecting. While I mostly share education-related posts, sometimes a post like this helps provide a break from all of that. As one of my favorite artists, the late Gord Downie once wrote in the song Use It Up, “There’s music that can take you away, away, away, away.”

There is something about music. It takes us to a place in time, it brings about emotion, it lives on forever. As I listen to new episodes of Noa Daniel‘s Personal Playlist Podcast (P3), I get a chance to connect to stories, to connect to music, and to connect to people. I’m a music geek. Always have been. I can so vividly remember car rides in the family station wagon on an hour ride to my grandparents’ house as Paul Simon’s Graceland album plays on repeat the cassette deck. Perhaps this is where I get the habit of listening to an album on repeat until I have it memorized track to track. When the radio was on, it was Casey Kasum’s Countdown of top hits during the late 80s, early 90s. When Gord Downie ended many Tragically Hip concerts with “Thank you, music lovers,” I imagine just about everyone there felt like he was talking right at them. Back in May of 2019, I had a chance to share my song selections and some stories on Noa’s podcast. The songs came to me quickly.  Many guests have expressed that their song selections could easily shift based on the time they were asked to share. That’s where this is headed. It is a new time, one heck of an interesting time as I sit here in essential quarantine from the world, hoping to stop the spread of coronavirus. No place to travel and air to be filled with music through the day. One can only take so many newscasts and press conferences.

I have had so many things to have blogged about over the past months. It didn’t happen. This space has sat idle for far too long. Between my pals at #EduBlogYear writing and supporting constantly and having some extra time stuck at home as a result of COVID-19 school closures, I felt the urge to write and press publish. As I work back into writing, this felt like an easy, enjoyable re-entry.

The idea for this post comes mainly from sports being canceled.  Sports media outlets are currently looking for content to keep fans reading. Some look back at past years drafts and re-pick them years later based on their knowledge of current team needs and player success through that time. Here’s a great example of a recent one looking back at 2005. For this, I only have to look back to a year ago. I LOVE my three-song selections from 2019. I’d put them up against any songs, any day of the week. They mean so much to me. They are personal. But for fun, let’s remix the picks and mix in some reflection.

My original P3 selections:

Nostalgic:
2019 Selection – Ballad of a Poet (2018) by Our Lady Peace

Identity
2019 Selection – Comin’ Home (live) (2007/2017) by City and Colour

Pick Me Up
2019 Selection – Relentless (2018) by Arkells

My P3 Re-Draft a year later (in this current time of COVID-19):

Nostalgic:
2020 Selection – Public Service Announcement (2003) by Jay-Z

2003 was a very nostalgic year for me. I was graduating from college and finishing my competitive NCAA ice hockey career at the age of 21-22. I thought I knew so much but really, knew so little about the world, about life. I still know so little, but I know a lot more than I knew back then. It was a time of closing one door and opening another. This song kind of captures all of that in a way. A song of putting in the work, walking away from that work and that chapter of your life, closing the door in a way on something you love, and setting forth on something new, and finding a new path, while still having these past experiences wired inside of you and shaping the future you. I know there are many songs out there that capture this, but this one rose to the surface. Jay-Z (Sean Carter) is one of my favorite artists. His flow, his storytelling, his beats & hooks. Hip hop is nostalgic for me because this is what I would often pump through my headphones while working on whatever I was doing at the time, a school project, mowing the lawn, washing the car, riding my bike, shooting hoops in the driveway, getting ready for a hockey game, driving with the windows down, you name it. Something about it just put me in a good mood. While many current hip hop artists of 2020 don’t do it for me like those of the 90’s and 2000’s, I can throw on any of Jay-Z’s albums and it’s instant nostalgia. 

Identity
2020 Selection – The Depression Suite (2009) by The Tragically Hip

Our identities aren’t shaped by one moment or one experience, but rather a collective “suite” of these. Perhaps mine is shaped by the many concert experiences I shared over and over again with hundreds and sometimes thousands of others enjoying an evening with The Tragically Hip. Mesmerized by the lights, the sound, Gord and the boys on stage, the life all around in those two and a half hours. This song is a journey of itself, much like our own life. It is multiple songs in one. It plays on and at times, you feel it is not going to end. In many ways, I didn’t want it to. It is an underrated song in The Hip catalog. In this month of May, Mental Health Awareness Month, I have joined part in the #SameHere movement. This song captures the joys, and the struggles. Are you going through something? I am too. Same here. We have the music and we have each other. Find some time amongst all the noise to take a look around and enjoy the ride. 

Pick Me Up
2020 Selection – Years in the Making (2020) by Arkells
*Even the acoustic version picks me up! 

I cannot find a song by this band that I don’t enjoy. I can think back to a few years ago when I saw Max Kerman in a Starbucks in Niagara Falls and was too shy to say hello and strike up a conversation. It was one of those things where I didn’t want to bother him. If I could go back, I’d probably say hello, say cheers, and say thank you for the pick me ups. This band holds a special place for me because it also was the first time I took my then 5-year-old son to a live music event. An Arkells pop-up acoustic show at Revolver Records. A hundred or so people crammed inside a tiny record store (boy does it feel good to see a few record stores holding onto existence in 2020), with him on my shoulders. I captured the moment here. Here he is just enjoying the music, the song My Heart’s Always Yours. And then…the pick me up moment. A moment we’ll always have together, a moment that will always pick me up when I see it. Just like their music always does.

Cheers to songs that touch on our identities, offer some nostalgia, and pick us up. 

Tune in for yourself if you’d like:
Apple Music Playlist
Spotify Playlist
*For some reason The Depression Suite track doesn’t appear in Apple Music or Spotify. Surprisingly the entire We Are the Same album from 2009 is also missing in both spaces. I guess this is where it pays to have the album on disc. 

Student Voice Day 2020

The goal of International #StudentVoiceDay has always been to bring the world together.


World Record Wednesday (#Flipgrid2030WR) 2018 asked, “Describe the world you would like to live within in the year 2030.”

#StudentVoiceDay 2019 asked, “How will you use your voice to change the world?”

#StudentVoiceDay 2020 finds millions of us around the globe apart due to COVID-19. We’ve seen student voice used in so many powerful ways. What if now more than ever, that voice was used to lift up others? What if once again, the power of technology was used to bring people together?

The educators from the Our Global Classroom (OGC) Community have connected and collaborated on a topic aimed at the topic of gratitude and giving thanks to another who has helped us during this difficult time. You’ve most likely helped someone during this time. Others have most likely helped you in some way. Let’s celebrate the good by using our collective voices! We hope that you’ll join and get inspired to amplify student voice in your classroom on May 13th and beyond.

This year’s topic (sneak preview) will hit the Disco Library on May 12th for teachers to add to their grids. Direct Flipgrid Disco Library link

For #StudentVoiceDay 2020, record a message of gratitude or thanks for someone who has helped you recently. Tell them how they have helped you and the difference they made. A parent, a teacher, a sibling, an essential worker, a neighbor, anyone. For additional impact, share your Flipgrid message with that person! 

Planning on participating on May 13th? Check out these fabulous Grid Tips from Jornea Erwin: https://blog.flipgrid.com/news/respectingeveryvoice

Want to make your video even more fun? Check out those camera options shared by Jess Boyce: https://blog.flipgrid.com/news/flipgridcamera

We realize that student voice happens in many spaces! In-person AND across many different technology platforms. Flipgrid has always been our go-to tool for amplifying student voice, but this year we want to be sure to bring #StudentVoiceDay to as many platforms as possible through tools that students and teachers enjoy. Love getting creative on Buncee? Create and share it there! Love creating collections in Wakelet? Create and share there! Love building in Minecraft? Create and share it there. Love creating your own rhyme in the Flocabulary Lyric Lab? Create and share it there! Love coding? Create a message on Scratch or in the code.org Sprite, App, or Game Lab. Love learning more about the world with the world? Join a Belouga Deep Dive Series and share your voice there on a global scale. Love chatting with classmates and want to share that message with them? Create a bubble on GoBubble and share it on your channel.
*Scroll to the end of this post for resources and collections related to participating in #StudentVoiceDay 2020.

Have some ideas on what other tools could be used this year? Share your ideas to the #StudentVoiceDay hashtag on Twitter and tag @m_drez, @JoyceBronwyn, and @mrshurtteaches!

Even more awesome ways to amplify student voice this year:

Wakelet:
Official Collection (View Only)
Contributor Link


Buncee:
Blog Post
Buncee Board


GoBubble:
OGC Channel

 


Belouga:
Mental Health Awareness Month & Deep Dive Series


Maker Challenge (from @thekylekitchen)
Site: #FozzbottomChallenge

Student Voice Day

This year, my Our Global Classroom friends and CoPilots, Bronwyn Joyce & Malinda Hurt have joined forces with our friends at Flipgrid to collaborate and create an International #StudentVoiceDay. We hope that you’ll join and get inspired to amplify student voice in your classroom on April 24th and beyond. Currently, over 300 classrooms are signed up to participate. This effort will build on last year’s World Record Wednesday Our Global Classroom Flipgrid topic. More details: http://blog.flipgrid.com/studentvoiceday

Join us: https://www.wevideo.com/view/1361524264

Planning on participating on April 24th? Check out these fabulous Grid Tips from Jornea Erwin: http://blog.flipgrid.com/news/respectingeveryvoice

Don’t forget to join us for a special #FlipgridFever chat at 9 PM EST on April 24th as we celebrate what is sure to be an incredible day in classrooms around the globe!

Promo FlipgridFever #StudentVoiceDay

Something Different for World Read Aloud Day

World Read Aloud Day is a celebration of reading and literacy. It is a call for people, especially our students to grab a book, find an audience, and read aloud. There are so many great books out there and you’ll find many amazing students from around the world reading and sharing on this day. But what if one of the books read aloud for World Read Aloud Day (#WRAD2019) hasn’t been written yet? What if your class helped write the story…and read the story to the world?

This year, we’ll be doing just that with Buncee, a classroom multimedia tool that helps writing come alive.  Schools around the globe will contribute to a #GlobalBunceeBook and write the story.  The project will run from January 30 to February 15, 2019 and won’t be possible without awesome classrooms joining in and adding a page to the book.

Let your creativity and imagination fly as the #GlobalBunceeBook travels from classroom to classroom.

Here are answers to your questions:

How Do I Participate in #GlobalBunceeBook?
1. Visit the Buncee Board here: https://tinyurl.com/BunceeWRAD19
*Full link: https://app.edu.buncee.com/bunceeboard/57e63c2fa6d64885ac4d9167c30f73d0

2. Read the Buncees added to the Board from oldest to newest (oldest will be farthest away from the “add” button).

3. As a class, create a Buncee, adding a page (or two) to the story from previous Buncees on the Board.
*Bonus: Add the Bunceeman character to the story (searchable in ‘Stickers’)

4. Have your class attach audio of them reading their part of the story using the Buncee audio feature and built-in audio recorder. Your Buncee will now have a play button on the text.

5. On the last page of your Buncee, add your school name and location so we can tally up the total virtual miles between pages.

6. Make your Buncee ‘Copyable’ in the ‘Share’ settings.
copyable

7. Copy the Link Code in the ‘Share’ settings.
copycode

8. Add your Buncee to the Buncee Board
addtoboard

9. Once you post, tag an educator in your PLN to join in and add a page to continue the story

10. Subscribe to the Buncee Board above to follow the story OR wait until late February when all of the individual Buncee pages will be shared as a single #GlobalBunceeBook that your class helped author!

*Directions are also shared in this Buncee

How Will the Story End?
That’s part of the fun! You’ll have to wait and find out. Will Abby and Bunceeman venture into the big city? Did Abby leave something on the school bus? What exactly might that dog discover while digging in the yard? What’s with the strange spacecraft above the city? Could that dog possibly end up in outer space (FYI – there is a dog astronaut sticker)?

We have a classroom ready at Lake Shore CSD to write and record the final page read aloud on February 15 after all other pages are added by participating classrooms.

How Do I Know It’s My Turn To Write/Create?
Don’t stress. Jump in when you and your class are ready!

What If I Don’t Have a Buncee Account?
Sign up for a free (30-Day) Classroom Account here.

Participating classrooms are encouraged to share out to #GlobalBunceeBook, #WRAD19, and #WorldReadAloudDay.

UPDATE (April 2019) – The finished #GlobalBunceeBook is here!



One Word 2017 Reflection

Looking back at 2017, my one word was ‘discover.’ It is safe to say that this was THE perfect word that I landed on for the year. I had no idea just what I would discover at the time of choosing my one word for 2017 but here is my reflection and look back on the year.

What exactly did I discover?

I discovered that so many of our teachers are moving forward in terms of trying new things in their classroom with educational technology. I love their attitude and openness to new ideas. I also discovered that nobody knows their classroom better than them. By acting as a thought partner and not through me fully driving the direction of the lesson, our collaboration created better learning experiences.

I discovered ways to amplify student voice. From throwing a random tweet at Sean Farnum about collaborating on a student podcast (which led to this and this and this) to harnessing the power of tools like Flipgrid, Buncee, and Seesaw to hosting a student edcamp, I not only discovered ways of amplifying student voice but the real power and value that comes from doing so. Just tuning in to what students have to say is powerful. Listening to the Student Ignite sessions at ISTE 2017 is something I recommend. Check out Curran Central’s talk here to get a taste.

I discovered the true value of a PLN, or PLF as Sarah Thomas remixed the term for the better at ISTE 2017. This PLF exists on Twitter and in my own backyard. Folks down the hall and teachers in the region at our regional educator forums are a wealth of experience, knowledge, and resources. We share the same vision and the face to face conversations and sharing is always special. I am grateful for Andrew Wheelock and Melanie Kitchen leading and facilitating these sessions. On Twitter (and Voxer), social media has been such a powerful way to connect. The folks here are truly dedicated and looking to create the best possible learning experiences for their students. I discovered that so many of them go out of their way to help, encourage, support, stretch my thinking, and most importantly, share some smiles and laughs together along the way.

I discovered the need to move from digital citizenship to digital leadership. Are we providing these opportunities? Digital citizenship cannot be taught from a textbook, worksheet or lecture. Discovering the book Social LEADia from Jennifer Casa-Todd was a game changer for me. I was grateful to meet her at Canada Connect Conference this year and also connect with her coding club over a video Google Hangout session. Meeting Marialice Curran also helped shape my view of what positive digital citizenship and leadership can look like. Discovering Dig Cit Summits and following along with them led to some great learning and new ideas.

I discovered failure. That’s right. I messed some stuff up. Not that I haven’t experienced it before, but I discovered looking at it differently. Things did not always go as planned. Nobody got hurt and I did not lose my job over it. One of my flaws is that I am often concerned with how other people view me or think of me. Trying to get things perfect comes along with that. This past year I let go of that worry and it was freeing. If I could travel back in time and give the high school me one piece of advice, this would be it.

I discovered the Teach Sustainable Development Goals movement thanks to Fran Siracusa. I was fortunate to be able to connect virtually to learn about how technology can help make the world a better place. Through this tweet she shared, I also discovered #CelebrateMonday, eventually connecting and learning from Sean Gaillard, the founder of #CelebrateMonday! I took the pledge shortly after and promise to keep the conversations active. Through Fran, I also discovered Connections Based Learning and some amazing projects their team led by Sean Robinson participated in. It completely changed how I look at the integration of educational technology. It is so much more than just improving academics (while that is important) and test scores.

I discovered global connections and collaborations are amazing. I have yet to experience a global collaboration and thought I could have made a better use of the time or done something differently. Each one is unique and each one helps students ask more questions than provides answers. I want all learning to feel like this. Buncee Buddies, Belouga, Empatico, STEM Hub, Mystery Skypes, Global Maker Day, K12 Valentine, Awesome Squiggles, Gingerbread STEM, Best Class Podcast, Minecraft Literature World, Read Across America, Global Speed Chat, PenPal Schools, Seesaw Connected Blogs, Skype-a-Thon, and even a high school Student Twitter Chat (#usetech4good – #positivelykind – #digcit). I will aim to discover even more of these learning opportunities in the new year and beyond. I really appreciate the hashtag created by Bronwyn Joyce, #OneWorldOneClassroom.

I discovered just how much I don’t know and how much room I have to grow. As a father, as a husband, as a friend, and as an educator. I am on the right path but discovering and identifying this will make me better.

I discovered the power of gratitude. I have always been a grateful person. My parents raised me this way. However, I never gave much thought to just how powerful gratitude can be. When at the Children’s Book Expo I stopped at a table with a sign reading 365 Days of Gratitude. I met a student author, Muskan Virk along with her mother, Meera. I picked up a copy of the book. Inspired by her message, I invited Muskan to Skype with our school. She agreed, shared her story and her message with students and teachers. It was a highlight of the school year and will leave a lasting impact. I look forward to connecting with her again to discover other ways she is making a difference in the world.

I discovered the real value in Minecraft Education Edition thanks to Mark Grundel and Garrett Zimmer. Their MOOC helped me learn so much about game-based learning and taking risks. It carried over to our classrooms and our students benefited. I took the leap and applied to become a Minecraft Education Global Mentor and was accepted into the program this December. It will run throughout 2018 and I am excited to discover more possibilities from others around the globe part of this community.

I discovered the need to give myself a break. Sometimes I push and push and push to the point of exhaustion. I discovered while the push helps me do what I do well, that pushing too hard will never bring about the best version of me. It is all about balance.

I discovered the power of leaning on your support. Doing it alone will always be an impossible climb, even if you think otherwise. The term “better together” is the truth.

I discovered to appreciate the unknown and what might lie ahead. We’ll never be able to predict our journey but appreciating that we are on one with great people around us is something special.

I probably discovered much more than I am even capturing here but this is what jumps out. I encourage you to take the one word challenge. If you want to take the idea a bit further to your students, check out what Dene Gainey did with his class here. That’s right, he turned it into a writing activity for students and created a podcast from them!

Goodbye 2017. Hello, 2018! May your one word help you discover as much as it did for me. 

Miles of Smiles

As an educator who seeks to bring creativity and imagination to the classroom, often through educational technology, I have experienced first-hand the power of Buncee’s Buncee Buddies program. Past project themes included International Peace Day, Earth Day and U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. Empathy is at the heart of these Buncee Buddies projects. Empathy isn’t a subject taught in school but a topic that can be woven into activities that can leave a lasting impact on students. Educators striving to make a difference in the lives of their students can do so by creating opportunities to build empathy in students. Another important aspect of these projects is community building. A community is built within the classroom amongst classmates and it is also built between partner classrooms many miles apart though appreciating similarities and differences. To extend building empathy and community beyond the school walls, we created a Buncee Buddies spin-off.

For many of us, the holiday season will bring smiles as we spend time with family and friends. Knowing this is a great part of what makes the holiday season special, the idea of Buncee Buddies Miles of Smiles was born. When we asked our students if they would be interested in creating a slide (or slides) using Buncee for someone outside of the classroom, their reaction of smiles and cheers reinforced to us that it was worth the effort. What can be created? Anything (since Buncee is a tool for creativity and imagination) one can think up that is smile-inducing but our ideas were: holiday humor, holiday stories, a holiday song, and holiday stickers and animations.   

The Buncee Board (collection of Buncee creations) reads:
#BunceeBuddiesMilesOfSmiles – Have a Buncee that is sure to make someone smile? Add it to this board! We’ll be sharing these with folks away from home for the holidays serving in the military, in retirement communities, nursing home/assisted living facilities, hospitals, etc. Let’s use our creativity and imagination to bring smiles for miles.  *Add a QR code to your Buncee to activate any animations, video or audio features you add.

If you are interested in spreading some smiles for miles, feel free to create a free Buncee account, create a Buncee and copy your Buncee link to the Buncee Board found HERE. Don’t be surprised if creating brings you a smile in addition to bringing a smile to many others. We cannot wait to share these with others. Anyone can view and share the board link. Buncees can be downloaded and printed or viewed digitally on any connected device.

Thanks to Buncee for supporting this idea and to everyone who has shared or contributed to #BunceeBuddiesMilesOfSmiles in some way. An especially big smile was created when Shannon Miller, fellow Buncee Ambassador, shared out a blog post on the project this week. At the time of this post, the Board has over 75 Buncees, almost 400 views, over 300 reactions, and over 50 comments. That is A LOT of smiles.

Enjoy the holiday season. Take time to create and especially take time to smile and spread smiles!