Lancaster-Lebanon IU 13 Instructional Media Services

Ken Zimmerman

Check out the Pre-Summit (GAFE) Workshops

Posted by Ken Zimmerman on Mon, Feb 2, 2015

Introducing One Day Pre-Summit Workshops

This one-day experience is designed to inform, inspire, and empower educational leaders. Workshops include sessions for leaders, educators, and technical staff. Breakfast and lunch are provided for all ticketed workshops.

Admin Console Technical Retreat

Do you manage Google Apps for your school or district? Have you configured your Admin Console around the best practices? The default console does not come configured for a school environment so find out what settings you really should change by attending this technical session. In the session will provide a deep dive of the Admin Console, which will include tips on how to manage users, groups, services and Chromebooks with ease. As well as a look at the third party services which will make your life easier and protect and secure your domain.

Topics covered include:

EDU focused Admin Console best practices
Deep dive walkthrough
OU Structures
Services
Groups
Chromebooks
Essential Third Party Tools
Deployment Best Practices
Asset Management
Troubleshooting
Security and Compliance
Backup
User Training

Google for Educational Leaders

This one-day experience is designed to inform, inspire, and empower educational leaders. Make the most of the free tools Google offers educational institutions. Understand the Google Apps suite, and how your support staff can manage student and teacher accounts. Be prepared to make decisions regarding the benefits (and limitations) of Chromebooks and Nexus devices. And learn which tools in the Google Apps Marketplace, the Chrome Web store, and Google Drive might best benefit your organization. This session also includes a segment focused on maximizing your own productivity with Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs, and more time-saving collaborative tools. Informed by case studies and best practices, this workshop is your best preparation for the two-day institute that follows.

GET Authorized Bootcamp (for Trainers)

Google Educator Trainer (GET) Train the Trainer (T3) Bootcamp serves two purposes: to raise awareness about how Google tools can be used in education to; ignite inquiry, promote collaboration, and allow for authentic publishing and sharing, (with students and among colleagues), and to prepare participants to pass the Google Educator Test and submit their certification application. Become a Google Educator to be recognized for your mastery.

Each session includes an interactive overview, top tips from the Google Educator Training Center, hands-on activities, and inspiring ideas for how to use Google for teaching, learning, and professional collaboration. The activities are flexible, designed to help new users quickly understand the “core magic” of each app - and to challenge veteran users by revealing features and innovative uses they never imagined. The experience is grounded in Google culture, complete with high-energy fast-paced demonstrations and challenging activities that can truly be called “hard fun.” There is no better preparation for teaching and learning with Google Apps - or for passing the Google Educator tests.

Important Notes: Certification is not included in the bootcamp (passing five tests, submitting an application, and approval from Google are required following the event). Taking tests and applying for certification is not necessary for participating in the bootcamp.

Google Educator Workshop

This one-day hands-on primer begins with a welcome activity that invites participants to co-create a new vision for education in the age of Google. Discover a tool kit of research tools for students and educators, including advanced search techniques, Google Books, Google Scholar, Google News, Google Alerts and more. Learn how Google Docs and Google Drive can facilitate collaboration and creation between students and among colleagues. Experience the ease of online publishing with Google Sites (and Blogger). Learn to expand your own personal learning network online with Google+. “Even more” inspiring instructional ideas conclude the day before a final reflection activity. This special workshop offers something for beginners and intermediate users… and there is no better preparation for the Google Apps for Education summit.

For more information on our PA Google Summit, click here.

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Topics: GAFE Summit

5 Distinct Media Types

Posted by Ken Zimmerman on Sun, Feb 1, 2015

What media helps you learn best in or out of the classroom? In today’s world of teaching and learning, teachers and students have a variety of media to choose from to help maximize student learning. Depending on the media used, some students respond very positively or even negatively based off of their styles of learning. One thing that I have learned in my teaching is that students respond well to being exposed to a variety of media for each instructional learning outcome in the classroom. Because students respond to different media in different ways based off of their unique learning styles, it is important to understand what media is available and how it can be used for the desired learning outcomes.

Let’s take a quick look at five distinct media types according to Patrick Fahy in his 2004 article titled, “Media Characteristics and Online Learning Technology”.

Print and Text
- This media by far has been the most popular in education throughout the last century and will continue to thrive, as it is a quick means of distributing informational text to students. Some students like this media for those visual learners who comprehend text complexities very well. Print and text continues to change its form… where most print media was via textbooks and printouts; the Internet has changed the playing field. We have noticed with certain students that they have had some trouble moving from reading printed text to online text because they are so used to scanning information online and not reading for comprehension. Sometimes accommodations and scaffolding needs to help guide students through online text.
- Examples: Textbooks, handouts, magazines, research articles, websites, etc.

Still Graphic and Static Displays
- This media especially helps those students who have trouble with reading comprehension. Through displaying information via graphs, it helps students breakdown the information they are reading. In addition, graphics are a way to capture student attention so they do not become lost in all the text on the page. One increasingly popular form of graphics today is infographics. Infographics help capture student attention as well help break down text complexities.
- Examples: Infographics, charts, data charts, Images, comic clip art, etc.

Sound and Music
- As a former world languages teacher, I discovered the power of sound and music very early on! Many students respond well to music particularly learning through music. Music gives us the ability to memorize patterns and sequences as well as vocabulary. Associating music with learning helps students make connections that they would not else think of making on their own.
- Examples: MP3 songs, Podcasts, Radio Broadcasts, Instrumental audio clips, sounds effects, etc.

Video and Animation
- This media tracks a lot of attention in classrooms today in a variety of forms. Teachers have learned long ago how to capture student attention via video clips to help hone in on a particular learning objective. Increasing popularity has been the use of animation not only watching animated style clips, but actually creating animated clips used to assess their learning.
- Examples: YouTube, EdPuzzle, Discovery Education, GoAnimate, Animoto, etc.

Multimedia
- Out of all the media types, I think that this one has the closest connections to 21^st century learning. In my view, I consider multimedia to truly be a mash-up or combination of all the media. Students like the idea of having a variety of multi-media to enable learning and assessing. Multimedia helps bring the stage to life helping students make real world connections to the content they are learning. It’s connections to 21^st century learning are through having students create and distribute content.
- Examples: Prezi, PPT, Emaze, Google Slides, VoiceThread, etc.

What Media do you use in your classroom and how do you use it to maximize student learning? Please post in the comments section below.

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Topics: Media

Course Management System vs. Learning Management System

Posted by Ken Zimmerman on Sun, Jan 25, 2015

A hot topic in today’s 21^st century districts continues to be the learning management system and how it is being used in and out of the classroom. In alignment with the current trend of districts moving to 1:1 and BYOD environments, districts are taking a look at their Course and Learning Management Systems to determine if they are meeting the necessary learning objectives for their teachers and students promoting 21^st century teaching and learning. Throughout these conversations, I have noticed that most educators are using the term Learning Management Systems (LMS) when they are referring to Course Management Systems (CMS). This is an easy mistake to make that I have made myself when referring to systems like Moodle, Google Classrooms, Schoology, Canvas, Desire2Learn, etc. Are these systems really Learning Management Systems or are they indeed a Course Management System – or even do some bridge the divide between the two?

Let’s take a moment to define some particular differences between an LMS and a CMS. At first glance, I think the easiest distinction between the two is that a Course Management System is used as a repository of learning documents and files, discussion forums, assessment tasks, assignments, etc. Students log on to the teacher’s CMS in order to access their class files and submit homework and assessments. The way the CMS is set up may look differently from one teacher to another as well as the learning outcomes and expectations of student use. An LMS can do much of what a CMS can do, but also can take the e-learning even further to a more personalized approach. Instead of all students accessing the same document or files, students might pre-assess and due to their deficiencies and/or proficiencies they may receive a different learning path from one another.

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Topics: Learning Management Systems (LMS)

IU13 Hosts a PA Google Summit featuring Google for Education!

Posted by Ken Zimmerman on Fri, Jan 16, 2015

We invite you to join us for the EdTechTeam Pennsylvania Summit featuring Google for Education in Lancaster, Pennsylvania to be held at the Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13 on April 28 & 29, 2015. This high intensity two day event focuses on deploying, integrating, and using Google Apps for Education and other Google Tools to promote student learning in K-12 and higher education. The program features Google Certified Teachers, Google Apps for Education Certified Trainers, practicing administrators, solution providers, Google engineers, and representatives from the Google education teams.

Register now to send teachers, administrators, tech directors, library media specialists, tech support staff, CTOs, and anyone who is interested in finding out more about leveraging Google Apps for Education to support student learning.

Some Suggested Topics and Strands

Technical
Beginner- Getting Going with Google
Intermediate- Gear Up with Google Apps
Advanced- Getting Geeky with Google
Administrators
Higher Ed

Technical Strands

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Topics: GAFE Summit

IMS Events in January and February 2015!

Posted by Ken Zimmerman on Mon, Jan 5, 2015

Happy New Year! We have some great events planned to help us usher in the New Year this January and February! Check out the following line up:

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Topics: Workshops, Tech/Media Monthly Mtgs, IMS Services

Educational Technology at IU13

Ken Zimmerman

Recent Posts

Check out the Pre-Summit (GAFE) Workshops

Introducing One Day Pre-Summit Workshops

Admin Console Technical Retreat

Google for Educational Leaders

GET Authorized Bootcamp (for Trainers)

Google Educator Workshop

5 Distinct Media Types

Course Management System vs. Learning Management System

IU13 Hosts a PA Google Summit featuring Google for Education!

IMS Events in January and February 2015!

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