-
Slideshow via FFmpeg
Since I’m known in our family (and in parts of my community) as someone with a few technology and media skills, from time to time I’m asked to help out with slideshows at special events. In the past this has included funerals for both of my spouse’s parents, as well as my mom’s funeral. Back…
-
Memes, Warfare, and Propaganda
In my April 26 Media Literacy Roundup, I previewed our then-upcoming Media Education Lab webinar on “Memes, Warfare, and Propaganda” and promised a reflection afterward. This is that reflection. I was reminded about needing to share it because the latest CBS Sunday Morning episode, “Inside Iran’s online propaganda war,” covered nearly identical ground for a…
-
Minecraft MakeCode Javascript Workaround
We’re wrapping up our Coding Mars / Minecraft Mars unit in my middle school computer programming class. It’s one of my favorite units. Students have been programming “agents” (which function like “robots” in Minecraft Education) to mine resources, farm, and build structures in a Mars-themed world. It’s hands-on, it’s creative, and it’s been particularly exciting…
-
Lead4Change Summit Reflections
I’m writing this from downtown Nashville, where I just wrapped up Day 1 of the Lead4Change Teacher Summit at the beautiful Hotel Noelle and VentureX Co-working space. It’s mid-April, the weather is gorgeous, and I’m feeling energized, seen, and hopeful. I want you to know why! In addition to sharing this blog post with details…
-
Spot the Bot: Notes and Takeaways
This week I virtually attended an excellent “Lunch & Learn webinar” hosted by the Center for North Carolina Politics and Public Service at Catawba College, titled “Spot the Bot: How to spot fake accounts and sort fact from fiction in social media.” The presenter was Torry Crass, former Chief Information Security Officer for the state…
-
Sketchnote to AI InfoGraphic
Today was one of my favorite lessons in my middle school media literacy class: We started our “Froot Loop Conspiracies” unit about the Moon Landing Hoax, Lateral Reading, and using the SIFT web literacy framework to vet and verify online information and sources. Today’s introductory lesson involved watching the first two of three videos, and…
-
Vibe Coding a Mythological Creature Spinner
This school year, I’m unable to use SpinTheWheel.io, a random animal selector I’d been using for one of my favorite middle school creature-design projects. Last spring when I was asked to start teaching two sections of AP Computer Science Principles in February, I co-created this lesson with my colleague Todd Johnson, who took over one…
-
A Powerful Story
In my 55 years of life on our planet and 32 years as a professional educator and teacher, I’ve shared a lot of stories and more than a few presentations. This evening, I believe I shared one of the most important and powerful stories I’ve ever personally connected with. But like we often do as…
-
Normalize Your Video Audio with Auphonic (and QuickTime Player)
One of the most common problems I see in student and creator videos alike is inconsistent audio. You shoot a clip facing the camera, then turn around to capture something else — and suddenly the audio levels are completely different. The result is a video that sounds unprofessional, even when the content is great. The…
-
Digital Defense Against the Dark Arts
My spouse and I are big Lord of the Rings as well as Harry Potter fans. We love the books and we love the movies. Over Christmas break I started re-reading the Harry Potter book series… This evening we finished watching (AGAIN) the sixth film in the series, “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.”…
