Moving at the Speed of Creativity by Wesley Fryer

Powerful and Free Tools from the Cloud by Rushton Hurley

These are my notes from Rushton Hurley‘s afternoon featured session on “Powerful and Free Tools from the Cloud” at the “Teaching and Learning in the Cloud Conference” in Holland, Michigan on 21 Oct 2010. MY THOUGHTS ARE IN ALL CAPS. All session resources are on Rushton’s Google Site. Rushton is @rushtonh on Twitter and the founder of the nonprofit Next Vista for Learning. Sign up for the free newsletter from Next Vista.

First video, made by a student about an organization s/he cares about. This topic: Boy Scouts of America. (THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE VIDEO!!!)

A Scout Is…. (QuickTime Format)

What if this student is in our classroom and we don’t even know it?!

There are so many ways to approach these projects, and it has very little to do with how YOU can make a video as a teacher.

Now showing an example of a student video created by a student of California teacher Jim Sill: Sonnett 23

Backstory: The drama teacher came in and helped students learn to read Shakespeare aloud. In Google Books students found “No Fear, Shakespeare.”

Now let’s see a movie created ten years ago by one of my students, working to explain things about our school.

Celebrating and edifying students who don’t often get that at home is really important
– audience, confidence and collaboration are really important

How many of you have had your students create work for students in another country? Not enough. Students should not just be asked to work for you. Often that work is minimalist.

Raise the stakes. Share the projects with 5th period. Share with students in another place.

Why are free tools important?

Assign video projects, you don’t have to teach the kids how. Give them an option, they can alternatively turn in a poster. That’s to CYA. Let kids work with one or two others. Give them six weeks to compete their project.

Now watching the Ikea lamp video

Get your own valid XHTML YouTube embed code

It is the light that matters, not the lamp

It’s amazing what can happen when you play.

It is not important if something goes wrong, it is important how you react!

Kids love teachers who are comfortable in the classroom. If it breaks down, try something else. When in doubt, ask the kids for ideas.

Experiment. Play! (As teachers too often we get away from this)

Now watching piano stairs.

Get your own valid XHTML YouTube embed code

Overcoming isolation in our classrooms and schools is essential.

Too often we don’t know the great things being taught and shared by our peers because we go into each other’s room too rarely.

Pedagogically, we don’t pay enough attention to the power of cool.

Last semester I measured success in my class by how often the kids said, “Oooooo.”

Now watching the Shorewood lipdub video, this was a response to their rival high school. (On YouTube)

Get your own valid XHTML YouTube embed code

Our kids desperately need us to be creative, interested in our lives, and willing to play. Willing to talk with us as students, not just talking at us.

Sections on Next Vista for Learning (all free, CC licensed videos)
– Collections and Contests
– Global Views
– Light Bulbs

My save the world nonprofit is Next Vista for Learning

Email: rh [DOT] next vista [DOT] org

– Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

– YouTube embed code obtained on my iPad with http://www.tools4noobs.com/online_tools/youtube_xhtml/


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2 responses to “Powerful and Free Tools from the Cloud by Rushton Hurley”

  1. Lisa Wickman Avatar
    Lisa Wickman

    The Shorewood video is great, but am I correct in assuming that they give credit NOWHERE to Hall and Oats?

  2. Robt.D.McKenzie Avatar

    Lisa, the kids/school gave accreditation on youTube. The author provided links. It is not reasonable to expect full bibliography on an article you just read for free in the public domain.