November Learning: Expanding the Boundaries of Learning

Howie DiBlasi

About Howie DiBlasi
Educational Technology Trainer and Speaker, Durango, CO

Dr. Howie DiBlasi was recognized as “Vocational Teacher of the Year” for the State of Arizona and nominated as a finalist in the “Top Secondary Leaders in America.” He has been featured in several magazines as “A CIO that really thinks outside the box.”

He was recently recognized by the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration with the “Pinnacle Award” for outstanding professional development programs.

Dr. DiBlasi has extensive experience in the education field (20 years), as a business leader (10 years) and as a Technology Director (14 years).

His emphasis is on digital technology, multi-media, interactive video conferencing and 21st century learning. He is a Master Certified Trainer and has received certification from two national organizations. He is a recognized leader in these areas and has extensive hands on experience in training administrators and educators using 21st century technology and applications.

He is known as a highly energetic, compassionate and approachable speaker. He is a trainer that blends humor, applicable stories of best practice and high levels of audience involvement. Over the past year, he has presented programs, courses and keynotes to thousands of administrators, teachers, technology specialists and professionals across the country. His presentations have involved leaders and educators from Boston to Bangkok.

Howie is the President of the I.S.T.E. Special Interest Group for Interactive Video Conferencing, a member of the ISTE SIG Board Council, a board member of TxDLA, serves as an advisor to the CILC board and a member of the Alan November’s consulting team.

Main Session Workshops

Creating Global Stories with Twitter: Choose Your Own Adventure

What if you could see and hear a historical event or story as it unfolds using Social Media? How about using Twitter to write short stories and create your voice to make a “Global Connection”?

“Global Stories” will include Earthquakes, Disasters, Elections, Politics and World Events that utilize social media. Connect with Twitter to implement new methods that can challenge any 21st century student.

Learn five ways to deploy storytelling using Twitter. Utilize ten ideas in Twitter digital storytelling. See how you can collect your own stories that can be told through digital threads.

The presentation will assist you in understanding the power of these tools and will increase your productivity as a teacher or administrator. It will also help you redesign assignments in ways that increase and assess student critical thinking skills. Find out what it is, how it works, how to develop instructional strategies and how educators utilize it for teaching and learning.

With these amazing new tools, how will you tell your stories?

PLN: Building Your Global Connection Network

What is a PLN, anyway? PLN is an acronym for Personal Learning Network. Find out how to get stated, how to create the PLN, software to use and who to invite. You will learn how to meet and communicate with people in your personal PLN.

• Create a PLN (Personal Learning Network)
• Communicate, learn and interact on a daily basis.
• Invest in building and contributing to your PLN.
• Join five PLNs that include, Classroom 2.0, Educators PLN, ProTeacher, Teachers.net, Global Education Network.
• Collaborate on projects with your PLN.

Ways educators are using their PLNs

• Professional development – learn from content-area specialists.
• Locate resources for your classroom, such as free Web sites and software.
• Get lesson plan ideas from master teachers.
• Learn about new technology and how to integrate it into your teaching.
• Find collaborative solutions.
• Find interesting links to education news.

50 Ways To Integrate Social Media Into Your Classroom

Explore the elements of social bookmarking and networking and how it integrates into your classroom. We will demonstrate and answer the following questions:

• What is a social network and how can I utilize it in my classroom or school?
• What is social bookmaking and what are the benefits of it in my classroom?
• What are the characteristics of learning networks? How do they differ from social networks?
• What are the classroom applications I can apply?
• How can administrators utilize a social network?
• How do I use the network features of this tool to create a professional learning network of peers?

Cool Web 2.0 Tools: Integrating Math, Science, Language Arts and Social Studies

Integrating technology into classroom instruction means more than teaching basic computer skills and software programs in a separate computer class. It must happen across the curriculum in ways that research shows deepen and enhance the learning process. It must support four key components of learning: active engagement, participation in groups, frequent interaction and feedback as well as connection to real-world experts. Effective technology integration is achieved when the use of technology is routine and transparent and when technology supports curricular goals.

The myriad of resources of the online world provide each classroom with more interesting, diverse and current learning materials. When technology is effectively integrated into subject areas, teachers grow into roles of adviser, content expert and coach.

Upon completion of the session-participants will be able to:

• Identify six Web 2.0 tools to use in their content area.
• Create an online project to use in their content area.
• List three ways to reach different types of learners in specific content areas.
• Assess student understanding through multiple means.
• Understand how technology supports curricular goals.
• Describe how technology will help students acquire the skills they need to survive in a complex, highly technological and knowledge-based economy.

10 Ways To Become An Inspirational Teacher: Power Tools for Lifelong Learners

Our students deal with an enormous number of sensory inputs on any given day. Helping them focus attention is a critical first step when engaging students. Learn how to keep your learners’ interests piqued so you can keep them engaged. Find out what it will take to compel students to do things differently and how to engage with ideas, information and each other.

Digital kids learn from watching, showing and sharing with others. Discover what social learning is all about and how to allow students a sense of feeling personally engaged.

To provide a 21st century learning environment we need to engage learners in the active negotiation of new knowledge so that new learning will be relevant to each and every contributor and will provide a memorable learning experience. If we learn how to change the learning environment, there is a greater likelihood students will remember what they’ve learned.

Learning is unique to each individual and we need to discover how to give the learners the skills to engage. In today’s socially networked world, it is important to help students feel connected to the community.

Learn how to discover your students’ potential in technology as we explore over 100 resources that are exclusively for K-12 students. The session will look at individual tools, its description, examples of its use in the K-12 curriculum, how to get started using it and a unit plan focused on learning strategies. Exercises will be demonstrated to reinforce these concepts. Participants will be provided links and a complete listing of all Web sites mentioned plus access to a Web site for exercises, new URLs and more.

Upon completion of the session the participants will be able to:

• Create a social network using Ning.
• Communicate with staff and colleagues via Twitter.
• Connect students with their community.
• Communicate with a global community via video conferencing.
• Engage with other students through global projects.
• Contribute to society via the KIVA network project.