K12Online: 7 Degrees of Connectedness

This week the K-12 Online Conference kicks into high gear with video presentations that cross four strands.  If you know of any teachers who could use some mid-semester encouragement or motivation, please point them to the conference.

My presentation is based on 7 Degrees of Connectedness, and will go live in the "Getting Started" strand on Wednesday.  This video was produced with the support of a few of my online colleagues whose stories weave in and out of the narrative.  In short, my talk invites educators to foster authentic relationships by connecting with others through a range of social media tools.

What is it for you that leads you to pay closer attention to the learners in your network? Do you feel close to those colleagues you interact with, even if you've never met? Are you more attuned to those people whose voices are amplified because you met at a conference; exchanged stories; shared a meal? As our connections grow with online colleagues, we may find ourselves in qualitatively distinct relationships with co-learners. By sharing our ideas alongside details of our personal lives, we have a tendency to become more and more familiar to one another. Augment these connections with voices and imagery, and it can lead to deeper and more fulfilling connections. In this presentation Rodd Lucier (AKA The Clever Sheep), invites you to walk along with a few of his colleagues who join him in reflecting on how modern tools are impacting our online relationships. The concept of '7 Degrees of Connectedness' is introduced as one way to qualify the relationships we foster with online colleagues.
Presenter: Rodd Lucier Location: Komoka, Ontario, Canada

K 12 Online: Are You For Real?

Have you noticed that the #k12online hashtag has once again come to life? This free online event allows educators from around the world to participate asynchronously in presentations on a wide variety of topics. This year's theme, "Purposeful Play", has been divided into strands that include "Storytime", "Sandbox Play", and "Leveling Up".

Today, my presentation, "Are You For Real" goes 'live'. I'd love to know your thoughts. Do you have a story to share?

Are you in search of opportunities to make authentic connections with students and teachers? Why not surround yourself with prompts to remind you of compelling stories? Learn how aptly chosen artifacts, deliberately placed, can promote story-telling and relationship-building. Play along and consider how you willing you are, to be ‘real’ with your fellow learners.

Creative Commons: What Every Educator Needs to Know

This week, my K-12 Online Conference presentation on Creative Commons goes public. For late night readers, I'm embedding the video here, a few hours in advance of its official launch.

I'm grateful that this presentation follows on the heals of Dean Shareski's pre-conference keynote, Sharing: the Moral Imperative. My related purpose, is to demonstrate ways that educators can model the appropriate use of CC licensed materials, and to highlight how creators from around the world are benefiting from 'intentional' sharing.

Description:
"Creative Commons may be the most powerful mechanism for media development you've never heard of. Worldwide, creators of all ages are gaining access to millions of free images, audio files, video elements, and written materials, and are using these to create their own unique products. No matter what you teach, you need to know about Creative Commons!"



CC Resources by Rodd Lucier:
Creative Commons: What Every Educator Needs to Know (slidedeck)
Creative Commons in the Classroom (free e-book)
Creative Commons Collaboration (blog post)
Creative Commons Chaos (CC media sources)

Other CC Resources:
A Shared Culture (video)
Building on the Past (video)
Sharing Creative Works (slidedeck)
Wanna Work Together? (video)
Choose a CC License for Your Own Work (CC tool)

As I continue to publicize stories of how students and teaches are leveraging Creative Commons in the Classroom, I'd be grateful for any questions, comments, or exemplary uses that you'd be willing to share...