Alicia Levi serves as Vice President of Education for PBS. In this role, she is responsible for working with schools to enable them to utilize the extensive PBS portfolio of educational products and services in multiple formats. From traditional DVD delivery to PBS LearningMedia, PBS is committed to delivering high-quality educational media to support 21stCentury classrooms. Ms. Levi has a broad background in instructional media – with 20 years’ experience working with schools, producers, and publishers.
Session Title: PBS LearningMedia
PBS LearningMedia
This session will highlight PBS LearningMedia, a platform that offers the best of public media content and produced specifically for PreK-16 teachers. With access to over 16,000 high-quality resources, you will learn how to navigate the site and discover how to utilize the service in your classroom.
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Heather Braum is the Technology Librarian at the Northeast Kansas Library System in Lawrence, KS. She provides technology, ILL, and cataloging training, maintains the system websites, and is a member of the NExpress Koha Shared Catalog project team. She has presented at regional, state, and national conferences on a wide variety of topics including open source software, free tech tools for school librarians, online security tips, cloud computing, Creative Commons images, online learning, managing information overload, and the 23 Things learning technology approach. Heather was the 2010 Kansas Library Association’s New Professional of the Year. She is a lifelong Kansan and loves KU basketball. Heather blogs at www.heatherbraum.info .
Session Title: Tools for Managing Professional Information Overload
Struggling to keep track of all the content you need to read, watch, listen to, and share professionally to stay up-‐to-‐date, but can’t manage it all? Learn about five tips, five resources, and five free, online tools that can help you manage professional information overload.
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Sherri Crawford has been a high school librarian for 6 years at Shawnee Mission North High School and received her Master’s in Information Science and Learning Technologies from the University of Missouri-‐Columbia. Prior to that she taught English and Journalism in both the Shawnee Mission and Kansas City, Kansas, school districts.
Session Title: Animoto
This class will demonstrate how to use Animoto. Animoto is a digital storytelling tool that is easy to use and makes a nice alternative to Powerpoint or PhotoStory. Animoto allows teachers and students to create video presentations online with no additional software needed, just go to the Animoto website. All you have to do is choose your photos, videos and text, add music (either your own or from Animoto’s list), and wait a few minutes while your video is finalized.
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April Wede has been teaching for nine years. This is her seventh year in the Shawnee Mission School District at Indian Woods Middle School. April has earned a master’s degree in both Educational Technology and Talented & Gifted. She is working on her master’s degree in Educational Administration and plans to graduate in May of 2012. This is her fourth year presenting at the KCPT Conference. April currently teaches Advanced Social Studies 8 and Performance I and II. She is also planning a wedding this year!
Session Title: My Learn360 Basic/Beginners
This session will briefly refresh users on Learn360 and then will show how to use the features of MyLearn360. Some features users will learn how to use include my content, my favorites, my groups, my questions, my quizzes, and etc. Users will get hands on time to work with the features of myLearn360 to create an easy to use tool for the classroom or a group setting. Users should bring with them one quiz or questions designed to go along with something from Learn360 to work with during this session.
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Pam Darling is a technology trainer in the Staff Development department in the Shawnee Mission School District and provides technology integration classes to certified teachers as well as training on computer application programs to the classified staff.
Session Title: Digital Toolbox for English Language and Early Childhood Learners
Pack your digital toolbox with great websites and ideas to help you introduce and enhance lessons specifically for Ell students as well as early learners. In this hands-‐on class, you will learn how to “pump-‐up” your lessons using websites, interactive games, clipart, photos and more which will help you front-‐load your lessons.
Session Title: Be Proactive! Be Green! Communicate with Parents through Technology!
It is well known that regular collaboration with student’s families can improve overall academic achievement. Technology has made this easier than ever! You will learn tips for communicating with parents such as:
• Using email – specifically the (sometimes hidden) features in Microsoft Outlook.
• Customizing templates from Microsoft Office Products for sharing projects and good news with parents via email or the teacher’s web page.
• Creating a simple classroom video using digital photos from field trips, classroom procedures and projects etc.
• Creating an online Google Calendar to share with parents by posting to a website.
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Kacey Reynolds has been an educator over 20 years. She has been a classroom teacher, science specialist and reading specialist. She is currently the Librarian at Tomahawk Elementary. She is married with 2 step children and one very fluffy dog.
Session Title: Introduction to Learn360
Learn how to navigate Learn360 by using keyword and advanced searching, then compile the results by creating playlists and using download options. Examine practical applications using videos, newsreels, speeches, music and sound effects to enhance curriculum and create engaging classroom presentations. Support state standards, common core curriculum and 21st century learning skills by integrating Learn360 digital media resources to improve student achievement.
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Angela McComas has been a genealogist for about fifteen years, working on her own lines and those of friends and clients. She works fulltime at the Mid-‐ Continent Public Library Midwest Genealogy Center in Independence, where she is in charge of classes and special programming. Angela teaches many classes at the library and for societies, both local and national and has been published in several venues. Angela can be reached at the Midwest Genealogy Center by phone 816-‐252-‐7228, or by email amccomas@mymcpl.org .
Session Title: Who Do Your Students Think They Are? Genealogy in the Classroom
Genealogy melds the disciplines of history, research, math, and English in one complete package. Through the study of genealogy, students connect history to themselves in no other way. Great-‐great-‐grandpa fought in the Civil War! History comes alive! The research techniques and math skills learned by doing a genealogy project can be carried over to other topics. The final report requires English and presentation skills. Angela McComas will give you the information needed to start a genealogy project and how to avoid the pitfalls.
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Kyle Pace is an Instructional Technology Specialist with the Lee’s Summit, Missouri School District. A former elementary teacher, Kyle has worked with K-‐12 teachers in his district to provide instructional technology professional development for the last 8 years. Kyle has also taught graduate level educational technology courses for local universities and enjoys attending and speaking at educational technology conferences such as ISTE, FETC, NETA, METC, Ohio Free Tech, and Educon. In January 2009, Kyle co-‐authored a book titled Integrating Technology With Music Instruction. In April 2010, Kyle participated on a panel about Education and the Real-‐Time Web at the 140 Conference in New York City. In May 2010, Kyle was named as a GameClassroom.com Top Educator. Kyle is also the organizer of the 2nd annual EdCampKC unconference that took place in November 2011. Kyle was chosen as one of 50 educators to participate in the Google Teacher Academy and in July 2011 became a Google Certified Teacher. Kyle is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Baker University. Follow Kyle on Twitter at http://twitter.com/kylepace. Kyle’s blog and other information about Kyle can be found at http://www.kylepace.com.
Session Title: Social Media in Education – Connect Your Classroom Like Never Before!
Social Media in education has the power to change the way we teach, connect, and learn. Services like Twitter, YouTube, and blogs can have a lasting impact on your professional development and bring experiences to your students in ways that were not possible just a few years ago. Learn how to effectively use social media to communicate to all stakeholders the positive things happening in your classroom, school, or district!
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Cheryl Roberts has been an educator for 30 years and is presently a library media specialist at Pawnee Elementary in the Shawnee Mission School District. She enjoys spending time with her grandchildren and also works with her therapy dog in the Reading Education Assistance Dog program.
Session Title: Introduction to Learn360
Learn how to navigate Learn360 by using keyword and advanced searching, then compile the results by creating playlists and using download options. Examine practical applications using videos, newsreels, speeches, music and sound effects to enhance curriculum and create engaging classroom presentations. Support state standards, common core curriculum and 21st century learning skills by integrating Learn360 digital media resources to improve student achievement.
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Eric Langhorst is an 8th grade American history teacher at South Valley Junior High School in Liberty, Missouri. This is his 18th year in the classroom. Eric also teaches online and on campus graduate classes at Park University in the education department. In 2007 he represented the state of Missouri as the Teacher of the Year and in 2010 was named by Tech and Learning magazine as one of the 30 Most Influential Individuals in the future of educational technology. Eric is currently writing his doctoral dissertation on the impact of teachers using social media to collaborate. He and his wife Jayme live in Liberty with their two daughters.
Session Title: 30 in 60
Buckle up and get ready for a fast paced tour of 30 great websites and apps which will help teachers enhance their classrooms. Learn how to be more productive, improve communication with your students, locate amazing resources and be creative. We will be discussing each resource briefly but a website will be provided sharing links to each resource.
Session Title: Connect and Collaborate
Learn about how students are collaborating with other classrooms thousands of miles away and teachers are sharing ideas with their peers. Discover how you can create opportunities for your own staff to collaborate and be more productive. Specific tools to facilitate collaboration – many of which are free – will be discussed along with ideas to help you get started tomorrow.
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Rolland Love is both speaker and author. He has created workshops on journaling, writing, and storytelling life history which he presents for children and senior adults. In addition, he presents a workshop on the Lewis and Clark expedition. He is author of award winning short stories, novels, a bestselling computer book and a co-‐author of Homegrown in the Ozarks: Mountain Meals and Memories, a cookbook that was a finalist for best book of the year in Missouri. Rolland has appeared on talk shows, been interviewed by the Kansas City Star, and other publications have written stories about his Mark Twain writing style. Rolland is available as a speaker and presents workshops about his Lewis and Clark adventure, life stories (imaStory.com), children’s writing and story telling. (ozarkstories) Email: rtl@kc.rr.com -(913)-831-1909.
Mark Andresen, designer of imaStory website, will be providing a video demonstration of the website.
Session Title: Why it is Important for Children to Write Their Parents’ and Grandparents’ Life Stories
Mark Twain once said “There has never yet been an uninteresting life.” In this session teachers will learn how to get kids excited about the life story project, interviewing their parents and grandparents, then seeing the results after they discover interesting things they would never have known. The students realize the joy of becoming an author by writing a book that will be a keepsake for the rest of their lives. You will learn how to make this a fun and unique project that can be a rewarding experience for everyone, including yourself. Students will learn the most effective way to conduct an interview then compile and publish the information they collect.
