Monday, November 12, 2018

ECOO Conference Reflections from #BIT18

On Tuesday, November 6 and Wednesday, November 7, I was fortunate enough to attend the Educational Computing Organization of Ontario's annual Bring IT Together conference in Niagara Falls. I've attended in 2016, 2014, 2013 2012, and 2011 (when it was in Markham, ON). I've noticed that this year's conference had some immediate consequences. Here's a breakdown of my learning.


Educational Computing Organization of Ontario #BIT18

Tuesday, November 6, 2018

9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Minds on Media


Summary (taken from website): Minds On Media© (MOM) is a model of professional learning that respects the learner's 'desire to know'. Teachers come to learn and facilitators respect their choices in how they wish to do that. MOM is run in a large room with multiple stations. Participants choose which stations they would like to visit, how long to stay there and when to move on. Some participants spend the entire day at one or two stations building and creating things for their classroom. Others are like butterflies and spend short amounts of time at each station. The following stations will be at the BIT18 MOM this year. 

3 Key Points: 

1. We are all media educators.
2. Global competencies and media literacy go hand in hand.
3. Media teaching moments are everywhere; it's a matter of finding them, tying in the key concepts, and asking those good questions

So What? Now What? 

I spent my entire time at the Association for Media Literacy's booth. This was good because we had a steady stream of educators chatting with us. I was so happy to get time to speak with some colleagues (such as Danika) that I haven't seen in ages (or at least 2015). This was bad because there were so many great stations that I would have liked to visit. Doug Peterson made a special effort to introduce me to Dr. Elizabeth Pearsall from his former school board. She was also part of MoM but was equally busy. At least I eked out some time during lunch to talk with Ray Mercer, Melanie Mulcaster, and Alanna King. I also met some new contacts that I'm excited to connect with, like Mary and Melissa. The last-minute decision to bring some costume animal heads for selfies was a very good choice - it attracted people to our location and also prompted some great questions (like why do we smile for a selfie, even when we are wearing a mask that obscures our faces?)

Another important next step after Minds on Media is to continue to increase the visibility of the Association of Media Literacy. So many people told us that they had never heard of the organization before. It's the 40th anniversary of the AML, so we need to improve on spreading the word of effective media literacy awareness and instruction throughout the province. We are going to do that with a revised website, a transition plan and another new endeavor - a series of discussion salons. Stay tuned!

Visual / Social Media Artifacts:



Happy BIT18 and Happy Media Literacy Week!

Happy 40th Anniversary AML!

Lunch with Katina, Sarah, Alanna, Ray, Melanie and Michelle

Me, the horse and Danika

My new contact Mary, my old friend Lisa and me (with the horse)

The title image from our slide deck

Wednesday, November 7, 2018


8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Opening Keynote by Dave Cormier


Summary (taken from website): Dave has led change based teams in K12 and Higher Education. He is currently finishing a two year contract designing a K-12 edtech strategy in PEI. This summer Dave is transitioning to the University of Windsor Medical School. As a change leader, an educational researcher and learning community advocate he has worked with groups around the world to better use technology to serve their technology goals. Dave has published on open education, Rhizomatic Learning, MOOCs (Massive/Open Online Courses), and the impact of technology on the future of high education.

Dave’s educational journey started in 1998 teaching little children to speak English. The pivotal moment of his career happened when he was teaching at Hannam University in South Korea in 2003 surrounded by the papers of 275 writing students and wondering if he had them all. That winter he started using discussion forums to bring all of his students together in a writing community (and to digitally keep track of their work) and he hasn’t looked back. He’s since helped organize online communities of teachers, spoken at events around the world and worked to understand how internet changes what it means to know. His educational exploration partners have included faculty and researchers from well-known universities, and lone teachers in small town classrooms. Some of them are even still talking to him.

Dave’s keynotes in the last couple of years have centred around how coming to know is a messy, imprecise process at once intensely individual and necessarily embedded in a community – Rhizomatic Learning. You can follow him on twitter at http://twitter.com/davecormier.

3 Key Points:

1. Edtech will not save us - the commonly quoted "fact" that we are preparing students for jobs that don't yet exist is fake; this has been said since 1957 but there is no evidence corroborating this.
2. We need to, consciously and overtly, build a prosocial web - what's missing from the Internet is "being nice". Target the 60% of the population that, with support, will do it (not the usual 20% keeners or the 20% naysayers). 
3. Embrace the use of complex (as opposed to simple or complicated) problems, which are not directly measurable, will lead to some failure, and can be confusing, uncertain and scary.

So What? Now What?

This was a thought-provoking talk, although as I re-read the notes I took during the keynote, I'm not sure exactly HOW we are supposed to build this "prosocial web". I guess that's one of those complex problems that Dave is encouraging us to use. 

Visual / Social Media Artifacts:




10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Organized Chaos: Code and Create in a Maker Library


Summary (taken from website): I would like to share why I started a maker space and what I have learned along the way. I will discuss the changing role of the school library and the exciting way the technicians can help drive them forward. The session will end with some hands on learning where participants can get an idea of what a typical maker period would look like.

So What? Now What?

Confession - I skipped this workshop but I had a really good reason. My dear friend, Lisa Noble, who was busy at BIT18 with several workshops, discussion groups, and booths, took precious time out of her schedule to sit with me and walk me through the steps of creating a fabric fidget maze / labyrinth. This was not initially part of her plan for her self-regulation station, but I brought my sewing machine all the way from Toronto to Niagara and we spent an hour together crafting and collaborating. I loved it! She was so encouraging and reminded me (when I sewed some of the pathways too narrow, preventing the bead from travelling through) that this was a prototype and not to worry about perfection the first time around. What a precious gift! My next step is very clear - I'm going to try and make some more of these safe fidget tools to give to other teachers, (which I already began on Saturday November 10 at my sewing class) and maybe I can even encourage some of my students to try and make some themselves!

Another piece of learning that happened because of this interaction was some exploring around cross-posting on different social media sites. It really reminded me of Media Literacy Key Concept #8, that each medium has a unique aesthetic form. The way I post on Twitter differs from Facebook and Instagram. As a result of this exploration, I de-linked my social media accounts from each other. I still post similar content to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (like my blog post notifications) but I realized that I craft the message differently based on the social media platform.

Visual / Social Media Artifacts:

Copied the maze, compare measured to the original

Cut the cotton and plush squares


Lisa coaching me on leaving a space to flip it

Lisa pins the map to the fabric


Sewing the maze paths

Peeling off the paper guide

11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
The Embedded Librarian: Rocking your virtual Library Learning Commons in digital spaces


Summary (taken from website): How do we make students that we don’t see every day successful? Don't let physical geography prevent you from collaborating or supporting every student in your school! The library learning commons isn't just a change in furniture or a mindset. It's about creating a pervasive culture of learning and collaboration even in digital spaces. Embedding your librarian in eLearning and blended classrooms allows all staff to take advantage of digital tools to help students to become more: confident, metacognitive, independent and critical.

3 Key Points:

1. We need to create sustainable models for the Library Learning Commons - if I was to be hit by a truck tomorrow, could the LLC program and space continue without me?
2. Instead of a "growth mindset", consider Chris Hadfield's idea of "preparing for failure"; be aware that you, your staff, and your students will not "get it" the very first time
3. There is so much mental health in what school librarians do (for staff and students) - be the safe adult where they can ask questions about reading, texts, technology / if you can't be the "right person" for them at that time, direct them to someone who can be / offer hospitality like supplies, snacks (and consider how to replicate this digitally, like an "ask me" button in a Google classroom or offer to assess formative work and revision suggestions).

So What? Now What?

I love Alanna and the inclusion of the theme of motivation in her talk really resonated with me (and with my own research on readers choice programs and motivation). I know I can get overwhelmed with all the notifications with the Google Classrooms I can be asked to join, but maybe I need to ask to join some more. (Thankfully, Diana Hong has already included me in her class Google Classroom; my next step is to stop lurking and start assisting or offering.)

Visual / Social Media Artifacts:

Great quote on sanity!

Alanna in action!

Icebergs are important educational metaphors

Quoting key motivation research


1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
How to Motivate and Engage Gamers and Support Healthy Digital Gaming Habits


Summary (taken from website): We will start by unpacking the the Quantic Foundry Gamer Motivation Profile and looking at our gamer learners through the lense of their motivation in the games they love. Then we will examine some concrete examples of the game based learning activities that would appeal to gamers with different motivations.

Finally we will look at the research based Practical Advice for Gamers by author and game designer Jane McGonigal which will explain the science behind why games are good for us--why they make us happier, more creative, more resilient, and better able to lead others. We will build our understanding of why some games are better for us than others, and that there is too much of a good thing.

3 Key Points

1. Not all gamers are the same; they have different motivations. Understand students' gaming profiles and then appeal to what they like, using "challenge language". You can even use tasks in a non-gaming environment that might appeal to those gaming profiles.
2. There is no wrong way to be a gamer. Gaming has some great positive benefits (see Jane McGonigal's work) and sometimes when needs are not met in real life contexts, sometimes it can be found for people in games.
3. Balanced technology management is good; positive benefits are linked to between 7-21 hours per week of game play but over 40 hours a week of online gaming will replace the positive benefits with negative impacts (these are research based findings, not theories). Consider how, what, and where you play because this can affect the benefits/drawbacks.

So What? Now What?

This was the best session I attended at #BIT18. I had way more than 3 key points to include. I am proud? delighted? blessed? (pick an adjective) to consider Jen Apgar, the presenter, a friend of mine. She had so many wise and perceptive things to say! This talk makes me miss our time together as fellow GamingEdus (when our group was much more active). My next step from this talk has already been implemented. I went home and completed the gaming profile from the link in her presentation. Then I begged my son and daughter to complete their own. I'll share our profiles and ramifications of this on our dormant Family Gaming XP blog. I loved Jen's analogy of a Minecraft environment to building snow forts in the school playground (consider how to manage the commodities, resources and space, and don't dismiss student concerns with "it's just X"). I also loved how Jen included the neurodiverse in her talk (e.g. that cooperative game  play helps us to be cooperative in real life; neurodiverse individuals can often do this in games and just need reminders and scaffolding to help them transfer the skill in-person). I wonder if I can encourage the students in my board game club (or even in just the intermediate grades in general) to complete this profile (or even have it included on the TDSB Virtual Library website as another tool for students to use to determine their strengths and/or learning profile)?

Visual / Social Media Artifacts:

Title slide from Jen's talk (see URL for link)


Reframe - we like to knock down block towers we build, how differs?


2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Media Literacy: Past, Present, and Futures


Summary (taken from website): An engaging and informative panel discussion! We will examine the 40 year history of media literacy in Ontario in order to provoke thought and conversation on what the future of media literacy will look like. We will address digital literacy, Global Competencies, the role of ICT and more. Participants will leave with tools to enable them to address environments and media forms that may not yet exist, as we project into the future of media literacy!

3 Key Points:

1. Media literacy means agency through conscious, critical awareness.
2. Apply media literacy key concepts when teaching with technology creatively through production.
3. Anyone who uses a form of media in their classroom is a media literacy teacher.

So What? Now What?

Bias alert - I was part of this session. Our actual talk morphed a bit from what was initially proposed, but that was a good thing. We had a good talk with the small but interested and motivated audience members about news headlines about the Tony Clement sexting story, the viral image of the engagement with a substitute hand model, and other topics. We should have collected the names of the people in attendance. Our next step will be to contact at least one person present, Adam, to continue discussions of the future of media literacy in general and AML specifically.

Visual / Social Media Artifacts:

Michelle and Carol highlighting 1 of the 8 key concepts



Overall Commentary

I am grateful that I attended #BIT18 this year, even if it meant using up all my personal days for this school year to make it possible. Thanks Michelle Solomon for letting me bunk with you (and nice to meet you, Greg!). Thanks Tim and Max King for letting me eat dinner (Tuesday) and breakfast (Wednesday) with you and answering weird questions about sights and smells. Thanks Caroline Freibauer for the conversations squeezed in at the bar or between meals. 

Other people have already blogged about BIT18. For their insights, see




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1 comment:

  1. Lisa Cranston, EdDNovember 12, 2018 at 6:24 AM

    Thanks for sharing your learning with us. I'm glad I'm not the only one confused by the keynote. I'm very interested in self-regulation and stressors, so I was excited about when Dave started his talk with 'can we chose a prosocial web?' But I didn't really feel like he defined prosocial or talked about how to create a prosocial web. His points about simple, complicated and complex tasks were interesting but are they related to prosocial behaviour? And advising educators that, rather than teach coding we should teach kids to borrow, revise and cite doesn't seem connected either but perhaps I"m missing the connection. I'm hoping he'll tweet more about how to teach tech and prosocial together.

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