Nocking the Arrow

"If Google sees that you're searching for specific programming terms, they'll ask you to apply for a job. It's wild."   - Max Rosett, theHustle Modern learners need to understand the permanence of a digital footprint, & this footprint can be advantageous or detrimental. #edslowchat — Robert Schuetz (@robert_schuetz) January 17, 2016 The common dialogue is to tell learners, young and old, to tread lightly into the digital fray. Digital footprints are permanent, thus, there is danger afoot. Certainly, there is potential for long-term damage to one's reputation by sharing material, or information that paints us in a negative light. Conversely, our online activities can be very advantageous to our personal and professional growth. Like many folks, I enjoy listening to music while driving. Additionally, I frequently use time behind the wheel to get caught up on current events. Yesterday, while riding in the car with my teenage sons, we listened ...

While growing up in nearby Rolling Meadows , I remember awakening to the sound of my parent's coffee maker percolating in the kitchen. The aroma of Hill Brothers signaled that it was time for me to wake up and get ready for school. I have never needed an alarm clock to wake me in the morning. Maybe I am the product of routine, or maybe that just makes me a morning person. After freshening up for the day, my morning routine would include a breakfast of fresh fruit and Cheerios . To this day, our family tends gather around the kitchen table. My dad was always up before the rest of us. If he was finished reading the Chicago Sun-Times , I would get a few minutes to skim the sports pages. If not, I would read whatever General Mills decided to print on our cereal boxes. My father wasn't selfish, the Sun-Times came in tabloid form so separating the reading sections wasn't an easy proposition. Three pages of sports for me meant three fewer pages of local and national ...

Richard Byrne reminded me earlier this week that URL ( uniform resource locator ) shorteners are very simple ways to make web navigation more effective and time efficient for you and your students. Here is a comparison of three popular URL shorteners;  Google URL Shortener ,  Bitly URL Shortener , and  TinyURL.com . Google URL Shortener - is my personal favorite. Simply copy the original, lengthy URL and paste it into the space provided at goo.gl . Google then creates the short URL that can be copied and pasted as a link into blogs, tweets, or presentations. Google URL Shortener becomes even better when the Chrome browser is partnered with the Google URL Shortener Extension . One click condenses the URL from dozens, to possibly hundreds, of characters down to a randomized assortment of five letters and numbers. In addition, this click provides an option of creating a QR code from the URL. Usage statistics for the shortened URL can be tracked through Google Ana...

Here is a summary of " Google's Nine Principles of Innovation " as shared recently by their chief publicist, Gopi Kallayil. Google's 9-principles-of-innovation from Robert Schuetz Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. I find Google's principles to be simple, yet powerful. Their mission, like their nine principles, is clear and at the same time, ambitious. What can we, as educators, learn from Google's vision?  How can this information be adapted to create a school vision statement? Why is it necessary for schools to have a clearly stated mission, and set of guiding principles?  Related Reading Top Ten Company Mission Statements - Dr. Diane Hamilton Google Reveals its 9 Principles of Innovation - FastCompany Your School and Google's Nine Principles of Innovation - The Learning Pond Google's 9 Principles of Innovation for Every Organization ...

There are many, in fact countless, articles and posts trumpeting the educational benefits of blogging. I have written a half-dozen of them myself. But are there compelling reasons why all learners should consider writing blogs? I offer you these three compelling reasons why all learners should be blogging; becoming well-googled, telling your story, and sharing your passions. Compelling reason #1 - become " Well-Googled " , a phrase popularized through the writing of Will Richardson and frequently used to describe the process of building a positive digital footprint. I typically ask the participants in my social media workshops to " Google " themselves and each other, and then report back through a class discussion board. Go ahead and give this a try now if you would like. What did you discover? If you're like most folks, you likely found information that surprised, and maybe even left you feeling vulnerable, or that your privacy is threatened. People can ...

The most frequently asked professional development question from educators embarking on a 1:1 adventure is, " How do I handle assignment workflow in a digital environment? "  As many teachers have discovered, this is not a one step, single-app process. However, here is how it can be done on the iPad by connecting the following applications;  Google Drive , Notability , and Schoology . ** I recommend that the teacher create an instructor account, a test student account, and if applicable, a test parent account to check the workflow process, as well as, experience what the students will encounter during your workflow process. Each student needs to create an email address for creating app accounts and for backup communication. ( Google / Gmail ) The instructor needs to create a cloud-based repository for class documents and files. Students will need to create an account with the same service in order to access learning materials. Working, or collaborative, documents ...