carolyn faulkner beitzel's blog

During my recent attendance at ASCD 2012 I had the opportunity to participate in a session conducted by educators from Edmonton Catholic Schools in Alberta, Canada. I learned about their usage of iPads in the classroom as devices that can open doors for learning when the learning goal is identified first and the device is the tool, not the path, to constructing knowledge.

As promised in my last blog, I am back with thoughts from ASCD about brain research and how it can be directly used to positively impact teaching and learning.

Marilee Sprenger showed us many ways to add brain-based activities into teaching by creating a classroom environment where writing, talking, emotion, movement, visuals, and novelty are key components.

ASCD 2012 in Philadelphia wrapped up today and I was glad I attended! As the Director of Curriculum for SAFARI Montage my goal in attending this conference was to
(1) keep abreast of the digital tools teachers are using in their classrooms,
(2) learn new instructional strategies or instructional frameworks that might be used to help teachers implement and integrate SAFARI Montage into their teaching practices, and
(3) understand how I can better present professional development and training.

Today is February 2, Groundhog Day.

What exactly is a groundhog and why is it the symbol of forecasting how much longer winter will be around?

When was the last time you attended an online webinar? I’ve attended quite a few, but I was especially thrilled to be able to present a live, streamed webinar to teachers at Sweetwater Union High School District in California earlier this month. Using a video camera, tricaster, encoder and SAFARI Montage Selective Video Streaming, over 1,000 teachers were able to watch a live address by Dr. Brand, their superintendent, and then participate in a SAFARI Montage Learn the Basics training.

We hear a lot today about “flipping” classrooms, where the “lecture” happens at home with online media and class time is spent solidifying learning through small group activities, problem-based projects, or discussion. Teachers are creating their own mini-video guided lectures that incorporate other multi-media materials and hosting these learning objects on class websites, YouTube channels, or other district-sanctioned and protected social networks. In other words the homework, typically done at home after class instruction and classwork are flipped.

Every profession has its own language and terms and if you are not from “within” that inner circle it sure sounds like a foreign language!

When I was first hired as the Curriculum Director for SAFARI Montage I had the pleasure (oh, let’s be real, it was not all that pleasurable at the time) of attending Technical Certification Training – the training that your friendly SAFARI Montage installer goes to. Yes, the one where you learn how to identify the difference between an encoder and a transcoder, or simulcast, unicast, and multicast, or converting file sizes such as bits, nibbles, or bytes to yottabytes (umhm, that’s right, head tilting and shaking with pursed lips). Talk about being in a foreign land! I had no clue what the language was so therefore I felt overwhelmed and lost—on day one. But, by the end of the week I could talk ITese with the best of them and felt like I had won the lottery! Plus all that technical training really helps me to understand how your installed SAFARI Montage total solution should work for you.

I attended a very informative Ed Week Leadership Forum in Philadelphia recently where I was able to listen to Ed Tech leaders talk about how changing the way we teach is imperative for the kids we see every day! One idea kept at me all day…

In today’s world many teachers are starting to integrate more and more digital content into instruction. With SAFARI Montage teachers do not have to download internet content the night before class and hope it will play the next day! Our content is not streamed from the internet but instead we use a file sharing process, where the content is provided on a server that “lives” in your school building or district. What this means to you as a teacher is with one click, from one interface, you can access thousands of digital assets to include in teaching.

On Sunday, June 26 from 1:00-2:50 in the SAFARI Montage Effective Digital Classroom, Meeting Room 105A at ISTE, we will be offering a free hand-on workshop for advanced users of SAFARI Montage.   If you are a SAFARI Montage experienced user, then this session is for you!