Creation versus Consumption (no, not the disease... or is it?)

Weapons of mass creation. #edtech #inspirational pic.twitter.com/rfLIAFNotq
— Adnan Iftekhar (@adnanedtech) August 17, 2014

Recently I tweeted about "weapons of mass creation" as well as wrote a post on unproven ways of creating creativity in your life. Now, I find myself wondering more and more about why as a society, global or otherwise, many of us are so focused on consumption. There are so many ways that I consume on a daily basis: email, Facebook, twitter, blog posts, podcasts, eggs and toast, marmalade, multi berry smoothies, etc.

And how much do I create on a daily basis? Well, other than a few tweets, posting a picture of my daughter on Facebook or a random email response to my mother-in-laws frantic message alerting me to the fact that there might be a gremlin in her computer deleting all her music from her computer, not much…

So, as of today, I have decided that I will give myself 15 (yes, just fifteen!) minutes in the morning to actually create something. What "real" creation means, to me at least, is sharing meaningful content that will spark someones imagination in some way. Whether it be a blogpost (this is day 1!), an actual written (or drawn) note to a loved one, an item of food prepared with my daughter, an inforgraphic that I've been mulling over for countless days, or a 5 minute podcast, I commit to these 15 minutes.

Oh, and please take a listen here on Innovation Hub, Secrets to Getting Smarter where Genevieve Gilson talks about many things including how getting regular exercise increases your brainpower and creativity - so, go take a walk/run before your #15minsofcreativity !

Are you ready to commit to #15minsofcreativity as well? What are you going to create in your life today?

CREATE Creativity - Six Unproven Ways to Somehow Perhaps Induce Creativity

Creativity is a funny word.

Firstly, it's way overused. Like for example, in this blog post. I'll be using it a lot. Maybe.

Secondly, it's hard to define. My dear friend, Google, tells me that it is "the use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work." What does that actually mean? Those are words put together in a way to give you something to think about, but really, can we actually define creativity. I like to think of it as "the action behind a new perspective". I'm sure you have your own version. Please be sure to share it!

Thirdly, it's easy to squash and very hard to bring back. Let me explain:
Walk into a classroom of kindergarteners and ask the question, "Who is an artist?" I bet most of them will raise their hand. Try the same thing with 7th graders… (Are artistry and creativity are synonymous here? - You could try asking "Who's creative" instead and see if there is a difference.)

"We don't grow into creativity, we grow out of it. Or rather, we get educated out of it."
Sir Ken Robinson

The main issue I see with the way that traditional classrooms and schools are structured is, simply put, a box. Yes, that's it, a box. Children are put into specific categories, placed into special classes, given specific assignments and told exactly how to do them. Over and over again. And then some. They are then judged, graded and confined further by "standardizing" the information that is learned and disseminated by taking the now proverbial number 2 pencil and filling in the not-so-proverbial boxes that the "right" answer goes into. There is only one correct answer and if you don't know it you won't get into Harvard. I could rant on, but I won't.

Ok. So, here are a few solutions to CREATE creativity in your life or your students lives. Please note that these are totally theoretical in nature. I think. You tell me.

1. Contemplate: Stop. Take a moment to notice nature. Go outside, leave your cell phone behind. Step away from the screen, and just gig yourself time to breathe. Give your mind a break from the constant buzzing of electronics and hug a tree. No, seriously, try it. Hugging from afar is permissible. Take your students on a nature walk and have them slow down and actually smell a flower. You never know what inspiration can be found in nature.
2. Rethink: Don't Google it! Give yourself, or your students, the time to actually think things over. Bring out a question that perplexes and make some time to think through it like you would have in the good old days of 1980, sans computer.
3. Enact: Use your body. Find a way to design a use of space to explain a problem by using bodies in that space and physically explaining it. Or not. Just getting up and moving around may stimulate the brain to do things differently. Walking meetings are a great way to trigger ideas - and to cut meetings short (who wants to walk for 2 hours, right?)
4. Alter: Physically change your workspace. Sit on the floor or on your desk. What's the view like form there? See any crumbs, legos, loose change or miniature penguins? Give yourself permission to take a different perspective. By changing your work/play environment, you'll hopefully alter the perspective on some of the problems at hand. I've gotten some of my best ideas in the shower or on a run. Try it on your students by having them sit on the ground, in your chair, on your (or their) desk, in the grass or ask them where they'd like to sit… Although that might open up a whole other can of worms.
5. Tell a lie: Tell your students a blatant (or not so blatant) lie. Change the rules of how you teach and what you teach. Then, during the course of class, let them know that you were lying and ask them to identify the lie. 
6. Eliminate: Get rid of tests. At least the way most of think of tests… Give your students access to an alternative evaluation model so that they can try, fail, fail again and put in the effort into doing something for the sake of learning and not for the sake of a grade. Place value on the process more than the accomplishment. Give them a chance to express themselves in ways that they have not been able to before and set them up to be effortful in their explorations rather than be results minded. Give them permission to fail! I'll end with another quote from Sir Ken Robinson:

"If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original"
Sir Ken Robinson

Do you have ideas on inspiring creativity in your life and your classroom? Please share!

Teacher (Re)Defined - A work in progress.

Change: A word that invokes fear in ordinary, unordinary and super ordinary people alike. Especially teachers. And yet, it's the only constant, right?

Our education system has undergone change. Especially in the last decade: with the ubiquitous presence of technology tools and the ever-growing influence of social (some call it antisocial?) media. What about Teachers, has that role changed at all? Should the title be changed to Educators? Life-long Learners? Guides? Sherpas? Leaders? Well, whatever it is or isn't, it doesn't matter as long as we acknowledge the fact that "The Times They Are a-Changin'". As times change, so do labels. We categorize and box things neatly into categories that we can then take apart and dissect as needed. As the word teacher continues to be used in educational institutions around the world, it gains a specific association with certain terms that can be deemed as less than respectful. I propose that we take a look at some of these terms, break down the definitions, and see where one may fall (or where one stands):

Teacher: a person who teaches, especially in a school.
As I type "teacher" into google, two of the four suggestions that come up have to do with salary. The word teacher, unfortunately, has become synonymous with underpaid, under-appreciated, under-respected and over-tested. Maybe if the term and definition were reimagined, one might break out of the ludicrosity (yes, that's a mangled word) of these associations. One of the other associations of the word which is perhaps my own progressive delusional opinion, is that of a "sage on the stage", a purveyor of information, one who passes knowledge from their vast reservoir to fill the bucket of the lowly student. Definitely worth redefining the way that this word is used, or at least disassociating it from these unseemly attributes.

Educator: a person who provides instruction or education; a teacher.
Again, synonymous with teacher. Maybe it has a broader connotation, but IMHO it's too similar and if a perspective change is required, the distance between the word teacher needs to be established.

Life-long Learner: 
Maybe a little egocentric - then again, who am I to judge, right?

Guide: a person who advises or shows the way to others.
Personally, I like this word. It gives a sense of letting the student (aka learner) be more in charge of their education while the guide gives them advice and helps them to look in places where they might not have searched otherwise. It effectively gives rise to collaboration and creates avenues for more dialogue driven communication.

Sherpa: a member of a Himalayan people living on the borders of Nepal and Tibet, renowned for their skill in mountaineering.
In other words, an exotic "guide".

Leader: the person who leads or commands a group, organization, or country.
Somewhat arrogant, no? Especially to self-appropriate that title…

How about if we look at a term such as "Educational Guides" or ...

What are your thoughts?

3 Simple Strategies to Keep Your Sanity in a Over"screen"ed, Over"tech"ed World

A recent article states that, on average, people check their phones 110 times per day. That's once every 9 minutes - if you sleep for 8 hours. How often did you check your phone 5 years ago? 10 years ago? Now, this doesn't count the time you check your tablet or your computer, or TV (do people still watch TV?) or your best friend's phone. I mean, if there's a phone lying around, unused, all lonely, I'm definitely going to pick it up and play a prank! I probably will lose my best friend after doing that, but that's a risk I'm willing to take. (Hint: definitely put in a lock code on your devices)

Needless to say, that we spend way too much time in front of a screen (how hypocritical am I that I'm writing this directly into my computer…)!

I probably don't need to mention the effects of screen time on your brain, body, mind, spirit, etc. But I must, here's a small list:

• Makes it hard for you to sleep at night
• May lead to attention problems (dod you see that squirrel?), anxiety, and depression 
• Raise your risk of gaining too much weight
• Sitting and watching a screen is time that is not spent being physically active (you've missed 110 chances of activity - just today!)
• Have I mentioned posture?

So, what can one do?

Here are three simple first steps to remedy, just slightly, some of these effects.

1. Wake up media free. As soon as you get up, take some time to just reflect upon your sleep and rest time - you sleep about one-third of your life and there's a lot that happens during that time. If you give yourself a few moments of acknowledgment that you have taken care of yourself by sleeping, you'll already be starting the day on a good note. Give yourself a few minutes (ideally an hour) to gather yourself, do some exercise, make a healthy breakfast, read a paper magazine, book or newspaper (if those still exist by the time I hit publish), or meditate. Use those long forgotten tools called a pen and paper to jot down what you want to do for yourself today. For extra points (life's all about points, right?), do the same at night.
2. Wait to check your email. Save your email for specific times of the day. Quit out of your email program and refrain from checking it until the specified time. Email is someone else's agenda for you, not what you need to be doing to get your work (or play) accomplished during the day. If it's urgent enough, they'll call, right? Many times, if you wait long enough, some of the "issues" you need to deal with in email will have resolved themselves by the time you check it again. People will also get used to the fact that you don't respond at their beck and call and you respond when it's appropriate for you to do so. Also, if you separate tasks like email into buckets, you will be able to go through your inbox more efficiently and find the holy grail of inbox zero!
3. Walk away from your computer. Schedule yourself time to actually take a break from sitting too long. Have a reminder pop up on your screen that tells you to get up and go for a walk. Creating small reminders like this in your calendar can really affect how your day goes. Take a walk to the water cooler, get a breath of fresh air, go chat with a colleague that you've been neglecting. A few minutes of getting out of your seat can have a huge impact on how you feel for the rest of your day.

This could definitely be a longer list but this is a start, yes? 

Do you have strategies that help you keep sane and healthy in our electronically leashed lives?

4 Essential Tools - Productivity Ecosystem Part 1: The Basics

As much as I love technology, I do have other passions (yoga, dance, running, hiking, playing, inverting and being outside) and strive to make time for them. The easiest way for me to "make time" is to create a system, sorry, an ecosystem that works its' symbiotic magic and makes work (and play) on electronic devices more time effective. That being said, I have had the disease of being a perfectionist and have given up a lot of the negative connotations of said disease. I am now easing into being slightly (or largely) less than perfect and make room for setbacks (even failures) so that I can continue to learn. Oh, and I like to run sentences on. Or is it run-on sentences?

Productivity Ecosystem: Evernote, Google Calendar, Wunderlist

1. Email - I use Mail on the mac as well as the default mail client on my phone and tablet. I have all my accounts synced and keep reaching for the myth that is Inbox Zero! I avidly use shortcuts to minimize my use of the pesky mouse. I receive all email accounts into the same inbox so that I don't have to sift through different browser windows, or perform more clicks than are absolutely necessary. In any of my accounts I generally don't have more than 8 folders. The three most important ones are "Action" (put email in here that take more than 2 minutes to complete), "Waiting" (emails that I'm waiting for someone to get back to me - I'll check it every so often and send a reminder email), "Reference" (For easier searching capabilities).

2. Calendar - I use Google Calendar as well as iCal. Sharing is a key feature that keeps my personal and professional life synced and gives me a sense of what my day/week/month looks like. I put into the calendar events such as "Call Comcast: 6 month promo expiring in 3 days - tell them I'll switch to AT&T unless they give me the same or better deal" (by the way, that works almost every time. If it doesn't, hang up and try again with a different representative, or ask to speak to their manager).

3. Lists - Wunderlist is absolutely wünderful (umlaut added for extra wonder)! Best of all, the sharing and task delegation features are all included in the free version. Some of the lists I have in there include "Shopping" (shared with my wife - helps when we divide and conquer Costco together), "Blog Ideas" (I can jot them down anytime, anywhere), "Virtual Assistant" (share with, who else, but my VA - who, btw, rocks!),"Movies" (again, share with my wife). You can assign a due date to a task and put in comments under the notes field. Really an easy to use and awesome tool!

4. Notes - Evernote is really the place to go for this. I've upgraded to the pro verso because I was needing the ability to share my notebooks. For longer ideas than would be appropriate to put in Wunderlist, I always jot things down here. I've written and used this as a reference tool for most of my meeting notes as well as any personal resources and references that I need. Many of the other applications I'll be mentioning in Parts 2 (and maybe 3), push directly into Evernote so that I can reference them when needed. The search functionality here is really tremendous.

Each of these tools really fills a very specific need in my e-life and really adds value to the fact that I can dump all the loose ends that float around in my brain into this ecosystem that has been created to act as a easily searchable container for that detritus.

Do you need help in organizing your electronic life? Send me a message. Perhaps I can help. If you have advice, please share as well!

The SAMR Model - Giving Educational Technology a much needed Framework

If there is one thing that you need to know about using educational technology in the classroom, it's the SAMR model. Coined by Ruben Puentedura in 2006 refers to the life cycle of technology implementation and gives a framework on which we can weigh how well technology is used and applied.

The acronym decomposed:
Substitution
Augmentation
Modification
Redefinition

Let's take the example of a typewriter (my first word processing tool) and what we might use today, say any word processing application.

At the base level of substitution, I would be using the "new" technological device to do exactly what I did with the typewriter, i.e. type directly into the word processing application, without using any features available in the menu bars.

As I add my use of spellcheck into my word processing application, I move into the next level, namely augmentation. I'm adding an improvement without really changing too much of the original functionality of the typewriter. After all, my spelling is always immaculate.

I enter the realm of modification when I email my document to my colleague, who makes some remarks on it, adds the track changes functionality to the document and gives me feedback without me having to retype the whole thing again. I click the "accept all changes" button, smile, and send the document to the publisher!

Now, the really juicy part of the model, redefinition, comes into play when I take the concept of the document I'm writing and enter the world of Google Docs. I share the first few paragraphs of what I have written with an old high school friend from Pakistan and my best friend from elementary school who now lives in France. Together, the three of us craft a unique document, in real time, that redefines the way we are using technology in a way that was totally inconceivable when I was using the typewriter. This is where all the fun and funky creative collaboration in an ever-changing global environment can fuse together to give rise to a process of, well, redefining the way we use technology to solve problems. Ok? Go.

Do you have ways that you have used technology to redefine the way you work or play? Please share!

7 things you already know about creating presentations. Or do you?

Excited to go to the Ed Tech Conference!

First, let me describe one of my pet peeves:

I've signed up for an educational technology conference. I'm going to be there with 5 of my colleagues. We're planning our divide and conquer strategy since there are so many amazing ideas out there that we want to see and experience them ALL!
I walk into my first session which starts off with a great slide with information on the presenter, including photo, and how to get in touch with them: twitter handle, link to the slideshare, email address, etc. Then comes the next slide - a beautifully crafted (not) blur of words that fills the screen that they proceed to talk about for the next 15 - 20 minutes. Or more...

Example of a "bad" slide (aka "landslide" - you know, because it's bad… #wordmangler)

OK - so it's usually not that bad, but come on #edtech people, you know better! My conference high has turned into a devastating low, because I have FOWO (see below) and because most of the people out there have not taken the awesome presentation that Ken Shelton has delivered.

FOWO: Fear Of Walking (Out)

I'll summarize the main points here:

1. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Use more images and less text.
2. Don't use the default settings - create your own mark. 
3. Effective presentations are also good stories. Humor helps, as well as a beginning, middle and end. 
4. One concept per slide. It's not like you have to pay for using extra slides - give your audience the chance to digest just one thing at a time - the brain, technically, cannot multitask!
5. The font you use says something about your message - play with font size and color to emphasize points. Use sans-serif for presentations; examples are Futura, Rockwell and Optima. NEVER use Comic Sans.
6. We're well into the 21st Century; don’t print or photocopy your presentation - share it online instead.
7. Any tool (Prezi, Powepoint, Slideshare, Google Presentation, etc…) will do, it's the utilization of the tool that is key! 

Do you have tips and tricks for creating amazing and engaging presentations? Please share!