.@Evernote and @LivescribeK12 on the #EduTour

This is the first of a few posts I will be writing about using various tools to support the EduTour.

I wanted to briefly talk about the awesomeness that is Livescribe and Evernote. I have been using the Livescribe Sky Pen for a while and I have always loved it. It can record the notes and audio and directly save it to a specific Evernote notebook. This isn't new. However, using it on this trip makes the most sense. This is something that I would recommend to all journalists and journalism classes. I will be passing this to my journalism teachers this Fall.

One of the things I am doing on this trip is interviewing people about education. I want to know what they think about the current state of education and what they thought about their education growing up. Traditionally, I would just listen and take notes on my iPad or in a notebook. My main problem is that my handwriting is not very clean and I have a hard time listening and writing down information at the same time. Note-taking has always been a nightmare for me. Livescribe and Evernote solve that problem.

I now get to keep the audio of the conversation and I do not have to worry about the handwriting or getting every word down for the interview. What I have actually done is write the questions done in advance and just create dots for each person I'm interviewing. When I go to the next questions, I create a new dot. I have all of the information right there in the book for review after the trip or while Tim is driving. By listening to the interview, I can make any other notes I want for the things that really stand out to me.

The back up to Evernote is also great. If something should happen to the notebook on the trip, everything I have is saved in Evernote. I will not lose a single interview or note. That is what is so great about the cloud based storage of Evernote and Livescribe. I really think more teachers should look into taking their class notes using Livescribe so students can do the same thing. The notes will always be there not matter what happens and that is huge for students who tend to lose things. These two guys just made the #EduTour so much easier.

What I've Been Up To... #EdChat

I was pretty spent after ISTE this year. I decided to take a break from all things Social Media and just be. I had to work on a Keynote with +Timothy Gwynn for the Greater Clark Connected Conference with +Brett Clark and do some work for The EduTour, but that was here and there between lots of relaxing.

Some said I was cheating because I was posting a ton on Instagram. That might be true, but I was just posting pictures of me hanging out with my crazy son. Wouldn't you post a picture of this guy?

I also content that I wasn't cheating. I was taking a break from being a connected educator. I was overwhelmed with the amount of work I had to do, so I took a step back and focused on what was important. To me, that was my family. I got to do so many fun and silly things with this crazy guy, it put me back in a good place. 

If I would have been "plugged in" to my feed and obsessing over my blog, I would have missed the little stinker doing "Gangnam Style". These are things I would hate to miss and am happy that I have video evidence of this to share with his friends and future girlfriends. 

There have been many posts written out there about the value of taking a break from tech and "unplugging", so I'm not going to bore you with another lecture about that. I do want to say thank you for those of you that let me rest in peace the past three weeks to get my head right. Many of you have been where I was and it was awesome to have your support. 

Lastly, I want to share some of the things I've been up to the past three weeks:

Saved By The Bell Comic Book

This was a sign that everything in the world is going to be just fine. This gift from the gods is something that many of us have dreamed, but never thought would actually happen. Well, it is going to happen and I am excited to read the first digital issue. I wonder if these will be stories set during high school but between episodes. Also, will Zack and Kelly be together? Will their band "The Zack Attack" still pay "Friends Forever"? OMG, will there be Tori issues and an issue that explains the absence of Kelly and Jessie? So many questions and I can't wait to dive in!

Speaking of Comics...

I know that I am The Nerdy Teacher, but I do not talk about the comics I love that often. Most of the time, those conversations are saved for +Dan Callahan. I have to say that I have just been in love with updated version of Wonder Woman. Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang have just done an amazing job of creating an awesome story and the artwork is simply beautiful. I've been reading since issue one and I suggest you give it a try if you are into comic books. She is a different Wonder Woman than you might remember and that is a good thing. 

I'm also reading The Walking Dead. It is consistently great and frustrating. It's great because the art and story telling is wonderful and frustrating because I only get to read a small part of the story once a month. If you have not started this comic, please pick up a collection and get to work. It's better than the show and the show is unbelievably awesome. 

My Pond Rocks

For those who do not know, I built a pond in my backyard a few years ago. I woke up one morning in August and decided to build one. I had no idea how to do it, so I dug a giant hole and went to Home Depot. Three years later, I have a second level, waterfall and plants, fish and snails! It is one of the most relaxing places in the world to me. I get to tend the fish, fix my plants and just listen to the sound of the water. We all need a happy place and this is one of mine. There is also an added bonus of awesome because I know I built it all by myself. 

Real Names

I saw this today and thought it would be fun to share here. 

Jon Green is amazing and I seem to love everything he does on the Internet. Here is his Commencement Speech at Butler.

I've only read one book of his, Looking for Alaska, and recommend it to anyone who likes a very good read.

Captain Planet

Lastly, I have to share this with all of you because it blew my mind.

Yes, Meg Ryan was the voice of Dr. Blight on Captain Planet and the Planeteers. That really happened. 

Well, I'm off to do some work, play with my kid and relax by my pond. See you around. 

Nick

Taking a break #edchat

I recently wrote and article for Edutopia about Teacher Burnout. It focuses on 4 things to look for in yourself and others. I wrote that post because I was/am burnt out.

I push myself all year to be the best at everything I do and that usually means that I have nothing left come June. ISTE has usually been the the week where I bounce back, feel good about all of the things I have done over the year and connect with my friends in a new city. This year did not play out how I would have hoped.

I am beyond honored to have received the Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award from ISTE. There are so many amazing teachers out there that it is hard for me to fathom that I was the best of the best for 2013. This great recognition kept me busy during ISTE with photo shoots, meetings and the such. I felt like I was on the go from the start. I have nobody to blame but myself. I have a hard time saying no to people or groups that have been so supportive of the work I do with my students. Sadly, I am still spent.

In one month, Tim and I are embarking on a trip across the country in the hope of meeting new teachers and learning a thing or two about teaching from others. We kick off with a Keynote at the Great Clark County Conference and will set of for San Francisco on our #EduTour.

I have 1 month to work on a Keynote and put the finishing touches on the trip. I will be taking a break from @TheNerdyTeacher and my blog for a few weeks so I can concentrate on the EduTour and my family. With this little break from the Nerdy Teacher grind, I hope to be refreshed for a trip that will be fun, educational and downright silly.

So, please forgive me if I do not get back to your tweets or DMs. I want to be the best Nerdy Teacher I can be and that requires a break to recharge the batteries.

See you on the flip side Internet.

Nick

A Star Wars Guide to #ISTE13

This summer I will be attending my 4th ISTE conference. Each year I learn something new and I feel it is important to impart this growing knowledge with any first-time attendees. I've been thinking of a fun way to share this information and wanted to do a quote based post. I took some great suggestions on the movie or TV show I should use, but I got caught up in a Star Wars marathon this weekend and the quotes seemed to jump out at me. So, here is your Star Wars Guide to ISTE13.

"I've got a bad feeling about this."

This is one of the most spoken lines in all of the Star Wars movies. Today, it is a funny quip to share with your nerdy friends. For ISTE, this line has a very important meaning. If you walk into a session and your gut tells you this is not going to go well, get up and get out. Trust your instincts. If you get  a bad feeling about the session you chose, you have to leave. This conference is not cheap, so why waste money on a session you will not find helpful. Get out and find another session or head to one of the social areas and start a conversation. Either option is better than staying in a session that is providing no value.

“This is some rescue. You came in here and you didn’t have a plan for getting out?”

“He’s the brains, sweetheart!”

Take time and create a plan for your time at ISTE. Take a look at the planner and decide where you want to go and how you are going to get there. Make sure you put in plenty of time for breaks, meals and hanging with friends. A good plan will make for a great ISTE. I tried to "X-Wing it" for my first ISTE and I was all over the place. I simple schedule that allows for learning and socialization is the best approach for this conference.

“I find your lack of faith disturbing.”

It is important to keep an open mind when at ISTE. Try going to sessions on topics you are not familiar with instead of sessions you know plenty about. It is important to try new things and have faith in yourself that you can challenge your beliefs.

Also, be confident in what you know and do not be afraid to share with others. You are an expert in your field and it is ok to offer other ideas to the crowd. People are at ISTE to share ideas, not just listen to the same speech over and over again. Have faith in yourself and people will respect you for it.

“Who’s the more foolish; the fool, or the fool who follows him?”

Choose the session you want based on what you want to learn, not what your friends are going to see. I fall victim to this from time to time. Just because my friend is going to a session is a terrible reason for me to go. You need to choose a session where you will learn something or strengthen a skill you already have. Just following another person blindly might not end well for you and the session you chose.

“Laugh it up, fuzzball!”

One of the most important things to remember about ISTE is to have fun. You are going to be surrounded by some of the nerdiest people in the country that care about all of the same things you do. Now is the time to let your hair down and have a good time. Be fun, be silly and learn from some of the best people out there. ISTE is a crazy event and it is important to have a good time. As Master Yoda said, "Do or do not, there is no try".