Monday, January 30, 2017

Old PCs to Chromebooks, Tiny Houses, and More Chromebook Love...

Here are three fun new (slightly quirky) projects!

FIRST, we'll start with a "curation blog" I've started that has daily Chromebook tips and tricks from around the web. The blog is at www.CBook.love (you can also get to with the forwarding shortcut Chromebook.love). It will be slanted toward education, but as a huge fan of Chromebooks in general, I'll collect and post anything that I think will be helpful. (I own a Google Chromebook Pixel, and it is by far the best computer I have ever owned.) You can subscribe by email to the posts, and you can send me any articles or posts you want me to include. (There is a commercial angle to this blog, as you'll see advertisements on it for things like this next project...)

SECOND, I'm hosting another technologyrescue.com / CloudReady webinar on schools converting their existing PCs and Macs into fully-functional Chromebooks, and making existing labs and carts with older computers useful again. The Webinar is this coming Thursday, February 2nd, 2017, from 2:00 - 2:30 pm US-EST (click here for your local time).

You can register to attend HERE, and by doing so will also receive a link to the recording if you can't make the live event.
More than 600 school districts have already used CloudReady to turn their existing PCs and Macs into fully functional Chromebooks. 
No need to buy new hardware: CloudReady is compatible with over 200 of the most common computer models sold in the past 9 years. 
And now, with their new step-by-step installation guide, CloudReady is easier to install than ever. 
In this session, we'll share how you can breathe life into existing labs and carts to make older computers useful again, enable 1:1 intiatives, and manage CloudReady machines alongside Chromebooks in the Google Admin console. Plus, receive a special 15% discount at the end just by attending!
FINALLY, and now for something completely different, tiny houses! Yes, you read that right. I'm running a free, online event on tiny houses and small-scale living February 20 - 24 called the Tiny House Summit, with an incredible lineup of speakers. Links are below. My doing this is not as far-fetched as you might think, since my interests in small-scale education solutions, peer-to-peer learning, student/learner agency, and self-direction turn out to match really well with the tiny house movement (plus I run a tiny house meetup group in my hometown with 1300 members, and there are even some schools where the students build tiny houses as a school project)! 

I hope you'll consider joining us, and tell your family and friends--all are welcome!
See you online!

Steve

Steve Hargadon

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Library 2.017: EXPERTISE, COMPETENCIES, AND CAREERS

We're excited to announce our first of three Library 2.017 mini-conferences: "Expertise, Competencies and Careers," which will be held online (and for free) March 29th, from 12:00 - 3:00 pm US-Pacific Daylight Time (click for your own time zone).

This event is being organized in partnership with the American Library Association and will feature ALA president Julie Todaro as moderator for the opening panel and the closing keynote speaker. Invited panelists will take a look forward at the skills and knowledge needed to support successful libraries of the future, examining educational programs and employer expectations.

We invite all library professionals, employers, LIS students, and educators to provide input and participate in what will be a "virtual Town Hall" to explore competencies, careers and successful practices for 21st-Century Information Professionals.

What skills, knowledge, traits, and expectations will you need to support all types and sizes of libraries and their communities in the future? What will employers be expecting? What competencies will be necessary for information professionals – librarians, technologists, and library workers - to deliver critical services and resources and to thrive in today and tomorrow’s society? How can library and information science schools and professional development programs prepare library professionals?

Sponsored with ALA’s “Libraries Transform: The Expert in the Library” Campaign http://www.ala.org/transforminglibraries/libraries-transform-campaign and http://www.ilovelibraries.org/librariestransform/  this web conference will allow participants to interact with experts in the field to identify expectations and develop competency sets and best practices from the field, LIS education. Presentation and discussion will include requirements and expectations from educators and from both the employee and  employer’s perspective.  Save the date and join us for an interactive experience that will help us frame the future of the library and information profession.

This is a free event, being held online.
PLEASE REGISTER HERE
to attend live or to receive the recording links.
 
Please also join this Library 2.0 network to be kept updated on this and future events.
Participants are encouraged to use #library2017 on their social media posts leading up to and during the event.

MORE INFORMATION:
The School of Information at San JosĂ© State University is the founding conference sponsor, and this event is being held in collaboration with American Library Association. Please register as a member of the Library 2.0 network to be kept informed of future events. Recordings from previous years are available under the Archives tab at Library 2.0 and at the Library 2.0 YouTube channel.

CALL FOR PROPOSALS:
We will have a limited number of slots for presenter sessions. The call for proposals is now open HERE. We encourage all who are interested in presenting to submit.

WEBINAR PLATFORM:
The sessions will be held in Blackboard Collaborate, and can be accessed live from any personal computer and most mobile devices. Verify that you are using a compatible version of Java (Complete Steps 1 and 2). Additional information will be sent with the final conference information after registration.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS


Dr. Eileen G. Abels
Dean, Simmons School of Library and Information Science, Simmons College (Boston, Massachusetts)
@profeileenabels

As Dean of the Simmons School of Library and Information Science (SLIS), Eileen Abels brings more than 30 years of award-winning expertise in library and information science to the school to help prepare 21st century information professionals for work in libraries, archives, information institutions, and cultural heritage organizations. She has led a distinguished career as an educator and innovator. She is the recipient of the ALISE Award for Professional Contribution to Library and Information Science Education, the ASIS&T Thomas Reuters Outstanding Information Science Teacher award, the Special Libraries Association Rose L. Vormelker award, and the Medical Library Association's Ida and George Eliot prize, among others. Prior to joining Simmons SLIS, Abels was the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor at the iSchool at Drexel, The College of Information Science and Technology. Specializing in digital reference, she oversaw ipl2, a digital library resulting from the merger of the Internet Public Library and the Librarian's Internet Index. Her current research interests focus on the future of reference services, libraries, and library and information science education. Her leadership positions include serving as president of the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) and President of Beta Phi Mu (International Library & Information Studies Honor Society). She is widely published, including articles, conference proceedings, and book chapters. Abels has also edited several books and co-authored two books. Abels also held a faculty position for 15 years at the University of Maryland's College of Information Studies and has been a librarian and information professional in special libraries, including the Instituto de Investigaciones Eléctricas in Mexico, Price Waterhouse's Washington National Tax Service, and Boston Consulting Group. She obtained her MLS degree from the University of Maryland and her Ph.D. from UCLA. Abels received her bachelor's degree from Clark University.
http://www.simmons.edu/Faculty/Eileen-Abels

Educating students in library and information studies for these critical new competencies




John Bertot
Professor and Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs at University of Maryland (College Park, Maryland)
@johnbertot

John Bertot is an Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs and also Professor and co-director of the Information Policy & Access Center (iPAC). John is serving as associate editor of Government Information Quarterly. He has previously served as Chair of the American Library Association’s (ALA) Library Research Round Table, and currently serves on the ALA Committee on Research and Statistics and E-government Services Subcommittee.
https://ischool.umd.edu/faculty-staff/john-carlo-bertot






Valerie J. Gross
President & CEO, Howard County Library System (Maryland)
@valeriejgross

Valerie J. Gross, MM, MLS, JD, has served as President & CEO of Howard County Library System (HCLS) in Maryland since 2001. An educator and attorney for 30 years, Gross holds a Master of Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, a Master of Library Science from San Jose State University, and a law degree from Golden Gate University School of Law. She is a member of the ALA, PLA, MLA, and the California Bar Association. Developing a new vision for libraries, Gross worked with the HCLS Board and staff members, local government, and the community to implement the “Libraries = Education" approach. She led the transformation of HCLS to its current prominence as a renowned educational institution, alongside the region’s schools, colleges, and universities. As the philosophy evolved, HCLS became well known in the U.S. and overseas. Gross was invited to speak and write about the strategy. Gross has delivered 100+ keynotes, workshops, seminars, and webinars on "Libraries = Education," drawing the participation and input of thousands of library professionals from 46 states and more than a dozen countries around the world. Combining these experiences, she authored Transforming Our Image, Building Our Brand: The Education Advantage (ABC-CLIO, 2013). For living this game-changing vision, HCLS received Library Journal's prestigious Library of the Year award from among North America's 21,000 public and academic libraries. The publication hailed the “Libraries = Education” equation “a 21st-century model worthy of study and consideration by every library in America, if not the world.” (Library Journal, June 2013) The growing movement is ushering in a new era for libraries everywhere. In addition to leading HCLS to Library of the Year, Gross was honored by the Daily Record as a 2015 Innovator or the Year, and by the Baltimore Sun as one of “50 Women to Watch: The most intriguing, powerful, and memorable personalities making an impact on the Baltimore region.” She received the Public Libraries Best Feature Article Award in 2012 and 2010, and was honored as a Library Journal Mover and Shaker in 2004. Gross chairs the Choose Civility Board of Advisors and HiTech Board of Advisors, and serves on the Howard County Spending Affordability Advisory Committee. She has served on the Board of Directors of Leadership Howard County, Howard County Arts Council, Vision Howard County, Howard County Public School System’s District Planning Team, and Columbia Cultural Master Plan Advisory Committee. At the state level, she is the 2016/2017 President of the Maryland Association of Public Library Administrators, and serves on the Maryland Library Association’s Legislative Advisory Panel and the University of Maryland's iSchool Advisory Committee. At the national level, she serves on the ALA International Relations Committee and the Resident Expert Panel for the 2015-2017 ALA Presidential Initiative, and co-chairs the Public Libraries Expert Initiative Committee. Ms. Gross grew up in Switzerland and has taught English in China. A classically trained singer, she and her husband, Tri Q. Nguyen, a classical guitarist and real estate investor, live in Columbia, Maryland.
http://valeriegross.com/

An employer’s perspective on areas of expertise necessary for the 21st century




Dr. Julie Beth Todaro
2016-2017 President, American Library Association; and Dean, Library Services Austin Community College

Dr.Todaro's professional career includes library manager for 40+ years with 30+ of those years as an academic library manager. She has also been a graduate school library educator (five institutions including the University of Michigan, School of Information,) has worked as as a public library children's librarian and has her all-level K-12 school library certification. As Dean of Library Services for ACC, she manages ACC's eleven campus libraries and extension sites and her work includes strategic planning, communication, budget management, instruction, customer service, emergency management, the design of new facilities, public relations and marketing, staff development and the management of partnerships and collaborations. Todaro’s accomplishments include: 2013-2014 Co-chair of the American Library Association summit "Libraries of the Future: From Now On;" 2012 Texas Library Association (TLA) Lifetime Achievement Award; the 2003-2006 co-chair of the TLA Public Communication Committee; the 2007-2008 President of the 16,000 member Association of College and Research Libraries; a 2005 Austin Business Journal Profiles in Power awardee; a 2004 LAMA Certificate of Recognition for her Library Leadership and Management Association column "The Truth is Out There;" the 2000-2001 President of the Texas Library Association (TLA); the 1999 YWCA Austin Educator of the Year Award; and the 1996 TLA Librarian of the Year. She was Project Manager for the Texas White House Conference Program Planning (1989-1991;) Founder and member of the statewide Steering Committee the Texas Book Festival (1995 to present;) Chair of the Texas State Library and Texas Library Association Committee on Public Library Development Study (2003 to 2004;) and Chair of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission Committee to Develop Standard for School Libraries (1998 to 2001.)
http://researchguides.austincc.edu/LSDean


Monday, January 23, 2017

Announcing the 2017 Global Student Conference + Call for Proposals

The 2017 Global Student Conference, a student-organized event, will be held ONLINE on Saturday March 4th, 2017, and feature keynote speakers and crowdsourced presentations by students in grades 6-12 and college. There is no cost to participate or attend.

The theme for this year is "STEM + Entrepreneurship." The event provides an international forum for the presentation, discussion, and sharing of best practices in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and entrepreneurship in schools and other academic settings, including:
  • Fostering a better understanding of how STEM and entrepreneurship engage students, teachers, and administrators in a conversation about learning.
  • Assisting teachers and administrators in understanding how STEM and entrepreneurship impact learning both in and out of the classroom.
  • Strengthening the relationship between students, teachers, and administrators about STEM + entrepreneurship in the curriculum.
Sign up at http://www.GlobalStudentConference.com to register to attend, to be kept informed, or to submit a proposal. The call for proposals for the conference is now open, and submissions will be accepted on a first-come basis. While everyone is invited to attend the actual event, conference session proposals will only be accepted from students! 

Please also help us promote this event, particularly to students who might consider presenting or attending. This is our third year of a student-organized online conference (it was previously called the "Student Technology Conference"), and archived recordings of the previous years are available on the site to help students become familiar with the concept. As well, training and support are provided to presenters, many of whom will be presenting for the first time.

The primary and founding sponsor of this event is Marymount School of New York. Schools interested in becoming conference partners, or organizations interested in sponsoring, can email steve@learningrevolution.com for more information.

See you online!

Thursday, January 19, 2017

Creating a Worldwide (Online) "Technology & Learning" Conference

This is something I care deeply about.

After eight years of holding online and global education-related conferences (with hundreds of keynotes, thousands of sessions, and hundreds of thousands of attendees), I'm planning my most ambitious event ever: a massive, worldwide, online, and free conference devoted to technology and learning. Something that really helps to connect people and ideas, and to change education.

With your help, I want this to be a groundbreaking event.

In the survey that is linked below, there are four very quick, easy-to-answer questions that will help me to know what is important to you.


For those who are willing to go the extra mile, there are then five optional "deeper thinking" questions that address the role of technology in learning, the answers to which I will release in public form (all that give permission)--and will also use to produce a report on technology and education, which will be released for free in the coming weeks.

With sincere appreciation, and hoping to "see you online!"

Steve


P.S. Three quick additional notes:

1) I’m partnering with Acer Education to develop the free report and look forward to your responses. Learn more about Acer Education here: https://www.acer.com/ac/en/GB/content/professional-education-home. Big thanks to them!

2) Mark your calendar for our 11th annual (and free) "Hack Education" all-day unconference on Saturday, June 24th, at ISTE 2017 in San Antonio. Details will be posted at http://www.ISTEunplugged.com, where you can also enter your email address to be kept updated on event details. Hope you'll consider joining us for what is always a terrific day (and after-party!).

3) If you're interested in talking about sponsorship for this or any of the conferences I help run (the Global Education Conference, Library 2.0, the Global Student Conference, or any other), please email steve@learningrevolution.com. Thanks!