UEA weekend: Imagine camping off the beaten path at the rustic (no showers) and very beautiful Rio Mesa Center created by the University of Utah - near Moab, Utah. Rio Mesa is dedicated to enhancing the teaching experience of K-12 educators. (The new center facilities - with showers - should be open next year.) The weather was clear and cold and warm. It was 30 degrees at night and 85 in the day! Educators from across the state met here to study ants! We learned how to integrate GPS devices, data collection in Excel spreadsheets, pictures in drop box and bring it all together on one map in ArcGIS online. Sweet! The project was lead by Pat Lambrose and more information can be found online at the Cmapk12.wikispace. Check out our finished product! Click on the interactive map below to see the detailed data and even find pictures of individual ant colonies.
So this brings me to the second part of what I learned. I took my iPad and gave a quick explanation using Explain Everything. This app is an easy-to-use design tool that lets you annotate, animate, and narrate explanations. What I love about it is this: you could hand your iPad to a student and ask them to explain a math problem, a language arts concept, a science theory or experiment. You name it, kids can demonstrate their mastery beautifully and creatively. You can share it in so many ways. Project it to the class on your Apple TV or share it on YouTube, in an e-mail, in dropbox, or Evernote. Is there a better way to demonstrate mastery than teaching someone else all about it? Try it with your students! Colleen Bliss
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