[The Pivotal Post] June 2021 Edition
Happy Summertime readers!
We've made it. A year for the record books. Today as I write this newsletter, my kids had their last day of class. They are ending the school year not with hugs, tears and laughter, but instead by hitting the "leave meeting" button on Zoom. As we head into summer, I hope this newsletter finds you in a healthy (both physically and mentally) place. I'm not sure what the future will bring, but I'm starting to see some things return to normal and hopeful that some new skills gained this past 15 months will remain with us in education going forward.
In this month's newsletter:
🗓 The Return of the In-Person Conference
💰 ISTE Trivia games!
💻 My latest course "The Blended Learning Coach"
🤣 Meme of the Month
📡 At-home Bandwidth Reporting
🤖 Hands-on Robotics Summer Camp!
❓ Question of the Month
🗓 The Return of the In-Person Conference
It's kind of surreal to think the last time that I attended an in-person event was this very event last year. I've attended and presented at every Confluence event the past 4 years and have always been impressed by the energy and innovation that Matt Holley and his team bring to the experience. Like last year, this year's event is hybrid and also like last year, it'll be completely free for anyone that wants to attend in person or remotely. This year's line-up of speakers includes Dr. Matthew X. Joseph, Kristen Brooks, and my podcast co-host Dr. Adam Phyall. If you aren't busy on June 7, you should join pop in and say hello!
Register for free here: https://learn.lcisd.net/
💰 ISTE Trivia games!
While ISTE 2021 is NOT back in-person (would have been just down the road from me too!) there are still a lot of great sessions taking place that I hope to absorb and be a part of. Also, thanks to sponsor AVer, I'll be hosting 3 Trivia Happy Hours on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday of ISTE week. Registration for these are free and there will be some AMAZING prizes as always for those that win. You don't have to be good at trivia either as half the prizes will be randomly chosen during the event!
Register here for one, two, or all three events and I'll see you online!
💻 My latest course "The Blended Learning Coach"
With things shifting back to in-person likely for many schools in the fall, I know that means a lot of schools having 1-to-1 devices in their classrooms for the first time. Taking my 10 years of experience teaching and leading a blended learning program, I've built a new self-paced course packed full of do's and don'ts of running an effective blended learning environment. There will be a little something for everyone in this course that launches the week before ISTE! Stay-tuned as I'll be running some special 50% specials once it launches for early subscribers.
🤣 Meme of the Month
As a Game of Thrones fan...this brought me joy.
📡 At-home Bandwidth Reporting
One of the companies I've been working with (NetRef) recently revealed a new tool that I think will be a game-changer for schools and districts going forward in this post-pandemic world. Their new at-home bandwidth reporting feature lets administrators know which homes don't have the bandwidth to support online learning at home. This could have major repercussions when it comes to closing the digital equity gap in our communities. In the past, most schools were unsure what kind of connectivity their families had. As a result, districts spent money sending hotspots out to homes with no real data as to whether or not they needed them. If you know of a school or district leader that might be interested in this to pilot for FREE, send them this link and make sure they say "Carl sent me". :)
🤖 Hands-on Robotics Summer Camp!
I've always been a big fan of the guys at Trashbots and the work they have done to bring low-cost STEAM robotics into schools and underserved communities. This summer, they are also offering a robotics summer camp with instructors online but with actual physical robotics kits sent to the home and included as part of the camp price. If you are looking for something for your kids to do this summer that involves some hands-on, fun challenges, check out their camps and sign up here. Weekly camps start June 21st!
❓ Question of the Month
What's something you are most looking forward to doing this summer?
Just reply to this email with your response and I'll write you back!
Enjoy summer folks...you deserve it!
-Carl
Carl Hooker
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