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The MACUL Conference is this week!   (This is the third in a series of 4 to help you get ready and excited about going to the conference. Tipsheet #1 contains information about hydration, food considerations and special happenings at the conference. Tipsheet #2 contains information about planning for your conference - the conference app, choosing sessions. Tipsheet #3 contains information about registration, getting help, networking, and wearing comfortable shoes!) Here are some other tidbits that might help you out as you arrive at the conference next week: COBO Layout : COBO is now basically a big “L” with sessions dispersed over 3 or 4 levels on both sides of the L; the left side of the L faces the river.   The end hallway overlooks the river since it has been renovated. They have added escalators and a huge staircase which help with traffic flow.  Long time conference goers should know they dropped the old naming...

The MACUL Conference is less than a couple weeks away! (This is the third in a series of 4 to help you get ready and excited about going to the conference. Tipsheet #1 contains information about hydration, food considerations and special happenings at the conference. Tipsheet #2 contains information about planning for your conference - the conference app, and picking sessions.) Today I'm sharing some general tips for getting the most out of the conference. Checking In : Checking in on Thursday morning can be overwhelming when there are several thousand people around!  Here are some bits of advice to avoid missing the opening keynote session: If you come into Detroit Wednesday prior to 5pm, go to registration then instead of waiting until Thursday If you come into Detroit Thursday morning, registration opens at 7 am Again this year there will be "self-check" registration where you check in at a computer, then proceed to where your badge is printe...

The 2019 MACUL Conference is now less than a month away! (This is the second in a series of 4 to help you get ready and excited about going to the conference. Tipsheet #1 contains information about hydration, food considerations and special happenings at the conference. ) The conference sessions are all locked and loaded...meaning you can peruse the list at your leisure.  Here are some suggestions that may help you feel more prepared when coming to the the conference- Know What You Want : have some idea(s) of what you want to walk away from the conference with.  Use these ideas to help you plan your time so you meet those goals. It's easy to become overwhelmed with all the options, and identifying YOUR walk-aways will make sure you take back meaningful learning.   For example, you are looking for new uses of Google Apps in your classroom, look for sessions about that.  Or, if you are involved in looking for new school purchases make sure to bl...

(This is 1 in a series of 4 to help you get ready and excited about going to this year's conference.) Yes, you are attending the conference for all the great learning and networking.  However, eating is still a necessity and it is important to know where to find food while in Detroit...especially food that you can get quickly, without waiting in long lines!  Here are some tips and hints for dealing with that while at Cobo, along with some special events you should know about: Staying Hydrated : make sure you stay hydrated! there are several fountains and water coolers provided throughout the venue to get water - bring along a refillable cup/mug and keep filling it all day instead of purchasing expensive bottles of water Food at Cobo : there are several food vendors right in COBO; some tips about these: there will be around 4000 attendees AND hundreds of additional vendors at the venue, and everyone will be taking about the same meal breaks - either pick up foo...

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The 2017 MACUL Conference is now less than a month away! (This is the second in a series of 4 to help you get ready and excited about going to the conference. Tipsheet #1 contains information about hydration, food considerations and special happenings at the conference. ) The conference sessions are all locked and loaded...meaning you can peruse the list at your leisure.  Here are some suggestions that may help you better come to the the conference feeling more prepared- Know What You Want : have some idea(s) of what you want to walk away from the conference with.  Use these ideas to help you plan your time so you meet those goals. It's easy to become overwhelmed with all the options, and identifying YOUR walk-aways will make sure you take back meaningful learning.   For example, you are looking for new uses of Google Apps in your classroom, look for sessions about that.  Or, if you are involved in looking for new school purchases make sur...

MI Moot 2017 - Transforming Classrooms We've transformed the MI Moodle Moot conference to better meet the needs of all educators who are committed to implementing effective change within their classrooms. Our vision is to have a variety of sessions focusing on best practices in blended learning using FREE resources such as Moodle, Google for Education, or other tools. Save the Date We’re pleased to announce that MI Moot 2017 will be held on August 1st and 2nd, 2017 at Lansing Community College West in Lansing, Michigan. The purpose of this event is to bring educators together from K-12 and higher ed, to model how to transform instruction and support teaching and learning. This event is supported by the REMC Association of Michigan and the REMC Instructional Technology Specialists (RITS). Call for Presenters If you are interested in presenting, please use this form to apply . We encourage you to pass this on to anyone who you think would be interested presenting a gr...

The #macul17 MOBILE APP is now available!   Download for your iOS or Android device .  (Or you can also visit the app store of choosing and search for MACUL 2017.) Session information has already been loaded into the app - get a sneak pe a k at the great session line up for the upcoming conference within the app!   Some additional conference news -  Volunteers Needed Take your conference attendance to a new level - volunteer! Get a t-shirt and help make the conference the best ever - sign-up  now.   Keynote Speakers   If you haven't heard yet, our keynote speakers are: Sir Ken Robinson, Jane McGonigal, & Jennie Magiera - a stellar group focused on learning.  Featured Speakers this year include: Barbara Chamberlin, Hall Davidson, Steve Dembo, Leslie Fisher, Matt Miller and Kyle Pace.  If you don't recognize these names, Google them - they are all people worth knowing and following!   ...

Mobile Learning Conference    May 13, 2016 8:30 am - 3:30 pm Kalamazoo RESA 1819 E. Milham Road Portage,  MI 49002   Registration Cost: $65 Register here»   Featured Speakers:  Andy Mann, Director REMC 4 and Instructional Technology Consultant at Muskegon Area ISD.  Andy will be presenting Google's Secret Projects and Hangout Hoedown. Michael Miller, Elementary Technology Teacher, Otsego Public Schools. Michael will be presenting Project Ignite and 3D Printing! Joe Rommel, Educational Technology Consultant, Berrien RESA. Joe will be presenting the World of Maker in the Classroom.

So my #MACUL16 Tipsheets generated some ideas from all of you! Here's a bonus tipsheet with your ideas - Bring a power strip to make new friends at crowded outlets. ~Carol Isakson Get to your sessions early. Once a session is full, the doors will be closed and a “Session Full”  sign should be visible. If you see a session full sign on a door or a representative tells you it is full, please respect that and do not enter. Don't try to fill every session slot . Spend an hour in the exhibit hall or just sitting and reflecting on other sessions. Your brain and your feet both need a rest sometime. ~Andy Losik Wear your badge . The badge holder and lanyard will be in your conference bag. You will pick up your bag after check-in. Before you arrive at the conference stop by the store and grab some easy to eat bananas, granola bars, etc. ~The President (?? Not sure which president!) Come celebrate our 40th anniversary with us on Thursday night! The MACUL party wil...

(This is the final  tipsheet  in the series of 4 to help you prepare for one of MACUL’s largest conferences ever!)  Here are some other tidbits that might help you out as you arrive at the conference next week: Layout : The Amway/Devos layout can be very confusing as it is two separate buildings.   The Devos Hall has rooms on the main floor, and two additional floors that are accessible by escalators/elevators on either end of the hall. To help you understand how names match locations - River Overlook rooms overlook the river, Gallery Overlook rooms overlook the atrium area, Grand Gallery open into the atrium area, the Ballrooms are at the end of the atrium on the river side of the building. There are two main areas for rooms at Amway - the end of the building where the skywalk connects and the Monroe Ave entrance is, and the middle of the building where the atrium and swanky shops are The rooms at the end of the building are on multiple leve...

The  MACUL  Conference  is just  a week away!  This is the third  tip sheet  in a series of 4 to help you get ready for Michigan’s largest education conference. Today I'm sharing some general tips for getting the most out of the conference. Checking In : Checking in on Thursday morning can be overwhelming!  Here are some bits of advice to avoid missing the opening keynote session (you don’t want to miss Jamie Casap - Chief Education Evangelist at Google, Inc speak on Iteration and innovation in Education!): If you come into Grand Rapids Wednesday prior to 5pm, go to registration then instead of waiting until Thursday If you come into Grand Rapids Thursday morning, registration opens at 7 am Thursday - plan to get there around that time to avoid long lines NEW! this year there will be "self-check" registration where you check in at a computer, then proceed to where your badge is printed out. Getting Help:  There are over 10...

The 2016 MACUL Conference is now just a week away! (This is the second in a series of 4 to help you get ready and excited about going to the conference.) The conference sessions are all locked and loaded...meaning you can peruse the list at your leisure.  Here are some suggestions that may help you better organize for the conference- Know What You Want : have some idea(s) of what you want to walk away from the conference with.  Use these ideas to help you plan your time so you meet those goals. It's easy to become overwhelmed with all the options, and identifying the walk-aways will make sure you take back meaningful learning.   For example, you are looking for new uses of Google Apps in your classroom, look for sessions about that.  Or, if you are involved in looking for new school purchases make sure to block out some time to spend in the exhibit hall.  Conference App : Check out the Conference app here . This year’s conference app will let y...

(This is 1 in a series of 4 to help you get ready and excited about going to this year's conference.) Yes, we are attending the conference for all the great learning and networking.  However, eating is still a necessity and it is important to know where to find food...especially food that you can get quickly, without waiting in long lines!  Here are some tips and hints for dealing with that while at the conference, along with some other tidbits you should know about: Staying Hydrated : make sure you stay hydrated! there are several fountains and water coolers provided throughout the venue to get water - bring along a refillable cup and keep filling it all day instead of purchasing expensive bottled water Food at Devos/Amway : there are several cafes/restaurants in Amway; some tips about these: there will probably be 4000-5000 attendees AND hundreds of additional vendors at the venue, and everyone will be taking meal breaks about the same time - either p...

With Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) becoming a major trend in K-12 classrooms, school districts face questions about data security, district policy, classroom integration, and user support. The Genesee Intermediate School District is hosting a BYOD Summit with sessions for district administrators, building administrators, technology leaders, and teachers that address issues, discuss solutions, and generate roadmaps for districts on the BYOD pathway. When: 8:30am - 3:30pm May 12th   Where : 2413 W. Maple Ave; Fint, MI 48507 Credit:  4 SCECH credits available For more information:  https://www.smore.com/1sa21

APRIL 18, 2015  |  JACKSON, MICHIGAN A mashup of educational technology & conversation, this is an opportunity to get you moving with an innovative classroom! The #ConnectedEDU Un/Conference features active learning experiences alongside and led by innovative Michigan educators!  NOW ONLY $20! DETAILS 6 SCECHs BYOD-laptop, tablet, phone..whatever! Computer labs, classrooms & breakout spaces Delicious lunch included Fun surprises! More details LOCATION The Jackson Area Career Center;  6700 Browns Lake Road, Jackson, MI    The facility features high speed wireless, classrooms with modern A/V, labs and open gathering spaces. (Building is 10 minutes south of Jackson on the campus of the Jackson Intermediate School District, across from Jackson Community College.  Don't rely on your GPS! View   full directions   to verify.) UN/CON?    The event will blend a variety of strategies found in both tradit...

LEVERAGING MOBILE TECHNOLOGY FOR EDUCATION Sponsored by  MACUL , the  REMC Association of Michigan  and  Kalamazoo RESA  Pre-Conference Session : Thursday April 16, 2015 from 4:00-7:00* *Includes digital playground, Google training, and reception at Bell's Brewery. Conference Sessions : Friday April 17, 2015 from 8:30-3:30** **Includes breakfast snacks, lunch and a chance to win technology prizes, including an iPad.  If you are using, or would like to start using mobile devices in your classroom, this is an experience you should not miss. At-a-Glance, Sched.org, and Presenters will be available soon on the  MACUL website. Additional Information :  https://madmimi.com/s/0bfe94   Cost : $65.00 - includes attendance at both pre-conference and conference events/sessions.  Location :  KALAMAZOO RESA;  1819 E. Milham Road, Portage MI Registration : You can register  HERE .

(This is the final  tip sheet  in the series of 4 to help you prepare for one of MACUL’s largest conferences ever!)  I’m guessing you will be arriving at the conference sometime next Wednesday or Thurtsday. Here are some other tidbits that might help you out as you arrive at the conference: COBO Layout : COBO is now basically a big “T” with sessions dispersed over 3 or 4 levels on both sides of the T; the top side of the T faces the river.   They haves been doing a major renovation, and we will mostly be in the renovated area.  The end hallway now overlooks the river.   They have added escalators and a huge staircase which should help with traffic flow.  Long time conference goers should know they dropped the old naming conventions - It's numbered by floor and area, and what used to be the basement is now floor one. The main entrance is now on what used to be the basement on the river side - you enter into an atrium. Get...