TIGblogs - Darren Draper

The folks at TTIX (Teaching with Technology Idea Exchange) inform me that the video from this year's conference has been posted here. I had the honor and privilege of giving the keynote address in June, a first for me. In reflecting further on the experience, I am reminded that I had intended to say many more things than I had actually managed to say. I'm sure many teachers have also experienced this in their classrooms.

Reason #8 - Blogging allows you to finish what you had originally intended to say.

Let me say up front that I had originally wanted to go a lot faster than I actually went. Nevertheless, the flow was smooth and I still felt that I had the audience from the beginning. It really was a refreshing experience.

But I missed the sale, the close, the final touches. I got to slide 307 (or so) of 405 (I had to take out the poem above in order to upload the presentation to SlideShare). Yep, only 3/4 through. If I had to do it over again, I'd make sure to mention:

The results of my informal assessment of cellphone use throughout Utah - roughly 85% of all urban and rural high school students in Utah have access to a cellphone.
Ithaca College and their Cellflix Film Festival - what an amazing way to use cellphones to teach.
Ms. Bradfield and her class's travel bugs - one has traveled nearly 19,000 miles. Imagine the conversations.
Matthew Horne and the amazing things he's done with his ESL students - I'm sure that blogging and postcasting are just the beginning.
Kevin Honeycutt and one of my favorite quotes regarding teachers and our relationship to our students: "We've got to be willing to play where they play... even if we don't feel comfortable."
Darren Kuropatwa and the great way he uses Flickr with his math students.
One of the most powerful comments I have heard about the Pay Attention video. This was given by a student:

“This is a great video. As a tenth grader, almost everything in the video applies to me – I have a phone (which really doubles as a GPS), I have an MP3 player, I have a computer. The lack of application of technology in many schools is appaling.”

--michaelper22

Finally, I would have told the audience about my cheesy poem - created specifically to close the presentation:

“If I Were You” By Darren Draper

If I were you, what would I do?
I’d use YouTube, del.icio.us, and Flickr, too.
To teach my students about somethidng new.

If I were you, what would I do?
I’d use Google Tools – indeed the whole slew.
Google Earth, Docs, and Trends to name just a few.
Yep, teach kids to learn, even when the day’s through.

If I were you, what would I do?
I’d make my kids podcast, ‘til their faces were blue.
And then we would post them to the new iTunes U.

If I were you, what would I do?
I’d share with the world, yep honest and true.
Yeah, I’d be much more open and creative and common.
And when I was done, I would eat some Top Ramen.

If I were you, what would I do?
I’d pay more attention to what the kids do.
I’d learn how they learn in order to teach
Them things they should know without haffin’ to preach.

Anyway, that's what I would have said if I would have had the time. And that's why I'm glad that I blog.