Registration for Becoming a Rockstar Scribe opens Aug. 1st

We have gotten so many great questions, sweet notes of support, tweets, and best of all... over 100 people are participating in our current class:

       Become a Rockstar Scribe at School or Work
      http://learntoscribe.com

At first, we thought that this would appeal mostly to passionate educators, students, and facilitators who don't necessarily think of themselves as artistic, but who want to incorporate visual learning into their work.

We have been honored (and bit intimidated) to see veteran graphic recorders and guru facilitators joining as well!

This is truly a global classroom: Students from the UK, Belgium, Singapore, Ecuador, Australia, New Zealand and all over North America have jumped on board. There have been some great questions and we will do my best to answer them all.

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QUESTION #1: WHAT TIME ARE CLASSES AND WILL I BE ABLE TO WORK THEM INTO MY HECTIC SCHEDULE?

The main question has involved the class format. So, to be clear, this is a self-paced set of video modules. Once you register, you receive one module every seven days.

The course is divided into six modules, one per week. But don’t worry!

There is no set schedule to view or complete any of the assignments. This is built for your personal development. Work at your own pace.  Each module builds upon the previous section and supported by videos, references, suggested reading, and PDF documents.

You can review videos and materials at anytime, day or night, on your laptop, iPhone, iPad or web-enabled device.

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QUESTION #2: HOW MANY SLOTS ARE AVAILABLE?

Our goal is to have the community be large enough to generate some real  energy and vibrancy, but manageable enough to actually get to know people and interact.

We currently have 99 people signed up on the waiting list, and fully expect to sell out once registration *officially* opens on Aug.1st. (For folks on the waiting list, we will open registration towards the end of July.)

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QUESTION #3: HOW MUCH DOES IT COST AND WHAT DO I GET?

First off, before Aug.1st, students will save $200 on the course. That is close to 40% off! Afterwards, the price will be $497.

Second, you will have access to awesome video tutorials packed with techniques, tips, tricks, and technology to kick-start your Rockstar Scribe status.

Third, those who have signed up are already sharing their hopes, dreams, and artwork in the Rockstar Trailer, a platform for uploading photos and  videos as we go through this creative journey together. So, this is truly interactive and, er, dare I say,... fun!

Finally, there are some pretty deep discounts available for groups of 5 or more, so bringing along friends and colleagues with pay off.

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QUESTION #4: WHERE DO I SIGN UP?

Funny you should ask...

       Become a Rockstar Scribe at School or Work
       http://learntoscribe.com

Hope to see you in our August class!

Remote Graphic Capture for Vanderbilt Center for Teaching

Mind map created remotely from Dallas and projected live in Nashville during the workshop.

This workshop for university faculty and staff featured many tools for physical and virtual facilitators and educators, including remote graphic capture and presentation on group  facilitation and graphic recording by Alphachimp Studio Inc.

From the Vanderbilt Center for Teaching (CFT):

Our brains are wired to rapidly make sense of and remember visual input. Visualizations in the form of diagrams, charts, drawings, pictures, and a variety of other ways can help students understand complex information. A well-designed visual image can yield a much more powerful and memorable learning experience than a mere verbal or textual description.

On Wednesday, March 17th the CFT hosted  Show and Tell: Integrating Visual Thinking in Your Teaching in order to begin dialogue about how we might tap into our students’ ability to think visually when teaching.

To see the results and access the list of visual methods, tools, books and resources from the workshop, visit: http://bit.ly/viz-teach

12 Brain-Mind Principles - Geoffrey & Renata Caine

From Diane Durand:

How do we learn? How do we make connections? T

hese are questions I have wondered for many years. I spent the early part of my career trying to understand and enhance how adults learn as individuals and groups. Now I am raising two children ages one and five. The five-year-old has made incredible connections in her brain between colors, science, play, and reading.

Now as I work with a new little one, I am trying to remember: "What did I do with her older sister to help her learn?"

Life and learning is incredible. 

I came across the model above, which I drew several years ago from some material Peter had brought back from a conference. At this particular conference he had the pleasure to meet Geoffrey and Renata Caine authors of 12 Mind/Brain Principles. 

I loved the principles right away.  I then created the image above to help me. (I learn best with a pen in hand.)

Kindle: Future Book

See what Amazon's Kindle is like. Besides being wireless (with no service plan!), the display uses electronic ink instead of backlit displays, allowing for easy reading outside in any light.

An electrophoretic display is an information display that forms visible images by rearranging charged pigment particles using an applied electric field.

clipped from www.amazon.com

For Any Teacher Out There... Watch This

What is the learning environment like today?

What is happening as the 19th century model (teacher + chalkboard) collides with the new media tools (iPod + laptop + Wifi)?

How many hours do they spend in class? On the phone? On Facebook? How do the current educational methods even begin to prepare them for jobs that don't even exist yet?

This short video summarizing some of the most important characteristics of students today - how they learn, what they need to learn, their goals, hopes, dreams, what their lives will be like, and what kinds of changes they will experience in their lifetime. Created by Michael Wesch in collaboration with 200 students at Kansas State University.

Good Education

Part of the transparency section of Good Magazine, this short video commissioned by ED in '08 highlights details behind America's ranking in public education.

clipped from www.goodmagazine.com In 2002, UNICEF compared public education in 24 nations around the world. The U.S. ranked 18th. So what's the problem? Are we spending enough per student? Are students spending enough time in school? America needs to do some extra credit if its public education system is going to stay competitive. To boost America’s economy we must focus on strengthening K-12 education. Why? Economists estimate that if America raises student skills closer to that of European nations, the U.S. economy would grow by an additional 5% over 30 years resulting in an extra $1.5 trillion in 2037 alone—more than triple current U.S. spending on K-12 public education.

You Are Responsible for Your Child’s Creativity

From GodbeyWorks:

Back to School
by Diana Long, Ed.D.

The summer flies by. Already the Back-to-School ads are dominating television and newspaper advertisements. Memorial Day gives way to the 4th of July in a blink of an eye. Labor Day is the official mindset end of summer and many kids go back into the classroom well before the holiday.

GodbeyWorks is a company that is promoting and yes, screaming for the public to pay attention to development activities that promote entrepreneurship, development of creative jobs, design and value added products and services. The recent “white paper” by Vision Shared, Culture, Creativity and Innovation, West Virginia in the New Economy, recommends actions to government, education and business to encourage such development. Taking the responsibility down to a personal level, I gathered thoughts on this question, “How do parents encourage the creative development of their own children?” more >>

E-Base: Leadership on the Edge of Antarctica

2041.com was founded by explorer, adventurer, lecturer Robert Swan, OBE, the first man to walk to both the North and South poles. Swan has dedicated his life to the preservation of the Antarctic wilderness and promoting recycling, renewable energy and sustainability to combat the effects of global warming. see video

clipped from www.2041.com The E-Base is a sustainable green building operated in an environmental and resource efficient manner. The materials which were very carefully selected include recycled and renewable resources. It is believed that a cornerstone of sustainable design is to retain as many resources as possible within a community however, there are no building materials produced or indigenous supplies available in Antarctica. All of the building materials chosen are sustainable products and include, structurally insulated panels from WinterPanel, 100 percent post consumer recycled rubber interior flooring from EcoSurfaces and an energy star watertight blanket with low VOCs for the roof and siding from Metacrylics. THE E-BASE GOES LIVE In 2008, Swan and a small team will live in the E-Base for two weeks demonstrating the use of the renewable and sustainable technologies. Their daily actvities will be covered on this website and transmitted 'live' around the world throughout their stay.