I have been to SXSWEDU in the past (see SXSWEDU 2014 Recap) and I have to say that this year without a doubt was indisputably my favorite. It didn’t hurt that I got to have breakfast with Guy Kawasaki and hear him speak at both SXSWEDU and SXSWInteractive but beyond that…
“I just felt like the event accurately connected, curated, and celebrated pedagogies, trends, and innovations that are currently in line with the pulse of education.” – Lisa Johnson
So…earlier in the week I app smashed Canva and Thinglink to curate and archive my learning from TCEA 2015 so this seemed like the next logical progression. As I mentioned in my earlier post, lately I have been getting just as much interest in my workflow and graphics as I have in my content so I thought I would elaborate on my home grown PD Recap Recipe.
How Did You Create this Epic PD Recap?
- Choose a Functional Base Image: In this case, I had gotten to SXSWEDU early one day and decided to take a few selfies using my Mac and PhotoBooth in front of one of the SXSWEDU banners at the convention center.
- Add Filter and Flare to Your Image: I loved the color to this image (see below) so I opted not to turn it black and white as I did in my last PD Recap. I did still opt to add a layer of polish and poise to it with my best kept secret the “Orton Style” filter in the BEFUNKY WEB APP to add a bit of grit. (Note: CANVA also has built-in image filters but not quite like this one.)
- Build Your Graphic: Once my base image was ready, I uploaded it to CANVA and added pretty much everything else you see in the image below. (Note: One of the icon graphics I paid for via the NOUN PROJECT as I it fairly regularly and CANVA did not have a comparable icon in their gallery.)
- Add Interactivity to Your Graphic: Once the base graphic is complete, I upload it to THINGLINK.. and all the interactivity you see below…AND HERE.
What Learning Nuggets Might I Discover by Hovering Over All of these Nubbins?
So glad you asked… Within this Thinglink, I included links to my Evernote notes on the sessions as well as direct links to slide decks and archived videos of some of the presentations. Debbie Smith, a fellow iVenger, also did a bang-up job of curating and reflecting on the week so I included each one of the blog entries that she cranked out as well.
“I have to say that this is unequivocally one of my favorite conferences to attend – no other event is quite at the intersection of policy, educational entrepreneurs, innovation nor blends K-12 and higher higher education like this event.” – Lisa Johnson
But Wait! I Have a Few More Questions…
Can you tell me…
- Do You Have Any Other Examples of Epic PD Recaps that you have Created?: Well Actually… I do… I HAVE 7 ADDED TO THIS THINGLINK CHANNEL. The 3 with Maps were actually created with the PHOTOMAPO APP and then Thinglinked.
- What Other Resources Can You Create By App-Smashing with Canva and Thinglink? I have to say this pairing is one of my go-to recipes so I have CURATED 11 EXAMPLES HERE IN THIS THINGLINK CHANNEL to whet you app-etite for this delivery method. (I also have a FULL POST THAT DELINEATES HOW EACH ONE OF THESE WAS CREATED AND FOR WHAT PURPOSE).
How Should I Share Out My Learning?
Before you jump on the Epic PD Recap band wagon… please know that these do take me about 2.5-3 hours to complete with building the image, cleaning up my summaries and linking all of the content (and the fact that I can be oftentimes crippled by my need for perfection). Now that I have a Canva template and work flow, that time is somewhat decreased. I am in no way trying to dissuade you from this method as I do believe that graphics and chunked content is always the best delivery method… but what I am saying is to do this takes time and careful curation of content. In the end, I have found it is always worth it for my own metacognition as well as the inspiration of my staff… but know that these don’t just grow on trees. They take time to cultivate and perfect – and that time is well spent… but time nonetheless… 😉
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