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With as little hair as my head will generate, it’s amazing how badly I need a haircut.

But here we are, in week 3 (or 4 depending on when your school went online) trying to finish out the semester at a distance.

As we aren’t even close to being out of this ‘new normal,’ and based on several webinars, conference calls, and consultations I have been asked to perform, it seems that we all need some PD right now. But, as most conferences have been cancelled and several others postponed, seeing only a few brave souls try to hold an online event, development and/or enrichment is hard to come by. Maybe not as difficult as toilet paper…but hard, none the less.

So, this weekend, I was considering variables about PD…and there are a lot of them. First and foremost is the important norm that most faculty (K-20) spend less time upskilling in and around teaching / learning than anything else (subject matter, process, etc). Second, my usual 15-25 keynotes + 10-30 workshops are likely not going to happen in 2020. (I had already contracted for 5 keynotes as of March 1, but most have already been cancelled.) So even if I wanted to, I couldn’t come to your school and provide some help. And finally, I realize that most faculty are going to need help that translates to the (new-to-many) eLearning context we are teaching under.

Adding to last week’s webinar, and as a person who has almost exhausted YouTube’s algorithm for what to present to me, it occurred to me that you might be as ready for new content as I am. With no sports, no new tv shows, and the streaming services releasing only a few options here or there, we need some new stuff to watch!

Let’s see if the Institute can help you out…

First, a quick note of one of our Faculty / Fellows who is doing her part. I HIGHLY recommend checking out Dr. Emma Zone’s helpful webinars, presented on the Facebook Live platform:

But second, I’m announcing a new series on the IICE blogs. (You can also find any of the videos on our YouTube channel.)

For twenty years, I have presented 15-25 keynote addresses all around the world. I have presented in every US state, talking with College Presidents, University Chancellors, Provosts, Deans, Faculty, and more. I have taken about 6-8 themes and iterated the messages that support each over that time.

That means, I have 6-8 keynotes which I have presented dozens of times, building and iterating over time. From neuroscience to education reform to teaching & learning to gamification to innovation and more, I have presented this information in workshops, keynotes, and plenaries to audiences of 10-10,000.

But, as I will likely not be traveling to any states or countries this year (or possibly next), I thought I might be able to make “chunks” of the talks available to anyone who is interested. These may be considered a “best of” series. I will do my best to keep them 5-15 minutes per video but I will really try hard to make sure they are a mix of theory and practice, with practical application immediately.

The first video will be an introduction. (I realize not everyone has heard one of my presentations.) Please check it out for a general underpinning of why I think this is even important in the first place.

The second video in the Quarantinotes series is going to be a primer for ed tech apps. It’s based on a Pecha Kucha presentation I gave recently to showcase 20 apps in 5 minutes.

I hope you find these helpful. I hope they help pass a little time in an educational way. But mostly I hope they help you teach, and your students learn better. While teaching is an art, it’s also a science. So let’s try to talk a little about that science here. Enjoy the series. We’ll put out at least one new video each week.

Good luck and good learning.