4 Things I Learned from Maui's First Student-Led TEDxYouth Event


What a privilege it was to be involved with "Imagining a Better Tomorrow", the first student-led TEDxYouth event for Maui students! 

 The event was held on April 6, 2014 at Seabury Hall's `A`ali`ikuhonua Creative Arts Center.
I learned 4 things during the planning and the event itself:
1. A TEDxYouth event on Maui works.

 There were a few doubters. Could an event of this kind draw an audience on Maui? Would students come up with talks that were TEDx quality? Could kids actually plan and execute this gargantuan project on their own?

 The answers to all three questions? A resounding YES!
The students' talks will be posted on the TEDx site shortly. 
I will add them here for your enjoyment.

 2. Kids work hard.

 Got a project that kids believe in and that excites them? Just get out of the way and let them at it.

Planning for the event started at the beginning of the school year, continued with regular meetings and training, and culminated with a "hell week" of rehearsal and loose-end tying. All student-run.

Taking notes during rehearsal.

3. Kids on Maui dream big.

 I didn't know there were so many kids who do, until now.
"Imagining a better tomorrow" dream board

4.  An #eventofhope provides real-world opportunities for students to continue dreaming.
  • Some of the students who organized the event have leads for summer jobs and internships.
  • Speakers are being asked to present elsewhere.
  • Members of the student film production team that trained under AKAKU are now employable.
  • The non-profit make-a-difference booths attracted many interested students who will now pursue new dreams.
"Everyone is a Maker." -- Jerry Isdale of Maui Makers

Maui students give me hope for the future!

A big MAHALO to Jasmine Doan, founder of the event, who directed the core team of organizers from small start to spectacular finish.

Learn more about TEDxYouth@SeaburyHall on their website, as well as on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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So you've been invited to a Hangout on Air. Now what?
(How to Set Up Email & Phone Notifications)

So you've been invited to a Google Hangout on Air and you've already (1) created your Gmail account, (2) upgraded to Google Plus, and (2) installed your Hangout plug-in.

 Now what?

 Well, you want to make sure your Google Plus settings are configured so that you'll receive email and/or phone notifications of Hangout and Event developments.

Here's a notifications tutorial, presented below in four different ways. Feel free to learn from and share in whichever of the four ways you prefer. 


1. Google Slides

Here are the original instructions I created on Google Slides (share with attribution).

This is my favorite presentation method because I can change the original slides, and this embedded slide show automatically updates.


2. Animated gif 

 I saved each of the Google slides above as jpegs and uploaded them to gifmaker.me. Free and easy and customizable.
Download gif, with attribution.
Control-click (Mac) / Right-click (pc) over image.

Animated gifs are great for rapid learners who need just a little help figuring things out, or as a quick visual refresher.


3. Slideshare

I saved the jpegs as a PDF document and uploaded it to Slideshare.


Slideshare has been called The Quiet Giant of Content Marketing by Forbes Magazine. It seems to be a rock-solid favorite for educators. I like it too.


4. Written instructions 

Go to Google Plus, and 

1. Click on settings (hover your cursor over the left side to view the pull-down menu bar).

2. Select "Who can send you notifications".

3. Customize "Who can hang out with you".

4. Check the box "Get Notified about Hangout Requests", and Save.

5. Scroll down in settings to Receive notifications by email or phone.

6. Check boxes for Hangouts and Events notifications as desired.Have fun hanging out!
Old-school, and very effective, in my opinion. :)
How do you learn best? Which of these presentation methods do you prefer? A combination, perhaps?
Have fun hanging out on air!

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Three Time Saving (and Stellar) Sites for Educators and Students Doing Research

Preparing for the #edchathi April Twitter chat today. The topic is: 
"Time Saving Tips for Educators"

  I'll be recommending 3 time-saving sites for teachers and students doing research.

 Won't you join us? The #edchathi chat will be from 6:00-7:00PM HST. If you miss it, the chat will be archived here.

I enjoy using these three time-saving sites daily and I highly recommend them! Not only are they time-savers, but the content they contain is top-notch.

 1. One-stop Creative Commons Search

 Need photos you or your students can reuse without violating copyright? Check out searchcreativecommons.org for finding creative commons images on multiple websites.


2. Add 'Pinterest' to your Google search

You'll find the best of the best sites, collected by people passionate about a topic.

 I recommend starting out by searching Boards (rather than pins or pinners). However, these pinners are goldmines of educational ideas.



3. LibGuides Community website

 LibGuides is a content management system vetted by librarians and used by thousands of libraries worldwide, from K through university. You must have a subscription to create a LibGuide site of your own, but anyone can access the resources via the LibGuides Community website.


Many more time-saving tips for educators will be shared! Check out the  #edchathi chat! tonight, and every first Monday of the month, 6-7PM HST.
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