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Generate Instant Pear Decks

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  I’ll keep this short as the video explains most of you. Any new educational technology can be complicated to dig into from scratch as you attempt to align it to learning outcomes.  Well, a new feature that Pear Deck has introduced has taken a giant leap forward to help educators do just that.  Before we jump into the new features, if you are unfamiliar with Pear Deck and why my students and I consider it the #1 EdTech tool that helps their learning, check out the video in the previous blog post.   But if you are more concerned with why you should even dive into Pear Deck or learn about this new AI generation of Pear Deck sessions to a learning target, check out the video below. Like I said, I’m keeping it short so you have time to watch the video. If you have questions, please contact me at mohammam@elmbrookschools.org or the Pear Deck Learning team at support@deck.peardeck.com . Also, check out the amazing Stacey Roshan's video on this update. 
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IMMOOC WeMOOC Takeawyas

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Over the past couple of months it has been my pleasure to be a part of the Innovator's Mindset MOOC (massive online open course).  I was able to participate in the last episode of the live MOOC hangout which will be turned into a podcast.



Below are blog posts on takeaways from the book when I read it this summer:
Part 1: What Is an Innovator's Mindset?
Part 2: Create a Culture of Innovation
Part 3: Release the Kraken
Part 4: Putting Mindset Into Action

I just wanted to share some of my brief takeaways for the online community experience.

There are so many talented people out there. I was amazed to read all of the brilliant blog reflections of my fellow #IMMOOC members. It was great to see all the different perspectives and paths people took from a similar prompt. Those posts shed new light on my own reading of the book.

There are so many risk takers out there. To hear what others were trying out for the first time was awesome. It really served as an extra push to try something new.

There are so many different ways to express yourself using low tech or high tech. Looking at the reflections I was able to see they ran the gambit from high tech green screen videos to beautiful sketch notes.  You don't need much to be reflective only time and honesty. So, we can't make excuses.

Staying connected gives me great new ideas. We can innovate within our box to great effect. But, the only way we can get new ideas is by looking outside the window of our box. 

Staying connected helps me feel supported.  Being part of the #IMMOOC community helped me feel like I wasn't alone and that someone was out there listening to me and understanding my struggles. The views, likes, retweets, replies, and comments helped me realize I wasn't just talking to myself. Of course the primary purpose of this blog is reflection.  But, together our voices may are seeking to create some forward motion. 

It's great to be in a book group where people read the book. I'm a pretty serious student.  I was the one who had always done the reading.  So, it was amazing to see a group of like minded individuals pulls quotes and commenting on the same things I was thinking or bringing up points I hadn't considered.

Innovation is not a thought it's an action.  In the end it was seeing what people in the group were doing that had the biggest impact on me. It's a lot easier to take risks in the mind.  Only when the thing is done does it have the possibility of changing the learner's experience. 

I really loved being a part of the #IMMOOC.  I look forward to our next steps and new voices.

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