MACUL '13, Looking Back

Last week, as I have posted here, I gave three presentations:

1) A webinar on iPad professional development on edWeb.net

2) A presentation on iPad professional development at MACUL '13, Cobo Center, Detroit.

3) A presentation on Individual assessments within group challenge and multimedia projects at MACUL '13

As I was tweaking my slides I thought back on how I had arrived as a presenter on "multimedia projects".

Well, it all started at MACUL '07, which I felt I had been forced to attend since I had no particular interest in doing much of anything in the classroom with multimedia.  I attended a session on creating mp3's by telephone using Gabcast.  

I began creating audio files and used them in my American Government class.  I then starting collecting podcasts in all of my classes.  The centerpiece of my Government course was a legislative simulation which I began to move online.  On a lark, I decided to apply to become an Apple Distinguished Educator, even though I taught in a P.C. school.  In order to apply, I needed to make a movie, so my daughter taught me iMovie.

Miraculously, I was accepted to the program.  Attending by first ADE Institute introduced me to Challenge Based Learning.  My first experience with CBL was a game changer.  I applied to MACUL '10 to present on CBL.  I also posted some of my multimedia to this blog.  It was noticed by Apple.  I then found myself more vitally involved with the Apple Education community.  This led to more CBLs and more ADE Institutes.  

I am very thankful to all the interesting people and experiences ed tech has brought me in this, my fourth decade of Education.