Alec Couros | Professor of Educational Technology & Media

Alec Couros

Professor of Educational Technology & Media

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Alec Couros
Biography

Dr. Alec Couros is widely recognized as an international leader in the field of educational technology as well as a pioneer in the area of open education. In his 23 years as an educator, Alec has worked as a teacher, youth worker, educational administrator, IT coordinator, consultant, and professor, with employment in K-12 schools, youth justice facilities, technical institutes, and universities. Thanks to this wide spectrum of experiences, Alec has built a reputation as a leading and influential keynote speaker in the areas of digital citizenship, networked learning, social media in education, media literacy, and open education, and he has given hundreds of workshops and presentations across North America and around the world. Additionally, Alec's past engagements have included corporate events, higher education conferences, K-12 events, student forums, and everything in between.

In addition to his work as an internationally renowned speaker, Alec is a professor of educational technology and media in the Faculty of Education, University of Regina, Canada. An award-winning educator, Alec helps his undergraduate and graduate students take up the incredible affordances of our connected world through the integration of educational technology in teaching and learning. Additionally, Alec's work in education extends well beyond the university. He is a leading influential presence on Twitter and his blog, couros.ca, has thousands of readers; as well, thanks to his open teaching practice, Alec has taught students in 75 countries, most notably as part of #ETMOOC, which attracted over 12,000 participants. Alec's influence also extends to the sphere of governance, where he is recognized as a leading consultant who works with school districts, universities, and government agencies to develop policies and guidelines for practice related to digital citizenship, social media presence, and technology integration.

Perhaps most importantly, as the father of four young children, Alec is a passionate advocate of technology as a humanizing and transformational force for good in the world, and his energy and enthusiasm for his work are evident in the positive atmosphere and spirit created by his keynotes. He works hard to connect to his audience through humour and personal experiences, and his presentations are dynamic, engaging, and filled with relevant and inspiring examples and ideas.

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Identity, Networks, & Connected Learning

We are currently exiting the age of personal computer and entering a new mobile reality. Emerging technologies now provide us with the tools to dramatically transform our learning environments, and for the first time in history, learners now have the technical ability to learn anywhere, anytime, and with anyone. Yet, transitioning away from our industrial model of education will not be easy, and leaves us with many questions. What do teachers/leaders need to know about 21st century learning? How can social networks and new media be used to support student learning? How do we deal with digital identity? This presentation will outline our new technological reality, feature examples of how social media can transform learning environments and guide participants in examining the potentials and pitfalls of modern learning.

Introduction to Personal Learning Networks & Connected Learning

Social Networking services often get the bad rap of 'time-wasters' or distractors. Yet, there are many social networks built upon passion, kindness, transparency, sharing, and collaboration. This session will explore these positive human networks as they apply to educators. Participants will learn how educator networks are transforming practice through the development of Personal Learning Networks. They will learn the most commonly used tools and techniques to support teaching and learning through social media. And, perhaps most importantly, participants will leave with the capability to extend and enhance their learning about this vital topic beyond the duration of the workshop.

Moving Beyond Tweets & Pokes
Social Media for Deep Learning

Social media services have exploded in use over the past few years. These new tools have fueled many debates around the relevance of new media in learning environments. Some see these tools as unnecessary distractions, while many other educators have accepted them into personal and classroom use. So what do we need to know about this new reality? What exemplars exist for social media in education? And, how can we use these tools to support student thoughtfulness, critical thinking, and creativity?

Understanding Digital Citizenship

Understanding Digital Citizenship
Issues such as cyberbullying, sexting, and student access to inappropriate content are important areas of understanding for teachers, administrators, children, adolescents, and parents. In this session, participants will be presented with many of the important issues that face our schools in an era where access to information is ubiquitous, and digital messages are easily spread. Through a balance of information-sharing and questioning, participants will come to better understand such issues.

Alec Couros
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