Keynotes

Dr. Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) presents keynote addresses on a variety of topics for different educational conferences and professional development events. Wesley customizes presentations for the needs of different audiences.

Wesley Fryer at eTechOhio 2009

Technology Fear Therapy

Many people today are afraid of and intimidated by technology. We need more “technology fear therapists” in our families, businesses, and coffee shops! A technology fear therapist can help others build confidence in their own abilities to protect themselves and their families from identity theft, online bad actors, and malware. Dr. Wesley Fryer encourages, inspires and empowers you to join him as a technology fear therapists for family members, friends and co-workers!

Check out Wes’ TEDxUCO talk on this theme from March 2021! Slides and more details are also available.

Digital Storytelling and Family Oral History

“Video is the pencil of the 21st century!” Wesley Fryer empowers others to create and share digital stories about family life, local culture, and community history. Dr. Wesley Fryer believes in the magical power of the human voice. He coaches people of all ages to become digital archivists of family stories and community history.

Check out Wes’ TEDxOU talk on this theme from January 2013, and lesson plans for his middle school “Family Oral History Interview” unit.

Conspiracies and Culture Wars: Media Literacy NOW!

Social media and digital technologies shape public perceptions, mainstream media headlines, and culture today more than ever in earth history. To be literate and constructive citizens of our communities, everyone connected to the web needs robust skills to filter information, identify credible sources, and avoid being drawn into believing wild conspiracy theories.

Check out Wes’ keynote on this topic for the July 2020 MoodleMoot. More information about the “Conspiracies and Culture Wars” media literacy project is also available.

Who Tells Your Story?

In our golden age of learning and sharing, podcasting is playing a powerful role in connecting people with ideas as well as each other. In this kickoff session to our podcasting experience, we’ll explore podcasting from the perspective of both podcast consumer and producer. On the consumption side, we’ll highlight different podcasting examples, podcatching apps, and techniques for using smart assistants (Google Home / Alexa) to enjoy as well as subscribe to podcasts. On the production side, we’ll highlight software tools and apps for podcast recording, editing, normalization and publishing. We’ll cover the basics of podcasting technology requirements as well as tips for planning, storyboarding, interviewing, and finding or creating audio for your episodes. We’ll also highlight ways YouTube can be used as a podcasting / webshow platform, and efficient workflows for converting web video to compressed, download-friendly audio.

Inspiring Student Creativity and Curiosity with Media

As automation and the disruptive march of technology continues into virtually every aspect of our lives, it is vital we cultivate both creativity and curiosity in our students. Many jobs and vocations of the future will require teamwork, collaboration, project management, and independent work skills historically lacking in traditional academic classes focusing on isolated, individual performance. In this engaging and challenging session, Dr. Wesley Fryer will present the case for why learners today need to be CREATORS as well as consumers of multimedia, and collaborate regularly in school to acquire the workforce skills of today and tomorrow. By highlighting practical examples as well as available apps and web tools, Dr. Fryer will provide attendees with specific strategies and lesson activities they can apply in their classrooms to more effectively utilize multimedia and encourage students to create multimedia which supports learning goals.

Sparking Conversations about Digital Citizenship

As our society increasingly relies upon digital communication technologies, we all share responsibility for having conversations with each other about the intersecting goals of digital citizenship. These include topics like safety, security and privacy, but also include health and wellness, copyright and intellectual property respect, digital literacy, information literacy, character education and ethics. Empowering student voice and agency as well as digital footprints and parenting are also important topics within the broad umbrella of digital citizenship education. In this keynote, Dr. Wes Fryer will highlight many of these topics teachers, parents and students need to be discussing and provide concrete strategies for sparking these conversations both inside and outside the classroom. Slides and referenced resources are available on http://DigCit.us.

The Big Shift: Using Technology Tools to Create, Make and Share

The best way for students and teachers to use technology tools and platforms in the classroom is to create, make and share. Making the transition from predominant “media consumer” to frequent “media creator” should be part of the strategic plan of every learning institution. Each learner should regularly contribute to a digital portfolio comprised of both a private “file cabinet” (including all artifacts of learning) as well as a public “showcase” which highlights specific exemplars of work which meet specific academic standards or highlight personal achievement and growth. This keynote highlights the “why” of digital portfolio-based assessment as well as multiple examples of student digital work. The Show with Media framework (www.ShowWithMedia.com) provide classroom teachers with specific guidelines and recommendations for facilitating student-created media projects in the classroom to demonstrate knowledge, understanding and skills.

Image attribution from TheNounProject.com: Shift, Microphone Tablet, Share.

As you can see from the presentations embedded below, Wesley’s presentations focus primarily on the ways students can “show what they know and can do” with media. Wes is passionate about empowering students and teachers to share their voices and stories. His “Show What You Know with Media” digital literacy framework provides a menu of 12 media products learners can create to more effectively communicate and convey their knowledge and abilities.

In June 2016, Wes and Shelly Fryer shared a mini-keynote helping kick off iPadPalooza in Austin, Texas. Their topic was “Outside Sharing.”

More information is available about Wes’

https://twitter.com/GuerreroSynKS/status/606879756764602368

To inquire about availability and booking, please contact Brenda Druecker (Wes’ booking agent) using this electronic contact form.

More information is available about Wes’ speaking and presentations, including his online press kit.