Presentations and services

Testimonials- reviews, client evaluations

Alaska Society for Technology in Education (February 2008)

keynote

THANKS FOR THE INSPIRATION! My dad is a master story teller and it really brought me home listening to you on Tuesday. I want everyone I know to hear your message. I have to say this keynote was the best one yet and they have all been great.

- conference attendee

Sundance Art Educator Leadership Retreat (October 2007)

keynote

Thanks for taking the time to present for us in Sundance. Yours was a particularly exciting presentation and we heard the most wonderful feedback from our guests.

- conference organizers

Illinois Educational Technology Conference (IL-TCE 2007)

keynote

I have heard nothing but rave reviews about your keynote and sessions. Thank you for making our conference such a great success!

- conference organizer

Keynote speaker Dr. Ohler spun his tale well. His delivery was outstanding as he kept the audience's attention through a very animated presence. While keeping his act lively, he was able to deliver very pertinent content.

- blogger

Anchorage Leadership Seminar

keynote

Engagement and excitement were prominent in all that we saw and heard... students read, discussed, wrote and performed. Dr. Jason Ohler piqued interest and inquiry for over two hours as he touched on learning adventures. He showcased curriculum that interwove scripting, improvisation, oral interpretation, media grammar and "story core." While we watched student productions that portrayed understandings of metaphor, we assessed with rubrics centered on the visual portraits of story. In all of this, he stressed that "art" or artistic expression is the 4th 'R.'

- district curriculum leader

New Jersey Association of School Administrators Conference

keynote

On behalf of the New Jersey Association of School Administrators, and the New Jersey Principal and Supervisors Association, we would like to extend our sincere appreciation to you for serving as the keynote speaker this past July at the NJ Elite Conference. Your presentation was very well received by attendees and they enjoyed your stimulating discussions and experise.

- conference organizer

Nebraska Educational Technology 2006 Conference

keynote

I was in the audience at NETA in Omaha when you gave your keynote. I want you to know that your presentation summarized my career of working with students. My philosophy has always been that life is full of stories, just as you outlined in your presentation, and that all people have a story to tell - teachers, students, parents, politicians and retiring teachers... Your presentation was the "stamp" of approval for me as I watched, listened and nodded my head in approval. I was with you on every slide. Thanks for validating my life's work.

- conference attendee

Community Learning Centre National Conference, United Kingdom

keynote

I am just writing to thank you for the inspiring talk you performed at Newcastle. As a media educator since 1982 I share many of your thoughts about the structure, content and assessment of story telling...I will certainly be looking afresh at much of the work i do as an ADE.

Thanks again and keep telling the stories.

- conference attendee

NASSP 2006 Conference

featured speaker

You were a HIT Jason! ... Thank you for your part in contributing to (NASSP's) success!

- conference organizer

Alaska State Writing Consortium

2 Day intensive on digital storytelling

On behalf of the Alaska State Writing Consortium, I'd like to extend our thanks for the outstanding job you did last weekend facilitating the Digital Storytelling Workshop in Anchorage. Your lively, interactive presentation style, combined with your energy and enthusiasm, was a model for inservice teachers everywhere. We would like to facilitate a week long digital storytelling workshop in either Anchorage or Fairbanks this summer. And of course, we would love to have you be the person to lead it.

- workshop organizer

Southeast Ohio Instructional Technology Association, 2005

Six keynotes in 2 days

Conference organizer, participant comments

• "I looked through the conference evaluations today and your sessions were all rated highly. You were a hit!"
• "The conference was a success thanks to your sessions. They were very well received. "
• "This is the 1st time (in my 18 years with SOITA) that a keynote speaker has taken the kind of time and interest you took with our students. I noticed you speaking with our students numerous times, asking them to share their experience with you. I made a point of watching their eyes as you listened to them; it was obviously critical to them that you were so engaged. Of all our previous speakers, I believe you're keenly aware of the end user, the child who will run with the technology in hand."
• "You're the 1st keynote speaker who has ever taken time to write back and mention the role of students in our conference. I am personally gratified that you would do so. I shouldn't be surprised - this fits with your overall message. It's simply very gratifying."
• "I so enjoyed your presentations at SOITA that I attended all of them during the day I was there (Tuesday). Thank you so much, you were very informative and entertaining all, at the same time."
• "I thoroughly enjoyed your presentation...my principal was in the audience for two of your presentations, and he appeared choked up by your second presentation on students' stories. He talked to me afterwards, and was already brainstorming with me about moving quickly to launch a school-wide story-telling project ..."

Cray Institute for Teachers, 2005

Workshops and presentations on digital storytelling

Participant evaluations:

• "Our workshop had the honor of his teaching for an additional period of time - Eureka! my students will be writing even more this year - they need to make the connections and see their progress as a learner. So many practical hints - transformation to expand the story boarding. Yes, yes, yes!"
• "Jason's re-visioning of an "old tool" [Visual Portrait of a Story diagram] created an epiphany for me; suddenly I was envisioning multiple ways of utilizing this technique with various classes!"
• "Jason's technique/strategy will give me a way to help my students create interesting, relevant stories from their imaginations and experiences."
• "Although I've actually known all along, I guess I never realized the "character transformation" step in the story-telling cycle. That was definitely an "a-ha" for me."
• "I have learned that being a good story teller is the key to being a great teacher. Every subject area can be taught through stories . . . . I'm going to practice my story-telling in hopes of becoming a better teacher."
• "Loved his character, William Tell, and the mentors he met!"
• "I had never thought about digital story-telling in terms of reports or presenting factual information as a story. The examples Jason showed us of student work were astounding, especially the story about metaphor."
• "Dr. Jason Ohler brought to mind several principles I have known but needed to cement in my memory. All that he said about writing was especially meaningful because he's a techie," not a writing guru, yet he places the importance of the written word before technology."
• "Now that I observed the visual portrait of a story, I'm excited to try it out on my students. I can't wait to share this information with my colleagues."

Arizona State University, 2005

Storytelling and Music Workshop

"Your sessions were terrific, Jason! We absolutely must find a way to continue the dialogue and to further develop this project. I feel so fortunate...to have been led to your brilliant work. Thanks for all that you've already given to me, my colleagues, and our students."

- workshop organizer

Alaska State Writing Consortium and
The Alaska Arts Education Consortium

Workshops and presentations on digital storytelling

Comments from students and organizers:

• "Thank you very, very much for taking the time to present to the ASWC group. You have no idea how inspired we all were by your insights and by the sample digital storytelling projects presented. Several of the teachers present are planning to investigate digital storytelling further during the fall semester, and many of us (including myself!) are very much looking forward to the digital storytell distance course next spring!"
• "This is the future whether we're on board or not, so thanks for sharing!"
• "Loved your presentation!"
• "Amazing! Great ideas! Very inspiring!"
• "Quyanakpule! You opened my eyes to try new ideas to share with my colleagues!"
• "You inspired us today. Thank you."
• "Thank you. It was a wonderful well done presentation."

New Zealand TUANZ National Education Conference, 2005

7 keynotes, 11 workshops in 14 days

Comments from conference organizers:

• "Everywhere I turn I am getting stunning feedback about the contribution you made. You are one of the absolute stars over the ten year history of this event."
• "TUANZ received a huge amount of feedback commenting on how 'excellent', 'fantastic', 'entertaining', 'empowering', 'passionate', 'thought provoking', 'exciting' and 'down to earth' you were...'best keynote I have heard' ...a businessman (with) little interest in education found your presentation "transformational" and has since used many of your ideas in a business context."
• "A HUGE thank you for coming down to little New Zealand to be a part of our Education Conference. We very much enjoyed getting to know you! The feedback we have had from the conference has been very positive and everyone seems to have thoroughly enjoyed your energy and enthusiasm."
• "At the weekend...I went to...visit a friend...We were only at our friend's house a few minutes and her son, a second year beginning teacher, said how the teachers at his school who had gone to the TUANZ education conference were saying how awesome the keynote speaker was - so the word has definitely got around. Friend's son of course is now hoping he will get the opportunity to go next year."

Art Recharge Conference, Illinois, 2005

A conference for art teachers

"We can't thank you enough for your keynote address yesterday. It was so well received... It was so kind of you to give us the gift of your time and expertise. We were very honored."

- conference organizer

Alyeska Strategic Planning Retreat

Helping a cyberschool plan for the future

"Through a very unique and effective use of storytelling, group dynamics and strategic planning, he was able to help us regain our focus and sense of inspiration for our work as educators. Thanks to his tremendous grasp of the fields of distance education field and organizational management, he was extremely helpful in leading us through the development of practical strategies for developing our organization. And thanks to his commitment to education and the state of Alaska, as well as his positive attitude, what could have been a difficult day turned out to be very productive and positive. We all left the retreat wanting to extend it at least one more day."

- workshop organizer

Digital Media Conference

Dublin, 2004

"One of the greatest challenges faced by this year's 3rd Digital Media Conference was how ... to show companies... and the government a vision for a digital future. We sought an individual who "gets it" .......someone who understands the challenges faced by all stakeholders and was able to communicate those challenges to an audience who at times "didn't get it"! Jason Ohler was and is that individual. His wit, charm and entertaining argument is a breath of fresh air in a world that often insists that its technology that's confusing and not the people who use it!"

- conference organizer

SCETA Conference, Pueblo, Colorado

Southern Colorado Teacher Education Alliance for the improvement of teacher quality

Comments and evaluations from participants

Keynote comments:

• Wonderful!
• Kept interest during presentation - Great!
• Awesome!
• Inspiring - animated speaker!
• Very inspiring and gave me some motivation to take on some "risky" strategies in my classroom.
• Very innovative and happy - Great for after lunch!
• Scary: the thought of the changes
• Very entertaining
• Really enjoyed using the story telling!
• The speaker was extremely entertaining, well organized and interesting. I teach elementary special education and I'm not sure I'll have an opportunity to use advanced tech. But who knows.
• Great information and engaging presentation.
• Great information and so informed on tech
• It was interesting. He showed enthusiasm and excitement. A characteristic that I like.
• Loved it loved it loved it
• Excellent - should be invited to return next year
• Interesting but rather broad in scope. I liked the value given to art.
• Very funny
• Great

Storytelling workshop comments:

• Great humor!
• Great session! Strongly recommend for teachers of writing!
• I wish it could have been a full day!
• Excellent ideas to use for classroom.
• Was Great!
• Great!
• Good job!