Thank you, Andrea!
Whoever you are, I'd love to be in your classroom, learning from YOU!
A little background... Mr. Zac Leonard (co-creator of #EdTechAfterDark) keeps tweeting out this Flipgrid, asking teachers to share their viewpoints. After I shared mine, I continue to look back and listen to other teachers to hear how they answered.
So far, Andrea has my absolute favorite answer (yes, I listened/viewed them all):
I am in total agreement with Andrea. And you know what? Being connected DOES make me a better educator, and a better person. I have days when I'm not the best version of me. Then I get connected again with people - online or face to face - and I regroup. I remember what I'm supposed to do, or who I'm supposed to be. I so appreciate learning from other educators who love to learn and help one another improve.
What are your thoughts? Are you heading over to the Flipgrid right now to add them? Perhaps you'll comment on this post, instead?
If you know Andrea, please connect me to her - I want to learn from and with this fabulous educator.
Showing posts with label PLN. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PLN. Show all posts
Sunday, April 23, 2017
Sunday, March 19, 2017
Seek Support
One of the lessons learned that I shared at the ICE conference the last two days was to seek support. Educators who are trying new things often feel alone.
At your own school...
Who do you know at your own school who can help you with hardware? Software? Innovative ideas? Editing? Parents? Administration? School morale? Go to them - seek them out. Make the connections.
In your district...
Who in your district is changing things for the better? Who is an inspiration? Who pushes you? Who supports you? Surround yourself with these educators.
On social media...
When you stick you toe in, you'll find new ideas around every corner. After you're immersed in the deep end, you'll find that you're questioning others - and yourself. You'll be tired of the echo chamber, and you can now reach out towards people who push you further. These will be the connections that have the possibility to lead to big change in education.
The major benefit of seeking support is that you become more CONNECTED to educators who want to help. And then you get to MEET them in person and learn even MORE from them! This is when you do NOT feel alone - you get to be with your tribe!
I want to thank the following inspirational educators for the thrilling two days of learning and the filling up of my soul at the ICE 17 conference...
Amber Heffner - for the invitation to be a spotlight speaker! (And for all the nerves that came along for the ride!)
Jen Smith - for the nudge to update my profile picture, the eight bottles of water, the first dongle I tried, introductions prior to me speaking on Thursday, and for being my buddy and my "pusher" since 2012! Bonus: thanks for getting a Hokki stool to room 239, as well!
Carrie Baughcum - for the wholesome blossoming as a marigold for all educators. What a trip to hang out with you in what's become your element! How #HotSauceFantastic
Maureen Miller - for helping David Karnoscak and I win Kids Deserve It! (See my next post for lessons learned...)
Jen Vincent - for the second dongle - given at the drop of a hat!! - at the start of my first presentation.
Amy Lamberti - for the third - and final - dongle of the week. I just purchased my own today!
Dana Ladenburger - for being the catalyst to our "aha moment" at dinner (no, not the chili or the carding) and the beautiful sketchnote for my culture shift presentation, too!
Lindsay Zilly & Kristin Beeler - for the sketchnotes for one of my personalized learning presentations!
HS Senior who did not share his name - for coming up to me after one presentation and letting me know he thinks all teachers should hear my message.
John Wawczak for letting me know how much the LiveBinder has helped educators at your school. Just the motivation I need to keep editing it to make it better and easier for teachers and parents to use!
Catching up with so many fabulous educators! I started writing down all the familiar faces (Amanda, Heidi, Shawn, Jim, Traci, Joe, etc.) I was able to actually SIT with and chat, and then I lost the list!! UGH! I have no doubt that the person who found it will be following some stellar people soon. You know who you are! Thank you for making the connections again and swapping stories!
I'm so glad I got a chance to sit and talk a teeny bit with Steve Wick again, as well. His top tweets from ICE17 are here, and even though I didn't get to see his sessions, I know he always shares valuable information you can use TODAY! Next time I need to "relax" before I present, I'm checking out one of his myriad sessions!
My favorite tweets... that keep me inspired and ready to try to improve what's happening in schools!
I've had such support on this journey! Thank you to all the educators that continue to share online and inspire teachers like myself. Thank you to all the presenters I've ever seen in my career so far. I am so very fortunate to be able to learn from you.
At your own school...
Who do you know at your own school who can help you with hardware? Software? Innovative ideas? Editing? Parents? Administration? School morale? Go to them - seek them out. Make the connections.
In your district...
Who in your district is changing things for the better? Who is an inspiration? Who pushes you? Who supports you? Surround yourself with these educators.
On social media...
When you stick you toe in, you'll find new ideas around every corner. After you're immersed in the deep end, you'll find that you're questioning others - and yourself. You'll be tired of the echo chamber, and you can now reach out towards people who push you further. These will be the connections that have the possibility to lead to big change in education.
The major benefit of seeking support is that you become more CONNECTED to educators who want to help. And then you get to MEET them in person and learn even MORE from them! This is when you do NOT feel alone - you get to be with your tribe!
I want to thank the following inspirational educators for the thrilling two days of learning and the filling up of my soul at the ICE 17 conference...
Amber Heffner - for the invitation to be a spotlight speaker! (And for all the nerves that came along for the ride!)
Jen Smith - for the nudge to update my profile picture, the eight bottles of water, the first dongle I tried, introductions prior to me speaking on Thursday, and for being my buddy and my "pusher" since 2012! Bonus: thanks for getting a Hokki stool to room 239, as well!
Carrie Baughcum - for the wholesome blossoming as a marigold for all educators. What a trip to hang out with you in what's become your element! How #HotSauceFantastic
Maureen Miller - for helping David Karnoscak and I win Kids Deserve It! (See my next post for lessons learned...)
Jen Vincent - for the second dongle - given at the drop of a hat!! - at the start of my first presentation.
Amy Lamberti - for the third - and final - dongle of the week. I just purchased my own today!
Dana Ladenburger - for being the catalyst to our "aha moment" at dinner (no, not the chili or the carding) and the beautiful sketchnote for my culture shift presentation, too!
Lindsay Zilly & Kristin Beeler - for the sketchnotes for one of my personalized learning presentations!
HS Senior who did not share his name - for coming up to me after one presentation and letting me know he thinks all teachers should hear my message.
John Wawczak for letting me know how much the LiveBinder has helped educators at your school. Just the motivation I need to keep editing it to make it better and easier for teachers and parents to use!
Catching up with so many fabulous educators! I started writing down all the familiar faces (Amanda, Heidi, Shawn, Jim, Traci, Joe, etc.) I was able to actually SIT with and chat, and then I lost the list!! UGH! I have no doubt that the person who found it will be following some stellar people soon. You know who you are! Thank you for making the connections again and swapping stories!
I'm so glad I got a chance to sit and talk a teeny bit with Steve Wick again, as well. His top tweets from ICE17 are here, and even though I didn't get to see his sessions, I know he always shares valuable information you can use TODAY! Next time I need to "relax" before I present, I'm checking out one of his myriad sessions!
My favorite tweets... that keep me inspired and ready to try to improve what's happening in schools!
I've had such support on this journey! Thank you to all the educators that continue to share online and inspire teachers like myself. Thank you to all the presenters I've ever seen in my career so far. I am so very fortunate to be able to learn from you.
Sunday, January 15, 2017
"Whispers of Doubt"
I was fortunate to meet and eat with Sara Donovan at Panera last summer. She chooses her words well, and I envy her skill. Read her thoughts on her blog: Ethical ELA.
Three words she said to me rang something deep in me.
Whispers of doubt seep in...
when we try something new
when we want to say "no"
when a "good morning" is not responded to
when a student rolls her eyes
when students struggle
when the timing is off
when a coworker sighs
when we feel alone
when we don't feel we can commit
when we work for 12 hours on a weekend
when we get one negative parent remark
(even alongside six positive)
Whispers of confidence creep up...
disguised as an EdCamp
full of passionate teachers
risk-takers
pirates
thieves
foster parents
counsellors
facilitators
guides
leaders
models
supportive - ALL...
If it's best for children.
If it's best for children,
shouldn't you...
make time for what you believe works
stand up and defend what's right
speak out to the world
share the ideas
work on prioritizing the problems
then work on solving the problems
speak what you want to happen
listen when others share
Even if you have whispers of doubt.
Three words she said to me rang something deep in me.
"Whispers of doubt."
I wrote them down when I got in the car. I needed to process them and write about them some day. Today's the day.Whispers of doubt seep in...
when we try something new
when we want to say "no"
when a "good morning" is not responded to
when a student rolls her eyes
when students struggle
when the timing is off
when a coworker sighs
when we feel alone
when we don't feel we can commit
when we work for 12 hours on a weekend
when we get one negative parent remark
(even alongside six positive)
Whispers of confidence creep up...
disguised as an EdCampfull of passionate teachers
risk-takers
pirates
thieves
foster parents
counsellors
facilitators
guides
leaders
models
supportive - ALL...
If it's best for children.
If it's best for children,
shouldn't you...
make time for what you believe works
stand up and defend what's right
speak out to the world
share the ideas
work on prioritizing the problems
then work on solving the problems
speak what you want to happen
listen when others share
Even if you have whispers of doubt.
I love my career. Job. School. Coworkers.
I wish we could get together in edcamp fashion more often.
I also love these "edcamp junkies" who are a special tribe.
Thank you Rebecca, Carrie, Maggie, Ben, Josh, Megan, Andrea, Michael, Heidi, Aggie, Ashley and Chuck Taft ;) for another stellar #EdCampMadWI
I am blessed.
Thursday, December 29, 2016
Two Favorite Tools After a "Break"
When I decide to take a break from Twitter during extended breaks from school, I have two saving graces that help me get back in the swing of things - slowly. I used to just start over from scratch - that's a good method, too! However, when I have a day or two during break where I feel I need a shot of my PLN, these tools help me believe I didn't miss anything. I secretly know I've missed a ton, but the "really good stuff" will come back around eventually! With these two tools at my fingertips, I don't experience FOMO (fear of missing out), and break is as close to a break as I can get. (Now I have to figure out how to eliminate nighttime dreams about school!)
TweetDeck
I've already written about how TweetDeck saves me time and energy - making me more efficient - when I want to use Twitter on my laptop. When I come back from a week off of Twitter, TweetDeck saves me once again. (If you haven't read this post, please do so now, or the next two paragraphs will have you wondering what I'm talking about!)
Before break: I make sure to shorten my "first" list (those educators I do not want to miss each day). I temporarily move some of these wonderful educators to a "first 1" list or other silly name. This list, too, is locked, so they have no clue they're being put to the side for a week. Really, EVERYONE is put to the side for the week, so it doesn't matter! Note: I often update lists using Twitter.com - I find it easier than using TweetDeck. After break, I can easily add these people back. Too many people in my "first" list after a long break gets me overwhelmed when I come back. I want to avoid that feeling!
To keep from being overwhelmed even more, I often just look at the last five tweets from each of my other columns, and then "clear" them so that I have a blank slate once again.
Feedly
I used to use Feedly to keep up with student blogs. We are not blogging (yet?) this year for various reasons, but I use Feedly to keep up with other educators' blogs - usually on a daily basis. Here is a very detailed post from Sylvia Rosenthal Tolisano (@langwitches) about how to keep up with student blogs through Feedly. You don't have to get that organized!
Before break: I just make sure I'm caught up with what was in Feedly before I leave. What's great about Feedly is that all the posts you "miss" will be there when you get back - no matter how long you're gone! Just keep hitting the checkmark at the top of the page until you've seen them all. I love browsing and weeding out the posts I feel I really need to read after break. It goes by quickly on Feedly, as I have them categorized.
See how the organization helps you keep tabs without being overwhelmed:
Here is how Richard Bryne (@rmbyrne) uses Feedly...
I hope these two tools help you eliminate FOMO. How do you keep up after taking a break to be with family? Let me know in the comments below - we can all learn from each other. We truly need to take breaks during our breaks!
TweetDeck
I've already written about how TweetDeck saves me time and energy - making me more efficient - when I want to use Twitter on my laptop. When I come back from a week off of Twitter, TweetDeck saves me once again. (If you haven't read this post, please do so now, or the next two paragraphs will have you wondering what I'm talking about!)
Before break: I make sure to shorten my "first" list (those educators I do not want to miss each day). I temporarily move some of these wonderful educators to a "first 1" list or other silly name. This list, too, is locked, so they have no clue they're being put to the side for a week. Really, EVERYONE is put to the side for the week, so it doesn't matter! Note: I often update lists using Twitter.com - I find it easier than using TweetDeck. After break, I can easily add these people back. Too many people in my "first" list after a long break gets me overwhelmed when I come back. I want to avoid that feeling!
To keep from being overwhelmed even more, I often just look at the last five tweets from each of my other columns, and then "clear" them so that I have a blank slate once again.
Feedly
I used to use Feedly to keep up with student blogs. We are not blogging (yet?) this year for various reasons, but I use Feedly to keep up with other educators' blogs - usually on a daily basis. Here is a very detailed post from Sylvia Rosenthal Tolisano (@langwitches) about how to keep up with student blogs through Feedly. You don't have to get that organized!
Before break: I just make sure I'm caught up with what was in Feedly before I leave. What's great about Feedly is that all the posts you "miss" will be there when you get back - no matter how long you're gone! Just keep hitting the checkmark at the top of the page until you've seen them all. I love browsing and weeding out the posts I feel I really need to read after break. It goes by quickly on Feedly, as I have them categorized.
See how the organization helps you keep tabs without being overwhelmed:
Here is how Richard Bryne (@rmbyrne) uses Feedly...
I hope these two tools help you eliminate FOMO. How do you keep up after taking a break to be with family? Let me know in the comments below - we can all learn from each other. We truly need to take breaks during our breaks!
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Who Teaches YOU?
Getting my haircut today, I had to ask: "Who does YOUR hair?"
Hairstylist - "One of the gals here."
A couple of months ago, I asked my massage therapist, "Who gives YOU massages?"
Therapist - "Before I hire new therapists, they have to give me a massage."
Got me thinking... I teach 7th graders. Who teaches ME?
This summer, I've pruned my PLN a bit. I've made sure to center around those that teach me. And it's made me feel much better. Much like my hair cut today...
You may not be able to see the difference, but I can feel it. It's the same during the school year...
Tomorrow, I'm heading to my first #PatioPD, thanks to a generous teacher who likes to try new things and learn from others. How else do I make sure those that impact my teaching get my attention? I use a tool such as Feedly to follow their most recent blog posts. I put them on my "first" list on Twitter, so I'm sure to catch their good vibes (tweets). I check on the hashtags they're using so I can "hang out" (virtually) with those other teachers who have growth mindsets. These people teach me by being great role models, and I learn invaluable lessons from them that, in turn, impact my students.
So... who teaches YOU?
Who helps you to be your best for children? Where do you go to keep refreshed, challenged, and positive during the school year? Please respond in the comments so I can always go back to this post when I need a pick-me-up! I can then share your ideas with more educators - thank you for helping me learn! A shout-out to Sean Scanlon and Rakhi Mistry for inspiring this post.
Update: PatioPD on Thursday had me like...
Update: PatioPD on Thursday had me like...
Thursday, December 3, 2015
The Power of a Post
I have a student who has missed most of the school year, due to a disease the has wrestled with since this past July. When she does come to school, she acts as if she is fine, and she doesn't talk about why she's been home. She has joined our 20-Day Challenge (more preparation for Genius Hour), and her challenge was to blog about the books she's been reading. Her latest post was BEGGING to be tweeted out. Check out Hayley's post here.
I asked 22 different teachers, in 8 tweets, to leave their favorite book in the comments section. TWELVE teachers responded, and now this gal has many more books to add to her "to read" pile! I hope, while she's home, she's able to take the time to read and enjoy the literature we love, too! When she's feeling better, I'm positive she'll write about all she's read.
Her next post explained her disease, and she's now ready to share it with our classes. This makes me so very excited. When she does, hopefully peers will ask a lot of good questions and show some empathy.
One student-written post + one (or 8) tweets = SHARING & GROWING & LEARNING.
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Same Goal - Different Route
I'm a people-pleaser.
I am happier being with others who are also happy.
But...
Often I disagree - because I am thinking of the kids.
Sometimes I say what I think - because I am thinking of the kids.
Rarely (but it still happens) I stir the pot - because I am thinking of the kids.
It seems as if I go through waves. I'm full of strength, reasoning, and asking the questions that get teachers thinking. I've tried to step it up a notch - be the one who tries, fails, and shares the successes and failures. Be the one who wants to do things differently to see if we can get different results. Then again, it seems as if the very next week, I'm beat down - so exhausted - having to defend what I'm trying in class, or ideas shared with colleagues.
This extends to my Twitter PLN. I reached the 10,000 follower mark this school year. This is scary. I feel as if it is now my responsibility more than ever to challenge ideas that I do not think are right for our kids. I do not just work for the 60 students I have in my ELA blocks. I now work for those kids of those educators who follow me, as well. It's pressure, and a challenge. How do I help other teachers to be reflective on their practices, as teachers such as Vicki Davis, Tom Whitby, Angela Maiers (my muse) and countless more have affected me?
These educators and countless others - including those at our own schools - are all working for the KIDS. Every single one of us wants what is best for the kids we teach.
I'm between waves right now - strong, because I am trying new things, and not complaining about how things are. Weak, because I'm simply exhausted.
Earlier this month, someone I respect asked a (non-rhetorical) question in a tweet. I answered, including the words "My 2 cents..." and gave my opinion. This educator responded back in a sarcastic way, and I felt that my message - that it was just my opinion - was scoffed at. Why ask a question if you don't want opinions?? More than a week later, I'm ready to write this post. My opinions are because of the thousands of educators I'm connected to on Twitter. Do we all have the same goal for the kids we serve? If so, it should be okay to take different routes. In fact, it should be encouraged - as not all students learn the same, and they need lots of different teachers in their lives who use different teaching styles.
Just before I was ready to post this, Andrea Stringer posted about encouraging others... It's a "must read" if you've been knocked down for sharing your ideas and opinions that could benefit kids. Learning about the "Tall Poppy Syndrome" was eye-opening for me. Once we started retweeting Andrea's post, it led to learning about the "Crab Bucket Mentality." Seriously?! This is a thing?!
Maybe the next question for someone who shoots down or scoffs at ideas is, "What do you want for your students? What is your goal?" Knowing if there is a difference along with finding out our common goals will help guide the conversation. Together, we can then lead it in the direction that best supports our kids. We can use the ideas from the thousands of people we've met in our lives, and keep the conversation going.
I am happier being with others who are also happy.
But...
Often I disagree - because I am thinking of the kids.
Sometimes I say what I think - because I am thinking of the kids.
Rarely (but it still happens) I stir the pot - because I am thinking of the kids.
It seems as if I go through waves. I'm full of strength, reasoning, and asking the questions that get teachers thinking. I've tried to step it up a notch - be the one who tries, fails, and shares the successes and failures. Be the one who wants to do things differently to see if we can get different results. Then again, it seems as if the very next week, I'm beat down - so exhausted - having to defend what I'm trying in class, or ideas shared with colleagues.
This extends to my Twitter PLN. I reached the 10,000 follower mark this school year. This is scary. I feel as if it is now my responsibility more than ever to challenge ideas that I do not think are right for our kids. I do not just work for the 60 students I have in my ELA blocks. I now work for those kids of those educators who follow me, as well. It's pressure, and a challenge. How do I help other teachers to be reflective on their practices, as teachers such as Vicki Davis, Tom Whitby, Angela Maiers (my muse) and countless more have affected me?
(I didn't mean for this to be a gratitude post... I got carried away! I KNOW I've missed some educators that got me thinking, too!) What about those I've met in person and chatted over food or drinks together, such as local thinkers/leaders such as Shawn McCusker, Bob Schuetz, Erin Olson, Jimmy Casas, Paul Solarz, Garnet Hillman, Avra Robinson, Bernice Homel, Megan Ryder, Jen Vincent, Kim Miklusak, Laura Bright, Donna Bingaman, Kristin Ziemke, Kimberly Hurd, Shane Jensen, Jeff Herb, Tasha Squires, Laura Komos, Kristie Bleers, Steve Wick, Bob Abrams, Tim Scholze, Jess Henze, Maggie Vonck, Katie Hurckes, B.C. gal Karen Lirenman, and even very local and in Wisconsin - via Boston - Rik Rowe? What about those I've met outside this midwestern state or at semi-local EdCamps or through Google Hang Outs? I've learned from so many people, and am so thankful to have met them and been able to discuss ideas with them! In no particular order... Rick Wormeli, Nancy Wahl, Justin Smith, Amy Smith, Alan November, Ewan McIntosh, Erin Klein, Darren Kuropatwa, Brian Durst, Andrea Payan, Andrea Kornowski, Michael Matera, Jamie Born, Ed Casey, Sylvia Lima, Heidi Jones, Sandy Otto, Dave Burgess, Adam Moreno, Russ Anderson, Gary Anderson, Shannon Miller, Dani DiPietro, John Gunnell, Darin Johnston, Meg Van Dyke, Gail LeGrand, Christopher Bronke, George Couros, Ben Kuhlman, Mary Klepper, Jenna Hacker, Jodi Piekarz, Joel Pardalis, Gallit Zvi, Denise Krebs, Ben Brazeau, Ben Hartman, Pernille Ripp, Chris Kesler, Marialice Curran, Maggie Maslowski, David Meyers, Jill Maraldo, Chuck Taft, Tom Mussoline, Jeff Zoul, Justin Greene, Marcie Faust, Brendan Murphy, Judith Epcke, Daniel Rezac, Sylvia Tolisano, Scott Meech, Jason Bretzmann, and Brian Sztabnik?
And what about all those I have learned from and haven't met yet? Paul Bogush, Mike Stein, David Theriault, Sean Ziebarth, Nicholas Provenzano, Eric Kipling, Cheryl Mizerny, Sam Sherratt, Bart Miller, Mr. C., Donalyn Miller, Penny Kittle, Starr Sackstein, Julie Jee, Jill Barnes, Mark Barnes, Sarah Donovan, Ariel Sacks, Kirsten Wilson, Lisa Snider, Jamie Murray Armin, Gerard Dawson, and Teresa Gross?
These educators and countless others - including those at our own schools - are all working for the KIDS. Every single one of us wants what is best for the kids we teach.
I'm between waves right now - strong, because I am trying new things, and not complaining about how things are. Weak, because I'm simply exhausted.
Just before I was ready to post this, Andrea Stringer posted about encouraging others... It's a "must read" if you've been knocked down for sharing your ideas and opinions that could benefit kids. Learning about the "Tall Poppy Syndrome" was eye-opening for me. Once we started retweeting Andrea's post, it led to learning about the "Crab Bucket Mentality." Seriously?! This is a thing?!
Maybe the next question for someone who shoots down or scoffs at ideas is, "What do you want for your students? What is your goal?" Knowing if there is a difference along with finding out our common goals will help guide the conversation. Together, we can then lead it in the direction that best supports our kids. We can use the ideas from the thousands of people we've met in our lives, and keep the conversation going.
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Boston, Round Two!
I can't believe I went back to Boston.
Visiting in 2012 for BLC12 seems like yesterday!
Last August, I was asked to submit a proposal for a workshop or small sessions at BLC15 (Building Learning Communities in Boston). I put in for both, figuring one wouldn't be accepted. I was wrong. Here was my schedule this week:
So many ideas. So little time. Here are my take-aways...
From valuable meetings & presentations I attended...
Dinner with Lesley Burnap
We ate at Parish Cafe - Here the lesson to TRY SOMETHING NEW was enforced! The sandwich, that is... Although the food was great, the company was better. It's always sweet meeting people from your Twitter PLN face to face. We talked about Genius Hour and books! What better conversation?! I'm so grateful for the drive she took to meet us in downtown Boston!
Tech Tool...
Answer Garden - ask a question, have people answer, and can export to Wordle or other...
Dylan Wiliam's Keynote
"He that will be a leader, must be a bridge." Administration needs to give time for teachers to become better. Teachers are working harder than ever.
Most often with PD - It's easy to change teachers in front of other teachers. It's more difficult to change when we get back in front of children.
We already know what we're supposed to be doing, but we're not doing it.
The greatest impact is minute-by-minute feedback. We don't do it because it's hard.
Break up "Big Hairy Audacious Goals" into bite-sized pieces so they're easy to swallow.
Start with bright spots - naysayers can't argue with what is working.
Teachers need to engineer effective learning environments - to create engagement and develop habits of mind.
If teachers don't think they can become a better teacher tomorrow, they should be fired.
I need to read Switch: How to change things when change is hard by Chip & Dan Heath.
Amy Burvall - "The Cloud is our Campfire"
I am going to (or rather, ask my husband to) create a box. This box will be open on two sides. It will look much like a photo booth - maybe I can hang a curtain! An iPad will be secured somehow to the back of the box as you're looking at it. It will be positioned up on a wall or tall podium. Amy called hers a "Vox Box." Once students step toward, and put their head in the box, they will see a question posed above the iPad. They can then record their (short) response right on the iPad in the camera app. I can share these quips with parents during open house, and later on our class website. Here's my question now... What question should I ask students? I was thinking of, "What are you most looking forward to this year?" I don't think that's the one. Help?
Lunch with Rik Rowe
EdCamp fanatic, Rik Rowe, lives in the Boston area! He met Hubby and I for lunch on Wednesday! Ideas of communication and questioning were reinforced in our discussions. He did not help me relax at lunch - he pushed my thinking further.
Erin Klein - Sharing the Student Voice and Personalize Learning
Tell students, "This is going to be your best year ever! Now how can we make is so?"
Learning needs to happen BY students, not FOR them.
Every child in your classroom is someone else's whole world.
I need to read Rafe Esquith's books...
As for presentations? Add your personal stories - she had us hooked once she shared stories about her own children. Of course, I agreed with everything she said...!
Lainie Rowell's Keynote
When sharing great ideas with other teachers, invite them IN to your class. Share with them WHY you're trying something, have them watch it in person, then make sure you take the time to debrief with them. We all need to reflect in order to make things even better the next time.
Darren Kuropatwa - The Fourth Screen
I need him to come to our school, or I need to channel him somehow when I share his ideas with students. We need to make the social media experiences REAL for kids. You can tell them "fire is hot" for years, but they don't normally learn until they get burned. He shared stories of bullying, being negative in general, and reactions to bad decisions. He asked us to ask students, "What will you do with the power of the Internet?" He asked us to mention the terrible things, but then stress the positive actions.
Walk with Dave Meyers to "Make Way for Ducklings" statues.
Dave was the man who set me up with the iPad pilot I tried in the Fall of 2011... That was probably the start of my "aha" moments as a connected educator...
My husband and I went for a walk with him after the sessions on this day, and we learned that colleges / universities were now going to have to report out how their educator graduates were doing in education. Because of this, Dave's new company is helping them figure things out AND will be connecting them to teacher mentors. Sounds like an interesting and valuable idea. It was nice to see him again!
Jennie Magiera's Keynote
Jennie is a Boston native, but lives in Chicago. I've never met her, and I should've said "Hello" and "Thank you!" in Boston. Her presentation was both hilarious and motivating. While most of the other presentations had me thinking of my students, hers had me thinking of the other teachers at my school and how I choose to interact (or hide) from them.
Add three words to your conversation - "and... what if?"
Choose to be bothered.
Choose to be bothered.
Choose to be bothered.
Don't be afraid to start over - even if you've invested a ton of time already.
When you choose to be bothered, sometimes you have to do something nuts.
Be vocal about your crazy. You can recruit friends and change the world together!
Teacher question: How do we make kids stay in school?
Student answer: Make school suck less.
From my own presentations...
EVERYONE presenting is nervous. Know this. Then just do your best.
I need to learn how to make my presentations on something other than Google Slides. I would love to go from one slide to the next, including videos, with one click of a remote button. Someone help, please?
I think nine people in the workshop was a nice number. I would love a few more next time, but I think this group was cozy enough, but not too cozy. ;)
I don't want to try something new in a big venue like this again - my "Let It Go" session went poorly the first time. Luckily I had a chance to try it again, and took the 20 min between the sessions to change things up!
I will keep finding ways to INVOLVE the audience. I've sat through a few where I just sat and took notes, and looked at links. They were valuable, no doubt, but I saw a lot more sharing from the sessions that asked for audience participation and movement.
Keep being humble. I don't pretend to know it all, and I hope I come across as making mistakes. I sat through one session where the presenter acted as if he was better than anyone else. I know I'll never know it all, and I hope my audience can see me as a constant learner.
Time to infuse my presentations with photos and seamless transition of videos of kids.
Keep the warm-up music prior to the presentation, and the last musical bit that everyone loves.
Next time I'm nervous about traveling, I'll consider those that came to Boston from Hawaii, Australia, Russia, Taiwan, Istanbul, Finland.......
Here's the one tweet (from my last presentation) that included a picture... I'm glad it's got Angela Maiers!
Thank you to Alan November and BLC crew for making me feel welcome in Boston.
Thank you to all the "old" friends I was able to hug, and all the new friends I made in Boston.
Thank you to the presenters and attendees, who stressed that it's about the LEARNERS, not the content.
Thank you to my husband, for all of your support, wonderful company, the walk for a cannoli at Maria's (and then again a surprise cannoli from Modern!), the almost crying at the awesome-ness of the Boston Public Library, and for reminding me to put on some pants before I head down to breakfast.
Visiting in 2012 for BLC12 seems like yesterday!
Last August, I was asked to submit a proposal for a workshop or small sessions at BLC15 (Building Learning Communities in Boston). I put in for both, figuring one wouldn't be accepted. I was wrong. Here was my schedule this week:
Tuesday 7/14 - 8am to Noon - Genius Hour Master Class
Wednesday 7/15 - 2:35-3:40
and again 4:00-5:05 - Let It Go
(crowdsourcing to share ideas to let go of control)
Thursday 7/16 - 1:10-2:15 - Genius HourI've been a nervous wreck. For weeks. Just look at these other speakers! And now it's all over.
So many ideas. So little time. Here are my take-aways...
From valuable meetings & presentations I attended...
Dinner with Lesley BurnapWe ate at Parish Cafe - Here the lesson to TRY SOMETHING NEW was enforced! The sandwich, that is... Although the food was great, the company was better. It's always sweet meeting people from your Twitter PLN face to face. We talked about Genius Hour and books! What better conversation?! I'm so grateful for the drive she took to meet us in downtown Boston!
Tech Tool...
Answer Garden - ask a question, have people answer, and can export to Wordle or other...
Dylan Wiliam's Keynote
"He that will be a leader, must be a bridge." Administration needs to give time for teachers to become better. Teachers are working harder than ever.
Most often with PD - It's easy to change teachers in front of other teachers. It's more difficult to change when we get back in front of children.
We already know what we're supposed to be doing, but we're not doing it.
The greatest impact is minute-by-minute feedback. We don't do it because it's hard.
Break up "Big Hairy Audacious Goals" into bite-sized pieces so they're easy to swallow.
Start with bright spots - naysayers can't argue with what is working.
Teachers need to engineer effective learning environments - to create engagement and develop habits of mind.
If teachers don't think they can become a better teacher tomorrow, they should be fired.
I need to read Switch: How to change things when change is hard by Chip & Dan Heath.
Amy Burvall - "The Cloud is our Campfire"
I am going to (or rather, ask my husband to) create a box. This box will be open on two sides. It will look much like a photo booth - maybe I can hang a curtain! An iPad will be secured somehow to the back of the box as you're looking at it. It will be positioned up on a wall or tall podium. Amy called hers a "Vox Box." Once students step toward, and put their head in the box, they will see a question posed above the iPad. They can then record their (short) response right on the iPad in the camera app. I can share these quips with parents during open house, and later on our class website. Here's my question now... What question should I ask students? I was thinking of, "What are you most looking forward to this year?" I don't think that's the one. Help?
Lunch with Rik Rowe
EdCamp fanatic, Rik Rowe, lives in the Boston area! He met Hubby and I for lunch on Wednesday! Ideas of communication and questioning were reinforced in our discussions. He did not help me relax at lunch - he pushed my thinking further.
Tell students, "This is going to be your best year ever! Now how can we make is so?"
Learning needs to happen BY students, not FOR them.
Every child in your classroom is someone else's whole world.
I need to read Rafe Esquith's books...
As for presentations? Add your personal stories - she had us hooked once she shared stories about her own children. Of course, I agreed with everything she said...!
Lainie Rowell's Keynote
When sharing great ideas with other teachers, invite them IN to your class. Share with them WHY you're trying something, have them watch it in person, then make sure you take the time to debrief with them. We all need to reflect in order to make things even better the next time.
Darren Kuropatwa - The Fourth Screen
I need him to come to our school, or I need to channel him somehow when I share his ideas with students. We need to make the social media experiences REAL for kids. You can tell them "fire is hot" for years, but they don't normally learn until they get burned. He shared stories of bullying, being negative in general, and reactions to bad decisions. He asked us to ask students, "What will you do with the power of the Internet?" He asked us to mention the terrible things, but then stress the positive actions.
Walk with Dave Meyers to "Make Way for Ducklings" statues.
Dave was the man who set me up with the iPad pilot I tried in the Fall of 2011... That was probably the start of my "aha" moments as a connected educator...
My husband and I went for a walk with him after the sessions on this day, and we learned that colleges / universities were now going to have to report out how their educator graduates were doing in education. Because of this, Dave's new company is helping them figure things out AND will be connecting them to teacher mentors. Sounds like an interesting and valuable idea. It was nice to see him again!
Jennie Magiera's Keynote
Jennie is a Boston native, but lives in Chicago. I've never met her, and I should've said "Hello" and "Thank you!" in Boston. Her presentation was both hilarious and motivating. While most of the other presentations had me thinking of my students, hers had me thinking of the other teachers at my school and how I choose to interact (or hide) from them.
Add three words to your conversation - "and... what if?"
Choose to be bothered.
Choose to be bothered.
Choose to be bothered.
Don't be afraid to start over - even if you've invested a ton of time already.
When you choose to be bothered, sometimes you have to do something nuts.
Be vocal about your crazy. You can recruit friends and change the world together!
Teacher question: How do we make kids stay in school?
Student answer: Make school suck less.
From my own presentations...
EVERYONE presenting is nervous. Know this. Then just do your best.
I think nine people in the workshop was a nice number. I would love a few more next time, but I think this group was cozy enough, but not too cozy. ;)
I don't want to try something new in a big venue like this again - my "Let It Go" session went poorly the first time. Luckily I had a chance to try it again, and took the 20 min between the sessions to change things up!
I will keep finding ways to INVOLVE the audience. I've sat through a few where I just sat and took notes, and looked at links. They were valuable, no doubt, but I saw a lot more sharing from the sessions that asked for audience participation and movement.
Keep being humble. I don't pretend to know it all, and I hope I come across as making mistakes. I sat through one session where the presenter acted as if he was better than anyone else. I know I'll never know it all, and I hope my audience can see me as a constant learner.
Time to infuse my presentations with photos and seamless transition of videos of kids.
Keep the warm-up music prior to the presentation, and the last musical bit that everyone loves.
Next time I'm nervous about traveling, I'll consider those that came to Boston from Hawaii, Australia, Russia, Taiwan, Istanbul, Finland.......
Here's the one tweet (from my last presentation) that included a picture... I'm glad it's got Angela Maiers!
Thank you to Alan November and BLC crew for making me feel welcome in Boston.
Thank you to all the "old" friends I was able to hug, and all the new friends I made in Boston.
Thank you to the presenters and attendees, who stressed that it's about the LEARNERS, not the content.
Thank you to my husband, for all of your support, wonderful company, the walk for a cannoli at Maria's (and then again a surprise cannoli from Modern!), the almost crying at the awesome-ness of the Boston Public Library, and for reminding me to put on some pants before I head down to breakfast.
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Communication
Definition:
My translation? --> SHARING
We learn so much from sharing - our own stories and other people's stories. In many aspects of my life, I need to practice this art called "communication" - knowing when to share, and when to listen.
At home...
We've got it made. My love and I know how to communicate. It's integral to our relationship. We are vulnerable with each other, laying everything on the line. And it WORKS. We have the best line of communication we've ever had with anyone. Ever. With my parents, it's close to the same thing. With my sister and other relatives... I've got some work to do.
In my classroom...
I teach "LA/LIT" or "English Language Arts" or "reading and writing" in 7th grade. I once saw a post from either David Theriault or Sean Ziebarth (OH how I'd LOVE to teach with these two!!) that said they'd like to call their class "Communications." THIS is what it's all about. This is the place where I feel the next strongest when it comes to sharing and getting my point across. Ever since I read Choice Words by Peter Johnston, I've measured every word that comes out of my mouth in front of children.
My first day with students, we take the 15 (?) minutes (very shortened periods the first day!) we have to read The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown. I encourage thoughts, and call on students who do not have hands raised. The whole hand-raising idea is nice if you want a quiet room of compliant children. I like to have discussions instead. In "the real world," there isn't a whole lot of hand raising when people want to talk. One of my goals during the school year is to break students of this habit. We practice discussions without hands in the air. We practice how to interrupt, contribute, disagree, and support our opinions - while taking turns. If a class seems to need more support than another, we will take out the sock monkey and toss her for awhile, but then we let go of that security blanket soon enough. I don't know any other situation in which people having a discussion pass around a stuffed toy...
While reading The Important Book, I also encourage disagreement with authors, and ME, as well. Disagreeing is definitely part of communicating. I, myself, disagree with the author when she writes, "The important thing about an apple is that is is red." Students themselves, before I turn the page, mention the words, "juicy, healthy, crispy, tasty" etc, and then they don't say a peep when I read aloud that it is "red." This is where the learning could stop, if I simply continued to read. Instead, I put the book down, and look out at my new students. I gasp, as I "can't believe you agree with the author - I didn't hear any dissension!" You can imagine how the rest of these few minutes go. My only lesson for the first day is that this class will be about communicating - sharing ideas, asking questions, disagreeing respectfully, using evidence to support our ideas, discovering and mending our misconceptions, and adding to our thoughts.
With parents of my students...
I have learned to be very transparent, and to send home positive notes every so often about their child. Just do it! It makes all the difference.
At my school with other teachers...
It's when the communication STOPS that my frustration rises.
When someone on my team says something and then says "End of discussion"... I can feel the steam coming from my ears, so I get up and excuse myself. Both of us are in the wrong here.
When one person drops the ball on a yearly school-wide tradition and then makes the decision him/herself when it comes down to the deadline and virtually no changes can be made... What good does it do to complain, if it's too late anyway? I tried to offer a solution for NEXT year instead.
This is the area where I struggle with communication the most.
What are my options?
- Hide. I have times when I do this. Just shut my trap, don't say anything, and get on with what I need to do - focus on my own students. I'm not sure if this is healthy or not.
- Keep an open mind. Know when to let things go, and when to keep the discussion open.
- Ask for help. This is my next step. This is what I need to do.
"Can we continue this discussion?"
"Can we keep talking about...?" Perhaps put it off until another day.
"This makes me think. Can we come back to this discussion on ____?" Get it on the docket.
"I need to think more about this. Can we each do our own research and get back to it?"
There are quite a few teachers who use Twitter as a platform for learning - basically learning how to become a better teacher, or better yet - how to make our classrooms better places to learn how to learn. I follow many teachers with whom I agree. We help each other by sharing our ideas. One of us will share, another will tweak and try these ideas, and then we share them back - including "upgrades" to these ideas. Sometimes we share what we'd like to do, and others share what they've seen done or what they've tried themselves. This is not just communication; it is also collaboration.
Three Ways I Learn from Communicating with my PLN...
1) There are some teachers with whom I disagree. I know to not respond with anger. I used to ignore these teachers, unfollow them, or just complain to Hubby about them. Now I either share what I've found that supports my side, organize and write my own ideas, or ask these teachers questions to instigate more communication about the issue. At times, I find that my thoughts need to be challenged in such a way so that I can either grow and adapt my thoughts, or find more support for what I believe. These interactions have made me much more feisty, and also more knowledgeable! They're not my favorite interactions, but I make sure I take away something from each one.
2) Some interactions with my PLN help me by giving me more resources. I consider these resources "ammunition" for those times I need to support my beliefs. Just yesterday, I saw a tweet about Kate Baker not grading tons of papers at home - and she teaches high school English!! I listened to this short podcast from ISTE2015, and tweeted it out. Kate came back with MORE help, as I wondered how this really looks in her classroom. She then created a new blog post that same day to help others who were wondering the same thing! All of her resources are on her blog, and all free, of course. That's what we expect from passionate teachers on Twitter. Now it's up to ME to put these ideas into action.
3) My favorite interactions that really show me what "communication" means are those that are positive in nature, and push me to learn. These teachers help me take that next step. They help me put ideas I'd like to implement into practice. They get me off my butt and ACTING. Just today, I received a tweet from Oliver Schinkten, asking a tough question.
He did not ask what I'm going to use from his post, which would've been a tough one for me to answer. All I really thought of using (so far - from the first read-through) was changing the name of my classes to "Communications," and how to communicate that to parents and students! He went a step further in asking, "What were you left wondering after reading?" Does he want the truth? I'm really wondering "HOW IN HECK can I do everything I want to do with students???"
The answer is always there. I can NOT do everything. I don't have the time, resources, or energy to do all I would like to do with my students. As a result of reading Gerard's blog post, listening to Kate's podcast, and knowing what I know about balance in the classroom, my take-away today is to keep the focus on communication. Center everything in the classroom around communication.
In all things I want us to try in ELA - reading, writing, grammar, speaking and listening, Genius Hour, feedback instead of grading... if we continue to practice communicating well, every aspect of ELA will flourish. Let's continue to give students more and more time to practice the art of communicating. Let's share our mistakes and successes, and listen as other people share theirs. Let's learn from each other by learning how to communicate effectively. Maybe that's the purpose of school - to learn how to communicate in order to become lifelong learners.
Please share your ideas as to how you practice communicating in your classrooms, or where it's most difficult for you to communicate - and what you do about it. Let's continue to learn from each other.
We learn so much from sharing - our own stories and other people's stories. In many aspects of my life, I need to practice this art called "communication" - knowing when to share, and when to listen.
At home...
We've got it made. My love and I know how to communicate. It's integral to our relationship. We are vulnerable with each other, laying everything on the line. And it WORKS. We have the best line of communication we've ever had with anyone. Ever. With my parents, it's close to the same thing. With my sister and other relatives... I've got some work to do.
In my classroom...
I teach "LA/LIT" or "English Language Arts" or "reading and writing" in 7th grade. I once saw a post from either David Theriault or Sean Ziebarth (OH how I'd LOVE to teach with these two!!) that said they'd like to call their class "Communications." THIS is what it's all about. This is the place where I feel the next strongest when it comes to sharing and getting my point across. Ever since I read Choice Words by Peter Johnston, I've measured every word that comes out of my mouth in front of children.My first day with students, we take the 15 (?) minutes (very shortened periods the first day!) we have to read The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown. I encourage thoughts, and call on students who do not have hands raised. The whole hand-raising idea is nice if you want a quiet room of compliant children. I like to have discussions instead. In "the real world," there isn't a whole lot of hand raising when people want to talk. One of my goals during the school year is to break students of this habit. We practice discussions without hands in the air. We practice how to interrupt, contribute, disagree, and support our opinions - while taking turns. If a class seems to need more support than another, we will take out the sock monkey and toss her for awhile, but then we let go of that security blanket soon enough. I don't know any other situation in which people having a discussion pass around a stuffed toy...
While reading The Important Book, I also encourage disagreement with authors, and ME, as well. Disagreeing is definitely part of communicating. I, myself, disagree with the author when she writes, "The important thing about an apple is that is is red." Students themselves, before I turn the page, mention the words, "juicy, healthy, crispy, tasty" etc, and then they don't say a peep when I read aloud that it is "red." This is where the learning could stop, if I simply continued to read. Instead, I put the book down, and look out at my new students. I gasp, as I "can't believe you agree with the author - I didn't hear any dissension!" You can imagine how the rest of these few minutes go. My only lesson for the first day is that this class will be about communicating - sharing ideas, asking questions, disagreeing respectfully, using evidence to support our ideas, discovering and mending our misconceptions, and adding to our thoughts.With parents of my students...
I have learned to be very transparent, and to send home positive notes every so often about their child. Just do it! It makes all the difference.
At my school with other teachers...
It's when the communication STOPS that my frustration rises.
When someone on my team says something and then says "End of discussion"... I can feel the steam coming from my ears, so I get up and excuse myself. Both of us are in the wrong here.
When one person drops the ball on a yearly school-wide tradition and then makes the decision him/herself when it comes down to the deadline and virtually no changes can be made... What good does it do to complain, if it's too late anyway? I tried to offer a solution for NEXT year instead.
This is the area where I struggle with communication the most.
What are my options?
- Hide. I have times when I do this. Just shut my trap, don't say anything, and get on with what I need to do - focus on my own students. I'm not sure if this is healthy or not.
- Keep an open mind. Know when to let things go, and when to keep the discussion open.
- Ask for help. This is my next step. This is what I need to do.
"Can we continue this discussion?"
"Can we keep talking about...?" Perhaps put it off until another day.
"This makes me think. Can we come back to this discussion on ____?" Get it on the docket.
"I need to think more about this. Can we each do our own research and get back to it?"
In my district with administration...
I try not to "bother" our administration. I know they've got far more pressing issues than any I might have! I really only communicate with them to ask how things are going, and to share some ideas I might have. They are busy with student issues, so I deal with the small issues on my own or with other teachers. I was upset at one decision that came down the pike, so I spoke to students (who were also upset, as it impacted them the most), and we came up with reasons to change the decision. I thought including student voice would help. We did not "win" the battle, but we fought a clean fight together, and students' voices were heard in a positive manner.
With my PLN...I try not to "bother" our administration. I know they've got far more pressing issues than any I might have! I really only communicate with them to ask how things are going, and to share some ideas I might have. They are busy with student issues, so I deal with the small issues on my own or with other teachers. I was upset at one decision that came down the pike, so I spoke to students (who were also upset, as it impacted them the most), and we came up with reasons to change the decision. I thought including student voice would help. We did not "win" the battle, but we fought a clean fight together, and students' voices were heard in a positive manner.
There are quite a few teachers who use Twitter as a platform for learning - basically learning how to become a better teacher, or better yet - how to make our classrooms better places to learn how to learn. I follow many teachers with whom I agree. We help each other by sharing our ideas. One of us will share, another will tweak and try these ideas, and then we share them back - including "upgrades" to these ideas. Sometimes we share what we'd like to do, and others share what they've seen done or what they've tried themselves. This is not just communication; it is also collaboration.
Three Ways I Learn from Communicating with my PLN...
1) There are some teachers with whom I disagree. I know to not respond with anger. I used to ignore these teachers, unfollow them, or just complain to Hubby about them. Now I either share what I've found that supports my side, organize and write my own ideas, or ask these teachers questions to instigate more communication about the issue. At times, I find that my thoughts need to be challenged in such a way so that I can either grow and adapt my thoughts, or find more support for what I believe. These interactions have made me much more feisty, and also more knowledgeable! They're not my favorite interactions, but I make sure I take away something from each one.
2) Some interactions with my PLN help me by giving me more resources. I consider these resources "ammunition" for those times I need to support my beliefs. Just yesterday, I saw a tweet about Kate Baker not grading tons of papers at home - and she teaches high school English!! I listened to this short podcast from ISTE2015, and tweeted it out. Kate came back with MORE help, as I wondered how this really looks in her classroom. She then created a new blog post that same day to help others who were wondering the same thing! All of her resources are on her blog, and all free, of course. That's what we expect from passionate teachers on Twitter. Now it's up to ME to put these ideas into action.
3) My favorite interactions that really show me what "communication" means are those that are positive in nature, and push me to learn. These teachers help me take that next step. They help me put ideas I'd like to implement into practice. They get me off my butt and ACTING. Just today, I received a tweet from Oliver Schinkten, asking a tough question.
He really got me thinking. I didn't have any answer to give him. I put this tweet out of my head as I read more while getting my AM "fix." A few minutes later, I saw a tweet from a teacher I'd never met on Twitter. I read Gerard Dawson's post titled, "The 1st Steps to a Connected Reading Classroom," and was awed at all the ideas he shared. I tweeted it out with the #elachat and #engchat community. Words that I had to read more than once...
"a connected reading classroom means using communication, collaboration and connecting to let students share thinking"
It was the next tweet from him, however, that made my head spin, and became the catalyst for me to write this post...
The answer is always there. I can NOT do everything. I don't have the time, resources, or energy to do all I would like to do with my students. As a result of reading Gerard's blog post, listening to Kate's podcast, and knowing what I know about balance in the classroom, my take-away today is to keep the focus on communication. Center everything in the classroom around communication.
In all things I want us to try in ELA - reading, writing, grammar, speaking and listening, Genius Hour, feedback instead of grading... if we continue to practice communicating well, every aspect of ELA will flourish. Let's continue to give students more and more time to practice the art of communicating. Let's share our mistakes and successes, and listen as other people share theirs. Let's learn from each other by learning how to communicate effectively. Maybe that's the purpose of school - to learn how to communicate in order to become lifelong learners.
Please share your ideas as to how you practice communicating in your classrooms, or where it's most difficult for you to communicate - and what you do about it. Let's continue to learn from each other.
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Learning from Your PLN
The Sunshine Blog...
The PLN Challenge...
The Homework Meme...
Liebster - Discover New Blogs...
I've seen it called many things, and the idea is "a way to share and broaden our PLN" (@WillGourley).
Here is how it works:
1. Acknowledge the nominating blogger.
2. Share 11 random facts about yourself.
3. Answer the 11 questions the nominating blogger has created for you.
4. List 11 bloggers. They should be bloggers you believe deserve some recognition and a little blogging love! (The first one @CoughlinLaura shared with me back in July said 5-11 bloggers. This might be easier for those of us not connected as much!)
5. Post 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate to answer, and let all the bloggers know they have been nominated. (You cannot nominate the blogger who nominated you.)
I've seen the trend going around for awhile now on Twitter, and I thought it was interesting, but I immediately poo-pooed it. Why would I want to write about myself in my blog? Is that what my blog was for? I was forced to think about my own blog - why do I use it? Who are my readers? What qualifies as a "worthy" topic to post?
This thinking has led to changes in blogging with my students, as well. If they are to have a blog, is it just to turn in assignments for class? Not ONE person has told me what I should post on my blog. It's mine. It's personal. Some people use their blog as a platform - to get their ideas across, their thoughts about an issue, their complaints. Some use their blog to share successes of their students or themselves, celebrate their learning, or share about their own personal lives. I left the options WIDE open for my students. Simultaneously, I'm finding out more about my own writing, and what ideas I consider "worthy" of posting.
Since two "nominations" (Or are they challenges? This was difficult!) came in during winter break, it made me think about this idea once more. I love reading about other teachers' lives - much like I enjoy hearing about teachers I work with, or meeting my PLN in person at an EdCamp. Who is this teacher personally? How can I connect with this person so I can understand him or her better? The questions posed and answered by these teachers are enlightening, and my favorite part is the "eleven random facts" people share. If these teachers are so open about their lives, does that allow me to be as well? Will this idea fit into my blogging parameters I've subconsciously set for myself?
I've figured some things out. Here are my parameters:
1. Be positive. I've realized that not much comes out of being negative, except more negativity.
2. Share what I've learned, if I believe it will benefit others.
3. Reflect - to share my personal learning or growth.
4. Show my gratitude.
5. Add a photograph (one I've taken or created - I learned this in person from @langwitches).
With these parameters in mind, I'll tackle this task. (I've also FINALLY answered Laura Coughlin's first question!!) Read on if you will, but know I have learned from this experience - about myself, my writing, and my PLN. Teachers in my PLN are very open and honest, and they write from the heart. I wish I could thank them personally for all I have learned from them. Please help me thank them by visiting their blogs and commenting - we all love it when the conversation continues! I'm going to go against the grain and start with my list of bloggers I love - some may have already completed this challenge, but they're still on my list. Please visit them!
Bloggers I believe deserve some recognition and a little blogging love (in alphabetical order!):
Gary Anderson - An English teacher's dream blog!
Garnet Hillman - Standards-Based Grading, and best practices for students.
Denise Krebs - It's all about the kids.
Shawn McCusker - A bit of this and that - ALWAYS useful for me.
Hugh McDonald - Hugh thinks in a different way than I do - It's always interesting to read and decipher what he says - I love when it clicks for me!
Fran McVeigh - Close Reading / Common Core for ELA teachers
Allison Petersen - Something you can use that day!
Amy Smith - Optimistic & grateful.
Paul Stolt - Always reflecting on interesting points.
Tom Whitford - Not in it for the fame. Just common sense for leaders.
Gallit Zvi - Sharing what she learns to benefit others.
There are so very many MORE!! How can I possibly name them all?!?! I love them all for many different reasons, as well. Ugh. Please see my RTs and check out those blogs/posts for all of them. There is NO way anyone can "catch up" with all the resources available...
Time to recognize those who have nominated me...
1. Laura Coughlin - Laura is on my "first" list on Twitter. She didn't know it until she read this, but my "first" list is a private list of people. They don't know they're on the list. These are the people I don't want to miss. They don't tweet a ton, and what they tweet is valuable to me. So I keep this list on my TweetDeck so I don't miss out with all the tweets flooding in! She currently teaches middle school, and has not tweeted lately, but I see she's still blogging here. I hope she is doing well, and I hope she doesn't mind me blowing her off when she first asked me to do this challenge back in July!
2. Kimberly Hurd - I was able to meet Kimberly face to face in October, and I'm so very glad! Not only is she as spunky in person as on her tweets, but she's much shorter than I imagined! ;-) She also sings karaoke - a girl after my own heart! Her blog is here, and she is very spiritual in what she writes - I believe this is because she, too, is very grateful for all she has, and she chooses to recognize it often. I'm blessed to know Kimberly, and have her on my "f2f" list on my TweetDeck - another column I check quite often!
3. Will Gourley - I have Will on my "first" list on TweetDeck as well. I feel that he is very well-rounded and must be a stellar person, as well as a stellar teacher. He is thoughtful, thankful, and gracious in sharing / retweeting great ideas. Some of his ideas are here. I need to get to know him more - I was astounded that my name came up in his list! Hubby and I just got our passports and are heading to the eastern side of Canada with the travel trailer some time this summer - looking forward to a tweet up!
I'll pose my questions next... things to think about and maybe BLOG about!
1. What's been the happiest day of your life so far? (Yes, feel free to name more than one!)
2. What's the latest success you've seen happen in your classroom?
3. What have you NOT blogged about, even though you've thought so much about it? What's stopping you?
4. Who has influenced you the most AT YOUR SCHOOL, and how?
5. Write a letter to that person (in number 4), and read it aloud to him or her.
6. If you had to choose just one song to listen to in your car, what would it be?
7. What's your favorite holiday? Why?
8. What is a favorite quote of yours?
9. What is coming up that you are excited about?
10. What will you do when you retire?
11. What should you be doing that you're not, because you're reading this?
With
Next... questions nominating bloggers have asked...
From Laura...
1. Why do you blog? --> To reflect, share, and celebrate. When a post comes out, it's mostly because it's been percolating in my brain. The more I write about it, the more clear it becomes to me. I find a way to connect it to my teaching, and it's something I want to share. I do not think I'm a skilled writer, but I am writing more, so I know I'm growing as a writer.
2. Does your classroom have a "color scheme?" --> Nope. My classroom is decorated by the kids and their work. If they want to put up a piece of art, feel free. If they want to make snowflakes, here's some yarn. If they want to put something on the ceiling, be careful on that chair. The walls are full? Find a spot, or take down something else you have up. Color scheme? Chaotic or eclectic. ;-)
3. What is one teaching goal you have for this school year? --> Do the best I can with each day given to us. That includes being a "on" with my last class as I am with my first. (Thanks to Dave Burgess for that reminder!)
4. Who/what is your teaching inspiration? --> The kids.
From Kimberly...
5. What app is the biggest addictive time waster for you? --> So glad you put in the words "time waster," or it could be Twitter! I have a love/hate relationship with a simple game called "Beat Beans." My current high score is 192, and I believe the highest I can ever get is 200, so I just keep plugging. My wrist hurts from holding the iPad & reminds me of when I was addicted Atari... My husband knows not to ever get me a video game unless it's attached to an exercise torture device.
6. If you could have a personal mascot just for you, what would it be? --> A bird - I feel like I can fly most days (I'm high on life), and I try to soar away from negativity when possible. If a wing breaks, I have people in my life who can help me repair it.
7. What would be the best field trip to take students - do not hold back! --> A bike tour of countries that do not have the wealth my students have. Let it be led each day by a different resident of these places, so they can give us insight into what happened there and what they need in order to get back on their feet. During this trip - no wifi, television, phones, and only the local food to eat and shelter under which to sleep. We would have a bus (or two or three!) with us to carry food & clothing to residents of our host villages.
From Will...
8. If you could have lunch with anyone, living or deceased, who would it be? Why? --> I'd want to meet my husband's parents. They passed away just before I was able to meet them, and I would love to hear them talk about him and how he was when he was young. I'd like to see how Frank loved Stella, because I know that's the love Bob shows to me.
9. What is your ultimate vacation destination? --> Somewhere sunny, warm, with a sand beach, waves to play in (and not get knocked down!), with my husband. The beaches I play in are all on Lake Michigan - COLD! ;-)
10. What are you reading right now? --> I'm actually reading an ADULT book! Hah! Crazy unbelievable! The Storyteller, by Jodi Picoult. I love this author, and I'm not disappointed in this one, of course.
And one from Pernille Ripp...
11. What is one song you secretly or not so secretly want to sing at karaoke? --> My favorite song on karaoke night is "Broken Wing" by Martina McBride. I can hit the notes, and feel her words pouring through me.
And here's the picture I'm choosing for today - because the gifts I get from my PLN are more precious than these gifts under the tree - ideas can grow and bloom! (And none of these gifts is a ChiaPet!)
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Eleven random facts that readers may not know about me... I saved this for last, because this is not why I wanted to write this post, and it's hard to put these ideas in writing, too!
1. I am fairly recently divorced. It feels like yesterday, but we went through counseling in 2009. I learned a TON from my first marriage - and I wouldn't change a thing. If I did, I might not have met my soul mate, who I married on the beach in Holland, MI in 2011. This love we have seeps into everything I do. If I had a personal blog, you'd see the whole story & believe in soul mates!
2. I'm seen in Catholic eyes as a "Chreaster..." someone who only attends church on Christmas and Easter. I do, however, thank God every day for all I have, and pray that he help those in need. I know I am blessed, and I give Him credit for all I can experience on this great planet.
3. I cry a lot. I cry when I'm happy, and when I'm sad. Of course, I laugh a lot, too!
4. I have taught from age 3 to age 21... children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. I keep thinking I'm a special education teacher, but have been teaching reading now for 12 years, which is five more than the seven years I taught children who are deaf! Time flies...
5. I love taking photographs of insects and flowers, but mostly insects ON flowers. I love my camera. Maybe some day I'll get a macro lens - my telephoto lens sure gets a work out, though, too!
6. I have three blogs in addition to this one... One for what I've accomplished thanks to Pinterest, and one for my own Genius Hour ideas / projects. I was hoping I could share the latter with my students, but I don't require them to blog anymore... One more - for our travel bug, Corn Boy Jr. If you don't know what a travel bug is, look it up - you may acquire a new hobby!
7. I'm very insecure & a bit of a worrier, although I can psych myself out of almost anything by singing along with Julie Andrews to "I Have Confidence!" If I can hit all the notes, I know everything will be fine. (I keep singing until I DO hit all the notes!)
8. I love to eat. I'm currently wolfing down "Peanut butter ball screw-ups..." They didn't work as balls, so... but they are very tasty!
9. I've run a marathon, biked a century, skied the Korteloppet, and done rolls in my whitewater & sea kayak. I used to have exercise as a priority. Things have changed. I now love to walk & showshoe. I'd love it if I knew how to wax my own cross-country skis, but... I also still love to ride my bicycle in the warmer months. I'm as heavy as I've ever been, but I'm just as happy as I've ever been, as well!
10. I love to geocache! My husband and I try this whenever we are in a new area - what great fun for the whole family.
11. After attending my fifth, I figured something out - EdCamps are my version of Disneyland! If you haven't been, GO!!
The PLN Challenge...
The Homework Meme...
Liebster - Discover New Blogs...
I've seen it called many things, and the idea is "a way to share and broaden our PLN" (@WillGourley).
Here is how it works:
1. Acknowledge the nominating blogger.
2. Share 11 random facts about yourself.
3. Answer the 11 questions the nominating blogger has created for you.
4. List 11 bloggers. They should be bloggers you believe deserve some recognition and a little blogging love! (The first one @CoughlinLaura shared with me back in July said 5-11 bloggers. This might be easier for those of us not connected as much!)
5. Post 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate to answer, and let all the bloggers know they have been nominated. (You cannot nominate the blogger who nominated you.)
I've seen the trend going around for awhile now on Twitter, and I thought it was interesting, but I immediately poo-pooed it. Why would I want to write about myself in my blog? Is that what my blog was for? I was forced to think about my own blog - why do I use it? Who are my readers? What qualifies as a "worthy" topic to post?
This thinking has led to changes in blogging with my students, as well. If they are to have a blog, is it just to turn in assignments for class? Not ONE person has told me what I should post on my blog. It's mine. It's personal. Some people use their blog as a platform - to get their ideas across, their thoughts about an issue, their complaints. Some use their blog to share successes of their students or themselves, celebrate their learning, or share about their own personal lives. I left the options WIDE open for my students. Simultaneously, I'm finding out more about my own writing, and what ideas I consider "worthy" of posting.
Since two "nominations" (Or are they challenges? This was difficult!) came in during winter break, it made me think about this idea once more. I love reading about other teachers' lives - much like I enjoy hearing about teachers I work with, or meeting my PLN in person at an EdCamp. Who is this teacher personally? How can I connect with this person so I can understand him or her better? The questions posed and answered by these teachers are enlightening, and my favorite part is the "eleven random facts" people share. If these teachers are so open about their lives, does that allow me to be as well? Will this idea fit into my blogging parameters I've subconsciously set for myself?
I've figured some things out. Here are my parameters:
1. Be positive. I've realized that not much comes out of being negative, except more negativity.
2. Share what I've learned, if I believe it will benefit others.
3. Reflect - to share my personal learning or growth.
4. Show my gratitude.
5. Add a photograph (one I've taken or created - I learned this in person from @langwitches).
With these parameters in mind, I'll tackle this task. (I've also FINALLY answered Laura Coughlin's first question!!) Read on if you will, but know I have learned from this experience - about myself, my writing, and my PLN. Teachers in my PLN are very open and honest, and they write from the heart. I wish I could thank them personally for all I have learned from them. Please help me thank them by visiting their blogs and commenting - we all love it when the conversation continues! I'm going to go against the grain and start with my list of bloggers I love - some may have already completed this challenge, but they're still on my list. Please visit them!
Bloggers I believe deserve some recognition and a little blogging love (in alphabetical order!):
Gary Anderson - An English teacher's dream blog!
Garnet Hillman - Standards-Based Grading, and best practices for students.
Denise Krebs - It's all about the kids.
Shawn McCusker - A bit of this and that - ALWAYS useful for me.
Hugh McDonald - Hugh thinks in a different way than I do - It's always interesting to read and decipher what he says - I love when it clicks for me!
Fran McVeigh - Close Reading / Common Core for ELA teachers
Allison Petersen - Something you can use that day!
Amy Smith - Optimistic & grateful.
Paul Stolt - Always reflecting on interesting points.
Tom Whitford - Not in it for the fame. Just common sense for leaders.
Gallit Zvi - Sharing what she learns to benefit others.
There are so very many MORE!! How can I possibly name them all?!?! I love them all for many different reasons, as well. Ugh. Please see my RTs and check out those blogs/posts for all of them. There is NO way anyone can "catch up" with all the resources available...
Time to recognize those who have nominated me...
1. Laura Coughlin - Laura is on my "first" list on Twitter. She didn't know it until she read this, but my "first" list is a private list of people. They don't know they're on the list. These are the people I don't want to miss. They don't tweet a ton, and what they tweet is valuable to me. So I keep this list on my TweetDeck so I don't miss out with all the tweets flooding in! She currently teaches middle school, and has not tweeted lately, but I see she's still blogging here. I hope she is doing well, and I hope she doesn't mind me blowing her off when she first asked me to do this challenge back in July!
2. Kimberly Hurd - I was able to meet Kimberly face to face in October, and I'm so very glad! Not only is she as spunky in person as on her tweets, but she's much shorter than I imagined! ;-) She also sings karaoke - a girl after my own heart! Her blog is here, and she is very spiritual in what she writes - I believe this is because she, too, is very grateful for all she has, and she chooses to recognize it often. I'm blessed to know Kimberly, and have her on my "f2f" list on my TweetDeck - another column I check quite often!
3. Will Gourley - I have Will on my "first" list on TweetDeck as well. I feel that he is very well-rounded and must be a stellar person, as well as a stellar teacher. He is thoughtful, thankful, and gracious in sharing / retweeting great ideas. Some of his ideas are here. I need to get to know him more - I was astounded that my name came up in his list! Hubby and I just got our passports and are heading to the eastern side of Canada with the travel trailer some time this summer - looking forward to a tweet up!
I'll pose my questions next... things to think about and maybe BLOG about!
1. What's been the happiest day of your life so far? (Yes, feel free to name more than one!)
2. What's the latest success you've seen happen in your classroom?
3. What have you NOT blogged about, even though you've thought so much about it? What's stopping you?
4. Who has influenced you the most AT YOUR SCHOOL, and how?
5. Write a letter to that person (in number 4), and read it aloud to him or her.
6. If you had to choose just one song to listen to in your car, what would it be?
7. What's your favorite holiday? Why?
8. What is a favorite quote of yours?
9. What is coming up that you are excited about?
10. What will you do when you retire?
11. What should you be doing that you're not, because you're reading this?
With
Next... questions nominating bloggers have asked...
From Laura...
1. Why do you blog? --> To reflect, share, and celebrate. When a post comes out, it's mostly because it's been percolating in my brain. The more I write about it, the more clear it becomes to me. I find a way to connect it to my teaching, and it's something I want to share. I do not think I'm a skilled writer, but I am writing more, so I know I'm growing as a writer.
2. Does your classroom have a "color scheme?" --> Nope. My classroom is decorated by the kids and their work. If they want to put up a piece of art, feel free. If they want to make snowflakes, here's some yarn. If they want to put something on the ceiling, be careful on that chair. The walls are full? Find a spot, or take down something else you have up. Color scheme? Chaotic or eclectic. ;-)
3. What is one teaching goal you have for this school year? --> Do the best I can with each day given to us. That includes being a "on" with my last class as I am with my first. (Thanks to Dave Burgess for that reminder!)
4. Who/what is your teaching inspiration? --> The kids.
From Kimberly...
5. What app is the biggest addictive time waster for you? --> So glad you put in the words "time waster," or it could be Twitter! I have a love/hate relationship with a simple game called "Beat Beans." My current high score is 192, and I believe the highest I can ever get is 200, so I just keep plugging. My wrist hurts from holding the iPad & reminds me of when I was addicted Atari... My husband knows not to ever get me a video game unless it's attached to an exercise torture device.
6. If you could have a personal mascot just for you, what would it be? --> A bird - I feel like I can fly most days (I'm high on life), and I try to soar away from negativity when possible. If a wing breaks, I have people in my life who can help me repair it.
7. What would be the best field trip to take students - do not hold back! --> A bike tour of countries that do not have the wealth my students have. Let it be led each day by a different resident of these places, so they can give us insight into what happened there and what they need in order to get back on their feet. During this trip - no wifi, television, phones, and only the local food to eat and shelter under which to sleep. We would have a bus (or two or three!) with us to carry food & clothing to residents of our host villages.
From Will...
8. If you could have lunch with anyone, living or deceased, who would it be? Why? --> I'd want to meet my husband's parents. They passed away just before I was able to meet them, and I would love to hear them talk about him and how he was when he was young. I'd like to see how Frank loved Stella, because I know that's the love Bob shows to me.
9. What is your ultimate vacation destination? --> Somewhere sunny, warm, with a sand beach, waves to play in (and not get knocked down!), with my husband. The beaches I play in are all on Lake Michigan - COLD! ;-)
10. What are you reading right now? --> I'm actually reading an ADULT book! Hah! Crazy unbelievable! The Storyteller, by Jodi Picoult. I love this author, and I'm not disappointed in this one, of course.
And one from Pernille Ripp...
11. What is one song you secretly or not so secretly want to sing at karaoke? --> My favorite song on karaoke night is "Broken Wing" by Martina McBride. I can hit the notes, and feel her words pouring through me.
And here's the picture I'm choosing for today - because the gifts I get from my PLN are more precious than these gifts under the tree - ideas can grow and bloom! (And none of these gifts is a ChiaPet!)
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Eleven random facts that readers may not know about me... I saved this for last, because this is not why I wanted to write this post, and it's hard to put these ideas in writing, too!
1. I am fairly recently divorced. It feels like yesterday, but we went through counseling in 2009. I learned a TON from my first marriage - and I wouldn't change a thing. If I did, I might not have met my soul mate, who I married on the beach in Holland, MI in 2011. This love we have seeps into everything I do. If I had a personal blog, you'd see the whole story & believe in soul mates!
2. I'm seen in Catholic eyes as a "Chreaster..." someone who only attends church on Christmas and Easter. I do, however, thank God every day for all I have, and pray that he help those in need. I know I am blessed, and I give Him credit for all I can experience on this great planet.
3. I cry a lot. I cry when I'm happy, and when I'm sad. Of course, I laugh a lot, too!
4. I have taught from age 3 to age 21... children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. I keep thinking I'm a special education teacher, but have been teaching reading now for 12 years, which is five more than the seven years I taught children who are deaf! Time flies...
5. I love taking photographs of insects and flowers, but mostly insects ON flowers. I love my camera. Maybe some day I'll get a macro lens - my telephoto lens sure gets a work out, though, too!
6. I have three blogs in addition to this one... One for what I've accomplished thanks to Pinterest, and one for my own Genius Hour ideas / projects. I was hoping I could share the latter with my students, but I don't require them to blog anymore... One more - for our travel bug, Corn Boy Jr. If you don't know what a travel bug is, look it up - you may acquire a new hobby!
7. I'm very insecure & a bit of a worrier, although I can psych myself out of almost anything by singing along with Julie Andrews to "I Have Confidence!" If I can hit all the notes, I know everything will be fine. (I keep singing until I DO hit all the notes!)
8. I love to eat. I'm currently wolfing down "Peanut butter ball screw-ups..." They didn't work as balls, so... but they are very tasty!
9. I've run a marathon, biked a century, skied the Korteloppet, and done rolls in my whitewater & sea kayak. I used to have exercise as a priority. Things have changed. I now love to walk & showshoe. I'd love it if I knew how to wax my own cross-country skis, but... I also still love to ride my bicycle in the warmer months. I'm as heavy as I've ever been, but I'm just as happy as I've ever been, as well!
10. I love to geocache! My husband and I try this whenever we are in a new area - what great fun for the whole family.
11. After attending my fifth, I figured something out - EdCamps are my version of Disneyland! If you haven't been, GO!!
Sunday, October 27, 2013
EdCamp Chicago - Fall 2013
I've written about EdCamp before...
My second - EdCamp Madison
The International Phenomenon - EdCamp Home
But yesterday was the first time I'd ever helped plan an EdCamp, and I've learned so much more - I just have to reflect on how the day went from an insider's viewpoint...
Being Invited...
Ben Hartman (@bhartmanwd7) and Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) each DMed me back in... July?? I don't remember. But they asked me if I could help organize the next EdCamp Chicago, set for the fall. OH, YES! I'd love to help organize! I was put on a list, and was ready to be told what to do - I'm a great go-fer! ;-)
Our GHOs...
Oh, why are these so nerve-wracking for me?! I kept my microphone muted until I really wanted to say something, but I really tried to be quiet. It was great to see others who were ready to help plan.
Our great crew:
Jenna Hacker @jennahacker
Bernice Homel @BHomel1
Joy Kirr @JoyKirr
Ben Kuhlman @bkuhl2you
Allison LaFalce @Allison_Lafalce
Shawn McCusker @shawnmccusker
Eric Patnoudes @NoApp4Pedagogy
Jen Vincent @mentortexts
Bob (My hubby jumped in a
TON to help out the day of!)
During these Google Hangouts, I tried to take notes in a Google Doc about what was said, and what we needed to do next. What I was able to help with was (a pretty large) sponsorship, small raffle prizes & items for the goodie bags, but I didn't feel too useful. So I volunteered to keep up the blog. Luckily for me it was Blogger! I also created a "Meet the EdCampers" Google form for the registration. I gave up the responsibility of figuring out lunch, though - out of my league. Setting up the day-of document, I put myself down for explaining what an EdCamp is all about, and also the raffle - I thought that would be FUN!
The Walk-Through...
Ben asked if any of us could help out with a walk-through, to see where things would be, how we'd set it up, which rooms we'd use for sessions, etc. I loved seeing the easy layout and becoming familiar with the place.
What Ben (or some magical fairy in the night) did...
Acquired the wonderful Wood Dale Junior High School as our venue...
This included insurance, custodial help, logistics about collecting sponsorship money, etc.
Eventbrite registration
Name tags
EdCamp Chicago stickers (his wife designed them!)
Made BIG signs thanking sponsors
Bought sticky notes and pens for the proposals (Hey, Ben - I still have the sticky notes!)
Acquiring sponsors, goodie bag items, raffle prizes, sorting all the money, keeping everything straight, and keeping calm through all of it!
Bag Stuffing...
Need I say more? This happened on the Thursday before, and we just walked around the table of swag, stuffing and talking, talking and stuffing. We used the nice bags Bernice acquired from the Wood Dale Public library first, then used the smaller bags from Barnes and Noble for the late comers. This was a great time to learn more about our crew as we shared some stories.
The Night Before...
Kimberly Hurd (@khurdhorst) came into town from Minnesota and stayed with Bob and me! We first went to dinner at Uno's with Bernice, her husband, and Tasha (@tasquires). Went back home for a few minutes to figure out what I was going to say about EdCamps, then went out again to the Sponge Reef in Schaumburg for some karaoke! I was not nervous at all, but could only imagine what Ben was going through...
The Day of...
Up early, at the school at 7am, and helping set up. Coffee and donuts were put up, tables and chairs were scooched over a bit, registration tables and name tags set up, direction signs were set up, and raffle prizes just kept coming my way. Set up the extra free swag on the tables in the foyer, panicked as people started coming because I'd just remembered the raffle tickets, then calmed as we found them, got invigorated just seeing people start to arrive...
Loved seeing NEW faces of the names I recognized from Twitter! Here's a list of SOME of them:
Julie McGovern (@jamcgovern), Mary Jo Cline (@WDJHLMC), Susie Highley (@shighley), Adam Moreno (@USMDrama), Merri Beth Kudrna (@mbkudrna), Jason Hanrahan (@Teamhanrahan62), Brendan Murphy (@dendari), Matt Coaty (@Mcoaty), Brianne Koletsos (@B_KOL), Samara Silverman (@SamaraSilverman), Renee (@frnlrwme), Ed Casey (@ecasey77), Erin Jackle (@ErinJackle), Joy Olenick (@JoyOlenick), Christine Collins (@cmcollins13), Meg Van Dyke (@docV216), Mary Klepper (@MaryKlepper), Mary Yockey (@MaryYockey), Gail LeGrand (@GailLeGrand), Andrea WilsonVazquez (@wilsandrea), Jeff Zoul (@Jeff_Zoul), Steve Wick (@nvwick), Michelle Russell (@michellerussell), Jill Maraldo (@jmaraldo), Karen Gluskin (@kegluskin), Tricia Brawley (@GiVeAhOoT) who I haven't seen since she was a student at Thomas, Nancy Blair (@blairteach) from Georgia, and Rik Rowe (@WHSRowe) from Massachusetts! OH MY GOODNESS!
Phew! After seeing all these faces and shaking hands or hugging them, it was time to begin in the auditorium. My role was the explanation of EdCamp, and then getting people started coming down to propose sessions. Easy-peasy. I had everything I wanted to say written down, and I love a microphone. When the first session was started, I pulled 100 raffle tickets so we'd have those people with those tickets come down to the stage at 3pm and choose their small prize. The other 40 or so raffle prizes would be chosen with everyone in attendance after the Smackdown. I did take the time to put those in (what I thought was) order of value. I was sorta off on that...! Loved that I had previously met & had lunch with the person who won the Chromebook, too - Garnet Hillman (@garnet_hillman)!
I attended the second session, but was (literally) called out early by a phone call from my parents who were traveling - I wanted to make sure they were okay, so I had to answer it and quietly leave! Lunch was next - I ate with Bernice, Tasha, Meg, and Bob was back from helping pick up lunch and deliver the trays back to Mario's. He seemed to be having a great time, too - he even held onto Kristie Bleers's (@kbleers) tickets for her, because she had to leave! I needed to attend the third session, because a woman from Palatine told me she HAD to talk to me about her 5th graders and ask me all kinds of questions about assessments (bad taste in my mouth) during Genius Hour. Great people were there - Allison, Paul, Ben K., and Michael Matera (@mrmatera), among others I just can't remember right now.
Then it was back to the stage to set up the small raffle prizes and get ready for the larger ones. Allison helped me divvy them out and organize, but she had to leave early, so she couldn't stay to announce them. Jenna helped me out when it was time.
My Big "Take-Away..."
Everyone in your planning group needs to use his or her own gifts for a successful event.
This was a huge lesson for me. I got out of doing lunch duty, but felt guilty for doing so. I just didn't think I could do it right, thought I'd have lots of trouble, and just felt uneasy about it. Allison did a GREAT job of securing the deal. I helped where I could, however, and did the best I could with it. I could've been more timely getting the tweets out for "Meet the Camper," but many of the people I added the Thursday before didn't even show anyway. I could've added updates to the blog, but didn't feel it was necessary. I could've called more companies for sponsorship, but that wasn't my skill set either, I'd thought. Everyone had a part to play, and everyone played his or her part very well. I would list what they all did, but it's just WAY too much, and this post is WAY too long as it is, in my opinion.
I had to reflect on this day... I equate it to going to Disney World, really.
Thank you to everyone who made it happen - our inspired organizers, our stellar crew, the passionate teachers who came from near and far to learn from one another, the staff at Wood Dale District 7, and my biggest fan, Bob. I fed off of your passion this weekend, and you've invigorated me once again. I'll be heading to school with a huge smile on my face - THANK YOU.
My second - EdCamp Madison
The International Phenomenon - EdCamp Home
But yesterday was the first time I'd ever helped plan an EdCamp, and I've learned so much more - I just have to reflect on how the day went from an insider's viewpoint...
Being Invited...
Ben Hartman (@bhartmanwd7) and Paul Solarz (@PaulSolarz) each DMed me back in... July?? I don't remember. But they asked me if I could help organize the next EdCamp Chicago, set for the fall. OH, YES! I'd love to help organize! I was put on a list, and was ready to be told what to do - I'm a great go-fer! ;-)
Our GHOs...
Oh, why are these so nerve-wracking for me?! I kept my microphone muted until I really wanted to say something, but I really tried to be quiet. It was great to see others who were ready to help plan.
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| What was left of the crew before we went out... |
Jenna Hacker @jennahacker
Bernice Homel @BHomel1
Joy Kirr @JoyKirr
Ben Kuhlman @bkuhl2you
Allison LaFalce @Allison_Lafalce
Shawn McCusker @shawnmccusker
Eric Patnoudes @NoApp4Pedagogy
Jen Vincent @mentortexts
Bob (My hubby jumped in a
TON to help out the day of!)
During these Google Hangouts, I tried to take notes in a Google Doc about what was said, and what we needed to do next. What I was able to help with was (a pretty large) sponsorship, small raffle prizes & items for the goodie bags, but I didn't feel too useful. So I volunteered to keep up the blog. Luckily for me it was Blogger! I also created a "Meet the EdCampers" Google form for the registration. I gave up the responsibility of figuring out lunch, though - out of my league. Setting up the day-of document, I put myself down for explaining what an EdCamp is all about, and also the raffle - I thought that would be FUN!
The Walk-Through...
Ben asked if any of us could help out with a walk-through, to see where things would be, how we'd set it up, which rooms we'd use for sessions, etc. I loved seeing the easy layout and becoming familiar with the place.
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| Mrs. Hartman's Design |
What Ben (or some magical fairy in the night) did...
Acquired the wonderful Wood Dale Junior High School as our venue...
This included insurance, custodial help, logistics about collecting sponsorship money, etc.
Eventbrite registration
Name tags
EdCamp Chicago stickers (his wife designed them!)
Made BIG signs thanking sponsors
Bought sticky notes and pens for the proposals (Hey, Ben - I still have the sticky notes!)
Acquiring sponsors, goodie bag items, raffle prizes, sorting all the money, keeping everything straight, and keeping calm through all of it!
Bag Stuffing...
Need I say more? This happened on the Thursday before, and we just walked around the table of swag, stuffing and talking, talking and stuffing. We used the nice bags Bernice acquired from the Wood Dale Public library first, then used the smaller bags from Barnes and Noble for the late comers. This was a great time to learn more about our crew as we shared some stories.
The Night Before...
Kimberly Hurd (@khurdhorst) came into town from Minnesota and stayed with Bob and me! We first went to dinner at Uno's with Bernice, her husband, and Tasha (@tasquires). Went back home for a few minutes to figure out what I was going to say about EdCamps, then went out again to the Sponge Reef in Schaumburg for some karaoke! I was not nervous at all, but could only imagine what Ben was going through...
The Day of...
Up early, at the school at 7am, and helping set up. Coffee and donuts were put up, tables and chairs were scooched over a bit, registration tables and name tags set up, direction signs were set up, and raffle prizes just kept coming my way. Set up the extra free swag on the tables in the foyer, panicked as people started coming because I'd just remembered the raffle tickets, then calmed as we found them, got invigorated just seeing people start to arrive...
Loved seeing NEW faces of the names I recognized from Twitter! Here's a list of SOME of them:
Julie McGovern (@jamcgovern), Mary Jo Cline (@WDJHLMC), Susie Highley (@shighley), Adam Moreno (@USMDrama), Merri Beth Kudrna (@mbkudrna), Jason Hanrahan (@Teamhanrahan62), Brendan Murphy (@dendari), Matt Coaty (@Mcoaty), Brianne Koletsos (@B_KOL), Samara Silverman (@SamaraSilverman), Renee (@frnlrwme), Ed Casey (@ecasey77), Erin Jackle (@ErinJackle), Joy Olenick (@JoyOlenick), Christine Collins (@cmcollins13), Meg Van Dyke (@docV216), Mary Klepper (@MaryKlepper), Mary Yockey (@MaryYockey), Gail LeGrand (@GailLeGrand), Andrea WilsonVazquez (@wilsandrea), Jeff Zoul (@Jeff_Zoul), Steve Wick (@nvwick), Michelle Russell (@michellerussell), Jill Maraldo (@jmaraldo), Karen Gluskin (@kegluskin), Tricia Brawley (@GiVeAhOoT) who I haven't seen since she was a student at Thomas, Nancy Blair (@blairteach) from Georgia, and Rik Rowe (@WHSRowe) from Massachusetts! OH MY GOODNESS!
Phew! After seeing all these faces and shaking hands or hugging them, it was time to begin in the auditorium. My role was the explanation of EdCamp, and then getting people started coming down to propose sessions. Easy-peasy. I had everything I wanted to say written down, and I love a microphone. When the first session was started, I pulled 100 raffle tickets so we'd have those people with those tickets come down to the stage at 3pm and choose their small prize. The other 40 or so raffle prizes would be chosen with everyone in attendance after the Smackdown. I did take the time to put those in (what I thought was) order of value. I was sorta off on that...! Loved that I had previously met & had lunch with the person who won the Chromebook, too - Garnet Hillman (@garnet_hillman)!
I attended the second session, but was (literally) called out early by a phone call from my parents who were traveling - I wanted to make sure they were okay, so I had to answer it and quietly leave! Lunch was next - I ate with Bernice, Tasha, Meg, and Bob was back from helping pick up lunch and deliver the trays back to Mario's. He seemed to be having a great time, too - he even held onto Kristie Bleers's (@kbleers) tickets for her, because she had to leave! I needed to attend the third session, because a woman from Palatine told me she HAD to talk to me about her 5th graders and ask me all kinds of questions about assessments (bad taste in my mouth) during Genius Hour. Great people were there - Allison, Paul, Ben K., and Michael Matera (@mrmatera), among others I just can't remember right now.
Then it was back to the stage to set up the small raffle prizes and get ready for the larger ones. Allison helped me divvy them out and organize, but she had to leave early, so she couldn't stay to announce them. Jenna helped me out when it was time.
My Big "Take-Away..."
Everyone in your planning group needs to use his or her own gifts for a successful event.
This was a huge lesson for me. I got out of doing lunch duty, but felt guilty for doing so. I just didn't think I could do it right, thought I'd have lots of trouble, and just felt uneasy about it. Allison did a GREAT job of securing the deal. I helped where I could, however, and did the best I could with it. I could've been more timely getting the tweets out for "Meet the Camper," but many of the people I added the Thursday before didn't even show anyway. I could've added updates to the blog, but didn't feel it was necessary. I could've called more companies for sponsorship, but that wasn't my skill set either, I'd thought. Everyone had a part to play, and everyone played his or her part very well. I would list what they all did, but it's just WAY too much, and this post is WAY too long as it is, in my opinion.
I had to reflect on this day... I equate it to going to Disney World, really.
Thank you to everyone who made it happen - our inspired organizers, our stellar crew, the passionate teachers who came from near and far to learn from one another, the staff at Wood Dale District 7, and my biggest fan, Bob. I fed off of your passion this weekend, and you've invigorated me once again. I'll be heading to school with a huge smile on my face - THANK YOU.
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