Saturday, February 17, 2018

#TCEA18

Well, hello Austin! Great to see you again - I love coming to conferences to learn new things and connect with others. The more you attend the more you start to know people from around the country who are passionate about education and the energy is abundant!

This week is TCEA and I am thrilled to attend again. Last Spring, my co-worker Suzanne Barker and I submitted some proposals to present as Instructional Technology Coaches. Well, over the summer we were both fortunate to move to new roles; however, we still have a deep love for all things technology and purposeful use of such tools for learning. We were happy to learn our session for Professional ePortfolios was accepted and we get to share about something we love.

One of the things I love about blogging is jotting my thoughts and reflecting on experiences to solidify my learning. Even if no one else reads this, I've retraced my steps, reviewed my notes, and intentionally selected some of my takeaways from TCEA.

Anytime we attend a conference, we (those I attend with) always share out notes (LOVE Google!) and bounce ideas off of each other. I learn just as much from others as from what I hear myself. It is great to connect and expand your opportunities for learning while attending a conference (or from home if you cannot attend).

Often at a conference, I hear things I already know but needed as a reminder. Our school is fortunate to be recieving new furniture for next school year. This furniture is not traditional and designed to promote flexible seating. I attended several sessions on flexible learning environments as a refresher. A few things I thought about were repurposing spaces on campus, providing recording booths, incorporating vertical writing spaces for students, adding makerspaces (Lego Wall), space for movement, and providing Student Voice in designing learning spaces on our campus.

In a new role, it took me a while to find direction at this conference. I wanted to focus on what I could learn to enhance my learning and opportunities to promote learning as a leader. This was definitely different than attending as a teacher or as an Instructional Coach with a focus on technology. Fortunately there were some sessions with this focus. I was able to gain ideas on how to use technology with purpose to flip PD or staff meetings, as well as communicate with parents and students. For example, using Screencastify to share a new procedure with parents and EdPuzzle to share content with staff while gaining feedback on completion and understanding of the content, plus it could be completed at a time that works best for them. This also reminded me that while it is great to model these ideas for staff, to go slow and model only a few things often (instead of something new all the time) to solidify comfort and learning of the technology tool. Plus, keep it relevant, interactive, and to content that can be sustained over time.

Not all learning takes place in a presentation at conferences. Often I learn or connect while waiting for a coffee or between sessions from others. A good friend and I met for lunch and she shared a site whe heard about at one of her sessions: understood.org This site is helpful to gain insight and empathy for all types of learners. I was specifically interested in the 'Attention Issues' simulation. My eldest son and my husband have ADHD and struggle with daily life skills (organization, completion of tasks, etc) as well as communicating their learning and I wanted to better understand. After a session, I went back to my hotel room and participated in the simulation. It was short and quick but eye-opening. I almost cried and wished I could hug my son right away. Gosh, I thought I was distractable but if this is his reality I am amazed he can get through most things. No wonder he needs to decompress at the end of the day! I tweeted it and shared it with others in my PLN right away.

In addition, I gained a few tricks (triple click highlights a paragraph - what?!) and tips (Screencastify - adjusting the microphone volume) and reminders (using the Read and Write extension) and something new (Suggestion Mode in Docs - LOVE!). Woohoo!

Leaving work to attend a conference is hard. Especially in Testing Season. (sigh) However, it is so beneficial for me to step away and refocus. It is so important for me to connect with others and enhance my learning, continuing to grow and build my PLN (back on Voxer connected with another leader to bounce ideas). For me, I missed my family. I missed my campus. Yet, I reconnected with other educators that make me who I am as a learner and a leader. Those connections are necessary for me to keep learning forward!

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