E3 Technology Conference: Day 2, 2016

It's been almost ONE MONTH since I attended the E3 Technology Conference that Warsaw, Indiana offers.  Which means this second installment of my conference summary is only a month overdue.  *facepalm*  Here it is at long-last!  If you completely forgot what I learned about the first day, it's worth another read.  This conference never disappoints!

On Day 2, our keynote speaker started our day off unlike any other keynote speaker I had ever listened to.  Kim Campbell kept us laughing and laughing as she told numerous stories of how to find humor in our daily lives.  I always get jazzed when I meet someone who CLAIMS middle school.  Like, it's not a stepping stone for their aspiring high school career, or the only job that was opened in the district, it's their passion.  Kim's profile literally says, "proud middle school teacher." Um. THANK YOU.  She reminded us that our relationship with our students is everything as it relates to correcting behavior, engaging students and maintaining our sanity.  She told us of a few different management nightmares she had experienced as a teacher and principal...and her response was always unconventional, shocking, and hilarious.  Kim reminded me not to get uptight about kids being kids.  And although her keynote wasn't necessarily focusing primarily on technology, she helped us view a lot of what we would later learn throughout the day through the eyes of relationship and a sense of humor.

How important. #e3Tech https://t.co/7TOJPiV9IG

— Maestra Schemmer (@maestraschemmer) July 26, 2016

"Middle school teachers: If you don't recognize how unique each [student] is...get out. That's how important it is." @KimCamp4Kids #e3Tech

— Maestra Schemmer (@maestraschemmer) July 26, 2016

My first session was learning all about Genius Hour with Janelle McLaughlin.  I have been wanting to hear more about this topic ever since reading how Laura Sexton uses it in her Spanish classroom.  Janelle taught us in a way that assumed nothing:  we started with this article that helped us learn the very basics of genius hour.  This session was a great starting point and a gathering of many helpful links and resources as I continue to search out this concept further. I was hooked after 1 hour! I think this practice has a place in any classroom at any level.

Learning from @ms_mac4 about #geniushour at #e3Tech pic.twitter.com/XrpRfDBLj2

— Maestra Schemmer (@maestraschemmer) July 26, 2016

After a yummy lunch, my sister and I headed back to a GREAT session led by our keynote presenter, Kim Campbell.  Although her keynote was lighthearted, this session was absolutely jam-packed with activities to get the middle school student moving about the classroom.  She gave us SO many concrete suggestions for partnering our students, initiating brain breaks, and adding simple movements to our everyday lessons.  I literally could not possible write down the amount of ideas and quotes she was giving us!  I will post links from her here soon.

"If you don't get anything else from me, get this: MOVE YOUR KIDS." -@KimCamp4Kids #e3Tech

— Maestra Schemmer (@maestraschemmer) July 26, 2016

The final session of the day was the topic I felt least informed about.  Jenn Brower taught us all about digital maker spaces.  As a matter of fact the term "Maker Space" was brought up a LOT all throughout the conference.  Essentially, the overarching theme was that it is no longer good enough for students to use the internet to get answers.  They should be creating material to contribute to the internet so others can learn, too.  Jenn gave us countless platforms, websites, and apps  to allow students space online to archive, share and organize their projects.  She had SO many resources inside resources that she didn't have time to share it all with us, but I definitely saved her notes for future reference.

"In general, we are takers. We want to teach our students to OFFER something to the world." -@CybrarianJenn #e3Tech

— Maestra Schemmer (@maestraschemmer) July 26, 2016

This conference never ceases to challenge my preconceptions of what is possible with technology, and more than that, what is best for our students.  This year, it was a huge added blessing to see the conference through the eyes of my sister there for her first time.  Just two nights ago (nearly a month after the conference) she called with excitement in her voice to tell me of a successful implementation of one of the apps she learned about that magnified student engagement to a whole new level.  I'm so thankful for Warsaw Community Schools and the Indiana Department of E-Learning for organizing this opportunity for area educators.  I'm already looking forward to next year!

I welcome your suggestions...what should I present in the future?  What conferences have you been to that you recommend?

E3 Technology Conference: Day 1, 2016

On the final Monday and Tuesday of July, Warsaw Community Schools hosts a technology conference called "e3Tech" as a part of the "Summer of eLearning" conference series from the Indiana Department of Education. Educators from all over the state gather together to learn and be encouraged about the role of technology in education immediately before the school year starts back up again.

I have attended e3Tech the past three years, and my fourth year did not disappoint!  Last year I decided to present 2 different sessions:  1 on a video editing program called EdPuzzle and 1 on the power of Twitter chats.  This year, I was asked (WHAT?!) to present my Twitter chat session again, and I was happy to do so.  Not only am I extremely passionate about this topic and the opportunities it provides to our teachers and students...but I also get 2 days of this wonderful conference for free because of my presentation! Win-win, as they say.

My lovely sister is getting ready to start her second year teaching at Faith Christian Academy in Lafayette.  She was able to come, have a sleepover, and learn a lot with me during these two days.  I loved having her and discussing all we learned together in the evenings.

On the first day we got there early, grabbed some coffee and then headed in to the Warsaw Performing Arts Center to hear from our first keynote speaker:  Rushton Hurley.  His presentation was titled "Singing Songs of Success" and included sporadic singing from all in attendance (I instantly liked him!)  He emphasized how technology can be utilized to tell stories.  He opened up Today's Meet so that at various points throughout the keynote he had us pause, converse, and add our thoughts to this ongoing conversation.  I picked up so many hidden ways to better instruction just observing how he delivered his keynote...let alone listening to what he included.  He pointed us to so many online video resources he has on his website that I felt nearly every teacher in the building could benefit from. There were so many thought-provoking quotes and reminders I took away from his session.

.@rushtonh has an amazing ability to get teachers to step out of comfort zone to serenade him with rock songs! 🎶 Fun to watch! #e3tech

— daniel mares (@danieltmares) July 25, 2016

Great thought! #e3Tech #INeLearn pic.twitter.com/yAVULn9bsC

— Annette (@annettespear1) July 25, 2016

"What is the coolest thing you have heard a student say or do in the last year?" @rushtonh #e3Tech #INeLearn pic.twitter.com/dESlG0simC

— e3Tech Conference (@e3TechCon) July 25, 2016

Comparative Inadequacy Syndrome...It's real and I've felt it. Let's fight it together! #e3Tech @rushtonh

— haggb (@haggb) July 25, 2016

After the keynote, we headed to our first session, "Connecting Classrooms to the World" by Matt Miller.  We had so much fun learning about "mystery skype" and the many ways that video chatting can be used in each level of education.  This session was so practical because not only did we get to participate in a mystery skype session at the beginning, but our surprise guest shared tips for getting started:  start with someone you know, practice ahead of time, have a map/atlas in front of you, discuss good types of questions, etc.   If I had a classroom to go to in a week, I would feel equipped to try this out in the first couple of months of the school year.

Learning about #mysteryskype by experiencing it at #e3Tech ! Our surprise guest skypes with her kindergarteners. pic.twitter.com/yRLTjRMd7S

— Maestra Schemmer (@maestraschemmer) July 25, 2016

Then we enjoyed a DELICIOUS lunch (Panera...woot woot!) and conversation time.  We headed to our second session after that.  I chose to attend "Twitter 102: Riding Solo" with Lorinda Kline.  I had been to this session before, and am very familiar with Twitter and the huge benefits it offers for teachers, but I wanted to support a close mentor of mine as she presented and become familiar with the Twitter-comfort level of the majority of the attenders.  I so value how Lorinda approaches this topic:  she never assumes that others should have it figured out and she instructs them through the basics in a way that makes people feel safe and respected.  Many teachers created Twitter profiles for the first time thanks to her!

"Riding Solo" on Twitter with teachers who are eager to try new things! @LorindaKline helping/guiding #e3Tech pic.twitter.com/59moPdadJ8

— Maestra Schemmer (@maestraschemmer) July 25, 2016

For the final session on the first day, I presented #chat.  It was one of the same presentations I did last year.  Honestly, I was initially disappointed at the very small turn-out, but when I think back I realize that there were so many good sessions to go to, it was a hard choice for me each time.  I really tried to emphasize the potential that lies in student-focused Twitter chats.  After talking with the creator of the first student chat I know of (#SciStuChat), Adam Taylor, I was re-inspired at how powerful this learning could be...but at this point I can only find TWO student Twitter chats (shout out to the awesome #SpanStuChat!). Period.  I'm shocked!  I truly hope more teachers find a way to incorporate this network of professionals, ideas and resources into their classrooms at every level.  For all the resources I offered at my presentation, see the links attached to this post.

What great energy & knowledge @maestraschemmer has! #chat #e3Tech pic.twitter.com/EmMki94dhF

— Lorinda Kline (@LorindaKline) July 25, 2016

The following day held a variety of learning and reflection.  I'll be back to share my thoughts, soon.

E3Technology Conference: My Reflections (Day 2)

After a wonderful first day of learning about incorporating technology in education, I was looking incredibly forward to Day 2!

We began by listening to our keynote speaker, Shannon Miller.  As a teacher librarian, Shannon has had so many interactions with so many different students...and in one way or another she has equipped each of them to go after even their craziest dreams.  She had branded their school library "The Voice" because she kept reiterating how important it was for students to share their stories with their own personal voice.  I loved that the students in her building truly embraced that motto!  She showed us countless pictures, videos and news articles of students taking ownership of their education and making something unbelievable happen. One of my favorite stories she told was of a a student who showed great promise as a writer.  Shannon reached out to friends on social media and asked how to get this young lady in touch with a publisher.  Now, this girl spends lunch time skyping with her editor and publisher in New York City to discuss her four novels-in-progress. Thanks to Shannon I desired to dream bigger.

I then headed to what I knew would be a wonderful session by a Andy Streit.  He has earned the reputation in our district for his work with reinventing his curriculum in his 20th year of teaching to incorporate the corporation's move to 1:1 and becoming nearly entirely paperless in that time.  Obviously, he would be an ideal person to lead a session on Essential Apps for the 1:1 Classroom!  And, we were not disappointed.  Check out everything he taught us about here.  My favorite apps he demonstrated were Nearpod & Reflector (more to come on their uses later!).  Andy used the perfect blend of TONS of information but at a pace that allowed questions, real examples from the classroom and even some experimentation time.  Thanks to Andy I desired to dive in with less trepidation.

At lunch I had the pleasure of becoming more acquainted with two of the new teachers hired at my beloved Lakeview.  It was so encouraging to see experienced teachers already mentoring them, and also to see brand new teachers with the desire to learn, try new things and ask questions.  Lakeview is undergoing a ton of huge changes this year (new principal, 1:1 for the first time, over 10 new teachers hired, etc) but I am so confident that our students are in great hands!

After lunch, I learned how to make Excel my BFF with Amy Mencarelli.  Amy is the perfect person to teach me something intimidating like Excel.  She is upbeat, she is relaxed and informal, and she is incredibly knowledgeable.  That, mixed with a group of teachers who asked great questions, lent itself to a lot of applicable tips and shortcuts that I had never known before when using Excel. She showed me things like how to format multiple sheets at the same time (hello MUCH faster Cross Country Season Records!) and also how to concatenate (WHAT?! Excel is a genius robot!).  My mind also really benefited from big picture things ("Think of Excel as a much smarter calculator").  Thanks to Amy, I desired to be more efficient in the little things. 

The last session of Day 2 was my last presentation.  I had the honor of teaching 12 educators about the "Vast World of Twitter Chats."  You can read about the first Twitter Chat I helped to create, or some helpful resources I have found on Twitter as a teacher, as well as what my presentation description was at E3tech. We worked under the assumption that these educators were already on Twitter and knew the basics, but didn't feel like they were truly tapping into the resources others spoke of.  So, I taught them the basic "how-tos" of Twitter chatting as well as some of the best education chats out there to date.  But the last half of my presentation tried to focus on how student directed education Twitter chats are still few and far between.  I challenged them to think of how student learning in their content could be amplified with regular Twitter chats like #spanstuchat or #scistuchat.  I really hope that some of the teachers in that room experiment with reaching students via Twitter chats...I think they have huge potential! The Haiku Deck I used is here, as well as the Smore flyer I sent around with additional notes and links if you would like to look over exactly what we discussed.  Below, I included the mock Twitter chat we participated in during our session. You'll definitely want to follow these new "Tweachers"!

#e3tchat Tweets 

And once again, no prizes won for this Maestra :( BUT I left with a huge smile on my face due to all the transforming conversations that were had and the electric encouragement that is spread when so many inspiring educators are in the same place.

(This professional development opportunity brought to you by the Indiana Department of Education's Summer of eLearning.) *Applause*

E3Technology Conference: My Reflections (Day 1)

What a wonderful two days of learning we have had!  Every year this conference gets me energized and inspired to make differences in the lives of students by thinking outside the box.  And this year, although I am for the first time not preparing to welcome students into my Spanish class in the next two weeks, was no different!  We heard incredible stories, made unbelievable connections and drank in TONS of new possibilities.

Let's all take a moment to thank Indiana eLearning for this opportunity.  *Applause*

Day One:

As our first keynote speaker, Todd Nesloney blew our minds with each story he told of how "students stop having limitations when we as teachers stop creating them."  He challenged us to hold students to extremely high expectations.  But something I heard repeated throughout his stories was the idea that we as teachers must hold ourselves to that same high level of expectation.  Not in that our classrooms have to be perfect and all our papers have to be graded on time, but in that our students deserve our best effort everyday to blow THEIR minds.  The part of his keynote that stuck out to me the most was how he opened:  with a picture of children in mid-lurch at the start of an Easter egg hunt, with excitement flashing through their blurry movements. He posed this poignant question that really got to me:  "How is it that children have such natural awe and wonder at things and yet often those same children, by the time they sit in our desks, have somehow lost that?"  Thanks to Todd I desired to be more engaging.

Then, I had the privilege of presenting what I have done in my classroom with EDpuzzle in a small breakout session.  You can read my first experiences here, or read what my session description was here.  I was so thankful for the 18 educators who came to learn about this video editing tool and how they might be able to use it to enhance student learning.  If you want to learn more about what we discussed, my Emaze Presentation is here as well as my Smore flyer with additional links and notes.  Here are the thoughts and comments we exchanged on Twitter about my presentation:

#e3edpuzzle Tweets

Next, we had a delicious Panera lunch as we enjoyed further conversations with educators and companies we made connections with earlier that morning.

Two more sessions we available in the afternoon.  I chose to see some of my former colleagues present (Dr. Chris Boyd & Mrs. Val Weinstein) about engaging apps to use in the secondary classroom.  These two ladies have a reputation in our school for experimenting with new things, learning quickly and utilizing innovative technology for student learning in ways the rest of us only dream of.  I knew I couldn't miss their session!  Thanks to them, I learned about ThingLink, Pocket, and many others.  Check out their presentation here! My mind reeled with the many ways these apps could have positively affected student learning in my classes the past three years.  Thanks to Chris and Val I desired to venture outside my comfort zone to find new answers to recurring problems.

My last session of the day was spent learning from Justin Weaver about the best ways to go about blogging and using social media to advertise your school or classroom.  He even taught us some best practices of photography (which I am clueless about!).  Many times these conversations are a little over my head, and although I didn't get everything that was being discussed, I definitely benefited from tips that were mentioned (for example, how to interpret stats from your blog, some design suggestions, options for featuring student work, etc).  Thanks to Justin I desired to be more intentional with my blog.

Great prizes were raffled away to finish up Day One, including a Chromebook, an iPad mini and a 3D likeness of yourself thanks to the 3D printer everyone was excited about.  I'm decidedly NOT a lucky person when it comes to these types of things, but it was awesome to see area teachers get incredible things they could use in their classes or for themselves.

I left PUMPED to see what Day Two had to offer!  I also left so encouraged and thankful for the school corporation we live in where the educators that impact students in our area are so motivated to be their best. Have I mentioned that this place is my dream job?! :)

E3Tech Conference

The E3Tech Conference starts 1 week from today!

Didn't you hear me?! What are you waiting for? Stopping reading this blog and go register to attend!

Seriously.

Click here before you go any further.

Overkill? I think not.  I have personally attended this conference for the past two years and it has been my favorite professional development of all time. Warsaw Community Schools organizes and hosts the conference, which means it is always extremely well done. Presenters come from all over the country with a wide variety of backgrounds and expertise, which means you can learn about all the "up and coming" things in the world of #edtech.  They give free prizes (I'm talking ipads, classroom sound systems and subscriptions to software here, no joke) .  You network.  You eat Panera. WHAT ELSE IS THERE IN LIFE?! It's two days of stretching, learning, experimenting, and planning for the upcoming school year.  If you miss it, you're silly.

Need more convincing? Thanks to the E3Tech Conference, I personally have learned about flipping my classroom (thanks, Brian Bennett!, inquiry based learning, blogging, using Google for more than just gmail (thanks, Matt Miller!), setting up video conferencing, recording my voice with Fuze, using Evernote for student conferences (thanks, Heidi Class!), teaching character development in every subject (thanks, Angela Maiers!...AND, not to mention, this was the conference that first introduced me to the wonderful world of Twitter 2 years ago (thanks, again, Lorinda Kline!).  The keynote speakers I listened to TWO years ago still stick with me because they challenged my preconceived notions of what technology could and couldn't do.  Should and shouldn't do.  I can still remember direct quotes from these speakers because they were that poignant.  That relevant. I tell everyone I can that if you can pick one conference to go to...GO TO E3!

Not sure what you will find there? Read on!

"There will be sessions offered in the beginner, intermediate, and advanced categories, for primary (K-2), intermediate (3-6), middle (7-8) or high school (9-12) levels.  General sessions applicable to any grade level or subject area will also be available. One-hour breakout sessions and longer workshop sessions will focus on interactive, hands-on learning. Earn Professional Growth Points (6 per day) while preparing to reengage your students with knowledge you can immediately apply." -E3Tech Website

For the first time this year, I will be presenting at the conference!  I am both humbled and PUMPED to get to share two ways that technology has truly impacted my learning, teaching and my students.  It feels like "giving back" to the conference in a way because I have benefited so much from what others have shared!

My first presentation will be held Monday, July 27 at 10:30am.  It is called "Video Lessons Using EDpuzzle."  Earlier this year, I blogged about my first attempts with EDpuzzle in the classroom.  I plan to use this session to address how any secondary teacher could be using EDpuzzle in a variety of ways.  My short description of this session states:

As we learn more about "flipping our classroom" and integrating 1:1 technology in our schools, it is vital that we find the right tools to use. EDPuzzle allows you to make any video your lesson! Participants will learn the basics of how to upload a video, edit it, embed quiz questions and assign it to their classes. They will see how EDPuzzle grades assignments for you and the resources that are available for teachers as we see what students do and don't know. Before leaving, teachers will create an EDPuzzle account and experiment with how they can use this in their content area.

 My second presentation will be held Tuesday, July 28 at 2:00pm.  It is called "#chat."  Earlier this year I blogged about a specific Twitter chat I helped to create.  I hope to address not only how Twitter Chats can grow one's professional learning network (PLN) but also how they can be used for student learning. My short description of this session states:

Are you new to Twitter? Come learn how to grow professionally by participating in the wide world of Twitter chats. Feeling clueless about what Twitter chats are? This session is for you! We will learn chat etiquette and "how-to's" as well as be introduced to a few of the most popular educational chats going on now. Participants will also learn how to create Twitter chats for ongoing student dialogue after school hours. Please come with a Twitter account already created.

If you are interested in attending the conference, here is the recently posted schedule of presentations.

If, by chance you can't make it, be sure to check out the hashtag #e3tech on Twitter later for ongoing dialogue about what we are learning!

#e3tech Tweets