You and (i)Teach Pt. II (The Keynotes)

        The conference overall was great. Our hosts, San Domenico School and their staff were amazing. I've had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with Jason and Callie at previous conferences and they are just simply fantastic. It was great getting to know four other colleagues- two of which I work with regularly (my supervisors), one (a middle school classroom teacher) I work with regularly on planning, and an upper/high school classroom teacher I have had very rare moments of interaction with. My consensus? They are all amazing and brilliant and so utterly talented it's crazy. 

       Monday's keynote speaker to kick things off was Merve Lapus from Common Sense Media. As you are probably aware, I am a fan of the organization primarily because they are doing a great job spreading the word as to what digital citizenship is and lessons on how to integrate it into your curriculum. However, this keynote speech was more about the use of educational technology in an effective manner in classrooms- which obviously, I can get down with. My main take away from Merve's speech was that we have to be cognizant of those who fear they "won't" or "don't" get technology. We must rethink what is possible- engage more alternative assessment, try to be mindful and intentional with your tools while trying to teach above the line because, essentially, "we want to create the most transformative and effective learning environment for the world our kids are in" (Lapus, 2015).  As educators, it is important that we lead by doing. If we ask our students to keep a "can do" attitude, or growth mindset, and reflect on their failures, then it is imperative that we do as well... and dare I say, even in front of them? Or discuss our processes with our students? 

Models of Integrating Technology

The SAMR Model stresses movement up the chart eventually moving from technology just enhancing learning to transforming learning by totally redefining possibilities. Originally developed by Dr. Ruben Puentedura and extended by teachers everywhere. You can find some great SAMR Model App Smashing ideas on Pinterest (follow me!)

The TPACK Model is where technological, content, and pedagogical knowledge intersect with one another. Dr. Matthew Koehler's definition can be found here. 

                          

        

      

    

     Roni Habib was Tuesday's keynote and while his main topic was mindfulness and technology, he hardly did anything related to that! In fact, he had us up on our feet with interactive activities like as passing an imaginary ball to one another, doing so with a unique sound, etc. designed to create an environment where students feel safe, yet vulnerable. We began to act silly and laugh within minutes and immediately, we all saw how this affected the camaraderie of the group. 

        I don't know about you, but 8th-12th graders are not about acting silly anywhere outside their comfort zone, so in essence, it was basically "LET'S CREATE THE COMFORT ZONE HERE!". I can imagine the success of a class if it is introduced especially within the first week of school (or days if you can swing it), you can create an environment that is not only student centric, but a safe place for failure. If you combine this with meditation or breathing exercises (even weekly), I can only imagine how much better classroom management would be... especially after lunch!
       Another focus of Habib's activities was to be PRESENT! You can't check your phone or social media profiles if you are anticipating an imaginary ball that is going to be passed to you at any moment! You'll let your classmates down! My colleagues and I enjoyed Habib's keynote and his session quite immensely. So much so, we'd love to have him speak to our students.