Parentella

I attended #ISTE 2010 in Denver Colorado on June 29th and 30th. I landed back home from an overseas trip to France on Sunday. I was supposed to head out to ISTE on Monday morning at 6 a.m. but my body declared mutiny. I canceled my flight and thought I’d follow the conference via Twitter. As I was tweeting, several people tweeted at me asking me where I was at the conference and that we should meet up. I got DMs and messages and so I decided that I’d go on Tuesday morning and come back home the same evening. Who was I kidding?

I got there and met so many people from my Professional Learning Network. (PLN). I tweet with these people often, exchange ideas, participate in chats, etc. It was great to meet them face to face and get to know them. I spent time with Ann Leaness, Kim Sivick, Hadley Fergusen, Mary Beth, Paula Naugle, Angela Maiers, Richard Byrne, Lisa Thumann, Mike Ritzius, Chris Lehmann, Steve Anderson, Cathy Buyrn, Shelly, Beth Still, Michelle Baldwin, EdTechSteve,…… I am sure I am forgetting someone. The first day was a whilrwind but I want to tell you about my second day there.

On the second day, I stay put in Bloggers’ Cafe. I had no idea that the ISTE Unplugged sessions were going to held right next to me.

The first session was by Kevin Honeycutt. He was talking about tools that he uses in the classroom. One story he shared was about using Lulu and how one of his students self published a book. When she got a copy, she realized that she had made a lot of spelling errors. She went back and fixed it and within a day, updated with a new copy. The point is not the tool but the fact that he watched this girl become an author right in front of his eyes. He also used an app on the Iphone to show music chords and how kids love it. He is a great singer and his presentation drew me in.

I was lucky that I got to watch Paula Naugle talk about her experiences in the classroom. Her presentation was so down to earth and easy to follow. She has been teaching for 35 years and she told me after the presentation that each day she loves it more. What incredible passion! What stuck out most in her presentation was her knowledge of the truth that learning never ends. It is constantly evolving and to be alright with it. She often asks for help and shows her students that it is ok not to know and that there is no way they will even know it all. We all get caught up in trying to become “experts” and then dwell on that because it is easy to do. If our students see us as constant learners, as ones, willing to fail, then get up and try again, then we have succeeded in our goal.

Angela Maiers and Kristina Peters talked about focusing on nurturing curiosity in children. Now as parents, we have all been in situations where our kids constantly ask “Why”, “But How”..over and over till they get it. We have to nurture this curiosity in them and teach them to ask the right questions. She said that she starts with a role model and studies their habits and learns from them. What made them successful? What trait specifically? It was so thought provoking and inspiring that I think I am going to follow her ideas. I will not get frustrated by my son’s many “Whys?”.

Kim, Cathy, Ann, Mary Beth, and Hadley: Words can’t express all our conversations, exchange, and fun. It was so nice to meet you and learn from you. Your abundance of love makes me choke back tears. Thank you for making me stay another day.

I am a parent. To watch all these amazing professionals be so entrenched in the Education of our children is heartwarming and inspiring. Plus, they are all so loving, giving, caring, that I walked away with both a Personal Learning Network and a Professional Learning Network. John Peters wrote about developing your own personal learning network.

I know that they will be there to help me, guide me, and discover solutions to problems by pointing me in the right direction. You can’t ask for more than that. I came back home just overwhelmed by all the love and support for our work. I am humbled by it and I will continue to strive to earn it.