Lori Meyer is an English teacher at Carmel Valley Middle School and a Common Core Literacy ToSA. She attended CUE 14 and shares her reflection here:
My first session was on using Google Sites called “Bringing New Life to Student Writing Projects Using Google Sites.” You can find the resources here: bit.ly/CUE14.
My favorite session was by a local tech leader Jo-Ann Fox. “Twitter: A Superpower for Educators.” In it I learned about using #edchats to connect with educators from around the globe. (And I found out some of the protocols for participation in edchats, which move really fast and have rules -- much like shooting craps in Vegas. They both require some observation and insight before participation, it seems. )
I was most impressed with Jo-Ann’s use of www.powtoon.com for her presentation. It was lively and fun. Sitting next to Michelle Andersen at that session, we established the #insidejokeoftheweekend #hashtags.
I also enjoyed “Helping Your Students Think Like iHistorians” (bit.ly/OB9i4i). It was about helping students engage with primary and secondary sources and view events through the eyes of a historian. It was geared toward ipad users and 7th grade curriculum, so I sent it out immediately to my 7th grade history pals. Here’s another on Manifest Destiny (goo.gl/C7X8Y8).
I saw some good information on fair use and copyrights in the digital age: (goo.gl/hh35u)
I went to an amazing session on blogging (bit.ly/davidtedublogs). David Theriault is an AP English 11 teacher from Bellflower who uses blogging to inspire creativity in student writing.
I went to an amazing session on blogging (bit.ly/davidtedublogs). David Theriault is an AP English 11 teacher from Bellflower who uses blogging to inspire creativity in student writing.
For Common Core Resources I saw nothing more impressive than the CLRN presentation (http://bit.ly/1mfDgJ2)
English
Story Starters http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/story-starters/
What makes a Good Story: http://www.learner.org/interactives/literature/index.html
Thesis Generator: http://www.mpcfaculty.net/molly_may/thesis_generator.html
Map a Story: http://www.rebooting.ca/place/
www.curriculet.com
Math
http://www.mathtv.com
Social Studies
The Colonization of America: http://www.freecol.org
Elections: https://games.ciconline.org/elections/Default.aspx
Science
English
Story Starters http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/story-starters/
What makes a Good Story: http://www.learner.org/interactives/literature/index.html
Thesis Generator: http://www.mpcfaculty.net/molly_may/thesis_generator.html
Map a Story: http://www.rebooting.ca/place/
www.curriculet.com
Math
http://www.mathtv.com
Social Studies
The Colonization of America: http://www.freecol.org
Elections: https://games.ciconline.org/elections/Default.aspx
Science
Interactive Simulations: www.phet.colorado.edu
Other interesting moments were meeting the creators of NewsELA and Kahoot who had flown in for the conference. I saw a preview of Canvas which is another curriculum delivery system like Blackboard and Edmodo. They gave us a few free trials. Let me know if you want to try it out. NewsELA is coming out with a “Pro” version (that will cost $), but offers more teacher resources for monitoring student activity and achievement. The basic version will remain FREE.
Kevin and I listened to a presentation on the roll out of BYOD in Claremont. The one thing I took away from that session was that we might need to poll our students/parents/teachers to get a clear idea of how many are using Macs and iPads vs how many are using other operating systems. I’m not sure if we have a clear handle on the statistics on that. Before we move forward, it seems to me we should reconsider diversifying our platforms a bit, so we have the right tools available for whatever students need in the moment.
Our former colleague Holly Clark @hollyclarkedu was there presenting on Student e-portfolios and all things Google. Sitting on a patio with her for an hour or two was worth the drive out, to be sure. I also enjoyed Point Loma High’s @JenRoberts and her session on 1:1.
At the vendor booths, I saw lots of cool stuff, but was most intrigued by the reading intervention software people are developing. I bought a book (which I probably won’t have time to read) and ate lots of chocolate there. There seems to be lots of “buzz” around coding for students this year.
The best part of CUE for me, though, was getting to spend time with like-minded colleagues from across the district. #lascasuelas #dancingqueens #sunshine
Right now I am looking forward to having some time to explore all these new resources and try them out with students. Please send me an e-mail if you would like more information on the sessions.
Other interesting moments were meeting the creators of NewsELA and Kahoot who had flown in for the conference. I saw a preview of Canvas which is another curriculum delivery system like Blackboard and Edmodo. They gave us a few free trials. Let me know if you want to try it out. NewsELA is coming out with a “Pro” version (that will cost $), but offers more teacher resources for monitoring student activity and achievement. The basic version will remain FREE.
Kevin and I listened to a presentation on the roll out of BYOD in Claremont. The one thing I took away from that session was that we might need to poll our students/parents/teachers to get a clear idea of how many are using Macs and iPads vs how many are using other operating systems. I’m not sure if we have a clear handle on the statistics on that. Before we move forward, it seems to me we should reconsider diversifying our platforms a bit, so we have the right tools available for whatever students need in the moment.
Our former colleague Holly Clark @hollyclarkedu was there presenting on Student e-portfolios and all things Google. Sitting on a patio with her for an hour or two was worth the drive out, to be sure. I also enjoyed Point Loma High’s @JenRoberts and her session on 1:1.
At the vendor booths, I saw lots of cool stuff, but was most intrigued by the reading intervention software people are developing. I bought a book (which I probably won’t have time to read) and ate lots of chocolate there. There seems to be lots of “buzz” around coding for students this year.
The best part of CUE for me, though, was getting to spend time with like-minded colleagues from across the district. #lascasuelas #dancingqueens #sunshine
Right now I am looking forward to having some time to explore all these new resources and try them out with students. Please send me an e-mail if you would like more information on the sessions.
