Well to say we had a great time at Innovation Avenue last night would be an understatement. It was a long 5 hours, but well worth every minute.
We prepared for the event this past week during lunch. I had a total of 14 students who came in twice to help us. They worked in small groups to pick projects that should be displayed and created write-ups on what Sam and Julia should say. The collaboration was fantastic and impressive. It was fun to hear their take on all the projects they completed this year. It was also incredible that they were willing to give up their time to help us. It gave all of them the chance to be a part of our success at the event.
The event itself was great. It was nice to spend some quality time with my two students who both needed and benefitted from the chance to shine bright. They were both a little nervous, but by their second round of "talks" they settled in just fine. They each discussed two different projects we worked on this year with technology. They were engaging, clear, and to the point. We had a lot of positive feedback from those who stopped by our table. It was fun to see them get more comfortable and in the groove as the event continued. I was proud of them, proud of our class, proud of my school, and proud to be a part of such an incredible district.
Because they did most of the talking, I was able to gaze around at some of the other amazing displays. Our schools really do shine and I got to see what an amazing community of educators I am surrounded by. They are innovative, passionate, inspired, and courageous. They are pushing the boundaries and that is truly inspiring. I was also pleased to see some of my Franklin colleagues there presenting as well.
I am excited for Sam and Julia to share their experience with the class on Monday. I am printing out some homemade award certificates for them, as well as some for their classmates who helped as well. It was a proud evening for me on many levels, and made me remember why we spend the time and energy doing what we do :). Thanks so much Dana and Randy for this opportunity!
I am sad that I missed the opportunity to chat with you on Saturday! It was so crowded when I arrived that I simply didn't see you. I'm especially sad that I didn't get to see your two shining stars. It sounds like they did a great job. Isn't it wonderful when you can just watch them glow and know you had something to do with it? Could you share some of what they talked about about here on your blog?
ReplyDeleteKristi,
DeleteFrom what I hear you were quite the commodity on Saturday :) Congrats on being amazing!I am sorry I missed you too. It was an amazing experience and fun to watch my students flourish.
They higlighted our 4 major tech projects from the year...
-Colorado Life Zone presentations (I shared this in my portfolio)
- Colorado Settler Project (I posted about this in another blog post, they got to choose their technology medium)
- Our Google Map with Colorado Landmarks (This is in another blog post as well and the Map is embedded)
- Out Cover It Live debate (I posted about this in another one of my portfolio projects)
They also discussed why they enjoyed using the technology and how it changed their projects and work ethic. It was really just to highlight how our curriculum has changed because of our work with technology. I am happy to share whatever else you are interested in! Thanks for the continuous support.
Penny
Hi Penny,
ReplyDeleteI'm delighted to hear that you not only made your school proud, you also made the Inspired Learning Cohort proud! Your students displayed your tremendous efforts as an educator, learner, and inspired colleague. You make their learning important every day, which is why you had more than enough volunteers willing to help with the endeavor. Hopefully you were able to take pictures of your students in action.
I would recommend collecting all of the work that was created to make Innovation Avenue a success and linking all of it (with pictures and/or video) to your site for future reference. Your prospective parents might be interested in seeing such presentations prior to meeting you. I keep all presentations listed and often linked to my wikispace for reference as needed.
I'm looking forward to seeing your presentation on the 27th. How's your planning coming along for the conference?
Melissa
Melissa,
DeleteThanks for the kind words.
That is a great idea to link more of my projects to the site. I agree that parents would love to see some of the work itself. It would also be a good electronic reference for future students to see examples of what others have put together.
I am excited for my presentation on the 27th, but a little overwhelmed with putting all the parts and pieces together for the resource site. I know how overwhelmed people can feel during these sessions, so I want to have a lot for them to look back at while they are digesting. I am excited you will be there as I value your feedback greatly. I will let you know if anything comes up I could use some advice on! You rock.
Penny