Conference + "cult" + summer camp

Wow - the past 4 days have felt like all three things in one (in a good way!)

I have learned (conference), I have participated in traditions("cult"), I have eaten in a dining hall (camp), I have slept in a dorm (camp)!

AND...

I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT...

Some might say that I drank the "koolaid".

Seriously, this week has been a professional and in many ways a personal "bucket filler".   This week has been a sacrifice.  I left my family at home - cleaning, painting, building, moving, chasing, and so much more!  I am here learning and having fun.  I needed new ideas.  I needed new tools.  I needed to refind my "why" in education.  I did all of this and more!  Thank you to my family for the chance to do this.

Would I recommend this experience to a fellow teacher in Pennsylvania?  ABSOLUTELY
Would I chose to come if I could go back in time?  ABSOLUTELY

This post is a bit jumbled and incoherent...but it is my thought processes on the screen.  It is my raw emotions and feelings thrown out to the whole world.

I AM A KTI STAR!  I am part of a new family and ready to face the 2017-2018 school year!

So you need my nightly few pictures :)

My STAR

KTI STAR

Keystone Technology Integrators at Shippensburg University 2017

Lead, Develop, Advocate, and Connect

These four words are driving the entire KTI experience!

So what am I learning after 2.5 days in each of these areas?

LEAD:
One theme has been leading from the middle.  What does that mean?  I can be a teacher and a leader in my educational community/school when I return.  How do I that?   By developing...

DEVELOP:
I am developing as a teacher and learner while at KTI.  Today I learned about many topics but my big 3 were the following:
      1. Alternatives to Google for research for the elementary student

      2. How to give all students a voice
      3. Digital story telling apps and websites
It has been amazing the new tools, ideas, and information that you can learn in these smaller break out sessions

ADVOCATE:
I need to be advocate for the library, the curriculum, the students, and so much more!  I will be learning more on this topic tomorrow and Friday...so stay tuned.

CONNECT:
The best part of a conference or an in-service day is connecting.  I learn so much from lunch talks or casual conversations while waiting for a training to start.  Fellow librarians stick together and are sharing amazing ideas!

So here are a few pictures from today's learning and adventures:

Building with "LEGOS" with these four key words

Fidget Spinner fun 

90's themed outing to a local winery
 This was my attempt at a throwback outfit 

High School jacket!

Breathtaking views tonight from our adventure/outing

Information Overload

Keystone Technology Institute (KTI) has been AMAZING!!!!!!

However, I have to admit a bit of information overload.  I am going to give you a few take-aways and ah-ha's from today's 11 hours of learning, collaborating, thinking, and discovering.  This is just the big ideas...fellow educators who LOVE technology just have to experience this event for themselves.

First take away/ah-ha:

Technology speed dating is a great way to learn!  Imagine the power of 100 people sharing his/her favorite app or educational website.
The spreadsheet created is packed with information and ideas.

Second take away/ah ha:
How to make my phone a "remote" to control my slide shows in Office 365.  So cool and useful...
Just need to get it to all "sinc" and it will be magical!

Third take away/ah ha:
Thinking and learning through the eyes of my students is a great way to shift my perspective.
Today was more design challenges, visiting 16 different maker stations, the "Amazing Make" event, and being in the shoes of the learner.  Experience success and failures is a powerful learning tool!

Fourth take away/ah ha:
I am getting great tips and tricks for both the library and the "STEAM" class, but also my fellow educators.  Today, I heard great ideas like creating a reading nook with comfortable seating (sounds like a common sense item, but it was my ah-ha).  Finding an app or website to record students reading fluency at the beginning and end of the year.  Imagine playing that at an IEP meeting...imagine the parent who can hear the growth in his/her child's reading over the course of the year.  Plus grant and funding ideas :) 

Final take away/ah-ha:
FREE STUFF IS SO FUN!  Today I caught a t-shirt, my name was pulled to get 2 months free subscription to Actively Learn, someone else passed on an educational video, and more!  There are so many companies that are sponsoring and supporting PAECT to make this an amazing week :)

Here are a few pictures from today:

Newspaper building challenge

The final outcome 

My prize collection - video, ear buds, subscription to Actively Learn, and t-shirt from WeVideo

Front of the t-shirt

Hands-on learning with this "Amazing Race" themed activity

Keystone Technology Summit

Last summer and school year, I spent a year with a program through Pennsylvania State Library Association called "Sustaining Leaders" as seen in my post from last summer Sustaining Leaders

This summer, I have a NEW opportunity...Keystone Technology Summit brought together by PAECT which focuses on technology in education (PAECT).  My principal nominated me to be a Keystone Technology Star for implementing technology in my building and community.  I then completed an application.  From the 600 nominations, about 100 teachers, technology coaches, librarians, and more were selected and I was one of them from the entire state of Pennsylvania.

I am spending Monday through Friday at Shippensburg University learning and growing.

Want to know more?  Check it out on the web at Keystone Technology Summit.   Today will be shorter post since we had only had dinner, STEM challenge, ignite sessions, and learned about the LAUNCH cycle for design thinking for students.  I only learned about part one tonight, but might spend my TV free time tonight clicking through this website - The Launch Cycle. 
Found this cool video so far

Look for more on this and so many other topics tomorrow from Office 365 to makerspaces.

If you want to follow along - search for #kti17 on both facebook and twitter.

Here are few pictures and captions to go with this first day!

Banner over main session room tonight

Follow the Keystone Stars to the main session

Great graphic - does it come on T-Shirt?

Teachers learn by being learners themselves
 Here is our design challenge outcome of the spaghetti tower

LAUNCH CYCLE - here is what I am working on this week!

Look for more pictures, ideas, ah-ha's, and so much more this week :)

Poetry

Poetry

What comes to mind when you think of this genre? 

Humor, dread, fear, excitement, love ?????

For me - I would say that in the past it was dread and fear.  Then my husband shared his poetry with me.  He introduced me to Shel Silverstein.

Now, I want to convey to my elementary students the "other" side of poetry...the POSITIVE.

So Sally and I jumped into POETRY in April.

 First, I chose this fun read aloud last week :)

Website for template - Poem in my Pocket

Students in grade 1 created spring acrostic poems using this template

Spring Acrostic

Students in grade 2 and 3 searched through a variety of poem books and copied a poem for their pocket (or a library pocket)

Template  for writing your "Poem in your Pocket"