So Many Ideas: 1:1 Conference

Wow, you would think that I would feel exhausted after listening to so many great ideas and stories at the 1:1 Conference today in Des Moines, but I am too excited to be!  In addition to listening and learning, it was exciting to present today for the first time.  I know I was more than a little bit nervous before my session started, but I hope it went well for everyone who attended!  You can find links to the resources I discussed in my symbaloo linked up on the side of my blog.

I think my biggest take away from today was to continue to put myself out in the world of the Internet even more and continue finding connections with other educators and professionals.  I have stepped outside of my comfort zone a lot in the past two years as I continue to discover the joys of social media like twitter and the power of video conferencing.  But when I listen to other educators who have a little more experience, I realize there is so much more I can be doing to integrate 21st century skills in my classroom and allow my students to connect with our global society.  Why didn't I think of using twitter to have my students re-tell the story of "Romeo and Juliet"- what an awesome idea and I am totally going to to try it!

It is always scary trying something for the first time, but the rewards are too great to miss out on.  It is worth it to continue to take risks when it comes to social media and have our own learning experiences as teachers.  If we expect our students to continue to grow outside their comfort zones, we must be willing to do it ourselves.

So I am going to keep plugging away and continue to jump in with both feet as I discover new ways of learning.  Anybody ready to collaborate with me?