DLC 2018

So as if this week wasn't crazy enough with a holiday and two snow days I was out all day yesterday at the DLC Region 4 was hosting.  I was tempted to cancel my plans to attend yesterday thankfully I went.   This conference was like a mini ISTE and my brain is still on overload.  I wanted to share a few snipits from the event including some apps, websites and people to check out!!  We wrapped the day up by hearing from author and principal Todd Nesloney (follow him on twitter).  He blew me away we also got a signed copy of his book Kids Deserve it which I have started reading and can't put down!  He was so inspiring and I needed that this time of year when all I really want is coffee and sleep or just sleep that would be great.  So here are my notes hopefully they will be useful!!

Morning Keynote: Leslie Fisher

Leslie presented a very though provoking keynote on her journey as a struggling learner and how it lead her to self-discover her learning style and the need for differentiated learning.  She shared various websites, apps and gadgets that really stood out to me which I wanted to share. 

NEWSELA - is a data base of current events stories tailor-made for classroom use. Indexed by broad theme (e.g. War and Peace, Arts, Science, Health, Law, Money), stories are both student-friendly and can be accessed in different formats by reading level. Use Newsela to differentiate nonfiction reading.

Open Dyslexic Font - OpenDyslexic is a new open source font created to increase readability for readers with dyslexia. The typeface includes regular, bold, italic, and bold-italic styles. It is being updated continually and improved based on input from dyslexic users. OpenDyslexic is free for Commercial and Personal use.

Seeing AI - Seeing AI is a free app that narrates the world around you. Designed for the blind and low vision community, this ongoing research project harnesses the power of AI to open up the visual world and describe nearby people, text and objects.

Optimized for use with VoiceOver, the app enables you to recognize: 
• Short Text - Speaks text as soon as it appears in front of the camera. 
• Documents - Provides audio guidance to capture a printed page, and recognizes the text, along with its original formatting. 
• Products - Scans barcodes, using audio beeps to guide you; hear the name, and package information when available. (Works with iPhone 6 and later)
• People - Saves people’s faces so you can recognize them, and get an estimate of their age, gender, and emotions. 
• Scenes (early preview) - Hear an overall description of the scene captured. 
• Currency - Recognizes currency notes. (Requires iOS 11)
• Color - Identifies color. 
• Handwriting - Reads handwritten text like in greeting cards
• Light - Generates an audible tone corresponding to the brightness in the surroundings. 
• Images in other apps - Just tap “Share” and “Recognize with Seeing AI” to describe images from Mail, Photos, Twitter, and more. 

AR Flashcards - Welcome to a new world of Flashcards. AR Flashcards make learning the Alphabet fun with the technology of Augmented Reality! AR Flashcards are a new way to interact and make Flashcards more entertaining for toddlers and preschoolers. With AR Flashcards, learning the Alphabet will be fun! When you point your device at the printed flashcard a beautifully rendered 3D animal will pop up on the screen. Tap the animal to hear the letter and animal name.

Google Translate - Another cool feature is the app's ability to translate text in an image via your mobile device's camera. First, choose the source and target languages. Then tap on the camera icon. ... The source language is then translated into the target language, viewable right on the screen of your mobile device.

Gadgets – A presentation on useful techie tools to enhance your teaching and learning opportunities.  https://lesliefisher.com/handouts/gadgets_fisher.pdf

Kids Deserve it – PM Keynote Todd Nesloney  What if learning was exciting?

What if students felt important and empowered every time they walked into the building? 

 What if parents looked forward to calls from their children's teachers and principals, instead of cringing when the school's number popped up on their phones? 

To Todd Nesloney and Adam Welcome, those aren't far-fetched what ifs; they can (and should) be a reality for every teacher, school, parent, and student. 

In Kids Deserve It!, Todd and Adam encourage you to think big and make learning fun and meaningful for students. While you're at it, you just might rediscover why you became an educator in the first place. 

 Learn why you should be calling parents to praise your students (and employees).

 Discover ways to promote family interaction and improve relationships for kids at school and at home. 

Be inspired to take risks, shake up the status quo, and be a champion for your students. 

#KidsDeserveIt

https://youtu.be/mSdl3KIkT44

http://www.toddnesloney.com/

As educators we give our all for our students.  They become like our own children with whom our hearts break alongside of, we laugh and eat together, we give up hours of our time to help, and we lose sleep over often.

And I think just about every year we all have “that” student.  That one we work tirelessly to reach.  Either academically or emotionally we throw everything we have at them.  Every time honored and research based practice or tool and even every skill we’ve learned ourselves along the way.

But sometimes no matter how hard we try, it’s like we get no where.  And in those moments, if you’re like me, you’ve probably blamed yourself.  In those times I’ve thought, “what am I missing that I can’t reach this child?” or “do they not see how much I care or how hard I’m working for them? Why won’t they meet me half-way”.

When I started in education I had this unspoken belief that it was my job to save every student that was given to me.  And if I didn’t “save” them (emotionally or academically) then I failed as a teacher. And honestly, I felt like I failed as a caring, concerned, educated person in general.

Then I remember listening to an educator I respect and what he said has stuck with me for years.  He said, “You can’t save every child that comes into your classroom. And that’s not your job. Your job is to love them and educate them to the best of your ability”.

That lifted such a weight off me for some reason. Just to know that I wasn’t terrible just because I didn’t “save” all my students.  And I want to make something clear though, I didn’t hear what he said as a reason to not try my hardest for every student.  I didn’t understand it as saying we shouldn’t give our everything no matter what. Not at all.

I think of education like planting a field.  It may have been my job to till the soil.  I may be the one planting the seed.  I may be the person who is watering it daily.  Or even better yet, I may be the one watching it grow and harvesting the fruits of our labor. But I don’t have to be all of those people.

That’s a hard thing for those of us who are elementary educators.  So often, we are the ones tilling the soil and planting the seed, but we don’t always see the growth.  That was made even more clear to me when a student from my first year of teaching (over 10 years ago) reached out to me last summer for the first time since leaving my classroom, just to tell me he was graduating and the impact I had left on him when he was in 4th grade. A student I worked tirelessly for and never felt like I reached him.

We may not be able to save them all.  Some of them may have pain too deep or educational gaps too large for just one person to fill.  But if all of us are giving everything we have to each child who walks through our doors, one of us will reach them. And in the end, as long as someone reached them, we did our job.

At this point in the year many educators are exhausted.  They’re worn out from the beginning of the school year and the hard work that entails.  And some of us may also be at that point with “that” student where we just don’t know what to do anymore.  Here’s what I say, when you’re at that point, just love them. Show up every day, give them a clean slate, and love them unconditionally.  And tell them.  Don’t just show them.

And continue to try new ideas, new tools, new resources. And lean on your colleagues.

We’re all in this together.  Whether we plant the seed or harvest the crop, our job is to educate and love these children. Even the ones we might not be able to save while they’re in our classroom. ~ From Todd’s Blog