The Ed Collab Did it Again!

     It was a beautiful Saturday morning, and my kids were at their dance class.  This week, they got to invite their 3 year old cousin to join them!  It was adorable, and funny, and awkward, watching my 3 year old niece dance in the big kid class.   It was enough to distract me, at least for a little while, because a little voice in my head kept saying, "You are missing the intro to the Ed Collab Gathering."  Sadly, their studio does not have wifi.  Thank goodness those #tinydancers put on a great show.

     The truth is, I have really come to enjoy the twice annual gathering put on by the generous educators in The Educator Collaborative.  Free PD in my pajamas (usually), given by top rate educators!  A PLN dream come true.  :)  Here are my previous reflection posts:

Spring 2015
Fall 2015

Spring 2016

For links to watch this year's sessions, please go to the gathering page on The Ed Collab's website.

     I was able to attend 4 sessions live that day.  Here are my sketch notes, and the Twitter handles of the presenters.  Please follow them!

@ClareandTammy
@iChrisLehman
@pernilleripp
@amiraoa
@TannyMcG
@ShawnaCoppola




     I did not end making sketchnotes for the last session.  I use sketchnotes to synthesize the important ideas as I learn, and the last session was really more about inspiration.  We heard from educators from around the world who are are under 30 years old and have already made dramatic enhancements to the education field.  It was inspiring to hear about their work, and made me think about the impact that I can have on students going forward.

     I was honored when Clare and Tammy asked later if they could make my sketchnotes of their session as their Twitter cover photo.  The ironic part of that is that I had been inspired to sketchnote a year earlier by Tanny McGregor, whose session with Shawna Coppola earlier in the day had been about sketchnoting too!  I had seen her post on her blog post (here) in December of 2015, and I had just started digital sketchnoting at conferences a few months earlier.  It was her post that inspired me to buy a journal and do it as I read novels, too, that has inspired me to see the true benefits of sketchnoting with pens and with a stylus.  Thanks, Tanny.

     Clare and Tammy, you are an assessment light.  We need you in this data driven world.  I will be using your book and the ideas you shared with SO MANY teachers that I work with in my district.  That Messy Planning Sheet is INSPIRED.  

     Pernille and Amira, we have 5 classes at my school reading The BFG for the Global Read Aloud.  Thank you for connecting our students with the world through literacy!  We are excited to begin this week!

     Thanks again, +Christopher Lehman, for putting together such a great day of learning.  I would say, "See you again in the spring!" but I don't need to wait that long.  I am signed up to learn with The Educator Collaborative all year long.  Go to their website and check out the professional development options they have!  They are a wonderful addition to your PLN. 

iReflect

 

     My district just had their 2nd edtech conference this weekend.  iEngage Berwyn was a success, and here I am posing with a larger than life "i" with a paper mache dot because, honestly, I am a sucker for art projects.  Seeing such a large one on display at our edtech conference shows how important art integration is to so many of us educators here in Berwyn.  +Joshua Gunderlock did a great job making them.  I had the wonderful +Dana Scalzitti take my picture with the i, but I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do with it.

     And then +George Couros spoke. 

     He said many things that spoke to me as an educator, and as a human being.  He speaks from the heart, and reminds us to remember our purpose, but challenges us to embrace positivity and innovation. He also really likes Justin Timberlake, whom I adore.  So, that's a win.  There were a ton of quotes that went around Twitter from his Keynote, but this one spoke to me loudest as a coach. 

     

     I think this is so incredibly true.  It's not just about doing activities with students, but having them connect it to their own understandings.  It's not just about spending 2 days at a conference, it's about reflecting on it.  I heard so many things from so many educators Friday and Saturday, including @jcouros, @MsMagiera, @askMsQ and #bsd100 staff.  How did their message affect me?

Here I go:

 

I am Leah O'Donnell.

I am proud of the learning that happens at Hiawatha every day because our teachers put students first.  Sometimes that's hard to do, and negativity creeps in.  Find the positive. I need to do it, too.

I am (like most people) afraid of change, but I also see the benefits of change.  That makes me brave enough to take the next step.  Change is an opportunity.

I recognize that I am only who I am because of the people I have worked with along the way.  They are a part of me.  Keep looking for people to be part of your tribe.  

I am who I am.  You can't take the Leah out of Mrs. O'Donnell, and I wouldn't want to.  I tell people when they matter to me, I cry when things touch me, and I take pictures to make memories and capture moments.  It makes me human.

I recognize that other people are not me, and I need to respect that.  Empathy matters.

I learn from my mistakes.  Most times.  I need to fail to sail, but I also need to not seek out failure.  It is a stepping stone, not a destination.  

I love the fact that I can see the wonderful things my #bsd100 staff do, and I recognize it.  There were so many talents to recognize over these 2 days.  It's ok to celebrate the success of others.  

I love learning from others, and connecting with others.  It energizes me.

I want to make a difference in the lives of students in a way that matters.  

I need to challenge myself to "do something nuts" to make myself even better.  But maybe not crazy nuts.  Just slightly nuts.

iEngage, and so do the rest of my colleagues in #bsd100.

Thanks to the iEngage Team for your innovation.  I loved being a small part of your crew.

Special thanks to +Jordan Garrett for taking over this year.  You did amazing.

Thanks to the educators who joined us Friday or Saturday for being part of our PLN.

My newest PLN members from outside of #bsd100? (Follow them!)

@dladenburger

@dlawson78

@ahager22

@MrPRichey

@techcoachben

@jcouros (Keynote)

@MsMagiera (Keynote)

@askMsQ (Keynote)

Thanks to the classrooms who opened their doors to others.  

To see more pictures of the Hiawatha visits or the Saturday conference, click here.

Stay Connected!

Spring #TheEdCollabGathering Reflections

     Once again, The Educator Collaborative and +Christopher Lehman organized another day of free online learning in their #TheEdCollabGathering.  They had a wide selection of sessions perfect for a wide variety of educators, and they are all archived here!  I missed the opening sessions, and there are a few others I want to check out, so that link will be very helpful.  :)

     Overall, I think this quote that ended the day sums it up.

@ichrislehman

     Very few other professions would find their staff learning by choice for free on a Saturday.  All teachers believe that every child can learn, but the best ones know that this is true about ourselves first.  We cannot expect students to learn if we ourselves have already filled our learning cup.  Learning doesn't end.  So, on a Saturday in April, educators from around the world come "together" to learn together and become better educators for our students, and for ourselves.  I learned some new things, and I reflected on many things.  

     One of my biggest take aways, though, came from the closing session with Maggie Beattie Roberts and Kate Roberts.   They were talking about how hard our job is an educator, and how we need to utilize tools for both our own learning, and for the learning done by our students, to help us process the information that we take in.  How very true!!  We can learn something new every single day, but if we don't process it, or transfer it, or synthesize it with previous learning, then most often it doesn't really do anything for us as learners.  I think that is why I have really loved taking notes with the Paper 53 app this year.  I have found a tool that allows me to take notes in the way that I process things, but also makes me prioritize and synthesize learning that's relevant to me.  Tools are so critical to my own understanding.  How is that being applied to my students' learning?  This is a question I will be reflecting on a lot as the year comes to a close.  

     Below I put my #sketchnotes from the sessions I watched live, along with their Twitter handles.  Follow them!  I also just *had* to make some Word Swags with a few quotes along the way, to take advantage of the Word Swag updates just released.  Thanks, Jen Jones (@hellojenjones) for that heads up! 

@RozLinder

@chlremix

@DrMaryHoward

@lindavhoyt

     Every single time I hear Dr. Howard, I am reminded of the PURPOSE we have as educators.  She is always quick to remind me that our job is child centered, and that is the way it should always be.  I have Word Swagged her quite a bit over the last three years since I first heard her speak.  Now I hear her voice in my head whenever I need to make a tough decision.  This new quote, "Passion drives the deep thinking bus" will be one of those quotes for sure.  

     HUGE DIGITAL HIGH FIVE for these quotes from Linda Hoyt!!!  Read alouds matter.

@JenVincentTech

@ForFeedback

"Yep," said Coach OD.

@teachkate

@MaggieBRoberts

     Education is full of challenges and bumps along the way.  And, many times, all we can focus on is those bumps.  But, just perhaps, if we accept that our job is filled with good and bad, perhaps we can see both in our reflections.  Yeah, our day probably had some "Oh no!" moments.  But, were there some a-ha moments in there too?  Maybe even a few more than those bumps?  If we focus our day to day reflections that way, perhaps we will see our own impact on students a little more.  Thanks, Kate and Maggie, for your honest (and quite humorous) thoughts.  

    Did you want to check out reflections from previous gatherings?  Look below.  :)

Fall #EdCollabGathering 2015 Reflections
Spring #EdCollabGathering 2015 Reflections

Fall #TheEdCollabGathering Reflections

     This post has the purpose of celebrating the learning I did in my pajamas yesterday!  OK, if I am being truthful, I was showered and being a mom while I learned.  But, I could have been in my pajamas.  The Educator Collaborative, under the direction of +Christopher Lehman, held their Fall #TheEdCollabGathering online yesterday.  They had 4 sessions over the course of Saturday, with 18 workshop choices and 2 keynotes.  I was able to attend most sessions live, thanks to a rain out of a soccer game, but they are all archived online too!  Here is the link:

https://gathering.theeducatorcollaborative.com 

     The opening Keynote was by Penny Kittle.  Wow.  I really wish I could go back to school and be in her classroom.   She is simply amazing.  She said a bunch of awe inspiring things, but the quote above was the huge take away for me.  She talked about giving the students time to read, and getting them to have momentum while reading, and using Book Talks to gain some momentum.  But when she said that her job is to sit down with individual readers and teach them were they need to be taught, it really hit home.  There are so many things that teachers do, and somehow reading with kids seems to get bumped off our to-do lists.  As a coach, people always tell me that they don't have time to conference with students.  But, as she sees it, that is our JOB.  I need to help them find the time to confer!  

     The session by Franki Sibberson was actually about using technology in a reading workshop.  This topic interests me, as our district is 1:1, and I am actually leading a session at the Illinois Reading Council conference in a few weeks about literacy and technology.  She had many wonderful things to say, but the idea of "intentionality" that she weaved throughout was my biggest take away.  I am constantly talking to teachers about being responsive, and making choices that are relevant to the needs of their students.   We can't be intentional if all the choices are made for us.   It matters that teachers can weigh their options, either with tech programs or instructional delivery, and that they can decide which will make the difference for their students.  It matters, as well, that our students are faced with choices.  If they never have to weigh options and make decisions about their own learning goals, they can't learn to be intentional, either.  

     I would talk about my learning from Jennifer Serravallo's session, but to be honest I want to watch the archive a few more times and make a blog post about her new book all by itself.  So, I will.  Every time I listen to her speak, I find a new way to organize my brain a bit more around literacy.  She is amazing.

 

     The closing keynote was by Kristine Mraz and Christine Hertz.  They recently wrote a book (pictured below) that talks about how to create a mindset for learning in our classrooms.  They described the kind of classrooms that would create better humans for the world of tomorrow.  They think that by teaching empathy, optimism, persistence, resilience, and flexibility, we can actually show our students what it means to have self-control and be in control of their own learning.  They have the goal of building community, not compliance, in their classrooms.   They know that students don't always come to us with the independent skills that they need to be successful, and that it is our job as teachers to help mentor them into those skills.  As a mom, and as a teacher, my thoughts exactly!!!

     I happen to believe them 100%.  I always felt that my relationship with my students was the single most important thing that I could give them, because not all my students develop at the same pace.  If I know them, and I myself have the same empathy and optimism and flexibility that I ask them to have, we almost always came to a place where we were both successful.  

    I need this book.  :)

     I went to a few more sessions, but it is beautiful out and the park is calling my family.  So, here are just a few more people from yesterday that I would add to the people you follow on Twitter.  Your PLN will thank you!

@ichrislehman

@JSerravallo

@KristinZiemke

@MrazKristine

@christine_hertz

@MrBronke

@kimyaris

@frankisibberson

@pennykittle