Fall Cue 2014 Learning Highlights

As a Tech II Leader/Coach for my district, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to attend the 2014 Fall CUE Conference.  This was my first Fall CUE experience, and I LOVED it!  It was a weekend full of learning and connecting with other educators.  I left the conference feeling inspired and rejuvenated as an educator.  I wanted to share some of my favorite Aha moments to continue the impact of CUE.  

Learning Highlights:

1. It is important to Cultivate Curiosity within the classroom! In Karl Lindgren-Streicher’s and Robert Pronovost’s session, a group of educators discussed their thoughts, ideas, and best practices for cultivating curiosity.  One of my biggest takeaways was that curiosity is where learning comes from. I see the validity of this statement as I reflect on my own journey of learning.  The learning experiences I remember the most are the ones where curiosity played a large role.  I still remember when I was in third grade and we wondered how planetariums were made, and then the next week my teacher allowed us to build one for the community to experience. This inspires me to continue my goal of providing more opportunities for students to be curious and wonder within my classroom.  Currently, my students are collaborating on their Fierce Wonderings project, which is based in curiosity and exploration.
2. I love educational technology and integrating technology into my classroom in meaningful ways, so it is no surprise that John Eick’s session on “Embedding Videos & Images as Adaptive Assessment Tools” was one of my favorites.  I have been using Google Forms for several years within my classroom for various purposes, but I wasn’t sure how to make them adaptive.  After John’s session I immediately created an adaptive form with an embedded video for my Design Thinking class. I am looking forward to utilizing my new adaptive Google Form in my class next week!  
3. I was fortunate enough to attend Megan Ellis’ session on gamifying the classroom. She showcased the possibilities of using a classroom game to monitor and promote positive student behavior. As soon as her session was over, I started making the plans to utilize gamification into my classroom.  My students love our classroom game!  Thank you Megan!  

I loved Fall Cue 2014, and I can’t wait to attend future CUE events and connect and learn with more educators!