A). Your day is full, your mind is swirling, and your teacher mind is charged;
B). You have a lot of ideas you can easily put into practice--as soon as Monday;
C). You have spent the day with a lot of like-minded individuals who serve as total inspiration & motivation;
D). You find yourself in bed and asleep by 9 pm because you are wiped out due to operation overload (but in a good way!);
E). All of the above.
If you answered "E," then you've hit the nail on the head!
As for me and "E," this past Saturday I ventured out with a colleague to my 2nd (and her 1st) EdCamp: EdCampDC. Just like the US Postal Office Creed: "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds...." We trekked the hour or so southwest to DC despite the icy, slushy world around us. Just like "the show," EdCampDC "must go on!" Weather did hit the numbers, taking the anticipated 250 down by half or more; but for those of us that were there, the information du jour kept our creative juices flowing!!
Kudos and special thanks to EdCampDC organizers Matt McCrea, Andrew Pratt, and Selena Ward. It was a great, great day!
Here are some of the great finds I found along the way during the course of my EdCampDC Day (in addition to an amazing final session all about rewarding motivated teachers--great food for thought!):
1. Metryx
An education assessment start-up that is due to start-up any time, this will transform your in-class, clipboard-style assessment with just a few clicks on your mobile tablet device. By help teachers to assess students and then helping them to use that data for differentiation within the classroom, this could potentially transform not only your teaching but the way in which you assess your students' progress in the classroom.
2. Evernote
If you're like me, you know that Evernote is a file-cabinet-style tool for you to access all your finds online (whether by tablet, phone, or computer). But at EdCampDC, we talked a lot about the ways in which notebooks in Evernote could become great places for quick anecdotal recording of your students' behavior and academic progress.
An online way to both improve student behavior as well as motivating students with "live" feedback. Class Dojo allows you to program li'l avatars, make behavior reports based on specific in-class behaviors that you design.
4. Educreation App: Interactive WhiteboardIf you like Khan Academy, you'll love this with it's ability to make and record similar videos yourself....OR have kids use to create a short illlustrated video where they explain/define something.
5. Other Good Interactive Whiteboard iPad Apps:
ScreenChomp, Skitch, Splashtop, and BoardCam
6. National Teachers Alliance
A non-partisan network for classroom teachers, the National Teachers Alliance is out to communicate what is working in the field of education through resources, reviews, and really good stuff!
And no, not from EdCamp, but equally yummy finds this weekend, and equally EdCamp-appropriate for getting the mind in gear with edtech, apps, iPads, and more!!
7. APPitic - 1,300+ EDUapps
Here you'll find a directory of educational apps from Apple Distinguished Educators (ADEs). They have been tested across grade levels and are organized in classroom-helpful ways!
8. 95 EdTech Resources You May Have Missed–Treasure Chest January 22, 2012: Tech the Plunge Every Sunday the Treasure Chest is posted--wow! A Treasure Trove indeed!!
9. Twitter for Teachers from Kathy Schrock's Webinar
Last week I did a Kathy Schrock eGenio webinar--wow! What a powerhouse she is. Great tips for teachers on how to build your own Personal Learning Network (PLN) through Twitter! Love it!
All EdCamp images from http://www.edcampdc.org/ .
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