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My Dear Students....

8/10/2017

I've been thinking about the event going on the last few days, month, and year. There isn't a word to describe how I feel about all of the things that have been going on in our country but to sum it up- It shouldn't be this way.

There is one thing that I know-love and kindness always win. It never hurts to be kind and love someone. We need one another. Now is the time to show the world that we can be kind and loving despite our differences. Really though, don't our differences actually make us pretty cool and unique? I think so.

As you enter this school year my dear students, know that your teachers are loving, caring, and kind. We became teachers because we love teaching and inspiring kids year after year. We love you and we are here for you my dear students.

Brad Montague (who is one of my favorite people) said "Be who you needed when you were younger" and I know when I was younger I needed loving, caring, and kind teachers. I promise you that I will do my best and I know that my fellow teachers will also do their best to be the person you need this year.

We love you all my dear students.

Until next time my beloved students,

The City of Brotherly Love

7/3/2015

They say that Philly is the city of brotherly love. I have to say that during these last few days it was much more than that. I am not always the best at being well spoken so I will do my best to tell about the love I saw and felt in Philly. As I ride home on the train I am trying to restrain from crying because I have never seen so many amazing people do so many amazing things.

The week started off for me on Tuesday morning where the day was kicked off by a quick shower, a short nap, and a trip to Rosa's Fresh Pizza with our main man Mason pictured below.

Our main man Mason

Edcamp Organizers

If you haven't been to or heard of Rosa's Fresh Pizza I will let you in on a little secret...they are amazing! Mason has done a great thing by starting a pay it forward program to help those in need and by offering his slices for only $1. Some friends and I decided a few months back that we wanted the conference experience to be different and Mason helped us achieve our goal. We wanted to give back to a community that is used to conference goers devouring their beautiful city. We decided to visit Rosa's Fresh Pizza (mostly because I was hungry) and used the hastag #sliceofISTE to share with others our love of Mason, pizza, and giving back. We decided that going and donating at Rosa's was going to be a great way to give back to the community. The best part was that there were so many teachers showing up and as of today, we ended up giving back 1,650 meals! My great friend Scott wrote any amazing blog giving some more details about the logistics of the event. It was an amazing experience and I went back each day. You can also purchase t-shirts, sweatshirts, and more from their website if you are interested in helping out Mason and the rest of Philly.

Another phenomenal part of the conference that showcases some brotherly love was the Edcamp Session as well as Meet up put on by the Edcamp Foundation. After wrapping up an awesome Edcamp Session in Edcamp style of course, we walked over to the String Theory School on Vine Street in Philly which is a beautiful school to be in. We had a ton of people that had either attended an Edcamp or was an organizer. It was so amazing to see so many educators from all over the WORLD join us for some cheese steaks and pizza. It was also amazing to be in the city where Edcamps had first started. It was so great to connect with other Edcamp Organizers who were able to talk me through my hopes and worries of our next Edcamp Vegas. I couldn't have asked for a better group of people to hang out with for the rest of the night!

My time at ISTE was better than I could have ever imagined. I am so glad that I got to see friends from far and wide. It was a unique experience that I can't wait to go to again. Thank you to everyone for the great conversations, ridiculously fun nights, delicious food, and for just being awesome. Thank you Philly.

Until next time,

CUE Rock Star La Jolla Wrap Up 2015

6/27/2015

CUE Rock Star La Jolla has been a blast! As I posted in previous posts, I was the Social Media director for this camp and had a ton of fun. Now I am getting ready to attend another conference, I wanted to reflect on what a great time I have had learning from so many amazing educators.

There is no place more beautiful for a Rock Star Camp than Muirland Middle School in La Jolla, California. Since I was the Social Media Director, I was able to take the time to enjoy the sessions, sights, and talk with awesome people. It gave me a chance to explore each session and really get to talk to the attendees. Did I also mention that the school is within walking distance to the ocean? The ocean people, this Las Vegas girl doesn't get to see a lot of that giant blob too often.

Each morning got started early and much to my delight included breakfast. Juli and I helped get all of the attendees checked in each day while the rest of the faculty got to hang out with the attendees and enjoy breakfast. One of the best parts of the mornings is that you weren't able to tell who was faculty and who was an attendee since everyone was talking, sharing, and laughing together which made the mornings so amazing.

The shred sessions got started right after breakfast with our MC Reuben rocking a stunning blonde wig getting everyone feeling the rock star feel. We even had a sweet baby attend our shred sessions and had some Bitmoji fun going on. There was a lot of friendly heckling, goofing around, and laughing.

As for the rest of the day, I decided to split the sessions and see four faculty members which was a fantastic way to get a sense of each session. The only downside was that I would have to leave halfway through a session and with our faculty, it was tough! Each day we enjoyed a great lunch and had lunchtime learning going on learning about Twitter, Google Classroom, and even some robots!

After each day we got to enjoy dinner together, we went down to the beach, had an amazing photowalk, and enjoyed hanging out by the pool at the hotel. It was quite an experience getting to hang out with such knowledgeable professionals. I have to say on the last day I was sad to leave to such an kickbutt group of people. I can't wait to go back and connect with such inspirational educators.

If you are interested in checking out what went down during the sessions, be sure to visit the La Jolla CUE Rock Star Page and visit my Storify to check out pictures, tweets, and more from those who presented and attended.

Until next time my Rock Stars,

Innovative Pedagogies- Day 3

6/22/2015

Now is the sad, sad day we have been dreading. Day three of CUE Rock Star La Jolla. Luckily, there is still a lot to learn today. There is no doubt that you will walk away from this day with a new mindset and some amazing new skills to bring back to your school. That being said, let's see the schedule we have lined up for this amazing day!

Shred Sessions start at 9:30 am- 10:00 am
Session One starts at 10:00 am- 12:00 pm
Session Two starts at 2:00 pm- 4:00 pm

And that is a wrap for all of the sessions at CUE Rock Star La Jolla! So many great sessions and I will be keeping you in the loop via Twitter and this blog sharing anything that goes down during the Shred Sessions, anything that goes down at lunch and beyond. All of the information will be compiled into a Storify at the end of each day as well. We can't wait to have you join us for these three amazing days!

See ya there,

Full STEAM Ahead!

6/16/2015

Day two is all about STEAM! Presenters will take the day to talk about Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics otherwise known as STEAM along with showing you ways you can use your favorite tools to incorporate STEAM into your own classroom.

Like the first day, each session will be repeated twice so that there is again, no FOMO ;) I forgot to add in yesterday that the day always starts with a Shred Session where presenters battle it out to get you excited about their sessions.

Shred Sessions start at 9:30 am- 10:00 am
Session One starts at 10:00 am- 12:00 pm
Session Two starts at 2:00 pm- 4:00 pm

Below is the eduawesome sessions that will be going on for day two and much like day one, you don't want to miss out on these amazing sessions! For a look at their presentation, click on the presentation link below and check out the "Session Web Page" button.

Woo hoo! Day two is going to be so exciting, I can't wait to see this train go full STEAM ahead. That ends the corny STEAM jokes for the day. Be sure to click on the presenter link to check them out and don't forget to chat with us during the conference!

See ya there,

CUE Rock Star La Jolla- Google, Apple, and Microsoft Oh My!

6/11/2015

Day one is full of amazing ways to use Google, Apple, and Microsoft in your classroom and school. Come master your skills or learn something new during our first day of awesomeness.

Each session will be repeated twice so if you are like the average teacher that has FOMO, fear no more! With the am and pm sessions repeating each day, you will be FOMO-Free!

Session One starts at 10:00 am- 12:00 pm
Session Two starts at 2:00 pm- 4:00 pm

Here are the awesome sessions that will be going on during day one. If you want to see all of the session in full detail or more about the presenters, click on the session title and it will take you to learn more about the presenters.

All of this and only on the first day! I can't wait to actually see these amazing presentations in action in two weeks. Over the next few days I will share what is going on during day two at CUE Rock Star in beautiful La Jolla.

See ya there,

CUE Rock Star Teacher Camp La Jolla Rock Star Team

5/24/2015

Now that you know a little more about what a CUE Rock Star Teacher Camp is, I am sure that you are excited to find out who is going to be at this awesome event on June 23rd-June 25th. Here are the twelve amazing folks as well as a bit about what amazing topics they will be presenting on.

Kevin Fairchild

Kevin will be kicking off the camp taking you deeper into Google Forms followed by how to use online simulations. Finally, Kevin will give you the downlow on how and why you should be using screencasting in your own classroom.

Jo-Ann
Fox

Jo-Ann will show you how to connect your classroom to the rest of the world with Google Hangouts. Then, she will mesmerize you with how to use sketchnoting in your own classroom. Lastly, you will dive into using iOS apps in a 1:1 iPad classroom.

Julie
Garcia

See how easily you and your students can become an author with iBooks. If you want to enhance your science and math lessons, Julie will give you great tools and resources on day two. She will also transform the way you use technology in her SAMR SLAMR session.

Jeffery
Heil

Learn how to utilize Google Apps, Tools, and extensions to create smarter lessons and creative students. Jeffery will also share how to start up 20% time in your classroom as well as explore one column rubrics to encourage all students to reach mastery.

Reuben Hoffman

Come explore Google in Google Apps 101 and leave as an expert. Next, learn how to connect with your community and around the world with Mobile Photography.

Dan McDowell

Lastly, Reuben and Dan will introduce you into the world of flipping your classroom during this workshop session. (Reuben and Dan will be presenting together)

Krystle Miller

If you don't use screencasting, you need to visit Krystle and her amazing screencasting 101 session. She will also explore how to integrate ELA and STEAM as well as show ya the ropes on using technology with CCSS.

Scott
Moss

Whether you are a novice or expert, Scott will show you how to bring Google Sites to your classroom. He will also guide you through how to use coding in your class. Furthermore, he will show you how to incorporate blended learning into writing.

Leigh Murrell

Enjoy going gaga for Google with Leigh as she guides you through how to effectively use Google on iOS. She will continue with incorporating STEAM and student movie making. Finally, Leigh shows us how to get students speaking with technology.

Jennifer Roberts

If you are thinking of blogging, Jennifer has the session for you. She will guide attendees through basic blogging for yourself and your students. She also shares how to get students to practice STEAM along with writing. Lastly, Jennifer has you consider rethinking the time students spend in your class.

Laura Spencer

Beginners can join Laura as she shares how to use iMovie with students to create videos that can support multiple subjects and standards. Her second session will explain how to transform traditional notebooks into creative and exciting presentations and writings. Laura will finish with turning your class into a game using Kahoot!

Adina Sullivan

Advanced teachers will get a chance to explore how they can use YouTube with students to create their own learning path. Adina follows up by sharing how to connect Google Earth to CCSS. To wrap it up, she will share how to turn a basic lesson into an exciting inquiry-based lesson.

So there you have it, twelve amazing educators who are going to blow your mind for three straight days. If you want to get to know more about this awesome group, be sure to visit the CUE Rock Star La Jolla Faculty Bio page.

See ya there,

CUE Rock Star La Jolla

5/9/2015

I am pleased to announce that I am the Social Media Director for CUE Rock Star La Jolla this year. Over the next few weeks I will be sharing what amazing things are planned for this amazing camp.

CUE Rock Star Camps are not your typical summer camps, they are way more thrilling and you don't have to sleep in a tent.....unless that is your thing of course. Rock Star Camps are 3-day long hands on extravaganzas that fall between an unconference and a traditional conference.

A Rock Star Camp is totally tailored to those who want more hands on time out of a professional development. Another awesome reason to attend Rock Star La Jolla (or any Rock Star Camp) is that the classes are kept small, usually selling out around 60-70 attendees. The ratio is usually 1:10 giving you time to dig into the session at hand and get the help from an expert teacher.

Rock Star La Jolla will be an all day event with an extra long lunch so that you can networks, collaborate, throw ideas around, and of course eat. The schedule for Rock Star La Jolla this year will be:

Daily Schedule: June 23rd- June 25th
9:00      Coffee (AKA Wake Up Drink)
9:30      Shred Sessions (Figure out where you want to go today)
10:00    Session 1 (Learning: Round 1)
12:00    Lunch/Networking (2 hours of fun and food)
2:00      Session 2 (Learning Round 2)
4:00      Closing (Yes the day really is over, we are sad too)

Tons of time for hanging out and a crazy amount of learning going on too. I guarantee that Rock Star La Jolla will be totally different from any other professional development you have been too. We will be at the beautiful Muirlands Middle School, 1056 Nautilus Street, La Jolla, CA 92037 on June 23rd- June 25th. I know you are also wondering about the beach since we are talking about La Jolla and we have you covered. We are less than 10 minutes away from this wonderful sandy paradise.

I know you are excited to check out this amazing spin on professional development (as you should be) so go ahead and wonder over to the main CUE Rock Star La Jolla page to check out some more details. In the following weeks I will be sure to share anything amazing that is going down. This is one professional development that you don't want to miss!

See ya there,

Spheros For All!

11/11/2014

The beloved Spheros. My students and I just finished our first round of Technology Club last Thursday. We used four Spheros (Thanks Sphero!) and the Sphero SPRK Curriculum every Wednesday and Thursday after school and had a ball (yes, pun intended) learning. Over the next couple of weeks I can't wait to share what my students have learned from the SPRK Lessons over the last six weeks through their drawings, worksheets, pictures, and videos.

So you might be asking, what exactly did we do with the Spheros in my class. Well besides the obvious answer of amazing things, we learned about patterns, color, text-based programming, percentages, geometry, time, speed, distance, mean, median, mode, problem-solving, teamwork, and other concepts of math and science. The lessons that we used in my class align with the Common Core Curriculum for 3rd-5th grade. Each lesson had a step by step guide for teachers, students, and there was also a worksheet for most lessons where students would create their own programs or solve math problems. With these great resources, it was easy to implement the program into my classroom.

I know what you're thinking, you saw that the curriculum is aligned for 3rd-5th but you don't teach those grade think you can't use this in your classroom. Pssshhh wrong my friend! I challenge you to try and use this in your own class no matter what grade you teach. Don't forget that when you are doing those awesome lessons in your class, you will definitely have to share. (Send a tweet to @spheroedu #spheroedu #SPRK when you share those wicked lessons!)

Lastly, I can't wait to use Sphero in my own classroom instead of just Technology Club. All of my students should have access to this amazing technology, I can't wait to see what we do with it!

A special shout out to my friend Sam Patterson (@SamPatue) who showed me the way of the Spheros over the summer and now has my students and I addicted. I thank you every single time I take them out, the students are so excite. I am so thankful for you help and support.

All my love,

How To Build Your Professional Learning Network Online and Offline

8/14/2014

"I feel so stuck. Nobody seems to get my ideas or feel my passion for teaching."

If you are like me I am sure you have said this at least five times a day. What is a lone nut to do? I was surrounded by others who were great teachers, but didn't want to change. I was stuck. That was until I found the magic of a PLN (Professional Learning Network) and since then I haven't had to utter those words anymore. I finally feel accepted, understood, and supported by amazing educators.

How can you do it you ask? Easy. Here are the ways that I built my PLN, just take the first step and you will never want to go back!

1. Twitter: Sure, some merely think of Twitter as a website used for those who want to stalk their favorite celebrities' every selfie and food habits, but the site has take a new turn for educators. Using Twitter in an educational setting for the past year has been my best asset. Whenever I have a question, need help with a lesson plan, or need to find the coolest thing to do in my class, Twitter is where I turn.

Once you are on the site, go find some of the educators you look up to (and tweet to them), find companies you use in your school (tweet to them as well), and join an "edchat". There are "edchats" for just about everything in education ranging from state-specific discussions (Like #NVedchat for Nevada educators) to edtech (#edtechchat) and grade-specific. There is bound to be a chat that you can join and learn from.

The golden rule with Twitter is you don't have to follow everyone, only follow those who will help you become a better educator.

Sign up right this second (Seriously, stop reading and go sign up).Don't know where to start? Tweet to me @MsGeekyTeach and I will help you out.

2. Meetups: Meetups are a great way to connect in real life with friends from Twitter, emails, and more. Meetups can be anything from a small meetup like BrewCUE, CoffeeCUE, or EdCamp, to a large conference like ISTE, NCTM or the annual CUE Conference.

Some are free, while some you have to pay for, but I'll tell you this--it’s well worth your money and time if you get to connect with other educators, especially those you otherwise would have never come across.

3. Voxer: Voxer is, simply-put a walkie-talkie application. Why not just text or call, you ask? Well, Voxer allows you to ensure that your question or comment gets the love it deserves. With the Voxer app, you can send text messages, photos, and instant voice messages to individuals and groups.

My PLN, I use this with many other educators to throw an idea around or to get feedback on a failing lesson plan. Since my message is there for them to listen to when they get the chance, I don't have to worry about my message being forgotten about. This also ensures that I will get a thoughtful response once my PLN members get the time to respond.

4. Point: How about sustaining your PLN by sharing articles? Point is a newly discovered favorite Chrome extension of mine. You can share articles with friends, highlight parts of the article that you find interesting, and with the extension you can easily retrieve your favorite reads.

This has changed the way that I read articles, but it's even better for my PLN: I can now share the coolest new edtech findings with all of my edtech friends with one, simple extension. It's like sitting next to another person and chatting about the latest newspaper article!

These are just some of the ways that I stay connected to my PLN. I challenge you to check out new ways to connect, and if you find one, let me know in the comments section below!

NOTE: This article is part of EdSurge's Fifty States Initiative (representing the state of Nevada). Interested in representing edtech in your state? Apply here.