TCEA Notes

I had great intentions when I came to the TCEA conference this week. I was going to blog every day about what I had learned so I could share it with you. Needless to say, it is now the end of the conference and I haven't done a very good job at this. 

There was so much good information at the conference this year - it's hard to know where to start. I picked out a highlight from each day to share with you now and I'll post more when I have a chance to sit down and go through my notes.

Day 2 Highlight

Apple is coming out with another update to their iOS. I know what you're thinking, what's so great about that? Well, this update will prove to be something educators have been waiting to see for a long time. Here are two big improvements coming our way - Student Logins for iPads. That's right, students will now be able to log in to a device to make it more personal. Everything they create will be stored in the cloud under their Apple ID. Classroom App for the iPad. Teachers can use this app to lock a device, send content to all students or put everyone on the same app. I don't have a date for the update launch, but at least we know it's coming.

Day 3 Highlight

I spent the day learning about the importance of communication. I think we can all agree that this is critical in education. We have to make sure we are sharing what's happening in the classroom, on campus and throughout the district. Whether it's blogging, tweeting or posting, we should be promoting all the great things we are doing in schools. I encourage you to look into Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, blogging, online newsletters and websites to make sure you are getting the good word out. If you need help with any of this, just let me know - that's why I'm here.

Day 4 Highlight

This was my day of inspiration. I love those days. I attended several sessions that just got me excited about education and how technology can really transform what happens in the classroom. We can start small, a simple form to gather information from parents, students or teachers. Create a form to gather demographic information from parents. It will be placed into a spreadsheet so it's easy to access. Use forms with students as an exit ticket. It will also put the information into a spreadsheet where you can go back and review student responses. Use a form to gather questions from teachers about an upcoming faculty meeting or professional development. Best thing about forms - it can be accessed from any device.

Day 5 Highlight

Tips, Tricks and Tools! I love to find shortcuts, extensions and other tricks to make technology easier to use. I promise I will have more of this coming in the next few weeks. 

TCEA was a great week of learning, sharing and networking!