ISTE 2018

I have the elite honor of speaking at the ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) Conference in Chicago July 2018.  While there, I will be presenting two sessions.

• Are We Advocating or Educating? Social Media Guidelines for Students —As we implemented 1:1 in our schools, it was necessary to establish social media guidelines for our students. Follow our creation from beginning to end of our board-approved social media guidelines to educate our students on acceptable use. This presentation is scheduled for Monday, June 25, 2:00–4:00 pm CDT.

• Teachers' Perceptions of Their Administrators' Influence on Technology Use in the Classroom —Based on the 2009 ISTE Standards for Administrators, this study determined the technological leadership qualities that teachers perceived as most critical, most important, and most influential on their daily integration of technology into instruction. The presenter will give the results of the study and ways to improve those leadership competencies. This session is based on my dissertation research.  This presentation is scheduled for Tuesday, June 26, 10:15–11:15 am CDT.

For more information regarding ISTE 2018, please visit https://conference.iste.org/2018/.

~Cara

Technology Tools for Teachers

I am currently working on a professional development session and would love your input! Could you take just a minute and fill in the following form?  Thank you so much in advance!

~Cara

ISTE 2013: A Thought-Provoking Conference

The annual ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) Conference was held in San Antonio, Texas.  This was my third ISTE conference.  Each year is more exciting than the one before.  It is an opportunity to learn new strategies and skills that will best help our students grow as members of a global society.  It is a chance to network with other educators across the country and world in order to flourish as quality teachers.  It is an occasion to highlight the great things happening within our classrooms and schools. 

ISTE13 gave many great memories.  I was given the opportunity to present a poster session with my friend, Farrah (Think*Share*Teach).  During this session, we talked with many teachers in casual conversations about the amazing things our students create.  We met many new friends and hopefully inspired each of those that attended.  

Each session I attended gave me new insights as an educator.  Whether the session specifically met my needs or not, I took the information and applied it to the type of teacher I want to be.  It is important to prepare the students in my school as 21st century learners.  However, that does not always mean that they are using some sort of technology tool.  As taken from Robin Hrivnatz, "Technology is part of the role but not the center of the role."  

While networking throughout the convention center, I met new friends.  Often, these were people I have followed and communicated through Facebook, Twitter, or this blog.  When you get to shake their hand, hug their neck, and thank them for the things you have learned from them, a definite bond is formed.  However, this aspect of ISTE causes a source of concern for me.  Often, those in attendance were simply networking.  They were not attending sessions to explore new teaching strategies.  They were not supporting those presenting in the sessions throughout the conference.  

My heart aches most for those in attendance that merely used this conference as a social outing.  Attendees were posting where they were "hanging out."  This often included late nights of drinking and partying.  Although I am not to judge, as educators, we are ranked to a higher standard.  Social media is a great tool to make connections, but we must remember that people do read and question the statuses that are posted.  The following words may be harsh, but it is a reminder that we should remember.

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 

James 3:1

I spent a majority of my time with the following three people.  These ladies are strong, influential women in education.  We enjoyed our evenings celebrating our Christian fellowship. Together, we would enjoy long dinners, belly laughs, and intriguing conversations.  We attended sessions together and shared our thoughts from the things we heard.  Our hope was that others saw that we could have a great time in a way that was pleasing to God, our families, our students, and ourselves.  

Thank you, ISTE13, for a thought-provoking conference!

~Cara

Extending Your Reach Using Social Media

On January 26, 2013, Farrah Kilgo (Think*Share*Teach) and I have the opportunity to present at the Alabama NBCT Network Conference.  This conference is not just for National Board Certified Teachers.  It is open to all teachers.

Social media gives teachers the opportunities to connect with others by sharing ideas, collaborating together, and contributing thoughts in order to effectively enhance their curriculum.  Our presentation will focus on how teachers can most effectively use social media to extend their reach professionally.  We will explore how to use Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Edmodo, and blogs to their fullest potential.  

Farrah and I are avid social media users.  We are bloggers and Twitterers (@WhiteheadsClass and @KilgosClass).  Please feel free to follow us on Pinterest, too (Cara and Farrah).  Both of us use Facebook and  Edmodo professionally and with our classes.  

We look forward to you joining us for our session and in the social media world.

~Cara

EdCampBham: My First Unconference Experience

I had my first opportunity of attending an "unconference" at EdCampBham on May 5, 2012. What is an unconference? It is a participant driven meeting. Upon entering EdCampBham, the participants were greeted with a blank session board. Any participant could add their session to the board. Sessions ranged from preplanned to discussion. I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed the "unconference" setting. It was a time to network with fellow educators, discuss and debated education trends, and learn new teaching tools.


Since it was my first unconference experience, I chose to remain a participant. My friend, Farrah from Think Share Teach, and I started our day in "Love It or Hate It." The group was presented a variety of education topics such as tenure, homework, charter schools, and Twitter in the classroom. We had to chose if we loved the topic or hated it. You could also choose on the fence. Then, within that group, discussion on why you loved it or hated it or your reasons for being on the fence. Then, debate took place. This was my favorite session of the day. I enjoyed the discussion and debate with fellow educators. It was interesting to hear others reasons for feeling as strongly as they do. This would be a great PD session in any district. I wish it could have lasted longer.


From there, we attended a session on integrating technology into your science instruction. As a hands-on session, we got to launch rockets, created foam milkshakes, and play Angry Birds with blocks and boxes. My favorite activities involved Legos. Did you know you can create scannable QR codes with Legos? The trick is to use the thin blocks on a large mat. You simply create your code online and then replicate it. Also, I was introduced to Life With George. It is a Lego version of Flat Stanley.


During lunch, there was a Web Smackdown. Several participants had 2 minutes to share their favorite new webtool. You can click the list that was generated by {clicking here}.


I chose to attend a session on iPads in the classroom. The presenter led discussion on apps, gestures, and tricks that would make the iPad more useful in the classroom. Look forward to a blog post on iPads. This was a very informative session. I learned too much information to sum up in one paragraph.


The last session that I attended was actually presented by an 11th grade. It was refreshing to hear from a student on the importance of integrating technology into the classroom. He actually led discussion among the participants, encouraged our ideas, and praised our efforts. As a student, he agrees that technology makes learning more engaging, but there is also a time for traditional methods of teaching. He discussed BYOD (Bring Your Own Devices) policies and their possible uses. This session was another favorite of mine. The discussion was rewarding.


A lot of time and planning was put into the unconference experience. I want to take a moment to personally thank the EdCamp Team. What a great day! Now, I'm looking forward to next year's unconference!

~Cara

Everything's Intermediate

I am so excited! On March 24, 2012, I will be presenting for the Everything's Intermediate Virtual Teaching Expo. You will have the chance to be involved in four professional development sessions for one low price. The sessions will be presented by teachers across the country. You won't have to leave your house, and you can attend in your pajamas! As soon as ticket sales start, I'll let you know. Go ahead, and mark your calendar. I don't want you to miss out on this great event.

I'm going to present "Integrating Technology Into Your Classroom." I will show you how easy it is to create a technology filled classroom even if you have very limited tools. You will also be introduced to FREE webtools to use with your students while I provide student examples and suggested lesson plans.

Until Everything's Intermediate, you may want to attend Everything's Primary on February 25, 2012. You can also participate in archived events {here}.

Happy learning!

~Cara