I have had the privilege of attending many MACUL conferences over the past Eight years. I will never forget my first experience and how completely blown away I was when I listened to speakers like Hall Davidson, Rushton Hurley, and Vicki Davis share their vision for technology integration in the classroom. 

I was so inspired that first time around, that I started applying for MACUL grants to get new technologies into my classroom and then I started to present, too. 

Even though I was only able to spend a day at MACUL this year, I still left inspired and excited for ideas I could bring back into my classroom. I also approached it a little differently this year because instead of going alone and not knowing anyone, I have made so many friends along the way and made sure to connect with them, even if it was for brief moments between sessions. 

Every year is the best one yet.

There are so many things that happened this year that I could not have predicted and I am very thankful for that. Even so, there are some things I have yet to accomplish that I am very hopeful for in the coming year.

I do not have a list of resolutions, just a focus on wanting to be better, more positive, and hopeful for the "what ifs" that are both exciting and unknown. I know 2016 is poising itself to be ever better, but before I finally say goodbye to 2015, here are a few of the things that made it one heck of time in my life:  

This was the year I got back to making art on a semi-regular basis. It is funny to think as an art teacher I would have trouble making art myself. This year I made a point to carve out time to learn new techniques, paint paintings I have had in my mind for years, and explore what I love most: drawing. Here's to even more making in 2016!

This year was filled with sharing various tips and tricks for building, maintaining, and growing a great program. As a way to give back to the #artsed community that has helped nurture me into the teacher I am today, I feel it is important to share what has worked, what has not, and what is possible when you reach out, try new things, and let your students lead their learning experiences. FromMACUL, NAEA, AOE Live, #k12artsedchat, and finally MAEA, it was a blast to learn and share with teachers wanting to improve their craft, too!

​I already have some exciting ways I plan to share even more in 2016 (even as soon as January for ECET2 in San Diego), but I am very thankful for having the opportunities in 2015 to work both face to face and online with the best community I know! 

The biggest jump for me as a teacher has been from stepping back. I moved to a Design Thinking Process with students that focuses on making original works through the examination ofThemes. By allowing my students to take the lead when it comes to their learning, I have been amazed with how much more energized and excited I have become in the process.

​Instead of always knowing how things are going to turn out with each lesson, I am surprised with outcomes like a flowered-crocheted ski mask, golden venture jewelry, and many other new uses for symbols and materials that I might not have ever discovered without my students taking charge. I am so thankful that I took this leap into the unknown and am excited about the new discoveries to come in 2016!

Whatever 2016 brings, I know it will be greeted with a smile and a heart filled with hope. I had such a fun 2015 and am excited for whatever happens next! 

There is a month left of freedom until I spend my days dictated by alarm clocks, hourly bells, and brief bathroom breaks. As I continue to plan for the upcoming year, I am spending quite a bit of time figuring out the activities for the most important day: the first one.

Since you can only make a first impression once, it is important that students get a clear understanding of what the class is going to be like and who I am. How I behave and what activities I plan sets the tone for every day that comes after. Instead of falling back on safe measures that bore students into complacency, I put forward a vision and challenge to my students to "Elevate to Excellence" as we dive into the school year. 

I have been lucky to have given presentations on this at the NAEA Convention andMACUL Conference and shared many of the ideas and reasons behind why I do what I do and how I manage it all. In case you missed it, here is a quick breakdown envisioning the best first day ever: 

Be Brave: 
Being a teacher is an act of bravery in itself. Anyone willing to put themselves in front of children every day and engage them in a way that helps learning stick despite all obstacles, is brave. The bravery that I am discussing for the first day of school should be a piece of cake compared to that. A few years ago, I threw caution to the wind and took a chance on my students and myself to do something on day one. Instead of doing the safe rules and expectations speech, I decided to engage students with the materials I know they long most to use each year: clay and paint. In order for this to work, I had to have faith in myself and move beyond the initial worries about messes and misbehavior. Instead of focusing on what could go wrong, I lead by living my vision of Art education with my students. We still went over rules and expectations; I just did it as students worked through activities like making collaborative paintings for our school and clay bowls for our annual Empty Bowls night. It has been five years since that first act of bravery, and I cannot imagine going back. 

Be Bold:
A student once told me that I was the second weirdest teacher in the building. I am not sure if it was the dancing, the rapid arm movements as I fast-talk, or what that got me that place, but I would like to think that my bold vision for my classroom and my students helped. As the Art teacher, I have the distinct opportunity to show learning everyday. Because I work with visuals, my students learning is evidenced through drawing, painting, photography and more and shared almost instantly with others; because I post and share online, it is archived, distributed, and can take on new forms and interactions that are both unplanned and offer deeper connections for my students. My students are shown this from the start, even before they enter my classroom. Using Artsionia (which automatically updates grades from the other building to my gallery - so AMAZING), I send out newsletters to parents and even invite students to participate in a summer upload. It has been awesome to see art coming in and for students and parents to get a glimpse of what the Art class is going to be like before they enter the classroom. When they do arrive on that first day, I share our activities and even get responses by artists we are already inspired by in class. By sharing my vision for my classroom in this way, students enter with a sense of purpose and are ready to be a part of the bold vision I have planned.

Be the Bearer of Possible:
It can be easy to be a Debbie Downer. The world is a tough place with a lot of scary things going on every day. I am not advocating forgetting that in place of a know-nothing mentality, but I think it is important to act as a light of opportunity for students so they can see what is possible. Art is the act of making the unseen seen. It is my job to help students reach within themselves and figure out what they want others to see so their voice is heard. I start the year with the motto "Elevate to Excellence," setting the tone for what is expected when they become a part of the program. Each year, the k-12 program does a presentation for our Board of Education, highlighting the accomplishments from the year. I use that video to finish off the first day, right after we have cleaned up our paint or clay. I am proud to say that many of my former students who have taken that challenge have been awarded various recognitions at the local, state, and national level. I want my students to leave my class on the first day of school with messy hands and their heads full of ideas for what they are going to do next because they were inspired by those that came before them.

If you are interested in hearing more, I am excited to talk about this and more on Tuesday with the guys from AOE Live:  

Now, the Give-Away: 
I have some back-to-school goodies to send your way if you leave a comment below about your favorite take-away from Tuesday's AOE Live, featuring even more ways to make this school year your best one yet. 

Congrats to Katherine, from the last give-away - check your email and I will send your FIA goodies post haste. 

Thanks for reading and I will see you on the internets! 

I had quite an end to my week, as we wrapped up a major community project at my school and I rushed to Detroit to learn and share for the 2015 MACUL conference. 

I love March. Basketball is all the buzz, Youth Arts Month is being celebrated, and it is major conference season. One of the conferences I have made a habit of participating in is MACUL. I started going about six or seven years ago and it opened my eyes to the potential of technology integration in my classroom and in turn, opened many doors for my students and myself to learn, grow, and share. 

This year was no different. Although I was only able to be at MACUL for one day, I connected with a lot of great people, learned some great new things I hope to use in my classroom, and shared some ideas that I hope open some doors for others as they return to their districts and classrooms. 

In my first presentation, I shared how I use various tools like CheckThis, Schoology, LiveBinders, Camtasia, Artsonia, and PBS LearningMedia to Flip, Blend, and Remix my classroom. It was fun to get everyone up and dancing to start (thanks again for playing along, even at 8:30 in the morning) and then get down to how we can rethink our classrooms to engage students in content that allows them to work at their own pace and share their voice with others in authentic ways. If you were unable to make my presentation, please check it out below: 

I also was able to learn about some great tools and take away key ideas that I know will help me improve my classroom craft. 

One session I attended was about Sketchnotes, with Karen Bosch. I have had the pleasure to get to know Karen online for the past few years and I was really excited to hear her talk about her process of creating images like the one below of the MACUL closing keynote: 

Karen was so generous with explaining her process, sharing her resources, and inspiring so many to take a hold of that pen and doodle their way to understanding! I am so glad I finally got to hear her present! 

The other presentation that really got me thinking was given by a fellow Art teacher, D'Andra Clark and her colleague, Steve Weller, who co-created a course that delves into using the Design Thinking Process to explore computer technologies. 

They did a great job offering their take on Design Thinking using the DICE model (Design, Ideate, Create, Evaluate) and giving specific examples of both the success and failure they experienced as they ventured on this new journey together. They were genuine and sincere in their presentation and really have me excited to get to work with my STEM counterpart on how we can incorporate some of these ideas in our curriculum. 

I feel honored to be a part of the Lightning Talks this year and sharing how we use clay on the first day to get students going for the school year. It was fun to share what makes me passionate about my work and hear the other speakers share their passion for teaching, learning, and big ideas. 

Although I had a shortened time at MACUL this year, it was still as impactful and I am ready to implement new concepts in my classroom. I also enjoyed spending some time in Detroit at the Detroit Institute of Arts exploring the special exhibit of work by Diego Rivera and Frida Khalo and the stunning views from my room. 

This was the third time I have had the privilege to attend the annual MACUL conference. The first time was in 2010. That conference ignited the idea that I could do more with technology when I was willing to rethink how I wanted my classroom to function and how I wanted my students to think about their role in learning. I am walking away with the same feeling I did those years ago - an empowerment that I can make a difference in the lives of others, fostering positive change through the connections I make as a result of technology use both in and out of the classroom.

 In addition to hearing inspiring and thoughtful keynotes and sessions from Adam Bellow, George Couros, and Dean Shareski, I was invited to participate in some fun with the staged photo above resulting in the following tweets: 

I appreciated my time with them as they definitely practice what they preach. They find the fun in anything and take moments to say kind words and give their time to others they impact. Not a bad way to start a conference or spend your lunch. The Seinfeld references didn't hurt, either (the soup counts). 

This was my second time presenting at MACUL, and I got to do it three times! Each session offered a slightly different aspect of how I use technology in my classroom to blend learning, engage students, connect with others, and provide opportunities for my students to think beyond our classroom as they share their work with others. I was incredibly flattered by the positive energy and response from each presentation (especially to the dancing). 

It was awesome to finally meet so many people I connect with online and share what I do in my classroom face to face. I am really proud of the work I am able to do because of the support I am given from the place where I teach. I was also really excited to present with Tricia Fuglestad from Illinois, who was at MACUL for the first time! 

The presentation I am most proud of is the one I got to do with the people I work with everyday. Even though it was not the biggest session, it was the one that I felt offered others the full picture of what a school can look like when they have passionate teachers and leaders who understand and utilize the potential of technology in the classroom. It was powerful to see how learning can look when everyone is focused on student success both in school and beyond. 

There are so many things I could go on writing about, but instead I created the storify below that includes some of my highlights from the conference and what others had to say about my presentations. Thanks again for everyone who connected with me and I am excited to continue on those connections until we can all meet again at the next conference.