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. 

I had a great time last week facilitating an MAEA Summer PD workshop on Technology in the Art Classroom. We were very fortunate to have the wonderful facilities of Byron Center High School to demonstrate what is possible when you effectively employ technology in the classroom and allow your students to interact and document their learning through various tools. As you can see from the pictures above, there was plenty of hands-on messiness for this workshop and proof that more technology does not lead to less hands-on learning! I have to give a HUGE thank you to Schoology and TechSmith Education for helping me put together such a great workshop. I got a ton of positive feedback and their help was crucial in making that happen! 

This was my second year as a workshop facilitator for MAEA Summer PD - I hope to do it again next year! 

I had an awesome time at WGVU Studios last Wednesday for the PBS LearningMedia Summit. As a 2014 PBS LearningMedia Digital Innovator, I had the opportunity to share my experiences with using this resource in my classroom and some insight on why it is SO valuable. If you have not checked it out, you really should. Like now. Stop reading this and go sign up for a free account. You will be wondering why you hadn't sooner, I promise! 

In addition to sharing resources, it was great to meet other teachers and the members of WGVU Studios. Their passion for helping teachers and bringing opportunities to students is something that left me extremely pumped for the upcoming school year. 

I feel that these learning opportunities have helped me feel more prepared to enter my classroom after a long summer of hiking, travel, and making art. 

What has helped you feel more prepared about entering your classroom this Fall? Any tips, websites, or new ideas you can't wait to share? Feel free to comment below.