The Soup Counts - MACUL 14

Having fun with George Couros & Dean Shareski after his session "Whatever Happened to Joy?"

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: 

Packed house for @shareski's talk. #macul14 http://t.co/1SFKpmDuD4

— George Couros (@gcouros) March 13, 2014

I owned the audience today. http://t.co/lJGo4HRHEc #macul14 cc @djakes

— Dean Shareski (@shareski) March 13, 2014

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). 

Before my first session at MACUL14 on Blended Learning in my classroom - it was a great crowd!

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). 

@campbellartsoup I totally danced with you. I even threw in a scissor kick. #macul14

— MACUL E. Culkin (@MACULfun) March 13, 2014

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! 

Karen, Jessica, me, and Tricia before Tricia and I presented on Video Production with students in the classroom. This was our first time all meeting face to face!

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. 

Ryan Molenkamp (Math/History), Jeff Gdowski (Math), Ben Lacy (Science), Kenny King (Science/Math), Dan Takens (Superintendent), me, and John Krajewski (Principal) after our presentation about the BCWMS 1:1 Journey.

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.