#FallCUE -- It’s kinda like Christmas

I absolutely love Christmas. All of it. Every year we head up to Truckee and cut down a tree and it is one of my favorite things we do each year. Last year, my husband and I went with my parents and for the first time no kids. I took my iPod touch with me and recorded the tree falling and the sounds of the birds in the forest, uploading it to YouTube as soon as I got home. I also love reading cooking magazines and getting ideas for the dishes my mom and I will cook together. I love the music, the cinnamon scented candles, and the lights. I love seeing my family and connecting with friends. It’s not about the presents. Really, just get me some lip gloss and a bottle of wine and I am a happy girl! I love Christmas because of the whole experience of it and how happy it makes me feel.

That’s why #fallcue is like Christmas. If you asked me to tell you the best thing about the conference, I couldn’t tell you. It’s all of it. It’s about arriving a day early and going out to dinner with friends and people you just met in Healdsburg at the Bear Republic Brewery. It’s about the jalepeno tower burger with cream cheese and the outdoor heater, and the amazing ahi tacos at Gott’s Roadside in St. Helena that went perfectly with the sweet potato chili cheese fries. It’s about the conversation over pretzels and the ‘80’s music on the way back to the hotel. It’s the anticipation of the first day of the conference and changing your mind every time you look at the session schedule because there is so much awesomeness to choose from.

image credit @ucdjoe 

Fall CUE is like Christmas because every session has the potential to be as magical as opening a gift on Christmas morning. Where a session on math iPad apps with @skolhatkar can give you the chills and move you. Where you feel like a kid exploring the world of Minecraft even though you’re not very good at building and keep accidentally digging holes. When you listen to Ramsay Musallam’s @ramusallam keynote and you can’t wait to watch it again because there were so many things in it that I want to remember and share. It’s adding a #hashtag in your conversation and laughing even though it’s silly by now. #overkill

Ramsay Musallam Keynote

My Minecraft screen. So cool.

Fall CUE is like Christmas because we get to connect with others, to laugh, and talk and be social. 

It’s tweets like this by Teresa @bcoeedtech that made my day. What she doesn’t know is that I get my energy from the room! As tired as I was by the end of day 2, I was also energized and inspired with everything I saw and learned and shared. When I go to a conference, I want to experience it all. I arrive early and stay late and don’t want to miss a thing. I am sad for those who left early Friday and missed an amazing keynote. It's true that you might get to the hotel earlier or miss the dinner rush, but you might also miss that thing that touches your soul. You might miss something that challenges your thinking or motivates you to try something you never thought you would.

Fall CUE is like Christmas because of the conversation. But it’s not just conversation over the dinner table. It’s the conversation that’s happening in the session about creating Maker Spaces. It’s about the backchannel conversation on Today’s Meet that allows 50 participants to talk and share and listen while learning at the same time. It’s the conversation on Twitter that lets me know what’s inspiring others who are not in the same room as me, and allows people like my friend Poppi to be inspired from home. It’s the conversation in collaborative notes so you can feel like you were in every session. And, yes, it’s about the hashtags- especially #fallcue which is still continuing the conversation even when the conference is over.

My approach to Fall CUE was very different than Christmas shopping, where you arrive with a list of things you are looking for. I wasn’t looking for anything specific, or to master anything. I know enough about Minecraft to know I have so much more to learn! My list was simple.

Be inspired. Connect with people. Have fun.

And I did! I can’t wait for Palm Springs in March! It’s just like Christmas-- I’m counting the days!

Sparkle on!

Celebrate!

Last week, I suffered a sparkle lapse. There, I said it. For the first time all year, I didn’t publish my staff blog. I think there was just a bit too much on my plate and I decided that I needed to be ok with skipping the week. Just this time. Maybe no one even noticed! My goal has been to blog each week, and I had been looking forward to this week- there was no way I was going to miss two in a row! In each week’s post, I have a “food for thought” section, where I try to share something fun, inspiring, or thought provoking. Sometimes it’s a video, a quote, or a story. Once in awhile it’s my own thoughts but I do love when I find something from one of my friends or colleagues to highlight in that spot. This week, I'm posting my food for thought here...

This morning, like many mornings, I was enjoying my coffee and checking out my email and Twitter. Bam! Inspiration hit me with my subscription to Katherine Sokolowski and her Read, Write, Reflect blog. It’s one of my favorites, and her posts always have me thinking. This week, her post is entitled “Let’s Celebrate!” and she shares about Ruth Ayres and her  blog challenge to share something to celebrate each week. Love! Check out Ruth's Celebrate Link UP where each week she invites you to share something you’d like to celebrate that week. I know that sometimes we can have a dark day, or a dark week- like last week when I lost my sparkle. But there is so much to celebrate! Here are some things that I’m celebrating this week- things that made my heart full and my spirit sparkle!

1. Market Day! Our amazing 2nd grade teachers brought project-based learning to life as their students collaborated to create a “shop” where they provided a good or service to our K-3 students who shopped til they dropped! Students earned market bucks throughout the week for good behavior. The second grade students worked in teams and did an awesome job of getting their products ready- including several nail salons, a Minecraft prop shop, tissue flowers, and sparkly clay pots. Check out the Animoto and a few commercials  below! This was an excellent example of a real-life, relevant assessment of learning to culminate their communities unit. I ended up with a beautiful flower, a glittery pot, a hair band and a journal. Awesome!

Minecraft Props

Rockin’ Tattoos

Nail Polish Stars

Market day Animoto

2. I am also celebrating our fearless new teachers who, with just two days GLAD training under their belts have been implementing strategies to increase student engagement! I dare you to say the word coniferous to a first grade student! They are sure to bust out with a motion and a super academic definition! Kindergarten students can tell you all about the Bald Eagle, and third graders can be heard chanting a rounding song, even at lunch! Our second graders are also immersed in their communities unit- with their own communities decorating our halls with rural and suburban examples. GLAD strategies are everywhere!
3. October is Connected Educators Month! This is also something to celebrate! Many people may think of technology when they think of connected educators- teachers Tweeting, Skyping, blogging and more. For sure, those are ways to connect. But for me, being a connected educator is so much more. I am inspired daily by educators that I connect with- at my school, online, through the Area 3 Writing Project, and people I have met in person. This past summer, I met Nancy Minicozzi , known as @coffeenancy on Twitter this summer at CUE Rockstar Tahoe. Even though she did not attend my book trailer session, she has created several awesome book trailers and shared one with me today using Voki, a tool I did not know about! Check it out here!
4. Finally, I’d like to celebrate that I work in a school that inspires teachers to be creative and innovative. As expected, teachers start with the grade level standards when designing curriculum. Then, teachers consider the students, their interests, and instructional needs and design something customized just for them. It is a TON of work, but the results are amazing when teachers aren’t bound by a scripted textbooks.
   
   

There’s so much more to celebrate! The beautiful fall weather, the Harvest Festival, and the Book Fair is coming to my school!

What are you celebrating this week? Click on Today’s Meet and share something you love!

It's been too long! It's Monday! What are you reading?

Jen and Kellee host this meme- be sure to stop by and comment on their wonderful blog:

Teach Mentor Texts

Spring break. That was the last time I blogged about reading! At the top of that list was Sunset magazine had just finished Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore. It was also the last time I blogged on my classroom blog. I am so excited to finally be back blogging about books! It's been too long. Some things have changed: I have a new blog and a new position as a lead learner at an amazing school with transitional kindergarten through third grade students. What hasn't changed is my love for books! Although my summer was busy, I still made time for reading. I didn't read as many books as I'd planned, but I did find inspiration and imagination on blogs, on Twitter, in videos, and even in a few books. So, here we go! It's Monday! Here's what I'm reading!

This month, I have been reading The Round House by Louise Erdich. I'm only about halfway through it. It tells the story of an unspeakable crime from the point of view of a young man. It's both hard to read and hard to put down. It's our next week's book for discussion. I'm looking forward to finishing it and hoping for justice in the end.

Up next, I'm looking forward to reading Invent to Learn! I love the idea of kids learning by creating, making and building, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the ideas can be incorporated into our school. I also need to check out diy.org, a place where kids can earn virtual badges! Thanks, Joe Wood, for the ideas!

Lately, most of my reading has been online. I subscribe to quite a few blogs and follow others on Facebook. Michael Linsin, the author of Dream Class writes a blog called Smart Classroom Management with positive and practical ideas to inspire every educator. His most recent post was about instilling a love of school. Check it out!

Teach Like a Pirate is one of my favorite books. But, did you know Dave's wife, Shelley, is one of my favorite bloggers? The day I discovered her blog I read every single post! This year, our school is focused on finding ways to engage and inspire students. One of her posts "Are Your Kids Just Doing School?" challenged me to really reflect about what motivates students and how as educators we need to think about our students, their needs, and their interests.

Finally, classroom management is always a challenge at the beginning of the school year, no matter how long you've been in the classroom. What's the right way? The right rule? Do I need a clip chart or a card chart? Katherine Sokolowski is another one of my favorite bloggers. Check out her post for a fresh take on the topic of classroom management.

So, although most of my reading has been of the online variety, I am so happy to be back blogging and reading! I can't wait to hear from you!  What are you reading?

Reflections of a lead learner: Back-to-School

At the end of the first week of school, I’m still standing! I recall hearing years ago in one of my administrative credential classes that being a school administrator is both exhausting and exhilarating-- it’s true! Opening a school year is no small feat and takes the work of many dedicated people. I am thankful to work with such an amazing team.
Over the last few weeks, many people have asked me if I miss not having a class of my own this year. I have thought a lot about this question-- mainly because every time people ask me I feel weird! At first, I wasn’t sure how to answer the question. And then I felt bad. Because I realized I don’t miss having a class of my own. Here’s why: Every year, I waited eagerly for my class list to see who I would be teaching that year. I was excited to create our learning environment, to create space to display work, and to purchase the tools students would need to be successful. Once I knew the names of my students, I could consider their interests and needs when planning for the year. I reflected on past years and what worked and what needed to improve. I refined my classroom procedures, hoping that this would be THE year that my classroom would run smoothly. And I bought a new outfit and cute, comfy shoes that would allow me to get the job done in style. Every year I eagerly anticipated a new year with the students I happened to be teaching that year. This year is no different. It’s true, I don’t have a class of 26 five and six year olds entering Room 6 to embark on a journey through first grade. What is a class anyways? Isn’t is a learning community? This is why I can say without a doubt that I don’t miss having a “class” of my own this year. Preparing for this school year wasn’t really that different than in years past. If we define a class as a community of learners, I still have that. This year, I eagerly awaited interviews to find just the right teachers to fill some unexpected vacancies at my school. I was excited to help create an environment for learning-- it just happened to be our school instead of my classroom. We created spaces to display the work of both teachers and students, and I purchased the tools needed for our school to be successful. Once I knew the names of my teachers, I considered their talents and interests as I decided which teacher was the right piece in our staffing puzzle. I reflected on past years, and gathered input when thinking about things we might need to improve. I wrote and rewrote policies and procedures- handbooks, bell schedules, and the ever-important drop-off and pickup routines, in hopes that the new year would start off smoothly. And I bought some new outfits, mostly dresses and some new shoes. This year, instead of cute and comfy, I was looking for principal shoes! Classy and comfy are a tough mix to find! With shopping completed, the school freshly painted, and the schedules complete, I eagerly awaited the first day of school like I had every year for 16 years.  
This year, I don’t miss having my own class because I still have an amazing community of learners. My learning community this year includes the smallest pre-k kids, BIG third graders and everyone in between, teachers, support staff, and families. And that’s just at my school! My learning community also includes passionate and creative educators that I connect with - on Twitter, through the Area 3 Writing Project, and CUE, both online and in person. We are busy setting goals and we have big hopes and dreams for this year. It’s great to be back to school!

The Lone Nut and Moonshot Thinking: Lessons learned from #CUERockstar & #GAFEsummit

   

All week, I kept thinking that I needed to reflect on my experience at CUE Rockstar, a hands-on teacher tech camp that took place last week in Truckee. Such a gorgeous place! This is a picture of Donner Lake shot with  my Android phone on the evening of the last day.

I’ll never forget the Facebook message I sent Joe Wood after seeing his call for presenters on Twitter in February. “I don’t really think I'm a rockstar, but it seems like there just aren’t that many people out there doing tech with little kids.” Joe, like he always does, says “You’ll be great!” And so, I sent off my application and waited. I was very excited when I received the email that I’d been accepted. I went to school and encouraged my friends to sign up to attend. Three days of professional development for $149? In a vacation destination? Of course, they said yes. I was both nervous and excited about the opportunity to lead tech PD for CUE.

And then I saw this video. Trina Carter mentioned that she had seen it on the CUE Rockstar website. Watch it and then continue reading.

Trina told me, “Jen, you’re the shirtless guy! I’ll be your first follower!” Now I was really scared. I was going to have to raise my game for sure to be a Rockstar presenter. And I was even more scared when I saw the list of presenters. Kevin Brookhouser. John Stevens. Will Kimbley. Alice Chen. Diane Main. Ryan O’Donnell. Jeanne Feeney. Joe Wood. Tally Burkhart. Most, if not all, are Google Certified Teachers. REAL Rockstars. The kind you read about all the time on Twitter and in CUE Magazine. But, I am fearless to a fault, so I just got ready and crossed my fingers! Catlin Tucker said once, “It will either be fabulous or it will be over.” I adopted this as my mantra. I asked my daughter Hope, “What if no one comes to my sessions?” to which she replied, “Just go learn from someone else!” Smart girl. I WISH I could have attended the other sessions. There is so much to learn and there were so many amazing sessions. Long story short, I had a great time. My sessions were full and I discovered that it’s true what they say: the smartest person in the room is the ROOM. We all learned together and had a great time. We took a Rockstar hike. We danced. We ate ice cream. We tweeted. I loved hanging out with my Buckeye friends - Poppi, Trina, Connie, Kori, and Natasha! I can’t wait for next year!

But, in spite of what you might have heard about me, I’m not always the shirtless dancing guy leading people down a tech rabbit hole! Sometimes I’m that first follower. Take this weekend, for example! It was about 7:00 am. I was up early to let my new puppy out. She’s very cute, but she does not sleep in!

Since I was up, I decided to participate in the #satchatwc chat on Twitter, a chat moderated by Shelley Burgess that provides a weekly forum for West Coast educators to talk about current issues. As I was chatting, I started noticing the #GAFEsummit hashtag showing up on Twitter. It turns out there was another conference going on in the Bay Area- the Google Apps for Education Summit. There was no way I was going anywhere else, but I was able to follow the conference online by following the tweets! It was ALMOST like I was there. I sat there in my PJ’s and learned right along with the attendees. I so appreciate all of those educators who tweeted out tips and links during the 2 day conference. I learned how to email a video to my YouTube channel from any mobile device and how to add voice comments to a Google doc. I have two pages of notes just from following the Twitter conversation.

Sunday afternoon, someone tweeted out a link to the video from the keynote speaker. Moonshot Thinking. Check out the video and be inspired!

I think what I have realized most from these two different experiences is that we need the lone nuts- the dancing shirtless people willing to start a movement. We need moonshot thinkers who are willing to say out loud, “Let’s try this!” even if the outcome is uncertain. Sometimes I’m the lone nut, but I also want to be the first follower! When Kevin Brookhouser tweeted out today “Who’s following #GAFEsummit from afar?” I immediately tweeted back, “Me!” I’m so glad I did. Turns out he was looking for a remote correspondent to participate in his session via Google Hangout as he taught teachers how to do student broadcasts. I got to report about my experience following the conference via Twitter-- from my pool deck! I had no idea how it was going to go, but I fixed my hair and said yes. I am so thankful to know educators like Kevin who dream up something cool and just ask for someone to join. Here’s the YouTube video of our hangout. Good, messy fun. And I learned a lot. Next time, I’m presenting from my pool floaty!

So if you aren’t ready to be the shirtless dancing lone nut, I challenge you to be the first follower! When that lone nut asks you to dance, just say yes! After all, it will either be fabulous or it will be over!

Learn. Lead. Sparkle. A new blog for a new beginning.

 CC Photo by Abby Lanes on Flickr.

      Learn. Lead. Sparkle. This blog is brand new, but the idea behind it was born last summer when I was a part of the Area 3 Writing Project Summer Institute. After applying, interviewing, and being selected to spend 4 weeks learning with 16 other K-12 educators, it was the week before the SI was set to begin. For the first day, we had to bring an artifact, some kind of visual representation of ourselves. I began looking around and  had no idea what to take. It turned out I needed a closet remodel to find my artifact. 

      My husband's remodel of our small master closet required me to drag everything so that he could install the new shelves. As I unpacked my closet, I discovered that I owned tons of sparkly things. Gold glitter flip flops. T-shirts with bling on the front. Glamourous jewels, mostly fake. Even light up high heel shoes with glitter straps! 

      I always loved buying things that sparkle, but I had no idea how much until I pulled it all out of my closet last summer. I thought about my collection of glittery things and tried to remember why I started buying sparkly things. I'm definitely not a girly-girl or princess type. That wasn't the reason. It's not about being fancy. Sparkle is all about attitude. 

      We all have those dark days, when nothing goes right. About 10 years ago I had a lot of them in a row. That's when it all started. My first glitter was sparkle face gel. I decided that on days I didn't feel so sparkly, I would wear a little with my eyeshadow. Just a little visual reminder to myself that no matter how I felt on the inside, I could still sparkle on the outside! Every time I looked in the mirror I was reminded that I could suck it up and keep going. 

     Ultimately, I ended up taking my light-up shoes as my artifact. I have actually only worn them once- where I slipped very ungracefully and ended up on the floor! Even though I have retired the shoes, I still love things that sparkle. If you see me anywhere, look for something that glitters! Every day I wear something that sparkles- most days it's a giant ring (not real, of course) - and every day I try to have a positive attitude. For the first time, after 16 years as a K-5 teacher, I am thrilled to be starting new role as an elementary lead learner ( AKA principal) in a K-3 school. I am determined to learn, to lead, and of course sparkle! I hope you'll join me!

Hattie Ever After: Lunch with Kirby Larson

 It might not seem like many (or maybe it seems like a lot) , but I’ve met five authors in my lifetime. The first was Jane Yolen, in 5th grade, when I was selected as a Royal Reader. I don’t remember much, except that I rode on a bus to Sacramento! I also still have my signed copy of The Acorn Quest. How lucky I was to have met Jane Yolen? I never met another author until I was an adult, when I heard Alice Hoffman speak at Borders Books about The Story Sisters in Sacramento in 2010. This year alone, I have met three authors! I treasure my signed copy of Donalyn Miller’s The Book Whisperer and can’t wait for her next book. Erin Dealey visited my first grade class last week and taught my students about the writing process and poetry! Then, on Twitter, I saw this announcement for an event in Danville, California.        

         

Kirby Larson

Who: Award-winning children's novelist, Kirby Larson.

When: Friday, 15 February 2013 at Noon.

How much: Free. We will be serving a light lunch, so reservations are essential.

Where: Rakestraw Books.

     Luckily, I had the day off, so I made a reservation. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I envisioned lots of folding chairs, a podium, and a long line for signing books. We arrived early to buy our books so we would be ready! I couldn’t wait to meet Kirby, who was out doing two school visits that morning before coming to the lunch event. Then the woman behind the counter said, “Lunch will be next door at Amber.” We didn’t know how lucky we were. We really did have lunch with Kirby Larson. At a table for seven.

Rakestraw Books

Rakestraw Books The Bookstore In Danville
http://www.rakestrawbooks.com/

Amber

Amber was delightful and lunch was delicious. But it’s the conversation I will never forget. Kirby shared the story of Hattie, and her great-grandmother who inspired her to write Hattie Big Sky, and the next chapter of Hattie-- Hattie Ever After. She shared her story as a writer. And she gave us advice-- to help us reach and teach our little writers, and to help us as writers ourselves. She told us that writing was a little like being a dog. “You have to sit. You have to stay. You have to dig.”

Sit. Stay. Dig.

So simple, yet profound. She is so right. It takes that time to sit and write, to keep at it and write a little every day. And to write you must know, and care about your topic. Dig for information, for those feelings, and just the right words.

I can’t wait to tell my students about Kirby Larson. And then we’ll write!

Read Kirby Larson's new book!

From Goodreads.com

Hattie Big Sky: 2007 Newbery Honor

Book Trailer By MadisonLibRexburg 

Official website Kirby Larson 

Kirby’s Lane A Place for Readers and Writers

Kirby Larson interview

www.authormagazine.org

*originally posted February 19, 2013 on  my blog at jenniferkloczko.edublogs.org