From Vygotsky to Mickey Mouse, the dialogue has spanned a wide spectrum here at NECC 2008. I consider myself a veteran national conference attendee and presenter, but this was my first time attending “neck.” When coming to these grand galas, I’ve found it’s crucial to be mentally prepared—stay open-minded to finding new ideas and having organic conversations, but be critical of the hypnotic, corporate pull. As I pack my bags to leave, I honestly feel I accomplished that goal and have come away with some wonderful connections to bring to all areas of my work—teaching, writing, leading.
I will spend time blogging about all the influential sessions I was able to attend, but for now, I will share that the most valuable experience I had here at NECC was having a large block of focused time to set up some new technology-based curricular tools for my classroom. My ability to accomplish this was in large part due to my husband, Spiro Bolos, also being in attendance. His expertise with technology was incredibly beneficial as I created a few new pathways for learning, including this blog.
My goal of creating a self-sufficient scientific community of learners by using whole class inquiry is the cornerstone of everything I do in the classroom, and has been instrumental in providing a model for my work as a teacher leader and author. I have wanted to experiment using other tools for obtaining this overall goal. My experiences here at NECC gave me the time and the connections to start this journey.
1 comment:
Reminds me of the article on "Willing to be Disturbed." You have to come prepared with an open mind and be willing to listen to other ideas to successfully learn more!
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