This past weekend I had the chance to attend MACUL 2014, a conference focused around technology and education. It was held in Grand Rapids, Michigan at Devos Place and the Amway Hotel. Yes, there were enough presentations to fill the rooms of both buildings. This conference was my first professional conference; the experience was delightful. Being cramped together in a room other professionals and experts brought out fun conversations.
The second session I attended discussed and modeled different ways to use photography and videos to engage students. The point was well made as the lesson engaged the entire room of educators to converse about the proposed math problem. The problem was to find the number of packages of frosting would cover a three layered cake. I would like to say that we as "experts" spent too much time on talking about the problem, the various assumptions we should make, and the different ways to attack the problem. I would have liked to hear more about how to enact the lesson effectively because we would love to have the engagement level that was in the room, not all students have the background knowledge to engage at that level. Nonetheless, I think the model lesson showed what could be possible. What I took away from this session was that pictures and videos can make textbook problems or story problems become real for students.
I came in with the expectation of picking up some tips and tricks to use in the classroom. Through my somewhat accidental choices, the other two sessions I attended did not necessarily give my practical tips to enact in my daily teaching practice but rather served as informational sessions.
The first session's presentation focused on the legality of providing student access to online classes as an alternative to classic classes. So the first 30 minutes were law and legal heavy but the conversation shifted towards practical uses. Two of the main questions that were brought up were "how do we ensure students don't cheat during online tests?" and "do we require students to be physically present in class?"
The last session was do's and don'ts when implementing a 1:1 structure. Administrators from Midland gave recently learned advice and insights from their previous year's project. I unexpectedly enjoyed this presentation as I was actually contemplating leaving within the first 10 minutes. I wanted to employ a 1:1 in my classroom at some point in the future. This session informed me about how difficult that may be. I can't just bring 40 computers into my classroom and begin to use it. It is not that simple. There needs to be precautions set up. Parents need to be notified. The network must be prepared for more traffic. Insurance policies must be set. I was glad to hear of that before I applied for a grant.
Beyond the conference itself, the surrounding time was well occupied with bonding experiences with my cohort. I was accompanied by two wonderful people, Leah and Eliza, in my drive to Grand Rapids from Ann Arbor. They did well to keep me awake with some great karaoke and a touch of real talk. Leah and I shared the music culture of our middle school lives (e.g. Get Low by Lil' John and The East Side Boyz). After the conference, we were able to have a taste of the food culture GR has to offer. Finally, I had the honor to be accompanied by Leah on the way back as well. If you know Leah, I wouldn't have to say it was a party.
