Tweet ThisI had the fortunate opportunity to present at this weekend’s Google Summit in Kitchener. My session was the usual – pedagogy, assessment, making and coding. I call it “the usual” but it is never delivered the same twice. This time around I even added four new slides thirty minutes before I was up. You can download them here: http://brianaspinall.com/?page_id=66. But isn’t that education? Self-refection, tweaks from feedback, adjusting to different audiences. I was short on time, but confident with my content.
@mraspinall shares that content consumption is dead…how far have we really come teaching math? #gafesummit pic.twitter.com/yxbnqUwN44
— BernadetteSmith (@B_ernadette) April 11, 2015
@MsSigner @mraspinall …loved Brian’s seamless approach to bringing Math into the next generation of learners #gafesummit
— Melissa M (@only4melis) April 11, 2015
Rubrics sometime limit students creativity- how do you let your students move beyond the rubric restrictions? #gafesummit @mraspinall
— Emily Fitzpatrick (@ugdsb_missfitz) April 11, 2015
@mraspinall loved your presentation. I am so inspired by coding. A new learning must for me. Thank you #gafesummit
— Raegan White (@raeganawhite) April 11, 2015
Thx for your honest and realistic approach as an educator @mraspinall #gafesummit pic.twitter.com/ynw9wkfmSx
— BernadetteSmith (@B_ernadette) April 11, 2015
In the true EdCamp form, we had a matrix of sessions happening in parallel in multiple rooms. You can review the sessions here: https://sites.google.com/a/edtechteam.com/ontario-schedule/ I learned quite a bit on the technological front about Google Apps that I didn’t know before. I re-connected with old friends and even made some new ones.
I just met @mraspinall! 🙂 #gafesummit
— Sylvia Duckworth (@sylviaduckworth) April 11, 2015
Look who I found! @sylviaduckworth @jen_aston #gafesummit pic.twitter.com/aPT5jMgB0d
— Brian Aspinall (@mraspinall) April 11, 2015
Sylvia went to to say I look like Ryan Reynolds. I went home and did push ups.
@eduk8u @mraspinall @VancityReynolds Deadringer! @MmeM27 pic.twitter.com/EYSXwXXjip
— Sylvia Duckworth (@sylviaduckworth) April 11, 2015
I also met David for the first time f2f. We have been twitter colleagues for years but never could seem to find each other at these events. We made a point of it this time.
You’re missing out @DavidFifeVP! Keynote about to start at #gafesummit Ontario. @mraspinall #ongafesummit. pic.twitter.com/9yiRk1g543
— David Carruthers (@pluggedportable) April 11, 2015
I even photobombed a selfie!
#ongafesummit with @ebaumi pic.twitter.com/0Vgfj9n5XZ
— Carlo Fusco (@mrfusco) April 11, 2015
I got very close to meeting Jamie. Sad it didn’t happen f2f.
@mraspinall Hello from the gym!
— Jamie Reaburn Weir (@msjweir) April 11, 2015
Robert eventually found me. It was a little game of Hide and Go Seek.
@mraspinall wave or something
— Robert Wiebe (@eduk8u) April 11, 2015
@mraspinall i will find you eventually LOL
— Robert Wiebe (@eduk8u) April 11, 2015
However, there was something different this weekend. A kind of buzz and energy I haven’t felt at a tech conference before. It may have just been the Spring like weather, but I think it was something more.
In attendance there were students. There were teachers. There were principals. There was also MoE folk. It didn’t matter who you spoke to or what session you went to – the underlying idea of change seemed consistent. As educators we know we have to change and we know why. It won’t be easy, but that’s OK.
The question is how.
What matters most is what we do next.
What will you do next? If you attended this weekend as a participant, I encourage you to share back at your school. Send an email. Write a blog post. Host an after school session. Like George Couros says “a teacher choses to live in isolation in this connected world.” Sharing has become incredibly easy. Don’t isolate yourself.
I learned about EdPuzzle for diagnostic assessment and I look forward to sharing it on Monday’s PLC and Tuesday’s TLLP sessions. I am sharing how to use the app for assessment for learning – not the app itself – and I think there is a big difference. Pedagogy before technology.
What will you share?
Go outside and play. It’s beautiful… Thanks Poppa for getting me through another one.
For all the kids who grow up in a small town and think they don’t stand a chance. You do. I was once that kid.
It was great learning with you this weekend, and finally meeting face-to-face. I look forward to further adventures.
Same to you! Long overdue.
It was great seeing you this weekend Brian! Thanks for your post reflecting on the weekend. The energy at the conference was certainly fantastic and I am so proud of the amazing educators here in Ontario that are super dedicated. There were so many outstanding sessions and even more wonderful people. Truly an honour to be part of the event and to have attended.
Thanks for writing about your experience. Yes, let’s share! Let’s keep moving forward and thinking about what *next*.
Next, this girl has some planning for the week ahead!
Hey Brian,
Thanks so much for your tweets and blog post about the #gafesummit this past weekend. It was interesting following along with the hastags as the conference rolled on, I’m bummed that I missed it. I spent 2 and half days last week at an OPC Math conference with your VP. We must get that tour bus rolling!
Thanks again for all your tweets, posts and effort to move our thinking forward.
Dave