Attending an education conference can be an amazing experience. You get to attend a number of sessions that interest you and learn from other educators who you’ve never met before.You get to sit down and eat a meal like an actual human being instead of scarfing it down in 10 minutes. You come away with ideas for your classroom or school. You come back refreshed and ready to take learning to a new level. It’s pretty sweet!
This week, I had the opportunity to attend the Pennsylvania Educational Technology Expo and Conference (PETE&C – Cool acronym, I know.) in Hershey, Pennsylvania, the sweetest place on earth. I checked out a session on PD Stations (of course!), learned about the Chromebook +, figured out podcasting on a budget, learned about antidotes for the anxious generation, and heard the term AI at least 1,037 different times. It was an amazing two days and I attended some awesome sessions.
Below are some takeaways:
AI is here to stay. As Carl Hooker, Tuesday’s keynote speaker said, we need to evolve or go extinct. There are many uses for artificial intelligence, some that are incredibly positive, and some that are not. Just like putting a sixteen year old behind the steering wheel of a car, we need to help students understand the power of AI, and help them harness that power in positive ways. We need to model appropriate uses, and lead the way in utilizing the technology to be more efficient and effective.
Kids need help navigating. While technology usage is at an all time high with students, we need to help them navigate the landscape. The top stressors for teens (much caused by the constant attachment to devices) lead to the top stressors that we face as adults. We need to help our teenagers (and those younger) figure out a balance now so that they don’t continue to grow as the anxious generation. We need to help them balance technology, figuring out how to take a break while also re-engaging. We need to help them manage distractions and maintain focus, helping them to find some calm within all of the chaos. We won’t be successful as educators without helping them along.
A podcast can show off your school. I played around with the idea of a school podcast a few years ago. I had some of our 2nd and 3rd grade students share about some of the projects they were working on in science. It was a successful experiment and more than a few parents and community members checked out the episodes. Like lots of other things, the project kind of fell off of the table. After attending a session Podcasting on Pennies, I am inspired to try it again. Ideas included featuring episodes with each teacher (and long term subs) so that teachers can get to know the person behind the name. School and district initiatives can be highlighted, and the community can learn more about all of the positives happening in your school. It’s a great communication tool that I’m not using. Yet.
The front window is bigger than the rearview mirror. Carl Hooker shared this insight to close his keynote speech. We will have an easier time looking at the road ahead than looking to the past. The technology is there and able to help us in a myriad of ways. We need to harness technology, accept its limitations, and continue to move forward in innovative ways. Let’s keep pushing the envelope and engaging students in ways that engage them in their world. Keep your eye on the road ahead and keep moving forward.
What a sweet way to start the week (in the sweetest place on earth)!
Rich