Week of March 10th - TI3 Conference - Not as long - Been a busy week and I'm tired!!!

Sunday was a busy day with lots of work to be done.  I did not get the one thing done that I wanted to finish – my PhD – chapter 4 but I did get all the work done to be able to go to work and be productive on Monday.  Yeah!!!!  I had dinner at the Roe’s, which is typical and I love.  Jessica made my favorite mean – Spinach Fettuccine Alfredo.  We also had salad and Oreo dessert so it was a good night.  Yum!!!!  I got all the ironing done in the evening and even was able to go to bed by 10:30 pm.  I was very proud of myself.    However, Monday came……Can we say BUSY???  I knew this week was going to be rough because I was only working three days before the Texas Instruments Conference, but WOW!   The three days I worked this week may have pointed out to me how much I still have to learn.   I have been feeling pretty good recently, plugging along, staying busy but still getting it.  After our firecracker ring escapade I felt like, “I got this.”  Guess what, “I don’t have this.”  I know that sounds awful but we are being honest here.   I have not really been trained on how to put in suspensions in the computer.  While I know we use the Assertive Discipline Systems (ADS), I have not had to go in and put together a full packet and do the paperwork.  So, as you know my secretary is out on maternity leave, the other secretary has an audit on Thursday and the last secretary changed positions and there is a new secretary in place who does not know the system.  Well guess what….you got it.  I have not been trained either.  The training I went to was more along the do this…this has changed…and so on…  I never had to put in a full suspension to the expulsion from start to finish on my own.  So this week was a struggle on Monday to get all the paperwork done for our suspensions.  I feel very ill equipped (imagine me with a frown).  Everything was put together and got to where it needed to go but I don’t feel it was done well and as you know I am a over-achiever and a bit OCD so this bothers me. 

On Monday, I got to eat dinner with my education friend and catch up on what is going on then returned to work to get organized for the next day since things were so crazy.  On Tuesday I had the High School Task force meeting where we are discussing different types of diplomas for students and then went back to work for the track meet.  I was sad as well because the Boy’s Basketball team, who are so good, lost their games to a team ranked #4 in the nation.  Now, the positive side of me is, “Well if you have to lose to a team, better to lose to someone that great,” but man, it sucks to lose!!!  I know the kids were bummed but the other admin at the game continued to send me updates as the night went on so that I could keep up to date on the score.   I was bad and had one of my favorite meals that night – Del Taco.  I know I know, what is special about a bean burrito, but for some reason I love them and they are soooooo good.  The crinkle cut fries that are so bad for you are good as well.  I got home around 9:35 pm and finished getting items together to leave from work to go to the conference in Vegas.  Yes, I did say Vegas.  A lot of people are telling me how much fun I am going to have and how lucky I am and while I do agree I am lucky and will have fun.  My time in Vegas is all about learning about the TI Nspire and iPad App for TI.  They have it set up so that we are doing all kinds of PD and interactions with others so there is very little time to “do Vegas.”  I am okay with that since I was just there with the girls this summer.  My favorite part is old Vegas but mainly because I like the lights and entertainment on the street.

So here I am in the Ontario Airport that is easy to get in and out of, surprisingly, after a long day of work and I am about to fall asleep.  It is only an hour flight but I am worried about staying awake now to get on the plane. LOL!!!   It will be good to see all my TI friends and friends from District 5 who are coming.  I know it is only two of them, Leza and Yarah but it will be nice to see them!! 

On a side note:  To the two MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL players in the two rows behind me.  No one on this plane cares you are a MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL players.  No one on the plane wanted your autograph and no one cares who you know.  You ruined the flight for the people in the 10 rows in front of you because you talked so loudly and would not sit next to one another on the place, which had open seating!!!  Please notice how polite everyone else was and did not say anything to you but shot you the dirtiest looks I have ever seen.  For these two BOYS who are pushing 37, you need to get a clue and grow up.  We don’t need to hear your stories!!!

I made it to Vegas safely and without killing the guys behind me in the airplane.  I found my friend Howard who I was able to ride to the hotel with and we ate dinner together.  Howard is always fun because he is so talkative and open.  He has been a great friend / mentor to me

Thursday

So I am at the T3 Conference and I just got an absolutely great quote about why we need to have Essential Questions and Agendas in the classroom, at meetings, and for things we do.

         “It is not enough that the teacher knows where the students are headed, the students much also know where they are headed; and both teacher and students must be moving in the same direction.”

I LOVE the above quote and this is my thought from it…..Kids want and need to know where we are doing and where we are doing with their learning.  There is so much going on in their lives and they are connected to the world.   Students must pick and choose what they “attend to” cognitively.  We have to make the hidden visible for students and what is commonplace for the professional educator, may not be for the student. 

Saturday

The past three days, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, have been a whirlwind of activity, so much so it has been hard to breath figuratively and literally.  While Las Vegas may be fun for some, I have only been here for conferences and I think Las Vegas is lost on me a little.  I like Old Vegas because of the lights and entertainment on the streets.  I guess if I was here to dress up, gamble and party I would view it in a different light.  Instead, I have been at meetings every morning by 7:00 am until 8:00 pm at night along with sessions each day.  It has been a great time and I have learned a lot, met a lot of new people and brainstormed ideas with many across the United States, Canada and Australia but it is time to get some sleep – of which I lose an hour tonight due to the time change. 

Thanks to my breakfast crew, Donald, Erick, Jeff for two great breakfasts.  I truly enjoyed sharing time with you and talking.  Still cannot believe all the great food we had.  Sorry I did not get pictures of the second breakfast because the waffles and french toast were amazing also!!!

Jeff's Pancake

Leann's Vegetarian Option

Erick - What were you thinking - Pancakes and eggs!!!  

The conference has been phenomenal so far.  I have met so many wonderful TI3 people who I am able to catch up with and make new friends through them.  It is a social butterflies paradise because everyone is willing to talk and make connections.  There is just not enough time to talk with everyone!!!!  

Cat and I - Cat is the one that got me involved with TI - She is FANTASTIC!!!!

Howard and I - We knew each other from DonorsChoose.org online and actually met through TI.

Sunday

Today was the last day of the conference in Vegas!!!  This morning, I saw an excellent presentation on the changes to the AP Science Tests which shed a lot of light on items in the AP World.  I am excited to take the info back and share it with the teachers at my school.  One of the presenters is the nice lady who shared a cab with me to the airport last year and it was nice to re-connect with her.  The closing session was amazing.  The speaker was David Saltzberg, who is the Science Technical Advisor for The Big Bang Theory TV Show.  He was so funny and showed us clips from the show and told us about items he worked on as well as his job and what he must do.  He says it was funny to teach the guys on the show who had no science background about science.  He mentioned he was happy with Amy Farrah Fowler (Mayim Bialik) joined the show because she really does have a science background and she helps to answer the biology questions since he is an astrophysicist.  I really did enjoy his talk and it was a great way to end the conference.

David Salzberg, The Big Bang Theory Technical Advisor for Science

Dr. Steven Schlozman - Dr. Zombie - works with Max Brooks and helped to write the STEM Behind Hollywood Zombie Apocalypse program.

I cannot believe how much I need the Internet for to get things done.  I am so far behind because I only had my phone the past four days for Internet access and I don't get as much done on my phone as I would like.  It makes me want to get wi-fi on my iPad but honestly, I am too cheap to do it because I don't have that many times when I don't have access.  However, when I don't it is a pain.  So I am sitting at the Las Vegas airport, which has free wi-fi working to get things done so that I can get home and unpack and begin to repack for the ASCD conference this week.  Yes, you heard me.  I am gone again this weekend to LA.  Squeak is going to be so made at me!!!