My Free Summer PD

Right now I am one of many educators who is not attending ISTE 2015 (International Society for Technology in Education).  I will admit that I do feel a little left out but I am enjoying following the action on Twitter, Instagram and Google+.  It has also got me thinking about what I will be learning this summer so I thought I would share some less obvious PD gems available.

CueRockstar Teacher Camp Resources:  It always surprises me that people do not realize that all of the resources from each camp are freely available for any and all to see, use, and learn from.  Even the resources from past camps are available.  Below I have a short screencast showing how to easily access these resources.  There are so many that I will be learning well into the fall.  The beauty is I get to pick and choose which resources and when.  

Here are some examples of the types of resources that you will find:

Adina Sullivan's Day 3 Session Thinglink (CueRockstar LaJolla):  I need to learn how to help teachers integrate more project based learning and this will help!

I am also all about learning how to make, edit, etc... videos for myself and my students.  Doug Robertson's session from the Chico camp - Adventures in You Tubery - is not only useful information but an example of how to use a Google Site to share information.

Finally, I love how Jen Roberts organizes her resources on a Google Doc (a great example to use with you students whether they are kiddos or adults! Writing for Technical Subjects - Day 2 of LaJolla camp

Just a quick post to get you started on some free and meaningful PD this summer.
ENJOY!

#CueRockstar Tulare, Just Like Home

If you are a Californian, you know that Tulare is "somewhere in the middle of the state."  It is an area of immense farmland and an abundance of 100+ degree summer days.  Of all the #CueRockstar sites this summer, Tulare might be considered the least glamorous.  For this year's attendees and this presenter, attending in Tulare could be considered a homecoming.

I grew up in Pebble Beach, just a slightly different environment from the vast farmland of the central valley.  However, I attended college in Stockton and Chico which required driving through and living near farm country.  I remember getting laughed at when I was 20 for stating that I had no idea who or what John Deere was.  Ironically, a few years later, I ended up spending many hours riding in John Deere combines and tractors and starting tube lines to water crops so I could spend time with my husband while he worked fields.  During that time, I found a love and appreciation for the farming landscape and all it encompasses.

Tulare was the perfect place to attend CueRockstar because it is the convergence of all that is California.  The agriculture is the foundation of our state and we were completely surrounded by it at Sundale School.  Tulare's central location also pulls in the city influence from the Bay Area, Sacramento, and So Cal.  It truly could be considered:
THE nexus of the state - the central and most important point or place, a connected group or series.

The most important thing to remember about attending a #CueRockstar event is that it is NOT about the place, it is about the people and the relationships.  Although I was labeled a presenter, I was more of a bright eyed learner driven by the enthusiasm and energy of all who attended.  Everything about #CueRockstar nurtures interactions, sharing, risk-taking, active learning and leading, inspiration and innovation.  For those of us Lone Nuts, coming together is like coming home to those who accept you for who you are with all of your idiosyncrasies.

This post is more for those who experienced Tulare with me.  I want you all to know that my heart is smiling from the permanent imprint you all left.  For those who have not attended a #CueRockstar event, the only way you can understand the impact is to go and don't think that the place you attend matters because it is the people who attend with you that matter the most.

The 2015 #CueRockstar fever has begun and will continue throughout the summer.  If there is an opening, grab it, it will change your teaching and your life (I know, that sounds so cheesy!).

Here are the daily sessions from #CueRockstar Tulare CLICK HERE - another great thing, they share everything freely!

In closing, I wrote this post back in February 2012, Is it the Place or the Relationships?  It speaks to the connections we have/make to the places that are significant to us.

Thank you all who organized, attended, presented, supported, and shared!