EdCamp Come to Iowa!

The information below was forwarded to me by Dr. Scott McLeod:

EdCampIowa, Iowa’s first cross-state unconference! EdCampIowa West will be hosted by Prairie Lakes AEA at the Buena Vista University Forum in Storm Lake. EdCampIowa East will be hosted by Bettendorf High School. Both locations will run on Saturday, February 16, from 8:30am to 3:30pm.

What’s an EdCamp, you say? EdCamps are unlike any other workshop or conference that you’ve probably attended. EdCamp sessions are created by the attendees in the morning. The rest of the day is spent in conversation around the topics identified by participants.

If this sounds strange to you, it’s likely because you’re used to a different model, one in which the agenda and sessions are determined ahead of time. The challenge of traditional workshops or conferences is that you didn’t get to pick the sessions, someone else did. As such, they may or may not meet your learning needs. At an EdCamp, participants, not planners, determine the sessions so they’re much more likely to be targeted, relevant, and timely. ‘Voting with your feet’ also is strongly encouraged, so you can (and should) quickly leave one session for another if it’s not meeting your learning needs. Since all EdCamp sessions are facilitated discussions that tap into the collective wisdom of attendees rather than ‘sit and get’ presentations directed by outside experts, EdCamps always turn out to be incredible, energizing days of conversation.

How do you know if you’re right for EdCampIowa? If these types of questions resonate with you, you’re a prime candidate:

• What if we didn't have class periods?
• How can we help kids think more deeply?
• Are high school diplomas and university degrees still necessary for credentialing?
• What is getting in the way of us changing faster?
• How can preschool and elementary students use digital tools in powerful ways?
• What if we didn't ignore that most of the time students are bored?
• What might school look like if students were in charge of teaching at least 20% of the time?
• Do we really need grades?
• How can we better facilitate school-university partnerships?
• Are tablets or Chromebooks viable 1:1 devices?
• What has to go in order to make competency-based student progression work?
• In a multimedia world, what is the future of reading?
• and many, many more... (see the EdCampIowa web site!)

Register to join the excitment February 16 for an amazing day of discussion and learning. We You will leave with many great ideas, excited to take action back home! Registration is FREE, lunch will be provided, and we’ll have Internet access for any electronic device that you bring along. This is open to everyone! Students, staff, school board, parents, legislators, and community members to participate too. Everyone is welcome at an EdCamp!

More information is available at www.EdCampIowa.org. Sign up soon. They are giving us a 24-hour head start before opening it up to the rest of the state but there will only be 200 slots at the Storm Lake location...

School's Out Forever

" As the sounds of the playground fade, despair set in." ~ Miriam, from Children of Men

On our trek to the family Thanksgiving feast on Thursday, I happened upon an old, abandoned school building. As a life long educator, school buildings of any kind pique my interest, but I am particularly drawn to those buildings no longer being used for education.

Normally, in Iowa, we come across the little white one room country schools. In the 1950's, most of the country schools merged with neighboring community schools and the rural students began attending school in town. Many of the buildings became township gathering halls. Some were converted to houses or storage buildings. Many were simply no longer used. Thursday's find was unique. A former country school that was three stories made of brick and mortar construction. Over grown with trees, it was sitting in the middle off a plowed field. The building was fitting of a low grade horror movie. Its panes of glass were all broken, but the window frames and cross pieces were still intact. The cement steps leading to the entry way were covered in leaves, but were in near perfect condition.

Although dilapidated, some of the architectural beauty remained. As I took pictures and wandered around the overgrown school grounds, the sounds of school bells, and children's voices filled my head. It was easy to imagine a playground and even a ball diamond. It is times like these that I wished I could time travel, if only in my mind, back to a point where the old school was a living entity.

Life's Good on Our Boat

“Shells sink, dreams float. Life's good on our boat. ”

― Jimmy Buffett

It's interesting the way things come together. I've never met someone who has REALLY hit the lottery. I've never been on a cruise. And I've rarely experienced true, unabashed, generosity. Not long ago these three converged.

My wife's cousin hit the lottery in a fairly big way.

He did something extremely generous.

He paid for a cruise for all of his family and the family of his Aunt, (my mother-in-law) who helped raise his late mother.

So, I'm going on a cruise, thanks to luck and extreme generosity. Cool on a lot of levels, as I am one who believes there are no truly random acts. Everything has a purpose.

On December 30th, 2012, I around 50 of my in-laws are departing from Charleston, SC for a 5 day cruise aboard Carnival Fantasy. On a boat.....with 50 of my in-laws.....hmmm...... Fortunately, we mostly get along. Hope that holds true after the trip.

My wife, children and I have done quite a bit of traveling around the US. We've often talked about a cruise, but never took the plunge. Needless to say we are very excited about this opportunity. Not only the chance to try-out a cruise, but also some relaxing time shared with extended family. Truly a rare opportunity.

Check back for updates on our adventures!