On Friday, our train got in relatively late (2PM) after the madness from the Blackhawks Victory parade was dying down. We decided to register and check out the exhibits. I got some really nice Wimpy Kid swag for my best friend. We ate at Lizzie McNeill's and walked the River Walk.
Saturday was a bit overwhelming for me. I raced to the conference center to catch AASL's Best Websites for Teaching and Learning. This year's list was a great compilation of resources; some which I heard of and some which were new to me. Wonderopolis made the list, which made me happy because we discussed Wonder Blogging at Dynamic Landscapes proving how progressive Vermont really is! I admittedly chuckled when Pinterest made the list because it hasn't been a tool I have personally found much value in as of yet. The Easel.ly Infographic creator website also made the list. I was also pleased to see the Code Academy make the list because I think coding is a 21st century skill that students and educators need; making the list proved the professional school library community agrees!
I was excited to learn about some new-to-me resources too. Smore looks like a great way to create newsletters (I have been looking for something like this!) Students can sign up for Lit Pick and receive free books and learn how to become a book critic, writing reviews of their selections. Four classrooms unite together to participate in Quadblogging.
There were so many excellent websites featured! Check out the full list here: http://www.ala.org/aasl/standards-guidelines/best-websites/2013
I ended up exploring the exhibit hall for the rest of the morning. My small victories were collecting more Wimpy Kid swag for my best friend, a newly minted elementary teacher and getting the book Bomb signed by Steven Sheiken. (Though admittedly, I had an awful fan girl moment!)
In the afternoon, I attended Arts 2.0: Libraries, Arts, and Technology. The speaker was very enthusiastic and had great ideas for art integration in the library. I am so happy that my school promotes student art work in the library. I would love to continue the art shows and add more programs. I thought about music and theater events too. We wrote 6 word poems and participated in some improvisionational storytelling. Five people line up; the first person starts the story, when the moderator says change, the second person picks up the story. The fifth person is responsible for concluding the story. We heard of some great websites to use for arts integration as well!
My first full day ended quietly. My roommates and I traveled to a Tapas restaurant and stumbled upon the Chicago Public Library! I hope to visit before we depart Tuesday evening! Chicago is a big city and it makes it difficult to attend social events when we're so spread out! All in all though, my first day was a successful balance of learning and networking!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Chicago, IL
No comments:
Post a Comment