NCSS 2013-St. Louis Convention Center
On November 22-24, I attended the National Council of Social Studies Conference at the St. Louis Convention Center. It was nice having a national conference here in St. Louis and be able to sleep in my own when I came home from sessions. It is was second national in the month of November, yes I am crazy. This month feels pretty lonely with one to attend.
I have to say attending two national conferences in one month is not the best idea. A friend, +Todd Bloch (@blocht574) ask me "How is NCSS going?" I did not know how to respond. Only a few weeks before I attended AMLE (Association of Middle Level Education) National Conference in Minneapolis and lived my dream of being a presenter and meeting so many wonderful educators. If you have never attended an AMLE conference you are missing out. It is incredible, works can not describe the passion, the fun, the energy, just the over all feeling. I learned so much at AMLE and it became very important start over point in my life. So when Todd asked that simple question, it took me a long time to answer. Then he told me not to compare NCSS to AMLE because there is nothing comparable to AMLE. Taking AMLE out of the equation I could answer him....NCSS was good. (Maybe I held a little grudge because they rejected me as a presenter.)
The best part of the conference was seeing my awesome and amazing friend, Lisa (@educatorlisa) and the "crazy" people I met because of New Global Citizens (@NGCitizens). I have to believe that every social studies educator from the Phoenix area was in attendance. Meeting Suzie and Will was one of the best things that happen, I learned so much just hanging with them and I can not wait to see them in Phoenix. I attended some great sessions too. Technology was top billed with National Geographic Education and minecraft.edu. I am trying to learn to play Minecraft now....Epic Fail!
Of course I attended Lisa's session on New Global Sessions, which I have to say was only session that allowed the attendees to get up move around. I also met some awesome educators in her session from Illinois. I hope to meet with them soon. I missed what I heard was the best session of the conference...Teach Like a Pirate. But for a good reason! I was showing and discovering St. Louis with my new friends from Phoenix. We explored Calvary Cemetery and visited the burial sites of General Sherman, Dred Scott and other historical figures. We didn't get to see everything we wanted. I can not wait for Les and I to go back (he promised as soon it isn't so cold)! I was disappointed to miss Teach Like a Pirate but that was remedied..Kyle (@kbdenny) and I got to do a meet and great with Dave Burgess (@burgessdave). We were able to get a signed copied of Teach Like a Pirate (#tlap) and see a magic trick.
Lastly Oliver Stone.....wow! I am not a big celebrity awe person but it was just cool to hear him speak. The same with Brad Meltzer (@bradmeltzer) as the keynote at AMLE2013. Famous Film Maker, Famous Author speaking to teachers...just cool! I really enjoyed the message I got from Oliver Stone's keynote. The message I got is there is always more than one story, more than one point view to History. We need to get past what is written in the history books, what popular media wants us to know. Look at the documents, the primary sources and hearing it from the people who were actually present is how we need to learn history. Knowing all the sides to story and putting the pieces together ourselves, not just taking what we learn from the books as all the facts. I love that!
The C3 Framework was a hot topic at NCSS. Many sessions focused on what it will look like in the social studies classroom. Majority of it is still speculation, no one know what it will look it. I did get one of my big questions answered. The C3 is not going to replace the National Social Studies Standards, it is to work side by side with standards. It is also suppose to work side by side with the Common Core State Standards. It is a guide to help make our classes and our content, College and Career Ready classes. The most important aspect the C3 (well in my view) is the Civic Life readiness. Take the lessons we teach in the classroom, that our students learn in the classroom, out side of the classroom. This is where programs like New Global Citizens and Teaching Tolerance becomes so pivotal. It takes away the dreaded question..."When will we ever use this stuff?"
I also loved trying to out tweet Dr. Chris McGee (@cmcgee200) during the main session on C3. #Americasballroomsounddirty #getthatonashirt #downanddirty #icantbelieveshesaidthat Good Times! Crazy Educators!
Let me go a little negative for a second on the conference. The time of the sessions...55 minutes, for some of the sessions it seems to short but for others it was way too long. I know when I filled out the proposal to present, it said to make the session interactive. I do not believe I could have done my session in 55 minutes, get out all the information and make it interactive. I had 75 minutes at AMLE and ended with 4 minutes to spare. I think the 55 minutes is the downfall, it does not give the presenters time to make it interactive. All the sessions I attended at NCSS were sit and get (well besides Lisa's). Also 10 minutes between sessions...WHAT! A girl has to be pee and process information! Finally Twitter...what was up? Barely anyone was tweeting at the conference. The ones that were tweeting, were already a part of my PLN. When I was at the meet up for Teach Like a Pirate, I met the other tweeters (like 4 more people.) They had the same complaint, where was all the tweeting? NCSS13 was not trending, all the EdCamp's were beating NCSS13 up!
NCSS was a good conference. I learned a lot and trying new technology in my classroom (Google Hangouts with National Geographic are awesome virtual field trips and still trying to determine the purpose or objective in Minecraft). I also met some real great people and made some pretty good friends. It will be exciting to attend the next NCSS14 in Boston. Hopefully as a presenter.....
I have to say attending two national conferences in one month is not the best idea. A friend, +Todd Bloch (@blocht574) ask me "How is NCSS going?" I did not know how to respond. Only a few weeks before I attended AMLE (Association of Middle Level Education) National Conference in Minneapolis and lived my dream of being a presenter and meeting so many wonderful educators. If you have never attended an AMLE conference you are missing out. It is incredible, works can not describe the passion, the fun, the energy, just the over all feeling. I learned so much at AMLE and it became very important start over point in my life. So when Todd asked that simple question, it took me a long time to answer. Then he told me not to compare NCSS to AMLE because there is nothing comparable to AMLE. Taking AMLE out of the equation I could answer him....NCSS was good. (Maybe I held a little grudge because they rejected me as a presenter.)
The best part of the conference was seeing my awesome and amazing friend, Lisa (@educatorlisa) and the "crazy" people I met because of New Global Citizens (@NGCitizens). I have to believe that every social studies educator from the Phoenix area was in attendance. Meeting Suzie and Will was one of the best things that happen, I learned so much just hanging with them and I can not wait to see them in Phoenix. I attended some great sessions too. Technology was top billed with National Geographic Education and minecraft.edu. I am trying to learn to play Minecraft now....Epic Fail!
Of course I attended Lisa's session on New Global Sessions, which I have to say was only session that allowed the attendees to get up move around. I also met some awesome educators in her session from Illinois. I hope to meet with them soon. I missed what I heard was the best session of the conference...Teach Like a Pirate. But for a good reason! I was showing and discovering St. Louis with my new friends from Phoenix. We explored Calvary Cemetery and visited the burial sites of General Sherman, Dred Scott and other historical figures. We didn't get to see everything we wanted. I can not wait for Les and I to go back (he promised as soon it isn't so cold)! I was disappointed to miss Teach Like a Pirate but that was remedied..Kyle (@kbdenny) and I got to do a meet and great with Dave Burgess (@burgessdave). We were able to get a signed copied of Teach Like a Pirate (#tlap) and see a magic trick.
Lastly Oliver Stone.....wow! I am not a big celebrity awe person but it was just cool to hear him speak. The same with Brad Meltzer (@bradmeltzer) as the keynote at AMLE2013. Famous Film Maker, Famous Author speaking to teachers...just cool! I really enjoyed the message I got from Oliver Stone's keynote. The message I got is there is always more than one story, more than one point view to History. We need to get past what is written in the history books, what popular media wants us to know. Look at the documents, the primary sources and hearing it from the people who were actually present is how we need to learn history. Knowing all the sides to story and putting the pieces together ourselves, not just taking what we learn from the books as all the facts. I love that!
The C3 Framework was a hot topic at NCSS. Many sessions focused on what it will look like in the social studies classroom. Majority of it is still speculation, no one know what it will look it. I did get one of my big questions answered. The C3 is not going to replace the National Social Studies Standards, it is to work side by side with standards. It is also suppose to work side by side with the Common Core State Standards. It is a guide to help make our classes and our content, College and Career Ready classes. The most important aspect the C3 (well in my view) is the Civic Life readiness. Take the lessons we teach in the classroom, that our students learn in the classroom, out side of the classroom. This is where programs like New Global Citizens and Teaching Tolerance becomes so pivotal. It takes away the dreaded question..."When will we ever use this stuff?"
I also loved trying to out tweet Dr. Chris McGee (@cmcgee200) during the main session on C3. #Americasballroomsounddirty #getthatonashirt #downanddirty #icantbelieveshesaidthat Good Times! Crazy Educators!
Let me go a little negative for a second on the conference. The time of the sessions...55 minutes, for some of the sessions it seems to short but for others it was way too long. I know when I filled out the proposal to present, it said to make the session interactive. I do not believe I could have done my session in 55 minutes, get out all the information and make it interactive. I had 75 minutes at AMLE and ended with 4 minutes to spare. I think the 55 minutes is the downfall, it does not give the presenters time to make it interactive. All the sessions I attended at NCSS were sit and get (well besides Lisa's). Also 10 minutes between sessions...WHAT! A girl has to be pee and process information! Finally Twitter...what was up? Barely anyone was tweeting at the conference. The ones that were tweeting, were already a part of my PLN. When I was at the meet up for Teach Like a Pirate, I met the other tweeters (like 4 more people.) They had the same complaint, where was all the tweeting? NCSS13 was not trending, all the EdCamp's were beating NCSS13 up!
NCSS was a good conference. I learned a lot and trying new technology in my classroom (Google Hangouts with National Geographic are awesome virtual field trips and still trying to determine the purpose or objective in Minecraft). I also met some real great people and made some pretty good friends. It will be exciting to attend the next NCSS14 in Boston. Hopefully as a presenter.....
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