A Week at The Greatest Company on Earth

       Spending a week at the Greatest Company on Earth, SMART Technologies, and starting it off at the Calgary Stampede, "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth", is quite appropriate.  To say the week at SMART headquarters for the Global SEE Summit in Calgary was unforgettable is an understatement.  Our opening dinner event gave us thrills and chills as we watched the chuck wagon races, a concert, and other entertainment.  We were introduced to what was to come for the remainder of the week by SMART executives Greg Estell, Jeff Lowe, and Nicholas Svensson, as well as our SMART SEE "mama" Kelly Miksch.

       SMART Exemplary Educators (SEEs) from all around the world were selected for a week of rigorous and collaborative professional learning.  I've had the distinct opportunity to be selected several times, so I was a mentor to the SEEs that were experiencing the week for the first time.  As the week unfolded, I helped in a variety of ways by answering questions, facilitating reflection activities, maintaining a daily group during transportation to SMART headquarters, and supporting any other way possible.

     This year was unique in that SMART partnered with the Conrad Foundation and included six high school students from the Conrad Spirit of Innovation Challenge.  These students were truly remarkable in their way to use the design thinking process to come up with solutions to world problems.  I learned an immense amount of the process from them since they had already been through it with their products.

      During the week, one of the memorable sayings was by Jeff Lowe when he said, "We are more than a SMART Board company, we are an outcome company."  What teacher doesn't want students to have great outcomes and work for their students to seek their best potential?  We looked at research, listened to presentations on growth mindset, inspirational global projects, company plans, and advocacy plans. We worked in groups to design a theme for an educational challenge.  All these sessions built on each other to showcase how SMART worked to inspire greatness from students and educators around the world.

     One of the many highlights is participating in the Hackathon with SMART developers.  A Hackathon is a competition of teams working with the SMART developers to create new ideas in a time-span of 48-72 hours.  The winning team's idea will be put into one of its technologies in the future.  The best thing about the challenge is that it is voted on by all the SEEs and the SMART employees, so everyone got a voice, just like our students in SLSO!  Our team's idea came in second, so you might see it come out sometime soon.  You'll just have to wait.

     The Fireside Chat is an impressive feature that resonates SMART's dedication and commitment to excellence.  Five executives sit to answer questions from SEEs about the company.  Greg Estell, President and CEO, Nicholas Svensson, Executive VP Operations and Product Development, Debra Milimaka Miles, VP Human Resources, Christine McGregor, Chief Business Officer, and Jeff Lowe,  Chief Marketing Officer took time throughout the week to not only present philosophies, business plans, insights, and presentations, but also sit down with us at dinner, as well as scoop ice cream for us!  Do you know any corporate executives that do that?  

 

     This company is unlike any other I have had contact with EVER.  That was evident with the final day's celebration where I was asked to give a personal story about a technical phone call I placed in January.  Greg Estell asked me to give my story in front of ALL SMART staff and the SEEs.  I was floored.  I was introduced to the tech support guy (Raymond) that helped me and was able to thank him in person.  The best part was the amount of people from the company that thanked me for telling my story. What they don't realize is SMART makes a difference in my student's life everyday when we are in class, so I was so touched to be telling my story to all of them.  

      As our week came to a close, the celebration event ended with a surprise appreciation treat. Little did I know what to expect, even though I had been here before.  I pulled out a SMART Monster attached to a card.  I was so thrilled to have another Monster, but someone told me to look at the card.  It was a new SMARTBoard.  Now, I know Jeff said they are not just a SMARTBoard company.  However, if you have a one-touch Board, getting a new one is THRILLING!  I was without words.  Now my students and I will get the chance to experience exciting collaboration on the Board, as well as within the classroom.  They will be able to be creative, collaborative, have critical thinking, communicate, have confidence and overcome more barriers.  THANK YOU SMART for a week at the Greatest Company on Earth!

 

   

Bloomz

Bloomz has been the best way for me to communicate with parents this school year.  I have been able to use this app for my classroom.  The parents are able to sign in, see only the students in our group, and only the posts that pertain to their child's group.  What a great app to use when you have things happening in your room.

Superheroes, and Sidekicks, and SEEs, Oh My!

      Somebody pinch me!  I just spent the best week with the best of the best of the best at the Global SEE Summit at SMART Headquarters in Calgary, Canada!  It felt like a dream because for one week, we were treated like absolute gold.  To use this week's term, Olympic gold. I had the opportunity to connect with 56 other educators from around the globe to learn, collaborate, and create during the week of July 17-22nd.  Some were old friends from previous SEE Summits, and some I met for the first time, but by the end of the week, it felt like I had known them for years.
      The overall theme for the week was Teachers are Superheroes.  Technology is their Superpower. Every day a new Super Power was introduced that directed the agenda for the day:Engage, Innovate, Collaborate, Create, and Empower to Succeed. These principles are everything that SMART exemplifies! Each day these were showcased through sessions with SMART executives, SMART employees, and SEEs.  We participated in a Hackathon with the software and hardware developers that was innovative and extraordinary!  We can't wait to see what actually gets developed.  SEES Jorgen Holmberg and Lotta Ramqvist shared their Global Collaboration project that they created at last year's Summit with 3 other SEEs.  This lead into creation of Global Collaboration projects for everyone else.  Our group is extremely excited to get started this year for our students.
      We had the privilege to listen, talk, question, and interact with the executives of SMART Technologies to find out the nitty-gritty that goes on inside SMART Technologies.  The interesting thing, though, is that they were really interested in hearing from us, the teachers and educators that are in the classroom.  They wanted our feedback as to how things work with the students, what we like, and how it can be better.  While meeting with Greg Estell, President, Warren Barkley, CTO, and Tim Toyoshima, VP of Software Development at our Fireside Chat, we had the honor to ask questions about the roadmap of SMART Technologies and things to come.  I was thrilled I got to ask a question to them again this year.
      During the week, we were celebrated as superheroes.  Each of us found out that we had SMART and other SEEs as a sidekick that we could count on to help whenever we needed them.  Sidekicks were also given to us in the form of monsters for the new Monster Quiz in LAB for Notebook. Each Hackathon group was given one of the nine monsters as a group mascot.  My monster, Thonius A. Hack, was busy going different places throughout the week.  He went to SMART Headquarters, of course, and even went into the laundry room at our fabulous accommodations, the Aloft Hotel!
     The entire week could not have happened had it not been for Kelly Miksch, Ainhoa Marcos, Kelly Davis, and Karen McKibben.  They made sure EVERYONE had EVERYTHING they needed.  They were the SUPER Superheroes of the week.  They can not be thanked enough for all they did.  It was truly an honor to be celebrated and appreciated in the manor that we were.  The happy tears I shed several times that week with my "SMEEPS" (SMART Peeps) is a rare occasion for me.  I'm not usually an emotional person, but at times, the tears came because it was so overwhelming.  I just couldn't imagine how wonderful the whole experience could be, even though I had been through it before.  I thank all of them, and everyone at SMART, from the bottom of my heart.

Presenting with Kristin Skage.

All the SEEs with ALL the SMART employees!

Thonius A. Hack in the laundry room at Aloft Hotel.

At SMART Headquarters with my monster!

Warren Barkley, me, and Tim Toyoshima
at the appreciation dinner.

Greg Estell and I with our Superhero award from SMART.

Recycling At It's Best

Last week I was inspired by Rachel's post about what she was doing in her classroom.  After going into my new classroom, I wanted to do something to "AMP" it up since we are going to be using SMART amp this year.   I will have much more space than before, which is fabulous, so I thought I would re-do some things. It has to look nicer than before, since I will have the space, With just a little time before school starts, I was talking with my friend, an idea hit me.  I created table pencil holders using old Coke bottles, and ribbon.  I will use different color ribbon for each table, that way they serve different purposes.  I tried one, and ABSOLUTELY love it.  I think they will be very useful, and I was able to recycle some Coke bottles.  They took all of 5 minutes to make, too.  I thought I can also go buy some fancy gems, and do-dads to "bedazzle" them, if I feel like it, but for now, I like the way they look like this.  What do you think?

Calgary, Here I Come!

I got the news today that I am going to the 2016 Global SEE Summit this summer!  I'm so excited!  I am thrilled to be able to meet new SEEs and hang with my oldies.  What a great way to spend a week!  It will be bitter-sweet since some of my oldies won't be joining me, but I am anxious to meet the new SEEs that will be there.  We will have such a wonderful time.  The global collaboration, technology integration, and networking will be out of this world! Look out Calgary, I'm coming back to SEE you again!

Teacher Appreciation... The Best Teacher I Know

The Best Teacher I Know...My Mom.

            As we celebrate National Teacher Appreciation Week, the question was posed, "What teacher inspired you?"  My answer was easy: My mom.  Not only was she a great teacher in school, but in my life.  She inspired me to be the teacher I am today.  As I watched her teach growing up, I knew I wanted to be just like her.  I even had the privilege to have her as a substitute teacher while in school.  So I can say, without a doubt, that she was an excellent teacher in the classroom, as well. 

            My mom taught many different grade levels throughout her teaching career, but I will best remember the years when she taught second and fourth grade.  I remember one instance in particular while I was in college, when I saw what an extraordinary teacher she was.  She truly showed flexibility, natural curiosity, and exemplary strategic thinking skills.  

            The fourth grade was taking a field trip, and I tagged along to be an extra pair of hands for her 26 students.  There were four classes going on three buses.  Needless to say, this made for interesting logistics.  One class was split on two of the buses.  Well, my mom's class was the one that was split. Everything was fine during the field trip, but the classes did not interact with each other the entire time.  They were separate, and spaced out, doing their own experiences.  After the field trip was over, we went to get on the bus, and  NO buses were around.  Each class thought we were on the other buses.  My mom had to think quickly because she was in charge of all these children.  We were stranded!  Her behavior at that moment defined how the children responded to the situation.  She pulled me aside to fill me in on what happened, telling me not to let my face show anything, since I had to help while she tried to figure out what to do.  These were the days before cell phones, so she had to find a pay phone (gasp!) to call school to let them know what happened.  As she made the call, I entertained the 26 children by playing Simon Says, I Spy, and games like that.  When my mom returned she calmly explained to the group what happened  By this time, it is past when the students were supposed to be headed home for the day.  She needed to use her teaching skills to keep all the students calm, in one area, and safe.  She came up with creative ways to keep the students entertained, and engaged.  She used the space around us to teach them about Pittsburgh.  She told them little know facts and transformed being stranded as a "teachable moment".  When the bus finally arrived two hours later, the students were sad to get on to go home.  In a way, so was I, it was such a learning experience for me, I hated to see it end.

            While we waited for the bus to come, I watched my mom with the students.  She had an easy way of relating to the students.  The rapport that she had with the group was instinctive and effortless.  I realized that was what I wanted to have when I became a teacher.  I wanted to have the students enjoy having conversations about learning with me.  They were asking questions to each other with respect, as well as listening to each other.  She taught them the skills they needed to be successful listeners and speakers when relating to each other in various situations, not only in the classroom, but outside of it.  What a remarkable task for fourth graders to do with each other so effectively.  I wanted to emulate that as a teacher, too. 

            My mom has been gone for fifteen years now, but I still think of her excellent teaching skills everyday.  I try to imitate how she worked with her students, her flexibility, sense of humor, work ethic, and the rapport she had with all of her students.  As a teacher, I use SMART Notebook and SMART amp to connect learning with student creativity.  My students have the opportunity to work globally with others.  If my mom would have had the opportunity, I know she would have been using SMART Technology to teach in her classroom.  I'm sure we would have been working on collaboration projects together.  

Thank you teachers!

After attending the 2014 Global SEE Summit in Calgary from July 20-26, and then after the events that happened last week, I want to personally thank ALL teachers.  Last week, I lost a treasured colleague.  He passed away right before going to band camp.  He was just 41 years old and was a great man.  Jason Dilliott was the district's band director. He was full of life and was always happy.  This makes me appreciate all teachers and thank you all for being so special in my life.
I want to thank all my SEEs that I spent the week with, as well.  I learned so much and came back re-energized.  I appreciate all of you because it is nice to be able to see (no pun intended) the dedication to students, education, and technology everyone exudes to spend a week of your summer,(some even WAY more than that...) to bettering themselves by working, collaborating, and sharing together!