Iowa 1:1 Conference

I was lucky enough to help at the Iowa 1:1 Conference and also attend some sessions. When I got there in the morning, I worked on helping set up the speakers and projectors in every room to ensure the presenters had all the equipment they needed. Also, I stayed after and helped put some of the stuff away. This volunteering experience helped me understand everything that goes into making these events such a success.

The first sessions I attended was my favorite one of the day. I learned about how to incorporate technology into the Daily 5 reading rounds. The presenter gave great detail and examples of how she used certain tools in her classroom. She also brought in examples of Osmos, Google Cardboard, and iPad apps to look at. This is the first time I have ever seen Google Cardboard and it is awesome! Another presentation that stood out to me was titled, "Maps for Critical Thinking." The presenter in this was from Heartland AEA. She did an awesome job presenting and I learned so much about interactive maps. Before this presentation, I was skeptical of how she could talk about maps for an hour, but I learned so much and got some great resources for my future classroom. All the presenters were great!

This experience will impact my growth as a future educator because I got to learn about new tools and ideas to bring to my classroom. Also, I learned how to efficiently use these tools to integrate them into my teaching and the students' learning. This was also a great networking experience for me. I was able to talk to some of the presenters and make some connections. A few teachers even followed me back on Twitter! Overall, this was an amazing learning experience.

The Teacher ISTE Standard I fulfilled by going to this conference was number 5, Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership. This conference helped me become a better educator. Between the tools and resources I learned about, and the connections I made, I expanded my knowledge as a future educator!

**I forgot to take a picture at the event, but Jamie saw me there :)