Blog Sabbatical Over! #INSPIRED!

It seems as if this year has thrown me for a bit of a loop----but in a great way! I haven't been so great about blogging since, well, November....because I have been so busy diving in and trying to be the the best I can be at my new grade level. Something had to give for awhile, and it happened to be blogging. So, to say the least, it's been a long while since I've been in the blogging world, but I just returned from the MACUL conference for 2 full days and am feeling more inspired and motivated than ever!

I was able to attend this conference by invitation with 11 of my K-12 colleagues from my district! I was so honored to attend and we had a blast! I attended several amazing sessions and was a little star struck by some of my favorite people on Twitter/blogs. Insert name dropping: Kevin HoneyCutt, Adam Bellow, Erin Klein, Kim Powell - to name a few! How about any of you? Did I pass you in the halls? Were we in the same sessions together?! I'd love to hear from you if you were there! 

Not only did I hear some very inspiring words, I learned SO much from my sessions. As I dive into some projects, explore some of the fabulous apps, and implement all of the innovative ideas and techniques, I will roll those out into my blog to share with you! The overall theme that I noticed is that classrooms have already, or are working toward, putting a device in each child's hand in the classroom. Some of the buzzwords I heard repeatedly? iPads, interactive whiteboards, apps, technology bond, and 1:1 classrooms. I can't tell you how many times I heard 1:1, 1:1, 1:1. JEALOUS!.... and motivated to see if I can work toward that goal. Donor Choose project submitted less than 24 hours post conference? CHECK! Pre-Grant Writing thinking and searching....CHECK! I can so vividly see how I would integrate iPads into all areas of my instruction, especially - and not limited to - Daily 5! If my students had their own iPad on a daily basis----oh, the possibilities!! 

Clearly, technology and devices in classrooms is quickly becoming ever popular, and necessary. It's the new paper/pencil, it's innovative, IT'S. THEIR. WORLD!!!! Currently, my students have better technology at home than they do in our school/my classroom. And some don't have technology at all---and I don't have much to offer them. That's so backwards! It is my job, my mission, and my responsibility to provide them with cutting edge projects, time to explore, learn, create, and publish. As Adam Bellow so wisely noted, we are currently preparing our students for the 22 century and occupations that don't yet exist! The longer I don't have technology & the longer my school district doesn't have this technology, the less prepared our students will be for the real world, for their world, for the technology driven world. 

I cannot wait to dive in to all the knowledge and put all this excitement to good use! In the meantime...

I'm curious, how many of you have 1:1 classrooms, use kindles, use hand-held interactive whiteboard tablets, have 7+ iPads? Tell me, I'd love to hear from you about what technology you have available in your classroom!