My blogging is so far behind, but I have been busy moving forward with using iPads in my classroom.  So here is the update on my classroom...

I had an amazing opportunity to attend Edcamp Omaha on March 22nd. Thanks to +Josh Allen and +Kristina Peters for organizing such an amazing day of fun and learning. I was able to attend many session about topics of my interest.

I began my day in a session led by the one and only +Brent Catlett. His session was like a "Speed Dating" experience but technology style.  I was able to talk to passionate educators about Apps that they were using and I got to share about things I was doing too. It was a totally reciprocal fast paced session. I even got to see some Google Glass! That was way cool!

Next, I went to a session about App Smashing led by +Craig Badura and +Heather Callihan. They showed me some amazing new Apps that could be "smashed" together for students to create a final finished project. They showed +30hands, Zoobe, Funny Movie Maker and +Pic Collage. I have tried and used all these Apps in the classroom since attending this session. I can't believe how much my students love to make projects in +Pic Collage. We have used +Pic Collage in Health, Science and Social Studies. Students have made a nutritional meal collage, a collage of Goods and Services and a collage of Natural Resources.  We have used +30hands to explain condensation and evaporation and to also explain area and perimeter. We have smashed all sorts of Apps together to enhance our learning. Had I not attended this session, I would have missed learning about some great new FREE Apps!

After lunch, I attended a session lead by a co-worker of mine, +Michelle Boyce. She shared her wonderful story of changing her typical classroom to an Agile Classroom. I want to take some of her ideas and apply them to my classroom. I would like to have more "soft spots" for students to use in my classroom, just have to think more on it and then make the changes needed.

Overall, I left EdCamp Omaha with some amazing ideas and even more excitement for teaching. The 1:1 iPad model my district is using has revived my desire to teach. Even though I have only had the iPads for about 3 months, I couldn't imagine not having them now. I feel like I am an even more effective teacher than ever before. And most of all, my students are engaged in learning, working together, and being creative.  Excited teacher = excited students!