Be a part of #BIT19

It hasn't been the most Educator friendly spring in Ontario.  The political climate has changed and that has left a lot of us unsure of where we will be in the fall.  How our schools will look and run this September will absolutely be different.  Professional Development will be...likely a lot different and in some cases, like the OTF webinars and Summer Workshops, gone.  There may be disruptions to how we work and learn in response to these changes in our Province.

But that doesn't have to change our belief in life long learning.  It doesn't have to curtail our learning and sharing.  Maybe now is the time when we lean into the wind a bit more and rely on each other for opportunities to enrich ourselves through our online PLN and through those irl meetings at conferences that make a big difference in our classrooms and in our own need for growth.  In a time when outside forces try to divide and conquer us and beat down our morale, maybe we need these spaces of collegial learning to help build us up and make our bonds even tighter.

The call for proposals for the Bring it Together 2019 Conference is now open.  I know that I have encouraged many to submit their ideas to present.  Some have taken me up on this, many have not.  Some have told me they are worried about a work stoppage or other disruptions this fall.  If that happens, the Conference is prepared to move to a date outside that window of time.  I've had others tell me they are unsure they will be able to get release time to be a part of the Conference.  Perhaps, but it might be easier to get that release time as a Presenter, someone who is eager and willing to share their learning with others.  Some are still unsure of where they will be and what they will be doing in the fall.  There are no easy answers.  But, don't let that stop you from submitting that proposal.  No matter where you are, you will be doing great things, things that you can share and that we all can learn from.

The Bring It Together Conference (#BIT19) is November 6-8 in Niagara Falls. I'm hoping it is a time for us to lean in to the storm that surrounds us, to lean on each other a little, to get together and grow in a season that isn't giving us the best growing conditions.  Maybe it is a bit of a leap of faith, but I hope you will make that leap with us.  Submit your proposal for #BIT19 here.

#ECOOCamp Owen Sound

Yesterday (Saturday May 5th, 2019) I travelled to Owen Sound to participate in this year's ECOOCamp.  Great Educators from all over travelled to share and learn from each other at Owen Sound District Secondary School.

There were two amazing Keynotes from Peter Skillen and Jen Giffen.  Peter talked to us about the tools being important and remembering to go outside the box to get Students excited about learning and giving them a way in to the curriculum that suites their own learning strengths.  Jen reminded us that every student and staff member is carrying around responsibilities and experiences that we know nothing about, but if we take the time to build relationships with them, we can help them unpack their backpacks.

I was presenting in all 4 sessions, but loved how we were able to share every presentation through the Twitter feed (#ecoocamp) and on Teach Ontario.  I got some great new Chrome add-ons/extensions from Leslie Boerkamp's presentation to add to my arsenal, and I wasn't even in the session.  The smaller number of participants made each session more intimate and more tailored to the needs of the Educators in the room.  Thanks to Fair Chance Learning and InkSmith, I even won a new K8 robot for my classroom.  So excited to share this with my class! 

Making new connections and meeting Educators is always part of what I love about EdCamps and Conferences. I met some awesome folks yesterday!  The opportunity to meet up with folks you only get to see periodically at conferences or even meet for the first time in real life is amazing.  So great to meet Cal Armstrong and Leslie Boerkamp for the first time irl.  Aways great to chat with folks like Jen Giffen, Christy Hopcroft, Lisa Noble, Brenda Sherry, Peter Skillen, and so many more.  While Owen Sound is a bit of a trek for me, it really is a lovely town that I hadn't visited in many years and well worth the drive.

The working relationship between the Educational Computing Organization of Ontario,  the Bluewater Public and Bruce-Grey Catholic School Board was really inspiring to see.  A really great model to show how we learn from each other.  The organizations really worked well together to make a great day for everyone. 

The Educational Computing Organization of Ontario does great work for Educators using EdTech and great pedogogy in their classrooms.  I've linked to their website - but consider becoming a member (membership is free!), attending their Bring It Together Conference in Niagara Falls in November or following them on Twitter @ecooorg

I'll link my presentations here, but they and many others from the day are also shared on Teach Ontario.  Check them out to let the learning go beyond the day!

Getting Snappy with #BookSnaps, #Gratitude Snaps & #REALyouSNaps using Bitmoji and Google Slides.

Connecting Classrooms Through Online #ReadAlouds

Flipping for Flipgrid

Glide into Google Slides

Disclaimer: Ramona Meharg is a Member of the Educational Computing Organization of Ontario and serves on the Board of Directors.  But don't let that stop you from checking them out or becoming a member!

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