Sunday, October 30, 2016

#FallCUE A Healthy #FOMO Habit

According to Texas A&M University, #FOMO may have negative effects on Generation Y. "With at least 24 percent of teenagers online 'almost constantly,' it's no surprise that fear of missing out is an epidemic among millennials." (ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.) While teenagers may need to focus more on their own lives, I think more teachers need to worry about missing out on what is happening in the classrooms of innovative and forward thinking educators. 

Most people have it, in varying degrees, the fear of missing out or #FOMO.
This is what drives me each year to plan for all of the conferences I will attend. I plan my calendar so that I attend certain events each year, even though we all know it is a lot of work to be away from our jobs, even for a few days.  I go to CUE and other conferences each year so I don't miss out on my own learning, making connections and experiencing the energy of being around enthusiastic educators and avid learners. It is the #FOMO that drives me to plan for and take educators in my district to conferences each year. We want to keep pushing our selves to get better.

Each year I attend at least one CUE conference and one STEM conference so I can stay current on STEM topics and learning. No longer do I think of CUE conferences as technology conferences, they are about learning. Teacher learning, student learning, fun learning, collaborative learning. That is why I attend one, or sometimes both, CUE conferences each year. To stay current with my own learning and the learning I facilitate for others. That is why I always take a team of educators with me, so we can not miss out on all things #eduawesome.

Here are the top 3 things I learned at Fall CUE 2016.

1.  Swift Playgrounds - I spent time at #cuesteampunk learning about this new coding software available to middle and high school students. Anyone who has participated in an #HourofCode knows that students LOVE coding and eat this stuff up. Apple even has Swift Curriculum on iTunesU.
 
    
2.  Gamification encourages participation - Badging is making headway in K-12 education and ChromeWarrior created a competitive and fun experience at Fall CUE. I am a supporter of teacher PD through badging - check out Edubadger - and I think the more we get teachers on board with personalized, games based learning the more our students will benefit.
I came in 8th!




3.  Create classrooms that students would attend even if it wasn't required - Teach Like a Pirate author, Dave Burgess, was on fire during his opening keynote at Fall CUE. He reminded me to keep pushing to be that teacher who creates a buzz on campus and a desire to learn in students. 


Are you a teacher with a #FOMO on what engages today's students? Then join me at a CUE conference and we will all keep getting better.