Thursday, March 15, 2018

Up, up, up, and away...The first 24 hours at CUE18

I arrived at the Ontario Airport yesterday afternoon and grabbed my rental car so I could get myself to Palm Springs. I arrived earlier than hotel check-in, but they happily accommodated me and got me into my room. Everything has been smooth so far and for that, I am thankful.

A Groovy Kind of Love

I am thankful to once again have the opportunity to attend the Spring CUE Conference. Every year has provided a different experience for me and I knew coming into this year that this would be a unique experience in itself, and it is far more than the fact that the weather is cool and drizzly (though now the rain seems to have finished and moved on).

I very nearly decided to skip CUE this year. I've started looking at ways to reorganize my schedule and maximize my time. I want to be selective about when and where I go for PD while making sure that I am bringing back the best of everything I can for my students. If you've read my posts before, you know that I firmly believe that in making myself my best me, I will make my students their best selves as well. I love this conference, and I think I was looking for a "reason" to attend, a "sign," if you will. And then, the signs started popping up and I knew I had to be here. Matt Miller speaking at the opening keynote made me want to make the trip. Becoming part of the Central California CUE Board gave me a sense of obligation. I had made my hotel reservations last summer, so I was in good shape there. Then, I secured my slot, made my reservation for the conference. In the meantime, my class and I submitted a project idea for the 2018 Leroy Finkel Fellowship AKA Leroy's Big Idea. In February, I received notification that my idea had been selected as a finalist and now, I NEEDED to be in Palm Springs. And so, here I am.

I feel more connected this year than in previous years. The first year I attended, I came by myself. I ate by myself, I wandered the exhibition hall by myself. I slowly started talking to people, but for the most part, I was a loner. At the end of the conference, a friend met me and we spent the final evening celebrating my birthday before I returned home the next day. By the following year, I knew a few folks, but still traveled alone with the exception of my friend making part of the trip with me. We got an AirBNB and grocery shopped and settled in for the weekend. When she suddenly left after the first night, I was on my own. We did celebrate my birthday before her departure, but I spent most of the conference solo. Each year, though, I have made more contacts and worked on connecting myself with other educators from whom I can learn, but also with whom I can share. This year, I feel more myself than before. I spend time with people and take a few moments to myself.

Did I mention, I love this conference and love my CUE PLN? This year, CUE turns 40. It seems pretty groovy to be 40 and helping CUE celebrate its 40th anniversary. Of course, upon my return home, I will cruise over the line to 41.

Making connections and nurturing edu-relationships

Over the past few years, I have connected with more people. I have attended local education events and participated in education Twitter chats. Coming to CUE alone, yet feeling connected is such an awesome feeling. Dare I say, "eduawesome." It is here in Palm Springs that those relationships are nurtured and then allowed to continue to grow in other areas throughout the rest of the year. Now being a member of our local affiliate board has given me new insight to the importance of these edu-friendships. This year, I reached out to more people ahead of the conference and worked to make sure that I would connect with people once here. I am thankful I did that. My participation in the DitchBook chat (Thursday nights at 7 p.m Pacific Time) was a large part of my WHY for this year. Getting to meet Matt Miller could be seen as a "fangirl" moment, but what I realized was that I was excited to meet him for some of the same reasons I am excited to meet anyone from my PLN with whom I had not previously connected. Having these face-to-face moments with people I have collaborated with is important to me because the things we discuss, the ideas we share, and the benefit to our students are all very important matters.

Badges? We DO need stinkin' badges, trust me

For the second year, CUE is running a game where you can earn badges. Last year, I felt highly competitive and sought to WIN the game. This year, it was more about earning the badges and moving forward, connecting with people, and enjoying the conference on the whole. Let me tell you, I am not alone in enjoying gathering stickers and actually earning badges takes it to the next level. I have started digital badging in my class this year. I look forward to expanding my use of digital badges and hope to one day have stickers to go along with them. I started working on my CUE game accomplishments before I even got on the plane to come to the conference, as did others. I wrapped up a few accomplishments today and it felt good. Setting aside the competitiveness and focusing on a more well-rounded experience felt even better. I also got nurture relationships that were established last year, in part, because of this game.

If you haven't started the game yet, it's not too late. Give it a try. You may find some fun in it as well.



The second 24 hours at CUE will take me into my Leroy Finkel Fellowship presentation. I have invited as many people as I can to come check out all of the finalists and I have shared on social media. I think it will be a great afternoon and look forward to sharing it with some of my favorite people, other educators who, like me, have big ideas.

#cue18 #WeAreCUE #wheresmsrnow

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