Three Takeaways from Podstock

I was introduced to Podstock through my friend Ginger Lewman (@GingerLewman) during some Project Based Learning training. I went home, did some research about Podstock, and I started gaining an interest. Soon, my Twitter feed was consumed with talk about Podstock! As I began talking to my professional learning network and learning more about the conference, I knew I had to go!

Technically, Podstock is a technology conference for educators and administrators. However, those who have attended the "family reunion" know that the conference is much more about transforming education into something real and inspiring for our students. Thankfully I work in a school district who values teachers who want to learn, and they sent me and twenty-eight other teachers and administrators to Wichita to learn! 

The Podstock experience was inspiring, motivating, and full of boundary pushing challenges. At Podstock I wanted to participate in every extra-curricular event (I attended Moonlight Madness, I took second place in a pinewood derby race, attended a dance, dressed in costume, participated in a gift exchange, took photos during an early morning photo walk, and my team won the social scavenger hunt)! That was A LOT to do in two days! In addition, I wanted to listen, share, and learn from every conversation going on at the conference. I tried to use my time to ask questions, make connections, and improve my craft in the classroom. Those two days completely blew my mind, and it has taken my brain an entire week to pick up the pieces and put things back together. Although I learned an insane amount from my first Podstock experience, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on my three biggest takeaways from Podstock 2014!

The first thing I noticed at Podstock was the transformational vibe. Everywhere I looked I found educators using technology to completely transform the educational experience for students. These teachers weren't switching from analog to digital worksheets. They were connecting their students to students on the other side of the globe; they were transforming their classrooms into hospital rooms; they were allowing students to plan, design, and create while learning. What I learned is that emailing an assignment to my students instead of passing out a paper copy isn't using technology to its fullest potential. This year, I want to focus on finding creative ways to utilize technology to the fullest. I want to create educational experiences which will leave a lasting impression on my students. I want to use technology to inspire and motivate my students. I want my students to feel the same vibe I felt when I walked through the Podstock phone booth!

Another takeaway I had from Podstock was the phrase "learn to love to learn." As far as I know, Kevin Honeycutt (@KevinHoneycutt) coined this phrase. I say that because I was fortunate enough to sit next to Kevin during the "Flip Like a Ninja" session put on by Todd Nesloney (@TechNinjaTodd), and Kevin had the phrase tattooed all over his laptop! This notion was laced throughout the sessions I attended during the two day conference. Todd Nesloney talked about it during his keynote. He talked about how students should be running to school because they are so excited about what they might learn that day. I think school starts out that way for many students, but somewhere along the way the grind of school buries that excitement somewhere deep inside. I like this idea of learning to love to learn because of the growth mindset mentality. I think we all love to learn as long as we are learning about things that are important to us. What's trickier is to get a 15 year old to learn to love to learn about quadratic equations. However, for me, Podstock drove home the point that if I teach with passion and enthusiasm, and I give my students the opportunity to pursue their passions through our curriculum, then students will be running to my classroom to learn, build, and create using mathematics. As the start of a new school year rolls around, I want to be mindful that one of my goals should be to help my students reach the point where they learn to love to learn.

Over the Fourth of July, I spent a week in Minnesota at a family reunion on my Mom's side of the family. My family reunions aren't your typical family reunions because they center on education! I'm a high school math teacher, my wife is a kindergarten teacher, my Grandpa Bill spent much of his life working for North Dakota State University, my mom is a college professor, my aunt Beth is a member of the local school board, my aunt Patty is a Physical Education teacher, and my aunt Barb is an Instructional Coach. Not to mention, my cousin Lindsay teaches dance, my cousin Alex is a school counselor, and my brother and his wife home school their four children. And this is just my Mom's side of the family. There are just as many educators on my Dad's side of the family! Education, quite literally, flows through my veins! Anyways, when we get together, our conversations always turn to education. Even when we try to talk about sail boats and jet-skis, somehow our conversations naturally move towards education. Well, I always hear people say that "Podstock isn't a conference, it's a family reunion." For me, I think they are right on! Just like my family reunions there are tons of laughs, there are super deep conversations, there are disagreements, there are debates, there are more laughs, there are hugs, there are tears, there is fun, there are late nights and early mornings, there is food, there are competitions, and there is never enough time. That sums up my Podstock experience; it was an intense two day family reunion. My final takeaway from Podstock is that I am part of an enormous family of educators who are pushing and striving to better our educational system, to better or schools, but most importantly to better our students.