Musings and wonderings

Felt the need to document what's buzzing in my head after my third day of iPadpalooza 2015, and this seemed to be the best venue...so please bear with me as I get this down in print.

Thoughts and questions from iPadpalooza 2015 in Austin, Texas:

• I have had a Twitter conversation with Guy Kawasaki.  I didn't even know who he was before this conference, but now that I do, my mind is blown.
• Is New Zealand really twenty years ahead of our American education system per Richard Wells, and if so, how the heck did they get there....and how do we catch up?
• With the way the New Zealand system works....do they even need/ use librarians?
• Maybe some people use ignorance/ unwillingness to use technology as a way to avoid stepping up their game. (This after listening to stories about how students complain that assignments involving the 4 c's are hard, and ask for worksheets instead.)
• Letting go, and letting students lead, sounds cool and scary and messy and fun.
• I could really get into this SOLE way of teaching/ learning.  Must have a flexible schedule to do so, though.  And coming up with big questions is quite the task for the SOLE teacher. I kinda feel like I'm doing it a little with my Wonder Wall in the library.
• Teaching must allow for failure, even when teachers know a student project may fail from the get go, and allow students to regroup and re-attempt.  But again--time?  Curriculum expectations?
• Can we do our live broadcast using just iPads?  Tweeted with Don Goble about that one, might have some answers, need to do exploring of Touchcast and Cubist.
• I have definitely missed out by not knowing who Eric Whitacre is before today.  Must fix that.
• It is refreshing to be at a conference that focuses on the grownups, even while learning about stuff to use in schools.  Yes, educators sometimes use NSFW language when not at work.  And that's okay.
• The student production crew at Westlake High School was uber-professional.  Also all-male, from the looks of it...wonder why that is.
• I need to dig a bit deeper into the cultures of my students, examining my own beliefs while I do.
• The commute is worth it, if one gets to drive Spicewood Springs Road there and back.  Can't beat the scenery.  Bumper to bumper traffic on Loop 360, on the other hand, I could do without.  Though it does allow for lots of singing to the radio/ MP3s.

I'm sure there's more bouncing around those aging neurons of mine that will fire up again when I start writing lessons that will benefit from more tech involvement.  For right now, I'll let them rest, let the ideas brew, and hope something lovely comes about at planning time.