Day 32 - Todd Whitten, Burlington High School Social Studies Department Head

Going to a conference is a lot like the old saying about weddings: “something old, something new, something borrowed…” This past week, I had the chance to attend the National Council of Social Studies annual conference in Seattle, Washington.  I may, perhaps, be somewhat unique in that I very much enjoy attending conferences of this sort, in part because it takes me out of my normal routines for a few days, in part because I get the chance to meet people with whom I only have a virtual relationship (I’m talking about you, #sschat!), in part because I have the opportunity to take two days and reflect on my practice in the company of people who do the same thing I do, and in part, because, let’s face it, I’m a history nerd.  I emerge from the experience feeling exhausted (jet lag and days that run from 7am to 9pm) but invigorated, and that saying will help me to explain why.

From this conference a sampling of what I took:

Something old:  I used to use more music in my classes.  I don’t really know why I don’t do as much any more, but it has faded out of my practice.  A session led by Mr. Steve Hoffman, a history teacher at Middle College High School in San Pablo, California brought music back for me.  His first career was as a session musician for reggae bands, and, as he put it, “When [he] decided to grow up, teaching just was a good fit.”  Needless to say, his classroom is full of musical influence.  So, for his presentation, he pulled together a selection of music that he uses in his classroom, from Gregorian Chants to Underground Railroad Code songs to Led Zeppelin, Metallica, Nas and (of course) Bob Marley, all of which help his students to find connections to, inspiration from and interest in the dry, boring, dusty history that he teaches.  He does not teach in a 1:1 environment as I do, so he uses his own devices, his own speakers and his own musical abilities to inspire his students.  It was a great reminder of something old that has fallen and needs to be picked up again. I started planning new lessons halfway through his presentation that I’ll be working in to my classroom.

Something New: I had no idea that you can embed a link in a YouTube video that you can then click and go to another video.  In this way, I can make a choose-your-own-adventure video project.  If I use an app called Explain Everything, I learned that I could create a video that will encompass moving images, still images, text and sound.  And it can all be done easily and quickly.  This presentation opened up a whole world of possibilities, not only for how I can deliver content to my students, but also for how they can show me that they are understanding the material.  The presentation from Greg Kulowieck opened new paths for me as we work to incorporate the iPad into the classrooms of BHS, and gives me another way to help my students learn not only the content, but a usable skill.

Something Borrowed: One of the great things about teachers is their willingness to share.  At the end of every workshop, there were web-links, QR Codes, handouts, materials of all kinds.  And every teacher said, “Take them, alter them, use them however you like.” Unlike lots of professions that worry incessantly about copyright, ownership, profit, the education industry works best when it incorporates sharing.  I have snippets of lessons about how to integrate the Common Core (You are all going to be hearing a lot more about that very soon), how to read texts better, how to teach current events better.  All freely given, all happily borrowed.

Oh, and the only “Something Blue” would be my toes for lack of circulation during the cross country flight. Those seats just aren’t built for those of us over 6 feet tall!

The conference featured more than I can post here (and probably more than you want to read!) But having the opportunity to hear Justice Sandra Day O’Connor speak about the importance of civics; to be moved to tears by holocaust survivor Gerda Weissmann Klein’s story; to witness a citizenship ceremony in the aftermath of a nasty election that helped to remind all 4,000 of us that we live in the greatest country in the world; to participate in round-table discussions with the Department of Education; and to build bridges to colleges and universities from around the country, are all going to come back to my classroom, my department, my school and my district in countless ways.  I’m already looking forward to next year!