OTEN Conference 16'

This conference was informative and very inspiring. I was very pleased and touched to see former coworkers presenting in this year's conference. Among the many passionate educators presenting today was Mrs. Nichole Carter. As a former language arts teacher at Neil Armstrong Middle school, Mrs. Carter always greeted us with a smile and much enthusiasm. Today, she met those who attended her session with the same attitude. She presented an array of innovative tools and technological ideas that could enhance student achievement and induce student engagement in the classroom. Her ideas and motives were aligned with Common Core Standards. I felt she did very well with addressing concerns that "newcomers" to this field of technology might experience. However, with every concern and possible setback, she had a come back. Ultimately, she encouraged us to learn with the students and to not back down if set backs occurred. In all, learning technology and implementing it in curriculum is about balance. While she is certainly advanced in her use of technology in the classroom, Mrs. Carter assured us that she is still learning the ropes and learning how to use these tools in new ways.  She shared various resources with us and made herself available in case we had questions post-conference. This was the most beneficial session I took today.

I attended a session that gave us examples of podcasts and videos. It tickled me to see such young minds do powerful things with technology. One of the presenters was a second grade teacher in the Forest Grove School District. There is a pride in knowing my district has talented and passionate teachers going as far as they can to allow students be in charge of their own learning.

My last session was consisted of three teaching candidates who are successfully using applications like Schoology and Nearpod to engage student learning. I find that the applications that I am interested in are the ones that will allow me to monitor progress and keep track of what students are accomplishing.

I was able to attend sessions from educators who taught various grades including the collegiate level. It was fascinating to see so many people gathered with the purpose of enhancing student achievement through the use of technology. Throughout the day, I could not stop thinking about the common denominator we all shared today as we gathered for this conference- the students. It is nothing short of amazing when such a conference is given with the sole purpose of enriching this world of education.

Collectively, I felt that all of my sessions were suitable for me.  I know the true results will appear when I have the opportunity to use them when I step into the classroom.


D.J. Arce