How I Spent My Summer Break From School

I'm in school today - first day back for teachers. I guess that means that summer is over for me. Every fall and through the year I always tell myself that I’m going to spend the summer doing what my friend Lou Zulli calls “retirement practice.” And every summer I pretty much fail to do this. This summer was no exception. Oh I did get out to the golf course during the week a couple of times but no where near what I thought  I’d do. Rather I spent a lot of time on professional development. I might even have over done it.

Image from SimpleK12’s Facebook page

First was ISTE in Philadelphia. My wife who is a library media specialist really loves this conference. I like it as well. Not as much CS as I’d like but more than there used to be. So I learned some things for sure.

Next was the CSTA Annual Conference followed by the CSTA board meeting. I love this conference. I learned quite a bit both at sessions and informal conversations. If you teach computer science and only do one PD event a year THIS is the one to do.

I was home over night and left for an unconference in Charleston SC. This one was small but everyone there could (and many have) speak at ISTE or CSTA. Most attendees were Microsoft Innovative Educators including some people who have gotten national and international awards for their innovation in the classroom. Inspiring only begins to capture it.

The last big event was a two day teacher boot camp at Harvard regarding their adapting of CS50 for the AP CS Principles course. That was pretty cool and I learned a few things I will be using in class this year.

Like most teachers I spent a lot of time working on my curriculum. Every year I try to take what I have learned from teaching the previous year and use it to improve. I think I’m ready. Well close anyway.

In case you are interested in more about any of these events I did blog about them over the summer.

ISTE

• Thoughts on #ISTE2015 Monday
• Thoughts on #ISTE2015 Tuesday
•  Thoughts on #ISTE2015 Wednesday–Poster Sessions
• Thoughts on #ISTE2015 Wednesday–Exhibit Hall
• Final Thoughts on #ISTE2015

CSTA

• CSTA Annual Conference 2015–Looking Back

Charleston Mini-Conference

• Charleston Teach Meet Day One
• Charleston Teach Meet Day Two
• Marie Renton's post about it at South Carolina Teachmeet 20th & 21st July 2015 with a bunch of pictures!

CS50 AP Teacher Boot Camp

•  CS50 AP–An Advanced Placement Computer Science Course from Harvard