Top 10 Things I Learned at DENSI 2014

 

We often live our lives by habit, performing daily routines on autopilot without much thought or reflection.  It is easy to live the way we have always lived, to teach the way we have always taught, and to learn the way we have always learned.

I am so grateful for opportunities like DENSI because they shake up my routine and challenge me to rethink my habits.  My learning, my teaching, and yes, even my life are all changed for the better after spending so much intensive time with creative, intelligent and passionate educators who are fully engaged in what they do.

As I decompress at home and consider the ways I can integrate all that I have learned and experienced this past week, here are the Top Ten Things I Learned at DENSI 2014:

10.  While at the Carmichael Towers, never ride the elevator on the right.

9.  In the cafeteria, you are allowed only five points and soda counts as one.

8.  There are “43” ways to stay connected and Glide is at the top of that list.

7.  Adults love making things, perhaps even more than kids do; we have LC service project sock monkeys to prove it.

6.  Organize your instruction to help foster creativity and passion in your students.

5.  Follow Dr. Lodge’s advice and consider flipping your classroom to gain time for kinesthetic and hands-on learning.

4.  Peter is John Travolta’s disco-obsessed twin, separated at birth.

3.  DEN Speaks is the educational successor to TED Talks.

2.  The DEN is the best PLN.

1. I am part of a brilliant, fun-loving, caring and passionate group of educators committed to making a difference in the lives of students and am blessed to be part of the DEN.