Last weekend I had the very good fortune to be able to attend NCTE 19 in Baltimore, Maryland and came away with inspiration and ideas to fuel me moving forward this school year. However, I realize there are so many teachers who do not have this opportunity so I try to share my takeaways with as many as I can. Looking for ways to make my learning accessible to others is always a bit tricky but I think vicarious learning can be a powerful PD opportunity. I think it is important to share the wealth of professional knowledge whenever we can.

This week I reflected on the sketchnotes I took during each session. As I revisit them, this is my opportunity to revise as well. I’ll add color and detail as I contemplate and reflect on the ideas the presenters shared. Sometimes I don’t fully color a sketchnote, leaving an open invitation for more reflection and revision.

Another revision I included this time was to insert QR codes into my sketchnotes with links to photos, handouts, or presentation links that I can revisit in the future. It was fun thinking about how to make my notes more interactive and meaningful. Here’s an example:

Then I wanted to create a centralized location for all of the notes and resources I curated so I created a Google Doc with hyperlinks to material for the sessions I attended. Click on the link below the image for access to all of my resources.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BD1KUTwbTDEY3zUZfCSrNZCVhk2Um8WFfYSoPlZMKmI/edit?usp=sharing

Feel free to share with colleagues and connect with me on Twitter if you would like to chat more. Not being able to travel to a national conference shouldn’t mean you still can’t learn from them. I encourage anyone who has the good fortune to attend nErDcamps, conferences, or workshops to find ways to share those great ideas with colleagues and PLN members. Rising tides lift all boats, let’s create a tsunami of shared PD!

One More Off My TBR Stack

MY JASPER JUNE by Laurel Snyder
I have loved every book Laurel Snyder has penned, and My Jasper June is no exception. A beautiful story of friendship and loss, and the danger of silence and secrets. As the school year ends, Leah is facing a summer alone, one year after the death of her younger brother, Sam. Her friends and neighbors don’t know how to relate to Leah, and her parents have become ‘ghosts’–there, but not really there- so loneliness has become a dark hole in her life. Then she meets Jasper, a mysterious girl with a real joie de vivre. But as their friendship forms, they each begin to share secrets that have haunted them and have to decide how long they can keep these secrets from others. A story of grief and loss, but also of love and hope. She even has a teaching guide for educators who would like to dig into this book more deeply.