Bring It Together 2016

Well, we did it!  We presented at our first conference as a team. It was a lot of work to prepare the presentation. However, the preparation allowed us to consolidate our journey so far and focus in on our next steps. We presented on, "Creating Interactive and Innovative Learning Environments that Foster Deep Learning and New Learning Partnerships".

We presented to a smaller audience than anticipated. This really allowed us to connect with attendees. The conversations after the presentation allowed us to exchange ideas with other teachers and form new partnerships. It is very beneficial to hear ideas from outside of our school board as well as to make deeper connections with those in our board. This week, we had a teacher from another school come to see our learning environments and to chat with students about how they can show their learning in different ways.

Twitter has allowed us to connect with people all across the province (and world) who are working on similar ideas. We were inspired by Tina Zita and her "pop up makerspaces" after hearing her speak at Connect 2016. Through Twitter, we arranged a meeting with her during BIT. We were able to sit and brainstorm ideas around makerspaces. Tina was able to share ideas about new technology that we may want to integrate into our teaching.


Attending the BIT conference reinforced for us how important it is to have face to face time with colleagues. The time was rich in allowing us to develop more friendships, deeper partnerships and to have fun in a different context. It's in the small moments of connecting (e.g. having lunch together) that new ideas begin to form. Taking a break from the rigorous pace of the classroom gave our brains space to take in new ideas and get excited again about trying new things.

#fun  #BIT2016  #NewPartnerships  #laughs  #inspired  #FlexibleSeatings  #ocsb
#DeepLearning  #TLLP