Conference Reflection for Class on 4/11

The conference which some of us attended on Saturday was an incredible experience. I have never been to a conference like that before, so the whole experience was interesting and enjoyable. I wasn't sure what to expect going in to Linda Christensen's morning session. I have loved reading her book in class and collecting ideas about how to "teach for joy and justice" when I get my own classroom. Her session was a reflection of the ideas we have discussed in class, and we were allowed to participate. The activity allowed me to see what a social justice curriculum looks like. All of her points added up to the major question that all teachers face: how do we build a better society? As teachers, we have a huge opportunity to impact a whole generation. How can we get them to make changes to better the world we live in? Christensen's techniques are a great place to start.

The first workshop I went to was about implementing graphic novels and comics into the classroom. It was led by Michael Gianfrancesco, an English teacher at North Providence High School. He offered some great resources and interesting ideas about using graphic novels not just for reluctant readers, but to teach students how to analyze. His approach was through O I A: 1.) What is obvious about the image? 2.) What is implied in the image? 3.) What is assumed by the viewer? I was amazed at the way he was able to take something I had never given much thought to and turn it into an entire unit that provides students with opportunities to develop foundational skills! He brought in a range of graphic novels for us to peruse, including classic texts like Beowulf, The Scarlet Letter, and The United States Constitution. He told us about a program that he is a part of that starts in September. This program will rent teachers a graphic novel set for the whole class, along with 4-6 weeks of curriculum. Having access to resources like that can really take any English class to another level. It engages the students on their level, but pushes them to think about how the pictures and text interact with each other. The idea of using graphic novels in a classroom is intriguing, definitely something I'll consider down the road.

The second workshop I attended was about teaching students how to write a narrative with Dr. Karen Kurzman. There were a lot of good points that I never thought about when it came to narrative writing. She explained that a good narrative focused on one moment, not a range of events. Also, she discussed how it should either be plot driven or character driven. At the end of the workshop, we were given some resources to help us when we have our own classroom someday. I will definitely look back to the tips from this workshop when I teach narrative writing in my classroom.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this conference. I thought there was so much beneficial advice and material that I want to incorporate into my future lessons. I am so glad that I have chosen this field. Attending this conference gave me another affirmation that I made the right choice in becoming a teacher. I hope to attend more conferences like this one in my future. I think that there is never a point when teachers stop learning, so it is important to come together and share our experiences. I loved learning from experienced teachers this weekend, and I can't wait until I am ready to be one myself.