Who won the Golden Ticket?

So, you ask are you, still talking about CUE. Well yes, I am Kinda Sorta. A few years ago I had the amazing opportunity to be a part of a fellowship. In this fellowship I was able to spend two years with a mentor working and reflecting on my teaching practice. I had a amazing experience and it helped me to spice things up a bit in my teaching or as Trisha would say " Take it up a Notch".

Long ole' story short, my partner selected math and I selected reading so we could collaborate and share together our fellowship learning. Smart move!We have never looked back.

Early in the fellowship we got a hold of a Trisha Callella video KINDERGARTEN math based on her learning in the fellowship as well.  Here is a little snippet of the video of several years ago. She was Common Core and More before most of us had even seen or heard of Common Core. She is the first one on the video the curly blonde. The thing that amazes me about Trisha, I am going to call her Trisha like I know her, is the things her kids can do. Yes, she is amazing but the things her students produce is powerful and the true meaning of learning.

Still in my long ole' story, anyway we watched her video about 20 times taking "crazy time" notes it is a 55 minute video. Then we were given a Golden Ticket opportunity to observe in her class. I said" Yes please ME ME ME ." Now, I know why my students do that. I went and I watched another impressive lesson then we got to ask her questions and debrief in the presence of a true master mind changes you and your work forever.

My fellowship ended and every now and then I would see Trisha at a fellowship conference, or hear about new fellows speaking about her with amazement. Then, I am at CUE conference and who is listed in the CUE Guide. Trisha Callella doing a session on App Matching.  My fellowship mentor told me and I just could not believe it until I saw it, I could not wait to see how she uses technology, how her students use technology.

Well, I am in the session and in walks in Sharon Sutton, aka former admin. at UCLA lab school, ( lab school is like a school of your dreams, amazing educators happy children beautiful streams and bridge going through the campus when you are there you hear musac, like harps and violins playing softly behind the children learning) Oh yeah! I know I am in the right sessions, she hangs with my mentor so they start talking and she says" I hear she is amazing!"

CONFIRMED! I am in the Right Session.

Trisha is presenting at a Computer Using Educators Conference and she opens with I am not a Techie. What? Why? some of the people in the session begin to look away start to pack up their conference totes. But then she starts talking and she starts talking fast (because when you are this smart you have to talk fast to get out all that is in your head). Next it sounded like this....




Silence, again last time I heard this kind of silence it was in my brain trying to come up with an idea for telligami. (No more head silence thank you Jo Ann Fox)

My fellowship partner turns to me and says" She is what you have been looking for." She is referring to my comment that I love techie educators, their risk taking sprit is awesome but when I go to TCRWP and CGI trainings from UCLA, super advanced level of analytical curriculum and teaching they are not that techie and they do not need to be they are amazing in a different way. "I wanted it all! to quote Veruca Salt (Willy Wonka).

My question was; Where is the deep analytical educator using technology in powerful ways to bring DOK and Blooms into play and the students are the producers in a very authentic way?

"We are the music makers... and we are the dreamers of dreams." - Willy Wonka

Continuing with my Willy Wonka quotes: I was dreaming for a unique kind of educational music maker.

Found her! Trisha Callella

Here is an example:

Full circle the student has become the teacher. LOVE it!

The biggest take away from her session was to dive deeper into my understanding and implementation of Driving/Essential questions!
For example Trisha asks questions like this to the students:

What is the best tool to share an interview?

Instead of we have imovie you are going to use imovie to share your interview. The students have lost the learning of what tools are important for what purpose. Of course this may require some frontloading but WOW! I am sold. I feel embarrassed that I am just posting my learning and not my students but I am on Spring Break I am working on a lesson right now for next week.   So, Who won the Golden Ticket I did once.  Is it possible to have another Golden Ticket Opportunity to shadow or observe Trisha again! I don't know for now I have so much in my head from her session.  I end with this thought as I prepare for next week in my classrooms!

So much time and so little to do. Wait a minute. Strike that. Reverse it. Thank you. Willa Wonka