SIG Retreat - Friday, Sept 29

I was the first to arrive so I went to my room to relax a bit while I awaited the others. At 4:45 I ventured downstairs to see who else had arrived. I found Bev, Romeo and a few others. Soon Brenda arrived with her little cutie, Caroline. She gets bigger and cuter every time I see her.
Others continued to arrive until there were over 20 of us, spouses and significant others inclued. SIGs are the heartbeat of MassCUE. They are what keep MassCUE alive and vibrant throughout the state. Here we were gathered together with all the other SIG leaders throughout the state. What a wonderful feeling it is to be here and to be part of such a dynamic group.
The meeting was low-key, friendly and informational. We introduced ourselves for the new SIG leaders and discussed some issues which many of us could relate to such as, at some meetings you'll have 20 people and at others only 4 show up. We discussed issues around being PDP providers and the need to follow the DOE guidelines. We also discussed the importance of participants producing a product and what form that could take.
At 6:10 we moved to the cocktail lounge for a short get-together before going in to the dining room. At my table sat Brenda and her husband Paul and their lovely little daughter, Caroline, Romeo Marquis soon joined us as did Gaby and Lorelle. Dinner was delicious. I wish I could remember the names of the delicious dishes but let's suffice to say they were indicative of fall in NewEngland.
I'm ready for bed after such a fabulous dinner but I want to look over the first 3 chapters of Technology Integration by the Lengels. The authors will be here tomorrow and we have all been looking forward to meeting them and working with them. I read the book this summer and found it to be very well done.
Until tomorrow!

Podcasting

Yesterday's meeting was fabulous! Bob Trikakis from Apple Computer explained many ways in which podcasting can be used in the educational setting. iTunes is a great place to look for educational podcasts. There are also many others which I will post and we also hope you will share as well by posting comments in this blog.
Brenda and I decided that at our next meeting, November 30, we will explore tools and ideas for creating our own podcasts. Perhaps we will have one for you by then.
We hope you'll join us and we ask you to bring your experiences along to share with us.
Ed, from Sullivan Middle, won the use of the 10 handheld computers which he will use in his classroom until the next meeting. Come and hear how his students used them at the next meeting.
Debbie