Rebel U 2011: Recap

For the second year, the Technology & Media Team at Godfrey-Lee Public Schools has put on a district-wide professional development opportunity, Rebel U, that allows teachers and administrators to explore ways to integrate technology into their classrooms and professional practice. The theme for Rebel U this year was "Innovation Through Collaboration," allowing participants to collaborate with one another and delve into new ways technology can be utilized in the classroom. We had many teachers that stepped forward to share tools and resources they are using in their classroom as well as techniques and strategies that have proven effective for their students. This day would not be the success that it is if it weren't for our fantastic presenters!

The day started out unexpectedly with some server and Internet connection problems, but despite being a day focused on technology, teachers and presenters adapted and the day went on. Shortly after our second session began, all connections were restored and the sharing and learning continued. Although this is not the ideal start to a day focused on technology, I think it represents an issue that can happen any day in the classroom. As great as the technology is that we have in our district, glitches happen and the learning must continue. Teachers don't completely throw a day of learning out the window because their plan A didn't go as planned - plan B begins and the learning continues. This is exactly what happened at Rebel U and is representative of the day's theme - "Innovation through Collaboration" - teachers came together, improvised and the learning continued.


One of the goals of the Technology & Media Team for Rebel U is to foster a learning environment that is comfortable and relaxing. As the day is structured after the model that many other technology conferences use, the time allotted for lunch is limited. After a morning of attending several sessions, teachers often need a break to step away from technology and refuel. One thing we have been proud to do for our teachers last year and then again this year is to provide a free lunch. As funding was tight this year, we had to look to outside sources to help us offer a free meal as part of the day. We had an awesome sponsor step forward this year, Townsend Innovative Collections, and cover the costs of providing refreshments and lunch for the day. It was a beautiful day and teachers were able to relax on the front lawn of the high school and enjoy burgers, brats and hot dogs that were grilled up by one of our administrators, Brett Lambert, and a school board member, David Townsend.


As part of our on-going efforts to provide meaningful and effective professional development, we asked all participants to complete an evaluation of the sessions they attended as well as the day in general. On part of the evaluation, teachers were asked, "In ONE word, how would you summarize your Rebel U experience?". There was a wide range of responses that were received, but the most common response was "Informative" (as seen in the word cloud below). I believe this truly speaks to the fact that there are many technology tools, resources and strategies that are available that there is always something new that one can learn.


We hope that the spirit of Rebel U will continue throughout the school year and teachers will continue to explore, collaborate and utilize technology tools with their students. The Technology & Media Team would also like to extend a special thank you to Superintendent David Britten, who firmly believes in the benefits of using technology as a tool in the classroom and as a professional development tool and makes it possible for us to organize a professional development day focused on technology for the teachers and staff at Godfrey-Lee Public Schools.

Look forward to further posts regarding Rebel U 2011. We have several more posts lined up about some of the exciting aspects of Rebel U and also had many teachers volunteer to be guest bloggers and talk about their experiences during Rebel U. The sharing continues!