Sunday, September 30, 2018

Capitol CUE Tech Fest


I spent last Saturday, September 22, in Rocklin, outside of Sacramento, for the annual Capitol CUE (CapCUE) Tech Fest. I went because I know many of the people on the CapCUE board, but also because I want to learn more about other affiliates’ events, so we can steal the best ideas for San Diego CUE’s Tech Fair! CapCUE put on a great event, where I got some ideas for our event, but also learned some things I can take back to teachers in my own district.

The event was hosted at a beautiful middle school that looked like it was less than 10 years old. The check-in went smoothly, in a courtyard outside the cafeteria and gym. CapCUE bought logo T-shirts for all attendees, and each person got raffle tickets for prizes like software subscriptions or EdTechTeam registrations. An opening session in the gym set the stage, with inspirational messages from CapCUE board members, instructions about the day, and presentations of minigrant awards to the winners.

The first session I attended was Ryan O’Donnell and Brian Briggs on AR and VR. I was familiar with much of what they demonstrated, but still learned some new apps and sites. The next session was on digital citizenship programs, which is perfect for me since that is one of my projects for my district this year. I got some great examples from local districts, and some much-needed inspiration to get this process started. Then I learned about Bootstrap from Ed Campos. Ed shared some great resources from Bootstrap to use a coding platform to help students learn algebra, specifically functions.

At lunch, I chatted with those around me, and then watched the Breakout/Amazing Race mashup they had planned. After lunch, I presented my session on Google Tools for Exploration, which I have done several times previously. After a quick closing session with an additional raffle for more expensive prizes, it was time for me to catch my return flight.

My next affiliate event is San Gabriel Valley CUE’s Innovation Celebration on October 27. I’m looking forward to greater collaboration with colleagues from around the state!

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