21st century learning and an age old craft

Today was a very busy day. I attended a teaching conference on 21st Century learning, put on by the Placer County of Education. It was wonderful that my district paid for me and some other tech-ex teachers to go and that PCOE invited teachers from outside their district to join the conference. BTW Tech-ex is a stipend position where teachers in my distrct train other teachers on technology for our district. At least that is the easiest way I can explain it.

It was a great conference. I really learned a lot. There are lots of free and great web 2.0 apps out there for students/teachers to use that are free. I am going to have to find some ways to integrate these into my teaching. I think it may help get my students focus back on learning.

However, I found it quite humorous that while I was waiting for a tech conference to begin I choose to work on my hexagons.

I did get 2 more hexagon flowers made during the being session and keynote speaker.  Don't judge. I just don't stay focus when I have to listen unless I am doing something else, like playing on computer/cell phone, hand quilting, or doodling. Often during lectures/staff meetings I practice free motion quilting designs. One of my partner teachers this year handed me a piece of paper and a pencil to doodle on when I started spacing during a staff meeting.  Amazing how quickly I become more focused. Much like the students of today.

The only thing I didn't like about this conference is that they stated that my birth year is part of the gen x generation. I just don't feel like I am part of that generation. The presentation had gen x followed by gen y. I think there is a middle generation. When I got home I did a little research this. Yes I had to. I found that some sources say that there is a middle generation between those too. I really believe that is true, because sorry to say but I don't think that my brothers and I are in the same generation. We just think differently and our prospectives are different. That may sound strange by my brothers are 11 and 12 years older than I am and they grew up in a different time.

Sorry for the side track there. As you can tell that really bothered me.

As to an age old craft, I also spent a lot of time cutting fabric this evening. I have two projects cut out.

The baby quilt is all cut out.

I am loving the colors. I just added one new fabric in today. I am really liking it. The colors are a little off here. I trid to fix it in lightbox (21st Century again), but it was the middle ofthe night.

All the fabric for the donkey block is also cut.

I think he is going to be a china blue donkey, because hat is what he is reminding me of. I wish I could find the book my mom used to read me that had a china cat, the blue and white flower fabric is reminding me of the picture of that cat.

Now, tomorrow I get to sew. I love weekends. Especially weekends where I get to play on the computer and make quilts.