#tmc15 Experiencing Community
     
     Truly I don't know where to start this post. Partly an ode FOR all the MTBoSers, partly that experience where you just process and download. I did wrtite this all on paper first, just to get the thoughts out, hoping the sensation of pen to paper would help get the flow going.
(Also, I haven't read anyone else's posts yet, because I wanted to share my authentic experience of attending Twitter Math Camp 2015. Fancy that.)

Twitter Math Camp is literaly camp for math educators to gather, be a community, share, encourage, figure out, laugh, sing, and get their Geek on.  It is sponsored by us, paid for by us, and no one is getting any money for participating. The Keynotes are speaking from their hearts, the organizers are donating time and passion. That is what this is all about. And it. is. AMAZING.

     Starting with Gratitudes is always a good strategy. To Lisa Henry, her DH, her folks, and her kids, and all the tweeps who laid the ground for this amazing community, and it is about COMMUNITY.

It was one the few times in my professional life that I felt like I was in the right place. Sure I wish I had more of Fawn's consistency, and Matt's general hipness, and Michael F's mad computer skills, and Rachel's spunk, and Julie's infectious personality, and Sam's "take no prisoners" risk taking, and Chris' synapse stickers, and a thimbleful of the brainpower, energy, and creativity in that auditorium, AND stll, I felt cherished, valued, and believed in because I was there with the communal knowledge that it was our collective endgame to leave becoming better teachers, reaching more students, and grow more learning.

A few gems from the conference for you to use:

Christopher Danielson asked us to find what we love and do more of it in our classrooms. I love curiousity, I love helping students find their capabilities, I love  listening to NPR...

Fawn Nguyen said a lot, and had many of us in tears, and what I needed to hear most was, "Share ALL the lessons." Why? Because it is not about us, it is about growing learning for students. Mind Blown. Fuck the popularity contest.  (I get permission to say that from Fawn). Sure, give credit where credit is due and do please let the author know how you used the material, what tweaks you made, and how it went. And time to bring what works out of hiding.

* Do this cup rolling activity that Lisa and Jim shared with us: http://mathforum.org/pcmi/hstp/resources/papercup/papercup.pdf

Curtesy of PCMI

Add the extension: what formula could you come up with to generate the circle made by any cup?


* Ask Rachel's  two questions:
--What is the best question you asked a student today?
--What the best question a student asked you?

(Keep track and tweet or post them!)

* Google these for inspiration (thanks Fawn): Estimation180, Global Math, Mathtalks, Visual Patterns, WODB, MTBoS

* If you get stuck looking for the best way to make a lesson student centered look for the backwards version of the question (thanks Brendan and Sam)

* Get the students "Butts up," and use VNPS (Thanks Brian and Alex) to engage students in talking about math.

* So, so, so much more!

This is round one.


 
If I have left you out, please, like Sam says, don't take it personally. (I can't believe misscalcul8 was there and I didn't even know it. OMG, OMG.) I want to get this out, so you know you can do it too.