The best conference that I attended was about the legality of the various standards that each state has set for graduation.  The speaker stated that the standards for each subject area, like the ones in Ohio, are in direct violation of the 14th Amendment to our United States Constitution.  He cited 23 individual cases in various states in which various schools are suing the states for creating these standards.  We all know that students learn differently but how do we account for that ???  In this age of accountability and inclusion how can we treat all of our students the same.  The 14th Amendment states that every American citizens has the right to due process under the law.  Are we providing all of our students with the right to due process if we create standards that some of them cannot meet?  If they cases reach the Supreme Court, a process that could take years, then the standards could be ruled unconstitutional.  If so, then the entire process of standards would be thrown out.

I did attend another conference that would help me in the classroom.  I attended a seminar about the student diet and how in today’s world, students eat a lot of foods that are rich in carbohydrates.  Therefore, these foods make them very tired in the morning and hyperactive/irritable in the afternoon.  Also, these foods increase any AD/HD that the student may have and distract them from the learning process.  This increases the the likelihood that if the lesson is not visually stimulating then the student will not pay attention.  One thing that I feel that I can use in my classroom is to encourage students to eat better.  Students are not just influenced by their peers but are also influenced by the adults that they coexist with.  Setting an example for our students is very important.

The best time of my entire trip was the car ride down.  I was able to get to know two of my colleagues very well.  An 18 hour trip can do that to you.  You learn about each others past, likes, dislikes, and things that make each person unique.  This allows you to better collaborate with these individuals in the future.  Another memorable moment was the dinner at Don Pablos.  At the dinner we shared our experiences with our conferences.  Each person had to share at least one thing they learned that day.  Afterwards, other dinner we shared personal stories, ideas, and got to know one another on a different level.  It is very important to get to know your fellow coworkers at any job because these are they people that are going to help you when the chips are down.

I would tell anyone that the ASCD conferences is a good time to learn the state of the art techniques for education and learning.  It is also a wonderful opportunity to get to know your fellow teachers and spend quality time with them.