Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/569858
SANDRA ORNELAS, Harborside Elementary School, second-grade dual language immersion teacher, Chula Vista Educators I participated in the I Teach 2nd! Conference at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas July 6-9. I really enjoyed listening to the presenters and learning about new strategies to implement in the classroom, since I am new to the grade level. With the Common Core, many of us are learning a new way of teaching. Attending workshops is always fun. I met new teachers and shared experiences. As my bag says, "Never stop being a student." What I learned about enriching instruction and creating lesson plans definitely won't stay in Vegas. JENNIFER CISNEROS, Sierra Middle School AVID teacher, Riverside City Teachers Association I attended the International Society for Technology in Education Conference in Philadelphia, which provided me with excellent tools to take back to the classroom. I am an AVID Excel teacher for our school. Our AVID program has been ranked as an international demonstration school, so I am always looking for tools to continue students' growth toward being 21st century learners. One tool I will use is LiveBinders to help students stay organized and replace students' physical binders. Becoming paperless is one of my goals for this year. The conference was a technology geek's dream. Being AT WILDLIFE DIANE SCOTT, Laneview Elementary School second-grade teacher, CTA of Berryessa I had the privilege of cruising to beautiful Alaska this summer with my teenage son. The photo shows the Mendenhall glacier behind me. Our hiking guide was survivalist Kellie Nightlinger of the TV reality show "Naked and Afraid," who taught us that all plants in the rain forest are edible, and that moss makes a great insulator if you are ever lost in the rain forest and need to stay warm. Thanks to her, our hike was educational and visually stunning. We saw many bald eagles and a variety of marine animals including humpback whales, dolphins, harbor seals, sea lions, otters and salmon. In the rain forest, I (legally) gathered rock and moss samples and took many photos to use in this year's rain forest unit. Alaska's endless natural beauty and wilderness offerings are simply unmatched. Is there anywhere else where I could go to see a glacier and hear it calving, hike in a tranquil rain forest, kayak on a pristine lake, and be pulled in a sled by a 16-dog team in training for future Iditarod races? I don't think so. GLORIA MATOBA, Edison Elementary School first-grade teacher, Torrance Teachers Association While visiting Japan, we were in Nagano and visited the Snow Monkey Park. These famous macaque monkeys bathe year-round in the onsen (hot springs). We were able to get incredibly close to them. LIFELONG LEARNERS 50 cta.org Learning Wondering