msrift Posted December 31, 2013 Share Posted December 31, 2013 I attended my first homeschooling convention last spring and left underwhelmed (and annoyed, truth be told). As has been discussed here many a time, there was too much lifestyle and too little education for my taste. Last fall, I attended Plum Creek Literacy Festival, which has a day for children to meet with some quite well-known authors and illustrators followed by day of workshops with these same authors and illustrators, but also education and reading experts (like the Book Whisperer). The classes were obviously targeting classroom teachers, but many of the techniques were very applicable to homeschooling. They sung the praises of read-alouds, banishing boring readers in favor of real books (read multiple times), poetry, and even singing as ways to increase literacy. I left feeling refreshed and ready to attack the new year. The difference in the two experiences was striking. So now I'm wondering if there are any other non-homeschooling specific conferences that might be worthwhile to attend. A quick google search turned up children's literacy festivals around the country. Is there anything similar for history, science, math, or other topics? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted December 31, 2013 Share Posted December 31, 2013 :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athomeontheprairie Posted December 31, 2013 Share Posted December 31, 2013 last year I attended a science/space workshop put on by the lunar and planetary institute and NASA. it was wonderful! the workshops I attended or geared towards librarian's. and while I found the methods taught applicable to my library, they were certainly useful to my home school. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msrift Posted December 31, 2013 Author Share Posted December 31, 2013 That sounds amazing! Opportunities like that are just what I had in mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted December 31, 2013 Share Posted December 31, 2013 I wonder what NSTA (science teachers) conferences would be like. Their books are pretty interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msrift Posted December 31, 2013 Author Share Posted December 31, 2013 I wonder what NSTA (science teachers) conferences would be like. Their books are pretty interesting. I've wondered the same thing. The workshops look to be very high quality, with lots of hands-on demonstrations. There is the rather pricey registration fee, but the conferences do last 3 or 4 days. There are also math (NCTM) and history (NCHE) teacher conferences. I wonder if any homeschoolers have ever crashed any of these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artichoke Posted December 31, 2013 Share Posted December 31, 2013 I've attended our state gifted and talented conference in the past. It was interesting and informative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73349 Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 Look at the Project Zero stuff. I went to one of their summer institutes a few years ago & it was brilliant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbmamaz Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 MCT sometimes goes to a local conference for gifted educators i briefly considered going to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 A few times I have attended the Educational Assistant Conference (as in teacher's aide), great topics focused on working with/teaching spec ed kids. I am hoping to attend that one again this year. I have also attended one for daycare workers and a symposium on the brain that was really neat. Given that the EA and daycare conferences are in Alberta Canada I doubt anyone is eager for a link lol They also have a literacy day conference I attended once, and hope to again some year, the timing just hasn't worked out in the last couple. It is a really neat one, mostly teachers and librarians attend that one but it is still great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smfmommy Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 When I read the title I thought of Pittcon. It's an absolutely massive conference for scientific equipment. :) But then I read your note and figured it wasn't what you were looking for. The cost is rather high, but it does look like they have a free day if you are in the Chicago area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 The USA Science and Engineering Festival is pretty freaking awesome if you're anywhere near DC. It's more like a festival, but there are sessions you can sign up for and workshops and so forth in addition to the enormous exhibitions hall. I write, so I've been to many SCBWI conferences and they're often very good, you know, if you like to write and want to hear famous children's authors. As an educator, I attended a number of educational conferences and some were good in some ways, but not amazing or anything. I do wonder what the NSTA conference would be like, as Stripe said. I've had a bad and a good experience at two different homeschooling conferences, but the science part of both was Lame with a capital L. At the "good" conference, it was literally a guy saying "take your kids outside!" for an entire session. I walked out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msrift Posted January 1, 2014 Author Share Posted January 1, 2014 I do wonder what the NSTA conference would be like, as Stripe said. I've had a bad and a good experience at two different homeschooling conferences, but the science part of both was Lame with a capital L. At the "good" conference, it was literally a guy saying "take your kids outside!" for an entire session. I walked out. I was a scientist in my former life, so that is one area which I'm very particular about. I would have walked out of that workshop as well. The NSTA one is looking more drool-worthy every time I look at it - might just be the winner for the year's conference. Thanks for all of the suggestions! Keep 'em coming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyGF Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 I'm totally going to Pittcon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 Space Center Houston has a science conference for ps and homeschool teachers...I was hoping to go but it doesn't look like I will be able to. I know someone who went last year (teacher) and loved it. She is going again this year. http://spacecenter.org/education-programs/teacher-programs/teachers-seec/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 When I read the title I thought of Pittcon. It's an absolutely massive conference for scientific equipment. :) But then I read your note and figured it wasn't what you were looking for. The cost is rather high, but it does look like they have a free day if you are in the Chicago area. My first job I worked as a Chemist, I had a Biology degree, I went to Pittcon. (The Air Force figures they are the same thing, LOL.) It was interesting and huge. It would be fun to go back and see it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smfmommy Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 My first job I worked as a Chemist, I had a Biology degree, I went to Pittcon. (The Air Force figures they are the same thing, LOL.) It was interesting and huge. It would be fun to go back and see it again. I went years ago while working for a pharmaceutical company. When I went to my first "huge" homeschool conference I just laughed. It was nothing compared to Pittcon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aug17girl Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 I went to a local mini-maker faire. I would love to go to a real maker faire. They are put on by Make magazine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 In case anyone's interested I just received this email from NSTA about a conference in Boston April 3-6, and here's their site for more info on their conferences http://www.nsta.org/conferences/national.aspx The Professional Development Institutes are on April 2; they describe them as "focused, content-based programs that explore key topics in significant depth." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brookspr Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I went years ago while working for a pharmaceutical company. When I went to my first "huge" homeschool conference I just laughed. It was nothing compared to Pittcon. I was a chemist for a pharma company in my past life as well. Pittcon was awesome! I miss going to those conferences, sometimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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