The iPad Chefs Are a Hit

The iTeam (3rd qnd 4th grade students) were the Keynote presenters at the Strategies for Educational Improvement:  Preparing for the Future conference at the University of Kansas on June 8, 2012.  The conference is collaboration between the Kansas State Department of Education and the KU School of Education.  

The students made their presentation before 400+ educators. Members of the audience included The Commissioner of Education, Diane DeBaker, State School Board Members, Diane Bunting and Walt Chappel, representatives from two legislators' offices, university professors, teachers and administrators.  

The Centre 3rd and 4th graders presented as the iPad Chefs....(based on the Iron Chef TV Show). The iChefs illustrated "app"itizers which are easy to use apps for the classroom, Main dish apps that allow students to use higher order thinking skills and create content using ipad apps, and then Desserts, the students' favorite apps.  

Here is a copy of an email I sent to the students' teachers after our presentation:

The iPad chefs were absolutely fabulous!  The Commisioner of Education said she was reading a book on presenting and they should add a chapter that said , "never follow Jerri Kemble and the iPad chefs if you are speaker. They are a tough act to follow!". That made me feel so proud of our kids!
The keynote, Yong Zhao who is a very respected international speaker, said that our presentation was a great example  for him to refer to, and that we were doing all the things he would talk about in his speech!  He took our contact information and wants to contact us to be part of an international project that would partner our students with Chinese students.

 Two congressmen had reps there today. Many people from the state department and state school board were there and were very pleased with our presentation.  It was a great day for Centre and these iPad chefs. In my opinion, this was as great as winning a state championship in sports!  These students made a stellar presentation to 300 educators which included teachers, professors, superintendents and state dignitaries.  Now that takes courage and talent on the part of a ten year old! I wish you all could have been there.

I bet you can tell that I am really proud of our kids.  Right now we are celebrating at the Lawrence swimming pool!