FALL 2018 TOUR

Welcome to October! Pumpkin Season is here, and thanks to Hurricane Florence, I have never been happier to see September go. Wilmington, NC is a fantastic place to live, but the past several weeks have been far less than ideal. Let's take a look ahead at my favorite season of the year and the FALL 2018 TOUR that is upon us! 

LOOKING BACK
Angela and I (along with our cat, Tobiko) were displaced for 10 days while we waited for Florence to pass through at a glacial pace. Packing up your home and leaving it behind is an experience that I hope no one ever has to go through. The waiting and not knowing is really agonizing. Thanks to Kimpton Hotel and their pet friendly policy, The Housands Three were able to ride out the first part of the storm in style while staying at the Kimpton Tryon Park Hotel in Charlotte, NC. After Florence made her way through, we transitioned to Winston-Salem, NC to stay at the Kimpton Cardinal Hotel to wait until the waters receded and the roads reopened. 

Once we were back home we were relieved to find that we had very minimal damage. While the garage did flood with about a foot of water, it seems that the water outside stopped just short of our doors. We were incredibly fortunate. Many of our neighbors were not so lucky. The amount of downed trees and debris is something that has to be seen to believed. Cleanup began immediately, and will continue for several more weeks. Meanwhile at UNCW, classes remain cancelled and will resume (hopefully) on Monday, October 8th four weeks after the mandatory evacuation of campus was initiated. ​

LOOKING AHEAD
Now that all of that is behind us, I am excited to kick off what I am referring to as the FALL 2018 TOUR. Over the course of the next TEN weeks I will be speaking at TEN different events in NINE different states. Thanks Pennsylvania!  

Here is the lineup:
October 11, 2018 - West Virginia Association for the Gifted and Talented in Flatwoods, WV
October 15-16, 2018 - Ohio Association for Gifted Children 66th Annual Fall Conference in Columbus, OH 
October 19-20, 2018 - Gifted Association of Missouri Annual Conference in Springfield, MO
October 27, 2018 - CogniCON at The Grayson School in Broomall, PA 
November 3, 2018 - Orange County Council for the Gifted Annual Conference in Anaheim, CA
November 6, 2018 - CITES Learning Edge Conference in Provo, UT
November 9, 2018 - Maine Educators of the Gifted and Talented Fall Conference in Orono, ME
November 15-18, 2018 - National Association for Gifted Children Annual Convention in Minneapolis, MN
November 30, 2018 - Rutgers Gifted Education Conference in New Brunswick, NJ
December 12, 2018 - Bucks County Intermediate Unit Gifted Conference in Doylestown, PA

SOME HIGHLIGHTS
While each and every event is special in its own way, there are a few that I especially looking forward to this fall. I am really excited to return to The Grayson School to present at CogniCON. Melissa Bilash and her team have created an incredible learning environment for gifted kids and teachers. Imagine what your ultimate gifted school might look like and then double it. The things that they come up with and try continually amaze me. For example, just today they had a personal call with Dr. Serena Auñón-Chancellor, an Astronaut currently on the International Space Station. 

On my travels, I get the chance to cross paths with my good friends and fellow Gifted Guild members Ian Byrd and Lisa Van Gemert. While we have been at many events together, we have never had the chance to present together. That is until now! As part of the NAGC Pre-Convention in Minneapolis, we will be leading The Right Tool for the Job: Technology to Promote Curiosity, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, and Problem Solving. The day long session also includes practical technology-rich lessons from Todd Stanley, Maureen Danovsky, Chris Hendicks, and Melanie Olson. 

In addition to the Pre-Con session, the three of us are planning some special surprises. STAY TUNED FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS to be revealed soon! ​

ONE MORE THING.... 
In addition to my speaking engagements, on November 25-26, I will be traveling to Pasadena, California to visit NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. I have been selected to be a part of small group of digital creators in the latest #NASASocial to be present for the landing of the InSight Mars Lander. Expect many more details, photos, and videos. 

It is going to be an exciting Fall! 

Bring on the #PumpkinSpice
​