NCEA 2016 Reflections from Day One
David Coleman, president of The College Board, presents at NCEA 2016
Yesterday’s opening keynote was from David Coleman, president of the College Board, the organization responsible for the SAT and Advanced Placement tests. His talk was inspiring and filled with hope, and he was overflowing in his praise of Catholic schools. The first three-fourths of his presentation was spent thanking Catholic education for giving students five gifts that he believes the world needs desperately:
- Productive Solitude
- Reverent Reading of Shared Texts
- Restful Excellence
- Gratitude and Grace
- Dignity and Pricelessness
Next followed some great educational sessions and a visit to the exhibit hall (of course I picked up some great swag to bring back to the class for prizes). The best session for me so far was titled “Critical Steps in Implementing a 1:1 Program” by an assistant principal and technology integration coordinator from a Catholic elementary school in Illinois.
The first day of the conference ended with a beautiful Mass led by San Diego Bishop Robert McElroy. The Catholic school choir that led us in music was angelically beautiful. Here’s just a small sample. The choir is singing “I Can Only Imagine” by Mercy Me.
I’ll be presenting in a couple of hours, so I’m going to end my reflections for now and take this time to mentally prepare.
