My Journey...One Year Later

A lot of educators are really good at blogging, and for this I am eternally grateful.  They share ideas, projects, materials, and innovation.  They are the leaders and rockstars in our field.

I am not good at blogging. I have not blogged since ISTE 2012.  That is about to change.

As I sit in the bloggers cafe at ISTE 2013 this year, I cannot help but feel like I am on the brink of New (school) Year's Eve.  I am reflecting, setting goals, and getting ready to make some changes.  It is scary,  exciting, and refreshing all at once.

This time last year I was traveling to ISTE with nine other Baltimore teachers, all fellows with Digital Harbor Foundation.  We attended ISTE and it changed our lives.  Together we navigated the sessions, met amazing educators, and began to realize what we could do in our class and the power technology gave us and our students.  It was the beginning of a new chapter in our teaching.  We were changed by this experience.

This year, I cannot help but feel that in just twelve months my whole (educational) life has come a full 120 degrees.  I am no longer a EdTech fellow. Though I have great respect for DHF and their vision, I will not associated with the non-profit during this convention.  I traveled to San Antonio this year with three incredible colleagues from my school and I get to help them experience ISTE for the first time, which seems fitting considering the turns I have taken this year.

In all, I have been able to start emerging as an EdTech leader for my colleagues and within my school.  I secured a 1:1 classroom this year, which was my ultimate goal ending ISTE last year.  I have been able to share new technology and pedagogy with my staff and students with great results and thus gained their trust and respect in areas in which they were skeptical.  This initiative has now grown to encompass all our middle schoolers using Chromebooks and professional development for teachers to make this process smooth and effective.

So what are my goals and hopes for ISTE this year?  Expand my thinking, gain knowledge, explore ideas, meet new people, and get excited about the opportunities I have to transfer all these aspects of this conference to my students and staff in the Fall.  Wish me luck!