Post ISTE Poster Session

Time to decompress.  

This is my 2nd time at ISTE and despite the cold and loss of my voice...I am loving it!  Some of our team just finished up our poster session.  Then I volunteered to trek the posters and our Instagram costume back to the hotel.  So I decided to take this time to reflect and blog about our poster session.  

Our poster was on whether or not social media in education was a good idea.  

Actually our poster was really why social media in education was a good idea.  If I'm being perfectly honest...*pause*...and I am. 

+Marisa Manocchio had students create literal posters of Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Flipboard, Instagram, and YouTube with statistics on use and benefits for teachers.  It was pretty amazing!  Then she created an Instagram costume that we used to take pictures of our attendees who stopped by.  It was PERFECT!!  Marisa set up a Tweet Deck to showcase all the photos we took at #CROISTE2016 and #ISTE2016.  

Then +Ben Clutter +Salvatore Maiorana +Brock Wysong +Marisa Manocchio and I were able to chat with everyone.  There were great questions about the various platforms, student safety, administrator buy-in, and much much more!  We were also able to talk a little bit about College Ready Ohio.  

Overall I'm really pleased with how things went.  Now I'm ready to get back and check out some posters, the vendors, and presenters!  I will admit I'm a little star struck and I can't wait to learn from so many of the experts I've been following!

big changes...bigger freak outs

You know how we always say that kids need stability and structure.  They like it, they just don't always know it.

Well as an adult (most of the time), I can say that I LOVE IT!  I love stability, I love structure, I love routine.  I love knowing what is happening and how it's happening.  I'm especially fond of situations where I can be in control of all of the happenings.  *Self proclaimed control freak*

However, I also know that change is inevitable.  What is it "they" say, "The only thing that never changes is change."  Well, change my old friend, welcome back.

I will soon be leaving my current position as an Educational Technologist at Ohio State for a position at a Catholic school as a computer teacher.  In that sentence alone there are at least 2 BIG changes; higher ed to K-8 AND outside the classroom to inside the classroom.  HELP!

I've been a K-5 classroom teacher before but not a computer teacher.  I will be pouring over pinterest and reaching out on Twitter for help.  I will be asking for advice and suggestions and ideas.  Help, help, help.  Thanks.

Now, couple those things with the fact that Ohio State is in Ohio and my Catholic school is in Nevada -- Las Vegas -- more specifically, and WOW!!  Thankfully, I am from Vegas.  My family is there.  I made the trip from Vegas to Ohio 2 years ago for this job at OSU.  BEST DECISION!  hard move. So while I know Vegas...I'm going home...it's not an easy move.  It's a big change.

So...I think...if I'm freaking out and stressing and panicking about all of these things that are my choice and under my control, how do those kids feel?  The kids who have no choice when they move from home to home?  When they have no control about the people that are in and out of their homes? When they do not have a choice of what school or classroom they are placed in?

What can we do to help them...while we are with them?

Saying "I Do"

I recently (4 days ago) got married.

*I know way to ease into big news!*

And anyone that has planned a wedding or been involved in planning a wedding, knows that there are A LOT of things to figure out.  Big details, tiny details, details you forgot about, and surprises - and lots of other things in between.  Depending on your wedding and venue, you have varying levels of help and people doing things for you as well.  You also have a wedding party and lots of family who can help and support you through the entire process.

While we were planning the wedding, and even on the day of the wedding, I couldn't help but notice some parallels to being a teacher.  Yea, yea, yea...don't roll your eyes yet.  Just read for a second.

Think about all the details you plan for the year, for the month, for the week, and for the day.  Think of how those details rarely go EXACTLY according to plan.  Think of who you lean on for support - your family, your grade level, your administration, your friends, etc.  Despite the stress and anxiety and hours upon hours upon hours...*pause for dramatic effect*...UPON HOURS of work you put into everything for the kids, nothing is ever perfect.  Just like a wedding.

I realized the DAY. BEFORE. THE. WEDDING that I could not keep up with or control each of the tiny details I had been carefully devising over the last few months.  I finally reached out to my friends and said this is what I want, but you know what, do what you think is best because I will not know the difference tomorrow.  I also said that to the caterers and the DJ.  And you know what?  Looking back, I have no idea if what they did was exactly what I would have done.  I was too busy soaking up my new husband, my new family, seeing all of my friends, celebrating, and loving the day.

Now I am going to say this to you, as teachers.  You cannot control every little detail of your classroom/school/students.  Ask for help from your grade level, your administration, your family, and your friends - even your students...especially your students.  Give up the control and trust that at the end of the day, week, month, year...you and your students will have soaked up all the important things.  You will have inspired and instructed.  You will have guided and given hugs.

You will have made a difference.