Challenges of Balances

This blog, while professional in nature, is done as part of my own personal love of writing and #edtech.

I haven't kept up with it recently because of "life".  There have been a lot of tasks to handle at work, another job creeps into the picture, planning large family events (weddings, parties, etc), maintaining a home, etc. all seem to take precedence.  I feel run down and tired.  I don't maintain some of the things that I do for me, for my own enjoyment.

I know that I am not the only person that this has ever happened to.  In fact, I know that teachers on a regular basis struggle with this specific dilemma.  I know this because at another point in time, I was that teacher struggling to find balance.  It has never been an easy thing for me to achieve, especially when I have so much on my plate.

So, I put this out there to the world.  How do you find your balance?  How do you juggle everything in your life, while still taking time to focus on yourself?  What do you do to focus on yourself?

ISTE 2016

Recently I found out that #collegereadyOH, the program I work on, had four ISTE presentations accepted!  FOUR!!  I'm blown away!  I'm humbled and honored...AND FREAKING OUT!!!

Don't get me wrong, this is definitely a team effort - and I have a beyond AMAZING team - and I am in no way in this alone.  However, it's still a rather daunting task to try and plan for a presentation at ISTE.  We have three poster sessions and a workshop.  Our team and some of our catalyst teachers will be there representing #collegereadyOH at these sessions.

So I guess this post is more looking for some advice.  

• Have you presented at ISTE?  
• What did you do to prepare?  
• How did you know your session went well?  
• What advice would you give to ISTE newbies? 

OR

• Have you attended ISTE?
• What presentations/poster sessions stood out to you?
• What are you looking for when you pick a session?
• What keeps your attention when you're checking out a poster?

THANK YOU!!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cobannon/2766226320

K12 vs Higher Ed

I come from a K12 background.  I just finished my 1st year in a Higher Ed setting.  It's been an adjustment.

The whole time I was in K12, I would find myself saying, "I'm preparing them for college and real life".  Now, I see that what I was preparing them for, is not in fact Higher Ed.  Ok...in some ways yes; critical thinking, independence, making good choices, etc.

However, the way I was teaching...giving choices, allowing for creativity, asking for creation and explanation of thinking.  Granted, I didn't have much of a choice because this is how I was directed to teach, but I also agreed with it.  With all my heart!  I felt like much of that allowed for the critical thinking and independence and making good choices.

I feel like as a child I got REALLY good at following directions and "being a student" so that now, being free and creative is sometimes a challenge for me.  I don't want my students to feel that way.

Anyway, back to the point...in Higher Ed, sometimes it still feels like what it used to 15 years ago when I went to undergrad.  There's a gap.  There's a difference between how we teach in K12 and how we teach in Higher Ed.  And if they aren't already feeling it, students will soon figure it out.

How do we close the gap?  How do we focus on the best way to reach students?  Will students revert to "studenting" when they go to college?  Will they want the more interactive way of learning?