When did it get to be October already!?!?!
I presented at my first "Google Summit" this weekend: Missouri Summit featuring Google for Education :) It is something I truly enjoy doing. Hopefully the paperwork will subside soon so I can finish my Google Educator Level 2 certification!
Some highlights of the day:
-Use the Explore button in Google Sheets to visualize data
-YouTube Capture is a powerful tool
-Tina Lauer is my hero
-Nick Cusumano isn't so bad either
-Amazing teachers in my session and getting them re-energized for their classrooms!
More than anything, I realized that I have reached the point with my love of educational technology that I have to make a decision about what the future holds for me. When I began my journey into teaching, I wanted to be a really good math teacher. After learning that not all students learn the same way (yes, this was a shocker to me because I'd never really thought about it before), I pursued Special Education as my Masters program. In my mind, a Masters in Math Ed simply taught me more of how to teach math, but not to students who struggled. Still, I wanted to be a regular education math teacher, one that could teach all students who came through my door. That isn't the road my career took me down. I wouldn't change any of it for all the gold in Fort Knox.
Over the last 5 years, I have worked with 2nd graders, 7th graders, and high school students. I have taught reading, writing, and math. For the last 3 years, I have been teaching high school math in special education and I really enjoy that part of my job. Some days I think I could do that forever. Some days I don't know if I can take another day. High school has it's ups and downs. Just when you think you have it all figured out, a new adventure always finds you. My one constant through the years has been my desire to stay on top of the latest educational technology in the classroom. As I mentioned in a previous post, we are now 1:1 with Chromebooks and that has led to triumphs and challenges in itself. One of my strengths (in my opinion) is rising to challenges.
I feel confident using technology in the classroom, but this isn't the case for every teacher I work with. This isn't the case with most teachers I know. I really enjoy working with teachers to help them gain confidence. I don't see standing in front of my peers and presenting/teaching to be a daunting task. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Herein lies the problem. How do I make that transition? Will I be accepted? Will they take me seriously?
So I'll follow the advice I give my students. "If you don't ask, you're telling yourself 'No'." After all, what kind of leader would I be if I didn't take a chance? If I didn't choose to lead?
