2018 Reflection | #OneWord2018 | INTEGRITY

As 2018 comes to a close, I am sitting in a warm house, looking out at the sparkling snow, with much to be grateful for. A new job (which I love!), new experiences (best of all, #DEN18), and so much growth, both personal and professional. I want to look back on my #OneWord2018 to guide my reflections.
*Fair warning: This post is about me, and I feel a bit selfish writing it. But isn't that what personal reflections are?

This year, I wanted to focus on integrity, with three components being engage(ing), courage, and initiative. This played out in many ways as through the year!

In January, I was able to be spontaneous and engage with new friends as I took a trip to California to meet #PLN buddies in person! I also enjoyed a trip to string camp, in which I found & had the integrity to admit, for the first time, that I was happy to be in ed tech and moving on from my time teaching in the classroom.

In February, I celebrated the culmination of my #OneWord2017 (LEAD) journey by summoning the courage to press "submit" on my PRAXIS (spoiler: I passed)!

In March, I did a lot of reflecting, and took the initiative to really think about #selfcare as a part of being a healthy educator.

In April, I earned my #GoogleET certification and blogged publicly, for the first time, about my desire to apply for the #GoogleEI program - it took courage to put it out there for accountability!

In May, I wrote about continuing to learn and grow as an ed tech leader and engaged in "real talk" as I shared my first #GoogleEI application and thoughts along the way.

In June, I wrote with integrity about my honest feelings about not getting into #LAX18, enjoyed seeing ways that music teachers were taking initiative to take ideas even further, and met SO MANY friends IRL at #ISTE2018! What a highlight that was, and a reminder of how special it is when we are ourselves - both online and in person - rather than wearing a mask or putting on a persona!

In July, I engaged in some more honest sharing as I wrote about changes (having no idea what was coming in my own life) and took the initiative to not only attend another #EdTechTeam summit but convince my brother to present with me (which was amazing)!

In August, I learned about taking a step back and allowing others to find the courage to lead and published one of my more popular posts of the year with the results of a survey about what people were looking for from ed tech specialists in schools that I took the initiative to put together.

In September, a lot happened as I had the courage to put myself out there! I moderated my first Twitter chat, applied for #GoogleEI again (and got accepted this time!), and started a new job. Talk about a big month!

In October, I thought a lot about leading with integrity and what that meant in my new position - from the messages I was sending to the struggle with balance to the need for courageous choices & conversations.

November wins the award for the most blogs written in a month, because I was at #DEN18 and blogged my way through! I made the decision after the first day of the academy to write vulnerably and engage in a real, raw way, which took courage and initiative. It ended up being a great experience that further fueled my desire to live with integrity and walk my talk of what I think is important!

Which brings us to December, where I exercised that integrity by making sure I was living a life that demonstrated #selfcare, took the initiative to bring some fun to the office, and wrote about my struggles and lessons learned with listening to others.

It's been a great year, and I truly see how my #OneWord2018 was woven in and out of my experiences! What will 2019 bring? Check back next week to see my #OneWord2019 and let's find out! Happy New Year, everyone!

Aspen 2018 Summit Reflections

Last weekend, I was happily in Aspen, CO, attending the #EdTechTeam Summit! Here are a handful of my key takeaways:

1. It is so important to spend time with people who are positive, hopeful, and optimistic about education! This was my #1 takeaway! The current climate, both nationally and locally, has not been overly positive about teaching, education, and especially the role of technology in education. I know that not everyone feels this way, but sometimes it seems like it - and it wasn't until I had the chance to step out of it to realize how far I had gotten sucked into the negativity. I walked away from the summit feeling refreshed and re-energized for my job!
   
   

   

   Adults enjoy having fun too - #makered is always a hit!

   
   
2. Reaching out, relationally, is awesome. I attended the Colorado Summit in November, and it was huge! While that was really fun, the sheer number of people there meant that running into the same person twice was far less likely! Additionally, it was in my district, so I knew a ton of people there. At this (much smaller) summit, I feel like I really had the opportunity to reach out and have some good conversations with others. I always love hearing how things are going in different parts of the state and country, because it gets me out of my own little world, and I learn so much!
   
   

   

   It wouldn't be a summit without some #BreakoutEDU fun!
   

   
   

3. Share, share away! One of my favorite things about summits is how willing everyone is to share their materials and resources. Sometimes, I get discouraged when other educators are hesitant to share what they have created - we are all teaching kids, right? I've never wanted to force anyone else to reinvent the wheel if I have already done the work! Seeing people freely share and encourage others to steal, copy, iterate, and improve upon resources was like a breath of fresh air.
   
   

   

   Fresh air like my pre-summit walks both mornings -
   how could I not spend some time outside in this beautiful place?
   

   
   
4. It's nice to be a learner. In my role as an Ed Tech Specialist, I lead a lot of PD...and I love it! But I can't remember the last time I attended an event purely as a learner. I did present a couple of sessions at this summit, but I didn't feel the pressure of "being in charge". I didn't have to make sure all of the logistics were taken care of, look around the room to make sure everyone had a seat, check on the food, find the custodian, take pictures, be "on call", or think about setup/cleanup. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy hosting PD, but it was downright relaxing to be able to just attend the event and not have to worry about the other details! Thanks to all of the Aspen crew who did do this - I know how much work it is!
   
   

   

   Our beautiful facility for the summit!
   

   
   

I am so grateful for the weekend - I didn't know it at the time, but it was exactly what I needed! As usual, #EdTechTeam Summits do not disappoint. Bonus: it gave me some great inspiration for my #GoogleEI application! I may have come home physically tired (a 4-hour drive will do that to you), but mentally & emotionally, it was so worth it!

It was awesome to spend time with my friend & coworker
(& driving companion) @staceyduval5!

#GoogleET!

I was so excited to receive the email this week welcoming me to the Google for Education Certified Trainers program!

I first heard about this program a couple of years ago, but didn't think it was for me...yet. While I helped people around my school(s) often, I wasn't really leading any trainings or presenting to groups of people. I decided to pursue my Google Certified Educator Level 1 Training. I studied all summer and was excited to pass the test!

I knew I wanted to keep going further, but between teaching full-time and being in grad school, I had limited time and energy. It wasn't until the next summer that I studied and took the Google Certified Educator Level 2 test! While the Level 1 test was a good review of many things I already used in the classroom, the Level 2 course taught me more. It was definitely challenging, but I was excited to accomplish this goal!

As I changed jobs, I realized that I am leading a lot of professional development, and the time seemed right to work on my Google for Education Certified Trainer badge. The problem is...I was still in grad school, and the thought of studying for one more thing (other than my finals and PRAXIS) was just too much to handle. It wasn't until after I finished everything for my degree (February) and took a moment to breathe (spring break) that I completed the application. The Trainer Course was not too time-consuming, since I had already done my Level 2 certification, but the application process made me reflect on how I teach and why I do things the way I do. I answered the short essay questions, and moved onto recording my video. The 3-minute limit filled up quickly! It took me several takes to be as concise as I wanted, but I finally ended up submitting my video at a length of 2:59. *Phew* After a couple of weeks of waiting (I may or may not have been checking my application status nearly every day), the email arrived - I had been accepted! Hooray!

Even though it's only been a few days, I have already appreciated learning from the forums and connecting with other trainers. It's fun when those connections span multiple platforms, as well - finding friends on Twitter in the group or vice versa allow us to strengthen our #PLN connections!

What's next? Well, I've had some amazing friends encouraging me for awhile to work on my Google Certified Innovator application. I've really wanted to do it since first hearing about the program, but just didn't feel like I had the time or energy to really give it the thought that it deserves. [Side note: When I decided to get my Masters, I knew that saying "yes" to that would mean saying "no" to future opportunities - it just took discipline to stick to that so I didn't burn myself out!] But now, the time has come. To be honest, it scares me more than any of the other certifications I have gone for. I know it's very competitive, the odds are slim, and I don't like failure or rejection. Yet I also know that playing it safe and never taking risks is not the way I want to live! Working on the application has already forced me to reflect and grow, and no matter what happens, I am convinced I will be a better educator for it.

I'm sure there will be more posts coming on this blog as I further develop my ideas for #GoogleEI! For now, I will just leave you with this - if you have ever thought about going for any of these certifications, I'd encourage you to do it! They are well-done, applicable, and help you grow in your skills, no matter what your role is in education. Feel free to reach out if you want/need feedback and/or help - I am so appreciative for my #PLN & real-life friends who have helped me along the way!