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!

#DEN18: (A Slightly More Coherent) Wrap-Up (Part 8)

After quite a bit of travelling after the academy, I finally made it back home on Thanksgiving, and I've had the chance to reflect a bit more on my #DEN18 experience. I wrote a bit of a wrap-up post the morning after, but I know I was exhausted, and hopefully this one will make a little more sense :-). Warning: it's not short.

TL;DR Version

It was amazing and challenging, all at the same time. Both a struggle and a highlight of my professional career.

Photo cred: @IngviOmarsson 

The Academy

Photo cred: @markwagner

The Academy itself was amazing. Let's start with the people there - bringing together brilliant educators from all over the world creates a powerful think tank! There was a sense of purpose in the group - to change the world through education. And I'm not exaggerating when I say "change the world." We were consistently encouraged to start small, but dream big about how to impact the lives of students, teachers, leaders, & communities. I know that this community will continue to encourage, inspire, stay connected, and do great things throughout the year and beyond!

Photo cred: Innovator Program (@WendyGorton?)

Our three days went by quickly with a mix of team building, inspiration, work on our projects, and just plain fun. At first, I was overwhelmed at how I would get from my "problem" into a "solution" in such a short time, but everything was broken down into small steps, and I feel like I made a ton of progress. There was never enough work time (but is there ever enough?), but we kept moving anyway, and the limited time actually fueled my thinking and stopped me from over-analyzing every bit of my ideas (which I am prone to do). Constraints really do breed creativity!

Photo cred: Innovator Program (@WendyGorton?)

One of my favorite parts was getting to give & receive feedback from a wide variety of people. I feel like my project is a mix of all of the ideas other people gave me, rather than what I came up with, which makes it so much stronger! I loved that we were all there to push each other & ask the hard questions. In education, especially, how often do we hold back on asking a question to avoid conflict? My experience is...too often. I loved the expectation that we would kindly deliver critical feedback, which would make our projects better. Pivots & changes were celebrated, not seen as failures. Risks were encouraged, and support was everywhere!

Photo cred: @jlubinsky

Another big reminder - the environment really does make a difference! Being taken out of my normal context, being surrounded by balloons and decorations and, before long, our work on the walls, created an energizing space to work in. The team at Google did such a good job of taking care of us and keeping us well-fed (you know food had to make an appearance somewhere in this blog!), which meant that I was free to focus on my work rather than where to go for dinner. With all of this, I was in a mental space where I had the freedom to dream, which leads to innovation!

My Journey

Photo cred: @Itsbenwhitaker

Photo cred: @IngviOmarsson 

As I alluded to in previous blog posts, there were some tough parts too. My personal journey was much more of a roller coaster. Let's start with the people. It's way too easy to be in a room with all of these people and fall into the comparison trap. "I haven't done this like they have...they're so good at this...how in the world did I get invited to be a part of this group?" And then, going to a place of fear about what others think: "What do they think of me...why did I just say that, it sounded stupid?" I wrote about this in Part 4 & Part 5 of my live blog reflections, but it was a huge turning point when two of our morning sparks focused on Impostor Syndrome (@deanstokes) & "This Is Me" from The Greatest Showman, with the question, "What's your story?" (@cutiablunt). Two phrases from these sparks really hit a chord in me: "You are not a fraud" & "I'm not scared to be seen, I make no apologies, this is me." It was at this point that I remembered who I am - someone who loves to connect with others, who cares about her faith, who is passionate about pretty much anything she can get her hands on, and who is quirky and nerdy at times - and was affirmed in living that out. No more comparison. This is me, and I have something to bring.

(There were also so many other great sparks - these just hit at the right time for me!)

Photo cred: @lesmcbeth

Here's the secret about being an Innovator: Your project is important, but it's more about your mindset. Until that point, I was pretty focused on myself, and wasn't able to absorb as much as I wanted to (which I was aware of, and it was frustrating me)! I'm grateful for my friends (in my area & PLN tribe alike) back home who were able to give me a bit of encouragement through this (living in a connected world is so wonderful). Once I was able to settle my thoughts, I was able to focus on learning. I began to see so many connections between what we were learning and not only my project (which is only somewhat related to my job), but my daily work as well! The tools and ways of thinking I engaged in at the Academy have truly changed how I approach problems in general, and that will benefit me in everything I do!

Photo cred: @markwagner

Another one of my big takeaways was to have fierce conversations. My #Admin2B group did a book study on this book (Fierce Conversations) not too long ago, but I never finished it, and this trip was a great time to dive back in! This is relevant both in our professional and personal lives. Be brave. Confront reality. Don't fear conflict (but DO approach it with kindness) - diversity in thoughts & perspectives makes us all better.

Photo cred: @markwagner

Finally, I was inspired to create some magic. Disclaimer: I tend to be a pretty practical person, and it's easy for me to roll my eyes (on the inside) when we go way above and beyond what is necessary. But there's something amazing in experiencing something that goes so far above and beyond expectations that it truly feels magical! Whether it's with the refugee students I work with, my teachers, or the foster kids I serve every couple of months, I am inspired give them a moment to remember...even if it costs a little bit more money, time, & effort.

My Project

Photo cred: Me, myself and I

Yeah, I'm not going to make this blog post any longer - more later (that's for you, @markwagner)! I am hoping to build a resource to help educators find training about working with refugee students, to help them connect meaningfully with families, and to give refugee students a platform to share their stories. If you have any ideas about what you would like to see or what would help you, please let me know!

Follow Along Live

Post-run selfie! Photo cred: @MrGutoA

In case this wasn't long enough (kidding!) and you want to read my live thoughts & reflections, here they are:

Part 1 - the beginning of the adventure + pre-academy thoughts

Part 2 - arrival in Copenhagen + finally meeting cohort friends in person!

Part 3 - pre-academy reflections + excitement about meeting more of the cohort!

Part 4 - reflection from day #1, when I was in one of the "lows" of the roller coaster

Part 5 - reflection from day #2, after my "epiphany"

Part 6 - quick reflections right after it ended 

Part 7 - even as a tourist, #DEN18 is already changing my perspective!
Innovator Spark Sketchnote - how I kept my hands busy all day!

Thank you!

Photo cred: @KatieF

Thank you to everyone who made this happen. To Google Copenhagen & the team for hosting us. To EdTechTeam & everyone who puts this program together. To our coaches & leaders who set the tone and shared their energy & expertise with us. To my fellow Innovators who pushed me to think further and more deeply. To my family, friends & PLN who have helped me get to this point. My experience is a compilation of all of the encouragement & inspiration you have given me over the years!

So...are you applying next round? Let me know if you want help through the application process!

Photo cred: @IngviOmarsson

Stepping Up: Moderating #HackLearning!

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of moderating my very first Twitter chat! I have enjoyed Sunday morning #hacklearning chats for quite awhile, so it was a great place to jump into my first experience leading one.

Here's the thing: I love engaging with people online, but I am not usually very quick at coming up with my responses. I like to think through things, and I was just hoping that I could keep up through these 30 minutes! Pro tip: Scheduling the questions & my answers with TweetDeck was a lifesaver!

I was inspired to chat about this topic after reflecting on several years of experience working with families of ELL students in my own community. When I work with them, I am not a teacher - I come to the schools as a friend of the family, and more in a "parent" position. This has given me so much insight into the assumptions that are often made and how we can break down barriers for better communication.

So how did it go? It was a blast! Here are a few thoughts, in no particular order...

• Wow, everything goes fast. I used two columns on TweetDeck to keep up - one with all of the new stuff and one that was as much as I had gotten through.
• I know that it can be tempting to like everybody's answers, but my goal is always to dig a little deeper - asking questions to push the conversation further. It takes more time, but results in better learning (in my opinion)! I did a mix of both during the chat.
• It's amazing how many good thoughts people have - this is not a new realization, but it's awesome to be connected to a #PLN to constantly help you grow & refine your ideas!

If you get the chance to moderate a chat, I highly recommend it! It really helped me dive deeper on this topic & hear a variety of perspectives. At the same time, it helped me grow in confidence as I continue to share on social media. Thanks, @hackmylearning and the whole crew for the opportunity!

Ed Tech Specialist: Looking for feedback!

Hey, #PLN - I need your help!

I am really excited that, heading into this school year, my team is changing the structure of how we spend our time. This will mean more time in schools and less time in offices! My mind is overflowing with ideas for what this could look like, but I know that many minds are better than one!

To that end, I put together a form to collect ideas/feedback - if you don't mind taking a couple of minutes to fill it out, it would be appreciated!

A bit of background:

• I will have 13 schools (7 elementary, 3 K-8, 1 middle, 1 high, 1 K-12) I am supporting.
• I will be in schools Mondays & Fridays. There is the possibility of going out on other days of the week, but only as time allows.
• For the most part, our district do not have building-level instructional coaches or technology teachers. There are TOSAs for different subject areas that work with multiple schools.
• This type of support has not been available before through our department, so it may feel pretty new!

Thank you in advance for the power of crowdsourcing ideas - I will share the feedback on here after a few weeks!

Summit Summary - Colorado Springs 2018

Once again, I find myself sitting down to write a summary after a wonderful #EdTechTeam summit experience! Check out previous blog posts here:
Colorado 2016 | The first Ed Tech conference I ever attended!
Colorado 2017 | My first time presenting - thoughts from before, during, & after
Aspen 2018 | Continuing to learn and grow as a learner and a presenter

Each time I attend, I struggle to summarize my experience, so here are some big themes:

I love reflecting on my own growth as a presenter.

One of the best parts of this summit was presenting with my brother :-). I love that we are both in education, and it is so cool to be able to collaborate on things like this! His attendance at the 2015 Colorado Summit is what sparked my interest in attending & getting into ed tech in general, and look at where that's ended up! I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to share this experience with family and initiate my bro into the world of leading PD at the same time (and I have to say, he is awesome)!

Biggest personal win: I was much more confident and not as nervous as I have been in the past! That's not to say that there were no nerves, but I am growing more comfortable with it all. I even tried two new sessions this summit, and felt pretty good about them (which isn't always the case - I'm my own worst critic at times). I was able to enjoy myself not only during the presentations, but also before and after, because I wasn't worrying as much about everything.

I always learn new things.

No matter how many professional development events I go to, I always learn something new. I learn new ways to use tools, I learn hacks I hadn't known about previously, I learn about the new tools on the market, and I learn how to be a better presenter by watching those around me. And, as I overheard somebody say before we started the second morning, this is good professional development! It includes choice for the participants, isn't just "sit-n-get", and it is about relevant topics. As a person who leads a lot of PD, I appreciate the times when I am able to be a learner.

In the end, it always comes back to the people.

This is not a new revelation for me, but it comes back every time. I was excited to meet some PLN friends face-to-face for the first time, and make new friends F2F that are now a part of my PLN! You know when you find "your people", and it just clicks? I felt that way these past couple of days. I appreciate the positivity, the energy, and also the honesty of those who attended. We are not trying to brush over the hardships, but we are all there because we truly care, and we want to make education better for every single kid.

I also have to give special shoutouts to my old/new friend Lisa who took the time to chat with me and give me amazing advice during lunch one day, to Pam for initiating a Twitter DM conversation a few days before the event so it felt like we were old friends by the time we finally met, and to Jess for continually encouraging me and nudging me out of my comfort zone. That is not an exhaustive list, but it's these personal interactions that I remember the most, and they make the conference for me!

What's next?

Well, I'm not sure, but I'm excited to continue presenting, learning, and forming relationships wherever I go! And, of course, I can't let this opportunity go by without putting in a plug for the next #EdTechTeam Colorado Summit, coming in November! I hope to see many of you there!