Below is a post I wrote a few years back but, never really publicized anywhere. It seems appropriate to use here as an "In Medias Res" about me. That's Latin for in the midst of things.
 |
| Dave Burgess and me in Corpus Christi, TX, Me at edcampParkerCounty and with a new edcamp PLN buddy, Me at ISTE Conference in San Antonio, TX |
Let’s go back to the 2012-2013 school year, when I joined
the world of Twitter. This is really when my adventure started to take shape.
August 2012… I decided to delve into my Twitter account that
I had setup many months before but never really knew what to do with. It is so
much more than just posting what you had for breakfast or that you are hangin’
with friends. As I picked around in the program and watched what others were
posting and talking about, I began to find my way and discover that Twitter can
be, and is, a learning community. You can ask questions, pose a topic for
discussion, launch an idea, and even join in weekly chats. All of these can be
participated in locally and globally. We all attend conferences but, more times
than not when we meet people there, it’s like ships passing in the night. As I
began to grow my PLN (personal learning network), meeting up with these never
before seen friends and colleagues took on a whole new purpose. I have “met” so
many terrific people through Twitter that I would never have come into contact
with otherwise. I am determined to learn as much as I can from them and
hopefully have some bits of knowledge to share along the way. This takes me to
a couple of other paths in my adventure.
October 2012… As I read through tweets I came across
something called un-conferences or EdCamps. The first one I attended was
EdCampDallas and I was hooked! Little did I know that many of the people I was
following on Twitter also attended this edcamp. After an opening welcome, the
morning was divided into two time slots with several sessions to choose from.
These were more than just presentations. They took on more of a round-table
discussion format as well as even hands-on sessions and not just limited to
technology. Two more session times were held in the afternoon then it all ended
with a “smack-down” list of tools and ideas learned during the day…plus prizes!
I have to say that this type of professional development is very energizing. I
was so inspired and fired up to share things that I learned with teachers back
home. Since then I have attended my state technology conference TCEA13,
EdCampWaller, the Texas Google Summit and HackEd at ISTE13 (more about ISTE13
in another posting). Each event is a little bit unique due to the organizers
and location. I believe this makes them that much more exciting and
interesting. At those last events, I met many of my PLN face to face. They are
educators just like me and intent on what’s best for students. These
connections for me are priceless. My next edcamp will be EdCampFortWorth in
July. I’m going with the plan to form deeper connections with those I have met
and add new people to my PLN.
January 2012… Another awesome find on Twitter was a book by
Dave Burgess, Teach Like a Pirate. It is a passion and enthusiasm filled guide
book for educators. Although I’m no longer teaching in a classroom setting, I
found so many gems to apply and share as I work with teachers. I would read a
chapter or so in the evenings, then rush to school the next day to share what I
read with my hallway teacher neighbor and friend. There are now several chats
on Twitter all based on the premise of this book – “Don’t just teach a lesson,
create an experience”. (#tlap, #tlapELA, and #tlapMath) Next week, I’m hoping to meet more members of
my PLN and the author during a PD day at a district in south Texas close to
Corpus Christi.
 |
| Pirates - Michelle McGinty, Me, Hal Roberts, Brenda Pawelek, Dave Burgess, Lora Krantz and Misty White |
I have learned an enormous amount about educational and
instructional technology, professional development styles and techniques, not
to mention about myself. Introverted, shy and reserved is how I would describe
myself although my close friends say otherwise. This past year, these things
I’ve done are quite out of my comfort zone. I attended a tweet-up prior to an
edcamp that was a social dinner gathering and that is something I would never
have ventured into before especially with strangers. Yet, these people seemed
familiar with the help of Twitter and our common edtech bond. I volunteered
comments during sessions which, draws a huge amount of attention to oneself and
yet, I survived. I even submitted my own proposal as well as another with a
Twitter buddy, for a session to our next state technology convention. My
district technology director has asked me to present during our 2013-2014 back
to school professional development days.
So that takes me back to… “and the voyage begins”. As the adventure actually continues, I know I
have more to learn and will grow even more in whatever life has in store for me
as an educator, mom and friend and I will do it, scared and be all the better
for it!
