Try This Again...

Well, it has been quite some time since I did an official blog post and not just a quick tip on my website.  I am going to try to stick to blogging on a somewhat regular basis--maybe monthly--maybe a little more depending on what has been going on.  Thought I'd do a little reflective post about what the 2013-2014 school brought on.  I am so fortunate to work with such hard working, thoughtful educators everyday.

This past school year has been incredible!  I received Google Glass in November, started a great new group of students called the TechKnow Kids--a Minecraft EDU design group, started a crazy thing called PD in Your PJs, implemented a new tablet pilot program for our K-2 students, and watched members of my TILT team do incredibly powerful things with their students and then share it out with our team.  Whew!  No wonder we are all tired!

I am really proud of having started a Tech Coaching Network for coaches around the state--mainly in my area of Wisconsin, but we network with people all over.  This has been a chance to really talk about the challenges and celebrate the many wins of using technology tools with our kids.  I love that we can go for much of our meeting and just talk kids-not technology, not school--kids.  That has been so encouraging each time we meet!

Glass has been such an interesting addition to my life.  I used it a lot when I first received them and then it started to taper off a little.  A huge update in the past few weeks has encouraged me to get them back on and use them regularly.  I had a very interesting conversation with a gentleman that has Cerebral Palsy about Glass and the potential of technology like this.  He actually got a little teary eyed when he talked about how hands free computing could really be a game changer....and of course that made me get a little teary eyed as well!

I have had the pleasure of presenting at lots of different events throughout the school year.  I love that no matter where I am, all discussions at these events have centered around how to do right by our kids and give them the most opportunities and ask the best questions that we possibly can.  My "techie" colleagues are amazing and such a supportive addition to my life.
I am scheduled for more PD events this summer, so stay tuned....