What a year! 2013 in Review

What a year it has been, huh? From going to my first #edcamps to wearing a pair of Glass, this year in edtech has been something of a whirlwind. It all started last January at the annual Techspo presentation, where I was able to present and meet some great folks, including +Jeffrey Bradbury. I will be presenting again this year and I can't wait to see how that helps me kick off 2014 with a bang. 

I want to thank all of those who made a difference in my life this year and helped me grow as a educator and a person. Even though I was on Twitter for a few years, this year took it to a whole other level. Never in my life did I think that I could make friends, colleagues, and compatriots on the twitter-verse, but I did and many of them I can truly call friends now. Heck, I even ran a 5K with some of my #njed friends, most of whom I had never met face-to-face before. 

To cap off the year, I was promoted to Supervisor of Instruction in my district! A honor and one that is certainly humbling. While my primary mission to serve our district with the best technology will not change, my aim and focus will become more precise. I will work even more with my teachers and students! That is something I can't wait for! I will be able to visit even MORE classrooms. 2014 is shaping up to be a pretty good year so far. 

As for resolutions, I resolve to follow my mantra:

Be attentive, vocal, and present. Be willing to be there for those who need you. Help in any way you can. 

Be an #agentofchange in anything that you do. 

Blog #8 - The Final Countdown!

Hope you enjoyed the "final countdown" video! PS - Can't wait for this show to come back!

Now, onto the show!

BLOG TIME – Now that you’ve done all of this creating and discussing, it’s time to 

share with the rest of us!  Let us know what you decided to put in your toolkits 

and why.  Did you create this toolkit purely on selfish instinct—adding what YOU 

found interesting?  Did you have two particular colleagues in mind when you were 

creating this kit?  How would your kit change if you were sending it to an 

administrator? How about a teacher who doesn’t want to hear the “T” word 

(tech!)… How would your toolkit change then?  

I have created my first toolkit, ever! As many of you know, I have been a Social Studies teacher for the past few years. Due in fact to my love to technology and this program, I have actually accepted another position at my school - that of District Technology Coordinator! I couldn't be more excited at the opportunity, one that I believe, I will excel in. 

Based on this news, I crafted my toolkit on my current job and future job. I was very selfish in what I was putting into my kit. While I did share it with a few colleagues, they were thankful that I sent them some administrative links as well. Luckily, they were also interested in these links as well and found them informative and interesting. The safety and integrity of our network comes first in the new job. Without the network infrastructure, technologies such as iPads and mLearning would not be possible in a large school environment. 

Since I am an admin now, I think my kit would be admired by other admins. It shows that I am well rounded in my knowledge of technology. I know what it takes to set up a network and I also know what the ends to the means are - bringing, using, and immersing children with tech in the classrooms. 

Teachers who don't want to hear the word "tech" need to be given a reality check. They might be scared, they might be nervous, or they might be set in their ways. In any event, they need to roll with the times. Proper support, I by proper I mean nurturing support, will be necessary for these teachers who are behind the times in terms of tech. My toolkit, as it stands now, might not change their ideas but it would give them a better insight into what goes into the technology. Its not frivolous. Its a way of life and one that has a lot of hard work involved. 

Thanks!