ISTE Reflections: Trust Yourself, Take a Risk

In my extended family I was always known as the one you DIDN’T go to if you needed help with something involving technology.  It was a running joke that I must emit some kind of anti-tech microwaves (or whatever kind of “-waves”) that would instantly cause a reliable, never-had-a-problem-with-it-before piece of technology to malfunction.  No one else had problems with their Gameboy (I did!). Everyone loves their iPhone and had it for years (not me – 3 different ones in 4 years, and no I did not drop them in water or drive over them with my car…).

On our way to ISTE!

So when I told them I was going to ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education), with my fearless teammate, Diana Koska (@koska4th), let’s just say they were a bit…baffled.  Excited to see me so amped up to go? Yes.  Surprised to hear that this was my choice of PD? You bet. Wondering if I realized the word TECHNOLOGY was in the title? Without a doubt!  My dad even told me that he was excited to see me stepping out of my comfort zone.

And I’m not going to lie, I had my own doubts every now and then… Everyone there is going to know so much more than me. I still call a flash drive a zip drive! I’m not an expert about anything technological, and I still flinch from time to time when I need to use a new app. They are going to spot my tech-savvy wannabe rear-end from a mile away with some kind of laser-ray! What am I thinking? I’m a lamb to the slaughter! About this time in my metal meltdown I would give myself a figurative slap (I would only ever give myself one of those for the record) and tell myself to snap out of it.  All I needed to do was trust myself and take a risk.

Some of the #BFC530 Crew (@koska4th @rharwood17 @deem_ellen @iruntech)

Trust myself and take a risk. Little did I know, my mantra for getting myself to ISTE would be my greatest takeaway from ISTE.  For if I want to, “Be the change,” as Pernille Ripp implored us all to be so passionately that first day, I have to stop listening to the what-ifs and listen more to the why-nots.  Ex. You should start a podcast. What if no one listens? Why not?!? - See what I did there? J All I need to do is trust myself and take a risk.

Me blacking out when I met Pernille Ripp for the 1st Time!

This mindset was everywhere I turned at ISTE.  Whether I was attending an amazing Ignite Session and getting pumped up by the Champion of Students’ Voices: Pernille Ripp (@pernilleripp), learning about how video games (specifically World of Warcraft) can enhance a literacy, math, or social studies class and help every child “find their tribe” and “go out and be epic” with the awesome and downright cool Peggy Sheehy (@peggysheehy), or sitting down (literally on the floor) with the inspirational and honest Rafranz Davis (@RafranzDavis) and my twerrific tweep Manny Andre (@MrEandre), to discuss an educational blog/podcast/discussion Manny and I want to start about Baltimore (more to come on that…), every place I went, I was told over and over again to trust myself and take a risk.

The Weird Teacher is pretty AWESOME! (@theweirdteacher)

And I, we, have to listen because, let’s face it, as educators taking risks is what we have to do every day, and if we aren’t, we should be!  Yes, not knowing what might happen is scary, and yes you might fail, but isn’t that the beautiful thing about education?  Success or failure, both result in learning.  In fact, EVERYTHING we do in and outside the classroom is a teachable moment. It all can be used to help students learn and grow.  What other professionals can say that everything in their life can be used to do their job, which entails empowering and inspiring children and improving the future of this world?!? If there are other callings out there that I am not thinking of at this moment, I apologize, but I still don’t think those are as sweet as ours! 

Faces from #4thchat (@ncarroll24 @koska4th @JennRegruth)

At ISTE I was also continually reminded that we have the awesome power and immense responsibility of not only teaching our students some answers, but providing each one of them with the tools, desire, and resiliency to go on quests for answers to questions that have not even been asked yet! However, in order to achieve this, we have to trust ourselves and take a risk.

ThrISTE Amigos! (@deem_ellen @koska4th)

Even more incredible is the fact that you are not alone in this overwhelming, fantastic, and wouldn’t-trade-it-for-the-world adventure called teaching.  You have your teammates, any teacher at your school who wants to come with you, your students, hopefully most of their parents, AND YOUR PLN!  At ISTE I truly learned through experience that if there is anyone who has your back and is ready to jump off that cliff into the unknown with you, it is your PLN!

These people from all over the globe are your tribe, your people.  They are your proof that while you may never have been “cool” in high school, it all was worth it because it was part of a bigger plan that brought you on the path to this time and place where you totally feel accepted and understood. (OK, to be fair I may be projecting a bit, but that was my experience at ISTE.) And to achieve this feeling of being part of something bigger than myself I didn’t have to slay a dragon, or program a computer, all I had to do was trust myself and take a risk.

Meeting Superman a.k.a Chris Nesi (@mrnesi)

So I hope that whether you were at ISTE or #notatISTE, are a “connected educator” or are currently unplugged, align yourself with old school or with new school, that you are all willing to be “the change,” “the silver bullet,” the reason a child loves learning, and trust yourself and take a risk with me.

Sometimes there are no words and those are the best times.