CAUTION: This post is long...twelve months long. But by writing this, I realized some things that I need to do better at in 2020. I write to process information and reflect - reflection creates growth. As the year draws to a close, it is natural to reflect on events, see if goals were met, and set NEW goals for the upcoming year. My "one word" for 2018 was balance. I failed, in my opinion, so I vowed to try again in 2019. I added grow. As I re-read my blog posts from 2019, I smiled - so many happy moments were chronicled in this blog over the course of this year. I then challenged myself to think about what I didn't include. In addition to the routine meetings, professional learning delivered, badges issued, and monthly Twitter chats, each month always has some unique personal and professional events. Did I find balance? Did I grow? JANUARY - I presented with one of our school media coordinators at UNCW's CESTEM conference. The presentation, focused on Virtual Reality creation to connect the past to the present, shared work created by elementary and middle school students. Also this month, I shared about Augmented and Virtual Reality at the New Hanover County Reading Association's January meeting. My middle child also enlisted in the National Guard. FEBRUARY - This short month was consumed with final preparations for the NCTIES Student Showcase - student lists, coordinating with school groups across the state about their presentations and making name tags.....lots and lots of name tags! I also had a pre-conference session to run through with my co-presenter who lives 3,000 miles away. Also, this month included the details for the Middle School Battle of the Books competition at Cape Fear Community College. My middle child finished high school at the end of the first semester of his senior year and lacrosse season began for my youngest...and my wonderful family made an appointment for me at the spa for Valentine's Day. I guess they thought I needed it. MARCH - In addition to NCTIES and Battle of the Books (Middle school) - which were the same week - we began preparations for EdCampBeach. I also created a follow up survey to gather feedback from the NCTIES Student Showcase groups. This year we were in a different, bigger, space and we knew we could do a better job with some things next year. I also agreed to be the NCTIES 2020 co-chair. Took TWO trips to East Carolina University with the middle child to get final information for his freshman year before he left for Army basic training and AIT school April 1. - he was to return home two weeks before moving into his dorm so we needed to have our ducks in a row. While there for one of them, we picked up the oldest child's cap and gown. APRIL - Summer Institute preparations began. Schedule was made and I began working on the app for the event. Tried a different option (which I wrote about in June) from previous years. I spent a few days helping to set up and inventory a new school library. One of our schools that was displaced from their temporary location due to Hurricane Florence damage was moving into their new school after spring break. One of our island schools was also moving to it's temporary location in another new building so construction could begin early on its old location....in case we encountered another rough hurricane season. (Thankfully, we did not.) I began planning for the Summer Library Program, printing designs and requisitions, added and updated website content, planned promotions, and worked with the SLMCs that ran each site on the programs they would offer. This month ended with EdCampBeach at yet another new school in the northern end of the county. Meanwhile, on the home front, I was still battling with my own home repairs from Florence. My boys' room got drywall and a ceiling and the entire upstairs got fresh paint this month! MAY - This month, requisitions were submitted for the Summer Library program materials. Thanks to our Instructional Services department that contributes generously to this program, the SLMCs can order materials and pay for programs that occur at the sites they organize and run. I started an Adobe Spark Train the Trainer Program and facilitated a Metaverse Make and Take for educators in the district. Finished up the Summer Institute app. I also got carpet upstairs (Hurricane repairs, still) and my oldest graduated from East Carolina University. JUNE - This month, all of the hard work paid off. I delivered my final Adobe Spark training to complete my trainer certification - the session filled up in two hours after being posted in the PD system! Then I started the ISTE course on Computational Thinking. The Summer Library program began as soon as school was out. The Summer Institute was a success! Even though we had to reduce it to one day, plan around summer testing and the Read to Achieve camp, and forgo an opening keynote because of school calendar adjustments needed due to - you guessed it - Hurricane Florence, our tenth year brought our largest crowd yet! The family went to Fort Benning, Georgia to see our middle child graduate from basic training (and give him his high school diploma) and then I went to Philadelphia for ISTE and presented at the EdTech Coaches Playground there. JULY - This month was a little better. I finished the computational thinking course, I enrolled in another course and became a "Screencastify Genius" - then began working on my Apple Teacher certification. Created two new badges for the Be Awesome program: Screencastify and Adobe Spark. I visited and helped at our Summer Library sites. We moved the oldest home from his college apartment and went back to Fort Benning to bring our soldier home! I don't know about you, but reflecting is making me wonder how the heck I did all of these things....can I get another massage, please? AUGUST - August saw many Recordex trainings as our new schools have this interactive panel in all classroom spaces, and the iJourney begin with three of our schools as we explore the use of Apple Classroom. It was also the month of opening meetings and all of the joy and pain that goes into starting a new school year. Once again, I shared about digital teaching and learning in the district with our beginning teachers during their welcome and orientation sessions. I created a survey for all sixth grade students to identify how our elementary schools are using technology and preparing students for the digital learning tasks they will experience in middle school. I had an end of the season celebration with the SLMCs that led our Summer Library sites and finalized the expenses for the program to see how much money would need to be allocated for the program next summer. I helped arrange furniture in two new library spaces, moved the middle child into his dorm, and tennis season began for the youngest. Wait....the new school year started, but I never fully recovered from the previous one....what?! . SEPTEMBER - School visits began. We had seven media specialists leave since the middle of last school year: five retired and two moved away due to their spouses' and their jobs. Some of those happened in the middle of the school year, so this new school year meant training was needed for all of them on some district initiatives like CLASS Project - a partnership with our public library giving all employees and students access to materials with their ID numbers. NCTIES featured speakers were secured (the line-up is awesome!) and college lacrosse prospect day visits began for the youngest. OCTOBER - As I reflect, it looks like October was the lightest month this year! But it was filled with lots of school visits and iJourney planning and preparation for professional learning options to be offered in November - all of the stuff that helps keep me grounded in my why. I presented at the UNCW PDS day for teachers supporting interns this fall. The topic: Augment Instruction with MERGE cubes. I attended the fall NCTIES board meeting/work session to plan for the March conference. Also this month - lacrosse tournaments! I enjoy watching my daughter play a sport she is passionate about so each of these weekend trips makes my heart happy and I return to work refreshed. NOVEMBER - This month started with professional learning experiences. In the months when we do not have meetings, I offer professional learning opportunities for educators to choose from. I feel that the learning is more meaningful when they choose to attend - I actually get to see it impact students as attendees take back what they learn and build experiences for their students. I attended NCPAPA's Fall Instructional Symposium this year as an attendee - last year, I presented a session. On a personal note, this year I was excited about Christmas and decorating for the holidays. Last year, things were a mess at my house - and we didn't have nearly the level of damage that many others experienced during Hurricane Florence. This November, the siding was replaced and the very last repair was set for December, and my sense of hope was renewed! DECEMBER - I spent every afternoon this month with second graders and fourth graders. Between the iJourney activities and coding, December was hopping! It was also a meeting month. Remember that survey I mentioned back in August? This month, the SLMCs and ITFs dug into their data. It was eye-opening! Great conversations about what we assume students know when they get to middle school in regards to technology tools and how we can ensure their success. It gives me data to leverage as I work with elementary schools as well. I'm looking forward to the conversations and changes to existing practices that this data will inspire. So, as for balance, I did try to live up to that, but now I question the word balance - I feel as though my load, while more balanced between work and home than in 2018, was still missing personal balance. I need to do better with "me" time. I did read more books for pleasure this year - even if some work work related. I just finished another yesterday. As for grow - I certainly grew! Of course there were struggles and frustrations (which always leads to growth), but at the end of the year. I can see that the positives outweighed the negatives. I pursued new passions and gained skills and experiences. Most importantly, I made a difference in the lives of teachers and students. I think I can call 2019 a success.
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AuthorJeannie Timken Archives
March 2023
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