A few months ago I decided that I would push much harder into tech exploration, but vowed that as I did so, I would make every effort to multiply the effects of my projects.For example, when I applied to ADE, I upgraded portions of my curriculum. To do so, I learned new software applications, and then conducted in-services on what I learned. When I conducted in-services I blogged about my experiences. When I blogged, I tweeted my posts in order to build my professional network. These events often occurred in tandem instead of step-by-step.
This approach has sustained me very well. It makes me feel more productive, but more importantly, a single failure or dead end is less likely to make me feel as though I am wasting my time. I also find that after 34 years in the classroom, I get bored pretty easily, so I try never to repeat lessons verbatim. My geometric approach allows me to pursue my own professional development in chunks of this and that as I explore, create, and experiment. For the next few months, I have decided to immerse myself enthusiastically in Apple software. I know this will pay off with my courses and I hope it enhances my ability to move into a staff development leadership role at my school. But if the latter path is blocked, I'll simply branch out in another direction. The ADE Summer Institute has the goal of making me an "Advocate, Author, Advisor, and Ambassador". If this comes to fruition, I should have lots of options. Though it's uncertain which direction(s) my career is heading, I could not be more enthused.
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"Octagonal Star Geometric Progression, (backlit) 3 0f 3" Creative Commons Flickr Photo by EricGjerde
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