Diary of a Techie Chick: All_About

Showing posts with label All_About_Me. Show all posts

Unwritten....

Unwritten .....

2018 was a year for several chapters in my life to come to an end. After ten years of being the techie teacher at the Pratt school district, I had to say goodbye. Watching my students grow up over the past ten years made it very difficult to walk away. It really was hard to leave that part of my life behind as our family was relocated to Dodge City for my husband's work. 2018 also marked the last year I would see either of my sons' faces at the school I work at. My youngest son just had to grow up and graduate from high school and then head off to college. It was a struggle knowing that I wouldn't see their faces in the hallway or them surprising me by popping into my classroom just to say hi. I also had to say goodbye to the home my sons grew up in and the only home our daughter has ever known. The hardest part of 2018 was saying goodbye to one of the most influential women I know. My grandmother who has been a huge part of my life since I was nine years old left this world to join my grandfather.

My grandmother taught me a lot of lessons that still touch me today. She taught me to always make my bed every morning. In a world of chaos having one part of your life neat, tidy, and organized gives you a sense of peace at the end of the day. Having just one piece of your life orderly will also allow you to start each day fresh and new. She also taught me that you need to look your best every day no matter if you were going out of the house or not. Whenever I saw her, she always had your make-up on. She always had her eyebrows done and her lipstick on. She would also wear a piece of jewelry and a dress every day. It was important to her to always look her best. She would tell us you never know what kind of encounter you will have each day, so it is best to always put your best foot forward and look your best. I may not be dress wearing person, but I do put on my make-up, do my hair and try to look nice every day. I have even started to make my own jewelry to wear.

As you may have noticed I had not have been very regular in sharing my techie tips and tricks this past year. With the energy, I had left from all of the changes that have occurred in 2018 I decided that I needed to narrow my focus and work on my doctoral studies. Teaching full-time, studying full-time, being a parent and a wife full-time something in my life had to take the back burner.

2019 is going to be the year of new chapters and acceptance. I had to get to a point and accept the changes in my life, accept what I can not change, and accept that my future is unwritten. I do not know where I will go from here or which path I will take. There are many paths in front of me that I would have never dreamed I would be on. Who would ever have thought the quiet small town girl would be a leader in educational technology? The girl that several people thought would never attend college or obtain a degree. A girl that was overlooked and even brushed to the side. Who lived literally on the wrong side of the tracks. Would be looking at becoming a professor, a teacher of teachers, a leader in education. My grandmother apparently knew that I would go the distance. When I was being told that it wasn't possible, I would not make it. She is in my corner encouraging me. With her, as my cheerleader, I was the first person in my family to attend college. Not only did I obtained a degree I am currently working on my third degree. Even though she will not see me finish, I know she is still cheering me on.

As we reflect on the past year, we need to realize we can not change the past, but accept that those encounters happened, move forward, and focus on what we can improve. In 2004 I presented my 1st conference. It was literally the first conference I had attended in my career. The majority of the conferences I have attended I have presented at. 2019 will be no different. I will be presenting so far at two edTech conferences that mean the world to me, MACE-KS and ISTE. I will be sharing how students can create digital Breakouts that will allow students to show their understanding for a particular topic. It is my first step in showing that in education if we continue to assess students in the same manner time in and time out via a standardized test, we do not fully grasp an individual student's understanding. Just keep in mind if a fish was judged on his ability to climb a tree we as a society will label that fish a failure. That poor fish then believes that he is indeed a failure. The field of education needs a change and what better way to make a difference than from within. After all, education makes all professions possible.

Coming Soon... #iMake-KS

Summer Apps....

I bet you are asking yourself; "What apps would an EdTech Leader load on her own children's' personal iPads/Tablets/Smartphones for the summer?" As most teachers and parents know that you lose some of the knowledge if you don't use it on a regular basis, so kids need to exercise that learning muscle.

What would an EdTech Leader load on her own children's iPads/Tablets/Smartphones? Well you are in luck. I have children at all levels. Below is a list of apps that my children use.

All Apps are subject to change, depending on the developer. Some may be free now and may cost later or vise a versa.

My oldest son is in college and doesn't use a tablet other than for reading, but he still uses EdTech tools, but on his computer. Most of these web-tools do have apps. I like to use EdTech tools that are universal. Meaning I like to be able to touch any device and access my content being a computer, my phone or my tablet.

College EdTech Tools:

Khan Academy
YouTube
Canvas
Google Tools
EverNote
Quizlet
Quizizz
Stack Overflow - He is a Computer Science Major
Symbaloo
WolframAlpha
Desmos

My youngest son will be entering his senior year and is busy studying for his ACT, or we like to hope he is. He also using a computer over a tablet but does have some useful Android apps on his phone and has access to an iPad. Most of these do have apps.

High School EdTech Tools:

PrepFactory
Quizlet
Quizizz
Khan Academy
YouTube
Number2
ACT Prep: Practice Tests, Flashcards, Quizzes - App
ACT Exam Prep 2017 Edition - App
WolframAlpha
Google Tools
Desmos

For the people that call me mom by mistake or out of endearment. I still call them my kids even if we are on summer break I would load these apps on their devices.

Middle School EdTech Tools:

I change my daughter's apps frequently. When she masters a learning app I will change it out, or if I find a better creating app. I do currently block YouTube for her, just because she was spending most of her time on non-educational videos or preschool level cartoons.

Our rule of thumb in order to use a device the kids have to use it for educational purpose or for creating. If they are going to use the device just to watch stupid cat videos or to play numb minding games we take it away for a short period of time. I do allow 1 of those mind numbing games for her to play, just because sometimes you need to zone out from time to time. If she plays it the most then I do remove them.

Mid Elementary EdTech Tools:

Enjoy your summer!

There is NO RIGHT Answer ...

My teaching career has focused around "EdTech" before the term was even used. When I was working on my Masters well over a decade ago the focus was a specialist in "Classroom Technology" since Edtech wasn't even a term we used yet. Today if you did a search in the online Merriam-Webster dictionary you will not find the definition for Edtech, but it is a term we widely use today. In 2013 EdTechReview added to their online dictionary "What is Edtech?"

EdTech stands for Education Technology.

EdTech is a study and ethical practice for facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using and managing appropriate technological processes and resources.

In other words, use of technology in form of products/apps/tools to enhance learning, pedagogy and instruction. It is not replacing any current practices, but it is the use of those tools to aid in the delivery of education.
~ EdTechReview

I tell my students that there is NO Right answer when it comes to learning how to use a tech tool. You need to find the way to use the technology or tool that best works for you. Technology is always changing and evolving. Which is the reason I love to teach using tech. It challenges me and keeps me learning. To think about how much technology and its' uses have changed is amazing. To know that we've sent men to the moon on less technology knowledge decades ago and our smartwatches, cell phones, and tablets have more processing power now just blows my mind.

To think back to when my parents were in school and to know that they job I teach wasn't even a thought or blip in the world of education. The world we are preparing on students will not be the same world we know right now. So how can we teach our students to be prepared for their future if we have no idea what will be in their future?

Did you know that there are ten or more ways to copy something using technology depending on the device, app/software you are using? Do you know all of the ten or more ways? How many ways could you copy in 1970, 1950, 1930, 1900, or earlier? My point is that the world is ever changing including how we learn.

We need to teach our students to think of all of the possible ways to get the solution you desire. For example how many equations can you write were the answer equals 4? How many ways can you use the word SUN or JUMP? We need to teach critical thinking and ways to apply tools not necessary ways to use them. How I would use a tool is not necessary the way you would.

I like to let my students explore what works for them. You would not believe how many times I hear but your the teacher tell me if this is the right answer. My response normally is "You tell me". Did you get the desire outcome? Will your solution solve the problem if not what can you change? When I tell them that there is no right answer, they get frustrated with me. For so long they've been conditioned that there is a right and wrong way or right and wrong answer. There are a million possible ways to write equations were the answer is 4 like there are a million ways to use technology tools in education.

There is NO RIGHT Answer just what works best for you.

We learn best by exploring and discovery. Allow time for yourself and your students to discover what works best for them. Companies like Google believe in this and allow 20% time. 20% time empowers employees to be more creative and innovative. So doesn't education give students time to explore, create, and innovate? Why do we focus on memorization and drill and kill strategies. Why not let them explore and discover. When we learned to walk our parents didn't sit us down and talked about the science of walking and drilled us the facts. No we discovered hey if I stand here and then move my leg I move. We tried things and if we didn't get to our desire location we tried something else until we achieved what we wanted to do and where we wanted to go. There is no one way in learning to walk, we discovered what works best for us. Some of us even became innovators during this process and found ways to get where we wanted to go fast or create short cuts. We are wired to think like this but some where in the learning process we lost it.

So how many ways you can you think of to copy something?

Reflection of 2016 and the Start of 2017....

2016 was a year certain a year of change. My oldest son graduated from high school and then turned around and went off to college. My youngest son finally had a bedroom all to himself and had to step it up a little in helping out with the house and watching his little sister. Both boys started working part time and shopping for their own clothes. Which has been nice and funny at them same time, they have ordered the same items off of Amazon, in the same sizes. Our lives are suppose to change it is just the circle of life. I shared with my sons that their are four stages of Santa Claus. They just laughed at me, but think about it. At a young age believe in Santa. Then as we get older we stop believing. When we be come parents we become Santa. The last stage takes the longest to achieve but when we become grandparents we start to look like Mrs. Claus or Santa himself. Thus there are four stages of Santa. For the past 18 years I've been in stage three. Some day I will make it to stage 4, but it will be Eric that will look like Santa. My point is that life changes, it would dull if everything stays the same.

In 2016 I've made some great friends and attended some pretty inspiring conferences. I even wrote and published a book. I get a kick out of being able to say "Hey I wrote the book on That!". A group of ladies made my day when they stop me to ask if I was the Diary of a Techie and wanted to take a selfie with me. I kind of felt like a mini celebrity for a moment. When I attend edCamps or conferences I like to participate as a learner, because I am also there to learn. I was tickled pink when I attend an edCamp this summer and a group of teachers were making sure everyone knew Katie Ann was the go-to person for augmented reality in education, they even made sure everyone wrote down my contact information. Amy one of the teachers in the group made sure I even wrote down the blog address & Twitter Id. She was very passionate about it. I was tickled because she didn't recognized me. Guess I don't look the same with a ponytail and glasses on. Towards the end of the edCamp I did introduced myself to them. Pictures were taken, info exchanged, and I answered a lot of questions and gave them some tips on using augmented reality in their classrooms.

For 2017 I want to inspire others. As a teacher I plant seeds in a garden, some seeds grow quickly while others take a lot of care before they bloom. I don't only want to watch my garden grow, I want to inspire others to grow and change. Instead of being a so called gardener planting seeds I want to tend to a garden that nourishes the growth of caterpillars and butterflies. Think of me as a Caretaker of a Butterfly Garden, tending to the plants that nourishes both the caterpillars who have yet to find their wings and the butterflies that have made the garden their home. I want to inspire others grow their wings, help them take flight, and support their growth. I not only want to inspire others to grow but to become Caretakers of their own gardens. I want to help others find the right plants, soil, and sun for their own garden. When each have our own gifts, talents, interests, and needs I just want to help develop them & inspire a new caretaker.

What is your #oneword2017?

There Goes My Heart ....

Today I watched my oldest son drive away. I wasn't sure how I would react as he drove away. Since graduation everyone around me would ask if I was OK or if I was ready for James to leave. I thought I was ready. I kept telling myself that we have prepared him the best we can and that he will be OK. I am not upset that he is headed off to college. I am so excited for him, so proud of him, and worried all at the same time. I know deep in my heart he will be OK. The song "There Goes My Life" by Kenny Chesney sums up my feelings. My heart ... my life just drove off. I sat on my the step to my front porch and just cried as I watch him drive away.

I will miss him showing up in my classroom just to say HI. He started that little tradition when he was in kindergarten. What most people know is that James and I started school together. His 1st day of kindergarten was my 1st day of teaching. We have been there for each other for the past 13 years. It was a little hard today to start the school year knowing his 1st day is next week, and he would be leaving today.

I know things will change between us. He is no longer my little guy that would sit with me just to be near me. He will no longer pop his cute little head in my classroom and say "HI MOM, How's your day?". I am going to miss everything about him and worry about him at the same time. I am not worried that he will succeed. I know he will. He is a bright young man with a big future a head of him. I also know he is smart and will make the best decisions he can. He is following his passion and doing what he loves to do. I just worry if he will be happy and safe.

When he drove away today it was like watching my heart walk away. It will take time for me to adjust not having James around all the time. I am looking forward to Labor Day weekend when he comes home for a visit!

Following Your Dreams ....

What most people do not know is that my 1st day of teaching was my oldest son's 1st day of kindergarten. He have shared 13 first days of school, 13 Christmas breaks, 13 Spring Breaks, and 13 Summer Vacations together. When I was 18 and planning my future teaching as a career wasn't even on my radar. I wanted to travel the world and do something in international business. I was really good at using the computer and showing others how to use this new thing called "email" and the "internet". A year into college and going after my dream I met my soon to be husband who changed my world. After we married our son soon joined our lives and that was the moment we decided that one of us needed to be there for him, so I changed gears and went into education. I not only was able to have pretty much the same schedule as him but I also was blessed to be one of his teachers, not once but 3 times.

As I reflect the times we shared while at school, it will be the surprise popping into my classroom just so he could say "HI Mom" I will miss the most. When he was in kindergarten and first grade he would tell the teacher he needed to use the bathroom and he pop his cute little red head in my doorway and say "Hi, mom. How's your day?". He would surprise me all the way through high school popping in just to say hi. On his last week of school I was thinking about how much I was going to miss him popping in and just then there he was standing in my classroom.

Who would have thought I would spend my first 13 years in education sharing it with such a wonderful young man. He has been my inspiration and I am sure he will continue to be. He plans to continue his education and small part of me is a little sad that I will not be there to share his experiences while the other part of me is so proud of him. He was accepted to the College of Engineering at Kansas State University before he even started his senior year of high school. His major will be Computer Science with a minor in Cyber Security. He also plans on working towards his masters in Computer Science.

On his last week of school he received the letter he wrote himself when he was in the 7th grade. His major goal when he was 12 was to learn how to code and program while attending college and getting a degree in computer programming. I am so happy he is following his dreams. The hardest part of watching him follow his dreams is letting him go. At least I have 8 more weeks to enjoy his sweet face before he goes off to follow his dream. I am also pretty sure when he pops in from now on just to say HI I will treasure it even more.

Reflection of 2015....

2015 was truly a year of learning. The one thing I learned about myself was I can do more than I thought I could. Who would have thought this small town (I mean very small town) girl in the middle of the united states surrounded by farmland, oil pumps, and wind farms could reach so many. I will never know exactly how many educators and students I've reached and may faint if I ever did. I like to think that I've planted sends in a gardens around the world that have just started growing. With time, love, kindness, and curiosity these gardens are going to thrive. I just pray that those that reap from these gardens do not forgot I am still here and would still love to help in anyway I can. Don't forget to stay connected.

In 2015 I started a video hangout to help other educators use augmented reality in their classrooms called Let's Talk Augmented Reality for Education. This hangout led to a Twitter chat called #AR4Learning. I am amazed how many will go back and either watch the recorded hangout or read the archived Twitter chat. I know the days and times I picked are not ideal for everyone and I truly appreciate those who join me live for the hangouts and the Twitter chats. It is always more fun to chat with others about augmented reality than me just talking what I like to do with augmented reality. I love learning how other people are using augmented reality. I also LOVE learning what they would like to see happen in the world of AR in the classroom. Sometimes I get in a little rut and hearing their ideas spark ideas for me.

I also learned that I really love traveling to met other educators face to face via conferences. It really makes what I am doing real. I am really bad at taking pictures a.k.a. selfies of myself with others. In 2016 I plan on working on that. One of my hobbies is photography and I love to be behind the camera, not sure why I am uncomfortable turning it on myself. In 2015 I didn't get a chance to attend as many conferences as I would have liked to. Hopefully in 2016 I can go to a few more and make a ton more connections.

In 2016 I would like to write a series of augmented children's books, have a ton more augmented lessons for teachers to just download and use, meet more educators, and travel the world. We will see which ones I get accomplished. 2016 for me will be the year of following my dreams.

Touching a Life ....

You really never know who you reach when you are writing blog posts. Yesterday I released my #SemicolonEDU story, in minutes I was receiving messages. Most of the messages where thank you for sharing but several were are you the same Katie Ann that had another blog called Tech Tips by Katie Ann? My jaw literally dropped especially after I received several messages in the same regard and asking what happened.

The answer is yes I am the same Katie Ann that wrote that blog. I had started that blog in 2008 to share ed-tech tips and tricks with some fellow teachers. I was having health issues later in 2010 and started to pull away from people. When you start going down that dark path you start to listen to the negative people around you, and that is exactly what I did. I had several people that I saw face to face tell me over and over that there was no reason for me to write a blog, that no one would ever ready it, and I wasn't making any difference. I needed to be in the real world. So I listened to them and I totally cut myself off from everyone.

Who was I to think I could make a difference? Who was I to think anyone would ever listen to me? Those questions just kept flowing through my mind the deeper I went down that rabbit hole. So I deleted my blog, stopped sharing, and just stopped trying. It wasn't until my sons came to me almost 2 years later, sat me down and started to use my own words against me. I had taught both of them in my classroom and they have seen me teach other teachers, so they knew me as both a teacher and their mom. When they looked at me and told me that I needed to find my passion and to follow it even if others don't like it, I just need to do it. There are billions of people in this world and there will be a few that just don't care for you and that is OK. There are tens time that many people that think you are amazing. It is OK to be different. It is OK to go against what is popular. You need to do what is right for you not what is right for them. Follow your dream and just be you. It will be hard, but you can do it.

I don't think I ever cried as hard as I did that day, which I did in private. I looked at them and all I could say was did you just used my words against me. Their response was maybe, we heard it from somewhere and thought the person who said it was pretty smart. Both of my sons helped me come up with a name for my new blog. They heard people call me the Techie Chick most of their lives so they thought that should be my nickname. So the Diary of the Techie Chick was born.

In Kansas there are very few conferences to attend so my husband encouraged me to look outside of Kansas, so I did. I started submitting presentations proposals at ed-tech conference I could find and load and be hold they were being accepted. Which then came the big issue, the cost to travel to these conferences. When you are just a teacher in Kansas or anywhere you really don't get paid a lot and schools really do not have the funds to send you money becomes an issue. My husband decided that I needed to go, I needed to present, I needed to follow my passion so he sent me. He calls it an investment into our future. When I am working with teachers he tells me I just light up and I become me.

Now when those question start to pop in my head who am I to think I can make a difference, who listens to me. I look at my kids and remind myself I've already made a difference and have already touched their lives. I see it in their eyes, feel it in their love, that someone truly listens to me and I do make a difference each and everyday. My blog, my presentations, and my sharing is spill over from showing my kids that following your passion no matter if it isn't popular is what you need to do. Doing what is right for you may not be what is right for someone else, they may say negative things, and they put you down. But it is OK to be you and to follow your passion. Where there is a negative person trying to put you down there are a dozen others that think you are amazing and I am one of them.

On my NotAtISTE badge I added a ribbon that says "Follow Me I am Lost Too". Which I added as an inside joke and which actually happened in Atalanta. People were following me in hopes I could lead them to a session or two. Who knew while I was lost I would find my own path. I encourage you no matter what your passion is follow it. Make your own path and find your own way. Even if there is someone negative in your life don't listen to the negative, because when there is one person that is negative there are a dozen others that think you are amazing. I am one of those that think you are amazing!

My #SemicolonEDU Story....

Talking about depression and or mental health is a BIG taboo. It is just something we just don't talk about. In the field of education you really don't talk about it at all. People want to believe that teachers are these happy go lucky people who entertain, educate, and keep the little people happy. Teachers have it all! They only work 180 days out of the year, have their weekends, and holidays off. They get to see happy little faces, so why would they ever go through depression.

Almost 4 years ago I went through the roughest part of my life. I was having trouble breathing, constant migraines, and bouts of dizziness. I would keep all the lights off in my office or classroom since I was so sensitive to lights. I wore earplugs to dampen the noise, and when you are in an elementary building there is a lot of noise. I would avoid any stairs, afraid I would pass out while trying to climb them. There would be days my blood pressure would rocket really high then drop pretty low. I felt like I was ran over by an 18 wheeler who decided that the job wasn't done and back over me just to run over my again. It took the doctors almost a month to figure out what was wrong with me and when they did I had no time to think or to really plan. I did talk them into giving me a week to get my classroom prepared for me to be gone. I had to explain to them why I couldn't just leave my classroom. I had to find a sub, make a plan, provide lessons, resources, and activities for all the classes I teach. I was more worried about leaving my classroom for any period of time than my family. When I stop and think about now, I can't believe I was so worried about my classroom. My classes would have went on without me just fine and they did. I should have focused more on myself and my family. It took me awhile to learn that lesson.

On Sept. 30th at 5 in the morning I was taken into the OR to have my aortic valve and aorta replaced. I was born with a defective valve which over the 30+ years just couldn't function properly any more and had caused my aorta to balloon out. I had an aneurysm that had formed and was ready to rupture at any moment. Up until that moment when they were taking me back to the OR I realized I needed my family beside me before I went. It hit me like a rock that this may be the last time I get to see them and up until that moment I had worried about my classroom not my family. I cried all the way back to the OR, the nurses where crying and so was my husband. I didn't get to see my kids before I left and I was devastated.

The surgery took longer than expected. The doctors really didn't know the severity of the damage until they opened me up. The plan was to only remove the part of the aorta that was damaged and the new mechanical valve would already be attached to the root of the aorta. The damage was to severe and they had to completely replace the aorta. While I was in recovery I wasn't making it and was taken into the OR one more time. I can't imagine what my family were going through when they received the news I was taken back into the OR. During the original surgery some of my arteries were damaged so I received a double bypass.

I woke up three days later in so much pain and being told I was so lucky. I didn't feel lucky at all. It hurt to breath, to move, to sit, or to lay. It just hurt and I didn't want to cry because that made it hurt worse. I spent a week in the hospital all by myself. No one came to visit me other my husband and he would bring one kid with him at time. I think it was more for him to have company on the ride. Depression had sit in and I felt so alone and I was in so much pain. I was mad at myself for worrying about my classroom when I should have been worrying about my family. There were days I had wished that I didn't make it. I hated feeling the way I did. I hated that I worried about something I had no control over. I hated I didn't think of my family first.

The next 3 months were even harder. I was home all a lone, I only had a few visitors during that time, so I felt a lone yet again. When the kids came home from school I didn't want them to see me all in pieces either. I felt so broken it wasn't funny. I wasn't myself and that scared me even more. I pulled away from everyone. It took me two years to come out of that depression. During that time I got really good at hiding how I felt. I didn't want my students or family to see me broken and hurting. I had to learn to meditate, to find my inner calm, and to let go. Letting go and accepting help was the hardest thing for me to learn. When you are a mom, a wife, and a teacher you are the one who is caring, helping, and giving. It is hard to not be able to do those things. I think that is why teachers find it so hard to talk about depression or asking for help.

I was lucky that I didn't go too far down the rabbit hole that I couldn't get out. There are many that are not that lucky and they can't find away out. I've learned my story isn't over because I am not done writing it. I can't get a tattoo since I am on blood thinners and I have to take massive doses of antibiotics when I get my teeth cleaned so I've placed a temporary semicolon next to one of my scars. When the doctors pulled the veins for the bypass they damaged a bundle of nerves, so this scar is a constant reminder even though I go through pain daily my family needs me more. With their help, love, and support I was able to fill in the rabbit hole. They are my inspiration to continue each and everyday as well as my support to share with others. Hand in hand we take this journey together, one step at a time.

Becoming a Resource .....

The moment you realize you are a resource for other educators is just priceless. I had that moment today. I've been busy this week tweaking my personal website and was looking for all of the interviews and other resources I had created. As I was searching I noticed my name was tagged for the TCEA 2014 Convention. I thought to myself for a little bit, I know 2014 had been a busy year for me but I was pretty sure I had not attended the TCEA convention, even though I would have loved too. I became a little curious and followed the link. To my surprise I was a resource for Debra Atchison's presentation about green-screen projects. I was overjoyed to learn I had became a resource for someone.

I became a little more curious so I did a little searching and discovered the following people had me as a resource of some kind:

Make Other's Green with Envy Videos - Debra Atchison
The AR Community - Sue Gorman
Augmented Reality - Brenda Hauff
Want to Learn More about AR in Education? - Two Guys & Some iPads
Augmented Reality LiveBinder - Janet Corder & Joan Gore
MS Monday Webinar - LiveBinder - Keri Beth Jones
Week 13 Reflection: Diary of a Techie Chick: App/Tool of the Week-Evernote by TeachIt
Week 14 Reflection: Diary of a Techie Chick: App/Tool of the Week- Edmodo by TeachIt
STEMfest 2014 - Green-Screen Pictures
Gimp Green-Screen Steps - 5/6 A Few Useful Websites
Green-Screen - Nancy Ruys Portaportal
Edmodo Apps - Curated by Muec
Reflection #1: Diary of a Techie Chick- Moving Out of the Lab - Theresa Jardine

I am sure there are more, those were the first ones I came across.

I love discovering how I have inspired others, helped others, and touched others in some way. You really never know the impact you have. As I continue on my path of being a presenter, trainer, speaker, and blogger I can't wait to see how I have inspired others.

Feel free to check out my personal website - www.katieannwilson.com.

A Year in Review .... 2014

I've grown a lot personally and professional throughout 2014. My family even reached memorable milestones. From my oldest son turning 16 and started driving himself around. To my daughter starting kindergarten while my youngest son started high school. 2014 for me is going down in my record book of a year of growth.

I started 2014 off by hopping on an airplane headed to FETC. I was glad a had a friend traveling with me to help guide my way during such huge conference. Thanks Brenda for the guidance and the little push, without you I don't think I would be heading down my new path. I do believe that FETC has been the largest conference I had attended in my career in education.

The hardest and most memorable journey I took was hopping on a plane to go to iPadpalooza. I hadn't really traveled by myself before, but thankfully there was a kind face waiting for me when I landed. Wendy opened up her home to me and watched over me while I was at iPadpalooza. Wendy you will never know how much your kindness help me get over a huge hurdle in my life.

I had the pleasure of meeting some amazing people face to face in 2014. From Adam Bellow, Kathy Schrock, Wesley Fryer, Todd Nesloney Brad Waid, Drew Minock, Kevin Honeycutt, Ginger Lewman, to the Blue Bunny gals at SimpleK12. I even met some amazing people online which I hope some day I will be able to meet face to face such as Craig Yen, Sheryl Place, Monique Dalli, Jess McCarthy, and Terri Eichholz just to name a few.

My PLN has grown tenfold in 2014. Without these amazing people online and in person belonging to my personal learning network I don't think I would have

grown as much as I have. If I need help I know I can reach out to them and they are there to lend me a hand. If it wasn't for their support I don't think I could have hopped on those planes and head off to uncharted territory.

If I had to pick a theme song for 2014 it would be Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield. I totally believe that today is where my book begins and the rest is still unwritten. I feel that 2014 has started the first chapter of my this amazing journey I am on. I am not sure where this journey is taking me, but I know I will learn a lot along the way.

If I had to pick a theme song for the end of 2014 and the start of 2015 I would have to go with Let it Go by Idina Menzel. I have this passion building up and I need to learn to let it go and let others see me. I've been told that others have heard me through my blog, but now they want to see me. See what I really have to offer. I would like to extend the walls of my classroom to reach the world. I want to share how to bring learning to life, even if it is just one classroom at a time. I attended a Launch Me workshop and have connected with lots of people from around the world that would love to see me

achieve my dream. With their help and support I believe that I will be able to change my theme song to This Girl is on Fire by Alicia Keys.

I can't wait to see how 2015 unfolds and where I go from here.

Website - katieannwilson.com

Being Called Up....

I started my career in education in a small 2A school an hour north of Manhattan. My husband and I choose that small school district for a few reasons. It was the school my husband had attended and his family was right there. We were a young couple with a young family building our lives together, we needed the support. I just left K-State in December with my BS in Elementary Education and had planned on going after my masters in January. I started out as a sub for the school district which quickly led me taking over the computer labs. The school district had two grade schools, one in each small town with the high school/ middle school in the country between the two towns. Since there were two grade schools they had two computer labs. I ended up being the computer lab teacher, but I wasn't being paid as a teacher or really treated as a teacher. In the past the person in the lab was a para and the time the kids spent in the lab was play time. The kids going to the lab was really a break for the teachers and the other paras.

When I stepped into the computer lab teacher roll I had to change how others saw the lab, how others saw me. The time in the computer lab for the kids went from a play time to a learning environment. Soon I wasn't just teaching the kids I was staying after school teaching my colleagues. The school district had wrote a grant the year before and received some SMARTBoards. Those boards sat unused for a year. The principal asked me what could I do with these boards and would I share with the staff. She ended up giving me not one SMARTBoard to use but two.

While I was building relationships with the staff and teaching them how to create lessons on the SMARTBoard, one of the teachers just mentioned that I should send in a proposal to the Mid-America Association for Computers in Education a.k.a. MACE. If my proposal was accepted then the school district couldn't turn me down and would let me attend the conference. I took a chance and sent in my proposal. It needed up being accepted for the summer MACE conference in Kansas City in 2004.

I freaked out just a little, well a lot. Here I was a new teacher with a young family just trying to stay afloat. All I could think about was who am I that people would want to go hear and learn from. My husband just kept telling me to try it. He would take me to Kansas City and be there if I needed someone to lean on. So I went to the conference. He dropped me off, handed me the cell phone and told me to knock their socks off. I walked into a packed room and then really freaked out. These people were all here to learn from me. I took a deep breath and told myself I'm in my classroom and I'm just teaching. The whole presentation ended up being a blur for me. What I didn't know was the SMART Technologies rep was in the room and watched my whole presentation. He approached me after my presentation. I will never forget the first words he said to me. "We need you to teach teachers." He offered me a job right then on the spot to train teachers how to make learning come alive. When my husband picked me up from the conference I told him what had happened. We talked long and hard about what it would mean for our family. I couldn't accept that job at that time. My family needed me.

Since that day I have presented at several regional, national, and international conferences speaking on a variety of tech ed topics. I've also had the honor to provide teachers with a wide range of workshops were they were able to learn with a hands on approach. I've been offered numerous jobs all in the field of technology education. The timing or the situation hasn't been right or it just wasn't the right fit for me to move a head. I had also never really felt that I was really a major league player, not until my proposal for the 2014 ISTE conference was accepted. Now I'm not thinking who am I, it is more like where can I go next.

I want to travel the world and share technology education along with my story. I am no longer the young beginning teacher trying to change how people see her. I'm the tiger that has earned her strips, that has the battle scars, and that is ready to change how you see and use technology. I've been called up to play with the major league players. I am on the batting lineup and I can't wait to hit it out of the park.

How can I help you? - http://www.katieannwilson.com

Reflection of Launch Me ....

This week I had a chance to learn from some amazing people. It isn't every day you get to sit down and talk with Brad Waid, Ginger Lewman, and Kevin Honeycutt. Being next to them made me feel like a rock star. For the longest time I've felt like I was on island or a lone ranger. When you are at a small town school and you are the only teacher that teaches your content and or skills you start to feel isolated. I started to attend and present at conferences so that I didn't feel so alone in my field. I just need to connect with someone that was like me. I started at my district level sharing what I can do and it spread to region conferences, to national conferences, to international conferences.

ISTE which is one of the largest tech ed conferences accepted my proposal last year. When I got the notice that I was accepted, it felt like I have been playing for a farm team and I've been called up to play with the major league players. My heart just stopped, I ran around the house just screaming like I've won the lottery. When time grew near to the conference and my session had been cancelled my heart broke. Which is OK, because I had made it. I didn't get to hit it out of the ball park, but at least I was called up.

If you watch NCIS you know about Gibbs and how he likes to knock some sense into Tony with a kind but powerful slap to the back of the head. I think Kevin and Brad so wanted to be like Gibbs and knock some sense into me this week, which I so deserve. Even my son got into my face after the 1st day of Launch Me and just flat out said "How many ways do people have to tell you that you are amazing at what you do."

Now that my 2 Gibbs wannabes, my sons, my husband, other teacher friends, and even my daughter is in my corner shoving me to the launch pad I best get on board. It is always scary to start something new, to go beyond your comfort zone, to reach for the stars and hope that their is someone waiting for you. I think Launch Me has given me the power to fly but also the energy to stay in orbit.

Thank you Launch Me family for the Gibbs slap and being there.

Bringing Life to the Holidays....

Bringing Life to the Holidays ....

When I was younger holiday get togethers where nonexistent, which happens when you have a dysfunctional family life. After I got married the annual Thanksgiving dinner tradition began. Eric and I always found time to return to his parents' house to enjoy a family dinner followed by a round of Hearts or other fun card games.

After almost twenty years of the Wilson's tradition it shifted just a little. The family dinner seems to hosted at my house along with the fun family card games. I really don't mind being the hostess for these once in a life time memories. Eric has loving memories going to his grandmas for Thanksgiving and or Christmas. Some days I am jealous of his childhood memories and other days I am not. I am now the mom that makes sure that everyone has a wonderful memory. I even giggle a little at Eric who is panicking at the darn turkey getting dry or not as he is trying to smoke it.

I resent asked why our joined family loved coming to our small house to either a Thanksgiving or a Christmas dinner and the response was overwhelming. For some reason the people around me believe that I am the heart of it all. To them my house is warm and comforting.

I foresee my children will love coming home for the holidays, which will happen in a few years if I am ready for it our not. I think in some way I may even be looking forward to it. I just pray that one of my sons finds an amazing wife (which I know that they will) that one day will take on the tradition of hosting the family get togethers. It has taken me 20 years to be the heart of it all. I hope my future daughter in-law will not get discourage. Don't worry I know when my daughter is ready she will take it all over and will be the heart of the family get togethers. I've been told she has one amazing mother as a role model.

Hand in Hand ....

September is a remarkable month with the Wilson's. It isn't only the start of school and being a teacher it is like Christmas in September with all the cool new school supplies. It is an anniversary to my second chance at life. In 2011 I received a life saving operation that allows me to be a mom to my outstanding, loving, caring, and amazing children as well as a wife to my husband. September is also the month that our little angel became an official Wilson.

I remember when she entered our lives five years ago. I held her for two weeks straight and wouldn't let anyone else touch her. She was my baby and I loved her dear. When she left my arms she would cry so hard, it broke my heart. Even though she was only 8 months old when she entered our lives she was a Wilson the moment she arrived and she knew it.

According to my Angel I am the Mom of the year, the century, for a LIFE Time. I am her whole world and she is ours. She loves her older brothers, they in return love and protect her. She is also daddy's little girl. I think she has him wrapped around her little finger.

Don't worry we protect her and her face will never be reviled in social media. If you see pictures of little girls, don't worry they are my nieces and my great nieces or even students or photography subjects of mine. We are very protective of our little Angel.

Under this Tree....

Under this tree I learned about little fairies that tend to my flowers. These special fairies are so small that they could fit inside of my tea cup. Each fairy has a special job to do. Some make sure each flower has just right amount of water. While others make sure the nectar is so sweet that it will make the bees dance with joy. Some of the fairies even paint the beautiful designs on each butterfly. When we are away the fairies like to play. I've been told that they love to hop on the
back of our dog and have him run around the yard while they yell for joy and grin from ear to ear. While under this tree I learned that there was a magical door built into the tree that the fairies use. For you see these little gardeners live within my tree.

Under this I also learned about kindergarten or what my daughter dreams kindergarten will be like. In kindergarten did you know that you get to play all day with your friends. You can run and jump outside and swing high on the swings, while your best friend pushes you. At lunch you get yummy food that your mom packed for you. My daughter just can't wait to eat the pudding or applesauce, because those will be the best parts of her lunch. I also learned that she now will have a music class, which she can't wait for. She loves to sing and hopes the teacher will even let her dance a little. She doesn't understand this thing everyone is calling P.E. but she knows that it requires tennis shoes.

Under this Tree We Dream

My dream for her is to always believe that school is fun, learning is fun, and being around people you connect with share with is best part of school.

While under this tree I was inspired to do a little doodling. I do not doodle a lot, but when I do I love to try out new art apps. The app I used was called Drawing Desk.

Coming Soon....

I had a great time at Podstock this year like most years. I have a ton of take away moments and resources to share including photos from the photowalk. I will be sharing those items soon. This weekend I will be doing the one thing I really hate to do which is studying for a test. I would rather prove to you that I know the content, topic, or subject by creating something. When it comes to tests I always seem to second guess myself, over think the question, or just get flustered. I know how kids feel when it comes to those standardized tests, which is why I do not give tests. I have my students produce and prove that they know how to the task at hand. If my students can show me or tell me then I know that they understand. I also have them help others, show others, and explain to others what they have learned. Normally it is a win win for me until I have to put a grade value on their understanding.

This weekend when I should be reflecting and sharing my experience from Podstock I will be reviewing and studying for my ESOL endorsement test which I get to take on Monday. After Monday look for my Podstock 2014 post on Becoming a Superhero in your classroom. I guess now I should stop procrastinating and get busy studying. Wish me luck!

Can You See Me Now?

I've been traveling for the past few weeks so I really hadn't had a chance to collect my thoughts and to reflect my experience at ISTE. Since my school wasn't going to send me to ISTE and I didn't have a sponsor so to say to help pay I had to justify the trip. For a small town teacher in the middle of Kansas traveling all the way to Atlanta, Georgia to a 4 day costly conference is a little pricey. In order to justify the cost I turned it into a family vacation. I needed up dividing my time between sessions at ISTE and with my family. I was excited to be one of the 20,000 people who traveled to Atlanta for this amazing chance to learn and connect with other educators from around the world. In December I had learned that my proposed workshop for ISTE was accepted. Before ISTE got under way I was notified that my session had been canceled due to lack of people signing up for the workshop. I was a little disappointed but still stoked that I was going to be in Atlanta for the conference. I had not been to an ISTE conference before so I was very excited to see where this avenue was going to take me.

During my time at ISTE I noticed myself becoming very frustrated and a little disappointed. I wasn't sure what to expect but I hadn't expected myself to be frustrated. I knew ahead of time not to try to do everything and to mark the sessions I would like to attended, which was my plan. What had frustrated me was the 1st few sessions I attended where focused on the technology and teaching kids and or parents how to use it. I found myself questioning why do we need to teach them how to use the device, the technology isn't anything we haven't seen in the past decade. I also found myself remembering the keynote from iPadpoolza and the "Hole in the Wall" experiment. Give the kids the device let them explore it and focus on the learning. What is the objective? What do you want the kids to learn? What are they going to take away from this experience?

A couple of other session I attended gave me lists of apps. Which was OK but I wanted more, not more
apps but more like why these apps. Why should I use these apps other than they are fun and entertaining? What is their purpose, what will I learn or my students from using these apps? I guess I would rather go a inch wide and a mile deep rather than a mile wide and inch deep. I think I would like to have a handful of very useful meaningful apps that make me think at a higher level than 50 million apps that are just fun.

When I wasn't at a session I found quiet places to sit and think. While I sat and thought I noticed people having trouble connecting to the network, using an app, or just normal tech issues so I would lend a hand. A teacher from New Jersey had been watching me. She had asked for help with her iPad even though she didn't really need it to break the ice and talk with me. She had noticed I was a little frustrated and wanted to help. I explained to her my frustration. She looked at me and asked if I ever noticed the signs that are all around me. I was very confused and asked her to explain what she meant. She explained while she watched me helping others that she had Google me (since she saw my name on my badge) and found both my blog and my resume site. She had scanned them both and noticed all the presentations in this year alone I had done.

She was a very straight forward person and just came out and told me what she saw. To her I seemed like a quiet person with a lot of knowledge and experience when it comes to technology and education, I could probable fix or solve a issue with my eyes closed. I just need someone to brake the ice, which is why she asked for help. She went on to explain that people see great things in me which is why my proposals keep getting excepted. I just need to find the one thing that helps me stand out. We hear you, now we need to see you; those words struck home. She went on to explain that I need to make connections that will take me to where I want to go. Then she ask the questions that has been asked to me several times these past two months, "Where do you want to go?". In my heart I scream I want to go everywhere, but I know that is not possible. Where can this small town Kansas girl go? There is no industry of any kind in my town, and differently no tech education companies. I also have 2 kids in high school and 1 starting kindergarten, it would be hard to transplant my teenagers to another school. If we were to relocate where would my husband work? I could say is I am not sure. I am growing personally and professionally I just not sure where it is heading. Her advice to me was to make connections, soon the right door and window will open.

Before she got up to head for session she looked at me with a smile and told me great things will come my way. I thanked her for the talk, I think I really needed to hear it. Keep your eyes open as I find away for you to start to see me know.

Don't worry I will be sharing my notes from ISTE 2014 very soon.

Walk Kansas .....

Photo for Walk Kansas

This year I participated in the Walk Kansas challenge. I was hoping participating in this challenge would help keep me motivated to walk everyday and to help me prepare for the 5K fun runs. I also purchased a Fit Bit to keep track of the steps I take along with my activity and sleep. Having the Fit Bit has helped me see how active I am throughout the day, which has helped me a lot in staying active. I can also prove to my husband that his snoring is keeping me awake, I can even graph it for him.

A passion of mine is photography. I use to have my own portrait studio, but closed it to be mom 24/7. I mainly do photography for myself now. During the Walk Kansas challenge the organizers had a photo contest, which of course I just had to enter. They were looking for photos to use on their website and or newsletter to help promote walking. I submitted a photo I took of my family walking down a trail. My photo was selected, which really made my day.

Walking at least 30 minutes a day helps your body in so many ways. I encourage you to get and and walk at least that long. Soon you will start finding yourself walking just a little bit more. You do not have to walk fast or even jog. Take your time enjoy the scenery and the fresh air. Walk with your dog and or family when you can. To take your walking to the next level enter a 5K fun run, the money goes to a good cause and plus you got up and walked.

The Walk Kansas challenge lasted for 8 weeks, I was averaging 50 miles a week. My team ended walking 527 miles which is all the way from Kansas City,Kansas to Limon Colorado. Not bad for someone who in the resent past couldn't walk very long without having to stop and catch her breath.

We walked 527 miles, From Kansas City to Limon CO.

One Step at a Time ....

In October of 2013 I challenged myself to participate in a 5k fun run. I didn't run or even jogged in the 5k I just simply walked. Since that challenge I have now not only participated in one 5k but in four 5k fun runs. I stop and think about how I couldn't even walk a block without having to stop and catch my breath and now I am participating in 5k fun runs. I am not really competing in these 5k runs. I am just making sure I finish. I know I will not come in 1st or even in 10th place. I am normally at the end if not the last one. Sometimes the finish line has been taken down and the signs are being picked up, but I make it all the way to the end even if the end is walking to my car. I am doing these challenges for me, and maybe one day I will even jog a little, but for right now I am happy walking one step at a time.

I enjoy putting on my music and walking the path that has been picked out. My husband has walked with me a few times to keep my company along with my daughter who cheers me on. The 1st 5k I participated in was a family event and we all walked it together. My family knows the struggles I have faced and the challenges of just walking I have had to over come. It means a lot to know that they are in my corner cheering me on.

I encourage you to take the challenge of participating in at least one 5k fun run. If you can't run or jog just walk. The money goes to a good cause and you never know you may just enjoy the walk.