Where Was I a Year Ago?

I listen to a podcast, Bit by Bit, and one of the questions they love to ask their guests is,"Where were you a year ago?" Today, when I saw that Google is having another GTA, the thoughts of a year ago were vivid. I had just found out that Google was sponsoring a Google Teacher Academy, and it was going to be in Mountain View! If I did get in, it wouldn't involve travel or any expense. What did I have to lose?

I knew the competition would be fierce (little did I know how fierce, thank God, or I would have been too intimidated). And I had to submit a 60 second video - hell, I didn't even know how to make a video. Still, I was determined go give it my best shot.

Well, Google has changed my life.

The most significant thing is I have become part of a professional learning community. While the teachers and staff at school are wonderful, I have been inspired by the teachers I met at the GTA. I have learned so much and felt part of a group that is striving to move education forward, into the 21st century. While I have mostly lurked, being intimidated by many of the heavy hitters who are part of the GCT group, I have grown tremendously.

Along with Colette Casinelli, I have co-authored a weekly tech tip, designed for the reluctant educator to introduce them to Google tools to use in their classrooms, intergrate into their curriculum, and assist in their personal lives. We each e-mail it to our staffs, and I mail it to an additional 20 folks I have "picked up" over the year. This has exposed me to many of the tools Google offers, most of which are now part of my technical toolbox. Denis, my husband, helped me set up a standard Google Apps account which I turned over to the school district. It took them a while to get it going, and there really wasn't a lot of interest, but one of the middle school teachers decided to try it out. She told me last week that she can't image teaching without it. It has helped with collaborative assignments, and she loves the fact that she doesn't have to carry paper back and forth when she wants to edit or revise. One small step....

I stepped outside my comfort zone, and presented Google Docs at the Technical Institute sponsored by the Union School District, at RAFT, with the support of Dr. Dan Russell from Google, and at the Silicon Valley CUE, with the encouragement of Dr. Marie Sontag, from the Union School District. In June, I'll present Google Tools at RAFT, too!

My class has a blog. While I started out posting their work, 4 students are now active in posting their own work (remember, they are third graders). The important thing here is that they are excited about creating content to share on the internet. They have posted writing, PowerPoints, and video, all curriculum related.

I have become more comfortable with the technical resources in my classroom, and love the SmartBoard. I guess we'll see how the kids do on the STAR test, but I believe they are just as prepared as the other third graders in the school, and have had more fun doing it.

I applied for my first grant and, not only got it, but also, somehow, got named Teacher of the Month by the Silicon Valley Education Foundation and a local radio station, KBAY.

While I am continually overwhelmed by the amount I don't know, I am excited to see how far I've come in a year. Thanks to all the amazing people who have supported me or I have met or come in the past year for helping to make this happen.