ISTE 2019...The joy of missing out!

WARNING:  Long post and full of pictures!

Annnnnd that's a wrap!  #ISTE19 is over and all I can say is WOW!

I have attended ISTE every year since the last time it was in Atlanta (6 years....I think!) and I have to say that this was my FAVORITE ISTE yet!  For soooo many reasons!  Like several of my other edtech friends, Sarah Thomas and Mari Venturino, I created a schedule of all of the events that I COULD attend if I wasn't too tired, running myself too thin, or just had the time to do so.  Looking at this schedule before landing in Philly was definitely overwhelming.  I had a lot of events that overlapped or started as soon as another ended.  The point is, is that I gave myself options and choices.  In the past, I ran myself crazy trying to get to EVERYTHING to see EVERYONE!  Not this year.  I must admit that there are people that I am super sad that I didn't get to see and hug and will make it a point to connect with them next year. ISTE is just so HUGE that it's impossible to see and do everything.  Sadly, I also missed what would have been my first Google Innovator Energizer.  This event always happens the day before ISTE starts.  That day also happened to be my youngest son's birthday so being a mom had to trump being an Innovator.  I hope to be there next year!

I have waited to create this blog post as I have really had to process what happened!  LOL!  I think the best way for me to recap this amazing experience is to outline it by each day.  Here's my #ISTE18 blog!

Sunday

Chilling in first class!  

ISTE started off on a high for me!  My flight going to Philadelphia was overbooked and I was going to have to give up my seat.  At the last minute, they got me on the flight but moved me to FIRST CLASS!  This was my first time riding in first class and I loved every minute of it!  And of course I had to document it with a picture!  LOL

Our Voice Academy
Meet Up!

We dropped our bags off at the hotel and walked to the convention center to get checked in and get a lay of the land.  The convention center was HUGE!  There was a ton of walking that occurred over the week!  As a matter of fact, over the course of the conference, I walked the equivalent to a marathon!  After getting situated, I attended the Our Voice Academy (OVA) meetup.  It was refreshing to be around so many edtech educators of color that are working to share their voices in the edtech space.  The third cohort of OVA members (I am in the first cohort) was just announced and I got to meet so many of them!  I am excited to see how they take advantage of the opportunity as they begin to share their voices!

Quin (my Google
Innovator
Mentor) and I.

While waiting on the shuttle to go back to the hotel to get ready for all of the edtech meetups, I saw my Google Innovator mentor walking past the shuttle!  This was a HUGE highlight for me as this was our first time meeting in person!  I hopped off the shuttle and yelled, "QUIN!"  It was him!  We hugged and caught up for a few minutes!  Quin is JUST as awesome in person as he is over email and Google Hangouts and it was a pleasure to meet him in person and hug his neck!

After leaving the OVA meet up, I headed to the Microsoft in Education Expert (MIEE) meetup.  So many of my edtech friends were honored with some pretty darn amazing accolades!  At the end of the awards portion, they played a video of images and clips of all of the Microsoft and Minecraft trainings that have taken place over the course of the year and it was exciting to see how many educators and students that the MIEE community has touched!  We are a strong and mighty group!

Monday

Working at the
Microsoft Booth.

I got the opportunity to work at the zSpace booth and the Microsoft in Education booth and share the goodness of both with the tons of educators that walked by to check them out!  I LOVED sharing how we use these resources with our students and teachers in Atlanta Public Schools.  It was cool to learn from the educators that I interacted with and hear how they use these resources as well.

That's the cool thing about all of the technology that's out there.  All it is is a tool!  I always scream from the rooftop that it's simply a vehicle to deliver the content!  That's it!  You could have 100 different educators using the same technology resource and they could all be using it 100 different ways!  That's why it's absolutely critical that educators engage in and have a meaningful PLN (professional learning network)!  There's sooooo much to learn from one another!

My colleagues and I with the team at
@PlayCraftLearn!

My colleagues and I got to meet with the team at MinecraftEDU to talk about all things Minecraft!  We got to hear about some updates and we also got to share with them all of the awesome things we do with Minecraft in Atlanta!  Again, we were asked what support we needed and what we'd like to see.  I love that they listen!  If you think Minecraft is just a block building game, you are HIGHLY mistaken!  There are TONS of educational resources, lessons, etc for ALL content areas built right into Minecraft!

I had about 30 minutes to run over to the Google Certified Trainer/Innovator meet up before heading to the next event!  And although I told myself I didn't want to drive myself crazy getting to everything, it was important to me to attend this event as it was not only my first attending as an Innovator, but it was a chance for me to see and hug a lot of people that I hadn't had a chance to see yet!  There are a ton of updates coming from Google for Education!  One of the updates that I'm most excited about is the NEW Google Student Certification that is coming!  Students will now be able to take an exam (similar to the Level 1 and Level 2 exams that we take to show our mastery of the Google tools) and earn a certification that they can then place on their resumes!

Delivering my "mic drop" at
Flilpgrid LIVE!

Then it was time for FLIPGRID LIVE!  What an AMAZING experience!  (Side note....how many times can I say amazing in this blog post?  LOL)  I was selected, along with 8 other educators to deliver a 1 minute "mic drop" about my "why" to 1,000 educators!  This was definitely the highlight of ISTE this year!  See the video below for my "mic drop."  My coworkers and I decided to wear tutus and our "Techies in Tutus" shirts!  It was too cute!  During Flipgrid LIVE, there were TONS of updates announced!  My favorite was the AR component!  This is going to be a game changer when students return back to school!  To be able to bring the hard work of students to life in a special way....I can't wait!  I can't believe how many other edtech tools are now integrated with Flipgrid!  It was like there was update after update after update announced!  I don't know how they're going to top it next year!  Read all about the evening on the FLIPGRID blog! 

Tuesday

Tuesday morning consisted of a few meetings with different vendors.  We were able to share how we use their resources in Atlanta and also make some suggestions for what we'd like to see in the future.  I love that edtech companies are so willing to listen to their end users and actually incorporate the feedback they receive to make their products better!

Sharing how to use Google
Drawings to assess students
at the Google Playground.

I had the opportunity to share my love for Google Drawings and how to use them to assess students at the Google Playground that afternoon!  I shared how I use them and provided a ton of resources with them.  I also got to listen to the educators that stopped by my table and learn a few tips and tricks from them as well! Click here to access the resources that all of the presenters shared during their playground sessions!  I love that educators are so willing to share what they do with others!

Mike Tholfsen (One Note
Avenger!)  and I being
photobombed by Toney
Jackson
(@herhymeswithme)

My friends at Microsoft EDU hosted another awesome Hack the Classroom Event!  We go to hear about a few updates and then heard from 5 different educators about their experiences incorporating the Microsoft Learning Tools (which compare to no other) into their teaching practices!  The lives of students are literally being changed because of these learning tools!  Students are learning how to speak English as a second language.  I was inspired (as always) by Toney Jackson who shared the following message with us, "Your students are filled with potential they may never know about.  Love your students.  Dig into the core FIRST!  If we don't care, what's the purpose?  The imprint you leave on your students is a fossil and not a footprint."  I love the family that Microsoft EDU creates with their team along with the educators that decide to apply to be Microsoft in Education Experts.  They listed to the suggestions of educators and make updates to their amazing products based on those suggestions.  Being able to attend Hack the Classroom in person is always a treat!

Wednesday

On Wednesday morning, I headed back to the convention center to make a few more connections and network with a few more people!  It was my goal this year to find some great things that we might be able to use in Atlanta and I think I found some goodies!  I will share all of those in another post!  Once the conference was over, my colleagues and I decided to take a bus tour of historic Philadelphia.  I am NOT a social studies person at all but the architecture and the stories behind the buildings were so intriguing!  Here are a few pics from the tour!

Then it was time to come home!

I had such an amazing time with old friends and new ones!  Here are some of the pics that I snapped with new and old friends!

It was so refreshing to NOT have to be anywhere in particular!  I made it a point to spend a lot of time in the exhibition hall checking out new vendors and learning all about what they had to offer along with visiting vendors that I'm already familiar with to find out about all of the updates they were making to their tools!

As busy as I was, there was a lot that I missed.  And I'm okay with that.  There was definitely a joy in missing out.  Not forcing myself to be at events that would cause me to run from one to another.  I had an enjoyable time and learned a lot!  I am rejuvenated to begin the 2019-2020 school year!  Being around passionate educators that just want the best for their teachers and students has a way of energizing you.  Listening to others has a way of showing you the possibilities.  There is so much to learn.  There are so many amazing people out there.  I can't wait for #ISTE20!

Regardless if you were there or not, be sure to follow the hashtags #ISTE #ISTE19 #ISTE2019 #notatiste #notatiste19 #notatiste2019 to see what happened!

So there you have it!  What were your ISTE takeaways this year?

Until next time, Philly!

Bye 2017....Hello 2018!

LONG POST ALERT!!!

Today is January 1, 2018 and as I sit here enjoying the last days of the holiday break, preparing and planning of the new year, I can't help but to reflect on 2017 and all that it brought!  At the end of 2016, I declared that my #oneword for 2017 would be "INTENT."  I chose this word based upon witnessing my twin brother's recovery from a horrific car accident that left him having to learn how to breathe, eat and talk all over again.  He's still learning how to walk.  His experience has reiterated to me the importance of living with intent and not taking any second of any day for granted.  I can truly say, that I lived 2017 with intent.  I stepped out of my comfort zone, stepped out on faith, and conquered a lot of fears!


Here are a few of the things that I conquered in 2017, fears that I overcame, experiences that brought me joy, and things that I'm proud of!

Tablet2Read
At work, we are in the middle of providing all of our first grade students with a tablet that they will be able to take home as a means of increasing literacy and providing remediation opportunities.  This year, I created the handbook for this project and was a part of the successful launch and pilot of the project.  To see the looks of the children's faces when they received their tablets was so fulfilling!  I helped leading the efforts in creating the project's name, the logo, choosing the applications, the device, and created the training plan for implementation.  We are getting ready to launch phase 2 and I'm so excited!  We also presented about this project at #GAETC this year!

Central Office "Tech Talk Series"
This was fun!  I was able to successfully launch a series of educational technology trainings for our central office staff!  My colleagues and I created and facilitated 3 sessions, 1 each month in the Spring (February, March and April) that allowed for colleagues in our central office to come and learn what is going on in the schools.  We led sessions on Google, Microsoft and other Web 2.0 tools that would help make their work days easier!  They were blown away at the ability to collaborate virtually and as a result, Google an Microsoft use have skyrocketed in our district!

Classy Graphics
Scrolling through Twitter one day, and maaaayyybeeee stalking Tony Vincent's feed, I saw that he was going to be hosting a class called Classy Graphics.  It was a 6 week course that he facilitated, created content and videos for, and taught it's participants how to create graphics that were sure to be eye catching!  I signed up and LOVED every second of it!  I looked forward to the new videos and assignments releasing every week and couldn't wait to try my hands at what he was teaching!  He is now going to release a Classy Videos course that I will DEFINITELY be signing up for and I can't wait.  If you see this offered, trust me, you NEED to do this!!

Started This Blog and created my LLC
This was a HUGE step out of my comfort zone moment for me!  Not only did I get inspired to start my own educational technology company that allows me to share my love of all things edtech with others, but I started this blog and have had some AMAZING traffic to it!  I am so humbled and blown away that so many of you care to read what I have to say!  I love learning and sharing with others so this is a win win for me!


Google Certified Trainer
A couple of years ago, Chris Craft came and trained our staff on all things Google before our district implemented Google Apps for Education.  He inspired to me to delve deeper into the world of Google and as a result I completed the requirements to become a Google Certified Trainer!  The knowledge and experiences that have come along as a result of this have been so rewarding!

Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert
This is my second year as an MIEExpert and I have LOVED every minute of it!  My district is a Google and Microsoft district so I have to be proficient in both!  Being an MIEE has been so amazing and the educators that I am fortunate enough to interact with make me a better educator!  The number of MIEEs in the state of Georgia have significantly grown this year and that just means that there are more people to learn from and collaborate with!

Twitter
I think I learn more from Twitter than I do anywhere else!  I have loved virtually meeting (and then meeting in real life) so many of my edtech heroes.  Being active on Twitter is the BEST way to grown your professional learning network.  There is soooo much professional development available out there on Twitter!  All you need to do is get involved!  I've loved taking part in different Twitter chats (ie. #alphasquirrels, #msftedu, etc) and learning from others all around the world!

ISTE
This was by far the BEST ISTE experience that I've ever had!!  I met soooo many amazing educators and got to interact with some really really smart people!  This was the first year that I was able to attend the Google Certified Trainer Meet-Up, the Alpha Squirrels Meet-Up, and the Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert Meet-Up!  San Antonio was beautiful, hot, but beautiful!  Seeing Jennie Magiera deliver the keynote was so inspirational!  Who knew that I'd meet her later in the year??

EdTechTeam Virtual Summit
Some how I was asked if I'd be interested in participating in the first Virtual Summit held by EdTechTeam.  Uhhhh, yeah!!!  I've blogged about this experience so won't relive it here, but it was amazing!  I was able present alongside some of the edtech people that I've looked up to and fangirled on Twitter over!  Definitely a highlight of 2017!

Our Voice Academy
BEST experience of 2017!  I'm STILL on a high from this experience!  Again, I've blogged about this a few times so you can read all about my experience there.  Being able to learn from 19 other minority ed tech leaders for a weekend in Minnesota was mind blowing!  I am so excited to use what I learned during this Academy in the future to help me continue to share my story and amplify my voice.  The main takeaway from OVA was that we all have a voice that deserves to be heard!

Looking forward to 2018
There is sooooo much that I'm looking forward to in 2018!  The #oneword that I have chosen for 2018 is "BE." I want to be present, be mindful, be intentional, be kind, and be impactful, just to name a few.

Professionally, there are a lot of ideas that I have for my school district that I can't wait to share with our teachers and students!  Some of these include:

• Launching the first Google Bootcamp in our District!
• Creating a district wide instructional technology podcast.
• Creating a cohort of edtech superhero educators!!!
• Launching the next phase of Tablet2Read.
• Launching the second year of our Central Office Tech and Talk Series.

Personally, I am looking forward to a lot as well!  Whether or not I will accomplish all of this is left to be determined, however these are SOME of the things that I want to do/accomplish in 2018.  I post these as a means of accountability for myself and I figure that once I put it out there, I don't have a choice, but to do it!  So, hold me accountable!

• Continue growing my PLN on Twitter, learning from amazing ed tech educators!
• Continue blogging, more often.
• Spotlight Speak with EdTechTeam.
• Deliver at least ONE keynote this year.
• Sign up for and take Classy Videos by Tony Vincent.
• Renew my Google Certified Trainer status.
• Renew my Microsoft Innovative Educator and Surface Expert status.
• Apply for the Google Innovator program.
• Being active with the second cohort of Our Voice Academy.
• FINISH MY DISSERTATION and FINALLY become Dr. Natasha Rachell!!!!
• Attend ISTE.
• Get healthier: eat better, exercise, drink more water, meditate.
• Continue on my spiritual journey.
• More to come.....

What accomplishments are you most proud of from 2017?  What's your #oneword for 2018?  What are you most looking forward to in 2018?  Write it down and find an accountability partner!  You can do whatever you set your mind to!

Our Voice Academy! The experience of a LIFETIME!!!

Last month, I received an email from THE Jennie Magiera!!!!  TOTAL fangirl moment!  In the email, she informed me that I, along with 19 other minority educational technology leaders across the nation (and Canada) had been chosen to be a part of the first cohort of the Our Voice Academy through EdTechTeam.  This opportunity brought 20 of us together along with 4 leaders (Jennie Magiera, Ken Shelton, Monica Martinez, and Sarah Thomas).

I was fortunate enough to have my blog post shared on the EdTechTeam blog.  I've posted it here, below, along with including the links:

Blog: https://www.edtechteam.com/blog/2017/12/voices-academy-entire-story/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/edtechteam/status/942771780631924737

Our Voice Academy: www.ourvoiceacademy.com

"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you."

-Maya Angelou

This quote, by Maya Angelou, is what set the tone for a life changing weekend in Minneapolis,
Minnesota.  Jennie Magiera brought together 20 different, but like minded minority educational technology leaders from across the country (and Canada) to engage in an intense 2 days of growth, laughs, smiles, and tons of tears.  It was an emotional weekend as we learned to tell our stories and share our voices.  We all have something to say and we deserve to be heard.  Jennie led the weekend with a phenomenal crew of edtech leaders: Ken Shelton, Monica Martinez, and Sarah Thomas.   

Receiving an email inviting you to be a part of the first ever Our Voice Academy from THE Jennie Magiera was just about enough to make me freak out!  After examining the list of the other 19 minority edtech leaders that were included, I just about passed out!  The experiences that this particular group of people were able to share will never be repeated again.  And I can proudly say that I am both honored and humbled to have been a part of history.  The weekend kicked off with inspiration from Justice Alan Page, a former Minnesota Vikings football player (The Purple People Eaters-Google it!), now Minnesota Supreme Court Justice and author.  He shared his story of the power that education had on his life and encouraged us to continue to pour into the lives of the students and teachers that we interact with each and every day.  We each shared a 2 minute story during dinner to get to know each other and to become comfortable with one another.  I think it was in this moment that I truly realized that I was in the presence of some outstanding edtech leaders.

Flipgrid graciously hosted our Academy at their headquarters which was perfect as the environment fostered innovation and creativity!  The rest of the weekend’s activities included some movement activities, examining the 6 parts of a keynote, professional headshots, training and time to prepare to deliver a keynote that would be delivered to the Academy before  closing out the weekend.  To hear the stories that everyone had to tell, left me absolutely speechless.  Some of the trainings that our leaders delivered included:

Jennie:  Stage presence, how to develop a memorable keynote, storytelling.

Ken:  Slide design, image format, how to use fonts effectively.

Monica:  Slide design, all about graphics and fonts, how to appeal to the 5 senses.

Sarah:  Branding (blogging, podcasting, chats and livestreams).

The keynote that I delivered focused on using your why to drive your intention.  I shared the story of my “1 in 5.” This was a group of African American male students that I taught during my second year of teaching.  Two of the 5 are deceased, 2 of the 5 are in jail, and the fifth is a part of the 17% of African American males in the United States to earn a bachelor’s degree.  He currently serves as a police officer in a major city and is doing well!  This keynote is still a work in progress, as we only delivered a snippet of it during the Academy.  Click HERE to view the presentation that I delivered.  The story of my “1 in 5” will become a part of my larger keynote.

My top three takeaways from this whirlwind weekend were:

1. Everyone has a story to tell that deserves to be told.
2. “The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story.”  Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie  Tell the ENTIRE story!!
   
3. You only see the outside of what people present to the world.  You don’t know their daily struggle.  

This was the most inspiring time that I’ve ever spent in a professional development environment in my life!  Each and every second left me hanging on the edge of my seat wanting more!  The time that I spent with the other cohort members and the 4 leaders from all different walks of life has truly made me feel like I have found my tribe.  A tribe of passionate educators that want better for this world and the students and teachers that we are able to interact with each and every day.  I can say that I have made some lifetime friendships, more of a family, that I know I can lean on and depend on for anything that I may need.  I absolutely cannot wait to see each and every one of these individuals again!  I owe a HUGE thank you to EdTechTeam, Jennie, Ken, Monica and Sarah for seeing the need to bring together this group of educators and helping us find our voices and share our stories. I am forever grateful.

Natasha Rachell, Ed.S.

Our Voice Academy-Cohort 1

Digital Learning Specialist

Google Certified Trainer

Atlanta, Georgia

@apsitnatasha

#OVAcademy

Click here for a list of the Our Voice Academy-Cohort 1 members.