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Broken slipper.

Dang, home in my slippers and warm fire.
Dang, home in my slippers and warm fire.

Tonight is the Technology Expo for my district. Normally it’s in April, which is why I find myself somewhat nonplussed that I am home, not at a booth with shining, imaginative and articulate students representing the best of the digital world and its powers to educational leaders from all over the world. Not even close.

Because I missed the e-mail asking for participants.

Yup. That one blew right past me. Was told it was sent in October, or around then.

Right now what I am finding ironic is that this is the first year I’m teaching in the Technology Academy portion, and I understood historically the KTA is expected to present at the Expo. Of course, in years past when I’ve brought students, I was in the “regular” part of the school. Somehow we managed to show off incredible heights of thought and critical thinking. I’m still so proud of my students who created blogs and discussed hard, burning questions like children in armies, or other worrisome issues. Last year the grace and independence of normally shy students discussing the merits of Minecraft, and sexism in games, would have amazed anyone. They were the epitome of professionalism.

Well, I missed the boat on that one. There is a little thorn in my heart though, because I wish the person organizing it would have noticed I hadn’t responded, and singled me out and asked me personally. But she didn’t. That’s not her job. That’s just me feeling like a dork, and that what my students did didn’t really matter. Consider that ‘special snowflake on hot griddle’ moment.

Some of my students asked me if we were going to be there this year, and I apologized that I missed the deadline for signing up. Maybe someone looks at me like a flake, a loser, or dingbat. Well, perhaps. (But I don’t like to talk badly about people I like, and overall I do like myself.) This speaks more to the fact I’m not on a team this year that meets regularly or talks about these events, and I miss that, very much. There are all kinds of great ways to team, to talk, to plan and share ideas. I know that’s the one area in my life that makes my professional life lack luster and sparkle.

Ultimately, I let my students down this year, but as one young lady said, shrugging kindly, ‘there’s always next year.’

There sure is, my dear.

There sure is.

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3 thoughts on “Broken slipper.

  1. That is a great idea! Thank you!

  2. An idea… if you’d like to give your students from this year the opportunity to share, you might consider having them create some sort of webinar for SimpleK-12 or one of those PD sites for teachers. My friend Bill had his kids do a webinar on their Kiva Club and it was a great experience for them. Again, just an idea.

  3. Tech Expo is a great event. But there was a huge amount of change this year, that the date for it was one more change, and indeed, there is always next year.

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