The Power of a Click and Its Ripple Effects
Have you ever forgotten the date of an important event- a loved one's birthday or anniversary and suddenly looked at the calendar and realized that YOU MISSED IT! Well on February, that happened to me! I looked at the calendar and realized that I had completely missed celebrating my blog birthday! So I decided that better late than never and that today's post would focus on celebrating the three year birthday of my blog, Techy Notes. After three years of blogging, why not have a celebration month! It seems hard to believe that three years of blogging have already passed. It seems like it was just yesterday that I started this journey; but becoming a blogger truly changed my life- and I am so glad it did!
The Power of Blogging
Why do I say that blogging truly changed my life- that's easy, because it did. When I published that first blog post on February 1, 2019, I had no idea what adjacent possible moments would result from that first post. I am so honored that so many of you choose to take a few minutes of your day and read my reflections. But blogging is more than just something that I do- it has become part of who I am. I started blogging as a way to challenge myself and quickly found that it transformed me. But now, I find that blogging has given the momentum to share in so many more ways. In this blog post, I want to celebrate these ways and the blog that started it all.
1.Blogging helped me to develop ideas that turned into presentations.
As this month started, I was so honored to be able to share what I love at many different conferences. I started this month off with two virtual conferences- the Common Ground Maryland conference as a featured speaker and the Recipe for Success Blended Conference in Virginia. Right afterwards, I flew down to Texas for TCEA22 to share two sessions-one virtual and one in person. I came back and presented at CUELA Palooza this weekend virtually. This week, I am so excited about the two newest virtual conferences that I am presenting at: OETC22 and IDEACON22.
I love sharing these presentations- my presentations are solution-focused.. They share a problem that I have experienced, along with other educators. During them, I take my participants through a series of interactive activities that include reflecting using thinking routines. My goal always is to start with big ideas and have my participants leave with a few actionable steps that they can commit to. I hope these experiences will help them to transform learning one step at a time.
2. Presentations have enabled me to connect with my PLN in a deeper way.
When I go to an in person conference like TCEA, yes, I am there to present but it doesn't stop there. I am also there to learn and connect. TCEA was no different and I was so thrilled to connect with so many members of my PLN face to face. In fact, as soon as I got my badge, I was so excited to see that I had found a seat next to Hedreich Nichols and Vernon Wright. Yes, we make connections with others in our PLN online, but meeting face to face is just different. It changes the relationship and makes it richer. You never know when you will connect with someone who will impact you and your life. I met fellow Virginian, Jorge Valenzuela, while waiting in line for Starbucks one morning. I got a chance to connect with fellow ISTE Certification cohort member, Christine Moore, while at TCEA. That is just the tip of the iceberg- check out some of my favorite moments in the collage on the right.
3. Connections have opened up new doors for me that I never imagined.
I met my publisher, Darrin Peppard, on Twitter. As I continued blogging and writing, I knew that I had a book within me, but fear held me back initially. Through connections I made like Jillian DuBois and Rachelle Dene Poth, I decided to put my book draft out there. and see what would happen if I sent it to a couple of publishers. Imagine my delight, when I found a publisher who believed in my work as much as I did. Now, my birthday, May 20 is also my book's birthday! These connections also led me to contributing to other books such as Rachelle Dene Poth's new book which was published this December and the #AmpGlobalEdu series where my chapter on engagement is the first chapter of Book 1.
Never Underestimate the Power of A Click
Back on February 1, 2019, I was terrified to post that first blog. I DMed Sam Fecich and asked for her advice, she said, "Get it out of draft mode and put it out there for the world. More people need to hear your story. It is one of changing positions, supporting teachers and your excitement for edtech which is oozing off every page. I love it!"
So I took a leap of faith and clicked PUBLISH. The more blogs I posted, the easier it got to click that PUBLISH button. Then, I started submitting presentations. Once again, I was terrified to put myself out there- what if they said no? Now I look at this differently, if I get a no, it isn't the right audience for me. But when I get a yes, I am so honored to share my stories and journeys with others,
Next, I sent a DM to Darrin about having a story to share. Yes, this was still scary, but look where it led. Yes, the clicks that used to scare me don't anymore, new clicks or challenges have replaced them. But none of these ripple effects would have happened without that first click.
Have you taken that first click and pushed yourself to reach for something you want that might terrify you? Or maybe it's time to level up and click something new? You never know where that one click can take you. For me, it has truly transformed my world- changed me from the inside out. What about you? What's your next click?