This week's blog post focuses on how you can value your growth and visualize your next steps. This seemed especially important for me last week as I attended ISTE 2023 in Philadelphia.
Back in 2019, I also attended ISTE in Philadelphia. So I felt like reflecting from one Philly ISTE to the next made sense. Now, back from ISTE 2023, it was also a great way for me to process and reflect over this experience. The interesting thing about this reflection was that both Philly ISTEs were times that I truly leveled up. In 2019, I learned how to challenge myself and push myself to do new things. In 2023, I truly found my voice and now better understand my value. This year's conference helped me to see how much I have truly "developed" in 2023 and celebrate that!
This coming week, my husband and I will be traveling to Las Vegas. This will be my first time attending and presenting at this conference. Next Saturday, I am very excited to present in Las Vegas (my first ever visit there) and share my "Empowering Student Voice using UDL and Tech Tools" session. I am also excited to reconnect with some amazing members of my PLN like Darrin Peppard, Dave Schmittou and Charles Williams, plus make new connections
After that, I will be presenting a few other times in this summer. In July, I am presenting at two conferences: the 2023 Upstate Technology Conference in person and Cypress Fairbanks School District's Digital Learning Conference where I am a featured speaker virtually. In August, I will also be presenting virtually at BCS STEAM 2023.
Reviewing what are the ABCs of Transforming Learning are-
Two weeks ago, I shared a blog post called U= Use these tips to make the most of a summer conference. In doing so, we focued on how you can use these tips to make the most out of your summer conference experience. Whether you are attending a big conference like ISTE 2023 in Philly or a smaller regional one, using these tips will help you to prioritize your time and get the biggest bang for the buck. As educators, we need to prioritize and this will help you do just that.ls.
This week, we will focus on V = Value Your Growth and Visualize Next Steps. As I returned from ISTE 2023 in Philadelphia, I couldn't help but consider how I have grown since I attended ISTE 2019 in Philadelphia. On 6/19/2021, I shared my post, "Top Ten Takeaways from ISTE 2019," so I thought this week's post could focus on how I have grown since 2019 and share my next steps.
V = Value Your Growth and Visualize Your Next Steps
Having returned from ISTE this past Wednesday, I am both exhausted and energized by this amazing experience. It was a very different experience than ISTE 2019 in Philadelphia because of how much I have grown and leveled up. Here are some of the ways how I have changed and what I visualize in the next 4 years.
Value Your Growth
1. From novice tech coach to mentor tech coach:
When I attended ISTE in Philly in 2019, I was a relatively new tech coach with just one year under my belt. Everything I learned was new and exciting and I wanted to take it all in.
This year when I attended ISTE in Philly, I was an experienced tech coach with five years under my belt. In addition, I had recently found out that I would be acting as a SBTS or tech coach mentor for 2023-2024!
2. From ISTE Attendee to ISTE Presenter:
In 2019, I went to ISTE as an attendee. As I watched the presenter share their passion, I never imagined that just four years later that I would present not one, but 9 sessions.
In 2023, I presented 9 sessions. They were all amazing and it brought so much joy to my heart to share topics that I am so passionate about. Whether I was sharing Thinking Routines, Tech Up The Math or Empowering Our Youngest Scholars to Create using Digital Tools, I loved each and every presentation and the impact it had on my participants. One participant even shared she came to ISTE to attend my sessions!
3. From reader to author:
When I attended ISTE in 2019, I came prepared with a LOT of books. I was so excited to meet some of my favorite authors and get them to sign my beloved books. I had become an avid reader of education books and couldn't wait to meet these authors.
This year, I brought copies of my book, "TRANSFORM- Techy Notes to Make Learning Sticky" to give away as door prizes and a few extra just in case. Four years later, I am a published author having written one book and contributed to several others.
4. From blogger to edupreneur
In 2019 when I attended ISTE, I was a relatively new blogger. At that time, my website was called Techy Notes and consisted almost entirely of my blog. I was just beginning to share my voice with the educational community and I had just embraced the power of vulnerability.
In 2023, I am an edupreneur, in addition to my tech coach day job. I have an LLC for TannenbaumTech and my website, TannenbaumTech.com has grown significantly. I present at conferences regularly and also offer professional learning to schools around the country. Wow!
5. From ISTE Member to ISTE Certified Educator
In 2019, I joined ISTE for the first time before attending the conference. Looking back, I mostly did it because it was included in the conference registration. I didn't really understand the impact of being part of this organization.
In 2023, I attended and presented at ISTE as an ISTE Certified Educator. This is one of my proudest accomplishments. Being an ISTE Certified Educator isn't easy, but it is truly the best professional learning that I have ever engaged in. Every time I looked at my badge, I was so proud to see that noted. In addition, I got to attend ISTE's Certified Educator Meetup and meet even more amazing educators. Now, I leverage my involvement with groups like ISTE Certified Educators. We are all growing and learning together.
Visualize Your Next Steps
I decided to focus last week's newsletter on Value Your Growth and Visualize Next Steps. While at ISTE, not only could I see my growth in the past 4 years, but I became keenly aware of my value, my worth. Engaging with members of my PLN, I could see how sometimes, I was selling myself short and how I needed to be more aware of that. This helped me see myself differently than before. In doing so, I became my own advocate, cheerleader, and friend. I have truly found my voice and value and I am so proud of the journey to get here and excited about where it will lead.
What are my next steps? I want to be more strategic in my work, finding new places to spread my message, while also amplifying and promoting my message in familiar places. In the 2023-2024 school year, I want to seek featured speaker engagements in those places, while continuing to build my business. I also believe that my health journey is absolutely linked to finding my voice and value. I feel better now and am more comfortable in my own skin. I like the way my clothes are fitting and how my face is thinning out. The pride I feel in both of these consecutive journeys builds on each other. I am so excited to see what "develops" in the next six months.