This week I get to return to where it all started. My "transformation" as an Innovative Educator began last year with my Microsoft Partners In Learning experience and I am looking forward to being a visitor at the Partners In Learning Global Forum for their closing day of events. I've been trying to figure out why I am so excited to attend....and I haven't come up with a definitive answer, but I do know that:
- The people that I met last summer helped me to see where education was going and why we, as educators, need to follow that path.
- The new ideas and excitement that I experienced gave me the courage to try out some of those ideas and look for new ones.
- My eyes were opened to the BIG ideas of education and the fact that I can find support around the globe as I experiment with making technology and 21st century learning a regular part of my classroom.
- The thought of just "knowing" that there are others in different states, and different countries that are also experimenting and sharing has helped me to take the risk in my own classroom.
So....I am travelling into Washington, DC on Nov. 10 to listen to the closing keynote address featuring educators from around the world sharing what is happening in their part of the world. Then I will have the opportunity to wander through the exhibit hall and witness the "World Cup of Technology Education." I am looking forward to...for just a few hours...experiencing that excitement and passion for education that I was immersed in last summer, and possibly engage in a few conversations that will give me another spark or idea for my classroom journey.
The fact that Microsoft Partners in Learning extended the Global Forum invitation to those Innovative Educators that live in the Washington D.C. area shows their commitment to continuing to support us in our learning and teaching adventures, and for that I am grateful!!
