Top 10 Blog Posts of 2017

As I look back over my blog posts of 2017, I share with you my top ten read posts. I always find it interesting what topics are most intriguing to those that read my writing. I'll be honest, there seems to be a direct correlation between number of reads and when my friend Steven W. Anderson posts my blog links on Twitter. Thank you, Steven for your unintentional advertising for a friend! The list below is in proper reverse David Letterman form from least to greatest number of reads (but believe me, many are out there in the 2017 year wishing they had made this list!):

10.  My #ISTE17 Takeaways The International Society for Technology in Education is the largest   educational technology convention offered. I was fortunate for my school to fund the opportunity for me to attend this summer. I know there are tons of educators out there that would love the chance to attend but don't get to do so. It's no surprise that people wanted to read this post in order to live vicariously through an attendee.

 9.   Rocketbook Wave Reusable Notebooks: Educational Purposes? Analog collides with digital in this blog post. When I tell people about the Rocketbook Wave Notebook they don't believe me, it seems to magical. Check it out though- Rocketbook has come out with even more products since this post.

 8.  Creative Writing with Art Prompts in www.storybird.com We love free things for education! I love opportunities for our students to have a wider audience! Storybird.com utilizes beautiful artwork to help students tap into their creative writing.

 7.  When a Technology Coordinator Unplugs Last Christmas vacation I spent time off technology...kinda. I think we all struggle with finding the balance between being a connected individual and someone living in the here and now. We worry even more about our children/students finding the importance of unplugging.

 6. Wonderful Ways to Make Educational Graphics Educators know visuals help in the learning process as well as create opportunities for fun engagement. This post gives some concrete ways that allow educators to find their inner artistic side with ease.

 5.  What is Technology Integration Success?   How much is enough? How much is too much? Starting with the WHY is important to figuring out the WHAT. As educators we all should be teaching digital citizenship skills/responsibilities to our students. Assuming digital natives know how to use technology wisely is not acceptable. We wouldn't throw the keys to drive a car to someone without training. We must train our students to use tech (access to the world) correctly as well.

 4.  The Writing Process that Utilizes Tech Integration Good writing skills are important in life. Utilizing technology to undergird those skills are a part of our future. This blog post was written while I was trying to discern for myself what good tech integrated writing should look like. Honestly, I might have grown through some of this since writing (and that is the beauty of blogging and why I believe all educators should blog).

 3. Educators as Empowered Learners The ISTE standards for educators start off by asking teachers to be empowered learners. This blog post kicked off an 8 part series that looked at what it means for educators to be held accountable to technology standards.

 2. Family STEAM Night Cardboard Challenge Last year our school had 2 different family STEAM nights and this blog post talked about the ease and creativity we saw during the "Cardboard Challenge" night. Our students and their parents/siblings tapped into their creative side after watching  this video about Caine's Arcade.

 1. Parenting in the Digital Age  To say this was my most read blog post would be an understatement. We are in a world of exponential growth when it comes to technology usage. Parents worry what is enough and what is too much. This blog post made some suggestions in helping your family find its balance.

Sick Days

Sometimes as teachers we hurt. We have headaches, backaches, heart aches, and loss. But so much is dependent on educators being at school. In fact, it is often harder for educators to take a day off than it is to just work sick. Lesson plans for subs, the 3 days it takes to get your class back on track after an absence, and the catching up that has to be done often makes us want to muddle through.

It's been that kind of year for me. Illnesses and deaths of those close to me, chronic neck, back and shoulder pain for myself. I'm not myself. Things set me off quicker. Forgiveness comes slower. My ability to be engaging jazz hands in front of students and teachers isn't quite there. Stress from whatever source- from within the school or from outside affects us as educators. We must search for ways to dig deeper, find joy in the little things, or rest because muckiness begets muckiness and the cycle is a downward spiral.

I'm not good at not doing that which I am tasked to do. (Yes I know there were double negatives there).  But today I rest. Today I take a day to get better. I want to give my best every day. It's what I am called to do. But the truth is just like parents aren't always their best, students aren't always their best, neither am I. I am human. I make mistakes, I have faults, I fail people, I am not always on my "A-game." We are all that way.

We get frustrated when things don't run as a well-oiled machine. We get frustrated when we have to deal with the faults and bad decisions of others. We get frustrated when everyone isn't there pulling their weight. It's human nature to expect the team members to be playing their positions as posted. Today is a day when I am smacked in the face with the fact that life doesn't always go as planned. And even the most well meaning person isn't perfect nor will they always be the perfect employee. We must give and take, be there for others, listen and adjust and grow from the moments when we are our weakest. And we must offer the same kind of understanding to those we work with. Today I rest and reflect and hope to go back tomorrow better in so many areas of my life.