Ok, the cat is out of the bag. I am leaving. So for once, I will blog about something pretty personal: where I’ve been and why I’m leaving. This post is actually prompted by an email inquiry I received today from someone who had seen the job posting and wanted to know what I do exactly. One of the last lines of the email asked why I was leaving. It was a good question and gave me pause to reflect.
Before I actually give my reasons for leaving, I will describe what my role has been as an instructional technology facilitator at MCMS. (To read what the job description is according to the IMPACT model, click here.) I have tried to follow the IMPACT model as closely as possible but recognize that there was a lot of room for improvement. I had hoped to be in this job for many years. I saw so many possibilities. I still do.
Where I’ve Been:
- I was a French teacher at ECHS for 10 and a half years. During those 10 and a half years I fell in love with technology and troubleshooting. I watched the Internet change our whole world and I found that I loved teaching others how to use technology. When I received a phone call 3 years ago this coming July to interview for a technology facilitator position, I jumped at the opportunity because this was my dream job. When I was accepted, I was elated.
- My first year was a whirlwind. I had so much to learn, not necessarily about how to integrate technology into the classroom but how to troubleshoot and manage all these computers at our school. Without a technology assistant, technology facilitators have to do quite a bit of troubleshooting. This school had been without a technology facilitator for three years so they were starved for someone in my position to point them in the right direction. I loved my job. I tried to focus my attention on training the staff so I did a technology camp for teachers that first summer.
- I was much more comfortable during my second year. I was ready to really lay some groundwork with the staff on technology integration. I was introduced to the world of Web 2.0 and have been hooked ever since. I created my own personal learning network which has helped me learn so much using iGoogle and Google Reader. Some of favorite Web 2.0 tools are iGoogle, Google Reader, Google Docs, Google Calendar, Skype, Second Life, del.icio.us (although Diigo is quickly eclipsing my love of del.icio.us), Picasa, and Flickr. I use many others but these have been invaluable to me. I wanted to focus my attention from the teachers just a little to equipping students so I taught a technology camp for students during that summer.
- This third year has been a little different. I have been in the classrooms much more, co-teaching with teachers. I was also selected to help be a core trainer for NCWise which our county was converting to this year. I think a lot more teachers are using technology this year than they have in my previous two years here and I am glad to say that they are putting more and more of that technology in the students’ hands. I finish this third year happy to say the hardware is in place (3 wireless labs, two desktop labs, data projectors in almost every classroom, 2 interactive slates per team, 2 wireless presenter mice per team, 1 document camera per team, 3 digital video cameras for the school, and two student response systems for the school). Ok, we’re not completely at my dream classroom but we’re on our way. I don’t pretend to take credit for all the good changes I’ve seen in our school these 3 years. We have many shining technology teaching stars, a tech savvy media coordinator, a supportive tech support team, and a fireball principal who understands the important role that technology plays in the future of education. I was fortunate to get to ride this wave with such great folks. I know this school will go far after I leave.
Why I’m Leaving:
- My mother became very ill and was admitted to the hospital on February 14. Unfortunately she is still in rehabilitative care but is making progress. I plan on spending my summer and fall before leaving for the Netherlands taking care of her and helping my family. Leaving this job will make me more available to my family.
- I visited friends in Amsterdam, Netherlands over Christmas break and my thoughts began drifting to my old dream of living in Europe. An apartment became available not too far from the city center and I just can’t let this opportunity slip away without grabbing the bull by the horns. So, I’m going for my dream of living in Europe. Of course, that means I am now looking for a job in Amsterdam. Does anyone know if they need technology facilitatators/coordinators there?
So the plan is to move to the Netherlands once my mom is back on her feet. I will be keeping this blog however and it is my sincere hope that I can continue to work in technology education even if I am in a different country.
Needless to say, I will miss my colleagues and friends that I have had here in Carteret County. It’s not easy to say good bye to 13 and a half years of one’s life but these have been good years, learning years. I’m sure I will have much more to reflect on in the next few months so stay posted!
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