Once upon a time there was a teacher who didn’t like computers very much. She felt shy in their presence. Unsure, uncertain, undone.
And every day, necessity came knocking on her door, crying loudly “the time is nigh, the time is near, embrace the future, defeat your fear”. But still the teacher hesitated, unwilling to jump into the abyss of all that she did not know.
Until one day, she took a road trip to a CESI meet and said unto those who knew so much more than she ever would “If you can look into the seeds of time and say which grain will grow and which will not, speak to me then, who neither beg nor fear your favours nor your hate”. And they replied with kindness and compassion for the teacher who knew so little and she began to feel like maybe, just maybe, she could do this (…but that’s a story from another day and you can read about it here).
And because of that she attended a 3 day digital bootcamp in Cork (here) and because of that she embraced more challenge based learning in her teaching. Not all the time, but more than ever before.
And because of that, and her compassion for those who, like her, were struggling to learn things never learned before, she won a lovely teaching award (here) and felt like maybe, just maybe, she wasn’t a total imposter, a feeling many teachers battle their entire career (‘who am I to teach you what you do not know?’).
Until finally, she felt an equilibrium gently bedding down in her soul. But once again necessity came knocking at her door, crying “the tablet era is nigh. Take your head out of your ass and stop being so smug about how much you know”. So she once again found herself seeking out those who could help her, with patience and kindness and compassion. And she found them, in @Krowdrah and @Andyisatwork and @cajcarter and @Lannoy29 and @Mrpielee and @catherinem23 and she rejoiced and was glad because one great teacher can make a difference but six make all the difference in the world. And being in a space with 200 great teachers for 6 days makes all the difference in the universe.
And ever since that day, she gives thanks daily for the wonderful educators who help her leap into the terrifying abyss of all that she does not know and all that she has yet to learn.
Story Spine is just one of the many things I learned at ADE Institute 2013 and yes, there’s an app for that! thanks @rebeccastockley