Cathy Nelson’s Professional Thoughts

Today I met some fellow colleagues after work to talk and have some fancy coffee drinks (which i don’t do…) Being new in the district, I don’t know everyone as well, so Barbara S. and Cathy H. invited me to come gab. We shared about the normal school stuff, and I told about my initiation into the district. If found out that Barbara and I have some common interests–Macs and video editing. And Cathy H and I are connected b/c years ago we both worked in a neighboring district, and she even worked in the same school as my husband.

They were very interested in my knowledge of web 2.0 stuff, and I had to admit to them I don’t know as much as they think. But in our conversations, I talked a whole different language at times, talking about twitter, Ustream, the online conference, webcasts, and name dropping–Will Richardson, David Warlick, and Joyce Valenza. They were familiar with Joyce–what school librarian wouldn’t be? But they did not know of Richardson or Warlick. Oh break my heart!

In visiting the various live shows popping up tonight in Ustream–you folks in my Twitter are awesome–I can remember reflecting that exact sentiment I beleive to Vickie Davis. We practically speak an alien language.

So I have to ask myself–am I an overachiever? I used to think of myself as not as good as most of my colleagues. I aspired to be as good at librarianship as them, and worked hard to hone my skills. Now I am questioned about my knowledge–how do I know about this stuff and where do I have the time? I don’t feel any smarter than my colleagues, that’s for sure. We are just not necessarily speaking the same language. And I still have so much to learn compared to others in my network.

I promise folks, I do have a homelife, and family, and time is made for them. But also I must confess that my entire household is digitally connected–to each other and our networks. So we know and understand that these tools and this language we speak is understood, accepted, and a welcome part of our lives. I read an incredible amount. I feel connected to my network. I miss it when I can’t get it–which is why I am rushing in to read up on twitter since it is blocked at school. My network is educating me better than any professional development I participate in at school, conferences, workshops, or any journal I read. My network IS my professional development. And I am proud of it. But I don’t think I would enjoy it if it made my family unhappy. We all four have laptops, and yes, there are times when we are all together in the living room with a laptop in our lap or at our side. It has just become a way of life for us. It is so nice to know i can chat w/ my son in Chicago anytime I want–i’m 900 miles away, yet only a few keystrokes from connecting to him. So I don’t ask forgiveness for being in tune with my 2.0 tools. I just feel blessed that they are understood in my home.

Last– I celebrate once again this evening as Chris Lehman called me Cathy in a Ustream chat tonight. I am identified only as CNelson there. So I am in his radar in the blogosphere too. WOOT!

Today I was asked to share at a faculty meeting about the upcoming 2007 K12Online Conference that kicks off October 8th with an opening keynote by David Warlick. My principal assured me the last five minutes of the meeting were mine to do this promotion. I worried that no one would be interested b/c at the end of a MONDAY at the end of a faculty meeting (it even sounds depressing!) no one would listen or care. So I had to come up with a plan to entice them. I am ever so thankful for the teasers that have been posted this year. They are all good. I decided to show 2 very short ones, so I began going through them. Some did not make my cut b/c they were too long (but still good.) I wound up using Ben Wilkoff’s “How do you create change?” and Sylvia Martinez’s “Technology Professional Decvelopment: Challenging Assumptions.” In the middle of these two videos I played up the conference being a free, anytime, anywhere professional development opportunity. Sylvia had encouraged me to use Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach’s quote of:

…the event is completely free. It allows you to participant as much or as little as you want, whenever, and wherever you feel comfortable. Important thinkers and dreamers and practitioners will present. Connect yourself with their visions of how our schools are evolving, how learning is changing…(Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach)

But I kind of liked the way Sylvia paraphrased it, and since I was limited on time, I said in her paraphrased way:

Freedom, choice, empowerment. People who will inspire you. Connect as much or as little as you like.

In the middle I also talked up David Warlick (and I’m shocked to have to report no one on my staff new who David Warlick was!!) I pulled up the Quicktime video of his opening keynote from last year. I played and fast forwarded to show how he made his opening keynote, being in his home office, then the car, folllowed by on the walking trail, the train rails, and finally back in his office doing how to’s for using the resource he was plugging–one of his own if memory serves. I also made the comparison to learning on the rails, and traveling different paths (and speeds) in this come as you are, take what you need to know conference. I went over by about 2 minutes, but all were VERY interested. I only printed 20 K12Online flyers, but had to promise to print more. I’m pleased to know I had more interest than what I prepared for. Many asked a lot of questions afterwards, and as we dismissed, some told me they couldn’t wait to check it out.

I know I was enthusiastic in my short presentation, but I really hope some follow through with this.

Last–the other day I blogged about my sunk ipod that won’t work anymore. My principal seemed to have found me a great “used” one and privately presented it to me after the meeting today. It’s a 30 gb one, and I have no idea its generation, but it plays video, and she gave it to me to have. I am in high cotton once again. Now I can patiently wait for Christmas to get a new one.