A Seismic Shift

For years I've wanted to shift my focus from "regular classroom teacher" to something akin to "technology integration specialist" but haven't really had chance to do so.  Let's face it.  That's not a job title that is readily available these days.  Sure, plenty of schools want to integrate technology to some extent, but creating a job title to help the process isn't easy in this economy.

I'm in my second year at a school that has slowly helped send me in that direction.  In Year 1, I was given a couple of hours a week to help me research and plan ways to best lead our school's iPad initiative.  That went so well, that this year I've been given an hour a day as Tech Lead to further research and help other teachers better integrate technology into their classes.  This extra hour of research time has been wonderful to keep my stress level down and to keep work at work while still helping the school move forward.  I've also been fighting a rare neurological disorder since June, so it gave me the opportunity to rest when the pain/numbness/tingling/fatigue are too much.  However, late this first semester a perfect storm of my health, staffing issues, and new initiatives came together to create a seismic shift in my career. 

Starting next semester, I will be out of the regular classroom.  Instead, I'll be teaching computers and technology for grades K-8 (with the exception of 5th grade). This will include creating curriculum which is both integrated with the regular classroom and aligned to the Common Core.  I'll also be assisting in behind the scenes technology projects from the software and integration side of the coin.  (Actually, I don't know what I'll be doing there, but I want to sound knowledgeable.) This move is listed as temporary.  There is a chance I'll be back in the regular classroom come August.  There is a chance they'll keep me in this role.  We'll see.

May I just say that I am excited, sad, nervous, thrilled, overwhelmed, scared, honored, and happy all rolled up into one?  When I realize that I'm being handed a job that I've wanted for a number of years, I get giddy. When I look at the kids and realize I won't be their teacher anymore, I get sad.  When I think of the job ahead of me, I get nervous -- until I think of the Kindergartners, then I get scared.  Overall, I'm honored that my principal thinks I'm up to the task and is willing to do what it takes to keep me moving forward with the school when my body just wants to take a month off.

From this point on, this blog will reflect this new role.  I'll be talking mostly about my "computer teacher" exploits, but I'll probably mention some things I'm finding in my research and will hope to coerce my colleagues into implementing in class. 

You can start by helping me figure out what my curriculum will look like.  Click on this post to find questions that will help me map the future of my computer curriculum.  Thanks for the help and please keep reading!