When will my Reflection show who I am inside?

When I was offered the chance to attend the Kodiak Island Virtual & STEM Learning Conference, I was stoked.  I had gotten just a taste of paper circuitry through an ASTE session, and was keen on learning more.  Being a person who wants to truly master a subject- to the point of being able to teach it to others- I decided to stick with Elementary Paper Circuitry rather than moving onto Advanced or delving into the Distance Learning course.  In hindsight I still think I made the right choice, but truly wish I could have experienced each strand in its entirety.  There's always next year (hopefully!!!).

Having the basics of paper circuitry already under my belt, I was able to assist a bit in getting the brand newbies up and running, as well as refine my own techniques.  And as always I was able to learn from my fellow attendees, as different experience levels and inquisitiveness brought forth a myriad of ideas and suggestions, so that by the end no two projects looked alike, even if we were all following the same pattern.  Creativity and exploration were encouraged, and the end result was true discovery.  

By the end of the conference I felt as though I was ready and able to build my own cohort of makers, get them started on the road to incorporating making into their classroom, to practicing true inquisition with their students.  I also know I am ready for the next steps, and look forward to advancing my understanding of paper circuitry and making in general.  To do this I will have to fully embrace my position as a virtual teacher, as my past and (fingers crossed!) future positions place me in a centralized location, and not always in the direct space of the teachers with whom I am working.  In this regard specifically I think it was very important for me to be a part of the conference, to hone and more fully understand the skills a virtual teacher must have in order to be successful, and now I also have a plethora of teachers and professionals I can call upon for a number of reasons.  Expanding my knowledge base and professional network is so important to me, and I am absolutely thrilled I was given the chance to do just that. 

It goes without saying (but I'll say it anyway!) that I am excited for what the future holds, and am truly looking forward to help bring making into the lives of teachers and students in the district lucky enough to snag me for their ed tech coordinator ;)