 Each year I choose #oneword to set the tone for the new year. In the past I have chosen Determined, Grace, and my last word (in 2018) was Enough. Last year I may have been happy at times but Joy was lacking which made the whole year feel... Meh. I didn't choose a word for 2019...it chose me...Meh. 2019 was full of lots of uncertainty in areas of my life that I felt defined me. I felt the weight of my work, my church, my finances, and my health. In many ways, I lost my smile and joy. Not this year. My One Word for 2020 is full of intention to find my Joy again! Joy is mentioned over 200 times in the bible (at least in the NIV translation), many of them as “shouts of joy” or “sing for joy”! Some of my favorites include:
There’s another verse that resonated with me from John These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. (John 15:11) When you look at this verse, it refers to two separate joys. Jesus’ joy that is in us and then our joy. I knew immediately the later was a by-product of the first. So, therefore, I needed to focus on Jesus’ joy that is in me. He states in verse 11 that he has told us these things – basically all that precedes this verse, so that we may have his joy. The previous verses in ch 15 refer to the vine and the branches. This Blue Letter Bible commentary has an in-depth look at ch 15, but this explanation resonated with me: The joy of Jesus is not the pleasure of a life of ease; it is the exhilaration of being right with God, and consciously walking in His love and care. That is what I want for this year. I want to be right with God and walk in his love and care and in return experience only the joy that he himself can put in me. I want 2020 (and beyond) to be full of his joy for myself and for me to share that joy with others. So how do I plan to live out JOY in 2020?
To get started, I have initiated a few cheesy things to get me going!
 God has work to do in this heart of mine this year. May I learn how to truly live in HIS JOY.
Keeping it Techy, Heather
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In February when I saw the list of summer professional development opportunities from our local educational service center, "Sketchnoting with Sylvia Duckworth" jumped off the screen. I immediately registered for the chance to learn from a master! I've had an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil for 3 years, but I hadn't taken enough time to find an appropriate app and practice digital drawing. This week the dream became a reality and I was able to attend the Sketchnoting World Tour. I showed up early and sat in the front because I didn't want to be distracted! We started with analog (or pen and paper) doodles with our neighbor. Back-and-forth drawing enabled us to loosen up and get to know the people at our table. The light bulb was the doodle that I started. Didn't it turn out cute?  Our next activity was to draw a self portrait in under a minute. This timed exercise was to get us ready to doodle quickly and not get too caught up with perfection or details. This was really hard! There wasn't time to erase and my perfectionist tendencies were in turmoil. As you can tell below, my eyes were the last thing I worked on!
The next activity was so much worse! We had to take a picture our our neighbor and draw a portrait in a minute as well. It's one thing to make yourself look crazy, but you don't want to make another person look crazy. Thankfully, my neighbor was super nice and gracious with her portrait! Meet Luann Hughes, Senior Executive Director of Technology for Rockwall ISD. She was a joy to sit beside and very complimentary of my drawings!
Then it was time to learn! For us iPad and touchscreen Chromebook users, Sylvia showed us how to set up our digital paper in the Autodesk Sketchbook app. There are layers so she showed us how to create a grid on the first layer that can be deleted when the sketch is done. I loved having the grid to help align my doodles and make them symmetrical. Then she took us through her doodles...and boy, does she have a TON of free resources available! More on that in a bit... You can tell from these first drawings that I had to get my pen width down and then I was off! She moved quickly because sketchnoting isn't supposed to be perfect. Hard lesson for me! I kept hitting the "undo" button...but I was thankful for an "undo" button which those with paper and gel pens didn't have! At the bottom, I had some leftover "grid" that I added to the drawing layer, not the back layer, and that was a lesson learned. I wanted all of my doodles on one page, but that didn't work out, so I had to make 2 more pages. (see below) 
I think I did pretty great doodling with the iPad for the first time! A bonus for the session was a FREE copy of Sylvia's second book. Of course I had to get it signed! This book basically outlines the session I attended where she discusses the "why" about sketchnoting with students plus gives step by step directions on doodles. I referred to the book often when working on my final project for the day...  TAAA DAAA! She gave us time to work on sketching plus challenged us with a choice of activities. I chose the "My Selfie Sketchnote" activity and had SO. MUCH. FUN. creating it! I have a few things I want to add plus I want to add some labels, but overall, it's a great start! I think I need to start sketching everywhere I go now.  So, where can you get your hands on these resources? Browse to sylviaduckworth.com and check out the #sketchnotefever tab where she shares her doodles both in video and Google Slides form. The Resources tab has ALL of her presentations linked! Plus, the links to purchase her books is there too! Are you intrigued? I would love to hear how you plan to use sketchnoting with your students! Comment below!
Keeping it Techy, Heather As a former Kindergarten teacher, I know that germs are everywhere. The last thing I wanted to do was catch a fever. In my current role, there is a tool that I would love to share, watch spread, and catch on as a full-blown fever! Yes, I have #flipgridfever!  I know this isn't a new tool and I have used it for a little over a year now, but only with administrators and teachers. I want to see this tool in the hands of our students! So I planned an after-school training with teachers to show them how to use the tool and more importantly, how to use it effectively within a lesson. To entice them to join me, I always provide some sort of snack, but I also created Flipgrid recording "studios" based on an idea that I saw on Twitter: 
I'm thankful to Flipgrid for sharing customizable, pre-made training materials on their site! The Slides deck from my training session is linked on my Trainings page at www.techykilgore.com/trainings.html. Check it out for a list of ideas on how to implement Flipgrid based on the grade level you teach!
Comment below and tell me how you are using Flipgrid in your classroom. I would love to hear your ideas! Keeping it Techy, Heather Sometimes God has to break you down to strip you of your pride and bring you to a place of humility. He has to cause upheaval in your life so that you come to Him for clarity and guidance. This happened to me recently and I am thankful for a perfect God with perfect plans for my life. A few weeks ago, I experienced a breakdown. Professionally, I was put in my "place" so to speak. Not only by the actions and reactions of others, but by my own survey of my work. My perception was not reality and it hurt. I went home after work that evening and I took the time that I needed to grieve the good work that I thought I had done, and pray for guidance on where to rebuild. What to concentrate on. The word that kept coming to mind was FOCUS. But what exactly did this mean? Wasn't I focused? No, I wasn't. When you are the "bridge" between the Technology Department and the Curriculum & Instruction (iCAT) Department and essentially report to two directors, you aren't focused. You are reactive. You work to wear the hats of both departments without really building your own niche. Sure, I have built some programs and done some great things, but not many of them have sustained. When I was in my closet, and I kept hearing the word FOCUS, my eyes would wander to this scripture on my prayer wall: Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life. -Galatians 6:4-5 (MSG) So over the last few weeks, I have been making a careful exploration of who I am and the work I have been given professionally. I printed my job description and I try to line my work up with what the goals of my job are. Before I take on a task, I ask myself "is this Instructional Technology?" If the answer is no, I am working to let it go. I also gauge my purpose for tackling a new assignment or project. Over the Christmas break, I listened to the audiobook, Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist and she made a statement that deeply resonated with my Type A, people-pleaser personality. She says that, Tough I am capable of doing so much. I am organized, I think through processes well, I am good with design and advertising. This doesn't mean that I should be responsible for projects that are outside of Instructional Technology just because I am capable of doing them. Many other people are capable as well, and if they aren't, we can all learn.
With all this being said, I feel focused on MY job for the first time in a long time. I am building programs again. I am working with my campus iCoaches (the one program that has sustained, but truly needs more support than what I have been giving it) to provide campus-based trainings for our teachers and I am training again myself. Personally, I have one spring iCoach training scheduled and submitted two sessions to the Revolutionizing Learning Conference in July. I am researching and sharing instructional technology resources again. I am working on a new coaching model for the 2019-2020 school year and I am DETERMINED to watch some lessons and offer my support. I am meeting with the Technology Department and the iCAT team regularly to ensure that both are working together to ensure the purposeful use of classroom technology in our district. I am focused on Instructional Technology. When we lose focus of the end goal, our paths can get off track. As the scripture above teaches, I am taking responsibility for doing the creative best I can with the professional life that I have been given. Sometimes a breakdown is needed to have a breakthrough. So look for more content here, on the Twitters, and around Commerce ISD. I'm once again looking forward to impacting student learning with technology! I have so many thoughts and emotions running through my mind this evening that I'm having trouble putting them into words. You know how it can be. Type. Delete. Type. Delete. So in order to save my sanity and yours, I am going to keep it simple with a list of 3 things that I am grateful for today... 1. AffirmationI met with my Superintendent this morning. As I was leaving, he said something that will stay with me for years. I can't remember the exact phrasing, but in essence he said that he knows I work my butt off every day. He knows that no one has to tell me what to do in my position. He sees me. WOW. His words took a minute or maybe two, but they will drive me forward on days that are hard. I am grateful for this affirmation! 2. TeamworkThis afternoon, I met with my iCoach team at our local coffee shop. I'm not sure if it was the atmosphere, the 2 week break prior, or my awesome meeting agenda (insert sarcasm) but we had THE BEST planning meeting ever! They brainstormed some great things to share with our teachers this spring plus came up with some innovative new delivery options for the professional development sessions. I am truly excited to work with them and get started! I am grateful for their collaboration and teamwork! 3. FriendshipAfter the iCoach meeting, one of my ladies pulled me aside and gave me the MOST AWESOME gift. {more on the gift below} However, her words were the best gift I could have received. She hugged me tightly and with teary words expressed her thanks for what I had done for her this year. The thing is, I was shocked that anything that I had said or done meant that much. I have racked my brain for situations and moments where I would have been impactful, but I came up short. I guess just having a general love for people, being there, and being a friend means more that I even realized. I am grateful for the friendships that I have! The GiftBackstory: One day this school year, Cindy Pierce and I are gabbing about my newfound love of all things Harry Potter when she pulls out her phone to show me the picture of a full-sized HP themed blanket that her daughter hand crocheted for her. Of course I throw a fit over it but don't really think about it again. Fast forward to today: She reaches into the backset of her truck and grabs a Christmas sack. Before she even hands it to me, somehow I knew what was inside...  I'm still floored by her generosity and am enjoying the warmth and love it brings as I write this post.
Feeling the love, Heather  I quit making resolutions years ago but instead have moved to choosing one word. Just a single word to focus on and work towards. There has been the year of DETERMINED, the year of GRACE, the year of SERVE and then it came time to pick a word for this year. Even with just one word, I found myself in a struggle to sum up my feelings about and needs for 2018. What word could encapsulate all I need God to teach and grow me in this year? I kept thinking how 2017 was just too much. It was too much on the calendar. Too much stuff as evidenced by a house busting at the seams with clutter. Too much go, go, going. But it was also not sufficient either. There wasn’t enough time to do all the things I had planned to do last year. Not enough memories made with my people because work and life just moved at a neck breaking speed. It was loud and noisy most of the time, there weren’t very many moments of silence. We were plugged in more than we should’ve been and there wasn’t any whitespace. I said too many yeses. I gave too much in some ways. I felt like I didn’t give like I should’ve in others. I was tired. Dizzy. Discombobulated. There is a Proverb that talks about these extremes. It says, “Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.” (Proverbs 30:8-9) It’s talking about money, but its application runs much broader and deeper. When we are dealing with having too much: too much on our calendars, in our headspace, with our commitments and obligations, we start to disown God. We start to say “Who is the Lord?” because we don’t have time to find out, we forget that He is our sustainer of all our yeses and calendar and to do lists. We quit consulting Him and we trick ourselves into believing that we are the creator and maintainer of our world. It all relies on me. I am the master juggler and it is all my duty to keep all the balls in the air. But inevitably, they all come tumbling down and we learn the truth. Often times at the expense of our pride and our health. This year, I needed a word that dealt with both extremes because I am an extreme kind of girl. I’m all or nothing. 150 miles at hour or a screeching halt. There isn’t much in between with this one.  I need to know that right now, as I am, it.is.enough. I need to be able to say to others, “hey, here is what I have to offer right now.” And let it be enough. I need to turn my eyes from always wanting more and more and let what I have be enough. I need to let Jesus be the source of my emotional state and for that to be enough. I need to be able to say no sometimes, without explanation and that be enough. I need to say “that’s a great idea! I’ll pray for and support you in the pursuit of that.” Without putting my hands on anything and let that be enough. I need to focus my energies and my talents on the things that set a fire to my soul and let that be enough. I need to be able to say “I want to spend time with you friend in my messy house without a spread of Pinterest worthy snacks.” And that be enough. That is what the year of enough must be. “My grace is enough for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” So then, I will boast most gladly about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may reside in me. (2 Corinthians 12:9) His grace is it. It’s enough. It fills in all my gaps. He gives just what I need to do just what He has. All the time I need. All the resources I need. Everything. He gives just enough. And God is able to make all grace overflow to you so that because you have enough of everything in every way at all times, you will overflow in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:8) I wonder if you’re searching for a word this year. If you’re tired of resolving and failing, resolving and failing. Maybe this is your year for just what you need, no more, no less.
Here’s to the year of enough! #IMMOOC Post 1I have a selfish reason for joining The Innovator's Mindset MOOC. More than anything, I want the students in my district (including my own personal children) to be innovators. I want them to experience lessons that stretch them to create something new or make improvements on something already existing. Since I left the classroom, I struggle with the fact that I don't directly plan and execute lessons for students anymore. I don't have direct control over innovative and creative projects that directly impact students. While I yearn to have that kind of impact again, I know that my reach is much greater now. I have the ability to impact a district of teachers, which in turn can impact each and every student. The introduction of the book is full of ideas that resonated with me. However, this statement was one of the simpler and most captivating to me. If we want "innovative students," While I completely agree with this statement, I struggle with the "how." How can you ignite a renewed passion in a seasoned educator? How do you teach innovation to a first year teacher? You can't teach innovation in a one-time professional development session! After further reading, I see that it all comes down to culture. We must create a culture of innovation within our school district. Teachers have to feel that they have the creative freedom to do things a little differently. This brought me to my next question. How can we give the innovative "green light" to teachers? Two words...by example. Innovation is needed both in our classrooms and in our leadership. As leaders, we must model the kind of innovation we want to see. Taking risks in our own work shows vulnerability. If you have ever read Daring Greatly by Dr. Brene Brown, you know more than you thought you could ever know about being vulnerable. In today's world, vulnerability has a negative connotation. It implies weakness. Dr. Brown's book sheds a different light. Her words speak to the power and strength in being vulnerable.  This is exactly the challenge that I have given our central office and campus administrators in our district book study over The New Pillars of Modern Education by Dr. Gayle Allen. Through the book study, I hope to push the innovation envelope with new and creative ways for our students to learn. I want our administrators to be vulnerable as we try to chart a new path for teaching and learning in our district. Will we succeed? The jury is still out as we are just digging into Chapter 1 this week, but I have high hopes. In the meantime, I'm continuing the search for ways to bring innovative practices to my district and change the mindset about how we teach and learn. The Innovator's Mindset is a wonderful addition to my quest and I can't wait to read more. Keeping it Techy (and Innovative), Heather aka TechyKilgore, MEd.
While I learned a lot from my courses and am happy to have my degree, I am excited to get back to learning for fun! Reading educational blogs, the Twitter feeds of my PLN, and curating my learning here on this blog are activities that I have been waiting to have time for again!
 And this post wouldn't be complete without a shot of the shoes... It finally came. After a summer of watching training videos by my friend Kasey Bell, taking 6 tests (yes, I had to take Calendar TWICE), and completing the 3 trainer application elements, I received the email that I am now a Google for Education Certified Trainer! (and yes, I have been posting the wrong official title for months! Yikes!)  My OFFICIAL Badge from Google! The process is very involved so I waited until summer to tackle it. Thankfully, I didn't have to take summer courses for my Education Administration degree, so my goal was to get all of the tests and projects completed during the summer months. I signed up for the Become a Google Certified Trainer course created by my Google guru, Kasey Bell, and started working through the courses. As I completed a course, I took a test. All was well until the Google Calendar test. I attempted it at 9:30 in the evening and I KNEW I was too tired... lesson learned! I was so happy when the tests were over, but I did learn a lot from Kasey's course! I sit through her trainings 8 times a year and STILL learn every time I'm her student! Thanks Kasey for your mad skills and servant heart!  The other half of the process was more about how I was currently training my teachers to use the Google tools. I built a Training Highlights resume (image above) to showcase my experience, education, professional associations, and trainings. This was fun because I was able to get creative with Google Drawings! The case study activity was more application based in that I had to give detailed information on a specific training session I conducted. I gave the school information, an outline of my training program, insights from the training, and shared the overall impact of the training. Since this document included information from the school district that I work in, I'm not going to share it here. However, I WILL share the Certified Trainer Application video that I made! (see below) I am pretty proud of it! I knew the style that I was going for, and without professional software, I think it turned out good! The video had to include a one minute introduction and a two minute training. I chose the add-on Autocrat as my training piece. It was HARD to cut it down to 2 minutes! I think the first recording was 9 minutes long! Finally, I had to record each short section so that I wouldn't have ANY "ums" or pauses. I was able to submit the materials early and then the wait was on. When the email came through on Friday afternoon at 4:30, I didn't even realize it! The notifications from the Google+ Community that Kasey built for us to utilize started blowing up my phone. I saw posts of "Yay! I made it!" and "Thanks for your help Kasey!" and I couldn't get to my email fast enough. (So much for the paper that I was trying to write for my class!) When I read the email, I hopped up from my desk, screamed, and started running around the Central Administration building! I found Al Shipp and told him, but being a football Friday in Texas AND after school hours, NO ONE ELSE WAS there! Then I remembered that I told Kasey that she would be the FIRST to know so I had to text her! It's been a crazy week at work, and this post is a week behind, but I am excited to peruse the Google Education Trainers site this weekend and learn more! I already noticed that I have been using the wrong name for the certification and I just noticed that I have the Google logo printed on grey instead of white for our Google Academy shirts. I'll get it together and make you proud, Google. I promise! |
AuthorInstructional Technology Coordinator for Commerce ISD. Just a teacher looking for a classroom to make a difference! Not only sharing EdTech tools, but sharing my thoughts, feelings and the great things happening in Commerce ISD. 
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June 2019
DISCLAIMERThe opinions expressed in the posts on the Getting Techy with Kilgore Blog are solely those of Heather Kilgore and do not reflect the opinions of her employers.
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