As I was reading over my last post, it occurred to me that the jist of it was primarily self-deprecating. “I experimented with a slew of tools last year but none of them worked.” However, I neglected to do something that, as a mentor teacher, I often have to remind my Resident Educator to do: I forgot to consider what worked.
That being said, I’m going to practice what I preach and put in writing those things I was able to accomplish last year.
* Collaborated with freshmen English teachers to create independent reading projects that culminated in multimedia podcasts, book trailers, and original musical scores. Students really enjoyed learning to use Stupeflix, Animoto, Soundation, iMovie and Garageband to express and enhance their learning.
* Increased membership in my Media Club, a club driven by the interests of its members. This group’s focus: Blogging about books and movies, creating podcasts linked to the library catalog, and organizing Open Mic afternoons and Lunch Jams for students to share music, poems and artwork. Both students and staff appreciate the Jams!
* Created a social presence for the library on Facebook. (Students are much more interactive here than they are on the school’s library page, which is buried in links on the district site!)
* Provided faculty in-service on Moodle and created several “converts” to the platform
* Organized a faculty YA book club utilizing Moodle and Facebook to communicate between face-to-face meetings
Ok. That feels a little better. So what if my staff didn’t really “take” to (or in many cases, even open) my clever video Tech Tool updates. So what if I failed to get district administrators to see the value in opening up ANY blog sites, or to realize that Twitter can be a valuable professional development tool, not just a place for Lindsay Lohan to spew narcissistic rants. So what if I registered for a hundred different online tools and services, only to find several blocked at school, while several others were abandoned for lack of time.
At least I have the above meager threads on which to cling.
This year, I will exhale. I will slow down. I will concentrate on improving on my small successes while adding just a couple of new, manageable goals. In short, I will focus on the Follow-Through.
A Ruckus Within 
these sound great. I need to celebrate my small successes as well. On Joyce Valenza’s recent post I loved her advice to stop watering the rocks. I need to focus on the teachers that want to learn and start there.
Tamara, thanks for the good word! I loved Joyce’s post… printed it and hung it next to the computer. Nice way to jump start the year!
I’m working on one also. I love it! Thanks for the inspiration.
That’s exciting, Trish! You have so many great ideas to offer the world (not to mention a fantastic sense of humor!) I’m proud to know and work with you!