An Introvert Goes to (and presents at!) ISTE
I love online personality quizzes. What type of potato chip are you? (salt and vinegar) Which Disney princess are you? (Cinderella, though I would argue I'm a Belle) What kind of coffee are you? (white chocolate mocha)
Introvert or extrovert?
It didn't take a set of Buzzfeed questions to answer that one: I'm an introvert through and through. For a while, I thought that I was just hyper shy or weird, and I frustratingly questioned why I wasn't as outgoing as other people or why large groups made me tired.
Eventually I figured out that, yes, while I am shy and weird at times, I gain energy from spending quiet time alone. Large groups overwhelm me, and the thought of small talk is enough to make me buckle at the knees, and those are just personality traits, not necessarily flaws. Now that I realize the characteristics of an introvert, I can show myself grace and then continue to push myself past my comfort zone.
When I moved from my self-contained third grade classroom to the technology enrichment position, I was asked to take on a few extra responsibilities with the encouragement of my friend. One of those was planning, creating, and implementing professional development for teachers; helping people is something that I love, but speaking to a group of adults...not so much. Despite my nerves, we began with our first sessions of the new school year which we labeled as Tech Cafes, informal environments where teachers could look at our menu of tools and learn in the lab for a little while after school.
It wasn't so bad! Knowing my personality traits and areas where I could improve helped me make an intentional effort to step outside of what I was used to, and the sessions went really well!
Okay, Leigh Ann, so you spoke in front of adults? So what? Well...I then went from dipping my toes in the kiddie end of the pool to diving floaty-free into the deep end. My friend Amy and I then decided on a whim that we would apply to present at the ISTE conference. If you're unfamiliar with ISTE, it is the International Society for Technology in Education which, at its most basic, is the organization that sets educational technology standards. What I love so much about these standards, the student ones in particular, is that they are NOT stand alone technology requirements. It's all about making learning more meaningful and engaging. I love this quote from their website:
Because, ultimately, it's not about the technology at all. It's about changing the way learning and teaching takes place to make it more meaningful and impactful for educators and learners around the globe.
It's about working together to turn what-ifs into what is.
(To learn more about the ISTE organization and conference, click HERE. )
Amy and I knew that we could help more people implement technology in their classrooms in simple but powerful ways, so we submitted our proposal for "Making the ISTE Standards Work for You." Fast forward to December 2016 and boom! This introvert with her extroverted friend got accepted to present at ISTE in San Antonio, Texas!
ISTE is overwhelmingly amazing. It is instant information overload in the best kinds of ways. If you are a classroom teacher, a coach, an IT person, administrator, or are in pretty much any other role in a school, ISTE is for you! This year, there were over 3,000 applications to present, and just over 1,000 were accepted. Out of one thousand sessions, you will surely find a new set of tools or strategies to take back to your school!
For any fellow introverts out there and to give you an idea of what ISTE is all about, check out their attendance stats below. ISTE is a big deal...a really big deal...at least in the EdTech world.
Are you attending ISTE this year?? If so, check out our session details by clicking below and join us!
Bottom line: I'm nervous. Public speaking is not a strength listed on my resumè, but Technology Integration Specialist is. Amy and I meet weekly now that school is out, and we are proud of what we are presenting. Hours of studying, preparing, and praying are under my belt, and I can honestly say that I am excited. An introvert! Excited about a large group of people! That is all because God is skipping joyfully along on this adventure with me!
I'll update on how our session goes after we get back from ISTE, but until then, pray for us! We've traveled to the ISTE conference the past three summers, so we know what to expect from the viewpoint of an attendee; we are excited to now go as presenters!
Before we wrap, I'd like to clarify something because I am proud of the teacher that I am, and I don't want to give you the wrong impression about my professional self: My introversion does not apply to me in the classroom. I love my students, and I will do anything necessary to make learning fun and engaging. Give me a classroom full of students ready to learn, and I am loud and outgoing. I've dressed up as several characters (cue Mrs. Frizzle and Geography Jill below), sang many-a-silly-song, and played a multitude of games to make my classroom an environment that is safe and open for learning.
I've reflected on how I can be so introverted and extroverted in one setting, and I can't say for sure why I'm wired this way. I do know, though, that it is okay if I don't have it all figured out. God loves me for me, and I will continue to push myself to try new things and have new experiences.
I'm an introvert, and I'm presenting at ISTE!
