I am actually writing this post on my cell phone en route to Columbus, Ohio. I just hope that it doesn’t leave me without a cell phone on my next trip. Not sure about how the formatting will be but I will fix when I get my computer back (read on).

So what is “The Journey That Mattered”? Well, in 2001 I studied abroad at Oxford University I was studying Psychology and needed to begin finding direction in my future. I had no intention of becoming a psychologist I wanted to do research but what type I did not know. I chose to further look into foreign affairs and ended up graduating with a degree in Psychology and International Studies.  I ended up taking an amazing job at SRS and have begun to search out direction. But why would I tell you this en route to Columbus, Ohio?

Well, this trip I hope is the next trip to be “The Journey That Mattered”. Yesterday, I had a long talk with a good friend and it was decided that I would go on this trip without my laptop, enjoy time with my husband and would read a good book. I was a bit hesitant to give up the laptop- since I typically am on the laptop working on long car trips. Although, I was not going to battle her since she called my husband and told him that I would be without my laptop, I was to read a book, and I was not to work. He was to keep me away from work during our annual weekend together in Columbus, Ohio- he has done a very good job so far.

We’ll talk again on Monday. Let’s see how well this will go. =)

Well, our teachers are starting to use their blogs. You can probably move around to the different blogs on my page. A few teachers have customized their blog’s looks, while others have set up multiple accounts. We have a giraffe on one blog, Curious George on another, along with flowers, piano keys, each showcase these teachers unique style. I am very excited to see what these tools hold.

Tonight was our welcome back night. So parents started  getting an idea of what has been going on during this very busy summer. We distributed our revised student handbook and we had parents do their annual technology forms online. It has been a busy summer and I am looking forward to this school year.

This will be probably be the only time I will ever promote another blog. But check out the story on twentypointfive.blogspot.com These two guys are going to be doing a kidney transplant 1 week from today (on August 31st). So how did I find this blog? While my husband (Agent #170) works with these two guys in the Geek Squad in Minneapolis. My husband’s boss, Derek (Agent #18), was in need of a kidney transplant and Ryan (Agent #23), his coworker, offered to give his kidney. A true show of giving yourself to others.

This subject is so important to me as well. My aunt, was a recipient of a double lung and heart transplant in 1994. She passed away earlier this year.

So how does this relate to technology in the classroom? While at NECC 2007, Dr. Tim Tyson showed this video during his closing keynote. The video is from Mabry Middle School about Organ Transplants (it is the last video in the set). The movie is absolutely amazing- I actually would recommend watching all of them if you have a chance.

When I first started at SRS, I really was not nervous. I was told by a coworker to get these teacher’s to use technology I would have to work with these teachers non-stop, that made things a little uneasy. However, I started by upgrading much of our school’s infrastructure; new computers for the teachers and students, a n all campus wireless network, and programs to help make the teacher’s job easier.

So over the past two school years we have done some amazing things. I enjoy calling our teachers “digital pioneers”. So now I am entering my 3rd year at St. Raphael’s and I am actually more nervous than I have been in the previous two years. We are working together to further benefit the 21st century learner and my goal is to reach the “tipping point”, in which the efforts in technology integration will spread like wildfire throughout our school. We are getting close so I guess it is “wait and see.”

So what is in store for the teachers this year? Well, each teacher will have a blog in which they will detail their assignments, class information, etc. check out my blogroll for more information. We improved our student to computer ratio 1:2.4.

h yes, I do recognize that this will also be the place in which I give curriculum updates for classes they will be under the “Tag/Category” of “SRS TinT”

Each year teachers at SRS are asked to create a focus for their professional development. My first year, I was observed three times by the principal, as I was getting my feet wet and learning how to be a better teacher. My second year, my focus was educating others. I was presenting to the Parish Finance Council, at our State of the School, and our first Technology Spring Fling, I was according to my mentor, “very busy.”

So what is my focus this year? Well, over the summer I have been trying to learn more about my generation (yes, I am a millennial) and how I can effectively work with the other generations. I was talking informally with the principal today and she brought up a good point, I do not know how to not be busy yet I rebel when I am given a schedule. As I reflected on my teenage years, I had a daily schedule that included getting up, going to school, going to practice, riding the bus for an hour home, doing my homework and heading to bed. I called my mum this evening and said, “I did have the supermom of the 90s.” So I guess my focus will be how can I use this new found data and direct it towards projects such as marketing.

So as I was writing this blog posting, I was being my true millennial self- multitasking. I was chatting with friends over AOL IM, watching a little TV, and posting links to del.icio.us. I guess it does pose questions for people who do not understand how these millennials work.

I admit, I do have a MySpace. I am a member of the “8th largest country in the world.” You can visit it my page at http://www.myspace.com/skiskatenerd. Being the private me, I have it set to “private”, my profile only viewable to my 4 friends. My 4 friends include: my birthday buddy, my sister, my cousin, and an exchange student from a few years ago, each of them I only see on rare occasions, usually requiring a plane ticket and a hotel room. Although, the fact that you can see a picture of me, my age, the state I live in, and the fact that I consider myself “64 inches of pure power,” is still too much information for me.

I was asked today, “Should my soon to be 7th grader get a MySpace?” I almost fell over. I thought to myself, what exactly is a MySpace? I don’t want to appear as the MySpace nay-sayer, as that would be hypocritical on my part. I just want the honesty. I have seen the MySpace page of a student who I know is not “21 years old and living in Rome, Italy”. The other part is the writing in their so called “blog” and when read, it gives you the uneasy feeling because that person they are talking/complaining about is your friend.

So maybe this is what I would say to the soon to be 7th grader. If you really want to become part of the “MySpace Country” please be honest and be yourself. Use it to communicate with your friends that maybe you don’t get to see often enough but don’t let it replace the phone calls, videoconferencing, or the trips you would take to visit them. You only get to be a kid once, enjoy it now.

Okay, I admit I am weird. However, this week the Twin Cities Metro area has been pounded by two huge storms. The first storm did some minor damage to our home. This second storm has dumped hail, high winds, and a lot of lightning. I have yet to see what has happened to my home.

So why is technology so crucial? With my cell phone I was able to contact my parents, my husband, and still communicate with work letting them know that I was stranded at a friends house while these storms passed. I was able also to see what NOAA’s radar showed- because I have learned to pinpoint the location of her place, my parents house, and my house. 20 years ago, one had to rely on TV and light sleeping to get information about a storm late at night. I am just amazed at how far we have come and how much safer of a society we are.

Last May we hosted the first SRS Technology Spring Fling, the goal was to help other schools learn about technology integration. We sent invitations to all the archdiocese schools and our local public schools. We had twenty different schools represented and were able to network with a variety of schools. The communication from this event has continued past the event. We have had small informal talks with principals and technology coordinators to a more formal event of presenting to a group of teachers. our goal is to allow schools to reach out within the archdiocese. While, we were preparing our plan we had to reach out to other schools, we are connected to schools in Memphis, Chicago, and many other places. I have enjoyed several ning’s to help me learn more about using technology in the classroom.

So about our presentation: Today we presented to one of the school’s who attended our Spring Fling. Over the summer I have been working with this school and their technology coordinator. We talked about how we could get technology in the classroom, she had described her visit to our school as a lightbulb moment. We presented about our views of why technology integration is important. We asked the school’s technology coordinator to invite teachers and her principal to join us. In my opinion the presentation went well, I hope that we are able to give them a solid direction in which to head.

One of my favorite parts of when I present is when I show my schedule. Most technology coordinators smile in joyful anticipation that it to could become their schedule one day. Most principals scratch their heads and wonder what I do. And by far my favorite, the teacher who says, “it doesn’t look like you work at all.” What none of them know, I am extremely busy.

The Presentation

Early last school year, I kept hearing from my principal, “I need a mac.” When I asked what would be done with this mac, the same response was always said, “I want to make an iMovie”. Before we were leaving for winter holiday her PC went “pop pop” and turned off. The computer was dead and it was never going to be turned on again. She smiled and said, “I guess I can get a mac now”.

After getting her first mac, she made an iMovie about her holiday trip to Scotland. Then came the Disney Cruise, The Pottery Dude, the trip to Sweden and today it was “A Message from the Chief Learner”. This iMovie talked about how there are six facets of educating the millennial student, the digital native. The goal was to give teachers the inspiration to continue technology integration.

As the team of teachers sent by SRS left the 2007 NECC, we talked about how we could next year contribute to the energy of the presentations. There is an interesting dynamic at SRS in regards to the teachers. There is a few of the mature generation, large number of baby boomers, a few gen-xers, and a one millennial teacher. However, we are educating the millennial population (our students) and understanding how the millennial operates will continue to help SRS move forward.

So, this past summer we have been looking in depth to the idea of the generations. Born in 1980 to baby boomer parents, I identify myself to be a millennial. Even though I am part of the earliest wave of this generation. However, I see the defining characteristic of the millennial generation is the need for “communication and connectedness”. As I was enjoying an afternoon with my friends from school, we all sat around with our cell phones most of them were the “smart phones” with non-stop access to our email and the internet. Our cars are equipped differently than our parents, they include iPods and GPS with real-time traffic updates. The need for cigarette lighter adapters is at it is greatest.

Today my principal and I prepared our submission to the NCEA 2008 conference in Indianapolis. We talked about a more simple dynamic: digital immigrants and digital natives. As a digital native do I present an interesting dynamic to the workplace, I find technology as the most integral part of student learning. How can I help the digital immigrant become comfortable with technology? How can an administrator prepare their school to hire the digital native? I will be interested to see if our presentation is selected as one of the programs because I truly believe that this dynamic will begin “rearing its head” in the coming years.