Memories from #EdCampHome

July 12, 2014July 14, 2014 / msfagin / 6 Comments

“Camp isn’t a place you visit, it’s a place that becomes part of you.” –Anonymous

As a child, I begged my parents to let me go to summer camp. They agreed, and I spent one of the best weeks of my life at a camp with some of the girls who attended my school. There were a few new girls, but for the most part, I knew the girls who shared the A-frame cabin with me. We hiked, gossiped as only pre-teen girls can do, stayed up way past curfew, and spent an uncomfortable night on the camp tennis courts. The fact that we were on concrete didn’t dampen our spirits. We were at camp, sleeping outside of the cabin, and nothing else mattered. That was my first experience with summer camp, and I never forgot it. I would later go on to work at a residential camp in the North Georgia mountains. Out of all my summer jobs, that was perhaps my most favorite. There is something special about being away from everything and getting to know other people, and most importantly, yourself. Who I am now has a lot to do with my experiences that summer. There is a part of me who still longs to be at camp. I suppose those longings will never go away.

As an adult, I have often wished that I could go back to the days of my childhood and spend every summer at camp. I wish that there was a place where I could go and spend lazy days at the waterfront, sneak out of cabin and visit the cute boy I’d been eyeing all week, and then I could sit on my bunk and write letters home telling of my grand adventures. Perhaps when I retire, I can cash out my teacher retirement and make an adults only camp. Others share my dream, right?

After a twenty plus year hiatus, I went to camp again. Actually, I didn’t go anywhere except to my living room. Through the magic of the Internet, Google Hangouts, and the dedication of some wonderful educators, I participated in my very first #edcampHome. I had heard of attending edcamps before but time and life got in the way of attending. Now I have a new job, and I have time to attend. While researching other things, I saw the ad for #edcampHome. Being intrigued, I looked and was instantly hooked on the idea of virtual learning. I admit that I think I know a lot about pretty much everything. In the last week or so, I realized I don’t know as much as I thought. I will start my new job as an Instructional Technology Coach in a week. I have had some pre-work assignments to do, and while trying to complete my tasks, I found myself quickly getting overwhelmed. In an effort to get one thing done, I would come across something else and something else, and the next thing I know, I’ve forgotten what I started looking for in the first place.

Without a second moment’s thought, I registered for #edcampHome and joined the Google+ Community. I guess I was so anxious for camp to start, I misread the camp information and was sitting in front of my computer promptly at 4:00 P.M. I couldn’t understand why I was seeing a message telling me camp would start in 3 hours. Oh, 4:00 P.M. PST means Pacific Coast Time. I live on the East Coast, so camp was not about to start for me. So, patiently I waited. Okay, maybe not patiently. I quickly cooked dinner, wolfed it down, and situated myself in front of the computer again. I can admit now that I was giddy or as giddy as a 45-year-old can be sitting in front of a computer waiting to chat with strangers at a place called #edcampHome about unknown topics.

From the moment the broadcast went live, I was hooked. I was fascinated because I was seeing people from all over the world, and we were all there for the same purpose. We wanted to discuss the very things that would help our students be successful in and out of the classroom. We were like-minded people working towards a common goal. Nevermind that we were in different places with different job responsibilities. We brought those differences together in order to facilitate discussions on too may topics for me to list. Having never attended an edcamp before, I wasn’t sure if I was going about session sign ups the right way. I signed up for a couple of classes and waited to see where I would end up. Luck was on my side. My first session was on student blogging. I have been a blogger on and off for a number of years. I have not been consistent with it though my desire is to be a world-famous writer. Go figure. I want to write but don’t have time.

In my first session on student blogging, I was joined by @SLOlifeKevin, @MathButler, @KOgden97, and @HeckAwesome. I hope I didn’t leave anyone out. If I did, sorry! We had a good dialog about student blogging – what platform to use, whether or not we should reach out beyond our schools, involving parents, and so much more. We talked so much and shared so many ideas that we sort of went over the allotted time. Before the end of the night, we had exchanged emails and had a plan to connect teachers and classes with others so that our students can be engaged in writing and commenting on the writing of others. All of this came from a 30+ minute Google Hangout. It really is like camp. You go to camp no knowing anyone, and you share so much that you become friends. In 30 minutes, we became friends.

My second session was on planning an edcamp. As stated previously, I’ve never been to one, but I am fascinated with the thought of hosting one in my school district. Although I have been an English teacher for the past eleven years, I am a secret planner. Perhaps secret is not really the right word. I have a degree in planning, and love to plan things. Putting on an edcamp is on my professional bucket list. I want to share the joy I found with others. Plus, it’s just fun to put on events. My fellow edcamp wannabe planners were @SLOlifeKevin, @MathButler, @Ms_Cabiness, @mraclark29, and @megmagwire. Again, apologies if I forgot someone. We tossed around ideas, suggestions, how-twos and what not. I will be attending my first in person edcamp next week. I’m looking forward to it and planning on taking copious notes so that when we have our event, we will be ready.

When I went to summer camp for the first time in 1981, I did not realize the impact it would have on my life. Every summer in high school, I was a teen leader at Rock Eagle 4-H Center in Eatonton, Georgia. Spring quarter 1988, I enrolled in a class called Basic Camp Management because I knew I would be working at Camp Woodmont that summer, and I knew that at some point in my life, the information gained in that class would be valuable. My father disagreed and called it Basket Weaving 101. Twenty-six years later, I still use that knowledge and have for every job I have had in my adult life. Participating in #edcampHome was new yet familiar. Just like my first experience at camp, the things I learned and did became part of who I am; the same can be said of my experience online with #edcampHome. It wasn’t a place I visited; it is now a part of who I am and will continue to be.

Who gets me up every morning? Why do I do it day after day after day?

July 3, 2014 / msfagin / Leave a comment

Diary of a Not-So-Mad Instructional Tech Coach

“Most of us end of up with no more than five or six people who remember us. Teachers have thousands of people who remember them for the rest of their lives.” Andy Rooney

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Transitions

July 3, 2014July 3, 2014 / msfagin / Leave a comment

“I am an ordinary person who has been blessed with extraordinary opportunities and experiences. Today is one of those days.” –Sonia Sotomayor

I haven’t posted on here in a while. My intentions are always good, but then my life happens. I have to do better with my blog. I am in the process of transitioning from being a classroom teacher to an instructional technology coach. Wow! It’s been almost a week, and I still can’t believe it. I have always wanted to be a teacher although I became one through non-traditional means. Once I became a teacher, I sort of saw myself doing something else but within the scope of being an educator. Now that I am about to do something else, I am still in awe. Leslie Fagin, Instructional Technology Coach for the Griffin-Spalding County School System, sounds so very official. I’m official! Actually, I have always been official. My new job title doesn’t change who I am, what I believe, or what I want to accomplish in my lifetime. My new job title gives me an opportunity to expand my professional horizons, share my love of technology with my fellow educators which will in turn help our students become competitors in the global community.

Right now I’m in Atlanta at the International Society for Education in Technology Conference (ISTE). It’s my first job-related duty as an ITC. I am a planner. I have a degree in planning. Seriously. The very day I was offered and accepted this job, I was planning my time. I knew which sessions, posters, vendors, and exhibits I wanted to see. I was planning which of my Twitter crushes I wanted to meet. Heck, I even planned what foods I wanted to sample. Sadly, my planning was for naught. The moment I stepped foot into the Georgia World Congress and Convention Center, my internal processor crashed. There were way too many unexpected and unplanned for options. I tried to regroup and make a new plan. The planning portion of my brain fought hard, but the super small spontaneous side of my brain won. Flying by the seat of my pants is an unfamiliar concept to me. I ended up making several unplanned stops and am grateful for the deviation from the plan. My PLN has increased as a result. That’s the biggest benefit. I’m now navigating unfamiliar territory; I’m going to need those who have gone ahead to help me with my journey.

There is a lot to be done. My mind is all over the place. I know that this position is right for me. I need to step back and let the planner in me resurface. I know what needs to be done. Now, I am going to make my plan and share what I have learned. I am excited about the future and ready to go.

Who Gets Me out of Bed in the Morning?

October 17, 2013July 3, 2014 / msfagin / Leave a comment

Am I Connected?

October 17, 2013October 17, 2013 / msfagin / Leave a comment

“Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.” Conrad Hilton

Although I have been teaching for eleven years, I’ll be honest and admit that this year is the first time I’ve really heard about Connected Educators Month. I suppose I was too busy trying to keep my head above water with everything that goes on in the life of a super busy educator. Now that I’ve heard about it, I find myself questioning my connections. Am I connected to my students? My fellow educators? My family? Myself? All of these entities are important to my success as a teacher, family member, and person.

Perhaps my deeper connections are not what’s meant by the concept of Connected Educators Month, but I am going to dig deeper. I want to know that what I am doing is enough for my students, my colleagues, my family, and of course, myself. In my never ending quest to be a lifelong learner, I have become much more of a Twitter user. As such, I’ve tweeted more in the professional sense than in the personal sense. I have two accounts, and my school one is getting more use than my personal account. I want to reach out to my students, their families, and my fellow educators both in my community and across the globe. I’m not going to be presumptuous enough to say that I am a genius or anything close, but I do feel that I have a lot of knowledge to share. I also believe that I can learn from others, including my students, colleagues, family members, and friends.

My journey to be a connected educator is probably not unlike that of other educators. I want to use the technology resources that are available to me to make learning more relevant to my students. I want my students to be cognizant of colleges, universities, military branches, technical schools, jobs, and apprenticeships. I want my students to know that they will have to make some choices about their lives after graduation. Life is really not at all like the Game of Life I played as a young girl. I did not get to spin a spinner, pick college or career, and go from there. It’s a little more complicated. Life just happens to us, and I want to give my students the tools to be successful. Technology can be one of those tools. Right now, I am using Twitter to connect with my students. I tweet assignments, announcements, motivational quotes, requests for information, college updates, and other school related events. I’ve noticed that I get re-tweeted when I say that I am somewhere, and I see the students. They want to know that I like the Band of Gold. They like knowing that I’ve been to a community parade and snapped photos of the JROTC Drill Team. They really liked it when I said my college band was not nearly as good as our high school band. Not only do they want us connected, they want us involved. Twitter, Remind101, and Facebook allows me to be both connected and involved.

I want a give and take collaborative effort with my colleagues. If I do this alone, I can hardly call myself a connected educator, can I? As with my students, I want to be connected with my colleagues in my building, district, state, nation, and the world. I firmly believe that we can all learn from each other, and I want to use social media to bridge the gap. My new interest has been participating in Twitter chats. I’m new to it, and not very good, but I do like lurking during the conversations. I actually jumped in and tweeted a few times in my last chat. I found that there are people out there who struggle with the same issues I do, and some even asked my advice. I liked being asked questions. I am at a point in my career where I want to know that I am still gaining useful skills that are shareable. The students in my class require some of my knowledge, but I don’t always have a forum to share knowledge with adults outside of my immediate building. Social media is giving me that avenue. I admit. I like it. I like it a lot. I want to be connected with others who are in the same boat I am. We need each other, and events like Connected Educators Month are a stepping stone.

As I’ve pondered my connections with family and friends, I’ve realized that like my students, they need involvement. I use social media to see pictures of my family and to share news, but the important stuff is revealed through face-to-face or phone-to-phone conversations. Social media has its place, and I am old school enough to believe that I cannot be an effective family member of friend if I limit my contact with my people by only using social media, we are all missing out. I cannot connect with my students using Twitter or Remind101 exclusively. I cannot do the same with my family. One of the questions that was asked during my Twitter chat the other night made me recall one of my favorite teachers. I told the chat participants that he was caring, challenging, and determined to not let me quit. Students need teachers like that. They need teachers like that who are connected to them so that they feel connected to the school. This is my opinion, and my opinion only, but I believe some of our students drop out because they are not connected. They are not connected to their classmates, teachers, schools, and sadly, their parents.

I know, this is supposed to be about Connected Educators Month. It is. It’s about an educator who is trying to maintain connections with those she comes in contact with on a somewhat regular basis. Yes, some are about technology, but some are about life. It’s those life connections that keep the students involved and coming back, and those students are why we are there in the first place.

Who gets me up every morning? Why do I do it day after day after day?

October 17, 2013July 3, 2014 / msfagin / 1 Comment

“Most of us end of up with no more than five or six people who remember us. Teachers have thousands of people who remember them for the rest of their lives.” Andy Rooney

The answer to the question of who gets me out of bed is easy. God kisses me with the breath of life every morning, and He allows me to do what He called me to do. For those of you who know me, you know that I am not a morning person. I don’t jump out of bed with boundless energy, ready to tackle the day. I lay, and think, and wish, and pray, and wonder will I make the right decisions. I wonder if what I am doing makes a difference to my kids. No, I did not birth any kids of my own; I did not contract with the Georgia Department of Human Resources to adopt a child of my own. My kids are the ones who come to my classroom every day. Some are ready to learn, and many more are not ready for anything. They are just there. No matter the reason they are there, they are mine. My kids are also on the swim team, the student council, the debate team, and the 4-H Club.

What gets me out of bed? My kids get me out of bed. They get me out of bed because they need me. They need me to teach them English. They need me to tell them corny jokes in the afternoon. The morning classes know they don’t get jokes because I am not a morning person. They know, and they understand. They need me to teach them how to be polite to their classmates. They need to know that in Fagin’s world, we don’t say “shut up” to our classmates. They need me to teach them that there is a world outside of Griffin. They need me to teach them that in spite of what some in our community say, good things come out of Griffin High School. I came out of Griffin High School, and I have NEVER for one moment regretted the fact that my high school diploma, the first diploma I ever received, came from Griffin High School. They need to know that the gold gown I wore 26 years ago is hanging in my closet. I have fond memories of wearing that gown and singing the words of the Griffin High School Alma Mater as I stood with my friends and classmates on the very same field they will stand on when they graduate. They need to know that when I was sitting in a ski boat off the coast of the Island of Capri, I proudly sang the Alma Mater as I waited to see the Blue Grotto for the very first time. I get out of bed because my baseball playing kids need to look out of the dugout and see me in the stands while they are at a game. They need to know that although I fuss nonstop in the classroom, I care about the things that they are most passionate about. I’m not fussing at them at the baseball game; I’m cheering them on and encouraging them to do their best. It’s sort of the same thing I’m doing in the classroom, but they don’t realize it.

The memory of my deceased mother gets me out of bed. The memory of going to her kindergarten room every day for nearly a year while I was fresh out of college and unemployed gets me out of bed. I remember making hay stacks, green eggs and turkey ham, French Toast, and silver bells out of egg cartons at Christmas. My memories include my mother because she knew, probably before anyone else, that all I wanted was to be a school teacher. Sadly she passed away before my dream was realized, but I continue to get out of bed each morning because somewhere deep inside of my soul, I believe that my mother is with me in my classroom. She is there as I read with my students. I would like to believe that she is happy that I am not asleep while reading. There were a lot of times that she would fall asleep on the carpet while reading to her students. I don’t do that or at least I hope I don’t. My mother is there as I scold my students for doing inappropriate things. After I scold them, I speak with them about their future. She would have done the same thing. After she passed, many of her former students and their parents came to the funeral home for visitation. They spoke at great lengths about how firm my mother was, yet the students always knew she loved them.

The answer to my initial question is easy and already stated. God gets me out of bed. The answer to the second question is a bit more complex. I don’t get out of bed hoping to be the kind of person my mother was. I get out of bed hoping to be the kind of woman she would be proud to call her daughter and a teacher. I get out of bed hoping that one day my students will be able to say that although I was moody and strict when necessary, they knew I loved them and have absolutely always wanted the best for them. That’s why I get out bed.