I just submitted a proposal for ISTE 10. I have to admit that my heart is racing right now because I am so excited! (Don’t laugh—I am still very new at this!) There were six of us who put together a proposal for a panel session. I was honored to work with Brenda Smith, Jason Schrage, Cory Plough, Steven Anderson and Richard Byrne. We used Twitter, GoogleDocs, a wiki, GoogleChat, and Skype to work on our proposal. Even if our proposal is not accepted I can say this has been a great experience. I have learned a lot about myself over the last couple of months as we have kicked our ideas around. Perhaps the most important thing I have learned is that I love collaborating with my colleagues online. I much prefer synchronous and semisynchronous communication over asynchronous, but sometimes we had no choice. We are spread across the entire United States and it seems like we are never online at the same time.

I am hoping for two things. First, I really want our proposal to get accepted because our topic is incredibly relevant and I think we are the perfect mix of educators to deliver this particular message. We will have to wait for ten long weeks to find out if we will get to present or not. I also am praying that I get an invitation to be one of the first to preview Google Wave. Who better to test run this program that holds so much promise than educators who are collaborating online already?  Since May I have been imagining how Google Wave will transform how I work online with both my colleagues and my online students. I am not sure if there are too many people out there more excited about Google Wave than I am. Unlike word on the status of our proposal, I only have to wait one more day to find out if I will get an invite to try out Google Wave.

My dear friend from Louisiana sent me this tweet this morning:

Somehow my blog made a list of 100 Blogs for Teach Savvy Teachers.  I have been labeled as an “Innovative Teacher” which is a label I can live with! I started to reflect on the original purpose of my blog and I would like to share my thoughts with you.

In February of 2008 I attended a workshop where Howie DiBlasi discussed the role of change agents in education. He went on to say that it is possible for one teacher to make a difference. Something Howie said that day stuck with me and early in the summer I started my blog. It took me a long time to come up with the name, but I eventually decided on Nebraska Change Agent.

So what does it mean to be an agent of change? I asked  my PLN to define this phrase. Here is what they had to say:

@ktompso:  1) one who helps others adjust to change 2) one who makes change happen to them.

@jasonbuck: One that pushes the limits to demonstrate that there are other ways of thinking and doing.

@kylepace: A person who brings a new vision to the masses so that all may benefit.

@edtechsteve: Anything that inspires (or forces) individuals, groups, or institutions to alter the way they do business.

@web20classroom: A person or persons who alters the system to achieve a high degree of achievement.

@moehlert: All progress begins with dissatisfaction. Change agent = someone who is dissatisfied enough to act.

@jdog90: One that pushes the edge, takes the risk, is willing to fail.

@oswego98: Someone who works toward improving the educational system.

I would agree with all of these definitions.  Change agents work toward deep, meaningful, and permanent change. They take the lead, push the limits and take risks. Change agents must have a clear vision in their head of where they are going and what they want to achieve. They must also truly believe in what they are doing and be passionate enough about their cause to win over converts. My goal when I started blogging was to bring change to my region of Nebraska. In respect to that goal I have failed miserably. I live in a very conservative area where tradition trumps everything. Generally speaking change is not openly embraced.  Unfortunately this is leaving many students, including my daughter,  unprepared to face their future. If I was not teaching her about blogging, wikis, RSS feeds, iGoogle, etc. she would never learn about it. Schools in my region just don’t teach about these things. Is it any wonder why students leave after high school and never return? We aren’t giving them what they are looking for. This is not just a problem in Nebraska either. It is everywhere. It seems like there are only pockets of schools getting it right. What is the secret to making those pockets the rule rather than the exception?

While I have not been able to make much of a difference locally,  I have been blown away by the response I have gotten from some of the people on Twitter.  I wrote a post a few weeks ago about giving a gift PLN to an administrator. It was an extension of the idea that Tom Whitby suggested. I came up with a list of fifty people who were selected specifically for my administrators. With in a few weeks I had heard from administrators all over the country who had just started on Twitter who used my list to start their PLN. Someone even told me that my blog is now required reading for their grad students. Really? My blog? I was honored, but want to say that there are many blogs out there that are far superior to mine. Just check out my blog roll which does not even begin to scratch the surface.

So why do change agents work so tireless to get their message out? Why do we sacrifice sleep, time with family, and our sanity? I think it is because we feel like we have to.  According to this chart there are not many people who are truly innovators.  If we don’t keep pushing the envelope, then who will?

Resources:

• Early Adoption Curve Chart

I am the type of  person who sees the glass as half full. I have my days when I can be an extreme pessimist, but for the most part I am a very positive person. When I encounter those bad situations and experiences that we all face from time to time I try to find the meaning in them. I try to find at least some good in every situation no matter how bad it is. I am having trouble finding the silver lining in things that have been going on lately.

I  just started my fifth year of teaching three weeks ago. Usually by this time I have gotten into my groove, but not this year. I have felt overwhelmed since the year began. (Actually, I have felt overwhelmed for a lot longer than that.) So why does it feel like my job is getting harder and that I am losing ground? I keep trying to do too many things. Why do I do this to myself? Because I am the Nebraska Change Agent, and if I don’t keep pushing the envelope in Western Nebraska, who will?

The problem is that I just don’t know if I have what it takes to keep going.  I have experience some personal and professional setbacks recently that have shaken me to the core; events that have made me reevaulate who I am and what I believe in.  I am desperately searching for the silver lining in these situations, but it just isn’t there. Please forgive me if I seem a little out of sorts in the coming weeks.  I will be back. I just need to take some time to focus on my students, my college class, the Newbie project, our ISTE 10 proposal, and of course, my family.  At some point in there I have to take care of myself, too.  I will do that…..right after I track down that silver lining that I am so desperate to find.

It is late and I should be sleeping, BUT I CAN’T!!!! Tomorrow is a big day, and I am not just talking about President Obama’s speech. Tomorrow marks two special events. My good friend and colleague,  Jason Schrage, heads back to school in New York.  Why do I care? He is the ISTE 10 Newbie! His first day with students is tomorrow which means he will officially start blogging soon. He has an incredibly supportive family, but he will need our support and encouragement as well. If you are reading this and you are on Twitter please give him a shout out tomorrow to help him start his year out right. He is @oswego98 on Twitter.

I am also excited about something else that is going on tomorrow. (No, it is not the anniversary of the premiere of Star Trek on NBC!) Tomorrow is the first day that ISTE is accepting proposals to present in Denver this coming summer. I have assembled a team of people and we are going to put together one heck of a proposal. I am so excited to get to work with some of the smarted people I know. Brenda Smith is a coworker and I have had the pleasure of watching her go from knowing very little about how to implement technology in her classroom to teaching others how to do it.  Cory Plough is a great friend and mentor. He taught me so much and got me started on the right track when I first came onto the Web 2.0 scene. I hope that I have been able to pass some of the more useful information on to Jason Schrage who constantly reminds me that I am his mentor. Truth be told, he has taught me much more that I have taught him. Richard Byrne was the first “Newbie” last year. After learning from his blog for months I finally met him in DC and I am looking forward to working with him on this proposal. Steven Anderson has also agreed to be part of our group.  I have not had the opportunity to get to know him yet, but we will all get to know each other over the next month as we write and revise our proposal over and over again. I am not sure if he knows what he signed up for yet, but he will find out soon!

This is an exciting time of year for all of us. We have the chance to start over fresh and set new goals. I hope that all of you reading this are as excited as I am about the promise that this year holds. Have a wonderful year! Here’s to unlimited possibilities……