I got a call from my old boss a few months back asking how busy my January was and if I was interested in submitting a proposal for FETC? Orlando, in the middle of January, surrounded by amazing technology and a chance to share what my division is doing with Office 365?
Ummm...YES PLEASE!!
Thankfully my proposal was accepted and I was on the schedule to do a pop-up, conversation style presentation all about using Office 365 to simplify the PBL process. As a Microsoft Innovative Expert Educator, I was even able to take advantage of their travel program so I could actually afford to go on my teachers salary! After all the waiting and anticipation, it turned out to be better than I expected! Not only did I get to hear educators from all over the world share how they are using technology to enhance learning and catch up with the Microsoft team at the expo, but I got to have in-depth conversation with educators about Office 365 and some of my favorite tools! I had teachers from all over the US, from Canada and even a couple from Puerto Rico stop by to chat! This pop-up setting gave me a chance to address their specific struggles and share in their victories in a way I never could have done if I was speaking to a whole group. I loved hearing their enthusiasm and providing ways they could stretch and grow their projects with new tools such as Sway and OneNote. They got to see real examples from real classrooms and talk to someone who is there, in the thick of things, making it happen. We even took time to look at how Skype in the classroom, along with other tools on the Educator Network, could open doors to extend their projects and learning beyond the classroom walls!
I think the best part though was having teachers walk by and say, "Sorry, we're a Google school" and try to keep walking... until I mentioned that Microsoft has several amazing tools you can use without Office 365 that are free and really have no true counter part in the Google Classroom. I'd say at least half of the people I talked to were drawn in simply by that and blown away by what Microsoft had to offer in Sway, Forms, Skype in the Classroom and even OneNote. Being part of that ah-ha moment and the sharing of ideas is something that always gets my adrenaline pumping. Call me a tech nerd if you want (my husband already does!), but making those connections with people, even amidst the hundreds of other educators, is so much a part of being an educator, that I cant help but get excited.
Even after the "official" presentation, I had so many opportunities at other sessions and workshops to talk about the various Microsoft tools and how they could enhance learning or simplify the processes across multiple topics. One of the most fun experiences was just being at the Microsoft booth in the expo hall and talking to educators that came by. Whether it was participating in the short learning sessions being held at the booth, expanding the conversation with teachers one-on-one or sharing classroom experiences, I felt a connection to each and every one of those teachers, striving to do the best they can for their students. And even if the conference had been held in freezing cold on my days off, it would have been 100% worth it!
