Reflections of an Educator

LearnLaunch Accelerator announced their seventh Accelerator Class on April 27, 2017 at their headquarters on Summer Street in Boston. In an effort to stay connected with the world of entrepreneurship, creativity and the world of edtech, I attended as an educator, thinking I would learn about some #edtech tools to assist in my job as #edtech director (for three fabulous school districts on the north shore of Boston: Tri-Town School Union in Middleton, Topsfield and Boxford, MA ). I did discover some great #edtech tools, but so much more resonated with me. What I encountered was amazing. I did, in fact, learn about some pretty incredible #edtech tools: Kaymbu  (https://twitter.com/kaymbuinc) BlocksCAD  (https://twitter.com/BlocksCAD) Choosito  (https://twitter.com/choosito)  Creatr.  (https://twitter.com/iamcreatr) Schoolhack LiFT  (https://twitter.com/SchoolHackNews) Unruly  (https://twitter.com/jumpstartLLC) WealthyLife  (https://twit...

My colleague @CSE5  and I visited our local Barnes and Noble store , with whom we have had a relationship for years as a local book distributor and vendor for our school districts. The purpose of our meeting was to discuss Barnes & Noble's availability to help us purchase items for our innovation labs and makerspaces. Our time together was fantastic, and the Barnes & Noble folks were incredibly enthusiastic and helpful. We met in the Nook Section in the middle of the store, previously a section of books. They offered to show us around their makerspace and game section, and I was shocked when we walked into what was previously the CD and DVD section: it had vanished. I asked the Barnes & Noble folks about it, "What happened?!" I asked further: Was this your choice? Why did you decide to dump CDs and DVDs? Why pushed you to replace a huge square footage area in your store with something completely different than what was previously in the space? In orde...

In honor of #InternationalWomensDay, I took some time to reflect on my first teacher: My Mom. A human being, a leader, a wife, a woman, a mother, a sister, a daughter, a teacher, a role model, a grandmother, a human, and a citizen all unto herself. She was my first teacher: she taught me kindness, empathy for others, pursuing dreams, resiliency, and a love of self. #HerVoiceIsMyVoice: be kind to oneself, be kind to others, give selflessly, have passion, love your family, love yourself, choose to be happy, and be thankful for all that we have been given in this life (because there is so very much). On this #InternationalWomensDay, I encourage you to take a minute to think about the women in your life who have helped mold you into who you are and what you do. My mom encouraged me to find myself as a person and as an educator, and is my biggest cheerleader. I am forever thankful for the love she provides me, day in and day out. It nourishes my soul so I can be person and educator that I a...