Trying something new (SOL18 #1)

This week I was lucky enough to attend the ICE (Illinois Computing Educators) Conference. I look forward to this conference each year because it gives me an opportunity to recharge, and come back with some great new ideas for incorporating technology and other best practices into my classroom. Luckily, this year's conference was no different. One of the big takeaways from the first day of my conference was the importance of doing things that we expect our students to do. 

Although I've heard this before, hearing it again really made me reflect upon how often I am actually taking risks like my students do each day when they are learning something completely new. (Hint: It's not too often. At least new things that take me out of my comfort zone) So I went into day two with a different mindset. I was going to try something completely new to me, and something that made me slightly uncomfortable. 

Sketchnotes. 

Over the last couple of years many teachers on my PLC use Sketchnoting as a way of making sense of what they have read, heard, or watched. Although I was impressed with the products that they created, I shot down the idea as something that I would simply be a talent of mine. At least not yet. 

So on the second day of the conference I took the risk and tried. As a creature of habit trying something new did not feel great, but I grew more confident as a I continued to practice. I ended up creating Sketchnotes for each of the sessions that I attended and I must admit, I actually liked it. 

Deciding to my put myself even more out of my comfort zone I thought that I should share my sketchnote on my Twitter and tag the presenter in the post.  By the end of the day I had a response from him saying how much he loved it and asking if he could save it for himself. 

Needless to say, I'm glad that I took the risk and tried something new. I am also grateful for my students being the inspiration for me to step out of my comfort zone. 

My first sketch note