My MERIT Year

Early last year I found out that I was accepted to MERIT (Making Education Relevant and Interactive with Technology) at the Krause Center for Innovation at Foothills College in Los Altos, CA.  It was the best thing to happen to me professionally in my 25 years of teaching.  Even though I have been comfortable with technology MERIT gave me pause for thought, ideas and the courage to push my thinking about integrating technology in the classroom.  In the months and nearly a year since the cohort met together for the two weeks in July things have changed professionally for me and in my classroom and as a result in my school and district.  


The first changes that occurred is that my principal and then my superintendent recognized me as a technology leader in the district.  I have become a staff trainer for my school and to a lesser extent my district.  During this time I have flipped my classroom and as a result others in my building have done the same.  I also lead a flip PD for the staff in my building. I have adopted two specific applications that I use in my flip classroom and work with the developers on improving them and have them introduced to others in my district.  MERIT gave me the courage to do all of this especially the ability to make videos.  I have the ability to make the videos but I am very shy about putting my voice on "tape".  But thanks to a friend and MERIT I have overcome this.  


Also during this year I have made some very important contacts and resources via Twitter professionally and for flipping my classroom.  I have also been able to add to others professional development by presenting at several conferences this year in Michigan for Michigan State University and MACUL.  I have also become Assistant Director of MACUL's SIG-Professional Learning this year and I am running for MACUL's board of directors.  Michigan has been at the forefront of "teacher reform" by the GOP and we have been pretty beaten down by it.  I decided this year I can either Lead or Lament about what is going on and I have decided to lead by changing and improving the way things happen in my classroom, school and district as related to the "reforms".  Many of these "reforms" are related to integrating technology into the classroom or online.  Many of my colleagues have come to me to help them do this.  Finally, I am being recruited by another district to teach teachers while my district is considering creating a virtual school and I have been asked to lead this initiative.  Whether I stay or go all of these opportunities are a result of what I learned at MERIT and the confidence it gave me.