January 15, 2014
2014, I Resolve…
New Years–a time for rest, rejuvenation and repair. A time to assess. Do we settle into our life, enjoy where it’s headed, or is it time to grab our purse, our iPhone and keys and get out of there?
As most of you know, I am a K-8 technology teacher, but I have a serious interest in writing. It started with non-fiction technical writing and morphed to novels. I write techno-thrillers, scientific fiction–plots that are based in the cerebral and encourage readers to join my love of intelligent topics. Therefore, my resolutions are far-ranging and varied, so I group them. Here’s my plan for this year:
Teaching
- Seek out other tech ed teachers to see what is being done to incorporate technology into the classroom. Tech ed is a chameleon, constantly in flux, changing to suit educational environs. It’s a challenge to stay on top of it and one that requires attention every week of every year.
- Keep pushing my students and colleagues to integrate technology into core subjects and add the exciting Web tools to their curriculum. Yes–it’s difficult because it’s not the way they’ve done it before, and yes–it’s worth it.
- Attend ‘a few’ tech ed conferences.
- Continue to work on my online classes, webinars, coaching, mentoring, and pedagogy.
Writing
- Publish the last two books in my Common Core series–on Writing and Speaking and Listening. Writing is in draft form and I have it mentally mapped out. Speaking and Listening–far from finished.
- Continue to create one ebook mini each month to share as a Subscriber Special on my blog. These are all timely bundles that address topics of particular interest to tech teachers.
- Work on themed bundles that address specific topics, like Valentine Day, Veteran’s Day–those types of topics. Also, topics like Programming, STEM. I thought I could throw these together (I plan to use existing lesson plans) over a weekend, but it’s proven much more complicated. Now, I’m thinking a month–or more–for each.
Blogs
- Continue publishing 3-4 articles a week on my core blogs Ask a Tech Teacher (this blog) and WordDreams.
- Expand the reach of my blogs. I’ve read most of the articles that start “How to Write Blogs That Everyone Reads…” and they don’t work the way the author promises. Time to get creative. I’m at about 2-3,000 a day on Ask a Tech Teacher. I’d like to see that jump.
- Find guest bloggers for my blogs. I’ve reached out a bit, but not enough. My readers would benefit from other opinions. Anyone interested?
- Clean up my blogs. Fix those little problems like broken links that I keep putting off. Maybe Spring Cleaning will hit the blogosphere. I started it over the holiday, but fell far short of finishing.
That’s enough. What are yours? I’d like to learn from you.
More articles on blogs:
Dear Otto: What Are Good Guidelines for Younger Bloggers?
Monday Freebie #27: Internet Skills for K-8: Blogs
Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-8 technology for 15 years. She is the editor of a K-8 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum, and creator of technology training books for how to integrate technology in education. She is webmaster for six blogs, CSG Master Teacher, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, CSTA presentation reviewer, freelance journalist on tech ed topics, a columnist for Examiner.com, and a weekly contributor to TeachHUB. Currently, she’s editing a techno-thriller that should be out to publishers next summer.
