Podstock- check- done! And it was a hoot as usual. However reflecting back I found myself then and now focusing on the things that didn't go exactly as planned. Why do we do that to ourselves, expect things to go perfectly when they are being executed by imperfect people and there are so many unpredictable variables involved? I actually find it humorous that this is a tech conference, about learning, exploring, stepping out and experimenting and yet I had a mini-meltdown when a few mistakes were discovered and pointed out. I had to remind myself that things happen and in the grand scheme of amount of "stuff" going on, a few minor errors were nothing, fix them and move on and to not camp on them. I had to remind myself that it's not about the perfection, not about the book being exact, not about the internet running at warp speed and not about whether we have brownies or cookies and most certainly not about if the weather is 720 degrees (or so.) It's about the community of the people, the comraderie, the information, and the knowledge gathering. I absolutely love watching the participants, when a discovery is made, it's like that a child that has been given that first "big" box of crayons. The realization that there are more then the large primary 8 colors and suddenly they can color with lilac, puce or burnt umber.
As I reflect back on Podstock I realize that it could be likened to a reflection in a dirty mirror - the image may not be exact, the details may not all be intact but it is still a perfect reflection.
I think back about 15 years when ESSDACK took a chance on me, hiring me to do office work and be - for lack of a better word- hostess. I am thankful daily they let me experiment and learn and carve out a niche that I absolutely love and enjoy. I think that perhaps looking in a dirty mirror is the best because you can let your imagination fill in the missing details of your reflection and see yourself as the person you were meant to be.
Showing posts with label technology in education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label technology in education. Show all posts
Monday, July 23, 2012
Monday, July 25, 2011
Podstock! Success!
Well, Podstock has come and gone and boy am I tired! Those were some long days but I met new people, saw the fruits of our labors be enjoyed, got many a kudo and laughed, .... alot.
I so enjoy this conference, mainly because it is so different, not only in content but in design and the people are different, not the typical, snooty, stuffy kind of conference attendees that keep to themselves, but the fun-loving, never-know-a-stranger type. LOVE THAT!
A couple of weeks before Podstock we introduced our new ESSDACK mascots, the sock monkey brother/sister team of Rowdy and Ruby. They now have their own Twitter profile (sockmonkeyjunki) and have been lovingly accepted by all.
We worked hand-in-hand with Lightspeed Systems/My Big Campus, they piggy-backed on Podstock by having a training session the day before Podstock started. I loved these people they were all so nice and very complimentary.... or complementary? both spellings are actually accurate in this case. I hope we get the opportunity to work with them more in the future.
It's been a very hectic and exhausting couple of weeks but am eagerly looking forward to next years conference already. We have decided on a theme, it is tentatively 80's Senior Year. I woke up thinking about ideas and can't wait to get started, there is Prom, picture day, homecoming, yearbook and then the whole leg warmers, parachute pants, big hair.......oh my, the fun we will have!
But first, back to getting some everyday normal work done and then prepping for the AESA conference in Colorado in December, a totally different job assignment for me but that's what makes my job interesting, change and with ESSDACK and my work mates, never a dull moment.
Have I mentioned lately that I LOVE my job? :)
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| Our wonderful staff pitching in to stuff swag bags. |
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| Glenn Wiebe helping cut out .....stuff |
I so enjoy this conference, mainly because it is so different, not only in content but in design and the people are different, not the typical, snooty, stuffy kind of conference attendees that keep to themselves, but the fun-loving, never-know-a-stranger type. LOVE THAT!
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| The wild women of Podstock |
A couple of weeks before Podstock we introduced our new ESSDACK mascots, the sock monkey brother/sister team of Rowdy and Ruby. They now have their own Twitter profile (sockmonkeyjunki) and have been lovingly accepted by all.
 |
| Michelle Reavis and Lori Fast, along with Ruby and Rowdy |
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| Visiting Smith's Market to get old fashioned candy |
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| On the Podstock registration bus |
We worked hand-in-hand with Lightspeed Systems/My Big Campus, they piggy-backed on Podstock by having a training session the day before Podstock started. I loved these people they were all so nice and very complimentary.... or complementary? both spellings are actually accurate in this case. I hope we get the opportunity to work with them more in the future.
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| Joel and Kevin |
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| Kevin doing an impromptu interview |
It's been a very hectic and exhausting couple of weeks but am eagerly looking forward to next years conference already. We have decided on a theme, it is tentatively 80's Senior Year. I woke up thinking about ideas and can't wait to get started, there is Prom, picture day, homecoming, yearbook and then the whole leg warmers, parachute pants, big hair.......oh my, the fun we will have!
But first, back to getting some everyday normal work done and then prepping for the AESA conference in Colorado in December, a totally different job assignment for me but that's what makes my job interesting, change and with ESSDACK and my work mates, never a dull moment.
Have I mentioned lately that I LOVE my job? :)
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