So yesterday, I went down to San Diego to go to ISTE12. Long story short, I had a blast…but I did not go to the conference…
While running around town all day today taking care of suburban errands with the family, I casually mentioned this to my wife, “I think yesterday was the decompresion I needed.”
At first I thought the decompression I refered to was the school year that had just ended. It was this, but it was so much more.
I have been lucky enough to interact consistently with John T Spencer and Roberto Greco for the past two or three years I have been on Twitter and blogging. Various projects, vast amounts of links, inspiration, and nuance has flowed freely between us.
It was nice to have conversations that were directed by our humanity.
I have met up with Rob a few times in the past, but this was the first time meeting John.
Just like the first time I met Rob, meeting John for the first time face to face was almost a non-event in that we have gotten to know each other on a personal level through the bridge of our professional development. There were no awkward silences or lame moments: It was as if we had been friends for years.
I deeply feel that my professional identity as a teacher is seemlessly fused with my private identity. Teaching for me is intensly personal, as is blogging – how can one not get to know someone personally with this vulnerability and time. For all shortcomings of Twitter and blogs, I am grateful for the infrastructure they have provided me the last three years.
So, the four of us (Javie the Hippie, a stelllar person, was with us, too) stayed at the Station Tavern for six hours. Many tasty morsels, tator tots, and beverages were shared, spilled, and cheered. Channelling the eclectic mix of our adult selves, eighth grade selves, and eighth grade teacher selves, we broke the 140 character ceiling and enjoyed our lives.
Yesterday I not only decompressed from the school year that has just ended, but also from the myths I have created in my mind about other educators I interact with Twitter and blogs (stay tuned for a future blog post…).
Thank you Javier, John, and Rob…
Not existing in the abrasiveness of silicon, yesterday we lived in nuances of reality.
Oh yeah, I can not wait for the cards to come out…I’ll look them up on Alta Vista…I know many of you do not understand this, be patient, they will be fabulous!