Tracy's Tuesday Tech Tip: "Where We Gonna Go From Here"

While working on a few papers, projects and more, "Where We Gonna Go From Here" by Mat Kearney came onto my iTunes Radio Mix. As I listened, I thought back to when I saw Kearney live in concert just down the street at Carroll University. What memories those are, singing along with the songs that not many people knew at that time, but that have become some trademarks as his popularity has grown.

So where we gonna go from here? A bit more than a year and a half ago, we found out that we were selected as a Waukesha One Wave 1 School. What a year it's been, what distance we've come. Between impressive iMovies demonstrating visual and oral skills through drawings and narratives on projects, newly composed GarageBand selections with various instrumentations, neat new books through Book Creator and tons more, as well as just the sight of students engaged, learning at their own level and taking innovation to the next level. What an experience riding the wave in year one!

This tech tip isn't about a new tool or innovative way to use iPads. This Tuesday I'm not linking websites or app links to resources. Today, it's a time to take a deep breath and celebrate everything that has been accomplished over the last year. Think small - just trying out personalized learning to the next level. Or think big, in one word: rollout. 

If you're just becoming a Waukesha One School or moving toward it, think about where to go from where you already are. We've all come so far, we've gained pace and new strategies, tools, and ideas. We've found collaboration as a key, with feedback for ourselves and students at the center driving the next steps. Smile, laugh, remember, and BE PROUD of all that you've done.

The last line of the final verse of Mat Kearney's song is "Watch from a distance just to see you glow. Seven hundred faces, seven hundred places more." We've started the ripples in our students throughout a district. Think about the lives YOU'VE impacted by all that you've done over the past year.

Watch from a distance, the glowing minds and smiles of our students. You've done that. You've made a difference. We keep going because of you...Who knows where we will go from here!