New Year’s Resolutions have given way to focusing on #OneWord. 2023 was guided by the word “Experiment”. The quote from Claude Bernard that kept me on my path was “The true worth of an experimenter consists in his pursuing not only what he seeks in his experiment, but also what he did not seek.” I tried and experimented with many things, especially delving into AI, but I looked for results I did not expect. I spent a large amount of time in 2023 earning my ISTE Certification. I am not sure what I expected from this experiment, but I certainly learned things about processes and reflections that I was not truly aware of.

2023 also brought some incredible gifts of recognition. I presented at the ALA Annual Conference three times and created a small following. (Thank you to all who attended and participated – the energy was amazing!) From that, I have made more connections which led me to present to our state’s public library directors. The EdTech Magazine named me as one of 30 K–12 IT Influencers to Follow in 2023. I also presented a poster at the AASL Conference and presented with an amazing team of the Linguistic Justice Collaborative at the NCTE Conference. I even did a short webinar with the Galileo K-12 team. Each experience brought surprises.

The surprises are what brings us to 2024. In 2024, I want to have more professional experiences that enhance my skills and share with others. Improvement can come in the form of learning, satisfaction, connections, and recognition. I think the best word that encompasses this goal is: Fulfilling. The Merriam-Webster definition of ‘fulfilling’ is providing happiness or satisfaction.

In 2024, I want to seek and do those things that feel fulfilling. I want to expand my presentations. I want to expand the offerings to my students and teachers. We are currently creating a list of research expectations for each grade level at the high school. This goes beyond the state standards to incorporate other, less obvious pieces of research. For example, we need to help students develop research questions and then help them understand how to get the best results from a research database. This is only one of the challenges I look forward to in 2024. Growing my students, my colleagues, and myself would be very fulfilling.

Reference:

“Fulfilling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fulfilling. Accessed 24 Dec. 2023.