Great isn’t good enough.  How would that philosophy play out in education?  Is it about students making the “perfect” project?  Is it about making AYP year after year?  Is it high scores on standardized tests?  It could be, but I look at it not in terms of measuring oneself against a set bar or in comparison to another district/state/program etc., but rather, I think it has to do more with internal motivation.  Everyday when I go to work, my hope is that I’ve made my building, my district and education as a whole a little better than it was the day before.  It could be the culmination of a 6 month project, or it could be as simple as showing a teacher how to use a tool, but whatever it is, I want every interaction that I have with teachers and students to be meaningful and “great”.  As my own kids have started school, I want every day to be beyond great for them.  I want them to discover and grow.  I want them to have that internal drive to strive for their best and to know that there’s always room for improvement.  Yes, in some case, “great” will have to do and it others “good” or “good enough” will work.  But, when it comes to my work and the importance that education plays in the lives of students everywhere I don’t know that “great” will ever be “good enough” for me.

Unfortunately, and much to my chagrin, I was not successful.  My first thought was to put the PowerPoints into Google Presentations and, hopefully, embed them.  I knew that it would be problematic because the embed code from Google Presentations uses the <iframe> tag which Google Maps doesn’t support.  So I tried services like Slideshare and Zoho which uses <object> and <div> tags.  I even went about trying to hand code it using <embed> codes.  It works in a blog and on a regular site but it didn’t work in Google Maps.  So, it looks like rather than embedding the presentations, I will be linking out to them.  It’s not my first choice, but after lots of research and lots of frustration, I think that I’m going to give up on it and focus my energies elsewhere.  So be it.  Maybe someday Google will get all of their services to talk to each other.
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The day after I found out that I was accepted I created a Google Site and started inviting others that I knew would be attending to contribute their own information to the site hoping that before we all got together, we would at least be able to put a name to a face.  I began searching Twitter posts and blogs for anyone who had posted that they too had been accepted.  (The site was down for a short while, but that’s another story.)  Over the next three weeks I found a total of 18 future GCT’s and invited them to contribute.  Interestingly enough, it paid off.  Stephanie Madlinger and I traveled together and met Paul Hieronymus (a GCT from Ohio) at the Rock Bottom Brewry for dinner on Tuesday evening.  We had a great time sharing ideas and experiences and speculating about what the following day would hold.

On Wednesday morning, Stephanie and I walked the eight blocks from our hotel to the Google offices.  As we passed the front of the building I recognized Fred Koch standing on Kinzie Street and knew that the site had paid off.  We all introduced ourselves, checked in with Allison Merrick and began our amazing day of sharing and learning.

Over the course of the day we collaborated with fellow teachers, were introduced to tools and applications and became inspired by speakers.  The day flew by and before we knew it we were done.  I’m still reeling a little from the sheer volume of information and learning that took place that day but one of the most important things had to do with the people that I met.  My personal learning network has expanded yet again and I’m excited about the possibilities.

I have had many professional development opportunities during my educational career and many of them have been very transformative.  GTA is now at the top of my list of these experiences.  As I reflect on the day, the most valuable parts of were the connections and conversations in which I participated.  The opportunity to be a part of such a diverse and forward thinking group was well worth the trip and I look forward to future opportunities stemming from the event.  I encourage anyone with any inclination to apply and have the same experience.  To all my new friends, thank you for your expertise, sharing and vision.  Let us all continue to share our knowledge and learn from each other as often as possible.