Our current circumstances have put educators in a very difficult position. Those that are comfortable with technology have become unwitting “experts” at teaching in a virtual space. I find myself feeling confident that if I don’t know the answer, that one of my colleagues or administrators WILL know the answers. However, sometimes the answers are not easily attainable since we have never done “this” before.

My school District, with close to 192,000 students and over 10,000 teachers, requires a huge amount of careful planning, decision making and organizing by many people to pull this off in a few short weeks. I have learned SO much in the last 21 days!

I am so grateful that our CTO (Chief Technology Officer) Marlo Gaddis is a visionary. She saw a need for my position (Digital Learning Coordinator) and created 19 of these positions to move our District forward. She has reorganized the Tech Services Division (TSD) and provided a clear picture for leadership in the digital space for our District.

The difference that all of these people have made both for this District and personally for me is amazing. Being on the leading edge of preparing teachers and administrators for our new paradigm has been exhausting and exhilarating.

I am grateful for the chance to make a real difference in our current circumstances. I am blessed to be able to telework, often many more hours a day than I’m used to, in order to help those who need guidance, support or even just an encouraging word.

Thank you to everyone who is working many hours to be ready to deliver learning in a new virtual space, in a new way, in a new world that we are still trying to understand. You are more needed now than ever before.

Stay well. Be safe. ~Barb