My Future...

Each day that I am alive, I realize that my future has endless possibilities. I know that I will never be the CEO of a company, nor a professional athlete, nor an astronaut, but I do know that my life continues to fascinate me by continually changing for the better.

Now, we are all faced with struggles, and I am not exempt, but I'm going to take a moment out from my normal levels of complaint to give thanks for the wonderful opportunities that have been placed into my life.
 
In college I had two goals: climb Mount Everest, and conduct a symphony orchestra. Although, I'm still clinging to the goal of climbing to over 29,000 feet, my life has continued to make sharp turns around corners that I never saw coming.

When I began my graduate studies, I wanted to become the next great Leonard Bernstein, Gustavo Dudamel, or Esa Pekka Salonen. I wanted to start with my M.M. in Conducting and work my way up to conducting world-class orchestras performing some of the greatest music ever penned by humans. At this point, I won't delete that from my bucket list, but I've been shown some less fancy but more important opportunities.

In the spring of 2013, I was offered a job teaching K-6 music at an elementary charter school. It was an amazing job offer, but it required my family to move and forced me to reevaluate my graduate studies. Digital teaching and learning immediately became an option due to its virtual/distance options. I could take these classes from our new locale and graduate in the same amount of time. Score!

Little did I know that I would discover a gap in my own development as a teacher, and a serious desire to overcome that gap.

I've never been a big technology guy - I've always asked my brother anytime I needed help with my wireless router or suggestions on which iPhone 5 to buy. As I began teaching, though I realized that I needed to instruct my students at a level of technology where they would become tech-leaders by the time they leave my music classroom. Students at a charter school should be using the most up-to-date technology in each of their subjects, and my classroom was still stuck using white boards and overheads.

So through my Masters Degree and my own PLN, I will continue to learn how to use Educational Apps, and I will discover ways to integrate them into my teaching and into the lives of my students. I will challenge my students to think critically about the technology that they use and the effects that it has on their lives. I will encourage my students to be 21st Century learners and leaders amongst their peers.

I know that this personal development means that I must put my current dreams of extreme mountain climbing and concert hall performances on hold, but I know that the changes that I'm making to myself and the level at which I teach will refine me into a better educator, communicator, and musician. Ultimately, those three things are what I want to be.