First Impressions

I've been in Denver for almost 5 hours and I have plenty to Blog about. First, I would like to thank @ktenkely for picking @amandacdykes, @buzzgarwood and myself from the airport. Without her, we would all be walking towards the mountains searching for 3G service.

I entitled the post First Impressions because that is what really struck me as I arrived at the Marlowe's Tweetup. Our group (Kelly, Amanda, Buzz and myself) did not have a hard time finding the noisy group of educators in the corner. It has always been my experience that teachers are the noisiest group of people. We spend all day telling kids to be quiet, I think we try to make up for the lack of noise with out own.

I guess I should say that I wasn't surprised, but we were all greeted warmly. Not like you might be greeted at a Walmart, but like this was a 20 year High School reunion. Mary Beth (@mbteach) greeted me with a hug and my Nerd shirt! Hand shakes, guy hugs, high fives and I think Becky (@MrsBMG) might have even curtsied. Educators are a warm bunch of people. That is a natural state for us. Every year, we open our classroom to new students and need to make them feel welcomed. We have to let them know that it is ok to learn and share. Creating a s learning environment is key to education.

#ISTE is no different. We have all gathered here to share our ideas and learn from one another. As an #ISTE newbie, I have no idea what to expect. I'm almost like a deer in headlights as I look around the convention center. Despite the largeness of the event, I know that I can count on Kyle (@kylepace), Steve (@web20clssroom), Cindy (@cindybuchanan), John and Deron (@johnccarver and @derondurflinger), Gerald (@geraldaungst) and others that I'm forgetting at the moment to help me grow as an educator so I can come back and not only help my district, but my state during #edcamp Detroit.

My first impression of #ISTE is a good one because of the people here. I know people that will be running sessions and I can't wait to see them present. I feel confident that I will learn something new and that I might actually teach something to a few people. (Probably 80's trivia, but it's something.) I look forward to the next few days. If you see me wondering around, stop me and say hello. My first impression will not surprise you. :-)

Side Note: Jerry Blumengarten (@cybraryman1) sent the Tweetup group deserts. He called from Florida and sent us food. I already knew this guy was amazing, but sending dessert pushed his awesomeness off the charts! Thanks Jerry, they dessert was amazing.

- @TheNerdyTeacher

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