Countdown to InnEdCo 2014

Late last night I agreed to take part in the Countdown to #InnEdCo14 and I am so glad I did. Here's a few reasons why:

• Purpose & Productivity
• I got to spend a whole day thinking, reflecting, and sharing about 1 topic. It gave me focus and a reason to steal away into my head/journal/computer for a few minutes in between meetings and car rides from site to site. It was a refreshing change of pace throughout a busy day that can sometimes lack a sense of immediate feedback and accomplishment.
• Sense of Community & Authentic Audience
• I was sharing out to a broader community that shares a common interest with InnEdCo. It is nice to feel like part of something bigger than yourself that still has an authentic audience.
• Excitement Building
• This time of year (ok let's face it, most times of year) can be stressful and chaotic. It can start to seem like you're limping along while losing steam and positivity - and that feels just plain gross. Getting to step out of your head and imagine the possibilities to create, share, and build excitement for yourself and others around an event is pretty awesome. Now that I've started down this path I want to continue, and that gets me even more excited! I can't wait to see what others put together for the Countdown day they claim, and I have something to look forward to for myself in continuing to share my own excitement as we approach a week of incredible learning and connecting with one another. 

As the day came to an end I felt a little sad that I hadn't gotten to all the things I was hoping to share in my 24 hours, but as with most things this isn't the entire conversation - it is just the beginning. I only got to 5 of my "10ish Reasons I'm Excited for #InnEdCo14", so I think I will continue to post the ones I have written down and the ones that haven't come to me yet. I have lots of #InnEdCoMemes and #InnEdCoGIFs created, and some that I haven't made but want to. Those will also get shared over the next 39 days. Signing up for this Countdown gave me a reason to start pondering a blog post or two about my experiences at Copper Mountain last year, my hopes for this year's conference, and why I think events like InnEdCo are so valuable. I'm looking forward to fleshing out these ideas to share over the next month and know that in the process I'll develop new ideas to think about. 

*A big thank you to +Ben Wilkoff for getting this Countdown going and encouraging me to participate, and to +Innovative Educators Colorado for working diligently all year in an effort to be innovative with how this conference can continue to push the boundaries of professional learning events.