Thursday, July 18, 2013

What I've Been Up To... #EdChat

I was pretty spent after ISTE this year. I decided to take a break from all things Social Media and just be. I had to work on a Keynote with +Timothy Gwynn for the Greater Clark Connected Conference with +Brett Clark and do some work for The EduTour, but that was here and there between lots of relaxing.

Some said I was cheating because I was posting a ton on Instagram. That might be true, but I was just posting pictures of me hanging out with my crazy son. Wouldn't you post a picture of this guy?



I also content that I wasn't cheating. I was taking a break from being a connected educator. I was overwhelmed with the amount of work I had to do, so I took a step back and focused on what was important. To me, that was my family. I got to do so many fun and silly things with this crazy guy, it put me back in a good place. 



If I would have been "plugged in" to my feed and obsessing over my blog, I would have missed the little stinker doing "Gangnam Style". These are things I would hate to miss and am happy that I have video evidence of this to share with his friends and future girlfriends. 

There have been many posts written out there about the value of taking a break from tech and "unplugging", so I'm not going to bore you with another lecture about that. I do want to say thank you for those of you that let me rest in peace the past three weeks to get my head right. Many of you have been where I was and it was awesome to have your support. 

Lastly, I want to share some of the things I've been up to the past three weeks:



This was a sign that everything in the world is going to be just fine. This gift from the gods is something that many of us have dreamed, but never thought would actually happen. Well, it is going to happen and I am excited to read the first digital issue. I wonder if these will be stories set during high school but between episodes. Also, will Zack and Kelly be together? Will their band "The Zack Attack" still pay "Friends Forever"? OMG, will there be Tori issues and an issue that explains the absence of Kelly and Jessie? So many questions and I can't wait to dive in!

Speaking of Comics...


I know that I am The Nerdy Teacher, but I do not talk about the comics I love that often. Most of the time, those conversations are saved for +Dan Callahan. I have to say that I have just been in love with updated version of Wonder Woman. Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang have just done an amazing job of creating an awesome story and the artwork is simply beautiful. I've been reading since issue one and I suggest you give it a try if you are into comic books. She is a different Wonder Woman than you might remember and that is a good thing. 

I'm also reading The Walking Dead. It is consistently great and frustrating. It's great because the art and story telling is wonderful and frustrating because I only get to read a small part of the story once a month. If you have not started this comic, please pick up a collection and get to work. It's better than the show and the show is unbelievably awesome. 

My Pond Rocks



For those who do not know, I built a pond in my backyard a few years ago. I woke up one morning in August and decided to build one. I had no idea how to do it, so I dug a giant hole and went to Home Depot. Three years later, I have a second level, waterfall and plants, fish and snails! It is one of the most relaxing places in the world to me. I get to tend the fish, fix my plants and just listen to the sound of the water. We all need a happy place and this is one of mine. There is also an added bonus of awesome because I know I built it all by myself. 


I saw this today and thought it would be fun to share here. 


Jon Green is amazing and I seem to love everything he does on the Internet. Here is his Commencement Speech at Butler.


I've only read one book of his, Looking for Alaska, and recommend it to anyone who likes a very good read.

Captain Planet

Lastly, I have to share this with all of you because it blew my mind.


Yes, Meg Ryan was the voice of Dr. Blight on Captain Planet and the Planeteers. That really happened. 

Well, I'm off to do some work, play with my kid and relax by my pond. See you around. 

Nick

2 comments:

  1. First of all, I am soooo jealous that you were at ISTE. I will get there someday...

    Secondly, a Saved by the Bell Comic? Shut up! It had better be set in high school. The College Years were just a complete disappointment (as were The New Class episodes). They had better include Zack's brick-like cell phone. As for the Tori episodes, I read somewhere online that it was due to a contract issue. I really only watched the show in syndication, so I never understood why Zack graduated twice until I looked it up. Yes, I am a geek (and proud of it!).

    Julie
    TheHipTeacher

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  2. I absolutely love this post. It's good to read about what you've been doing. I'm loosely following your #edutour now that I'm back from Alaska. When you get back home, we should find a time to swap our travel stories. Best wishes and safe travel.

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