This Is Who I Am.

One of the things that I hate about the “networked” world that we live in is that we often only “know” people through the posts they write or the Tweets they send out into the ether.  That often gives us a false sense of just who somebody is — and when we’re satisfied with that level of connection, we inadvertently lose out on the more human aspects of relationships.

That’s why I work hard to connect with people beyond their professional content.  Whether I’m checking out their Flickr photos, leaving them a blog comment just to let them know I’m thinking about them, following their Instagram feed or singing karaoke with them at some professional conference that brought us together, seeing the personal side of folks that I’m learning alongside matters to me.

That’s also why I try to give others a look behind MY professional mask every now and then.  Whether I’m sharing news about the birth of my daughter, my feelings about adoption, the shame I feel when I fail to live up to my own standards, or my addiction to reality television, I want you to see a bit of the real me.  More importantly, I want you to know that I am real.

And that’s why I wanted to share this video with you:

If you haven’t met her, that’s my daughter Reece.  I lost a tragic bet to some crazy Canadian hockey fans yesterday (see here and here) and she wanted to help me sing the Canadian National Anthem on YouTube.  The moment was priceless for me simply because Reece almost NEVER wants to be on camera.  To capture that digitally and have it stored away forever means everything to me, that’s for sure.

And I hope it gives you a better sense of the guy sitting behind the Radical keyboard.  Sure, I write about professional learning communities and using technology in schools.  Yes, I’m pissed about the impact that crappy #edpolicy is having on my classroom.  No, I won’t stop posting slides and lessons and pro-D content for you to use in your work.

But I’m also a proud hockey fan who likes to make a good bet every now and then.  More importantly, I’m a proud dad who isn’t phased by Tic-Tac spit or embarrassed to wipe my kid’s mouth with a sock I found on  my desk.

This is who I am.

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Related Radical Reads:

Welcoming the Newest Radical

This One’s for You, Dad

Random Acts of Patriotism (or Man Up, Canada)