5 minute read
Getting Kicked Out of My Comfort Zone
Getting Kicked Out of My Comfort Zone
One of the great things about the EAST experience is hearing student observations about their growth while in EAST. Former EAST Conference Leadership Team Ambassador Anna Cavnor shared her perspective and experience with several administrators attending a Vision Building Workshop (a workshop hosted by EAST that inspires decision-makers and provides an overview of how to add EAST where they are). Anna's thoughts on EAST and comfort zones made a strong impression on everyone in attendance. So strong, we asked her to share it here.
My name is Anna Cavnor. I am a junior in EAST at North Little Rock High School (NLRHS). I have been in EAST for six years, and I can say with absolute certainty that being an EAST student has changed my life. The summer before sixth grade, my sister told me I would be accompanying her “to set up the EAST classroom” at North Little Rock Middle School (NLRMS). My face showed my confusion as I asked her “What is EAST?”, and actually, I am still trying to answer that question in a way that encompasses EVERYTHING.
EAST is education accelerated by service and technology, but it does so much more. EAST is very different from any other class I have ever taken. It isn’t a class where I sit and take notes or solve equations for 90 minutes, but it is where possibilities become reality. For example, I no longer have to dream of making a virtual tour of my school, I actually did it. EAST takes you out of your comfort zone and makes the unknown, scary, “I don’t know if I can do this” area your new comfort zone. Being an EAST student means you need to be ready to be kicked out of your comfort zone, and be prepared to spread your wings and fly. For me, this experience happened when my team and I were asked to present our project at the Technology Information Center for Administrative Leadership (TICAL) Conference. By the end of that conference, my fear subsided a bit and I felt a little more comfortable speaking in front of a crowd. I had no clue that TICAL was just the beginning of the journey.
More opportunities have come about and helped me establish a higher level of self-confidence including presenting to facilitators at EAST Seminar (a professional development conference held each summer for returning educators in EAST) and interviewing with Facebook to discuss the virtual 3D project I was a part of. I never imagined presenting to an audience of over 250 people at an event for middle school students to inform them about all the fun parts of EAST and the things that go
into making a good project and strong EAST program. In EAST, I am encouraged and supported to use my voice and share my thoughts on the collaboration needs between EAST at NLRHS and NLRMS. I have been a member of the Ambassador Team for EAST Conference, and now I can say I’ve written an article. I have never been a quiet person, but I never felt comfortable speaking in front of large groups of people. With the help of EAST, it has become a normal thing for me, and I know I am a better person because of EAST. As I prepare for college, I feel good about potential scholarship interviews and future class presentations and even life after college. Whatever career path I decide to take, I will be interacting with people on a daily basis, so being comfortable with public speaking and being able to strongly and clearly convey my thoughts will be very useful.
I don’t even think I have a “comfort zone” anymore. Having the mindset that nothing is outside of my comfort zone has been eye-opening because it has helped me realize that all the years I doubted myself and my abilities, I had no reason to. I am capable of doing whatever I set my mind to. EAST helped me discover that and supported me along the journey of discovery. I am comfortable taking charge and leading my classmates, and I am gaining great experience by helping other students manage their projects, assisting the NLRMS students, and hopefully soon, the elementary school students strengthen their programs.
At NLRHS we have created multiple roles in our program to develop students’ leadership skills beyond technology. I am the Chief Project Manager, or CPM, of EAST at NLRHS. This position is an extension of our EAST facilitator and coordinates many of the administrative responsibilities; it allows me to help multiple students accomplish things in regards to their project needs. These skills are extremely complementary to learning how to use technology in an advanced manner.
EAST creates a space for us to discover ourselves; it gives us challenges to overcome and that helps us grow on multiple levels. One of the most rewarding things about EAST is witnessing others find their potential. There are many students that may not be the best in other classes, but their ability to create art or code a computer is incredible. I’ve seen several “light-bulb moments” happen in the EAST classroom; it brings about such a sense of accomplishment, and I’m glad to be a part of that. EAST allows and empowers students to use their talents for the greater good of their school and their community. who want to create, engage, and inspire on a higher level. It is for those students who want to take ownership of their education and their future. It is for those students who have a vision and can make a routine activity into a project. It is for those students who have discovered a passion and want to use that passion to help others or to solve a problem in their community. EAST is for students who don't mind getting kicked out of their comfort zone in preparation for a bright future. ourselves…
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The reality is there is so much more to EAST than technology-based projects that cannot be seen. You cannot “see” how much a student has grown as a person or how much confidence they have. You cannot “see” how EAST has changed their life for the better. EAST gives students the opportunity to change the question of “Can I do this?”to a strong “How can I make this happen?” I have had many people (parents, community partners, high school students who are not in EAST, and various other community members) ask me “Why EAST?” and I always respond with “Why not EAST?” I tell them what and how much I have learned over the years. I explain that EAST is not for everyone, but it is for anyone who wants to be a part of it. It is for those students
