Yeeah! #BammyAwards nominates The Innovative Educator

Well isn't this fabulous? While I was out nominating awesome folks from around the nation for the Bammy Awards, I opened up my own email to find the Bammy Nomination Committee had selected me for the Education Commentator/Blogger category. How cool is that?

Click here to check it out and vote.

If you haven't heard of the Bammy's, it is the Academy of Education Arts and Sciences Award.  "The Academy exists solely to recognize what is right in education by identifying, honoring and celebrating the collective contributions of professionals, paraprofessionals and support staff across the entire education community." 

Here is the nomination:

Lisa Nielsen thinks in very liberated and liberating ways about education. She pushes the envelope in the area of reinventing what schooling means, what the objectives should be and how do it. Outspoken and courageous, she has taken many bold and controversial positions based on her belief that educators and education must be reinvented to be relevant in a brave new, technology-driven world.

Lisa is a strong collaborator and works with many groups to help move education reform forward. It's hard not to be impressed by the extent to which Lisa will go to push others forward, to empower and support the people she believes are on the right track. Her passion, energy and bias for action puts her in the league of proactive bloggers/commentators who go beyond writing and speaking about education reform to actually organizing and acting to advance the reforms she believes are critical to the field of education. Thoughtful, way out of the box thinker, more than and idea person...a "doer."

Perhaps most important to me is the fact that each vote has a short statement by the voter. It's an amazing feeling to be praised for exactly those qualities that I value and strive for. This one comes from my friend and fellow-nominee, Lee Kolbert:

"Lisa is a truly innovative educator who clearly articulates that which the rest of us are thinking. She is very knowledgeable and courageous. She deserves this award."

I would be honored if any of you who have believed in, been inspired by, or taken action as a result of my words, showed your support by clicking this link, then registering or logging in with Facebook, and submiting your vote (and if you’d like, I'd love to read a statement from you as well).