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Thanks, Dean. Great to meet you and Paula. David had such an enjoyable conversation with her while we tried to change the world. Hope to see you again!
Something for nothing?
The whirlwind of the last week has ended for me. I spent a delightful weekend at Sheryl Nussbaum Beach's home, laughing, swimming, eating, and learning with Will Richardson and other PLP team leaders, fellows, and community leaders. From there, we headed right into NECC, where I was able to co...
Thanks, Tania. I also find it interesting to think of you all in a different season and place in your school year. Summer is a great time for me to think and plan. I'm looking forward to hearing about your final PLP projects!
Summer Begins
Between visits with family (wonderful), leading a workshop (stressful), and getting over Vertigo (yuk), I feel like summer work has only started today. I am trying to use July to prepare for next fall (and not let the time slip away). Here's what I'm up to: Our faculty is reading Understand...
Thanks Gardner, Tania, and Debra. I hesitated to post such a personal thought, but if people can generalize this to their own situations,then perhaps they'll see possibilities too. Yes, onward.
Some days it's all worth it...
I don't mean to be self-aggrandizing here, but I need to share a comment that gives me hope. A student who has not yet earned an A average in my class, nor counts English as his favorite subject, wrote this in his writing portfolio reflective letter: But that’s one thing that made your class g...
Thanks for checking in Curt. Now that I am getting used to the idea, the ideas are beginning to bubble up. And just doing my "own thing" will be a refreshing change!
Another year, another job
And I was so looking forward to focusing on being the instructional tech coordinator again next year (though I love Matt Scully's new title--what was that Matt? Coordinator of Innovation and Creativity?) Anyway, the bottom line is I am being moved from ninth-grade English to eighth-grade Engli...
Thanks, Tania. We are all on this journey together. I feel empowered from this experience and look forward to working with all of you for a long time.
Reflections on a PLP year...
1. I love learning in this connected, collaborative world. 2. Our students benefit from having a real-world audience for their work. 3. Building a professional learning network takes time that I must make. 4. Many times and in many ways, my PLN crosses over into my PFN (personal friend network...
Though some of my ninth-graders still resist using diigo (they say it's too complicated), the poetry annotation was the tipping point for many others. Thanks for your thoughts, Gardner. I look forward to seeing your students' work next fall!
A shared reading
After reading Will's post the other day, I realized my students could "read" a poem together and annotate in diigo. We created a private ninth-grade group in diigo this year to explore sharing of bookmarks. I hadn't yet realized the value in annotating with comments. So yesterday, we opened up...
Great examples, Curt. The onus is on us to do this for our kids, isn't it? That handful is problematic, and until we as professionals use these guiding principals, that handful will be allowed to pretend it doesn't matter.
Time and choices we make
Dean Shareski posted a tweet the other day (I hope it was Dean). He said someone asked him how he found the time to do what he did. "I don't "find" the time," he said. "I make the time." My first thought was, yes-absolutely. And I retweeted it. But, now I am wondering if some of this networking ...
Yes, relationships. As Howard said above--using our social networks to assist us to learn and grown. And, of course, the friendships that are formed in this challenge to do something better for our kids. Absolutely.
Time and choices we make
Dean Shareski posted a tweet the other day (I hope it was Dean). He said someone asked him how he found the time to do what he did. "I don't "find" the time," he said. "I make the time." My first thought was, yes-absolutely. And I retweeted it. But, now I am wondering if some of this networking ...
Angela, I appreciate what you've said--stepping back to learn from people where they are. And Sheryl is right in her comment below--it's about the relationships for me. I do feel that we may be headed into a future where people will learn and grow online in ways we've never imagined. And we need to prepare our students for that. Right now we are at a divide.
Time and choices we make
Dean Shareski posted a tweet the other day (I hope it was Dean). He said someone asked him how he found the time to do what he did. "I don't "find" the time," he said. "I make the time." My first thought was, yes-absolutely. And I retweeted it. But, now I am wondering if some of this networking ...
What we value...yes, that's it. And given that teachers are all in very different places in their lives, what people value differs. And I love what you said about your own family--value experience over things.
Time and choices we make
Dean Shareski posted a tweet the other day (I hope it was Dean). He said someone asked him how he found the time to do what he did. "I don't "find" the time," he said. "I make the time." My first thought was, yes-absolutely. And I retweeted it. But, now I am wondering if some of this networking ...
Howard, that teaching is critical. I wonder, too, how this will play out as
those who *do* connect effect change and those who *don't* (or don't do it
effectively) are left out. This is the true digital divide, isn't it? And
when NOT to mediate our attention....or to use tools for all the wrong
reasons--I suppose that's the place to start.Thank for sharing your
thoughts. I've been following you for some time...and even jumped into The
Well once, oh so many, many years ago.
Time and choices we make
Dean Shareski posted a tweet the other day (I hope it was Dean). He said someone asked him how he found the time to do what he did. "I don't "find" the time," he said. "I make the time." My first thought was, yes-absolutely. And I retweeted it. But, now I am wondering if some of this networking ...
Thanks for your thoughts, Susanne. You and I have talked about this often,
and you know I respect you as a true teacher (and learner). I love what
you've pulled from your networking this year, valuable connections for you
and your students. You won't hear any easy solutions or answers from me on
this one...
My brain (gut?) tells me we are, indeed, entering a new world--filled with
exciting possibilities but complex, complicated situations which we can't
envision yet (could we have ever imagined this
<http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/04/07/world/0407-MOLDOVA_3.html>a few
years ago? Let's keep the conversations going.
Time and choices we make
Dean Shareski posted a tweet the other day (I hope it was Dean). He said someone asked him how he found the time to do what he did. "I don't "find" the time," he said. "I make the time." My first thought was, yes-absolutely. And I retweeted it. But, now I am wondering if some of this networking ...
Gardner, you are right, of course. We are at a turning point, and I see the
possibilities in my own classes. I take such joy in reading posts from my
students like this- http://fablogs.org/ndbfa12/2009/03/28/chap-13-14/ that
can be easily shared, responded to, and supported. And, of course, it is not
just being "online" that matters. Connectivism changes the student-teacher
relationship, the learning environment, and even assessments--everything.
Ah, me. Some days it is so unsettling.
Time and choices we make
Dean Shareski posted a tweet the other day (I hope it was Dean). He said someone asked him how he found the time to do what he did. "I don't "find" the time," he said. "I make the time." My first thought was, yes-absolutely. And I retweeted it. But, now I am wondering if some of this networking ...
Melissa, you are right. Experience will change how people view this--and
become a more natural way of learning, as you said. I still wonder if there
isn't some kind of a mindset that makes this a more comfortable world for
some of us. Thanks for your thoughts...
Time and choices we make
Dean Shareski posted a tweet the other day (I hope it was Dean). He said someone asked him how he found the time to do what he did. "I don't "find" the time," he said. "I make the time." My first thought was, yes-absolutely. And I retweeted it. But, now I am wondering if some of this networking ...
Don't you love the speedgeeking idea? And time, yes, we need to carve out
time to play and think.
Time and choices we make
Dean Shareski posted a tweet the other day (I hope it was Dean). He said someone asked him how he found the time to do what he did. "I don't "find" the time," he said. "I make the time." My first thought was, yes-absolutely. And I retweeted it. But, now I am wondering if some of this networking ...
I know. After VAIS this weekend, I hit to hit "Mark as Read" and not feel guilty!
Do you ever feel this way?
Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons. Today, I"m stuffed.
Thanks, Gardner. You know our journey, don't you? I hope you are well. So glad we can stay connected this way.
and now, pause for a moment of "Oh Yeah"
I was watching one of our seniors practice for her senior exhibit presentation yesterday...and she said: "The blogs have been really helpful for keeping track of my senior project. And my mom loves that when she googles my name now, my senior exhibit "Recipes for Peace" comes up and not Faceboo...
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Elizabeth. You are doing great things with your staff and students, and I respect your opinions. Your comment about not teaching the tools--I found that if I didn't "teach" and give time to learn, they just didn't do it. In fact, no one used diigo until we said they had to, that we would check their annotations. Once that happened, they started to see value. But I prefer the idea that they find the tool they need instead of requiring one. You went with delicious, right? Are you finding that some people are using diigo instead? Please plan to visit in May. I won't be teaching, of course, since we'll all be in the PLP, but let's sneak into a class so you can visit with the kids for a few minutes if you want.
Too much, too soon?
In my switch from Instructional Tech Coordinator to English teacher this year, I've been riding waves of emotions. I looked forward to the chance to have my own class, to use our 1:1 program fully, integrating technology into my program; I also realized this established curriculum meant follo...
What a nice thing to say, Hiram. Thanks. We are all learning together, and the more we help our students do the same, the more success we will all have. My PLN rocks!
and now, pause for a moment of "Oh Yeah"
I was watching one of our seniors practice for her senior exhibit presentation yesterday...and she said: "The blogs have been really helpful for keeping track of my senior project. And my mom loves that when she googles my name now, my senior exhibit "Recipes for Peace" comes up and not Faceboo...
Yes, absolutely...it made my day!
and now, pause for a moment of "Oh Yeah"
I was watching one of our seniors practice for her senior exhibit presentation yesterday...and she said: "The blogs have been really helpful for keeping track of my senior project. And my mom loves that when she googles my name now, my senior exhibit "Recipes for Peace" comes up and not Faceboo...
Ha!
My "white" Mac is brown from his slobber. If I ignore him too long, he just lays his head on my keyboard. Hard to resist.
Pleeeeze
Will you please get off the laptop and feed me? Please???
Yes, Patrick. You are quite right (as is Howard, whom I also respect).The phrase resonates with me, and I am trying to keep it in mind. My diigo account is filled with information I have yet to get back to, and that's a problem. What good is it if I sort and save if that is all I ever do with it? But I am certainly enjoying figuring out how to manage all of this.
Thanks for sharing Rheingold's thoughts.
Life as I know it
My husband gets a kick out of me. I'm glad he still finds my quirks funny and not annoying. The problem is that I love talking about how we learn, which, of course, involves how we teach. Whether it's a Tweet from The Washington Post about homework Kids, Parents and Teachers Disagree on How Mu...
Laura, thanks for your kind and thoughtful reply. Of course, much of my learning comes from you and others in our PLN. This has been an amazing year, and I look forward to seeing what happens next. One day I hope we can meet again! Maybe in Atlanta:)
Life as I know it
My husband gets a kick out of me. I'm glad he still finds my quirks funny and not annoying. The problem is that I love talking about how we learn, which, of course, involves how we teach. Whether it's a Tweet from The Washington Post about homework Kids, Parents and Teachers Disagree on How Mu...
Thanks Jen. You,too, make school a good place to be. It's been fun to grow and learn with you!
Life as I know it
My husband gets a kick out of me. I'm glad he still finds my quirks funny and not annoying. The problem is that I love talking about how we learn, which, of course, involves how we teach. Whether it's a Tweet from The Washington Post about homework Kids, Parents and Teachers Disagree on How Mu...
I agree Rhondda. The variety certainly asks them to think about their reading in ways they might not have tried. I know most of mine say they don't like to read, especially anything I assign. But I was delighted to see some of their responses. One boy wrote, "Creon, your ego is getting to you" in the comments. And for many, the shmoop site gave them just what they needed to really understand it. Now on to the comparison-contrast paper!
How much are they getting........
When I was in middle and high school, I read books. Oh, some I read more carefully than others. But I read. By the time I was in college, I discovered CliffsNotes. If memory serves, I didn't use them frequently; I don't think they existed for most of my assignments. I was a strong reader, and En...
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