Thing #4

I love blog writing and reading. It's like the DVR of conversation after a lecture. You can become part of a conversation on any topic you'd like. You can check in as often as you like or just enjoy the information at your own leisure.

I especially liked reading Is This SSR 2.0? because it tapped into a genre of reading that I love. I share with my students that reading is reading. Although I'd love for all of my 6th graders to read grade level chapter books of all genres, I have to also teach them about other reading resources that might be more appealing. I read something on the internet daily. Sometimes it is a quick Facebook update, other times it is a newstory that I'd like to follow and not have to watch 45 minutes of morning news, and still other times I read complete strangers blogs on a variety of topics. Any way you look at it, reading blogs gives students much more power and ease to find a topic they are interested in. Reading blogs in class would also be a great opportunity for students who do not like reading for short periods of time and not getting far in their chapter books. I explain to my students that I read for different purposes. I read on the computer in the morning while drinking my coffee to pass 10-15 minutes. I read magazines and easy reads on school nights so that I am relaxing before bed. On the weekends is when I read for my Masters class because I can read for longer periods of time and really process the information I am reading. I would love to use blog reading in my classroom because I think most students would become interested in commenting. I have students who do not truly put themselves into literary responses after we read in class. I would be interested in seeing if students would give more quality literary responses to a blog topic that they were really interested in.

The English teacher on my grade-level has used blogging in class before for their writing assignments. I love the idea of students combining writing and blogging. This would open up their writing for peer review and teacher review. This could also open up their writing to be read by a bigger audience. I think students would create more quality writing if they knew that anyone could be reading their writing. If students were given purposes for writing, blogging would be no different than what we already ask the students to do in class. If their writing was blogged, it would also be easier to edit. Commentors could copy and paste text sections to give ideas on how to correct grammar, organize an idea better or add more details to a confusing topic. I think students as commentors would make the writing process more meaningful to both the writer and reader. It is such a safe way to share ideas. Plus students could be trained on the appropriateness of word choice when criticizing someone else' work. I struggle in my class with group assignments sometimes because students lack the social skills to disagree appropriately. It would also be cool to use anonymous posting because then students would care less about WHO is giving the criticism and focus more on WHAT the criticism is. Students do not know how to make good judgements on who has better advice most of the time because they would rather listen to a friend that they know is inattentive in class than the student who pays attention but might be slightly considered a teacher's pet.

I think blogging for different uses as readers and writers gives students some of that creativity back that How to Prevent Another Leonardo da Vinci talked about is being abused and taken away. I have frequently been upset about the pressure on grades instead of student growth. We are more concerned about assigning numbers to names for accountability instead of what is the most important thing in learning. It is more important to our education system to judge students before they are ready than judging them based on if they got the concept. We start assigning grades from the first exposure to a topic and take away the life lesson of learning from your mistakes. Even if the kids learn from their mistakes, their grades have already suffered and even new grades in the six weeks that show mastery will be averaged with the grades when mastery had not been yet met. Wouldn't it be wonderful for a student to blog through their learning and be graded based on the end product each six weeks instead of worrying about collecting ten grades before the six weeks is over. If students were blogging about their learning, reading others blogs about the same concepts, and being reflective while reading comments from the teacher or other students there would be a history of the learning. Plus, I'm a firm believer if a student can't talk about what they are learning, then they aren't processing the information enough to learn it. Blogging gives the opportunity for students to talk through writing.

Thing #2

The videos on Thing #2 were completely and utterly moving. I have seen the “Did you know” video before, yet I continued to re-watch it for the fifth time. It never loses my interest because the numbers are amazing. There are so many facts in the short minutes of that video that overwhelm an engaged mind. The last video that featured the 21st century learners brought tears to my eyes. So many of us are guilty of NOT engaging our students. We seek conduct marks, office referrals and other alternative sites when most of our students simply need their teacher to engage them. I do think a lot of the blame goes on teachers who do not engage the students. Of course there are going to be students who need the discipline, but it is amazing how during a truly engaging lesson discipline takes the back seat. I myself taught a lesson last Monday that bombed, in every class even though I tweaked it in each. At the end of the day I had to assess why I was frustrated and why the students were frustrated. I was honest with them on Tuesday when I redid the lesson in a way to give them more ownership. I had them go back in their notes and completely cross out what we did they day before. I explained that this was a learning experience, but today we would actually learn the curriculum. It was such a payoff at the end of the week when I actually thought about how much easier it was when I engaged them.

I have accepted the fact that I have to engage students, however I have sparingly done this with the use of technology. I myself need to learn more technology that I can share with my students. I know that if I give the students these tools to work with they will be motivated which leads to success. It is my responsibility as an educator of this 21st century to teach to the best of my abilities. My abilities in technology are currently lacking, so I signed up for this course. I have to get my students ready for what they will face in the world ahead of them. If I don’t, who else will?

Thing #1

Lifelong learning is probably one of the most critical things about teaching. In my two years of being in the education system, I have witnessed far too many teachers who burn out because they do not continue to learn. Teaching, like many other fields, is constantly changing. If a teacher wants to be successful, lifelong learning is a must.

I completely agree that lifelong learning is attitudinal because you can attend plenty of PFK's and online, self-paced trainings that can be a complete waste of time if you do not take the information back and use it.

The habit that I think will be hardest for me to employ during this adventure is the application part in my classroom. Like any other teacher, I like to stick with what is safe and what has worked before. I have to get away from just getting my feet wet and move straight to jumping right in. If I do not start using these ideas in my classroom, I will be no better than the training attender who sits passively.

The habit that will be easiest for me is finding a creative way to use my new learning in the classroom setting. I am an extremely creative and innovative person. I do realize the importance of technology in the classroom. I will never use the excuse, I don't know what to do with the new things I learn. I have to let this strength build on my weakness to step out of what is comfortable.

One of the most important habits will be using the different forms of technology that can duplicate myself as a teacher. I look forward to learning about technology to include in my classroom that will let students benefit in a small group situation with the technology version of their teacher when it is not their small group turn.

I know there are strengths, weaknesses and important learnings that I will be acclimated to as this course goes on. I hope to find more things to become excited about.