At the start of every school year, I establish goals for myself. This year, in addition to the ones I will set, our Digital Learning team has a few goals as a group. The first of these team goals is to reflect on our practice and share that reflection publicly. As usual, our styles are shining through in our choice of reflection mediums. Some are blogging and some are "storifying" their Twitter reflections for the week, but all are reflecting and sharing.
Our second team goal is to work with more teachers utilizing the coaching cycle. I did a lot of consulting last year with teachers on the use of technology in their classroom. We are looking to follow up a little more than a consultant would, by gathering various pieces of data to help further progress being made in our classrooms.
As far as my personal goals, the first has absolutely nothing to do with my work itself, but rather with my health! My goal is to bring my lunch to school at least 4 out of the 5 days every week. The only reason I even mention this particular goal is to help keep me accountable for being successful!
My second goal would be to share my love of Educational Technology, specifically Google, with teachers in hopes that the tools provided to us through G-Suite for Education would help modify and redefine the opportunities our students have in our classrooms.
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
Friday, August 18, 2017
eeeeekkk!
This is my 18th year in education. That sounds like a really long time. I still get so excited for the beginning of school. So much planning goes into great things happening the first few weeks of school, as well as the weeks that follow those first few. The foundation that is set at the very beginning of the year carries throughout the year and can be referenced at any point in time.
My favorite discussions to have with my students at the beginning of the year include two videos and the beginning of a transformation of thought - which includes the capacity of a brain to grow and change. Just because you haven't been "good" at something doesn't mean you can't practice and improve your skills in that area. The brain is amazing.
Enjoy these two, and I would love to hear your feedback on how they relate to the classroom. One of my favorite sayings in my math classroom was "It appears you're stuck on an escalator" which would immediately help a kid realize the answer to their problem is right in front of their eyes. They just have to reframe their thinking to see it!
Stuck on an Escalator Video
Backwards Bike Video
My favorite discussions to have with my students at the beginning of the year include two videos and the beginning of a transformation of thought - which includes the capacity of a brain to grow and change. Just because you haven't been "good" at something doesn't mean you can't practice and improve your skills in that area. The brain is amazing.
Enjoy these two, and I would love to hear your feedback on how they relate to the classroom. One of my favorite sayings in my math classroom was "It appears you're stuck on an escalator" which would immediately help a kid realize the answer to their problem is right in front of their eyes. They just have to reframe their thinking to see it!
Stuck on an Escalator Video
Backwards Bike Video
Friday, August 11, 2017
Change.
We started back to school this week, with great anticipation of what the 2017-18 school year will bring for our teachers and our students. Inevitably, lots of change is happening in our district right now. We currently have an interim superintendent, and will have a new superintendent once our committee finds the right candidate to lead our district in the future. We have hired and are continuing to hire many new teachers to lead our classrooms and ignite the flame of learning in their students.
During the week before students arrive back on campus, we will host our second annual teacher conference where teachers and administrators will participate in 6 different professional learning sessions, either refreshing their knowledge on a favorite topic or participating in new learning. Either way, we will be modeling the characteristics of lifelong learning that we hope *all* of our students walk out of our doors doing.
While attending these sessions, we have to remember that learning requires change. A change in thinking, doing or believing. That's the uncomfortable part. It feels weird at first to do something different from before. However, if it doesn't feel weird, then you probably aren't making a change.
I look forward to this year of change. We will work hard. We will add new tools to our toolbox. We will fail and we will be successful. We will look back on this year in June and marvel at all of our accomplishments. Then we will rest for a few weeks and do it all over again :)
"Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing that you made the effort to become the best you are capable of becoming." - John Wooden
During the week before students arrive back on campus, we will host our second annual teacher conference where teachers and administrators will participate in 6 different professional learning sessions, either refreshing their knowledge on a favorite topic or participating in new learning. Either way, we will be modeling the characteristics of lifelong learning that we hope *all* of our students walk out of our doors doing.
While attending these sessions, we have to remember that learning requires change. A change in thinking, doing or believing. That's the uncomfortable part. It feels weird at first to do something different from before. However, if it doesn't feel weird, then you probably aren't making a change.
I look forward to this year of change. We will work hard. We will add new tools to our toolbox. We will fail and we will be successful. We will look back on this year in June and marvel at all of our accomplishments. Then we will rest for a few weeks and do it all over again :)
"Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing that you made the effort to become the best you are capable of becoming." - John Wooden
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