Well, I'm back home. So, now what?
I've spent some of my most amazing days as an educator at #ISTE10. So, now what?
I talked to some amazing people and shared ideas about education and technology. So, now what?
I'm filled to the brim with ideas to change the education world. So, now what?
I've been inspired to look at my own practices in my classroom regarding IWB's, Tech integration and teaching in general. So, now what?
I've seen what a conference and an unconference can be. So, now what?
I know not what to do with Power Point. So, now what? (Still too soon?)
I realized that I'm not alone in the edtech world. So, now what?
It's now July and I have a couple of months before I will be able to get back to school and talk about these ideas with the powers that be. So, now what?
I'm not sure where this blog post is going to be honest. Probably going to lose a few readers for that sentence, but it needs to be said because I think it sums up where I am after the conference. I feel that there is so much to be done and I have no idea where to start. In my "Man in the Mirror" post, I stated that the change that we want has to start with yourself. I still believe that MJ's song still applies here, but I'm worried trying tackle all of these issues at once will force the situation to turn into "Beat It" or possibly "Thriller". So, now what?
After my mini freak out, I realized that it is going to be just fine. I don't have to change everyone in my district tomorrow or the next day. I don't have to rewrite all of my lessons by September. I don't need to contact every person I met and follow up with conversations we had. I don't need to reinvent my teaching style overnight. I don't need to do it all. I don't need to do it alone. So, now what?
Changing education is not an uphill battle, it's an all out war. People are on their side and will continue to fight for what they think is best for students and teachers. The battles is where the teachers can start to make a difference. The battles take place in the classrooms, the schools and the districts. If you can win those battles, we can start to win the war. So, now what?
I need to pick my battles. I'm not sure which one those are going to be, but that's OK for now. Take a few days and relax as you think about the battles you are going to choose. Know that we are all on the same team and will provide support for all of the battles you choose to face. If we all choose our battles carefully, we will win the war and change the educational landscape. Do you feel better? Calm? Relaxed? Have you picked your first battle? Good. So, now what?
P.S.
I've opened up my Facebook account for a limited time to connect with my new friends. I'm the Nicholas Provenzano with the ISTE Bear in my Profile picture.
- @TheNerdyTeacher
Showing posts with label #ISTE10. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #ISTE10. Show all posts
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
#ISTE1o: See You Laters
This is the post were I get sappy and thank everyone for being awesome. I normally hate thanking people for all that they did for me because I always leave people off the list because my memory is terrible or I include people I really don't like but have to.(Which one are you?) ;-) Anyway, here are some people that you should follow on twitter if you don't because they are not only top notch educators, but they are darn good people and there are not enough of them in the world.
@ktenkely, @amandacdykes, @buzzgarwood, @web20classroom, @kylepace, @mrplough07, @ejulez, @mbteach, @tgwynn, @simoncrook, all of #VanMeter, @michellek107, @mrskpeters, @mwyman, @bethstill, @SNweco, @simpleK12 there are so many more!
All of those people, and the others my tiny brain have forgotten at the moment, are amazing educators. I cant thank them enough for taking a #ISTE newbie under their wing and sharing some important ideas about education. I cannot wait to take what I have learned and share it with my district and beyond.
Thanks to all of the new followers from #ISTE10. I hope I can keep my tweets interesting and my blog posts informative with a touch of humor. I look forward to sharing ideas with you. Do not hesitate to send me a message or @reply. I'm fired up to work with the amazing people out there. Just let me know how I can help.
If anyone questions the validity of social media in education, please send them my way. I feel I'm a great example of what social media brings to the table. I was just a nerdy guy looking for some tech ideas and stumbled upon a world of educators changing the world. No small feat, but we can all do it together and that is what social media is allowing us to do. Thanks Social Media, you rock!
I wanted to title this post Goodbyes, but I realize that this is a brief pause before we pick up right where we left off. Is it too soon to start the countdown clock to #ISTE11 Philly? Safe travels everyone!
-@TheNerdyTeacher
@ktenkely, @amandacdykes, @buzzgarwood, @web20classroom, @kylepace, @mrplough07, @ejulez, @mbteach, @tgwynn, @simoncrook, all of #VanMeter, @michellek107, @mrskpeters, @mwyman, @bethstill, @SNweco, @simpleK12 there are so many more!
All of those people, and the others my tiny brain have forgotten at the moment, are amazing educators. I cant thank them enough for taking a #ISTE newbie under their wing and sharing some important ideas about education. I cannot wait to take what I have learned and share it with my district and beyond.
Thanks to all of the new followers from #ISTE10. I hope I can keep my tweets interesting and my blog posts informative with a touch of humor. I look forward to sharing ideas with you. Do not hesitate to send me a message or @reply. I'm fired up to work with the amazing people out there. Just let me know how I can help.
If anyone questions the validity of social media in education, please send them my way. I feel I'm a great example of what social media brings to the table. I was just a nerdy guy looking for some tech ideas and stumbled upon a world of educators changing the world. No small feat, but we can all do it together and that is what social media is allowing us to do. Thanks Social Media, you rock!
I wanted to title this post Goodbyes, but I realize that this is a brief pause before we pick up right where we left off. Is it too soon to start the countdown clock to #ISTE11 Philly? Safe travels everyone!
-@TheNerdyTeacher
#ISTE10: LOL at ISTE10
I went to my favorite session of ISTE10 yesterday. It was called LOL @ ISTE: Bring Popcorn and an Open Mind. The session was run by Saul Rockman, Michael Jay (Who needs to get a twitter account ASAP!), Heidi Rogers, Ferdi Serim, Elliot Soloway and surprise guest Gary Sager. I have to tell you that my words here will not do enough justice to the comedy that took place in this session. So I'm not going to re-tell all of the jokes in the hopes of being half as funny as those guys, but I'm going to write a little bit about the importance of humor in what we do.
The panel got ready to go and Saul Rockman started off with the introductions and we were off. The jokes and quotes were flying faster than anyone could tweet them. Even on my magical iPad, I had a hard time keeping up. :-) The panel sat there exchanging barbs and snide remarks as if they have spent the past 30 years together on panels. @AmandacDykes said that was going to be me in 30 years. I can only hope that I'm nearly that smart, funny and important to sit on a panel like that. I really thought about that though and wondered who I would sit on a panel with and realized that I would be honored to sit on a panel with any of the people I have met this past week and some I still only know from Twitter. That type of connection that was on stage for LOL was evident and important. As teachers, we all have to work together and play nice. It's not easy all of the time, but find those people that you see eye to eye with and get together. From there, all thing are possible. Connections are part of what makes education work. We are told to make connections with our students, but it is equally important to make those connections with your fellow educators. So, @Tgwynn @ you game for some panel action next year?
The session continued on at a furious pace after the intorductions and Gary Stager would play his vuvuzela app when he felt like giving another speaker a hard time. They all acted like it was cast reunion of Monty Python. Some funny NYC report card quotes were placed on the screen and shared with the audience. You can find all of them here. Here are a couple that really stood out to me; "The Wheel is still turning, but the Hamster is dead." When your daughter's IQ reaches 50, you should sell." "I would not allow your students to breed." Those quotes are hilarious and we all wish we could use them for some of our students. Even though we can't, it's important to share those ideas with others. Our profession is not an easy one. I think everyone that reads this knows that to be true. Some teachers I know do not think that it's ok to laugh at the situations we encounter. I feel that if we don't laugh, we would spend too much time crying. Many of us are in districts or buildings that are dealing with so many different problems at once that is hard to choose which fire to put out first. We need to joke and laugh at some of the things that come across our desk because we need a coping mechanism. Well, a coping mechanism besides heavy drinking. I'm not saying teachers should go around making fun of students, but teachers should feel ok joking about the situations we encounter to let others know they are not alone in the absurdity. I think that this session really showed that part of education.
Michael Jay passed out 3D glasses so we could look at the important data found in grade books. Large charts of numbers were placed on the screen and nobody could read them. After putting on the glasses, we saw different words pop out at us. One that stood out was, "More Tests!" The point that he was trying to make, was that we can all read data how ever we want. It was an important idea to discuss and is worthy of it's own post, but the delivery is key. We were all able to laugh at the fact that schools are moving toward this data driven collection concepts, but the process is incredibly flawed in many cases. We needed to get a good laugh a t a serious issue and that made as all think, in 3D.
Gary Stager is awesome. Follow him on twitter at @garystager. That is all.
The LOL session ended with a group sing along. We were rolling. Oh, I should say ROTFLing right? I have never laughed so hard at a conference, keynotes excluded (Too soon?), in my entire life. It was so great to be in a session with people that shared the same sense of humor. It was even better to see some veteran educators talk about education with a comedic tone. We all need to change the educational world we live in, so why not do it while putting a smile on everyone's face?
-@TheNerdyTeacher
The panel got ready to go and Saul Rockman started off with the introductions and we were off. The jokes and quotes were flying faster than anyone could tweet them. Even on my magical iPad, I had a hard time keeping up. :-) The panel sat there exchanging barbs and snide remarks as if they have spent the past 30 years together on panels. @AmandacDykes said that was going to be me in 30 years. I can only hope that I'm nearly that smart, funny and important to sit on a panel like that. I really thought about that though and wondered who I would sit on a panel with and realized that I would be honored to sit on a panel with any of the people I have met this past week and some I still only know from Twitter. That type of connection that was on stage for LOL was evident and important. As teachers, we all have to work together and play nice. It's not easy all of the time, but find those people that you see eye to eye with and get together. From there, all thing are possible. Connections are part of what makes education work. We are told to make connections with our students, but it is equally important to make those connections with your fellow educators. So, @Tgwynn @ you game for some panel action next year?
The session continued on at a furious pace after the intorductions and Gary Stager would play his vuvuzela app when he felt like giving another speaker a hard time. They all acted like it was cast reunion of Monty Python. Some funny NYC report card quotes were placed on the screen and shared with the audience. You can find all of them here. Here are a couple that really stood out to me; "The Wheel is still turning, but the Hamster is dead." When your daughter's IQ reaches 50, you should sell." "I would not allow your students to breed." Those quotes are hilarious and we all wish we could use them for some of our students. Even though we can't, it's important to share those ideas with others. Our profession is not an easy one. I think everyone that reads this knows that to be true. Some teachers I know do not think that it's ok to laugh at the situations we encounter. I feel that if we don't laugh, we would spend too much time crying. Many of us are in districts or buildings that are dealing with so many different problems at once that is hard to choose which fire to put out first. We need to joke and laugh at some of the things that come across our desk because we need a coping mechanism. Well, a coping mechanism besides heavy drinking. I'm not saying teachers should go around making fun of students, but teachers should feel ok joking about the situations we encounter to let others know they are not alone in the absurdity. I think that this session really showed that part of education.
Michael Jay passed out 3D glasses so we could look at the important data found in grade books. Large charts of numbers were placed on the screen and nobody could read them. After putting on the glasses, we saw different words pop out at us. One that stood out was, "More Tests!" The point that he was trying to make, was that we can all read data how ever we want. It was an important idea to discuss and is worthy of it's own post, but the delivery is key. We were all able to laugh at the fact that schools are moving toward this data driven collection concepts, but the process is incredibly flawed in many cases. We needed to get a good laugh a t a serious issue and that made as all think, in 3D.
Gary Stager is awesome. Follow him on twitter at @garystager. That is all.
The LOL session ended with a group sing along. We were rolling. Oh, I should say ROTFLing right? I have never laughed so hard at a conference, keynotes excluded (Too soon?), in my entire life. It was so great to be in a session with people that shared the same sense of humor. It was even better to see some veteran educators talk about education with a comedic tone. We all need to change the educational world we live in, so why not do it while putting a smile on everyone's face?
-@TheNerdyTeacher
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
#ISTE10: Between the Sessions
I've been in Denver for 48 hours now and it has been a blast. I've been to some interesting sessions and picked up some great ideas for later blog posts and I'm booked into sessions from 12:30 until 4:30. I'm excited to see what I can take back to my school and share with those who could not make it to #ISTE10. Despite the amazing sessions, I feel like I have learned far more from the friends I have made. This post is about the time Between the Sessions.
I hate to say that there is down time between sessions because it implies that nothing is going on. That is far from the truth. People are constantly networking with people and tweeting out great ideas as they hear them or think them. We are all working to share the information we gather to everyone at all times. The best connections I have made have been made sitting right here at the Blogger's Cafe chatting it up in real time and on Twitter. One great example was a conversation I had with a new friend from Sydney, @SimonCrook.
I ran into Simon at my first ever Tweetup at Marlowe's on Sunday afternoon. We reconnected on Monday at the Google Party and he picked my brain a bit about 1:1 iPad use in schools. I have played with my iPad in my class at the end of the year and shared some of those experiences with him. The more we talked, the more ideas came to me about how I would use the iPad in the classroom. We talked for nearly 20 minutes and I feel like we both walked away with some great ideas that we can hopefully implement in our schools. Simon, you rule!That was just one of many different conversations I've had over the past couple of days.
@mbteach has a great post on Dissecting the 21st Century Teacher It's not very often that you get a chance to hear someone talk about their blog post and explain their thinking behind it. It was cool to listen to her talk about what she learned. It's something I love to see people do. That excited look on a person's face as they pass on information they love is something that I have seen plenty of times around here. Learning is contagious! Our attitude toward education will influence skeptical teachers. Those teachers will take that fire and pass it on to their students. What we learn here is important, but it must be passed on to others. Knowledge is worthless in your head. Free it up to the world. Thanks Mary Beth for the info and general awesomeness the past two days. You've got me thinking about education in different ways.
@Amandacdykes and @michellek107 have been great to hang around. These ladies know their stuff and have a great sense of humor. I always feel like I have learned something every time I walk away. Sometimes it's even edtech related. :-) I could go on about @web20classroom, @kylepace, @bethstill, @tgwynn, @mrplough07, @ktenkely, @buzzgarwood and everyone else I have chatted. They have inspired in many different ways. You have all challenged me to think about education, instruction and technology in different ways. I only hope I have brought nearly as much to the table as all of them.
I'm excited to see where the next few sessions will take me and the posts that will grow from them. I can't wait to follow the backchannel for the sessions I can't make it to. I have never been so excited about PD in my life and I hope I can bring the same enthusiasm to my district. The sessions will continue to be amazing and I will tweet the ideas that flow from them, but when it is all said and done, I will have learned so much more from the people I have met Between the Sessions.
Share your thoughts on the time Between the Sessions. What have you found valuable? Thanks for reading. :-)
-@TheNerdyTeacher
I hate to say that there is down time between sessions because it implies that nothing is going on. That is far from the truth. People are constantly networking with people and tweeting out great ideas as they hear them or think them. We are all working to share the information we gather to everyone at all times. The best connections I have made have been made sitting right here at the Blogger's Cafe chatting it up in real time and on Twitter. One great example was a conversation I had with a new friend from Sydney, @SimonCrook.
I ran into Simon at my first ever Tweetup at Marlowe's on Sunday afternoon. We reconnected on Monday at the Google Party and he picked my brain a bit about 1:1 iPad use in schools. I have played with my iPad in my class at the end of the year and shared some of those experiences with him. The more we talked, the more ideas came to me about how I would use the iPad in the classroom. We talked for nearly 20 minutes and I feel like we both walked away with some great ideas that we can hopefully implement in our schools. Simon, you rule!That was just one of many different conversations I've had over the past couple of days.
@mbteach has a great post on Dissecting the 21st Century Teacher It's not very often that you get a chance to hear someone talk about their blog post and explain their thinking behind it. It was cool to listen to her talk about what she learned. It's something I love to see people do. That excited look on a person's face as they pass on information they love is something that I have seen plenty of times around here. Learning is contagious! Our attitude toward education will influence skeptical teachers. Those teachers will take that fire and pass it on to their students. What we learn here is important, but it must be passed on to others. Knowledge is worthless in your head. Free it up to the world. Thanks Mary Beth for the info and general awesomeness the past two days. You've got me thinking about education in different ways.
@Amandacdykes and @michellek107 have been great to hang around. These ladies know their stuff and have a great sense of humor. I always feel like I have learned something every time I walk away. Sometimes it's even edtech related. :-) I could go on about @web20classroom, @kylepace, @bethstill, @tgwynn, @mrplough07, @ktenkely, @buzzgarwood and everyone else I have chatted. They have inspired in many different ways. You have all challenged me to think about education, instruction and technology in different ways. I only hope I have brought nearly as much to the table as all of them.
I'm excited to see where the next few sessions will take me and the posts that will grow from them. I can't wait to follow the backchannel for the sessions I can't make it to. I have never been so excited about PD in my life and I hope I can bring the same enthusiasm to my district. The sessions will continue to be amazing and I will tweet the ideas that flow from them, but when it is all said and done, I will have learned so much more from the people I have met Between the Sessions.
Share your thoughts on the time Between the Sessions. What have you found valuable? Thanks for reading. :-)
-@TheNerdyTeacher
#ISTE10: Man in the Mirror
I was sitting at #ISTE blogging and listening to music the other day when Michael Jackson's song, "Man in the Mirror" and made me think a little abbot about what teachers do and what the educators at #ISTE10 are doing.
"If you want to make the world a better place/Take a look at yourself and then make a change."
This was the lyric that stood out most to me. I had a moment in the classroom where I realized that I could do more. After another MC test, I was frustrated that my students were not getting the material. Students in previous years were taught the same way and took the same test and did just fine. Clearly, the problem had to be with the students. Well, I was right and wrong. The "problem" was the students. They were not the same students from years past. It might have only been five years, but that is a generation in school years. It jus thit me that I needed to change the way I did things. Once I forced myself to evaluate my pracitces for one lesson, I started to look at my others lessons, then my units, then my projects, then my carreer. I decided that I was going to change the way I have taught for years because a teacher cannot remain static. I then decided to take my change and share it with the world. Now I'm at #ISTE10 surrounded by educators that want to "Make a change" as much as I do.
As the educators of #ISTE10 move from session to session, all of us have looked in the mirror and decided to start with ourselves. We need to be the change so we can make the change. The change can be small, district based movements or they can be large, conference based sessions. I've seen educators learn from others and it brings me the same joy as watching a students "get" a concept for the first time. The fact that we are all here shows that we are starting to make the change to make the educational world a better place.
Now, you don't have to be at #ISTE10 to start the change in yourself. Start small. Reading this blog is one way to change. Follow amazing educators on twitter. Follow the #ISTE10 stream to see what others have to say about sessions and best practices.
Being an educator is about having the passion to not only teach, but to learn. We all need to strive to grow and the Internet has allowed us to all come to gather through Social Media to accomplish that task. Do not be overwhelmed by the scope of #ISTE10, just stop and focus on the "Man in the Mirror" and you can be part of the educational change.
Let me hear about your thoughts on making the change and what made you decide to do it. Thanks for reading and I hope to share ideas with you in the future.
- @TheNerdyTeacher
"If you want to make the world a better place/Take a look at yourself and then make a change."
This was the lyric that stood out most to me. I had a moment in the classroom where I realized that I could do more. After another MC test, I was frustrated that my students were not getting the material. Students in previous years were taught the same way and took the same test and did just fine. Clearly, the problem had to be with the students. Well, I was right and wrong. The "problem" was the students. They were not the same students from years past. It might have only been five years, but that is a generation in school years. It jus thit me that I needed to change the way I did things. Once I forced myself to evaluate my pracitces for one lesson, I started to look at my others lessons, then my units, then my projects, then my carreer. I decided that I was going to change the way I have taught for years because a teacher cannot remain static. I then decided to take my change and share it with the world. Now I'm at #ISTE10 surrounded by educators that want to "Make a change" as much as I do.
As the educators of #ISTE10 move from session to session, all of us have looked in the mirror and decided to start with ourselves. We need to be the change so we can make the change. The change can be small, district based movements or they can be large, conference based sessions. I've seen educators learn from others and it brings me the same joy as watching a students "get" a concept for the first time. The fact that we are all here shows that we are starting to make the change to make the educational world a better place.
Now, you don't have to be at #ISTE10 to start the change in yourself. Start small. Reading this blog is one way to change. Follow amazing educators on twitter. Follow the #ISTE10 stream to see what others have to say about sessions and best practices.
Being an educator is about having the passion to not only teach, but to learn. We all need to strive to grow and the Internet has allowed us to all come to gather through Social Media to accomplish that task. Do not be overwhelmed by the scope of #ISTE10, just stop and focus on the "Man in the Mirror" and you can be part of the educational change.
Let me hear about your thoughts on making the change and what made you decide to do it. Thanks for reading and I hope to share ideas with you in the future.
- @TheNerdyTeacher
Monday, June 28, 2010
#ISTE Session on Classrom Creativity
I attended the Creativity in the Classroom presented by @GaryStager. I like to think of myself as a creative person. I can't draw beyond stick figures, but I like to create. I went into teaching because it allowed me to create lessons and projects. That freedom is something I cherish and worry about as my school, and others, continue to move more and more toward standardized lessons and curriculum. These are a few ideas that stood out to me and my thoughts on them. You can find more information on Gary's site here www.stager.org/iste
Can we ask and expect more from children?
I know that sometimes I'm guilty of setting the bar too low for students at times. I focus on my desire to see them do well instead of forcing them to grow and possibly fail. I think it's ok to challenge students because they can achieve almost anything we put in front of them. We have to be ok to allow students to fail, as long as we don't set them up to fail. It's time that we ask more of our students because if we don't, who will?
Is a quiet child an engaged child?
Raise your hand if you have given quiet time to students and assumed they were on task with their work. As I put my hand down to continue to type this post, I'm guessing many others had their hand raised as well. Don't get me wrong, there is some benefit to allowing kids to have time to work on time, but how does being quiet equal engagement? Creation is a loud process. I talk aloud. @Tgwynn is looking at me from time to time because I speak out loud while typing sometimes. Let the kids talk! Let them move around. Let them write on the board. If a teacher has solid classroom management skills, there should never be a problem allowing kids to be noisy while being engaged. I'm kicking myself over all of the times I've told kids to quiet down as they worked in groups creating projects. Having a quiet kid is not the answer to engagement. Plus, I was usually up to no good when I was too quiet.
Making things is better than being passive.
Duh! We learn when we create. We learn when we attempt to create and fail. Sitting and listening to the teacher is not helping anyone. Allow the students to be active participants in the learning. Let them create a lesson. Let them design their project or essay rubric. Let them be a stakeholder in their learning.
Creativity 2.0 takes time.
The curriculum in some schools is so jammed pack, we are at a rush to hit them with everything and hope that something sticks. True learning happens when students are allowed to emerse themselves in the content. Some of my best results from students came when I allowed them weeks to create their project and present it. I saw growth. I saw learning. It took time, but the kids walked away with memories and new knowledge.
Creativity requires teacher autonomy.
Hey admins, get off our backs! You hired us because you thought we were the best person for the job, so let us do our job. I fear that there will be a day that districts will start handing out approved lessn plans to assure that everyone teaches the exact same thing the exact same way so test scores will be great. I love the freedom to create. Why do we want to take that gift away from students?
All media creation mirrors the writing process.
OMG! Yes it does! I never ever thought of it that way. As an English teacher I should have seen this. This means there is no excuse not to work with media creation in any class. The writing process is important and can be used as a way to help those students who might think they are not creative. We stress the writing process to their kids as an important skill to have for college. Isn't Media Creation just as important to students as they head off to college and the job market? It really is time to start looking at what we do as teachers and see how they apply to the new media out there. We don't need to change everything, but maybe we need to tweak what we have.
Creativity is so important in the world of education and the world in general. We cannot stifle our students creativity. We need to allow them to feel like it's ok to create and be different. I would hate to create a group of students that will end up being stagnant thinkers or creators. We need them to create the net great change. We have to encourage this thinking to make the world a better place. That might seem a bit sappy, but I feel that is my job and I'm starting to today. Old lesson plans look out, you are about to get a dose of creativity Nerdy Teacher style!
-@TheNerdyTeacher
Can we ask and expect more from children?
I know that sometimes I'm guilty of setting the bar too low for students at times. I focus on my desire to see them do well instead of forcing them to grow and possibly fail. I think it's ok to challenge students because they can achieve almost anything we put in front of them. We have to be ok to allow students to fail, as long as we don't set them up to fail. It's time that we ask more of our students because if we don't, who will?
Is a quiet child an engaged child?
Raise your hand if you have given quiet time to students and assumed they were on task with their work. As I put my hand down to continue to type this post, I'm guessing many others had their hand raised as well. Don't get me wrong, there is some benefit to allowing kids to have time to work on time, but how does being quiet equal engagement? Creation is a loud process. I talk aloud. @Tgwynn is looking at me from time to time because I speak out loud while typing sometimes. Let the kids talk! Let them move around. Let them write on the board. If a teacher has solid classroom management skills, there should never be a problem allowing kids to be noisy while being engaged. I'm kicking myself over all of the times I've told kids to quiet down as they worked in groups creating projects. Having a quiet kid is not the answer to engagement. Plus, I was usually up to no good when I was too quiet.
Making things is better than being passive.
Duh! We learn when we create. We learn when we attempt to create and fail. Sitting and listening to the teacher is not helping anyone. Allow the students to be active participants in the learning. Let them create a lesson. Let them design their project or essay rubric. Let them be a stakeholder in their learning.
Creativity 2.0 takes time.
The curriculum in some schools is so jammed pack, we are at a rush to hit them with everything and hope that something sticks. True learning happens when students are allowed to emerse themselves in the content. Some of my best results from students came when I allowed them weeks to create their project and present it. I saw growth. I saw learning. It took time, but the kids walked away with memories and new knowledge.
Creativity requires teacher autonomy.
Hey admins, get off our backs! You hired us because you thought we were the best person for the job, so let us do our job. I fear that there will be a day that districts will start handing out approved lessn plans to assure that everyone teaches the exact same thing the exact same way so test scores will be great. I love the freedom to create. Why do we want to take that gift away from students?
All media creation mirrors the writing process.
OMG! Yes it does! I never ever thought of it that way. As an English teacher I should have seen this. This means there is no excuse not to work with media creation in any class. The writing process is important and can be used as a way to help those students who might think they are not creative. We stress the writing process to their kids as an important skill to have for college. Isn't Media Creation just as important to students as they head off to college and the job market? It really is time to start looking at what we do as teachers and see how they apply to the new media out there. We don't need to change everything, but maybe we need to tweak what we have.
Creativity is so important in the world of education and the world in general. We cannot stifle our students creativity. We need to allow them to feel like it's ok to create and be different. I would hate to create a group of students that will end up being stagnant thinkers or creators. We need them to create the net great change. We have to encourage this thinking to make the world a better place. That might seem a bit sappy, but I feel that is my job and I'm starting to today. Old lesson plans look out, you are about to get a dose of creativity Nerdy Teacher style!
-@TheNerdyTeacher
#ISTE10: Friendship Formed in the Clouds
I just read a great post from @web20classroom and it made me think about friendships made through social media. Are these people less of a friend because I talk with them through twitter, email, blogs, Skype, etc? I think I might actually be in contact with them more regularly than my face to face friends.
Having arrived in Denver I have never felt out of place or alone Some people question the "realness" of friendships formed in the clouds. Can they last? I think that if we all taught in the same district, we would all be very close friends because friendship are not about where you met, they are about what keeps you together. We all share a core belief in education and technology and want nothing more than to change the landscape for the students of today and tomorrow.
I would never classify these people as "Social Media" friends. They are just friends. How do you feel about your friends from the cloud?
Off to a session! Tweet ya later!
-@TheNerdyTeacher
Having arrived in Denver I have never felt out of place or alone Some people question the "realness" of friendships formed in the clouds. Can they last? I think that if we all taught in the same district, we would all be very close friends because friendship are not about where you met, they are about what keeps you together. We all share a core belief in education and technology and want nothing more than to change the landscape for the students of today and tomorrow.
I would never classify these people as "Social Media" friends. They are just friends. How do you feel about your friends from the cloud?
Off to a session! Tweet ya later!
-@TheNerdyTeacher
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
#ISTE and My PLN
The Twitter edu-world has seen ISTE chatter pick up over the past few days and I have to say that I'm excited about it. I started blogging and tweeting 6 months ago and have learned so much in that that short period of time. I never would have guessed that I would be attending a huge conference in Denver. I'm very excited about the different parts of the conference I will be attending and the new ideas I will be bringing back to my district. To be surrounded by so many like minded people is very exciting. It will be the best PD I could ever imagine attending. Despite the excitement that ISTE brings, I cannot pretend that it is the part I'm looking forward to most.
My PLN is awesome! I am so excited for all of the tweet-ups I have scheduled and will be scheduling. I'm meeting with some #edcamp Tweeps to talk about all things #edcamp and #nerd related. I have an 80's Movie Crew Tweet-up that plans to be epic! I will finally get to meet face to face with so many of the amazing people I have been learning from day to day. I learn so much when I go through my Reader and see the thoughts and ideas of other amazing educators. Seeing these Tweeps face to face will be weird for a moment, but it will solidify a connection formed miles away. I will admit that I do have some questions about meeting these people though.
Isn't weird that I will have to tell everyone my name is Nick and not @TheNerdyTeacher?
Do you hug, guy hug, half hug, high-five, handshake etc. when you meet a Twitter friend?
What will these people look like from the chin down?
What if their head is actually proportional to their Avatar?
Should I tweet the people that are standing next to me?
How long into ISTE is it OK to refer to people as, "My brother from another mother?"
Is it weird to say that to a girl?
What if I blank on the name of the show Mario Lopez was on before he starred as Albert Clifford on Saved By The Bell? (P.S. It's Kids Incorporated)
What if I am not all of the Nerd that I have built myself up to be?
Despite all of this anxiety, I know that the members of my PLN will be awesome and help me through what nerdy lapses I might have. If you are attending ISTE, please send me a tweet because I would love to meet you and say hi and put a real body to that Twitter ID.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
My PLN is awesome! I am so excited for all of the tweet-ups I have scheduled and will be scheduling. I'm meeting with some #edcamp Tweeps to talk about all things #edcamp and #nerd related. I have an 80's Movie Crew Tweet-up that plans to be epic! I will finally get to meet face to face with so many of the amazing people I have been learning from day to day. I learn so much when I go through my Reader and see the thoughts and ideas of other amazing educators. Seeing these Tweeps face to face will be weird for a moment, but it will solidify a connection formed miles away. I will admit that I do have some questions about meeting these people though.
Isn't weird that I will have to tell everyone my name is Nick and not @TheNerdyTeacher?
Do you hug, guy hug, half hug, high-five, handshake etc. when you meet a Twitter friend?
What will these people look like from the chin down?
What if their head is actually proportional to their Avatar?
Should I tweet the people that are standing next to me?
How long into ISTE is it OK to refer to people as, "My brother from another mother?"
Is it weird to say that to a girl?
What if I blank on the name of the show Mario Lopez was on before he starred as Albert Clifford on Saved By The Bell? (P.S. It's Kids Incorporated)
What if I am not all of the Nerd that I have built myself up to be?
Despite all of this anxiety, I know that the members of my PLN will be awesome and help me through what nerdy lapses I might have. If you are attending ISTE, please send me a tweet because I would love to meet you and say hi and put a real body to that Twitter ID.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
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