Yeah, but how does this impact me?

Be honest- how many times a week (or in a day) do you say "remember that ____________ episode (Friends, Seinfeld, Everyone Loves Raymond, etc)" to your friends?  Ever say it in class? Well, I have have.   I am quickly reminded that those sweet children in your class- do not know Kramer, Rachel or Frank Barrone!   The point Is you MUST make learning meaningful for your students.  

I am at a conference this weekend and there are thousands of people there.   You can easily pick out THOSE people (elementary teachers) eager to sing in professional development.  While MY people (secondary) sit in the back sending off "these seats are taken" vibes.  And you can quickly assess if a session is too ___________ for me.  This doesn't pertain to my content or my school does it this way.  If we wish strangers to alter their professional development for our interest then is it really too much for us to do with our students?   I had created senerios about content using popular boy bands, tv shows and student names.  The students pay attention because it is "their" stuff and if they pay attention you have a win win!  Does it require time to update yearly?  Yes, but far less than reteaching an entire lesson.   The next time you are in front of your class staring at blank faces.....stop and don't utter "Did you ever see...." Instead take a second and find an example that brings true relevance for them to the content.  Our relevant examples are unnecessary.  You, after all, already understand the content.  

Until next week.... 

Kj

Wait, this is learning? I will stop!

My family and I are on vacation this week.  And our daughter, a seven year old diva, was pretty adamant to NOT learn anything during the trip to the horror of her teacher parents.  This got me thinking.  If our daughter; a kid who has opportunities and experiences at her fingertips, does not see the excitement of learning then are we naive to think children of poverty would be thrilled at learning new things?  

I think we, as educators, need to keep this in mind.  Kids are learning all day long.  They just don't realize it.  Our diva was playing a game called "Bad piggy." I watched her playing and saw her inventing ways to get this pig over hills and other obstacles. When she couldn't get it just right she consulted a book of ideas and revamped her inventions and tried again.  Finally, I said diva don't you know you are learning.  She was shocked and quickly put away the game!  ( okay I made that last part up)  She was also learning when my husband told us his research about Equador while watching the game during the World Cup.  Tomorrow, we will learn during our Eco- Dolphin Cruise.  And the only learning the diva was okay with will take place during turtle school.  None of these experiences took place in a classroom or in a desk nor did any of it utilize pen or paper.  But learning took place.  

All this to say- we really ought to put more effort into finding ways to engage students intrinsically to learn more about what they like.   If we step out of boxes about what is learning- maybe our children will follow.  

Get By With A Little Help From My Friends

Collaboration.  A word that is thrown around a lot in education these days.  It is expected that our classes effectively use collaboration among our students.  My question is-How often do we effectively use it ourselves?  Today, I called a friend (tech genius) to make sure I was correctly using an app.  We discussed the process and within two minutes I was now an "expert" on it.   It was a painless process.  I mean who doesn't like to chat with a friend?  

 We are educators it is in our nature to help.  So why not rely on those around you to bounce off ideas, classroom struggles and celebrate successes together.   In doing so, we will be able to better guide our students through true collaboration and understand its benefits. Beating your head against the wall is soooooooooooo 20th Century.  We have countless ways to connect with others near us or even across the world, to learn and work together to find solutions to our problems.  I challenge you the next time you are stuck on a problem.  Seek out a respectful co-worker, mentor or expert oceans away and learn from them.  Who knows, before you know it.  Someone might be seeking YOU out for advice for their issues..  

Feeling out of touch with technology?

Technology has definitely been the buzz word for 2014.  As I began planning for my Google Docs training I reflected about how my own teaching has changed throughout my nine years in the classroom.  My first year, you can hook your computer up to a TV (what!?!?!?!) and I used overhead transparencies (zzzzzz).  The biggest catalyst for that change has been technology.  My classes are so much more enjoyable because of what I have access to with technology-both hardware and software.  I am thankful for the technology and enjoy using it. 

However, having said that there has been a definite learning curve.  Just when you feel like you "get" something another cool idea or program comes out.  It is difficult to not feel out of touch-like the bus is speeding off and you are holding onto the bumper!  If you feel this way, I encourage you to take some summer training on technology and get ahead of the curve.  Yes, we all want our summer to be "school free" but the reality is when school starts exploring new options and best laid plans are set aside for the day to day task.  CISD has numerous options for training, search YouTube for ideas or spend 5 minutes a day playing around with new apps or reading a technology in education blog.  Doing so, will likely help you enjoy technology a little more and get excited about it for the fall. 

Enjoy your summer!  Until next week....

Kelly James