I'm going to introduce my 8th graders to blogging. We'll have a class blog where each week students will be responsible for creating material to share their learning.
I've been rediscovering all the fun widgets and gadgets. Revolver Maps is one of my favorites but I'm going to have to pull out all the Tweet-stops to get views from around the world to show my students just how far their thoughts can travel.
Do I embody innovation? Yes and no!
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| On the edge... |
I know what to do. I read tweets, books, blogs. I share. I watch colleagues. I let colleagues in. I ask kids. And, I have started. I use new. I use better. But I haven't been courageous enough to go all out with new AND better.
I want to just jump in with PBL. I've been at the starting line ready to go for two years and I'm still there. I've compiled so much research, I'm overflowing with conviction. I don't mind giving up control. I want to ask the students what they choose to learn. I want them to run a restaurant. Open a bank. Design a house on Mars.
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| Nothing to lose! |
So why am I not doing it? This has been a hard week coming to terms with the answer to that question. Bottom line: I'm so focused on the details (formatives, summatives, standards, skills, groupings, accommodations, parent reactions, colleague reactions, admin reactions etc.) I can't bring myself to just do it.
What will make me go over the edge? Well, the first step is to stop seeing it as going over the edge. Nothing will be lost, only gained. Here I go...
Somedays, absolutely, others not so much.
This summer I read a question and wish I remember who asked it because it has haunted me and motivated me since. I should thank them!
In Couros' introduction of The Innovator's Mindset he challenges us life long learners and educators to empower our students to wonder, explore and become leaders.
Goal: do this! Ok, I try and have some moments of it in my classroom but what if all my mathematics classes were centered on the idea of this. What if my goal is to have them more curious than when they started.
Would they actually learn how to add fractions? My curriculum says they have to. Would they learn that x stands for a different quantity depending on the scenario? My curriculum says they have to.
Is this a leap of faith I have to take? It seems that teaching kids who are "lazy mathematics thinkers" (and I don't mean lazy) will need time to become curious. They'll have to build their math brain muscle. Will I be patient enough?
So I'm a bit more stressed about my week than I was yesterday. I don't think kids want to be in my class every day. Somedays, absolutely, others not so much.
Maybe this is the answer.
Positivity Day #3
If you don't subscribe to Casey Neistat's vlog, you should. His videos are relevant, creative, innovative and most of the time LOL funny.
How does he capture these moments? He is constantly filming. His eyes are always open. I should be too in my classes: documenting, sharing and then reflecting.
More importantly, my students should be documenting, sharing and reflecting. I hope to show them some of these videos to inspire them to document their math voice.
How do you use video in your classroom?
Positivity Day #2
If you haven't checked out Proactive Coaching on Facebook, you should. As a parent and an educator, I find their messages to be relevant and inspiring, basically: spot on.
Today was the first day back for teachers and we sat a lot. So when I came home, I went outside and played. I'm still smiling and full of energy I didn't have when I got home.
I am going to work this year on weaving play into math class and think about math homework very carefully!
How do you foster play in your math classes?
Positivity Day #1
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| http://i1289.photobucket.com/albums/b516/searchq8/TOPICS/aug-30/positivity_zps62318d43.jpg |
My pencils are sharpened, my iPad is charged and I've read my summer homework. Going to pick out my "first day of school" outfit and watch the men's 100m Olympic finals.
I toast all educators, no matter what their setting, who wake up every day for the sole purpose of raising the next generation. Happy 2016-2017!
What are you looking forward to this 2016-2017 school year?
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