Author: Sweat to Inspire

Educator and Parent

Lurking on Twitter: Voyeurism at its finest!

Posted on by Sweat to Inspire

When you hear the term voyeur, you mind starts to think about Peeping Toms, and old ladies peeking out of windows from behind curtains. The word has negative connotations. I have recently found that being a voyeur can be a good, if not a great thing.

Twitter gives it users the ability to be voyeurs. Users can lurk on twitter, following hashtags, chats and people. What I am talking about has nothing to do with intimate behavior. I am referring to following peoples thinking and learning on Twitter. Watching people engage in conversations about learning and how they learn is powerful.

On Twitter, groups of people gather to discuss a plethora of topics daily. By following people who think creatively and share openly, an voyeur can learn many wonderful thing. I have personally learned the following:

  1. How to use multiple web applications
  2. Standards based grading systems
  3. Homework policies
  4. About Digital Citizenship Resources
  5. and many more ….

I have found my most powerful learning comes from watching educational leaders and authors show how they learn on twitter. I have followed numerous chats where respected educational minds have lead the discussions and followed discussions. Where questions are asked and answered. Where a group of leaders leads each other in their own discovery of how to lead best. Twitter has the power to connect minds and it also has the power to be transparent and show the collaborative learning that true leadership comes from. Remember being a voyeur on twitter can be a great learning experience.

Simple Free Learning Tool / Quizlet

Posted on by Sweat to Inspire

This is my first review as a blogger. I hesitate for a few reasons, mainly there are many reviewers of web applications. Secondly, I do not blog to sell products, I blog to share my opinion and inform other educators of what I see and do in my classroom.

Our middle school staff has been talking lately about how to have students acquire needed content vocabulary. Students seem to understand concepts but lack the subject specific vocabulary. Over the years I have tried many different activities to help enrich students vocabulary skills, ranging from flash cards, match up games to written definitions. a few years ago, I hear about “Quizlet.com“, which is self-described as “Simple free learning tools for students and teachers.”

Quizlet comes as described: a free, simple to use tool for all. For starters, you don’t have to even sign up for an account to use all of the wonderful tools that it has to offer. So, you can try it out without signing up for an account. Nice feature. When you first arrive on the site you can search for “sets” of vocabulary by subject. It is very easy to find “sets” that others have created and you are free to use them  as you see fit.

Quizlet is set up to help student learn their vocabulary: spelling and definitions. The program will create flash cards, word games and quizzes to help a students learn. If you cannot find a “set” of vocabulary pre-made for your use, you will have to sign up for a free account and input your vocabulary based upon your needs. Often you will find some of your needed vocabulary available, which you can copy and then add the words that were not available.

A student just needs the address for your “set” of vocabulary (no account needed) to access the tools to study the vocabulary. The students can play games with the vocabulary on-line or print off flash cards to study offline. If you are working with ESL or students with speech and languages issue: Quizlet has the ability to read aloud the words and definitions. Personally, my 8-year-old son, who has apraxia has used Quizlet to help him learn to pronounce words. I have used the this feature as well when refreshing my spanish skills before a trip. The programing is able to translate to/from Spanish, English and French.  Which will help in World Language instruction.

I feel that Quizlet is a great tool that all teachers should have in their toolbox for vocabulary acquisition. If you have not checked it out please take the time to do so. The features are simple to use for students and teachers alike. I have been using it regularly with my classes this year and have seen great results.

A Teachable Moment

Posted on by Sweat to Inspire

With Hurricane Sandy approaching Monday morning during my advisory class, I decided to go off script and use the teachable moment. How often does a science teacher get to talk about the power of a hurricane and have live pictures to show? I had no lesson planned, but I know the geography of the east coast well having attend high school in Connecticut. Weather is one of the content areas I enjoy the most, and hey it is advisory class we could take the discussion anywhere. Using CNN’s and TWC’s live internet feeds to highlight the story, I only needed 2 minutes during announcement to pull up the need audio/visual aids.

Announcements end, cue up the video feed, starts by highlighting forecast for the day and when the storm will hit. Next up: closures and curfews for the NYC metro area. The broadcaster was talking about the need for people to be off streets so the emergency crews could get where they needed to be and the closing down of all of the public transportation. In my mind this was great teachable moment. The students heard about the weather threat and the need to get off the streets to a safe location. I pause the video feed to start the discussion. At first the class was concerned about what happen in New York City and the need for safety. Students were asking if this had ever happened before and many were surprised to learn that Manhattan is an island surrounded by water. Then the discussion took an unexpected turn.

A normally quiet student asked a question. I was happy since he rarely seemed interested in advisory conversations. He asked “So, if all the people are supposed to be home, wouldn’t that be a good time to break in a business?” First thought in my head was yes, so you are a budding young crook. Then I thought maybe I wasn’t hearing the question correctly. He repeated questions adding,”nobody is around, that is what happens, people get robbed.” I wanted to avoid the question but knew I had to take it on, I countered with “Well, you are right no civilians are supposed to be around since the police and national guard will be on the streets rescuing those in need.” I made sure I added, “They would be stopping all people they see, since nobody is supposed to be out and about.”

The class took my answers well and the discussion continued about hurricane and emergency preparations.

I felt I could not leave a question about theft unturned. Was my student a budding young thief or was something more at play? Later when the students were discussing items with partners. I pulled the student aside and asked about the question. Little did I know that a students family member been a victim of a robbery and he had overheard a discussion about the crime. The discussion was about how no one was around to witness the crime.

Some days a teachable moment turns into a learning opportunity for the teacher as well.

What teachers need is time

Posted on by Sweat to Inspire

What educators need in today’s schools is time. The public perspective is that teachers work from 8 to 3 (when students are in school) and they have all of the school holidays with summers off. Most publicly wish they had the teachers schedule. Teachers and Administrators alike know it just isn’t that cushy.

When students are in school, teachers are on every minute. With class sizes are running over 30 in most public schools today, a teacher never stops moving in the classroom. They have to teach the lesson, check for understanding, help students who need it, while maintaining an atmosphere that promotes learning. When teachers are lucky enough to have a prep period, they have meetings, planning to be done, papers to grade, parent phone calls to make and not to be forgotten a much-needed trip to the bathroom. A teacher’s prep period is much like most people’s work.

If that is not enough work for a teacher, when the bell rings at the end of the day, teachers begin preparing for the next. Feedback has to be given on all work turned in. Engaging lessons have to be created. Still more meeting with departments, grade level or special education  providers. Parent phone calls are still needed for those that could not be reached . Run to the store to purchase supplies needed for class. Sounds like a repeat of what is done during prep time, but you can only accomplish so much while students are in school because teachers are often interrupted. Teachers are also expected to help out and attend after school events ranging from band concerts to sports and everything in between.

So after all the school work is done teachers can enjoy their families? Well sort of, most teachers also are engaged in improving their craft. During summers, school holidays and breaks many attend professional development. Most states require a number of PD hours or college credits to stay current.

After all of this is done a teacher may enjoy their free time….. or just take a nap to get up and do it all over again.