Category: collaboration

Why Connect as an educator?

Posted on by Sweat to Inspire

I am often asked my by my peers in teaching, “Why Connect?” I can always refer them to Ainissa Ramirez’s great post about “Smashing Silos“.  I can talk about how I felt “on an island” when I started teaching. I feel the best way to explain why an educator should be connected is by modeling the process and showing what can occur when connected.

Having been on twitter for a little over a year and half, I have started following/connecting with many wonderful educators. Last August at the urging of my friends at Engaging Educators, I started a middle school chat #mschat. As I began to get my feet wet as a connected educator, I found a friendly place where educators openly share, give positive advice and collaborate. It was so much more than I had imagined. It gives you the choice to participate or lurk. To be actively involved in the community or just visit from time to time. No one judging you based on activity, just a large group of friends meeting you where you are in your participation and skill. In many ways similar to how our classrooms should be. 

Today, it all clicked: Working in Michigan I have had the great opportunity to attend a few  of Nicholas Provenzano’s (The Nerdy Teacher) presentations. On his feed I had noticed he was giving a Keynote Address along with Timothy Gwynn at The Greater Clark Connected Conference. I was thinking how great it must be to attend conferences in the summer and continue learning. Here I am in my PJ’s, making coffee with my 4 year old twins watching morning cartoons. Then I noticed a tweet by Jeffery Bradbury, the Keynote was going to be broadcast live by Teacher Cast TV . I had to check it out!! 

Being “Connected” means you are only an internet connection away from learning. No opportunities are missed. You DON’T have to wait for PD that someone thinks you need, YOU FIND PD your students need you to have!! As the organizer, Brett Clark, of #GCCC13 clearly  stated in the opening of the conference, “You challenge yourself to be a better teacher this year than you were last year!”   Timothy Gwynn said it best, “Twitter is the instruction manual to teaching.” Being connected gives you the answers to all of your “HOW TO…” questions as teachers.

Being connected allowed me to be inspired and motivated to return to the classroom with five weeks of summer vacation ahead of me. All in the comfort of my PJs, while sipping coffee with my kids this morning. When someone tells me they don’t have time to be connected! I tell them they don’t have time not to be connected!

If you are still a skeptic, listen to this 11-year explain why being connected is important . (From #GCCC13)

 

#AMLE Institute for Middle Level Leadership

Posted on by Sweat to Inspire

Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE)

While many teachers are enjoying the first weeks of summer break and the relaxation that comes after a successful school year, many school teachers and leaders are actively learning. AMLE holds an Institute for Middle Level Leadership twice during the summer. The institute helps leaders reflect on their practices and collaborate with others leaders. Many of the activities revolve around “unpacking” This We Believe:  Keys to Educating Young Adolescents, the AMLE landmark position paper. I have been following the event on twitter. Have been observing great ideas emerge from the conference. I hope some day to be able to attend.  Below is the link to an archive of tweets.

[View the story “#AMLELI13 Tweets from Leadership Conference” on Storify]

Technology advice to pre-service teachers!

Posted on by Sweat to Inspire

I am presenting tomorrow night to a group of pre-service teachers. I was wondering what advice my readers might have about technology. I remember when I was “trained” to be a teacher, I learned about Hyper-card studio. Where does that get me now? Absolutely nowhere. Most teachers learn about technology the old-fashion way: on their own. I hope to have some good ideas to share with the young budding teachers to help put them on the right track. Please fill-out the google form below to help out:

 

Duck Dynasty Math, Science infused instruction!

Posted on by Sweat to Inspire

It started this morning. Where will it end?

I awoke this morning with childcare duties on my mind. Amy, my wife was off at 8 AM to help coach our 8-year-old son Griffin and his Science Olympiad Team. My duties were to feed and entertain our 4-year old twins Gavin and Grace. Grace awoke as her mom and brother were heading out the door. After a quick breakfast she started playing independently. I headed up stairs to check on Gavin, finding him snoring away, I quickly checked my e-mail and twitter account.

On twitter I noticed the #satchat had started. I joined in a with a few comments and became engaged. As #satchat wound down, I saw a great discussion starting in #rechat. All about metaphors in education. I feel that metaphors are powerful and needed to help connect and engage students in their learning. John Spencer was leading a great conversation about the need to think carefully about metaphors used in education. Their power can be helpful and also harmful if used inappropriately. As I followed the conversation stream, Barbara Madden talked about the metaphors found in the reality show Duck Dynasty. She even shared a math problem created for her class connected to the television show.  We both shared out love for the show. Talked about writing a blog post about how we could connect student learning to the ideas presented in Duck Dynasty. I commented on how I would love to “read” a blog about these lessons.

At this point Math Minds had joined in the conversation on how great Duck Dynasty would be to connect students to their learning. Conversation moved to the creation of duck calls in the classroom. Seemed similar to the “straw” recorders built in my science classroom. To create the correct sound to call in a bird, frequency will have to be taken into account. Math and Science were coming together on Duck Dynasty. Needed to be merged together in our connected lessons. As Gavin walked into the kitchen to be served his breakfast, blog posts about lessons turned into an e-book. I was going to be an author? I, the teacher who tells his students that he is not a strong writer, is going to write a book.

Scares me a bit, but I am not doing this alone. This is going to be a great collaborative project. Three Twitter teachers are starting off with the goal of creating a math and science infused instructional book based upon a reality show. We are focusing on the areas where we have “expertise”.  If any other teachers feel so inspired by Duck Dynasty that they want to join us, welcome aboard. Contact us and share lessons you would like to see used in the classroom. Who knows where this project will lead. Who knows where this project will lead. Great Blog posts for sure, a book will ultimately be pieced together. After that who knows! Maybe even a meeting with the Duck Commander Crew!!

Stay tuned in a see where it goes. At least now I can buy Duck Dynasty DVDs and write them off on my taxes.

Why I like twitter to be a connected educator!

Posted on by Sweat to Inspire

Two years ago, I thought Twitter was  source of gossip. Filled with advertising, celebrities and people who just wanted to be up on the current rumors and goings on in Hollywood.

After having a conversation with a fellow teacher while eating chicken wings and watching the NCAA tournament, I was convinced to give it a second look. It started slow. I didn’t know who to follow. What to do. After spending some time as a lurker ( sometimes even feeling dirty for doing so). I started participating. I participated in chats. I developed relationships.

Yes, relationships. I meet people online and engaged in meaningful conversations. Fellow teachers were sharing what was going on in their classrooms. I listened, learned and then started sharing my story. Looking for a chat for middle level educators, I noticed a void. After some pushes and promises of help from friends. #MSCHAT was started in August of 2012. My network of educators has grown from the 40 teachers in my building to the hundreds or even thousands I interact with on Twitter.

Now as I approach 10,000 tweet milestone, I have been asked why twitter? Why not Facebook, Tumbr, Google + or any other online community? Twitter is simple. I don’t need to write or produce many things. Just 148 characters. I can lurk if I don’t want to be seen. My activity is not judged by logins, posts or friendships. It is an on-demand PLN, no strings attached. Best of all Twitter is kind, caring and helpful. I can’t remember an unkind word, discouragement, or rudeness on Twitter from educators. Everyone is helpful. They will point you in the right direction if they can’t help. I feel it is a wonderful community of learners, working together to become better educators.

I always say their are a million ways to skin a cat. Twitter is my preferred way to connect as an educator. Try it! If you don’t find it to your liking, there are many other ways to connect.

Teacher Rock Stars?

Posted on by Sweat to Inspire

I have been hearing of the concept of “Teacher Rock Stars” on twitter lately. I really wonder what it is about. I feel so many teachers do great things. Teachers have to be engaging, playing to a captive audience. So are teachers “Jailhouse Rock Stars”? 

Many teachers are stars that don’t want to shine in public. I talk to so many teachers that feel that “it is my job to get the best and perform at the highest level, I don’t need to make it public or get attention.” Just like the garage/indie band that plays awesome music that few hear the music. Education has thousands of teachers that produce incredible results, that are never recognized as stars in their field. 

It would be a novel concept to have a tour bus travel from school to school filled with incredible teachers presenting engaging lessons. This would create one-time learning events. Is that what society wants? Society needs modeling that presents life-long learning is needed by ALL. Society also needs to recognize it takes all types of music to make the world go around.

Some teachers will be the popular stars of the day, like Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber. Students will flock to their classes and not want to leave. Others will be focused on the classics like Elvis or the Beatles. Students might not like sweating to the oldies but society dictates that this education is also needed and valued. A few teachers might venture into the unknown and find new techniques that amaze learners and challenge the status quo.

All teachers are “rock stars” since they have dedicated their lives to making a difference in children’s lives. Teachers expose students to many different types of music, challenging them to find one to emulate. 

If only teachers could be paid like rock stars!!