Wonder

The article in the Denver Post several weeks ago, "Awaiting---still-- a renaissance of wonder" by Michal Mazenko really made me think about my students as we start another school year. Many of you have already blogged about that article (Marlys, as usual, very eloquently) but I keep thinking about it and the word "wonder". Francis Bacon said, "For all knowledge and wonder (which is the seed of knowledge) is an impression of pleasure in itself." We all have experienced the pleasure that comes with wondering about something and then pursuing it until we have gained the knowledge that we desire. Often, it seems, when you are on this quest, you just lose yourself in time and space. I feel very fortunate that this happens alot to me in the teaching profession as I'm always wondering how I can improve, what I could do differently that would benefit the students, how can I become more proficient at using technology and the list goes on. I also feel that wonder when I'm speaking Spanish, learning about antiques or pursuing photography or traveling. I must admit that during the summer when I have more time I feel that sense of wonder more.

Sometimes I feel like it really does take some downtime or at least a slower pace to truly have the time to wonder and pursue knowledge. So, how do I help my students to feel that sense of wonder about learning Spanish, especially given their busy schedules and workload? That will be a guiding question for me this year. I'm not sure if my passion for learning Spanish is enough to "light the fire". So, I wonder about how to get my students to wonder.

The future of 21C

Is it really possible that we won't have 21C next year because we don't have any funding? After I left our last meeting, I thought about the impact that 21C has had on me personally and on all the other teachers that are part of this innovative educational group and felt very dismayed that unless we get funding for next year we may not be able to continue with our mission. We should be talking about how to expand the group to other teachers to make a Cohort 3 rather than talking about how to find enough money to continue with what we have started.

I really believe that we are impacting the education of our students because of the discussions that we have and the new ideas we are implementing. Karl, you are amazing and a great leader in this endeavor.

Now, I believe it's up to all of us to help find a way to fund 21C next year. I could be over-reacting, but it seems that this is a challenge that really needs to be resolved by all of us, as soon as possible. Does anyone have the time and the experience to write a grant? Could there be a business/educational partnership? Is there any kind of a foundation that would fund 21C and maybe even (wishful thinking) provide a laptop for every student? What are the possibilities? So everyone out there in "global bloggerland" ......any ideas? Or even better yet, any money to fund a group of teachers led by an innovative educator in an amazing school who are eager to continually improve the education of our students?

Here are my thoughts about the last session:

1) Did the information presented today make sense? If not, what would have helped? What do you still need?

The information presented on del.icio.us was very interesting and useful. It really helps to see what websites other people have found that are valuable. It makes sense to share that information within a department although coordinating the use of del.icio.us might take a little time. It will still take some playing around with to see how it can be most useful in the classroom, but I definitely think it will be useful. When discussing grading in our small groups there were many ideas that made sense and can be incorporated into the overall process of evaluating grading. We just need more time and discussion to share information.

2) Were the activities today well-planned and meaningful? Be specific. If they were not, what suggestions would you make?

While I know we needed to have a meeting on our inservice day during conferences, it was still difficult because everyone was so tired with so much going on during the week. It seemed that mentors and mentees were in agreement at the end to cut their meeting time short and talk some other time. It sure gave me empathy for my students and reminded me that flexibility is important. Having said that, the time we spent in small group discussion was very valuable as it always is. It really helps to hear the ideas of other teachers. I felt like, since we focused on Tony Winger’s presentation, we didn’t really discuss the articles that we read. Since we took the time to read them, it would have been worthwhile to set the expectation that the discussion of the articles be incorporated into our small group activity.

3) What potential do you see in the information presented today for your possible use?
The idea of the “Gallery Walk” is one technique that could be incorporated into classroom instruction. As stated above, del.icio.us will be very useful in the classroom and the department. The idea of reevaluating grading is definitely something to think about and I am in the process of deciding what is important to me and what I can do differently.

4) What else do you want the planning team to know?
Personally, I value small and large group discussion in our sessions more than time to explore the Fischbowl because I can always do work on the computer at home. Thank you for all your hard work!

Take 5---Thoughts about blogging in Spanish class

After our meeting the other day I spent some time thinking about how I could use a class blog to benefit the students. I even asked my classes what they thought about blogging. Some of the students really liked it, but I was very surprised to hear many of them say that they didn't like it, that it was being overused by teachers and that they would rather hand in a piece of paper with the assignment written on it. Well, maybe they need a little more education on the power of blogging! Anyway, I think a class blog would be very helpful in Spanish to emphasize culture by setting up a link that the students could visit and respond to. I think I'd like to start out slowly by offering extra credit (which I don't usually do) for any students that respond. Also, I really liked the idea of a student being a scribe for the class and would like to try that idea.

As we start the new school year I'm really looking forward to creating a student blog. I think the students will enjoy responding to a question in Spanish for the opportunity to earn some extra credit.

The World is Flat

As I was reading The World is Flat I was searching for ideas that would impact my growth on a personal level and as an educator. There were several ideas that I think are important to keep in mind as we prepare students for the 21st century. In preparing students for jobs in the future, Friedman indicates that people need to be good at managing or interacting with other people. He says that people skills will be more valuable than computer skills. Friedman indicates that because of all the new jobs that will require a personal touch, there will be a revival in human interactive skills which have atrophied because of the Internet. He also says that education has to include character building. I agree with him and as we teach and practice constructivist methods I really want to keep in mind that my students still need training and practice in interactive skills. Most of them are already great at using technology but are lacking in some of the skills they need to successfully interface with other people.
Another idea which was important to me is having a high ethic of education. When students in India (and other countries) have intensive 7 days a week classes, have internalized the values of hard work and tenacity and have a passion for learning, how do we keep up? In addition, when I read that India is becoming the country with the most English speakers in the world, it makes me realize, yet again, how undervalued the study of languages is in the United States. I want to continue to emphasize rigor, passion and a love for learning (especially languages!!!).

First Post

First post