Living & Learning

OK, so let me give you some proof of how cool Google Reader is. Take for example this post, “Physics and Athletes Team Up at Science of the Olympic Games” from Instructify. So, yes, I do know that the Olympics are going on & yes, I do try to stay updated on what is happening. In fact, I love watching the Olympics, but am not able to watch them so easily from India as I would like to. Although I am aware of the Olympics & enjoy watching them & am a physical science teacher, I never would have thought to see if there were any physics lessons out there that I could use during said Olympics.

In comes the Instructify feed from my reader & up pops a post that lets me know that there are actually teaching videos available right now about the physics behind snowboarding, figure skating, skiing, ice hockey, speed skating, etc etc etc. With real Olympic footage to boot!

I get excited to teach when I read posts like these. New ideas start popping into my mind. Things that I would not have thought about on my own. Things I would not have even know existed! As an educator, I find using my reader & locating new education blogs an invaluable source of inspiration & fun.

Can I just say how much I love Google Reader? I love it. Love it. Love it.

When I first started “getting into” my reader last year, I got totally addicted to it. In the beginning, I learned to use it for an international collaboration project and only saw it as a means to an ends. But once I started realizing that “I can add anything I want to!” to my reader, well then it just took off.

I subscribe to all sorts of websites, with categories related both to my career & to any array of my personal interests. From education to science to cooking to yoga to design to finance to travel, etc, etc, etc, I subscribe to them all with abandon. Using Google Reader has allowed me the freedom to explore anything that strikes my interest. And has given me the resources to try new things in my teaching, making me a better teacher.

Don’t you want to Google Reader now, too?

I know you do! All you need is a Gmail account & a little bit of courage to click on the ‘reader’ application & then just explore.

Warning: I will repeat myself. Google Reader is addictive. But in a good way.

OK, so I confess….I am one of those people who like to read other people blogs, but I never comment. OK, so I have actually commented 3 times. Maybe 4 times…..maybe. I guess I have just felt a bit weird about commenting actually. I mean, why do they want to know what I have to say? Who is actually going to read my comment? What is the point? BUT…..I am willing to give this a shot & find out what the point it. Who knows? Maybe I’ll become a reformed blog reader & an avid commenter eventually.

Blog Comment #1: dy/dan: “Why I Don’t Assign Homework”

I agree that if homework is simply busy work, then there is no need to assign it, but if homework is a meaningful extension of learning, then it is important & has it’s place in the learning process. But to simply not assign homework because students don’t have a tendency to complete it or because A students don’t need to do it anyway, seems to go again the point. How about assigning it only to those who do need it? And then try to make it meaningful & follow up with them immediately the next day to make sure it was completed. I know that there are different school and demographics to think about. As an international school teacher, I have a different population of students than those mentioned in this post, so what works for one group of students will not necessary apply to another group.

Blog Comment #2: Extreme Biology: “Sickle Cell Anemia Isn’t Half Bad”

Wow! What an interesting conversation that these students (& maybe other people, too) are having about the pros & cons of this disease. The people making comments are really continuing the discussion, not just agreeing or disagreeing with what is being said. That are adding and enriching it, offering bits of their own research and knowledge. What a powerful critical thinking opportunity. I am already thinking & wondering how I might be able to incorporate current events discussions into related science topics that I am teaching.

Blog Comment #3: NeverEnding Search: “PowerPoint Reform, A First Chapter”

How true! Every single teacher should read this article & have their students read it, too. We’ve all seen really bad PowerPoint presentations, but I daresay, that we have probably seen far fewer good presentations & even fewer great ones. I really like how this blog post gives us tips for making PowerpPoint presentations better & that it also gives personal feedback on their experiences with students. And for those of us who want to learn more & want to make PowerPoints interesting & compelling, there are additional resources at the bottom for us to click explore.

As an aside, I also liked the use of the word “sticky,” as in this lesson was “sticky.” I read the book Made to Stick by Chip Heath & Dan Heath, which explored the “art of making things unforgettable.” I would agree that this lesson about making powerful PowerPoint presentations is sticky. And I also recommend reading the aforementioned book.

Blog Comment #4:Wandering Ink: “How to Prevent Another Leonardo da Vinci”

This blog post certainly gives one something to think about with regard to how we teach. I agree that creativity & experimentation is not emphasized enough in day to day teaching. Maybe we are trying to teach too much the curriculum & get the right answers out of our students. But if that is our only goal, then we are losing out on the opportunity for our students to discover more about themselves. I also agree with the first comment, that Web 2.0 tools offer us new, creative approaches for students to explore what they are learning.  As a science teacher, I find it interesting that arts and sciences were seeing as connected subjects in the past, having equal value, but now they are not.

Blog Post #5: Learning.Now: “An Open Letter About Cyberbullying”

This letter, this blog post really causes one to reflect on the power of their words and the unintended consequences of one’s actions. I am sure, as Andy Carvin says, that the Wired writer did not intend to put the Stop Cyberbullying community into such ‘danger.’ But he did. And what I think is powerful about this blog post is that he not only got the attention of the magazine and the author, but he was able to get the attention of the community of blog readers, too.  The writing in this post is conversational, witty, and serious all at the same time. By allowing his personality to show through, I believe Carvin is able to reach a lot more people & prove his point.

My initial thoughts on the role of Web 2.0 in 21 century learning–I can’t think anything more current, more important, more timely, and more engaging for our students. The options, the creativity, the possibilities, to be cliche for a moment, are endless. Seriously. And it is exciting, for the students and for the teachers. It is new & there are so many possibilities! (I know, I already said that. But I mean it.)

That is most  inspiring to me about using these tools. That we are opening up avenues of expression for our students and allowing them to open up their minds & their ideas to the world. As the world becomes “smaller” & more connected, we as teachers, have to stay abreast of the changes that are occurring. We have the opportunity to help our students form opinions and make decisions  and then share them in a meaningful way. To engage our students, I believe it is important for them to interact with what they are learning. Web 2.0 applications not only give us possibilities of how to teach in our own  classroom, they also allow students to open up with all the knowledge and experience and opportunity around them.

And personally, as someone who strives to be lifelong learner, such experiences will be invaluable for me, too.

Just getting started with this blog is quite a hurdle for me to tackle. I am not quite sure why I have felt so intimidated by blogging. It has certainly been something I’ve been considering doing for the past year or two. But for one reason or the other, I have continually put it off. What will I say? Who will read my blog? What is the purpose of blogging? Do I actually want others to read what I have to say? So, I guess I have decided to throw caution to the wind & just jump in & give it a go!

So….along those lines, I think that the hardest Habit of Lifelong Learners for me will be # 7.5, “Play!” For me, it is difficult to simply let go & have fun & see where this leads. I am definitely a planner. I like to make plans for beginning to end & figure out how to get from A to B. I am a problem solver by nature & as a result, I do have a rather serious academic side to me. It will be challenging for me to remember to let go & PLAY with blogging in this course & to PLAY as I continue on the path of lifelong learning. But I do think it will be worth it.

The Habit that I see as most important is #2 to “Accept Responsibility for Your Own Learning.” If I’m not engaged in my own learning & development, then who is going to be? No one. Absolutely no one & nobody when you get right down to it. I totally believe that I am the one who holds the power over what I will be & can be & can discover & learn & develop & grow. Accepting this responsibility is essential in becoming a lifelong learner. And I think it is also a good idea to stop here & make sure I that lifelong learning is important. This has to be priority in my in order for me to make the most of the opportunities that I am given.

Of the Habits, #5 is the one that I see as the easiest for me to tackle, “Create Your Own Learning Toolbox.” I have been enjoying actively creating my “toolbox” for the last couple of years. My toolbox has grown from working with like-minded teachers at my school to exploring the educational ramblings & thoughts from other teachers I have located through Google Reader to working on global collaborative projects with teachers in other countries. I am thoroughly enjoying taking technology classes and learning how to use my IPod, how to share my pictures, how to incorporate new technology in my classroom, and, in general, how to become a better teacher. In fact, through these explorations, I came across this exact course & here I am!