OOPS! Not So Fast...

After my last entry, in which I bid you all adieu, I forgot I would need to reflect on our final class! As my students would say, "Oopsies!"

I was, in a word, awed by what everyone created as their final projects. Many of them gave me such great ideas for future projects.
As I discussed in class last night, it was not just the technology use that impressed me, but the overall creativity that was shown. It brings me right back to Sir Ted Robinson, whose video on Creativity I have touted throughout this blog and on my web site. Children need to be inspired, engaged, and motivated to learn and this cannot happen without creative teaching. Yet, as we also discussed last night, creativity in teaching seems to be lacking, with many culprits pointed to such as older teachers, lack of technology, lack of time, etc. I still maintain it does not have to be that way! Look at what our class produced. It was a cornucopia of creativity! Even if we find that it is difficult to implement larger scale projects in the classroom, that should not sap our creativity in designing lessons that are engaging and authentic. I so rarely see this and it disturbs me greatly. Is it a product of the system? Will I, too, become one of these by-the-(dullest) book type teachers? Is teaching creatively or differently frowned upon?

In an earlier blog I talked a lot about how one should present new ideas in their classroom and, ultimately, to the school at large. It must be done humbly, with enthusiasm, and with the message to other teachers that they, too, can do this and that you will help them! Teachers, I have found, are usually sensitive and easily threatened. We, new teachers, must employ the most diplomatic of skills in introducing new ideas if we want to affect true change. We must cast aside ownership and temporary accolades in favor of the big picture. In short, we must collaborate with fellow teachers and make everyone feel that they had a part in whatever endeavor we are trying to push forward. And, never forget, how intimidated and terrified we felt when we began this class--that's exactly how these other teachers are feeling. Always keep that in mind!

In closing, I, again, want to say thank you for all I've learned and a special thanks to certain people in our class who took the time to help, advise, and support me throughout this journey. You all kept me going and your kindness and words of encouragement touched me more than you could know. It's a reminder of how very important encouragement is when one is trying to accomplish something difficult. I know that all of you who reached out to me will do the same for your students and that makes me so happy-as it will your students!

So, for the second, and final, time...GOODBYE and GOOD LUCK!

Not Only Survived, But Thrived!!

I am done! I have completed all my work! Now what?? I have been in such a work groove from this class that I can't imagine not living and breathing by the WebCT! Yet, I am looking forward to a break as I am completely and utterly wiped out from this last go round of work!

As you know from my last entry, I was having a terrible time coming up with a CP idea. Then, like with most good ideas, lightening struck, and I came up with Earth Day as the focal point of my plan. There is so much excellent information available on this topic, especially geared toward kids.

I designed a Treasure Hunt and a Collaborative Project. I did both because while I was working on my TH, I came across this fantastic site for kids called "Recycle City". I immediately saw its potential as a small group collaborative project. Since I was almost done with my TH, I told myself to forget about Recycle City, but I couldn't! It was just too perfect! So, that's how I ended up doing both--which, along with my lesson plan, I envision as part of a mini unit on Earth Day--with the TH being done first and Recycle City as a culminating project.

I am thrilled with the result, especially as I have never done anything like this before. For my Lesson Plan, I chose to focus on landfills and how long garbage lasts before it decomposes. This is is a fun, interesting, and important topic that can touch on several curriculum areas, depending on how you design the lesson.

Ah, writing the lesson! What a nightmare. This is not easy to do when you've never written one before. Where to begin...how about the standards? My lesson incorporates several curriculum areas and the time I spent looking for the appropriate standards, both national and state, and then adding performance indicators to each one, was unbelievable. Who writes these things?? Why are they so confusing? Or, is it just me?? I almost changed my lesson just to end the pain of figuring out so many different standards but, instead, I stuck it out and finally got it together to the best of my ability. Here's the question? Will it always be that difficult to align standards to my lessons, especially when the lesson is multidisciplinary, as this one was? Or, does it get easier with time? Please, someone, tell me it gets easier!

One thing I think would help tremendously would be to put all the standards together by grade, instead of by subject. I've already decided that once I get hired and know what grade I'm teaching, I will cut and paste all the standards together just for my grade so I don't have to pour through 13 other grade levels to find what I need. Does that make sense to anyone else? As for the rest of the lesson plan, I bet Tolstoy wrote "War and Peace" in less time than it took me to write my lesson plan. However, after all the blood, sweat, and tears, I am thrilled with the final product!

To see my lesson and my web activities, visit:

http://kerrytwtcp.pbwiki.com/ (Password is twtcp)

Yes-as you can see, I designed my CP in PB Wiki. I did this mainly because it worked very well with the collaborative component of my CP...but, as you all remember, this is NOT an easy format to work in. I spent a lot of unnecessary time working around the wackiness of Wiki. In addition, PB Wiki was having a lot of "hiccups" while I was working in it--leaving me unable to do anything for hours at a time! While I love the idea of wiki, I remain less than thrilled with the mechanics. Ah, well. Live and learn! I remain hopeful that Wiki will improve over time, making it as easy to work in as Word.

I have had a wonderful experience in this class. I recently looked at my first blog entry, which documented my utter terror and lack of confidence, and I felt such pride at what I've accomplished. Am I a digital native? No, but I'm a really competent digital immigrant, who is no longer afraid of technology--and that's really the key. I actually look forward to learning new technology now because I know I can master it. That was my biggest stumbling block and that is what this class taught me--that I can learn it, usually just by trying it! This was a profound lesson for me and one that I will pass on to my students when they feel they "can't get it"--whether "it" is reading, math, science, or technology, whatever. The same way I share with students my difficulties in math, that I have to work harder to understand it, I will share my victory in learning technology. Kids are really inspired by adult struggles in learning. They seem to believe that we (especially teachers) understand everything and never have to work at anything. I love sharing my learning struggles and my victories with students. I really believe it inspires them to try a little harder, not give up so easily, not feel incapable. So, this class came at a wonderful time for me. It reminded me of what it feels like to be a student and, more importantly, what it feels like to be a student who "doesn't get it". Maybe all teachers should, periodically, be put in a difficult learning situation. It is a humbling reminder of what many of our students face everyday and would, ideally, make us better teachers...

Children Learn What They Live By Dorothy Law Nolte, Ph.D.

If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.

If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.

If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive.

If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves.

If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy.

If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy.

If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.

If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.

If children live with tolerance, they learn patience.

If children live with praise, they learn appreciation.

If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.

If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.

If children live with recognition, they learn it is good to have a goal.

If children live with sharing, they learn generosity.

If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness.

If children live with fairness, they learn justice.

If children live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect.

If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those about them.

If children live with friendliness, they learn the world is a nice place in which to live.

Copyright © 1972 by Dorothy Law Nolte

THANK YOU AND GOODBYE!