Monthly Archives: July 2010

Breaking walls, feeding passion

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I went to school today. Does that sound strange? I guess it’s not what most teachers are doing in mid-July… Don’t get me wrong, we did make it to the beach later in the afternoon, but after yesterday’s #elemchat, I just felt like I needed to reconnect with my classroom. There were so many new and renewed ideas swimming around in my head, I just had to release them in the space where they will hopefully grow and flourish.

The #elemchat topic was Differentiation: What models, strategies, techniques and tools to deliver “just right” instruction? When the #elemchat community voted for this particular subject, I was elated. Differentiation is something that I have done to some extent but am hoping to be doing more of, in a more methodical and systematic way. That said, I must admit that I was really glad that the moderation of #elemchat is a team effort, as I am certainly no expert in that domain. Without exaggeration, the #elemchat team is the best possible team ever. Dynamic and forward-thinking yet modest to a fault, they have won my utmost respect and admiration in the very short time we’ve known each other. Nancy spearheaded the moderation of this particular topic, preparing a list of thought-provoking questions that only an educator with plenty of experience with differentiation could have come up with.

The chat was the coming together of educators who are dedicated to providing the best possible experiences and opportunities for students. The excitement stayed with me long after the chat was over. I look forward to helping to work on the summary (thank you for the head start Dorie!) as a way to revisit the wealth of ideas and resources shared and reflect on how I can improve my practice to, as Louise put it, “deliver ‘just right’ learning for students”.

It’s remarkable how quickly and profoundly Twitter has made a difference in my professional life. Through it, I have discovered a community of educators who share a steady stream of high calibre resources and ideas. For me, the most exceptional quality of building a PLN and using Twitter has been the tone – consistently positive and constructive, it shines in stark contrast to the negative venting and complaining that often takes place in staff rooms. I once read somewhere (can’t remember where, though would love to credit) that Facebook is for connecting with people you went to school with, whereas Twitter is for connecting with people you wish you’d gone to school with. Though I have the immense privilege of working on a beautiful campus with a great staff, I am also grateful to be breaking down walls to, as Eddie put it, “learn alongside” my PLN. I love teaching, and I love learning – it’s what I do, it’s who I am… and my PLN feeds that passion. Thank you.

As I walked through the magnificent campus that I call my “work place”, I met up with some colleagues who were on their way to the pool. When they asked me what I’ve been doing this summer, I found myself relating my experiences with recent Twitter chats (#elemchat, but also #mathchat and #scichat) with a degree of animation and enthusiasm that startled even me. One person even said to me “Wow, I’d like to be a fifth grader next year!” Then, to top it off, I walked into my classroom and found beautiful, new furniture (pictures to come!) tables, book display unit… Magnificent! So… how many days until we start? My heart is thumping with eager anticipation. Thank you, #elemchat team, community and PLN for being there when walls were broken and for fueling the fire that powers my teaching.

Inaugurating #elemchat

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Thursday, July 8th, 2010 marked the first ever #elemchat on Twitter. It was, to say the least, an exhilarating experience, which left my adrenaline pumping long after the hour was over.

The idea for #elemchat was inspired by the splendid weekly Twitter “incontournable” (“must”) that is #edchat, facilitated by an outstanding team who will, in my opinion, have a hand in creating significant changes education.

My reasons for wanting to help start #elemchat were really quite selfish – I was hoping to learn from other teachers, get some leads of effective strategies and approaches to improve my own teaching. The first stroke of luck was finding some fantastic educators who were up for it. I can’t begin to thank enough @louwinsr @NancyTeaches and @thompseg (in no particular order except alphabetical) for being willing to jump in with both feet. We’ve never met and yet they already have a special place in my heart.

The second fortuitous event was having @suzieboss, Edutopia’s PBL camp facilitator, agree to lead our first discussion on Project Based Learning. What better way to start a conversation than with an expert? In the days that led up to the first #elemchat, my eagerness and anticipation grew exponentially, though I was occasionally seized with moments of anxiety – the expectations were high – would everything work out ok? We had educators from around the world planning to participate – would we be able to interpret the time zones correctly (not as easy as it seems) and not leave anyone out?

My anxieties vanished as the chat began. It was such a magnificent moment, connecting with forward-thinking educators and sharing questions, ideas… sharing a passion for teaching. As I wrote the summary (found here, format adapted from #edchat with permission, thanks to @ShellTerrell and @rliberni), my awe at the calibre of the contributions but grew. It is with eager anticipation that I look forward to the next #elemchat, and the next one after that. I hope that it will grow and take on a life of its own, fueled by the spirit of the educators who contribute to it. I look forward to learning and growing with people who, strangely enough, seem closer to me than some of my face-to-face colleagues. It will be an awesome learning journey, and I’m thankful to be aboard in such great company.

K-12 and Higher Ed – What I learned from #edchat

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Though #edchat is relatively recent for me (only in the past couple of months), I have quickly become very enthused with the lively conversations from which I learn so much. Beautifully organized, it works like a well oiled machine. The topics are carefully chosen to spark dialogue and lively exchanges, and everyone plays a part. It is now a huge weekly event that still retains a welcoming, personal feel to it. Fast and furious, it’s the coming together of passionate educators who love to share and learn.

Recently, I had the opportunity, an immense honor, to write the #edchat summary for the topic: How Can K12 and Higher Ed Work Together Better to Promote Positive Change in Education (if interested, read here).  It was a challenge, and I wasn’t sure I was up to it (with all the high caliber contributors, why pick ‘lil ol’ me? I’m certainly no expert!), but I guess that’s part of the strategy to empower a growing community.

After struggling to find the right words to summarize, select the right tweets to quote, I really felt like I had taken my learning one step farther. I’ve also kept thinking about this topic after the fact – and how I believe that Early Childhood, K-12, and Higher Ed all need to speak as one collective voice to create change in Education. Granted, there is a certain division of labor and each level has its own focus but it is one big educational system that has the common objective to help produce competent productive members of society. I would go one step farther and suggest that politics and borders and boundaries need to be removed from education if we are to produce global citizens who buy into a learning lifestyle.

I believe that it is through venues such as #edchat that we can create a shared vision of education that can extend beyond state and nation borders. It is through such initiatives as #edchat and the resulting action it inspires that change can occur as it should – from the ground up.

What #echat has brought me

Beyond the stimulating conversations, the wealth of resources, and the new colleagial relationships forged, #edchat has inspired me to want to continue the conversations. With help from @louwinsr @NancyTeaches and @thompseg, we are working to create a venue for elementary teachers to discuss issues and strategies that are specific to teaching in the elementary school context. I’ve been overwhelmed by the support and enthusiasm for #elemchat, though somewhat apprehensive about the expectations (especially with such a great model as #edchat!) A very tough act to follow, but an exquisite one to be inspired by!