I Need My Teachers To Learn

Using Twitter is like panning for gold. There is a lot of sand and mud to sift through, but sometimes you find a nugget. Diana Dell led me to this video with her tweet this morning.




We need to prepare students for their future, not our past.

Is Skype blocked in your school? Are cell phones banned?

How are you preparing students for their future?

Film isn’t a media that I’m very attuned to

Last week I had to write a paper for my History class. The questions had to answer were not about dry facts, dates, and dead guys. My instructor asked my how I felt about some specific issues and why I feel the way I do.

Really? You want to know how I feel? My personal thoughts and feelings about historical events that happened during my lifetime?

The opening sentence of my paper was "Remember, you asked for it...".
My paper was far from politically correct. I gave heartfelt, emotional responses and received a grade of 99% . My professor said I did well passionately arguing my point of view.

The assignment reminded me of a video I've watched several times. Many find this clip inspirational. I thought my instructor might enjoy it, so I sent him a link to this video.


I was expecting to stimulate an interesting conversation with a college professor. I missed my mark completely. This is his response to the video:

"Hi Scott -- I just now went back and viewed the YouTube segment. Taylor Mali is a name new to me. I don’t think I grasped what his point was. Film isn’t a media that I’m very attuned to. – Cheers, (name deleted)"

I was speechless. Couldn't grasp the point? Not attuned to 'film'?

Wow.

Granted, the teacher-turned-poet in the video is a little 'over the top', but how could you miss the point? I am reminded the we each have our own preferred learning style; and that some people are more specific than others.

Is this specific to college professors, or am I going to meet an elementary student with such a strong aversion to a particular form of media.

• What if elementary student Johnny is 'not attuned to' print media?
  
• Will the system allow Johnny learn in his preferred method?
  
• How can Johnny be tested if he is 'not attuned' to print?
  
• How will Johnny succeed in school?

Can he succeed at all with our current model of education?

I'd love to hear your thoughts.......

You're Fired

I stumbled across this image today.

Scott McLeod makes a strong statement with this image. Do you agree?

The responses to the original posting are an interesting read.
You can find them here.

Enjoy.

Lessons from the Mountain

Lessons from the Mountain


I just returned from a one week training experience in the New Mexico Mountains. My wife and I attended training sessions at Philmont Scout Ranch; the Boy Scouts of America's national training center.

I attended the invitation only seminar to learn skills that will help me improve my local scout troop and my council's 2010 Jamboree troop. I achieved my initial objective and learned a great deal about scout troops. My wife learned some new skills in her class, and both of my children had a great time in their programs as well.

The most important things that I learned last week did not come from the printed materials, flip charts, or power points. My biggest 'take-away' came from networking with other scout leaders, staff members, and Boy Scouts that were coming off

Philmont Scout Ranch is a high-adventure facility where youth can experience mountain backpacking on treks of 10 days or more. I expected to see boys age 15 and above out hiking in the wilderness. I was surprised to see boys as young as 12 beaming as they completed their 10 day adventure.

I realize that I have been underestimating what boys in the early teens are capable of achieving. After a little reflection, I can see that the boys in my troop are capable of going on a 10 day/75mile adventure in the foothills of the Rockies. I intend to take them there as soon as I can get a reservation (about 2-3 years).

This learning experience makes me wonder how many children I haven’t helped as much as could have because of my expectations. Did the children I tutor learn as much possible? Did everyone in the classes in which I substitute teach reach their full potential? Have I been setting my sights too low?

I will remember this life lesson when I begin teaching full time in my own classroom. I will be sure to make every day a “mountain-top experience” for my students.

Your students want you to watch this

I spend almost every morning following the same old routine. My first 30 minutes of the day is spent with a few cups of coffee, my in-box, and my RSS reader. Sometimes I feel like a prospector panning for gold..... wading in the water, searching through the mud for a small flake of precious metal.

While still working on my first cup this morning,I found a nugget. One of my Diigo daily subscriptions contained a link from this blog post.

I wish my instructors, advisers, and administrators would watch this video.

You can be fairly sure that your students want you to see it.

Enjoy
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A Camping We Will Go....

It is that time of year again. Time for Boy Scout summer camp.

Summer camp is often the highlight of a boy's scouting career. The 7-day, 6-night adventure is the longest continuous outdoor activity for a large majority of scouts. Some advance to the high-adventure experiences: Philmont, Boundary Waters, or Jamboree; but summer camp is the pinnacle for most scouts.

My troop departs in less than 24 hours. Around 7AM, July 5, 2009 -Sagamore Council Troop 162 leaves for Maumee Scout Reservation in the Hoosier National Forrest.

Fun and adventure is awaiting the boys. The new scouts that have never been to long-term camp (half of them) are going to discover a new experience and learn new skills. The seasoned scouts are looking forward to earning badges, teaching the newbies, and having some fun. I enjoy watching the boys learn while they play.

What do I do at camp? I learn. I learn from the boys and the other leaders. I learn by teaching skills. I learn the most by watching the other leaders and how they interact with their troops, their peers, and the camp staff. Watching scout leaders in camp is like watching school teachers in their schools.

Some leaders are strict disciplinarians. The troops are almost run like military units, with the Scoutmaster as the boot camp drill instructor. Other 'leaders' let their troops run wild. Boy Scout units are designed to be 'boy led', but some of these troops are closer to Lord of the Flies than Lord Baden Powell. Some leaders, like some teachers, seem to have a magic touch.

The magic leaders lead without lecturing. Boys work as a team. Patrols work with other patrols. Older boys help the new boys. The leader is the resource center, the occasional, decision maker, and almost always the 'guide on the side' (often from a lounge chair near the coffee pot). The magic leaders are fun to watch. I learn the most at camp by watching them run their troops. A leader once told me leading children is like paddling a canoe down a river. The trick is learning how to steer while using the current to your advantage. I agree.

Scout leaders are very much like school teachers. Many are fair, some have no business working with children, and a few are spectacular and inspiring. I plan to learn a few things from all of them this week. I have no visions of a Norman Rockwell painting, but I expect to have a great time.

Tune in next week to read the review of our camping adventures.
I hope Ralph, Jack, and Piggy stay on their side of the island........

#Hashtag Stew

I'm having some serious conference envy tonight.
Many of the people I follow on Twitter and Plurk are attending the NECC conference in Washington, D.C. this weekend. I am sitting in my study doing math homework as my friends, mentors, and heroes are having a fantastic time meeting face-to-face.
As a teacher in training, I am acutely aware of how much I could learn at a conference of this magnitude. Sadly, algebra and mock lesson plans must take precedence over F2F collaboration.

There is a bright side to staying home. I can watch all of the almost non-stop stream of information coming from NECC by using Tweetdeck and hashtags.



Here is a sample screen shot from my Tweetdeck screen.

I've found some fantastic new education and edtech folks to follow. I almost feel like the guy at the circus spinning plates on sticks. Adding people and answering direct messages before twetdeck updates and gives me more people to follow is almost as addictive as a video game.

Fire up Tweetdeck or any other twitter aggregation tool and follow #necc #necc09 #EBC09 #edubloggercon and see what you find. I found some new friends.

I should stop blogging and get back to writing lesson plans. See you at NECC..... in a year or two.