tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90417637311997122302024-02-22T02:30:32.926-05:00Beyond Angry Birds 2.0A blog devoted to quality teaching with technology. Not to use technology as a substitute for quality teaching.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077354121332099521noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9041763731199712230.post-88274467627473581272017-05-18T19:40:00.002-04:002017-05-18T19:40:33.968-04:00Let's Not Blame NetflixWell it seems like the age-old debate in education is rearing it's ugly head again. On the one side, the great cry from schools, teachers, and some parents about banning social media & devices, while on the other its the students who don't want their digital freedom to be taken away.<br />
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First, it was <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2017/02/18/toronto-school-bans-cellphones-from-class.html">banning personal devices in the classroom</a>, and now it's one of the <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/tdsb-blocks-wi-fi-access-to-snapchat-instagram-and-netflix-1.4106938">largest school board's blocking social media</a>. The usual reasons are given - "doesn't support the learning", "negative impact on students' well-being", "wifi usage", etc. - and although there is some validity to these (<a href="http://variety.com/2015/digital/news/netflix-bandwidth-usage-internet-traffic-1201507187/">Netflix does make up for a huge amount of network traffic</a>), they are often thinly veiled excuses for not doing what is really needed - educating. So I enter into this debate with my own thoughts on social media & device use in the classroom, and they are just that, thoughts. I don't know if they are the 'right' answers, but I do feel strongly that we need to consider these - our own fear of new technology, the power of social connectivity, and digital leadership instead of simply digital citizenship - in forming conclusions that impact so many.<br />
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Ok so here are my thoughts...<br />
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Every new technology is met with as much acceptance as there is resistance. There are both the costs & the benefits associated with it, and we see this all the time in education. When the calculator was introduced to schools many teachers wanted to ban it, or even better when paper was introduced as a substitute for chalk and slate "<a href="http://www.whiteboardblog.co.uk/2008/01/why-change/">Students today depend upon paper too much. They don’t know how to write on slate without chalk dust all over themselves. They can’t clean a slate properly. What will they do when they run out of paper?"</a>. It takes time for the media/technology to find its place, and we're really in the infancy of social media adoption & mass use - Snapchat is only 3 years into its mass adoption and has <a href="https://www.recode.net/2017/2/4/14504734/snap-user-growth-deceleration-chart">reached its peak by many accounts</a>. History provides us with a fairly similar example of a social media app's rise & fall - Twitter. It too was once called upon to be banned, as it distracted, led to cyberbullying, and consumed a certain amount of network traffic, but now is barely used by students. My own belief regarding Twitter's role in education (no scientific evidence) is that it reached its peak a couple of years ago and has since found its place in the market as a content consumption & sharing media tool rather than a media form for two-way communication for our students. Snapchat too will find its place and be much less of an issue for some in the coming years.<br /><br />
Secondly, the power of connecting socially today is more important to our students than ever before, but we too had similar behaviours when we were students (we just choose to forget or actually forget due to old age which I'm learning all about). I'm sure many of us couldn't wait to get home from school to make the phone call to our friends? And were distracted all through last class to do so. How many of us pleaded with our parents to install a second phone line just so we could have that available social connection? I too struggle with managing the students' need for immediate gratification and connection, as it does distract from a lesson's purpose or in-person collaboration. I also believe that various initiatives taken by social media companies (and other media companies for that matter) are created for user-control purposes rather than positive reasons such as 'sharing what you ate for lunch'. Snapchat 'streaks' are definitely something that has been created by the company itself to manipulate users, rather than empowering them to become leaders online. However, let's not overlook the value of those social connections that our students have through the app, or downplay how important they are because they are not 'face-to-face' or "are in real life". They are real, and they are important to them, and banning social media, or a specific SM app will not stop these from happening. Our students are resourceful, creative, and innovative when it comes to overcoming such obstacles, and they will find a way.<br /><br />
And last, and I feel most important, is the need to educate rather than ignore. Banning social media/devices/etc. is really just ignoring an opportunity to educate our students on how to be responsible online, and how to move toward digital leadership (using it for good). If we aren't going to educate our students regarding digital health & well-being, who is? Most parents exposure to social media is Facebook (a 12-year-old social media platform - really considered ancient when compared to the others) and are not fully aware of what else is out there. We've really done a poor job with regards to educating students on digital citizenship, as we constantly opine that they need to "be careful what they post else they may lose that job", or "don't cyber bully because it's mean". Our kids know these lessons, just like they know it's not a good idea to walk the opposite way in Ikea, or eat yellow snow, and while they were and are worthwhile topics to be covered, we don't need to repeat those message every year, and in every grade. We need to shift the conversation toward digital leadership - how to use the social media form to take advantage of opportunities and support, rather than the negative messaging. There are many elements to social media and the ones that we often overlook are the ones that need to be focused on now more than ever - health & well-being (nomophobia), security (credential hacks), literacy ('fake news'), law (using Uber yet being under 18), rights & responsibilities (right to privacy and identity protection). It's our job to help & support, and we need to allow devices & social media into our schools to do so.<br />
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I'm interested to see where this debate/conversation goes. I have a feeling it will continue for years to come, and I'm sure a new tool will enter into the fray. We'll just have to wait and see, but until then gotta go keep my streaks going.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077354121332099521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9041763731199712230.post-46054292828896255932017-04-25T20:09:00.002-04:002017-04-25T21:28:11.470-04:00Innovation in my Classroom. #JASSLearns<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_wpMiXIKgHZzg1A24xsetecFe2U2Sui8jPlTSIl1gVw4f_VpcYoGEAj0z_C2scce__fsEW2zCEVYV291OcnbXAmLOcpOPVXIthLuD9M6bYvsdhhIIl7H5xpSxGPs6BaWzFEH-GDQCnUlJ/s1600/Blog+Hop+%25285%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_wpMiXIKgHZzg1A24xsetecFe2U2Sui8jPlTSIl1gVw4f_VpcYoGEAj0z_C2scce__fsEW2zCEVYV291OcnbXAmLOcpOPVXIthLuD9M6bYvsdhhIIl7H5xpSxGPs6BaWzFEH-GDQCnUlJ/s320/Blog+Hop+%25285%2529.png" width="320" /></a><i style="color: #222222; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">"Here's the very FIRST installment of our #JASSLearns Blog Hop. We have had many conversations about Innovation this year, and therefore feel it would be beneficial to share our thoughts on what it means for each of us in our classrooms. </i><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"> Also, be sure to take a look at the blogs posted at the bottom, and hop from one to another to see some other views.</i><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">"</i><br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></i> <i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></i> <span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">I'm captivated by the practices of others. I love learning about what others are doing in their classroom to energize, empower, captivate, and connect with their students. New tools, strategies, learning environments, and the rest, push my thinking forward, and in turn my students.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span> <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Much of what captivates me is when I see something new for the first time or something that I've seen before but done in a new way. This innovation drives my thinking and forces me to question what I'm doing in my own practice. It also forces me to consider that age-old question "What is innovation?"</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span> <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Innovation to me is <a href="http://beyondangrybirds.blogspot.ca/2016/02/innovation.html" target="_blank">the mindset of making someone's world a better place.</a> It's building on existing products, ideas, or processes to improve the life of others, even just a little. It's often discussed as a process, a new technological product, or a new discovery. However, I feel this is bigger than it needs to be; when you boil it down it's just the thinking around making someone's world a better place.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span> <span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">When it comes to the classroom, it's about the learning. What are we doing to push our students forward, to try something new, and for them to explore the world around them. From the learners' perspective, it's something they haven't experienced before that allows them to pursue deep learning in a more effective way. From an educator's perspective, it's the practices we employ that we haven't attempted before in hopes that we may create a better learning environment & results. It's nothing overly complicated, it's just making the learning new & better.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span> <span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">This innovation is what keeps learning moving forward, and for many, like myself, to always feel like they're learners, just like their students.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">So why not jump over to some other blogs to see what others have to say!</span></span></blockquote>
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<li><a href="https://jimmyblackwood.wordpress.com/2017/04/20/what-does-innovation-mean-to-me" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Jim Blackwood</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://assessmentgeek.edublogs.org/2017/04/24/what-does-innovation-look-like-in-my-classroom/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Lynn Filliter </span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://thelearningingexperiment.blogspot.ca/2017/04/what-does-innovation-look-like.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Michelle Hollingsworth</span></a></li>
<li><a href="https://ideaconnect.edublogs.org/?p=1113&preview=true" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Graham Whisen</span></a></li>
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077354121332099521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9041763731199712230.post-8531879428629987762016-04-26T21:36:00.002-04:002016-04-26T21:40:09.453-04:00Design is Hard. #GDD16<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i style="color: #222222; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; line-height: 16.8px;"><span style="color: #20124d; line-height: 24.64px; text-align: center;">"</span>Here's the next instalment of #Peel21st Blog Hop. We thought we would continue to connect to the Ministry's <a href="http://www.edugains.ca/resources21CL/About21stCentury/21CL_21stCenturyCompetencies.pdf)" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">21st Century Competencies </a>document and this time pair it with the <a href="http://globaldayofdesign.com/" target="_blank">Global Day of Design</a>. So today was a challenge, design something, share it, and reflect here. Be sure to hop on over to the other blogs after and see what other #peel21st tweeps designed!"</i><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 16.8px;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 16.8px;">So no big deal. Just design something. Think about a need in this world and create a 'thing' that will fill that need. You have every resource at your disposal, you just have to design it. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 16.8px;"><i>Design is hard.</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 16.8px;">I grabbed a coffee, broke out my stylus & iPad, and opened up Paper 53. I was keen on the Global Day of Design, and thought it was such a great idea. Super stoked, and ready to design. Something. Anything. Just a little thing.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 16.8px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 16.8px;"><i>Design is hard.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 16.8px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 16.8px;">I tried brainstorming and jotting down ideas for my creation. I thought I was going to sketch out a new car, revolutionary bike, new city streets (I was sitting at a Starbucks looking out a window - my inspiration was what I saw through that window). I then thought of what I know best - design a new classroom, a cover for a phone, a coffee mug, or a toy. Nothing came to me though. I kept telling myself it's already been done.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 16.8px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 16.8px;"><i>Design is really freaking hard.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 16.8px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 16.8px;">This is the process of design though. We ask students to design something new all the time - new reports, videos, products even; but do we take the time to really think of how difficult this is. Design thinking is hard, it takes time; and it takes a lot of collaboration, to bounce ideas off of one another. I've come to realize, nothing is really 'new'; we just innovate a little on a lot of previous things, and we need to encourage this. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 16.8px;">So I checked my Twitter account to see what was happening. Then I designed...</span><br />
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For Global Day of Design I’d thought I’d design a few new buttons for Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GDD16?src=hash">#GDD16</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Peel21st?src=hash">#Peel21st</a> <a href="https://t.co/pcZVytqvbK">pic.twitter.com/pcZVytqvbK</a></div>
— Jason Richea (@jrichea) <a href="https://twitter.com/jrichea/status/725019232581230592">April 26, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 16.8px;">We need to look at the world around us for inspiration, but acknowledge inspiration may not come right away. Give it time, let ideas percolate, swim around in that brain, and try, fail, and try again. It's all okay, and it doesn't have to be something that's going to change the world. It may only change your life for a moment, but you created something in that moment. And that is something. </span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Be sure to check out the other #Peel21st bloggers and their thoughts, reflections, and moments of collaboration! And connect with them on Twitter!</span></i></blockquote>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><i><a href="https://misszita.wordpress.com/2016/04/27/my-design-moment/" target="_blank">Tina Zita</a> - </i><span id="docs-internal-guid-6ce381bc-c4fc-1e6e-2c85-ae0ca3809e66"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://twitter.com/tina_zita" target="_blank">@tina_zita</a><span id="goog_1312290117"></span><span id="goog_1312290118"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a></span></span></span></span></li>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-6ce381bc-c4fa-41e9-a41f-217a8822c522"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #20124d;"><a href="http://mramitmehrotra.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Amit Mehrotra</a> - <a href="https://twitter.com/AmitMehrotra78" target="_blank">@AmitMehrotra78</a></span></i></span></span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><a href="https://makelearn.org/2016/04/26/spiraling-cycle-of-design-in-scratch-peel21st-april-2016-blog-hop/" target="_blank">Jim Cash</a> - <a href="https://twitter.com/cashjim" target="_blank">@cashjim</a></i></span></span></li>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077354121332099521noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9041763731199712230.post-49090467644000739782016-03-29T20:42:00.000-04:002016-04-07T07:34:05.977-04:00Vow to Collaborate<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9p7HfDXgTR8WgRnf0x7HLu8s72MZBMmznES88wmpKxekxUoPO9IAVuF4s0jDSoeVM9fMkoW7EqywnrxtFyTeTHKAZHW6XWShMx1f3lNzZ9-YnIcnlBftxYiOhRDQj24HOb3XsI_i0mvrG/s1600/Blog+Hop+%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9p7HfDXgTR8WgRnf0x7HLu8s72MZBMmznES88wmpKxekxUoPO9IAVuF4s0jDSoeVM9fMkoW7EqywnrxtFyTeTHKAZHW6XWShMx1f3lNzZ9-YnIcnlBftxYiOhRDQj24HOb3XsI_i0mvrG/s200/Blog+Hop+%25281%2529.png" width="200" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i><span style="color: #20124d; line-height: 24.64px; text-align: center;">"</span>Here's the next instalment of #Peel21st Blog Hop. We thought we would reflect on the <a href="http://www.edugains.ca/resources21CL/About21stCentury/21CL_21stCenturyCompetencies.pdf)" target="_blank">21st Century Competencies released by the Ministry</a> which discusses the core 21st Century skills that are essential elements in modern learning. We thought these competencies could be a great way to prompt a conversation amongst the #peel21st community and afar as well. This month, it's all about...</i></span><b id="docs-internal-guid-6ce381bc-c4e0-375e-0580-44afc81387c3" style="font-weight: normal;"></b><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-d3a2a626-10de-f06e-3073-99b7995e5f77"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><i>Collaboration: Near & Far</i></span></span></span></h3>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I think collaboration is an essential element in learning. It replicates 'real-world' scenarios where you need to draw on expertise amongst a group. It involves skills at various levels and across various dimensions. It allows individuals to see how their thinking, actions, processes, compare against others, who all come from different places. It truly is a learning experience in itself. But how much do we explore this with our students? How much do we ask them to collaborate, not just work as a team? How much do we emphasize all its aspects? Therefore...</span></span></span><br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">I want my students to realize the difference between collaboration and working in a team. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">I want them to develop the skills necessary to resolve conflicts on their own. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">I wish for them to work together for a set of goals instead of just one. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">I will push my students to explore empathy, disagreements, respect, accomodations, support, connections, leadership, creativity, and flexibility. </span></li>
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<li><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">I need to push my students, and myself, to collaborate across backgrounds & differences; and collaborate with both those in the room, and those across the globe. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">I need them to realize that collaboration can happen with those in far off lands, who may offer greater insight than what can be found on a website, in a book, and definitely, in the 1999 textbook. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">I would like them to hear the stories of others, to listen to those experiences, and to make something from that. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">I will support them to take the risks, try new things, and learn together.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Collaboration. Not just teamwork.</span></span></span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Be sure to check out the other #Peel21st bloggers and their thoughts, reflections, and moments of collaboration! And connect with them on Twitter!</span></i></blockquote>
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<br />
<ul style="background-color: white; line-height: 24.64px; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i><a href="https://misszita.wordpress.com/2016/03/3%200/peel21st-blog-hop-collaborating-near-far/" target="_blank">Tina Zita</a> - </i></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-6ce381bc-c4fc-1e6e-2c85-ae0ca3809e66"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://twitter.com/tina_zita" target="_blank">@tina_zita</a></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="background-color: white; line-height: 24.64px; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-6ce381bc-c4fa-41e9-a41f-217a8822c522"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="http://mramitmehrotra.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Amit Mehrotra</a> - <a href="https://twitter.com/AmitMehrotra78" target="_blank">@AmitMehrotra78</a></i></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="background-color: white; line-height: 24.64px; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-6ce381bc-c4fa-6982-17dc-807d557be1e2"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="https://nahanicommons.wordpress.com/2016/03/30/peel21st-march-blog-hop-collaborating-near-far/" target="_blank">Kate Sharp</a> - <a href="http://twitter.com/NahaniCommons" target="_blank">@NahaniCommons</a></i></span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="background-color: white; line-height: 24.64px; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-6ce381bc-c4fa-89fb-de71-07d0765e2929"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="http://makelearn.org/2016/03/29/what-does-global-citizenship-mean-to-you/" target="_blank">Jim Cash</a> - <a href="http://twitter.com/cashjim" target="_blank">@cashjim</a></i></span></span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077354121332099521noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9041763731199712230.post-79447429633651396942016-02-23T21:17:00.001-05:002016-02-23T21:21:26.051-05:00Passion Project<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjIa6yIAQpocsPzDTd08F5YcDEYvL1Xn3377vf1galjpPsjYnaRsex8PUXuNEi87yV5SUYooPu649s-paGFC8MlUI7H_Pkyx3PHXYYO165ZfAqpwy7ohlOEv7PJ-NqSOQI3ZcULGgGffTi/s1600/Blog+Hop+%25283%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjIa6yIAQpocsPzDTd08F5YcDEYvL1Xn3377vf1galjpPsjYnaRsex8PUXuNEi87yV5SUYooPu649s-paGFC8MlUI7H_Pkyx3PHXYYO165ZfAqpwy7ohlOEv7PJ-NqSOQI3ZcULGgGffTi/s200/Blog+Hop+%25283%2529.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #20124d; line-height: 24.64px; text-align: center;">"</span>Here's the next instalment of #Peel21st Blog Hop. This round it's all about student PASSION! Also, be sure to take a look at the blogs posted at the bottom, and hop from one to another to see some other best moments."</i></span><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-d3a2a626-10de-f06e-3073-99b7995e5f77"><span style="font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>In your current role, how have and/or could you support students in discovering their passions in your practice?</i></span></span></span></h3>
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I struggle with this. I think we all do. The feeling of being shackled to curriculum objectives, while trying to ensure students have the freedom to travel down paths that interest them. I think we often try to force things on our students that we feel are 'fun' or 'exciting ways to learn' but will they feel the same?<br />
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I used to do this a lot when I taught business classes like Marketing. I would encourage students to create products they were interested in, but still placed restrictions and limitations on them. I thought I was doing them a favour by helping them to focus and channel their energy. I think I was doing it wrong though.<br />
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I never fully encouraged them to go further with their products and actually create. I was still too focused on ensuring their projects addressed every little detail I wanted to assess. I had my checklists, my templates, and my lesson plans. They could follow their passions so long as it fit within my structures. I think they pursued projects that they knew would fit within those parameters, without fully exploring ideas they may have wanted to. And to be honest, why would they? The final product was all just an idea on paper. It lacked any real tangible element.<br />
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What I find amazing now is the opportunity students have to actually create something real. The technology available to them - the possibilities for 3D production, coding for games, guides & websites for app creation, music hosting sites, video production tools etc. - allow them to truly pursue passions. It's no longer just an idea on paper, but an opportunity to CREATE! I now realize that if students were further supported to follow the design & creation process then the motivation would be there to pursue those passions. As well, that accomplishment in itself would fit any checklist, template, or lesson plan I could ever create for them.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span id="goog_1232530033"></span><span id="goog_1232530034"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOdni0e94mCZAlnfoBr8EWfDnZ3qrx5e47Py-zeocZ0he14Y-_fTYj4e1ENMDoXjDCT7aYtwqQUlmGXDmejDIo1WXsldn8AeWlsXOR3SQwXr_0hktB_-Awhqw1kRPkVfh36-Q57SQP6K2P/s1600/Design+Thinking.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOdni0e94mCZAlnfoBr8EWfDnZ3qrx5e47Py-zeocZ0he14Y-_fTYj4e1ENMDoXjDCT7aYtwqQUlmGXDmejDIo1WXsldn8AeWlsXOR3SQwXr_0hktB_-Awhqw1kRPkVfh36-Q57SQP6K2P/s400/Design+Thinking.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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The value of making is something I need to pursue further. Something I want all my students to experience, in whatever they do. The design thinking process can take student learning to new heights. I think if we can offer this opportunity to all students, the passion for learning, like we have all felt, can take over.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Cantarell; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 24.64px;">
<i><span style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;">Be sure to check out the other #Peel21st bloggers and their thoughts on discovering student passion:</span></i></blockquote>
<ul style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 24.64px; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://misszita.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Tina Zita </span></a></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-d3a2a626-1113-0a2c-484e-0848615ba243"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://mramitmehrotra.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Amit Mehrotra</span></a></span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://mindfulauthenticity.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Pam Taylor</span></a></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://thelearningingexperiment.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Michelle Hollingsworth</span></a></li>
</ul>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077354121332099521noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9041763731199712230.post-2776698478348148962016-02-02T23:28:00.002-05:002016-02-02T23:28:52.590-05:00Innovation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUXOUbr_DI4B_vI0PY8MU3-SOFziCMh4eH-Ku1D5wRD_7DCGPQsrjXL25sdimKcBHsA9NXJDMcnNUicDvf5KWNcOWfQqObho1xGMlYZAkEhQSz2TFlzZsIR5ds5UJcIWsO-VPJElNN0UM1/s1600/Blog+Hop.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUXOUbr_DI4B_vI0PY8MU3-SOFziCMh4eH-Ku1D5wRD_7DCGPQsrjXL25sdimKcBHsA9NXJDMcnNUicDvf5KWNcOWfQqObho1xGMlYZAkEhQSz2TFlzZsIR5ds5UJcIWsO-VPJElNN0UM1/s200/Blog+Hop.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<i style="color: #20124d; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 24.64px; text-align: center;">"I've 'decided' to join the #ossemooc Blog Hop around George Couros' book '<a href="http://georgecouros.ca/blog/the-innovators-mindset-book" target="_blank">The Innovator's Mindset</a>'. To start things off, we've decided to share our ideas around the concept of innovation. Enjoy! Also, be sure to take a look at the blogs posted at the bottom, and hop from one to another to see some other ideas."</i><div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF9u5Px5FFX4cMw0C3dmZenISfodKs5y9mTPg1lqKZKha7s79fhRczbmVKlA_Su0Qnd4tZjGEdbINInn2uUxMtheu6yOYO_iFLyktV0hSIEr-wW9IqzRZENyY2trWhBsIADOzi6Ya_LfHA/s1600/fc394091-982f-4bf8-906f-d27e97a855af-full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF9u5Px5FFX4cMw0C3dmZenISfodKs5y9mTPg1lqKZKha7s79fhRczbmVKlA_Su0Qnd4tZjGEdbINInn2uUxMtheu6yOYO_iFLyktV0hSIEr-wW9IqzRZENyY2trWhBsIADOzi6Ya_LfHA/s200/fc394091-982f-4bf8-906f-d27e97a855af-full.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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It might be my affinity for all things marketing - I love looking at new products, ideas, processes, etc. Talking about a topic such as innovation, I am immediately drawn to the stories of how products and services came to be. It's amazing to read about the people behind the YouTube, <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Sex-Bombs-Burgers-Shaped-Technology/dp/0670069663" target="_blank">Spam</a>, and the concept of sharing a car with a complete stranger. It has always struck me that when looking at these innovations now, they seem so simple; however, at the time so revolutionary. </div>
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The stories however all share one quality that set them apart in my mind - improvement. And I don't mean over the long term; just an improvement from the day before they came into being. I do stumble over this idea at times when I look at products so popular and are considered innovations, and yet am left saying "Whaaaaa? Why?!" I think back to early days of social media tools (Twitter, Snapchat, YouTube, etc.) where many share that same expression. Many ask the simple question - how does this improve my life? It's difficult to see what's innovative at times because we fail to hear the story behind these innovations. The story always starts with a problem, and that is the key.</div>
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<a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BkcMmPkIcAAQvZp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BkcMmPkIcAAQvZp.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And so even though we find it difficult to see what is innovative at times, it doesn't mean it's not solving a problem. Many don't see the innovation because we don't see how the improvement impacts us - we hold innovations at a personal level and expect them to directly impact us. And if they don't, well they can't be innovative. Can they?</div>
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Sometimes it takes a new perspective - <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2015/10/21/technology/iphone-switch-control/" target="_blank">watching how a technological innovation can change a whole person's life.</a> I think this is what strikes me as innovation - has it changed someone's way of doing something? Is it better than before? Than that to me is innovation. It doesn't have to be complicated. It just has to make a positive impact.</div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Be sure to check out the other #ossemooc bloggers and their ideas!</span></i></blockquote>
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<ul>
<li><a href="https://misszita.wordpress.com/2016/02/03/what-does-innovation-mean-to-me/" target="_blank">Tina Zita </a></li>
<li><a href="http://jcasatodd.com/?p=1078" target="_blank">Jennifer Casa-Todd</a></li>
<li><a href="http://blog.donnamillerfry.com/2016/02/02/what-does-innovation-mean-to-me-bloghop-for-innovatorsmindset/" target="_blank">Donna Fry</a></li>
<li><a href="https://paulmcguire1.wordpress.com/2015/12/02/what-innovation-is-and-isnt-george-couros/" target="_blank">Paul McGuire</a></li>
<li><a href="https://pmillerscdsb.wordpress.com/2016/02/03/innovators-mindset-its-liberating/" target="_blank">Patrick Miller</a></li>
<li><a href="http://blog.markwcarbone.ca/2016/02/02/innovation-blog-hop/" target="_blank">Mark Carbone</a></li>
</ul>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077354121332099521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9041763731199712230.post-1574011417658962832016-01-29T20:45:00.001-05:002016-01-29T20:45:04.471-05:00Our LimitationsSometimes we feel ashamed, embarrassed, or lost. I think it's important to remember...<div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZvdmbNhIHVFcToSv-od-Yj7YuFU1tJZNb9Cg5N3spFUXspHkUJdwY9FWICYfk6Rw4fo10lqxDzVsww1nbyakoe7aF_66_0HUuvfz5xhqdtCnTu_MnYPRCpfy4OJaXVozLm6LZydUOf_m9/s640/blogger-image--1310477120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZvdmbNhIHVFcToSv-od-Yj7YuFU1tJZNb9Cg5N3spFUXspHkUJdwY9FWICYfk6Rw4fo10lqxDzVsww1nbyakoe7aF_66_0HUuvfz5xhqdtCnTu_MnYPRCpfy4OJaXVozLm6LZydUOf_m9/s640/blogger-image--1310477120.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077354121332099521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9041763731199712230.post-86003373756880838692016-01-28T21:59:00.001-05:002016-01-28T22:00:11.993-05:00Optical Illusion<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/Two_silhouette_profile_or_a_white_vase.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/Two_silhouette_profile_or_a_white_vase.jpg" width="200" /></a>Today was a bit of a tough one. A real great opportunity for professional learning, sharing, and connecting hit a bit of a snag. It was to be a great night, one that I think would have really done much for the learning community. The decision behind it was due to 'optics'.<br />
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When I think of 'Optics' I often think of Economics. I know weird right? Tangent? But hang in here for a second. In economics we often look to indicators to judge economic performance. We look to GDP, unemployment, inflation, as well as several other indicators. What we often don't do however, is look behind these. For those who may be unaware, the big three (<a href="http://www.investopedia.com/exam-guide/cfa-level-1/macroeconomics/limitations-gdp-alternative.asp" target="_blank">GDP</a>, <a href="http://econperspectives.blogspot.ca/2008/09/limitations-of-unemployment-data.html" target="_blank">unemployment</a>, and <a href="http://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/012915/what-are-some-limitations-consumer-price-index-cpi.asp" target="_blank">inflation</a>) are not exactly perfect; and have flaws in using them to judge performance. However, we often look to these indicators because 'optically' they can be quickly used to make things 'look good'.<br />
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In education, I think this happens as well. Standardized test scores, gradebook printouts, media stories, etc. only tell part of the story - typically the 'optically positive one'. However, we need to look past 'optics' and really think critically. Sometimes positive optics are negative; and something which may seem negative, is actually quite positive.<br />
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<ul>
<li>A school with high EQAO scores <b><i>BUT</i></b> all classrooms have desks with rows in them?</li>
<li>A learning environment touted as tech savvy <b><i>BUT</i></b> has huge photocopy numbers?</li>
<li>A gradebook printout for a student which averages 90% <b><i>BUT</i></b> all entries are tests and quizzes?</li>
<li>A professional development day for staff <b><i>BUT</i></b> all staff are working individually?</li>
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These are just some things that require questioning. When we see things we often make assumptions because they look good. Sometimes we think things look bad, when in fact they look good. We need to dig deeper, and not just go with our gut. Otherwise we may casually disregard <a href="http://business.time.com/2009/09/25/ten-odd-economic-indicators-hot-waitresses-mens-underwear-blacked-out-football-games-and-more/" target="_blank">underwear, because optically it just doesn't look good</a>.<br /><div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077354121332099521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9041763731199712230.post-55202240691922066672016-01-27T23:13:00.000-05:002016-01-28T20:56:05.640-05:00A Pace for LearningProfessional learning as a group is a challenge for every school. Trying to appease a variety of learners and support their learning journey is a delicate balance. It's really a 'no-win' situation as not everyone is invested the same way; and just like the students in our classroom, each has a different preference of learning.<br />
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Today, I was a part of a discussion about this topic - how do we support the adult learners in the building so they can grow as professionals? The planning group's main concern was about the current pace of learning and the culture of learning in the school. It struck me at how similar this discussion was like the discussion we have about our students in our classrooms.</div>
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We often look at our classrooms and plan according to curriculum. We know we have to fit in 'X' units of study in 'X' number of days. The pressure we put on ourselves as teachers to "finish the course" is countered by the pressure we put on ourselves to "ensure all students learn". This delicate balance is no different than what all school's deal with as part of their own professional learning.</div>
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We hope to achieve learning goals as a staff by the end of each semester, or by the end of each year. Many would like to go 'slow' while others need to 'speed up'. We do need to ensure that all learn, and are supported with the appropriate resources and strategies to ensure understanding & proficiency. And if we race through the material then we can almost certainly ensure that learning will be haphazard at best. Going slow is therefore necessary.</div>
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However, when it comes to certain learning goals there is no option however. Students are the ones directly impacted by our professional learning, and if we slow down too much then we are not living up to the expectations of our students. I'm not saying we need to put the pedal to the medal, but I think we always need to ensure our foot is at least on the pedal.</div>
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I guess what I'm left with is just a question. When do we need to 'go'? And when do we need to 'go slow'? Either way, however, we still need to be going.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077354121332099521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9041763731199712230.post-42848573810055041292016-01-26T22:53:00.000-05:002016-01-26T22:54:11.750-05:00#Peel21st Sketch Hop<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcFTfPMvq5xzS4sOmICXuBESKlsFUfu_cI0yZsGYrwZnCAc8gcAOsOrINU_vtihEaB0M6EIymSF96JsI3I7bt2fmkVrPldb5nEWGZyheeDEtS5IifKCYvjcEt1ZD5vMKUW-JtUGj3l9zy-/s1600/Blog+Hop+%25282%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcFTfPMvq5xzS4sOmICXuBESKlsFUfu_cI0yZsGYrwZnCAc8gcAOsOrINU_vtihEaB0M6EIymSF96JsI3I7bt2fmkVrPldb5nEWGZyheeDEtS5IifKCYvjcEt1ZD5vMKUW-JtUGj3l9zy-/s320/Blog+Hop+%25282%2529.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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"Here's the next instalment of #Peel21st Hop. This time it's a little different - instead of a blog, we decided to 'Sketch it Up'. Remember to check out others' sketches posted at the bottom"</i><div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #20124d; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; line-height: 24.64px; text-align: center;">I have enjoyed 'doodling' over the years. I don't consider it much of an art, but I find myself during presetations, lectures, etc. needing to do something to keep myself focused - "Squirrel!"</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #20124d; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; line-height: 24.64px; text-align: center;">I noticed sketchnoting creep into my Twitter feed more and more recently, and came to realize that it could be a useful strategy to use while listening. It's helped keep my attention, aided in synthesizing information, and allows me to create a useful summary to reflect on after. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #20124d; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; line-height: 24.64px; text-align: center;">For this hop I decided, rather than summarize a lecture, just jot down some ideas about the future of school...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY_jmS5WxFQyPn4M0JjeOyF_ynC1WFPeR44p_BfEsRYXteSlXUQQLEFF6td6Xej6WG9GoX2TNRmB2oRSQb32O-Um2CKC2k8SPDXGrUrXdupNWg2EvUDcIe8SidLB_Axr1MDn_-SDf0OBur/s1600/Sketchnotes+-+14.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY_jmS5WxFQyPn4M0JjeOyF_ynC1WFPeR44p_BfEsRYXteSlXUQQLEFF6td6Xej6WG9GoX2TNRmB2oRSQb32O-Um2CKC2k8SPDXGrUrXdupNWg2EvUDcIe8SidLB_Axr1MDn_-SDf0OBur/s640/Sketchnotes+-+14.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Cantarell; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 24.64px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;">Be sure to check out the other #Peel21st Sketchers and their best creations!</span></i><br />
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<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 24.64px;"><a href="https://twitter.com/tina_zita/status/692159678609002496" target="_blank">Tina Zita</a></span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 24.64px;"><a href="https://twitter.com/mhollingsworth3/status/691642340184842240" target="_blank">Michelle Hollingsworth</a></span></span></li>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077354121332099521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9041763731199712230.post-46105520891374224242016-01-26T21:00:00.000-05:002016-01-26T22:23:02.657-05:00Sketch it Up!Alright, so I'm no artist. Want to get that out of the way right off the bat. I can barely draw a stick figure, and don't even think about having me draw any kind of perspective! However, something grabbed my attention when I saw Sketchnoting for the first time. The visual representation of notetaking seemed to align pretty nicely with how I learn - colour, images, fonts, etc. - all capture the eye, and mind in turn.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-aVcZQhsGHhcXuxeFtXEjUlVBaaXtZGZgjUsH_wGpIbD5758dDxlB9XUSTTTKk_SJTz1edBJQZwy0nI080Mes9qhKMw-xRkG6wu3fFys_7iABMxfZPPXBdPfAkJeVjvC1TKNWB54LBoCr/s1600/IMG_0052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-aVcZQhsGHhcXuxeFtXEjUlVBaaXtZGZgjUsH_wGpIbD5758dDxlB9XUSTTTKk_SJTz1edBJQZwy0nI080Mes9qhKMw-xRkG6wu3fFys_7iABMxfZPPXBdPfAkJeVjvC1TKNWB54LBoCr/s320/IMG_0052.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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So I took a whirl; grabbed a stylus, and my ipad, and tried it out. It became evident early on that it's not exactly hard, but not exactly easy either. I learned a bit and still figuring it out, but here are some thoughts:<br />
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<ol>
<li>Trying to sketchnote during a lecture or keynote may be the most difficult. Trying to synthesize information while creating a visual representation is pretty challenging. I came to realize it's all about the rough work while listening, and then going back over it after.</li>
<li>Not all apps are the same, and finding one that works requires experimenting with each. Each may have slightly different tools, and 'play' differently. I have come to realize the ones that offer a grid of some sort really help, and allow you to judge spacing and size more effectively.</li>
<li>Play, play, and more play - the fonts, the images, the layouts, and everything else. I started trying to refine a couple different specific font styles, banners, and layouts. This really helped as it created a bit of 'go-to' set of tools that I could use quickly for the times I did try sketchnoting a lecture or keynote.</li>
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Other than that, it's a bit like doodling. ;)</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077354121332099521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9041763731199712230.post-50194660306515676652016-01-22T20:47:00.001-05:002016-01-22T20:47:06.429-05:00Choose to LearnMy response to the "I don't have enough time" excuse...<div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6nMk9cT_RWxWoJCRQt7uwTA51Y2d53MKBT5aGy9_ty1uDn1htjbtdHBnjkhcUWPmOcJWxn-m9u0RJhaB0Ew_Pb9h1Zh5A3qSux-T3C4MbzolWfHTCxEyudK3spD5m_N0oJR534jEF2u-P/s640/blogger-image--452877891.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6nMk9cT_RWxWoJCRQt7uwTA51Y2d53MKBT5aGy9_ty1uDn1htjbtdHBnjkhcUWPmOcJWxn-m9u0RJhaB0Ew_Pb9h1Zh5A3qSux-T3C4MbzolWfHTCxEyudK3spD5m_N0oJR534jEF2u-P/s640/blogger-image--452877891.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077354121332099521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9041763731199712230.post-56960163329165937932016-01-21T21:19:00.001-05:002016-01-21T21:19:53.320-05:00?Why do we do the things we do...<br />
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Why do we set up our classrooms in rows?<br />
Why do we design schools the way we do?<br />
Why are classrooms closed off?<br />
Why do we set up our desks at the front of the room?<br />
Why do we have desks?<br />
Why do we lecture?<br />
Why do we have computer labs?<br />
Why do we make technology an event?<br />
Why do we assign tests, quizzes, and exams?<br />
Why do we provide homework?<br />
Why do we teach the same lessons as last year; as 5 years ago; as 10?<br />
Why do we plan our lessons prior to knowing our students?<br />
Why do we have school bells?<br />
Why do we have audio announcements?<br />
Why do we have 'community centres' separate from school?<br />
Why do we start school before 10 am?<br />
Why do we start the school year in September?<br />
Why do we have exams after a winter break?<br />
Why do we organize departments by subject specialties?<br />
Why do we "prepare students for university"?<br />
Why do we have grade levels based on age?<br />
Why do we have lesson periods & semesters?<br />
Why do we have subject specific courses?<br />
Why do we run professional development the way we do?<br />
Why do we teach in the same school for so long?<br />
Why do we renumerate based on degree & length of teaching experience?<br />
Why do we all not have to earn spec. ed. qualifications?<br />
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Why?<br />
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If we don't ask questions, how will we move forward?<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077354121332099521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9041763731199712230.post-61288866349352792702016-01-20T20:35:00.000-05:002016-01-20T20:35:28.027-05:00Zone of Proximal InfluenceI had the pleasure a few years ago of listening to a keynote by John Seely Brown. He shared insight into the world that he has occupied for so long - innovation. From his years at Xerox PARC to the Institute for Research on Learning, he provided great stories and details from his experiences. However, one thing more than any stuck with me; and to this day, I find myself repeating it to anyone I think could benefit from listening to...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEDoKvGf85tyP7SAJKmFN8XCdniGQVdDiXVHYv68gPrSTxMVpfn2WAoNjA-NkKWVmyAevyvxP-3dS6HwiQoy__PYcTtjLYp0h5rveJKMuEyQgrrqUj0YYqcaz5FWUPe9goCJ_XeE2Xc73O/s1600/Learning+is+a+Social+Process..png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEDoKvGf85tyP7SAJKmFN8XCdniGQVdDiXVHYv68gPrSTxMVpfn2WAoNjA-NkKWVmyAevyvxP-3dS6HwiQoy__PYcTtjLYp0h5rveJKMuEyQgrrqUj0YYqcaz5FWUPe9goCJ_XeE2Xc73O/s320/Learning+is+a+Social+Process..png" width="320" /></a></div>
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I say this often to students, and have thought about this quote all this time in the context of the classroom. It has become part of my 'mantra' I guess when it comes to teaching. However, it recently struck me, what are we doing ourselves as educators?</div>
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Many of us frequently connect in virtual environments where we can share resources, stories, and insights into our 'worlds'. For the most part we've all been able to connect with peers in our buildings, families of schools, or region in real life as well on a somewhat regular basis. However, how many of us are lucky enough to have daily social interactions that push our learning forward?</div>
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I have benefitted from working daily with others who have shared my interests, and passion. Being able to plan together, bounce ideas off one another, and take risks has been an incredible learning experience. I wonder some days where I would be in my own learning if I didn't have such a 'zone of proximal influence' <i>(copyright all rights reserved trademark keepsies no takebacks).</i></div>
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I don't think that is the kind of social learning that JSB was talking about, but imagine if everyone had this opportunity? What would the world be like?</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077354121332099521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9041763731199712230.post-2515471204371208722016-01-19T20:33:00.001-05:002016-01-20T20:35:35.456-05:00Is the Staff Room Closed?It's always interesting to walk into a school you are unfamiliar with. There are instant impressions made about the culture of the school. Like many cultural centres, there are many artifacts that tell us how to behave?; What is valued?; How people work, act, and use the space? All of these 'things' provide great insight into the teaching and learning in the school.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoZ2TUnK5mQwGJJFyNkzTN3YItHbVWpX3r20iFSs_XDLVz9Oa4rVl8Zj5rc_W9KAfBFzF4bvpd14PNeq3jkRbcDR9RYJWcSWnzFhWs3grg6TcUZh_0Ybz2LvuPa94KJm4u31wlUj342kSH/s1600/Staff-Lounge-TactileTouch-Braille-Sign-SE-5428.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoZ2TUnK5mQwGJJFyNkzTN3YItHbVWpX3r20iFSs_XDLVz9Oa4rVl8Zj5rc_W9KAfBFzF4bvpd14PNeq3jkRbcDR9RYJWcSWnzFhWs3grg6TcUZh_0Ybz2LvuPa94KJm4u31wlUj342kSH/s320/Staff-Lounge-TactileTouch-Braille-Sign-SE-5428.gif" /></a></div>
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I've noticed none may be more telling than the staff room. I find as soon as I enter this secret world I am instantly attuned to the collaborative culture of the school. There are those rooms where you are welcomed, those where you are the invisible person, those where you want to join the party, and those where there the only party happened way back in 1957. It's always a surprise.<br />
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Up until today I have felt like staff rooms are for the most part 'closed'; a thing of the past, an ancient relic of systems, and structures past. I think these are spaces that could better be used, modified or overhauled for better purposes. Maybe another learning space for students or teachers?<br />
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However, I walked into a staffroom today at lunch and found myself wanting to be part of the party. A great number of staff were together, eating lunch, sharing stories, and breaking bread together. I know this could be a one off, but I was actually warned about this prior to going in there; that this happens daily. I was instantly struck by the culture that existed and wondered how did they get here?<br />
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I don't have an answer to this, and I am sure I could have simply posed the question to the group. I just wonder, what did they do to 'open' the staffroom again?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077354121332099521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9041763731199712230.post-73548774711592969802015-12-15T21:49:00.000-05:002015-12-15T21:52:21.793-05:00A Few of My Favourite Things<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpzFl541YFFdh9x7BAhfTtdVXemSvbE_REl3NC-GVIgLCDkG0Jo_54QrJ4stt5EpHj7nE3pW6f4ugZjcJ6iAOltnALF47uDIHj7Qzf-4OmgO5CeEO8mjApwsMgcNseDwLhSRUss5VqMTEB/s1600/Blog+Hop+%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpzFl541YFFdh9x7BAhfTtdVXemSvbE_REl3NC-GVIgLCDkG0Jo_54QrJ4stt5EpHj7nE3pW6f4ugZjcJ6iAOltnALF47uDIHj7Qzf-4OmgO5CeEO8mjApwsMgcNseDwLhSRUss5VqMTEB/s200/Blog+Hop+%25281%2529.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<i style="color: #20124d; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 24.64px; text-align: center;">"Here's the next instalment of #Peel21st Blog Hop. This round we thought it would be great to share some of our favourite apps, tools, websites, books, blogs, and just about anything & everything else! Also, be sure to take a look at the blogs posted at the bottom, and hop from one to another to see some other best moments."</i></blockquote>
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So it's always a great time of the year, kids are counting down the days until holidays, teachers are switching to sugar-only diets, and schools are abuzz due to the previous two things. It's also a great time to share, and so I thought I would. It's tough to choose favourites, but a blog hop with a title "Some of my Somewhat Favourite, well Almost Favourite, ok, Things I Really Like Things" just wasn't as nice sounding. So without further adieu, here they are...<br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Be sure to check out the other #Peel21st bloggers and their best moments!</span></i></blockquote>
<ul>
<li><span id="docs-internal-guid-4b205d5d-1831-5628-c44f-ae198ddabf37"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://misszita.wordpress.com/2015/12/16/peel21st-blog-hop-a-few-of-my-favourite-things/" target="_blank">Tina Zita</a></span></span></li>
<li><span id="docs-internal-guid-4b205d5d-1834-6489-fd7e-a31435d055d1"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://mrsoclassroom.blogspot.com/2015/12/5-favourite-things.html" target="_blank">Jonathan So</a></span></span></li>
<li><span id="docs-internal-guid-4b205d5d-1830-af60-09c2-39e661c78353"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://mramitmehrotra.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Amit Mehrotra</a></span></span></li>
<li><span id="docs-internal-guid-4b205d5d-1831-b346-12e0-1d3e2489d563"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://makelearn.org/2015/12/15/a-few-of-my-favourite-things/" target="_blank">Jim Cash</a></span></span></li>
<li><span id="docs-internal-guid-4b205d5d-1832-091d-ad6f-d520c88376dc"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://valleyslearningcommons.blogspot.ca/2015/12/five-of-my-favourite-things.html" target="_blank">Melanie Mulcaster</a></span></span></li>
<li><span id="docs-internal-guid-4b205d5d-1832-5266-97d9-62a1b790f4b0"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://teachinginspirations.blogspot.com/2015/12/my-favourite-things-december-bloghop.html" target="_blank">Heather Lye</a></span></span></li>
<li><span id="docs-internal-guid-4b205d5d-1832-a866-09f6-6b77e7b9df8d"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/vusno76viphg63c/My%20favourite%20things%20post%20%20for%20Peel21st.mov?dl=0" target="_blank">Maggie Fay</a></span></span></li>
<li><span id="docs-internal-guid-4b205d5d-1833-3e6b-48c6-3b842fbebdeb"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://jwigmore.wordpress.com/2015/12/15/a-few-of-my-favourite-things/" target="_blank">Jason Wigmore</a></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://mindfulauthenticity.blogspot.ca/2015/12/december-peel21st-blog-hop-few-of-my.html?spref=tw" target="_blank"><b>Pam Taylor</b></a></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Fp2u3s801ZLXGnGOS6h2gtYkYPDaya-b1rbFjPdnn5Y/edit" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Gina </b></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-5c1df202-a8ae-613d-ae4c-bd6e5ba93716"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Loutrianakis</span></span></a></span></li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077354121332099521noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9041763731199712230.post-69706691029319386822015-11-17T20:21:00.000-05:002015-11-20T09:14:32.579-05:00Best Moment...<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #20124d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>"This is the first #Peel21st Blog Hop of the year. After a bit of an irregular start to the school year, a few of us thought sharing our best moments thus far would be a great way to reconnect. Take a look at the blogs posted at the bottom, and hop from one to another to see some other best moments."</i></span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEEM9xaH7I8E5bN5kTx-Cj04itMu9KujswwOLMCIEra1-6fwLcWkU1WorqT3GEA1z9U7um4bV_45eN47N_ZUUpjR19TnVPd5TqYaLBuLVlkSt68Kbp8H0fumT5sAKpfoalVkIoXVvTlRao/s1600/Blog+Hop.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEEM9xaH7I8E5bN5kTx-Cj04itMu9KujswwOLMCIEra1-6fwLcWkU1WorqT3GEA1z9U7um4bV_45eN47N_ZUUpjR19TnVPd5TqYaLBuLVlkSt68Kbp8H0fumT5sAKpfoalVkIoXVvTlRao/s320/Blog+Hop.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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I was going to write about my best moment so far this year, and although this is true, it also has been my best moment since beginning in my role as a resource teacher. Since 'leaving' the classroom over a year ago, I've had few opportunities to teach in the classroom with students. This year however has been much different.<br />
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I've been able to co-teach several lessons with some teachers at a few of the schools I support. It's provided me the opportunity to engage with kids again, and placed me back in one of my favourite places in the world - the classroom. I don't like to get 'corny' or whatever you want to call it, but I've really come to realize how much I love the classroom; and how much I've missed it. It's only when you step outside of that for an extended period of time, do you understand what you have left.<br />
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These opportunities have also provided great opportunities to learn alongside other teachers, and observe their practices as well. You begin to see strategies, dynamics, techniques, etc. that you can only learn by collaborating together. The interplay between two teachers in a classroom is also so rewarding, and really makes me wish that was more common place (at the secondary level at least).<br />
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Students have also been awesome in allowing a stranger, such as myself, come into their community and work with them in learning various technology tools. They have really shown how much they want to learn various tools to support their learning, and crave the opportunity to explore these tools. There was a moment in one of the classes where we were basically holding a 'matchmaker' event - students throwing out ideas they want to do to complete projects & products for their courses, and I was throwing back ideas of tools they could use to complete such tasks. It was awesome to see their eyes light up, and brains explode somewhat, when they looked at the app/tool and what it could do; and made me realize that students crave creative expression, and are always looking for new ways to convey this. They also were able to show me tools & apps that I haven't heard of before, and put themselves in the role of the teacher to do so. That's not so easy to do, but they have a certain knack for it when it comes to showing technology, and I was wise to listen.<br />
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We never really get to step outside our own selves, and look back to see what we have done; or how we are progressing in our own practice. But this year has been just that, and I've really been able to reflect - I love being in the classroom; I love working alongside talented individuals; and most of all, I love learning alongside students.<br />
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What has been your best moment?<br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Be sure to check out the other #Peel21st bloggers and their best moments!</span></i></blockquote>
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<ul>
<li><span id="docs-internal-guid-4b205d5d-1834-6489-fd7e-a31435d055d1"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://mrsoclassroom.blogspot.ca/2015/11/the-best-learning-moment-this-fall.html" target="_blank">Jonathan So</a></span></span></li>
<li><span id="docs-internal-guid-4b205d5d-1830-af60-09c2-39e661c78353"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://mramitmehrotra.blogspot.ca/2015/11/peel21st-november-blog-hop-my-best.html" target="_blank">Amit Mehrotra</a></span></span></li>
<li><span id="docs-internal-guid-4b205d5d-1831-5628-c44f-ae198ddabf37"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://misszita.wordpress.com/2015/11/17/peel21st-blog-hop-my-one-best-thing/" target="_blank">Tina Zita</a></span></span></li>
<li><span id="docs-internal-guid-4b205d5d-1831-b346-12e0-1d3e2489d563"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://makelearn.org/2015/11/15/memorable-learning-moment/" target="_blank">Jim Cash</a></span></span></li>
<li><span id="docs-internal-guid-4b205d5d-1832-091d-ad6f-d520c88376dc"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://valleyslearningcommons.blogspot.ca/2015/11/my-best-moments-so-far-in-2015-happen.html" target="_blank">Melanie Mulcaster</a></span></span></li>
<li><span id="docs-internal-guid-4b205d5d-1832-5266-97d9-62a1b790f4b0"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://teachinginspirations.blogspot.com/2015/11/learning-moments-peel21st-blog-hop.html" target="_blank">Heather Lye</a></span></span></li>
<li><span id="docs-internal-guid-4b205d5d-1832-a866-09f6-6b77e7b9df8d"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://msarmstrong.ca/2015/11/17/my-most-memorable-learning-moment-of-this-fall/" target="_blank">Erica Armstrong</a></span></span></li>
<li><span id="docs-internal-guid-4b205d5d-1832-f5b6-4af0-8dd66c8a9179"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://heymrfletcher.wordpress.com/2015/11/17/peel21st-november-blog-hop-my-best-moment/" target="_blank">Matt Fletcher</a></span></span></li>
<li><span id="docs-internal-guid-4b205d5d-1833-3e6b-48c6-3b842fbebdeb"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://jwigmore.wordpress.com/2015/11/17/peel21st-blog-hop-my-most-memorable-moment/" target="_blank">Jason Wigmore</a></span></span></li>
<li><span id="docs-internal-guid-4b205d5d-1833-8b3a-6d44-5056e3270333"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://slewisyoung.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Shivonne Lewis-Young</a></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4b205d5d-1833-a703-ab65-07b3bd701157" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.matthewforestieri.com/2015/11/18/peel21st-blog-hop-most-memorable-learning-experience-this-fall/" target="_blank">Matthew Forestieri</a></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b><a href="http://instructionalpartners.blogspot.ca/2015/11/each-day-is-memorable-moment-as-i-sit.html" target="_blank">Sarah Dadger</a></b></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://mindfulauthenticity.blogspot.ca/2015/11/peel21st-blog-hop-what-has-been-your.html?spref=tw" target="_blank"><b>Pam Taylor</b></a></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://sphillipyoung.wordpress.com/2015/11/19/peel21st-november-blog-hop-a-new-year/" target="_blank"><b>Phil Young</b></a></span></li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077354121332099521noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9041763731199712230.post-28772350488309858572015-10-21T09:49:00.003-04:002015-10-21T09:50:07.094-04:00Back to the Future... of EducationIn case you missed it today marks the day in Back to the Future II in which Marty & Doc jump in the Delorean and travel to in the future - October 21, 2015. I was 8 when that movie came out, but I still remember the hover board, and how I couldn't wait until I had my own in 2015. Well, today is today, and I still don't have a hoverboard, the Cubs haven't won the World Series, and there were only 4 Jaws movies (3 too many I know). However, as far off as that movie may have been with its predictions, the one thing it did do was give people a fascination with what the future may look like. <div>
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When it comes to predicting the future, it's not so much what you think will happen, but what you WANT to happen. There are a lot of things I hope may come true for the world, but that is just way too hard! Therefore, I thought I'd write a screenplay for the next installment of the Back to the Future franchise titled 'Back to the Future School'.</div>
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<b>1. Technology IS Ubiquitous</b></div>
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<li>Yes in the future technology will not be treated as a side, to the regular classroom instruction. Using an app, web tool, or hardware device will not be treated as an event. Coding will be as ingrained in the curriculum as literacy or numeracy, and our debate over 1:1 vs. non 1:1 classes will be a thing of the past.</li>
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<b>2. The Classroom Looks A Lot Like Your Living Room</b></div>
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<li>We will finally realize there is a strong connection between learning environment and learning. That if we want to truly differentiate our instruction, we also need to provide areas within the classroom that allow for this differentiation. Couches, chairs, individual seating, and group collaboration areas will all be the norm.</li>
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<b>3. Timetable? What Timetable?</b></div>
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<li>Students will drive their own learning; popping into the class that they need to for that day & time. Want to work your way through the science curriculum today? Go for it. Want to solely focus on geography and history today, well that can be done. Don't hear a bell? Well that's because there aren't any. This may apply more to the secondary folk, but still could be applied to all grade levels. </li>
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<b>4. STEAMSSLEPEB</b></div>
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<li>I know it's a terrible acronym but the point is we will place as much emphasis on all disciplines as we currently do with STEM. In order to be successful, students will draw on knowledge & experience from a variety of curriculum areas, and connect the dots. This also lends itself nicely to doing away with single subject classes, and offering courses that bring multiple curriculums together. Students will learn about the 'Physical World' a class that looks at Geography, Physics, Biology, and Math in one 'class'. </li>
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<b>5. Just Do It</b></div>
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<li>Studying will take on a whole new meaning in the future. Students won't be cramming for a tests; they'll be studying on their own, when they need to, in order to actually demonstrate their learning by DOING. Single, one-off assessment pieces will be a thing of the past. Do I want to know what lil' Jimmy knows? Absolutely. But I want lil' Jimmy to show me through his demonstration, his ongoing learning process, and his ability to perform what he has chosen to learn about.</li>
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Will all of these things actually happen? Probably not. Some will be achieved, others won't be, and some we'll blow right past and offer solutions and examples I can't even fathom right now. Back to the Future didn't nail every prediction, but it didn't have to. It simply offered ideas, and inspired people to take steps toward making them a reality. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077354121332099521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9041763731199712230.post-52432465836492616702015-04-14T20:30:00.000-04:002015-04-14T21:20:44.324-04:00EdTech & Numeracy Unite!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>This year has been quite the journey for many teachers when it comes to numeracy and technology. Great learning has taken place, with many stories to share. It is these stories that can continue to support others in their learning journey; as well as act as an excellent reflection piece for my own journey. So what better way to share then through another #peel21st blog hop! The following is my own reflection on combining technology with numeracy; but be sure to check out the other blog posts by other amazing #peel21st educators about their own reflections. </i></blockquote>
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We are bombarded regularly with numbers and data in all walks of life. Whether it is financial information, contact details, mathematical equations, spreadsheets, graphs, addresses, etc., we can easily come across hundreds of sets of data in a single day. One of the difficulties in understanding all this information is processing it in your mind and providing some context for it. This has always been a difficulty for myself, where upon being presented with such data the words "Okay, how much is that really?"will regularly be uttered.<br />
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However, one of the tools I find to be extremely beneficial in understanding such large sets of numbers has been through infographics. In the past Excel was one of the only ways to visualize data (scary I know!), but now we have such tools like <a href="http://piktochart.com/" target="_blank">Piktochart</a>, <a href="http://ease.ly/">Ease.ly</a>, <a href="http://infogr.am/">Infogr.am</a> that can create some really stunning presentations (just search <a href="https://www.google.ca/search?q=infographics&safe=strict&es_sm=119&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=ymEtVdDEKJbhoAT3-YG4Cg&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=586" target="_blank">'Infographics' on Google</a>, or see below)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0LmB4hvafp0/VS1c8Wm56UI/AAAAAAAAAR0/bcPA4EhwOB4/s1600/what-is-an-infographic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0LmB4hvafp0/VS1c8Wm56UI/AAAAAAAAAR0/bcPA4EhwOB4/s1600/what-is-an-infographic.jpg" height="256" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">http://www.bethkanter.org/wp-content/uploads/what-is-an-infographic.jpg</td></tr>
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I have found many other educators have come to appreciate these tools as well, and students especially. A conversation I had with <a href="https://twitter.com/ChefmTFSS" target="_blank">Chef Marelli </a>not too long ago is evidence enough. We discussed how recipes have lots of numeracy in them - weights, measurements, sizing, scale, etc., and for many students this can be a struggle. However, looking at this information through an infographic lense, students can come to understand all these concepts much more effectively; and produce a fine tasting dish as a bonus!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://lloydhumphreys.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/11-cinnamon-roll-recipe-infographic.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lloydhumphreys.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/11-cinnamon-roll-recipe-infographic.png" height="320" width="246" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">http://lloydhumphreys.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/11-cinnamon-roll-recipe-infographic.png</td></tr>
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So whether you are in English, Math, Social Science, Technology, Phys Ed, or any other subject area, Infographics can be a great way to demonstrate learning; and allow for a greater understanding of data across all curriculum. Yes Math may be a focus, but that doesn't mean we can't use something like infographics to work on numeracy skills in any subject, and become 'Super' as a result!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J8PyabMVTDM/VS1c93-pFyI/AAAAAAAAASI/vydM7zXuDlI/s1600/Superman-Infographic-Updated-930x1689.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J8PyabMVTDM/VS1c93-pFyI/AAAAAAAAASI/vydM7zXuDlI/s1600/Superman-Infographic-Updated-930x1689.jpg" height="320" width="176" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">http://mashable.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Superman-Infographic-Updated.jpg</td></tr>
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Be sure to check out the other awesome #peel21st bloggers!<br />
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<li><a href="https://sphillipyoung.wordpress.com/category/peel21st-blog-hops/" target="_blank">Phil Young</a></li>
<li><a href="http://slewisyoung.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Shivonne Lewis-Young</a></li>
<li><a href="http://jwigmore.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Jay Wigmore</a></li>
<li><a href="https://ateachingyear.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Don Campbell </a></li>
<li><a href="http://mrsoclassroom.blogspot.com/2015/04/blog-hop-digital-learning-in-math.html" target="_blank">Jonathan So</a></li>
<li><a href="https://misszita.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Tina Zita</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://ideaconnect.edublogs.org/2015/04/14/digital-learning-with-math/" target="_blank">Graham Whisen</a></li>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077354121332099521noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9041763731199712230.post-39480743913908544832015-01-18T10:01:00.002-05:002015-01-18T10:33:17.958-05:0010 Good ThingsOften times in education we fall into the habit, or trap, of negative dialogue. It's easy to focus on what's not working well, what needs to change, or what is wrong with the 'system' or 'school board'. I hear it often, and too have fallen into that trap at times. However, contrary to what we believe, it really doesn't help improve anything. What we end up doing is just driving ourselves mad, and allow the negative conversation to continue. Don't get me wrong, it's important to vent and have the support of peers to do so; but what if we vent more often about the great stuff happening in our classroom, school, board, or education in general? Wouldn't that do more to improve education as a whole? Wouldn't we be able to learn more? Improve our professional practice? Provide students with a more enjoyable education experience? I think so.<br><br><br>
That's why we need more of #10goodthings; more sharing of what's going so well in our own practice. Thanks to Ve Anusic, a good friend and colleague of mine, who challenged me to reflect & share some of the good things happening in my little world over the past year; and thus contribute to the positive dialogue in education!<br>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: 27px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: x-large;"><b>#10GoodThings</b></span></span><br>
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1. The continuous learning I am experiencing in my new role as an Instructional Technology Resource Teacher. Hesitant & overwhelmed at first, I am really loving this new role in supporting, learning, and working with many different schools & colleagues.<br>
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2. A couple of days this past semester I was able to work alongside <a href="http://georgecouros.ca/blog/" target="_blank">George Couros</a> - someone I consider a rockstar in education.<br>
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3. Continuously revisiting my own professional practice around assessment, and doing away with traditional evaluation practices; and loving every bit of it. Gotta thank <a href="https://twitter.com/AssessmentGeek" target="_blank">@AssessmentGeek</a> for that one!<span id="goog_1263905849"></span><span id="goog_1263905850"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><br>
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4. Hit 100,000 views on a Youtube <a href="http://youtu.be/BqKm9piu0Ro" target="_blank">video</a> I posted for my students. It may not be that interesting, but I don't, nor have ever, taught that many students. It made me realize the vast connections we are able to make now through new media and technology.<br>
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5. I continuously learn about 'new' tools (ie. <a href="https://getkahoot.com/" target="_blank">Kahoot</a>, <a href="http://www.thinglink.com/" target="_blank">Thinglink</a>, <a href="http://www.canva.com/" target="_blank">Canva</a>, etc.) for use in the classroom and share them with others. For one I love learning about a new tool, but more importantly I love when a colleague uses it in their classroom and comes back to tell me how much their students enjoyed using it, and the greater learning experience it has given them.<br>
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6. I have encouraged my parents to begin using Instagram, Pinterest and Wordpress, to follow their own passions, and connect with the world. <br>
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7. I miss the classroom - this is a good thing. It reminds me of how much I love teaching.<br>
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8. Twitter has been good since I began using it. But find myself liking it more and more, mainly because of a very awesome PLN that has formed through the<a href="https://www.smore.com/agv3-peel21st" target="_blank"> #peel21st </a>hashtag. I find myself constantly learning from many amazing educators.<br>
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9. I am excited by many new opportunities to learn from others, as well as share my learning. Really excited to try out making a podcast with <a href="https://twitter.com/jimmyblackwood" target="_blank">@jimmyblackwood</a>!<br>
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And last but not least...<br>
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10. Blogging. I wish I could do it more, but when I do, I find it very beneficial. Like this very post, it allows me to truly reflect on what I am thinking or doing.<br>
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<b><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">A little note:</span></i></b><br>
I began this post wondering if I could even write about 10 positive things. I am now apologizing to those experiences, relationships, and past events that I failed to mention here. It's amazing what happens when you begin reflecting - you begin to realize just how much you have done, and the people who have contributed to it! There are a lot more than 10 'things' and maybe I'll write another list soon.<br>
<br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077354121332099521noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9041763731199712230.post-55225291100749372552015-01-13T13:05:00.001-05:002015-01-14T14:23:25.816-05:00Mindomo<a href="http://www.mindomo.com/resources/img/media/logo1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.mindomo.com/resources/img/media/logo1.png" /></a>It's home screen says it all "Use the Force of Mind Mapping" and that's exactly what it does. There are a variety of tools available for teachers for this very purpose, and Mindomo is no different. It allows students to 'map' their content knowledge in a way that allows them to develop a deeper understanding of course content. The website/tool allows for this mapping to venture to various levels in order to do so and provides a wealth of options for students to collaborate, communicate, critically think, and create.<br />
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Here's my 5 brief thoughts (and completely initial - need to use it more):</div>
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<li><b><i>Ministry Supported </i></b>- for Ontario teachers, this means that you can create free accounts for yourself and all of your students; and access all of the features it provides.</li>
<li><b><i>Device Neutral </i></b>- whether your students use iOs devices, Mac OS X, Android, Microsoft, or Linux, they can all access the tool in the same way.</li>
<li><b><i>Posting Options</i></b> - Students can post notes, multimedia, links, icons, comments, and emoticons; change the themes of the blank space; and connect ideas using lines just like they would on paper.</li>
<li><b><i>Class Collaboration</i></b> - I haven't really explored this in detail, but it allows you to set up your classes, enrol all of your students and have them connect, share, and collaborate on course mind maps. You can set up specific groups, and organize them in any way you want.</li>
<li><b><i>Fairly Simple User Interface </i></b>- like other tools such as Padlet, adding content is as easy as clicking on the blank page and adding text. Inserting visuals and other media (as mentioned previously) is also as simple as clicking and adding. However, I think it's a bit more of a tool I think that suits intermediate/secondary students, as the terminology and commands might be a bit too much for elementary.</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAT_XB60mdVsPyhHwnNMVI5tEI7usz-pMdx4IKY0CahxoOHCmvPXgnIp1tFaTSssuX86AKv0vr1Onvt8A4nRIubTTQ8IYdJwtSJ1D-6dy5YaMWg9xgvmq8gA8lUDjYOH7Ndi-5tiGpTop3/s1600/Science.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAT_XB60mdVsPyhHwnNMVI5tEI7usz-pMdx4IKY0CahxoOHCmvPXgnIp1tFaTSssuX86AKv0vr1Onvt8A4nRIubTTQ8IYdJwtSJ1D-6dy5YaMWg9xgvmq8gA8lUDjYOH7Ndi-5tiGpTop3/s1600/Science.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
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Anyway, a pretty good tool for visualizing the connections between concepts, and developing an understanding of the relationships that exist.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077354121332099521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9041763731199712230.post-14882484422085820652015-01-12T23:18:00.001-05:002015-01-13T08:07:10.667-05:00Where do we start?<a href="https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1133/1013633841_499bedba26_z.jpg?zz=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1133/1013633841_499bedba26_z.jpg?zz=1" width="320"></a>I've been thinking a lot about this post lately. Mainly because of my role, I am able to visit a lot of different schools; and see a lot of different environments. These environments, not unlike the physical world, shape the beings that live within it. Unfortunately, the school environment hasn't changed all that much, has it?<br>
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I see people mention it all the time on social media:<br>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>"If you take a group of teachers from 100 years ago, and place them in a school today, they wouldn't notice a difference"</i>. </span></div>
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It's pretty sad really, that we haven't evolved too much when it comes to the actual physical classroom. Thankfully pedagogy and technology has made up for this lack of environmental progress, but at what point will we stop and really consider addressing the actual classroom?<br>
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Walk into most secondary classrooms and you'll see the same thing - desks in rows, the teacher's desk where it's always been, the blackboard/whiteboard/screen/etc. behind them, and the focus of the class is to look to the front. I acknowledge this is not the rule, as I said before 'most' and not 'all' classrooms are this way; but it is a very common element for most schools. I also acknowledge that this setup is beneficial for some lessons, but again 'some' and not 'all'. (I would even go so far as to say 'few' instead of 'some')<br>
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With such an environment does it really matter how much technology is implemented in the classroom? Is it conducive to newer more effective pedagogy? Do students really attempt to express themselves to their fullest? Are they able to collaborate effectively? Or build on the other generally accepted 21st century skills of communication, critical thinking, and creativity?<br>
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<a href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4136/4915136655_41bd8cc4a9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4136/4915136655_41bd8cc4a9.jpg" width="200"></a>Often I think of what the most successful organizations today look like. I think of companies like Google, Apple, Facebook, etc. that all have very innovative workplaces - a mix of both collaborative and quiet areas, with a lot of room to truly innovate. How can we expect our students to become innovators, creators, communicators, etc. if we don't provide similar environments to do so?<br>
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And it's not just the classroom really; take a look at a staffroom. Is it a place for collaboration and innovation? Or like a classroom, is the focus on silent, individual work? How about the library - does it support learning as a 'social process'? And the rest of the school - does it allow for learning to happen anytime, anywhere?<br>
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Now I do recognize that there are a tonne of limitations that schools face, that Fortune 500 companies do not. And I also know that major construction really doesn't fall into a school's budget. But what about new schools that are built? Are we really thinking about the future in constructing these places of 21st century learning? Or do we often look to the past in building these 'new' schools?<br>
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So changing an entire school may be a difficult mission to accomplish; however, we can begin by taking small steps. In our own classrooms. Comfort & security may be too great to overcome, but it's amazing what happens when a small change takes place. Maybe it's just getting rid of the rows of student desks. Or maybe getting rid of the teacher's desk altogether. But imagine what might happen if you did?<br>
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I just think we need to start this progress; and sooner rather than later. I think we need to acknowledge the fact that improving student success doesn't just fall on pedagogy, technology, and curriculum knowledge; we need the environment to change as well. So I guess this post is really about challenging ourselves; stepping out of our comfort zones and really innovate to make a truly 21st century school.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077354121332099521noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9041763731199712230.post-48634447572693276522014-11-19T23:30:00.000-05:002014-11-19T23:34:38.466-05:00Our Evolving CommunicationEvery so often I listen to concerns regarding technology's role in advancing student language & communication. Most often the question posed is whether or not technology is hindering our students' ability to communicate effectively. The concern stems from the language of texting, and that if we as educators infuse greater technology in our classrooms, do we foster 'improper' texting conventions of communication?<br />
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Typically when this concern is raised I immediately reflect back to my days as a student in my grade 11 English class. I see myself sitting there at my desk, staring at a book full of words and terms I cannot for the life of me understand. I am told over and over again, how this book contains language of great importance, and I would be wise to learn it. I understand that the author influenced almost every narrative that came after him, but I could never understand what the heck this 'Bill' guy was talking about.<br />
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<a href="http://www.rjmusical.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/shakespeare-homie-rapper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.rjmusical.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/shakespeare-homie-rapper.jpg" height="318" width="320" /></a>I have never (well maybe rarely) used any of the phrases William Shakespeare so eloquently penned in his great works. As I have said, I understand his works are masterpieces; and believe me, I wish I appreciated them then like I do now. However, I also understand that when I speak to family, write an email to coworkers, or text my friends, I don't utter the phrase "Where art thou?"<br />
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Communication has evolved, and continues to evolve. I wonder if someone back in 1650 said <a href="http://www.shmoop.com/shakespeare-translator/">"These kids these days! those gents don't knoweth how to writeth properly!"</a> Did they fret about the state of spelling & grammar? Did they wonder if giving every student a chalk & slate would lead to every kid not knowing how to speak properly? Or that they wouldn't know how to write a proper essay?<br />
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True, texting has a great influence on the evolution of communication; but I don't believe it's because of the technology. Communication has changed because we have adapted as living, breathing, walking & talking beings in how we use it. No device forces you to write 'U' instead of 'You'. We make that choice. Even if we are talking about autocorrect, we still make the choice to set the autocorrect function to do this, or allow it.<br />
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If we are concerned about our students' written communication than it's our responsibility to teach them the proper conventions for each medium. If it comes to writing an essay, then yes we need to teach them how to properly construct one. However, how many essays have you wrote lately? How many students are going to go on to write one in their future?<br />
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Students however, are far more likely to blog, text, email, and produce a podcast. Therefore, maybe if we get students to construct these forms of communication, they will take greater care with their conventions? Not because of the technology component, but because these are ways which resonate with them, and ways of communication in which they see in their future.<br />
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I hope my students go on to write amazing works of art, essays of great importance, and novels that capture the masses. But I also hope just one goes on to blog a little, maybe like me, and finds their outlet for communication.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077354121332099521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9041763731199712230.post-89154852653331206042014-11-18T20:31:00.001-05:002014-11-18T21:57:14.938-05:00Learning in the 21st Century<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="s1">“</span><span class="s2"><i>Over the last several weeks I have found myself in many conversations about what 21st century teaching & learning means</i></span></span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. It seems like a topic that would be perfect for our second #peel21st blog hop. So here we are again! Read on to learn more about what I think 21st century learning is to me, and don't forget to check out the other blog posts linked at the bottom of the post."</i></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I often try to articulate what it really means to learn in the 21st century. It is difficult. I battle with attempting to define this almost everyday. I often look toward the skills necessary to be successful in the 21st century; and therefore what our students need to acquire. However, defining 21st century skills doesn't necessarily translate to the idea of '<i>what learning in the 21st century is</i>?' or better yet, looks like.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Therefore, I often gravitate toward the idea of what should happen in a classroom every day, and believe there should be a few </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">observable traits. These I think should be</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> the 4 C's of 21st century education - collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity. It's not like they weren't around when I was in school, but they definitely weren't a focus in the same way. This</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> is the </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">distinct difference I see between the learning I engaged in, and the one I want for my students. Learning, as John Seely Brown said best, is a social process. Therefore as teachers, we really need to ensure we provide an environment that allows for socializing to happen.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I think the biggest thing however, is that learning today needs to be 'real'. Learning has to allow students of all ages connect with the world around them. I came across this video not too long ago that I believe really articulates my thoughts on what learning today is really about.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So when it's all said and done, learning today requires authenticity, connections, and most of all, the ability of others to support you in following your passion. Or put another way <b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>learning in the 21st century</i></span></b>...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">What do you think?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Oh and d<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23.9980010986328px;">on’t forget to check out the other blog posts in our </span><strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: 23.9980010986328px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Blog Hop</strong><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23.9980010986328px;">!</span></span></div>
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<ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Muli, 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 23.9980010986328px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em 3em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Sean Broda - </span><span class="s2" style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><a href="http://mrseanbroda.blogspot.ca/" style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">http://mrseanbroda.blogspot.ca/</a></span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Josh Crozier - </span><span class="s2" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><a href="http://joshcrozieredu.wordpress.com/">http://joshcrozieredu.wordpress.com/</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Tina Zita – </span><span class="s5" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><a href="http://misszita.wordpress.com/">http://misszita.wordpress.com</a> </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Jim Blackwood – </span><span class="s5" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><a href="http://jimmyblackwood.wordpress.com/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">http://jimmyblackwood.wordpress.com</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Jonathan So – </span><span class="s5" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><a href="http://www.mrsoclassroom.blogspot.ca/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">http://www.Mrsoclassroom.blogspot.ca</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Alicia Quennell – </span><span class="s5" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><a href="http://aliciaquennell.blogspot.ca/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">http://aliciaquennell.blogspot.ca/</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Debbie Axiak – </span><span class="s5" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><a href="http://debbieaxiak.blogspot.ca/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">http://debbieaxiak.blogspot.ca</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Lynn Filliter – </span><span class="s5" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><a href="http://assessmentgeek.edublogs.org/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">http://assessmentgeek.edublogs.org</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Heather Lye – </span><span class="s5" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><a href="http://www.teachinginspirations.blogspot.ca/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">http://www.teachinginspirations.blogspot.ca/</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Graham Whisen – </span><span class="s5" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><a href="http://ideaconnect.edublogs.org/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">http://ideaconnect.edublogs.org/</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Donald, Campbell – </span><span class="s5" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><a href="http://ateachingyear.wordpress.com/" style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">http://ateachingyear.wordpress.com</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">James Nunes – </span><span class="s5" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><a href="http://joyousteaching.blogspot.ca/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">http://joyousteaching.blogspot.ca</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Greg, Pearson – </span><span class="s5" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><a href="http://leaderinadigitalworld.blogspot.ca/">http://leaderinadigitalworld.blogspot.ca</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Phil Young – </span><span class="s5" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><a href="http://sphillipyoung.wordpress.com/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">http://sphillipyoung.wordpress.com</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Shivonne Lewis-Young – </span><span class="s5" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><a href="http://slewisyoung.wordpress.com/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">http://slewisyoung.wordpress.com</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Jim Cash – </span><span class="s5" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><a href="http://makelearn.org/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">http://makelearn.org</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Engy Boutros - </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://engyboutros.wordpress.com/">https://engyboutros.wordpress.com/</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Susan Campo – </span><span class="s5" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><a href="http://susancampo.ca/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">http://susancampo.ca</a></span></li>
<li><span class="s4" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Sean Coroza - <a href="http://seancoroza.wordpress.com/">http://seancoroza.wordpress.com/</a></span></li>
<li><span class="s4" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Ken Dewar – <a href="https://mysite.peelschools.org/personal/P0031112/Blog/default.aspx"><span class="s5">https://mysite.peelschools.org/personal/P0031112/Blog/default.aspx</span></a></span><span class="s6" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">(need a Peel O365 Account)</span></li>
</ul>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077354121332099521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9041763731199712230.post-69375842246032317802014-10-17T22:37:00.001-04:002014-10-17T23:12:38.272-04:00The Tweet that Changed a LifeIt isn't often you get to work alongside someone who greatly inspires you; who you regularly look to for motivation and direction to become a better educator. Many of these people I follow on Twitter, see at conferences, and read their blogs; but rarely do I ever truly get to "work" with them (I intentionally use parenthesis there, as work in this case is hardly work!). Today however, was one of those rare, and very lucky days.<br />
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I saw <a href="https://twitter.com/gcouros" target="_blank">George Couros</a> speak for the first time a couple of years ago at <a href="https://storify.com/misszita/tldwpeel-day-1" target="_blank">#TLDWpeel</a> and walked away wanting to change the world. He has an affect on people that few have; and is one of those leaders that can make people laugh, cry, truly engage with one another, nod their heads in complete agreement with everything he says, and get them up on their feet dancing to whatever the fad song is of the day. It's truly remarkable.<br />
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I could go on this whole post and talk about how amazing it is to work with someone like that; and in a way, I set out with somewhat of an intention to do so. However, today I bore witness to something else that was maybe even more amazing. Sorry George ;)<br />
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We set out on the day without a roadmap, or any real plan of how the day was going to go. It was really about responding to the needs of the 20 educators in the room, and what they felt they really wanted to accomplish. The one main idea that we had however, was to connect these educators with others that exist outside the walls of their school - open the doors to a wealth of expertise, ideas, innovation, and sharing.<br />
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The real amazing moment came when we were signing all of them up on Twitter and showing them the ins & outs of the social media platform. One teacher in particular George signed up himself, just to show the rest the process of tweeting, retweeting, mentioning others, and following people who are worthwhile to follow. He then proceeded to demonstrate the true power of Twitter, and how one tweet can develop so many new connections. From his own account he tweeted out the following:<br />
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The rest of us watched. In an instant there were 5 new followers; 30 seconds later, 12 new followers; a minute, and 15 were now following her. After just a couple of minutes, Lisa had already developed connections with many educators from around the world. In that moment, she realized what she had just done. She turned to George and softly, but profoundly stated "This just changed my life."Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11077354121332099521noreply@blogger.com0