Yesterday blew my mind a little bit.
I found the conversation with the former MACers really interesting. I think its great to be able to "pick the brains" of people that have been where we are, and are where we want to go. I had never heard of IB schools before, so it was REALLY interesting to hear about that, and to jot that down as something to go back and look at (and then, I read one of the articles that Charlie sent us, and it looks like there may be one opening in Ypsi in Fall 2011... perfect timing!)
I learned a lot about new technologies that I think are really applicable both from the former MACers and our further discussion. I think wallwishers.com is a GREAT resource and I cant wait to use it. Dialogue about clickers like quizdoms was enlightening, and after jotting down a few notes of things to check out when I am teaching, I was worried I wouldnt keep up on that list and remember to check it. So, I made a word document. But then I thought, what if I think of an idea and im not on MY computer? So I made a google doc. I love google docs (and have for a while... just ask my group for our reform project!)
Our discussion on the reading about students being over connected was great. I loved that people made themselves vulnerable and shared their opinions. I think it is a thin line of when it is rude and when it isnt, who you're with, and what you're doing. Yesterday I was with my friend Sarah -- when we were shopping in Target, it was ok to reply to a text (after mentioning to her our class conversation, and sharing a laugh.) but later, when we were having a serious conversation, i ignored calls and text messages, because it would have been inappropriate to read them given the tempo of our conversation. I thought Joe brought up an interesting point about etiquette - and I think that is something that, at the very least, you define for your classroom. I think that's needed and appropriate.
And in this, my last blog post (potentially?) I bid you farewell, and wish you a great August. See you the 31st!
Grace&Peace,
Emily
I loved Friday's class, too, and the richness and openness of perspectives that people brought to the table. Enjoy your month off and see you in September!
ReplyDeleteHi Em,
ReplyDeleteIt was definitely a fab class. All of the questions that we's had were almost answered! I had a number of questions that pertained to the placement and was able to talk to Daver on the way to his car, and it was so helpful, as he had the same mentor teacher. I now feel I have an idea what to expect and can CALM DOWN! I also loved hearing from Lauren, since I've read a few of her posts in Land of Lolo blog. I look forward to trying Google Docs (at yr recommendation), and have a great summer!
Kathy
I agree with you about how helpful the class was. Keep the practical knowledge coming, SMAC. The wired conversation really reminded me of issues we were talking about in PSYCH about how to set up our class rules with the involvement of students. Etiquette really relates to that. If we can establish some clear provisos about how tech should be used from the outset, it might make tech use much more effective and less distracting later on.
ReplyDeleteI, too, was intrigued by the IB school, but I do wonder how that plays into all the state/national standards that we've been talking about in other classes. I also wonder how to connect it to local history and issues (having just finished the Place-based Education wiki in Shari's class). What I mean is, I wonder if there is a place in the curriculum at IB schools for teaching local history. Also, I'm not sure I support making kids take the baccalaureate; a lot of kids in other countries commit suicide because they can't pass it.
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