Yes. Especially at this tumultuous (yet, for some lucky people, incredibly boring) point in time, we need to be talking about connection when it comes to learning. (When I say connect, I mean primarily as in human connection but also as in infrastructure.) There have been a whole new slew of online meeting and learning… Continue reading Learning (or should we call it connecting?) Online in Troubled Times
Category: Relationship
Caring for each other and being safe. It’s ok to take a break from school learning.
In Quebec, teachers have been told not to teach while the schools are closed for this initial 2-week period (it is hard to believe it has been less than a week that the schools have been closed!): “Teachers, as per the Minister of Education’s statements today, will not be providing work to students over the… Continue reading Caring for each other and being safe. It’s ok to take a break from school learning.
Being liked.
I am back in the classroom. Writing that is akin to writing that I am back home. After a long hiatus that brought me through high school, adult ed, and teacher professional development I am back in an elementary school and it sure feels fine. I am reminded of old posts I wrote on this… Continue reading Being liked.
Make Me Care
Andrew Stanton’s line, “The greatest story commandment is: Make me care.” stopped me in my tracks when I first heard it almost a year ago. I was on my way to working with a couple of teachers in another area of Quebec and had a long drive ahead of me, so I plugged in my… Continue reading Make Me Care
Why blog? (and it’s not about making learning fun.)
Blogging is not about making journaling fun for students. It’s not about trying to find a reason for students to spell correctly. It’s not even about connecting them to global others. I can think of no more horrible an exercise than forcing all of the students in my class to create a blog for the… Continue reading Why blog? (and it’s not about making learning fun.)
Motivation, feedback, tech, and me.
The ‘and me’ is key. This is in reference to me as a teacher and therefore a creator of learning situations. How do I use myself as a motivating instigator with those I teach? How do I provide effective feedback to those I teach? How do I recognize the feedback I receive from those I… Continue reading Motivation, feedback, tech, and me.
Flipping videos all over the place aka what is a true flip?
Does flipped learning, flipped classroom, flipped ________, have to always be about replacing content with video? Because, let me tell you, that’s what I seem to be seeing and it is driving me CRAZY that I am constantly being referred to video. I like to learn via text. Via lists. Poetry. Words. I like to… Continue reading Flipping videos all over the place aka what is a true flip?
Teacher as container
I remember reading an article some years back called Consultant as Container***, or something like that. It spoke about how an organizational consultant can play a role in ‘holding’ the emotion in the room during periods of change and that this act of holding can assist in allowing the change to continue. A teacher’s work… Continue reading Teacher as container
Flashback: seeking to understand
This post was originally written in 2009 and is still very relevant to me. I hope you think so as well. — A norm that I aspire to, however difficult it can be at times is this one: Seek to understand before being understood. I just read a story about an administrator who practices this… Continue reading Flashback: seeking to understand
A more appropriate method
When a student complains about his teacher’s less than motivational teaching style, his school board replies that he did not complain appropriately. How can he complain? What outlet do students have to express their concerns about their teachers? What is a more appropriate method? If they are lucky they have found an adult at their… Continue reading A more appropriate method