by Krissy.Venosdale | Mar 30, 2012 | Reflect
Change happens everywhere. Seasons. Growing older. Different shoes. New car. New job. Kids grow up. Even our favorite foods become “New & improved.” Doctors get new tools. Grocery stores update to self-checkout. But, when it comes to schools… change is about as fast as a snail in a blizzard.
We cling to safety. Textbooks. Same lesson plans. Order. Notebook paper and yellow pencils. The basics. Schedules. Sections. What we have always known. What becomes easy. Familiar.
But, what is best for our students?
I always hear, “We have to prepare kids for tomorrow’s world.” Sometimes I wonder, are we even preparing them for today’s? Our world is full of change. We have to adapt, think on our feet, solve problems, get creative, and innovate. Whether we are teaching, learning, or just living. Change happens.
by Krissy.Venosdale | Mar 28, 2012 | Reflect
Ever notice how crystal clear things can be when you look back? Suddenly, things make sense.
What’s more important?
…earning an “A” on a science quiz or making a true connection with how science impacts our daily lives?
…knowing facts about the Civil War or reflecting and understanding how the Civil War shaped our country?
…copying twenty definitions or being able to use context clues to figure out what a word means?
…a silent classroom or a room full of kids collaborating, chatting, and brainstorming together?
…coming down hard on that kid for everything or finding out that his life at home is a struggle and letting him know you are there for him?
…being in charge of the computers, or the kids having ownership in the technology in the room?
…doing things the way they’ve always been done, or doing what’s right for kids?
…telling kids information, or listening to their questions?
…having a gradebook full of scores, or one meaningful project that a child will remember for the rest of their life?
…the content you teach or the character you build?
…an hour lecture explaining history, or the chance for kids to explore and figure out history themselves?
…being in charge of the class, or the kids being in charge of their learning?
by Krissy.Venosdale | Mar 27, 2012 | Reflect
Today I had planned to start our fourth quarter unit, the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. Why? Because I’m interested in it. Um… yeah, that’s a lame reason to study something in class.
So, I thought about the unit… our essential question is “How does change occur over time?” Well, I asked my class what they were interested in…
- How has chess developed from the past?
- How has baseball shaped our history?
- How do some buildings become “historic landmarks”?
- How do foods come out of various cultures?
- How do myths become believable when there is no proof?
Chess, landmarks, foods, and myths. It’s past meets present.
You might be saying… well…. now what standards does THAT cover?
Nonfiction reading. Notetaking skills. Main idea. Summarizing information. Research skills. Analyzing information. Viewing history from multiple perspectives. Creating timelines. Understanding how our past shapes our present day. Creativity.
Do you know how many times todayI heard “Did you know…” from excited kids? That’s what learning is about. Follow your interests, go from there, and learn.
Next? This group will decide what their project will be. They have a toolbox of tech tools, a closet full of craft materials, and imaginations to power their ideas. Most of all, they have freedom. The freedom to learn.
by Krissy.Venosdale | Mar 26, 2012 | Reflect
ipads, laptops, desktops, webcams, cameras, document cameras, tablets… the list goes on. The tools we have in our schools for students to learn, create, collaborate, and explore the world with. They are powerful. Especially when we turn them over to kids.
In gifted education, we talk constantly about how to meet the needs of our highest level learners. They already know the curriculum. They crave creativity, problem solving, and learning in a variety of areas. They need faster, deeper, and more. Yet, in many schools, they sit and wait.
But, if we harness the power of technology, we can do so much more for all of our students…
A student already knows the chapter on parts of the plant? Great! Let him watch a YouTube video on photosynthesis, research how it works, and create a digital story using iMovie that explains photosynthesis from the point of view of the plant. Better yet? Ask him what he wants to learn about in science and help him design a project. Turn the power of learning over to the student. Provide the tools of technology. See what happens.
It no longer will take hours for the teacher to gather research for the student, find materials, and create a spot for him to work? Those days are over.
Hand him a laptop. Let her decide what to learn about. Let her questions guide his learning. Let the technology support her. Let her learn.
Now, through the power of technology, nobody is waiting to learn.
by Krissy.Venosdale | Mar 25, 2012 | Reflect
I wonder how many things a day we think and do not say. Even worse, what about the things we think and do not do.
Do we get so caught up in the status quo? The normal? The way things are? The ways things have always been?
How many of us wake up in the morning and the first thought, before we even have our morning caffeine, is, “What am I going to do today to make it better?”
Or, how many of us are so used to thinking that, that we just don’t even think it anymore.
Why is education the way it is? How do we let excuses get in the way of doing what’s right? Those answers don’t really even matter. It’s about what we do. Everyday. One hour at a time.
Tomorrow I’m going in, we’re going to try out VoiceThread in class and I’m going to let THEM figure it out. I’m going to move out of their way, let them explore it, and then? They’ll create something. Something they decide. My “Lesson Objective”? Learning. Because at the end of the day, that’s what I believe in.
