by Krissy.Venosdale | Apr 20, 2014 | Reflect
The silver lining. We’re always looking for it. The days when things feel so awful that we are left wondering what could possibly be good. Those are the days we want to hide. Like the sun, behind a cloud. But those are the days we most need to avoid hiding. I’ve had many people ask me why I choose to share so much. Posters. Thoughts. Details about what I am creating or doing. People that ask that just don’t understand. Sharing is not about me. It’s about learning and growing. It’s about giving back to others who’ve given you so much. This journey that we are all a part of, interconnected between us and the world. A journey that never ends and comes with unexpected challenges and great surprises. A journey filled with people who don’t understand us or want us to change who we are, and a journey with those friends who are truly always there. A journey that can shine like the sun, and just as quickly be struck with lightning.
A journey that it can be a true struggle to continue on the path our heart has us on. Except when it’s not. Because if you get up in the morning and do what your heart believes in, you’re headed in the right direction. Even if it doesn’t work out, even if it feels off course or against the wind. Even when others think you are just not enough. When others misunderstand your heart. You have to keep following your heart, even then. Because it’s a heart connected to others who continually inspire you. Others who pick you up when you fall. Who laugh with you when you cry. Who dream with you when you’re crazy. Your heart. Follow it. Like a little cloud drifting in the sky. It’s heading somewhere and it knows exactly where it’s going. It’s the silver lining that’s always there.
“Cloudy With a Chance of Inspiration” Clouds remind me of learning. Not an isolated event, they are a continuous process. Moving. Growing. Changing. Sometimes pausing to take shape. Some a sign of bright and breezy times, some a sign of storms of struggle. Each one a unique shape that inspires creativity. But clouds also contain inspiration. Dreams. Hope. Water to nourish growth that comes from people all around you, near and far. It comes from YOU. What you see. Think. Believe. Dream. Connect. Share. Your hope. Your heart. You. Everyone is a learner.
by Krissy.Venosdale | Apr 19, 2014 | Reflect
I won’t convince you that you need a PLN. You have to decide that for yourself.
It’s not about ‘finding time for one more thing to do.’ It’s about adding positive people to your life that will motivate you to make time for the things that are important to you in learning and life.
It’s not about building followers. It’s about connecting with others to make a difference.
It’s not about promoting yourself. It’s about sharing what you believe in, and having others push your thinking in a way that you can really, truly define what you believe in.
It’s not about tweeting what you had for lunch. But it is about becoming so close with others in your network that they become family and should they day come when they are eating something special, like a chocolate chip cookie at the White House, and tweet it, you’ll smile because you know the person behind the cookie.
It’s not about plugging into strangers more than real people. They aren’t strangers. They are people who become like family. People who share rooms at conferences, have dinners together, Skype, send each other cards, and inspire each other. Not creepy strangers lurking in dark tunnels that say “Hey…come join my PLN.” Well, okay, most of them. 😉 #kidding
Social media divides the negativity, and multiplies the positivity. The education network on Twitter is unbelievably amazing. People who are doing inspiring things in their schools and communities, sharing, listening, learning, and guiding each other. People who are really just people. Down to earth people. People on the journey to learn. People you can share that journey with.
It’s not about me convincing you. It’s about you convincing yourself.
And if I can help, please let me know. 🙂 #justdoit
by Krissy.Venosdale | Apr 18, 2014 | Reflect
A quote that I never get tired of reading, and a video that I think all kids need to see. I’m printing this out 20×30 for my office. And you can, too. Just click to download full size resolution. Happy Friday!
by Krissy.Venosdale | Apr 17, 2014 | Matters of Creativity
A special edition of 10 Creative Things to Inspire. If it’s THAT time of year at your school, you know, testing time, you’ll want to remember to spend your off-testing time connecting with your kids, enjoying their conversations, focusing on the good in education. Testing can be strenuous, stressful, and so hard to get through. That booklet full of questions? That student who wants help but you have to say, “Sorry, I can’t help.” That quiet. Quiet. Tick. Tick. Tick. So, breathe in, and breathe out, and get some extra creative time in. Nothing will get kids thinking juices flowing like some FUN and inspiration… and guess what, it will get your teaching juices flowing to.
1.) Build a Catapult: How about launching marshamallows??! Experiment with a variety of designs. Measure and graph the data. Find the class average for distance launched. Host a tournament and create spirit flags for your teams.
2.) Host a Scavenger Hunt: I came across this Maths Scavenger Hunt and thought about how much kids would LOVE this. You can adjust it to fit whatever your students needs and curriculum are for the year. You could even add in some personal fun items that you and your class would know.
3.) Make a Completely Nonsense Dictionary: It’s fun to make up words. EXAMPLE: Badoozle: A Noun. It’s the part on a car that signals the horn to beep when someone cuts you off. Kids just practiced parts of speech. And thinking about a new word in a new way is creative fun. Share the words on a collaborative site like “Padlet.” Partner with another class, Skype, and then share your Padlet. Challenge kids to write a story with the new words or use the words in class. Some of the words will stick.. and who knows, may be a new word in the next Webster’s.
4.) Build Your Wild Self: This is so fun. It says Grades 2-6, but I enjoyed it. Kids can print it. They could create adventure tales or use their new self, printed out and cut in outline form, in a stop motion video with a background they design.
5.) So You Wanna Be An Architect? In this simulation, kids select a client and create a design for them. Why not have them try out the simulation, then interview a real client with a real issue? Maybe the school principal about library? Maybe interview the art teacher about challenges with space he’s facing? Encourage kids to design a new learning space.
6.) ThisIsSand: It’s relaxing to drop and move the sand. Sometimes we just all need to breathe deep, destress, and create. Teach kids how to take a Screen Shot of their sand, a tool available on the left, embed in a Word Document, and write Haikus about their sand picture just designed. Or, gather all the sand paintings and ask a student to place them in to Animoto with some relaxing music for the class to view.
7.) Try Social Media: Did you know you can create a class “Twitter” like environment using Twiducate? It’s a great little tool to set up to use in your classroom to model social media use. Kids love to play a game called ‘Who Am I?” You select a famous historical figure, and the kids tweet yes or no questions to you and the class tries to guess who it is.
8.) Mosaic Maker: Zoopz has lots of thinking games. In Mosaic Maker, kids can select colors and create a picture just like real tiles. It might also be fun to use this to introduce mosaics and then make some with construction paper. A fun way to unwind and also practicing spatial planning and creativity!
9.) Kerbal Space Program: Build a spacecraft and launch it to space. Kerbal Space Program is an awesome interactive. It has a great free demo that kids will enjoy trying out and experimenting with. It’s also a reminder of the creativity involved in the space program. Go STEAM!
10.) Make Sunshine for Someone Else: What about creating a SUN with a circular shaped Tagxedo word cloud in the middle… with words about what another person means to you or your school. What better way to spend some creative time than making someone special for someone else to brighten their day? Consider staff around the school who might not get recognized as often, but that are very much appreciated. Ask kids to brainstorm what they might create to brighten their day. Start a kindness campaign. Giving back will brighten your day too.
This has become a series of posts. “Matters of Creativity: 10 Things to Inspire” The internet is filled with ways to inspire kids, your classroom, and to brighten a dreary day. I’m happy to share them here. If you have a great creative resource, please comment and share and I’ll add it in to next week’s edition.
by Krissy.Venosdale | Apr 15, 2014 | Reflect
Did you know that research has proven, that whether you are having the best week of your life, or are in the middle of what feels like the worst week, you can change it. Research shows that you can do something that will change your week. You could do something for someone else. Make someone else’s day. Stop and get a coffee for someone and surprise them. Write a letter to someone you learned from to say thank you. Leave an anonymous “I think you’re awesome,” note in another’s mailbox. Send five emails to five different people who have made a difference in your life. Give someone a cupcake. Sit down and draw with a child and listen to their story. Take your phone out and take a photo of five good things in your life and share it with someone else. Have ice cream for dinner. Give someone a new set of markers and a blank sketchbook and remind them to take time to get creative. Invite a friend to lunch. Fly a kite with your child. Comment on someone else’s blog that you always read and say, ‘Thank you.’ Do something for someone else.
NOTE: I know, I don’t actually have research to cite here. I’m just pretty sure it’s true. Inspire others and it will come back to you. For the record, ice cream for dinner is totally not for someone else. That one is just for you. Because hey, today is the only Tuesday you’ll have this week. Make it count.
