So summer has arrived at last and I finally have some time for the reflecting that we as teachers, never seem to get enough of during the school year. I am reading blog posts often delivered through my Twitter account and I am finding new meaning in some of the more simple aspects of learning. 
Andrew Marcinek has facilitated reading good blog posts by creating the One Comment a Day Project. This one tool alone can help teachers find and read great posts on blogs we might not see otherwise. I learned about it from Kevin Hodgson through a post on his personal blog. Thanks, Kevin. I have signed up for the ning and will continue commenting on the blogs I follow.
Twitter is a tremendous vehicle for me for learning more about good teaching and learning. Since I joined in October 2008, I have taken my own learning, and therefore my teaching, into some exciting new areas. I have developed a great PLN (personal learning network) to share ideas with. People in any business or interest can develop their own network of people so they can expand their own enjoyment and knowledge base in any area of their lives. I’ve seen people using arts &crafts, medical conditions, hobbies, or humor as the foundation of their network. Because each of us is complex, we are given insight into other things as well. The people I follow also have interests in sailing, hockey, television, and spirituality so I get tweets on a variety of topics. Recently I learned about the Chuck Norris phenomenon and spent a good hour chuckling over that.
Blogging was once a high stakes endeavor. That has lessened considerably for the simple reason that I blog. With practice and regular communication on line with others, I have learned that a dialogue is vitally important, not because I have all the answers but because there are an endless number of topics where ideas can and should be shared. I help other teachers when I share my ideas through my examples on this blog as well as through my on-line professional development and discussions. I receive many messages from teachers all around the world and I comment on their ideas as well. I recognize how rich the learning environment has become through blogging and following blogs in my Google Reader.
Writing is an essential part of communication and not just for students. Typos and syntax errors are much less important than we have been led to believe. In a perfect world (not the one I live in) everyone would be able to get it right the first time. People are much more accepting of errors in both writing mechanics and our thinking once they understand that it’s the message and dialogue that matter most. I read with interest what they have to say – whether or not the message is going to be embossed on a page at the printers. Our thoughts are important and we need to share them, at least some of them.
It is our responsibility as teachers to dive right in and explore the world of technology. Our students are digital natives and can use the tools with far greater ease because they are willing to dive in and take a shot at it. We may not be able to use all the tools as quickly as we would like but allowing ourselves a good period of exploration will create a new level of comfort. Our Art teacher shared her thoughts with me this year as she explored several new tools and created a revised blog for her classroom. She said that now, when she runs into some trouble using the tools, she has a new attitude, a can-do attitude. She arrived at that by trying, failing, asking questions, and learning from it. Eventually you will find a way to accomplish what you want to do but you need to go through the trial and error period. Once you’ve found your way through a sticky problem, you have a change in thinking, almost like solving a puzzle. Speaking of failure, failure has taken on a new image in the 21st century. We use heuristic failure as a vehicle for formative assessment and changing direction, not just for branding a project or idea.
- “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” ~ Winston Churchill.
- “In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.” ~ Bill Cosby.
- “Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.” ~ Dale Carnegie.
- “…actively and purposefully applauding and rewarding effort and even failure as a learning experience” ~ Malcolm Gladwell. (Thanks, Liz B Davis)
- “Nobelists to students: Being wrong may just be right.” ~ Peggy Ashbrook citing 97/06/09 Science News
I will add more thoughts to this post as I spend more time reflecting this summer, so stay tuned. Please consider sharing your own comments. I appreciate the opportunity for dialogue.
