"Another thing"

I hated it when my rugby coach would try to interrupt training to explain something - and then would send us back to continue training, then ... stop us again with "Another thing"...

anyway, I was reading on the interwebs this morning and came across this post about teaching the same book to an entire class and .... why that is just freaking wrong.

Hmmmmm.... I do it because it is something that I always have just done.

Some interesting points about not generating a class of readers, a class on thinkers .... might be interesting to combine that and blogging in the classroom.

Interesting.

I also came across the Chicago Public Radio website which puts stories on the web. I'm currently listening to "Tell Tale Heart"; done well, too.

Something to think about

I got an email from the provincial part of my union about doing some collaborative learning with some of the people with whom I teach. It sounds good, seriously.

I need to put some time towards some sort of learning objective - starting with the end in mind ... or perhaps starting with the start and I'll just keep going - I dunno. The fact is that I want to learn stuff - do some active research and come up with something that I can use to further my own learning and my own education and my own career.

But ... what?

I did get this article emailed to me about Pro Dev. I know I liked being exposed to various parts of the Interwebs with the "Travels" thingy - but what's next?

What's my "Travels 2.0"?

Certainly, I'm thinking that as a "Learning Object", an idea like this is what I am thinking about.



Or getting something together like this:

Virtual Learning Certification

Idaho is thinking about getting some teachers additional qualifications to make sure people know how to teach online courses.

Now, I've done a few online courses, with some success and a few "Didn't quite make its" (aka failures) so I have to weigh in on this idea:

It's a good idea.

The second type of course I've done (ie the "Didn't quite make it" ones) were my fault. I acknowledge my failure to complete a few online courses in my time. However, I've also had help. Seriously. Teaching online is an art more than a science, just like teaching in a regular classroom. Getting help to be a better teacher isn't a sign of being incompetent, I believe: on the contrary it is a sign that you want to become better.

So, this is better.

I know that Nippising University offers an AQ in online learning. This is not the year for me to start another online University level course, but I think with some of the stuff I'm doing with my various classes, I might just become better at it anyway. I'm kinda hoping the Travels in eDucation happens again.

As I am thinking and editing this post, it occours to me that I started as an online teacher, rather badly judging from the results I have recently re-read. I've gained some experience and gotten better. At least I think.

One wonders, and hopes.

Here's a bunch more teacher blogs I just got emailed to me ...

I thought Idaho was the potato capital of the USA. Who knew?

I'm still wishing

I'm thinking this post will be read some time next week .. in the meantime, you can read all ahout a Personal Learning Network and why they are important .....

I wish

I wish I was still on vacation, but I'm really busy at the moment.

I found this online and wanted to park it here, so that I might work with it later.

Resources for teachers.

oh, and this post from Edutopia, too.

I'm cool, my mom still says so.

21 things that will become obsolete in the 21st Century

I'm still getting the CEC newsletter. It's awesome, both from the interesting stuff that comes across my email box in the morning and also because of some of the people that think about Education non-stop.

This post about 21 things that will become obsolete in the 21st Century is such a post. I read it, and was like, "whoa".

A lot of faith being put into hand held technologies, a lot of faith being put into the good nature of parents. I mean, if parents are able to contact a teacher 24/7, when am I not a teacher?

But I do I like the idea of going paperless. I did try that this summer, and worked with a few glitches here and there. I'm always someone who wants a plan B for assignments coming in.

There's so much there, but, alas, I am going to have to get into a new school year. Enjoy!

Something else to ponder

Sustain silent reading, drop everything and read, Scaffolding Silent Reading .... hmm I can't seem to think of any more cute little names for it at the moment ... but it is that time during the day that a teacher opens the door to students to choose something to read and let's them read.

I actually read during that time. In my classroom, I usually pick the newspaper. A good number of my students do the same. But now, I'm wondering if that was such an awesome idea, or reworded, I'm wondering if there is something better.

Article here, and a website with really bad design but good info here. And another one here.