I also remember something I read from Wesly Fryer in his How are  you dealing with TMI? (Too much information) post. When talking about overcoming TMI Fryer writes:

Start small and take small steps. Social bookmarking and collaborative document writing are great places to begin.

Remember not to focus on tools and jargon. As David Jakes says well, online tools provide “a new context to read, write and communicate.” Focus on the communication, not the jargon.

Focus on examples which can help learners experience personal epiphanies related to digital tools and collaboration. What you’re looking for are comments like, “You mean I can…..” or “Does that mean when I teach ______ we could ______?” Those are signs of “comprehension” and “elaboration” which Kevin Washburn referenced in his post yesterday. Without those signs, we may risk overwhelm due to TMI.

Taking time to discuss, ask questions, and have conversations is essential. There are always LOTS more topics to discuss than we have time to address in a face-to-face meeting or class. We need to be “ok” with not “covering all the material” in a face-to-face learning space. It’s better to address fewer topics and have more meaningful, personally relevant conversations about those topics than “cover it all” and leave everyone feeling like they just got squashed by a steamroller.

For me, I stick with my favorite 3 – Wordpress, Google Apps, and Diigo.

I use Wordpress all the time for making webpages/blogs, and as a general content management system.  It’s so easy to use and flexible that I use it for almost everything I do.  Google Apps, with this Docs Suite, Calendar, Sites and plethora of other tools makes working with my class so ridiculously easy that I don’t know how I ever taught without it.  And Diigo is a fantastic social bookmarking tool that I have discussed previously, but has since had even more upgraded making it perfect for teacher use (and one day I’ll review those improvements… promise).

With these three tools I’m ready to plunge into learning… I’m still on the lookout for a better hammer – but as a friend recently reminded me we have to teach that a hammer is for driving nails, not just teach the hammer.  As my brother told me once, there are tools you use one, and tools you’ll use for a life time – focus on the main tools to build your classroom learning environment – play with a few others along the way when you can – but remember it’s not the tool – it’s the craftsman…. and the wonderful ideas that are expressed along the way….

“I teach for food, not love. Luckily I’m good at it”

I didn’t respond at the time, I as too angry- but I’d like to try now.
I can’t even fathom doing a job I didn’t love… Much less one so importantly as teaching. This person (who used an alias so I’m not even sure who they were) thinks they’re doing a good job, and that maybe true, but he/she isn’t doing the best job they can. You can’t run an effective classroom with out heart. You’re in charge of the future. We trust our kids, our nation, our very world to you…. Do we really want the shapers of our future leaders, the roll models for generations to come, do show our children that they don’t need heart? To become pay cheque player, in it only for themselves? A society of selfish individuals doing only what they have to to get by? If that’s the world we’re creating, then stop the planet, I’m getting off….

For students it’s a result of the holidays about to arrive (who wants to think about school when you can think about the time off!) , pressure of the looming final exams and report cards, hormones, the impending loss of structure in their lives, and the huge change that will be hitting them next year as they enter a new grade (and some times school).

It is an odd phenomenon – filled with moments of sorrow and morning, a long with cheer and celebration. It’s like adding a wedding to a funeral. And the whole school population has to attend. No wonder it feels like a month long full moon…

So the question is how do you survive it? Just like you would any stressful situation. First you need to recognize it. Figure out that you’re stressed to the max, as are everyone around you. This will help you forgive both yourself and others for the month of mistakes you’re about to make. I can’t tell you the number of arguments I’ve seen (and possibly had) between staff and students of the most minor of things….

Next in this, the craziest time of year – filled with the most work we have you need to find time for yourself. Preferably every day. Even for 30 minuets. Read a book. Watch a movie. Spend time with your friends and family. Personally I’m hosting a party where a bunch of us will eat meat, drink fermented grains, and watch grown adults battle it out to see who is the most superior athlete. Just a chance to blow off some steam, and get our heads back into the game.

Finally – you need to hold on tight with both hands and weather the storm. Don’t be afraid to apologize when you mess up, and remember – when people are as stressed as they are during Year End they may forget to apologize to you. It happens. You can either internalize it and add the weight to the mountain that’s already threatening to bury you, or choose to let it slide (yes I know, easier said then done) and keep your head above water and in the game. Just remember – no matter what it’ll all be over soon, and you can take some much needed and earned holidays.

Enjoy your summer everyone! If you make it that far…

While not getting into the whole “should we or should we not give out awards” debate – I’d like to just give my two (or three) cents on the whole “grad” phenomena. I hear people talk about there’s only one grad – grade 12, all the time. What is all this nonsense about grade six and nine grads – or heaven forbid KINDERGARTEN grad – after all what have these kids really accomplished??? They’re not going to join the work force – so why waste time?

I once read (and I wish I could remember where) a study that stated in our western culture, we don’t have enough mile stone celebrations. There is no real right of passage, no tangible look at me mommy I’m growing up. That’s what I feel these farewells and celebrations represent. They are our (as adults) opportunity to tell our young how proud we are of them, and how they are following the path we laid out for them – encouraging them along the way – letting them know they’re really accomplishing something important, not just doing busy work.

This week I participated in a 2 kilometre run/walk with my class (and I only cheated once!). Every 20 meters or so there were event organizers cheering and giving high fives to everyone as they passed. It motivated the runners. Made them proud. IT KEPT THEM GOING. That’s what kindergarten, grade six, and grade nine celebrations do for our students.

It also provides them with the opportunity to remind their parents that they are growing up, and becoming responsible. These events draw school communities together, they can make families closer, and they’re one heck of a party! Sure they can be a pain to plan – but nothing worth doing is ever easy. Celebrating every success we can is defiantly worth doing….

For me its the fact that despite all my efforts one of my students will probably be expelled.  Nothing I could do about it – it’s not like I’m going to follow my students 24/7 to try and keep them out of trouble – but it hurts none the less.  I’ve spent the whole year working with this student, trying to help them make good choices, show them how to “clean up and take responsibility for their messes” when they don’t, and tried to make them take pride in themselves, see what special skills they have, even though the world has labeled them as a trouble maker or below the grade (this student btw was a fantastic writer…).

I can’t forget the feeling when they came up to me yesterday and said “Mr. G – I’m gonna need some work for the rest of the year….”  It felt like the floor fell way from my feet.  How do you react to that?  We worked so hard together – and made real progress… to come this far only to be cut off two weeks before the grade nine celebration (on of my few Literacy students who was going to go) – and now the trip is over.  Apparently it was really important to administer some payback for a perceived attempt to steal a significant other away from this student.  All our work gone, and a new label (as well as criminal charges) added all for someone who would probably be out of their life in a few months.  What do you do in a situation like this??

I tried to play it cool – the whole “you really messed up – best of luck” speech, but the frustration/anger/disappointment still gnaws at me.

A colleague once asked me “why do you spend so much time with students like that – just kick them out of your class and be done.”  I replied “What and throw them to the wolves?”  She responded “Why not  – they’re just going to end up there anyway.”  I had to leave the room at that point in the conversation….

But this student almost proves her point.  despite all my work (and the work of countless others at my school – and believe me, we put a lot of effort into this student) they went to the wolves.  So why try?

What do you do when you fail?

You remember why you took the job in the first place.  You remember that each person make their own choices, and we’re just there to help them make the best choices they can given the circumstances.  And you remember that the best lesson any teacher can give a student is how to take responsibility – and accept their actions.  This student didn’t hide anything from me when they came to say good bye… they didn’t even need to do that.  While I know this person my never fully master that most important lesson – they have at least started to see it’s importance.  Did I really fail?  Probably – and I will again.

But we only truly fail when we decide to give up.

Now personally I never would have thought of trying this – mostly because I don’t play the flute… or beatbox, but also because it’s such an odd combination.  This made me think of all the “odd ducks” we have in our classes, who could be brilliant in their own ways, but we thumb them down to meet our standards.  Are we providing our students with a chance to show their potential?  To think outside the box and to develop something new?  All innovations come from people who tried something different.  Let your students try.  If they fail, so what?  We learn from failure not success.  I used to tell my students you can’t learn something you already know, and it’s a sad day when you don’t learn something.

This reminds me of the old apple commercials (which I like to use whenever I give an inservice)

So don’t stifle your children’s creativity… with out it we’d all still be living in caves with no wheels……

On the site I was able to read the first few pages of the book… and while I agree with some of it, others bothered me.  She ranks teachers into 3 groups – Super, Excellent, and Good.  Super teachers devote their lives to their job, and while this is possible with a family Johnson admits is extremely difficult, and that super teachers tend to burn out quickly.  Excellent teachers and a bit more balance between life and school, though they are still very committed and do a lot of extra curricular and emotional investments in their classroom.  Good teachers are more 9-5ers (or 8-4 to be more precise), though they still want the best for their students and are very capable and competent educators, their main emphasis in on their personal lives, not necessarily the classroom.

I’m not sure I like these divisions… however I do seem them every day.  But not all super teachers are “good” teachers.  They may be some of the best for a short time, but quickly burn out, and take out many students on the way down.  However in this little bit of the book it almost seems as if Johnson is glorifying this style of teaching.  While I totally understand the need to get personally invested in your students in order to establish personal relationships, a master teacher knows where the limits are.  It’s a fine line, hard to see until you trip over it – but if you can balance on it’s edge the classroom experience it truly amazing.

So I’d like to add to our continuing definition of what makes a good teacher, balance.  They have healthy class and home lives.  They can balance the roles of being “friend” and “teacher”.  They can also keep the balance of the room by raising spirits when it’s needed, or calming moods when things get out of hand.  The more I think about it the more I feel balance would be one of the top 5 traits of a master teacher….

Now it’s no secret that I’m a huge supporter of the Wordpress blogging platform.  I don’t usually “preach the joys of Worpress” during my inservices because I personally believe that everyone should always have a chance to make up their own minds, it is my software of choice.  Wordpress comes in many different flavors from the hosted Wordpress.com, to the host your own Wordpress, or even the multi user Wordpress Mu.  It is this last option that currently has my attention – and has exciting possibilities for the classroom.

Wordpress Mu (pronounced mew) is a program that a person can download for free and install on a webserver of their own, or to any of a number of webhosts you can purchase space from (personally I like using Tera-Byte for web hosting…).  Using this software you can set up multiple user accounts with access to as many blogs as you’d like, all from one convenient interface.  Your users would just go to one log-in page, enter their information and be able to post/edit/publish/comment/administer whatever blogs they have access too, depending also on their access levels.  Pretty basic stuff once it’s all set up (and setup isn’t that difficult really… I’ve been asked before to create a vid cast showing how easy it is to do… and one day, I promise I will).  Now this isn’t what I’m excited about.  I’ve been using this setup with different schools for a couple of years now.  The really cool stuff is coming down the pipe….

All versions of Wordpress allow users to enable plugins to add features to their sites.  These are just mini programs designed to add functionality to your blog.  For example: on the Classroom I’m using an enhanced Tag Cloud plugin (to allow me to change the colour and order of my tags), a spam catching widget (too stop spam comments from ruining the site) and the Share This plugin (to make it easier for people to add articles to their social bookmarking sites, or e-mail a post to their friends).  There are hundreds of different plugins out there – and as I’ve joked about in the past, give me a good programmer and an engineer and I can get Wordpress to wake you up and make you eggs every morning if you’d like.  And it’s thanks to these plugins that magic is going to happen.

Allow me to switch gears for a moment and talk about social networking.  Social networking is becoming more and more popular as they allow people to connect and easily share everything over the net.  Some of the more popular SN programs include Facebook, Myspace, and Ning.

Now I know I’ve just sent up a bunch of red flags in the minds of some educators.  Facebook is dangerous!  We can’t let our kids use that or anything like it in school!   In fact a lot of school boards all over the world automatically block these sites and programs, so that kids can never access them from school.  I have always had a problem with this.  In Edmonton we take our kindergarten students to a place called “Safety City“.  Here students learn, in a controlled environment, the safe way to cross the street and to interact with vehicles.  Most people would say this is a great idea and totally endorse the idea.  We also train some of our upper elementary students as “Patrollers“.  These students watch over the little ones, making sure they cross the street safely and obey the rules of the road.  Again, a great idea.  Well if we train our children to follow the rules of the road in such a manner, then why don’t we for the information super highway???  We don’t totally ignore the fact that we have roads and traffic – blocking all views of it from our schools, then expect them to handle themselves responsibly when they leave our doors and are no longer our responsibility.  Then why do we do that for some of the more “dangerous” aspects of the ‘net?

People can (and have) argue that you “need” to be able to cross the road in our society – you don’t need to use the Internet – and especially facebook.   But that’s not totally true!  Companies are starting to use Web 2.0 tools as part of their regular business practices, and that includes social networking.  It’s a quick and effective way to share/distribute information and stimulate discussion.  As a part of my professional practice I am a member of the Ning Social Network Group Classroom 2.0.  I get feedback from teachers around the world on how to use Web 2.0 tools effectively in my classroom. So why don’t we teach our students how to use these tools in our classrooms?

The simple answer is control.  We can’t control who sees our sites, and how can respond to what our children are doing.  As I said before, Safety City is a controlled environment.  We need to set up the same type of system for our students with social networking. Enter Buddypress.

Buddypress is a series of plugins for Wordpress Mu that will turn this blogging system into a social networking platform. It’s amazing.  When it’s released we will be able to custom create our own social networking environments and have complete control with who has access to the information posted.  Also because the the system is plugin based we don’t need to enable all the features.  Extended profiles for example may not be something you want to have your students do (though from an internet safety education stand point – this is where most students mess up and get hit by the proverbial truck on the information super highway…).  You have total control.  This system would be hosted on your servers, with you as the administrator.  Any one caught abusing the system, you block them.  They can’t just make a new account because you’re in control.

This idea gets me really REALLY excited.  But wait – we’re not done yet!

Both Wordpress and Buddypress are owned by a company called Automattic.  Automattic also makes a forum program called BBpress.  This forum software can be configured to work with Wordpress logins (though it can get a bit tricky at this point).  They are also developing another plugin for Wordpress called Blicki which will allow your blog to have wiki features.  I am totally Geeking out about this!  When everything is all said and done you can have a school website 100% under your control where staff and students can login with one username and password and have access to blogs, forums, wikis, and a social network.  All of which can easily be managed from one admin panel.  Now doing this would not be for the tech weak of heart – but for those with some web skill this has some major possibilities…

But wait I’m not done!  Using other plugins like Custom Branding and by creating your own Wordpress Themes you can totally configure the site to meet your school’s needs!

Let me just try one more time to explain what you’d have..

1. Blogs and all the great things that go along with them including podcasting
2. Wikis to use as a collaborative creation environment
3. Forums to have all questions answered
4. Social Network to teach students how to safely use the technology, and provide a move collaborative online environment to help them learn together.

Now I know the system wouldn’t be perfect, and there are always challenges when working with any technologies…  but the potential for educational value is enormous.  I haven’t even started on the differentiation that could come from this.  This is big!  But only if we have the imagination, the desire, and the resources to make it happen.  Thanks to Automattic – the resources part just became a little easier…..

Last, but not least I’ve added a mobile theme that should allow you to view The Classroom on your PDA or Cellphone, I haven’t had a chance to test this yet, so please let me know if you run into any problems. In the end, all the upgrade are mainly cosmetic – but I think they’ll add a little polish to the blog.

Enjoy!
-Mr. G