Are You Water-Blogged Yet?

So many thoughts have been crowding my brain (and I don't have a lot of space in there) since school started one week ago. Everyone is blogging--here, there, and everywhere. Will students start to tire of this process now that so many teachers are using it? I'm hoping to start blogging with my junior honor students in about a week if I can get into the computer lab, and I want to make the process meaningful. I've been reading numerous student blogs, and several of them are so carelessly delivered--are the kids sick and tired of posting on-line? I don't know.

I also talked to Anne today about the value of writing papers by hand. If we train kids to live in a paperless society, does that mean no one will ever write thank-you notes again, and no one will send love letters scented with perfume and filled with rose petals? Will students have trouble writing their AP English exams because they no longer use pencil and paper?

Despite my misgivings, I am determined to try blogging with my classes. In fact, I loved the Chaucer Blogging site you emailed to us, Karl; and I'm thinking of doing something similar with my Shakespeare class. It would be fun to see students adopt The Bard's persona and share thoughts from his point of view. I just need the courage to begin the process.

Let's Get It Started

On the eve of the 2006-2007 school year, I find myself reflecting on my focus for this year. I will admit, when I read The World is Flat, I wondered how much impact I could have on a world that worships math and science. Friedman even suggests our politicians should be engineers and scientists. But when I reached the section of the book that describes igniting a passion for learning in our students, I realized it's not too late for me to take an important role in preparing our kids for a flat world. You see, my husband has visited Japan at least three times on business exchanges, and he insists that even if the Asians surpass us in productivity, they still lag behind in creativity. I know Friedman addresses this issue in his book and says that both the Chinese and Indian people are aware of the need to foster creative thinking, but I still think American ingenuity, risk-taking, and bravado take a back-seat to no other country.

So what does that mean for me personally? Certainly Language Arts classes are designed as opportunities for students to be creative, but I also believe that "Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." Now--I just need to risk trying some new ignition possibilities. The first blog opportunities I give my junior AP students will probably be a fairly mundane one: React to your summer reading. Obviously this directive isn't argumentative in nature unless students disagree about the value of a novel read. But their responses might ignite a fire in another student when I assign the next independent study. Also, I need to feel confident that I know how to set up this blogging system. Then I would like to post some reaction papers to the assigned readings from class and ask sections of the class to give feedback. I'm a little worried about a blogging overload, so I hope to focus on a few comments at a time. On the other hand, Karl has convinced me I don't need to read every comment, and I do like the idea of using the posts to continue unfinished discussions from class. Honors/AP students always have more to say that we can listen to in one class period and continuing their conversations on-line appeals to me.

So--at least this is a start.

It's a Flat World After All

Reading The World is Flat was truly an eye-opener for me, and listening to my colleagues react to the text, ignited in me a spark of enthusiasm that I really need going in to the new school year.

This summer has not been an easy one for me because I am still adjusting to losing my mother just two weeks before school ended. I have felt a sort of malaise consuming me for the past few months and I have not felt the normal anticipation for starting a new school year that usually propels me into this very demanding profession. In fact, I bought The World is Flat right after school ended, but I had trouble connecting with the ideas until I reached the section of the book talking about how the new world will affect students, teachers, parents, etc. When I read the section where Friedman talks about choosing teachers based on their ability to inspire passion for learning, I suddenly felt that familiar pull to get back in the classroom and set my students on fire (I speak metaphorically, of course). One of my favorite quotations has always been, "Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire," so this text reminded me why I love to teach.

Our class this morning helped me reaffirm so many aspects of good teaching: students need time to share ideas in small groups before drawing the big picture; students need modeling of new skills, helpful facilitators, and practice; students need empowering to create a safe environment for learning; and students need food! (Well--perhaps some candy from time to time.)

Thank-you for giving this thirty-one-year-teaching-veteran a chance to learn new teaching strategies and connect with other teachers. I can already tell I will learn so much from other teachers and rejoice in knowing, "It's a flat world after all" (to be sung to the tune, "It's a Small World")!