Wallpaper Euro 2012

Showing posts with label connections. Show all posts

So You Want to Do Mystery Skype?

Mystery Skype is one of those ideas I wish I had thought because it just so fun but instead I was lucky enough to hear about it from Caren MacConnell. The concept is simple: classrooms Skype call each other and try to guess where the other classroom is located either in the United States or in the world. There are many great resources out there but for my own sanity I am creating one list for future reference:

Before the call:

Sign up - there are many places to sign up and some are even grade level based. I signed up a couple of places but also tweeted it out; the response was immediate as a lot of people are doing this. If you would like to sign up:

Decide on a date and time - don't forget to consider in timezones.
Prepare the kids

We wanted to know facts about our own state so that we would be ready for any question. We therefore researched the following questions: climate, region, neighboring states, time zone, capital, famous landmarks, geographical location. All of this gave the students a better grip of what they might be asked.
We also brainstormed questions to possibly ask. We like the concept of the questions having to have yes or no answers as it makes the game a little harder and has the students work on their questioning skills. Questions we came up with included whether they were in the United States, whether they were east of the Mississippi, Whether they were West of the Rocky Mountains, If they were in a specific region, whether they border other countries, whether they are landlocked etc.
Give jobs. I think it is most fun when the kids all have jobs, so this was a list of our jobs:

Greeters - Say hello to the class and some cool facts about the class - without giving away the location.
Inquirers - these kids ask the questions and are the voice of the classroom. They can also be the ones that answer the questions.
Answerers - if you have a lot of kids it is nice to have designated question answerers - they should know their state facts pretty well.
Think tanks - I had students sit ina group and figure out the clues based on the information they knew. Our $2 whiteboards came in handy for this.
Question keepers - these students typed all of the questions and answers for us to review later.
Google mappers - two students were on Google maps studying the terrain and piecing together clues.
Atlas mapper - two students used atlases and our pull down map to also piece together clues.
Clue keepers - worked closely with answerers and inquirers to help guide them in their questioning.
Runner - A student that runs from group to group relaying information.
Photographer - takes pictures during the call
Videographer - I had two students film the call
Clue Markers - These students worked with puzzles of the United States and maps to remove any states that didn't fit into the clues given.
Problem solver - this student helped students with any issues they may encounter during the call.
Closers - End the call in a nice manner after guesses have been given.

During the Call:
During the call you just have to step back and trust the kids. My students were incredible, both with their enthusiasm and their knowledge, I think I was more nervous than they were. I did have to fact check some of their answers so I did stay close by but otherwise it ran pretty smoothly. We decided which class would go first with their first question and then there were two options:

Yes answer: They get to ask another question.
No answer - Other team's turn to ask a question.

Students were allowed to guess whenever they thought they had a great answer (and it was their turn). In the end, both classes were able to guess each other's location.

Resources:
For our preparation for this, I showed the kids this video on Linda Yollis' blog - it really gave the students a concrete example of what to expect and they got very excited. Also Mr. Avery has a great discussion of jobs he had students do during the call.
Jerry Blumengarten also has a nice collection of links on one of his many pages that was helpful to me.

Here is a video of our first call with Joan Young's class

We are already excited to try it again!

Why Students Should Blog - My Top 10

Image: Kristina B

I have written about it before, I will write about it again I am sure, so here is why students should blog:

They have an actual audience to write for. The writing is no longer just for me but the whole world. When we write science diaries, we have scientists write back to us and push their questioning skills. When students write about a book they are reading, other students ask them questions and give them more recommendations. When students go on vacations they write to us to tell us all about it. You get the idea.
You can track their writing progress. I have always had them keep track of their writing in their binders but invariable papers got lost. Here I can see their growth, print it out and hand it to them. I can have them focus on specific skills, just like regular writing, but they can go in and edit on their own time. They can see their growth and the electronic version seems to appeal to them more.
It opens a dialogue. Students have a direct line to their teacher and to anyone else they are connected with. Blogging helps us write back to each other, but great blogging is like a conversation with questions and critique. My students are learning how to engage in written dialogue with topics they care about.
It establishes their internet identity in safe manner. Students are getting on the internet earlier and earlier so as teachers it is vital we embrace this opportunity to teach them safety. My students know the safety rules by heart and help each other follow them. By being on the internet and establishing a presence they are actively practicing staying safe rather than just talking about it.
They teach each other. Numerous times my students have corrected misconceptions or created new awareness of concepts being taught within our room. They become teachers rather than just students in our classroom and blogging allows them to continue that outside our classroom walls.
They are global citizens and global collaborators. We speak of creating global citizens but then forget to actually connect kids with kids. My students know where places in the world are because they speak to kids from those places. We have connections around the world that we can use when we study other places and this year my students will even be working on a project together with another classroom.
Transparency. Too often teachers shut their doors to the world rather than sharing the amazing things we concoct along with or students. Blogging opens up that door and shows the whole world what is happening. My students have more than once inspired other teachers to try a project.
They become aware of themselves as writers. Students start to create their own essence as a writer first playing around with fonts but then creating tag lines for their blogs and deciding how they want to present themselves to the world as writers. This is powerful at the elementary age.
I can easily check in on their learning. When my students blog about a concept I can quickly see whether they are understanding the essential concepts or need another learning opportunity.
You give them a voice. Students need a way to express themselves to take ownership of their learning, so through our blog students tell the world their thoughts on education, their learning and their needs. I am a better teacher because of their blogging.

I could keep going but I hope that this inspires you to try it. Reach out, connect, I will gladly help anyone that wants to try blogging with their students. My students tell me now that blogging is one of the best things that has ever happened to them. To see their work and their thoughts visit them here

For more reasons why students should blog, check out this post:

10 Reasons Your Students Should Be Blogging by Matthew Ray

The Reform Symposium Recordings are Live

I was lucky enough to present twice at the Reform Symposium 3, once with Matt Ray on our collaboration and once on why you should blog with your students.

Both presentations are now live as a recording and you can watch them whenever it fits into your schedule.

Here is the link to WisconsiNewYork

Here is the link to Ask the Children: Blogging with Your Students

I would love to hear your comments or help out with anything that I can.

Why Educators Should Join Twitter

This is the video I made for my integrating tech class.

Too Much of a Good Thing - I Am Over-Connected

I am over-connected. This weekend I added Google + to my ever expanding social media use and I can tell that it was the straw that broke the camel's back. While I absolutely love the concept of it, I just cannot connect this much. I cannot share my life and thoughts in 3 different places and have a normal life. I now feel obligated to be witty and helpful on Twitter, sarcastic and joyous on Facebook, and smart and non-repetitive on Google+. This introvert just cannot muster all of that. Alas, it is not the mediums fault. I love social media; social media, particularly Twitter has absolutely changed my life for the better. I wish I could blame the products but I cannot, I can only blame myself.

In a typical day I wake up and check all of my networks right away. Being the creator of the Global Read Aloud means I have quite a few emails to answer as we gear up for the next attempt in September. Some get answered right away, others before I go to bed. Then on to Twitter to thank for rt's and mentions, and say something smart and pass something on. There are always people to speak to and things to read. Facebook allows me to see where my friends are at, how my brother in Afghanistan is doing (he is ready to come home) and put something about Thea on there. Now onto Google +; who has added me, what have people shared that I haven't already seen and do I have anything to share. This is an hour of work at least. Throughout the day I continue my quest to connect. I check in with them all to see what have happened. I have a smartphone so that I can stay connected while at the park with my daughter or even while stopped at a light. My poor husband communicates more with me through instant messaging than in real life sometimes. I blog as well, which I would never give up, and yet that takes time away too. As we speak my daughter is sitting next to me waiting for me to finish.

It is taking a toll on me. Life is becoming about connections with people that I have yet to meet, and even though I would love to meet everyone that I have connected with, I have to start facing the connections I already have here in Madison. If I devoted at least one hour to connect with my colleagues on a day-to-day basis, can you imagine what we could accomplish? We tend to push the face-to-face connections aside because they take more time, and then we say we do not have the time to pursue them. Well, we do, because we choose to invest the time somewhere else, so I am re-evaluating my time spent connecting for the upcoming year.

Now I am not one to be extreme, I don't plan on unplugging or going connection free but I am aware of it. I am aware of the choices that I make about the time that I spend on my computer every day. I am aware now of what is worth it and what does not pay off in the end. And that is what is important here. We have to find the balance and not let the people in our lives suffer because of our choices. There is such a thing as being over-connected, let's face it, and let's own it. I am grateful that my husband has not complained of me being so into it all, yet, however, I wouldn't blame him if he did. I wouldn't want to be married to me when I am in work mode (which I am most of the time). Beth Still wrote a great post on what being so connected does to our relationships and she is right, they do harm and it is something to be taken serious. We have to rebalance and refocus on making strong connections globally but also locally.

14 Steps to Meaningful Student Blogging

So you have heard about blogging with your students and you are considering taking the plunge but just not sure what or how to do it? I am here to tell you; blogging with my students has been one of the most enriching educational experiences we have had this year, and that says a lot. So to get you started, here is what I have learned:

Pick an easy platform, both for you and the students. I used Kidblog with great success, it fit our needs, it is free and it offers easy moderation. There are other great alternatives out there such as WordPress or EduBlogs
Teach them how to blog first. We did an excellent paper blogging lesson first (found on the blog of McTeach), which brought up why we were blogging and how to do it appropriately. This got the students excited, interested as well as got them thinking about what great comments look and sound like.
Talk safety! We assume some students know how to be safe, but don't assume it; teach them the do's and dont's. I came up with the lesson of why the Internet is like the mall and it really worked. I also sent home safety plans for students and parents to discuss and we discussed it throughout the year.
Teach them how to comment. In order for blogging to be effective, comments are needed, but if students don't know how to properly comment they will lose out on part of the experience. We discuss how to thank people, how to answer their questions, and most importantly, how to ask questions back. This is all part of common conversational knowledge that all kids should be taught any way.
Start small. The first post was an introduction of themselves. It was an easy topic and something they really liked to do. They then got to comment on each others post as well which started to build community.
Include parents. Parents always know what we are doing and are invited to comment. The students loved the extra connection and parents loved seeing what the kids were doing.
Connect with one or two classes to be buddies. While comments from around the world are phenomenal, the connections are what it is all about. So reach out on Twitter or through the most excellent #comments4kids and set up something more permanent. The students relish getting to know one another and the comments become even more worthwhile. Thanks Mr. Gary's class in Egypt and Mr. Reuter's 6th grade class in Merton, Wisconsin for being our buddies.
Speaking of #comments4kids, this excellent site created by Will Chamberlain is a must for anyone blogging with students. Link their blog to it and ask people to comment, tweet it out with the hashtag #comments4kids, and use it to find classes to comment on.
Visit other classroom blogs. Show them how other kids use it and have it inspire them. Blogs can be found through Twitter or the comments4kids site.
Let them explore. My students love to play around with font, color, and images. They taught each other how to do anything fancy and also let each other know when font or color choices were poor. This was a way for students to come into their own as creative writers and also start to think about creating their online identity.
Don't grade! Blogging is meant to be a way to practice writing for an audience and learning to respond to critique, not a graded paper. I would often tell students my requirements and even make them go back and edit but I never ever chastised them for mistakes made.
Challenge them. Often students would ask to write about topics but we also had a blogging challenge almost weekly. This was my way of finding out what they really thought about fourth grade, their dreams, their hopes and their lives. The kids always wondered what the next challenge would be and looked forward to writing them. We would also share creative writing pieces from class, create diaries of work we did, and share our op.ed. pieces.
Map the connections. We have a world map in our classroom that we use to push pin people we connect with, it is amazing to see it grow and what a geography lesson is has turned out to be. Students are acutely aware of where Egypt, Alabama, New York and other places in the news are because they have connected with people there.
Give it time! Some students took to it right away, others weren't so sure, and yet they all ended up loving it. The sheer mass of paper I have had to print to create their writing portfolio is staggering and it shows how ingrained it became in our classroom. I now have kids blogging when they are sick, out of school or just because.

So here it is, take the leap and believe in your students' ability to stay safe and appropriate on the internet. Stay tuned for a student-created video tutorial on how to use Kidblog, kids teaching kids, that is learning worth doing. To see our student blogs and maybe even leave comment, please go here.

A Connection is Made

It all started with a question, a small idea really, and one word "Community." Take two sets of children, happy in school, each faced with their own busy lives, full plates, and small victories. What if we turned them loose with a camera, with their own creativity and asked them to show off their community? That is exactly what my friend and inspiration Matt and I did for our classes. What started as just a way to connect two seemingly very different classes morphed into something bigger than just a simple hello via Skype. Instead our students were asked to really think about what sets their community apart from others, and how do you showcase that to others that may have no idea where you are?

What followed after that initial conversation of idea was a lot of hard work and so much enthusiasm. Neither one of us have the luxury to suspend curriculum but had to find a way to fit it in, not just because it was fun, but because it was worthwhile. So I told the kids cautiously, would they get excited as well or would they roll their eyes at yet another harebrained Mrs. Ripp idea? Their excited chatter told me once again this was going to be great.

For 3 weeks the kids worked both in class and outside of class creating their video. They knew that Matt's students spoke Spanish so they wanted our sometimes shy Spanish speaking students to take a leadership role in each group. I was also told that i was not needed, after all, they had Google translate if they needed to figure something out and they knew how to shoot the video. Donations came in for the care package we were sending out their with some real Wisconsin stuff, and then finally; the last shot was filmed, the movie pieced together, the package dropped off.

So I am excited to present "Our Community" - a video inspired, created, and carefully edited by the students in my classroom for our friends in Mr. Foteah's class. In the end it wasn't really about the video, it was about the community we shared making it and the community we reached out to.

A Challenge to All

I was the new kid in town 4 times before I turned 14. I hated being the new kid. My sister, Christine, was a dazzler. She made new friends simply because she arrived, she drew people to her, and she still does. I was the awkward kid that kind of looked like a boy, had huge feet, and was way too serious for her age. Not a great combination for dazzling new people. So when I first joined Twitter, I felt the clammy hand of past embarrassment gain hold of me. What if no one cared? What if no one responded? What if no one followed? I want to say that I joined Twitter to learn, which I did, but I also joined the blogging and tweeting world to connect with people, and it is this connection that keeps me coming back every day. It's the connection that urges me to get others to join, that makes me write my heart out on this blog, and that makes me push myself into new challenges. But what if you just can't make that connection?

There were a couple of people who immidiately took me under their wing Lisa Dabbs @Teachingwthsoul, Edna Sackson @WhatEdSaid and Joan Young @Florishingkids. If it hadn't been for them, I don't think I would still be tweeting. So as I look at my own follower count and see it grow way beyond this shy girl's expectations, I wonder, who can I reach out to and how? How can we make deeper connections, especially with those people that like me felt like the new kid in town? How can we let people know that Twitter is all about connections and not to be afraid to reach out?

I think a movement has gained momentum lately spearheaded by Katie Hellerman who posted this incredible video: The Connection Challenge. This then sparked an amazing post by Jabiz Raisdana called "Next Level" which urged us all to reach out and open up. Cale Birks came up with the idea of the Ten Picture Tour of our schools, which you can follow on Twitter under #10PIXTR. And today Justin Tarte wrote a great post asking what can we do to keep the momentum going called "It's All about Sustainable Momentum.."

So I have been wanting to open up, after all, I am way to honest on my blog anyway. And the one world that we often keep hidden is our home, afterall, we can hide behind our computers. What if we did the 10 picture of our homes instead? Wouldn't that also provide another layer to our connection? If you see the mess I sit in every day when I blog, will it make you know me better? So I offer up this challenge:

Do a 10 picture tour of your home. Nothing fancy, I don't expect masterpieces.

Post it on your blog and tweet it out using the same hashtag #10PIXTR (I hope that's alright).

Let's see if we can take this connection one step further.

Hey Mrs. Ripp...

Dear Fabulous 4th graders,
When I look at you in the morning, I see the future. Bright eyes, some anyway, bushy-tailed, again some not all, but eager. Kids that are genuinely excited to at least be at school even if math for an hour and 15 minutes isn't at the top of their list for fun things to do right away in the morning. Yet there you are, letting me in and wanting me to know about you and your dreams. And you let me in; it is amazing what you share: "Hey Mrs. Ripp, I stayed up until 1 AM last night! Mrs. Ripp, guess what? What? I threw up after eating too much candy last night, it was orange. Mrs. Ripp, my parakeet died last night." And every day I am grateful for what you share, for the smiles you give, for the voices you raise whenever you have the courage to.

And that's it for me. The draw of being a teacher. The trust you give me every day, the genuine emotions that are exhibited whether good or bad; there is no curtain. I don't ever take it for granted, it is a gift, something to be in awe of and cherish. The magic of teaching for me comes when that moment occurs that not only do you "get" something, but you "get" me, us, the classroom, and you trust it. Trust isn't easy to give when you are a 4th grader already hardened and partially jaded to the world from bad playground experiences and horrid classroom memories. Trust is something we hope to earn as teachers, never something to be taken for granted or forced. trust comes through sharing with the students, opening yourself up and letting those kids into your life a little bit. Then it's my turn to say, "Hey kids, guess what? What? I am sorry I was out yesterday but I was so sick. Did you throw up? Yeah maybe. Was it orange...?"

Give Them Strength to Grow - Chris's Aha Moment

This week's aha moment is shared by Chris Wejr, a K-6 principal in Agassiz, BC, Canada. Chris is always quick with an understanding word, encouragement and advice even in non-school matters. Never too busy to discuss or care, he is a wonderful person to have in your PLN. This is his first time as a guest blogger do make sure you comment, follow him on Twitter at @mrwejr and add his blog to your must read list mrwejr.edublogs.org

“We don’t know who we can be until we know what we can do.” - Sir Ken Robinson

How can we truly see the potential of our students if we fail to provide the environment to bring out their talents?

I have always wanted to be a high school teacher and I was exactly that for 7 years. You never know where your life will lead you and, while completing my Master’s Degree, I was offered the opportunity to work with an amazing principal at an elementary school. Roxanne taught me to seek out the strengths in people and bring these talents out from within and opened my eyes to the power of strength-based, rather than deficit-based, teaching and leadership. My aha moment came in my first few months of being an elementary school teacher and a new vice principal.

When I did the tour of the school I was to be a teacher/vice principal, I met Daniel (pseudonym). Daniel had a smile that was contagious but was disengaged and struggled in school; the reason I met him that day was that he was in the hall after being asked to leave class. I never asked him why he was in the hall, I just started asking him about his life outside of school; we talked about music and friendships in the few moments we shared together on that day.

The next year, I was to teach a 5/6 class (in addition to the vice principal duties) so when we were creating the classes, I requested that Daniel be placed in my class. To be honest, in the first month, I really struggled with the transition from teaching 17 year-olds to teaching 11 year-olds. Many of the students had behaviour, social, emotional, and academic challenges so I spent many hours bouncing ideas off Roxanne and other teachers trying to find out how to reach these kids. I specifically started to talk about Daniel as he was so withdrawn in class - always refusing to take part in any learning activities and that smile that drew me to him seemed to have disappeared. She asked me what I knew about him; the truth was that I knew very little about him other than he struggled in class and liked music. She encouraged me to find out more about him; find out what he loved, what he was good at and try to bring that out in him.

During the next week, I spent a recess having a snack with Dan. I found out that he lived in a nearby community in which he spent two hours on the bus each day, lived with his Grandmother because his mother was far too young, and we shared a common interest in Johnny Cash. We spent much of the recess singing a variety of Cash songs and just laughing. Later that day, I was speaking with the First Nation Support Worker (Nelson), sharing with him about the moment that had occurred, and he let me in on another strength of Daniel: First Nation drumming and singing. He said this was something that he recently witnessed in his community but maybe something that we could support. The FNSW asked me if he could take Daniel and a few others to work on this interest; I believed this was a great opportunity so for 2 weeks, Nelson spent a few mornings a week drumming with Daniel and two others. What progressed after this changed the way I teach and live my life.

I asked Daniel if I could come watch one recess. I was blown away. Daniel was so into the drumming and singing that he would actually be sweating with pride as he was doing this. A few weeks later, I asked him if he could perform for our class - he unfortunately declined. Nelson encouraged him to sing and drum with him in front of our class. He nervously agreed and blew us all away when he performed; other students cheered when he finished and then asked if they could be part of “his group”. Daniel was now not only working with his strengths but also leading others to do the same. His group added girls and grew from 3 to 6 and then 8, including 2 students from another class. They played for our class every Monday morning, to start our week, and every Friday afternoon, to finish our week. They even gave themselves a name, Sacred Connections, and began to play for other schools and community events.

The moment that brought me almost to tears was right before Christmas. Each week, 1-2 new students would join up front in the singing and drumming. We often don’t see the impact of small changes but right before Christmas, the group actually had no people to play for, because every single student was up there singing with Daniel! To create an audience, I invited Roxanne and a grade 4 class to come and see the performance. We all sat there in awe of what Daniel had done not only as a performer, but also as a leader.

The other parts of Daniel’s school and life were drastically changing too. His friendships grew, his efforts in school improved and he became very engaged in learning activities. His reputation grew as a leader in the school and community and his group was asked to play at a local pre-Olympic Games (2010) event and in the spring he was asked to perform with Pow Wow drummers at a huge event in front of our entire school and community! Daniel had gone from a disengaged, quiet student who refused to take part in the learning to a proud leader and confident learner in our school.

That year was one that changed my life. It was not just one aha moment but a series of moments that shaped me as a person. I want to thank Roxanne, Nelson, and most importantly Daniel for teaching me that, as educators, the most important thing we can do is provide the optimal conditions for people to grow, bring out their strengths, and truly flourish.

When Goodbye Comes too Soon

Yesterday, it was decided that my combination room would cease to exist in 3 weeks. While we would all not be erased from the school but instead be placed into other rooms, it still felt as a virtual erasing. 4th grade has simply become too overcroweded and the shcool board agreed to get us another teacher. I then had the hard choice to go back to 4th and keep those students or move onto 5th and keep those students. I chose my old grade level and team and therefore had to face 13 confused 5th graders today that did not understand why I did not choose them.

You see, most of those students were my old kids from last year. My school does not have a split class philosophy but tends to bring it out in an emergency situation. Last year was deemed such an emergency and I therefore volunteered to take this strange experiment on bringing 8 of my old students with me. And although I was terrified for the year to start, I was also strangely elated. I said I wanted a challenge and I got one. But now that challenge is being taken away and we face our goodbyes much too soon. While we usually have a year worth of memories to look back upon, this time we are only afforded 6 weeks. So how do you say goodbye when you have only just begun?

I have to keep teaching. As much as I want to revert to end of year celebrations and events; I cannot. These students will have to keep going as if nothing happened, but the truth is they already know we have changed. As one student said today, "But Mrs. Ripp, nobody asked us" and that's exactly it; they were not asked because we think we know best. And although classroom size does definitely make a huge difference in student academic success, sometimes we as adults need to relax a little bit and realize that although size matters; connection matters more.

Those 27 students of mine that kind of knew each other from before and then maybe not really, have become a class. And not out of sheer luck or because they are that nice (they are that nice, by the way) but because we have worked hard on it. We have discussed what type of community we wanted to be, we created our Animoto on our hopes and wishes for the year that now have been viewed more than 900 times. We dreamed about the Global Read Aloud project and how we would be the home base for it. All of these things pushed us tighter together. We were different from the rest of the school, we knew it, and we celebrated it.

And now it is almost over. I cried when the principal told me the decision even though I knew that the kids would get a better experience in social studies and science when their teacher only had to teach one grade level at a time. I could have made it work, and more importantly, I would have made it work because we would have done it together. And now I must pick up the pieces, those sad faces, and try to sell my classroom one more time to a new group of kids that will fill out our roster. To a new group of parents that wished for smaller class sizes but not necessarily that their kids would be moved. I must sell it to myself; once again build up the excitement, the anticipation, the urgency to teach and teach well. To reach these students and to connect, knowing that those original 14 may be a little more wary this time connecting to others.

So what can we learn from these events? The way of the future is bigger class sizes but fundamentally we must not change our determination to connect with our students. We must not be afraid to let each other in even if the future in uncertain. I make the time every day to reach out to every one, and already I had somehow managed to help them create a home in our room. I know I will cry on our last day together, I am by nature a softie, and yet I will pass them on to their new teacher with one simple message: believe in them, because they are truly the changers of the future, the movers of the world. Do not be afraid to believe.

Where are all my Test Subjects or The Geek is Revealed?

Two weeks ago, I was a regular educator, searching for inspiration and feeling very alone. Then Twitter happened (see my hallelujah moment in this post) and I have now known what a PLN is for 13 days. So here I sit, filled to the brim with exciting new ideas to try, technology that will entice and inspire my students, lesson plans written and ready to go and yet there is a problem; school is out and I have no students. I try to run ideas by my husband and yet the experience just isn't the same. He thinks it sounds great and that yes he would enjoy that lesson. So I feel like I am at standstill, or felt anyway until I read a post written by @thenerdyteacher on his inspiring blog. Entitled, "So, Now What?" it really made me think.

I did not get to go to ISTE this year, mainly because 2 weeks ago I had never heard of it and yet I have had a very similar transformation as I imagine many of the conference goers had. Through Twitter, blogs etc. I have been re-energized, re-focused, and renewed with so many ideas I have had to write them down to remember them all. So as the @thenerdyteacher said, well now what?

I have a special predicament that I am a 4th grade teacher, however, I may be teaching a split grade next year but won't know until August. I therefore can only prepare and plan so much for the next year without possibly planning for lessons that will never happen. What I can do though is create connections. By reaching out and engaging in dialogue with other educators across the globe, I am staying energized and staying focused. I am seeing ideas and bookmarking them for possible future use. I am doing grad classes all about technology. I am searching for other classrooms to connect with next year - are you interested?

Some teachers think I am crazy for not quite going on vacation but in all honesty this is my ideal time off. I am finally getting the time to think, something there seems to be so little time for when the students arrive for the year. I get to create and imagine what learning will happen next year and I get to reinvent myself.

Next year, I will not be the 3rd year teacher following in the footsteps of her very capable team members. I am repackaging myself as the techy geek teacher I truly am, finally wrestling out of the old lesson plans and trying something new. I may fail but so what, I may also succeed and inspire others just like my PLN does every day. So I may not have all of the answers to "So, Now What?" but at least I have a direction. And for that I am thankful.