Makey Makey & Innovation

As I listened to the presentation EC&I 831 tonight one quote that Sylvia Libow Martinez made that struck a cord with me was "we have to unschool the children" to let them explore the wonderful tool of Makey Makies and how they can be used to help children explore, invent, and create.  As a parent and educator this scares me.  At what point does education take that desire to learn and thirst for experimentation away from the children?  I like to have structure, routine, and detailed plans but is it preventing my own children from discovering their own talents and thirst for knowledge?  I think back to the time that they wanted to learn beading and making bracelets and how I strongly suggested (OK controlled) what colors and patterns they should start with. Is this what education does turn them into what we want? Instead of letting them become individuals.

I have often thought that there are students that learn and thrive in spite of the educational system.  I hope that my children and all children will have teachers that they themselves have that thirst for knowledge and willingness to be uncomfortable trying something new.  As well as provide the environment that mine and all children can find the talents they have.

Anyways, I know that I will be looking at Sylvia's website Invent to Learn and making some purchases for my children for Christmas this year and giving my children the opportunity to Invent to Learn.  I just need to remember to let them explore and assist when asked and not steal them from their hands!!  Which could be hard it looks like so much fun!

Technology and Children

As I sat this evening after supper watching my two daughters each on their own computer playing/learning on Starfall and Raz-Kids, I started to wonder about a couple of different things.

I started to wonder about those students that do not have access to technology in the home.  Does this access to technology start to widen the educational gap further?  Is this gap even more pronounced in a rural vs urban setting?  I have had high school students sit in my office that do not even have a phone in the house let alone access to the internet.  As well there are many areas that having access to the internet is just not feasible.  So when those students come to school does that make the teachers job even harder as they are not only trying to teach to diverse learning abilities, but now the diverse technological abilities!  As I have learnt about BYOD and Flipping the Classroom, is this even feasible in some schools?

The other thing I started to think about was how it is amazing how a young child has many tools at their hands to learn almost anything if they so desire and sometimes is it school getting in the way of them?  I remembered a video on TED Talks about technology, learning, and teaching.

As I consider these two thoughts I realize that technology is not going to go anywhere, but what can be done to make sure that all kids have access to it? How do we foster interest in all children so that education can happen?

Well it is not Sunday, but it is only one day late so I will take that as goal met for this week!!

Squirreled

Like Dug from the movie Up, I am often feeling squirrelled when I am learning about Social Media and technology. For example I start to learn about Twitter and how to use #hashtags and the next thing I know I am watching a video about cats or reading about some other new and exciting technology that I didn't know about. How did I end up there in a few clicks!!!

Based on classic scene in Up i now define being distracted by something new & shiny while trying to get something done as being #squirreled
— Michael Gartenberg (@Gartenberg) June 30, 2011

Don't get me wrong it is exciting to learn about all the new apps, websites, educational communities, and blogging to name a few. How do I keep up with them all? For example, I read a post on Google+ on 10 new educational tools to be aware of, when do I have a chance to learn them all. I guess I need to choose am I a master of none and a jack of all trades or just try and master one?

I don't think it will be possible to learn just one as it is important to have many tools in the tool box, but I do need to focus on a couple and not get squirrelled in the process. But some of those cat videos are really funny! For now I have started to learn Twitter and use it in my role as a Career Counsellor at Bert Fox Community High School. I have found Flipboard extremely useful to keep things organized in EC&I 831 and personal interests. I have just started to use Learnist and explore that tool to see how I can use it to help with my final project.

Well I got one post done on a Tuesday for my SMART goal, only 21 more posts and then it will be a habit!!

Thanksgiving Resolution

It is time that I started blogging more frequently.  Especially if I want to pass EC&I 831. Maybe I will treat Thanksgiving like New Years, and start a Thanksgiving resolution!  As I was in a Grade 10 class last week talking about SMART goals, I need to take my own lessons advice to heart.

So here goes my SMART goal for blogging.

SMART Goal Number 1
After each EC&I 831 session on Tuesday nights I will post a short blog about what I learnt.  There it is written, on paper (kind of), for the world to see (if they so choose), my SMART goal.  As I have learnt something new every time, and sometimes it makes my head swirl, but it has been a great way to learn more about technology especially my iPhone, other that just Candy Crush.  After each session I have come home and shared some new app, website, or idea with my wife.  I need to now learn to write that down on my blog for myself!  I have the great intention to always write something in my blog and then I put it off to do tomorrow.  But as they say tomorrow never comes!

SMART Goal Number 2
Every Sunday I will post a blog on a topic of interest to me.  I often think what is the point about writing something as it has already been said, done, or talked about.  Who wants to hear what I have to say?  I need to learn treat this Sunday night blog as my type of diary on the things I have an interest in right now.  As I was having Thanksgiving supper last night at my inlaws, my wife's Grandma was given a diary as she stated "that she has written in her diary everyday for over 30 years"  I thought to myself that is what I need to start to do.  I am going to take it one step at a time though and start with Sundays!!

So I have written my two SMART goals, as I have heard if they are written down they are more likely to be successful.  Let's hope so.  Here it goes.

One Week

It has been one week since the first class in EC&I 831: Social Media and Open Education.  Not sure where the week has gone, but my head is spinning with trying to keep up with the amount of information that is being shared!  It seems like I get a notification that there is a new post and I think that I will read it right after school, maybe once the kids are in bed, OK after volleyball practise, etcetra, and by that time there have been multiple posts by the end of the night.  How can I get through them all?

As well, I am trying to just get use to trying to figure out how to use twitter, google plus, and blogger!  Talk about jumping in with both feet to something new.  I use to think that I was somewhat technological sauve, but I have obviously not stayed abreast of new technological tools as I would have liked.  It will be exciting, challenging, and intimidating for me to work in this world of social media and open education.

A few facts and information about myself:

• I am married and have two daughters, in Grade 3 and 1.  I live in the beautiful Qu'Appelle Valley on Echo Lake, where we get to watch beautiful sunsets, especially this time of year.
• I have been teaching for 13 years, all at Bert Fox Community High School (also the school that I attended from K-12) in Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan.  I started off as a full-time Physical Education teacher, 7 years ago I became the Career Education counsellor and Career Work Exploration teacher.
• This is my 3rd class in my Masters of Education in Administration at the University of Regina.
•  I coach volleyball at the High School during the fall.  In the winter I coach the downhill skiing program  Husky SnowStars.  In the spring I coach soccer.

My initial reactions to learning we had to blog!

First Time!!!

Here is my first post on a blog.  You will have to be patient with me as I am new to using Social Media and putting myself out there!!!  I am usually a reserved person that keeps my thoughts and ideas to myself or small groups of people I have established relationships with.  So having my words out there so everyone can see is a little intimidating.