Today is the day! May 8th, 2012: National Teacher Appreciation Day
The day when we take a moment to recognize the amazing contributions of teachers.
Teachers who supported us, taught us, loved us.
Monday May 7 through Friday May 11, 2012 is National Teacher Appreciation Week; a time to pay tribute to teachers and, as shared by NEA, a time to “honor local educators and acknowledge the crucial role teachers play in making sure every student receives a quality education.”
A time to recognize the many teachers in our past who have given their hearts, minds and souls to nurture in us the things that they saw as vital to our education, critical to our success, and important for our future.
On this #TeacherTuesday I share with you a great little video that salutes teachers around the world who make a difference in the lives of children and adult learners.
Enjoy!
Now…take the time to Thank A Teacher Today! Thank a Teacher for:
Nudging you on when you didn’t want to be nudged.
Seeing the best in you, when you didn’t see it in yourself.
Showing you that your passion, could be your life’s work.
Reassuring you that there could be a better tomorrow.
Helping you to ask the right questions.
Inspiring your curiosity.
Sharing with you the idea that with hard work anything is possible.
Join me at Simple k-12, as I share three easy-to-use Web 2.0 tools that will enhance your work in the classroom. In this webinar, educators will enjoy learning how to use three tools to “vlog” and podcast. The webinar will cover not only how vlogging and podcasting can be used to support curriculum instruction with students, but also how it can be applied to their own professional work.
Take a look at my SlideShare!
If you have a tablet or smart phone, be sure to check out m.slideshare.net to view it on your mobile devices.
What are you waiting for? If you have not started to use podcasting or vlogging yourself or with your students, you really need to begin! It’s a fun, easy way to support your professional growth and the learning of the students that you serve. Your students have an innate desire to be heard and with simple, Web 2.0 tools they can be. Pick a project that you’re working on and transform it by using Capzules. Turn that poetry read into a podcast and do it on Spreaker. Present your latest research as a blog post and add audio on SoundCloud.
Questions? Have you tried any of these 3 great tools? Do you know of others?Not sure how to get started? There are many of us on the web that can support you if you feel unsure about the Vlogging, or Podcasting. Let me know by leaving a comment, what I can do to help you to begin to use these tools to enhance your professional work and support your students to stretch their learning outside of the box! If you want to learn more about how to join the community at Simple K12 click on the link here.
Free Apps:
Below are a list of the apps that I shared at my presentation and a few more.Use one of these ideas in your classes and blog about the outcomes!
Spreaker- allows anyone to become a radio DJ by helping them create and broadcast their own personal radio show on the internet.
SoundCloud-Create, record and share the sounds you create anywhere to friends, family and the world with SoundCloud, the world’s largest community of sound creators.
Capzules-helps anyone create beautiful, interactive, rich-media timelines online using videos, photos, text, music, audio and most documents.
PodOmatic-Best mixes on planet Earth. DJs, radio, performing artists, educators, and more. Get a free podcast, share your faves. Only on PodOmatic.
VoiceThread- students can post videos, drawings, images and more then have their classmates comment on what they upload.
Last week, I was deeply touched by the news that Pat Summit, the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history, is stepping down as the head coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team.
The reason that was shared for this difficult decision is that Summitt announced last year that she had early-onset dementia and that now the pace of head coaching is taking a toll on her work and that she has to look to her health as a primary focus. Fortunately, she will remain on board as “head coach emeritus,” a role that will have her continuing to serve the team, reporting to the university’s athletic director, remaining “involved in on-campus recruiting” and acting as a “personal mentor to players, including life skills coaching,”according to a press release.
Pat Summit has been an amazing coach and mentor! Building relationships with her players to guide them, and staying in touch with many of these young women long after they’ve graduated. What a gift she must be to her players.
Photo via Rho @Judy_Winslow_
(Here are a few tweets caught by Storify on this announcement: Pat Summit)
Last week, during this announcement there was a great interview done by CBS News of her son, Tyler. Take a minute to watch his interview…here is the link to the video. (Photo of video, below.)
One of the great comments in the interview that Tyler shares is a quote from his Mom. He tells the CBS interviewer who asks how they are going to move forward that his Mom has always said, “Left Foot, Right Foot…Breathe.”
I was really caught in that moment, with emotion, as he shared that phrase. My first thought was that it was a great analogy for the dance of a new teacher and a mentor. The second was that it had to be shared!
As a new or pre-service teacher, in or preparing to enter the classroom, you are going to have some great potential opportunities to be guided and supported by a mentor. If you’re fortunate you will have a good mentor partner who will do a great job of “dancing” with you. I want to remind you today, on this Mentoring Monday to step boldly into this partnership and be sure to “Left Foot, Right Foot…Breathe.” I also want to encourage you to immerse yourself in the dance with your mentor, as often as you can.
Every good player needs or has a coach! So to must a good teacher have a trusted mentor to guide them through the dance of educational instruction, curriculum and pedagogy.
As I write this post today, I hope that you have a great mentor that you rely on for support. If not, I have a great resource for you here that you need to take advantage of.
So…are you open to doing the “dance”? What are you doing to keep the “dance” vibrant and supportive? How will you pay it forward as you work with your students?
Attention Education friends – You’re invited to a one-of-a-kind PD event that’s going to be a lot of fun … and best of all, it won’t cost you a dime!
Come learn with educators from around the world at the Online Education Conference: An international conference that’s 100% FREE!
This PD event has been sponsored by SimpleK12, one of the leading providers of 21st century teacher professional development. Join the Blue Bunnies as they camp out in the SimpleK12 offices for 24 hours straight, bringing you the best-of-the-best conference sessions with presenters from around the world. (Thanks for organizing such an incredible FREE event, SimpleK12!)
Online Education Conference – Details
What: A 24-hour training extravaganza for educators around the world! When: Wednesday, April 25th, 2012 – Thursday, April 26th, 2012 Where: Online – Join LIVE from your computer or mobile device Cost: 100% FREE! Register:http://simplek12.com/tlc/webinars/#OEC
What sessions can you attend?
Sessions will be running all day and night … so pick and choose whatever works best with your schedule. There’s something for everyone! Take a look at this fun video!
What can you learn about?
Perhaps the better question is, “What WON’T you learn about?” Conference sessions cover ALL of the latest educational trends and topics, such as:
Join me at Simple k-12, as I share three easy-to-use Web 2.0 tools that will enhance your work in the classroom. In this webinar, educators will enjoy learning how to use three tools to “vlog” and podcast. The webinar will cover not only how vlogging and podcasting can be used to support curriculum instruction with students, but also how it can be applied to their own professional work.
What are you waiting for? Registration is free … but space is limited. Don’t wait – Reserve your seat now before it’s too late! Sign Up Here: http://simplek12.com/tlc/webinars/#OEC
What’s not to love?!
No Travel. No Registration Fees. Lots of Fun. A Great Learning Opportunity. Need I say more?!
Help spread the word about this FREE, international online conference. Tell as many educator friends and colleagues as you can! Don’t let anyone miss out on this incredible learning opportunity!
When I was a classroom teacher I was constantly telling stories and I loved it!
Sharing the stories written by many others with my students, with passion.
Fictional stories, funny stories, favorite stories. Stories that rhymed and some that were sublime. (smile)
I also shared the stories of others that were true. Stories from the past and present. Stories that I worked at presenting in a way that brought history alive so that my students could have an opportunity to experience them on a very vibrant level.
When I moved into administration, I continued to tell stories. Some were stories of success. Still others were stories of angst. Stories that were not always easy to tell.
The story of a child from a foster home who was struggling. The story of a child living with a troubled parent who had to be forcibly removed from their home due to neglect and abuse. The story of a family who were going to be torn apart due to deportation.
Difficult to do at times, this storytelling piece. Yet all along, I kept telling stories.
Little did I know then, that during those times of storytelling, I was being prepared, all along, to tell my OWN story.
Storytelling
Most of you who read my blog, know that I’m really invested in the One Little Word project. These past few weeks, the project got me thinking that I need to make a commitment to use my word “create” to consistently tell my story through my work. I want to stay focused on the things that matter in my work and I want to help support others to do the same.
I love the idea of harnessing the power of Storytelling in my work. When I present, blog or tweet, I want to tell my story. I want to be sure that as I support others in the educational groups and social media venues that I work in, that “my story” and passion are clear. I want to choose stories that inspire others, lift them up, get them thinking and maybe even make them smile, as often as I can. I want to tell the story (crafted from my years of service) of my passion to support and mentor teachers, globally, to reach beyond the classroom walls, and “teach with soul.”
How will you tell your story?
New teachers are under a tremendous amount of pressure. So many new things heaped on the plate, daily. But…what if you began to think of those “things” as parts of a story that are being crafted for you. What if you began to see the struggling student, challenging content, and late night lesson planning as chapters in YOUR story? What if you began to tell that story with a blog, journal , YouTube channel or a presentation at a conference?
I love the concepts that have been developed on telling our stories by Michael Margolis. Michael and his team have put together this amazing project Get Storied, which supports people in all walks of life to nurture their lives and tell their story. Get Storied is committed to sharing how storytelling is key to our daily work. Whether you’re trying to redefine your cause, work with a parent or teach a concept to a student, storytelling helps the world understand where you’re coming from.
So how can you put the concept of storytelling to work?
Telling a Story that People can Believe In
Take a minute to listen to Michael share a little about Storytelling…
So what do you think?
The next time you get working on a rubric, report card or parent conference piece…can you smile and know that you are in the process of crafting your story? During those times, working with colleagues, creating that lesson, or struggling with a tech tool, can you challenge yourself to view it as another chapter to your own, amazing, personal story? A story that someday, somewhere, someone will want to hear?
I like the idea of waking up every morning knowing that I have a new opportunity to tell my story. Maybe in a blog post, or a photograph or a tweet. Maybe in a workshop, or in a vlog. Whatever it is, I want to hold fast to the idea that I have an important story to tell and share with other educators. I want to consistently push myself in my work now (as a consultant), just as I did as a teacher, to think big thoughts, and tell my story!
So will you join me? Will you choose to tell your story? I’d love to hear it!
Annually on March 8th, thousands of events are held throughout the world to bring to the forefront what women have accomplished in all the diverse fields and passions and celebrate those achievements. The web will be rich today with information about Global and local activities that will connect women from all around the world!
10 Women who Rock…and Teach!
Today, though, I want to celebrate and share with you ten women in my personal learning network (PLN). These are ten women (pictured above) who inspire, who pour their hearts out and give of their time to this great profession we call teaching. These are women who rock their work, teach many and support new teachers! I want you to get to know them better as you do YOUR work this month to share activities with your students that will help them learn about inspiring women and events in women’s history.
Time to break out of the winter doldrums and take this opportunity to share this great news with your student’s or with your classmates and colleagues. It’s also a time to pay tribute to the contributions women have made over the centuries. Contributions to Art, Music, Theater, Science, Math, Literature and of course, Education.
All this month on my blog, I will be sharing some great links here, that have ideas and activities for Women’s History Month. Ideas that I hope will inspire you to make a point of incorporating them into your daily, weekly lesson plans.
Today though, I want to focus your attention on the power of women. On the power that a woman, who is present in your life now, has had in supporting and mentoring you through your career, up to this point in time. Even though it may be in the very early stages…
Take 30 sec to watch a short tribute to some of my current mentors…Do you recognize a few?
Each of these women, from Angela Maiers in Iowa to Shelly Terrell in Texas has supported and mentored me in a special way as I have begun my work as an Educational Consultant. Each of them have a special gift that they have been able to share with me, that strengthened my ability to be a better teacher, educator, and mentor.
In a world that is, frankly, still dominated by men (sorry guys), where women sometimes struggle to do their best, it’s important to hold hands with another woman who is a colleague, a sister, a mentor and walk that road to your personal and professional best…together. A woman who can lift you up, and come along side you, and support you in a way that no man can.
Share with me…who is one woman who has made a difference in your life and/or career up to this point? How have they done that? How did they make a difference?
(Look for a fun post to hit the web Friday here that tells more about my mentors and their stories.)
