Monday, August 17, 2009

Day 1 - Learning with real learners is fun!

What a great first class!! Would you believe I had my usual "first day of the year" feelings before today's class? Almost felt like I should ring the office with head counts, the old pre-Infinite Campus first days. There's always some anxiety in shoving off from shore. Today was a terrific first leg of the cruise.

What made it so gratifying for me was the involvement of everyone. As every teacher knows, there's nothing more dreadful than trying to get learners to engage. Like pushing a rope so often. Not today. It was more like water skiing, being pulled along by the enthusiasm, community, and ideas of the group. "I love technology" (points for whoever can name the movie in which that was sung at a wedding! More points for playing it on your computer for everyone!!) but I love teaching and learning way more.

I don't expect anyone to "get it" (any more than I "get it") in these sessions. I really do think the feeling of swimming in the deep end that most of us talked about at some point is more the expectation. You work hard to keep from sinking but there's fun in the work. If by way of these modules each of you finds one thing that has a positive impact on your teaching, I'll consider this an enormous success. Patience, an open mind, and more of today's genuine engagement will help that to happen.

Thanks, everyone, for a a fun first day.

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12 comments:

  1. Napoleon Dynamite is the movie. It was sung at the wedding with LaFawndah and Kip. :)

    My mind was racing all last night with great ideas stemming from our work yesterday. Not enough time in the day :)

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  2. I like the learn and do approach - works for me. The fact that I was not dreading day two of a computer class speaks volumes!

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  3. I thought the first day was very good. Creating a blog seems so easy! Blogging will be something I will do more of this coming school year. I was on the computer exploring all afternoon. Connie and Steve, thanks for a great first day. Deb

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  4. Napoleon Dynamite....

    Thanks for the feedback, Steve. It also works well when the instructor is encouraging and enthusiastic, makes learning feel safe and fun.

    I still feel like I only have one foot in the water, but that is also partly by choice. Still overcoming that fear of technology that my children seem to lack. Getting there, though.

    Here's to a good second day.....

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  5. I agree - I see the web as a way to develop higher level thinking. For myself and our students we weave in and out of so much information and develop methods to sort through what is valid and best meets our needs.

    Thank you Connie and Steve

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  6. It is good to know you also had the first day anxiety too...coming to class felt a lot like the first day of school for me as well. I know enough just to be dangerous, so the challenge right now is in letting go of what I think I know and what I think I might learn. Trying to keep up with all the possible ways of implementing even one tool in my classes is still very overwhelming...too much of a good thing!
    Thanks Connie and Steve!

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  7. Thanks, Steve and Connie. I knew this would be a great class, because I have taken a class with you two before, and yesterday was a great start. It was a little overwhelming, but in a good way. I had never created a blog before and that was really fun. I already feel like I can do that. I think I'm OK with a lot of this because I am the type of person who tends to just jump in feet first and deal with the problems as they arise (and sometimes there are quite a few). I can't wait to learn about some new tools today that I can use with the kids in my classroom.

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  8. Thanks, Steve for encouraging us all to keep treading in the deep end! It's nice to have such support from you and Connie, as well as the rest of the class!

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  9. Thanks for the work you guys put in preping for us and also being inside with us on the only two sunny days of the year. Yesterday was a close call for me. I rolled over in bed and saw the sun was shining and said "great beach day"! Then realized I had to spend a wonderful day of tech learning with the gang... It was no contest; I'm here...

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  10. I also enjoyed the first day my expectations are that I can take what I learn here and use it as a teaching tool this year --- Ghost

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  11. I must admit that looking around and seeing that there are other novices in the room certainly helped.The collective energy and excitement makes me excited for kids. If people use half of what we are learning in their classes wow!

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  12. Great first day! Lots of ideas. Generated thinking on how to best proceed.

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