This is where I want to go.....

This morning, while reading over my Google BUZZ updates, I came across a posting from Darren Draper, who linked a post from Wesley Fryer about Passion-based learning in action.  (Side note, Wesley Fryer will be one of the keynote speakers at the upcoming 2010 Christa McAuliffe technology conference )   I am currently working on a course with over 30 teachers from my school, and we have been talking about standards, unpacking them, and not narrowing the curriculum for the tests sake.  What a better way to show real, authentic learning experiences, with any population of students. Anything is possible.  We know poverty exists, we know some of our students are underachievers, we know some of our students have family problems, yes.. we know.. now what?

I watch this video and say YES!  I say YES Brian Crosby, you are amazing and inspirational!   This is what I see.  This is the futre I want for my students at my school. This is real, this is now, this is amazing and so very, very authentic.  I am sure you will agree.

Please be open minded when viewing, as there are always many barriers as to why things like this may not work in your school or your classroom.  Starting small - a blog, a wiki, a skype, connecting with other teachers / students is just one way to begin your amazing journey with technology.  I encourage you to just try.  Baby steps.  The more comfortable you feel, the braver you become.  I know I feel really brave today after watching this, how about you?

Today... Why blogging is important.. I can see!

Today was exciting with my 8th graders. They are writing scripts so we can video them on Thursday. We are kicked out of our labs for 9 days while we do the 3rd round of NEWA testing. So, "think outside the box" and teach computers without computers. This was the next best thing I had going for me. 4 video cameras, 4 digital cameras and off we will go. Oh yeah, a few tripods. The kids will be making a short introduction of themselves as well as an overall reflection to add to their completed website. Sort of a video podcast of sorts, but to only keep inside of the classroom. We do not publish our work to the outside world. Yet.. I know, I said yet. I am working on that. 6th and 7th graders will begin their MediaSmarts lessons. We have a new curriculum to integrate media and how it affects children through advertising, violence, and digital enhancements to sell products. All outside of the classroom.

So, of course, I got home and sat right down at the computer to read my emails, and catch up.

I can see......

Here is how it went:
1. Opened up my email and I found out I was added as a friend by Julie Lindsay on ning. I have volunteered to judge one of the groups in the Horizon2008 project.
2. This then prompted me to look for Julie's blog. I found her blog and read today's post : A Day in the Life which then took me to the next place I went.
3. I found Jabiz and his Intrepid Teacher Blog. Which I read his article, Bloggers Must First Be Writers.
4. I got one paragraph into the post and clicked on Leila... Letter to a Young Writer, was the title.
5. I also opened up my google reader, went to the Learning Is Messy Blog, by Brian Crosby, because I watched the video from the K12 Online Conference 2007 that Sherry had put in her blog post. I wanted to see what he had to say today on his blog. I loved what he had to say through his video. That is where I came upon the blog - Ed Tech.. Is it Just Too Cool ... Or Not? I opened a link about the other 12 teachers involved in a project and there I was, at a classroom wiki talking about the Mysteries of Harris Burdick. At the bottom of the wiki, was how to use Ed.Voicethread. So now I know, and I added it to my blog on the front page!

Phew.. reading this again has made me mentally exhausted. No wonder how I can get lost in the computer for hours, although this all took place within about 30 minutes!!

Back to the post that Jabiz wrote. This is why I can see! I would never have read this beautiful post had it not been for blogs, twitter, ning, wiki's, and incredible people willing to share! Can you feel the power??

Reading this post brought me to tears. How beautiful and well said. How true is it for today's youth to want to be heard. Who doesn't want to be heard? I am 39 years old and I constantly ask myself if ANYONE is listening to me? Can't they hear me? Don't they think what I have to say is important? Is anyone there?

This is the reason why the internet and blogs are so important. This is why when writing a good blog, there are lots of links to other places. It is endless. Imagine if we followed links through other people's blogs. Would we ever stop? Where would it end? Infinity?? Or in a newbie blog possibly. One who has not learned the in's and out's of blogging etiquette? (According to Drape's Takes) Hee -Hee! (I am sure I am still considered a newbie here!)

Jabiz's response post to his student is hopeful. It is wonderful. It shows the true power of the web2.0 world. It goes to show that without writing first, there would not even be blogs to read. I did continue on to read the entire post, and I can see how he struggled with blogs in the classroom. The student's I teach, are not passionate about writing. Yet... Some may be, but for the most part, through reading their journals each day, most are not! (Read this tonight, so I thought I would add it.. seems important to place here! From Beyond School Blog about classroom blogging)

The next challenge.. awaken the writing within ..... Oh my.. my work is never done! Yes, I know.. I am a computer teacher..... but I feel compelled to enrich, engage and motivate anyway I can. Everyone must be able to read and write!