Teaching: Old School + Technology

When all of the students own iphones, how does an educator compete? There are a multitude of innovations that have made it easier than ever to communicate, but how do we utilize this technology to help educate the next generation, without distracting from our real point?

I sometimes find myself having a hard time concentrating on a novel, or a long article, because I am so used to reading 150 character tweets and statuses which are coming at me every time I refresh my browser. Because those statements are short, punchy, and to the point, it's hard to not get comfortable with the instant gratification. It really makes you think, are there really so many students being diagnosed with ADHD because the internet has ruined all of our attention spans?

When it comes to technology, I am an avid promoter. I think that when one knows how to use technology in the classroom, it is a force to be reckoned with. However, there is something to be said for the more conventional ways of teaching as well. You still need to probe and prompt students to scaffold the information themselves, otherwise they may not ever really understand it. But you can do this while still utilizing visuals and connections.

I for one love pop-culture references, as most of our society does. I think that it doesn't really matter if a student is learning to apply their new knowledge in a way that means something to them, as long as it works. Then they can also apply it to the curriculum.

But what happens when we have all of this technology and no one to train us on it? It's true that smart boards are a wonderful tool, but I have observed too many technological issues that happen in the middle of lessons. Yes, we should have a back up plan for any lesson, but technology issues also affect productivity in a large way. If the technology fails in a 45 minute period, you in no way are able to make up that time.

There has to be a balance. I'm striving to find it, and as I become more technology savvy, I hope to improve my lessons and help students become stronger writers and readers. I'm in it for the kids, and I'll never forget that.

Busy Lifestyles

Hello internet, how are you today?

I’m aware that it’s been some time since I’ve written a truly significant post here, so I decided throw down an attempt. I’ve recently been drastically busy. School has started up again, I’m in the process of completing my student teaching requirements, and I have a brand new part-time job.

What I’ve come to realize though, is this, I really prefer being busy over anything else. I like having an active & hectic lifestyle. I like feeling the rush of having to get things done, because it makes me feel a level of importance. It makes me feel motivated, and driven. To be honest, it probably truly makes me more motivated and driven.

I’m not saying that there is no benefit to taking a break and decompressing, but it’s been my experience that when my vacations occur, I am pretty excited initially, and then I just become bored. There’s only so much I can find on stumbleupon, or so many people I can friend on Facebook.

It just gets to the point where I need to get busy again in order to be genuinely happy. So this is going to be another “turning a seemingly negative into a positive” statement, but here goes. Embrace the busy. Take it all with your chin up and smile wide. There may come a time, when you’re not so young, and you wish you were able to be as busy as you can be today.

Be as busy as you can right now, because the busiest people know how to prioritize and take control of their lives. The busiest people know how to get what they need, and also express what they have to in order to get what they want.

You can let fate lead you, but only so far. At some point you need to take control, whether you’re fully confident or you’re just faking it for now. 

Boorito 2011

I'm actually genuinely excited about this Halloween promotion from Chipotle. Apparently the famous burrito chain is partnering with the not-for-profit organization Farm Aid, and their own not-for-profit org, Chipotle Cultivate. If you dress in a costume on Halloween, they'll sell you a burrito for $2, regularly around $10. 


But this is the coolest part, they're donating the proceeds up to $1,000,000 to the two foundations, which work "to keep farmers on the land and nurture a better agricultural system."


Halloween promotions are not a new thing, as McDonalds has been offering free happy meals to costumed rugrats for as long as I can remember. However, it's a really cool thing that they are donating this money to a good cause. 


I haven't much else to say on the subject, other than small steps cause big change, and it's nice to see some companies recognizing this. 


Check it out: here. Or pick up a flyer at the register in any of their chains. 

The joys of laughing at yourself.

It's no secret that I like to enjoy a glass of white wine or two when I socialize with friends. And it's not that uncommon for others as well. Not only do I actually enjoy the taste, but it causes me to loosen up a bit and not really care what people are thinking. Either way, I love to talk and laugh with people, but something I've realized is when you are able to laugh at yourself and your own antics, people WANT to be around you. By laughing at yourself, you exude a carefree type of confidence that some people rarely have when they do not drink. That's why alcohol and other substances are so addictive in the first place.

I think if we all took the time to laugh at ourselves instead of feeling uncomfortable and overcritical, we'd all be a lot happier and more comfortable in our own skins.


But that's just a small thought.
I will definitely be updating soon and hopefully writing something with a little more substance, so stay tuned.

Just checking in!

Hello avid readers, new readers, and curious people who don’t care all that much about what I write but ultimately respect me for doing my own thang. I was on this really productive trend of writing a couple of times a week for the course of . . . well a week! Then grad school started up again and I was reminded that I don’t truly have a social life, it was just a big fat myth I allowed myself to live out during the entirely too short (and kind of oddly placed) spring break. Spring break in March? Yes.

That’s all in the past now (unfortunately) and now I’m hitting my nose back to the grindstone academically, which leaves significantly less time for me to ponder about the inner/outerworkings of life and be inspirational and all that. But for you, my dears, I’ll make my best attempt.

So what’s new . . .hmm. HMM.

Well I’m thinking quite seriously about sponsoring a child through Children International, which is a charity that is not only extremely credible, but an inexpensive option for those who wish to commit to a sponsorship, but also have to worry about paying their own bills. It’s a mandatory $22 bucks a month, but you can send extra money during holidays, your child’s birthday, or anytime you feel like tossing a little more in.

In my opinion, it doesn’t really matter whether you believe in karma, or are spiritual in the least bit, it’s just important to realize that there are people who live and survive their lives in extreme poverty. It’s a significant reminder because I for one find myself worrying a bit too much about buying nice clothes, or looking the way I want to look and there are people, children who do not have that luxury. Instead, they’re wondering where their next meal is coming from, or whether or not they’ll ever have an actual bed to sleep on.

I apologize if this sounds cheesy ( I know it will to some), but I feel that it is our human responsibility to take care of one another. Yes, there is an abundance of ignorance in this world, and there are days when I wonder what the point is of being a giving and generous person when there are clearly plenty of people willing to cut you down on a daily basis.

You can’t fall into that trap. You have to fill your head with all of the cheesy clichés you know and just pummel through it all, because in the end, only kindness matters (shamelessly ripped off from Jewel, sing it girlfriend!)

And that goes for most things.

Let your freak flag fly and all that!

Do a little dance, make a little love, get down to----no…that one doesn’t really work. . .

But anyway . . . do what you can for whoever you can, because you never know when you’re going to need some help yourself.

:)

Out of the box, but into a Tupperware: Something for all of the teachers out there.

I've been doing some thinking about the state of our economy and job market, more specifically my job market . . . which is education.


It's a hot topic these days and nobody seems too sure what the real outcome is going to be for our American education system.  I have some fully formed thoughts on the subject, and other free half-baked ideas floating around as well, but the biggest question I have is this: why can't we view education like we view all of the other really important jobs in our country? 

Education is so important because it literally shapes how our society will run as our country grows and changes with time. Yet there is more bullshit in the education system than half of the other industries I know of. 


We need teachers that will utilize tools like the internet, and also get down on the same level as their students in order to get them to think for themselves and really be phenomenal problem solvers. Because, lets face it, this country has got problems. And I'm not insulting America, every nation has major issues that need to be worked out. It's in the history books, it's humanity. It comes with being alive. Life has issues.

But we'll never get anywhere if we can't teach children how to think outside of the box in order to solve issues. 


Standardized tests will NOT teach children how to problem solve, cooperate and work together in a crisis situation. These aren't just skills one needs in order to run a country properly, they're skills one needs in your everyday office job, where the work keeps piling and you have an inexperienced team and a deadline looming in the future. 


Students who graduate from  communication, law, and journalism programs are required to complete several full internships, but most education students only need to student teach twice in an environment where there is a lot of hand holding. 


So how do you fake it to make it, if you aren't sure what faking it even feels like? 

Why do we preach out of the box teaching, then criticize it when it's not done to a certain standard. 


I understand that tenure was put into effect to protect teachers but I disagree with making it impossible to fire an incompetent teacher just because they have some level of seniority.


If we are going to preach about teachers being creative and confident in their jobs, then we really need to take a stand and push for that quality of teaching in our schools and in life. 


It is so important that we teach children how to think for themselves because I feel like politics right now is bogged down by too many opinions. 

You can't please everyone, you need to just do what works. Hands on teaching WORKS. I've seen it work. You can't put observable and measurable terms on a spark you find in a child's eye when something clicks. Or when a child runs home to tell their mother what they did in school.

Hands on teaching is not an approach to be stowed away as a last resort, you need to keep trying new things, every day and when you find something that works, not just stick with it, keep trying new things. Like a writer trying new techniques and styles, a teacher needs to be down with the newest exercises and trends. A teacher needs to be informed, and when they're not they need to be actively searching for information. ALL THE TIME. A teacher needs to throw themselves into working with the hardest kids and not give up until they GET THROUGH, even if it's in one little way. A good teacher never gives up on being a phenomenal at what he/or she does. It does not work like that.

Teaching is not just an occupation, it's a burning passion, just like any job within the arts. It takes creativity and focus. It takes control, and having the ability to make an executive decision. It takes knowing when something isn't working. 

It's like painting a picture, realizing it doesn't work, but then starting over again. 

Artists do it. Writers do it. Teachers, REAL teachers do that too. Their children are their masterpieces. 

Real and true teachers, also like those starving artists, do not really care that much for getting credit. Yes, it's nice, but it's also realized that a job well not will not always come with two pats on the back and a pay raise. 

Sometimes it comes with knowing your students will be able to confidently speak in public . . . 

or . . . be able to speak at all. 

Sometimes it's enough to know that your students will be intelligent enough to accept other people's opinions even though they don't always agree with them. 

Sometimes it's enough. But should it be? 

The system NEEDS to change because our nation, our world changes. Every day it changes but there are still so many schools that are years behind. 

It's not enough to just acknowledge we need to do something, we need to use our voice, we need to not be afraid to take risks and do what we need to in order to fulfill the duty as a good teacher. 

So please, even if you aren't a news reader, just try to read one article about what's going on with our education system, just be the least bit informed, because when it's time to vote, when it's time to actually say what we want for the education of our nation's children, we need to know what the ask for. 

Thanks :)

Body Image (and my new obsession)

Let me tell you a really awful habit I have. Every day, when I get dressed, I always look in the mirror at my bare stomach.  My gaze always falls on my little nub of a tummy that sits in the middle of my body. Then I look down at my thighs and search for extra flab and cellulite, finally my eyes travel upward, towards my upper arms, where I observe to see if I've lost or gained any flab there. While I've tried helplessly NOT to do this, it's a completely subconscious behavior.

Why do I do this to myself? I actually think it's a mixture of reasons. First of all, when looking in a mirror, one usually will find their flaws first, before focusing on the positive. The stuff we like is already the way we want it, so it doesn't need to be improved upon or fixed. If we like the way our hair looks, we aren't going to mess with it, so we don't stare at it for too long. It's just a normal human reaction in some ways.

However, the other reason, I believe,  is owed purely to the fashion photography that beauty magazines keep pushing down our throats. In order to be considered "thin" we need to not have an ounce of body fat, when in reality, some body fat is essential to our survival. Also as women, we naturally will always have a little more fat on our hips, thighs and stomachs, because we carry the babies. We're kind of made to be like sexy pillows. 

There is one thing to be said about taking care of yourself and eating healthy, but obsession is another issue entirely, and it can be a scary one. We don't just obsess with our own bodies, we become obsessed with everyone else as well. It's almost as if we are searching for physical flaws that reflect our own, so that we know it's okay.

 And it is ok because as long as we're healthy and doing what's right for our own special body type, 5 or 10 pounds is not going to make or break us. 

Over this previous weekend my friend Heather and I were in American Eagle and I pointed out a poster hanging over a display of tanks and camis. You can see the poster here: http://www.ae.com/web/magalogue.jsp?catId=cat4440008

on page 17 of the catalog.

The image features girls and guys dressed in beach wear laying down. There are several super skinny models, but the one model in the middle is a tiny bit curvier. At the time I told Heather "Wow that's really refreshing to see someone who's not completely emaciated on an American Eagle Ad, front and center." But now that I think about it, it's sad that I defined this beautiful young woman as being a "bit curvier" because she's not AS stick thin as the rest of the models. She's still really skinny!! If I saw her on the street, I wouldn't think twice about calling her skinny either, but because of her placement on this particular ad, I recognized her as a plus sized model, which is ridiculous. 

Yes, it's refreshing that not all of the models look half-starved to death, but I also think it's really sad that the most normal body type displayed is this one girl. 

Just tonight the singer/song writer Lenka tweeted that countless people on Youtube posted comments on her new video telling her that her nose is weird. She then wrote "Um, I am aware of it, thanks to." 

Once again, this woman posted an adorable video of her latest song and is very successful in the music industry, but instead of people noticing whether the song is any good, they're criticizing her nose being weird. Which she says she is aware of, so this is probably something that has bothered her in the past. 

No one is perfect. Everyone has their weird noses, chubby thighs, and in my case a high pitched voice and a crooked mouth that makes me look like I snarl slightly when I sing sometimes. 

Who cares!? 

We're all different, that's what makes us beautiful. And what we find, ugly, weird, or downright awful about ourselves, others will sometimes find endearing and special. 

We can't keep playing this game with ourselves. Occasionally we come across a great ad campaign, but we can't depend on the media to apologize and make amends for the damage it's done over the years. They're out to make money, they want us to be obsessed. 

Instead let's be obsessed with helping people, and making others feel good about themselves, and putting some positive vibes out into our own communties. 

That's my new obsession. Maybe you could make it yours. 

I leave you with this old, but beautiful video that the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty did a while back: Evolution