When Are We Going To Do Something?

Karl Fisch and Scott McLeod do an excellent job putting the world in a community perspective. Our interconnectivity is fundamental to understanding what we as the human race are shooting for... and what we are up against. It is not good enough to settle for the mediocrity that pervades our educational system... and even our society. We need to take back control of our lives and our world. We need to do it for our future and for those generations waiting in the wings.

Did You Know? click here to visit Did You Know? video.

There are updated versions of this video available, but the 2006 version still creates an eerie sensation when watching it. As we come closer to the time when the predictions of the video indicate, it is a little disheartening to see how little has been done to keep up with what our generation is demanding from us. As educators, we need to be in the forefront of the fight for enlightenment, and every time we settle for less (such as Sustained Silent Reading in the classroom), we are letting down so many minds seeking for knowledge that will be turned into wisdom.

By 2010, according to the video, new information that did not exist was supposed to double every 10 hours! We are supposed to have twice the amount of information that had been on planet Earth less than half a day before.



By 2013, a computer should have the capability to exceed the capacity and ability of the human brain. We cannot even fathom much of how the brain works... or use more than 12 percent of it, but now a brain machine will exist that does more than its biochemical counterpart ever could.

This video is a call to action for teachers everywhere. We have an awesome responsibility that cannot be taken lightly. We need to embrace our gifts and abilities to help our charges prepare for a brighter future.

6 Steps of Learning: Changing the Way We Think.

Bloom's Taxonomy was introduced to me quite a while ago... and I'm sure that it is very common to see the steps being used in the classroom. The problem I always ran into was not what was being done in the classroom, but did students understand why they were doing what they were doing. Learning is not about grasping after ideas, but rather conveying methodology for conceptual enlightenment. This being the case, I considered it my job... obligation to inform my students about the "why" behind the "you will learn!"

Bloom's Taxonomy, when broken down and explained as steps, allows a student to begin to take charge of his or her learning. I must admit that I first introduced Bloom as a five minute "filler" at the end of a class one day, but it turned out to be something much better than staving off a mutiny. Letting students see what the process looks like from the teacher point of view shows them that there is a respect for them as scholars. They will enjoy the trust and dividends will be noticed!

These are 6 fundamental steps to being successful as a student or teacher. They are:

1. Gaining Knowledge

- Gather information from sources.

2. Comprehension

- Make sure that what you're learning makes sense.

3. Analyzing the Importance of what you are Learning

- Investigate and think about the knowledge you are learning.

4. Applying this Knowledge

- Make sure it has a connection to something you're working on.

5. Synthesize

- Create "art" from what you have been studying. Make a product!

6. Evaluate

- Go back and look at the process. See what you did well and think about how it could be better!

Personal Professional Development - Be Honest, Be Reflective, Be Open

Being Honest

It is important to be honest when you are creating a means to evaluate your professional developement. It might even be more difficult to do this online when others can view your growth as a teacher, but it is a great opportunity as well. When one is honest with him or herself, one can learn much more than if one is delving into a world of half truths in order to prop oneself up in other's eyes.

Being Reflective

I have to give credit to my classmate for this one... I read her blog before coming up with this post. She had the idea of reflective journaling as a teacher.


This is a wonderful idea. It will update the system I used when I was student teaching... scribling down thoughts and ideas in a notebook and then throwing it in the backseat of my car. Making one's thoughts available to colleagues would be very helpful and beneficial. Criticism should be looked on as a positive, even if the one critiquing is not as "careful" as he or she should be with his or her words. Even if there are comments that might be considered "harsh," they could very well help in the long term.

Being Open

For many, myself included, being open is a struggle. Letting others view, critique, and comment on what you do and who you are is difficult; however, taking their advice is exponentially more challenging. No teacher - regardless of degrees or years in the classroom - has it all figured out. It is important to be open to new possibilities. Be thankful for the ideas... and the sources!

Safely Blogging

It is important to stay safe when blogging! Here is a list of things you should do... and some things you should stay away from.

Things To Do
- Have passwords that make sense, but are hard for others to come up with. Always make passwords with letters and numbers.
- Make sure you check your own blog and do not let any links post without your approval and research.
- Have fun, but stay professional; this is a learning environment.
- Give reminders about blog safety.
- Always get consent from administrators and parents before blogging!

Things Not To Do
- Passwords should not be birthdates, or names of people close to you.
- Do not treat a blog as a social connection group.
- Do not post addresses, phone numbers or any other means to identify who you are. You can share with those you trust in another format.

Incorporating Blogging in the Classroom

There are many ways to make blogging useful for the teacher!


Sharing Ideas with One Another

Getting new perspectives on subjects and issues is very important to the educational process. Students should want to explore their world, and in doing so, they can post information and ideas that they have discovered. Once these thoughts have been posted, students can not only learn from their own exploration, but also from the exploration of their fellow classmates!

Asking Questions

There is nothing more fundamental to learning than asking questions. Every discovery started with a question. Asking "why" is quintessential to growing as a teacher, a student, or a general human. When we ask questions, we get others to think about the situation, possible answers, and if there are other questions that need to be asked. We also challenge ourselves to find our own responses to queries.

Debating / Theorizing

Sometimes there are times when I want to ask questions by creating a debate or by putting forth a theory. I did this a lot in the classroom and it worked very well. Having a blog where students could come to debate important (or sometimes not so important points) would really help them grow as individuals and as colleagues.

Of course, when using blogs as with any other form of writing, there are standards to adhere to. Blogging is another form of writing and there are important standards that need to be met. It is important to meet ELA standards when using a blog. It is more professional and it makes the message more clear. Without standards, there is no uniformity of a scholastic nature. Students would meet standards of creativity, editing, formal writing, as well as other important facets necessary to be successful in an English class. Click here to go to ELA standards.