Continuing with my theme of questioning I have begun to look at the words we continually use in education. Today’s word is Accountability. I am an educator and I hear the word accountable almost every day. I just searched my reader and found Accountable and Accountability in many of the my unread items. It is a term we use, read, and write about often. When I come across the word I always want to ask “Accountable to Whom? Accountable for…
To me the word question is essential to learning. A learner asks questions and seeks answers. Questioning leads to deeper understanding and increased knowledge. Questioning is essential to growth. Over the last few weeks this word had caught my attention in the news, my twitter feed, conversations and my rss reader. Questioning seems to have a more negative connotation then positive in my recent experience. I have been wondering if this impression prevents our students from asking questions. The Merriam-Webster…
I am such a door mat. My daughter and I just had dinner in a restaurant where the tables are way too close together. The women at the adjacent table was loudly berating teachers. In her opinion it was a women’s job and really those women who become teachers do it because it is an easy job and they can still spend lots of time with their kids. Teaching is a job for women who just can’t commit to being…
A couple of weeks back I read some great posts* about professional development and learning. They really sum up well those things providers need to remember about learners. It is about the learning and not the tools, after all. I highly recommend taking the time to read them. As technology users ourselves we often are so passionate about what we do that we often don’t understand why others do not catch our passion. We may not realize that some teachers…
I am a parent and educator and have been thinking a great deal lately about parental participation in schools. A parent is a child’s first educator, who remains their primary educator through out their life. I remember when I was a new classroom teacher I cringed when ever I would get a note in my mailbox asking me to call a parent. I used to wonder what now. But having been a parent for 16 years, and a paid educator…
My daughter is away on a school trip and I have taken to leaving iChat open in case she wants to chat. Doing so led to a spontaneous conversation with an educator I have not talked to in a long time. I respect this person greatly and love the freedom to discuss all kinds topics without fear of where they lead. To play devils advocate, to stir the pot of thought, and just talk for the joy of it is…
My growth as a learner has skyrocketed in recent years, as I became a connected learner. I believe I have learned more about teaching, learning and technology’s role in the process from self-directed, network supported interactions then I did in many of the formal educational opportunities in which I have participated. I am sure many of you feel the same way. My children are also connected learners and participate in many opportunities outside of traditional schooling. For example my daughter…