Road Block

Well, school is back in session. Today was the last of two "teacher workshop" days and the students will arrive tomorrow. I can't wait to see all of the students. I have been brainstorming so many cool things that I want to do with my students this year; podcasts, blogs and other social networking tools. Unfortunately I have spent the last week trying to get someone to help me get things working in my room. Software that needs special permissions to work, software that just does not work on our network and on top of that, all of the sites I want to use with my students are blocked by our school's filter. GRRRRRR. So today I am feeling a bit defeated.

I need to make a list of priorities. One, get all of the essential software running. Two, get the "nice to have" software running. Three, get the sites unblocked. Number three is going to take some work. Unfortunately we have a tech department that is comprised of people who put technology before education. I'm not quite sure how to get the point across that the students needs are the key to everything. I am a classroom teacher, and in their minds we do not know what we are talking about when it comes to technology.

So my question is...how can I start the conversation that we need to look at curriculum needs, student needs and how social networking fits in to all of this? Oh, right and to have the conversation with the policy makers? I'm not sure where to begin.

Collaboration!!!

Yesterday I had a great day hanging out with a great educator. My friend Pam (yes her name is Pam too) and I used to work together, but now live and work on opposite sides of our state. Every now and again we get to see each other and yesterday was one of those days. We drank coffee, shopped, had lunch and amidst all of that we talked "shop." In a few moments over lunch and talking in the parking lot near our cars I did more collaboration than I did in an entire month at school last year! We talked about using ePortfolios, Movie Maker, blogging, MySpace, Schoopy and how we plan to use them in the coming months. I think it is so important to find someone like this that you can share ideas, and plan cool stuff with. Luckily, Pam and I are able to meet face to face from time to time but when we can't meet face to face we use email, Twitter and IM as our means of communication and now we have added blogging and MySpace to the mix. If you don't have a friend that inspires you professionally, you need to find one! Someone who can help you go places you might be afraid to go...if you didn't have that friend. That is what Pam had done for me! And even though we do not work together in the same school we still share and help each other often. Thanks Pam!

I'm Starting To Get It Now!

I have been reading David Warlick's and Will Richardson's blogs for the past week and really getting inspired! But just today David Warlick asked an important question...what do blogs replace? I agreed with the other readers that responded...nothing really. Blogs just add something new, not only to education but also to how we see the world and how we interact with it. Ten years ago I would only know someone like David Warlick if I were lucky enough to work in a district that hired him to come in a talk, but today I know of him because of the blogs I read...they lead me to him and I'm really glad they did!

So how am I going to use this information to help me become a better teacher? Well, I think I have to remember that these important tools that we are using and modeling for our students must be used for a reason, they don't have to replace anything, but they do have to have a purpose, they need to solve a problem we have in our lives or they need to help us understand the world around us in a meaningful way.

The first problem I am going to try and solve in my classroom is how to fill-in students who are absent for an important lecture or demonstration...Podcast! I'll let you know how it goes once school gets started!