And the Winner Is .......

And the winner is.....

http://www.sodahead.com

I've been postponing putting my thoughts into actual characters and words after our recent trip to ISTE - perhaps on some level I feel that the 'magic of learning' will gently fade like the Seattle sunshine! BUSTED!!!
We've had three days of sunshine!!  And the magical connections of learning and learners as contributors, creators, collaborators, global connectors, and critical thinkers are real. Learning is the heart and soul of a school and the SAAS attendees at ISTE are the embodiment of that energy.

This evening I've been looking over some past reflection and theory papers that I've written over the past several months.  The following excerpt from one such paper captures the essence of the teachers we have the privilege and honor of  co-learning with on a daily basis.  They are our artists and scientists!  They have embraced the journey with all of the attributes Dexter describes with added doses of grace, humility, laughter and an insatiable thirst for learning with enthusiasm and passion.

Facilitator of learning

(from July 14, 2011 ed platform)

The teacher is the conductor of the learning environment – balancing the dynamics of the learning: environment, participants, subject matter, connections, and timeliness. The teacher is the facilitator and collaborator of the learning process. The teacher is the “first face” of the school for the community of learners and families, making the school more personal and relational.  The teacher is the keeper of the heart, mind, body and spirit of the learner. The teacher who is passionate about teaching is never finished with learning.  The art and call of teaching is integrated in all that a teacher does.  Marzano (2007) states that effective teaching is both an art and a science. The science of teaching comes from using research and data to guide instructional practices.  The art of teaching is the teacher’s interpretation and expression of that practice.

My dear colleague and friend, Dexter Chapin, is an exceptional teacher and learner. In his recent book, Master Teachers: Making a Difference at the Edge of Chaos, he describes the journey of a teacher: 

“Please do not even try to be a teacher if you do not have all of the attributes of character: integrity tempered by empathy, intelligence tempered by awe, risk-taking tempered by common sense, independence tempered by the desire to serve, and most important, self-confidence tempered by self-knowledge. Even with all the attributes, please do not start or continue on the journey just because it is possible. Start or continue on the journey because it is what you have to do, almost a calling” (Chapin, 2009).

*****

Thank you all for jumping in feet and head first, sharing the swag and going for the gold - or flip cams!!!  May the FORCE be with you on your journey (and play with as many sabers and swords as you can!)

 

AND THE WINNER IS ARE..........

LEARNERS LIKE YOU!

Learning without reflection is a waste, reflection without learning is dangerous.

- Confucius

What I take away from San Diego... other than a sunburn of course!

Essentially, I had a blast this past week in San Diego at the International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE) Conference. I learned so much and cannot wait for the Fall as a result. I love the feeling I had upon returning to Seattle. I am eager for the school year to start up and I honestly think there is nothing better than being excited and in love with your job. 

I found myself feeling inspired and amazed countless times throughout the week. Surprised by the conference, yes, but the ideas, collaboration, and energy that the SAAS group brought to San Diego was the most awe-inspiring part of the entire experience.  I felt nervous at first, having heard from past ISTE goers that the experience would be overwhelming. Some warned that it was entirely likely that I would come home in a drunk-like-tech-information-overload-haze and not implement anything I learned during those 5 days. Haters truly are gonna hate, am I right? 

But despite my nerves and the exhorting words, the opposite effect occurred and the world of tech enthusiasts invited me in with glee and open robotic arms. Sure, the Expo room was shockingly enormous, the sessions were at times above my level of tech intelligence, and all jokes made at the club-like Google party were over my head, I eventually found my way. The "Newbie Crew," though missing a few key players, was in full swing. We laughed the entire time as we navigated the foreign world, negotiated sweet giveaways, swam late night in the hotel, and cracked jokes about anything and everything. We took ISTE with full force and realized at the end that the ideas/resources we will go into our second year at SAAS with are abundant and exciting. The memories of a great week together building friendships will bring a smile to my face for years to come, but the changes I am eager to implement in my classroom heavily outweigh any other benefits of the conference and trip to Cali.