Author: Teach2Connect

Ed Camp Rocks!

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This weekend I had the pleasure of spending my Saturday with engaging, intellectual, and fun teachers from the greater Philadelphia area at Ed Camp Philly. It was such a total blast and my brain had a good stimulating experience, which it desperately needed. This conference is an “un-conference” where the sessions are developed by the participants as they register. I attended sessions on web 2.0 resource sharing for elementary teachers, re-thinking space-time-purpose, “Things that Suck”, Global Ed Connections for elem, and the super fun “Smackdown”.

I gained a new resource, a new connection, or a new idea from each of the sessions. The best part of the day was following the back channel chat via twitter. I absolutely love twitter and really feel it made such a huge difference in my information collection. It was also so cool to meet many people I follow via twitter and blogs in the flesh! They are real people too!

The Things That Suck session was such a great intellectual debate. A topic is thrown out such as Homework or Discipline Policy and teachers head to either the Rocks or Sucks side of the room. An passionately charged discourse commences on the topic. It was a perfect model for debating important issues in a safe space. The realization that the room was filled with idealistic, progressive teachers made certain topics more conversations of commiseration than debate. It was fantastic and it revolved completely around issues worth debating not just complaining!

Here are some resource suggestions compiled from the day:

Gmail + Trick: Add +moniker of some kind. They will go right to your inbox.
All is all it was worth driving 6.5 hours in 24 hours and getting little sleep. It was just the kind of intellectual refreshment I needed to get me pumped for my new role as a Technology Facilitator. I feel like that is what I am now. Rock on.

Letting Go

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My final concert at my current school is tomorrow. This will be my 10th formal concert at the school. Over the last five years I have grown to deeply love the students of this community. I have seen them grow up, lose teeth, gain siblings, break bones, learn to multiply, learn to read, play the recorder, lose parents, tie their shoes, laugh, cry, sing, dance, and pray. They are challenging, funny, generally hard working, impatient, kind, friendly, forgiving, loving, curious, concrete, abstract, dedicated, and resilient. Being a teeny part of their lives has meant more to me than I can possibly explain.

I have not been perfect. Not a day goes by where I don’t think I could do more or be better. But, they remind me often through their singing and their smiles that I must be doing something right.

The trick of teaching elementary is that teachers are often forgotten by memories that don’t have their full long term capacity yet. This is ok. I am learning to let go of the fact that life is fleeting and change is inevitable. I feel like the contribution I have offered the music program and the community is simply a root and that now I can release it and let go. This is bittersweet, rewarding, and relieving.

I am so grateful to have grown so close to a community that the thought of leaving is difficult and powerful. I hope that as I move on that I will build another set of roots and grow deeply entrenched in the lives of a new group. For this is what it means to be a passionate, connected educator.

This week’s Connection: Martha Graham

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I would like to thank the fine animators at Google for creating a fantastic doodle this week in honor of Martha Graham.

It just so happens that we were finishing up a unit this week on Aaron Copland and Martha Graham’s collaboration of Appalachian Spring. We started with a lovely book called Ballet for Martha and then proceeded to discuss how Aaron Copland use the Shaker Hymn, Simple Gifts, to build his ideas. Thanks to the grace of YouTube, we were able to watch a production from 1959 with Ms. Graham playing the Wife.

The students didn’t fall madly in love with modern dance, but I really appreciated their thoughtful comments and connections they demonstrated in discussion. To top it off, the day after we finished, nearly every one of them saw the Google Doodle and knew instantly who it was; yippee!

Transition

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It was announced via email yesterday that I am among those transitioning from my current school to a new school. I wasn’t prepared to have the greater school community know of this transition just yet and I have been greeted by parents with everything from “congratulations!” to “what the he##, who is going to be X’s advisor next year” to just a plain sad face. The kids have asked about it and I’ve replied with “let’s talk about it in May.” I am sad to leave the students I love and have known for five years (some since they were toddlers in the pick up line). I have become entrenched in this community and they are a huge part of my life.

With all that said, I am thrilled beyond belief with the new opportunity ahead for me. I am leaving the music classroom after 9 years and jumping with both feet into technology integration. I will have the chance to grow close to a new set of kids and become part of the fabric of a new community. I am nervous, excited, and looking forward to challenge.

Transition and change is never easy. It is doubly hard when emotions are involved. I think this is a great opportunity to teach the kids about appreciating our time together and applying their lessons in a new setting with a new teacher. For me, it is a great time of reflection and appreciation in the midst of anticipation.

And now, I return to regularly scheduled plan of teaching for 2.5 more months!

Motivation and Learning

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I am presenting tonight for my continuing education course. The class is Processes and Acquisition of Reading but my topic is Motivation and Learning.  I wish I could just show the Dan Pink TED Talk based on his book Drive, but alas….some recall from our texts and critical thinking of my own was necessary. I’m glad I get to go tonight as it is the first of five weeks of presentations…after about 7pm tonight, I can sit easy for a few weeks!

Motivation in Learning

Follow the Drinking Gourd

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The fourth grade is in their annual unit on Follow the Drinking Gourd. In this unit they learn how music was used as a “map” on the Underground Railroad. They have read the great book by Jeanette Winter and discussed the history. Now they are up to their ears in recorders;syncopation runs amuck!

In my search for a great video to visually describe the route the lyrics express I found one this morning! Thanks to the creator, Therese Josephson, for posting an awesome, thorough resource.

Now back to figuring out how tied eighth notes are the same as a quarter note!

moment of joy

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One of the best parts of my job is working 1:1 with teachers and staff on tech “issues”. This could range from implementing a new program to figuring out how to make a signature on Outlook to learning how to organize files. (I’ve done all three just this week.)

This is not really in the realm of “music teacher” but it is in MY realm because I love helping in this way. It was an absolute moment of joy yesterday to see a colleague’s face explode with delight as they learned how to format a table in Word. That is what is so exciting about the technology learning curve; it sways far and wide. It is a pleasure to me to see someone else embrace a new skill just by a few seconds with someone who is a few steps ahead in learning.

This is collaboration. This is joy!

NAIS reflections, short version

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I can’t possibly calm my mind enough yet to truly process the last 36ish hours. Six meetings, three workshops, and one keynote later…so much to think about from this years NAIS/LINK conference.

Since I spent today live tweeting (is there dead tweeting?) from the conference, my first reflection will be in take away snippet form.

1. It was an awesome sight to behold thousands of independent school minds in one place. Talk about a smarty party.
2. I’m so glad I was able to smile myself into the Klingenstein reception despite my lack of RSVP (thanks Cindy, as always, you rock). it was great to see KSI friends and mentors for even a few brief moments.
3. I loved using twitter to follow the conference. It allowed me to check in with things I could not attend, most notably the Fri gen sess, during which I sorely was double booked! It was also a hoot to make a twitter connection during the 21stC session with the person sitting literally in front of me. What a chuckle we got there!
4. Being the scheduling wonk that I am, I was impressed with the open minded and mission driven process articulated in the session by Hawken School. Talk about bold innovators using time to best serve their kids!!
5. I am not alone in my desire for mission driven, progressive-why thinking, technologically rich, student centered learning. I was constantly reminded of this as I traversed the halls and spoke with many folks leading our schools.
6. It was so nice to see and hug my colleague who teaches in Turkey, even if it was for only a brief few moments. She is an amazing human being and role model of courage.
7. I love the guys at Evernote and Idea Paint so much I went back twice. And my new friend gave me the coolest pink evernote tee.
8. I was disappointed by Geoffrey Canada, which makes me so very sad. I talked about seeing him with several folks and I eagerly anticipated inspiration. I wanted him to know his audience and speak to how we, the Educators of the demographics that we teach, can make a difference in the lives of the demographic that sadly, we do not often reach.
9. I’m very sad I missed the Heath brothers, but I bought their new book….(yea! Another nerdy change book!)
10. I love being an independent school educator. I love using technology to collaborate. I love talking about the mission and the why of things, and I love kids. This 36 hours of driving, gas money, parking money, traffic, conference fees, and two days in high heels were worth every minute, penny, and pinched toe. I am enormously blessed.

The process matters.

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Take a moment to listen to the dulcet tones of my classroom…

Does it sound chaotic? Does it sound like noise? Yes, it does. But…it is the beginning of a really great process for the students. They are each preparing solo percussion projects for “Music with Ordinary Objects” class.  They must prepare a 3 minute solo piece for their final trimester project. They have a full array of classroom “instruments” to choose from and lots of in class time to try things out.

I am amazed at how they are allowing their creativity to come out in this project. They are embracing the process to create and are making the music their own. As a music educator, I am constantly pushing the need for focus on process of learning, not just the performance. This is where so much of their creativity and connected learning takes place, in the process. I stress with the kids that it is not just enough to make music that is cool or pretty but to understand why it is a certain way, what it means, why you chose that rhythm or instrument etc. This allows them to truly experience knowledge construction rather than just “making pretty music”.

In our process each 45 minute class has three-five “decibel breaks”; minutes of total silence to allow our ears to recover from the noise. After four classes of independent work, they will workshop with their peers. On the final day, they will perform their project for the class. The final projects are always incredibly diverse and often reflective of students hidden interest or ability.

If this is what day two of the process looks like…I can’t wait to see performance day.

Conference Choices

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This Friday I will be attending the NAIS annual conference in National Harbor, MD. I am very excited about this conference as there are more sessions that interest me than I could possibly attend in one day. (Friday is the special “teacher day” where teachers are allowed to attend for a reduced rate. This is such a blessing as it is an expensive conference and it is coming from my own funds.) I’m not even allowing myself to look at the Wednesday and Thursday sessions because I know there are so many things I’m missing out on by just attending on Friday.

I am writing out my schedule plan for Friday today so that my Type A-ness can be in the right place at the right time. Oh, but what to choose!!?? For example, at 8am on Friday there are sessions on Arts vs. Athletics, Anxiety in Adolescent Girls, Women in Leadership, Global Learning, and Scheduling and Time. All of these are applicable to my current and future job positions and all sound interesting. What a nice dilemma to have; so many choices that it makes it difficult to choose.

I am particularly excited about seeing/hearing Geoffrey Canada speak at the end of the day on Friday. His work in the Harlem Children’s Zone is admirable and inspiring. I can’t wait to hear what he has to say to the independent school community.

No matter what I attend, I’m glad that I have this opportunity to learn and network with a large contingent of the independent school community. I have attended many a local conference and workshop but this is my first national conference since OPERA America in 2003. I hope to see a Klinger or two from KSI Class of 2008. I also look forward to spending part of the day at the C,S,&A LINK conference to make connections with schools from around the country and world.

I plan to blog or tweet as much as I can from the conference. Let’s hope the wifi signal is good! If you are attending, send me a tweet and we can meet up!