Entries Tagged as 'inspirational'

Spanky and the Gang Revisited

November 27, 2011 · No Comments · Common Core Standards, history, Inquiry-Based Instruction, inspirational, literacy, Literacy in Social Studies

Today I was looking for a blog post I wrote on November 22, 2009.  Several things resonate with me as I read. First, the idea of using primary source documents, the student conversations, students making inferences, and the back channel conversations.

I am sitting in a fourth grade classroom sandwiched between two fourthgrade boys at pod of desks listening to an awesome interactive lectureon the first colonist to America. Eight flat desktop desks are pushed together face to face to make a working group. I am listening and enjoying the visuals Mrs. S was using and in awe with the interaction from the kids. Not only were they answering questions the teacher was posing they were sharing inferences about why the colonist came and offering insight
about their difficult life. Mrs. S wonderfully got the kids to think about the explorers as their background knowledge. I enjoyed the
conversation and how intelligently these fourth graders answered and discussed the topic. And this was their introductory lesson. The Images she used made the difference as she told stories about the people and places. This is what social studies is about! The kids enthusiasm was refreshing!

I liked most the part being on the student level in a student desk and listening to their back channel conversations. Yes, kids have those conversations as well. But in amazement they were so connected to the content being presented. The kids would make comments to me and I found myself whispering back as well with my comments. They would whisper a comment to me and I would pose a question to them. From the onset I thought how rude, but for the moment I got caught up in being one of the
fourth grade boys. I forgot about my manners and just enjoyed being a boy. I caught myself raising my hand to answer a question and quickly put it down before Mrs. S saw me (or anyone else).

The young man beside me who was the perfect Spanky from the Little Rascals was sitting there quietly. Now let me remind you that Spanky was a genious and probably knows more about history than me. Constantly he had the last say in whispers to me as Mrs. S taught.  I notice Spanky was inconspicuously eating a bag of CheZ Its from his desk. I noticed a few other kids eating so I thought it was okay; therefore, I kept my mouth closed. Moments later Spanky- my new pal- punched me in the shoulder. Holding a ChezIt in his hand and holding it toward me! “Have one! Are you hungry!” I froze in time as I starred at it because I don’t like to turn down food and the word “yes” started surfacing.  I caught myself and reality sat in again. I was back to being a classroom observer.

Later in the day I ran into Spankie  in the hallway and he stopped. “Hey, Mr. G, Isn’t Msr. S a wonderful social studies teacher! She
knows how to make learning fun!” “You know, you are right!” How amazing this kid!

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Libraries Past and Present—–

May 12, 2010 · No Comments · 21st Century, inspirational, Web 2.0

I found this on The Blue Skunk Blog .

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Adora Svitak: What adults can learn from kids

April 8, 2010 · No Comments · 21st Century, inspirational, Miscellaneous

Can we learn from children? Listen to Adora……..

* Ted Talks 21010 at http://www.ted.com/talks/adora_svitak.html

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Why we do it?

January 20, 2010 · 3 Comments · Blogging, inspirational, writing

Reading Jim Burke’s blog post The Tao of Teaching (and Living) and reflecting on my blog post from yesterday, Writing in public for everyone to read, and the responses from Pat and Cathy Nelson, I am reminded how of a story of a person who works day in and day out in a Catholic soup kitchen in a big city.  Daily  people come and the same ones come every day. And in recent times the crowds get larger with new faces. Each day the wave hits and relief never comes.  One would think from all this hard work some type of social and economic change would happen, but it never does. The floods of tyranny happen daily. His response to his situation is “Sometimes in life we have to accept the impossible knowing we will never make it possible.” Sometimes the impossible becomes possible and sometimes the impossible never gets possible. “But that might not be the right reason to stop doing it.”

We start conversations. We go forward in action knowing it is an impossible task and it may never be possible to finish. The catholic worker believes his life will be greatly blessed because of his duty out of Christian service. The life of impossible makes it easier for someone else to come along and make a change.

November 26, 2008, I wrote post on Meeting Jerry Harste. I think about what his life work has done for other educators to grow and blossom.  For Pat and Cathy Nelson and the many other educational blogger in the world, we never know what people will one day look back and learn from us. It is our hope that our actions and our thinking in our blogs will transcend some type of change and make possible for other that follows us in this profession.

I do not agree with statement this soup kitchen worker made because he fails to see the big picture. I can continue to do my work even when it seems impossible and at the end of the long day I know that I have done my best.

I wonder in 100 years when some is doing research and run across my blog what will they learn and say about me. If it is worth it for one person, it was well done.

Credits:  Parker Palmer’s podcast A New Year.

Photo credit: http://pauldazet.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/renewal.jpg

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Remembering the MLK

January 18, 2010 · 2 Comments · autobiographical, history, inspirational

On April 6, 1968, I was eight years old and I was in Miami, Florida vacationing with my parents. I remember sitting on the bed with both of my parents in the room and hearing Walter Cronkite tell us that Martin Luther King had been assassinated.  I am not sure that I even understood who Mr. King was as an eight year but I remember the silence of the morning that took place in our room that evening. Both parent and I glued to the color television and seeing the images of where he stood when tragedy struck. I could not comprehend but I remember being scared because I took the word Memphis as Miami and that frightened me that it took place near the motel where we were staying. But I knew I was safe with my parents and the next day we continued our sightseeing journey- and nothing mentioned.

I lived in that era of the “colored” and the “whites only” water fountain, restrooms, and waiting rooms. Being the rebel that I am I always snuck a drink of water from the “colored” only water fountain and I still lived. I just did not comprehend “why” they were different. I was raised by great parents who coped with the civil unrest between blacks and whites. They expected nothing less than to respect all human beings and that is what we did. I went to a segregated elementary school and it was my third grade year the schools were integrated.

My early life was spent in a segregated society. The Black community was separated by a railroad track- like in most southern towns- and by a creek. I grew up near the tracks and remember the unrest between the two communities. I did not understand completely. The integration of the two world in elementary school was unnoticeable. We were all friends immediately and our friendships continued through high school.

Later in life I would study and learn about MLK’s life, what he stood for, and learned to admired the great man he was to this world. I moved forward in life and now looking back thinking about the history that I lived through in making our nation stronger. Chilling tearful moments  the pictures of the First African American President sitting in the oval office the morning after his inauguration.
In Mr. King great and remembered “I have a dream” speech is etched in my heart and mind today. It is a speech that reminds of the life that all citizens of the world deserve. But is a dream that continues to come with a huge price to pay. The same chilling tearful moment of the greatness of people in all times as the world arrives to help the people of Haiti. Mr. King’s dream includes them as the world learns a lesson about integrity, dreaming, loving, and just being kind.

Today I salute the life of Martin Luther King…..

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It is 2010——

January 5, 2010 · No Comments · 21st century classroom, autobiographical, Blogging, history, inspirational, Miscellaneous, personal learning network

It is 2010 and my first post of the year. I have New Year’s resolutions! So far I am sticking with one and that is to lose 30 pounds. As a life time member of Weight Watchers, I am back.  It was the year of 1996 I joined in January and lost about 36 pounds. But is a New Year! And it is time to move forward.

I am juggling a lot on my plate to start the year. I am still a Teaching American History Grant facilitator working toward building the Berkeley County School District one of the best K-5 social studies programs in the state. The last few days have been spent planning for the second year of the grant but not to say we are making strides this year. It will be just better next.

I designing a pedagogy class through the College of Charleston called “Teaching and Learning History in the K-5 Classroom.” It should be an awesome mix of guest presenters on topics from using historical thinking, historical literature, making sense of history using the five senses (art, music, movement, digital literacy), reading and writing in social studies, field studies to historical places in the rich historical area of Charleston county and much more. Plus teachers will tone up on their content knowledge through a fun survey course in US History. Yes, it has been busy around here.

Teaching social studies and US History is in the process of making an historical shift as teaching and learning takes place in the 21st century. This is happening in all curriculum areas and now the shift must happen here. I have been thinking and studying lot about the shifts that need to be made and exploring what it should look like in the classroom. I have always love teaching fifth and sixth grade social studies. I have loved using historical fiction with all the facts from the text book. In my learning over the last five month, I see a clear cognitive shift in thinking about the instruction of social studies in all K-12 classrooms.

The cognitive shift includes the move to inquiry. Now I keep asking the question “how do you get kids think like Historian? How do I show students what historians do on a daily basis? How do I understand this myself?” My own inquiry has taken me to how affect can primary source documents, artifacts, recording, art, etc be use with elementary kids in order form them to make sense of the past, present, and the future. The shift is no longer about learning and memorizing facts but how those facts, historical events, people, etc affects our understanding of the world. Hence, our classrooms- all content- must be environments where inquiry is being conducted- even in kindergarten. It is about the learning and it not about the schooling. Our kids need skills to help them make sense of our rapidly changing world.

The is what I am trying to mesh out in my mind as I think about 21st century learning in a social studies classroom.  There has to be some common vocabulary! I remember the looks from the cohort of teachers I spend my days with when I used the word primary source and historical thinking. I learned that many primary and elementary educators think of school as teaching and not learning. We have to make strides to change that thinking. We teach learners not content.  As a writing teacher I know how to help the writer but I don’t know how to teach the writing! We have to make the shift!

Saturday, I begin teaching a course I designed for teacher in a neighboring school district. The digital writing course will take teachers on a journey of learning and using the tools as they live a life of a blogger. I am excited about kicking that course off and nervous at the same time. This course was a project in the making before I made a job change months back.  However, I am excited about the life this course will take.  I am excited to learn from this group of 24 teachers! I am a bit nervous but I look at is as an adventure.

And finally, I still have some New Years resolution! I want to write more! I want to listen more! I want to more about the action instead of investing my time in the conversation. So here I am 2010!!!! Happy New Year to all!

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Spanky and the Gang

November 22, 2009 · No Comments · inspirational

thanks to www.tvparty.com

thanks to www.tvparty.com

I am sitting in a fourth grade classroom sandwiched between two fourth
grade boys at pod of desks listening to an awesome interactive lecture
on the first colonist to America. Eight flat desktop desks are pushed
together face to face to make a working group. I am listening and enjoying
the visuals Mrs. S was using and in awe with the interaction from the
kids. Not only were they answering questions the teacher was posing they
were sharing inferences about why the colonist came and offering insight
about their difficult life. Mrs. S wonderfully got the kids to think
about the explorers as their background knowledge. I enjoyed the
conversation and how intelligently these fourth graders answer and
discussed the topic. And this was their introductory lesson. The Images
she used made the difference as she told stories about the people and
places. This is what social studies is about! The kids enthusiasm was
refreshing!

I liked most the part being on the student level in a student desk and
listening to their back channel conversations. Yes, kids have those
conversations as well. But in amazement they were so connected to the
content being presented. The kids would make comments to me and I found
myself whispering back as well with my comments. They would whisper a
comment to me and I would pose a question to them. From the onset I
thought how rude, but for the moment I got caught up in being one of the
fourth grade boys. I forgot about my manners and just enjoyed being a
boy. I caught myself raising my hand to answer a question and quickly
put it down before Mrs. S saw me (or anyone else).

The young man beside me who was the perfect Spanky from the Little
Rascals was sitting there quietly. Now let me remind you that Spanky was
a genious and probably knows more about history than me. Constantly he
had the last say in whispers to me as Mrs. S taught.  I notice Spanky
was inconspicuously eating a bag of CheZ Its from his desk. I noticed a
few other kids eating so I thought it was okay; therefore, I kept my
mouth closed. Moments later Spanky- my new pal- punched me in the
shoulder. Holding a ChezIt in his hand and holding it toward me! “Have one! Are you hungry!” I
froze in time as I starred at it because I don’t like to turn down food
and the word “yes” started surfacing.  I caught myself and reality sat
in again. I was back to being a classroom observer.

Later in the day I ran into Spankie  in the hallway and he stopped.
“Hey, Mr. G, Isn’t Msr. S a wonderful social studies teacher! She
knows how to make learning fun!”

“You know, you are right!” How amazing this kid!

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Meeting Jerry Harste

November 26, 2008 · 1 Comment · inspirational

Late Saturday night I met Jerry Harste in the Marriot River Center in San Antonio, Texas. In the early nineties I read several of his books and was in awe at his writing and  work during that time. He may be considered by many the father of the whole language movement. Meeting him brought back memories of how I have got to where I am in my career. As I look back I remember how his writing helped me understand constructivist learning and helped me transform my classroom.

The late eighties and the early nineties were an exciting time in my life as I was learning to be a teacher- not that I have actually reached that high honor. My first teaching job was in 1988 in Greenwood, SC as a reading teacher in a Junior High School. I realized after my first week of teaching with seventh, eighth, and ninth graders I a lot to learn about teaching and myself. As the year progressed, it did not get much better; however, I did survive. Several things happened to me that year was unforgettable. These happening took my mind of being something less than a teacher. First, I was engaged to my future wife. We were marrying in the summer of 1989 and we were young and in love. It was a great year as we got to know each other better. Second, I made a friend with colleague who had learned from Nancy Atwell. I learned how exciting eight grade classroom was through authentic writing and literature circles as she and her students studied novel together. In May and June of I read In the Middle by Nancy Atwell twice.

Fast forward to the summer of 1992, my teaching career changed again from my participation in the Summer Institute of the Coastal Area Writing Project. It was during that summer and several years that followed I engaged in the work of Jerry Harste. (books–)

The transformation in my classroom was both visible to me and others looking in. I too was amazed at how students easily embraced writing, reading, responding, and creating content as archived evidence of their learning. There was visible evidence in test scores from my students. I started co-teaching professional development courses with Dr. Janet Files through the Writing Project.

Jerry’s work with Whole Language and the NCTE will continue to leave a legacy. He is a former past President of NCTE and Professor of Language Education at Indiana University, where he holds the distinction of being the first Martha Lea & Bill Armstrong Chair in Teacher Education. He laid the ground work for changes that have happened in education and that will eventually come again. The whole language movement is back. Some may call it whole language and other my disguise it as something else. His work allows constructivist teachers and learners to move forward. He laid the foundation so that digital tools will find their way into classroom pedagogy. His work established the ground work so that we can move into this new age.

We need not discount the work of others and ourselves. Many time in education we see things re-filtered and renamed but we must not forget those who made the evolution happen. I never know what my legacy may be by those who discover my writing a hundred years from now. As teachers we often don’t realize our legacy with those we teach and the roles we play in our students lives both positively and negatively. It was an high honor to meet Jerry, and he will be remembered well for his contributions in education for years to come by many educators.

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The Heart of a Teacher

September 1, 2008 · No Comments · inspirational

While visiting A GeekyMomma’s Blog! I stumbled upon this video that sums up whay we teach. This 8 minute and 55 second video is well worth the time.  This comes at a great time as we are starting our 08-09 journey with our students.

Do you believe in your students?

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