Mindful Ed

Over the past few weeks, we have been reading excerpts from Neil Pasricha's 1000 Awesome Things  book and blog. I have challenged my students to notice elements in their own life that bring them happiness and blog about them. Of course, I thought it was only fair that I do the same. See my blog post below .... The quiet tapping of keyboard keys, the flipping of pages, the gentle hum of students deep in discussion. As a teacher, there is nothing more AWESOME than witnessing learning in action. The moments when you can almost see the gears turning and light bulbs flickering. Oh how I wish I could bottle up these moments. Over the past few weeks I have been in awe of the learning happening all around me. Your willingness to embrace a growth mindset, collaborate with classmates, and experiment with new ways to show your learning has truly been remarkable. I'm not sure what has led to this heightened level of engagement, perhaps a byproduct of the learning space we have cr...

A big thank you to  +Sylvia Duckworth  for her inspiring infographic! New #sketchnote : Some New Year's #Resolutions to Think About #edchat #edtech cc @dougpete @zecool #gafesummit pic.twitter.com/4Ac2qzdnOf — Sylvia Duckworth (@sylviaduckworth) December 30, 2015   2 things you do well and will continue to do: -  Connecting with other educators both face-to-face and digitally has become a fundamental part of my self-directed PD and is something I have come to value deeply. I feel I am in a constant state of improvement as an educator because of all the others who propel me forward. Just last month I spent an evening at the new Google office in Kitchener connecting with other passionate educators. I was inspired! We talked about Fed Ex days, use of inquiry in math throughout all grade levels, the need to facilitate the type of learning that will be relevant for students in their lifetime (this is so unpredictable)! We played with coding programs, we were ...

Inspired by a recent tweet and blog post by  +Jonathan So  . Doing some reflecting before tonights #peel21st blog hop: https://t.co/Di5qoEETTe #edchat #raylearns #sharesease — Jonathan So (@MrSoclassroom) November 17, 2015 http://mrsoclassroom.blogspot.ca/2015/11/5-best-things-that-i-have-done-this-year.html This year has marked many first for me, as I have moved from teaching mostly in the primary division to intermediate. With this change, has come tremendous personal growth. Every day is a new adventure! My students have come to recognize this as well - to expect the unexpected! Just last week we engaged in lip sync battles, created our own games in scratch, learned about the importance of giving credit to authors in digital and print texts, and debated the use of the carrot vs stick approach in history (with props). I will admit that the sheer amount of content to be covered overwhelms me at times, but I remind myself that substance and deep learning far out...

In our session today,  +Michelle Booth  and I shared our learning journeys using digital tools (D2L ePortfolio and Blogger) to create professional portfolios. We examined portfolios as reflection-in-action (on going) and reflection-on-action (showcasing).  It is not a one or other thing - I personally use blog feeds to curate, capture, and reflect and pages within Blogger for portfolio building. The image to the right is a live shot taken while presenting as a way to demonstrate the ease of adding artifacts. Check out our Slide Deck below: After our session I went to the Learning Space area to talk about Periscope in the classroom - an app that allows for real-time broadcasting and social sharing. The discussion was vibrant and thought-provoking. My biggest 'ah-ha' was the need for digital citizenship to be embedded within decision making in the classroom as it happens. Discussions of the pros and cons of apps and digital tools are necessary for stude...

The purpose of this post is to reflect upon my first experiences with spiral math and document the initial process of teacher learning and planning. As an educator new to intermediate this year, I feel grateful to be a part of this learning journey with my teaching partners. Last spring we gathered together with our consultant to develop a conceptual understanding of spiral math. What is spiral math? How is it planned and implemented and why? How might it benefit student learning? The prezi below gives a great snapshot of some of the theoretical understandings that support this approach. During this session, we dove into the curriculum and began extracting big ideas that would be the foundation of our spirals - common threads weaving concepts and processes together.  Grant Wiggins podcast  on big ideas offers insights into the pedagogy of big ideas. Our BIG IDEAS collection:  -We represent our thinking in many ways -We identify, connect and compare relationship...

I have had many friends and colleagues ask about my first weeks teaching in the intermediate division. All I can say is GREAT! It truly has been a great experience so far. I feel a renewed sense of energy and excitement for teaching. It has been busy. I spend many evenings late at work as I did in my first years teaching - figuring out the perfect hook to kick-start a lesson, finding relevant and captivating materials for reading and inquiry, moderating with my wonderful teaching partners as I navigate assessment. I have loved every minute! Why you ask? It's the kids! They have been so kind, so patient, so understanding. From the very first day when they walked into an empty classroom, they have had open minds and open hearts. We have created a cozy physical space where we all enjoy working and learning together. The wooden table and bench my grandpa made many years ago is perched under the window. It fills me with joy when I see students sitting at it side by side. I have made m...

It's the night before school starts and it amazes me that even after 9 years teaching I still get the back to school jitters. I know I am not alone in feelings of excitement, apprehension, and restlessness. The tangible and intangible drawing nearer - Are my introductory lessons prepared? How will they be received? Do I have all materials ready? How are the students feeling? What barriers will have to be overcome? How can I best make connections with these new individuals - based on trust, respect, kindness? This year is slightly different, as tomorrow marks my first day teaching in the intermediate division. After a summer of reading and reflecting on overarching pedagogical practices, I am attempting to put a vision to life. Part of this reflection has included thoughts on how to establish community with students at this grade level. I made a conscious decision to leave the walls bare, desks pushed to the side, and chairs in a circle. It is my hope that together we can create...