Milobo’s Musings

The following is an email I sent to our faculty as we begin our 1:1 journey this year.

Enjoy.

To: CHS Faculty

From: Michelle

For those of you who are teachers of freshmen, the day is fast approaching when a class full of students will walk into your classroom with a laptop in their hand.  The first laptops will go home with the students in D period Computer Applications on Tuesday and the remainder of the students will receive their laptops on Wednesday.

That means that as soon as Thursday, every student who walks through your door will have at their fingertips a machine that can be the most powerful learning tool they’ll ever own.

24 hours a day.
7 days a week.
All year long.

But remember, it’s only a machine.  It can’t think, plan, organize, create, or inspire on its own.  All of those things require a good teacher–that’s where you come into the mix.

This summer, we spent a busy week trying to prepare ourselves for this change.  I know that many of you did even more preparation in the time between our Digital Learning Summer Institute and the first day of school.  Now, the time to put all that planning into play is here.  If you’re still wondering how you’re going to make it work, don’t worry.

We’re all in this together.

I’ve spent a lot of time myself this summer talking to teachers in 1:1 schools, asking them what advice they’d give you on your first days.  Here are the words they selected just for you:

1.  Just Breathe. (Heather B, Florida)

Sometimes I feel like I take a deep breath in August and don’t exhale until sometime in December.  Things will happen and problems will crop up, but life and learning will go on.  Make sure they go on in your classroom too.

2.  Do not go Quietly into your classroom. (David T, Vancouver, Canada)

David shared with me a great multimedia piece he put together for his teachers that Colleen and I will share with you in the near future.  What he wants you to remember is that this is your chance to shake up your curriculum.  Be inventive, be creative and be willing to excite your students about learning.

3.  It’s ok to change; I had to. (Josh A, Nebraska)

I’m hoping this laptop venture will give us all a chance to reflect and change our classrooms for the better.  Be willing to make that change happen when it’s time.

4.  Give yourself permission to try new things.  Give yourself permission to even fail sometimes (as long as you learn from it).

A few years ago I had the opportunity to take an improv class taught by Randy Nelson of Pixar who talked about his experiences there and as a member of the juggling/comedy troupe The Flying Karamazov Brothers.  One of the things he said to us still resonates with me today: “You have to honor failure, because failure is the basis of all success.”  If you want to succeed at this venture, make sure you give yourself permission to fail every now and then.  Nothing great ever happens without the willingness to risk failure.

5.  Plan for the small things so you can work on the important things. (Dean M, Kansas)

When you first began teaching, if you were like me, you planned out every step.  Make sure you do that now too.  Plan for how you want your students to start each day in your class with their laptop. (Should they wait for directions before opening them? Should they look for directions you’re projecting to know what to do?)  Plan for what you’ll do when things don’t go as planned. (If a website is blocked, do you have an alternate? What if wireless access isn’t available?)  Plan for how you’ll end each class to make time to save and pack up. Plan for what you’ll do when a student doesn’t have his laptop or needs a battery swap.  Then once you’ve planned, share your plans with your students.

6.  Take it slowly. The kids think they know everything thing about computers, and so do the teachers. Somewhere in between is the truth! (Ginger L, Kansas)

Remember that our students have only spent about 4 hours of class time with their laptops so far.  It’s as new to them as it is to you.  Don’t feel like you have to plan a video project for the first week of class.  It’s ok to start with something as simple as a web activity or an essay.  Move to the big things when you and the students are ready.

7.  Learn from fellow teachers – even when some of the teachers are your students.

When you can, give your students a chance to teach you and their peers.  Let them present to the class.  Let them help one another when they’re stuck.  Give them the opportunity to shine.

8.  Don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know.”

It’s ok if you don’t know everything when you begin.  It’s how your students feel almost every day in your classroom.  Trust that it will all come together even if you say, “I don’t know.”  Just make sure you follow it with “Let’s find out.”

9.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Let them know that you are approachable, available for assistance and guidance, and the 1st round of drinks on Friday afternoon are on you (Kim C, Texas)

I am and I will…McGuire’s anyone?

10.  Don’t forget to enjoy the moment. Treasure the good times with your students as not all days will be filled with good times but the bad times make the good times that much sweeter and rewarding. (Sharon E, Virginia)

And that, my fellow teachers, is the advice we give you to start this journey.  Thank you for joining us on it.

Michelle

This entry was posted on Monday, August 18th, 2008 at 11:44 pm and is filed under tech_niques. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.