This is my very first post on my first ever blog and I am so excited to share the learnin' that's goin' on!
The first thing I want to share is about how surprised I am to find myself feeling excited and inspired by starting this blog. I'm surprised by these feelings because of the initial thoughts that crossed my mind as I was watching the Seth Godin and Tom Peters' discussion on blogging. My first thought was, I wonder if I'm ever going to get good at blogging. Then, as I was listening to Tom Peter's say,
The first thing I want to share is about how surprised I am to find myself feeling excited and inspired by starting this blog. I'm surprised by these feelings because of the initial thoughts that crossed my mind as I was watching the Seth Godin and Tom Peters' discussion on blogging. My first thought was, I wonder if I'm ever going to get good at blogging. Then, as I was listening to Tom Peter's say,
"no single thing in the
last fifteen years
professionally
has been more important in my life than blogging.
It has changed my life. It has changed my perspective. It has changed my intellectual outlook. It's changed my emotional outlook" (2009, 1:02).
I thought, Wow! Could blogging possibly have the same affect on me? Well, in the short hour I've spent watching Dr. Folkestad's lecture on Blogging, watching Common Craft's video on Blogs in Plain English, and creating my own blog, my outlook on blogging has already transformed from being apprehensive to gung-ho!
Will Richardson's (2011) TED Talk is thought provoking. Richardson (2011) makes the claim that "schools, in the form that they were constructed are no longer relevant" (11:02). Richardson (2011) goes on to describe that what we need from teachers is "life prep," not "test prep" (11:57). The more I am exposed to discussions around the current state of our education system, I walk away with more questions than answers. This shift in teaching and learning is so extremely complex. If we want to prepare our children for life, how will we measure that? Is computer-based testing really the best way to assess knowledge? I don't think so, but I know there are better ways out there to explore. What level of academic and life impact do we expect teachers to make and who decides which areas of impact are most important? How will education funding shift to better develop our teachers in the same way we need to develop our students?
Well, I surely hope this post contributed to other people's learning!
Cheers...Danae...
References:Richardson, W. (2011) TEDxNYED - Will Richardson - 03/05/2011. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/Ni75vIE4vdk
Godin, S. & Peters, T. (2009) Seth Godin & Tom Peters on blogging. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/livzJTIWlmY
Great post Danae! I agree that we need better, more true-to-life assessments when evaluating kids. Something that is more accurate or problem-solving oriented. Great points to ponder!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your first blog post. Great observation regarding the difficulty in measuring life preparedness.
ReplyDeleteHi Whit and Columb,
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear from you!
I struggle and walk away with more questions because we are still so early in applying the new Common Core Standards and its coinciding SBAC (Smarter Balance Assessment Consortium) test. In fact, the first round of results were just shared to the public this week. Here’s one article by The Sun that discusses the results. http://www.sbsun.com/social-affairs/20150909/less-than-half-of-california-students-pass-new-common-core-aligned-statewide-tests. What I mean by “early”, is that measuring impacts made by drastic shifts require time for the dust to settle, people to adjust, and then really get into the intended groove. Every aspect of this process requires more time. Teachers need more professional development, curriculum companies need more time to adjust their entire curriculum design, schools need time to enhance and update their computer labs, etc.
Danae,
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your first post! This is a new adventure that I believe many of us are experiencing. I am intrigued about how blogging will inspire us, how it will help us and help others in exploring topics or ideas. I would be interested to hear from younger audiences either high school or college students what blogs they follow or if they mainly use blogs as a resource for how to get something done. I really only know the value of blogs as an adult when I am looking for a recipe or craft to do. I am definitely foreign to how other people use. I will look to your inspirational quote to empower in this process.
Well done.
I'll definitely be tapping into our older youth to find out what types of blogs they are interested in and let you know what I learn! Thanks for showing interest Nicole!
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