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Month: February 2015

3 children playing school

For the love of lightbulbs

nancy 2 Comments

This week, the prompt for #youredustory is “What was the defining moment you decided to be a teacher?”

Honestly, I think I was born that way. It just took me a long time to figure it out.

3 children playing school
Playing School, 1940 by Harold Reed via Flickr

I remember being in fourth grade when a new girl came into our class. Her name was Karin and she didn’t speak much English. We didn’t have any ELD classes back then (or, if we did, I wasn’t aware of them). Anyway, I was a very good reader and writer, as well as an early finisher, so the teacher asked me to help Karin with her English. We had a few simple books and we would go sit in the cloakroom together. She would read aloud and I would help her when she didn’t know how to pronounce a word or what it meant. Her joy and excitement as her understanding and mastery of English grew was contagious. I was hooked.

As I went through junior high, high school, and even college, I continued helping my classmates when they were struggling. I loved witnessing those “lightbulb moments” when a concept suddenly became clear, but I never really thought about being a teacher. Then I went to Italy on a study abroad program and when my year was up, in a fit of impulsivity, I decided to move there. The only job I could get was in a small private language school, teaching English to businesspeople and high school students. It was wonderful.

When I came back to the U.S., I got married and became a stay-at-home mom. Yes, I was my daughters’ first teacher, but I missed having my own class. When my girls started school, I volunteered in their classrooms so much I am sure their teachers were sick of me, even though they were gracious enough not to say so. I took a job as an instructional assistant in the school district. It was good, but I wanted more. Finally, my own lightbulb came on. I needed to go back to school, get my credential, and become a teacher. So I did. And I still love those lightbulbs.

Why?

I can’t help it

nancy
Why?
Why? by BuzzFarmers via Flickr, CC-BY-2.0

This week’s Share #YourEduStory prompt: People don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it – Simon Sinek. Why do you do what you do?

My friends and family know that where I’m concerned, the answer to the question, “Why?” is usually “Why not?” Not today. When I saw this week’s question, I knew the answer immediately. Why do I teach? I can’t help it. I have to.

I have never been able to stand by and watch someone struggle when it was within my power to help. I believe that, as humans, we have the obligation to do what we can to make the world a better place. Depending on who you are, and what your talents and resources are, the way you contribute to the improvement of this planet will take a different form. For me, it takes the form of teaching, and it always has.

I have been a teacher since I was a kid. (See next week’s post for a fuller explanation.) I strive to guide my students, both children and adults, and ignite their desire to learn. I scaffold, support, provide the resources, and then let them do the heavy lifting. Why? So they will be empowered, resilient, self-sufficient, successful, and happy human beings who will make a difference in the world, and by so doing, will allow me to make a difference as well. That’s why.

people watching fireworks

The Spark of Connection

nancy 4 Comments
people watching fireworks
Image by matt_saywers, via Pixabay.com, Public Domain

Bruce Springsteen wrote, “You can’t start a fire without a spark.” As I considered this week’s #youredustory prompt, “What is connected learning and WIIFM (What’s in it for me)?,”  that quote kept coming back to me. To me, being connected means having people to provide the spark if it’s lacking for me, or to fan my spark, help me kindle the flame, and keep my fire going.

Connected learning takes many forms, and they are all based on personal relationships, which I cultivate with care. I make sure people know I am open and willing to share. Thanks to these relationships, I can go in person, text, or call other teachers at my school or  in my district if I have questions or want to bounce ideas off someone. I can also turn to my PLN (personal learning network) on Twitter or Google+.

These connections did not happen accidentally. I participated in Twitter chats, shared on Google+, commented on blog posts, and generally reached out to those I thought could help me light my professional fire. Most people responded very positively. I also went and continue to go to as many conferences and unconferences as I can manage because, although I love the online connectedness, I especially love meeting those people in person. It adds another invaluable dimension to the relationship. I found, too, that as I made more connections, I connected with their connections, and their connections’ connections, and my learning fire grew bigger and brighter.

So, what’s in it for me? Everything. I may have a great idea. By discussing it with others, it can become greater. I may need a great idea. By reaching out, I can find one. People I know may want to bounce an idea off others. By helping them, I am rewarded as they develop their idea and/or I might come up with something of my own. Not to mention that I have lots of new friends whose professional opinions I respect and whose personal company I enjoy. I truly believe that we are all #bettertogether.

Embed PDF in Google Sites

nancy

One of the things I have been struggling with lately is how to embed a PDF in a Google Site. It turns out if you have the PDF saved in your Google Drive, it’s not that difficult. All you have to do is click on the PDF in your Drive, pop it out into a new window, and copy the embed code. Then you head over to your site, click to edit, choose HTML, and paste in the code. Update and save, then sit back and congratulate yourself on a job well done!

See the step by step instructions and animated GIFs of the process below.

Step 1: Open PDF in your Drive and click on the Pop Out window icon. This step is the key; you can’t get the embed code unless you pop out the window.

Pop-out window location

Step 2: In the new window, click the 3 vertical dots (more options) and choose Embed item…

Get embed code

Step 3: Copy the embed code.

Copy embed code

Step 4: Go to the page on your Google Site where you want to embed the PDF. Click the pencil icon to edit, then click HTML.

Open HTML editor

Step 5: Paste the embed code into the HTML editor. Click Update at the bottom.

Paste code and update

Step 6: Don’t forget to save!

Don't forget to save!

 

Animated GIFs of the process:

Getting the embed code
animated GIF of part 1 of embed process

Pasting the embed code
animated GIF of part 2 of embed process

 

 

Learning Defined

nancy

The prompt for  this week’s #YourEduStory post was particularly challenging for me. Suggested by Shawn White, it directs us to define learning in 100 words or less. Limiting myself to 100 words on any subject difficult, so I decided to go the image route using Tagul.com, one of my favorite word cloud generators. In an ideal world, the words would all be the same size. Still, in a way I like the messy, somewhat random nature of my word cloud. Perhaps it represents learning better that way.

Learning is…

Sharing is Caring

nancy 1 Comment
Two children sharing a milkshake
Image by krzyboy2o via Flickr, CC BY 2.o

The best thing I do in my job is share. I love sharing. It makes me happy and I like to think it makes those I share with happy, too. I don’t understand teachers who want to keep everything great they do to themselves. Not that I believe that what I am doing is great, but if you want to use it or adapt it, be my guest. Do you need to know something that I know? Just ask me to help you. I share wantonly and with abandon.

Teachers are some of the hardest working professionals around. If I can make the life of my fellow educators easier by giving them something I have done, I will happily do so. Do they want to change or adapt it so it better suits their needs? Excellent! I hope they will share it again when they have finished.

I am very lucky to have a job that gives me the opportunity to share generously. I get to meet with teachers and share my knowledge by providing training and assistance in technology use. In addition, I can share ideas on how they can incorporate that technology into their classrooms and even share lessons or unit plans.

My sharing isn’t limited to what I do on the job. I also share on Twitter, Google+, at conferences, at CUE Rockstar, and at edcamps. When I present, I share all my resources. Why would I want to keep them all private and under lock and key? My ultimate goal as a teacher is to ensure that students learn, and if I can help more students learn by sharing resources and information with their teachers, then how could I refuse?