meL’s Word

Since I started this blog, first on WordPress and now on Edublogs, I have been only the occasional blogger – posting only when I thought about it and had something I thought might be worthwhile to write.  I added the blog to my email signature file.  But I never know if anyone reads this thing.  If they do, they never post comments.  Occasionally a teacher will email me about something on my blog, instead of comment.  Every once in a while someone says something related to a blog post of mine.  But most of the time, I wonder why I even bother. 

Then Steve Dembo who write the Teach42 blog wrote a post recently about being in a blog rut.  Beginning tomorrow and running the month of November, he is running a challenge – Be a Better Blogger in just 30 Days - 30 days of tips and ideas to becoming a better blogger.  I thought I would give it a try, see if maybe one of my fav bloggers can inspire me.  (Okay, knowing Steve gets into a blog rut, too,  does make me feel better…..)

So, here we are nearing the end of October.  I am teaching my second round of Web 2.0 Tools for the classroom.  This time I am just teaching middle school teachers – Larry is taking care of the high school teachers and Melodi has the elementary teachers.  Between the three of us, we have 40 teachers taking the course.  Combine those with the 14 who took it this summer (although not everyone finished it), we’ll have over 10% of ACPS teachers that know more about Web 2.0.

In reading the comments for the first assignment, simply about Web 2.0, I see teachers are realizing we need to change how we teach.  I honestly thing that students are wired differently than when I was their age (let’s just leave it that it was MANY years ago).  Today’s world is paced fast and furious.  If education is going to grab their attention, we have to work at it.  Think about it, what are the classes you remember most?  Mine are all teachers who found some way to make whatever subject interesting.  Face it, we all find some subject boring – which one depends on who we are.

Kids are more than comfortable with technology, and I think they expect it in school.  Look at any movie or TV show about school and you will see technology being used in the classroom.  Is it used in your classroom?

Last spring I created a social networking site for teachers.  I envisioned a place where teachers can share lessons and ideas, commiserate, get help, talk about successes and talk about failures (we all have them).  The problem is, I don’t really know how to promote it.  For it to work, I need educators to join and, most importantly, be active.  There are some members there, but how to keep them coming back? 

TheSpace4Teachers

Have a peek, join, post, be active…..please??

After I wrote my last post, I contacted the head of my daughter’s school.  I hated going to the top, but what is one to do?  He emailed me within a few hours apologizing, said he would speak with the lower school director.  She finally contacted me – both blamed their email system as not working properly.  Fine – but that is exactly why I left a voicemail.  Neither said anything about the voicemail – does that not work either?  I decided not to haggle that point since the main reason for contact (backpack weight issue) is being addressed. 

I think too often email problems are used as an excuse – but I find it hard to accept that as a valid excuse.  I have been using email since the late 80s when I began graduate school.  I have used a variety of ISPs for home use and I have had email accounts through several workplaces in that time.  In the early days I would occasionally have an email that ended up lost in cyberspace, but not in recent years.  Even the Bush administration hasn’t used that excuse (they simply don’t open emails they don’t want to acknowledge).