Tag: guest post

Education is like traffic- guest post

Kelly Tenkely6 Comments on Education is like traffic- guest post3093 views

Thank you to @missmac100 for this awesome post!  My goal is to get you into my Google Reader regularly- until you start your own, you are welcome to post for me 🙂

Education is like traffic.

It all started with a tweet:

Mr. Anderson ‏@matthewquigley

Is traffic a metaphor for education? Everyone in line, but no one really going anywhere. Cc @ktenkely

After reading this tweet, I kept thinking about this metaphor.  Here are four I thought of- I would love for you to share your thoughts.

 

4 ways education is like traffic.

 

  • Everyone in line, but no one really going anywhere.

This is SO like education.  The hurry up and wait scenario.  Everyone is supposedly headed toward the same destination but moving at a turtle’s pace. Maybe that is because we are traveling the same road as everyone else to get there.  And, truth be told, most are traveling the crowded road because they have ALWAYS traveled on that road to get there.  I doubt some even notice the scenery (the students they are teaching) anymore.  It becomes monotonous. Driving with no thought is dangerous. So is teaching.

 

  • What do you do when you are stuck or lost?

People have different reactions to being lost or on a road that is at a stand still.  Some stay on the route planned no matter how delayed because going a different way is frightening.  I have met so many teachers with this view.  I don’t understand the fear because if does not go well, they can always fall back on what they know. So why not try something new?  Others reference maps or use a GPS (which is one of my very favorite inventions EVER) to solve being stuck or lost.  Both work well as long as the map or the GPS is updated.  It is limited to the last update.  If you are not reading, collaborating with a PLN or discussing new ideas in education, then you still may not end up where you want to ultimately want to be.

 

  • Are you following or leading?

Just a simple thought. You can do both but just know who you are following and where you are leading others.

 

  • Why not take the scenic route a.k.a the road less traveled?

Others have shared the best alternative routes.  Trying to avoid heavy traffic, I called friends that lived near the area. The trip may have taken longer but the benefit was seeing new things. Detours and alternate routes are like new educational tools and ideas. Twitter was one detour for me.  Our tech coach shared it and for the next 3 days I immersed myself in it. YES, it took a while to get where I wanted to be but now it is my favorite route to go for new ideas, comments, suggestions and encouragement.

So what is your destination as an educator? How about for your students? There are many ways to get there.  The choice is yours!

 

By: Carol McLaughlin @missmac100  

Secrets from a non-tenured teacher- Guest Post

Kelly Tenkely8 Comments on Secrets from a non-tenured teacher- Guest Post54931 views

Guest Post by |Erin Klein|

What I’ve realized from my brief, yet ever-exciting, career as a teacher is that there is so much that we aren’t prepared for as we sign our names on our much anticipated contracts.  My first year, I was laid off, or ‘pink slipped,’ and had to draw a straw in our elementary hall-way with the three other ladies that were all hired the same day as I was that year.  I drew the short straw, literally.  My administration reassured me that they would find a spot for me in the fall.  It wasn’t my first grade classroom that I had previously had but rather a newly created position at the middle school, funded by Stimulus dollars, in effort to support students needing literacy intervention.  Though we had intervention classrooms, Literacy Workshop was special because we infused the reading intervention into the social studies and science classrooms and monitored their progress throughout.  Well, because that position was only temporary, I found myself doing yet another unique role the following year, co-teaching.  Now, I’m curious as to what my role will look like for year four (2011-2012)…

I often wonder if this evolving path has been a blessing or not.  Then, as I reflect, I realize that the biggest secret that I’ve come to discover is that being exposed to so many teachers, administrators, and opportunities only reaffirms what seems to often be forgotten: It’s not about the program, it’s about the teacher.

Those words were actually told to me as inspiration to work in these new positions.  Having my Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, I enjoyed researching and trying out new programs and strategies.  Of course I believe in strong programs, but as I’ve stepped into more and more classrooms, I’ve realized how the teacher delivers the program and engages his or her students is the more powerful tool.  So, I began to network with as many teachers as possible – trying to find out their inspiring ideas.

By attending numerous quality professional development conferences and workshops, I became an intellectual sponge filtering and filing all that I could absorb.  My classroom became my work shop for taking those ideas and turning them into practice.  My students didn’t become sponges soaking up what I was delivering but rather my team for figuring out what was working and how to enhance what wasn’t working.  They were now the pioneers of their success, taking ownership of their learning.  Our team looked similar to Gregory House’s medical team, without the satire, bouncing intelligent ideas off of each other – turning to their guide to facilitate their learning.  Students were inspiring each other each day and growing exponentially.  Our lessons came alive, collaboration was second nature, and active engagement was automatic, not encouraged.

Having a compulsive personality, I couldn’t get enough… I needed to extend my network without waiting for the next workshop or conference.  Thus, I turned to the Internet.  I was amazed with how many teachers were willing to share not only their ideas but also their resources.  After compiling a hub of my personal favorites that worked for my classroom, I decided to start my own resource sharing blog, Kleinspiration.  I wanted to share the inspiration that I had gained from web 2.0 sites, Apple applications, brilliant teacher’s blogs, and best-practice ideas; hence, Kleinspiration was born.  This blog is still in its infancy as it was started two weeks ago, but I work daily to update it with the best of what others are sharing and creators are designing along with how it can be applied directly to practice within your classroom.  With being a follower of Kleinspiration, you will find inspired ideas to bring to your class right away that are free, user-friendly, teacher tested, and student approved.  I look forward to collaborating with you soon.

Thank you Kelly for allowing me to be a guest blogger on your site, one of the greatest resources I’ve come across, iLearn Technology.  Thank you for helping me to remember one of the greatest secrets in education, a network and support system of passionate teachers.  You’ve continue to inspire me each day!

Personal Invitation to Join My Network, Kleinspiration:

Follow Kleinspiration: click here and select ‘follow’ on the right hand side!

Tweet with Erin Klein: click here to follow on Twitter

‘Like’ it on Facebook:  click here to be a fan of Kleinspiration

34 Free Productivity Tools That Will Help You Eliminate Expensive Software

Kelly Tenkely3 Comments on 34 Free Productivity Tools That Will Help You Eliminate Expensive Software3878 views

Today I am sharing a guest post that I wrote for Inspired Classroom: 34 Free Productivity Tools That Will Help You Eliminate Expensive Software.  These are my favorite free productivity tools to use in the classroom.  Here is the first paragraph, hopefully it will convince you to go take a look at the full article 🙂

Software can be an expensive burden for schools to carry year after year.  This expense can result in a decreased use of technology because schools can’t purchase the tools that make the technology worthwhile.  Lack of budget doesn’t have to stop you in your tracks.  There are thousands of free technology resources and online tools that will keep your students learning even without a large software budget.  Below are a few of my favorite free online productivity tools that offer excellent alternatives to their expensive software counterparts.

To view the rest of the article click here.