It’s All About the Connections!

Great meeting of the F2F Network today, a group of like-minded educators who meet face to face every few months to explore personal use of technology and how we can best use it. After blogging for a few months, I shared my frustration at not being able to commit to more regular entries. Others are at different points in their exploration of social media, some much further down the path, some still pondering how they want to put it to use. It was an “aha” moment for me when the point was made that we first have to decide what the purpose of technology is for us. I know that my main purpose of blogging is to communicate with staff and parents about what I consider to be important learning opportunities. I would also like to somehow knit together my role as principal with my other professional role as I transition to being a counselor in private practice at the end of this school year. I hope to connect with others who seek to understand matters of the heart as well as the intellect.

An important part of our conversation tonight was around how we use technology to connect. As Li and Bernoff (Groundswell, 2011) put it “concentrate on the relationship, not the technologies.” (p. 18) It’s about creating a community of others who are interested in exploring the same ideas as you are. 

I must confess to being a little reluctant to embrace social media, as I worry about looking, or I should say, sounding silly. I also worry about taking time from connecting with friends and family through more traditional means. Time is always an issue; I don’t want to lose out on valuable opportunities to connect through face to face meetings, phone, personal email, etc. I worry about becoming addicted to the computer, and not keeping up with my many other interests. On the other hand, I am convinced that there is much power behind social media, and I don’t want to miss out on the chance to learn alongside my friends. I have several friends both professional and private who are blogging and tweeting. I definitely feel more connected to them when I read their blogs and tweets.  I enjoy reading about other people’s learning adventures, and the personal growth that they are experiencing. 

So here I am, dipping another toe in.

Attending a Conference... in my Pyjamas!

Yesterday, I attended a three hour conference with Dr. Gordon Neufeld in my pyjamas. I was able to get up and use the washroom when I wanted without disturbing others, get myself a fresh cup of tea, and make my bed and unload the dishwasher during the break! I didn’t have to worry about finding parking and taking the extra time to commute into the city. I felt connected to Dr. Neufeld and that my presence was acknowledged and valued.

This was accomplished through Adobe Connect, which allows the presenter to use Skype to be seen and heard by the participants. It also allowed Dr. Neufeld to include slides for us to follow along as he talked, and a lively discussion to take place throughout the presentation.  Participants were able to ask questions through a chat box and could indicate if they wanted their audio turned on to enable a voice discussion. 

I am continually intrigued by the power of technology in our lives. As both a school principal and a counselor in private practice, I am intrigued by how we might apply this power to learning and counselling. I wonder what it would take to enable this system to operate in our schools? We could hold live meetings without having to leave our buildings, parents could attend daytime PAC meetings from home or work, principals and teachers could hold video conferences with parents to discuss student learning. The applications are endless! The opportunities for learning boundless. What exciting times we live in!

Filling up Our Hearts

“Mrs. Geres, you fill up my heart!”  explaimed one of my favourite students today as she rushed forward for a hug. I was teaching her class while her teacher had to suddenly leave due to a family emergency. I have always had a soft spot for children who struggle. There is something inspiring about a child who faces significant challenges, yet perseveres through situations under which many of us adults would crumble. Her statement touched me on many levels, one of which was the realization that our collective efforts are paying off with her.

I am proud of my staff and even prouder of my students, as we work together to create a sense of family where we fill up each other’s hearts. Our staff attended a professional development day on Monday led by Colleen Drobot. Colleen is a family therapist and a teacher, who has trained under Gordon Neufeld. The staff was encouraged by Colleen to consider the emotional needs of the children with whom we work, and how parents and educators can work together to meet these emotional needs. When children act up, whether at home or school, it is often because their needs are not being met. Understanding children from a developmental perspective enables us to consider how we provide an environment that allows them to develop their full human potential. As my young student put it: filling up each other’s hearts.

How, exactly, do we fill up each other’s hearts? When I walk down the halls of my school, I see teachers who are genuinely delighted by the students they teach; teachers who provide the rich soil of caring, thoughtfulness and guidance that enables our students to thrive. As I walk around the playground before and after school chatting with parents, I see parents who take delight in their children, whose eyes light up when they see them, and who naturally respond to their children with love and sensitivity. 

We had a wonderful thing happen in our school this week. We just hired a brand new teacher, and her first day of teaching was on Tuesday. Her classroom had not yet been set up and the walls in her room were bare. After school, one of the other teachers went onto the PA system and announced that there was “a decorating party” in the new teacher’s room. Most of the staff showed up with scissors and staplers, and within an hour, a job that usually takes a teacher a full week during the week before school starts was complete. Every bulletin board was covered, including the border, which various staff donated to the cause. Her calendar was laminated, cut up, and mounted on the wall. Seeing everyone come together in this way filled up my heart, and I’m sure it did for the new teacher as well. What a great symbol of the Old Yale Road community spirit!

The PAC came out in force last week to ensure that every street corner was covered in our Terry Fox Run. The caring spirit was strong as they watched out for our children to ensure that everyone completed the run safely. This week, they are hard at work selling Entertainment books in the foyer of the school. We are a true team, and I am proud to be a part of such a terrific school. I feel fortunate to work in a place where my heart is filled by a million kind and thoughtful things that adults and children do for each other every day.

Pushing the Envelope

I have been challenged by the Elisa Carlson, the Director of Instruction in my school district responsible for technology to start a blog so here I go! This feels a bit like jumping into the deep end of the swimming pool to see if you can swim. As I write this, I am intimidated by the feeling that I have nothing to say that others will be interested in, yet I am intrigued by the idea of joining the sea of bloggers bravely sharing the journey of learning and sharing together.

As a school principal and private therapist, I embrace the notion of leading by example. We adults have so much to learn, and it seems like the landscape is forever changing. I know that the younger generation is way out ahead of us in technology, and it seems strange to be rushing to keep up to the kids. It seems that education has been turned on its head. Are we living under the illusion that we are teaching the kids, while they are really teaching us?

I find it exciting to think that we can now invite our students to share this journey with us, that we adults (digital immigrants) can open ourselves up to the possibilities of what the younger folks have to teach us (digital natives). Come to think of it, this is what a true learning village always has been, the younger folks having the flexibility of thought and openness to innovation, and the elders having the benefit of experience and hopefully wisdom. The processes are the same, the tools just keep changing. I plan to return to school with greater openness to engage the students in conversations of what they would like to see happen with technology in the school and how they think it could be used to help them learn.

I was surprised at how quick and easy it was to set up this blog, and wonder if blogging might be a useful way for the students to learn....I would be interested in hearing from other educators who have used blogging with students and how you have seen it benefitting learning.