Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Why Your Students Should Start a Blog - Take 2

I started my own blog in January of 2015 and it is one of the best things that I have done in terms of my own leadership; providing me an opportunity for reflection and a chance to think through my next steps. So, I am 100% behind the idea of supporting the students at my school in starting their own blogs.

Blogging provides students with an opportunity to write with a purpose - to take a stand on a topic and use research to support their opinions and to develop their own voice as a writer and an owner of ideas. This is what we want for our future generations - to be literate, to be well-spoken, to have ideas that they can support with facts, and to be creative. Blogging is a natural entry point into all of these aspects of being college, career, and life ready.

With everything that students can consume online, isn't it a better option for them to engage in being producers of a positive online presence? George Couros, whose blog I love, shared his similar points of view in his own blog (here). Our students can, and should, see themselves as having a positive influence and online presence. There are countless YouTube videos and Reddit articles for them to consume, but in order to truly make a difference in the world and in their community, they must have opinions that they can support and speak intellectually about - even when their opinions may be about pop stars or sneakers or fashion icons. Check out these children bloggers who certainly have something to say and who are making an impact with what they are saying here.


Here are some great resources for models when you are encouraging your students to begin a blog (remember that a model is important because it provides something that you either can choose to or not to emulate and that is important for framing kids perspectives):

https://childtasticbooks.wordpress.com/

https://meandthebigworld.wordpress.com/

https://millenniummacy.wordpress.com/

http://neverseconds.blogspot.com/

http://kidsblogclub.com/

https://turtleofhappiness.wordpress.com/

http://libdemchild.blogspot.co.uk/


Blogging is a vehicle for self-expression, reflection, and for making a positive imprint on this universe that we live in. In this time of anger, protest, violence, and confusion, isn't it important that we give our children a means to think through the questions that the have in a way that will help them to learn and grow and make a positive impact on this ever changing world in which we live.



Sunday, May 7, 2017

In appreciation of teachers

Teaching is the most important profession. The founding fathers knew that "an educated citizenry is vital to our survival as a free people" (quote attributed to Thomas Jefferson). Teachers and parents share the responsibility of ensuring that our children are prepared to assume their responsibility in this educated citizenry. In short, we teach the future. There is simply nothing more important than that.

Teachers in urban settings face seemingly insurmountable challenges with ensuring that our children are prepared with the skills they need to take their rightful place in the future. Teaching in urban schools is more than a profession - it's a calling. And urban teachers require a unique skill set. They must repeatedly go above and beyond - in supporting students emotional needs, in teaching social skills, in providing a constant balance of intervention and acceleration, in teaching English alongside the curriculum, in supporting communities that regularly deal with poverty, violence, and underemployment, and in planning and presenting engaging lessons that meet students where they are and push them to where they can ultimately be.

Urban teachers are superheros. They have to be. They demonstrate a relentless commitment to changing the world for the most vulnerable students each and every day. Celebrating them for a day or even a week does not do their work justice. They should be celebrated each and every day.

This past week, our students celebrated our teachers and our teachers celebrated our students. There were so many amazing stories, but this one just sums up how amazing urban teachers are and have to be.
"We were doing STEAM activities in our classroom. A student came up to me and said, "if everyday was like this, you know, no learning, we'd be good all the time!" We told him that he had been learning as a scientist and an engineer all morning. He said he wanted to be a robotic engineer after today and was going to ask his mother if he could go to summer academy to keep learning. "

This is why we do what we do in urban education.