(Don't have wiki page up yet . . . hopefully tomorrow!)
Jun 7, 2009
Blogs I've Found Useful
I looked through some of the "Top Education Blogs" through Blackboard and really enjoyed Bridging Differences posted by Diane Ravitch and Deborah Meier. All of their posts are current and the responses to the posts provide different perspectives. I rely heavily on my own interpretations of the political aspects of education so it's nice to see other opinions that I can contemplate. It's easy to find the most recent articles on education whether it is about NCLB or Research. I also enjoyed LearningReimagined: A New School of Thought. Its goal is to create a new way of teaching that is better for students and teachers. Blogs discuss recent newspaper articles, podcasts, etc. and point out how the public education system is outdated and what should be done to make it current. This topic is of particular interest to me because this is a concern in the music classroom; How do music ensemble directors keep their class fun without jeopardizing its great history? Many teachers shy away from contemporary music. Why? It could be because their own teachers did the same. It could be because they think the music has no content. I do not want to be one of those teachers. There are great contemporary pieces out there to be played, but the teacher must be willing to find them. I want to gain more tools to find innovative ways of teaching and this class has already done that.
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4 comments:
I hear your lament about music teachers and contemporary music. Technology coordinators feel the same way about teacher failure to adopt and integrate technology. And your instinct is right: the tendency is to "teach as we are taught." It's perfectly understandable why this happens to us (Teaching is hard work.), but that doesn't make it right.
Glad the list of top blogs was helpful to you. When you find one blog you like, you can usually explore that blog's blogroll to find more and before you know it, your personal learning network is growing by leaps and bounds.
Hi Ann,
I'm cross-posting at Jennifer's invitation through FiresideLearning: Nice to see cross currents in the wash of the web.
To me, replicating the teaching which was applied to me is a question of pressure - under the pump, or when my confidence is low (whether justified or not!) I revert. I snap into a mode I remember as successful from a pattern teacher of my school days, or college, or...
The way to keep fresh (I think) is first, to have colleagues who share my teaching practise and vision, and who I can be real with. [That's not everybody]. Usually there's enough in that dynamic group to reset my sights, so I don't fail because of the wind, or look down and worry that the safety net's long gone.
Second, there's also enough in that dynamic group to encourage honest assessment, and perseverance with the new. (In other words, through collegiality courage is multiplied. Yet again, the bare and bold truth is that teaching takes courage. And many days it takes more courage than I have. If I'm isolated then, then I'm finished. Keep a trusted team around you then - in real-time, real-space if you can, but certainly in cyber-space [with appropriate levels of disclosure!!]
I'm grateful to Ian for acknowledging the sense of vulnerability that erodes our courage on those days when our strategies aren't working as we'd like, or at those times when we feel like the only, lonely progressive in a sea of unquestioning McGuffeyites. It's hard to have the courage of our convictions when we're tired or lonely - but, as he states, "through collegiality courage is multiplied." This virtual environment allows us to raise our heads above the high weeds and see that we're part of a larger and like-minded community.
Hello Ann,
I heard about you on Fireside Learning--Jennifer put up a post about what you have going on in class. Great stuff! I think you're very lucky to have such an enlightened teacher.
And she's lucky to have you, too!
May I encourage you to cross-post your blogs on Fireside? Also, would very much value your presence on the network--you can blog, participate in the forums, and start your own.
Regarding Bridging Differences, count me in as a huge fan of that blog. I read it constantly--but it's hard work to keep up! I actually print out the letters from Diane and Deb and all comments that follow, underline, annotate, think things through. There are some Fireside members participating there, Mike, for instance. I feel it's place we can really get our fingers on the pulse of what's happening in education--and people's reactions to what's going on, the multitude of reactions.
Regarding music, we could talk a LOT! (Please, please put up some posts on the topic on Fireside!) I'm not a music teacher (I teach fourth and fifth grade), but I absolutely value music in the classroom.
And music's important in my life: I make playlists for the time-periods and life-stages I'm going through. Crazy about music... it's so powerful.
Hey, maybe you'd have some ideas for my project? It's discussed as a forum called "nature into music into nature."
My daughter just finished her second year in University of Michigan's Music School--and now is taking a gap year to be be in the music group Barrage. Have you heard of them? They're on Youtube. She's a violin player, like you.
You've asked a lot of very good questions... keep them coming. Glad to get to know you. Much more to discuss!
Connie
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