The Power of Video

Everyone loves a good flick. Using short clips in the classroom to frame a lesson, prove a point, or just to mix things up a bit can be very powerful. I have a couple of video clips that I love to use. The first is an oldie now but certainly a goodie. The YouTube clip of the child going down the steep ski slope for the first time is such a powerful way to demonstrate the value of bravery, the importance of positive self-talk, and the feeling of elation after accomplishing something big. I show this clip on the very first day of my entrepreneurial class because I am asking the students to step outside of their comfort zones and be brave. 

I also love to share all things Kid President. Every single one of his messages resonates with a philosophy that I am sharing in the classroom. Here's one about changing the world, which fits nicely with sharing bold ideas, taking risk, and again, being brave. It's a perfect match for budding entrepreneurs. His messages are positive, creative, and simply lovely. My class always asks for more of Kid President. 

Inspiring students to create their own videos worthy of the classroom is worthwhile too. You never know who will produce the "next big thing". It can start with us.

Silence December Doldrums

December represents a month of hectic craze, which is one of the reasons we all love it so much. It's the month that you fit in your regular priorities, mixed in with extra special time with friends, family, co-workers, perhaps make a little more time to give back to your community and maybe even take a vacation. It's a lot. In all the hubbub, it is easy to become frazzled. Assuming that "people are coming from a place of good" becomes key in the month of December. Throughout the overscheduling and the rushing around, shortcuts may be taken in how we handle each other with care. Assuming that people are coming from a place of good is a mantra that I've chosen to come back to often in work and in my personal life. 

I've come to understand that believing in the good of those around me creates resilience in my daily interactions. While always a work in progress, I work hard to consider this mantra when situations may not seem as ideal as I would like. Sometimes I need a little help remembering this mantra from my support system and in turn, sometimes I help others come back to this mantra. The more deliberate we are in our actions, the more thoughtful we are in our responses. Assuming that people are coming from a place of good, works every time, if you remember to think about it. Sometimes it is easier to remember than at other times but if you remember it can be so freeing. Next time a student, a teacher, a friend, a family member does something that challenges you to think of their actions in a positive light remember to assume first that their intention is a good one. It is a strategy that certainly helps regain focus during what is not only a trying month but it is also helpful all year round. As we train our minds to see the good in everything, we can be hopeful about a rich year ahead.

Gratitude and Giving Thanks

November is a great month for reflecting on where we feel gratitude not only because Thanksgiving is approaching but also, because it is on the eve of a new year. Being able to look back, think about where we have been and where we want to go is so valuable. In my opinion, feeling gratitude is all about perspective.

As an educator, I have much to be thankful for in my school community. I'll start with my team. I work with three fabulous ladies and together, we manage to come up with some amazingly outlandish ideas and see them through to execution. Together, we work hard to support each other, laugh at (I mean with) each other, challenge each other, and learn from each other. I am so grateful for my rock star team. Similarly, I feel the same for the administrators. They work seven days a week to provide support across all levels. They inspire creativity, help spark innovation, and trust their larger faculty. I also love their willingness to engage in a good, healthy debate when opinions don't always align. It's awesome. These are two groups that have definitely helped me grow this year. I'm learning to be more compassionate through their examples and to say no when I just really need to say no. I'm a work in progress but I'm also learning to keep an open mind. It's not always easy to steer away from judgment based on preconceived notions but I'm working on it. My own children's teachers have also helped me grow this year. Their reassurance, compassion, and humor makes me feel a sigh of relief when challenged with tough parenting moments. Through all of these examples, I am grateful for being reminded that I could be more of these things. The goal is not to strive for perfection but to be able to learn from our imperfections. 

Each year comes with its own challenges. As indicated above, I would say there have been several instances of over committing this year. I'm still learning the importance of saying no. I have also been challenged with expanding my view and trying to understand a different perspective when it comes to having different opinions. Interestingly, I used to pride myself on this trait but over the years, I have become more quick to formulate unfair assessments. I am working on this too. I suppose I am learning that it is rewarding to reflect often on the ways in which I can improve. Accepting that we are in a constant state of evolution is valuable. 

Stepping back and trying to see things through a variety of lenses as mentioned above can inspire us to say thank you more often. I am reminded of Todd Parr's book, It Is Okay To Be Different. Not only is it okay but it just is. We all view the world differently because we have such different experiences that make us who we are. Understanding this as we go through our day surely will help us appreciate others more and in kind, say thank you.  

Educational Soapbox

We all have those moments in our careers that stay with us for a long, long time. I have several but the #blogamonth topic focusing on our own personal educational soapboxes brings me to one of my memorable career moments. I could have chosen several topics but I am choosing to focus on ebooks vs. print books for a couple of reasons: 1)As mentioned, I had a memorable career-related moment surrounding this topic and 2)School librarians could be more vocal about the value of print books in a digital society. I'll begin with my "moment".

In 2010, I had the great pleasure of attending the American Library Association's Annual Conference at which Toni Morrison, one of my most "beloved" authors, was delivering a keynote speech. It was everything I could have hoped it to be. She was incredible. She was speaking on the cusp of the ebook revolution so it was only natural that she address this hot topic within her keynote. In doing so, she reminded us that there is a time and a place for everything. Similarly, there is a time and a place for eBooks. The time is certainly now but the place is not necessarily everywhere. We read for many reasons. We read to escape. We read to learn. We read to explore. We read to connect. We read to travel. We read to pass the time. For these reasons and more, ebooks cannot replace print books. Ebooks help supplement. When reading a lengthy book before a long trip, it is nice to throw a Kindle in your travel bag knowing that there is backup reading on hand. Ebooks help preserve. Ebooks give us the chance to capture books that we hold dearly but that we wish to tuck away. Ebooks make reading colorful. Seeing the vibrant colors from favorite illustrators reflect off the screen can be enchanting. Ebooks are practical. As someone who purchases books for children's book clubs, having the option to purchase digital copies for check out verses taking up physical shelf space saves room for more variety. 

Ebooks cannot however replace the feeling that a reader gets when they are reading a specific typeface as carefully selected by the author to evoke a feeling. They cannot replace the feel of the turn of the pages for a reader who best discovers the world in a tactile experience. Ebooks do not make it easy to refer back to a previous specific event in the story to facilitate connections. Ebooks do not make it easy to share a favorite read with a friend. Ebooks do not make it easy to judge a book by its cover. Simply put, ebooks cannot and will not replace the feeling that emerges when turning the pages of a physical book. As with many things in life and as Toni Morrison stated back in 2010, there is a time and a place.

My Treasure Chest

My favorite epiphany is when I hear about something, hack it a bit, and then make it into my own "favorite thing". I have lots of examples of "favorite things", none of which would have come to life without good ol' inspiration. I have quite a few gems that I turn to for inspiration. 

Social media gems include Twitter. I can get great tidbits from @techchef4u, @ClassTechTips, @Ryan7Read, @mrbadura, @PaulSolarz, @SteinatDavis, and so many more! I tend to gravitate toward Twitter when I'm looking for a piece of quick inspiration or an inspiring article. Pinterest is another "go to" for me. Most recently, I have found amazing MakerEd projects on Pinterest as well as fun ways to incorporate clues into Breakout Edu games. Some of my favorite pinners include rivesjen, mattBgomez, lisacarnazzo, techchef4u, and angelasauter. I also enjoy reading the blogs of other educators. I absolutely love The Daring Librarian's Blog, The Adventures of Library Girl, and Free Technology For Teachers. From each blog, I get different things. I am blown away by the presentations shared on The Daring Librarian's Blog, enjoy the anecdotes about the profession on Library Girl's blog, and love the quick tech tips on Richard Byrne's Free Technology for Teachers blog. Each of these resources has had an impact on my ability to evolve in a role that is constantly changing. Paul Solarz has taught me the art of digital portfolios while Missy Stein has demonstrated the beauty of gamifying the classroom. Craig Badura's digital citizenship kit transformed the way I teach this topic while Ryan Read's app dice brought more choice into my classroom. Presentations gleamed from Gwyneth Jone's ("The Daring Librarian") has given me new vocabulary from which to explain the do's and don't's for those of us working in tech hubs/libraries. Nothing beats her presentation about zombie librarians! 

In addition to digital resources, I love the in-person experience too. I get so much inspiration when attending conferences. My favorite conference has been the American Library Association (ALA) annual conference. The name does not do it justice. I find that it always opens my mind in ways that I could not have predicted. Whether it is exposure to incredible, not yet known authors, passionate library and media professionals, or an interesting session, there are so many rewards that I gain from this conference. Library conferences are catch-all's for those of us working in library and technology roles so I find them that much more rewarding. 

Gaining inspiration from books needs to be it's own separate, stand alone blog post. Books ARE my inspiration. I'm not just talking instructional, nonfiction books either. In fact, I gain most of my reading inspiration from fictional stories. Fiction teaches me how to be more empathetic in the classroom, reminds me that we never fully know where someone else is coming from, and helps me "travel" the world and gain a broader perspective. There are too many books to name here but of late, we kicked off a parent book club, a faculty book club, and then we have had student book clubs for the past decade. I will share some of the titles that we are reading for these book clubs: Daring Greatly by Brene Brown, The Circle by Dave Eggers, Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, The Collapse of Parenting by Leonard Sax, Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, and Harry Potter and The Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling. Each of these titles was carefully selected for a host of reasons. These books will stretch us to think beyond many of our personal experiences and will surely encourage deep discussion and bring us together, even more so, as a community. 

While I gain inspiration from so many traditional resources, I also find inspiration in pop culture and current events. The latest craze that grabs a student's attention also helps me grab their attention when I harness these fads in the right way. Bringing relevance/real world situations into lesson plans makes the content come alive. For example, every year we ask students to participate in Georgia Book Award voting but this year, being that it is an election year, we are excited to jazz the voting up as we were able to do four years ago. Voting polls, red, white and blue banners, and meaningful lessons on voter privacy will all come into play during this election year. 

We all fill our treasure chest in different ways. Luckily, I have a big treasure chest from which to grab. I couldn't be more grateful for my sources of inspiration.

Embrace the NEWs

This year, as with all other years, I find nuggets of inspiration before the students even drive through the gates. This year, our faculty and staff opening activity gave us the opportunity to rotate among three subject areas and take part in collaborative learning. One of my rotations included the "spiritual" rotation, at which time our Rabbi Micah Lapidus asked us to consider what makes us feel grateful. Sitting in the quiet prior to sharing, this allowed me to stop and think about this simple question. In doing so, I was reminded that there is always something for which to feel grateful, from the little to the big. I have decided that remembering to be grateful will be my mantra for the 2016-17 school year: 

“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” 
― Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose

The source of inspiration for this, as mentioned above, comes from my colleagues but the momentum that I carry with me throughout the year to remember this mantra will undoubtedly come from my peers, my students, and the Davis parents. 

As with all things new, there is an adjustment period. Personally, I have many new wonderful adjustments to make this year: a new teammate, new advisories, new students, new colleagues, new parents, and new learning spaces. I will embrace these new opportunities for growth by remembering my mantra: to be grateful. 

Technology Amazing Race

We are all about to cross the finish line. Thinking about the accomplishment of another school year is delightful. This theme of accomplishment must be on everyone's brain- students, faculty, and parents. Two weeks ago, two 7th graders in the technology elective asked if they could create the next activity for the class. They wanted to create an amazing race centered around technology. I was immediately enthusiastic about this idea! These students further surprised me when they asked the other students in the class to please turn into them five facts about technology. They asked for facts that would stretch our minds. Their plan was to use these facts as a means to incorporate the rest of the students into the teaching and learning process. Genius. While the majority of the class was researching news worthy technology facts, the students "in charge" were coming up with challenging riddles to plant around the school, which would ultimately take each team to their final destination. Although the teams were competing against each other, we couldn't help but get caught up in the excitement and cheer for the opposing teams. 

Google docs was a key collaboration tool throughout this process. Being able to turn in technology facts in a digital format, share them with others, and edit each others work, made this experience more meaningful in reinforcing the team effort. An example of one clue took the students to the 7th grade Science teacher's room. Upon arrival, students were to locate the riddle that said, Where do tech giants periodically congregate? To solve this riddle, students had to locate the periodic table, identify the Si symbol for silicon to come up with the answer: Silicon Valley. As a Jewish day school, the thought leaders behind this game also incorporated Judaics related technology questions into the riddles as well. After all, Israel is one of the most innovative countries in the world. This proved to be easier than anticipated. 

There were some other unexpected victories throughout this race, well before the finish line was in sight. First, even those students who pegged themselves as unmotivated in being competitive, found that the riddles got the best of them. They could not help but get in the game. Second, there was more physical movement in that 70 minute block than their entire day. It was an exercise not only in the brain but in the body. Third, the team spirit was contagious, even among the competitive nature of middle schoolers. We all routed for each other. Finally, and one of the best outcomes, was that this came from the minds of two invested, engaged 7th graders that initiated leadership and determination to promote a fun learning experience for all. What better way to start a day than with that?