…. And, no!, it is not because they do all the work and I get to sit at the desk with my feet up, reading a magazine. It has been my experience that I have never actually found myself able to do any of that in all my days of guest teaching – even when some other wonderful person is doing the actual teaching! Usually 5 minutes to sit (and sometimes that is at the same time as having a wee) – Priceless.

The reason why I love teacher candidates is because of the learning opportunities that they provide, like little refresher courses. Think about it; they are coming straight from teachers college where they are learning all sorts of new strategies for keeping students engaged and motivated, for classroom management, as well as fun and informative lesson plans. Further, they come into schools armed with all the current educational jargon that guest teachers often have trouble keeping up with as we are often not privy to on account that we are the ones covering classes when the teachers have PD.
Further learning opportunities – Priceless.

And, I’m not being greedy, here. I share my neat ideas and resources with the teacher candidates, and offer advice to them. Plus, I know when I was the teacher candidate (way back in the day) I enjoyed the odd day with a guest teacher because it felt like some of the pressure was off – they are not the ones evaluating; it was sort of more unofficial. And, as I further remember, any little break helps in those busy and stressful times! An encouraging teacher who is not evaluating – Priceless.

Here’s the bonus… Guess who benefits the most?
The students, whom all of this education business is about anyway! Indeed, whenever there is an extra body in the room, extra help (in the form of a certified teacher) is available to the students who could do with more than what can be provided for them on a daily basis. I am often able to work one-to-one with students who could do with an E.A. in a perfect world but do not have one, or with small groups of students. I have found that with some of these students, it means the world to actually be able to finish their work and to actually earn free time. Let’s face it – a lot of students are never able to do this and they couldn’t even do it if their lives depended on it. So, to be able to help a student succeed, even if just for one day…
Priceless.

In summary, the reason why I love teacher candidates is that they are Awesome!

When a guest teacher enters the classroom to find a teacher candidate preparing for the day – Priceless.

This was an old assignment I have found among my paper piles… It was written when I was only 14 years old, um, that would be 20 years ago, when I couldn’t even fathom ever being 34 years old!

I am Nikki, but really Nicola.
I am exactly 14 years old (plus one day). 
I am a student in my ninth year, 
at Sir Allan MacNab High School. 

At my tallest, I am five foot seven.
My eyes are greyish-blue
And my hair is blond but almost brown. 
I am older than Mali, Tara and Darryl,
Younger than Lisa, Shauna, Cindy and Lori.
My birthday is in March,
Almost April.

I love warm weather 
and fluffy, white snow
And Christmas and summer.
When I was little, 
I watched Sesame Street and cartoons.
I still watch cartoons, 
but not Sesame Street- very often. 

My room is a mess
Because I like it that way.
Books and clothes are all over the floor,
But what else are floors for?
It’s organized chaos. 

I wish I were rich,
And if I were 
I’d have a bigger house,
More clothes,
And an expensive sports car.
I’d travel all over the world 
in my very own private jet.
But I’m not rich.
Dreams are free.

I love my psycho mother,
My brother, who is my friend,
And Coffee, my cat.

My name is Nikki.

(Written, April 1st, 1991)

… And I am Excited.

That’s not to say I won’t miss Summer Holidays because they were Awesome!

This summer, I have climbed many of the world’s famous monuments with MeYou Health’s Monumental App. for iphone,  http://monumental.meyouhealth.com/…

With Monumental, you can explore the monuments of the world, as you seek out and climb stairs in the real one. This iPhone game uses the internal accelerometer to track your stair climbing. When you reach the top of a monument, check out the view and collect souvenirs. EVERY STEP MATTERS:

This summer, I have unlocked my fitness/exercise potential.  I have been a sporadic exercise-doer this since I was 17 years old.  That Summer – I was Super Skinny, I might point out, though I thought I was a huge, gross fatty, and boy, could my 34 year old self kick that young stupid skinny cow’s butt right now – anyway, I discovered Cindy Crawford’s First Workout Video, on VHS!  I did that video each and everyday that Summer.  Why?  Because I enjoyed doing the video; I enjoyed the work out.   Then, there was the  Roller Blading phase, that lasted about a Summer and the Elliptical Trainer Phase that lasted about the first few months after that one Christmas that I got it.  And, the Gym that I visited sporadically for a year.

It seems that my Challenge is now to continue with the Exercise Routine; to focus on how good it actually makes me feel, and not to mention the sense of accomplishment I feel for having committed to Exercise.  The other things I have been doing is Zumba – Feel the Music!  It truly is a fun workout that doesn’t even seem like work, well, except for all the sweat!

The great thing about running up and down the stairs, aside from it being a FREE workout, is the Nature – birds and bugs and neighbourhood cats, AND a Stair Climbing Coach, thanks Mr. Cicada.  Though, I totally woulda gone a whole lot faster if he had chased me!

I urge everyone & anyone to check out MeYou Health and participate in the Daily Challenge.  Each day comes with a simple challenge to improve well-being, one small and manageable step at a time.  For example,

DAILY CHALLENGE – THURSDAY JUN. 16, 2011, FROM MEYOU HEALTH has an Emotional Health focuses on daily experiences related to happiness, enjoyment, sadness, and stress in evaluating overall well-being....

HOW TO DO IT:  LOOK IN THE MIRROR AND STICK OUT YOUR TONGUE, CROSS YOUR EYES, FLARE YOUR NOSTRILS – MAKE ANY RIDICULOUS FACES UNTIL YOU START TO LAUGH.

WHY IT MATTERS: LAUGHTER IS GOOD FOR YOUR BODY AND MIND. IT INCREASES ENDORPHINS, THE BRAIN’S FEEL-GOOD CHEMICALS, AND IT ALSO STIMULATES YOUR HEART, LUNGS, AND MUSCLES. A GOOD, LONG GIGGLE ALSO RELIEVES STRESS AND HELPS YOU RELAX. MAKING FUNNY FACES IN THE MIRROR WILL TAKE YOUR MIND OFF ANY WORRIES YOU MIGHT HAVE, AT LEAST FOR A FEW MINUTES.

FUN FACT: THERE ARE 357 MIRRORS IN THE HALL OF MIRRORS AT THE PALACE OF VERSAILLES IN PARIS, FRANCE.
(Taken directly from:  https://challenge.meyouhealth.com/2011/6/16/make-funny-faces-in-the-mirror-until-you-laugh#)

Eek… that is a lot of Mirrors in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles in Paris, France! Hopefully they are the kind they have in dressing rooms… that make you look thinner – positive Self Esteem mirrors!!!

I know I make funny faces because every time I get my picture taken, I seem to make one of them… and that’s why digital cameras are great… I can delete the ones I don’t approve of, i.e., where I don’t look my cutest!

I also make funny faces getting ready for the day… putting my contacts in, moisturizing, mascara (if I wore it)!

Trouble is, I can’t seem to make a really good ‘n’ Funny face on purpose:( But, I will ask a bunch of 7 year olds and some 11 year olds today, while I am working. Maybe we will even have a funny face contest… Thanks for the idea DC! Except it will not be called ‘Funny Face Contest’ because that promotes competition and silliness, soo… I shall call it a Social Health & Wellbeing Break, yeah!

It actually has great potential to be a learning opportunity. It could teach that sometimes it is ok if someone laughs at you… as opposed to most of the time when the kids make fun of other people and treat them poorly and then come a’tattling the second someone does it back… I really try to get them to understand the Golden Rule and Empathy (they all get it in theory but not its application). And Name-calling… yikes… young ones think anything other than their names is bad… they just can’t seem to shrug it off when someone calls them ridiculous things that aren’t even insulting, like “Salami”… it would be in the tone and how the person says it… so, I always give my “Name Lecture”: We all have a name and if you are calling anyone ANYTHING else other than the name they use, and they tell you to stop, and you do not, then you are bullying them!

… OR, A TECHNOLOGY-FREE MORNING…
Early in the morning of June 8th, we had a magnificent storm.  The eerily comforting glow and hum of digital/technical life was replaced by the repeated shine and crackle of lightening, the angry booming of thunder, the teeming rain and the assault of hail on the window panes.  As suddenly as it came, the storm passed and the house grew abnormally silent and dark.

Shortly after 5 am (boo!), My Hubby and I were (quite rudely) awakened to the sound of the phone ringing, as the alarm clock no longer worked (Note to self: Replace battery in Alarm Clock).  It was my Hubby’s father and Boss calling to see if we had power…

“Huh?! What? No!  What time is it?!  Yikes!”  Within a couple seconds, we had him out the door in time to leave with his ride for work.

So, after that excitement, I couldn’t get back to sleep.  I was thinking back to the Great Power Outage of 2003; it lasted more than one day!  And, I had just gone to great lengths to procure Radiohead tickets for the sold-out Toronto show, only to have it be cancelled and postponed to a date I absolutely could not attend.  Anyway…

As the years pass, more and more people are replacing newspapers with online news and listening to radio online or on satellite.  But what happens when we have no access?  What happens when the power goes out?

The mobile phone is good for awhile, until the battery is used up, and it is my only lifeline to other people.  The iTouch is also rendered powerless when the battery is spent, and without a Wifi connection, it is not so useful anyway.

I was lying in bed trying not to think about all the food that we couldn’t afford to replace that could have gone bad.  And then, the most disturbing and distressful thought of all, “HOW WILL I STRAIGHTEN MY HAIR?”  (You see, I had my shower the night before so my hair is a disaster area until I run my trusty ELECTRICAL straightener through it.)  I reluctantly came to the conclusion that I wouldn’t be straightening my hair, and then, “I am working at a school in town, where we have no power.  Will there even be school today?”  Normally, I would check the Board’s Website, but I couldn’t – No Power.  I may have had to actually go outside and talk to real live people for some information – just like the good ol’ days (so I hear!).

Ironically, this forced a Technology Detox from my frighteningly techno-dependent life.  I had just started reading “The Digital Diet” by Daniel Sieberg.  Regaining balance in our lives and breaking our technology addictions are the main themes in the book, and one of the first steps is a Detox, and there’s the irony!

So, I’m not sleeping, and I’m thinking all these things and I find some paper and a pen (wow, old-school!) and I get out of bed to sit by the window.  It was turning into a hot, sunny morning.  The effect of no power was quite evident, allowing a reflection on how I depend on it and the part it has in my life.  With the noises of life silenced, I could clearly hear the birds, singing their morning songs, quite clearly unaffected by the turmoil their human neighbours were experiencing.   Here is what I didn’t hear:

No constant hums of the fans, the refrigerator, or the computer powering up.  No YouTube videos or songs playing on iTunes that accompany my morning routine.  Not even an alarm clock going off!  Just the shrill ring of the cell phone (a temporary tie to our technological life).

As I was sitting there, in a state of fleeting peacefulness at 6 am, I made a list of how this lack of power has affected me:

- No coffee (in a power outage, coffee makers and electric kettles are rendered useless.)

- No smoothie (ditto with the Blender)

- No light to help me find clothes (Note to self: Find flashlights and make sure there are batteries)

- No computer/Internet to see if I missed anything during my slumber (Facebook withdrawal is setting in…) And, I can’t help but feel slightly unsettled without the muted glow of Computer, which, admittedly, is the first thing that gets turned on upon arisal and arrival.

- No status updates, no Tweets, no checking the weather on-line (oh, wait… My cat’s fur had gone sort of crimpy.  That meant it wass humid out… )

- No air conditioning, no fans

- I’ve already mentioned that my hair straightener was cruelly unavailable (Note to self: get a mini-generator for next time – I must be able to straighten my hair at all times!)

- Heck, I can’t even charge my tooth brush (Note to self:  Get backup non-electrical one)

“Oh, dear! WHAT DO I DO? WHAT DO I DO? WHAT DO I DO?  WHAT DO IDO?”

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Things to do with No Power:

- Eat all the food (Romantic-Style Candle Lit Dinner, not in front of the Telly or Computer)

- visit someone with a BBQ

- read (by sunlight)

- write (My. gosh! I still remember how!)

- Art (on paper, with a pencil or crayons!)

- play cards/boardgames (how they were originally meant to be played)

- Make a List of things needed to be done before the next power outage

- Take a walk and notice your surroundings… and, if it gets to be night and still no power – gasp, oh the horror! – then marvel at the world without power

- Reflect on how technology (and lack thereof) affects you

- Exercise (most likely does not require electricity)

- Talk to actual people!

So, I got ready for work, the best I could in the dark with no power and I walked to work.  No power means no school.  I walked home from work and found that…… the power had returned.  I thought to myself, “Ah but why not use this as an opportunity to stick with a power-free day, to step away from my monitor and my gadgets.  Take the time to appreciate REAL LIFE.  Why don’t I exercise?  Why don’t I…….”  Excuse me, computer has booted up;)

Conclusions:

1.  We are screwed if the apocalypse or some other worldly disaster were to occur!

2.  Perhaps, I should follow through with the Notes to self!

3.  Maybe, we should try to do some of those things that don’t require power a little more often!

Technology has great potential to “level the playing field”.  It also has great potential to divide it even more.

Unfortunately, it may be the latter statement that is true in many cases.  I am speaking from the point of view of an occasional teacher who goes into different schools across a large city.  I am not a consultant or an expert, and thus, this blog is simply my humble opinion.

There are a lot of great teachers doing great things with technology in their classrooms.  That is Truth.  I’ve seen it; they share it; the students love it and they are engaged.  These are all facts.  And, this is all very Awesome.

But, what about all of those teachers who would love to get in on all of this only to find that the school they teach at does not have the technological resources available to do so?  What about the students who do not get to build an application for an iPad because their school does not have even one iPad?  What about the schools with no Smart Boards, or classrooms without one computer, never mind a pod?  What about the school without digital cameras or the means to create a Podcast, or to Skype professionals around the world? What about those schools where the main concern is the Food Programs because the students are not coming to school with enough food?

Sure, you don’t NEED technology to teach.  We’ve been doing it without forever, but wouldn’t these students benefit from the experience gained and the engagement that technology can provide?

I am not at all suggesting that any teachers stop what they are doing with technology in their classrooms, but something needs to be done.  It seems that education is all about, “No Child Left Behind” and “Every Child Matters” and similar such Sentiments.  It is being said by Boards and Provinces, but is it really being reflected?  Not all the time.  It comes down to money.  It always comes down to money.  Technology seems to be furthering the divide between the “Haves” and the “Have-Nots”, perpetuating the cycle.  Some of our young people will be fluent in Digital Literacies and others will not be.  I wonder who will have a better chance at getting into higher education, and then better-paid careers?  Who will be more likely to remain engaged in their learning and stay in school?

(*Just something I’ve been pondering this week.)

BUMP IT UP – Do Better to Be Better!

I have recently come across this article by Marc Prensky, 2009, in which he 'examines ways in which existing technologies and future developments in the digital world could facilitate the development of wisdom and wise decison making.'  http://www.wisdompage.com/Prensky01.html

In other word's, digital technologies are allowing us to think in whole new ways.  Further, the speed in which these technologies are being created and changing keeps us on our toes.  To our students, this is second-nature them.  They do not get the problems that their older teachers and parents may be having with all of this.  Basically, it is change and it is coming at us faster than ever.  Change in Education has always been met with resistance, but, now, instead of the Evolution of Education, we have a Revolution of Education.

To understand some of the resistance, we can look at the purpose, or function, of Education.  But, of course, it depends who you ask, and do we mean, "What should the purpose of education be?" versus, "What is the purpose of our present education system?"

Of course rote and memorization and facts and 'only one right answer' is all very measurable.   But, critical thinking skills and creativity - how on Earth do you quantify that?  You can, however, see the results of this new thinking by looking at what our students are producing; by listening to what they are saying; by looking at the jobs the first of the Digital Natives are doing.  We are beginning to be able to see what the effects on our world are that Digital Technologies are enabling.

"Kids have it too easy, nowadays.  They don't have to find anything.  It makes them lazy.  When I went to school, if I wanted to know something, I had to physically look for the answers in books, such as encyclopedias, maybe even in the library.  Kids, today, just use Google and the answer comes up.  They can just be lazy.  Plus, they can't even add without using calculators!"

Albert Einstein recognized that, "the problems that exist in the world today cannot be solved by the level of thinking that created them."

The same person got into a discussion about the state of politics in our city, which is the same in most places, I believe.  Everybody complains about the idiocy of government, but instead of taking the chance to elect an all-new council, only 3 out of 15 were new, and the Mayor was similar in age and beliefs as the last bunch of mayors.  Thus, the grumbling and complaining persists.

Digital Natives are those who grew up with digital technology from birth, whereas Digital Immigrants are those who were already socialized in predigital ways when digital technology arrived on the scene. For more information, see Prensky (2001).

Our students are Digital Natives, myself and many of my colleagues are Digital Immigrants, but many people are just Analogue, I guess.

If I knew then what I know know.....Le sigh.  It's a cliche, I know, but geez, it's so very true!  I really wish I was more interested in History and Politics when I was in school… now, I am interested… and isn’t that a fundamental issue of education? So much of what we try to teach our students do not interest them at present, and no young person believes it when adults say, “Believe me, I felt exactly as you did when I was your age…” I know I didn’t believe them, and I smile slightly when I find myself using that same line with young people today, secretly believing that I may actually get through to them, as I’m sure the teacher saying it to my class secretly believed exactly that.

So, the question is, “How do we reach young people, so that they realize that History and Politics do affect them?” Maybe, just maybe, most young peoples’ brains are just not ready to grasp these concepts. They are dealing with their own dramatic worlds as they grow up and figure out how to be adults. I am not being sarcastic or belittling in any way. I believe that being a teenager is a naturally egocentric time. A lot of stuff is going on, so how do we reach young people?

Here is a comment I found on Facebook, expressing this sentiment: “I have a question – our 5 daughters and their spouses aged 20 – 26 all refuse to vote as doesn’t make any difference. Even when we stress that voting is a privilege they don’t care. Is this normal? How do we stop the apathy? I am embarrassed and wonder how we missed teaching them this lesson. It perturbs me a lot.” 

And, just to be clear, I am not blaming anyone – not the parents, not the teachers, nor even the youth – Blame is not going to help. What is clear, is that we need to find solutions.

Rick Mercer has tried to do this…

Raffi has a campaign to catch the “Beluga” generation as adults with the voting message…

http://www.childhonouring.org

Perhaps, we need to do more of this sort of thing… and who better to do it? Who better to show they actually care about the citizens of the very Country they want to Lead, than Politicians? Nobody! Perhaps, instead of wasting so much money on those sleazy slanderous campaigns full of lies and blame and belittling and creative story-telling, maybe they should spend money on ads informing the public HOW OUR ELECTORAL SYSTEM WORKS, WHY IT IS A RIGHT AND A DUTY and definitely A PRIVILEGE, and HOW ONE PERSON CAN ACTUALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE. They need to encourage people to vote. And, if they aren’t willing to do this, then perhaps they don’t really want people to vote… (Oh, I get it.)

Come on, Politicians, Bump It Up – You gotta DO Better to BE BETTER!

INFOWHELM…. too much info!!!  There is a lot, like virtually an infinite amount, of information available to us at any given moment....

So, what can we do?  We simply educate ourselves and our families and friends — everybody, really! There are countless articles and videos available on the Web.  I've pointed out just a few to get you started.

NOTE! — It is important to realize that (once you know how) the actual mechanics of checking the credibility of information only takes a few seconds of clicking, copying & pasting, searching, and judging for yourself.  THE PART THAT TAKES THE MOST WORK IS LEARNING TO DO YOUR OWN JUDGING!!!!! - And it is vital that we teach our students about safe-gaurding themselves. 

While “surfin’ the Net”, whether it be for fun & folly, or for work or school,  ensure you have your ‘Crap-Detectors’ out – “Every man should have a built-in automatic crap detector operating inside him.”
—Ernest Hemingway, 1954

A good question to ask yourself, particularly if asked to download anything, is: “Might someone be trying to put one over on me?” — This could be anything from actual cash, to the more common phishing spam, going after your personal info.

For example, there is one going around Facebook about a horrific roller coaster accident… Never click on a link from a friend if you think it is not something they would normally send, post, or say.  Also, if you see numerous posts with the exact same comment, it is probably suspect. 
Here is a wonderful article explaining how these types of spam work, as well as what to do if you’ve clicked one of these:
http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2011/04/10/theme-park-accident-video-used-as-bait-by-facebook-viral-scammers/

Howard Rheingold has written some excellent guidelines about basic information literacy that everybody should become familiar with, plus some lesson plan ideas to use in the classroom (if you are a teacher):
http://newstrust.net/guides/crap-detection-101
(He also provide many informative links.)
This website, too, has some great information for lessons… http://globaldigitalcitizen.org

Here are 2 videos about spam!

Happy Judging, Questioning & Critical Thinking, everyone!!


And, don’t forget to BUMP IT UP — DO BETTER TO BE BETTER:)

Everybody likes to know that they’ve done good work and what they do is appreciated. I’m not saying we need banners and sky-writers after every wonderful thing we do, but an acknowledgement is appreciated.  Today was one of those days for me, and I only worked for the morning!

“You know what, Mrs Schneider?  You’re my favourite supply teacher!” (boy, 4th grade)

“It’s Mrs Schneider, What a great day!” (Grade 8 boy, and I’m just going to pretend it wasn’t because he perceived it to mean he could slack off!)

“Mrs Schneider is awesome!”  (overheard 2 grade 6 girls in conversation in the hallway)

“You know, the kids really enjoy having you in the classroom!”  (A teacher whose room I was recently in for the day)

Knowing the staff and students is definitely a benefit to working in a school on a regular basis.  Sometimes as an occasional teacher, we do not have the opportunity to build such a rapport.  While it is great to work in many schools to gain experience in many different settings, there are some definite advantages to having a “main” school.  These benefits are evident to everyone:

Students get to know me and I get to know them.  I am able to greet most of them by name as they exit the bus, or enter the classroom, or as I pass them in the hallways.  I tend to know more of them by name than some of the staff, as I teach in across all the grades and subjects.

Teachers and other staff also come to know me, and I them.  This means I learn about the teaching styles of many teachers and become familiar with their classroom routines and expectations.  Teachers also do not mind leaving less-detailed lesson plans.  Sometimes we can connect, previous to an assignment, to go over the day in person.  Or, if they were not expecting to be away and know I will be in, they are comforted by the fact that I know the routines and where supplies are and the students’ names, personalities and quirks.

I become familiar with the school’s procedures, rules, routines and expectations.  This makes everybody’s lives easier.

Even parents come to know me.  Knowing their child’s anxiety is less than when they have to meet a stranger is helpful, in some cases more than others.  Who are we kidding, in some cases, it may ease parents’ anxiety more than their childrens’.

When I go to those familiar schools, I believe it is often a more productive and comfortable day for a lot of the people involved in the school.

And, when everyone is happy, we can get on with happily learning.

We can BUMP IT UP – DO BETTER TO BE BETTER!