I would like to create a Big Idea for Spanish and tie it to a powerful image for my students. As Punya suggested, I would like to revisit this idea and image throughout the year. I also plan to concentrate on the M.A.P., create experiences that allow my students to Master skills while giving them chances for Autonomy and making sure tasks have Purpose. I will ask my self if I have forgotten what it means to be a Spanish novice or a theatre novice. I will see my students in terms of their realms of experience. How can I discover where they are? How can I tap into prior knowledge and use it to propel us towards new learning? How can I reorganize their thinking? How can I positively meddle in their cognitive space and provide experiences that will expand that space?
As for technology, my students can speak Spanish and hear themselves in Audacity, so they can self assess. Students can communicate with me about their learning with Google Forms. Students can self-direct their learning by choosing their own area/topic of Spanish or language learning to investigate and then create a presentation in Prezi or an iMovie demonstrating their mastery. I will also use the term "digital citizenship" frequently and define/model it constantly. I will revisit this topic throughout the year. I will educate my colleagues about digital citizenship as well. I want to use my iPhone in class and model how it can be a valuable addition. It doesn't have to be taboo. I plan to discuss this with my administration. I also want to begin the discussion with them about how we can effectively use cell phones in the class, like Poll Everywhere. This will be an uphill battle, I feel, with my administration, but I do know they will listen to me. They will be open-minded and if I can begin the discussion and invite them to my class to see it in action, I am doing my part to begin a shift in their thinking.
I feel confident that I have the skills to plan and incorporate these technologies into my class. I know I will encounter difficulties. I will be moving from class to class and I will need help. I am lucky to have Bill to go to at school, but I will go to my MAET classmates for help as well. I will ask their advice and see what is working in their classrooms.
Personally, I will be thinking long and hard about if I want to stay in my current position. I want to "live the questions now (Rilke)", but I plan on being open-minded to see if doors begin to open or if new ways of thinking are starting to lead me into a different direction. I want to take risks, pedagogical risks, creative risks. I also want to continue my study of mediation and mindfulness in an attempt to keep the nightmares and anxiety at bay.
A haiku:
Balance. Foreign face.
Will you stay for awhile?
Learning. Living. Now.
You ARE a philosopher at heart! Your students are lucky because that positions you to include a lot of conceptual depth in the experiences you craft for them--and there is great meaning, opportunities for cognitive engagement, and power in conceptual depth. It is exciting to me to see that you seem to have integrated so many of the concepts we've been exposing you to in class into your thinking.
ReplyDeleteAll of the tools that you mentioned have the potential to make powerful contributions to language learning. I would be interested to hear more about the specific steps you plan to take to integrate some of these, particularly how you plan to overcome the barrier of teaching from a cart.
You are REALLY lucky to have a colleague who has shared the MAET experience with you in the building so that you can collaboratively advocate for and plan technology-rich lessons.
Your willingness to take risks of all kinds, and your commitment to openminded and mindful consideration of your options are sure to lead you to the people and places where you need to be to grow and to support others.
P.S. What a beautiful haiku! There is such power in embracing the now, or as my friend Jeremy says, in mastering the art of "Maximizing the moment"