Professional Student

I love school! Yep, that’s right. I loved it growing up. I was good at it. I could excel at it. I didn’t have to work too hard.

If just staying in school and studying whatever I wanted would pay the bills, then I would be a professional student.

Sadly, I didn’t challenge myself either.

While my mindset has shifted, it is not entirely different than what I stated above. I love learning. My learning bucket list is as long or maybe longer than my experience bucket list. I am constantly adding to both. Priorities and time. It all comes down to those two things.

As a teacher, this is my worst nightmare. For a student to feel as if they were not challenged to think in my class. I have always wanted that the skills and knowledge my students learn are skills/knowledge that are required for them to be productive outside the walls of a classroom.

Last year as I stumbled upon A.J. Juliani’s blog about 20% Time In Education, I realized how much more I wanted my students to have a passion for learning. But not just learning, taking a risk, failing, and persevering through it. Next came Kevin Brookhouser‘s information. I used to his information tailor my own expectations. Joy Kirr and her amazing organization by putting information on Live Binder. Google+ 20% Time community came into the mix as well. Through this Genius Hour or 20% Time, students are learning far more than I or a textbook could ever teach them.

While I am still figuring it out and making changes, I know that students are gaining valuable insight, skills, determination, grit, and perseverance. This is my second year doing it as well as my 8th grade students since I had them in 7th grade as well. Their progress from last year to this year is where I see progress. I see them taking bigger risks and being more invested than the previous year. I can’t wait to see how their TED style presentations turn out this year.

Technology’s role in education allows students to have access to instantaneous information. Education is changing in that the skills students need to are much more in-depth. They don’t have to memorize information. It’s literally at their fingertips, but they need to know how to DISSECT information for validity and the best way to obtain the information. They must be able to correlate and connect information across an array of platforms.

Does that make me connectivist teacher? I am not sure.

At the end of the day, the week, the month, the year, I want my students to realize their potential and to know they can make huge impact and difference in society. They have everything they need to leave their own mark on the world. I just want to do my part to help it be a positive one.