Tuesday, June 16, 2009

The end of day 2

When I arrive at home after a day like that today, I find it hard to reenter my other life - the one where I am a mom. I want to hole up on my porch and play with the tools we looked at.

But, my family beckons. So - as a good teacher I split myself right down the middle. I ate supper (my husband was the cook tonight) with my family. Then, as they all wandered off to watch TV, or read Twilight, I settled into my chair and began to play.

That made me think about what Sam said today about laptops and teacher time. I think that being a teacher allows you to make choices that you may not be able to make in other jobs. I can choose how much more or less I want to do. The curriculum is there in front of me - and I get to decide how much of me I put into that curriculum.

That works both ways. When life outside of school takes over - during graduation or SLIS project times - my students didn't suffer when I cut back on some of the extra stuff. But, when I focus on creating new and interesting ways of presenting the same material, I and my students are more engaged and life is good! :)

I've chosen to spend lots of my own time learning technology tools. But, I wouldn't do it if I didn't truly enjoy it. Time playing with Diigo or podcasts is not drudgery for me. Instead, I like the puzzle of learning new applications and imagining ways to use that with kids.

So, for better or worse, this is my hobby. It just also happens to be my job and I think that makes me a VERY lucky person.

6 comments:

Micki Behounek said...

Beth - I always love your insight! Even though we are "classmates" in the same program - I often find myself seeking your advice or approval with what we are learning in our courses. Your years of teaching experience are so very valuable to those of us just getting our feet wet! Thanks for being such a great friend and "mentor."
I didn't get on the computer last night - my brain was on overload...instead I did some "light" reading for Joel's class. I called it a day at 11:00 when I couldn't remember what I'd just read! :)

Beth Swantz said...

test

kts9600 said...

You have an inviting page!
Time - there will only be 24 hours and we need sleep, food, time off...

But those moments, when we get to explore and learn are so enriching for us personally and for our students, I think it is time well spent.

Just don't try to catalog the internet! :-)

Mrs. Haberichter said...

I think 'time' is what keeps so many of teaching colleagues from trying new things. Either it's "how much of my own time will I have to spend to learn this?" or "Do I have time to integrate technology or should I just keep plugging away through the book?" or "I don't have time to troubleshoot it if it doesn't work the way it's supposed to."

As we've said in other classes, I think we don't really become "users" of technology until it becomes a part of our daily life. I see so many great applications, and again, I just want the time to explore and play...so that it can become a useful part of my daily life!

Mrs. Haberichter said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Cari said...

This is what I've really liked about this class so far -- some actual time to "play." Granted, it's never enough, but every little bit helps. And, I think that's a good thing to remember when teaching some of these tools to our students and our staffs.

I really like your perspective on things, Beth (and I WILL reply to your email someday -- I promise!); your attitude is spot on. We can't do it all, but all that we can do, we must.

Also, your blog's design is awesome!