Photo from Flickr: kevygee

I distinctly remember trying a diet of pretzels and ice cubes the summer before third grade. I thought it would help me lose weight. Surprise, it didn’t. Since then, I can’t count the number of diets I’ve been on, pounds lost, pounds gained, and the internal struggle I have fought with my weight. I have always been chunky, even since childhood. It is still something I deal with today. During high school, I remember wanting to be anorexic or bulimic because I thought it would solve the problem. But I loved food too much and when my stomach growled, I listened. I continue to work on my health and wellness and try not to stress about the size of my clothes, the snack I ate in the teacher’s lounge, or skipping a day at the gym to spend time with my husband.

Today I was faced with this issue all over again and truly realized how it affects people of ALL ages. In fact, so much so that I think something needs to be said about it. Every day there are boys and girls looking in the mirrors and hating what they see. They turn to starving themselves, vomiting, extreme exercise, and crazy diets that hurt their bodies and their well-being. Most hide it and never mention that they struggle with it. Some discuss their struggles online where the anonymity can keep them safe. Fewer actually talk about it with others and admit to their fight.

As educators, it is our duty to be aware of these struggles and have honest conversations with students. Not everyone battles weight like I have, but talking about it still matters. Let students know that it IS a serious issue and that you understand. Encourage them to look beyond Photoshopped magazine pictures, words used to describe beauty on social media, and the number that is written inside their clothing. Remind them to make healthy choices, focus on things that are more important and substantial, and practice balancing school, home, friends, and family.

Design, learning, and games all seem to work synchronously anymore. So, as an educator, how does this look in the classroom? What impact does gaming and design have on my students’ learning? More than I can even imagine.

I often defer to Ian Jukes and Lee Crockett’s work in media literacy because of the powerful impression it left on me. The thermal brain scans, MRIs, and CAT scans of todays networked students are simply awe-inspiring. Their brains function in such drastically different manners than previous generations, that it is hard not to reconcile the fact that learning is different. But the process of learning in the form of traditional education has not! We are losing kids and their own vested interest in education before they even reach intermediate grade levels.

We need to shake it up. We need to challenge the traditional design of school and bring in gaming techniques in which students are familiar. If they are given the ability to learn through exploration and utilize just-in-time and on-demand counsel, they will be much more invested and engaged in their learning. If they are encouraged to learn from their community and work together for the greater good, they will be pioneers of collaboration that can solve problems. If they are required to assess situations, make quick decisions, and continue to work through the results, they will increase problem-solving skills and become more aware of their thinking.

Our trip inside FIEA simply confirmed the future of gaming in our lives. If it is so ubiquitous with life today, then it should be with learning as well. Small changes to the manner in which we approach learning with our students could make huge improvements. Gamifying one thing could be the hook for a student. And that one hook could make all the difference.

I advocate for people to be using social media and building their personal learning network often. But it’s in the rare moments when you can see your online network connect with your real life peers, that it becomes that much more powerful.

My cadre had the opportunity to hear from amazing people today. Whether it was an hour long lunch conversation about design and learning, an impromptu round table discussion about project-based learning, a brief plug for creativity, or even a quick handshake and introduction…every interaction left a lasting impact.

I was teased about being “in my element” today as I geeked out at an ed tech conference with so many of my friends and colleagues meeting my peers. I am eternally grateful for those people giving us their time and helping my peers understand how this could be their element if they were willing to try.

I shared this video with my staff upon our return to school last week and many enjoyed it and said it made them smile.  But then there was a teacher who shared it with her 6th grade students and it got them all talking.  That soon prompted the entire class to create signs with positive statements, much like the video, along with other statements from the You Matter Manifesto by Angela Maiers.

Today was the first opportunity the students had to hold their signs up at dismissal and it was awe-inspiring.  I was on the verge of tears of joy the entire time they stood outside.  Parents waiting in cars, and students alike, were reading the signs and smiling.  This is the positive message we need to be sending to our students, parents, and community.

YOU MATTER!

Dear Santa,
I live in Omaha, Nebraska. I have been a good boy this year. I would like a bed and clothes for Christmas.

Your friend,
*J    (Name changed for confidentiality purposes)

One of my sweet students didn’t want the most recent device or toy…he just wanted a bed to sleep on and clothes to wear.  A few emails and phone calls later, I was told that there simply weren’t any beds available in the Omaha metro area.  The waiting list included 48 people that also wanted a bed.  J wouldn’t get a bed.

Enter my best friend Stacy and a simple Facebook post about this request that spread quickly.  Friends, friends of friends, family, and the like, responded.  Overwhelmingly.  Within 24 hours, there was a mattress sitting in my classroom with new bedding and pillows, along with a note to J from Santa.  It didn’t stop there.  There were more donations that included several mattresses, 2 bunk beds, and new bedding.

Another phone call was made and the parents came to pick up their new beds.  As the mother entered my classroom, she didn’t know what to expect.  My sixth grade group with whom I was working was immediately compelled to carry and load the car.  She stood in awe.  She asked in disbelief, “How?”  “Santa’s elves loved J’s letter to Santa and wanted to help make it the best Christmas in all of his 8 years on this world. We were simply lucky that they made it in time for Christmas.” The mom hugged and thanked me several times.

The next day a letter appeared on my desk addressed to Santa. Santa and his elves absolutely made this boy’s Christmas dreams come true. I still struggle to find the words to express this story in its fullest sense…so I’ll share the letter in order for you to understand, even just a little bit…

Merry Christmas to all!

Just because I want to share some photos…last week was Red Ribbon Week and we celebrated with Pixar themed costume days.  The title was Mockingbird, Inc  like Monsters, Inc and each day referred to a new Pixar movie…Monday – Up – dress up like a scout or an old man; Tuesday – Toy Story – dress up like a Toy Story character; Wednesday – The Incredibles – dress up like a superhero (I chose Albert Einstein as my superhero); Thursday – A Bug’s Life – dress up like a bug or in outdoor gear; and Friday – Monsters, Inc – dress up in spirit wear.

I Value Three C’s:

I value creativity.  I appreciate the art of thinking in unique ways.  School instills conformity, and I’m good at “playing school”, but I apply my different perspectives and experiences in everything I do.  The process of creating is the ultimate playground of questioning, problem-solving, brainstorming, visualizing, and pursuing your passion.

I value connections.  I love the idea of connectedness and having a network of family, friends, and peers within reach.  It is through the act of being transparent and having conversations that I discover commonalities that further connect me to these people.  When I learn, I must also make connections.  It is through these connections that the new input of information is put into greater context and I remember.

I value curiosity.  I like to ask questions and learn from them.  Questioning is often what leads to new thinking, and not just solutions.  When we question, we engage ourselves in what we are studying to be able to synthesize the information that is coming in and still wanting to know more.  This is one of the highest levels of learning, which is precisely why I continue to ask questions and learn in the process.

Photos from Flickr: Leo Reynolds

I knew that a child could build a sandcastle much better than I, so I asked him if he wanted to help us with the really important task of building a sandcastle.  He quickly replied, “yeah, I got a bucket and a shovel”.  I then told him we only had 10 minutes to try and build a good sandcastle, so he needed to hurry.  Elliott took off in a flash and returned with his sandcastle building supplies.  We showed him what we were doing and he followed up by saying, “you need wet sand”.  He ran down to the water and grabbed a bucket full of water, then proceeded to fill the bucket with sand to create a cement-like mixture.  While he was creating this mixture, he told me “you have to get wet sand so it can stay”.  Just when I thought we were ready to flip the bucket over and create our “tower”, he stopped me and advised “you need some more sand and then push your hand down to compact it, then we turn it over”.  He IS a kid, he WOULD know…Our time soon dwindled and he helped put some more sand around the castle to create the final sandcastle product.  We thanked him for his help and he was back on his way with his grandpa.

Upon evaluation of each group’s sandcastle, we didn’t fair so well because we had built too far away from the water and were considered “safe” builders.  I pointed out that we should get extra points because we commissioned a child to help us build and there’s nothing better than having the help of someone who knows how to build sandcastles like a kid…no one seemed to buy it..but it did start making me think…

Design is often the most simplistic AND complex when done through the eyes of a child.  Children can somehow dream up amazing ideas, create a plan of attack, and most often execute their plans to craft something amazing…original…inventive…or functional in ways never imagined.  To me, design and learning both involve frameworks..the foundations are laid, the blueprints are drafted, and the work begins to fulfill the said plans.  What if design was truly considered within the context of learning?  Would learning look different?  Would kids be more willing to take an active part?  Would our ideas go far beyond what had ever been considered?

I don’t know the answers yet, but I’m hoping that I learn how to address a learning problem and re-imagine its design…hopefully through the eyes of a child making castles in the sand.

Old tech, new tech

Sometimes there is nothing like putting pen to paper.

After 3 days of Cadre Camp where I’ve taken notes on my laptop, iPad, and iPhone, it was a piece of paper and my cool color Sharpie pens that created our group’s video storyboard.  And by storyboard, I mean a list of all the shots to get, what questions would be asked, and follow up things to get for the editing and movie creation.  Nevertheless, it was in taking the time to actually take my fingers away from keys and my eyes away from a screen that I felt a greater sense of connection to this project.  I was able to make sense of this craziness…even for just a short while.  It also helped that I subsequently got to cross these said things off the list once they had been completed.  If you’re anything like me, there’s nothing better than the feeling of crossing things off a list (to-do, grocery, chores, or the like).

It’s kind of amusing that I would boast about the powers of writing on paper when I’m kicking off a Masters in Learning Technologies, but I am.  So I challenge you to step away from the technology and put pen to paper…see what happens.

My green team chose the Nightlock Berry robot, with the other 2 robot models being distributed among the other cool color groups.  I genuinely thought that it would be the easier of the three…

Really none of the choices were appealing (other than I LOVE me some Hunger Games).  I’m the English and Social Studies student who stayed FAR away from Math and Science.  They didn’t come naturally to me.  So I automatically felt deflated, incompetent, inept, and an overall weak link among my group.  I tried to get out of my head to get past this, but I just felt miserable…figuratively and literally…I managed to make myself sick.  WHY?  Do I really think that little of my own abilities that I would cause so much stress on my body?  Apparently.

After helping Joel successfully create our first ramp to be used, I moved into my role of documentarian to capture our process – which is a BIG deal here at MALT!  I pitched in when I felt that I could, but I still fought that nagging feeling all day today.  We’ve built the robot and will program it tomorrow to see if our model will truly accomplish what it needs to.

Personally, I will continue to work on myself and reflecting how today affected me so greatly.  I like to think out of the box, but certainly not be out of my element.