Day 18: Creemore STEAM

Today we are blogging from Nottawasaga Creemore. This post will be updated throughout the day.

We are spending first block with the grade 3/4 class. Students will be designing and building pom-pom launchers. Jamila is starting us off with 'What do you do with an Idea?'

Students plan their devices:

And plans become targets:

Students are struggling with making devices that are reliable. They are iterating to try and solve the problem, and giving one another feedback on design modifications that might help. Ideas are made for sharing and the students are learning to utilize other's ideas to re-gig their devices.

Near the end of the activity, pom-poms become paint-delivery-devices. Everyone makes their mark on each target. Jackson Pollock! This STEAM brainstorm brought to you by Tyler Cave. 

Next up are the Grade 1/2 class. They will be creating a device solely out of  Lego that is designed to transport a juice box the farthest distance with one push!

When the students arrived, their inquiry skills were sparked by a read aloud from Amy of the story 'Iggy Peck Architect.

'

Planning gets hands on and iterations begin based on successes and failures.

The dialogue that's happening with this group is blowing our minds. What a bunch of amazing little risk takers! Hypotheses and theories are developing about structural integrity, forces causing movement, friction and weight through pure trial, error and the ability to play with and manipulate their ideas.

Third block: grade 5/6 students are using the Tickle app to program the robots Sphero and Ollie. The goal is to have Ollie follow different paths and shapes. We need our math skills!

Day 17: Choosing the Right Tools for the Job

Today I had the opportunity to hang out with Nancy Power at Midland Secondary School and her great leadership class. Two of her students, James and Sage have taken on the task of hosting virtual sessions for local grade 7 and 8 classes.

When we first sat down, I asked the gentlemen to explain what they had planned and wanted to achieve. They told me:

• firstly, we want to ease as much stress as we can
• we want grade 7 and 8's to understand how high school works 
• we want them to hear from this years grade 9's (video interviews)
• we want them to recognize some of our faces to make them more comfortable asking for help
• we want to give them the opportunity to ask lots of questions 
• we want them to know how fun MSS (or high school) is
• we want them to enjoy and look forward to our short webinars 

After some discussion we decided that from a technological point of view we needed: 

• classes to be able to join in as easily as possible
• the ability for participating classes to type in questions and potentially move to asking questions with a microphone if the technology works well 
• the ability to show a video in the webinar
• the ability to have the webcam show the hosts while talking
• the ability to share links and resources
• the ability to record sessions for classes that cannot participate

We compared three different products that we have access to. All three options have the ability to record sessions. Our board has excellent Polycom video conference equipment. These are amazing products and great for two-way video and audio communication. We decided that for this particular case, the requirement of ensuring every school had video conference equipment available and knew how to use it was not worth the quality benefit. If each participating school was presenting something back to us, we may reconsider this. Our next option was Google Hangouts. Google hangouts are great for a few users. There is a cap on how many can participate and the students ability prepare or "set up the room" ahead of time is limited. This left us with what we decided was the best balance of features, quality and ease-of-use, Adobe Connect. Adobe Connect is a tool that creates an online virtual classroom. The hosts can set up the room with files (videos, images, presentations) pre-loaded and guests can join in without having to login. We have access to Adobe Connect through a Ministry and board license. 

Adobe Connect

James and Sage have decided to run the webinars using their teachers notebook and a usb HD web camera. In a few months, after running a few of these virtual sessions we'll report back any tips and tricks that James and Sage have learned for running effective webinars. 

every school has a web cam

Thanks Nancy (@mssmspower) and class for inviting me into your class to participate in the discussions around choosing the best tool. I got the chance to learn with students how to match up goals with the right tools. 

webcam plugs into USB on computer

Day 16: We Are All Learning

About eight months ago, I blogged about the challenges of supervising my daughters' daily piano practice. The post described how we were all learning something from this shared experience, particularly about grit and perseverance.

The last week has brought about an interesting development in our family piano journey. I have agreed to take on the role of piano accompanist for a community choir I belong to. Our previous accompanist had moved on, and although I didn't volunteer immediately and enthusiastically (I have lots on my plate!) I knew that I could fill the position if they needed me to. 

It has been several years (read: more than 10) since I did any work as an accompanist, and I do not practise piano regularly (read: almost never). The challenge of jumping back into this type of role was attractive to me; an opportunity to shake off the cobwebs and see what I'm capable of. 

Now I find a little bit of time each day to practise piano. I am acutely aware that I can teach my girls about 'piano grit' by modelling that grittiness in a very real way. So, I repeat the same three bars of music 10 times if I have to. I get out the metronome and slow down when I encounter challenging rhythms. I write down a list of things I need to work on so that I can use my time efficiently. I stop or take a break if I get frustrated.

Kids learn by example. As parents and teachers it is important that the young people in our lives see us taking on real challenges. Sometimes there is discomfort associated with a teacher learning along with (or in front of) students, but I can't think of a better way to model learning strategies and growth mindset.

Day 15: The Hologram Story

I work with a phenomenal team of people. We don't always see a great deal of each other throughout the week as we pop in and out of the office on our way to and from schools across the county. One way we keep in touch is through Twitter. (You can see what our entire team has been tweeting by checking out Pat Miller's list here: https://twitter.com/pmillerscdsb/lists/pit-2015-16).

Tuesday evening, I saw this tweet:

Turn your Smartphone into a 3D Hologram | 4K @szwildcat guess what we're making tomorrow! #steam @scdsbmath https://t.co/qYdZwhlGbq

— SCDSB Arts (@jamilamonahan) September 22, 2015

Turn your Smartphone into a 3D hologram? Let's just say this: if you want to do an 'upcycling' project to create a device that turns iPads and smartphones into hologram viewers, you don't need to twist any arms in our department. Those of us who were going to be in the office Wednesday morning offered to bring supplies, and we were off and running.

In the morning we got down to business, creating templates for our CD case pieces on millimetre graph paper, carefully cutting out plastic pieces with utility knives, and trying out different types of glue to see what would best hold our device together. In true PIT fashion, we streamed the whole process on Periscope and viewers from all over the world checked in to see what we were making.

In the end? It worked. (It's really neat; you should try it.) But what happened next was what made this more than just an impromptu craft activity. We tried to improve upon our original design. We built a couple of larger templates. We talked about other materials we could use. We shared our project with nearby colleagues inside and outside the department. We discussed all of the curriculum connections (math, science, art, etc.) that this activity could support. We discussed classroom safety concerns and modifications for different age groups.

Do you think we'd allow our learning to stop there? Of course not! Later that day when we went home we shared the hologram devices with our families and continued to create bigger, better, and different devices. I made one out of an acetate sheet. My husband used my model to create a template for making more, and proceeded to use this as an activity with his math class on Thursday.

Made a template to create a hologram using acetate instead of CD cases. Works! http://t.co/3D62hDf7br pic.twitter.com/uFibcPd0Be

— Amy Szerminska (@szwildcat) September 23, 2015

All of us shared our learning with our families and let our own children check out the holograms. They were a big hit. Lisa Boate used her dog's e-collar to build a larger hologram device that she took to a school with her the following day to share with a students. Their reaction sums up the way we all felt about our first glimpse of one of these holograms:

@pmillerscdsb @SCDSB_Arts @szwildcat @mapleviewheights students amazed by holograms! #sofun #STEAM #SCDSB_Schools pic.twitter.com/9NRb2XCGv0

— SCDSB Math (@scdsbmath) September 24, 2015

Jamila recognized the power of the hologram activity to inspire. I am grateful to her for running with this inspiration and I know that all the thanks she really needs is to see the ripple effect it created.

Sometimes it is OK to drop everything for the sake of making something beautiful. (As long as you have the appropriate safety equipment, of course!)

Day 14: Getting my Feet Wet

This is my first blog post and like Shannon I am also taking myself our of my comfort zone.  As the "new guy" on the PIT team, I am adjusting to a position that doesn't revolve around school bells.  That said, this team is great and I am learning so much in just these first few weeks.

This past week I had the opportunity to visit Stayner Collegiate to help them unbox and setup their new iographer kit as well as the GoPro camera.  I had a chance to join Vaughan Dickson in his media studies class and work with his students.  It was really cool working with and learning about the possibilities for students to express themselves using some of this new equipment.

Day 13: Library Evolution

Today I had the privilege of visiting the library at Baxter Central Public School. Last spring I had corresponded with the librarian, Andrew Morrison, about transforming part of his library into a 'Makerspace.' 

Makerspace has become a bit of a buzzword in the last couple of years; many people are curious about them and wondering how they can create one in their school. Our teacher librarians have a key role to play in this venture as we see many 'learning commons' being transformed into multi-purpose spaces, and Melissa Jensen has been doing a phenomenal job sharing her expertise with all of our librarians as they consider their changing roles in our schools. The arrival of the green screens in schools last autumn was probably one of the first indications that our libraries were becoming key locations for students to engage in hands-on creation.

After our short exchanges in the spring, I was thrilled to hear that Andrew had decided to dive into the murky waters of Makerspaces head-first this fall. The list of opportunities that students are being offered in the library at Baxter Central is extensive:

• 2 puppetry / stop motion lego stations with green backdrops
• Electricity Snap Circuitry station
• Builder Station (variety of building supplies with principles about structures and design)
• Junior Coding Station with CanaryMod / Minecraft on four tablets, also serves as GAFE station
• Junior/Intermediate Coding Station with two Raspberry Pi devices
• Examination Station with microscopes, magnifying glasses, and various items
• Inventor's Booth with materials and guidelines on invention process (taken from Quirky.com)
• Deconstruction station where there are a variety of devices that the students can take apart.  Using a camera, they'll take pictures as they take items apart to document their findings.

Upon my arrival in the building this afternoon, I announced to the office staff that my destination was the library. I was immediately told that the library was 'the place to be' and that it was fast becoming students' favourite place to spend time. 

When I arrived in the library, it was buzzing with activity. The makerspace area was jam-packed with students working on a variety of projects. Students were disassembling coffee makers and computers, experimenting with a sonic motion sensor, analyzing body organs taken from plastic models, working on plans for inventions, creating green screen stop-motion videos with LEGO minifigures, and observing slides under a microscope. Sound like chaos? It was. The room was electric. Students were engaged, and reluctant to leave their projects when lunch time arrived.

 

After lunch I had the pleasure of sticking around to observe a grade 2 class experiment with a Roominate set. (You'll notice it's branded for girls, but any girl knows that branding shouldn't be a limitation for creativity...right, LEGO?) With no instructions students built buildings and furniture and figures out how to create circuits including lights, switches and motors. Students shared their newfound knowledge with their peers, saying things like 'You need to switch the wires so that red goes with red.' and 'If you add a button then you can switch the light on and off; let me show you!' Their enthusiasm was fabulous and it was a delightful way to end my first visit.

Andrew is calling his Makerspace the 'STEAM Room.' Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math were all happening in the STEAM room, but, more importantly, the essence of a STEAM program was alive in that room. Students were collaborating, making decisions, performing research, communicating with peers and with a wider audience, asking deep questions about their tasks, and engaged in authentic tasks. All of this with minimal guidance. Baxter Central is proof that, with appropriate provocations, students will create their own learning opportunities that are guaranteed to produce deep understanding of the world around them.

If you're thinking about STEAMing up your library or classroom, keep your eyes open for our STEAM inquiry. Every SCDSB school will have a chance to participate in this learning opportunity, and we can't wait to see how it will transform your buildings.

So, what are you going to make this year? Keep your eyes on this blog for more about our SCDSB Makerspace trailblazers!

Day12: Respect, Compassion and Gratitude

Some time ago I had the privilege to train under Sensei Phil McColl and O’Sensei Don Warrener in Goju Ryu Karate Do. The tenets that governed this martial arts instruction were respect, compassion and gratitude. As we embark on a fresh school year, I am reminded of the parallels between instruction in the dojo (martial arts training hall) and in the classroom.

Commonly interpreted as ‘teacher’, the literal translation of the Japanese term ‘Sensei’ is ‘one who has gone before’. It is from this interpretation that the tenets of respect and compassion are best understood. The karate ka (student) from the outset of his or her training is taught to show respect toward the Sensei and toward fellow students. By way of counterpoint, instructors and senior students are expected to show compassion for students who have less experience or need extra help. Ongoing respect and compassion help to create a positive, collaborative and harmonious learning environment in the dojo.

Is this so different in SCDSB schools and classrooms? When I have the opportunity to observe student learning in our classrooms, I am pleased to see evidence of respect and compassion in our students’ work, our teachers’ lesson plans and in the classroom environment. Listen for the evidence of respect and compassion in the following SCDSB student’s account of his grade 9 mathematics experience:

The third tenet of martial arts training that I remember well is gratitude. In the dojo we were grateful for our Sensei, our training facilities and partners and our loved ones. As an educator in SCDSB I am grateful for the opportunity to learn and teach, my students, my supervisors and colleagues, available learning tools and my loved ones.

I wonder if we had more explicit discussions with our students and colleagues about respect, compassion and gratitude if it would help to create an even more positive learning environment in our classrooms. I wonder how this way of thinking could complement our dedication to the fostering of growth mindsets. My humble challenge to the reader is to look for, encourage and celebrate with students the evidence of respect, compassion and gratitude in our daily work.

References

Sensei Phil McColl, McMaster Goju Ryu Karate Dojo

http://www.gojuryukarate.ca/macdojo/sensei.html

O’Sensei Don Warrener, Don Warrener’s Martial Arts Academy

http://www.gojuryukarate.ca/macdojo/osensei.html

Day 11: Entrepreneurial Thinking and Learning

Today we had the privilege of spending time with intermediate students (and teachers Marci Hunter and Jason Fishpool) at Ardtrea-Cumberland Beach Public School, as two classes were engaged in a range of technology-enabled activities lead by Tyler Cave.  His passion for entrepreneurial thinking and problem solving through technology was evident in every challenge he offered the students.

   

In one classroom (as well as an outdoor space), students had opportunities to experiment with a carousel of learning with Makey Makey, littleBits, Reality Goggles, Dash and Dot Robots, Sparkfun Inventor's Kits, a Roominate Building Kit, a Snap Circuits Rover, Cubelets Robot Blocks, a Vex Robotics IQ kit, an Arduino kit, a Logics Bumble Bee, among others. Students customized their own learning in a digitally rich environment.  

           

In another classroom, students were navigated through discussions that developed an understanding of role collaboration, design thinking, construction and evaluation.  They were given kits that included a wide range of materials to develop a Hovercraft.  The groups were given time to plan, design and build!  Were all groups successful on their first attempt?  No.  But they went back to the original design, assessed the model, made modifications, and tried again!
What came out of this valuable experience was a great deal of student choice and voice, meaningful discussions, and collaborative learning.  What was most inspiring was the perseverance and determination these students demonstrated.  For this group, "giving up" was not an option!  
Ardtrea students discovered, experimented, constructed and created throughout their day, with few limitations and minimal guidance.  In short, the students found constructive, fun ways to LEARN!  

Thank you to Marci Hunter and Jason Fishpool for inviting us into your amazing classrooms. Thank you to Tyler Cave for taking student engagement and innovation to a new level!

"Think left and think right and think low and think high.  Oh, the thinks you can think, if only you try!" ~ Dr. Seuss

Marci, Jill, and Paulyne

Day 10: The Space to Think and Learn

I loved today. I spent time in a Grade One class at Maple Grove, working with the students to learn Explain Everything. I was a little nervous when the classroom teacher asked me to do this. I wasn't sure the best approach. I've watched enough Grade one students roll on the floor, when I was trying to give instructions, to know that a long carpet time showing them how to use the different functions wasn't going to work. We started off by showing the students an Explain Everything video made by a student their own age so that they could understand what the app does. We then handed out iPads to teams of two and let them explore on their own. Within minutes students were importing pictures, recording their voices and drawing with the draw tool, it was exciting to watch their faces light up us they discovered something new! After 10 minutes of play and exploration, we asked the students to teach their classmates one function they learned about. Each group proudly came up and shared their discovery with their classmates, suddenly they were the experts about something, they were empowered and they took that new knowledge back to their work. We asked them to use Explain Everything to express the number seven. It was amazing to

watch the different ways they showed their thinking. Some students took pictures of 7 shells, others drew 7 objects. One group took used the video function to explain why seven was so fabulous. Each group of students got to show their thinking in their own way. I can't wait to see what theses creative thinkers will do next!

Day 9: Fresh Ideas

Have you checked out the new tabs above? Who doesn't love new stuff, right?! 
So,why is the best stuff always so hard to find? Our best new learning should be visible . With that in mind, we are looking for places to store our freshest new learning, outside of the SCDSB Staff > Teaching pages. Teachers Pay Teachers?...forget about it! The BEST stuff is usually FREE. Fresh ideas and resources are meant to be shared, so lets get started. Right here. Right now.
We welcome your ideas about Fresh Stuff and the Virtual Music Room. Are the supports useful? What else would you want to see there? What ideas do you have about getting the word out? Come on. Do your part...because your great ideas were made to be shared.

Jamila Monahan

Day 8: Student Voice and Choice

The last couple of days I have been in a number of classrooms and spoken with many students. One of the things that made me very excited was seeing the intentional creation of opportunities for student voice and choice to be heard. 

I saw a variety of seating options. Not only choice for students to choose where they sit, but when and how. There was no assigned seating, and multi-levels of seating choices. Students made decisions based on the work they were doing and how they felt at certain times of the day. One student told me that in the morning the choice was to be at a standing level table away from other students. This helped the student wake up. Later in the day, this same student chose to sit on the floor with a group of peers to discuss the problem they were solving. This choice was extended to students even when they gathered as a whole group. Some students sat on the carpet, some stood along the shelving, some sat at tables at the edge of the carpet. All students were engaged and participating in the lesson, and there was minimal fidgeting and squirming. The classroom had spaces for quiet work and group work. It was lovely to see.

                           

Students told me that they loved being able to choose where to sit and who to sit with, because sometimes they liked to sit with friends but other times they needed to sit with different people or by themselves in order to learn better. I heard comments like "standing helps me do my math because I can jiggle my feet"  and "I like to be in a corner and lean back when I am reading a really interesting book" and "I like standing when we come to the carpet because when I used to sit I would need to move and wiggle and I would distract other people" and "I like sitting at a round table with my group so we can all reach the paper". Thanks to Mrs. Lalonde's and Mrs. Kowalyk's class for welcoming me and letting me join in their learning.  http://kowalyk.edublogs.org/   Our Thoughtful Threes @MrsKowalyksroom

Day 7: Jumping in!

Sometimes, we know that we should do something, but don't, because we don't know where to start. Today my partner in crime and I worked with two k teams to find their START, and jump into supporting students in developing self regulation by bringing in Dina. The SCDSB has long used the Incredible

Years Dina Dinosaur Program to build social skills and problem solving in kindergarten. 

Some friends remembered Dina from last year, some where completely enthralled with the Dinosaur (really a dragon, but hey, we can be what ever we want to can't we), while others were happy to sit back and observe the goings on. 

We were keen to share the picture cues we created before hand, and encouraged the educators to make their own with the children in the upcoming days.  It was great to work today with children and their educators and help them find their starting point in a program that might seem daunting at first, but has great impact on the success of our littlest learners!

Day 6: Beautiful Bubbles from BIG Ideas!

Beautiful Bubbles from BIG Ideas!

By, Jamila Monahan, Jill MacAlpine, Lisa Boate , Deb Shackell

  We started the morning exploring the beautiful Creemore and Nottawasaga Public School garden, the pumpkins, egg plant and sunflowers in the morning sun, clearly this was going to be a fabulous day.


We set up bubble making stations in this enchanting spot and were eager to see what creative, interesting devices the Grade one and two students we would be working with today would come up with. We were not disappointed! The students were excited about their learning.

They had ideas and they want to see them come to life. It was interesting, to see that the exploration process was similar in each class. A handful of students would tie together a straw and a dowel with pipe-cleaners and then blow through one end. Inevitably this  would create a few small bubbles. With a few questions to prod their thinking, they would go back and try again. It is exciting watching the experimentation phase, the try and fail cycle leads to problem solving that leads to 'aha' moments. There is nothing better than hear the cheers of, "We did it!" The giant smiles tell you how good it felt to create a tool that solved their problem.

These days reinforce how much we love our job, seeing the students and teachers cheer and want to keep learning even though the recess bell has gone...there is nothing better.

Day 5: Life is Meant to be EPIC!

I love this time of year.  A time of excitement and new beginnings….and best of all new shoes!  Maybe, if you’re lucky, two pairs of new shoes - a pair of indoors AND outdoors.  

When you are a teacher and it’s the first week of school, people are always interested in how your week is going. When you are a kid at this time of year, it’s the same thing. I asked many students about their first week of school and most of them responded with a “good”, “great” or, “okay”...but a couple of them replied with an enthusiastic:

“EPIC!”

For one student, his week was ‘epic’ because he landed in the same class as his pals, for another she was excited because she FINALLY got to wear her brand new shoes! For me, it didn’t matter what the reason was, I just loved their enthusiasm.  I started reflecting on their responses and I was inspired by their passion.  Then, I came across the following video from John Spencer and I knew I just had to write this post. Sometimes, (especially this week), I get caught up in the the busyness of life, the discomfort of conflict, and I forget about the important things...like passion, purpose and people.

In the video, John says that epic stories aren't comfortable. It's true! I encourage you to think about the school year ahead. Push beyond your comfort zone and go ahead...make it EPIC!

Day 4: Find your passion

I've been back at work for almost a week, but today was my first day back at "school"! Nervous and excited, as I am sure many students were this week across Simcoe County- I took the first step towards a Master of Arts in Curriculum Studies and Teacher Development @UofT . One of the presenters at the orientation session this evening talked about passion. She said that to embark on this learning journey, you need to follow your interests and love what you do. I couldn't agree more! If we could all find that sweet spot > doing something we love, that incorporates our strengths and has purpose! Can you imagine the possibilities? How can we create these types of opportunities for ourselves and the students in our classrooms? 

Happy first week back SCDSB! Wishing you all a fabulous new school year:)

Louise

Day 3 - It Takes a Little Time

Here we are 3 days into the 2015-2016 school year and I am coming to realize something that I had forgotten. In our world of instant access to everything, I had forgotten the necessity of time to process. 
For the last three days, I have been struggling to learn new software. I have to learn to work within it because it is the only thing that will work for the intended purpose. I admit, this learning is not fun, it is hard and sometimes I have been hugely frustrated. It is taking way more time than I actually have to give, but, when I finally figure something out and make it do what I want it to, the feeling of self-satisfaction is fantastic!
Last night I was thinking about this process and looking through the student lens.  As teachers, I think we often want to make everything go smoothly for our kids, we want everything to work and work the first time. I'm coming to understand that it is in the process, in the struggle that the real lessons come. That feeling of, "I figured it out!" is what builds self-motivation to learn. We need to give ourselves and our students the permission to take the time to think, work and figure it out. The lessons of that process are the building blocks of real learning. Even though it's not fun, I'm persevering because in the end, it will be worth it! 

Day 2: New Opportunities

A new school year is a chance to start fresh, reinvent ourselves, and embrace new opportunities. Students and educators alike have a second (or third, fourth, etc..) chance to carve a fresh identity, reflect on past mistakes and be even more awesome. 

That is just what we saw today: Awesomeness.  As part of the Program and Innovation team, we are lucky that we get to see and be part of awesomeness across Simcoe County every single day.

At West Bayfield Elementary School a group of kindergarten students, along with their teacher and DECE, began the first moments of the 2015-16 school year by choosing their very own capes to wear. They flew into their kindergarten classroom with pride and confidence, chatting about their extraordinary superpowers along the way.

The impact of what we witnessed sparked a conversation about how learners are like superheroes. We all have a variety of strengths that make us unique. On top of developing the inner superpowers that we currently have, we reflected on the importance of providing a wide range of learning opportunities that open up the door of possibilities to help students discover superpowers that they may not have known were hidden deep inside them. After all, most superheroes weren’t born super, but it was through their actions and mindsets that they became extraordinary.

As soon as we walked into the grade 5/6 classroom at Tosorontio Central Public School, we could feel the excitement and focus around the creative thinking and problem solving happening. The students collaborated on a challenge to design a new and improved object from their everyday lives. Through this rich learning task, the students were beginning to develop a learning environment where they felt safe stepping outside of their comfort zone. A couple of their innovative inventions include a water bottle that is divided in half and can hold 2 different drinks at the same time, and a pair of earrings that were wireless headphones.

This afternoon a group of grade 10 English students from Innisdale Secondary School began connecting with each other through a Twitter scavenger hunt.  A few of the silly challenges included group yoga poses, Where’s Waldo, and school celebrity selfies. This ice breaker was not only engaging, but ignited a conversation around digital citizenship. 

Today we were inspired by the students and educators who were beginning to discover and grow the super powers and potential within themselves. We were inspired by the exploration of new ways to engage students through deep learning opportunities. And we were inspired by the use of technology and social media as a way to connect in the classroom and beyond.

And this was only Day 1.


~Jill and Marci


Thank you to Ken and August, Mike and Rhonda for welcoming us into your classrooms.

Day 1: 194 Days of Learning

Sometimes, the best way to start something is to just… start. Blogging isn’t any different.

I wish I could remember who said “Ideas are born on the page.” I wish it was me because it’s true. Once you start writing, your brain kicks in and the ideas come. You just need to start.

Blogging isn’t about perfection. Perfection is for novels, greeting cards and prescriptions. This space is about documenting learning in real time and reflecting on it.

Today I learned about the:

• history and future of eLearning and blended learning from Hanne and Jaclyn – so many possibilities
• long road of building of a system culture from Kathi and Anita – everything we do only serves to prove what we believe
• vast black hole of kitchen renovations from Jessica – best to keep your distance
• importance of family and friends from Kieley – they are with you even when they are not

Looking back on the day, I realize two things.

One, we are all walking around with so much knowledge, insight and talent, and its worth grows exponentially when we share it with others.

Two, I am surrounded by brilliant women.