A Head Full of Dreams

As I was listening to Coldplay's single "A Head Full of Dreams" I found myself thinking that as an educator I have a "head full of dreams."  I feel fortunate to be teaching in an era where education is moving forward.  Never could I have seen the transformation coming to the classroom when I began my journey teaching.  I often think back to that first classroom I taught in, with the wooden desk attached to the chair and cubby underneath.  If someone had told me then that my students would eventually be sitting on bean bags, stability balls, or laying on a carpet during instruction I would have laughed.  Those flashbacks of my blackboard filled with chalk, or of transparencies on an overhead projector have now been replaced by that of whiteboards with digital projections that are manipulated electronically.  I could have never envisioned teaching in an elementary classroom where each student would have a laptop at their desk the entire school day.

As a result of the advances in technology, education has taken a leap forward.  It is an exciting time to be an educator.  This past school year was one where I saw most progression.  With the new technology that Broward Schools purchased we were able to jump right into blended learning and flipped classrooms.  Even my students who were born surrounded by technology had many moments where they were impressed by what could be done. Gone are the days of taking notes in a black & white composition notebook that would later get thrown into the garbage.  With Microsoft OneNote the students are able to take notes online, have separate digital notebooks per subject area, and the information is automatically saved into OneDrive.  The students will essentially have the capability of accessing any notes, projects, and presentations created in elementary school through their senior year in high school.

The amount of tools, resources, apps, and software available to our students grants them the opportunity to become decision makers.  They are able to explore and test the features and capabilities within each program and then weigh the pros and cons of each to help decide the one that will allow for the best project or presentation.

In my opinion, one of the most beneficial implementations I have seen has been the integration of coding into the curriculum. Something that may have seemed complex at first has become second nature to students in every grade level. I have no doubt in my mind these students will be better equipped for a technology filled future. It all came full circle when I found my Kindergarten daughter, this past year using voice recognition through google to research information on whether aliens exist.

As the beginning of the next school year approaches, I find myself wondering and researching what new technology will I learn, will I teach, and will I incorporate to be most effective at what I do.  Every school year brings new excitement, ideas, and new possibilities.  The classroom is evolving at a rapid rate and envisioning what it will look like in another 10 years is exciting and leaves me with a head full of dreams. 

One Word for 2016

I believe that it is fitting to begin my very first blog post with my one word.  My administrator, Keith Peters, encouraged us to pick one word to drive us throughout the year.  The idea behind this comes from the book, "One Word That Will Change Your Life."  Instead of coming up with a resolution for the new year that is often forgotten, and then repeated the following year, why not simplify and pick one word?  Choosing one word is simple, it may encompass all the parts of your life, and it is not easily forgotten.  My one word for 2016 is:

The reason I chose "balance" as my one word is simple.  We all want balance in our lives.

What does balance mean to me at work?  Balance at work entails a feeling that things are going smooth.  You are putting in effort and seeing the expected results.  With teaching, I feel that a well balanced lesson is one where I teach a concept, skill, or strategy and see the students enthusiastically taking it further than I originally anticipated.  I take an unnoticed step back, and watch as the lesson drives itself seamlessly.  A well balanced class to me is a class where comfort and fun are interlaced with the learning.

What does balance mean to me at home? To me, balance at home means the perfect balance of quiet, combined with rough-housing loudness.  A home that is filled with laughter and happiness and harmony. 

We are four weeks into the new year, and I must admit, I have actually caught myself more than once stopping in the middle of a situation that is not going right, and asking what does the situation lack or need to reach balance?