challenge – Page 3 – Pernille Ripp

Image from here

I have to start out by saying I am sorry for what I am about to post. It may offend, it may irk you a little, so thus the apology beforehand. See there now you are disarmed and perhaps it wont really be so bad, after all, the apology has already been given.

I am serial apologizer. Not for my life really but for the way I teach. I don’t flash the way I work in my classroom, which sounds ludicrous since I blog about it, but if you catch me in conversation, I am not one to tell you that what my kids do is pretty spectacular. That the kind of community I am part sometimes makes me deliriously happy. That I am so proud of all the work my students do, of the risks we take, and the mountains we climb. I don’t flaunt it because that would be too offensive.

And yet, for every time I hide what I do. For every time I don’t stand by the choices I have made in case I may offend someone, I chip away at my own desire as a teacher to be a world changer. My own world, the world of my students, and perhaps even the greater world outside of my room. For every time I wrap my teaching philosophy in apologies a little bit of it gets duller, less fantastic, until I wonder what I will be left with.

So why is it I feel the need to apologize? Because I am different? Because I have opinions? Because I vehemently believe that the focus has to be on the needs of the students and not that of the teacher? Because I believe in honest communication and not veiled lingo? Because I believe that you have to fight for change from within in any way you can and give your students that voice? Because I believe that we have to get the students involved in their own education so we don’t lose them, after all education should not be done to them but with them?

I am not sure, I am sorry, I really don’t know But it is making me think that I need to stop. I am starting to think that I need to stand by what I do a little taller, a little prouder and not diminish the choices I have made. The choice to be different in an otherwise cookie-cutter educational system because it is what I believe in. The choice to throw away punishment, lecturing, homework and grades as much as I can and instead focus on knowledge, exploration and the need to fail over and over again. The choice to change, the choice to not do it the way I was taught, and the choice to take risks. After all, it is working, I am sorry, but it is true.

being a teacher, challenge, ideas

A Couple of Ideas Before Break

March 6, 2012July 24, 2013 Pernille Ripp

Image from here

March in the US means spring break is fast approaching and so are the students yearning for vacation. So what is a teacher to do when the learning cannot stop and neither can the teaching. Well I created some projects that yes, cover the standards, and also keep my students on their toes.

The Grand Canyon Challenge. I have wanted to incorporate Google SKetch Up for along time in my classroom and now finally have a chance. In this extension for a landforms science activity students have become structural engineers that have to get a large crate from one side of the Grand Canyon to the other every day of the year. There are limitations of course, such as a no fly zone, and the students have to ultimately sketch their concept in Sketch Up. I revealed this today and the kids were stumped and excited. Final product: 3-D sketch to be judged by my husband and presented to the class.
The Slavery Research Project Prezi. Prezi is another tool I have wanted to show my 5th graders and this delving into slavery comes as integrated social studies and reading activity. We have been reading “Jump Ship to Freedom” and the students asked, yes asked, whether they could do research on issues surrounding slavery. So for the last 2 weeks the students have been very hard at work researching (nice way to discuss Sweetsearch and other internet searching tips) as well as creating their Prezi and their presentations. Final product: students present their research and are videotaped so they can critique themselves.
The Superheroes Writing Project. Stumbled upon this brilliant idea from TES and then adapted it for my own use. We have been discussing authors’ tools and this exploration of superheroes through comic-books gives us a chance to really work on creating a character, creating a setting and a plot development. I have never had students complain to me before about not having enough writing time, now they do. Final product: Superhero and villain dossier, detailed setting description as well as mini plot development with illustrations if they choose.
Readers Theatre. We have 1st grade buddies that we do a lot of fun projects with and this month we are working on readers theatre with them. In the end students will film their productions and perform for each other, the filming is for their parents to see. Natural way to practice fluency and expression at all reading abilities.
Mini projects in general. I am trying to come up with more movement in my classroom right now as well as mini challenges. Students are currently bringing in spaghetti, marshmallows and toilet-paper tubes for some mini challenges we will be doing as well.

We are finishing up several units before spring break affording us the ability to come back and get immersed in new stuff. I do like to wrap it up a bit before break because after it the year just seems to disappear.

A couple of notes:

I am sharing my superhero lesson plan but it is a work in progress and I am adding to it as I teach it.
Prezi cannot be used without email addresses so I have students use my account for it, however, if they have emails you can give them individual accounts for free.
Google Sketch Up does give out free educator licenses for their Pro version, which is awesome, so take advantage of that!
Many of my ideas come from the people I am connected with; my inspirational husband and my PLN so thank you.

challenge, connect, connections, honesty

A Challenge to All

April 9, 2011 Pernille Ripp

I was the new kid in town 4 times before I turned 14. I hated being the new kid. My sister, Christine, was a dazzler. She made new friends simply because she arrived, she drew people to her, and she still does. I was the awkward kid that kind of looked like a boy, had huge feet, and was way too serious for her age. Not a great combination for dazzling new people. So when I first joined Twitter, I felt the clammy hand of past embarrassment gain hold of me. What if no one cared? What if no one responded? What if no one followed? I want to say that I joined Twitter to learn, which I did, but I also joined the blogging and tweeting world to connect with people, and it is this connection that keeps me coming back every day. It’s the connection that urges me to get others to join, that makes me write my heart out on this blog, and that makes me push myself into new challenges. But what if you just can’t make that connection?

There were a couple of people who immidiately took me under their wing Lisa Dabbs @Teachingwthsoul, Edna Sackson @WhatEdSaid and Joan Young @Florishingkids. If it hadn’t been for them, I don’t think I would still be tweeting. So as I look at my own follower count and see it grow way beyond this shy girl’s expectations, I wonder, who can I reach out to and how? How can we make deeper connections, especially with those people that like me felt like the new kid in town? How can we let people know that Twitter is all about connections and not to be afraid to reach out?

I think a movement has gained momentum lately spearheaded by Katie Hellerman who posted this incredible video: The Connection Challenge. This then sparked an amazing post by Jabiz Raisdana called “Next Level” which urged us all to reach out and open up. Cale Birks came up with the idea of the Ten Picture Tour of our schools, which you can follow on Twitter under #10PIXTR. And today Justin Tarte wrote a great post asking what can we do to keep the momentum going called “It’s All about Sustainable Momentum..”

So I have been wanting to open up, after all, I am way to honest on my blog anyway. And the one world that we often keep hidden is our home, afterall, we can hide behind our computers. What if we did the 10 picture of our homes instead? Wouldn’t that also provide another layer to our connection? If you see the mess I sit in every day when I blog, will it make you know me better? So I offer up this challenge:

Do a 10 picture tour of your home. Nothing fancy, I don’t expect masterpieces.

Post it on your blog and tweet it out using the same hashtag #10PIXTR (I hope that’s alright).

Let’s see if we can take this connection one step further.