Be the change, connections, reflection

It Is Not Enough to Be a Connected Educator Anymore

Pernille Ripp
image from icanread

Today I approved more than 70 comments on my  students’ blogs.  Strangers from Canada, England, The Netherlands, New Zealand, and many states took the time to celebrate the writing my students do, to encourage them to write more, and to praise their voice.  They shared stories of their own fire mishaps, their own resolutions, their own love of books.  All because my students asked them to.  All because I asked them to on Twitter.  Today was not an anomaly.  Today was simply another day in the life of my connected students.

I didn’t get connected myself at first so that I could connect my students.  In fact, it didn’t even cross my mind.  Why in the world would 4th graders need to have anything to do with the world?  Why would I ever want them to open up to strangers or to let strangers have any kind of contact with them?  Being connected was not something I saw as a necessity.  Being connected was something they could figure out when they were much, much older.

But then we got connected.  Once I started blogging, I realized that they should blog too.  Once I started learning from strangers, I realized the power of reaching out to others that knew more than me and how the whole world could be my students’ teacher, not just me.  I knew I was not enough anymore, and I was at peace with that.

Yet, I think we forget the power of connecting our students, even when we are connected ourselves.  We talk about connected educators and all that it brings into our lives, but I think it is time we shift the conversation to that of connected students.  Sure, I am connected, but that does not matter if my students are not.

So rather than just push teachers to get connected, let’s focus on getting their students connected too.  Let’s focus on showing what bringing the world in means and how it can change the way students think about the world.  Let’s focus on making global collaboration easy, even if on a small scale.  It is not enough to be a connected educator anymore, we have to be connected educators that connect our students.  We have to let our students reach out tot he world and see how the world answers.  We have to trust them to do the right thing and teach them how to do it best.  Just like we do for ourselves, we must push a global education, we are no longer enough in ourselves.

 

being me, reflection

Ode to My Daughter

Pernille Ripp

DSC_0175Dear Thea,

I remember it well, your birth, your first child tends to leave such an impression.  You showed up just on time, New Years Eve, and this night of celebraton took on new meaning as we held you in our arms.  I cried.  Daddy smiled.  And we had no idea what we were doing.

Today you turn 5, my feisty little girl.  In September you will start school full-time and I will no longer get to keep you at home when I feel like it.  I will no longer get to take you places when I want to.  Instead you will get to learn and grown every day and you are so excited for that.  But before you leave me for school, there are things I wish for you that cannot be wrapped in a present and opened with your siblings standing watch.  There are things that I hope you do that will make the biggest difference.

May you always stay feisty.  Not so much that you hurt others with your attitude but that you believe in yourself and have a strong bone in your nose as we would say in Danish.

May you continue to want me to read just one more book, knowing that within the pages are stories that are waiting to be told, and stories that are waiting to be discussed.

May you continue to love with all of your heart.  To want to be with others even if they are strangers at first.

May you still want to learn and love school as much as you do now.  To continue to think that you can learn, that you are smart, and that what you do matters.

May family still matter to you.  May you still smile even when the twins take your things, or when Augustine gets big enough to come home and steals our attention.  May you continue to know that you are our first and that the years we spent with you have been the happiest of our lives.

May you always stay true to your nature, that kind, strong-willed, stubborn little girl will hopefully grow into a kind, strong-willed, stubborn woman who will find someone who loves her as much as daddy and I do.  

May you always fight for what is right, what is fair, and keep caring about how others feel.  You are the first to notice when someone is sad, you are the first to notice if someone is left out, don’t lose that, noticing others is one of the biggest gifts we can give as human beings.

May you continue to believe that you can be a Power Ranger when you grow up.  That girls can do whatever they want and that you can battle anything that comes your way.

I may have many wishes on this 5th birthday of yours, but my biggest one is this: May you always know that we would not change the way our lives are, that you made it better, that you made it matter.  You matter.

Love,

Mama

Be the change, being me, new year, reflection

Facebook – The Great Disconnector?

Pernille Ripp
image from icanread

I remember thinking Facebook was lame as I resisted joining in the spring of 2006.  Then I joined, urgen on by a college friend, and I continued to think it was lame until I realized that here was something that I could finally use to keep in touch with friends and family that lived far away.  This tool would get me more connected rather than having to wait for letters or emails to show up on a whim.  This tool would make sure my friendships stayed strong, my connections meaningful, and my life full of love.  Yet 7 years into my relationship with Facebook I know see how wrong I was.

This post is not to vilify Facebook or social media.  After all, Twitter, Facebook and other tools have brought so much to my life: new friends, a book deal, babysitters, pictures of moments I wouldn’t get to see.  And yet, Facebook does not make me feel more connected.  Not in a deep way.  Instead I stand like a lurker peeking in at people’s lives.  Seeing moments that sure I might not see otherwise but that I have little context of, little story behind, so all they are are moments.

I miss the deep connections.  The letters I used to receive from my friends.  The phone calls to set times up or just catch up.  The ability to tell a story that they have not seen pictures of or heard of before.  When we say we have the world at our fingertips, it is true, but it seems to be a shallow one, one that consists mostly of hitting “like” and feeling like you took an interest.  You really extend yourself if you leave a comment and you feel like you did yours to keep friendships going.  Sure Facebook has brought much to my life, but it has also taken away.

So rather than complain and blame Facebook, because it is not the tools fault I misuse it, in 2014 I want to reach out more.  I want to write more letters, call more people, and see more moments in real life rather than through shared snapshots.  I want to invite more people into our crazy lives and post less about it.  I want to further the connections that I have in my life and deepen them into what they used to be.  Less like, more action.

Facebook was meant to connect us all, and it has done so for many.  But in the urgency to connect we seem to have lost the slow pace that is required to nurture friendships and create bonds between us all.  Facebook may have made the world smaller, but it has also shrunk our own lives into a circle that people stand outside of, casually interacting but never staying for long.  I am ready to break down the walls and bring people in.

Be the change, new year, parents, reflection

Parents: Help Your Child Get Excited for Back to School

Pernille Ripp
image from icanread

I have been thinking a lot about back to school.  This break for me will have lasted over 3 weeks by the time I get back and so I wonder what I am stepping back into.  As anyone who has ever had a longish break knows, often the kids are hard to get motivated again.  I blogged about what I would do as a teacher, but now is the time to go into parent mode and think of what I can do as a parent to get Thea excited about school.  After all, January doesn’t seem to instill much excitement in many people, students included, so I am here to help change that.  A few ideas to get your child excited about back to school, please add your own in the comments.

  • Get your child a new book.  There is something magical about a brand new never-been-read book  being placed into your hands.  I have expected my students to read over break and I hope they come back with great new book tales to share and discuss, so why not load them up with books either from a store or the library.  Help them take control of their reading and get them stocked up at the same time.
  • Ask the teacher about events coming up.  I know January can be a bit of a humdrum month so I make sure we have a lot of exciting things coming our way.   We have an author Skype visit, Mystery Skype, and a reading challenge to look forward to amongst many other things.  Why not reach out to the teacher to see what cool things will garner some fun in the coming month.
  • Set goals with your child.  My students set a lot of goals with me because they need to be the masters of their own learning journeys, so why not set some together?  Students get to slowly get back in academic mode and you get a window into their world.  Plus it is such a great experience hearing your child talk about their own learning.
  • Look ahead.  I am very transparent in what we will be learning so it would be great if you as a parent shared some of your own knowledge (if you know some stuff) or just what you would hope to learn about a concept.  Again, starting a meaningful and excited dialogue about the great learning that will happen is always a great way to ease back into school.
  • Ask about changes.  I know a lot of this is conversation based, but I find that often it is through conversation that we can get kids excited rather than bribery.  Ask your child what they hope to change in the next few months, whether it be with themselves or in the classroom and then come up with a plan to make it happen.  I practice student ownership at every opportunity and so this is something I will be asking students to do anyway.
  • Look forward.  I tell the kids we have a lot to do before they leave me and in January that seems to set in.  They know that as the days get lighter they are one step closer to middle school and I want our time together to count.  As a parent it is okay to acknowledge and celebrate the fact that a new grade is coming up.  Kids know it is too early to dismiss the current one but that there is a goal to work toward.  I celebrate the fact that all of my students are headed toward middle school and they know it.
  • Embrace the slowness.  January seems to slow us all down as we wind down after the craziness of December and winter in general.  Instead of fighting it, I tend to embrace it at home with my own kids.  We read more, we light more candles, and we do more family things in a small way.  I don’t expect my kids to go a mile a minute because that’s what they did in December.  Instead we cherish the quiet times in the house and we encourage more creative play.  Out with the noise and in with drawing, art projects, and many, many books read aloud or shared.
  • Highlight the social aspect.  I know school shouldn’t be about seeing your friends, but let’s face it, it is one of the benefits of going to school.  So instead of battling it or ignoring it, why not relish in the fact that your child will get so see all of their friends again every day?  As a teacher I know this is a major selling point of school, so I also work it into our day.  We come back with a little more time to talk, a little more time to catch up, and a lot more opportunity to do group projects if need be.  Make the social aspect work for your child rather than create more tension.
  • Get new school supplies.  I know this is a staple of the true back to school time – August – but most people get excited over new supplies.  New pencils seem to beckon to be written with, journals to be filled out, and erasers used.  Perfect time to get a few new things since most of my students have used up all of their pencils and erasers by now anyway.
Related articles
Be the change, new year

Pick One Thing to Try – An Idea from Tom Whitby

Pernille Ripp
image from icanread

I always struggle with New Years Resolutions. I want to change a lot of things but as a mom of 4 now and a wife to an incredibly patient man, I need to make sure my need for change doesn’t overwhelm everybody else.  Last year I therefore decided to focus on the things I would keep rather than change, which led to a year with much more laughter, appreciation, and patience all around – you should try it.  This year, I love this notion from Tom Whitby of picking one thing to change in the new year, rather than many.  Therefore, I present you with a list of ideas; why don’t you

  • Try Genius hour?  This one hour project time for students where they get to explore whatever they want under a chosen theme is a must for any classroom.  I do this with my 5th graders in social studies and science and the exploration of knowledge that comes  from it is unbeatable.
  • Try a Mystery Skype?  If you want an easy way to connect students with others, work on geography skills, as well as how to function as a team under pressure, this is the thing to try.  Easy to set up and do but the learnign that comesfrom it is incredible.
  • Student blogging? I wanted to give my students a voice for me to hear, little did I know I would be connecting them with the world. Now anyone can see what is happening in the minds of my students simply by asking them.
  • Start A classroom website?  Sick of sending home paper copies of everything and not feeling like I communicated well with parents, I started a classroom website 3 years ago.  This little hub of information allows parents and students (and strangers!) to see exactly what we are up to through pictures, videos, and blog posts.  We also have an updated calendar for any classroom events.
  • Give Choice in learning?   How about asking students how they want to learn something?  You can start small with one idea and then grow from there.  You would be amazed at what the students come up with for their learning journey and the excitement they bring to the projects, all because their voice was added.
  • Read more books?  I started to get serious about my young adult and middle grade reading last year and I cannot tell you the benefits it has reaped.  I now excitedly pass out books to students, they recommend books to me, our classroom library is bursting at the seams and there is a genuine excitement for reading.  Now reading books I can pass on to my students is one of the top priorities of my time.
  • Get rid of grades?  No really.  I did and I have loved it.  Now the focus is not on the mark on the paper as much as it is on the learning that occurs.  While I have to still do report cards, the students are much more aware of where they are and where they need to go simply because we discuss it.
  • Get rid of homework or reduce it?  Now would be a great time to take stock of how much homework you are assigning and whether or not it is worth it.  I have been on a conscious path to reduce homework in every class as much as I possible can and the end result has been happier students, that actually come to me when needed and who want to use their time well.
  • Join the Global Read Aloud?  While we will not start the project until October 6th, 2014, that doesn’t mean it is too early to join.  This global reading project picks a book to be read aloud to students across the world during a 6 week period and then asks students to connect using technology to discuss the book.  All you need to join is the book (to be chosen in late spring) and a little bit of courage, I will help with the rest.