July 8 a.m. entry re class discussion:
Starting with the last first: It is clear that everything is still unclear about engagement. I enjoyed the fishbowl strategy that we used this morning. By participating in these different strategies in class, I am thinking of ways that I can adapt them and use them with my students.
I found the discussion around beliefs very interesting. There were some great suggestions around portfolios and job interviews. The think/pair activity was a good idea for getting us to move out of our comfort zones a bit (although as some suggested, it wasn’t a big stretch!). Both my partner and I picked relationships as our #1 foundation for teaching. We had two very diverse ways at looking at many of the other aspects, however. There were many new ideas, and my page is full of notes I jotted down from all the discussion this a.m.
Empathy — I had never thought of it as a skill before, but more in terms of a trait. Skills, to me, are learned things, so, yes, we can learn to be emphathetic. The whole idea of nature/nurture comes out here. Are we born with the ability to be empathetic, or is it a learned skill/trait. I think it might be both. Some of us are more sensitive to others naturally, I believe, based on our personalities. Others have to work harder at it. However, there is validity to the discussion about how our life experiences, family, environment shape us and bring out certain values in us. In retrospect, I believe that empathy is more a learned skill, rather than an inborn trait. When people around you emphasize or model it from when you are young, it seems to be “natural”, when in fact, it is learned.
Choice/voice — My whole AR project is around bringing out student voice, and my awareness of this whole area has really increased through the action and research that I have already done. My challenge to myself at this time is learning more technical tools, such as incorporating music, sound, etc, doing more with videos and digital recordings. The last class was a learning curve, and the learning is continuing. I would say that the nature/nurture thing also applies to technology! Those who are a younger generationwho have grown up with it, seem to find it almost as natural as breathing. I, having grown up old school, have to work at everything, and it takes me longer to learn it. I still have huge privacy issues around it . . . but I will have to let go . . .
That’s all for today.
eci808arlene 