Thing #4

Commenting on our peers' posts is important. We can gain understanding from our peers and their perspectives on education. We can become more reflective educators. When I read about a fellow student's successes or challenges I feel more connected to that individual. Teaching is about teamwork. It is about helping young humans grow mentally and emotionally. There is a reason the old adage "It takes a village to raise a child" has been around for centuries. It is still true. The greater the support system people have, the more likely they are to be successful. Below are a list of some of my favorite blogs. I did not include all my favorites as this would be a horribly massive post. :)

The avatar for Alyssa Dyce is spot on. I enjoyed reading her Thing #2. Like Alyssa I use my real name in our blogs. I thought the blog was genuine. She smiles when she is nervous. I laugh when I feel overwhelmed. These facts help connect us to one another as people.

Chase Bell's Thing #3 speaks about blogging to cover missed lessons. I had not thought of posting reminders for upcoming quizzes. His avatar is spot on and his personality shines through in his posts.

I really liked Bridgett Ferguson's Thing #3 post. She has clear reasons for why blogging is important in her post. I commented because I strongly agree with her first reason which is to keep parents involved.

Wendy Matheney's (3040-08) Thing #4 post was really interesting. I really liked how she touched on etiquette for blogging. People are becoming less polite with the reduction of face to face interactions. The comparison to the living room conversation was wonderful.

Thing #7 by Rachel Morris was one of my favorite for the images she found on Flicker. The gorgeous photos of the flowers were relaxing and appreciated. I find I work more effectively with images of nature around. I asked Rachel how she liked the experience in Flicker. I have not used the site and she assured me that it is painless and enjoyable.

Matthew Nickerson's Thing #9 is very cool. My daughter and I went to sillywebcam.com and looked through the site to make silly images of her dolls. I like the Warhol image he created. I am a fan of Andy Warhol.

http://amathteachersnotebook.wordpress.com/ is a site for math teacher blogs. One of the September blogs is from a teacher who goes by irrational. The blog asks for ideas on how to get in touch with parents more effectively. I was actually pulled to this blog by the comment of the fellow teachers. Specifically Mrs. H suggests you break your phone called in two sections. She suggests calling at lunch and the end of the day. She really stresses not to procrastinate the communications.