Reflection, Day 1

Though initially skeptical, I loved what Dan Meyer had to say in his keynote address.  Finding the right tools has always been, and continues to be a struggle.  I generally know what I want the outcome of my project to be but finding the tool(s) has been an issue.  I have recently discovered diigo, and have used it regularly.  I do use Google Docs and an RSS reader.  A part of my struggle is figuring out the "good stuff" and spending time reading with that versus the fun stuff that captures my attention.  Also the equipment that I have in my classroom tends to not work reliably so I have learned to not rely on it and structure my lessons accordingly.  I know that I need to use the technology more, so that I can trouble shoot, etc., but when there are eighteen pairs of eyes waiting I have to pick my battles.

I have had a Twitter account for a while but until yesterday didn't even think of using it for education purposes-I used it for pleasure.  Twitter can feel overwhelming though since there is always so much that I want to read or view and finding the balance remains hard.

The poem that we read resonates with me as a kindergarten teacher.  It is just the reason that I love teaching small children; their wonderment, their enthusiasm and excitement.  In the past few years the demands have increased ten fold and I find myself constantly feeling like I am not doing enough for them, to support how they learn, to structure the environment for their success, because of demands that are placed upon me and ultimately, them.  It is a daily struggle to balance, the "have to's" and the "want to's".  I have heard so many people say "it is just kindergarten" but what they don't realize is all of the learning that is happening in our classroom through play and routines.  I am drawn to the Reggio approach, it seems obvious.  But what does that look like, what does it mean?  How can I find that ratio, that balance when my students are taking nationalized tests and given shortened times for play?