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community check-in forum: what I've learned in life

Replied May. 11, 2008

Educational Discourse

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Jennifer Lubke commented on Kelly Christopherson's blog post 'Professional/Personal Learning Networks'

Laura, I am struggling also with understanding how a CMS can function as a PLN (or at least as a personal/professional portal of sorts). Similar to you, I live in a community where school system leadership and even teachers get a little jittery a...

April 12

Profile Information

Tell about your involvement in education, and your ideals for collegial sharing

I have been involved in a number of different groups in which people from different locations are working at creating and sharing. I find that this has really help me become better at working collaboratively with the people in my own building.
I've been in education for 17 years. I spent 10 years as a middle years teacher. During this time I really changed as a teacher, using more constructivist ideas in my classroom. I then moved into administration where I have spent the last 7 years. I currently work in a K - 12 school with a student population of 215 in rural Saskatchewan. I enjoy what I do and I'm constantly looking for new ways to help students be their best.

About Me:

I'm a husband, father of 7 children, principal and community member. I work at trying to build bridges between community and the school, bringing more people into the school and exposing students to different ideas and ways of doing things.

Website:

http://kwhobbes.wordpress.org

Education - What is its purpose? Has the current system reached its end?

As an entity, public education is needed to ensure that society continues to offer everyone the opportunity to better themselves. However, has the current system become too cumbersome for effective change to occur? Will systemic change ever be allowed to happen as long as we continue to "grade" our youth? Has the time arrived for innovative approaches to ensure differentiated instruction in all classrooms? Does the publics' need for stability and comfort with the education system hinder all attempts at profound change? Can the present system evolve at a fast enough rate to encompass the types of changes we are seeing elsewhere in society?
These are just some things that I would like to see discussed here at Fireside Learning

Kelly Christopherson's Blog

Professional/Personal Learning Networks

This week, on Thursday at 10:00 am in an obscure room in downtown Saskatoon I will be delivering my third presentation. Now, my record of presentations is, well, unknown since I really didn’t get any feedback from the previous two. I’ve made a note to make sure I leave comment pages for the participants so I have something with which to work.

My presentation if focused on PLN - Professional/Personal Learning Networks. For me, both are so interwoven that I don’t bother separating them. Professio… Continue

Posted on February 17, 2009 at 8:50pm — 3 Comments

In order to fly, you have to let them go!

Today was another monumental day at school. For the first time, students were brought together to create the policies and consequences which they will follow in the upcoming year in the areas of attendance, lates, cellphone use and leaving school during the day. Areas, which up until now, had been the sole domain of the teachers and, usually, the principal.

When I arrived to take over the principalship almost 4 years ago, attendance was an issue particularly relating to students arriving for sc… Continue

Posted on May 7, 2008 at 12:18am — 5 Comments

Raising Expectations

As our students are leaving school and entering a more global society, we have become more interested in how they are doing compared to others around the world. We compare them using various test outcomes, pinpointing where they’re successful and where they need to improve. These results then drive the data driven decisions that districts and divisions use to create outcomes and implement initiatives.

Many of the students in our school have been exposed to much more of the global scenery in rec… Continue

Posted on April 18, 2008 at 12:00am — 2 Comments

Helping others to help themselves

Years back, my wife use to hate when she had a technology problem or couldn’t remember how to do something. In fact, when we (read I) first bought our imac, she wasn’t very happy with the whole thing because everything was “backwards” and she couldn’t find anything. She would avoid asking me to show how to do something AGAIN because of my “attitude” and how I did things. That was 8 years ago. Today is much different. I have learned to be patient, not sigh heavily (that use to drive her crazy) an… Continue

Posted on March 28, 2008 at 12:48am — 1 Comment

Who's responsible for school morale?

School morale - the ambiance and atmosphere that permeates a building when you enter. It’s reflected in the way the students greet one another and how teachers interact with the students, teachers and parents. It’s part of how visitors feel when they enter the building and staff feel when they exit on Friday afternoon. It consists of thousands of interactions and reactions between individuals as they spend their days together. It’s elusive but tangible. You know when the morale in a building is… Continue

Posted on March 28, 2008 at 12:48am — 11 Comments

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At 8:19am on April 18, 2008, Connie Weber said…: Kelly,
It makes my day to see you on fireside--
you add so much perspective and depth to the discussions.
Thanks--will take time to read all that you've put up.
Hope you have glorious springtime where you are; we sure do in Michigan (and also an earthquake to add into the adventure this morning)!

At 4:22pm on January 12, 2008, Skip Zilla said…: Kelly,
Your blogs are so much more readable at Educational Discourse, because of paragraphing and other eases on the reader, than they are here in your Fireside Learning blog. If you are going to continue transporting them from there to here, is it possible that the great formating can come with the great content? Otherwise, I'll recommend that we simply read what you write at your own blog. Thanks so much for what you contribute wherever you blog.

At 2:54pm on January 12, 2008, Laura Gibbs said…: Your blog looks super, Kelly - I am so glad to have found it. I subscribed, yeah!!! :-)

At 3:51pm on December 25, 2007, Connie Weber said…: Kelly,
Mind if I restructure how this is posted and place it as a forum? It's great to get questions like this up and available for comment. I think we should all be talking about how to use this network; this'll start some of the discussion going.
It might also be worthwhile to have forums about "ideals," ideal school designs, ideal balance between nurturing the learners along and pushing them with challenges (and learners includes teachers and administrators), ideal "subjects" or curricular design.

The more open conversation, the better. Again, Roland S. Barth comes to mind. Let's "discuss the undiscussables."

What do you think? Ok for me to re-post in a different place?

I like how you're asking the Big Ones.

What you wrote:
"As an entity, public education is needed to ensure that society continues to offer everyone the opportunity to better themselves. However, has the current system become too cumbersome for effective change to occur? Will systemic change ever be allowed to happen as long as we continue to "grade" our youth? Has the time arrived for innovative approaches to ensure differentiated instruction in all classrooms? Does the publics' need for stability and comfort with the education system hinder all attempts at profound change? Can the present system evolve at a fast enough rate to encompass the types of changes we are seeing elsewhere in society?
These are just some things that I would like to see discussed here at Fireside Learning"

At 6:45am on December 24, 2007, Connie Weber said…: Hi Kelly,

People are lucky to have you as an administrator. You're moving your educational community to be reflective about what makes a difference to learners, and you're expecting the teachers to be learners as well. (How some schools let go of fostering open and constant learning by teachers, I just can't fathom.)

I know what you mean about teachers being resistant to giving up degrees of control. That's a pedagogical debate that's been going on for ages. There's an insecurity in some teachers that makes them want to exert constant control. It takes time, and spirit, to jump in and participate as a learner, to see what "develops."

You mentioned that you developed this constructivist philosophy, and also had been involved with computers for a while,, "this has led me down the path where technology and constructionist pedagogy come together in order to allow students to demonstrate their understandings in ways that are unique to them." I find this fascinating!

You have just pointed out to me that I'm going through a very similar evolution. New to computers (about a year ago I joined CR2.0, that made all the difference) and open to learning (I have a constructivist view of my own learning, and an "active mindset"), I've now stumbled on one of the most amazing discoveries of my teaching career: learning can be networked.

The constructivist side of education can be seen even more broadly than in the development of individual learners. It can be seen as the development of learning communities.

Creating good learning communities in the classroom is what teaching is all about. I've found that with networking, the "good learning community" of the classroom grew at a geometric rate when I set up a class ning. It then became a "great learning community." (I'm posting forums on this called "evolution of a homeroom class" at Ning in Education; it's the most thrilling ride I've ever been on in education.)

Networking is the powerful teaching tool I've ever seen. And it isn't even a tool, it's a way of being. We can teach this way of being by living it, and by sharing it with the kids. (While teaching them everything we know about navigating safely and responsibly.)

So with the ning, my class created its own positive and powerful support for learning. Then recently the networking increased geometrically: my kids began to visit places like Kevin's Art Snacks and David's EFL Classroom. And that's all happening while I visit CR2.0 and Ning in Education. In class we all show each other what we're seeing and doing. Wow. Mind-boggling. Delightful.

Kelly, this wall comment to you is all over the place--there's so much to talk about. Sitting by the fire for conversation would be good now and then, too. Hey, maybe teleportation will soon be possible (or is that transmogrifcation?) and we could add it as a feature?

To me, a big discovery from use of Web 2.0 tools is that you can set yourself up with the particular networks that nurture and intensify growth. This is the new-age learning.

Other things you brought up that I want to talk more about;

"teaching is no longer the dispensing of information"

"essential learning objectives"

"It is important for us to engaged in what is happening and deeply discuss and reflect on what we do as educators"

Yes! So much to think through. Thank you so much for your thoughts. I look forward to many more conversations.

At 6:38am on December 23, 2007, Connie Weber said…: Kelly,
Hooray, you're here! I agree with what David said, you're one who makes us think a lot. Also agree with your profile comment that networking in cyberspace can make us better networkers in our own buildings. It creates a different framework, promotes collaboration.
Just curious--were you moving into constructivism while many others were going the other way--moving farther away from that framework? Also, how do you find the challenges of being an administrator different from those of being a teacher?
One more thing I wanted to say: I'm quite sure it was you, who long ago on CR2.0 scolded the "lurkers," and I was quite offended. Actually, it moved me to action--decided to take the "risk" of participation. So whether or not you were the one who did the scolding, I attribute it to you, and now you can see what a monster you created! (Following in your footsteps...)
Thanks so much for joining firesidelearning.

At 2:28am on December 23, 2007, ddeubel said…: Kelly,

Thanks for the "friendship" nudge. I've always read your posts with wide eyed interest and you get me thinking which is always a sign of someone I "value". I really want to support someone like Connie who sincerely has the wish to make others think and slowly cipher and bring the new to their own selves..... glad to find you here and hope in the new year to participate more...

Whereabouts are you in Sask? Lots of beauty there and vastly underrated when it comes to Canadian hot spots. I loved the Qu'appelle valley when I visited there a few times...

David

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