Get Comfortable with the Uncomfortable: Practicing What I Preach

@MrBrotherton Practicing what I preach! Got comfortable w/ the uncomfortable & subbed 4 a math faculty member: http://t.co/Wn9S6kz8tt#usjct

— Marialice BFX Curran (@mbfxc) October 10, 2013

One of my all-time favorite lines to say to students each semester is, “It’s time to get comfortable with the uncomfortable!”  I’ve consistently modeled this throughout my years of teaching and like to challenge myself on a regular basis.  Tonight was the perfect opportunity to embrace the uncomfortable….

One of our faculty members needed coverage in his math methods course and although I could break out in the hives just thinking about teaching math, I took the challenge and immediately volunteered to take the course for the night.  Why did I do this?  First and foremost, I have the disposition and willingness and secondly, I love a challenge!

Serious props to two amazing and innovative educators for inspiring me!  Hands down @KatrinaKennett has transform the way I teach.  I first met Katrina at EdCampCT and later at EdCampBoston when she ran a session with her high school students on how to host an EdCafe in your classroom.  I have completely embraced EdCafes in my teacher education courses.  Couple this approach with my #iMentor model and I have a winning combination.  A special thanks to @MrBrotherton, one of my iMentors for giving me the courage to see math through a new lens this semester.  His new #MathLiteracy course designed specifically around #MinecraftEdu was just the content I needed to prepare for tonight’s math methods course!

Tonight was a huge risk.  I did not know a single graduate student enrolled in the course and they knew nothing about me. How was I going to be able to build trust, help them unlearn traditional roles in education, and introduce math through social media?  Easy — introduce my PLN, Twitter, Math Literacy, EdCamps and Edcafes: Twitter Meets Math Literacy and EdCafe.  The best part of tonight?  Modeling and practicing what I preach!

As we embrace #ce13 #CEM, take time to try something new, something that makes you uncomfortable and own it, embrace it!  Model what it means to be a learner first and foremost – it is without a doubt, the best thing we can do for our students!

#sschat Reflection: Teaching What Matters Most

Last night I was so proud to call myself a social studies teacher!  The #sschat last night focused on how to cover real-time historical events in your classroom.  It made me miss teaching.  There is a special heartbeat about being in a school that is hard to replicate in higher education.  What last night’s chat made me miss most of all was teaching “Curran” events in my middle school classroom.

For the most part, I remained somewhat quiet during the #sschat since I’m not currently teaching middle school social studies.  I wish I had shared one of my all-time favorite books, Dateline Troy by Paul Fleischman.  I used this book with my middle schoolers to demonstrate the power of using “Curran” events.  The book chronicles the Trojan War and suggests that we are still fighting that very same war today, “Though their tale comes from the distant Bronze Age, it’s as current as this morning’s headlines.  The Trojan War is still being fought.  Simply open a newspaper.”

I loved using the newspaper as part of my curriculum.  I used to drive to Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts to pick up newspapers from different parts of the country and the world for my students to read, compare and examine.  As the chat progressed, I was struck by how much and how fast the world has changed since I first started teaching in 1993.  I wouldn’t have to drive to Harvard Square to pick up my newspapers anymore.

Social media has changed the landscape.  If I were in the classroom now, I’d want to use Newspaper Front Pages: Death of Osama bin Laden to examine headlines from different newspapers and we’d create classroom news articles using Scoop.it. I would use The Choices Program: History and Current Issues for the Class on a daily basis.  We’d use Twitter to evaluate perspective, as well as primary and secondary sources just like Ron Peck suggested last night during the #sschat:

We would also examine how quickly social media can alter history by retweeting a powerful, but totally inaccurate quote.  I’m guilty of retweeting this quote too!

 Out of Osama’s Death, a Fake Quotation is Born

I’d collaborate with my other #sschat teachers that I’ve met on Twitter, so our classrooms could learn from each other and model what it means to be a community of global learners.  Look at the thoughtful comments made by @virtual_teach third graders, Is it okay to celebrate Osama bin Laden’s death?  I would have loved to collaborate with her classroom and students yesterday.  For now, I’ll have to wait until the Fall semester when I teach a graduate methods social studies course.

I’ll end with this last thought, what social studies teachers do everyday is magic.  It is the most important work to be done in a classroom.  We model what it means to treat others, how to live in a community (our own and the world at large), we face issues of intolerance, teach empathy through the use of perspective and we foster curiosity.  I’m so proud to be part of the #sschat – it gives me such hope for the future of education!

P.S. Here’s the start of some resources I found on Twitter and #sschat: 6 Q’s About the News, Teaching Ideas: the Death of Osama bid Laden, The Post-bin Laden World,  Twitter First With bin Laden News, How to Discuss bin Laden’s Death with Children, 9/11 Osama bin Laden Links by @ShawnMcCusker, Bin Laden Resources by @gregkulowiec and the #sschat archive from last night. Please add any other resources that you have found valuable.

 

Around the Rotary: The Roundabout of Learning

As this academic year is coming to an end, I find myself deep in reflection. I launched the new course, Technology for Learners and was asked to teach Educational Psychology for the first time this year.  Teaching both courses has made me practice what I preach: get comfortable with the uncomfortable. All year, I’ve marveled at how my learning curve is constantly stuck in the curve position.  This morning, I woke up and realized that my learning has been more like a roundabout or a rotary.  What a fabulous analogy!  Thanks to Wikipedia for the image and accurate description.  It really captures my learning experiences this year!

I learned how to drive in Massachusetts and have always been proud of how I handle a roundabout.  In fact, I think its safe to say that I’m an expert, capable of fielding any and all questions on how to approach, yield, merge, navigate, maintain your right-of-way and exit a rotary.  I’ve even taught out-of-towners how to do it the Boston way, so this confirms my expert status, right?

The best part of learning is that it is not a destination; its a journey.  Learning is  like driving around a rotary.  Sometimes you enter this way, sometimes you enter another way.  Sometimes you miss your exit and have to drive around again.  Once you are in the rotary, you need to learn how to navigate and own your learning.  The best part of a roundabout is that it is constant; cars are coming and going all the time, just like the learning process.

It has been a transformative year of learning for me.  I immersed myself into the world of social media, developed an amazing PLN and launched The Dyslexic Professor.   I’m so glad that my learning curve is just like a rotary because its in constant motion and I’m modeling what it means to be a lifelong learner.  I can’t think of anything better than this!

A Little Like Casablanca

My Twitter experience and the start of this blog two weeks ago today is much like what Rick said to Captain Renault in the 1942 movie Casablanca, “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

I’m amazed at the number of people I have met, the incredible resources they are so willing to share (or find) 24-7 across this magnificent world.  Dedicated educators committed to making a difference in the lives of children.  Two weeks ago, I had no idea the power of virtual colleagues.

As I write this now, I feel empowered.  My newly started PLN is what I’ve always needed and wanted in my professional career.  Teaching is all about relationships.  Relationships with our students, our colleagues, our parents and community.  But now, my vision is expanded and it doesn’t have walls or boundaries for either teachers or students!  The possibilities are really endless! Thank you, PLN!  This really is the beginning of a beautiful friendship!

Modeling Being a Risk Taker EDUC 536

Ok, here I go walking the walk and talking the talk and trying something new.  A little nervous, a little anxious, but excited to take the risk!  It’ s Wednesday morning and I’m creating my first WordPress blog before class tonight.  It’s a new format and I’m used to navigating through my Weebly and Ning accounts.  Plus, I’m very aware that my words and feelings are now public and I find myself typing, deleting and retyping to make sure I’m as accurate as possible.  We’ve been safe in our own PLN in our class Ning, but now our boundaries are expanding.  Are you ready to jump in with me?  In class tonight, let’s take time to try something new.  Get comfortable with the uncomfortable and embrace being a change agent!

Here are a few ideas/applications to get you going…

If you are interested in starting a blog, check out this great resource for students: Blogs for Kids – it’s a fabulous LiveBinders that highlights blogs for students to read and join the conversation.

Love this site I found this week for early education, Little Bird Tales – a great way to capture and record children’s voices.  It’s much like StoryBird, but allows you to narrator your story.

I haven’t created a Diigo account yet.  Anyone up to the challenge?  Voicethread?  Symbaloo?  Jing?  LiveBinders? Fuzzwich? Animation-ish?  Whatever you decide, make sure you are pushing your comfort level and trying something new!

Also, a special wicked-proud shout out to Tracy Mercier and her incredible third grade students for breaking barriers and constantly modeling what it means to be risk takers!  Check out this new concept, Tweet Quest that Tracy created: Tweet Quest.

In case you need a little confidence to help you take the plunge: 3 Ways to Encourage Risk Taking.

See you in a few hours!  I’m all about making tonight a “wow” teaching experience!  Hope you’ll say the same thing after trying something new tonight too…

PS: I’m going to publish this link through Twitter and perhaps we’ll get some comments and suggestions.  For anyone outside of EDUC 536, we’re a graduate class at Saint Joseph College in West Hartford, CT and we’re embracing change this semester and exploring social media in K-12 classrooms.