My three teenaged children snickered when I told them I was creating my own blog. They can't believe I have anything worthwhile to say to the world. Evidently, my 16 year-old son has lots of important tidbits to share with everyone. He actively maintains a MySpace page as if it were the AP wire. His site is rich with photos featuring his surfing prowess and favorite music. Yet, he can't fathom who would ever read MY blog (especially when his site is soooo fine!).
Maybe he's right...maybe not.
No, this blog isn't about surfing or music. It's not even about leisure. This blog is dedicated to kids and teachers who want to have fun at school. This blog is about a philosophy of teaching and learning based on the idea that school should be fun. Fun teaches kids things they'll remember for a lifetime.
I seek ideas from teachers of all grades and all kids who have found ways to inspire kids to love learning. I also seek ideas from students or ex-students who fondly remember fun lessons at school. Whether it's a lesson or unit of lessons, a field trip across town or across the world; I want to hear about it. I'll share some of my favorite lessons...The Dance of the Molecules, The Big Bang, An Authors Point of View, Infinity Street. Most are lessons I've borrowed and modified over the years. I hope others will share their favorites too.
I've been a teacher for a long time. I've been a student for a long time too. I know (because I'm old now) that the best lessons feel like fun when they're happening. You can feel a great lesson, like a roller coaster ride or an ice cream cone. Those are the educational experiences I seek to add to my lesson book and hope to share on this blog.
Before you post, "Not every lesson at school can or should be fun," please know I agree. I often tell my students, "Everyone must clean the toilet now and then." Yet a lot of lessons that feel like you're cleaning the toilet don't have to feel so awful. More lessons should be fun and not enough are.
In our state standardized testing rules the schools. Though I'm an advocate of accountability and testing, I don't think standardized testing should suck the fun out of school. It is possible to teach standards and have fun, most of the time.
Well, that's about it for now. I'm anxious to hear if there is anyone out there who is interested in sharing. Maybe I'll even talk about surfing and music once in a while.
Jeannie
4 comments:
I like your blog Jeannie. And I agree...learning should be fun. I'm a middle school English teacher buy I've been away from the classroom for a few years. On my team was the most inventive social studies teacher in the world when it came to making a game out of learning. He actually turned maps into a competitive group learning experience. Kids studied the geographic locations and then in groups tried to put as many correctly on a map in a given amount o time. The group with the most correct won. Every kid was actively participating and connected to the activity. He also created "garbage ball". For every correct answer given, the kids earned a "shot" (you guessed it) in the garbage can. Talk about studying facts.....He was great. You sound just as fun and innovative!
Hi Jeannie. I really like your blog. The format and colors are great. =)
To answer your question, I went to projectplaylist.com. I basically created an account and followed the directions. After creating my playlist, I was able to copy & paste the URL code I needed to put in my blog. I hope this information helps. Have a good day!
Jeannie,
I really enjoyed reading your blog. Blogging will help keep us a little more "hip" and young. Your teenagers, somewhere down deep, have to be impressed by you creating this site. I also strongly agree learning can and should be fun. We avoid acitivities which we do not enjoy and we are trying to instill a life-long love of learning.
I think that it is funny that your children snickered when you said you were creating a blog. I think that it is great though! You should tell them that people are READING it too! I was drawn to your blog because of the title "School should be fun" because I agree!
I also am interested in the fact that you are a gifted teacher! I was in gifted growing up, and I loved it! That was the most fun for me! How do you qualify to teach gifted? I imagine that it is a very hard job to get!??
Good luck and keep up the blogging!
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