Final Week

Think back to your investigations of Twitter or other PLNs.  In this weeks post, report on your experiences and give us your final thoughts...what are you taking away from this summers study?  What were your "keeper" moments?   (we are pretty flexible...if you want to talk about something, else feel free to do so...as long it pertains to our topic:)

Chapter 5: Empower Your Students

This week the IDOE question asks you how you empower your students in the classroom.   http://elearningbookclub.blogspot.com/2014/07/thrive-week-6-empower-your-students.html

If you are not posting on the IDOE book club, you can choose to answer this question in addition to our discussion question this week.

Our discussion question this week comes from page 93.

How do you embody one or both of the following quotes:

• Although the tools will come and go, how you model lifelong learning will stay with your students long after they leave your classroom.

• Standing still in these times is not an option.  Your teaching must change and respond to the evolving world around you.

We have one more week to finish up.  Next week, you will be asked to report on your twitter/PLN experiences and to comment on what you are taking away from this summers study. ( I will go ahead and post this question later this week so that you can go ahead and finish if you want - so please start thinking about your answer).

Chapter 4: Listen to Yourself

The IDOE discussion this week asks about whether you listen to yourself or are bombarded with the “noise” that surrounds you. Take a look at http://elearningbookclub.blogspot.com/2014/07/thrive-week-5-listen-to-yourself.html and post if you are interested.

Our discussion this week focuses on page 69.  Tell us about a time when you have gone through the 3 steps listed on page 69 in order to overcome resistance. What was the product? Was it successful? How did you feel at the end of the process/project??

Chapter 3: Keep Your Work Intellectually Challenging.

This week's discussion on the IDOE site (http://elearningbookclub.blogspot.com/2014/06/thrive-week-4-keep-your-work.html?showComment=1403981849122#c9055136367591420180) asks the generic question....what spoke to you in this chapter? The responses are pretty good. This simple question led to some pretty in-depth thinking/soul searching.  Take a look and think about how you would answer this question.

My question for you is a little simpler. Look at pages 46, 47 & 48. Choose one (or more) section Autonomy, Mastery and/or Purpose. How would you use/answer the questions listed in the sections to keep your work intellectually challenging?

*** The IDOE group is taking this week off...so they won't be commenting on Chapter 4 until the beginning of next week. I would like to make a little change next week so that we can read the IDOE discussion along with our discussion. So...I will wait until next Wednesday to post the chapter 4 question. If you need something to do earlier in the week....here is an alternative assignment:  I know that several of you have voiced your reluctance/dislike of Twitter....so find an alternative that works for you (blog, website, webinar...) Follow it for a while and when you report your Twitter chats in a couple weeks...report on your alternative as well.

Have a great and happy 4th of July!!

Chapter 2: Join and Build Networks

The IDOE conversation ( http://elearningbookclub.blogspot.com/2014/06/thrive-week-3-join-and-build-networks.html?showComment=1403103819703#c3641124683147233811) this week discussed our networks in school as well as online. If you haven't posted and read there, please take a few minutes to read some posts. I found them pretty interesting.

This week for our group, I want to explore one of the resources discussed in chapter 2. On page 39, Rami talks about "joining scheduled conversations with other teachers...".   This week, take a look at the full list of Twitter educational chat groups and choose one or two to join.  (Weekly Twitter Chat times ). If you haven't set up a Twitter account, do that now too.  You might also investigate an app called TweetDeck as a way to organize Twitter chats (I've used it and it is helpful).  This week, report back about your past Twitter experience and tell us about the groups you have chosen to join. Then in the  next few weeks, participate in the weekly chats - either just lurk or actually make some comments - keep notes and be prepared to report back on the chats during the week of July 21st.  

Chapter 1: Turn to Mentors

I'm pleased that some of you are participating in the IDOE online book club.  If  you are not participating, I think you would still benefit from reading the posts at http://goo.gl/TDl134.  I won't be repeating the discussion points from the IDOE, so if you want to join them, you still have time.

While the IDOE discussion focused on mentors (past, present and how you are a mentor), I was intrigued by a paragraph on pg 13: "If I could go back in time and offer my new-teacher self some advice, I might remind myself..."  So...your discussion assignment for this week is: read chapter one, take a look at the IDOE discussions of chapter 1 and then write the letter or statement that you would write if you could go back in time to visit your "new-teacher self" and offer advice or encouragements based on your years of experience.    

Schedule for the summer

Hi all....just wanted to give you the schedule for the summer. We will start discussing chapter one on Monday June 16...so if you haven't posted your introduction, do so now. (We want to make sure that everything is working before discussions actually start).

June 16 - Chapter 1
June 23 - Chapter 2
June 30 - Chapter 3
July 7 - Chapter 4
July 14 - Chapter 5
July 21 - TBA
July 28 - Closing and final thoughts

Welcome the Southwestern Jefferson Co School Corporation 4th annual Summer Reading group.

This summer we will be discussing: Thrive: 5 Ways to (Re)Invigorate Your Teaching by Meenoo Rami. 

Discussion of the book will begin the week of June 16th.

Before we get started, please join this blog and introduce yourself to the group Let us know what you teach and what you expect from this group. Since our book is about "teaching", share 2 your favorite "teaching stories"  with us.  Also..include anything of interest you want to share with the group. (anything that will help us know you a little better). 

Please order  your book now so that we are ready to start on June 16th. [if you already have the book, you might read the introduction (pg. xvii-xix before you post your introduction].

If you know anyone who would like to join our group, please feel free to invite them to join. (They don't have to be Southwestern folks...everyone is welcome...as long as they join us before the week of June 16th).

Please note...we won't have any weeks off this summer. Past summers have shown that folks want to work through the entire book before school starts. I will be sending out a specific schedule via email, but we will start discussing Chapter one on June 16th.

My contact information:
Angy Northern
812.866.6237 (W)
812.866.2149 (H)
anorthern@swjcs.us
angynorthern@gmail.com