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