Global Citizenship

I did a presentation for the Tennessee Association of Independent Schools on Monday. The topic of the presentation was "Developing Global Citizenship in 21st Century Students". I hope that those who were in my session came away with 3 main conclusions :
1. Global competence is essential for students in the 21st century.
2. Global citizenship is best taught through relationships with people in other countries.
3. Globalizing your curriculum is not an "add on" but rather it is best integrated into things you are already doing in the classroom.
My school has decided to use the Asia Society's Global Competence Matrix to frame our Global Studies program-Investigate the world, recognize perspectives, communicate ideas and take action.  I think teachers are somewhat overwhelmed with the enormity of this concept, so I used my presentation as a sort of "how to" guide for teachers and administrators. I am including some of the slides I used in hopes that you might be able to get started helping your students become Global Citizens. Remember, ONE STEP AT A TIME!! Just pick one thing new to try.

I went to Harvard!

I can't believe it has been so long since I updated this blog. New Year's resolution--update blog more often!!

One of the most exciting things I have done professionally, was being given the opportunity to attend Project Zero at Harvard last summer. PDS sends teachers every summer, and this past summer, sent five public school teachers as well. The experience was outstanding in every way and I am so appreciative for the opportunity. If I had to sum up what PZ is, I would say that it is "Thinking about thinking." Of course, this hardly sums it up!

So many times in our classrooms, we focus so intently on the content that we stay in the Knowledge/Remembering levels of Bloom's taxonomy, and we leave little time for reflecting, thinking, evaluating, creating, etc. Project Zero's mission is to "understand and enhance learning, thinking, and creativity in the arts, as well as humanistic and scientific disciplines, at the individual and institutional levels."

My professional development goal for this year is to implement what I learned at PZ and use thinking routines to encourage deep thought and reflection. These routines "make thinking visible" and help students cultivate thinking skills. More information about Visible thinking and thinking routines may be found here.

I am evaluating my questioning strategies and trying to incorporate questions that lead to deeper thinking. One way I am doing this is to put question starts in front of me (and the students) as a reminder. The bulletin board above is designed to help us "dive deeper".

The great thing about the thinking routines is that they may be used in any subject area or grade. One of the sessions I attended was "Artful Thinking". It centered on using works of art and/or music in the regular classroom to strengthen learning and understanding. The possibilities here are endless. I have used classic art pieces to teach and think about Bible stories. The I see, I think, I wonder thinking routine really gets students (even the quiet ones) involved and thinking.

Okay, so my stint at Harvard was only a week long. It was an amazing week that has changed the way I teach. We were taught by noted authors and teachers like Howard Gardner, Ron Ritchhart and David Perkins, among many others. There were people there from all over the US and world and I learned so much from everyone I met. I will continue to post ideas that I use or see used in my school.

Lifelong Learning

I just spent two days attending the Martin Institute for Excellence in Teaching's Summer Conference in Memphis. The theme was Teaching for Tomorrow. In his opening remarks, Lee Burns, Headmaster of PDS, quoted hockey great, Wayne Gretztky, saying "I don't skate to where the puck is, I skate to where it is going to be." As educators, we must look forward to what education will look like in the 21st century. One of our guiding questions for the conference was, "What does it mean to be well educated in the 21st century?" There were many great thinkers and presenters on subjects ranging from Twitter to Leadership, Differentiated instruction to glogs. My brain is full! This conference renewed my passion for teaching and reminded me why I love my profession. I am still reflecting and absorbing all I heard but here are some of the ideas and strategies I want to improve upon and/or implement this year.

*Giving students a larger audience for their thoughts, ideas and work. This can be done through class blogs, voice threads, wall wisher, wikis, videos (like this one I did with my JK students) and many other Web 2.0 tools. When children (and adults, for that matter) feel they are being heard, it is very empowering for them. I have also found that when students know that their work will be presented to parents, friends, on the web, etc., the quality of their work improves dramatically.

*I want to be more of a contributor and collaborator with my online Professional Learning Network. I have primarily been a "taker" on Twitter and PLN sites. I plan this year to contribute, give help, collaborate and comment more.

*I am so inspired by the leadership at my school, and particularly, our headmaster. He has set in motion a "big picture" model that I hope more private schools will embrace and implement. He says we are a private school with a public purpose. You can read more about it here. So what does that mean for me? I hope to broaden my students' idea of community. Just as we have obligations to our families and friends, I hope they will recognize their need for involvement in and commitment to the Memphis community and beyond.

*I did a presentation on Google Earth, which again reminded me of my need to continue learning, sharing, and collaborating. See previous post for information.

*I am going to explore the following sites and find ways to use them in my classroom and share with others.

Thinkfinity.org- Search for lesson plans and resources by keyword or State standards

Glogster.com- make interactive posters

edutopia.org- improving education strategies and research

Haiku.com and Moodle.org- Learning management systems

There is so much to learn! How could anyone ever be bored?

PS- great article about the conference

Commercial Appeal article on MI conference

JK boys talk about God

Another school year has come to a close. As I reflect on the year, I am reminded that I am extraordinarily blessed to work in a place like PDS. Although no school is perfect, it is pretty close. I am amazed, challenged and encouraged daily by everyone. I truly believe there is no more talented, loving, smart, creative, supportive group of people anywhere. And the boys.... They are the reason I love to go to work each day. I could (and should) write a book about the cute, funny, insightful things they say every day. One of my favorite end of the year projects is the movie here. I give them a choice of about five different questions. They draw a picture while they think of ways to answer the question. I film each one with a flip camera, drop it into imovie to edit, add some music from itunes and upload it to vimeo for parents and friends.

Happy summer everyone!

Using Google Earth in the Classroom

I have been using Google Earth in my EC/LS Bible classroom to locate countries we are praying for and to mark locations mentioned in the Bible. It is a fascinating and powerful tool and can be used it every subject area. I am giving presentations on GE at two excellent Professional Development opportunities for teachers in the Memphis/Midsouth area - InnovatED and Martin Institute Summer Conference. I have made a LiveBinder to help get you started with lots of lesson plans, ideas, etc. I will continue to add to it, so check back for updates!

I got this poem in an email this morning and I wanted to share it here. I am reminded that the best thing we can give to our kids is our time. I have never regretted a day/weekend/trip with one of my children. Our window of opportunity as parents to influence, teach and mentor is small and goes too quickly. If you don't have children, there are many, many children who have no significant relationships with caring adults. What would happen if we took a day off of work, put down cell phones, got off of the computer and spent a whole day with a child, either our own or one who needs an adult in their life? My challenge for myself (and you) for the next month is to find a child and spend a day with them.

What shall you give to one small boy?

A glamorous game, a tinseled toy,

A fancy knife, a puzzle pack,

A train that runs on a curving track,

A picture book, a real live pet?

No! There’s plenty of time for such things yet.

Give him a day for his very own.

Just one small boy and his dad alone.

A walk in the woods, a romp in the park,

A fishing trip from dawn to dark.

Give him the finest gift you can-

The companionship of a grownup man.

Games are outgrown, and toys decay,

But he’ll never forget the gift of a day!

Unknown

The Christmas Story

One of the projects that I started doing with my Third Grade classes has really been a lot of fun. I ask the boys to tell me any part of the Biblical Christmas story and I record it with a Flip camera. Then using Imovie, I put it all together in order, add some music and titles and post it to our school website for friends and family to see. This year I used the green screen feature for a background. We recorded in front of a green wall, I added a clip art picture of Bethlehem and the star and Viola! Check out the link to see them! Merry Christmas to everyone!

Christmas videos

They Ask Me Why I Teach

Wow! It has been a long time since I have posted. Not sure why...just haven't had anything worth sharing, I guess. A few nights ago, my husband and I watched a rerun of Charlie Rose's interview with legendary Coach, John Wooden, and he recited this poem. It brought tears to my eyes! This is for all of us who love to teach!

They Ask Me Why I Teach
by Glennice L. Harmon

They ask me why I teach,
And I reply,
Where could I find more splendid company?
There sits a statesman,
Strong, unbiased, wise,
Another later Webster,
Silver-tongued,
And there, a doctor
Whose quick, steady hand
Can mend a bone,
Or stem the lifeblood's flow.
A builder sits beside him-
Upward rise
The arches of a church he builds, wherein
That minister will speak the word of God,
And lead a stumbling soul to touch the Christ.
And all about
A lesser gathering
Of farmers, merchants, teachers,
Laborers, men
Who work and vote and build
And plan and pray
Into a great tomorrow
And I say,
"I may not see the church,
Or hear the word,
Or eat the food their hands will grow."
And yet- I may.
And later I may say,
"I knew the lad,
And he was strong,
Or weak, or kind, or proud,
Or bold, or gay.
I knew him once,
But then he was a boy."
They ask me why I teach, and I reply,
"Where could I find more splendid company?"

Installing Love

Saw this on a blog this morning- no author listed. Thought it was good. Enjoy!

Installing Love on the Human Computer:

Tech Support: Yes, how can I help you?

Customer: Well, after much consideration, I’ve decided to

install Love. Can you guide me through the process?

Tech Support: Yes. I can help you. Are you ready to proceed?

Customer: Well, I’m not very technical, but I think I’m ready. What do I do first?

Tech Support: The first step is to open your Heart. Have you located your Heart?

Customer: Yes, but there are several other programs running now. Is it okay to install Love while they are running?

Tech Support: What programs are running ?

Customer: Let’s see, I have Past Hurt, Low Self-Esteem, Grudge and Resentment running right now.

Tech Support: No problem, Love will gradually erase Past Hurt from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory but it will no longer disrupt other programs. Love will eventually override Low Self-Esteem with a module of its own called High Self-Esteem. However,you have to completely turn off Grudge and Resentment. Those programs prevent Love from being properly installed. Can you turn those off ?

Customer: I don’t know how to turn them off. Can you tell me

how?

Tech Support: With pleasure. Go to your start menu and invoke Forgiveness. Do this as many times as necessary until Grudge and Resentment have been

completely erased.

Customer: Okay, done! Love has started installing itself. Is that normal?

Tech Support: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to begin connecting to other Hearts in order to get the upgrades.

Customer: Oops! I have an error message already. It says, “Error – Program not run on external components.” What should I do?

Tech Support: Don’t worry. It means that the Love program is set up to run on Internal Hearts, but has not yet been run on your Heart. In non-technical terms, it simply means you have to Love yourself before

you can Love others.

Customer: So, what should I do?

Tech Support: Pull down Self-Acceptance; then click on the following files: Forgive-Self; Realize Your Worth; and Acknowledge your Limitations.

Customer: Okay, done.

Tech Support: Now, copy them to the “My Heart” directory. The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching faulty programming.

Also, you need to delete Verbose Self-Criticism from all directories and empty your Recycle Bin to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back.

Customer: Got it. Hey! My heart is filling up with new files.Smile is playing on my monitor and Peace and Contentment are copying themselves all over My Heart. Is this normal?

Tech Support: Sometimes. For others it takes awhile, but eventually everything gets it at the proper time. So Love is installed and running.

One more thing before we hang up. Love is Freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules to everyone you meet. They will in turn share it with others and return some cool modules back to you.

Customer: Thank you, God.

God/Tech Support: You’re Welcome, Anytime.

The Paradoxical Commandments

It has been awhile since I have posted. I am taking this summer vacation thing pretty seriously! I was cleaning out my inbox and found this sent to me by a friend. Good stuff!

The Paradoxical Commandments
by Dr. Kent M. Keith


People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.

© Copyright Kent M. Keith 1968, renewed 2001

End of the year finale

I have had a full week of finales this week. I am a huge LOST fan and watched the series finale on Sunday night with a group of friends from school. The Office was last week and American Idol was last night. (I know 24 had their finale as well, I just don't watch that one). So here is my finale for this school year. I asked my JK boys some questions about God, heaven, the Bible and more. I did this in imovie and added music from my itunes. We had a great "season" this year in my classes. As always, I grew, was challenged and learned as many lessons as I taught.

Tim Tebow chapel

Yesterday, we had a surprise speaker at our school. Heisman trophy winner Tim Tebow was in Memphis for a few days and agreed to come and share some thoughts with the boys of PDS. Keep in mind that we are a boys' school of over 600 boys, and you can imagine the level of excitement when the speaker was introduced! He was very humble, honest and sincere and said so many things that were great for the boys (and for that matter, the adults) to hear. He spoke for around 30 minutes and I tried to take notes, so here are a few things he said:

As he told stories about his early years and growing up, he said he had a quote in his room that motivated him.

"Somewhere there is someone who has the same dream and he is working and I am not. When we meet, he will win."

On achieving your goals and dreams, he said,

1. "Take action! Lots of people are dreamers -be a doer"
2. "Have the courage to stand alone -I would just be average if I did what everyone else did"
3. "Finish strong and don't quit." "My ultimate goal is to finish life strong"

He said that when Florida won the national championship, Coach Urban Meyer hugged him and said, "I am so proud of how you finished strong." "That was the greatest feeling of my life! But that is just football-a game."

"At the end of my life, I want God to say, You finished strong."

"You must keep Priorities in order." He listed his priorities as follows:

1. Faith must be first. He became a Christian at age 6.
2. Family- Parents, siblings, grandparents
3. Academics
4. Football

"If Jesus is first, the rest fall in line."

He challenged all of us with the following question, "How are you affecting things that last forever?"

"Trophies will rust and people will forget my name, it is the relationships you develop that last. Invest in the lives of others. What means the most is what you do for others."

He answered questions from the boys and one asked what he did when he wasn't playing football. He talked a little about the foundation he has established. You can read more about it here

Fun with Google Earth

My school has been intentionally moving towards being more globally connected and aware. For several years, my Bible classes have been praying for a different country of the world each week. Last year, we began looking at each country on Google Earth. Using my SMARTboard, we "take off" from PDS (our school, which I have marked) and "fly" to the country of the week. The boys have become accustomed to looking for certain indicators as to what the needs might be in the country. For instance, they look to see whether the country looks mostly brown or mostly green, and then ask questions about whether clean water and food are scarce. You can add layers to see specific things. When the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile were in the news, we added the earthquake indicator layer, which shows where earthquakes have occurred. We did the same with volcanoes after the Icelandic volcano. We use the 360 degree pictures to "look around", too. I do recommend checking out the things you plan to show before sharing them in class. One of the YouTube videos I clicked on was Uncle Harry on vacation after a few margarita's! Here are some links to get you started. The possibilities are endless!

Google Earth for Educators

25 Interesting Ways to Use Google Earth in the Classroom

If you have used Google Earth in your classroom, share your thoughts in the comments.

Google Story

You may have seen the Google super bowl ad Parisian love. Now you can make your own Google Search story. Click here to get started. Here is mine- Searching...

Enjoy!

Names of Jesus part 2

As promised, here are some of the second grade cinquains on the Trinity. (they are not cinquains in the strictest sense of the word, just 5 lines with a one word, two words, three words, four words, one word structure)

I think they are beautiful! Great job, guys!

Jesus

The King

Lord of All

Light of the World

Emmanuel

- Will M.

God

Powerful, wise

The Holy light

King of the World

Jehovah

-Edwin R.

Spirit

The teacher

Came at Pentecost

It is the gift

Fire

-Jay C.

Jesus

The Alpha

He's the Omega

The Son of God

Healer

- Will D.

God

The king

He is everywhere

The Lord, my healer

Creator

- Charlie S.

Spirit

The dove

Breath of God

Lives in our Hearts

Flame

- Jack F.

Names of Jesus

My Second grade classes have been studying the Trinity in our Bible class. As part of our study, we looked up names and descriptions for Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit. I put out on Twitter a request for favorite names for Jesus found in the Bible. The boys in my classes were thrilled when results came in from all over the country (although we were hoping for some from other countries as well!) We used Wallwisher to post those names. You can see that wall here.

Then I created a wall for each of my four classes where the boys could add their own names/descriptions. They were so engaged and excited! Their posts were visible on the SMARTboard in my classroom. (I moderated and each post had to be approved) Here are their Wallwisher boards. 2A 2B 2C 2D

We are using these to help us write Cinquains about each of the three persons of the Trinity. I will post some of those next week when we finish the assignment.

Undercover boss

I don't watch much TV, but I have started watching a show called Undercover Boss. The premise is that the "boss" of a company goes undercover (thus the title) in his/her company to see how things really work and to learn more about the lives of the employees. Invariably, the boss is enlightened to the life struggles of the workers. You witness them gaining insight into the frustrations, fears, hurts and also the successes . They see workers who are passionate about their careers, even though they may be pretty low on the company ladder. Occasionally, there is a worker who is not performing at a high level or showing integrity. Of course, those workers are not so delighted when the revelation is made that their coworker was really the head of the company. At the end, the experience enables the boss to empathize with the employees and intervene on their behalf in better meeting their needs and honoring those who pursued excellence.

Two life lessons I see here:

1. If my "boss" were to walk around with me all day, disguised, would he/she see a pursuit of excellence in everything I do? Would I be upholding the values and integrity of my school in all of my dealings with students, parents, other teachers, custodial staff, etc? Would my passion for teaching and learning be obvious? contagious? My school is nationally recognized as a leader in boys' education. Am I giving 100%, all of the time?

2. I teach Bible and am a committed Christian, so ultimately my boss is Jesus Christ. He was the ultimate "Undercover Boss". John 1:14... "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." He left His throne so that He might work alongside us, experiencing our human struggles, frustrations, heartaches, and fears. He disguises Himself daily in the form of the needy I encounter (or maybe avoid-which is a bigger problem). He is working undercover as the coworker that gets on my nerves, the high maintenance friend, the ungrateful child, the inefficient clerk at the grocery store... the list goes on. Mother Teresa said, "The dying, the cripple, the mental, the unwanted, the unloved- they are Jesus in disguise." What does He think about my performance on the job He has given me? Is my love and passion for Him and His purpose in my life obvious? contagious?

I fall miserably short on so many things. But Praise God that I serve a God of new beginnings and second chances! And today..and tomorrow... and for all the tomorrows to come, I will work to please my "Boss" out of gratitude for His endless grace in my life.

"Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men. Col. 3:23."

I am Second

I said that I would share stories and things that have encouraged and/or challenged me. This website is one of my favorites, iamsecond.com It is a great source for videos for chapel, Sunday school and youth groups, too.

This is what it says,

Inspiring the Revolution of Second.

I am Second is a movement meant to inspire people of all kinds to live for God and for others. Actors. Athletes. Musicians. Business leaders. Drug addicts. Your next-door neighbor. People like you. The authentic stories on iamsecond.com provide insight into dealing with typical struggles of everyday living. These are stories that give hope to the lonely and the hurting, help from destructive lifestyles, and inspiration to the unfulfilled. You’ll discover people who’ve tried to go it alone and have failed. Find the hope, peace, and fulfillment they found. Be Second.

Go on the site and check out some of the videos. Amazing, inspirational, and transforming.

Inside the Belly of the whale

My Kindergarten classes have been learning about Jonah and obedience. I was trying to help the boys (my school is all boys) imagine what that must have been like and why God chose to do that. This picture shows my creation! The boys loved it! We all crawled in the whale's mouth, sat in the dark and I told the story. One little boy said, "I think I know why God sent the whale. It was kind of like a time-out so Jonah could think about what he had done and pray to God." It made me think of those times in my life that I seem to be in a holding pattern or things seem to have totally fallen apart, maybe God has put me in a "time-out" so that I will think, pray and seek. Only the amazing word of God teaches us a different lesson each time it is read.

Using Wordle in the Bible classroom

One of the fun things I have done with my Second grade classes this year is using Wordle. It is so much fun to play with! You copy and paste text from anything- web page, Bible verse, word document, etc. It makes it into a word picture that makes the most frequently used words bigger. Play around with it!
This Christmas, I got everyone in my family to write 20 words to describe our family. We printed and framed it and gave to my husband as a gift.

Go to Wordle.net and make one!