Are we SURE we want to go to DC???

This from Michelle Rhee, the new chancellor of D.C. Schools...

"She says things most superintendents would not. "The thing that kills me about education is that it's so touchy-feely," she tells me one afternoon in her office. Then she raises her chin and does what I come to recognize as her standard imitation of people she doesn't respect. Sometimes she uses this voice to imitate teachers; other times, politicians or parents. Never students. "People say, 'Well, you know, test scores don't take into account creativity and the love of learning,'" she says with a drippy, grating voice, lowering her eyelids halfway. Then she snaps back to herself. "I'm like, 'You know what? I don't give a crap.' Don't get me wrong. Creativity is good and whatever. But if the children don't know how to read, I don't care how creative you are. You're not doing your job."
Source: Time Magazine

In education, we do need people who can make hard choices....But, more importantly, we need leaders who have taken their place in the classroom and been EFFECTIVE! Unless you have been in the trenches, you don't know how to handle the struggles in education. Thinking that creativity and "Touchy Feely" people have no place in the classroom gives me the impression that Ms. Rhee has not been in a classroom and/or was not effective in it.

Well, I am going to say it right here.... I am one of those "touchy feely" people who tries to teach kids that they can be whomever they want to be--if they work for it. I think you could survey kids in my room and they would KNOW I care about them and I want what is best for them. If I had to guess, I would say that many kids love me and most kids I know respect me....and most all of them, learn from me. SO, touchy/feely and learning are not mutually exclusive.

Creativity will get us to the promised land in education! We need to be done educating kids to punch clocks....we need to get them to THINK and come up with creative answers to the problems ahead of us. Thank goodness for amazing people like Peter Reynolds and Sylvia Martinez and others leaders in education who keep us heading in the RIGHT direction!!!!

So, when I fly into D.C. this summer, I pray to be met by wonderful people who create amazing things. I know I will be able to be in the presence of teachers and leaders like me who are touchy-feely in all the right ways! WE KNOW that the kids will learn more from a caring adult....and we will lead those amazing children in our classes to a brighter tomorrow.

Creativity Comment-a-Thon Starts Today

I was emailing with my FableFriends about some ideas, when I came up with the next Comment-A-Thon topic.

"What do you do in your job or life to foster creativity in kids?"

A lot has been written lately about the importance of creativity. Research, ISTE Standards, and journal articles seem to be catching up with what many of us have believed for a long time, Creativity is important!

As my day job is being a music teacher, being creative is not really a stretch. I frequently try to get kids to think "outside the box." Last year, my goal was to get the high school kids to be more involved with the text of the songs they were singing. I invented games and crazy contests, all in the name of greater involvement. One of the things I did in the Spring seemed to really bring out the creative spirit in the kids.

I asked the students to bring in a visual representation of something that was in their songs for state vocal contest. They could choose to depict the words of the song or a musical term. They could draw, use the computer, or, as a last option, they could find pictures in a magazine. The students did a great job. Some of them took photos, many found pictures online, some drew their pictures, and one kid made use of photoshop and created the best (and most humorous) assignment I have seen!

We were singing the song "In This Very Room" and it talks about how the higher power is always with you. So, the kid took a picture of the group and added a picture of Jesus in between a few kids. Because I don't know exactly whose parents have signed the agreement to post pictures, I have cropped most of the kids, the real picture was much better quality!

I teach in a public school and questioned whether I should post it with the others, but it was just too good to not post. Singing the music is protected....religious symbols might tread on thing ice..... Getting kids SO excited about learning.....Worth it!

In the earlier grades, we write rap songs (read about it here). Fifth grade kids animated some of their songs. All kids have an opportunity to write music on Garage Band. And, one of my favorite activities is having kids come up with new verses to songs.

What do you do? Please comment!

Stationery Studio

I received an email from "World's Greatest Software Designer", Dr. Peggy Healy Stearns ,which made me realize I needed to blog about my favorite software ever, Stationery Studio. My first experience with FableVision was when I went to the Iowa Technology Education Connection conference and went to a session on the AlphaSmart. The speaker was demonstrating how the AlphaSmart could put text in any word processor, her example was Stationery Studio. I went away from that session without an immediate desire for the hardware....but I had to get my hands on the software!

It is immediately apparent that Stationery Studio is software from a developer and a company that thinks differently. One example of the many features in the program that captured my attention was that before you print, you have the option of changing the wonderful, Peter H. Reynolds, artwork to black and white. The original intent was so that kids could color the pictures, but it allows me to print great looking prints on my laser printer. The program also allows for the creation of half sheets and quarter sheets.

One of the ways I use the program is with second graders. I print out half sheet blank templates of different animals and then pass them out to students. On the back of the sheet, the student brainstorms everything they know about their animal. On the front side, the student writes two sentences that rhyme. The end products are then put together and a rap song is created. Below are some examples:When I met Dr. Healy Stearns, I learned that she worked with teachers for an entire year developing the Stationery Studio software. I think the results show that the time was well worth it!