Fill a Pail or Light a Fire?

This week, our quote in my "Food for Thought" finale comes from William Butler Yeats.  He says, "Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire".  That is certainly thought provoking.  As we examine our Common Core standards, we see that as teachers we are being asked to give students multiple opportunities to interact with their own learning.  Kids need to become actively involved, make personal connections, and experience new things.  However, is that really enough?  Can we light a fire and leave it untended?  Perhaps a child needs a pail full of water to douse the edges of flame when it begins to spread haphazardly?  WOW!  This could certainly be an interesting discussion.  Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts.  Is it one or the other, or can the two ideas live in harmony?

Parent Involvement: Using Newsletters Effectively

Week 5 is all about Parent Involvement. Getting parents on board is critical.  One of the ways to accomplish this is through strong communication skills.

We will learn how to build an effective newsletter using graphics, artistic presentation, and technology.  Sounds like a lot, but it isn't.  Newsletters are something that good teachers do weekly.

Check out the sample newsletter you see here on the blog and begin thinking about how you want your newsletter to look.

Engaging Students through Focused Teaching

Graphic organizers are a wonderful way to help students:

1) stay focused on your lesson
2) determine the main ideas
3) organize their thinking
4) engage in the lesson
5) remember the key elements

WOW!  How can you go wrong?

Read the research on graphic organizers.  Here is a place to start ~
Research on Graphic Organizers ~ and then I encourage you to do some research on your own.  There are also some wonderful websites that will give you ideas on how to make your own graphic organizers using your draw tools, OR, you can download some ready-made ones to use in your classroom.

Leave a comment and let me know what you think about the power of graphic organizers.  Is this something you plan to add to your "teacher toolbox" this semester?

Get to know me...Who Am I?

Free digital scrapbook generated with Smilebox

Welcome to EDU323!

I am excited to be teaching Brewton Parker's new course: EDU323!  We will spend a fast-paced and exciting semester together exploring ways to use creative arts and technology to BRING LEARNING TO LIFE!

Can't wait to meet all of you in class on Thursday, January 17th at 7:20 p.m.  "See" you then!