Or… SAY GOODBYE TO THE SAGE ON THE STAGE

Public domain image from:

http://pixabay.com/en/teacher-podium-education-speaker-309403/#

I love my job.  I love being a teacher.  There is a popular saying I have seen on everything from coffee cups to t-shirts that says, “The top 3 reasons for being a teacher: June, July, and August.” I use to think that was offensive to teachers.  It offended me, because I am always disappointed when the end of the school year rolls around.  I want to say, “Wait a minute! I have just now gotten in the swing of things and have SOOO much more to share!” But what those two and a half months give me is perspective…time to reflect and reformulate and renew my vision. I always come back to a new year with a renewed hope of correcting my mistakes of the past and creating a better learning environment for my students.  This year I am trying something new.  This year my students will be teaching each other.  Rather than me being the “Sage on the Stage”, my students will be working collaboratively on EVERYTHING, beginning with the first day they walk in the computer lab.  Generally the first week of instruction is one of my favorites, because it gives me an excuse to use the entire enhancement time to stand at the front and introduce the rules and procedures.  I love that part of my job.  I do not like to put things in written words, but give me a captive audience and a subject I am passionate about, and I can talk for days.  That does not serve my students well, though. They learn best when they discover for themselves and teach each other. (I will have to find a different venue for the sageness :roll:)  There will be times in the computer lab when they will post individually to their blogs or create their own Animoto or Voki, but the process of getting the information and posting will be with the aid of at least a partner.  I believe my students will enjoy the process much more, and they will retain what they have experienced much more readily.  I am also making a commitment to myself to document their learning on this blog at least bi-monthly, so check back often.  I cannot wait to see how it is going to turn out – for my students and me! 😀