My days are all about learning…. Challenging kids. Creativity. Supporting teachers. Growing together. Pushing ourselves to learn. And? I love it. There are ten things I’ve learned, been reminded of, or had clarity on recently … especially that I am a learner and that is what drives all else that I do. And what am I currently learning?
1.) Less is more.
I have a tendency to want every app ever. But it’s not about that. It’s about what kids DO with the tools. It’s about what they CREATE, EXPLORE, REFLECT. You can do this with just a few apps. It’s not about owning the entire iTunes store or knowing all the apps out there. It’s about leveraging the power of a few good ones.
2.) Trust is everything.
We have to trust kids to be responsible. We have to trust each other enough to admit when we don’t know things. We have to trust ourselves enough to know that taking risks matters, and messing up is okay as long as we learn from it.
3.) Collaboration motivates me.
I love creating. But creating with others? It’s the most powerful thing in education. I love when a tiny idea blows up and spirals because of a conversation, a thought, a meeting, or even a blog post.
4.) Support is better than sliced bread.
Support comes in many forms. A hug. An email. A note. A high five. A vox. It’s priceless. There will be times when you want to push it all away. Times when you feel like you have to do something alone or figure out a plan by yourself. Those are the times when you most need support. Connect. And when you can’t reach out to connect, let people connect to you. Even better, be that person for someone else.
5.) Humor is sometimes the only option.
I know someone who spent about 20 minutes fixing a printer, only to discover that the USB cord was plugged into the back of the printer, in the network jack. A cord she had herself plugged in just minutes earlier. 20 minutes of life, lost on a misplaced cord. She just had to laugh, and admit the mistake. [Note: This may, or may not, be a story about me.]
6.) It’s far more about learning than about technology.
Technology is just another pencil. Sure, it’s a cool and somewhat flashy pencil, but the focus should always be on the learning. Authentic experiences. Amplified and enhanced by technology. But the learning? It’s the focus.
7.) Learning is messy.
It is. There is no way around it. Figuring things out is not linear, it’s twisty, turny, ride on a mountain trail. And when we embrace that, we stop getting stomach-drop feelings and start holding up our hands to enjoy the ride.
8.) You cannot rush authentic learning.
You can’t put a pace on a good project unfolding. I’ve always tried to. I’ve always wanted to get “finished by this date” or “done by Friday.” It’s not healthy to focus on and it squelches the natural process. Sometimes slow and steady is necessary and we are along for the ride.
9.) Sometimes there aren’t answers.
There’s not always an answer. Sometimes we just have to move on. Keep going. Keep thinking. Keep learning. And in the process, discover or rediscover our passions.
10.) Reflection matters.
This time to think back and reflect? It matters. It’s that time we spend thinking about where we were, where we are, and where we are going that allows us to grow. It’s no different for us than it is for our students. Reflection is connection. What matters? Taking the time for the time to be thoughtful. Productive. Reflective.
Not because I have tons of time, but because I make time. Blogging matters not because I think everyone needs to read my story, but because I need to pause and think about my own story.
Thank you for being a part of my story. Every comment, every email, every tweet… every single person who knows me as “Krissy the Learner” know me as who I am. It all reminds me that we are all in this education thing together… and I feel so much better because of that.