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500 tweets, that is.
I’m not sure why I started with Twitter, to tell you the truth. I had to have seen it somewhere, but I don’t recall anyone specifically telling me about it. I started an account, picked a few people to follow, and sat back to wait.
I was less than enthused.
Then I read, again, “somewhere,” that I needed to follow at least 100 people and try to tweet a few times a day. I started following more folks. I tried to follow the standard ratios for professional/personal tweets (I still am not following the person who tweets to inform the world of his/her bodily function routines), and stuck with it.
I like it, I really do. I’m connecting with people, being directed to resources, and feeling involved in this thing called the Twitterverse.
To each of the 132 people who follow me (even you, TD), I say “thank you!” I’m looking forward to the next 500 or even 5,000 tweets. PLN’s, I believe, are here to stay!
This looks like a blog post, but really it’s just an extended tweet. This morning, @critchie17 posted this on Twitter: @timgels I am wondering how you and other teachers feel about homework in general? or am I opening a can of worms?
I imagine that it was prompted by a tweet that I posted in which I linked to a NYTimes blogpost entitled “The Crush of Summer Homework.“
Are you following all of this? Anyway, here are my thoughts on homework. Remember, I teach third grade. If I taught kindergarten or high school I’d have a different opinion, I’m sure.
I believe that homework is, for the most part, assigned at the elementary school level because, well, homework is supposed to be assigned at the elementary school level. That whole “ten minutes per grade level” business. I don’t buy it, to tell you the truth. I could go on for quite a while, but since my wife’s out cutting the grass and I’m not, I’ll keep it short and simply make a few points in defense of my position.
- The kid who needs it probably isn’t going to do it, and the kid who doesn’t really need the additional “independent practice” (because, after all, that’s what homework is, isn’t it?) is going to skip something worthwhile to do it if it kills him.
- We worked with (pick a subject) for an hour in class. Orientation to the lesson, instruction, guided practice, independent practice, the whole nine yards: does a third-grader need more than an hour of a given subject in a 24 hour period?
- The student goes home, makes a good faith effort, and does almost every problem wrong. Did I really want her to reinforce her mistake for that long?
- Honestly, I’m not going to collect it, grade it, and return it for the instant feedback that is ideal. That’s a problem on my end.
- Kids have enough in the evenings, and parents have even more. That’s an entirely different blog post (or book), but it’s reality. I don’t need to exacerbate a bad situation that leaves a pre-adolescent bleary eyed at 7:30 A.M.
That’s it for now. Thoughts, anyone?
PS: In case you’re curious, I think homework below the third grade is, well, um, not good.
PPS: Hey, it’s a public forum we’re running here…
It’s hard to believe that I’ll have students in the morning. I’ve been thinking about the year ahead, of course, and I’m eager to see how things are going to go.
Back in June I posted a list of goals for the upcoming year. I suppose I still have the same goals, but I’ve been pondering a way to wrap them up into a single statement. I haven’t figured that one out yet, but I have come up with this: Make the best use of the time I’ve been given by living, teaching, and developing my relationships deliberately.
Deliberately: that’s a tough word for me to live up to. Honestly, I’ve got a reputation as a putterer and a ponderer. A daydreamer that is easily distracted, even. That translates to a lot of time standing and thinking. I’m certain that there’s some value in that (after all, I’ve done it for so many years), but I’d like to cut back on it.
Puttering and pondering puts me an hour past the student departure time with no significant activity on my part since they walked out the door. I know it’s good to relax, but I’ve got to learn to redeem that time. If nothing else, I need to close the door and go home (a great use of the time in my mind).
I’ll leave that partial thought here for now.
Ok, I am blogging from my phone. This is showing me that just because I can do something doesn’t necessarily mean I should do something. It really is not a positive experience!
I’m amazed every time I look at a calendar. I’ll be back on contract (that in itself is of course a good thing) in three weeks–wow. We’ve got four days of prep/PD time before we get students on the 10th of August. Time is flying.
It’s been a good summer, though. I’ve been working through Lucy McCormick Calkin’s The Art of Teaching Writing as well as a number of different math-related texts. Those books, along with our new AMSTI materials, bode well for yet another year of reinventing my wheel. That’s not a bad thing, but it does seem to be becoming a habit…
We’re apparently flu-free! Yes!
We’re Gaggling at EES. Should be fun!
It’s been a while. I’ve been active: teaching, teaching, and doing a bit more teaching. My classroom blog is almost as dusty as this one is. Do I drive the blog, or does the blog drive me?
It’s bad when the only post I’ve written during the entire first grading period was a post to say that I can’t believe I haven’t posted. Now there’s two such posts.
The second grading period started this morning. 9 weeks down, and quite a bit to show for it. On the other hand, it hasn’t gone like I thought it would. Mixed success, I guess.
The big to do around campus can be wrapped up in a few simple phrases: “new reading curriculum” and “pacing guide.”
More tomorrow–or so I’m telling myself.
Certainly I’ve posted more recently than late July. Certainly I have. Or, maybe not…
School has started and things are rolling. 17 students, and it’s looking good. Plenty of challenge, but a good group.
This year’s committee o’ fun: “Integrate Technology Into the Curriculum.” Talk about having to put your money where your mouth is!
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