When I’m not busy finding, reading and writing blog posts, I also love to interact with our network of teachers on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.
And recently I’ve noticed a topic of conversation that comes up over and over again– no matter which social media site teachers are using to interact.
Education and Technology.
As we transition into a world of smart phones, tablets, and social media, teachers are doing what they do best: learning about it. They are then taking what they learn and applying it to the classroom. And best of all?
They are helping each other adapt. They are all learning and teaching technology together.
Sharing their pins, retweeting advice, blogging their experiences.
It is such a cool process to watch.
So today, I am so excited to profile a blog that specializes in the Education Technology world. Today’s TOP EDUCATION Blog is…
Drape’s Takes.
This is Darren Draper. The man behind the blog.
Darren Draper is a Director of Education Technology.
And he asks this question:
His answer?! It doesn’t. His blog talks about how to use technology to make school interesting, fun and engaging.
Or, as he says:
So we caught up with Darren to learn MORE about Drape’s Takes. Here’s what he had to say:
How would you describe your blog? My takes on items of interest in the world of educational technology.
What is the focus or mission of Drape’s Takes? I focus on that place where education and technology collide – and what happens when it does or doesn’t.
Why did you start it? I started it as a personal space for reflection.
How long have you been writing Drape’s Takes? Since 2007.
What’s your favorite thing to write about? Controversial topics where I know I’m probably in the minority.
Do you have a least favorite? Technology tools.
Tell us a little bit about your blog ‘community’ … I love getting comments from people I’ve not yet met – that really make me think and consider the world through a new lens.
What has been your best experience as a blogger? Thinking deeply with others I’ve never met.
What have you learned? I’ve learned that most people that comment on my blog are earnestly looking for truth.
If you win Battle of the Blogs, to which charity will you donate your $200 winnings and why?Canyons Education Foundation because they provide scholarships to students and technology grants to teachers.
What is it about Kindergarten teachers that make them such outstanding bloggers!?
Today we are profiling another magnificent Kindergarten blog: Mrs. Wills Kindergarten!
If you are looking for an elementary school blog with fantastic (and super creative!) resources, Mrs. Wills Kindergarten is a MUST SEE blog!
And the blogger behind the blog, Deedee Wills, is a rock star.
Not only is she a fun, interactive blogger, but she is also working on a web site that helps teachers find the right books for their teaching ideas, organizes web-based teacher book studies, and is constantly updating the blog with great book ideas and giveaways.
Phew!
Luckily, Mrs. Wills did manage to find a little time between all this multitasking to talk to us a little bit about her blog and her experience as a Kindergarten blogger!
Deedee, how would you describe your blog?
My blog is about the daily happenings in my kindergarten classroom. I share lesson ideas and hopefully inspire teachers to try new things in their classroom. I also can connect with teachers around the world. Blogging helps me be even MORE reflective in my teaching… as a result, my students win.
What do you aim to accomplish with ‘Mrs. Wills Kindergarten’?
To share and connect with other teachers, particularly primary teachers.
Is this your first blog?
Yes.
When did you launch it?
January 2011
Do you have any favorite or least favorite topics?
Favorite: student writing!!!! Least favorite: promotional items.
(I have to step in here and say that Mrs. Wills has a fantastic post about student writing that I just love. It’s about the class pet, Miss Theodora, and you can find it here!)
Tell us a little bit about your blog ‘community’…
My blogging community is awesome! There are so many bloggers that make me laugh out loud… goodness! In the world of teaching we often shut the door and work with little kiddos. We sometimes can work closely with teaching peers in our building, but everyone is busy. In the blogging world, everyone’s door is wide open. You can look inside of 15 classrooms in less than 5 minutes. It helps you gauge if you are on track with your instruction or if you need to kick it up a notch. You can see the possibilities. Anyone who says that teaching is no longer fun, needs to sit down and see how amazingly joyful it can be.
What has been your best experience as a blogger?
Last summer I led a blog book study on Math Work Stations. GOODNESS! I created Linky parties and asked other bloggers to help host various chapters. We had K-2 bloggers represented and it was amazing. We were able to share resources and see the vertical alignment of instructions. It was incredible! I am getting ready to do the same thing with a book based on writing instruction. We are VERY excited! You can read about last summer’s here: Math Work Stations Chapter 1 and 2 This summer’s here: In Pictures and in Words.
What have you learned from the blogging experience?
There is more than one way to bake a cake! There are many ways to inspire and teach children. When we share our perspectives, children win.
There is no such thing as a dumb question. I have had first year teachers email me and say, “This may seem like a silly question, but…” My feeling is that we were all new once and someone helped me. If I can help someone through my semi-random ramblings, I am happy to do it.
Any stories you’d like to share?
I had a teacher who was from Joplin, MO email me and tell me how low the teacher moral was (this was 8 months after the devastating tornado). She asked if I would donate an item I had made to give to these teachers. Of course… but then I thought… I can do better than THAT! I called out to the blogging community and they were AMAZING! You can read about this here: Love to Joplin.
So, Mrs. Wills, if you win the Battle of the Blogs, to which charity will you donate your $200 winnings? Why?
Donors Chose is a wonderful organization. I would love to be able to support another teacher by helping to fulfill their project.
Today, we are so proud to profile our first TOP EDUCATION blog!
Not only is today’s blogger an amazing Kindergarten teacher, she is also competing as a top blog to win a charity donation to benefit one of her students.
Katie Mense, we are in awe.
Enough about us.
This is Katie’s blog…
It’s called Little Warriors. And it’s adorable.
After spending a little (okay, a lot) of time on the blog, we wanted to know more about Katie, her class, and why she took her experience to the web. Here’s what we learned…
Katie, how would you describe your blog?
Little Warriors is a Kindergarten blog and a place to gain and share teaching ideas, tips and materials. I love to share tons of pictures from my kinder classroom and have lots of free downloads available!
I have to ask. Where did the name come from?
The name of my blog “Little Warriors” comes from our school mascot. Our mascot is the Warriors and since I teach little kids (Kindergarteners), I thought the name “Little Warriors” was cute and appropriate.
You cover a lot of ground on your blog. But what is the focus or mission?
What I hope to achieve through my blog is just to share my ideas, resources and “things that work” for me in my classroom with other teachers. If a teacher comes across my blog and finds just one idea or resource that they can take and use in their classroom, then it is all so worth it to me! I hope that I can inspire others like some of the other bloggers have inspired me.
How did it all start?
It all started one night when I was searching online for some new, fun and creative ideas to use in my classroom. I stumbled across this totally amazing teacher’s blog, which led me to other teaching blogs. I was so incredibly grateful and inspired by their sharing, that I wanted to share some of my own ideas with others as well!
How long ago was that?
I started Little Warriors last February. So, it’s been about a year and 4 months.
What’s your favorite thing to write about?
I just love writing about new ideas and things that I have tried in my classroom. (Whether it’s one of my own ideas, or an idea I may have “borrowed” from another blogger.) I LOVE adding LOTS of pictures to go with what I’m posting about. I think it’s important for readers to not only read about, but actually SEE how to implement an idea. I LOVE visiting other teachers’ classrooms and getting new ideas from them. I feel like through blogging, I’m giving others the opportunity to “see” inside my classroom and take any ideas that they might find useful.
How would you describe your blog community?
The teacher blog community is absolutely AMAZING!!!!! I love them all so much and have gained many new friendships through blogging. I have been VERY surprised with how generous people are with their personally created materials and ideas!!!
I have also been impressed, grateful and humbled by the support that other bloggers and my amazing followers have given me! There are so many wonderful people out there that take the time to thank you for what you are contributing. I’ve gotten so many nice comments and emails from people just thanking me and who appreciate what my blog is about, that it makes me want to give more! It’s also an amazing feeling when another blogger recognizes an idea or product that you’ve created by posting about it on their blog. The support system in blogland is truly unbelievable! I’m so proud to be a part of it!
What has been your best experience as a blogger?
I have to say that my best experience as a blogger has to be the friendships and relationships that I have made. I have met so many generous, amazing and inspiring people through blogging. It’s so nice to have met other teachers that you can communicate with to get advice, opinions and feedback on issues that you might be facing in your own teaching.
What have you learned from the other bloggers?
Oh my goodness!!!! I can’t even begin to express the things that I have learned through blogging! Teaching blogs have brought my career to a whole new level. I thought I was a good teacher before I discovered and got involved in teaching blogs. Through the things I have learned, inspiration that I’ve been given, ideas I have picked up, and knowledge and resources that I’ve gained through this experience has made me 100 times the teacher that I used to be! Every time I blog hop through teaching blogs, I learn something new. It’s like going to the best workshop of your life every single day!
If you win, who will receive your charity donation?
I would like to donate my winnings to https://www.debra.org/. Debra stands for the Dystrophic EpidermolysisBullosa (EB) Research Association of America.
There is a little girl that goes to our school named Mareyna, that has EB. She is definitely a “Little Warrior.” The simple way to explain what she has is that she doesn’t have the fibers that keep the layers of her skin together so, with any rough touch, she blisters. Her Mom has to pop the blisters every night. If they break open she has raw skin that is similar to a burn patient’s skin.
Mareyna gets these blisters even from simple, everyday tasks like: her clothes rubbing against her, walking and through the movement and pressure of writing with a pencil. She has visible sores on her body EVERY day of her life. But, Mareyna is a little girl who you will NEVER hear complain. She works through the pain each and every day and is a very tough and brave little girl.
Mareyna actually has the least severe type of EB. The more severe people do not have the top layer at all and have to be totally bandaged. Many insurance companies don’t cover the “bandages” because they say they are “just bandages.” But, there are actually special bandages that are needed and a month bill for them is $5,000. Usually one parent has to stop working to care for the child, so the income is cut. Debra also had a wound care clearing house where people can get some of the bandages for free through donations. Debra also puts on a conference every other year to bring the families together and better educate them about this condition. They are working on a cure through bone marrow transplants.
(Katie wrote an awesome blog post about EB and little Mareyna. Check it out here)
We’ve had such a great experience getting to know Katie. It’s no wonder her blog has taken off and has such a great community around it. If you want to vote for Little Warriors, click here. To check out more of Katie’s materials and postings, click here! Thanks, Katie!
The recent story of a student who was given an “award” for having the most homework excuses has generated a great debate across the social media world.
Cassandra Garcia, an Arizona third grader, received the “Catastrophe” award for having the most excuses for not turning in her homework during a classroom awards ceremony. According the Garcia’s teacher, the award was a joke – but it has raised the ire of both the student’s mother as well as a huge number of internet users who are watching the scenario unfold.
This raises a series of questions:
Who is at fault? Did the teacher exercise questionable judgment, or was this an attempt at motivating a child who regularly failed to hand in assignments?
Does this constitute bullying by the teacher? Was this an attempt to humiliate the student or to create a change in a negative behavior pattern?
What is the role of the parent? Should this story have even made it to the media? Does the parent have any responsibility for the student’s lack of homework performance?
I’m not ready to completely absolve the teacher because I don’t know that publicly discussing the issue was the best approach. However, I do know that if I was that third grade student, embarrassment at school would be nothing compared to what I would have to deal with when I got home.
If I was ever recognized for my lack of work, my parents and I–not my parents and the newspaper– would be exchanging some words.
I think, ultimately, this leads us to a larger issue, which is the increased need for teachers to not only instruct, but also take responsibility for lessons that should most likely be taught at home. Every year, we hear more and more stories of parents who aren’t taking an active role in their child’s education. In this scenario, this mother contacted the media regarding this ‘award’ instead of focusing on the real problem: that her child simply wasn’t doing her home work.
Whew, it has been one busy week around California Casualty. This week is both Nurses Week & Teacher Appreciation Week.
As you can imagine, trying to show how much we appreciate you has been a slight challenge. I mean… where to start?!?
Leading up to this week, I have been trolling the web, searching for articles, quotes, and gifts that our nurses and teachers would appreciate. (You can check out–and judge–the fruits of my laboron ourPinterest account.)
While scouring the web, I found this quote by Henry Brooks Adams about teachers…
A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.”
And guys, it got me thinking.
So in this blog post, I’d like to talk a little bit about a teacher who is still influencing my life, 15 years after we met.
Growing up I wasthat kid in the classroom.
I always got my work done, was a good student, but I was annoying.
Chatty is an understatement. I was that kid who finishes her work then distracts everyone around her who is trying to finish. That kid who hides the hermit crab in her desk to play with when she’s bored. That kid who, once silenced with a final warning, starts passing notes.
My poor teachers.
But then I had this teacher, Mrs. Setter, who took the glue, hermit crabs, and gel pens out of my grimy little hands and replaced them with this:
… and boy was it beautiful. It had my name on it. Written inhot pink, perfect teacher handwriting. It was just for me.
The deal was I could use this pass whenever I finished my work. I didn’t have to ask. Just show it to Mrs. Setter, and down the hall I went.
The best part? The librarian let me pickany book I wanted.
Didn’t matter what age level the book was intended for. If I could handle it, and the content was age-appropriate, it was mine. And off I went, back to class, book in hand. And while everyone else was finishing up their math sheets, I would read, read, read… and Mrs. Setter? She got some much-deserved silence outta me.
peace was found.
Fast forward 15 years…
And to this day, I’m a book junky. I still fill my spare time–whether it’s time spent on the train or sitting in a waiting room–with a book in hand. I still think the only way to judge a good book is by how sad you are when it’s over… because there’s no more left to read.
And when I think back to the roots of my literary obsession, I come back to Mrs. Setter. Here was anoverwhelmed, underappreciated teacher who took a kid with too much energy and channeled that into something that would occupy her hands, silence her mouth, and completely rock her world.
Her creative problem solving led me through the magic wardrobe into Narnia, sent me afloat with Huck and Jim, and introduced me to Alice and the Queen of Hearts.
She led me to a world that once explored, I never left. And for that, I will be forever grateful.
So, on this Teacher Appreciation Day, be sure to thank your kids’ teachers.
You have no idea what worlds they are opening up for them.
But also take the time to remember the teachers who have influenced your own journey, just like Mrs. Setter did mine.
The California Casualty team headed to Miami to meet some inspiring educators at the United Teachers of Dade Council of Steward meeting. During our trip, we asked teachers how they thought we could improve education in America. Check out some of their answers in this YouTube clip!
Here are a few of their suggestions:
Get Parents Involved. Steve Goldman, a Government & Economics teacher in Miami, said it best: “Teachers only have them during the day, parents have them the rest of the time.” Check out these tips from the U.S. Department of Education on how you can help your child succeed when the school day is over.
Involve the Community. California Casualty is a proud partner of the education community.We have been providing auto and home insurance to educators for more than 60 years. Be sure to follow @TYeducators on Twitter to hear news and special offers for the education community.
Value our Educators. Teachers give so much, they deserve something back. Over the next year, California Casualty will show how much we value educators by giving away School Lounge Makeovers to four schools. We love thanking our teachers by giving out small gifts and offering insurance that matches their lifestyles. Be sure to follow us on Facebook to hear how we’re giving back to this deserving community.
Join the conversation! How else can we work together to improve education in America?
