I don't care that PLNs don't come naturally to teachers. I'm just grateful that great teachers know they need a community to strengthen their practice and to inspire us to be better teachers. Yesterday I attended the first Chicago Education Festival held at the Francis W. Parker School. The very first speaker asked us to join communities using twitter with #ThinkingInPublic and #HalfBakedIdeas. I was jumping up and down inside thinking? PLN!! I exchanged cards with speakers and participants and I couldn't help thinking that these progressive educators and concerned citizens are going to help me educate our children better, prepare them for jobs that don't even exist yet. The inspired me and reminded me why I want to make education my final career. It reminded me that education is the best hope to improve people's lot in life and break the cycle of poverty and low wage jobs. A progressive education is what can create life long learners who can prepare themselves for industries that don't exist yet and fields not yet imagined. I want to help make that happen. Learning about the "Maker Movement" and the "Leap Year project" and learning spaces and the Global Education Conference will help me build my network of people just like me, out to move the world through our teaching practice. The final speaker of the day was the teacher who had the idea of putting together this event. He had the thought last year and shared that idea with others and teams formed and people stepped up and the festival happened. He closed with a quote from Dewey that is my new favorite quote. If I had it during our first assignment... it's what i would have used... "Education should not prepare you for life. Education is life." - John Dewey |
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AuthorHi, I'm Lois and teaching is my final career. It is a privilege to help students to close the achievement gap. Too many learners, young and old alike, need new skills and new ways of learning to meet the demands and challenges of the information age. Archives
May 2015
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