Road Trips have played an important part in my life. From vacations with my folks and sister, to college/sorority trips and one ill-advised trip post-college to Florida with a girlfriend where I did most of the driving, as well as many wonderful trips with my husband over the last 20+ years, road trips have that magical quality that allow us to forget about the reality of the day-to-day, and give us hope to find inner-peace and perhaps gain some perspective, some insight, and have some fun along the way. This past weekend, I took a road trip to motivation!
But, before I discuss this, I have to pause, because this past week, a great educator named Grant Wiggins died. I tend think of his entire life and career as one long road trip of discovery and learning. It makes me sad that I will never meet this man that I have read, studied and emulated. I hope one day to be as well-respected and as effective an educator as he was. Rest in peace, sir.
But, before I discuss this, I have to pause, because this past week, a great educator named Grant Wiggins died. I tend think of his entire life and career as one long road trip of discovery and learning. It makes me sad that I will never meet this man that I have read, studied and emulated. I hope one day to be as well-respected and as effective an educator as he was. Rest in peace, sir.
Meanwhile, I, just came back from a road trip to our nation's capitol where I spent 36 amazing hours with people I love and people I just met at an inspiring place called EDCAMPUS DOED. While I can't possibly do justice in words to the excitement I felt before, the elation I felt during, and the utter sense of satisfaction and exhilaration I felt afterward, I would like people who were not lucky enough to attend this year, to know that really wonderful work in education is being done around this country. You can, of course, click on the link to learn more about the details of the experience, read the session notes, and learn about the edcampers, who are an astonishing representation of geography, roles in education and personalities! To see the Tweets from the day search out the hashtag #edcampusa, although at some points during the day that hashtag was trending (big time) so ignore the posts from the Twitter trolls! On Twitter you will find more links and takeaways and thoughts as they occurred to people in sessions, at lunch, and at the after party!
In our ego-centric (or is it ethno-centric?) way, we here in New York feel like the center of the universe in every way. Fashion, Food, Trends, Music, Theater, and yes, even Education. As my friend and colleague, Ed Kemnitzer said at the end of the day, who knew that Sheboygan, Wisconsin and Burlington, North Carolina, were further advanced in edcamp and many other things than we are! And yes, teachers everywhere feel just like we do on Long Island and in NYC. They want less testing, more time for creativity and that they work tirelessly for the betterment of their students and their classrooms.
What edcamps are for and what edcamps do is connect people and ideas. Edcamp US DOED was no different. I loved being able to meet many people in person that I engage with regularly on Social Media. How great was it to tell each of them, in person how much their ideas, their thoughtful blog posts, their links, their discussions in chat have meant for my professional and personal growth. I am a better teacher because of them. I am a better, more positive person because of them.
The world is full of negativity. Our Congress, mere blocks from the Department of Education building, clearly can't play nicely together; we are constantly at war somewhere; my dear colleagues' nephew just joined the Marines and may face terrible times ahead; turn on any news channel, whether you subscribe to its particular brand of news or not and only infrequently will a positive story pop into view. We are bombarded by anti-education, anti-teacher, anti-teacher's union stories in our local papers and in the news which in my mind always ends up being anti-student in the long run.
I am here to tell you the good news. We of the edcamp persuasion are going to save education. Each group in its own corner of our nation, and then when we come together again in days like EdCampUS DOED. We are going to change hearts and minds. First of our own colleagues, then of the administrations around us, then of the government. That was the feeling I had when Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said that the edcamp movement is integral to policy and we are being heard. We are going to make a difference. If you'd like to join us on this exciting road trip, please do. The next edcampLI is on October 3, 2015. It is free PD for Teachers, Administrators, Pre-service Teachers, and Parents too! If you can't make it to Long Island, then find an edcamp near you. Speak up, speak out, get heard. Do it for our students. Do it for yourself. Do it for the future. Do it to become a different person...more wise, more mature and more productive...in the broadest sense of the word!
In our ego-centric (or is it ethno-centric?) way, we here in New York feel like the center of the universe in every way. Fashion, Food, Trends, Music, Theater, and yes, even Education. As my friend and colleague, Ed Kemnitzer said at the end of the day, who knew that Sheboygan, Wisconsin and Burlington, North Carolina, were further advanced in edcamp and many other things than we are! And yes, teachers everywhere feel just like we do on Long Island and in NYC. They want less testing, more time for creativity and that they work tirelessly for the betterment of their students and their classrooms.
What edcamps are for and what edcamps do is connect people and ideas. Edcamp US DOED was no different. I loved being able to meet many people in person that I engage with regularly on Social Media. How great was it to tell each of them, in person how much their ideas, their thoughtful blog posts, their links, their discussions in chat have meant for my professional and personal growth. I am a better teacher because of them. I am a better, more positive person because of them.
The world is full of negativity. Our Congress, mere blocks from the Department of Education building, clearly can't play nicely together; we are constantly at war somewhere; my dear colleagues' nephew just joined the Marines and may face terrible times ahead; turn on any news channel, whether you subscribe to its particular brand of news or not and only infrequently will a positive story pop into view. We are bombarded by anti-education, anti-teacher, anti-teacher's union stories in our local papers and in the news which in my mind always ends up being anti-student in the long run.
I am here to tell you the good news. We of the edcamp persuasion are going to save education. Each group in its own corner of our nation, and then when we come together again in days like EdCampUS DOED. We are going to change hearts and minds. First of our own colleagues, then of the administrations around us, then of the government. That was the feeling I had when Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said that the edcamp movement is integral to policy and we are being heard. We are going to make a difference. If you'd like to join us on this exciting road trip, please do. The next edcampLI is on October 3, 2015. It is free PD for Teachers, Administrators, Pre-service Teachers, and Parents too! If you can't make it to Long Island, then find an edcamp near you. Speak up, speak out, get heard. Do it for our students. Do it for yourself. Do it for the future. Do it to become a different person...more wise, more mature and more productive...in the broadest sense of the word!