I'm messy, I spill things constantly, so what was I thinking? By 9 a.m., the splatters of my Diet Dr. Pepper clearly indicated that I took a bad risk. But so what? What's the worst that will happen? Okay, I have to explain my stains to CO when I go there for my meeting this afternoon, but I'm pretty sure that the stains are treatable and my white pants will be saved to be stained another day...
And now, you're wondering, "What in the world does this have to do with instruction at TMS?" Well, a lot actually because what's the worst that can happen when you take an instructional risk? The kids won't get it? You'll have to teach the lesson another way? You'll have lost a little instructional time?
But...
What about the benefits to that risk? I mean, I love these white pants and the whole look of my outfit, so I think the benefit of being "cute" outweighs the risk of spillage.
The potential benefits of trying something new with teaching and learning are rewarded when kids transfer knowledge because of deeper and more authentic learning. Consider these risk-taking moves from the 2012-13 school year:
Online book clubs in Edmodo
Blowing up nitrogen in the science lab (not sure I recommend this for everyone)
Flipped classrooms
Creating bills to become TMS "laws"
One-note usage
Student collaborations with Padlet
Making books for children without access to literature
Letting control of classroom instruction to allow more student autonomy
Use of CT strategies
Station Teaching
Screencastomatic to support student learning
And so much more that I can't think of right now....
This year, I plan to take more risks in my own use of technology, working to model strategies that can be easily transferred to the classroom. Mike plans to ride Bus 2 (and trust me, that's a risk!)
Now, what instructional risk will you take in 2013-14???????
