Comments on: Hello February? http://mscofino.edublogs.org/2009/02/09/hello-february/ teaching technology abroad Wed, 25 Nov 2009 04:45:04 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: Kim Cofino http://mscofino.edublogs.org/2009/02/09/hello-february/comment-page-1/#comment-2389 Kim Cofino Sun, 08 Mar 2009 09:06:31 +0000 http://mscofino.edublogs.org/?p=328#comment-2389 @Annelise, I love your statement: "We are striving to be the best we can be, continue to learn every day and take on tasks that will ultimately improve our own perspective and ability to be better educators." That certainly describes how and why I keep up this pace (but it certainly is good to take a break every now and again). @Susan, Thank you! It was very interesting to be part of the K12 Horizon Report - I'm definitely smarter after having the opportunity to participate :) @Mr. James, I'm a procrastinator-cleaner too! Something mindless about cleaning things up that helps you focus on what you have to get done! Glad to hear it works for others as well. @Janice, What a great use of VoiceThread! So true about being busy - I also prefer to be busy. I find I'm far more productive when I have lots to do, then when I have time to do nothing. @Neil, Thanks! Meditation - that's definitely something I can work on. I used to do yoga regularly (not quite the same, but close enough for me), but have not been very good about that since moving to Bangkok. Need to work it back into the routine. @Annelise,

I love your statement: “We are striving to be the best we can be, continue to learn every day and take on tasks that will ultimately improve our own perspective and ability to be better educators.” That certainly describes how and why I keep up this pace (but it certainly is good to take a break every now and again).

@Susan,

Thank you! It was very interesting to be part of the K12 Horizon Report – I’m definitely smarter after having the opportunity to participate :)

@Mr. James,

I’m a procrastinator-cleaner too! Something mindless about cleaning things up that helps you focus on what you have to get done! Glad to hear it works for others as well.

@Janice,

What a great use of VoiceThread! So true about being busy – I also prefer to be busy. I find I’m far more productive when I have lots to do, then when I have time to do nothing.

@Neil,

Thanks! Meditation – that’s definitely something I can work on. I used to do yoga regularly (not quite the same, but close enough for me), but have not been very good about that since moving to Bangkok. Need to work it back into the routine.

]]> By: Neil Anderson http://mscofino.edublogs.org/2009/02/09/hello-february/comment-page-1/#comment-2367 Neil Anderson Mon, 02 Mar 2009 01:43:21 +0000 http://mscofino.edublogs.org/?p=328#comment-2367 Really enjoying the blog! When I'm too busy I try to schedule time to meditate to calm and centre myself. Really enjoying the blog! When I’m too busy I try to schedule time to meditate to calm and centre myself.

]]> By: Janice Robertson http://mscofino.edublogs.org/2009/02/09/hello-february/comment-page-1/#comment-2306 Janice Robertson Mon, 09 Feb 2009 22:06:06 +0000 http://mscofino.edublogs.org/?p=328#comment-2306 Hi Kim, Thanks for sharing the Voice Thread grade four assessment task. I'm just starting to play around with VoiceThread and other 2.0 tools, and I really appreciate being able to look at what others are doing with the same tools. I'm in Ontario and we have a book award called Silver Birch (grades 4-6) and Red Maple (grade7-9). Ten titles get nominated and then kids all over Ontario read at least five of the ten titles and in April they vote on their favourite. I wanted to find a way for students in different classes to electronically share their responses to the books, so I've been using Voice Thread for that. As to your question about how not to shut down when things get busy - that's when I'm least likely to shut down. I thrive on trying new things, and then reflecting and modifying... I love the crazy, hectic feeling of being insanely busy, because it's when I feel most alive. I'm more likely to shut down when I'm forced to do the same thing for the fourth or fifth time, and it isn't that interesting or stimulating any more... then I want to shut down. Janice Hi Kim,
Thanks for sharing the Voice Thread grade four assessment task. I’m just starting to play around with VoiceThread and other 2.0 tools, and I really appreciate being able to look at what others are doing with the same tools. I’m in Ontario and we have a book award called Silver Birch (grades 4-6) and Red Maple (grade7-9). Ten titles get nominated and then kids all over Ontario read at least five of the ten titles and in April they vote on their favourite. I wanted to find a way for students in different classes to electronically share their responses to the books, so I’ve been using Voice Thread for that.
As to your question about how not to shut down when things get busy – that’s when I’m least likely to shut down. I thrive on trying new things, and then reflecting and modifying… I love the crazy, hectic feeling of being insanely busy, because it’s when I feel most alive. I’m more likely to shut down when I’m forced to do the same thing for the fourth or fifth time, and it isn’t that interesting or stimulating any more… then I want to shut down.
Janice

]]> By: Mr. James http://mscofino.edublogs.org/2009/02/09/hello-february/comment-page-1/#comment-2305 Mr. James Mon, 09 Feb 2009 17:22:24 +0000 http://mscofino.edublogs.org/?p=328#comment-2305 I clean. It is one of my coping mechanisms to stress brought on by the amount of things to do. When I start cleaning, the people in my office know that it is because of the lengthy To Do list I am trying to wrap my brain around. When I clean, I end up throwing out ideas that never took off. Some things I put on my calendar for another day. When my physical and virtual desktops are clean, I feel like I have a better grip on what is going on. It also helps remove that nagging feeling of "I am forgetting something" that brings about more stress. I clean. It is one of my coping mechanisms to stress brought on by the amount of things to do. When I start cleaning, the people in my office know that it is because of the lengthy To Do list I am trying to wrap my brain around.

When I clean, I end up throwing out ideas that never took off. Some things I put on my calendar for another day. When my physical and virtual desktops are clean, I feel like I have a better grip on what is going on. It also helps remove that nagging feeling of “I am forgetting something” that brings about more stress.

]]> By: Susan Sedro http://mscofino.edublogs.org/2009/02/09/hello-february/comment-page-1/#comment-2304 Susan Sedro Mon, 09 Feb 2009 12:22:04 +0000 http://mscofino.edublogs.org/?p=328#comment-2304 Congrats on the Horizons invite. You may not feel visionary, but you are cutting edge in using tech with kids in powerful ways which makes you a great person to be on that committee. I look forward to hearing more about the experience. Congrats on the Horizons invite. You may not feel visionary, but you are cutting edge in using tech with kids in powerful ways which makes you a great person to be on that committee. I look forward to hearing more about the experience.

]]> By: Annelise http://mscofino.edublogs.org/2009/02/09/hello-february/comment-page-1/#comment-2302 Annelise Mon, 09 Feb 2009 04:28:24 +0000 http://mscofino.edublogs.org/?p=328#comment-2302 Hi Kim, To answer your last question, I think it is the reason most of us are doing what we're doing.....not shutting down that is ....for the kids. We are striving to be the best we can be, continue to learn every day and take on tasks that will ultimately improve our own perspective and ability to be better educators. You are clearly taking the lead in modeling the 21st century skills we are trying to teach our students. Your passion is clear, so let that be what drives you to not shutting down. From afar, it likes you are on a road to success. Cheers, Annelise Hi Kim,
To answer your last question, I think it is the reason most of us are doing what we’re doing…..not shutting down that is ….for the kids. We are striving to be the best we can be, continue to learn every day and take on tasks that will ultimately improve our own perspective and ability to be better educators. You are clearly taking the lead in modeling the 21st century skills we are trying to teach our students. Your passion is clear, so let that be what drives you to not shutting down. From afar, it likes you are on a road to success.
Cheers,
Annelise

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