My A-ha Moment of the Week(Thing #6)

I enjoyed reading Dave’s blog about Mashups. As a technologically-challenged-always-open-to-learning-something-new, as I read about mahsups, I realized that I didn’t know what they were. I was able to sort of figure it out through context clues and then I asked a colleague for clarification. I love the idea of being able to mix and blend different technologies to create something that helps you do something better in a cool way. But the lesson today is not what new terminology I just discovered. What I really learned is that I know what it feels like to read something that you don’t understand (as many of my students do) and then have to figure out a way to find out. Everyday I ask my kids to decode unfamiliar text and then be able to understand what they’ve read. It’s easy for some, more challenging for others, but it is a real and important task. Sometimes I’ll talk to my kids during meeting and use a term that they do not understand, and I just keep talking until: 1) I notice their blank stares or 2) some kid will ask “what does THAT mean?”    I need to constantly be able to be in my students frame of mind  shoes so that I can try to understand their thought process and try to enrich their learning…and mine. I also love having great colleagues that I can go to anytime and ask,”What does THAT mean?” and get answers without feeling stupid. I am really grateful when I experience something (like this course!) that allows me to be a student and feel frustrated, confused, accomplished, and gratified.

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