"Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself."
- John Dewey
Over the past week I've had two great experiences as a teacher. The first one involved discovering an awesome website called edu.glogster.com. It's a website that allows students and teachers to create online multimedia posters or glogs. I've done some experimenting with it and plan to use it in a couple of weeks in both my Grade 7 LA class and my Grade 11 English class. Check out the sample I've created for my Grade 7 students at the link below.
http://wikiuser.edu.glogster.com/john-goddard/
It's almost an understatement to say that we live in a multimedia world. By having students use the interactive tools available on the glogster website (according to a teacher set list of criteria), we allow them another opportunity to use their creative thinking skills. To supplement the text only writing assignments, glogs can be an additional catalyst to engage learners and to better hone the skills needed in the 21st century.
The second great teacher experience in the past week involved spending a couple of hours with about ten of my junior high French students at a school in Medicine Hat. Being an online teacher, I don't often get the chance to meet face to face with my students, especially in a traditional school setting. What impressed me the most about these students was the level of courtesy and respect they showed me during my brief visit.
Over the course of my teaching career I've had the good fortune to work with many students who have, in essence, humbled me by their impeccable manners and respectful behavior. These French students similarly put me in awe. When my stay with them was over and they had returned to their next class, I couldn't help but think - these students are people of character.
Aristotle once wrote: "The ultimate end of life is the development of character." My students in Medicine Hat have already made great strides on that journey of character development.
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