Back to School

In the last few weeks, I've gotten really excited about the possibilities for technology in the classroom. I've done research and experimented with it in camp. And there's a lot to be excited about.

I know that for me, it's because I understand the value of communicating with students in their language, and giving them that opportunity to explore and think outside-the-box to solve problems. But in my recent, intense focus on thinking about how to bring technology into the classroom and what new things I can try and what things I'll want to use in the future, I've forgotten to think about the 'simple things.'

Here's the inspiration: on impulse, my husband and I packed up the car yesterday and went to Howard Prairie Lake (about a 45-minute drive from our house) to camp for the night. We got away. For the first time in months, we spent a day not looking at a TV, computer screen, iPod, etc. I caught him checking his email with his phone once. And his 'book' is the Sony Reader digital book. So we weren't completely disconnected, but we had a night to take a deep breath, slow down, and get away from technology. We reconnected with the non-wired world, with nature, for the night. We focused on some simple things. And came away relaxed.

What are some simple things that I want to remember this year in my classrooms? I look to other teacher's blogs (i.e. a fellow classmate, About.com's Top 6 Keys for Being a Successful Teacher) for ideas, and focus on the things I know are my weak points.

• Be positive and have a sense of humor. It keeps the atmosphere open and productive, instead of tense or stressful.
• Be flexible. As I'm revising some of the old curriculum and writing some new, I need to keep in mind that I won't be effective in a classroom that can't keep up. And I can't go too slowly or be too determined to finish every piece if I want to be sure they learn the big picture before my short 5 hours with them is over.
• The work sample they're required to finish is a LOT of writing, and if they aren't excited about the science they're exploring, they will not want to finish the writing. I can't make them get excited about the work sample by focusing on the writing. I need to focus on having them be excited about the science and learn it, and then have them focus that interest on telling me about their experiment through the work sample. Not the other way around.

So, it's time to get ready to back to school. And think about how we'll balance the 'simple things' with the new innovations, ideas and technologies we want to bring into our classrooms.