Conversations #52 - Passion in Education

This week, we discussed passion in education. What makes up passion, how is it related to learning, how is it sustained and how is it related to giving/helping others? Lisa was unable to join us today, but will be back next week. We were joined by Alice Barr of SEEDlings. We also discussed the SEED program in Maine, and how it is perpetuating the passion for many.

SEED packets can be found at http://www.actem.org/pages/Actem_Seed/index

Catch SEEDlings at edtechtalk.com on Thursdays at 7:30 - 8:30 pm EST.

[Unfortunately, the chat was not operational, but some of it was archived within the ustream video.]

Partial chat log (Thanks, Alice):

12:23 greatnews: some people have introduced a 5 minute tech sharing time during faculty meetings which seem to work really well-not training but almost like "teasers"
12:23 bcdtech: @Peggy- I learn from others online every day, and cannot understand how others don't want the same thing
12:24 alicebarr: @Peggy Love that 5 minute tech time idea
12:24 nancykeane: I do the 5 minute show and tell and always get at least one teacher following up.
12:24 greatnews: me too bcdtech!! sometimes it takes just one thing to get them "hooked" though :-)
12:24 cevanoff: I send 50 minutes a week with my teachers - every once in a while I "get them"
12:25 greatnews: excellent point @nancykeane!! it doesn't have to be everyone--if you reach one person at a time that's worth it!
12:25 bcdtech: I guess it's not just the tool sharing, altho it is very cool- I want people to want to learn.
12:25 greatnews: teachers have to see the value in their own teaching to spend time on it!
12:25 cevanoff: And the teachers who "get it" are moving mountains
12:25 nancykeane: good point. The "need" has to be there.
12:26 bcdtech: I send out diggo links to people constantly- things that are directly related to their courses. Some actually look at them, most don't
12:26 alicebarr: @cevanoff So right! Those that "get it" are really moving along
12:26 greatnews: love that Sheila! big picture, then small picture, then how it relates to you personally--not just a tool but a tool that serves a purpose
12:26 alicebarr: I am now finding that meeting a small group at lunch time is working
12:26 cevanoff: but some I've been working with for 15 years and they still Don't "get it"
12:27 cevanoff: Do you think they will ever come around??
12:27 alicebarr: I show them some quick thing and they run with it
12:27 greatnews: you never know how many people you are reaching! many times people listen to podcasts, webinars as recordings even a year later!
12:27 alicebarr: But it isn't hitting the others
12:27 edtechtalk: So is passion sustained with 'successes'?
12:27 greatnews: I still share some of the first K12online conference videos with teachers who are just getting stated with web 2.0
12:27 nancykeane: We are also starting having teachers share projects quickly at fac. mtgs.  One person showing glogster has created a whole grade level revolution.
12:28 cevanoff: No Shelia - I have lost of passion - and lots of failure :)
12:28 alicebarr: @nancy Nice idea
12:28 cevanoff: *lots
12:28 greatnews: success definitely makes a difference! if you have lots of tech problems when you try something new you tend not to want to do it
12:29 greatnews: we all know the power of technology in our teaching/learning so we are willing to keep trying--not the same for teachers who are scared of technology
12:29 nancykeane: @greatnews: that is so important. If the technology doesn't work, it is hard to have passion!!!  At least positive passion.
12:29 bcdtech: Who blogged about teachers needing to use tech or get out of teaching - Wes or David Warlick? It was just today or yesterday
12:29 greatnews: David Warlick definitely blogged about that several times
12:30 cevanoff: If you are going to be an agent of change you survive on passion


12:30 greatnews: I agree cevanoff!
12:30 alicebarr: ME too @Cevanoff
12:30 edtechtalk: Oh, that's a very good point cevanoff!
12:31 alicebarr: CAn I use that quote? Please?
12:31 bcdtech: My son used google earth last night to show me where he wants to buy land in Alaska. It was funny to have him on the phone from New Mexico giving me directions to somewhere 5000 miles away.
12:31 alicebarr: @Maureen I LOVE that!
12:32 bcdtech: To me it makes things possible, that were impossible just a few years ago.
12:33 greatnews: great idea Maureen!!
12:33 bcdtech: I'm using Halloween- something that my 4th graders are passionate about- to teach research skills. They now have diggo accts!
12:34 bcdtech: It can sometimes come across as a value judgment
12:23 greatnews: some people have introduced a 5 minute tech sharing time during faculty meetings which seem to work really well-not training but almost like "teasers"
12:23 bcdtech: @Peggy- I learn from others online every day, and cannot understand how others don't want the same thing
12:24 alicebarr: @Peggy Love that 5 minute tech time idea
12:24 nancykeane: I do the 5 minute show and tell and always get at least one teacher following up.
12:24 greatnews: me too bcdtech!! sometimes it takes just one thing to get them "hooked" though :-)
12:24 cevanoff: I send 50 minutes a week with my teachers - every once in a while I "get them"
12:25 greatnews: excellent point @nancykeane!! it doesn't have to be everyone--if you reach one person at a time that's worth it!
12:25 bcdtech: I guess it's not just the tool sharing, altho it is very cool- I want people to want to learn.
12:25 greatnews: teachers have to see the value in their own teaching to spend time on it!
12:25 cevanoff: And the teachers who "get it" are moving mountains
12:25 nancykeane: good point. The "need" has to be there.
12:26 bcdtech: I send out diggo links to people constantly- things that are directly related to their courses. Some actually look at them, most don't
12:26 alicebarr: @cevanoff So right! Those that "get it" are really moving along
12:26 greatnews: love that Sheila! big picture, then small picture, then how it relates to you personally--not just a tool but a tool that serves a purpose
12:26 alicebarr: I am now finding that meeting a small group at lunch time is working
12:26 cevanoff: but some I've been working with for 15 years and they still Don't "get it"
12:27 cevanoff: Do you think they will ever come around??
12:27 alicebarr: I show them some quick thing and they run with it
12:27 greatnews: you never know how many people you are reaching! many times people listen to podcasts, webinars as recordings even a year later!
12:27 alicebarr: But it isn't hitting the others
12:27 edtechtalk: So is passion sustained with 'successes'?
12:27 greatnews: I still share some of the first K12online conference videos with teachers who are just getting stated with web 2.0
12:27 nancykeane: We are also starting having teachers share projects quickly at fac. mtgs.  One person showing glogster has created a whole grade level revolution.
12:28 cevanoff: No Shelia - I have lost of passion - and lots of failure :)
12:28 alicebarr: @nancy Nice idea
12:28 cevanoff: *lots
12:28 greatnews: success definitely makes a difference! if you have lots of tech problems when you try something new you tend not to want to do it
12:29 greatnews: we all know the power of technology in our teaching/learning so we are willing to keep trying--not the same for teachers who are scared of technology
12:29 nancykeane: @greatnews: that is so important. If the technology doesn't work, it is hard to have passion!!!  At least positive passion.
12:29 bcdtech: Who blogged about teachers needing to use tech or get out of teaching - Wes or David Warlick? It was just today or yesterday
12:29 greatnews: David Warlick definitely blogged about that several times
12:30 cevanoff: If you are going to be an agent of change you survive on passion
12:30 greatnews: I agree cevanoff!
12:30 alicebarr: ME too @Cevanoff
12:30 edtechtalk: Oh, that's a very good point cevanoff!
12:31 alicebarr: CAn I use that quote? Please?
12:31 bcdtech: My son used google earth last night to show me where he wants to buy land in Alaska. It was funny to have him on the phone from New Mexico giving me directions to somewhere 5000 miles away.
12:31 alicebarr: @Maureen I LOVE that!
12:32 bcdtech: To me it makes things possible, that were impossible just a few years ago.
12:33 greatnews: great idea Maureen!!
12:33 bcdtech: I'm using Halloween- something that my 4th graders are passionate about- to teach research skills. They now have diggo accts!
12:34 bcdtech: It can sometimes come across as a value judgment
12:23 greatnews: some people have introduced a 5 minute tech sharing time during faculty meetings which seem to work really well-not training but almost like "teasers"
12:23 bcdtech: @Peggy- I learn from others online every day, and cannot understand how others don't want the same thing
12:24 alicebarr: @Peggy Love that 5 minute tech time idea
12:24 nancykeane: I do the 5 minute show and tell and always get at least one teacher following up.
12:24 greatnews: me too bcdtech!! sometimes it takes just one thing to get them "hooked" though :-)
12:24 cevanoff: I send 50 minutes a week with my teachers - every once in a while I "get them"
12:25 greatnews: excellent point @nancykeane!! it doesn't have to be everyone--if you reach one person at a time that's worth it!
12:25 bcdtech: I guess it's not just the tool sharing, altho it is very cool- I want people to want to learn.
12:25 greatnews: teachers have to see the value in their own teaching to spend time on it!
12:25 cevanoff: And the teachers who "get it" are moving mountains
12:25 nancykeane: good point. The "need" has to be there.
12:26 bcdtech: I send out diggo links to people constantly- things that are directly related to their courses. Some actually look at them, most don't
12:26 alicebarr: @cevanoff So right! Those that "get it" are really moving along
12:26 greatnews: love that Sheila! big picture, then small picture, then how it relates to you personally--not just a tool but a tool that serves a purpose
12:26 alicebarr: I am now finding that meeting a small group at lunch time is working
12:26 cevanoff: but some I've been working with for 15 years and they still Don't "get it"
12:27 cevanoff: Do you think they will ever come around??
12:27 alicebarr: I show them some quick thing and they run with it
12:27 greatnews: you never know how many people you are reaching! many times people listen to podcasts, webinars as recordings even a year later!
12:27 alicebarr: But it isn't hitting the others
12:27 edtechtalk: So is passion sustained with 'successes'?
12:27 greatnews: I still share some of the first K12online conference videos with teachers who are just getting stated with web 2.0
12:27 nancykeane: We are also starting having teachers share projects quickly at fac. mtgs.  One person showing glogster has created a whole grade level revolution.
12:28 cevanoff: No Shelia - I have lost of passion - and lots of failure :)
12:28 alicebarr: @nancy Nice idea
12:28 cevanoff: *lots
12:28 greatnews: success definitely makes a difference! if you have lots of tech problems when you try something new you tend not to want to do it
12:29 greatnews: we all know the power of technology in our teaching/learning so we are willing to keep trying--not the same for teachers who are scared of technology
12:29 nancykeane: @greatnews: that is so important. If the technology doesn't work, it is hard to have passion!!!  At least positive passion.
12:29 bcdtech: Who blogged about teachers needing to use tech or get out of teaching - Wes or David Warlick? It was just today or yesterday
12:29 greatnews: David Warlick definitely blogged about that several times
12:30 cevanoff: If you are going to be an agent of change you survive on passion
12:30 greatnews: I agree cevanoff!
12:30 alicebarr: ME too @Cevanoff
12:30 edtechtalk: Oh, that's a very good point cevanoff!
12:31 alicebarr: CAn I use that quote? Please?
12:31 bcdtech: My son used google earth last night to show me where he wants to buy land in Alaska. It was funny to have him on the phone from New Mexico giving me directions to somewhere 5000 miles away.
12:31 alicebarr: @Maureen I LOVE that!
12:32 bcdtech: To me it makes things possible, that were impossible just a few years ago.
12:33 greatnews: great idea Maureen!!
12:33 bcdtech: I'm using Halloween- something that my 4th graders are passionate about- to teach research skills. They now have diggo accts!
12:34 bcdtech: It can sometimes come across as a value judgment
12:34 greatnews: I don't think it's the fact that they liked your idea but that they used it and had success with it with their kids. That is what excites me!!
12:35 greatnews: if I share an idea or tool with teachers and they try it out and come back to tell me what happened, that is exciting and energizing to me and encourages me to keep sharing!
12:35 bcdtech: Some teachers who "hate technology" feel like they are being judged. And yes, I am judging them, but try not to let it show. I think that they are not willing to learn
12:36 bcdtech: I wouldn't let the kids get away with not trying to learn, why do the teachers?
12:36 greatnews: the key is listening to them talk about what they want to do/need to do and share resources that will help them do it (IMHO)
12:37 bcdtech: Is it raining up there? Or snow?
12:37 greatnews: this has been fun to think about! thanks for a great conversation!
12:37 alicebarr: GREY day cold and raw
12:37 greatnews: hope the site stays up through Ed Tech Weekly and WOW3 tonight :-)
12:37 bcdtech: @Alice we've got cold yucky rain, altho it started with a few little snowflakes this morning- too early!
12:38 edtechtalk: Bookmark this site just in case!
12:38 alicebarr: UH oh too early in the year!
12:38 greatnews: good pint Sheila!
12:38 greatnews: that would be "point" :-) oops