Conversations Episode 55

Post-Show description: 

Fall leaves - raking and playing in them - have made us nostalgic.  So this week we focused on positive memories we have from our school days and asked ourselves what memories we are creating for our own students.

Fall leaves - raking and playing in them - have made us nostalgic.  So this week we focused on positive memories we have from our school days and asked ourselves what memories we are creating for our own students.

Chat:

 [11:25] <AngelaS> hi Sheila. '

[11:29] <Sheila> We will be able starting in a few minutes

[11:29] <Lisa___> Hello All

[11:31] <Lisa___> Hi Cathy

[11:31] <Lisa___> Stream is up in ETTA

[11:31] <mariak> hello all

[11:31] <Lisa___> Hi Peggy

[11:32] <PeggyG> Hi everyone!

[11:32] <Sheila> Hi all!

[11:32] <@mbeyrer> Hi all

[11:32] <PeggyG> beautiful fall colors!! reminds me of my days in Massachusetts!

[11:33] <Cathy> Show #55 Ya'll are getting sooo old!

[11:33] <PeggyG> nostalgia and school memories--what fun!! now I have to try to remember :-)

[11:34] <PeggyG> Lisa and Ginger had an awesome show on Parents as Partners last week about student-led parent conferences! Re-listened to it on my trip to Flagstaff yesterday. :-)

[11:35] == jamie has changed nick to Guest21992

[11:35] <mariak> hello Jamie - welcome to conversations today

[11:36] <Guest21992> Hi all!  Why did my name change to guest21992?

[11:36] <Guest21992> Anyone know?

[11:36] <Lisa___> Not sure Jamie.  Try again.  It's a new chat.

[11:36] <Guest21992> I'll log out and back in

[11:37] <PeggyG> tough decisions Lisa! What is tested from those new curriculum requirments?

[11:37] <PeggyG> that is so exciting Maria!!

[11:37] <Lisa___> The new curriculum came from the 6th grade teachers telling us what they needed to know for regents in 8th grade.

[11:38] <Lisa___> So, Peggy, I guess that means everything is tested.

[11:38] <PeggyG> what an incredible use of technology, Maria!! Just like being there!!

[11:39] <PeggyG> hey, this is supposed to be an upbeat show :-) what sad news Sheila!!

[11:41] <jamie> hi again all!

[11:41] == jamie has changed nick to Guest96975

[11:41] <PeggyG> I remember a 5th grade field trip to a fly-tying shop in Montana--very memorable experience in a very traditional school.

[11:41] <Guest96975> weird. happened again. I didn't do anything. hmmm...

[11:43] <PeggyG> funny! hard to keep track of teacher name changes over the years :-)

[11:43] <AngelaS> I'm listening to your stories and i can't remember any specifics about my teachers. How sad!

[11:45] <Cathy> My second grade teacher lived next door - I always thoguht it was so funny that they went to bed at 8:00pm - now I understand!!

[11:45] <PeggyG> I don't think any of my teachers growing up ever shared about their personal lives--at least I can't remember any of them.

[11:45] <mariak> http://www.amazon.com/Wednesday-Wars-Gary-D-Schmidt/dp/0618724834

[11:48] <PeggyG> we had an amazing experience at the school where I was principal--Read Under the Stars--parents,kids,teachers brought blankets, snacks and flashlights and read together on blankets. Then studied the stars with a huge telescope.

[11:49] <Sheila> Oh, nice idea!

[11:49] <PeggyG> books are such a big, important part of our memories!! :-)

[11:50] <PeggyG> Maria got in trouble in class??!! :-) oh no!

[11:50] <PeggyG> but it wasn't her fault :-)

[11:51] <PeggyG> what a great story about how reading aloud to students--even high school students--can be so engaging!

[11:53] <PeggyG> great thought Lisa!! all of those examples involved relationships-they will remember all of your personal stories and the books you shared with them but they will also remember the projects!!

[11:55] <PeggyG> field trips are my biggest memories from elementary school and we only got one a year

[11:56] <PeggyG> in high school my biggest memories were extracurricular activities

[11:57] <PeggyG> wow Lisa--same field trip every year??

[11:57] <AngelaS> I am a grad student and listening to these stories makes me realize that teaching is more than teaching. It is about what these children are going to remember (not just academically, but real-life experinces).

[11:59] <Lisa___> Yes, Angela.

[11:59] <PeggyG> I still remember how to do fly-tying from my 5th grade field trip :-)

[12:00] <Sheila> did you go fishing too/

[12:00] <PeggyG> no fishing--just a trip to a place that made things :-)

[12:01] <PeggyG> what a fun trip Lisa!!!

[12:02] <PeggyG> we mostly took "walking field trips" because of what Maria said--couldn't afford the bus

[12:02] <Sheila> I think that's what we did too!

[12:03] <PeggyG> now the opportunities we have with technology to make field trips more engaging are incredible! so many ways to capture the memories and share them with others way beyond the actual trip

[12:06] <PeggyG> that experience was incredible, Sheila!! It makes me sad that we can't do things like that now because parents/administrators need to be so concerned about safety--times have really changed.

[12:07] <Sheila> It was a great experience and tiring!

[12:07] <PeggyG> I can't even imagine walking 26 miles!!

[12:08] <Sheila> I could be exaggerating, but it felt like 26 miles!

[12:09] <PeggyG> My most memorable high school teacher brought American History to life for us! I remember singing the songs of the period, re-enacting things--lots of hands-on engagement! He's the teacher all of the alumnae mention when they talk about their favorite memories.

[12:10] <PeggyG> I did well on the tests but I can't remember most of the facts now!!

[12:11] <PeggyG> I remember the states because of the song "50 Nifty United States" :-) can still sing it today!!

[12:11] <Sheila> I didn't know there was one!

[12:13] <Sheila> http://twitter.com/cristama/statuses/5535289019  Kids Field Guide to Local Culture PDF

[12:14] <PeggyG> Fifty Nifty US lyrics here: http://www.classroomclassics.com/filecabinet/htmlfiles/A3.html There's a short mp3 with song at the end of the recording here.

[12:14] <Sheila> Will check it out!  :)

[12:15] <PeggyG> @Sheila-great PDF!!

[12:16] <PeggyG> great point Sheila!! teachers doing spontaneous things that take you away from the usual textbook routines!

[12:17] <PeggyG> class parties! definitely part of my favorite memories even though they didn't happen often

[12:20] <PeggyG> don't you love looking at old yearbooks over the years to remember friends and experiences from school?

[12:21] <Lisa___> @peggyG Honestly, not really.  Not too many happy school memories. :(

[12:21] <PeggyG> one of my biggest elementary memories is having to write hundreds of times: I will not talk in school without permission. :-)

[12:21] <Sheila> Yes and it's scary to think I didn't know half of them.

[12:21] <Sheila> Oh no PeggyG But I bet your penmanship improved! ;)

[12:22] <PeggyG> not really Sheila...I I I I I I ...will will will...not not not... :-)

[12:22] <PeggyG> and definitely didn't encourage me to be a writer!

[12:22] <Lisa___> That's how we did spelling.  P P P P e e e e g g g g y y y y.

[12:24] <PeggyG> I don't remember having jobs in elementary or high school

[12:25] <PeggyG> but I remember begging to get to be one of the students chosen to read aloud in 5th grade when we were reading a class book. I rarely got picked!

[12:25] <PeggyG> funny Lisa! maybe that's why I'm such a good speller! won a spelling scholarship when I graduated from HS :-)

[12:27] <PeggyG> our experience wasn't round robin reading--it was reading aloud from a book and I was a good reader! Just never got picked.

[12:28] <PeggyG> what a great story Lisa!! I'm sure your kids will all remember that skype experience!!

[12:29] <PeggyG> I've noticed that the kids remember the stories about other kids who were always in trouble.

[12:30] <PeggyG> I think kids remember all of the hands-on project activities--like cooking in class, making things, etc.

[12:32] <PeggyG> do you remember making the salt relief maps?

[12:32] <Lisa___> oh yes

[12:32] <Sheila> Oh, yes, now that you mention it!

[12:32] <PeggyG> oh yes!! Stone Soup!!

[12:34] <PeggyG> the hands-on experiences make them a part of the experience--like the field trip around the neighborhood for Lisa's class--anything that they can personally connect with

[12:34] <PeggyG> fun trip down memory lane!!

[12:35] <Sheila> Thanks for sharing!

[12:35] <AngelaS> thanks for a great show. I learned alot about connections.

[12:35] <PeggyG> thanks everyone!

[12:35] <Lisa___> ettconversations.blogspot.com

[12:35] <mariak> k12online self promotion   http://animoto.com/play/fbQuN0rRwUvyyQxLNNNgwQ

[12:35] <PeggyG> next week: disparity between haves and have nots in our country


[12:36] <Sheila> Next LAN Party?

[12:36] <Sheila> Novemeber 18

[12:36] <PeggyG> thanks for sharing that Maria!! next live event for K12 online is Nov. 18 6:30-8:30pm Eastern

[12:36] <PeggyG> bye everyone