That Time Rebecca Did Some Storybird-ing

Storybird is a great resource, if you haven't learned about it already. It's a website where you can choose pictures or pieces of art and use them to illustrate your very own story. (To be fair, I just illustrated the verses of Mary, Mary Quite Contrary. But I'm sure that you could create a really wonderful story of Harry Potter proportions.)

And then you star the stories you like, and leave comments on the way someone wrote a story. Basically, you Facebook stories. And it's wonderful, but it's also something that needs managed. Something that a teacher needs to become involved in.

Storybird is useful for any age group and ability level. The illustrations are perfect for describing sight words and drawing inspiration to write a chapter book. For little authors, it is truly an ideal tool, and one I would prescribe to almost any classroom.

However, students need a chance to create their own pictures. To come up with original ideas that have nothing to do with a picture placed in front of them. Storybird can be a great resource, but students should still be familiar with the feel of a pencil and a sheet of notebook paper.

So I would use Storybird to begin creative assignments. I could even allow my students to give online feedback to their peers, and that could easily tie in with a lesson on "netiquette", and maybe even cyber bulling.

But I would want to monitor Storybird, to make sure my students were staying focused and safe online. I would want to give them opportunities to create and use their own unique art.

It's a good lesson for life. There are only seven basic plots in the world, after all. We are constantly creating stories out of the environment around us. But at some point, our story needs to become our own. Drawing too much inspiration out of another story (or picture) becomes plagarism. Storybird-ing is a step up from copying the teacher, but my students won't yet be able to fully spread their own wings (pun intended).

iContact (aka Blog Post 1)

Rebecca's Theory of Education:

My first and foremost goal as an educator is to create a sense of love and security in all my students. I firmly believe that once a student has their physical and emotional needs satisfied, they are much more receptive to learning. So my goal is to create a classroom environment where each student has their individual needs met- whether that be a snack for a missed breakfast or a need for physical touch (like a hug.)

Once that safety is established I want to create a classroom where discussion and learning is a collaborative effort between the students and teacher. I want my students to be able to express their ideas, feelings, and interests in meaningful, relevant conversation, while still respecting their peers' beliefs. I want to accomplish this by utilizing times for open discussion and plenty of engaging, hands on activities. I also want to have plenty of time for students to "show and tell" about their interests and home activities. If students can apply personal experience with what we are learning, they are far more likely to comprehend and remember the lessons.

Finally, I want an organized classroom environment. Being organized as a teacher is imperative to the teacher's sanity and the smoothness of how a lesson runs. In the perspective of a student, organization creates structure, which makes the classroom environment a stable place for them to learn and grow as individuals.

I Love Technology:

I really do. I don't remember using too much of it when I was in school. We had those really old, bulky projectors and we'd wheel in TVs for movie days (Bill Nye on VHS!), but that was about it.

 I think technology is now an integral part of today's society. I treasure my i-phone and computer (maybe a bit too much.) The advantages are immense. I can contact my friends living in Argentina and Rwanda almost instantaneously. In the classroom, I can take my students on virtual field trips around the world, and allow them to create a book report in new and creative ways.

But...

I worry about how dependent we are becoming on technology. What's going to happen when someone gets lost in the woods and doesn't have their GPS to guide them home? What happens when someone else vandalizes a cell-phone tower and suddenly half of Flagstaff has no internet service?

In addition, I worry about the social effects of technology. I could say a lot, but no one can compete with these words of wisdom from Ellen DeGeneres and Amy Poehler (skip to minute 1 for the beginning of the technology part- watch the whole video if you want to learn about Santa Claus' parents):

So I want to use technology to build up meaningful experiences in my class. I want my students to create interesting presentations and research topics of interest. I really want a smart board.

But I also want my students to take time to read actual books made of paper. To conduct research through observation. To make eye contact with their peers.

After all, what's the point of having the whole world at your fingertips if you don't even know your own backyard and neighbors?