Shine

Flickr image sourced under CC: Image by: -Chad Johnson

I’m very lucky – my school allows me to shine.  They have recognised strengths in me and allowed me to follow paths and create new paths along the way.  At times this does and doesn’t work.

LParisi asks… Why is it that the only way others can shine is for me to stop shining? This is the message I keep getting in school.

See full Plurk and follow up comments here.

Then a comment hit me today, that directly related to this.  It did exactly that – hit me.  Because I wasn’t expecting it to be said.  Yet at this point in the conversation, others were being encouraged not to shine for the sake of others – why?

Shining isn’t about making others look bad.

It’s not about being the best.

It’s about doing what you see fit for yourself and your students.

For teachers, shining should show that they are truely passionate in what they do and are proud of it.  Isn’t that what we fight to see in our students everyday?  Isn’t what we want, an education sector that is filled with passionate teachers who strive to improve their own practice for their students and can shine because they are truely passionate for their work and students?

Often this statement of not shining for others, connects with the use of technology in classrooms.  Using technology and being able to use it well in a class is not a sign of "making people look bad" nor is it to prove who is the most ICT saavy.  It’s used because the teacher recognises the benefit it offers their students.

I think and truely believe we need teachers who shine, in all areas, whose passion for teaching pours through them and out to influence those around them – be them students or colleagues.  It’s amazing in LParisi’s plurk to see and hear of so many teachers who are encouraged not to shine for the sake of others.

I discussed the notion of this idea with a colleague, who promptly forwarded me the following quote.

It is worth a read:

It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,
talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other
people won’t feel insecure around you.

As we are liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.

- Excerpt from Marianne Williamson

If we are seeking our students to shine in themselves – isn’t it a give in that we should be modelling this "shine" factor to our students.  Acceptance is a wonderful thing.

Wix

Wix is a fantastic tool to use to create a range of web elements, tools and pages that can be easily embedded into almost anything.  I have created a couple of pages that I use inside Knowledge Net and today I redid one of those pages.

Wix is great as a tool as you are able to start from scratch and completely develop your own page using a range of animations, pictures, uploads, music, graphics and more.  You can layer elements to make it more techy or keep it simple.  It also offers a massive range of pre-made templates that you can easily use to create your own.  The templates provide all the opportunities of starting from scratch but with the simplicity of being able to use the ‘replace’ key that replaces template stuff with your own images.

You can import your own images easily (though I seem to have problems at school with this), enter the URL of an image or search through the flickr search function – just be aware of Creative Commons with this!

The page below is an example that I made today from a template:

Wix.com

Vegan Food Fest – Today!

Aucklanders!

Today there will be a vegan food fest held from 10am to 4pm at the Swanson Sanctuary – 57 O’Neills Road.

There will a bunch of workshops, information but most importantly lots of food!  The wonderful people from the Taste & See Castle will be there so head along to get your fix!

Photo: Thegrocer Flickr CC

Tracking Santa – Google Style

Tracking Santa has taken on a new meaning with the help of Google and Norad. This year you can sit by your Google Earth and watch as Santa makes his way around the world. The video below shows the highlights of last years journey.

On the countdown to Christmas you can wander around the village and find out which one of Santa and the Elves shops have been the busiest for the day.

Head to Norad , download the iGoogle gadget and find out more about how you can keep an eye on Santa this Christmas Eve!

Google Maps Street View

Today Google Maps launched street views for their map service today.  Quite amazing!

Go to Google Maps and then type in your address.  Alternatively just double click on an area on the map to keep zooming in, if you feel like just exploring!

Once you arrive to your address click on the little yellow man to the left of the map.  This enables Google Street view – which is a collection of photographs that show you what it would look like if you were standing in this place.

To navigate him around use the tools to the left as in the image or click and drag around the screen – much like the Google Earth navigation.

NZ is the 7th country to launch Google street views – already people are questioning the privacy of this.  As you can see below the majority of very obvious people have been smudged out.

For more info check out

Elf Yourself

This kept several of us in the staffroom wildly amused at lunchtime:

Thanks to Suzie for creating this one and passing it on!

Alpha Key – Mac

I have been working with some classes showing them how to use the Alpha Key in Keynote and Pages (iWork for Apples).  I have also since learnt you can Alpha key in preview mode – click on the Select tool and hold, scroll down the list, Alpha is at the bottom!

The Alpha Key is much like using green screening to create animations.  It allows students to place themself into an image or scenario.  It is a fantastic tool to use to support Inquiry, imaginative writing, poetry and much more.  Once I introduced the tool to students they were automatically coming up with ideas on how they could use it and where they could transport themselves and other objects.

Since working with one class the enthusiasm has spread to several classes, who have now adopted it as part of their topic/inquiry and writing. There are lots of kids placing themselves in a range of places and celebrations to support their learning.

It was really fantastic working in a couple of rooms where the students were asking me questions to ideas with the alpha key that I hadn’t even thought of doing. A bit of on the spot problem solving solved the dilemma and we worked out it was possible to layer and move more than one object.

So, as below, you can see my cool little robot toy that got his first taste of space today!