a) "What is needed, says Schon, is a new way of theorising which integrates theory and practice, a form of theory which is embodied in real lives and shows the process of reflecting on reflection-in-action, and which may be shared with others who are also studying their own practice" - Isn't this what action research is all about?  Isn't this what we, as teachers, do inside our heads (except for the "sharing with others" part)? Is this the shift that needs to take place in education - going from each of us teaching in our own rooms to a point where we each share our "best practice" with our colleagues both in our school and perhaps virtually around the world?

 b) "Our language informs and creates our realities.  Change the language and you may change the reality."  Reminds me of a principal who told me that "perception is everything" and a parent who remarked during an interview that "MY (his own) perception is what matters."  Perhaps our difficulty in understanding our students is not so much finding out what their needs are but, rather, having a glimpse into their own personal perception.  Is this what the new "metacognitive" piece in the Ontario curriculum is all about - ie. finding out a student's perception so we can better understand the student?

 c) "Learning involves creating new ideas out of old ones.  It does not mean entirely rejecting what went before, but making new connections and reconfiguring the neworks, so that previous knowledge transforms into new knowledge that serves human purposes more adequately than older forms."  Reminds me of a keynote speaker at Leading Learning 2008 (maybe George Siemens??) who said that we all come to education with a bulk of understanding of what has gone before.  Everyone has had their own experience in education and we interpret what happens in the classroom now based on our own experience.  Since the world around is is changing exponentially, we cannot afford to subscribe to the attitude of "this is the way I have always done it in the past - and this is how I will teach in the future."  Perhaps the self-reflective nature of action research allows us as educators to get a better indication of what the present attitude is in our classrooms and in our teaching communities so we can actually use our experience (our "best practice") to frame the direction in which we are to head next.... 

 Just a few thoughts...  I would welcome comments and discussion from anyone else.

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This past school year (2007/2008) was an interesting challenge for me as, once again, I was teaching in a Grade 3 classroom.  I helped Tim Pugh with a couple of presentations on videoconferencing.  The first was when we co-presented at ECOO in November.  That proved to be a very interesting and valuable experience.  For me, the highlights of the conference (other than our own workshop) happened when I was able to connect with my class using my laptop, PVX software from Polycom, and the Polycom in my classroom.  Imagine for a moment ...  I was in the hotel lobby, with my laptop, webcam and microphoned headset talking to the students in my class and the supply teacher to get updates on their progress with a Remembrance Day project. The next day, during our workshop, I again was able to connect with the class.  My students were so excited to tell me about the assembly and what they had learned. It still amazes me how easily children are able to adapt to technology and how they are so natural when using it.  I also was able to meet Kevin Cougler face-to-face.  Tim, Kevin and I chatted over lunch and I am so excited about VROC and the opportunities that are provided to our students. Thank you Kevin!

 The second presentation Tim and I were able to provide was during the Leading Learning Conference in May.  I LEARNED SO MUCH from the keynote speakers and from the other workshops I attended. It was fabulous to present our Virtual GrandE project and, once again, connect live to another site.  This time, it was Simcoe Composite School in Simcoe, Ontario. I facilitated a live, interactive interview with the principal of the school and the moderator from our Earth Day videoconference.  I also had opportunity to have some extremely interesting and encouraging conversations with others who share my passion for technology.  Thank you Kevin, Geoff, Ron, Tim, and a host of others who welcomed me into their discussions.  You gave me so much to think about...

In September 2008, I will be back in a Junior classroom - teaching Grade 6.  I will also be helping Tim with videoconferencing and will be promoting the continuation of Virtual GrandE in our board.  In the meantime, I am taking Computers in the Classroom Part 3 this summer.  I expect that I will be using this blog for some "musings" as the course continues.