This has been the week we’ve all been anticipating. School opened on August 10th but the REAL excitement started on August 11th when classes officially began. The first thing that struck me was that the students were not sitting around the halls with their eyes glued to their iPad screens. I thought, “Thank goodness,” They were acting like any other first day- happily greeting friends they hadn’t seen all summer, comparing schedules, giggling about their various locker decorations. Sure, there were a few who were fairly absorbed in their Pads but most were not and more than being singularly absorbed, I saw many little pairs and trios huddled up and comparing apps or discussing how a particular app functioned. Collaboration on a digital level had already started!
First block began and 26 sophomores rolled into my classroom. We shared some laughs and settled in. I did a little random poll to find out a bit about the kids and their “pad personalities” – I quickly discovered who were my Angry Birds, Plants vs Zombies, Cut the Rope lovers and Words With Friends aficionados. Then we got down to doing class.
We discussed the new schedule and tools and I assured them that Comm class was a place where they could count on getting a lot of coaching in how these various new communication tools will work and which ones will fit various needs best. The major theme of the day was that we are all learners together this year and the qualities we will need to cultivate the most are patience and optimism.
This theme continued throughout all my classes that day. The kids were excited, a little anxious, and, by the end of the day, feeling a little bit techno-overloaded. Over all, though, there were a lot of smiles and enthusiasm. Comments such as “This year is already SO cool!” and “Show me what you learned about this app.” filtered into my room from the hallway just outside my door.
So we are off and rolling… And what a ride it will be! The unexplored frontier awaits, and we are very curious to see it all!
178 Days of Learning 