Skip to main content

Bringing the Heart to Education


I love Angela Maiers. I think I love her because she values what should be valued: the person. Yes, technology is fabulous, and it allows us to do fabulous things, but if we aren't valuing the person, then it's all for naught. I first started following Angela when I saw her "You Matter" manifesto. It resonated. Deeply. Who we are to others doesn't matter until we realize that we have to matter to ourselves. It is a powerfully simple concept. But one which many of us don't take the time to own.

Recently I came across another one of Angela's blog posts that also resonated with me.

The Heart: An Underused Tool for Digital Learning discusses the need to challenge students to "work together to solve problems that break their heart." Can you imagine the impact this approach to education would have? Not only would students find meaning in the work they were doing, but they'd be making an impact on the world. They'd be saying, "Hey, I matter and so do you!" 

So how do we make this a reality? I'm curious to hear from those who are putting Angela's call to action. 

Some quotes from "The Heart: An Underused Tool for Digital Learning":


  • "Students today are technologically savvy. Yet it is too often the case that students, and teachers, are using technology simply to do old things in new ways. When a student submits a PowerPoint file to a teacher discussing an assigned topic, instead of a set of sheets of construction paper, learning is not advanced, and genius remains with its head in the sand."
  • "Nonetheless, teaching students how to pursue a task that matters is essential to their finding their place in the world today."
  • "Let’s be the educators who start with what matters."
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Teacher Ed Tech Ambassadors: Keep the Focus on Students

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/02/technology/silicon-valley-teachers-tech.html Last month there was quite a lively conversation about the above article. A lot of educators were upset about the seeming "attack" on teachers this article contained, as it seemed to question the reason teachers become ed tech brand ambassadors.  It's important for teachers to have access to the tools they need to teach well, and sometimes these ambassador programs provide that. Over my educational career, I have been branded by a few ed tech companies. For example, I was a Microsoft Innovative Educator and a Tech4Learning Innovative Educator. Both titles were earned based on evidence of higher level learning taking place with those tools in the classroom. I didn't have to keep using their tool to maintain my title, or prove that I was using the tool for a certain percentage of my day.  However, I was also a titled educator for another ed tech company, and in order to maintain m...
Post a Comment
Read more

Enough.

Love thy neighbor as yourself. - Mark 12:31 I woke up today to horrible news on my iPhone. Over 500 injured, and over 50 killed in the largest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. It's unfathomable that this happened. And it's unfathomable that it has happened before. And that it will happen again. I wish I had words of wisdom about how to change the culture of our society. But all I can say is, hug your babies. Tell your students that you care about them...and truly mean it. Look at a homeless person as a human, and not as a dreg. Call your mom and tell her you're grateful for doing her best in raising you. Whatever you do, exude love. 
Post a Comment
Read more