Monday, April 29, 2013

He was a shy boy and I was a not-so-shy girl.

He was a shy boy and I was a not-so-shy girl.  He was quiet, but had an air of confidence about him.  I was not-so-quiet and while I had an air of confidence, inside I was a little less sure of myself.  I think he was the same.  That's how you are when you're 17 and you really like someone.  You shine on the outside but on the inside you just hope he likes you back.  He did.  And now 42 years have passed and we are about to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary.

If I had waited until now to marry I wouldn't have found a more perfect partner to dance through life with.  He's the calm to my storm, the salt to my pepper, the dessert to my main course.  I love seeing life through his eyes and having him see life through mine.  We are very different people brought together by a love of laughter, family and a very strong set of common beliefs.  I bring adventure to his life and he brings stability to mine and sometimes it is the other way around and that is good.

We have weathered many storms but, to steal a great quote, you don't become a good sailor on calm seas.  We don't agree on a lot of things but over the years have learned to agree to disagree. Well, okay, maybe we're still working on that one.   We have seen and done many, many things we never dreamed we'd see or do.  There are also many, many things we still dream of doing.  In fact, as the years pass by our bucket list gets longer and longer instead of shorter and shorter.

There isn't a day that goes by that I'm not thankful for all he's brought to my life.  But mostly I think that it's so wonderful knowing that some of our best days are still ahead of us!  Joanne Woodward said, "Sexiness wears thin after a while [not yet], and beauty fades [not yet] but to be married to a man who makes you laugh every day, ah now that's a real treat."  He does make me laugh every day, this not-so-shy girl who married the oh-so-shy boy, and for the last 40 years life has been a treat! That's what happens when you choose the right one and he chooses you too!

      love is...

Still true !

 

Monday, April 8, 2013

Children, Learning and Technology

 
As you can see from the picture above, my grandson has learned to use his "cell phone" at an early age.  While he was doing construction (yes, he also plays with real toys and digs in the dirt as well) he felt the need to call in the firemen so he quickly grabbed his cell phone, leaned up against the cupboard and proceeded to fill them in on the problem.  He was 3 when this picture was taken.  My granddaughter is masterful with a digital camera, an i-pad and a cell phone.  Yesterday I had face time with my 5 month old grandson who is in Toronto for a couple of weeks.  Each day I check my What's App so that I stay in touch with a wonderful group of women from all over North America.  We met at a yoga retreat in Costa Rica a few weeks ago.  They support my practice daily from far, far away.  My schedule syncs from my i-pad to my phone and I checked my i-phone notes yesterday to see how many square feet of tile I needed to pick up for my backsplash.  I read deep into the wee hours of the night on my i-books app.  I love technology!
 
The picture of my grandson tells only a little of the story that technology plays in the world of our children.  I watched a news story a few days ago discussing the merits of technology in the classroom and the announcer stated, "it is the future of our children".  My son, an educator and a techy-type guy, was agitated enough by the comment to look up from his i-pad and respond with, "It is NOT the future!  It is the PRESENT!".  He is right. And herein lies part of the problem.  Some of the people making educational decisions, some of the people teaching in our classrooms, some people in the media and some people who discuss children and technology do not understand that NOW is the future.  Our children are immersed in technology and yet many schools still ban these powerful tools from our classrooms.
 
And then there are the others.  Those that enhance their own educational development and that of their students by CAREFULLY and strategically using the tools at their disposal.  I loved the article on Kent Elementary's website telling us about Mrs. Garrioch's kindergarten class sharing their Lego creations with an Abbotsford school on a site called Skype Play.  The article acknowledges that making this tool useful has taken time and experimentation.  I also loved it that the Abbotsford students wanted to know when they could "really" play with the kids from Kent.  Technology does not interfere with real-life interaction in this case, but actually enhances it. Kent Elementary School in Agassiz, B.C. is full of technology innovators from the teaching staff  to the administration to support staff and most importantly, through the students.  A couple of years ago a student created a stunning video on Judge Begbie, the hanging judge.  The video was an animated Lego production and was presented as a "real" movie with credits rolling, a musical score and a wonderfully informed narration.  It was truly amazing, particularly for a 10 year old!  There were also many cool poster-board demonstrations.  The point is that the boy who did the video would not have been inspired by the poster boards and the students who did the poster boards may not have enjoyed completing the video.  In this case technology helped engage a student who otherwise may not have made the most of this particular learning experience.
 
And then there are the others.  I worked in a school where there was a "no personal technology" rule for all classrooms.  In the hallways these students were constantly texting, surfing the web, talking to friends, reading reminders, checking their schedules and sometimes even ordering lunch.  At lunch time they helped  me learn how to use my new i-phone.  ("No, Mrs. Watson!  You don't need to google mapquest, you can use the icon on your phone."  "Mrs. Watson, you don't need to keep bringing  your camera to school.  Use your phone camera and then e-mail the pics to yourself so you can print them!).   I learned something new every day from those students.  I hope they can say the same!  And then they went to class.  I worked with a colleague (who had come from Kent Elementary).  She was a young teacher, full of enthusiasm, full of ideas, full of innovative ways to engage those challenging middle school students.  She tried speaking with the administration about setting aside the "rule" in her classroom as she had no computers available for student use.  It was a foods class and the students used their cellphones to convert recipes from standard measurement to metric.  They used their cellphones to find how to substitute ingredients in recipes to make them healthier.  They used their cellphones to take pictures of their creations.  Their teacher was disciplined for not following the "rule".  Sad really.
 
I know I am by-passing the challenges that come with tecnhology in the classroom, particularly in a middle or high school setting, and there are many.  I think those challenges are worth taking on though and if people are willing there are answers to these challenges.  It's not a new concept this overcoming of challenges.  In fact, Abraham Lincoln spoke of it it 1862.   "The dogmas of the quiet past, are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew."
 
While I believe these two schools are at opposite ends of the spectrum on their approach to technology I do acknowledge that the spectrum is large and varied.  We think of technology as computers, in today's world it is so much more.  Many schools expose students to technology through programs  (graphic design, drafting, photography/editing, computer programming, robotics etc.)  Many engage the technology to enhance student presentations, to make them more interesting and more challenging.  Many find ways to present their own teacher material in more interesting ways as well.  Educators who are willing have unlimited technology resources at their fingertips.
 
While I am retired I am still very interested in education.  I follow a few blogs, read many articles online and love it when I am included in educational discussions.  There is a new breed of leaders out there and they are using technology to inform each other, learn from each other, challenge each others' thinking and support each other.  Their ideas are big ones.  Their "learning community" is unlimited.  The voices that speak come from different cultures, different communities, different levels of experience and different-minded thinkers.  They are richly diverse and incredibly inspiring.
 
Technology isn't part of our childrens' futures, it is their NOW.  Kudos to those educational leaders who have enriched their own learning through technology and more importantly, have found ways to enrich our childrens' learning as well. 
 
Meet Annie, The Girl Who Could Fly.  Yes, it's an ad for Dell Computers but it's also amazing!