#BeYouEdu: Finding your bliss

If you haven't joined the #beyouedu movement, you should. Each month there is a new topic and each month, I feel re-focused. Each month, I am inspired again. Each month, I have bliss - through writing and through a network of passionate educators.

However, my bliss is not confined to education. In fact, bliss comes from all aspects working together in harmony. Just as negativity can stretch across lines, so too, can bliss. For that reason, I call myself a bliss-seeker.

In my grandparents' and my parents' generations, there was more job consistency. If you took a job as a teacher, you stayed a teacher, despite feeling bliss or not. My generation is different. Many are quick to leave when bliss is not apparent. Other generations sometimes scorn this bliss-seeking. And, though, I agree that failing and seeing something through are critical to success, so is seeking bliss. So, I aim for balance. When I have bliss in my personal life, but cannot find it in my professional life, I know change is needed. Likewise, if I have it in my professional life but not in my personal life, I know change is necessary in my personal life.

That said, bliss is interconnected. Bliss is not just limited to who you are as an educator. It is who you are as a person.

So, how do you find your bliss? Start by making time each day for at least one action that makes you happy. This can be stepping outside, taking a hot shower, visiting your nieces, or simply reading a book. It's that single action that helps dictate our level of bliss.

For me, I find that when I haven't made time for myself to be outside, removed from others, I lose that bliss. I am not alone in this idea, though. Many "introverts" are the same way. Remember this when dealing with students or co-workers. Space is a critical component to bliss. Space is key to creativity as well - both the lack off and abundance of. What feelings do you get when you have minimal space compared to an abundance of space? I bet you have different moods for each.

When finding your bliss, it's also important to remember that "you are enough." External things and people can make us feel happy, but it can be short-lived. The saying "you make me happy" is only partially true. You dictate your own happiness. Another person or thing can impact it temporarily, but you decide it long-term. So, you must first decide to be happy before you can find your bliss. Though, it's not as simple as it sounds. We do not wake up and say "I'm going to be happy today." No, rather, it comes as we make time for those blissful moments each day. It comes when we find permanent actions that contribute to our best state-of-mind.

When you mold these ideas into a professional setting, you must make sure you are achieving a balance - making time for those blissful moments. Sometimes, we blame work for making us unhappy, but it's really our lack of making time for blissful moments. Give yourself time each day - even if only a minute. Cherish those moments. Take deep breaths.

Finding your bliss is about finding you. I find me when I make time for being outside, when I get to inspire others, when others have their ah-ha moments. I cherish these moments.

How do you find your bliss? What is your bliss?

Google Drive Updates

There have been a ton of changes to the products within Google Apps within the past few months. Below, I've highlighted a few of my favorites. Check out Fennovation.org for all resources on Google Apps (specifically, those within Drive).

Sheets:

• Functions:
• Importrange: Imports a range of live data from one spreadsheet to another, while keeping the data live
• Unique: Updates the data validation fields 

Forms:

• Make a copy of a Form without mixing the data
• Insert Drawings into Forms & Forms' results

Drawings:

• Ideas:
• Post-It Note board
• Wire Frames

Slides:

• Send students unique URL to each slide for more direct collaboration

Docs:

• Hide elements within Docs that you don't want others to see

Enjoy!

#YourEduStory: Your classroom space personality

This week's topic: What does your classroom say about you as a teacher? What purposeful choices have you made as you created the space you share with students?

The ironic part of this topic is that I'm still waiting on an office and a computer. Due to construction, I currently don't have a space so I am floating. 

So, this will be about the space I am trying to create. 

As a classroom teacher, my room was full of color. Students' writing and art covered all corners of the room - the ceiling included. Pillows and blankets dotted one corner of the room while a check-out book shelf lined another corner. The shades around the window were pulled back to let the natural light in. Often, I would not even turn on my classroom lights if the natural light was bright enough. Fall scents filled the air. Generally, I wanted the room to be welcoming, creative, and warm. As a teacher, I strive to be all of those things. In fact, my classroom was very similar to my home. It was home-like with a creative twist. I allowed the students to have a voice in design as well. I changed up the orientation of the tables frequently. I let the students paint a wall. I allowed the students to decorate their writing on butcher paper and line the ceiling. I know my personality was still the most dominate in the room, but they had a creative a voice, which is often the most important. 

Now, my space is an office. However, it's a space I plan to host clubs and numerous teachers. So, my plans for it are vastly different than my former classroom. 

My goal is to have a space to host personal trainings and exploratory zones. With this in mind, it will have a wonder shelf, a small makerspace shelf where faculty and students can come to explore various creative tools and concepts. I will have featured challenge cards every two weeks to provide guidance, but it will primarily serve as a safe area to try out creative endeavors. It will also have a round table to host student clubs, intimate conversations, and trainings. Since it is the only area in my corridor with a window, it will have an open window to provide natural light. 

I've found natural light to be a natural mood-lifter. It amazes me the difference it makes in learners. It will have color - lots of it. This is partly because I thrive on color, but also because many colors affect moods. Moods affect learning and creativity. So, an easy way to encourage creativity is through color. 

It will have multiple Chromebooks for learners to come and learn in a safe space.

My space-to-be is centered around learning and creativity. I have purposely provided multiple small spaces to encourage creativity and to encourage discussion. 

As I get my new office, I will post pictures and will chronicle my wonder shelf journey. 

What does your space say about you as a person? As an educator? What would your ideal space have in it?

Making over your library

This year, one of my big goals is to develop makerspaces around campus - including in the library. We have already formed a group of interested teachers, ready to take on the challenge. Due to space limitations, we are proposing a maker class (with each teacher teaching a specialized portion) and several small maker areas, each with a specific theme.

In meeting and reviewing all things maker, I have stumbled upon some amazing resources, which I have included in one presentation.

Today's updates include:

• Making ideal learning spaces
• The Exploratorium, based out of San Francisco, offers a free tinkering/maker course online. You are responsible for purchasing the materials for the course, though.
• A ton of ideas:
• Projects with old books:
• Butterfly art in old textbooks
• LED Project Ideas:
• LED Hand-drawn Cards
• LED bridge card
• Penny batteries
• Battery Ideas:
• Penny batteries
• Tiny dancers with magnets
• Music Integration:
• Make string instruments - can adapt to fit age appropriate material
• Wearable electronics/Sewable tech:
  • Site with ideas for sewable art - artist site - would Bea Baldwin be interested in this?  
  • Image search of wearable electronics - Bea Baldwin?
  • Soft Circuit handbook
  • Soft Circuits instructables
  • Host soft circuit workshop for parents, teachers, and students
• Tech equipment:
• Makey-Makeys
• Idea for makerspace centered around makeymakeys
• Arduinos
• Raspberry Pis
• Create a life-size arcade game/machine
• 3D printers
• Drones
• Sphero (tickleapp)
• Follow Sphero on Twitter for great ideas
• Parrot mini drone
• Extra reading:
• Fostering creativity with makerspaces article
• How to build your own makerspace article
• Mobile Makerspaces article

You can learn more on STEAM and maker movements at fennovation.org.

Enjoy!

The best of Google Classroom

Google Classroom has grown a lot since it was born just over a year ago. In fact, in the past two weeks, it has endured some major updates. What does that mean for you?

• Alice Keeler's Discussion Board spreadsheet
• Best practices Google Drive folder
• Organize Google Classroom Home screen
• Use RosterSync to import roster from BlackBaud
• Essential Tips from Educational Technology (Michael Fricano II)
•  Ways to use newest Classroom features (Ditch that Textbook)

I've compiled some of my favorite resources as well as best updates into one presentation. Credits to Jennifer Rubin for helping with some of the classroom integration. Check it out! And, check out fennovation.org for more resources.

Enjoy!

#YourEduStory: Doing things different #change

This week's topic: What are two things you can do different/better this year?

This is a question I often ask students and teachers so it's great to have it turned on me. 

My first thought was to think of what I would do different or better...in education. I think that's usually the first thought of educators. And, even though this is called #YourEduStory, your edustory should extend beyond the classroom. The best educators are the ones who are whole people. So, I want to extend mine beyond what I will do better or different in education and generalize it to my whole person. 

The more I write my edustory, the more I realize our stories are not compartmentalized. They overlap and are tightly integrated. We are not an educator from 8-4PM, a mom from 4-9PM, a sister on weekends, etc. We are all of those things ALL the time. So, our edustory is our story. 

Now that the semantics are out of the way - what are two things you can do better or different this year...in all aspects?

Stress is always my number one priority in improvement. My motto this year is: it's okay to say no. I've been the "yes mam" for years and it takes a toll on your life. Contrary to the movie, it does not always yield the best results. Initially, it feels like it does because you are heavily involved, but it's not sustainable. So, I'm trying hard this year to prioritize what is important and say "no" to the things that don't improve my life quality, but say "yes" to the little things. I want to say yes to looking after my nieces more; say yes to long kayak rides; say yes to visiting my parents; say yes to more painting; say yes to more game nights; say yes to the "extras." I want to learn to say no to taking on more tasks the wear me down. As much as I enjoy taking on leadership roles, it's the people in my life that will sustain me - not additional tasks. This year is the year to saying no to tasks and saying yes to people. That's a hard distinction to make and it's even more difficult for teachers to say. Educators are some of the most committed of all. We are committed to our jobs. However, we are committed to the point of burn out and not to the avail of students. Students will benefit from us being whole people. They benefit from us having a life outside of the classroom. Think about your most influential teachers - they were probably more than a teacher to you. They were a person. Be a person to your students. Embrace all the things that make you, you. 

My next improvement is on creativity. I love being creative but because of point #1, it becomes #2 on my list. This year, I am focusing on my creativity and making. I am trying things I never tried before. I am experimenting in makerspaces, creating a new repertoire of experiments. There is reason why creativity is one of the 4Cs. Being creative is what leads to innovation. I would rather have "average" students who are willing to be creative than "above average" students who do not take creative risks. When things are not entirely streamlined, we find creativity. And, sometimes in those moments of creativity, genius happens. 

What will you do differently or better this year? How will you make yourself a 3D/360 person?

Girl Power: STEM edition

Today's feature post is not on encouraging more girls into STEM, but on changing STEM to be more inclusive of diverse thought. I read an awesome article from EdSurge on the questions we need to be asking to change STEM. I have posted the highlights of that article as well as a number of resources for girls in coding/STEM/STEAM on my Girl Power presentation. As more resources become available, I will continue to post them.

You can find all of my resources at fennovation.org. Enjoy!

Highlights and updates to Girl Power include:

From EdSurge (link)

TeachThough includes even more resources for girls and STEM (40 to be exact).

And, the Girl Scouts are going STEM!

The full presentation is available below: