This model is described in Blowers’ podcast. In learning through this open and collaborative model, Blowers gives her students 3 pieces of advice:
 1) Give yourself permission to play
2) Make time for discovery.
3) Have fun.

These guidelines echo what we are trying to accomplish through our regular lunch-hour get togethers entitled Lunching with Laptops. Our last meeting demonstrated the need to spend time to discover, to play, and to have fun. One other crucial element is that of dialogue. The forty-five minute period had no set agenda; rather, it was led by the group discussion. It was valuable to have time to voice and to collaboratively address questions.

As social beings, we need to set aside time in our day to chat and to enlighten, to laugh and to commiserate. We need affirmation and guidance. When we design workshops, we need to provide those ”side effects”.

The song is available in English and in French.

The metaphor of the mission of Jedi Knights, particularly of master Jedis such as my green-skinned wrinkled Yoda, refers to maintaining harmony through the universe. Not a bad ambition, is it? It is true that two characteristics related to Jedis are those of tradition and patience.

Although the word “tradition” seems to carry with it a negative connotation, I would argue that there is still a time and a place for long-standing traditions. The core value of respect in schools is predicated on values of all major religions, as well as belonging, responsibility, and the desire to learn.

Patience seems to be a value, however, that is no longer honoured. As educators, we seem to caught between providing students with a broad knowledge base and the notion of mastery. In our Core Curriculum, elementary teachers are responsible for creating differentiated instructional opportunities in order for students to reach their objectives. Perhaps the virtue of patience is no longer an option for time-strapped educators.

Perhaps my Padawan learner will recall what happened to the impulsive “high-speed” character in the Star Wars movies. Is change for change sake the best course of action? Perhaps if Anakin had collaborated with his mentor instead of blindly following ill-advised “quick fixes”, outcomes would have been more positive.

In the same vein as the Master Jedi, I speak to the need for pause and reflection. Use the blog, Luke…use the blog.

This summer I attended two outstanding sessions both presented by Dean Shareski, Discovering the Joys of Social Software and Everybody’s Got a Story. Through aforementioned links, you will gain a great appreciation for the learning that I acquired.

I’m fortunate to be in a school division that honours professional development. An outstanding example of this is the training that the teacher-librarians (TLs) are receiving through the LearningPlus model. In this PD, TLs are paired up with a classroom teacher and a Learning Resources Teacher to develop skills in Brain-based teaching and learning, Inquiry learning, critical and creative thinking, and Information Literacy.

This upcoming school year, I’m looking forward to continuing to put my training acquired from LearningPlus into practice. Last year, two colleagues and I studied the effects of differentiating content, product, and environment on our students and ourselves. This year, with the encouragement of administration, our school is looking to expand this model to other students.

Via this blog, my wiki, and continued Blackboard activity, I look forward to documenting my resolution to my development crisis and our school’s path toward increased Information Literacy.