Mistakes are Wonderful Opportunities to Learn

If mistakes are wonderful opportunities to learn, then why do we resist them so much as adults? Could it be in part because we no longer see ourselves as learners? Perhaps. We need to accept and embrace our mistakes regardless of our age, especially when it comes to integrating technology. We do a disservice to our students and rob them of an authentic learning experience, both in our households and in our classrooms, when we don't model what recovering and learning from a mistake looks like.

As we get older, we want to be the experts, the ones who have their act together, but this can limit us and hold us back from helping others (and ourselves) learn. Learning in the 21st century, when things change so quickly, means living in a time of constant innovation. Innovation comes from taking risks. Taking risks means making mistakes. Learning new technology requires a risk, a risk of letting the world know that you don't know it all. Embrace that you know how to learn and a part of that knowing is accepting that mistakes will be made. It is important for us to model that in our classroom, to let our students to see us attempt something new and innovative. What better preparation can we give our students than to take a risk with an innovation and see how it works, gather information, reflect on how it went, and take action by making different decisions. That means being among your students making mistakes. It also gives them an opportunity to be problem-solvers, because students are always willing to help us along the way, especially when it comes to using technology.

Yes, not only are mistakes wonderful opportunities to learn, but they are wonderful opportunities to teach.

Work-Life Balance

So it's been a few weeks since I've posted. In an effort to achieve some sort of work-life balance, I stepped away from my computer to reconnect with family and home. Then the school year began and the crazy-busy schedule along with it. When would I ever find the time to blog again? Time to check the balance.

As educators, we recognize that what looks balance to one individual will not look the same to others. For many of us the work we do fuels our lives, so down time is reading articles, conducting research, and sharing our findings and reflections with others. Prioritizing, reflecting on the things that make our lives meaningful, and taking action towards the high priorities are the best way to achieve that balance.

As educators, we also understand developmental stages. When we transfer that information to our adult selves and colleagues we can gain insight into the ages and stages of teachers. Those with small children at home have less time to devote to work passions. Those veteran teachers find that time spent devoted to our passion for education has us working weekends and nights, but still feeling balanced.

I found my time and am glad for it. What does balance look like for you?

Prompting Reflection

There can be a lot of life events that cause one to stop and reflect. I tend to see this happening in the "real" world during a time of transition or difficulty: death of a loved one, job loss, traumatic event. But I believe that a habit of reflection can make living life, and living through life's challenges, a little easier. Why? Maybe because reflection helps you see your purpose, create meaning from your actions, and empower you to make decisions.

In my world of education, we ask students to reflect on their learning and development. Why? Because reflection provides opportunities to think about the connection between oneself and the learning, leading to self-awareness and new action. Here is a great post on Reflection as an Aid to Understanding.
Ten Ways to Encourage Student Reflection provides some great ideas, and here are some of my favorite prompts:

• One thing I learned...
• I was surprised by...
• I am confused by...
• This reminds me of...
• I want to learn more about...

Why a Blog is a Wonderful Vehicle for Reflection

A key component of being a learner and a constructivist educator is reflection. A blog is perfect for this because it allows one to organize his/her thoughts in a shared written expression. The writing process of composing a blog gives the writer the opportunity to consider a wider audience and purpose. This form of written expression, unlike others, is dynamic. It allows an audience member to come to it in his/her own time/space and share further reflections thereby creating a dialogue. Click here to read about how blogging supports constructivism and creativity.

Reflection and Purpose

Sometimes we can get so caught up in our day-to-day tasks that we tend to forget how those tasks are related. What is our larger purpose? It is through the act of reflection that we can reconnect to that purpose. The moment of reflection then feeds our day-to-day tasks so that we stay moving toward our goals, our purpose.

The video below of a speech by Daniel Pink, from his book Drive, talks about what motivates us. Purpose is key. I think there are some great educational implications to be found in this video. Tell me what you think.