home

Welcome to RicePaddies an informal means of documenting a variety of lucid and not so lucid reflections.

RicePaddies came about as part of an action plan that I began to write while on WSL training; literally surrounded by rice paddies. I felt a name that could be a metaphor for Education would suffice as my blog title.

I picked the most visible one.

A RicePaddy is always in motion. It's changing from year to year. It's succeeding some years and maintaining in other years. Perhaps it's failing, but you would never wish for that to happen. A RicePaddy provides and supports. It's, at times, beautiful and at other times, very ordinary. But to see RicePaddies in action is a beautiful thing.

The definition of Education is many things to many people. It's the ultimate example of Perspective influencing your view. At its most basic is it a noun? verb? adverb? adjective? Is Education a thing? an action? To be an adjective, it would have to come from within the eyes of the beholder. Educationally speaking?! Again that's your opinion.

For me it has to be a verb, has too. Education is an action, whether it's in a school, park, forest or home. Education is learning. Some say learning by doing is in fact the best way to learn. I think so. That's why I'm writing this blog. I'm trying to master technology for the classroom. What a great way to begin...A blog which at this point is a pretty basic form of technology, but we must start somewhere. It is also one giant reflection. Reflection, isn't that Education almost by itself. So two birds with one action.

I'm trying to remember what I thought education was when i began teaching ten years ago. I'm pretty sure I thought and probably assumed it was about the kids. Ten years later I'm glad to report it was a safe assumption. However on mu journey I've learned it's a tiny bit more. Some would argue it's a lot more- curriculum, teaching, assessing. I think, actually I know, that too many people get caught up in all of that at the expense of the kids. Happens way to often...I digress

Anyway back to my point, I've come to learn that it is not only about the kids, but it's also about yourself. You stop trying to learn then Education is no longer a verb, instead it's a noun or one of those other two choices. Don't stop trying to learn!

This WSL training has come at the perfect time, it's rejuvenated me, which is both awesome but also somewhat pathetic that I grew stagnant.

Will I sustain? This blog will be the first to know.

First up a second Tech toy I can utilize in my first two weeks in the classroom...Will keep you posted.

JF Aug.9th/11

=Welcome to Your New Wiki!=

Getting Started

 * Click on the edit button above to put your own content on this page.
 * To invite new members, click on **Manage Wiki** and **Invite People**.
 * To change your wiki's colors or theme, click on **Manage Wiki** and **Look and Feel**.
 * To set who can view and edit your wiki, click on **Manage Wiki** and **Permissions**.

Need Help?
media type="custom" key="27587786"
 * Click on the help link above to learn more about how to use your wiki.