Learn with Passion

KEY... Keep Educating Yourself

When I was invited by Shelly Sanchez Terrell to participate in the The 30 Goals Challenge for Educators I thought about the tittle "Learn with Passion" but not from the students' point of view but... from the teachers' point of view. Why? Because we always think about students and never about us! We tend to attend courses, seminars, webinars and congresses to learn about stuff for them...

With the availability of new technologies, with thousands of resources inside the Internet, we teachers don't know where to start and how to start to look for material, support and other colleagues with the same problems. So I decided to write about the most 2 influential Personal Learning Networks I belong to and the ones I "refuel" from every day.

The first one and my "guiding star" is the The Webheads in Action. With them, I have learnt most of the stuff I know about blogs, digital storytelling, e-books, wikis, social networks and tons of other things I had never ever imagined they existed. I found them almost 5 years ago and from that moment onward, I have never left them behind. The Webheads are like "ants"... they are everywhere!! And as they are everywhere, I have met wonderful educators from around the world... Egypt, Morocco, Portugal, Croatia, Brazil, Slovenia, Russia just to name a few. It's incredible how people with a different culture and different customs become part of your life. 

The second must-site is Simple K12. This is a "wow" place you should - or better - have to visit!! I had come across it some time ago but I had never paid too much attention until last October 2013 when I became a full member and "OMG..." tons of resources and webinars have been at my complete disposal. Whatever you can imagine is there... forum discussions with almost 450.000 educators, videos, links, ebooks... and the best... the blue bunnies!! Simple K12 is a Teacher Learning Community you will enjoy stop by and I'm sure you won't regret having spent one minute there.

"Lean with Passion" is one of the best activities you can do while you are on holidays, while you are working, while you are in bed... "keep educating yourself" because it's the only way you have to go with the flow, with the new technology and with the "new" students. We teachers know that if we fall asleep, our "kids" get bored, feel frustrated and don't learn!

Take 10 minutes of your time, "Learn with Passion" and ... think that the only thing you can do is to ...

... because the more you know, the happier and the most satisfied you will feel.

I do hope I can see you inside the Webheads and Simple K12 so we can keep on learning! Or... even better... I invite you to visit Argentina... a country you will fall in love not only because of its people but because of its land, its food, its drinks, its geography and its... you name it! 

Smiles, Maria :)

 

Facts about me :)

New 11 facts about me :)

Seems that tagging people to know more about them it's something we like doing these days! I'm not the exception so this is the 2nd time I'll reply about facts about me! 
And this time I have to reply Georgia Psarra's Questions. You can read more about her, here

The questions I have for the bloggers I nominate are:

1. What did you want to become when you were a child?

A Weather Forecast Announcer and  a Flight Attendant! Why didn't I become a WFA... because Ihad to study Numbers and I hate them! Why didn't I become a  FA... because I'm too short! (I don't understand why airlines companies want tall people if planes are not that high inside)

2. Why have you become a teacher?

Because I couldn't become a WFA or a FA!! However, I always loved teaching!

3. Have you ever regretted becoming a teacher?

No, never! And I wouldn't do it! Not in the rest of my entire life

4. You avoid people who...?

... are "heavy"! Not in weight but in character! 

5. Tell us about your biggest dream.

It was already fulfilled. I traveled to the US and to Egypt! Whatever comes now, it's more than welcomed and I would love it as much as my two other dreams.

My place in the world and in "Blue", my favorite color! :)

6. What is your favourite colour and why?

My favorite color is "blue" but I don't know why!

7. Which city would you like to visit?

Cairo, again and again and again!! 

8. What is your favourite piece of clothing?

Pashminas!!! I have a big collection of them! Almost 200 hundred in different sizes, colors and textures!

Wearing one Pashmina and having another one in my hands! :)

9. Have you ever cheated on a test?

Yessssssssssssss!! I was in 2nd year at Secondary School! I cheated on a History Test... about Colombus trips! The teacher "discovered" me, gave me the lowest mark and asked me if that "yellow papers" was a letter for my boyfriend!! Jees... :D

10. Describe your desk.

School desk or home desk? School desk... I have many as I move around the school because I don't have a fixed classroom. Home desk... is full of teddy bears! I use it for that!

11. Who is your favourite character either in a book or movie?

I don't have any in particular.

Thanks for the questions, Georgia! I do hope you enjoy reading the answers!
Maria :)

DISNEY... what does it mean?

Let's make our classes more DISNEY like :)

When it's time to study, sometimes, it's boring time but today... it was creative time, at least for me!

As part of the online course I'm taking at the University of Oregon, "TESOL Methods", I had to discuss Bloom's Taxonomy. Within the discussion thread, one of my colleagues Mrs. Nunene from Nairobi told us about the WALT and WILF acronyms. WALT is "we are learning to" and WILF is "what I'm looking for".

When I read the post, I thought of adding the picture of Walt Disney so as to make it funnier. However, after reflecting on that, I came to the conclusion that having his picture was going to be boring. So... what happened? Another acronym came to my mind... DISNEY!!!

What is DISNEY? It's something we - teachers - should do in class!

Discipline We all want our students to keep quiet and calm. They can move around, play, sing, among others, but, keeping discipline. 

Interest We want our students to be interested in what we all do, so, we must make our class interesting for them and they have to keep the interest by asking questions, participating...

Sociability We are social human beings, we need to be in contact with others so.. talking to each other and collaborating with each other has to be a "must" inside our class

KNowledge As the "k" sound is "silent", I decided to add this word. I guess that "knowledge" is what we expect from our students :)

Entertainment We don't need to be clowns nor our students but... we have to make our classes as much entertaining and motivating as possible, don't you agree? :)

enjoYment Both our students and we have to enjoy our classes; if not, then, it will be disappointing and boring. Each time our students see us, will say "Arrgh... English again"!

I know that DISNEY is not new for tons of experienced teachers; I just liked the idea of playing with words!

Thanks for reading! Smiles, Maria :)

The castle is our classroom, where DISNEY happens

Eleven facts about me!! :)

Hello 2014...

Happy New Year!!! :)

Today, January 1st I'm writing my eleven facts! I've been tagged by many of you however, I'll just reply the questions made by Fabiana Casella, one of the great teachers I met here this year. 

Let's start with the questions I was tagged...

Fabiana's Questions are here 

1- Impatient, Responsible, Punctual

2- I admire a colleague called Liliana. She is a History and Methodology teacher here in my school; she knows a lot, she is very simple and very direct. 

3- My favorite color is blue but I don't know why.

4- Good question... I've already spent it... in Egypt! Planning a 2nd trip! :)

Boarding Gate in Rome... Dec 29th, 2012

5- I'm a good cook when I have time. My "speciality" is a salty cheese cake.

6- No, never.

7- The Beatles.

8- No, I can't. I can dance "cuarteto" (the traditional music from Cordoba, Argentina).

9- Yes, "crab".

10- Yes, I am :)

11- mmm... what a question... Egypt!! I love Tutankhamen

Isn't he "gorgeous"?? :)

Now, my eleven random facts...

1- I lived in Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile and the South of Argentina. I love all those countries. If I had to name my favorite... impossible! I have great memories in each of them!

2- I visited Brazil, Mexico, the US, Italy and Egypt. My favorite... yes, you know... EGYPT! :)

3- I love singing and dancing. When I cook, I generally grab a wooden spoon and I imagine it's a microphone... I sing and dance while I cook! I swear the food tastes nicer! ;)

4- I wanted to be a flight attendant! But... I'm very short according to the Airline companies. However, I've always wondered why they need tall people inside a plane!!

5- I hate people who are not punctual. When they say "let's meet at 10 and they arrive at 10.30"!! Why??? I'm always the 1st one to arrive everywhere!!

6- I'm a bookworm! When I'm on holidays, I can read one book in one afternoon! In fact, I've done it tons of times! :)

7- I'm a proud Rotary International member. I truly believe in its objectives, in its service and the friendship among its members. I was the 1st woman to became a Rotarian in my Club!!

The President of my club putting the Rotarian Pin! :)

8- I have never finished my University career. I hate it as much as I hate Mr. Chomsky!!!

9-I love my 1st niece Rafaela! She was born almost the same day as me!!

She is beautiful!!!! :)

10- I love teaching!!

11- I'm happy and I smile - even if and when hard situations knock on my door!

Smiles :)