Practice!
So I know that we all hate the word balance because it implies using things that don't work with things that do (at least that is what I am getting from alot of the conversation out there). Anyway, I partly agree with this. However, I still have a huge question with practice, practice, practice.
I recently read an article about constructivism where the author states that he believes that we can truly be awesome at whatever we choose. The answer/motivation lies within people and their will to be what they want to be. He states that we just have to want it enough to make it happen, it just takes a ton of effort, hard work, dedication and a ton of PRACTICE.)
So here is my question: Sometimes isn't practice just that? Practicing to truly perfect and know something so well that you can recall it without having to think about it? Just as if you ask anyone the first president of America, my guess is not many people actually have to think of the answer, it simply rolls off our tongues.
Just as I hope my students use some of Spanish enough that they start to be able to just answer with out a thought struggle. They heard something enough, used it enough and now it is just part of them.
Anyway, I am really rambling. I guess I still see practice as practice, even if it is meaningful and personal practice it is still repetition of material for the purpose of putting the information to memory. And don't we need this to learn something. Even if we discover something on our own I truly believe we still need to practice it to know/apply/synthesis and make it part of our lasting knowledge.
For some reason in some of our disscussions (not in 21st Century necessarily, but also just around the department) practice seems to have become almost a negative word that implies old school techniques. I hate this, because I think practice is part of constructivism and all learning. How did I learn to play the piano I practiced, even when I invented my own song (which I would constider very constructivist) I still practiced it!!! Can we redifine this word a bit?

Same old discussions, different day.....
Okay so I love how much 21st century has me thinking about what is best for students, my grading, what I am doing in my classroom and what assignments I value enough to be taken home for homework assignments. However, sometimes I feel like the conversation train is on a circular track? Or maybe it needs to be on this track before it can finally veer in a different direction.
Even in my own head, my thoughts often seem to be on the same track, so how do I move on?
People who value responsibilty or work ethic vs people who value the content knowledge seems to be an ongoing controversy. And the same questions always come about. Doesn't work ethic make you successful as an adult? How can I not count off for tardies, having materials and turning in work? Aren't some of those non curriculars just as important, if not more in life? Others argue.... Don't we want our grades to reflect ability, understanding, and learning?
I would argue that when I was in high school and college I didn't learn to think a lot. I memorized a ton (mostly facts I could never remember today) and learned a ton of tricks/loop holes to taking tests and writing papers. I even remember checking out a book about how to pass an essay test without knowing anything. The book taught tricks like if you don't know a specific year say in the early 1900's, or if you don't know a specific state write on the western slope or in America.
Anyway, I got off topic. My point is, is it possible to move these conversations forward, or are these questions just something we need to be continually examining?
I give nor deduct credit for bringing a book, having a pencil, even turning a paper in on time. Wrong? Teaching irresponsibility? Shouldn't there be some insentive for the kids who turn it in on time? I still argue learning is the insentive. I still don't understand not allowing make up/late work. If your objective is to teach algera or whatever and a student does an assignment and wants to work toward learning/mastery of that content, I still don't understand why we (as teachers) wouldn't want that motivation and learning (even if it came a bit late).
I do believe that often greater learning comes from mistakes rather than successes. However, shouldn't we be able to learn from mistakes and create opportunities from them?
I am rambling a bit, but I still have a great deal of frustration of the circular track and how to keep moving the train (conversation). I am hoping that another dose of Tony Winger at 21st Century will help. Any thoughts from anyone else on where that pendulum should be?

Connection, connections, connections...
One thing that I am excited about when I look forward to next year and having some planning times for PLCs in an Cross-Curricular PLC. When I read the Fischbowl and look at Clay Burell who is getting people all over the country to share a wiki, I have to ask myself why are more content areas not doing this here at AHS?
For example, I just read Allison McBride's blog about her wiki about the French Revolution as my year 4 students just studied Goya and his paintings and how they were effected by the French Revolution. How great if we could connect some of this learning.
Larry Kleeman and I spoke about this at the last 21st century meeting and I hope that the PLC will be able to be created. I also think that this type of integrated learning expands the big picture for students for an even better understanding of the world and the cause and effect of things within it.
I just think that we can promote so much critical thinking and inquiry through the integration of multiple curricular areas working together!

Okay, so I am no Oprah junkie, but I truly found yesterday's show on "The Law of Attraction" very interesting. I found so many connections between what they were saying and what we are discussing in the 21st century.
First of all, the law of attraction simply states that "like attracts like". The show talked about how what steers your thoughts and emotions is "contagious" so to speak. And your thoughts will attract like thoughts and like energy. For some reason, this all really got me thinking about education.
If our thoughts (and words) are continually, "kids, you need to know this, it will be on the test." What exactly are we attracting? The thoughts that this is only important for the test? Once the test is over the material/content is irrelevant? Is this what is our focus sometimes? I dare to say that every teacher (sadly including myself) has said this statement at one time or another.
The show stated that we must not focus on what is lacking, what is "wrong" or what isn't working, but rather our ultimate goal. "LEARNING". If "learning" is our constant thought and feeling the law of attraction states it should attract learning (and desire to learn).
I know this may sound "out there" and of course action must be taken in the direction of learning. However, as I also ponder the "balance", what has really been in my head is to let go of the old and hold in mind what you want and attract it to you.
So in my earlier post, what I should hold in my thoughts is learning and communication in Spanish. If all of my efforts focus on those goals then my students will too!?
Or maybe I just bought into the idea too much?

Okay, so I think I might be making some progress with my "big picture". I want my students to communicate, communicate, communicate. And not just with me, but with eachother, with other non-native Spanish students, with native speakers, etc. So then my question becomes how do I make this happen. Well, the communication with me and with fellow students in Spanish is the easy part. Just make communication the center of my classroom. I think that this big idea on its own helps me create a constuctivist classroom. Because how can we possible communicate with eachother (I am not talking about memorized dialog, rather actual communication), if it is not personal to each of us?

The part that I am now trying to expand in my classroom in communication with others, other students in other classroom in the USA and around the world. This is where Skype would definitely be awesome to learn and incorporate into the classroom.

I am constantly trying to integrate that communication piece however possible. My students currently have epals from Heritage High School. In addition I have recently connected to a teacher in Missouri and a teacher in Cuernavaca Morelos Mexico that would also like to have our students communicate. However, I don't think I am very efficient at trying to set up all of the logistics with this communication. I am hoping that Skype may help with this.

While I was signing up for Skype and browsing it, I also found a guy who is doing Spanish lessons on there where you can ask questions live and such starting February 11th, that could be interesting to check out too.

Any great ideas out there for how to incorporate more authentic Spanish?

As we continue exploring construcivism and looking at student learning, we often have conversations within our office about the methods that we are trying, the changes in our grading/assessing, and how constructism is taking shape in our individual classrooms. I think that this conversation is so essential to the chance and thought processes. And, I have truly loved the fact that so many of my fellow World Language teachers are part of the 21st Century Team and bring all of their ideas to the table.
With that said, I also want to address some hardship with this as well. It is inevitable that sometimes in our discussions of constructivism some people feel like their toes are being stepped on. I am wondering if this is a common problem. Sometimes I even find myself feeling this, then I remember, that is the exact reason for this committee to question and critically think about teaching and learning. How do you have these disscusions without people feel like you are criticing them, rather just having a discussion about new ideas about what is best for kids?