#BIT17 Mixed Emotions...

I think one of the things that I needed to recognize as an educator, is that it is okay to say "woah" , "slow down" , "give me a minute here"...as long as you are moving forward.  When I come to technology conferences like #BIT17 I feel a mixture of things. 

Sometimes I am inspired, excited and ready to jump in...other times I feel overwhelmed.  I'm not typically overwhelmed by the technology, but more so by they possibilities they present.   There is never enough time!  How can I possibly present all of these opportunities to my students...in 1 year no less?  How do I accomplish all of these things and teach curriculum, assess students, identify needs, help my struggling learners, meet with parents, write reports, run extra-curriculars, etc, etc, etc,....

I believe the answer is to take what you can and try something new.  Keep moving forward.  Recognize where you are and where you want to be.  Set small goals and take small steps forward.

Right now, #STEM is new learning for myself & my teaching partner.  This year we decided to devote 1 period per week to doing #STEM rotations.  Is it smooth?  No.  Have there been issues and growing pains?  Yes.  Is it worth it?  Yes.

Here are the rotations we have created...is there something better out there?  Absolutely.  I just wanted to share an example of how a couple of regular classroom teachers are trying to make a go of it.  Perhaps you might get some ideas about things you would like to try:

STEM ROTATIONS - GR.5/6

STEM CHALLENGE CARDS