As you know, Kate Messner was recently our guest at school, and she and I had a chance to visit about her opportunity to give a TED talk and TED talks in general. TED is a non-profit organization devoted to spreading ideas in the worlds of Technology, Entertainment, and Design.
That doesn't sound like us, does it? But there are many TED talks related to education, and they can be incredibly thought-provoking. Over the next few weeks, I'll share with you some of the TED talks that I think are worth watching. I think they can help us become better teacher-librarians, more effective educators.
I don't know about you, but about this time of year, my "start-of-the-school-year, been-resting-all-summer" enthusiasm starts to wane. I need to remember why I get up in the dark and drive to school every day, why I stay up late working on school projects, why even my weekends include time for my students.
With all that in mind, here we go!
Our first TED talk is about re-engaging boys in learning.
One of the points that really hit home with me is the compression of the curriculum that has happened in the last few years. As the TED speaker says, "kindergarten is the old second grade." This compression is a bad thing for all active children. Have you noticed this at your school?
This is one of the reasons that I love library centers. I want students (at least during library time) to have the opportunity to move around, to choose an activity that engages them, to be self-directed. I know that in the classroom, students often have to sit still and be quiet for long stretches of time, so that they can get ready for "the test."
I'm very thankful that I can give students a break from those restrictions. After watching this TED talk, I will look more closely this week at making sure that my library is a welcoming place for boys and other active learners.
What about you? Do you see boys getting discouraged in school? Is your library a welcoming place for active learners? Let me know what you think!
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