The Art of Mindful Living

I listened to the audiobook of Thich Nhat Hanh's (@thichnhathanh) The Art of Mindful Living this week.

It made me feel much better about many things. I feel more calm, more aware of my breathing, and more aware of the present moment.

I found this quote particularly poignant, as my cohort is currently preparing for our first practicum placements: "When a cloud is about to rain, it does not panic like us."

Some notes in my Bullet Journal from The Art of Mindful Living
(and a reminder to return library books)

Flowers to remind myself of the Flower Fresh meditation

Twitter & Anxiety

Networking

As an introvert, the word "networking" used to terrify me. It all seemed so disingenuous. Since I began using Twitter, I have become a lot more confident in my networking abilities. I have been able to find common interests with people, and make genuine connections. I love being part of a community that shares what they are learning. Plus, Twitter connections give you something to laugh about during your first face-to-face meeting, so it has made conferences much easier for me.

Intensity

Through Twitter, I have found resources that have shed light on my own experiences. One such example happened last night, when I found a TED talk through this tweet:

For kids with anxiety, it's NOT going to be fine unless WE AT SCHOOL are going to do something different. @HHG http://t.co/Ioqzrt9jsY
— Iram Khan (@teachermrskhan) March 11, 2015

I was able to connect with the speaker via Twitter, and let her know how her talk had impacted me:

@HHG I just watched your #TedxLangleyED talk, and it shed some light on my experiences. Thank you for sharing!
— Britney Allen (@MlleBallen) March 11, 2015

@MlleBallen I'm glad it resonated! Helps to know it's not just you, doesn't it?
— Heidi Hass Gable (@HHG) March 11, 2015

@HHG Absolutely! This has given me a lot to reflect on as a student-teacher, too: supporting intense learners, self-care, etc.
— Britney Allen (@MlleBallen) March 11, 2015

@MlleBallen Fantastic! Some of our most vulnerable learners are these intense, sensitive kids. Such potential, but need support!
— Heidi Hass Gable (@HHG) March 11, 2015

@MlleBallen Seeing more research confirming similarities/crossover btwn gifted & autism. Sensitivities, behaviour, overwhelm and meltdowns.
— Heidi Hass Gable (@HHG) March 11, 2015

@HHG Glad to hear that this is being researched - hopefully future Ss will benefit from these findings!

— Britney Allen (@MlleBallen) March 11, 2015

Anxiety has been part of my education experience for as long as I can remember. It became particularly challenging when I was in grade 8, and the idea of going to school became too much for me. In grade 9, I began the 4C Challenge Program, and that helped immensely. However, I had very mixed feeling about my designation... @HHG's TED Talk has led me to reflect on why I felt that way, and how to support intense learners. (There are some great ideas in my post about the UDL workshop I attended recently.)

What I have learned through my PLN has been helping me to unpack my own experiences and grow as a person. I look forward to seeing where this connected learning journey takes me!

Mindfulness and Wellness

I have had a few conversations recently that have touched on the topic of mindfulness and wellness.
@h_james18 has been blogging about her learning journey on the topic of meditation. In this post she mentions that it's a difficult thing to learn publicly. She talks about "busy brain," which I definitely have (although stopping coffee has helped). She also refers to this TED Talk:

A friend of mine teaches meditation, and I have long been meaning to go to a session. I suppose this is an example of the glorification of busy, so I need to be cognizant of that.
I look forward to seeing what my colleagues come up with in researching wellness. From what I heard, at least one person is looking into student wellness, and another is looking into teacher wellness. One of my instructors from last semester is doing research about new teacher burnout.
Lifehacks, such as 20 daily habits of highly organized people, typically emphasize simplification to more reductionist/minimalist
ways of being.
I need to get more sleep. The trouble is, I find that when I am in the flow state (which tends to happen in the evening) I have a hard time slowing down and going to bed. I have read a lot of articles like this list of 10 things to do before sleep. (By the way, I love lists about as much as Scaredy Squirrel does.) Maybe these tips from ASAP Science will help me:

Podcasts and Audiobooks

A month ago I started listening to podcasts and an audiobook. Previously, I had mostly been attempting reading during my eternity 4 hours of commuting each day. Because of all the great things I have been hearing about podcasts and audiobooks this term, I decided to download a few, including:

• Radio-Canada podcasts to keep up with current events and immerse myself in some French, 
• Welcome to Night Vale, which has inspired some art,
• Chasing Vermeer for my Reading course, and
• Invisibilia.

I learn well by listening, and I like having my hands free to sketch, write notes, or just hold my tea.

BC Libraries: Library2Go has a ton of audiobooks and ebooks. I downloaded the OverDrive app so that I can access this, and other online libraries, through my phone.

Invisibilia: The Secret History of Thoughts

I started listening to the Invisibilia podcast series recently. It's about "the invisible forces that spur human behaviour." @RileyPaton suggested it to me. She wrote a blog post about it, too: Fear = Thinking + Time.
The first episode, The Secret History of Thoughts, fittingly spurred a lot of thoughts. One of the stories reminded me of the book Out of my Mind, which we heard as a read-aloud in our Literacy class last term. According to the podcast, not all thoughts are to be taken seriously, though. If you're interested in the subject of mindfulness, give it a listen.
Right before listening to this episode, I had a conversation about reflection with a friend/colleague of mine. It was the ultimate in metacognition. It was one of those conversations that was both overwhelming and comforting. Is there such a thing as too much reflection? How do you strike a balance between reflection, mindfulness, and self-care?

Demo: Density Flask Flip

Curriculum Context 

•  Grade 2 Physical Science - Properties of Matter
• Identify the properties of solids, liquids, and gases
• Investigate changes to the properties of matter when it is heated or cooled
• Investigate the interactions of liquids and solids

• Grade 7 Physical Science - Chemistry
• Conduct investigations into the properties of matter

Materials Needed

• 4 x 1L Erlenmeyer flasks (or soda bottles)
• 1L warm water
• 3L cold water
• 2 colours of food colouring
• 1 tablespoon of salt
• Clear bin
• 1 piece of acetate paper

Directions and Questions

Salt vs. Fresh Water

Illustration done using iDraw and Wacom tablet

1. Fill two Erlenmeyer flasks with water. Add salt to one of the flasks. Which of these liquids do you think is more dense?
2. Dye the water different colours using food colouring (e.g. red for salt & blue for fresh).
3. Place a piece of acetate paper onto the flask with the fresh water in it, and flip it over so that its opening is on top of the opening of the flask of cold water with the piece of acetate paper in between.
4. Ask students to make hypotheses: Which do you think is more dense, salt water or fresh water? When I slide the plastic out, what do you think will happen?
5. Slide the acetate paper out.
6. Flip the two flasks over, keeping their openings connected, so that the salt water is now on top. What are you observing? Why do you think that is happening? Does this remind you of anything?

Yellow = fresh water,
blue = salt water

Blue = salt water,
yellow = fresh water

Cold vs. Warm Water

Illustration done using iDraw and Wacom tablet

1. Fill one Erlenmeyer flask with hot water, and another with cold water. Which of these liquids do you think is more dense?
2. Dye the water different colours using food colouring (e.g. red for hot & blue for cold). (Optional: Ask a student to touch each of the flasks and confirm the temperature difference. Alternatively, use thermometers to show the difference.)
3. Place a piece of acetate paper onto the flask with the hot water in it, and flip it over so that its opening is on top of the opening of the flask of cold water with the piece of acetate paper in between.
4. Ask students to make hypotheses: Which do you think is more dense, hot or cold? When I slide the plastic out, what do you think will happen?
5. Slide the acetate paper out.
6. Flip the two flasks over, keeping their openings connected, so that the cold water is now on top. What are you observing? Why do you think that is happening? Does this remind you of anything?

Warm = red, cold = blue

Cold = blue, warm = red

Explanation 

Salt vs. Fresh Water
When the fresh water flask is on top, the fresh water will mostly stay in the top flask, and the salt water will mostly stay in the bottom flask. This is because the fresh water is less dense, so we can think of it as being less heavy. Within the 1L volume, there is more mass, because we added the salt. (The salt dissolves in water, providing an example of a solid-liquid interaction.) After flipping the flasks, the salt water will sink to the bottom because it is denser, and the fresh water will float upward because it is less dense. A similar process takes place in estuaries, where a river connects with the ocean. 

Hot vs. Cold Water 
When the hot water flask is on top, the hot water will mostly stay in the top flask, and the cold water will mostly stay in the bottom flask. This is because the hot water is less dense, so we can think of it as being less heavy. The molecules in the cold water are closer together than the molecules of the hot water. After flipping the flasks, the cold water will sink to the bottom because it is denser, and the hot water will float upward because it is less dense. A similar process, called convection, takes place during the seasonal mixing of lake waters, and in ocean currents.

Safety Considerations

• Water could make the floor slippery. Have students stand back, and use a clear bin to contain the experiment.
• Glass flasks could break if dropped. Have students stand back, and use a clear bin to contain the experiment.  

Next Steps

• Students could engage in a hands-on exploration of density. One idea would be making density columns using pipettes, test tubes, and salt water of various concentrations (coloured with different colours of food colouring).
• Connections to habitats and associated processes, such as lakes an estuaries, could be elaborated on.  

 

References

• Spangler, S. (2013). Colorful Convection Currents. Retrieved January 18, 2015, from http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/colorful-convection-currents  
• University of Alaska Fairbanks [UAF]. (2008). Retrieved January 18, 2015, from http://www.arcticclimatemodeling.org/lessons/acmp/acmp_58_SeaIce_SaltwaterScience.pdf

Popcorn Strategy

Critical Pedagogy

Another book on critical pedagogy: The Element by Ken Robinson

Assessment

Preparing/Planning for Teaching

Getting Useful Feedback from Students

Hot Writing Is Cool

I used this strategy while tutoring with a grade 8 student, and it was great! We chose phrases from books to used as prompts. The student said that he usually hates writing, but this "was cool."

You Matter

Backwards Planning

What can differentiation focus on?

KWL charts & Metacognition

 

1st Class Ideas

In my Think Book for Language Arts last term, I created this mind map with ideas about the first class of the year:

How do you establish a safe, engaging learning environment?

Flashback to Week 1 of PDPP

Why Education?
During my first week in the PDPP, I created this mind map about why I started the Education program:

The Heart of a Teacher

The Heart of a Teacher by Parker J. Palmer is a poignant piece of writing that I plan on re-reading throughout my career. Since I love quotes, I will share a few that stuck with me:

• "Good teaching comes from the identity and integrity of the teacher."
• "The courage to teach is the courage to keep one's heart open in those very moments when the heart is asked to hold more than it is able..."
• "When we lose heart we need an understanding of our condition that will liberate us from that condition."

 

Reflection from September 8th, 2014:

During my journey from home to campus this morning, I saw some familiar faces smiling as they waved at passing cars. They were holding placards with slogans and statistics, some written by hand, and others printed onto corrugated plastic. These "Teachers Taking A Stand" were my high school teachers. These were men and women who have done so much for me: endless support, encouragement, inspiration, reference letters, and more. They taught me about Leadership, Biology, Chemistry, Science, Calculus... and those are just the course titles. They don't even come close to the life lessons and wisdom they bestowed onto me. Their humour, patience, dedication, and passion have helped me to become who I am today. They were standing up for the future of public education in this province. 

With all of that going through my head, I delayed my trip to campus and hopped off the bus to say hello and thank you to some of the most influential educators I've had in my life. They are rockstars of the profession, in my mind. Great educators, like these ones, can turn situations that are not ideal into teachable moments. If you don't like what's going on, how can you work to improve it? As always, they had words of encouragement for me:

• "You'll make a great elementary educator, but I hope you end up back at the high school."
• "Those kids are so lucky to have you."
• "I'm glad that we're not losing a bright, young educator over this."

#EdCampVic

Attending EdCampVic on Saturday, February 28th, was a phenomenal experience. I was able to connect with one of my highschool teachers, an instructor of mine, members of my PLN from Twitter, and some of my classmates.

Note-Taking

I volunteered a note-taker, which works well with my learning style. I loved being able to share my notes with the world using Google docs and Storify! I'm motivated by being able to share what I'm learning. If you were unable to attend the conference in person, you can go to the sessions page and click on any of the headings. Here's the Storify about EdCampVic, too.

Sessions I Attended

• Elementary Science Education (which I happen to have suggested) [notes] [Storify]
• Indigenous Education and Inquiry [notes] [Storify]
• Student-Teachers and Working On-Call [notes] [Storify]

Sign for my suggested topic - look at all those votes!

 Wish List

@SMooreBC showed me her practicum tote. It looks like a great way to keep organized!

@SMooreBC's Practicum Tote

She also showed me her Erin Condren Teacher Planner. I would really like one of those, too!

What a day!

The conversational nature of the day made it feel very natural, and the general consensus was that the day went quite quickly... and that our brains felt quite full! I am looking forward to my next EdCamp experience!

Tech suggestions from #kinderchat/#tiegrad

During #kinderchat on February 23rd, I asked some of the participants from #tiegrad what their favourite tech tool was. Here were their suggestions:

• Kidblog - From an initial look at the website, it seems like a great way to get kids reflecting online. I love the idea of student blogs!
• FreshGrade - One of my colleagues, @TeachInSunshine, wrote this blog post about it. I love the idea of it!
• Explain Everything - I have heard amazing things about this app, and I will get it as soon as I get an iPad!

#edci336chat: tweetiquette & Twitter in Education

Yesterday I moderated a Twitter chat for the first time. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be! I used Hootsuite to schedule the questions. It worked quite well, but I think I will try TweetDeck next time, because a few of the experienced participants suggested it. Here is the storify for the #edci336chat about tweetiquette and Twitter in education.

Expectations & Education

"When you lighten someone's load, you don't allow them to expand." This quote is from Invisibilia's "How to Become Batman" podcast. The main idea behind this episode is that our expectations affect others, and their expectations affect us. As a student-teacher, I took this as a reminder that I need to be cognizant of my own expectations. I need to take stock of my expectations, particularly my expectations for myself and my students.

Jacob and Wilder (2010) highlight the importance of expectations in education: "Expectations have become somewhat less predictive of attainment over the past several decades but expectations remain strong predictors of attainment above and beyond other standard determinants of schooling."

If you're interested in further readings, you can check out this article about how teachers' expectations affect student learning. Finally, here is a video about student expectations that raises some important points in an engaging way: