Desire Paths

I would like to share a quote with you from Andrew Douch's blog.

"A 'desire path' is an unplanned path worn into being by people leaving the path provided by a landscape designer. There is a principle in landscape design that some people call ‘paving the desire path’. Instead of planning and laying paths and then expecting people to follow them, you watch people, to see where they actually go, and then pave those paths. Paved desire paths will be more successful - because you are simply making it easier for people to do what they want to do anyway."

Douchy uses this image as a metaphor for deciding which technology tools to use in the classroom.

For me, the metaphor extends to my feelings about technology in the classroom - and my philosophy of education in general. I hear so many teachers complain about how tired they are of nagging students to put away cell phones and i-pods and to stop sneaking off to myspace.

Why not yield to their intuition - and connect their interests to what we are trying to teach?

Why not follow their path and see where it goes?

No RSVP required

Setting up a social network is kind of like preparing for a party. What should the theme be? Who to invite?

There is a lot of planning involved, but I also need to leave some room for spontaneity. What can I add to make sure everyone has a good time and wants to come back? Some new widgets and games to loosen things up, but also some familiar recipes so everyone can keep one foot in their comfort zone.

My new social network was designed for future educators. But everybody is invited. If you know any teachers-to-be who might like to join, please send them a link. Also, if you're a current teacher or teacher of teachers, please drop by and share from your experiences.

Dress casual.

Dial-a-Cast

I enjoyed the odd, somewhat paradoxical, feeling of recording my first podcast by speaking into a phone receiver. I have to admit, it was so easy it felt like cheating.

For this inaugural event, I chose to read my favorite poem by Mary Oliver.

I really believe that reading poems out loud is essential to fully understanding and appreciating them, so it seemed a fitting use of my cast.

In spring I created a lesson plan based on a think-and-feel-aloud strategy found in the Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy. Students are paired up. First, they read the poem independently, then out loud to each other , then .... (here's the good part) they read it out loud while verbalizing their reactions, thoughts, feelings, questions. This creates an awareness of their own natural response to the poem - which, really, is more important than puzzling out how they think they are "supposed" to feel.

To make a long story short, I think it would be beneficial to podcast this. Students could choose to share it with the class for discussion, or they could just use it for further analysis of the poem.

Brainstorm: Maybe a page on my wiki, Poetry Matters, where people could post these and discuss in threads.

What do you think?

TMI?

I really like RSS, but...

I'm finding out about so many great books from the literary sites I now subscribe to, but am feeling a little overwhelmed by how much is out there that I haven't read. Add to that, I keep coming across posts about books I have read - "Angle of Repose" by Wallace Stegner, for example - and I go to comment but can't remember what the book was about anymore. (See my"Forgetfulness" post.) So I not only have to read everything, but I also have to reread everything I've already read!

Does anyone sleep anymore?