Returning to base - Just for the fun of moving!

After being gone for 30 days and following the TGfU conference, I find myself back in Winnipeg, experiencing the same neck pain I did before I left. Neck pain from sitting behind my laptop all day. Not sure why I have neck pain here and not somewhere else but I just realized how much of my job is on the computer and how the internet sure brought a lot of changes into this world.
It is not just because I am a grad student that I spend more time on the computer. Did graduate students 20 years ago write their thesis on a type writer? By hand? wow! wow! wow!
The reason why I spend most of my day on the internet is because my research is on wikis, my blog is on the computer, my friends and family are in the computer (as a way of saying they are far away and only reachable by email), my articles, research and the library itself are all on the computer and my thesis must be written on the computer.
I don't think it is a bad thing though, just the neck part, but that is my own fault. I should get up every half an hour and do some pilates!
Anyway, returning to base. I am at home and have exactly a week to write a 4500 page paper for publication and have about 3 weeks to complete my thesis. The paper however will be part of my thesis so that is a good thing. I am at this stage right now that I feel so excited about being alive! I know it is weird but the tast of being almost done with my Masters and starting a doctorate is something very special. As for my masters, I have done the research, I know what I need to write, I just got to write it! Every day I write a little piece. I set small goals for myself. After the poster presentation, I take parts of that and create text around it. Show the perceptions of the teacher candidates within it so I can create a vivid story. Writing has never been a favorite thing of mine and to say the least I always feel inadequate as a writer.
I really do not think it has to do with the fact that English is my third language, although at the time I think I speak better English than I do dutch, which is on one side a bit sad; but I think it has to do with the fact that I used to do really bad in school in languages. I always failed spelling (thank goodness for spelling checkers) and I could never remember the grammar rules and messed up many times. It however does not mean that I don't like to write! I mean if I did not like to write I wouldn't be writing this now would I? What I conclude is that I enjoy writing but believe I am not very good at it. Still I do it and keep doing it! Why?
Now lets give this a spin. A child loves playing games but is not very good at it, yet still he or she continues to do it! Why?
Do I have a purpose to write this? yes I do but I did not start this blog with a purpose in mind. I know this gets published and people will read it and my mistakes will come out so my not write this in a personal diary where no one would read it? Why the blog?
For me it is easier! And more fun! I enjoy writing on this blog because I love to reflect and enjoy using the computer. I also enjoy the fact that someone could read it and respond to it. And knowing that people can read it, makes me want to write on it every day, just so I can provide a new piece of writing. I am a very open person and don't really care that people know these things of me. I like it that people get to know me, all of me, not just me in a social setting, like at a party, but also in writing, during a challenging time. All while I am doing something (writing), that I am not very comfortable with. But the more I write the better I will get. In fact, I believe that using this blog makes me more aware and attentive to my writing style. Ok, maybe just a little.
So let's think back to the child in PE. The child who loves playing games but is not very good at it yet still keeps going. This child does not give up! Why? Does play have a purpose? Does play make you happy and feel good about yourself even if you are not good at it? Or does it have to do with the fact that the child is not criticized while playing. The child plays and will continue to play until someone stops him or her. As teachers, this is important to know. If we let the child play and see that he or she is enjoying the game, but is not very good at it (what defines good, in who's eyes?), do we let him or her play? Why or why not? I think there are three possibilities here.
1) Let the child play, do not interfere, the child will learn by trail and error
2) Teacher knows what to do how to improve his or her game play, stops the child and tells it how to play better... will the child still enjoy the game?
3) Teacher knows what to do how to improve the child's game play, observes, play with the child, asks the child what he or she enjoys about the game and asks if he or she wants to learn something new about the game. Teacher gives the child a choice! Will the child enjoy that?
I am a number 3 teacher. I try not to tell a child what to do, without asking them questions first. Teaching student centered means teaching from the child, it is the child who directs the teaching. I believe that all children are ready to learn something but what they are ready to learn is unique to each child. Channeling teaching towards the child's need and readiness is a good way to teach, I think. And in my teaching, so far, from my experiences, I enjoyed teaching like this and find it way more fun than direct teaching. I also realize that if I for some reason put purpose before person (student), most likely, someone gets disappointed.
I should probably rephrase the direct teaching part as I do think there is a time and a place for direct teaching! I believe that you can be student centered and teach direct. I believe the teaching style depends on the student and some students learn best through the direct teaching method. However, one should never assume that if a student for example, preferred direct teaching of a jump shot, that that student would automatically want direct teaching of everything. It is important to ask the student how they wish to learn something together with what. Why do I say that? Because for me, someone who is not too found of competition, the play, the process was always more important than the outcome or points scored. In fact, when I was in a basketball club I used to only show up for practices and I loved the practices because I loved moving. I did not show up for games to often because most times we sat on the bench and i really did not get to touch the ball all that often. In fact, I would probably enjoy doing an hour of drills more than going to a game. Weird? I don't think so. At least in a drill I get to touch the ball and move! A lot! So going to a more student approach and letting the children play is an important point in my philosophy of teaching!
How come I start out and than end at a total different point of focus. I really have a difficult time to stick with a certain topic of reflection. That is why usually, even though I start with entering a title, by the time I am finished writing the blog the title doesn't match it! So maybe I will use a two fold title. Meaning the first part was a title connected to what I was going to talk about and the second one was a title on what I have been talking about.
Get it?