Mrs. Williams

I knew it was going to happen sooner or later, I've been tagged by Daniel Razac to share seven things about my life that most people would not know. So here it is...

1. Before teacher college, I studied as an engineer and was the only female at the top of my class, wait... I was the only female in my class.

2. Before teaching, I worked as a shipping manager over a large manufacturing business in North Carolina. We sold paper products and chicken diapers. Yes, you read it right.

3. I was once a partner in a small flower business named Heirloom Gardens. We raised and sold perennials that could be traced back to Thomas Jefferson.

4. I once won a car for selling cosmetics when I was a Mary Kay Sales Director. It wasn't pink, but it still got me around in style.

5. I used to be a Tie Bo instructor and was once featured on Cecil's World on Channel 13 News. Don't laugh; I can still throw a punch.

6. I live a techno savvy life, but raise and grow my own food. We kill, process and package our meat that is fed from the corn we grow.

7. I am at peace when near water. I love the beach, lakes, waterfalls, creeks, and even pools. Something about it is so serene and I hope to one day retire to a quiet little lake house.

So now I tag seven writers who I hope will put in a little more time than I have... If you accept the challenge, be sure to tag seven more. Don't forget to notify them.

Taylor, Nikki, Tim, Katelyn, Shea, Hannah, Sallie

Blogging equates influence is the topic of Bill Ferriter's post on why teachers should blog. As a springboard from Do I really need to Blog? at Wizards Teaching Blog, Bill hits a homeroom with his statement that...

"Decisions made without us are unintentionally underinformed!"

Daily I am frustrated at the fact that policy and practices are put into place without any input from the soldiers on the front line. Just yesterday I asked, "Do they not see the hand in front of their faces? Why can't administrators see what is so obvious to teachers?"

Blogging does provide a platform for our voices and a medium for change, but we are not the only ones who need to be heard. The same catalyst should be available for students. How often do we as educators make decisions about their future without feedback from them? Would students not benefit from the same opportunity?

Providing our students with the training and access needed to blog is a powerful tool in the Quality Schools initiative inspired by Williams Glasper. The concept of allowing students an opportunity to provide teachers with feedback and to assess instruction is a hard pill to swallow, but a necessary one. Movements such as Students 2.0, with writers similar to Morgante Pell, is a start on the right track. (Great to have you back Arthus!)

As stated by Kurtsn, with blogging,

"Your ideas are challenged, and refined. Possibly changed."

So... here is your chance students to challenge my thinking. Share your thoughts, your concerns, your aspirations, but be gentle, you know teachers are born with a big ego!

A year ago my idea of blogging entailed individuals mostly posting rants and rages about issues in the world or worse... mellow dramatic reflections of a boring, unfulfilled life. I could not image taking time out of my busy day of rearing six children and attempting to educate a group of active middle school students to read blogs, much less post one. My attitude toward blogging was the result of simple ignorance. How often do we make judgments about things that we know not of?

Today I know that blogging equates learning through connections. In this networked world, you can learn and run along side others who are searching for the same knowledge. Collaboration and sharing is the nucleus for growth, not the competitive world that we have created as we try to "up" the other. Our current economic crisis is surely a testament to the fact. Scott Leslie, author of edtechposts puts it into perspective....

"Now I contrast that with the learning networks which I inhabit, and in which every single day I share my learning and have knowledge and learning shared back with me. I know it works. I literally don't think I could do my job any longer without it - the pace of change is too rapid, the number of developments I need to follow and master too great, and without my network I would drown. But I am not drowning, indeed I feel regularly that I am enjoying surfing these waves and glance over to see other surfers right there beside me, silly grins on all of our faces. So it feels to me like it's working, like we ARE sharing, and thriving because of it."

Today I expand my knowlege at every new dawn. Today my life has value above three loads of laundry a day and getting middle school students to walk in a straight line. Today I learn. Today I blog.