I guess it took a very innocuous conversation with fellow STAR Discovery Educator Rachel Yurk to snap me out of a fun I’ve been in. It’s been about a good month since I’ve posted. Heck, I didn’t even post my final comments about FETC. I’ve put myself on a self imposed hiatus. I’ve been negative. About a lot of stuff. I’m sure if I go back and read some of my posts each of them would have a negative undertone to it. But alas, I think I’m slowly coming out of my fog. Baby steps though.

Part of me is excited about getting a new teacher on campus who’s sought me out and asking if we had this and had that on our campus. I have made a concerted effort to make sure that she has everything that she needs to help make her students succeed in her class. I’ve already set her up with our last SMART board that wasn’t being utilized, a document camera and am in the process of setting up 3 more laptops for her to create some learning/literacy centers. It’s been a ray of sunshine to help me get out of my doldrums.

The other thing that came just at the right time is a blog post from Kim Cofino titled “Making the Shift Happen.” Alot of what she blogs about in this article I’ve been saying for the last few months. One of the phrases I used in my interview with the Women of Web 2.0 back in January was “Paradigm Shift”. I saw a question yesterday on Twitter to describe what 21st Century Skills were being developed in our schools. In theory, the paradigm should have shifted almost a decade ago, leading into the new century. Unfortunately, and sadly, many schools are still ‘trying’ to make the shift. As I described it in a followup tweet, “My school is in a quagmire of 19th Century learning practices.” I don’t really want to rehash everything that Kim writes about, I do urge you to go out and read it. It’s definitely an article that most schools/districts could sink their teeth into and utilize.

On a lighter note. I do want to finish with a SHOCKING development in the life of Tom Turner. I sent out the tweet for those that follow me on twitter this is old news. But I Tom Turner am now the proud owner of a MacBook laptop computer. I Tom Turner who swore up and down as early as 2 years ago that I would NEVER own a Mac now owns one. With the probability of owning another 2 within the next year and a half. Here’s some images of my new beauty next to a dinosaur in one of the pics. I’m ever so pleased about my purchase! Until later!

Seeking the Wisdom of the Ages…

Tom.

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