A few weeks ago Rhode Island was hit with a storm dropping roughly two feet of snow on our houses and schools. Two snow days capped our weekend, giving educators two extra days on our weekend to get some extra work done. This storm couldn't have come at a better time for me. It was like the world knew exactly what I needed at that moment. For the past few years, I have felt as though I have been in a sort of rut. While I have enjoyed my career, my daily satisfaction wasn't holding up to the way it used to be when I was young and went to work. In fact, up til a few years ago, I never really considered my job to be work. I wanted that vitality again and I used those four days of snow (minus 3 hours of shoveling) to recharge my battery. I spent the weekend learning how to use Twitter in a way that would enhance my experience as an educator. WOW! I can not believe the change in my attitude and my outlook in just three short weeks. For the first time in years, I am excited to go to work again...who knew?
After exploring Twitter, reading blogs and figuring out what the heck a # is, I finally decided to watch some tutorials on flipping my classroom. Teachers who were blogging and sharing their videos about the flipped class seemed to be so excited and energized, so I decided to give it a shot. I created an account with @Sophia or www.sophia.org, because another teacher who is flipping at our school recommended it. This is where my new journey began.
In the last three weeks, I have watched dozens of tutorials made by educators and I have thoroughly explored Khan Academy and TED talks. I am inspired for the first time in a long time and if feels wonderful! Today I have assigned my first "homework" tutorial for my students on the "Causes of World War I." I took what would most likely to have been a 60 minute lecture and made it 6 minutes. With the lecture out of the way, I can't wait for class on Monday!
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