It is 1030 on Wednesday and I am blowing off the general session to reflect a little. Tuesday started off with a bang. The standards-based grading and instruction session with Jo Bailey, Rich Wiles, Kari Bullis, Wendy Jones, Lynn Burrows, and Dave Gustitch was fantastic. They briefly explained their journey into standards-based grading. This was helpful because they all were at different points much like the participants in their session. After their intro, we were up and moving. They had spread out signs on the wall that helped people to reflect on where they were on their journey. I loved how we were up and moving.

The next activity was a cool mission impossible game where we had to work together to put in sequential order how to create a standards-based lesson. When we were finished we were all had to stand up and pretend to row a boat or work in the garden. The main point of this activity was to understand that you start a lesson by picking the standard. You then move to determine the evidence of learning, followed by the assessment. The last thing you do is choose the activity. You can see how that differs from a traditional lesson in the graphic from their slideshow below.

The next part of the presentation I loved was the ability to pick where we wanted to go in our standards based instruction journey. I chose how to unpack a standard. Rich and Wendy made it a painless endeavor leading us through this complicated process. This made me wonder, though. Why does SHAPE America not have all these standards unpacked for us? Why do teachers who probably have no formal training in curriculum have to unpack standards? There are so many people doing this can’t we get together and create a resource for physed teachers? From everything I understand is that unpacking a standard is an inexact science. Some people may agree it was done properly while others may disagree. SHAPE needs to put teaching physed and health as a top priority and give the teachers the resources they need to create a quality physical education program. If you would like a copy of their presentation click here.

I had to leave the standards based session and facilitate my session on social justice. The room was packed and the energy in the air was palpable. Andy Milne with his silver tongue was at the top of his game. The crowd was attentive and engaged. My favorite part of the session was that I learned from them as much or more than they learned from me. They would chime in with resources and anecdotes that were amazing. We wrote the resources down on chart paper and people were taking pictures of it at the end so they could continue their learning journey. If you would like a copy of the session click here.

The next session I attended was with Dr. Harvey and Shrehan Lynch. Their session was how to teach Netball using TGFU. They showed us a great introduction to Netball video which you should watch by clicking here. Netball is a fantastic activity to play during Women’s History Month.

In England in 1895, ladies using broomsticks for posts and wet paper bags for baskets played the basketball game on grass. Their long skirts, bustle backs, nipped waists and button up shoes impeded running and their leg-of-mutton sleeves restricted arm movement making dribbling and long passes difficult. The ladies decided to adapt the game to accommodate these restrictions. Link

During the game of Netball you can’t move with the ball. This was because, as stated above, women did not wear attire that made running feasible. This is a great discussion you can have with your class about privilege and access to sports and activities. In addition to highlighting women Netball also shows that there are sports that are being played outside of North America that are awesome. We have to show our students that there is more to the world than just their town, state, or country. 

The session was very energetic and informative. They told a brief history of TGFU and showed how various builds were used to scaffold in the rules of Netball. The session was active and informative. I had a blast! The best part of the session was that Dr. Harvey and Shrehan played the game! If you want to learn more about TGFU or Netball contact @misslynchpe or @drstephenHarvey on Twitter.

After the sessions, we were finally able to play Paddle Zlam. This was my favorite part of the conference. We had about 20 people playing the games and having a blast. We were not playing to burn calories, work out, or continue their physical literacy journey. We were playing because we were having fun. This is why most people engage in sport and leisure activities. They want to socialize and enjoy themselves. I believe that in our attempt to be taken seriously we have lost sight of this fact. If students are not enjoying the activity we are losing an important part of our teaching.

Reflection over. Back to learning.

This week I have started to become comfortable with being uncomfortable. I went to a Baptist church in Trenton to hear Dr. Reverand William Barber speak. The idea of the event was to create a movement that united all faiths and unions to work together to create a more virtuous America. This can only happen when people of all faiths and a strong working class come together. You can read more about the event here.

I learned a boatload from the evening. The first thing I learned was all about history. The older I get the more I realize how ignorant I am when it comes to real American History. Dr. Reverand Barber spoke about the two reconstructions that America has had where blacks and whites have truly worked together.

The First and Second Reconstructions held out the great promise of rectifying racial injustices in America. The First Reconstruction, emerging out of the chaos of the Civil War had as its goals equality for Blacks in voting, politics, and use of public facilities. The Second Reconstruction emerging out of the booming economy of the 1950’s, had its goals, integration, the end of Jim Crow and the more amorphous goal of making America a biracial democracy where, “the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveholders will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.” Even though both movements, were borne of high hopes they failed in bringing about their goals. Link

He explained how during each reconstruction the real wealth of America started to get worried. They used race to help divide the lower class so they can keep their wealth accumulation and power. The following years after these reconstructions new laws were created to suppress voters and change the power dynamics of the courts.

The second message that resonated with me was that a man of God who has taught at Princeton Seminary School stood so strongly for LGBTQIA rights. I heard in a Baptist church that all people were created equal regardless of their sexuality. My favorite part of his entire speech was when he stated, “people say so much about what the Bible says so little while saying so little about what the Bible says so much.” The other quote that stood out was that if there is a hole under anyone’s seat in a boat the entire boat is going down. That is how Americans should view each other. If one group is suffering the entire country is suffering.

The final thought bomb he dropped is that this is not a liberal problem or a conservative problem. It is not about Democrats or Republicans, the left or the right. It is a moral problem. We are living in an immoral society where people are hungry, sick, and homeless. This is morally unjustifiable. We live in an era where tax breaks are being created for the wealthy while the middle and lower class is shouldering more of the burden than ever before. This is morally indefensible. When people don’t have access to health care, inexpensive healthy food, and affordable housing in a country that is the richest country to ever grace this earth there is a problem. Racism and xenophobia are at an all time high. Hate crimes are skyrocketing across the country. That is morally reprehensible. As educators, we need to step up and be a part of this moral movement. I am trying to take my slacktivism to activism what about you?

The NJ AHPERD (Association of Health Physical Education Recreation and Dance) hosted their yearly conference in Long Branch, NJ. This is truly one of the premier state conferences in the country. There were over 1400 people that came to learn, connect, and better themselves.

I rolled up on Tuesday morning and sat at a table with the guest Teachers of the Year that are invited to present at the conference. Every year the American Heart Association hosts the breakfast for all the Jump Rope for Heart facilitators. This is truly one of the favorite parts of the conference for me. First I get a free buffet. Secondly, I am able to pick their brains about a litany of issues. We discussed the direction of SHAPE America, regional districts, and technology. When else can I hang out with teachers who have done amazing things and learn from them with no one else around?

I went to Brian Devore’s presentation of technology in the classroom more as a let’s see what this guy is all about than I will learn anything. I was so happy to be proven wrong! He had many tips and tricks that I had no clue about. Check out his presentation here. The one new piece of tech that I really enjoyed was My Simple Show. This was similar to Powtoons but looked easier. I would recommend you go check it out.

The next session I went to was facilitated by Mark Friedrich. This dude is a living legend. If he presented 6 times I would go and watch him every time. His games are fun, team building, and great for multiple age levels. This session was all about using blindfolds and teamwork. He started with the classic minefield, then went to minefield with partner far away, then minefield with getting a piece of equipment from middle and bringing back. We progressed to partner directions of moving from number poly spots in order.

We finished using individual blindfold activities. The first time we were blindfolded and had to find our groups by making animal noises. The second round we could make up noises. The final round was the best. We made a circle and found out who was to the left and right of us. We spread out and put our blindfolds back on. Everyone walked around and called out the people’s names we were trying to find. We all found the people to the left and right of us and recreated the circle blindfolded! It was super cool. Check out his YouTube Channel here.

My next session was a new game call Paddle Zlam. This is going to be the first of a billion times you hear me spout about this new game. It is the best new game I have played since Baggo. You play with four paddles, two Paddle Zlam cones, and a pickle ball.

Object: First team to reach 21 points wins.

Rules:

Two teams of two (4 people) are required to play this game.

Teammates line up opposite one another and assist one another with hitting a paddle ball against or into a small plastic gaming cone.

The plastic gaming cones must be 20 – 30′ apart, depending on skill set.

Players must reach exactly (21 points) using the scoring system above, or deduct points for anything over.

I played the game for an hour straight. The success rate is high, you burn tons of calories, and you work on teamwork and communication. You really need to get this game!! Check out a video of it here. 

I finished the conference off with a session on brain boosts. Here is a copy of my facilitation. The best part of my session is that I learned from the people in the room more than the people in the room learned from me.

I would highly encourage physed and health teachers to attend their state conference and join their state and national organizations.

It has been rare when a game changer in the EdTech world comes along that makes me go Flava Flav WOOOOOOOOWW. In recent memory, I have had that reaction when I first saw a glimpse of how Seesaw could change the way I engaged with my parents and students. The other WOOOOW came along when I saw EdPuzzle. I can show videos that can stop and students reflect on what they saw in real time? Amazing. I am sure you have some of those same moments in your teaching career.

Here is my next educational high. Are you ready? You sure? It is called Digital Breakouts.

The same game principles from the main Games page (Breakout EDU) apply to these games, but there is no physical component other than an Internet connected device (preferably a laptop/Chromebook/desktop computer.)

We encourage teachers to play alongside their students to model a growth mindset, resilience, and to show that teachers don’t always have all the answers.

The difficulty levels are out of 10 and are subjective. The levels do not correspond to grade level. Levels 1-4 are good for elementary, 4-6 for middle school, 6-8 for high school, and 8-10 for adults. All games are appropriately challenging for their level.

Here is the deal. The students click on a link. The link takes them to a Google site that an educator has created for the sole purpose of creating a shared learning experience. The google site has a Google Form that needs to be filled out. The form is set up so it can only be submitted when the correct answers are filled in. All the clues to the form are on the Google Site. They may be in the form of puzzles, links to youtube videos, links to jigsaw puzzles or anything you can imagine.

The students must find the clues and solve them or follow the links and figure out why the link was put there. Every part of the digital breakout goes back to the Google Form questions. Why am I watching a video about a clothes dryer? Oh George T. Sampson invented it and he is the answer to the Black History Month response Dry Me a River.

People this is what learning is all about. It is fun, engaging, difficult, requires teamwork, and is just plain good at making you think. Digital Breakouts will not be the end all and be all of your lessons but they will be a fine tool to put in every once in awhile to reinforce a lesson or give your students that teamwork activity they need to realize that every kid in the class can contribute something to the group.

Creating a Digital Breakout is not very difficult. You create a Google Site which has been revamped so that even a dummy like myself can use it. You then create a Google Form and you are ready to go. The Digital Breakout Website has tutorials on how to set up every step in the process; just click here. There is usually a story that goes along with the Breakout to hook the students in as well. The students love reading the story and then figuring out the Digital Breakout-based on that theme.

Like everything else in education, I am not the best at creating Digital Breakouts. What I am the best at is knowing who is the best at their niche in education. In this case, Brian Costello (@btcostello) is the greatest Digital Breakout man on the planet. He has created so many cool Breakouts. We used his Breakout on South American Culture and battled a school in Ohio to see who could figure it out first.

If you read this and teach in a classroom you need to run and figure out how to create and utilize these in class. It doesn’t matter if you teach Health, Science, Math, or Social Studies. They are perfect for any classroom from 2nd grade on up!

What is the history of the country that I live in? Growing up I believed we were the “Good Guys”. The one’s who came in to save the day. We saved the world from Germany. Twice. We had to be great right? Little did I know about the true history of the United States. The more I learn the more I realize the history of my country is both great and terrible. I am not a historian but I would imagine that is true of most countries. A website called historyisaweapon has helped me get a bit of a clearer view of what has happened. They take excerpts from Martin Luther King Jr., Noam Chomsky, Fidel Castro, Mark Twain, Angela Davis, Sojourner Truth and numerous other historical figures.

The website is the creation of author Howard Zinn. On the site Mr. Zinn writes a note and a disclaimer for the reader

The Note: This great book should really be read by everyone. It is difficult to describe why it so great because it both teaches and inspires. You really just have to read it. We think it is so good that it demands to be as accessible as possible. Once you’ve finished it, we’re sure you’ll agree. In fact, years ago, we would offer people twenty dollars if they read the book and didn’t think it was completely worth their time. Of all the people who took us up on it, no one collected.

The disclaimer: This version is made from OCR. That is a fancy way of saying that we scanned in and coded over six hundred fifty pages. There will be a few small occasional errors: spelling mistakes, odd punctuation, and the like. If you see any, please contact us. We have posted it in spite of these mistakes for two simple reasons. First, the book is worth a mistake or two because it really deserves the widest audience possible. Second, we are sure that once you new people begin reading it, you’ll go out and get a physical copy. You should go and get it (and ones for your friends and family). At this point, A People’s History Of The United States is available in regular form, read aloud on audio, on posters, in a teaching edition, and as just the twentieth century chapters (we have all but the posters). And now here. Please Enjoy!

I am writing about this because all across the country schools have been teaching about the Presidents of the United States and the history of this country from the viewpoint of the victors. The people who have gained and excelled by the atrocities committed in the name of America. My point here is not to solely bash the history of America. It is to make sure that we as educators understand that the history of America is why there are so many problems that exist in our society today.

The word intersectionality is something that is something that helps explain these complex problems with this country. Intersectionality is defined as… “the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to a given individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage.” We can not look at how our indigenous people are struggling today without looking at gender, class, or racial inequality as well.  You cannot talk about racism without addressing sexism. You cannot address ageism without looking at classism. The problems we face are not separate. They are all intertwined and connected.

Take a look at the website I have listed above and let’s continue our learning journey together. We will continue to push ourselves to be more knowledgeable about the country we live in as well as how we can make a positive change today. As Nelson Mandela stated, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” I am still trying to change the world.

Jarrod Robinson (@mrrobbo) has created a physical education army. He teaches in Victoria Australia and has a passion and enthusiasm for the role emerging technologies play within teaching and learning. He is first and foremost an advocate for lifelong movement and physical activity, however, realizes the power of 21st-century technologies that can shape new age teaching pedagogies.

Jarrod is known throughout the online community as “The PE Geek”, and authors a blog of the same name at www.thepegeek.com which has proved to be an invaluable resource for teachers seeking effective use of 21st-century tools in PE.  He has begun his own mobile development company, “The PE Geek Apps”, which builds mobile applications for teachers on both Android and iOS devices.

In addition to doing all the above-mentioned activities, he has created the most massive online physical education development around. He calls this conference the ConnectedPE Conference. The ConnectedPE Online Conference is a global Physical Education event that takes place over the course of one week. Each day there were three amazing Physical Education themed sessions led by presenters from all over the world. These sessions were pushed out through the platform Zoom as well as Facebook Live.

I was lucky enough to be accepted to present during this week event on the platform Seesaw. I call it a platform because it can be used on any device. It is a student-driven digital portfolio and simple parent communication tool. There is no better technology tool on the market than Seesaw.  Seesaw allows me to communicate what is going on in my classroom with the parents in my school. This can be done via a selfie video done by me, the students, or video captured of the students during my class.

The digital portfolio side of things is another game changer. Students can type, use a video, a drawing, a picture, submit a link, or upload a file. This can be used for formative or summative assessments. It is such a versatile tool that it has become my go to answer during Twitter chats! When someone asks how can I…… Seesaw is almost always the answer. It is a GAME CHANGER!

The best part of Seesaw is that it can be used for free! There are paid versions that do give you some more benefits. That is to be expected. They have to pay their staff and expenses somehow! They are a company that understands that teachers are cash strapped and have vowed to keep a free version available as long as they exist.

I am purposefully keeping this blog shorter about Seesaw because I have already done the hard work of showing you how I use it in my classroom here. Click the link and watch my presentation if you want to learn more. I want to go on record stating that I am not a paid representative of Seesaw. This allows me to freely state that this is a classroom tool that you need to be using. It will take the place of 7 different tools you probably have to use now as well as give you more options you haven’t even thought about! You can use QR codes to get into the program or use your GAFE id to set up classes and login.

Did I mention that they set you up with free blogging sites? Forget using Kidblog which charges you! Don’t mess around with Google Sites to find a work around. Simply click blog on and only your student’s first name will show up on the site.

I know this blog read like an infomercial for Seesaw; however, you need to check out how it can help you create a classroom with an authentic audience as well as keep track of your students’ work.

If you are a physical education teacher you should connect with Jarrod. He is always creating something useful for the physed community. In addition to that, he is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. He has donated money to numerous people and projects over the years never saying a word about it. I only know because those people have told me personally about it. I would like to publicly thank Jarrod for everything he is doing to make the physed community stronger. 

This Saturday I was lucky enough to be a part of an amazing idea called EdcampNJ Encore. The idea or the why behind the Encore is that the first time we talk or learn about something we are just scratching the surface. We need time and space to bring the idea to life. Using that as our why, we planned a follow-up to the original EdcampNJ that would occur three months later and named it EdcampNJ Encore.

One change that was made under the direction of Stacey Lindes (who stole it from somewhere)  was to change the terminology from sessions to conversations. This subtle difference helps keep with the why of the day. We did not want “experts” monopolizing the time. EdCamps should really be about conversations and that the sum of the room is much better than its’ individual parts.

As far as we knew this was the first event of its kind. That means that there was bound to be mistakes and we were basically shooting in the dark. With that being said, here are the highlights and lowlights of the day!

The highlight of the day for me was going to the library and holding a Book EDU. We all sat on couches and discussed our favorite books that have helped shaped our thoughts. One of the books mentioned was the #EduMatch Snapshot in Education. There are many reasons that this book is fantastic. The number one reason for me was that the book is available on an E-reader for FREE and it was creator by people in education for people in education. The book takes little “snapshots” of what educators are doing in their buildings and shares with the reader how this will improve their educational practices.

Another book that received a lot of love from the crowd was the Hacking Literacy book from the Hack Learning series. This book was touted as having resources that the teacher can implement the very next day. That is the type of material I like to read. Lavonna Roth was given some love with her whole child approach to teaching book titled Brain Powered Strategies to Engage All Learners. A couple of other titles that were mentioned was the book Thanks for the Feedback as well as Start With the Why. Here is the link to all the notes and books discussed during that conversation.

I was slightly disappointed in the turnout of the day. We had over 150 people sign up and only 75 show up. I know that this was a normal showing for some Edcamps and that in general people blow off things they don’t have to pay for when something comes up, but it was surprising that the people who already had taken time away from their busy lives to come to the original EdcampNJ didn’t make it back. The upside to that was that everyone was truly able to get their voice heard during the discussions. In the end, it is not about the number of people who show up but the quality of the conversation that really matters.

The second conversation I attended was facilitated by Mike Ritzius. Mike is an Associate Director of Professional Development and Instructional Issues the ‎New Jersey Education Association. His conversation is one that was highly attended and really got my wheels turning. The basic premise I took away from his session is that the system (school) should be changed. Once the school is changed, which is driven by the students’ needs than teachers can be trained in whatever they need to be trained in. The training leads to professional learning which in turn leads to professional development. The professional development is done in order to change the system which starts the cycle all over again. If you would like to learn more about this I would contact @mritzius directly because there is still a lot that I need to learn myself.

The final conversation of the day was a forced reflection. We always talk about being purposeful and keeping the why in the front and center of our decisions. Why should educators, students, parents, administrators, or board members show up to Edcamps? Where is the value of them? How is going to EdcampNJ going to benefit students? All the attendees were asked to sit at a table with other random people. The table had chocolates, mint lifesavers, Swedish fish, anchor charts, and magic markers. The participants were given a prompt and then directed to write their responses down on the chart paper. They were instructed to move every twelve minutes to a new table.

This served a couple of purposes. The people were forced to get up and move as well as interact with people they didn’t know. I know I hate when this happens to me in the beginning but I always end up connecting with new people. The second purpose of this was to document how EdCampNJ had directly benefited students. In the immortal words of Doug Timm, “Connect globally; change locally.” This activity showed the how and what of EdCampNJ. Click this link to see some of the responses.

The final couple of minutes we had other EdCamp organizers stand up and give a quick 30-second speech about their EdCamp and when it was occurring. I was so surprised at how many organizers had shown up to the Encore!!

I am going to wait until the feedback rolls in from the survey in order to declare the day a success. There are going to be things that need to change as well as things that we will keep in the future. I am going to declare that I am proud of the day that the EdCampNJ team planned and executed. Next time I hope to see you there! 

What is in your heart? That is a question that only you can answer. We have entered a period of time where teachers are being pressed as to why children aren’t succeeding in their class. Are you really doing everything you can for all the students in your class? Do you have a bias against a student? Only you can answer that question.

You send an email or post something online and someone gives you push back. Why did you post it? They don’t like it. You made them angry. Were your motives pure? Only you can answer that question.

Your boss isn’t happy with a decision you made. They call you in to “talk” about it. You explain why you did what you did. You have no idea if they believe you. Why did you really do it? Only you can truly answer that question.

Your spouse or significant other is peeved at a response or an action you took. It starts an argument. They don’t understand why you spoke the way you did. Were you being condescending, sardonic, or rude? Only you truly know what was in your heart.

A parent sends you an email that questions your teaching methods. Why is their student struggling in your class? You explain to them the situation. They aren’t buying what you are selling. Is it the truth or are you a charlatan? Only you know what truly was behind your actions.

It is time to look in the mirror and ask yourself what is in your heart. Do your words and actions match your heart? We are entering a time of soul searching where we need to really be aware of what we are doing and why. Like my friend, Toutoule told me, “Be intentional with everything you do.” I concur. 

My car starts to make a noise, a light on the dashboard goes on, or it’s time to change my oil. Any of those scenarios will trigger me to ask Siri to call Joe. Joe is my friend who fixes cars. Joe and I will plan a time and I will bring my car down to his shop. I am the designated flashlight holder and tool grabber. Together we fix the problem.  Every time we work on the car I am amazed at how fixing cars, what we teach in education, and technology are so similar.

Joe quickly identifies what the problem is. He uses his expertise from past experiences as well as research on the internet to find out different solutions to the problem. (We use his expertise because I am about as dumb and ignorant as you can possibly be when it comes to fixing things. I can use a hammer and screwdriver. That is where my expertise ends.) This is the same thing I do when using figuring out a solution using tech in class, as well as at my home. I identify what exactly I need to get accomplished (what the problem is) and use my prior knowledge of classroom experience, tech tools, as well as the internet to find out what is the best tool to use in order to accomplish my goal.

What happens next is the amazing part. Joe will tell me what the problem is and what parts we will need to fix it. We get the parts and then the fun begins. It NEVER goes the way we think it should go. A bolt won’t come loose, the piece we bought doesn’t quite fit, or another piece is in the way of where we need to go. Joe has a boatload of tools that he can use to saw a piece off, shave a bolt down, or find a way to rig something together in order to accomplish the task. Does this sound familiar to you?

How many times have we went to use a tech tool only to find out it doesn’t work anymore, another program is affecting it, or it is incompatible with the device we are using. We end up using one tool smashed with another tool to get the job done. We may have to download something or find a workaround to a problem that we didn’t foresee occurring. Technology NEVER works the way we expect it to! Both technology and auto repair are the ultimate trial and error experiences. We start to work and use problem-solving skills to accomplish the task.

How many times have we planned a lesson only to find out that it isn’t working? It may even be a lesson that we have used in the past that has worked wonderfully for other classes. Shoot it may even be a lesson we are using for a second time that day with a different class that worked with the previous class! Lesson plans NEVER works the way we expect them to! This may occur for a variety of reasons. The wifi might have gone out, the Chromebooks died, or maybe students just don’t click with the lesson. Whatever the reason we problem solve and figure out how to make that lesson stick. Both teaching and auto repair involve being flexible and finding multiple ways to attack the same problem.

Fixing cars, teaching, and technology has shown me that our students will need resiliency or perhaps that dreaded word grit long after they leave the school system. Rarely does anything work the way it is supposed to in life. I have worked at many businesses and all of them use this same process of trial and error in order to solve problems. It may be something simple like fixing a leak, setting up audio around a store, or more complex like fixing a cold box or upgrading software. It is rarely as simple as following simple directions and fixing the problem.

When things go awry and a solution doesn’t work how do we respond? We can kick and scream and throw a fit. Sometimes we do this and it possibly makes us feel better in the short term. However, it never solves the problem. We can whine about how difficult the problem is while we are fixing the problem. This only frustrates those around us and encourages negative self-talk.

It is how we deal with the struggle that matters. These are skills we are teaching our students no matter what the subject. We are always going to struggle. Will the struggle define us or will we focus on the journey and the success it will eventually lead to?

Some people will say that we can just pay experts to come in and fix the problem. This is a viable solution but we lose something in the process. That something is capital. In some cases capital is money. I can pay someone to fix the car; but, it will cost me a boatload of money. Companies can pay experts to come in and fix the solution but it will hurt their bottom line. In the case of our students and sometimes our co-workers the capital they will be paying is the ability to help themselves. This is a skill that physical education and health teachers excel at. We prepare students for the constant struggle of trial and error in life.

The immediate example that comes to my mind in physical education is that a professional baseball player will go to the hall of fame if they hit successfully 3 out of 10 times. They will fail 7 out of ten times. How many times do our students miss the kick, drop the ball, brick a shot, or lose the game? More importantly how many times do the students kick the ball again, catch the ball the next time, make the basket or play the game again? Our students in physed analyze why they didn’t succeed and figure out what needs to change in order to succeed. That is the same thing professional athletes do. Those are the lessons our students will take with them throughout life. 

Let’s go back to my friend Joe. Fixing cars is a side job for him. Joe did not go to college or particularly like school growing up. He might even be one of the students that education would focus on his weaknesses and attempt to negatively label him. Yet look at what Joe’s strengths are. He can problem solve and has developed resiliency in order to keep going until the job is finished. These are the skills that a teacher could have identified in him when he was young. Once he realized he had strengths he could have built upon them and lessened his negative association to school.

Companies want employees that can problem solve on their own. How useful would a mechanic be if every time something blocked them from doing their job they had to ask their boss what to do? Bosses do not want employees who need their hand held or that need to be micromanaged. How are we teaching our students to problem solve on their own?

Why do you post on social media? Some people post resources to help others. Some post what they are doing in class hoping to spark an idea for others. While others may post to raise awareness of an event or a cause. Have you ever analyzed why you post to social media? I am probably like most people and post for a variety of reasons.

Who you post to is just as important or perhaps more important than what you are posting. Most social media sites allow your posts to go only to people that you want it to go to or you can post it to the public. What is posted in private is your business. What is posted to the public is our business. When I post my blog, a video from my class, or a response to someone in public on social media I am opening myself up to the world.

Opening yourself up to the world can be scary. People who have never met me will be judging me based on one blog, one tweet, one post, or one picture caption. Not only will they use what I produce to judge me they will look at it with their bias. Bias combined with a lack of perspective can create some wild situations. I know I have been in them! A lot of time people read into your posts what they want to read into it without recognizing what they are doing. That is human nature.

I just had a woman of color ask me why I retweeted and agreed that we need to see more students of color being represented in the #physed videos we see on Twitter. I explained to her that I agreed with that statement and that was why I retweeted it. She immediately blocked me. I don’t know why she did but it was a stark reminder that when you talk about race, gender, sexuality, religion, politics or any other subject that people get emotional about you are opening yourself up to critique. This is the dark side that we don’t speak about enough when you become connected. The bottom line is that is their problem, not yours. You know your intentions and motivations don’t let others dim your light!

Opening yourself to the world can also open doors to the world that never would have existed before. You can gain valuable perspective, new friends, and create opportunities that you would never have had before. The smartest thing I ever did was to find people who are smarter than I am, have been doing their job better than I have, and know more about education than I do. By doing this I have ensured that my thinking will be pushed. When you follow those people and interact with them they will interact with you. They will give you feedback about your lessons, ideas, and pedagogy.

I have created some real friendships through my online presence. These are people I talk to every day. We have met in person, stayed over each others houses, and went on eduvacations together. These people could disappear out of my life at any time. Then again I have had other friends who I grew up with who live ten minutes away from that I haven’t seen in years. Anyone can disappear from your life at any time.

Being connected has made me aware of the many conferences and opportunities to present. I have presented at local, regional, state, national and international conferences. Last year I was flown to Vegas to keynote! (Thanks Heidi Carr!!) All of these opportunities came about because I was connected with other educators on social media.

What always surprises me is when I have responded to people’s posts online and they get upset. Why are you posting things to a public forum for the entire world to see if you don’t want people to respond to your post? There is no “safe space” on public social media. If people want to post things where they only want a clap on the back or affirmation of what they write post it in your private forums. Lockdown who has access to your posts. It just doesn’t make sense to be upset when people comment on your PUBLIC posts. Please remember that when people give you feedback it may not always be positive. It is up to you to decide what to do with that feedback.

My last thought about social media is that there is no vetting of material being posted on social media. Shoot there is no vetting of material that you pay for on teachers pay teachers. Not only is it our job to be critical consumers of information and ideas we need to respond if we see something that may not be best practice. This should be done in the most careful and respectful of ways. If you think something is awry ask the person first. There may be information that the person left out of the post. Go into every encounter with others assuming they have the best of intentions. This will help you remain positive during your interactions.