| I chose the songs “With a Little Help from My Friends” by The Beatles and “Don’t Stop” by Fleetwood Mac to add to the ITDML 8Tracks album. I was really excited to start the program this summer both for my career and for my students. I felt ready for the work and uncertain as to the rigor and content that was awaiting me. I knew nobody - I was the only teacher for Regional School District 13 in the cohort. Would that be a disadvantage? I can say with confidence that I feel really good about the Instructional Technology and Digital Media Literacy program at UNH, my work and the resources and skills I am gathering. Collaboration has taken on a new meaning and I am working with people I would not have had the opportunity to otherwise. We have collaborated on group projects |
“What would you think if I sang out of tune
Would you stand up and walk out on me?
Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song
And I'll try not to sing out of key
Oh I get by with a little help from my friends
Mm I get high with a little help from my friends
Mm going to try with a little help from my friends”
-Lennon & McCartney
I wrote after EdCampCT in August that my approach to teaching could never be the same once I'd experienced such in-depth sharing and learning from so many talented people. I learned how to make, share and apply multimodal tutorials, and am using them frequently with my students. I feel that not only are they getting more out of each class, they are moving forward in establishing themselves as digitally literate middle school kids. Teaching is more interesting and more varied, and is therefore much more enjoyable. Thus the Fleetwood Mac song, which goes,
“It'll be, better than before,
Yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone.
Don't you look back...”
-Fleetwood Mac
I am looking forward to tomorrow, to what our new interactions will bring, and to the many ways I hope to bring all of this to the classroom, my school and my district.
Resources:
Lennon, and McCartney. With a Little Help from My Friends. The Beatles. Philips, 1968. CD.
Fleetwood, Nick, Christine McVie, Stevie Nicks, Billy Burnette, Rick Vito, Isaac Asante, and John McVie. Greatest Hits. Fleetwood Mac. Warner Bros., 1988. CD.