Soaring with Soerens

Concluding the trip around EDU 777: Learning Theories and Instructional Designs It is strange to believe that it is now the end of the course. Where has time gone, and how has it gone so quickly? How are we already approaching the end of June?  The infamous COVID-19 had much to do with it - it took away more than a trimester of face-to-face student interaction, and sucked up more than 10 weeks of time. It dried up relationships, stole routines, and depleted what we once knew to be "normal." We had to get creative, and we had to get creative fast . Students needed us, parents needed us, and we ourselves needed us.  Image Source: Google Images By now you may realize that consistency is one of my top strengths. To do my best work, I need it. Unfortunately it was one of the first things stripped away once the pandemic began.  What I truly loved - and needed - in this class was the consistency that it brought. Each week I held on to one thing that kept me fulfilled; I had read...

**UNDER CONSTRUCTION** I am currently in the process of building a toolbox. Before you get all excited - this isn't as easy as it may seem.  Image Source: Giphy Sure, I can go online and search directions on how to make different ones, but that doesn't mean that it will fit every need there is.  I also cannot go to the local hardware store to purchase one as it needs to fit everyone that is going to use it.  Did I mention that this isn't any ordinary toolbox? Oh no.  This toolbox is i ncorporating technology , instructional strategies , and instructional models in an effort to help give each and every student the best mathematical experience they could endure while in middle school.  This is hard . It started with the desire to get every middle school student to love math... or at least not hate it. A typical response for many people that I have encountered has been, "I'm not a math person" or "I cannot do math." They make it seem...

Flight Attendants, Prepare For Landing...  Image Source: Giphy.com Ladies and gentlemen, as we start our final decent on our EDU782 flight, please make sure that your seat backs and tray tables are in their full upright position. Make sure that your seat belt is securely fastened and all carry-on luggage is stowed underneath the seat infront of you or in the overhead bins. Thank you for choosing Technology in STEM. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Didn't we just begin this course? How is it already over? It is amazing how fast time flies when you are having fun and learning.  This course brought me new perspectives on life in general - not just STEM and not just education. I am constantly finding ways to bring different aspects into my parenting and into the life of my 4.5 year old; especially since this is most likely the way that she will experience education in her lifetime. Being that she is an only child, it is sometimes d...

This is Your Captain Speaking...  Image Source: Giphy.com We are currently flying at forty-thousand feet on our flight through EDU782 Technology in STEM. We are expecting a smooth flight and anticipate on on-time arrival of 7:30 PM CST on March 3rd. Now please sit back, relax, and enjoy your fight. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - My flight through this course has been smooth and quite enjoyable. I have spent time being reminded of the different learning theories, which I hadn't thought of in over a decade. I have read numerous professional learning articles that have sparked new learning and ideas on how I can implement it into the teams I am working with. I have laughed, I have learned, and I have tried.  There are two highlights so far that I have enjoyed the most: engaging  in the "Four C's" and trying a wide range of new tools.  -1- Engaging in the Four C’s You can learn  about the " Four C...