Hello, I am Timon Piccini. You may have heard of me before, and mispronounced my name in your head as you read one of my blog posts. Where have I been though? I have left my blog alone over the last year and been a relative ghost on the Twitterverse-sphere-munity. I don't like that, not at all. It took a little bit of guilt
@lisabej_manitou @hs_math_phys @MrPicc112 Oo yeah. Remember when Timmon used to make this stuff on the regular?
— Dan Meyer (@ddmeyer) August 5, 2014 and some encouragement
From a couple months ago but holy cow this is great. --> How I teach basic linear equations http://t.co/oTBp5wy9oN via @MrPicc112 #mathchat
— Geoff Krall (@emergentmath) August 11, 2014 to really inspire me to get back in the game, and I hope that over this next year I find more time to write posts to keep you in the loop, share some ideas, and hopefully get some well needed help.
So what have I been up to in the last year? Well here is a quick break down...
So what have I been up to in the last year? Well here is a quick break down...
Teaching things that aren't math.
I took a leap this year, and taught elementary.
I know, I can hardly believe it myself, but it was incredible to try my hand at teaching students how to write, give speeches, learn about ancient cultures. I felt completely out of my depth, but it was fantastic and I loved it. Difficulties were had, and it really kept from being able to have the math lessons and ideas that I have been trying for so long, but I also learned to adapt some of the great inquiry based methods I have learned from this excellent community in other contexts.
Having students program.
I know it is somewhat a trend to have students do programming, but after watching my students create video games from scratch, using Scratch, was a real joy. I essentially stole (errr I mean utilized) this unit verbatim, but I am all right with that. Students loved it for the most part, but they really had to fight and struggle with programs that wouldn't quite work. Basically it was mental weightlifting that they had never really attempted until this point. There was brainstorming, editing, trial and error, research, and great results. Did every students work have all of this? No, but as I plan on doing this again, I can foresee more of the needs that students will have.
Preparing to be a tech coach.
I love technology. I love using it. I lover sharing it. I also love helping people use it better. At both schools I have worked at I have become a welcomed helper. Teachers would contact me before our official IT provider, and it was a task I truly loved. As I was rehired this year I am now being given two afternoons a week (give or take) to devote to helping teachers incorporate tech. Whether it is preparing Pro-D for our Friday mornings, or just helping people get PowerPoint to work, I get to help with that.
As I have thought about this new role, I have realised the greatest form of tech integration I have experienced is this community. You all have taught me, encouraged me, and challenged me to be a better teacher. I hope that this year I can continue to grow with you, and share some of what I have been doing, because even though I dropped off the earth a bit, I know that this community is worth investing in, and I hope to continue in that, and show my colleagues the value of Blog-o-twitter-verse-sphere-munity-dom. See y'all soon.
As I have thought about this new role, I have realised the greatest form of tech integration I have experienced is this community. You all have taught me, encouraged me, and challenged me to be a better teacher. I hope that this year I can continue to grow with you, and share some of what I have been doing, because even though I dropped off the earth a bit, I know that this community is worth investing in, and I hope to continue in that, and show my colleagues the value of Blog-o-twitter-verse-sphere-munity-dom. See y'all soon.
