Thank You!: An End of the Year Boost

I'm a techie, for sure. I love all things digital. But you know what? You just can't beat a hand-written note. There is something about it that says, "I care so much, I'm going to take the time to get out a piece of paper and a pen and devote a few minutes to creating a tangible record of my thoughts about you."

I've been teaching for over 20 years now, and I have a whole file of cards and notes that I've received from parents, students, administrators, and colleagues over the years. These are precious! The work of teaching is demanding in ways that I'm not sure non-teachers fully comprehend. Tangible expressions of gratitude, even in small ways like a card or note, are treasures that give a boost.

In the past month or so, I've received several notes of thanks from students or schools that I've worked with this year.

Getting cards like these never gets old!

Theses are going into the file. These are treasures--tangible ways of recognizing that in some way, the work I did this year with these folks made a difference for them.

School is wrapping up for this academic year. If there is an educator that made a difference in your life, in your kid's life, in your community's life...I encourage you to take a few minutes and let them know. It might seem trivial to you, but this gesture will be appreciated!

Learning Styles (Again?)

I often get requests through the professional organizations of which I am a member to participate in research studies being conducted by colleagues and graduate students. I'm happy to do this, if the topic of the study is germane to my experience, education, or context. It's interesting to see what other people in my field (EdTech) are working on, the kinds of questions they are asking, and the connections they are making. It's also a good way to keep up with developments in the field.

Today I participated in a study about preparation for online teaching. I've been part of several studies in this area in the past; with the continuing growth of online education, there is a lot of ongoing research here. What caught my eye was this item on the survey:

A screen-grab from the survey I was taking...

I was not sure how to respond to this one. Here's why: