It is now the 1st of February so this represents my first posting as part of #teacher5aday29daywriting. The plan being to write and share a posting during each day of February which would be significantly more than I have previous posted, and actually may represent more postings in a single month than I normally create in a year. That said however the plan is just to get the postings out there sharing my thoughts as opposed to actually spending a significant amount of time rewording and trying to create the idea post. As such no more than 30mins will be spent on the creation of any one post.
My first posting is actually a little at odds with #teacher5aday29daywriting as I have been considering the tasks and things I do in general. At the start of the year I wrote of my new years resolutions (Read here). The purpose of the resolutions was to set some targets for myself to make sure I made the best use of my time, and in particular the time I have available outside work. My thinking was along the lines of work life balance, ensuring that I read, that I collaborate and that I get fitter than I currently am. I have recently reflected on where I am on these resolutions with the view that things are going quite well (Read here). My outlook on better use of time was to spend more of the time doing things I considered as “constructive”.
My recent reading has given me cause to sit and reflect a little. On reflection I note that I am achieving quite a bit in my non-work time in terms of blogging, twitter and also my reading. My fitness is also improving and an area of focus although the progress here is slow. In terms of books I am now on my fourth book of the year. As such I could be considered to be more active than previously, prior to the resolutions. I may be making more effective use of my time.
In reading “How we learn” the importance of non-activity is highlighted in relation to those “Eureka!” moments and in relation to learning, and how the mind makes connections. I have often used to find myself picking up a pen and pad of post-it notes with random ideas just coming to mind. I therefore wonder if by being so active I may be reducing the number of opportunities for my mind to make new connections and generate those creative ideas. I wonder if, rather than seeking to remove those seemingly idle moments, watching TV for example, I should in fact be trying to ensure that there are a measured number of such moments purposely planned within my week. I would suggest that although it is inappropriate to have too many TV moments, it also inappropriate to have too few.
On that note I will post this and go back to watching “The Chase” on TV. I wonder if any creative ideas will jump to the fore of my mind!
Technology and Learning