Skyping with Aviva

I enjoyed our Skype session with Aviva Dunsiger, the first/second grade combination teacher from Canada, last week. I love that she included two of her students--second grade girls--in our discussion because it lent authenticity to the conversation. Getting a first person report of the technology tools from the girls is invaluable on many levels, but most importantly it tells us what students that age are  interested in and why, so that we can focus our efforts on utilizing those tools. The girls talked about several games and activities they play in class on their handheld devices and they literally lit up when they talked about them.

One of the nagging questions a few of my classmates and I had was how Aviva is able to find the time to update her classroom blog, her professional blog, and her class wiki so frequently. When I get home at night from after care I just want to collapse into a coma! Somehow hearing that Aviva doesn't have kids at home gave me a twinge of perverse satisfaction because if she did and was still able to accomplish all that she does I'd feel like a complete loser. It's sad that we as educators feel the need to compare ourselves to others, to hold ourselves up against some kind of standard. The truth is, we all do the best we can with what we have to work with. Aviva is an exceptional educator whose students are fortunate to benefit from her skills and talents. Every educator brings their own unique skill set to their role and that's what we need to remember. That and our support for and collaboration with one another.

Image credit: Google Images: itcenter.intel.com