It’s a sobering morning.
Two weeks; two conferences - so many things to reflect on. So many things to think about, evaluate, plan for, action and do. And yet, I find myself completely distracted by the news of the Paris attacks late Friday night.
In the last two weeks, I’ve been traveling to learn at two conferences - the Georgia Educational Technology Conference (where I presented to a packed house!) and Miami Device. When immersed in these snapshots of time, place and space, the teacher in me bathes in a cornucopia of expansive and innovative ideas, possibilities, energy and hope. We hear about the amazing things going on in classrooms across the world, we see the images of technology changing lives; we feel and touch all the new devices that could be the next thing to sustain and move teaching and learning in the 21st Century. We feel excitement, hope, happiness, and pride - powerful emotions that energize us so as we go back to our schools we can open our full minds for the students in our care.
And in one Facebook post on the way home, all of this is paled into insignificance when I see #weareparis posted by a former colleague. A simple hashtag that told me something was not right. Arriving home and flicking on the TV to any media channel confirmed the fear.
The attacks on Paris.
For the next hour I watched the images flash across across the screen that no one should ever have to witness - let alone our children. Memories from my childhood in Northern Ireland crossed my mind. Hearing distant explosions; the sound of the fire brigade siren going off soon after; the photofit pictures of the perpetrators of these horrors flashing across our screens on the local news. The concept of conflict; no matter where or when you experience it is timeless and universal.
Another current colleague reminded me this morning that this conflict is ongoing - that it happens everyday in many countries and does not hit the headlines. The children that we instruct today will have to handle being the connected generation. Their brains will be wired to respond to, create and reflect on hashtags. That little # symbol will define their emotive responses to the world around them - even just for a moment. When immersed in these snapshots of time, place and space, they should have learned from their parents, their teachers, their community how to think about, evaluate, plan for, action and do in response and not stand passively by watching the images play out a sordid future for them. We need to be that village: bathe them in a cornucopia of expansive and innovative ideas, possibilities, energy and hope. That hatred will not win.
As I reflected, a comment that I simply posted on Facebook was repeated by friends across the world. It was simply my response to the moment. One post. One quote.
"These people do not represent country, culture, religion, faith or any God. They epitomize hatred. Don't let hatred win." #prayforparis #weareallparis
I modified my thoughts this morning. This process helped me to reflect. To return to the positive. To be definite in my thinking. And with a new day, to pledge that through the power of the educator, we will not let hatred win".
Two weeks; two conferences - so many things to reflect on. So many things to think about, evaluate, plan for, action and do. And yet, I find myself completely distracted by the news of the Paris attacks late Friday night.
In the last two weeks, I’ve been traveling to learn at two conferences - the Georgia Educational Technology Conference (where I presented to a packed house!) and Miami Device. When immersed in these snapshots of time, place and space, the teacher in me bathes in a cornucopia of expansive and innovative ideas, possibilities, energy and hope. We hear about the amazing things going on in classrooms across the world, we see the images of technology changing lives; we feel and touch all the new devices that could be the next thing to sustain and move teaching and learning in the 21st Century. We feel excitement, hope, happiness, and pride - powerful emotions that energize us so as we go back to our schools we can open our full minds for the students in our care.
And in one Facebook post on the way home, all of this is paled into insignificance when I see #weareparis posted by a former colleague. A simple hashtag that told me something was not right. Arriving home and flicking on the TV to any media channel confirmed the fear.
The attacks on Paris.
For the next hour I watched the images flash across across the screen that no one should ever have to witness - let alone our children. Memories from my childhood in Northern Ireland crossed my mind. Hearing distant explosions; the sound of the fire brigade siren going off soon after; the photofit pictures of the perpetrators of these horrors flashing across our screens on the local news. The concept of conflict; no matter where or when you experience it is timeless and universal.
Another current colleague reminded me this morning that this conflict is ongoing - that it happens everyday in many countries and does not hit the headlines. The children that we instruct today will have to handle being the connected generation. Their brains will be wired to respond to, create and reflect on hashtags. That little # symbol will define their emotive responses to the world around them - even just for a moment. When immersed in these snapshots of time, place and space, they should have learned from their parents, their teachers, their community how to think about, evaluate, plan for, action and do in response and not stand passively by watching the images play out a sordid future for them. We need to be that village: bathe them in a cornucopia of expansive and innovative ideas, possibilities, energy and hope. That hatred will not win.
As I reflected, a comment that I simply posted on Facebook was repeated by friends across the world. It was simply my response to the moment. One post. One quote.
"These people do not represent country, culture, religion, faith or any God. They epitomize hatred. Don't let hatred win." #prayforparis #weareallparis
I modified my thoughts this morning. This process helped me to reflect. To return to the positive. To be definite in my thinking. And with a new day, to pledge that through the power of the educator, we will not let hatred win".