The Journey IS the Destination
“The journey IS the destination!” That’s one of my favorite quotes. This journey we begin today is going to be an adventure. As we explore our individual and corporate notions of learning and how teaching must evolve, we’ll be going down many pathways – some will be those less traveled. We can’t possibly predict every twist and turn, but we’re doing this to better ourselves, to better our profession, and to better the experiences our students face every day.
It’s all about learning! That’s the theme of this blog. Of course, being the co-owner and CEO of a company that focuses on math, I’ll center much of the conversation on mathematics teaching and learning. However, in the real world, math doesn’t exist in isolation. It’s a set of tools that helps one describe and solve problems in his/her world. And the ways in which one learns math determine how robust that toolbox will be and how well students will use those tools in all facets of learning and thinking. The content, therefore, will in no way restricted to mathematics.
Here are a few questions we’ll be addressing…
Re-imagining our mission as educators.
We will spend considerable time exploring exactly what it is we do and how we can get better. Can you quickly describe the corporate purpose of education? What about your personal mission as a leader, teacher, parent, or influencer? Can your colleagues, friends, partners, or children describe the purpose of education?
Being mindful about what we mean by “learning.”
How do children learn best…and how are we doing? How do we facilitate learning, and how are we doing? What does authentic learning look like both in and out of school? How can we best equip the next generation? Together, let’s explore these and many, many more questions.
Redefining our notions of “teaching.”
What is the role of a teacher or an education leader? What is the role of the parent? What are the roles of industry, business, policy makers, and philanthropy? Must a “teacher” be a person? What is the role of technology? What does it take to be a good teacher? If the students didn’t learn it, did you really teach it?
A few ground rules.
We invite anyone and everyone to participate in this conversation – we all have a vested interest in ensuring the next generation is prepared to carry the mantle. Welcome a variety of thoughts and opinions and look forward to many healthy conversations. Although we will disagree from time to time, I welcome healthy discourse and debate. That said, please note that I reserve the right to delete comments that are snarky, offensive, or off-topic. If in doubt, please read the My Comments Policy.
So…let’s get started on our journey. Which pathway would you like to explore first? Please let us know by leaving a comment below.
3 Comments
Leave a comment below.As the “P” in KP Math, I’m excited to read Kim’s first post and to know that we’ll be connecting with many interested teachers and leaders! I’m looking forward to learning their thoughts and ideas and to taking part in the conversation.
As a teacher who has loved the journey, but often travels it alone, I feel so hopeful reading this. I am excited to learn new ways to think about my students’ learning. I often feel a bit blind or that the math and learning goals I have for my kids is somewhat blurry to me, so just the sight of the photo opening this blog shows me I have found the perfect place. I can’t wait to learn more!
So glad you’re here, Nancy! And you’re not alone. Together, we can be stronger and better for our children, and the journey can be so much more intriguing for us, the educators. I love that you brought up math and learning goals – we’ll be exploring learning goals in the near future.