“The journey IS the destination!” That’s one of my favorite quotes. This journey 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 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. 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 be 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.
Kimberly Rimbey, Ph.D., works with teachers and leaders to develop system-wide change in mathematics teaching and learning.
