I hope you are. I want to make you think. We live in a world very different than the one I grew up in. I am sure that is true of many of you, no matter your age. Knowledge is growing exponentially and the educational system is trying to keep up. One of the problems I see is traditional ways of learning can't encompass all the different areas where subjects and knowledge are on the cutting edge. If we truly want to teach and train our children, more 'hands on' needs to be applied. Students need traditional knowledge lessons, yes. They also need to learn how to think on their feet, to reason out problems; mathematical, social, technological, etc.
Twitter allows social interaction requiring very concise language. 140 characters is limiting and also means words to convey your meaning must be chosen with care. There is an excellent blog written by Anna Batchelder that covers twitter in the classroom and so much more. There is a link to her blog at the end of this post in References and I hope you will take the time to go read it. All the references listed are excellent sites to gain more understanding.
Pro-cycling as an educational tool is my main point to this blog post. If you don't follow the sport, I think you will be amazed at how rich it is in traditional and 'life lessons.' Although Cycling in the United States is not as popular as it is around the globe, the number of dedicated US cycling fans is growing. Two days ago I sent out this tweet:
Im4tun8: @anitabfranklin #Cycling 4 school: teaches Geography, World Time, Metric Conversions, good sportsmanship, AND keeps the teacher very happy!
This was retweeted by other teachers that follow me and also are cycling fans. Cycling races are held all over the world. I believe everyone has heard of the Tour de France race. Well known also is Lance Armstrong's dominance in that race in previous years and his comeback to the sport last year that continues this year with the creation of new US Team RadioShack.
I am going beyond that to introduce the concepts of Geography; many races, not just the Tours, are in the racing season. In January, the Tour Down Under in Australia is kicking off the Pro Tour Season. Do you know where Adelaide, Australia is? Do you know what World Time Zone you are in? How about the World Time Zone for Adelaide, Australia?
I live in Eastern Standard Time so Adelaide, Australia is 15.5 hours ahead of me. How do I know? First I go to the World Time Clock website and find out what their time is. Then I compare my time and see what the difference is. Geography is important as well. There are many time zones in the USA and the same is true of Australia. Adelaide is in the South Australia time zone. I have learned this past year that New Zealand leads the world in time. Everyone else is farther distant from Greewich Mean Time (GMT) so 'Kiwis' are the first to 'ring in the New Year.'
Metric is used all over the globe. The same is true in cycling. Riders weights are in kilograms not pounds. I actually prefer this as I weigh significantly less (by the lower number) than I do when expressing my weight in pounds. The temperature is expressed in degrees Celsius not in degrees Fahrenheit so there is another conversion that we have to do. Exposure to many languages also takes place as interviews are conducted in different languages.
On the World Stage of Cycling, as any sport, the athletes are out there for everyone to watch. If they have a bad day or good day, a bad attitude or good attitude, it is all reported for everyone to read or tweet. Good sportsmanship in cycling is easy to pick up, even if you know nothing of the strategy. There are many excellent examples of superb people out there with humble and caring personalities. They don't see themselves as bigger than they are. Of course, these shining stars help us to see the 'other side' as not all riders are positive and there is a wide variety between both ends of the spectrum. Traditionally, cycling races like the Grand Tours are 'team races' where teamwork is important. It isn't only about placing 1st, 2nd, or 3rd on the podium. No matter how good a rider is on his own, he will suffer if his team is not behind him or he is not behind his team.
I hope this has given you some food for thought. Not just about cycling, but about ways that we should be using non-traditional methods to teach the next generation how to be successful in the Global Community. Every advantage we can provide will be just one more step up for them to take their place in the Global Society and understand Global Responsibility. It isn't just about the USA anymore, everything is too integrated to not be aware of the world around us.
References:
USA Cycling
UCI Announces 2010 Pro Tour Race Calendar by Bike World News
How Teachers Are Using Twitter in the Classroom
10 Twitter Tools for Your Classroom
I am going beyond that to introduce the concepts of Geography; many races, not just the Tours, are in the racing season. In January, the Tour Down Under in Australia is kicking off the Pro Tour Season. Do you know where Adelaide, Australia is? Do you know what World Time Zone you are in? How about the World Time Zone for Adelaide, Australia?
I live in Eastern Standard Time so Adelaide, Australia is 15.5 hours ahead of me. How do I know? First I go to the World Time Clock website and find out what their time is. Then I compare my time and see what the difference is. Geography is important as well. There are many time zones in the USA and the same is true of Australia. Adelaide is in the South Australia time zone. I have learned this past year that New Zealand leads the world in time. Everyone else is farther distant from Greewich Mean Time (GMT) so 'Kiwis' are the first to 'ring in the New Year.'
Metric is used all over the globe. The same is true in cycling. Riders weights are in kilograms not pounds. I actually prefer this as I weigh significantly less (by the lower number) than I do when expressing my weight in pounds. The temperature is expressed in degrees Celsius not in degrees Fahrenheit so there is another conversion that we have to do. Exposure to many languages also takes place as interviews are conducted in different languages.
On the World Stage of Cycling, as any sport, the athletes are out there for everyone to watch. If they have a bad day or good day, a bad attitude or good attitude, it is all reported for everyone to read or tweet. Good sportsmanship in cycling is easy to pick up, even if you know nothing of the strategy. There are many excellent examples of superb people out there with humble and caring personalities. They don't see themselves as bigger than they are. Of course, these shining stars help us to see the 'other side' as not all riders are positive and there is a wide variety between both ends of the spectrum. Traditionally, cycling races like the Grand Tours are 'team races' where teamwork is important. It isn't only about placing 1st, 2nd, or 3rd on the podium. No matter how good a rider is on his own, he will suffer if his team is not behind him or he is not behind his team.
I hope this has given you some food for thought. Not just about cycling, but about ways that we should be using non-traditional methods to teach the next generation how to be successful in the Global Community. Every advantage we can provide will be just one more step up for them to take their place in the Global Society and understand Global Responsibility. It isn't just about the USA anymore, everything is too integrated to not be aware of the world around us.
References:
USA Cycling
UCI Announces 2010 Pro Tour Race Calendar by Bike World News
How Teachers Are Using Twitter in the Classroom
10 Twitter Tools for Your Classroom
"It isn't just about the USA anymore, everything is too integrated to not be aware of the world around us." So true! Thanks for linking to "10 Twitter Tools for Your Classroom". I am glad you found the post of use.
ReplyDeleteSincerely,
Anna
Twitter @bon_education
Blog http://www.literacyispriceless.wordpress.com
Thank you for the comment Anna! Excellent information in your post so gladly linked to it for more in-depth knowledge. Well written and timely, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Your writing allowed me to indulge my love of cycling and the benefits it could bring to education while still having a 'well rounded' post.
ReplyDelete