BHAG???!!!

• How can the BHAG be used to create a defining purpose for the course/program? BHAG is a new thing for me, and I am very intrigued by it. When I first read what it stood for, I kinda scratched my head and was a bit grossed out. I mean, who wants to think of something big and hairy? Then it made sense... when I hear big and hairy, I automatically think of Bigfoot or Andre the Giant. They are both intimidating but important. They can be overwhelming and over the top. That's what we want our BHAG to be... big, intimidating, and over the top--- but achievable at the same time. When you create that BIG HAIRY AUDACIOUS GOAKL for a course, you are looking at the big picture.. that HUGE thing you wish to accomplish... the Bigfoot of the class!

• If making meaningful connections is central to learning then why do we spend so much of our time encouraging our learners to collect the dots rather than connect the dots? This is such a good question! I am always thinking like this and askingt these types of questions when it come to teaching our students. We NEED our students to make those connections in the classroom. We need to help them to learn how to make meaningful connections to help them later in life. BUT, all we keep doing is feeding them more and more information. Take, for instance, a pile of math linking cubes. You want to put them into a container. One by one, you put them on but the xontainer starts to fill up and run out of space. They are not connected, they are just jammed inside the container. What if you toojk them out? Then connected them before you tried to put them back in? They fit better, they work together. Children need to have those connections to make everything fit right into their brains. Too much information that has no meaningful connections can be useless.

• Are you a dependent or independent learner? Are you creating dependent or independent learners? I am very much an independent learner. I work best when you give me guidance and freedom to learn on my own. I tend to struggle when I am given very specific tasks. I guess that's why I struggle with tests. I HATE them and I often fail them... even when I have the information in front of me. I need freedome to express myself and explore on my own. I LOVE and thrive when I am given freedom to learn and I try to do that for my students. I am not one of those teachers that does a lot worksheets and homework. The other first grade teachers have journals for each subject that tehy students complete worksheets and glue in to them. I tried that, but I just can't do it. I want to create more independent learners where I am just there to help them along with their journey. That is why I feel that creating a blended learning classroom environment is what I ned to do!