I watched the TEDxTalk by Jesse Miller that talked about how we need to rethink the way and amount that technology is used. For me specifically there was thing that really stood out to me, the fact that in 2013 the word of the year was selfie. Now just hearing that fact alone you might think it’s funny that out of all the words in the English language selfie was the word of the year but if you take a moment and really think about it, it’s actually quite sad. The word selfie means to take a picture of yourself. It makes me think that our world and the way we now communicate is very self centered, and if the way we communicate is self centered than ultimately the world around us is very self centered. Thinking about it none of use really would want to admit it but its the truth. All of this got me thinking on what can I do in my personal and professional life to help create a better community more centered on us connecting in the real world and not just online.

What impact did it have on me?

Although social media does have its good parts, I believe it has allowed us to create too many fake connections that aren’t as meaningful. In my classroom I want to create a family and a space where all my students will feel connected and like they belong. This TEDxTalk now has me more conscious on what that will look like to me moving forward and how I want to make a change. I want my students to leave my classroom with a feeling community and connection with their peers. It is a very disconnected world and my main goal in my classroom is to create a family. When I was in elementary school I was very connected to everyone in my grade because it was a small group of kids that I had been with from preschool to grade 3. This made coming to school feel safer and like I belonged more to my group of peers. I think this can be a huge motivator for students to come to school ready to learn and makes them passionate. This is why I think as teachers we always need to strive to create a close, inclusive community within our schools and classrooms.