Teleteaching

I spent most of the day day-dreaming out my window. Do you think it would be possible to teach from the pool? Through conference calls? After a margarita?

I decided that yes, it would be possible. I would, however, need to fax in my morning letter. One of the over enthusiastic patrols in training could pick it up from the office and write the message on the white board. That could be their post. Then, the morning meeting leader could run both morning meeting and calendar math.

The rest of the day would be a giant literacy - research block. My students would continue researching, planning, and writing their class outer space report. After awhile, they would need to edit and revise their future published pieces. But, like real authors, they would harass their loved ones - or in this case their classmates -to edit their work. Then, and only then, they would fax a final draft to me at my pool side desk. As their editor, I would make many changes, fax it back to them, and then demand they take a book tour promoting "Outer Space Stuff" down the third grade hall.

What a great experience I would have created for my students - autonomy! real life publishing experience! appreciation for distant figure heads! My students would know more then the writer's process, they would know never say under their breath comments during a conference call. Their editor can hear them and can give them detention. Even from the pool.