Like a lot of teachers, I close the door when I teach. A computer lab can be loud when kids are doing cooperative learning, or when they are trying out a simulation and it works (YAY!). Or even better, when they have free time and everyone is excitedly shouting across the room to find out what to do if  you meet a grizzly bear in Wolf Quest.

Tambako The Jaguar via Compfight

So I try to be a good neighbor. I close the door and keep the excitement in. Sometimes another teacher or an administrator will wander in while I’m in the midst of it everything, and I never know what reaction I’ll get.   Sometimes it’s: “This looks like fun!”  Other times it’s more like: “Good grief, how do you stand it!” So yes, learning can be loud–at least in my room.

But is it “out loud?” Not really.

Learning out loud is a phrase that means you share the process, not just the product, of teaching and learning. You try something, reflect, adjust, and move on–and all of it in a public forum.  Then, hopefully, you have another educator, or a parent, or a student, who reads your adventures and shares their thoughts. And that sparks an idea, or a reflection, or better yet, a conversation.

Being a teacher of technology means I’m forced to learn new things all the time, and then show them to kids. They learn out loud for me, but something tells me that they might just feel a little more excited or motivated if they can learn out loud for you, too. So, I’m starting this blog, and I’m inviting you to read and share with me. And check out the sidebar for blogs from some of my classes. We’ll keep it safe, but I think I’m ready to learn out loud too.