“Dashing and daring, courageous and caring, faithful and friendly with stories to share!”
No, this is not about me – it is the opening lines from the theme song to the 1980s cartoon Disney’s Gummi Bears. I do often find myself humming this tune and wonder if I could be as daring, caring, and friendly as Gruffi, Tunni, Zunni and the gang.
I try.
This blog is a step. Sharing ones ideas and lessons can be a bit scary. Now I am not an expert. I am just a teacher who wants to start a conversation about different ways to teach. Growth is the reason that I am working on this blog. Please any and all feedback is welcome. Except about my hair. Yes, it is supposed to do that.
My twitter handle is @42thinkdeep. This could seem very pompous; like I was someone who sits around his apartment thinking deeper and forcing others to as well. I chose it as an homage to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Also, @MichaelMilton was already taken.
So, thank you for making it this far into this “About” post. While that last paragraph wasn’t particularly exciting, I feel that it was vital to the process.
On this blog, I will be posting lessons and activities that I have done in my classroom. I am not here to say, “Do this, it is awesome! I am rock star teacher!” My goal is to share in an attempt to better myself and reflect upon my craft. If anyone ever uses something, let me know how you adapted it. If you have done something better, please let me know!
I will also occasionally be reflecting upon my classroom and teaching style. Again, my goal is not to say that I am the greatest teacher ever. My goal is to develop a conversation.
Sometimes, I will throw in a book review. There is no real reason for me doing this. I just like to read and find the practice of writing exhilarating.
So, thank you for reading this far down the page. It has been a journey, hasn’t it.
I’ve heard it said that it takes a village to develop a great teacher. I appreciate that you are going to be one of the village people.
-Michael
Michael K. Milton ~ @42ThinkDeep 
Awesome! What about the history blog did you hate? I’ve been doing that gig for this year–split personality–class blog not attached to me per se but holding class materials which I tweet out and point. Good stuff. And I’m trying to get through the Hitchhiker’s Guide now… not winning yet.
The blog title I felt was a bit…presumptuous. “Milton’s World” as if the world were mine and everyone else was just in it.
I don’t actually use a blog with my students, I use edmodo which is a really neat student management system.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is probably the greatest and wittiest series that I have read. While I imagine that it may not be for everyone, I cannot imagine who it might not be for.
You know, I’m going to try it again. Give it the old college try. Perhaps I have been too distracted to focus properly… I think it’s a great title–especially approaching it w humility:) We all have our little bubble of world, real, imagined, or a combo of both probably in my case… I’d use it!
I just got computers this year–I didn’t want to go crazy like a kid who just got candy. I had planned my system to be totally workable for outside the classroom as well as if I should suddenly wake up and find technology in my room. I use a blog, twitter, and Learni.st So far, I get compliments like “Wow, this doesn’t suck (sic).” That, when properly translated from high school to English means, “Golly, thanks for taking the time to care that I’m interested in your lesson by providing me with a ton of multimedia primary source material aligned to the standards disguising the learning as fun.”