As a fish who struggles with short-term memory loss, Dory has encountered many obstacles in her life. Yet, deeply ingrained in her psyche is the mantra, “Just Keep Swimming.” Dory’s lighthearted mantra reminds us to persevere and “dig in” in the face of a challenge. For teachers of the 21st century, Dory’s mantra rings especially true. Technology continues to challenge the ways we connect with, assess, and teach our students. Additionally, the rapid advancement of technology leads to new inventions seemingly every day. So, how can we ever keep up? The answer is, you guessed it: just keep LEARNING!
To be the best teachers possible, especially tech-savvy teachers, we must be great students as well. Rather than getting frustrated when a first grader knows how to use a new device better than we do, let’s take the opportunity to learn from the student. We must remain persistent on the path of acquiring knowledge that we can use to help our students grow. This may include attending additional professional developments, studying how other teachers use technology in their classroom, or simply using more technology in your own home. It won’t be easy, but it will certainly be worth it.
It is now on us to harness the power of technology to form and teach our students as best we can. To accomplish this mighty task, let us heed the advice of this adorable, forgetful little fish and “just keep learning!”
I love this connection to Dory!! Her saying is so relatable and you were able to reel me in with your post! The saying itself “Just Keep Learning” helps separate that teacher and student divide into a community type atmosphere. The best teachers are ones who learn from their students. These are not the type of educators who are entitled to being above their students or think they know all the answers. Rather they see what the student is able to bring to the classroom whether it’s a fun fact or a piece of advice for using technology. These kids may have grown up with this tech and have a vast array of knowledge which we may not. Instead of perceiving this student as a “smart aleck”, it is better to see the student’s response as a learning opportunity for the teacher. By changing this mind set, it can help teachers learn more and become a better tech savvy teacher because of it.
I definitely agree with this idea of having an open mind as a teacher and learning from our students! Without learning, we will never become better as our years of experience continue on. Hopefully all teachers keep this idea in mind and just keep learning! This connection to Dory was super cool and I’m sure you could explain to your students as well.
I love your meme and was inspired by your positive attitude and wise words of advice. I especially liked how you emphasized that “To be the best teachers possible, especially tech-savvy teachers, we must be great students as well.” I think we often, myself included, become so fixated on becoming teachers with all the answers, that we forget that learning is a lifelong journey. I also agree with your point on learning from our students. The next generation is our future and we have so much to learn from their, seemingly, innate ability to utilize technology. Thank you for sharing your insight and encouragement!
I love your idea of Dory as a motivator for learning new technological innovations! I like your motto, “Just Keep Learning,” when it comes to technology. I can definitely relate to feeling frustrated when I don’t understand technology right away, but I am inspired by the commitment that Dory makes to always learning new things. I think sometimes when we learn new things, it is easy to emphasize the learning result over the learning process. Dory is inspirational because she encourages continually learning new things no matter how difficult they may be. Like Dory, instead of giving up when we encounter new technology, we can see these new inventions as an opportunity to take our time and be willing to push past the currents of technology.