At the end of the day, there is only one way to dance tango: the way YOU like to dance it. And there is only one style: the one YOU choose to be your style; because a tango dancer never copies, never imitates, never conforms to an established pattern, never follows the trends, never talks about his dancing. A tango dancer dances .... out of a finite number of recognizable body positions for the couple, it is possible to improvise a countless number of patterns, steps and figures.

(source)

One of the understated facts of dancing Argentine Tango is the availability of four feet and four cardinal directions where the couple can move. Simply put, there are only three steps in Tango: the Side step, the Forward step and the Back step.

With these three steps a couple could dance in straight lines or in a box, going forward, sideways, backwards, sideways, etc., etc.

1. Use technology to learn learning, not to learn something
2. Teaching is one but not the only way to achieve learning
3. Leverage children themselves: bring them more into the equation to do part of the teaching (peer to peer, peer to teacher)

• Informal, not structured. The system should not define the learning and discussion that happens. The system should be flexible enough to allow participants to create according to their needs.
  
  
• Tool-rich - many opportunities for users to dialogue and connect.
  
  
• Consistency and time. New communities, projects and ideas start with much hype and promotion...and then slowly fade. To create a knowledge sharing ecology, participants need to see a consistently evolving environment.
  
  
• Trust. High, social contact (face to face or online) is needed to foster a sense of trust and comfort. Secure and safe environments are critical for trust to develop.
  
  
• Simplicity. Other characteristics need to be balanced with the need for simplicity. Great ideas fail because of complexity. Simple, social approaches work most effectively. The selection of tools and the creation of the community structure should reflect this need for simplicity.
  
  
• Decentralized, fostered, connected...as compared to centralized, managed, and isolated.
  
  
• High tolerance for experimentation and failure
  
  

1. illustrate concepts we've been learning as animations and/or video or static photos
   
   
2. have online lessons/reviews of material we've covered in class
   
   
3. have interactive online quizzes that give kids an opportunity to test their skills.
   
   

• medical school paradigm, deep thinking
• the textbook
• insight and focused feedback
• responsibility, ownership, high expectations, sense of community
• when they're away

• homework help
• study groups
• tech help (example 1, example 2)
• a new voice
• saturday night

• brainstorm
  
  
• the assignment
  
  
• the rubric
  
  
• the students "being forward"
  
  
• The Prince of Calculand
  
  

The subtle delay between the motion of the dancers is what creates the much sought after feline elegance of the dancing couple. You can't walk like a cat because you only have two legs. An embraced couple, combining both sets of legs can.

In essence, understanding the concept of "I move, then he moves," if you are a woman, or "she moves, then I move," if you are a man, is a significant step towards developing the natural sway and sensual motion characteristic of the Argentine Tango.

A Position of Strength
The position where one leg is slightly flexed with the foot completely on the ground and the other leg is elongated with the heel off the ground is perhaps the one most likely to be in use most of the time while dancing. Should somebody enter the room and take a still photograph of that position, it would be impossible to guess whether the dancer is in the process of stepping forward, stepping backwards, or in the middle of a left or right hand turn.

1. The First Post - study skills
   
   
2. Classroom/Blog Policies (3rd post)
   
   
3. Letter to Parents
   
   • Elementary
     
   • High School (example 1)
     
   • High School (example 2)
     
   • Classroom policy and letter to parents (Mrs. Simpson)
   • Sample Student Permission Form via Miguel Guhlin
   
   
4. The Power (Fear?) of Transparency - Learning to Swim
   
   • student publishes controversial material
   • copyright
   • student identity
   • liable, defamation
   • bullying
   • Vignettes
   • Safe Blogging Resources from my blog A Difference
   • more resources at BlogSafety.com and nonscholae.org


5. The Conversation Continues ...
   Wesley Fryer hosted a Skypecast on July 11, 2006 with over 20 different teachers from all over the world. The topic was The Pros and Cons of Educational Blogging Options. They "discussed issues of content control, both with student writing (how grammatically correct it should be or permitted NOT to be), how open commenting can positively affect student motivation to write and write well, what happens to classroom blogs at the end of the year, if teachers should introduce students to other social networking environments beyond a protected classroom blog, what blogging tool might be best to start with, and more." Well worth a listen (1 hr 35 min 39 sec). They also started a wiki to support the ongoing conversation.

"the Tango begins with the posture and finishes in the legs". There is an anatomical and a psychological reason for paying attention to posture. From an anatomical point of view, finding a comfortable embrace helps the enjoyment of the dance.

The psychological aspect involves a positive winning attitude. The dancers must believe they are the best they can be.

Kids: they dance before they learn there is anything that isn't music.

~William Stafford

      »Is our classroom blog valuable to you? If yes, how so?
      »How would you feel if our blog suddenly went offline and couldn't be recovered?