Seriously Exciting Teacher

[Tessy Britton]

Aside from my emotional intelligence and immediate colleagues, Kate Bingaman-Burt, Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at Mississippi State University is my biggest teaching inspiration. So I thought I would share a little about Kate, who I have never met (I like in the UK - she in the US), and why I find her such a source of infectious online energy and creativity.

Kate is a working artist, and has for several years been running Obsessive Consumption which follows Kate's illustrations of her purchases. The pic above, due to feature soon on Etsy shows some of Kate's drawings. Kate and her husband have also recently started The Public Design Center, a non-profit design resource center.

There is always continuing press discussion about the use of IT in classrooms and in schools in general, with many people getting understandably excited about the possibilities of web 2 and its use in engaging students in subjects, and the potential for collaboration.

Kate Bingaman-Burt is a singular example of a teacher who engages her students by the energy and buzz she manages to create - both in the classroom and on the internet. Crap Detector is the blog that Kate uses for her Graphic Design course and it is full of stimulation, excitement and FUN...... Her written word really conveys her personality.

Kate said recently at a talk in New York:
"I like trying to create a classroom where kids really think they can talk to each other, and that they can exchange ideas and excite each other and learn from each other... really when everything is said and done they are going to learn the most from the person they are sitting next to and the people they are hanging out with at school - and not necessarily the teacher.

I try and make the classroom an environment where that type of interaction can happen, instead of them sitting there waiting to be taught. So my classes are pretty loud and we have fun. I like teaching."

We teach who we are. If we are interested, dynamically engaged and passionate about life and the subjects we teach then we have to become better teachers too?

It would be great if teachers stopped thinking either/or when it comes to making use of the web for their students ... and started thinking both. Exciting web interaction and stimulation plus creative and lively lessons .... just like Kate.

Even her dog exudes creative energy!!



If you have further examples of teachers who are seriously exciting and using the web to enliven what they do please let me know...... I am aiming HIGH.