I refuse to allow my last post to be the last post of 2009. Even though the public education system in Texas might be quickly approaching self destruction does not mean good things are not going on in my life.
My sweet William is 8 months old and counting. We weren't sure how he would be after his grand, and dangerous, entrance into this world, but God is great and has helped my baby grow and be happy. Christmas was a blast as Will pulled tissue paper out of bags and chewed on wrapping paper. The toys he received were fine, but as with older children and cardboard boxes, Will much preferred the packaging.
For my husband, I got a Wii. It is amazing how happy a video game console can make a 40 year old man. My sister finally managed to get her hands on a Harry Potter game, so now Chris earnestly mixes potions, plays Quidditch, and duels other students from the comfort of his "wizarding chair."
One of my favorite gifts this year is a pair of TOMS Shoes. They are sparkly and white, and I like knowing that I have also provided a pair of shoes for someone in need. My sister received a pair of plain canvas ones and a bunch of fabric markers. The intention is that she will use her unmatched artistic skills to decorate her pair to match her personality.
As with every year, we spent tons of time with the extended family simply enjoying the food and company.
Recently I have also been introduced to a couple of cool sites for book lovers: Goodreads and Paperback Swap. The first is a great way to catalog books I've read or would like to read. The second is a fantastic way to exchange books you would like to get rid of for ones you want to read.
At Goodreads, I am a member of a couple of discussion groups. One in particular is for moms who love to read. They are posting up their reading challenges for 2010. I decided it was time that I also set goals for my reading. I love to do it but find I am sometimes at a loss deciding what to read. There are so many ways I could go about choosing books. One mom used the alphabet twice. She used it once for authors and once for book titles. This way she has chosen 52 books for her challenge. I'm not sure how confident I am in my reading skills to tackle a book a week, but I know I can probably read more than one book every two weeks (especially in the summer time when we're out of school). I landed on 40 young adult novels I will read next year. Tomorrow I will post my challenge!
For better or for worse 2009 is coming to a close. The highlight is of course the blessings of family and friends. Life is empty without those we love. May 2010 bring plenty of happiness and love your way!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
The one thing constant in life...
Once upon a time I truly believed that I could change lives. God gave me a gift, a love, a desire for teaching. I know that my vocation is to educate, to share knowledge and gain knowledge from those I teach. I just knew that as long as I achieved at the highest levels for my kids that I would indeed affect change. My students would not only learn the beauty of reading and writing they would also discover a part of themselves that would define forever the type of person they are meant to be. In my classroom we would explore, together, ideas and cultures that would reinforce the positive outcomes to making decisions with integrity. My students would understand that sometimes they might not like me because of a difficult assignment or strict guideline, but in the end they would come to realize that I do all that I do for their future. I must prepare them for an unforgiving and often harsh world. I must show them that they can be the bright spot in a gray situation.
I had to keep believing all of this or else the politics of the public education system would have destroyed me after my very first year. A system exists where people who have never stepped foot in a classroom, or are very far removed from the classroom experience, are making decisions regarding what is best for the students. Instead of raising expectations and lifting the students up to meet them, all standards are lowered and students are handed answers if they choose not to think on their own. No one trusts the educator anymore or her judgment on what her students are capable of. This same system allows parents to berate and batter the educator so that they cannot sue the school system when their precious darling does not get his or her way. This same system allows students to receive top marks with minimal effort for fear that a failing grade would damage a fragile ego.
All of this I could continue to let roll off my shoulders because my students would learn that they are better than the system and should not settle for those standards. My students would grow up and become the people that make the decisions, and they would remember what they learned and do their best to better the system for future generations. Eventually enough of my students would be making so many positive changes that someone would see that teachers really do know what is best for their kids and someone might just start listening to teachers.
This week for the first time in my teaching career all of the muck that I tried to keep out of my classroom was crammed down my throat without a care in the world for what I do. Of course I am hurt and will probably not be able to let this go easily. However, I know how my heart loves to spend time on that sleeve of mine. For perspective I went to the one person who is supposed to understand me as a person and why I do what I do. He would simply listen and help me sort my ideas so that any decisions I made regarding the path I just knew God was leading me down would be as sound as possible. What he made bluntly clear was that nothing I do will ever make a difference. It will not change anything about my school or my district let alone the state or nation. And he's right. I see that now.
Do I still want my students to succeed? Absolutely. Do I still love them with all my heart? Absolutely.
The realization for me is that: no longer will I be stupid enough to hope to mend such a broken system. I will simply "go in and do my job like everyone else" as it was put to me.
I had to keep believing all of this or else the politics of the public education system would have destroyed me after my very first year. A system exists where people who have never stepped foot in a classroom, or are very far removed from the classroom experience, are making decisions regarding what is best for the students. Instead of raising expectations and lifting the students up to meet them, all standards are lowered and students are handed answers if they choose not to think on their own. No one trusts the educator anymore or her judgment on what her students are capable of. This same system allows parents to berate and batter the educator so that they cannot sue the school system when their precious darling does not get his or her way. This same system allows students to receive top marks with minimal effort for fear that a failing grade would damage a fragile ego.
All of this I could continue to let roll off my shoulders because my students would learn that they are better than the system and should not settle for those standards. My students would grow up and become the people that make the decisions, and they would remember what they learned and do their best to better the system for future generations. Eventually enough of my students would be making so many positive changes that someone would see that teachers really do know what is best for their kids and someone might just start listening to teachers.
This week for the first time in my teaching career all of the muck that I tried to keep out of my classroom was crammed down my throat without a care in the world for what I do. Of course I am hurt and will probably not be able to let this go easily. However, I know how my heart loves to spend time on that sleeve of mine. For perspective I went to the one person who is supposed to understand me as a person and why I do what I do. He would simply listen and help me sort my ideas so that any decisions I made regarding the path I just knew God was leading me down would be as sound as possible. What he made bluntly clear was that nothing I do will ever make a difference. It will not change anything about my school or my district let alone the state or nation. And he's right. I see that now.
Do I still want my students to succeed? Absolutely. Do I still love them with all my heart? Absolutely.
The realization for me is that: no longer will I be stupid enough to hope to mend such a broken system. I will simply "go in and do my job like everyone else" as it was put to me.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Did I Miss Anything?
It is the end of the first semester and part of a teacher's responsibility, in our district, is to decide who is exempt from the semester exam. Students lose their exemption if they have been absent, tardy for an excessive amount of time, failing for the semester, or have been placed in an alternative school setting for behavioral issues. Now, there are some circumstances where a student might have what is known as an "excused" absence. This means that even though s/he did not attend school that day they are still eligible for exemption from the semester exam. Some examples are school sponsored field trips, college visit days, and doctor's appointments as long as you spend some time in class before or after the appointment.
Everything seems simple enough until students start complaining: "No one wants us here if we're sick, but we are punished if we don't come to school" or "I was bettering my future by looking at my post high school options. Why do I have to take a test?" or "It's not my fault the school scheduled the competition during the school day." Taking an exam is not a punishment. If you miss class, you miss lessons. Sometimes the best discussion is rather impromptu and cannot be duplicated in make-up work. When a student is out of the learning arena a gap is created that must be filled. Semester exams are meant to test those students that had gaps to ensure that they were properly fixed.
Honestly, I don't believe any absence should be excused. If parents, teachers, and students have problems with competitions and other co and extra curricular activities taking place during school hours, perhaps there needs to be some adjusting elsewhere. One of my favorite poems is "Did I Miss Anything?" by Tom Wayman. I think he sums up many of my feelings on the matter.
Everything seems simple enough until students start complaining: "No one wants us here if we're sick, but we are punished if we don't come to school" or "I was bettering my future by looking at my post high school options. Why do I have to take a test?" or "It's not my fault the school scheduled the competition during the school day." Taking an exam is not a punishment. If you miss class, you miss lessons. Sometimes the best discussion is rather impromptu and cannot be duplicated in make-up work. When a student is out of the learning arena a gap is created that must be filled. Semester exams are meant to test those students that had gaps to ensure that they were properly fixed.
Honestly, I don't believe any absence should be excused. If parents, teachers, and students have problems with competitions and other co and extra curricular activities taking place during school hours, perhaps there needs to be some adjusting elsewhere. One of my favorite poems is "Did I Miss Anything?" by Tom Wayman. I think he sums up many of my feelings on the matter.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Wild Things, You Make My Heart Sing
To celebrate my 29th birthday yesterday, my husband and I experienced Spike Jonez's beautiful interpretation of Where the Wild Things Are. Of course this has been a long awaited event since in the early days of the usual summer box office bonanza when we caught our first glimpse in a preview. From that point on tears coated our eyes every time a promotion for the film aired on television.
When a movie of this magnitude is released, I try to avoid any type of reviews because I do not want anything to mar my own opinion of the film. Unfortunately, I was forced to make an exception in this case because I accidentally caught a couple of seconds worth of opinion on NPR in my husband's car (not a station I choose to listen to personally because it bores me). The review was negative, so I balanced it out by reading the linked article in this blog. I am very glad that I did.
The movie is a leap into the psyche of a child, but then again so is the book. The problem is that many people never think beyond Max's brief stint with the Wild Things and their notorious "rumpus" before longing to be back home with a warm supper. However, on a subconscious level what we are being told as children is that releasing our Wild Things every now and then is okay if we learn how to tame them (even if it is only temporary). As an adult I find myself occasionally wanting to cause "mischief of one kind or another" when I am frustrated or hurt or angry. But because I had Max as a child, I learned that there are healthy ways to "rumpus" without causing serious destruction.
Jonez takes all of this about the book and forays it to the screen flawlessly. The cinematography is stunning, and the choice to make the Wild Things "real" is the right one. Regardless of the slightly terrifying aspects of the Wild Things I still could not help but fall in love with them. My own cynicism and devious self doubt that often dances around when I want to try something new will now be crowned my "Judith moments."
Would I recommend this movie to my friends and family? Only if they understand a few things: 1. I do not believe this to be a children's movie. It may have been packaged that way, but many younger children may become bored with the pacing of the film 2. Expect to see an "artsy" film. This is cinematic art. Whatever notions a person might have before need to be set aside if they do not include going to see an artistic movie 3. A person will either be in love with the movie or hate it completely. I do not believe there will be much gray area where a person would think it is an alright movie. (Actually, I've been joking that the only people who don't like the film do not have either the intellect or inclination to want to experience the deeper levels. But really, that is partly true.)
Definitely read the linked article before seeing the film. Although the idea that we are looking into Max's psyche is pretty obvious, Mary Pols does a wonderful job of describing what to expect when walking into the theater.
<i>Where the Wild Things Are</i>: Sendak with Sensitivity
When a movie of this magnitude is released, I try to avoid any type of reviews because I do not want anything to mar my own opinion of the film. Unfortunately, I was forced to make an exception in this case because I accidentally caught a couple of seconds worth of opinion on NPR in my husband's car (not a station I choose to listen to personally because it bores me). The review was negative, so I balanced it out by reading the linked article in this blog. I am very glad that I did.
The movie is a leap into the psyche of a child, but then again so is the book. The problem is that many people never think beyond Max's brief stint with the Wild Things and their notorious "rumpus" before longing to be back home with a warm supper. However, on a subconscious level what we are being told as children is that releasing our Wild Things every now and then is okay if we learn how to tame them (even if it is only temporary). As an adult I find myself occasionally wanting to cause "mischief of one kind or another" when I am frustrated or hurt or angry. But because I had Max as a child, I learned that there are healthy ways to "rumpus" without causing serious destruction.
Jonez takes all of this about the book and forays it to the screen flawlessly. The cinematography is stunning, and the choice to make the Wild Things "real" is the right one. Regardless of the slightly terrifying aspects of the Wild Things I still could not help but fall in love with them. My own cynicism and devious self doubt that often dances around when I want to try something new will now be crowned my "Judith moments."
Would I recommend this movie to my friends and family? Only if they understand a few things: 1. I do not believe this to be a children's movie. It may have been packaged that way, but many younger children may become bored with the pacing of the film 2. Expect to see an "artsy" film. This is cinematic art. Whatever notions a person might have before need to be set aside if they do not include going to see an artistic movie 3. A person will either be in love with the movie or hate it completely. I do not believe there will be much gray area where a person would think it is an alright movie. (Actually, I've been joking that the only people who don't like the film do not have either the intellect or inclination to want to experience the deeper levels. But really, that is partly true.)
Definitely read the linked article before seeing the film. Although the idea that we are looking into Max's psyche is pretty obvious, Mary Pols does a wonderful job of describing what to expect when walking into the theater.
<i>Where the Wild Things Are</i>: Sendak with Sensitivity
Monday, September 21, 2009
Fall Television Line-up
With summer over many children drag themselves back to school and begin the countdown again to summer. However, with the coming of fall comes also new seasons of favorite series. The two most anticipated by me are The Big Bang Theory and House. Long have I awaited the further adventures of the socially retarded but always entertaining Sheldon and the lovably aloof but always fascinating House. My DVR is set and I am ready to watch.
Now, the topic of new shows this season that interest me and why I will or will not watch them. Let's look at the show that has potential: Flash Forward. Who wouldn't be interested in a show that predicts the future through a mental blackout experienced by everyone in the world? I can think of two reasons why I will not be tuning in: Lost and Heroes. Both of those shows had excellent set-ups and the first few seasons had me chomping at the bit for more. It just is not possible to sustain that level of interest. Lost turned out to be incredibly boring when plot lines were dragged out and questions went unanswered. No suspense was kept up, so I quit caring about the adventures of a bunch of deserted losers. The fault in Heroes lies in that the world can only be in peril once in a while. How many times am I supposed to worry about Earth's fate? Besides, the minute Heroes turned into X2, I quit because Hugh Jackman does it so much better.
Two shows I plan on creating permanent places for in my DVR: Glee and Modern Family. From the first minute of Glee I was hooked. The idea behind the show and the incorporation of music make for an entertaining hour of television. Modern Family does not start until this Wednesday, but I have a feeling it will quickly become a favorite. Unfortunately, neither show will have staying power. Why do I say this? Pushing Daisies, Arrested Development, Firefly. These too were unique ideas with sophisticated dialog and comedy. A majority of television watching America is too thick or deficit in attention for shows like this. I will do my best to enjoy Glee and Modern Family until the dreaded word of their cancellations reach my saddened ears.
Now, the topic of new shows this season that interest me and why I will or will not watch them. Let's look at the show that has potential: Flash Forward. Who wouldn't be interested in a show that predicts the future through a mental blackout experienced by everyone in the world? I can think of two reasons why I will not be tuning in: Lost and Heroes. Both of those shows had excellent set-ups and the first few seasons had me chomping at the bit for more. It just is not possible to sustain that level of interest. Lost turned out to be incredibly boring when plot lines were dragged out and questions went unanswered. No suspense was kept up, so I quit caring about the adventures of a bunch of deserted losers. The fault in Heroes lies in that the world can only be in peril once in a while. How many times am I supposed to worry about Earth's fate? Besides, the minute Heroes turned into X2, I quit because Hugh Jackman does it so much better.
Two shows I plan on creating permanent places for in my DVR: Glee and Modern Family. From the first minute of Glee I was hooked. The idea behind the show and the incorporation of music make for an entertaining hour of television. Modern Family does not start until this Wednesday, but I have a feeling it will quickly become a favorite. Unfortunately, neither show will have staying power. Why do I say this? Pushing Daisies, Arrested Development, Firefly. These too were unique ideas with sophisticated dialog and comedy. A majority of television watching America is too thick or deficit in attention for shows like this. I will do my best to enjoy Glee and Modern Family until the dreaded word of their cancellations reach my saddened ears.
Saturday, September 05, 2009
Psych Strikes Back...again
I absolutely love Psych. As I've mentioned in a previous entry, I refuse to support the rip off show The Mentalist because it shows how stupid people are to avidly watch a show that is a pathetic "carbon copy" of a superb original! Please enjoy the following:
Monday, August 17, 2009
Summer 2009 In Review Part IV: Being a Mommy
Well, my summer has officially come to an end. Tomorrow at 8 A.M. I am back at work for the new school year. Usually this day is welcomed with open arms because I have worked all summer planning for a fantastic new year. However, this year brings some mixed feelings. I love what I do and the kids I teach, but this year I must leave my four month old baby at daycare so I can continue to make a living. Does this mean I would prefer to be a stay at home mom? Sometimes. Things I am going to miss:
1. Sitting in bed feeding Will while watch The Golden Girls
2. Napping on the couch with Will curled up on my chest dozing
3. Meeting Chris for lunch with Will
I have discovered that being a mommy is as cool as I thought it would be. I cannot imagine my life without my precious baby boy. Even though I want more children, it is hard to believe I could love anything more than I love Will. Watching him grow is going to be a great adventure. Thank God that my job is actually quite conducive to raising a child. I will be able to always share in Christmas and Summer Vacations with him. My work day is done at 4 P.M., so I won't be rushing around when I get home to get dinner ready and Will bathed. There will actually be time to play:)!
So summer has been fantastic and with that I wish all students and teachers successful school years!
1. Sitting in bed feeding Will while watch The Golden Girls
2. Napping on the couch with Will curled up on my chest dozing
3. Meeting Chris for lunch with Will
I have discovered that being a mommy is as cool as I thought it would be. I cannot imagine my life without my precious baby boy. Even though I want more children, it is hard to believe I could love anything more than I love Will. Watching him grow is going to be a great adventure. Thank God that my job is actually quite conducive to raising a child. I will be able to always share in Christmas and Summer Vacations with him. My work day is done at 4 P.M., so I won't be rushing around when I get home to get dinner ready and Will bathed. There will actually be time to play:)!
So summer has been fantastic and with that I wish all students and teachers successful school years!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Summer 2009 In Review Part III: Shopping
It turns out that I have this not so great habit of shopping when I start to get really bored. Now that summer is coming to an end, I am anxiously awaiting returning to work. Not that I wouldn't love to stay home with my baby, but my house is clean and everyone else I know or could visit works. Since I have nothing better to do, I have been shopping every day for the past couple of weeks. My husband repeatedly mumbles that it is time for me to go back to work:).
Actually, I enjoy shopping during the day. The crowds are small and salespeople are more attentive and friendlier than when they are dealing with tons of people. I have also been watching more than a fair amount of What Not to Wear, so I am trying to hone my skills at finding clothes that are age appropriate and flatter my figure. Things I've learned: 1. fit to the largest part of the body and tailor everything else down 2. accentuate the narrowest part of my torso so I look more hour-glassy 3. long skirts will make me look shorter because I am already short, so I've had a few skirts shortened up to my knees. If only someone would hand me a credit card with $5000 on it...
Shopping has also turned out to be very therapeutic when I start stressing about the upcoming school year or am overwhelmed with my little one. I figure most shrinks make a couple hundred dollars an hour and my shopping comes to a hundred or so dollars over a few hours, so I am actually saving a lot of money on therapy!
Next on the blog docket: being a mom.
Actually, I enjoy shopping during the day. The crowds are small and salespeople are more attentive and friendlier than when they are dealing with tons of people. I have also been watching more than a fair amount of What Not to Wear, so I am trying to hone my skills at finding clothes that are age appropriate and flatter my figure. Things I've learned: 1. fit to the largest part of the body and tailor everything else down 2. accentuate the narrowest part of my torso so I look more hour-glassy 3. long skirts will make me look shorter because I am already short, so I've had a few skirts shortened up to my knees. If only someone would hand me a credit card with $5000 on it...
Shopping has also turned out to be very therapeutic when I start stressing about the upcoming school year or am overwhelmed with my little one. I figure most shrinks make a couple hundred dollars an hour and my shopping comes to a hundred or so dollars over a few hours, so I am actually saving a lot of money on therapy!
Next on the blog docket: being a mom.
Saturday, August 01, 2009
Summer 2009 In Review Part II: Daytime Television
It has become clear to me that I do not look forward to entering retirement age. Some people would think that is quite an obvious statement for someone in her late 20's. However, my reasoning may surprise a few people. It is not that I am afraid of getting old or do not look forward to a nice, long career as an educator and retirement at the end of that career. The truth is that there is nothing good on television during the day.
Of course all programming is formatted to the older crowd. Despite the occasional OxyClean commercial for the stay at home mom, it is obvious that daytime television is meant for the senior bunch. I wish I had a nickel for every ED remedy pitched my way and for every time Alex Trebeck sold me life insurance that would accept me regardless of my current health condition.
Fortunately, both The Hallmark Channel and WE TV have been showing The Golden Girls practically non-stop. They are the first things I watch in the morning and then again in the early afternoon and then again before bedtime. (Unfortunately, they show the same episodes at the three separate times of the day.) Stations need to show more movies during the day. Not that I didn't love Home Improvement in its hay day, but two or three episodes in a row of shows like Sister, Sister or Full House or NCIS or MASH, etc. becomes very monotonous.
I suppose I should read more because I do enjoy good books. It just seems that the minute I really start to get into the story I doze off or my baby needs me. The television is divided into nice little 30 minute or hour intervals, so my attention can be held between baby feedings.
Stay tuned for Part III: Shopping...
Of course all programming is formatted to the older crowd. Despite the occasional OxyClean commercial for the stay at home mom, it is obvious that daytime television is meant for the senior bunch. I wish I had a nickel for every ED remedy pitched my way and for every time Alex Trebeck sold me life insurance that would accept me regardless of my current health condition.
Fortunately, both The Hallmark Channel and WE TV have been showing The Golden Girls practically non-stop. They are the first things I watch in the morning and then again in the early afternoon and then again before bedtime. (Unfortunately, they show the same episodes at the three separate times of the day.) Stations need to show more movies during the day. Not that I didn't love Home Improvement in its hay day, but two or three episodes in a row of shows like Sister, Sister or Full House or NCIS or MASH, etc. becomes very monotonous.
I suppose I should read more because I do enjoy good books. It just seems that the minute I really start to get into the story I doze off or my baby needs me. The television is divided into nice little 30 minute or hour intervals, so my attention can be held between baby feedings.
Stay tuned for Part III: Shopping...
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Summer 2009 In Review Part I: Movies
The summer movie season is a favorite of mine because studios seem to save the big blockbusters for this time of year. I am sure they figure people want to be in from the heat, or maybe it is because kids are not being "entertained" at school and can spend their money on two hours of big screen fun. As a science fiction/fantasy fan, this summer was going to be especially great for me with X-Men Origin: Wolverine, Star Trek, Transformers 2, and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
The first on the list for me was Wolverine. Talk about a disappointment. I love the X-Men films, and as a fan of Hugh Jackman, was stoked to see him in his own movie. It was so incredibly boring and predictable. I was really looking forward to seeing Gambit be a part of the storyline, and he was only in the movie for maybe 10 minutes. Here's the big shocker: Wolverine is so hardened because his girlfriend is murdered. But of course, we have to erase his memory so that it makes sense in the other movies. I think X-Men has officially worn out its coolness-jumped the shark-if you will.
In a not so surprise move, I saw 17 Again with my best friend. Always a sucker for teeny/romantic comedy movies I was pleasantly pleased with this film. I actually thought it would be pretty predictable and did not think Zac Efron could carry a movie. I figured he only had the role because he is the en vogue male star for teens at the moment. Not to mention that Matthew Perry, who used to carry his own films, received very little credit for his part in this film. Talk about something to see. My level of respect for Mr. Efron shot through the roof after the courtroom scene when he professes his love to his wife. Holy cow! He can actually act. Seeing as I had just had a baby and my best friend was still pregnant, this was quite an emotional time in the movie for both of us.
On a whim, my husband and I decided to see The Hangover. Although there was a bit more male nudity than I prefer, I laughed from the minute the movie started until the credits finished rolling. I did not expect much more than crude bathroom humor. It was nice to see that the film actually had a point and some intelligence behind a lot of the dialog and characters. My favorite part being the allusion to Rain Man when two characters came riding down the escalator. The only thing I wondered about was whether or not any of my teenage students had seen Rain Man and would truly appreciate the genius behind that scene.
Never seeing an episode of Star Trek in any of its forms, I was hesitant to see the film. I feared that I would not understand why the origin of the Enterprise was worth making a movie about. I also could not understand why they would cast someone as gorgeous as Chris Pine to play Kirk because William Shatner has never struck me as attractive. The movie immediately made it to my personal top ten favorite films list. It had the perfect balance of action, character development, humor, etc. I also adore Zachary Quinto and loved seeing him play Spock. The Kirk inquiry was also answered when I watched an episode of the original Star Trek. William Shatner was incredibly handsome in his younger days! Who knew?
Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen did not make it on our list of must sees after we read a few reviews of the movie. This broke my heart because the first one was so good.
Of course everything led up to the most exciting movie of the summer: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Being an avid fan of the book series, my skeptical eyes were more than pleased with this movie! I absolutely loved it. I saw a lot of my students within the various characters because this film really focuses on being a teenager. For this reason, my husband did not like the film. He wanted a lot more action. However, his cousin made a great point in stating that we need to really feel for the characters now so that what comes in the final installment really hits hard. I totally agree and cannot wait to see the movie again and possibly in 3D.
Well, there are all my opinions on the movies from this summer. Part II will be written tomorrow and focus on daytime television during the summer.
The first on the list for me was Wolverine. Talk about a disappointment. I love the X-Men films, and as a fan of Hugh Jackman, was stoked to see him in his own movie. It was so incredibly boring and predictable. I was really looking forward to seeing Gambit be a part of the storyline, and he was only in the movie for maybe 10 minutes. Here's the big shocker: Wolverine is so hardened because his girlfriend is murdered. But of course, we have to erase his memory so that it makes sense in the other movies. I think X-Men has officially worn out its coolness-jumped the shark-if you will.
In a not so surprise move, I saw 17 Again with my best friend. Always a sucker for teeny/romantic comedy movies I was pleasantly pleased with this film. I actually thought it would be pretty predictable and did not think Zac Efron could carry a movie. I figured he only had the role because he is the en vogue male star for teens at the moment. Not to mention that Matthew Perry, who used to carry his own films, received very little credit for his part in this film. Talk about something to see. My level of respect for Mr. Efron shot through the roof after the courtroom scene when he professes his love to his wife. Holy cow! He can actually act. Seeing as I had just had a baby and my best friend was still pregnant, this was quite an emotional time in the movie for both of us.
On a whim, my husband and I decided to see The Hangover. Although there was a bit more male nudity than I prefer, I laughed from the minute the movie started until the credits finished rolling. I did not expect much more than crude bathroom humor. It was nice to see that the film actually had a point and some intelligence behind a lot of the dialog and characters. My favorite part being the allusion to Rain Man when two characters came riding down the escalator. The only thing I wondered about was whether or not any of my teenage students had seen Rain Man and would truly appreciate the genius behind that scene.
Never seeing an episode of Star Trek in any of its forms, I was hesitant to see the film. I feared that I would not understand why the origin of the Enterprise was worth making a movie about. I also could not understand why they would cast someone as gorgeous as Chris Pine to play Kirk because William Shatner has never struck me as attractive. The movie immediately made it to my personal top ten favorite films list. It had the perfect balance of action, character development, humor, etc. I also adore Zachary Quinto and loved seeing him play Spock. The Kirk inquiry was also answered when I watched an episode of the original Star Trek. William Shatner was incredibly handsome in his younger days! Who knew?
Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen did not make it on our list of must sees after we read a few reviews of the movie. This broke my heart because the first one was so good.
Of course everything led up to the most exciting movie of the summer: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Being an avid fan of the book series, my skeptical eyes were more than pleased with this movie! I absolutely loved it. I saw a lot of my students within the various characters because this film really focuses on being a teenager. For this reason, my husband did not like the film. He wanted a lot more action. However, his cousin made a great point in stating that we need to really feel for the characters now so that what comes in the final installment really hits hard. I totally agree and cannot wait to see the movie again and possibly in 3D.
Well, there are all my opinions on the movies from this summer. Part II will be written tomorrow and focus on daytime television during the summer.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
No Bright Light or Flashes of My Life
Two weeks ago I was 29 weeks pregnant and slowly swelling Violet Beauregarde style. My knees were giving me some trouble on my joints because of the water weight. A few days prior I had my check-up and everything was fine, so I assumed this was normal pregnancy swelling. I made a call to my doctor at the end of the day expecting to receive a prescription to help relieve some of the fluids. Instead, I had to have my blood pressure taken by the school nurse to find it had risen to 150/110 for some reason.
Obviously, I did not realize what the blood pressure rise actually meant, so I stupidly drove myself to the hospital (let's not dwell on what would have happened had I stroked behind the wheel). While filling out the usual paperwork in the Labor and Delivery part of the hospital, I figured it could not be that big of a deal because no one was rushing to look at me or anything.
They put be on a blood pressure monitor and seemed only slightly concerned that my BP was elevated. The doctor on call even came by and calmly told me that the goal of the evening would be NOT to deliver a baby. At that point I began to panic. What did that mean? I couldn't deliver my baby 10 weeks early! After a couple of hours of monitoring my BP, the doc broke the news that the baby had to be delivered. I called my husband through tears to tell him just to head to the hospital after work (he had already asked if I wanted him there and I told him that I didn't think it was any big deal...well I was wrong). Things felt a little better once my husband arrived because he was the only calm, familiar face in the room. However, things went from bad to worse and at 7:50 P.M. they rushed me into emergency surgery. At 8:26 P.M. I was a new mom.
The first two days in the hospital was mostly a blur because of the dreadful magnesium sulfate trudging through my system. Two and a half days into my hospital stay they let me move out of 24 hour watch into a normal post partum room. One day after that I was ready to be sent home. Then an accidental blood draw proved to be a life saver. Two days after I was moved out of 24 hour care, I was moved right back. My condition is known as H.E.L.L.P. (Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzyme levels and a Low Platelet count). Usually a person will start to regain platelets and the liver enzymes will go back to normal. However, mine began to crash AFTER starting to go back to normal. It turns out that I could have died TWICE. Fortunately, my doctors and nurses took great care of me and eventually I began to recover. Eight days after admitting me, I was discharged to go home. Currently I'm taking two different BP medications and being forced to stay home and "relax" (though most of the time I feel unproductive and useless).
As for my baby boy, he was born a fighter and continues to amaze everyone. He was breathing on his own the minute he was born. Of course there was usual stuff the docs and nurse had to do to guarantee his lungs developed normally, but he quickly went from intubation to SI-PEP to oxygen tubes to nothing at all. His IV has also been removed. The only tube left is the feeding tube. At 2 pounds and 10 ounces, my baby is super tiny, but I have a feeling he will be a chubby, healthy baby in a couple of months.
The most difficult part of all of this is having to leave my baby at the hospital. Sure I get to see him everyday, but I feel incomplete because he is across town instead of across the hall. All day long all I think is, "I want my baby." It's one thing to have to wait for him if he is still inside of me, but now that he's here I hate having to wait to bring him home.
All in all I know that God is good because my baby and I are doing well and survived a very traumatic ordeal. Honestly, I never was afraid to die. Perhaps it was because I did not have a true grasp on the situation or whatever. All I kept hoping was that if someone had to die that it would be either my baby or me and not both my baby and me. I could not stand the thought of what the loss of both of us would do to my husband or family.
For now I am just taking it day by day...
Obviously, I did not realize what the blood pressure rise actually meant, so I stupidly drove myself to the hospital (let's not dwell on what would have happened had I stroked behind the wheel). While filling out the usual paperwork in the Labor and Delivery part of the hospital, I figured it could not be that big of a deal because no one was rushing to look at me or anything.
They put be on a blood pressure monitor and seemed only slightly concerned that my BP was elevated. The doctor on call even came by and calmly told me that the goal of the evening would be NOT to deliver a baby. At that point I began to panic. What did that mean? I couldn't deliver my baby 10 weeks early! After a couple of hours of monitoring my BP, the doc broke the news that the baby had to be delivered. I called my husband through tears to tell him just to head to the hospital after work (he had already asked if I wanted him there and I told him that I didn't think it was any big deal...well I was wrong). Things felt a little better once my husband arrived because he was the only calm, familiar face in the room. However, things went from bad to worse and at 7:50 P.M. they rushed me into emergency surgery. At 8:26 P.M. I was a new mom.
The first two days in the hospital was mostly a blur because of the dreadful magnesium sulfate trudging through my system. Two and a half days into my hospital stay they let me move out of 24 hour watch into a normal post partum room. One day after that I was ready to be sent home. Then an accidental blood draw proved to be a life saver. Two days after I was moved out of 24 hour care, I was moved right back. My condition is known as H.E.L.L.P. (Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzyme levels and a Low Platelet count). Usually a person will start to regain platelets and the liver enzymes will go back to normal. However, mine began to crash AFTER starting to go back to normal. It turns out that I could have died TWICE. Fortunately, my doctors and nurses took great care of me and eventually I began to recover. Eight days after admitting me, I was discharged to go home. Currently I'm taking two different BP medications and being forced to stay home and "relax" (though most of the time I feel unproductive and useless).
As for my baby boy, he was born a fighter and continues to amaze everyone. He was breathing on his own the minute he was born. Of course there was usual stuff the docs and nurse had to do to guarantee his lungs developed normally, but he quickly went from intubation to SI-PEP to oxygen tubes to nothing at all. His IV has also been removed. The only tube left is the feeding tube. At 2 pounds and 10 ounces, my baby is super tiny, but I have a feeling he will be a chubby, healthy baby in a couple of months.
The most difficult part of all of this is having to leave my baby at the hospital. Sure I get to see him everyday, but I feel incomplete because he is across town instead of across the hall. All day long all I think is, "I want my baby." It's one thing to have to wait for him if he is still inside of me, but now that he's here I hate having to wait to bring him home.
All in all I know that God is good because my baby and I are doing well and survived a very traumatic ordeal. Honestly, I never was afraid to die. Perhaps it was because I did not have a true grasp on the situation or whatever. All I kept hoping was that if someone had to die that it would be either my baby or me and not both my baby and me. I could not stand the thought of what the loss of both of us would do to my husband or family.
For now I am just taking it day by day...
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Death match: Psych vs. Mentalist
My husband and I are huge fans of USA's show Psych. We've followed the adventures of Shaun and Gus since the very beginning. Each episode is comically packed with quick wit, 80's movie trivia, and random humor. Perhaps one of the top episodes contains Shaun and Gus auditioning for an American Idol type show dressed as Michael Jackson and one of the singers from Tears for Fears. If you have cable and haven't checked this show out, you must do it next Friday. Actually, rent the previous seasons AND THEN check out the current one.
Here's were I really was hacked with new television programing. Some network airs a show called The Mentalist. What is that show exactly? A BLATANT RIP OFF OF PSYCH! Someone thought he would be clever and turn the idea of a person with keen observation skills who passes himself off as a psychic into a drama. Guess what moron, it's been done and done better in Psych. How you haven't been sued or hunted down by an angry mob for stealing such a great idea is beyond me. I refuse to give your pathetic show the time of day because I adore what has been done with Psych. I hope your mentalist doesn't make it past season one because everyone realizes how much better Shaun and Gus do things!
The best part about my rant? In last week's episode of Psych, Shaun makes his own "shout out" to the show when Gus is reminding Shaun that he'll have to make some quality time up with his dad. Shaun responds with something to the affect of: "I'll bring over some big league chew and we'll watch a couple of episodes of The Mentalist." Ha ha ha! Take that you sitcom thief! Psych knows what you are trying to do!
I'm awaiting the death match when Shaun and Gus will be victorious!
Here's were I really was hacked with new television programing. Some network airs a show called The Mentalist. What is that show exactly? A BLATANT RIP OFF OF PSYCH! Someone thought he would be clever and turn the idea of a person with keen observation skills who passes himself off as a psychic into a drama. Guess what moron, it's been done and done better in Psych. How you haven't been sued or hunted down by an angry mob for stealing such a great idea is beyond me. I refuse to give your pathetic show the time of day because I adore what has been done with Psych. I hope your mentalist doesn't make it past season one because everyone realizes how much better Shaun and Gus do things!
The best part about my rant? In last week's episode of Psych, Shaun makes his own "shout out" to the show when Gus is reminding Shaun that he'll have to make some quality time up with his dad. Shaun responds with something to the affect of: "I'll bring over some big league chew and we'll watch a couple of episodes of The Mentalist." Ha ha ha! Take that you sitcom thief! Psych knows what you are trying to do!
I'm awaiting the death match when Shaun and Gus will be victorious!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Family First
January is half way over and that means I'm a smidgen closer to the 13th of July. If I'm really lucky, it might be sooner than that before I get to meet my very first child! Although being pregnant is the coolest thing I've ever been a part of, the one thing that has been truly emphasized through this process is the importance of family.
My family is incredibly close, and growing up we always had stressed to us that family comes first. When the rest of the world turns its back on you, you can always count on family to set you right back on your feet. As a teenager, and even a young adult, it was frustrating to me when my mom would give her "back burner" speech when I chose to spend more time with my friends than my family. It has only been through the grace of maturity that I see the point she was trying to make:
Two days ago my sister, an incredibly talented artist who is hoping to get into the Interior Design program at UNT, started a mural on the nursery wall. I was eager to help with some aspect that wouldn't screw things up too badly. She kindly obliged and allowed me to help pencil the sketch onto the wall. We talked and joked and were just like we were as kids. I truly love my sister and am so glad she is the one decorating my baby's room. Even though I have some pretty amazing friends, nothing could come close to that kind of time spent together.
No matter where my life sends me, I know where home is and who will always be waiting to greet me there: my family.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
My Husband
*Note: This will be a very mushy and sentimental post. Avoid if allergic.
Last night a representative for our personal insurance came over to the house to add me to my husband's existing policy. While we were listening to our rep explain everything I really took at good look at my husband. Perhaps it was the lighting or maybe the color of the sweatshirt he was wearing, I know it's not the pregnancy hormones because I've done this kind of contemplation before, that made me fall in love with my husband all over again. It was like I noticed all the strong facial features I had a crush on years ago. Even the way he made sure to ask all the right financial questions. Since I do not have the attention span or mind for money matters, I'm always impressed when my husband steps up with his knowledge of how to handle a buck or two.
Of course my mind began to wander after that. I really thought about love and why I got married in the first place. As a little girl the idea of marriage and family was reinforced through books, television, and movies. I even knew exactly how I would fall for the perfect man. Did it all happen the way I envisioned? Well, there wasn't a white stead or a castle in the end, but overall I got exactly what I wanted. I have no doubt in my husband's devotion or love for me. That's the feeling that was reiterated last night when I looked at him sitting next to me listening to all the options for what would happen should one of us, God forbid, die sometime soon. By the end of the evening, all I could think was, "Dear God, in your wisdom please don't take my husband first. Or at least, take us at the same time." I believe that's what true love is.
I told you this would be mushy.
Monday, December 08, 2008
Summary of 23 Things
What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?
LibaryThing and RSS feeds are my two favorite tools.
How has this program affected your lifelong learning goals?
It was nice to be challenged to really learn again. I'll admit, I don't spend too much time in my graduate studies really pushing myself. I'm so caught up with work and personal life that overachieving is not high on my list. However, having to work with that blasted wiki and learning some basic html code in the process was pretty darn cool. I'll keep that in mind the next time I don't feel like taking the extra step for something.
Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?
I'm really angry at my co-workers that will not give some of this stuff a chance. I hate being angry, but it is frustrating to know all the awesome things exist, and they won't even bother exploring them.
What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?
I loved the format of this class. It is very independent and keeps the participant responsible for completing everything. Perhaps there could be one day we meet at the beginning to see all the wonderful people we are supposed to be commenting on in the blogs.
If we offered another discovery program like this in the future, would you choose to participate?
Absolutely.
How will what you have learned influence your practice as a teacher or school librarian?
I'm going to do my best to incorporate this for my students. It will make my job easier and learning more fun for them.
How do you plan to keep up with new developments in web 2.0? Recommend a way that you have found to be useful.
I have my connections on the "inside" with people who get to explore this stuff all the time:).
LibaryThing and RSS feeds are my two favorite tools.
How has this program affected your lifelong learning goals?
It was nice to be challenged to really learn again. I'll admit, I don't spend too much time in my graduate studies really pushing myself. I'm so caught up with work and personal life that overachieving is not high on my list. However, having to work with that blasted wiki and learning some basic html code in the process was pretty darn cool. I'll keep that in mind the next time I don't feel like taking the extra step for something.
Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?
I'm really angry at my co-workers that will not give some of this stuff a chance. I hate being angry, but it is frustrating to know all the awesome things exist, and they won't even bother exploring them.
What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?
I loved the format of this class. It is very independent and keeps the participant responsible for completing everything. Perhaps there could be one day we meet at the beginning to see all the wonderful people we are supposed to be commenting on in the blogs.
If we offered another discovery program like this in the future, would you choose to participate?
Absolutely.
How will what you have learned influence your practice as a teacher or school librarian?
I'm going to do my best to incorporate this for my students. It will make my job easier and learning more fun for them.
How do you plan to keep up with new developments in web 2.0? Recommend a way that you have found to be useful.
I have my connections on the "inside" with people who get to explore this stuff all the time:).
Thing #23
It's really hard for me to separate the idea of "social" networking from work related sites. If it involves any type of advancement or education for my job, I do not consider that social. Why? Who knows? I teach English, and it might be a semantics thing. I also misunderstood the idea of social networking in the classroom and thought it might show social ways for students to network in class. And again, I did not think that would be useful.
I enjoy the wealth of sites provided through this course for networking. It will be interesting to see what I can find out there for English. Classroom 2.0 will probably be the most useful when I have a question about a specific tool though. Now that I know all of this exists of course it will be valuable information. I would be a fool to take the time to find all of this and not use it. It would not make me a very good life long learner would it?
I enjoy the wealth of sites provided through this course for networking. It will be interesting to see what I can find out there for English. Classroom 2.0 will probably be the most useful when I have a question about a specific tool though. Now that I know all of this exists of course it will be valuable information. I would be a fool to take the time to find all of this and not use it. It would not make me a very good life long learner would it?
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Thing #22
Facebook is my social network of choice. I've had a Facebook account for a while now. It has been an excellent way to find people I knew in high school and college. Here's how I feel about three particular sites: MySpace, Facebook, and LinkedIn. MySpace is the more "childish" of the three. It's target audience are teenagers who want their own personal site to goof off with friends. All the ways it can be formatted and shared have a more juvenile feel. Facebook is more adult. It was started on college campuses; therefore, it's targeting an older set of social networkers. Finally there is LinkedIn. This site is for business professionals, or grown-ups. It has little in the way of frills and is not meant to be used for endless hours of chatting and photosharing...at least as far as I can tell.
For me, the main reason I should be familiar with these is to make sure I don't end up on fabricated pages due to someone's poor practical joking skills. Even with my Facebook, I am extremely careful about what I, or my husband, post in way of photos and comments. I allow my students to be my friends with a limited profile. If there is something that might be questionable, like being at a grown up party where certain beverages end up in pictures, I limit those photos where my students cannot see them.
Most of my students due use social networks daily, and it would just show my naivete if I refused to figure out how they worked myself. Just because I ignore them, doesn't mean they would go away. Kids are going to use them, and I should be aware of that.
As mentioned above, Facebook is my site of choice. I like that I have some control over the applications, but I don't bog myself down with choosing backgrounds and music and pictures, etc. I don't need to lose all my time to social networking. It is more casual than LinkedIn and a little more adult than MySpace.
Personally, I wouldn't want to use these types of social networking sites for the classroom. It is good to know how my students spend their time online, but I don't want to take away the entertainment and relaxation behind these sites for them by tying something educational to them.
Thing #7b
I am going to admit that I have not really added a lot to my reader recently. There are also some feeds I need to clear out because of the cancellation of Pushing Daisies. No show--no feeds. One of the feeds that I find fascinating is the New York Times one that deals with books. It has reviews about books coming out and keeps me posted on news in the literary world. Recently there was a story about how to manage a personal library. I'm a chronic book hoarder. It drives my husband crazy that I have to purchase a book in order to read it. (He is content with checking it out from the library, for free. ) Enjoy the article on Laura Miller's dilemma on cleaning out her bookshelves.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Thing #21
Google is not a new tool for me. For years I've searched in Google Images, looked for academic documents in Google Scholar, and this past school year I created a Google Calendar to post on my class blog with important due dates for my students. Believe it or not, I've never been much for discussion boards or groups. However, I did search in the Google groups only to be led to an outside group. I guess that means I used Google as a spring board into something else? My husband is trying to get me to use the new Google browser, but I am going to hold off until they really perfect it. I'm sure it has more growing to do.
Besides, this blog is something found on Google, and I will definitely be keeping up with the blog long after this class is through. Feel free to check frequently to see what kind of zany ideas are shooting through my head. Or you can just RSS feed me into your reader!
Thing #20
I love Google Docs. I've been using them for a while in my classroom, and they have actually helped me be better prepared for class. Personally, I uploaded a Power Point Presentation for my graduate class because they had Office 2007. My computer only has Office 2003. Google Docs does the conversion for me, so I just pulled it up on the class computer and was ready to go. My students are also seeing the importance of this feature because many of them are running Office 07 while the school still runs 03.
In class I have had the students log on and take notes over different pieces of information. Then they had to upload what they found onto Google Docs to share with the rest of the class.
My favorite use for Google Docs was when I was out of town and needed to give my students reading quizzes. I created forms then put the link in my class blog. Each student was responsible for clicking the link and answering the questions. They only had fifteen minutes, the time stamp helped monitor their time, and I was able to check the answer all the way in Washington D.C. I knew immediately who did and did not read and take the quiz. This definitely cut down on cheating, and the substitute didn't have to worry about keeping up with any important documents.
Thing #19
VoiceThread is one of the more fascinating tools we've explored. For a basic use, I could post different pictures and shape TAKS like questions around the picture. Then the students could respond with various answers. I know we're not supposed to teach to a test, but it would be practice with the visual component of the test.
Currently, I am getting ready to start a unit on Edgar Allen Poe. I was thinking of a group project that imitates the opening paragraphs of "The Fall of the House of Usher." Each group will get a picture of a house and create a description that would also parallel the type of family that would live there. I could put the picture on VoiceThread and have the students tell their stories that imitate the opening of Poe's great short story.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Thing #18
You Tube is an old favorite in my house. I never really thought of it as a teaching tool because I use it for relaxing and entertainment purposes. My husband even made me look up specific videos as I was working on this particular thing.
Teacher Tube would have been the better place to search for English related videos. However, the layout for Teacher Tube doesn't seem to be as user friendly. It might also be that I am not used to navigating around it yet. I did find a cute video on the rules for comma usage.
My two videos for my subject area were those favorites "Conjunction Junction" and "The Preamble" from School House Rock. I don't care how old these videos are; the information is just as viable today as it was when I was growing up. It bothers me that current children's television doesn't have the same education focus. The "how to" video I chose to watch explained the intricacies involved in solving a Rubic's Cube. It began simply enough, but I think I'll leave that little slice of puzzle pie to someone else. The final video I searched and found was my favorite "Star Wars According to a Three Year Old."
Teacher Tube would have been the better place to search for English related videos. However, the layout for Teacher Tube doesn't seem to be as user friendly. It might also be that I am not used to navigating around it yet. I did find a cute video on the rules for comma usage.
Thing #17
The first podcast I previewed was The Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips because curiosity got the better of me. Was she really giving sound grammatical advice? Or would it be more work for me when my students stumbled upon the podcast and were misinformed. I am very impressed at the topics she covered and how accurate she was. The other choice was more personal in the Mugglecast. As big a fan of the Harry Potter books as I am, I'm not that big of a fan. It's nice that they are keeping up with so much HP news, but I just was not that interested.
Podcasting is not a new concept for me. I do have iTunes with a collection of personal podcasts: The Flight of the Conchords, Henson Studios, and Pushing Daisies. The biggest problem I have with podcasting is that I am not an auditory learner. If there are no pictures or video, it is really hard for me to follow what is being said. However, my auditory students would benefit greatly from podcasting. They could listen to information while accomplishing other tasks. In that way it seems like a very efficient way to learn.
I always told myself that if I have to miss school when I finally have children, I could use podcast to do quick lessons. This would guarantee that my students would hear exactly what I need them to hear (not that subs are unreliable).
Thing #16
Library Thing should be one of the first things we learn! I love, love, love books and think this is the coolest site. I really like the idea of Library Thing keeping me informed of local book fairs, author signings, and such. There are so many books I adore! Where do I start to add them all? My biggest hope is that a plethora of new books will be shared with me through this site.
I have zero plans to use this site professionally. This will be my personal dragon's hoard of literature!
The thought did cross my mind to have all the members of my book club sign up. We already share a love of reading and deciding on the next book to read is so hard for us to do. This might be a way to narrow down the search and see what else the rest of us are reading outside of the club.
Thing #15
Being honest, I'm not a fan of tagging. Mainly because I cannot always remember the certain tags I used or how I worded them. I just know that I'll end up with a tag list that is two miles long because I'll write in so many different tags. However, to be fair I will give "delicious" a chance because I do like the idea of keeping all my faves on one site.
As far as using it for educational purposes...
There will need to be a lot more exploring because I don't have many co-workers that have caught onto the social bookmarking. My first few networks may have to be strangers, so to speak. After a little more looking into all the sites that appear when I do a search for a particular topic, I might be able to find a more appropriate use for my "delicious" site.
For my students, it might be helpful when they have to look up information on a topic. If I look into the most appropriate sites and tag them, I can simple share that with my students. Then I don't have to worry about the sources behind the sites that my students are using.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Thing #7b
I absolutely love my Google Reader! I check it all the time and get so excited when there is a ton of stuff for me to browse through. I know we are trying to find uses for a reader in education, but I have quite a few personal sites in my reader now. Of course I have a ton about Pushing Daisies. The good news is that they will complete season two and are negotiating a season three! Keep your fingers crossed!
My favorite educational article comes from The Catholic Education Resource Center. I think the name of the site may turn some people away from looking at what it has to say. Although many articles may focus on beliefs and doctrine of the Catholic Church in current society, there is a good number that speak on universal educational issues. For example, "Self-esteem vs. self-improvement" speaks on our society's too coddling view of building a child's image of himself or herself.
My favorite educational article comes from The Catholic Education Resource Center. I think the name of the site may turn some people away from looking at what it has to say. Although many articles may focus on beliefs and doctrine of the Catholic Church in current society, there is a good number that speak on universal educational issues. For example, "Self-esteem vs. self-improvement" speaks on our society's too coddling view of building a child's image of himself or herself.
Thing #14
There are so many things I still want to explore and look at, but my time is limited since I'm trying to catch up. However, there are a couple of tools I want to discuss that could be used in the classroom. Letterpop (Experimental Thing #14 Newsletter) would be a fantastic way to have a class newsletter that parents/guardians could access online. The application is very easy to use and fun to play around with.
After making my newsletter, I decided a survey would be fun to create at Poll Daddy. I would love for everyone to take my Random Survey. There's no real theme to it because I was still learning how to build one. Again, it was relatively easy to drag and drop in order to create the survey. Recently, I've been using the Forms on Google Docs for online quizzes for my kids. Poll Daddy could become a second way to quiz my students over what they read without wasting paper.
Finally, for fun I played with Wordle. I just took a quote from Emerson about books and let the application do its thing. Now, to create a custom color palette, I did have to look up the html for colors online, but that is basic copy and paste once I got there.
After making my newsletter, I decided a survey would be fun to create at Poll Daddy. I would love for everyone to take my Random Survey. There's no real theme to it because I was still learning how to build one. Again, it was relatively easy to drag and drop in order to create the survey. Recently, I've been using the Forms on Google Docs for online quizzes for my kids. Poll Daddy could become a second way to quiz my students over what they read without wasting paper.
Finally, for fun I played with Wordle. I just took a quote from Emerson about books and let the application do its thing. Now, to create a custom color palette, I did have to look up the html for colors online, but that is basic copy and paste once I got there.
I could really have fun with some of these tools on my facebook or personal blogs. Creating newsletters for my friends overseas to read about what is going on with my family would save postage and time getting to them. Not to mention if I'm in a crazy mood and want to survey or poll my friends on something irrelevant but entertaining.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Thing #13
I am disappointed in the various Flickr mashups. Both the sign generator and the comic strip generator have been removed from the internet, and I really wanted to use those two. Currently, I am contemplating reading a book written by one of the mashup creators because I want to learn how he creates his Flickr photo mosaics. It seems complicated, but it might be worth it.
Both of the mashups that worked successfully were in Big Huge Labs. It seemed to be easier to use my own photos for the following because I'm still trying to figure out the best way to credit other photographers if I use one of these masups.
Right now, these kinds of mashups seem like they might be of service if my students were working on some type of marketing campaign. They could make name badges, posters, or whatever to promote something. If they wanted to support the library, they could make collages of their favorite book covers? This is still a tool I need to spend some time with before deciding exactly what my kids will use it for in class.
Monday, November 03, 2008
Thing #12
I hate wikis! I hate wikis! I hate wikis! I followed all the directions for the slideshow and the stupid myspace code DID NOT WORK in my wikispace. The only thing it did was embed the actual code. I hate wikis!
I'm going to try to post it in my blog instead:
This is a condensed version of one of my favorite Grimms Fairy Tales, "The Twelve Dancing Princesses."
Here are all the photos I used:
A Wonderful Surprise Uploaded on January 16, 2008by audreyjm529
18th Century Spanish Officers Uniform Uploaded on October 8, 2004by mharrsch
Glass of Red Uploaded on October 10, 2007by Zesmerelda
Adelitas Uploaded on October 14, 2008by Omar Eduardo
Homecoming 2008 Uploaded on October 4, 2008by DanCox_
Silver Leaves Uploaded on October 6, 2008by beccaplusmolly
petite 18k gold leaf charm Uploaded on November 1, 2008by knitsteel
Emerald, diamond bracelet Uploaded on March 14, 2008by gemteck1
Happy Heels Uploaded on March 1, 2008by talekinker
The Fairy Tale Door Uploaded on June 15, 2008by David Masters
Enchanted Tower ? Uploaded on October 10, 2007by Curnen
I'm going to try to post it in my blog instead:
This is a condensed version of one of my favorite Grimms Fairy Tales, "The Twelve Dancing Princesses."
Here are all the photos I used:
A Wonderful Surprise Uploaded on January 16, 2008by audreyjm529
18th Century Spanish Officers Uniform Uploaded on October 8, 2004by mharrsch
Glass of Red Uploaded on October 10, 2007by Zesmerelda
Adelitas Uploaded on October 14, 2008by Omar Eduardo
Homecoming 2008 Uploaded on October 4, 2008by DanCox_
Silver Leaves Uploaded on October 6, 2008by beccaplusmolly
petite 18k gold leaf charm Uploaded on November 1, 2008by knitsteel
Emerald, diamond bracelet Uploaded on March 14, 2008by gemteck1
Happy Heels Uploaded on March 1, 2008by talekinker
The Fairy Tale Door Uploaded on June 15, 2008by David Masters
Enchanted Tower ? Uploaded on October 10, 2007by Curnen
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Plea for Daisies
Out of all the mashups and third parties that use Flickr, I really enjoy the collage and speller. I'm still churning ideas over in my mind as to the application for some of these in my classroom. I will definitely use my mashup to help my favorite television show.
This is a plea for all those who may read this to watch Pushing Daisies on ABC this Wednesday 10/29/09 at 7/8 P.M. If you are afraid to get involved with a show in the middle of the second season, rent the first season, fall in love with the show, and jump in! The show uses unique and vibrant visuals to tell the most entertaining and odd stories. It would be a true loss to have such a show taken off the air. Please watch.
This is a plea for all those who may read this to watch Pushing Daisies on ABC this Wednesday 10/29/09 at 7/8 P.M. If you are afraid to get involved with a show in the middle of the second season, rent the first season, fall in love with the show, and jump in! The show uses unique and vibrant visuals to tell the most entertaining and odd stories. It would be a true loss to have such a show taken off the air. Please watch.
Thing # 11
I love Flickr as much as I am frustrated with wikis! A whole new treasure trove of images unfolds page after page after page. The documenting is relatively easy to do, especially if I only search within the Creative Common licensed photos. From now on, when I assign technology projects that would require images, I know how to instruct my students on properly borrow images from Flickr. Although, I have a feeling most of them already know about it and will be frustrated that I now know about it and will make them document their images.
The idea of using Flickr to illustrate vocabulary or to visualize a scene from a story really interested me. The vocabulary more because of the difficult nature to illustrate some words.
The photos I searched and chose were pink flowers and fairy tales. (Read the blog title: Hopeless Romantic...) Here is one of my favorites:
Photo by:
drops of spring Uploaded on June 1, 2007by Steve took it
The idea of using Flickr to illustrate vocabulary or to visualize a scene from a story really interested me. The vocabulary more because of the difficult nature to illustrate some words.
The photos I searched and chose were pink flowers and fairy tales. (Read the blog title: Hopeless Romantic...) Here is one of my favorites:
Photo by:
drops of spring Uploaded on June 1, 2007by Steve took it
Monday, October 27, 2008
Barack-ing the Vote Even if You're of the NObama Persuasion
Saturday found my husband and me early voting. It turns out we will actually be in Washington D.C. on Election Day, so we chose to vote now. As they scanned my driver's license (I seem to have misplaced my voter's registration) and lead me to the voting room, an intense feeling of pride for my country overwhelmed me.
Please understand, I do love living in America and am grateful for all that it represents. However, I've never really gone out of my way to be extremely patriotic. Yet, as I approached my voting booth it occurred to me that a century ago I would not be allowed to stand in this place and have my say in the government. It also occurred to me that were I in another country, I might be prohibited from choosing my country's leader. Just thinking about these things made me become irritated at those that refuse to vote because they feel it doesn't really count or will be canceled anyway. That's the loser's excuse for being too lazy to go and vote!
So what if another vote cancels mine? I still had my say and now reserve the right to complain if I don't see the change I am hoping for in a new president. Not to mention all the political positions that could affect me, my family, or my job that were on the ballot. If I had opted not to vote, I would have missed the opportunity to help a local hospital improve itself because my "for" in favor of money being spent for the improvements would have been left unsaid.
Regardless of the end result, NOTHING can erase the pride and excitement surging through my veins when I walked out of the early voting location. Everyone who is able, should get up and vote! Complain all you want later if your candidate doesn't "win." Just be grateful you have the opportunity to affect change.
Photo Provided by:
American Flag Uploaded on August 3, 2007 by Tanya Ryno
Please understand, I do love living in America and am grateful for all that it represents. However, I've never really gone out of my way to be extremely patriotic. Yet, as I approached my voting booth it occurred to me that a century ago I would not be allowed to stand in this place and have my say in the government. It also occurred to me that were I in another country, I might be prohibited from choosing my country's leader. Just thinking about these things made me become irritated at those that refuse to vote because they feel it doesn't really count or will be canceled anyway. That's the loser's excuse for being too lazy to go and vote!
So what if another vote cancels mine? I still had my say and now reserve the right to complain if I don't see the change I am hoping for in a new president. Not to mention all the political positions that could affect me, my family, or my job that were on the ballot. If I had opted not to vote, I would have missed the opportunity to help a local hospital improve itself because my "for" in favor of money being spent for the improvements would have been left unsaid.
Regardless of the end result, NOTHING can erase the pride and excitement surging through my veins when I walked out of the early voting location. Everyone who is able, should get up and vote! Complain all you want later if your candidate doesn't "win." Just be grateful you have the opportunity to affect change.
Photo Provided by:
American Flag Uploaded on August 3, 2007 by Tanya Ryno
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Thing #10
Somewhere in my subconscious I have heard of Creative Commons. Due to it being shoved so far back into my mind, I never really gave any thought to what it was or meant. Honestly, the little CC emblem on sites never caught my attention before. However, I have a feeling I will start to notice it more and more now that I'm aware.
As far as impacting my work and my students work goes, now that I know Creative Commons exists it will be harder for me to allow my students to pull material from wherever they please. Interestingly, as a Catholic I regularly go to Confession (that's not saying I go so often because I'm a rotten person...), and in this day and age part of examining my conscience with guidance from the Ten Commandments is asking myself if I have stolen any online material intentionally or not. Once I know something is wrong, I cannot keep doing it. I pay for all my iTunes (much to the chagrin of my husband), and I avoid using video, audio, images, or text from online sources because I do not want to accidentally steal what is not mine. Creative Commons will hopefully give me a safe and honest way to begin to integrate video, audio, images, and text!
My own teaching materials are so borrowed and modified from my predecessors, I would not know where to give credit. Actually, I don't even feel comfortable copyrighting my teaching materials because I feel curriculum should be shared among educators since we are all trying to educate future generations.
Of course the material on Creative Commons will always be limited because some people simply will not share. This is not a huge problem, and I really only see positive potential with this idea. The trick will be figuring out how to use it effectively.
As far as impacting my work and my students work goes, now that I know Creative Commons exists it will be harder for me to allow my students to pull material from wherever they please. Interestingly, as a Catholic I regularly go to Confession (that's not saying I go so often because I'm a rotten person...), and in this day and age part of examining my conscience with guidance from the Ten Commandments is asking myself if I have stolen any online material intentionally or not. Once I know something is wrong, I cannot keep doing it. I pay for all my iTunes (much to the chagrin of my husband), and I avoid using video, audio, images, or text from online sources because I do not want to accidentally steal what is not mine. Creative Commons will hopefully give me a safe and honest way to begin to integrate video, audio, images, and text!
My own teaching materials are so borrowed and modified from my predecessors, I would not know where to give credit. Actually, I don't even feel comfortable copyrighting my teaching materials because I feel curriculum should be shared among educators since we are all trying to educate future generations.
Of course the material on Creative Commons will always be limited because some people simply will not share. This is not a huge problem, and I really only see positive potential with this idea. The trick will be figuring out how to use it effectively.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
As I watch Luke Skywalker battle the rancor...
This post will kill time for me in two ways:
1. My pizza hasn't arrived yet.
2. I have class in an hour.
I was informed that the reason more people have probably not responded to my "Burning Question" is because I messed up my sandbox page, and a person will have to join my page to participate in discussion. So this is an invitation to the other members or our 23 Things class, or anyone who loves me, to join my wiki page.
Well, the pizza's here, and they messed up my half! Adios.
1. My pizza hasn't arrived yet.
2. I have class in an hour.
I was informed that the reason more people have probably not responded to my "Burning Question" is because I messed up my sandbox page, and a person will have to join my page to participate in discussion. So this is an invitation to the other members or our 23 Things class, or anyone who loves me, to join my wiki page.
Well, the pizza's here, and they messed up my half! Adios.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
The Platform Between 9 and 10
It's Sunday evening, and I'm avoiding grading papers. The fact that I now have both a blog and a wiki keeps me constantly checking to see if anyone has responded to my "Burning Question" or any of my blog posts. Yep, that's just the kind of nerd I am. Also, my husband heard about my incredibly basic knowledge of html code, thanks to that blasted wiki, so he had me format his website for him: LG Electronics Sucks! He was so proud of what I did, I didn't have the heart to explain that most of it was just copying and pasting from codes on the internet. Oh well...
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Thing #9
In order to complete the assignment for the Sandbox, I printed the "cheat sheet" AND I kept the instructions open in one tab and the example open in another. There was a lot of clicking back forth between the two tabs. My compassionate husband noticed my struggling when I couldn't seem to get my page to look right, so he read through the directions and "translated" them for me. Once I received them in "Lydia Speak" they made a lot more sense. After I tackled that hurdle, my frustrations vanished and I desired to distinguish my wiki. I went back to The Cutest Blog on the Block and figured out how to copy the code to fit in the wiki.
It turned out that I liked the background to my wiki better than the background on my blog. It only made sense to change the background on my blog to match! This of course led to me reformatting the fonts and colors for my blog...But this isn't about my blog, it is about my wiki.
I'm still not sure that I will have a solid use for a wiki any time soon. However, I will do my best to become more familiar with it so it is ready when I need it. As I said before, I welcome any tips for maintaining a wiki or shortcuts that make managing it easier. Please take a look at The Rock Princess wiki and respond to the question on the Sand Between My Toes page.
Ah...the sandbox. Well, it is definitely going to be a love/hate relationship. Obviously I was distraught when I wrote Thing #8 3/4. It pushed me to the point of trying to understand enough of how to "write" a wiki to customize my background and everything. Of course, I realized today that I misunderstood the directions and created my sandbox page as an offshoot of my personal wiki instead of the sandbox wiki. Oh well, I'm so please with how it has turned out that I don't want to change it! Now, if someone could only tell me how to make sure my fonts don't change regardless of which fonts are installed on the computer...
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Thing 8 3/4
I just started looking into this Sandbox thing and realized why I don't like wikis. I'm following all the directions and the code is confusing and when I preview my page it doesn't look anything like the example. It should not be this difficult!
Yes, I'm frustrated, but I will be okay. I am pleading for any tips or advice for fixing my current disaster known as wikispaces.
Crisis avoided! I would still love tips for wikis, but they are a lot more work then I anticipated.
Yes, I'm frustrated, but I will be okay. I am pleading for any tips or advice for fixing my current disaster known as wikispaces.
Crisis avoided! I would still love tips for wikis, but they are a lot more work then I anticipated.
Thing 8
This is the "thing" I have been dreading because I'm not comfortable with a wiki. I have yet to see why anyone would choose to use a wiki over a blog because I couldn't imagine what the students would need to make changes on. As I explore the wikis on the 23 Things blog, I will also write my post. This way I can share my immediate feelings and questions as I work through the different wikis. With that said...
Okay, I like the way the 1001 Flat World Tales is set up. The tabs at the top of the page make navigation pretty easy. I can clearly see that it is a protected site, and it blows my mind that there are students working with this wiki in Hawaii, Colorado, and Korea. Honestly, I'm still not familiar enough with wikis to tell if anything is missing or if I would do anything differently. However, I do have an idea for a creative writing class and wikis (if I end up teaching creative writing). I love the premise of having to write a story to impress the "king." I suppose any English class could use the wiki to revise and edit a paper.
Moving on to the FHS Wolves Den page because it combines English and U.S. History. This site actually seems more complete. The coolest thing is the class chat option. If I could guarantee a time for students to all be on at the same time, this could be very beneficial. Right now I just get the same two or three students that track me down on my Facebook or shoot me an e-mail. Not quite sure how I feel about all that information in one place. It seems overwhelming, but I think that is because I'm just exploring and do not have a specific piece of information that I'm looking for. Overall, I like how this is very much a class website with all the stuff students might need for class, discussions, papers, etc. There is even a place for the summer reading:).
Finally, I'm looking into Room 15 Wiki. Unlike the other two, this one is on pbwiki. It also is a younger group of students then I teach, so I'm interested to see how the wiki is being used. So far, I'm not as impressed as I was with the previous two. This seems to be on the more basic end of wikis. The sections at the bottom are nice. I really enjoyed the book reviews, but I am not sure there is anything on this particular wiki I could use.
I'm still in limbo with regards to wikis. Again, I cannot see the difference in wiki as a website and blog as a website. I can post classroom information and calendars on the blog. My students can write book reviews and create pages for projects in a blog. The one use that I might try to implement is the revising/editing of papers. Also, all the wikispaces I looked at are done in cute colors with pictures. I went ahead and created a wikispace, but it seems like I need to be able to write code before I can change anything. I don't know code! Here's where I could definitely use some solid comments:
1. Who out there uses wikis and prefers them over blogs?
2. What are "cooler" uses in the classroom then just revising/editing papers?
3. How can I jazz up my wikispace without having to know code?
A goal I set for myself in the beginning of this course was to expand beyond my blog. I would really like to use a wiki as well.
Okay, I like the way the 1001 Flat World Tales is set up. The tabs at the top of the page make navigation pretty easy. I can clearly see that it is a protected site, and it blows my mind that there are students working with this wiki in Hawaii, Colorado, and Korea. Honestly, I'm still not familiar enough with wikis to tell if anything is missing or if I would do anything differently. However, I do have an idea for a creative writing class and wikis (if I end up teaching creative writing). I love the premise of having to write a story to impress the "king." I suppose any English class could use the wiki to revise and edit a paper.
Moving on to the FHS Wolves Den page because it combines English and U.S. History. This site actually seems more complete. The coolest thing is the class chat option. If I could guarantee a time for students to all be on at the same time, this could be very beneficial. Right now I just get the same two or three students that track me down on my Facebook or shoot me an e-mail. Not quite sure how I feel about all that information in one place. It seems overwhelming, but I think that is because I'm just exploring and do not have a specific piece of information that I'm looking for. Overall, I like how this is very much a class website with all the stuff students might need for class, discussions, papers, etc. There is even a place for the summer reading:).
Finally, I'm looking into Room 15 Wiki. Unlike the other two, this one is on pbwiki. It also is a younger group of students then I teach, so I'm interested to see how the wiki is being used. So far, I'm not as impressed as I was with the previous two. This seems to be on the more basic end of wikis. The sections at the bottom are nice. I really enjoyed the book reviews, but I am not sure there is anything on this particular wiki I could use.
I'm still in limbo with regards to wikis. Again, I cannot see the difference in wiki as a website and blog as a website. I can post classroom information and calendars on the blog. My students can write book reviews and create pages for projects in a blog. The one use that I might try to implement is the revising/editing of papers. Also, all the wikispaces I looked at are done in cute colors with pictures. I went ahead and created a wikispace, but it seems like I need to be able to write code before I can change anything. I don't know code! Here's where I could definitely use some solid comments:
1. Who out there uses wikis and prefers them over blogs?
2. What are "cooler" uses in the classroom then just revising/editing papers?
3. How can I jazz up my wikispace without having to know code?
A goal I set for myself in the beginning of this course was to expand beyond my blog. I would really like to use a wiki as well.
Thing #7
Why does commenting make me uncomfortable? There's a great scene in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back where Jay and Silent Bob are going door to door in order to beat up the people who have commented on a movie made about the not-so-dynamic duo. Perhaps I have an unreasonable fear that my comments will be misinterpretted and an angry blogger will be knocking at my door.
I just never really engaged myself in commenting on blog posts. This is evident when I expect my students to comment, and I don't go over proper ways to leave a comment. Fortunately, there are some great resources on our 23 Things blog. After reading a few of them, my confidence in commenting definitely went up. I'm more conscience of what I comment and how I comment. I figure as long as I think before I type and sincerely respond to the post, maybe no one will feel the need to pulverize me:).
It may also come down to criticism. Who likes being told that their writing stinks? Naturally, I think worst case scenario when it comes to the comments I may find on my blog. My fears of criticism, even if it is constructive, keeps me from being part of the "conversation" of a post. The good news is that I'm working on that!
Of course with all my RSS feeds, I will probably start commenting like a maniac. Here's to another late night!
I just never really engaged myself in commenting on blog posts. This is evident when I expect my students to comment, and I don't go over proper ways to leave a comment. Fortunately, there are some great resources on our 23 Things blog. After reading a few of them, my confidence in commenting definitely went up. I'm more conscience of what I comment and how I comment. I figure as long as I think before I type and sincerely respond to the post, maybe no one will feel the need to pulverize me:).
It may also come down to criticism. Who likes being told that their writing stinks? Naturally, I think worst case scenario when it comes to the comments I may find on my blog. My fears of criticism, even if it is constructive, keeps me from being part of the "conversation" of a post. The good news is that I'm working on that!
Of course with all my RSS feeds, I will probably start commenting like a maniac. Here's to another late night!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Thing #6
Holy cow! I've spent so much time trying to connect to RSS feeds that it is now 11:10 P.M. on a Monday night. I believe I have collected everything from The Dallas Morning News to my current fave Pushing Daisies to Catholic Apologetics. Maybe I'm having too much fun with this RSS thing.
Google Reader is such a useful tool for simply collecting information. Plenty of my students would rejoice in such a discovery. My husband's curiosity spiked when he saw what I was doing. I then got to explain how the feeds work and why he should set up a Google Reader as well. Of course he wants to subscribe to all the boring stuff like politics and economics and business (yuck).
Right now my two favorite educational feeds are Students 2.0 (Think Different post) and The Fischbowl: Is It Okay to be Technologically Illiterate. Perhaps the biggest ideas that jumped out at me were the notion of having to educate life long learners (Think Different post) and how people who choose to remain ignorant of technology, "should be embarrassed, not proud, to say so in public" (Fischbowl).
Okay my fellow Thingers...some of you have not set up your blog to have RSS feeds. What is up with that? How am I supposed to subscribe to your blog if you will not give me the option? Also, thanks to a couple of you more savvy bloggers, I discovered TheCutestBlogontheBlock.com and my blog has a new look! Does anyone else think this is the coolest PFK s/he has taken?
Google Reader is such a useful tool for simply collecting information. Plenty of my students would rejoice in such a discovery. My husband's curiosity spiked when he saw what I was doing. I then got to explain how the feeds work and why he should set up a Google Reader as well. Of course he wants to subscribe to all the boring stuff like politics and economics and business (yuck).
Right now my two favorite educational feeds are Students 2.0 (Think Different post) and The Fischbowl: Is It Okay to be Technologically Illiterate. Perhaps the biggest ideas that jumped out at me were the notion of having to educate life long learners (Think Different post) and how people who choose to remain ignorant of technology, "should be embarrassed, not proud, to say so in public" (Fischbowl).
Okay my fellow Thingers...some of you have not set up your blog to have RSS feeds. What is up with that? How am I supposed to subscribe to your blog if you will not give me the option? Also, thanks to a couple of you more savvy bloggers, I discovered TheCutestBlogontheBlock.com and my blog has a new look! Does anyone else think this is the coolest PFK s/he has taken?
Thing #5
First, I want to apologize to my fellow 23 Thingers. I should not be as far behind as I am. With that said. Here's my Top 5 List of why I like RSS feeds:
1. RSS feeds allow all of the information I want to access to accumulate in one place.
2. RSS feeds stay current so I know that the information is up to date.
3. Sorting through the feeds gives me something to do while I procrastinate on 23 Things or house work or graduate papers.
4. After finding the feeds that pique my interest, I can e-mail them onto my peers who may also be interested.
5. There does not appear to be a limit on all the trivial knowledge I can collect in my reader.
Now, one of the pages I was able to visit describes What Makes a Good List. Feel free to check for yourself and see if I met the criteria.
1. RSS feeds allow all of the information I want to access to accumulate in one place.
2. RSS feeds stay current so I know that the information is up to date.
3. Sorting through the feeds gives me something to do while I procrastinate on 23 Things or house work or graduate papers.
4. After finding the feeds that pique my interest, I can e-mail them onto my peers who may also be interested.
5. There does not appear to be a limit on all the trivial knowledge I can collect in my reader.
Now, one of the pages I was able to visit describes What Makes a Good List. Feel free to check for yourself and see if I met the criteria.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Thing #4
Interestingly, blog writing seems to free people of any inhibitions that might arise from face to face discussion. For some reason, blog posts tend to be entertaining in a different way from regular literature. When I read a book, I play a movie out in my mind with fully casted characters and settings. However, the voice behind most blog posts has a "smart-aleck" or "mocking-conversational" feel. An excellent example of this type of voice is the blog about assigning homework. I wonder if that is because as a blogger, I need people to "see" me more as a person since they are communicating, essentially, with a screen? That may also be why the more popular contemporary novels are written similarly to a blog--very conversational, accessible vocabulary, comfortable reading level, easy to visualize.
Unlike a novel, the blog allows interaction on the part of the reader. Comments are a great way to revise our thoughts or opinions about a topic. Sometimes they may seem ignorant or agitating, but they definitely bring up a point-of-view a blogger would not receive if s/he were only speaking amongst a group of friends that felt the same way. So many skills may be acquired this way. Students can learn proper ways to comment and proper ways to receive criticism. It could expand viewpoints on an issue. It could offer encouragement. It could even validate the reason the blog was written in the first place by the simple fact someone is reading it.
With so many advantages, it's no wonder why teachers are grabbing up blogs and using them in the classroom. In the end, it was the post about the true integration of this technology that really caught my eye. Right now I believe I am the teacher that wants to have all these cool things, but has yet to learn how to properly create a learning environment where the technology is used to its full potential. This is another reason for my interest in the course 23 Things. (I do have a class blog, but I know I do not keep up with it like I should.)
For now I'm going to keep blogging and learning.
Unlike a novel, the blog allows interaction on the part of the reader. Comments are a great way to revise our thoughts or opinions about a topic. Sometimes they may seem ignorant or agitating, but they definitely bring up a point-of-view a blogger would not receive if s/he were only speaking amongst a group of friends that felt the same way. So many skills may be acquired this way. Students can learn proper ways to comment and proper ways to receive criticism. It could expand viewpoints on an issue. It could offer encouragement. It could even validate the reason the blog was written in the first place by the simple fact someone is reading it.
With so many advantages, it's no wonder why teachers are grabbing up blogs and using them in the classroom. In the end, it was the post about the true integration of this technology that really caught my eye. Right now I believe I am the teacher that wants to have all these cool things, but has yet to learn how to properly create a learning environment where the technology is used to its full potential. This is another reason for my interest in the course 23 Things. (I do have a class blog, but I know I do not keep up with it like I should.)
For now I'm going to keep blogging and learning.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Thing #1
Maybe it's a characteristic of my generation, or maybe it's my right-brainedness, to refuse following any type of regulations/habits that might make me a better person. I don't like boxes and I especially don't like people assuming I can fit a generic mold. With that said, I understand why we would want 71/2 Habits in order to be a successful lifelong learner. Lifelong learning isn't something that comes naturally to everyone. However, I think lifelong learning is more ingrained in the younger generations. They grow up being a part of their lives instead of simple bystanders. Many of my students are involved in multiple activities, extracurriculars, co-curriculars, and organizations. Many of my students know how to manipulate the internet to create blogs, myspaces, facebooks, etc. Many of my students expect to be a part of the education process.
Obviously, I am of a slightly older generation and need to discover more ways to integrate techniques to continue to encourage lifelong learning in my students. Out of all the habits, the very first one will be the most difficult for me to follow. Again, I am very right brained and do not put too much stock in having an end in mind. I take in and send out pertinent information in the most efficient and effective way. Then I see how it all comes together afterwards. It works out because there is always something that can be learned. The problem is that I did not know what I wanted to learn or to teach, so how can I assess if a skill was mastered? Next to the first habit, viewing problems as challenges seems hard to do. A problem is a problem. Having a problem implies that a solution can be found. All the "fun" is in finding the solution. When I see it as a challenge, my lazy genes kick in and it seems too much like work. In the end, this is all semantics and will probably resolve itself.
Playing with and teaching others are way too easy for me. I am young enough to know how to work my way around a blog, upload video and pictures to a facebook, and easily transition from 35mm film to high-tech digital photography. I want everyone to be as excited as I am about what technology can do, so I have zero issues with teaching others how to use it.
Right now, my toolbox is small and it needs to grow. I become too comfortable with one or two types of tools. This is good because I will utilize them, but that also means I'm not using the others out there. Continuing to build a solid learning toolbox definitely holds importance for me in this course.
Everything I gain from this course will also help with my Intel Teach class. If I can make it easier for another educator to integrate technology into the classroom, I will!
Obviously, I am of a slightly older generation and need to discover more ways to integrate techniques to continue to encourage lifelong learning in my students. Out of all the habits, the very first one will be the most difficult for me to follow. Again, I am very right brained and do not put too much stock in having an end in mind. I take in and send out pertinent information in the most efficient and effective way. Then I see how it all comes together afterwards. It works out because there is always something that can be learned. The problem is that I did not know what I wanted to learn or to teach, so how can I assess if a skill was mastered? Next to the first habit, viewing problems as challenges seems hard to do. A problem is a problem. Having a problem implies that a solution can be found. All the "fun" is in finding the solution. When I see it as a challenge, my lazy genes kick in and it seems too much like work. In the end, this is all semantics and will probably resolve itself.
Playing with and teaching others are way too easy for me. I am young enough to know how to work my way around a blog, upload video and pictures to a facebook, and easily transition from 35mm film to high-tech digital photography. I want everyone to be as excited as I am about what technology can do, so I have zero issues with teaching others how to use it.
Right now, my toolbox is small and it needs to grow. I become too comfortable with one or two types of tools. This is good because I will utilize them, but that also means I'm not using the others out there. Continuing to build a solid learning toolbox definitely holds importance for me in this course.
Everything I gain from this course will also help with my Intel Teach class. If I can make it easier for another educator to integrate technology into the classroom, I will!
Thing #2
All three videos and the article ooze the kind of learning environment I would love to be a part of right now. The statistics in the videos were jolting and sometimes disheartening because I know too many teachers that just do not "get it." If we are going to live in a Web 2.0 world, it will have to be when all the kids that grew up with their multiple hours of Internet, graduate from college and begin teaching. Some of the "seasoned" educators are afraid of Web 2.0. They believe they are too old to learn and apply the tools. Part of it might also be that they do not anticipate teaching long enough for it to matter (I'm sure retirement is the light at the end of a very long tunnel for a lot of them). The problem is they need to realize that it matters RIGHT NOW. Even if they picked up a couple of Web 2.0 tools, like blogging or podcasting, they would be benefiting their students in a more effective way. Not to mention, they would save themselves a lot of extra work and paper copies. Desperately I hope to instigate some of this change. David Warlick's article can be a reality if we are willing to go that distance and educate ourselves about all that is out there.
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Not a Year Too Late
Tons going on in my world at the moment. It turns out that I'll need a blog for some staff development for my job. Excellent! I already have one. Now I have a reason to keep up with this better.
Stay tuned...
Stay tuned...
Monday, May 28, 2007
The Joys of Teaching
Summer is upon me, and my calendar is already full for the next three months. As I glance at the stack of books that have been waiting impatiently, it occurs to me that the stack may simply continue to grow because my house is a mess and there is plenty of planning to do for the upcoming school year. However, my adoration for the movies will not be hindered by the chaos of my life.
I have already seen Shrek the Third and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Both movies were the third installment, and Pirates far surpassed Shrek in the realm of thirds. I could easily go and see Orlando Bloom play the dashing/handsome/charming/brave/loving Will Turner over and over again. He is definitely one of the most beautiful human beings on this planet. I wonder if it ever bothers him that watching him on the big screen, as an incredibly sexy pirate, causes women to fan themselves while removing the jackets they wear to block the usually frigid temperatures of the movie theater. Mr. Bloom's flawless good looks are enough to keep my jealousy at bay when my husband drools equally as long over Kiera Knightly. Besides the fantastic eye candy in this movie, the plot is also worth the $9.50 I paid for my ticket.
So here's to a summer full of great books and movies. I'll see if my lists of things to do will be completed, or if I'm being idealistic in my goals for the next three months. Either way, I need to stop stalling and get back to cleaning.
I have already seen Shrek the Third and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Both movies were the third installment, and Pirates far surpassed Shrek in the realm of thirds. I could easily go and see Orlando Bloom play the dashing/handsome/charming/brave/loving Will Turner over and over again. He is definitely one of the most beautiful human beings on this planet. I wonder if it ever bothers him that watching him on the big screen, as an incredibly sexy pirate, causes women to fan themselves while removing the jackets they wear to block the usually frigid temperatures of the movie theater. Mr. Bloom's flawless good looks are enough to keep my jealousy at bay when my husband drools equally as long over Kiera Knightly. Besides the fantastic eye candy in this movie, the plot is also worth the $9.50 I paid for my ticket.
So here's to a summer full of great books and movies. I'll see if my lists of things to do will be completed, or if I'm being idealistic in my goals for the next three months. Either way, I need to stop stalling and get back to cleaning.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
April Showers
Life has an interesting way of taking care of me. My husband adores me, I live in a great two story house, and we own the sweetest dog. Nothing Earth shattering ever happens to me, and the more I think about it, the more I like it. There would be a tremendous amount of responsibility with fame, fortune, disaster, etc. More power to people who put their lives out there all of the time.
I absolutely love my job, and that is perhaps my greatest success to date. Seriously, how many people actually look forward to pulling into the work parking lot and working all day. Teaching is truly a calling and for any teachers out there that don't love their students and co-workers need to go to another school, or they need to find another job entirely.
My kids are teaching me things all the time. At this moment they are my greatest inspiration for my writing. So much life is being lived in the classroom. Teenagers are so passionate about the day to day things; they remind me to fully live every day.
Enough of work right now:). My current personal obsessions have shown me that I am a Science Fiction fan through and through. The graduate class I'm in is all about humanity in SF. It is really about time that "serious" literary critics appreciate what SF has to offer. I know there are plenty of essay about that very thing, but there is really something to some SF.
I haven't really seen any movies that merrit a review like usual. So instead I am going to talk about my new favorite artist:
Justin Timberlake is a true entertainer and artist. I had a good friend in college that tried to show me the bright starlight that is J.T., but it took a singin' cup of soup skit on SNL to start to change my mind. His newest CD is the guilty pleasure that I listen to in my car, and I totally plan on watching him host the Kid's Choice Awards on Nickelodeon...Okay, that last thing I'm not going to do, but I do love Justin!
All right, that is it for now. Family Guyis on and that Stewie Griffin is hilarious.
I absolutely love my job, and that is perhaps my greatest success to date. Seriously, how many people actually look forward to pulling into the work parking lot and working all day. Teaching is truly a calling and for any teachers out there that don't love their students and co-workers need to go to another school, or they need to find another job entirely.
My kids are teaching me things all the time. At this moment they are my greatest inspiration for my writing. So much life is being lived in the classroom. Teenagers are so passionate about the day to day things; they remind me to fully live every day.
Enough of work right now:). My current personal obsessions have shown me that I am a Science Fiction fan through and through. The graduate class I'm in is all about humanity in SF. It is really about time that "serious" literary critics appreciate what SF has to offer. I know there are plenty of essay about that very thing, but there is really something to some SF.
I haven't really seen any movies that merrit a review like usual. So instead I am going to talk about my new favorite artist:
Justin Timberlake is a true entertainer and artist. I had a good friend in college that tried to show me the bright starlight that is J.T., but it took a singin' cup of soup skit on SNL to start to change my mind. His newest CD is the guilty pleasure that I listen to in my car, and I totally plan on watching him host the Kid's Choice Awards on Nickelodeon...Okay, that last thing I'm not going to do, but I do love Justin!
All right, that is it for now. Family Guyis on and that Stewie Griffin is hilarious.
