Well, after a shortened week, rain, indoor recess in the media center (library) for 5th & 6th grade the last 3 days (rain), and 4 innings of softball last night (3 of them in the rain)....the weather has finally gotten to me. I know, I know, can't do a thing about it.
Here's the thing though: I have studiously avoided making any comment about how the weather stinks, it's too cold, where's summer?, blah blah blah. Maybe it's the rebel in me. By that I mean everyone around me lately has such a negative attitude, and makes constant complaints about the weather. So, I go the opposite way...and point out that it's not snowing, keeps the pollen down, it's above 0, etc. etc.
Until today, that is. I leave tomorrow morning to see friends in the southern part of Maryland. (My best friend is turning 40 on Monday and so his wife and I planned a surprise attack.) The weather there is supposed to be glorious - highs 70s all 3 days and sunny. Yay! And here? It's still raining, raining, raining, and about 50 degrees if that.
So, my attitude today about the weather? It stinks - there I finally said it! (I had another adjective, but I shall refrain) But, I am headed for warmer climes, so I can't complain too loudly. I'm afraid the rain gods will hear me and "rain" on my parade...
Friday, May 29, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Media Sharing - Mr. Munroe, this is for you
I'm all for YouTube, even if I couldn't successfully find the Loud Family skit from SNL on it. My son treats me to Jeff Dunham videos (we've seen him live), my friend Tara sends me Lawrence Welk spoofs...
If you walk down our school hallways at about 11:15-11:30, you'll hear extremely loud music about halfway to the front lobby. One day I got curious (hey, it took me a while, since I'm usually on a dead run to lunch before my other job) because I could hear Gladys Knight and the Pips. What is going on? Well, wouldn't you know it - it's the 8th grade social studies teacher, Mr. Munroe's room. Apparently, several of the students each lunch in there and he has YouTube on override for an hour...and the kids wouldn't dream of abusing the privilege. (some days they're in there playing Rock Band or Guitar Hero, seriously)
Fast forward to last week, and meet Mr. I., our 6th grade social studies teacher. He's working on a Civil War unit, and wants to have the students view battle reenactments. Only problem is? He can't override the block... I go back to his classroom, use my password, no go. He's logged in, he has to use his password. Argh! Meanwhile, precious instructional time is flying by, and the students are losing interest. Finally, success! And now, Mr. I. doesn't need me anymore - next time he needs to gain access, he can do it all on his own. Now, explain to me why a veteran teacher of 20+ years hasn't had the professional development that would enable him to access what he needs for a simple visual?
Another teacher told me today that she was "afraid" to override sites she needed. No, really, that's what she said, no lie. I was all but jumping up and down, pulling my hair! Remember what I said in an earlier post, about operating from a point of trust? Sheesh!
I've checked SchoolTube and sites like it, and I think that with some tweaking and Pd, it could be used in a myriad of ways in our curriculum to enhance our students learning. Do I see it happening any time soon? I may have to go do some squeaking and get back to you on that one...
If you walk down our school hallways at about 11:15-11:30, you'll hear extremely loud music about halfway to the front lobby. One day I got curious (hey, it took me a while, since I'm usually on a dead run to lunch before my other job) because I could hear Gladys Knight and the Pips. What is going on? Well, wouldn't you know it - it's the 8th grade social studies teacher, Mr. Munroe's room. Apparently, several of the students each lunch in there and he has YouTube on override for an hour...and the kids wouldn't dream of abusing the privilege. (some days they're in there playing Rock Band or Guitar Hero, seriously)
Fast forward to last week, and meet Mr. I., our 6th grade social studies teacher. He's working on a Civil War unit, and wants to have the students view battle reenactments. Only problem is? He can't override the block... I go back to his classroom, use my password, no go. He's logged in, he has to use his password. Argh! Meanwhile, precious instructional time is flying by, and the students are losing interest. Finally, success! And now, Mr. I. doesn't need me anymore - next time he needs to gain access, he can do it all on his own. Now, explain to me why a veteran teacher of 20+ years hasn't had the professional development that would enable him to access what he needs for a simple visual?
Another teacher told me today that she was "afraid" to override sites she needed. No, really, that's what she said, no lie. I was all but jumping up and down, pulling my hair! Remember what I said in an earlier post, about operating from a point of trust? Sheesh!
I've checked SchoolTube and sites like it, and I think that with some tweaking and Pd, it could be used in a myriad of ways in our curriculum to enhance our students learning. Do I see it happening any time soon? I may have to go do some squeaking and get back to you on that one...
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Safety, or How to Swear at Your Network
I love my tech guys, honestly I do. There are times however, when I want to say to them, "you know, this would be so much easier if I could just....this, that, whatever, whenever..." And if I'm that frustrated, I can't even begin to imagine (well, actually, I do know) how our students feel.
Music project? Sorry, the site to get your song lyrics is blocked. Social studies saved to your email because you couldn't get the network to save it to your H drive? Sorry, you're not allowed to check your personal email at school. And the list goes on...
I can override or request access to certain pages, because I know how and I have admin privileges. But, not all of our staff do (and none of our students can), and even if they did, Big Brother is watching. Oh, I'm not saying that it's the worst thing in the world, but whatever happened to starting from a point of trust? If we're not trusting our staff to know what's appropriate, and what's not, how are we ever going to trust our students? And if we don't trust them, how can we ever move forward with technology integration in our curriculum?
On another but somewhat related note, for the first time in our school's history (that I know of), I taught a unit on Internet safety to my 4th graders. You would have thought that I had given them a gift of, well, I don't know, but they took off with it. We had intense and meaningful conversations about chat rooms, how to handle inappropriate situations, personal information... Wow! The unit wrapped up with a skit the students wrote and directed in themselves - add the Flip video camera and we had an awesome PSA! Which reminds me, I wonder if the tech guys would let me post that on our District web page? Hmmm...
Music project? Sorry, the site to get your song lyrics is blocked. Social studies saved to your email because you couldn't get the network to save it to your H drive? Sorry, you're not allowed to check your personal email at school. And the list goes on...
I can override or request access to certain pages, because I know how and I have admin privileges. But, not all of our staff do (and none of our students can), and even if they did, Big Brother is watching. Oh, I'm not saying that it's the worst thing in the world, but whatever happened to starting from a point of trust? If we're not trusting our staff to know what's appropriate, and what's not, how are we ever going to trust our students? And if we don't trust them, how can we ever move forward with technology integration in our curriculum?
On another but somewhat related note, for the first time in our school's history (that I know of), I taught a unit on Internet safety to my 4th graders. You would have thought that I had given them a gift of, well, I don't know, but they took off with it. We had intense and meaningful conversations about chat rooms, how to handle inappropriate situations, personal information... Wow! The unit wrapped up with a skit the students wrote and directed in themselves - add the Flip video camera and we had an awesome PSA! Which reminds me, I wonder if the tech guys would let me post that on our District web page? Hmmm...
Use a bookmark!
I started using Delicious a while back, but had gotten a little lazy about it till I started taking classes again for my certification. I know, I know, but hey - there's lot to read, and just managing the managing device takes time.
Tags are great, and at first, I wasn't sure which I should use. The feature that shows you ones already used saved me, novice that I was. And then I could search for more and save more, just by clicking on them! Uh, oh...I'm in serious trouble now.
Now, I go to Diigo, just to see what that's all about. Well, first, it seems kinda like what my Google reader already does...and my Facebook...and, and, well, I think maybe I'll just stick with what I already have... I'm having a hard enough time "managing" all my information, adding another place to access it just doesn't seem like a good idea right now. I do like that highlight/sticky note feature though!
But, I know that my computer lab assistant is inundated with websites she's been accessing, looking for lesson plan ideas. Hey, I could turn her onto Diigo and we could share tag ideas. Maybe that would help me get over my tag phobia!
Tags are great, and at first, I wasn't sure which I should use. The feature that shows you ones already used saved me, novice that I was. And then I could search for more and save more, just by clicking on them! Uh, oh...I'm in serious trouble now.
Now, I go to Diigo, just to see what that's all about. Well, first, it seems kinda like what my Google reader already does...and my Facebook...and, and, well, I think maybe I'll just stick with what I already have... I'm having a hard enough time "managing" all my information, adding another place to access it just doesn't seem like a good idea right now. I do like that highlight/sticky note feature though!
But, I know that my computer lab assistant is inundated with websites she's been accessing, looking for lesson plan ideas. Hey, I could turn her onto Diigo and we could share tag ideas. Maybe that would help me get over my tag phobia!
Students and Learning
I've read and reread Chapter 2 in our book, shared it with my colleagues, and even suggested that my administrator take my highlighted copy and read it too.
The points I wanted them to take away from it (page 32):
Technology is not an "extra." (this was the biggest one for me, really)
In-school use is not integrated. (boy, is it ever NOT...)
Technology has caused students to approach life differently, but adults (educators!!) act as though nothing has changed.
Students want to learn the basics, but also challenging, technologically oriented instructional activities.
The scenario Jeff set up on page 33 is one that is all too familiar to me - the way students change the computer to "their" own settings, as well as the chair, the table, the keyboard... We have 2 mobile units that are loaned out on a rotating basis, and when it comes back at the end of the day, it can be time-consuming to go back and reset 22 laptops!
We are hoping to develop a more in-depth use of Digital Storytelling; the 7th grade started this in a bare bones fashion over the last couple of weeks. To a librarian and a library media specialist, this idea is like a music video for books!
The points I wanted them to take away from it (page 32):
Technology is not an "extra." (this was the biggest one for me, really)
In-school use is not integrated. (boy, is it ever NOT...)
Technology has caused students to approach life differently, but adults (educators!!) act as though nothing has changed.
Students want to learn the basics, but also challenging, technologically oriented instructional activities.
The scenario Jeff set up on page 33 is one that is all too familiar to me - the way students change the computer to "their" own settings, as well as the chair, the table, the keyboard... We have 2 mobile units that are loaned out on a rotating basis, and when it comes back at the end of the day, it can be time-consuming to go back and reset 22 laptops!
We are hoping to develop a more in-depth use of Digital Storytelling; the 7th grade started this in a bare bones fashion over the last couple of weeks. To a librarian and a library media specialist, this idea is like a music video for books!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Oh, for three more hours
Honestly? I'd read to my daughter, talk to my son, go for a walk in the woods, and do some homework. And if there was time left over, I'd take a serious 10 minute power nap!
My preferred writing medium
It's easier for me to process my thoughts on a keyboard, than it is on paper. I think I can type and think faster than I can think and write. I love the backspace button!
Testing, testing, testing....
I'm reading a couple of good articles right now on project based learning and assessment, and as it happens, our school is also immersed in our spring testing window.
Funny or sad? One second grade class got 20 minutes into the test before the proctor realized that they were, you guessed it, taking the wrong test. The teacher brought them over to my story corner, read to them, explained what happened, while the proctor then reset for the correct test. The students went back to the computers, finished up their correct tests, and left. Not one student complained, fussed, whined... Is that normal? Or, because they have been subjected to computerized assessments since kindergarten, this is what they have come to expect?!
Personally, I found it kind of sad.
Funny or sad? One second grade class got 20 minutes into the test before the proctor realized that they were, you guessed it, taking the wrong test. The teacher brought them over to my story corner, read to them, explained what happened, while the proctor then reset for the correct test. The students went back to the computers, finished up their correct tests, and left. Not one student complained, fussed, whined... Is that normal? Or, because they have been subjected to computerized assessments since kindergarten, this is what they have come to expect?!
Personally, I found it kind of sad.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Podcasts in school
Must be the day for my brain to ponder, and then be able to translate thoughts into words...
I was reading (Jeff, again) "Sharing Podcasts Across Your Network" and I had the coolest thought. Why couldn't the newsletter for our PreK-8 school become a podcast, with our students reading the class news? (Talk about going green - the paper that is wasted on this is tremendous!) The link could be accessed through the school's website, and with no pictures or otherwise identifying information....I think I may just put an e-mail into my administrator and our head of technology.
And, wouldn't that go into the students digital portfolios as well?! Hmmmm...
I was reading (Jeff, again) "Sharing Podcasts Across Your Network" and I had the coolest thought. Why couldn't the newsletter for our PreK-8 school become a podcast, with our students reading the class news? (Talk about going green - the paper that is wasted on this is tremendous!) The link could be accessed through the school's website, and with no pictures or otherwise identifying information....I think I may just put an e-mail into my administrator and our head of technology.
And, wouldn't that go into the students digital portfolios as well?! Hmmmm...
Nearing the end of the school year...
I've been reading about e-portfolios (particularly Jeff's "True E-Folios for Students), at the same time our upper-level teachers are scurrying to get their 8th graders where they need to be for the end of the year. A lot of time is being spent on "getting it all in" and I wonder why it isn't a natural part of what goes on in the classroom throughout the entire year? Digital portfolios are agonized over at this same time every year, and to me, it's pointless.
Spend less of this time agonizing and more time figuring out a proactive plan! Sounds simple, right...?
Spend less of this time agonizing and more time figuring out a proactive plan! Sounds simple, right...?
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
An excerpt from Swine Flu and Breaking News in the Classroom
from Remote Access by Clarence Fisher
"My idea is simply this. How can we use an event like this, and all of the news sources that are available on a breaking, global story in our classrooms? How can we teach kids about which sources of information are valuable in the midst of swirling rumour? They must be able to evaluate the worthiness of primary information surces at a time like this. There are many different channels of information available. How can our understanding be collated and improved instead of swamped by information and rumour? This is a real test of information literacy skills."
Some of the resources he suggested using:
Google map - outbreaks
CDC Twitter
the flu wiki
WHO Disease Outbreak News page
...among other ideas.
A timely topic, with endless teachable moments!
from Remote Access by Clarence Fisher
"My idea is simply this. How can we use an event like this, and all of the news sources that are available on a breaking, global story in our classrooms? How can we teach kids about which sources of information are valuable in the midst of swirling rumour? They must be able to evaluate the worthiness of primary information surces at a time like this. There are many different channels of information available. How can our understanding be collated and improved instead of swamped by information and rumour? This is a real test of information literacy skills."
Some of the resources he suggested using:
Google map - outbreaks
CDC Twitter
the flu wiki
WHO Disease Outbreak News page
...among other ideas.
A timely topic, with endless teachable moments!
Monday, May 4, 2009
This and That
In reading over the blogs I'm following, I've come up with some great finds! The first was an post on what to do with students after testing - some finish first, some rush, you get the picture. I printed out the article to give to my assistant principal, and he was thrilled. Trying something new, that is actually doable, is never a bad thing.
The second one was converting Flip videos - we purchased 2 this year and I am having the darndest time "making" the files do what I want.
Between my blog roll and youtube, I may never need another instruction manual again!
The second one was converting Flip videos - we purchased 2 this year and I am having the darndest time "making" the files do what I want.
Between my blog roll and youtube, I may never need another instruction manual again!
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