First Day in the Classroom

Today was my first teacher day in my classroom.  It was an all-day work in the classroom day.  I was able to accomplish a lot.  I cleaned, cleaned, and then I cleaned some more!  My cabinets are organized just the way I like them and my desk is also pretty much done.  I still have some to do, but the classroom is beginning to feel like mine, not just a room where I am teaching.  I also went shopping for what has to be the LAST round of school supplies! Oh please let it be the last!!  Right now, I am very, very tired.  It is a challenge to get back into the swing of things.  It will be interesting to see how tired I will be after I work all day and go to class at night. 

Writing of class, I have 12 grad hours done.  What does that mean?  That means I am 25% done with my Masters Degree!!!

I met a lot of very nice people who I will be working with.  I still don't have a schedule, or know anything definite  about the actual teaching of my position.  Hopefully, I will find out tomorrow.  But for right now, I am going to try not to fall asleep in front of the tv while I watch Monday Night Baseball.

My Classroom is ready!

Well, my classroom is ready for school to start! The walls are ready, at least.  Except for behind my desk.  I have a couple of personal things (sports pennants) and another poster to put behind there.  I think that will be it.  I hope it is!  My sister Jessica helped me get all my walls done.  Thank goodness she has gone through this before and knew what needed to be done and how to do the design stuff.  I feel like I know absolutely nothing about the actual setting up of the classroom and how to begin to be a teacher.  Sometimes I wonder what I actually learned during those 4 years of college!

My room looks really good, if I may say so myself!  I have an information center where I am going to put the calendars, list of assignments, and anything else that my students need to know.  Then I have a HUGE Word Wall.  I know I will have enough words to fill it, but wow it seems reeeealllly big!  On my back wall I have room for all my students' work...yes all 110 students!  I put up a nametag and a sheet protector that will have their work in it for every single student.  And when I say that I 'put up' every single thing, I mean I stapled all of them. It took 5 staples for every student.  That is 550 staples! just for that bulletin board.  I woke up this morning and my shoulders and my arms were killing me!  I also have a writing bulletin board, since that is a big thing that my students will be concentrating on this year.

After class today, my mom and I went shopping for back-to-school clothes, notebooks for my students, and other errands.  It was a lot of fun to go back-to-school shopping with my mom again!  All around us were kids getting ready for high school or going off to college.  It feels like I am a kid again hitting another hurdle in growing up...my first day of an actual career.

Oh well, this could be a really long posting if I let it, but I am tired and need to get some sleep.  Bye!

Shopping! or Ode to Walmart

I get to combine two things that I really love: shopping and school supplies.  In recent years, I have not had to buy a lot of school supplies because I have so many supplies stockpiled.  Now I get to buy supplies for being a teacher and  some for all of my students! I have been looking for cheap individual white boards and I finally found some for $1 at Staples.  BUT, they only let me buy 2 at a time and they ran out after I only got 8 of them (4 trips total).  My friend told me about a wonderful place called Wal-mart.  They matched Staples' special price and I was able to pick up a lot  of other supplies there too! 

Tomorrow, I am making my first trip to a school supply store! My sister is coming to help me decide what I want on my bulletin boards.  I am thinking of doing a travel/expedition theme in my room.  Hopefully, that will fit in with my school and 8th grade class.  I also am making plans to start building my Smartboard in my room! For a definite anti-Math person, the making of a Smartboard is going to be very interesting and challenging!

New Session!

The first day of the new session is always mind-opening and intimidating.  I have to say that I really enjoyed being done at 10 in the morning.  My enthusiasm was dimmed slightly after I remembered that I have to go back for tonight's class.  I am a little worried that one day I am going to forget that I have a night class and just not show up.  Even though, those statistics are so memorable! : )  

I had a real scare today when I got home.  A fire engine with lights on was in front of my house as I pulled up.  Images of having to handle a family crisis on top of this CADRE thing were flashing through my head.  The fire engine and ambulance (which came a minute later) were for my next-door neighbor.  He collapsed in his bathroom.  I watched with my nephews as they took him to the ambulance and performed CPR outside.  We later learned that he did not make it.  It really reminded me that as much as I complain, rant, and vent about my hectic and stressful life, I would rather have this life than change it in any way.  It also makes me very thankful for everything and everyone in my life.  So thank you all.

Rest in peace Mr. O.

At the end of the (first) tunnel!

I am completely done with my first 6 hours of graduate school!  And I survived!  Now for the weekend and on to the next 6 hours!!!!  But really, these classes have been fun and it has been great to meet these amazing people who I will be working with over the next year and beyond.  I have learned a lot and I want to include all of the new things I learned in my classes in my classroom.  I am counting on my associate and all my new friends to keep encouraging me to keep trying these new things and not settle for the comfortable old ones. 

I have also decided that I will keep blogging throughout this journey.  I think it is a great way to keep everyone notified of my progress and happenings.  I also want to look back on this journey and see how far I have come.  So keep looking and checking in, I will be here!

The Light at the end of the tunnel!

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I only have ONE more thing to do for first session. I have my Instructional Framework done, but I still have to make the examples for the strategies. I feel that it is going to take longer than actually writing out the I.F. I guess I have accomplished Principle 7 of my Lit circle book: Never work harder than my students. During this unit, students will definitely be working harder than me :)

One thing that I cannot fathom: why am I always more tired when I get to bed early, than when I stay up late? I feel like my head is full of cotton and I can't think or move. I am definitely resting before my class tonight.

I will let you know when I am officially through the tunnel!

Article Review #3

School turns page on technology with e-reader textbooks

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/jun/02/022243/school-turns-page-technology-e-reader-textbooks/c_2/#comments


Description:
This article examines Clearwater High School's (Tampa, Florida) decision to provide all of its students with ereaders with downloaded copies of their textbooks on them. Currently, the ereaders only have the English and Math textbooks on them, with plans to expand the number of textbooks in the future. The students are excited about the ereaders. They appreciate the fact that they do not have to carry several pounds of books, only the light ereader. There are several concerns that students will not properly care for the ereader. Students feel that they already care for other pieces of technology; the ereader will just be another piece that they will also care for.
Analysis:
Clearwater High School has an opportunity to open doors for students and districts throughout the nation. There are many problems with using the ereaders: cost, care, and abilities of students, but if districts can overcome these problems, there are many benefits from these ereaders. All of the textbooks are in one place. As long as the student has the ereader, they are prepared, at least minimally, for class. Students can also interact with the text more. With a regular book, they cannot write in the book or take notes. With an ereader, they do not need any more materials to take notes, highlight, or look up a definition of a word. It also helps students with reading fluency, comprehension, disabilities, or ELL students. The Kindle can read a selection out loud to students. This would let them listen and read the words for a different learning styles.
Reflection:
I really like the ideas that this article is covering. I just started using the Kindle App on my iPod Touch and I enjoy reading on that just as much as a 'real' book. I believe that the ereader can open up a lot of doors for students. I would look forward to possibly using the ereader in my future classroom. This tool has a large possibility of helping students from all backgrounds access the material in different ways, and isn't that what being a teacher is all about? I know that there might be negatives in using the ereaders, but there are negatives in using every new piece of technology available in education. I believe that ereaders can be beneficial to the students who use them.

Article Review #2

Google’s encrypted search creates problems for schools

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2010/06/14/googles-encrypted-search-creates-problems-for-schools/

Description:
    This article concentrates on the Google search engine and tools being blocked by K-12 programs because its results are not filtered.  The Google platform (with Gmail and Documents, etc. ) are open to sites that are impervious to the filters that schools use.  This is very upsetting to schools that rely on the filters to protect and monitor students and staff.   Districts that block the Google sites are also having problems as students and staff find a way around the blocks (by typing https:// instead of http://). Google has suggested using the SafeSearch capability on the site that will automatically block any sites that have adult or suggestive content.  Google acknowledges that this is a temporary fix, but hopefully this will be a starting point to fixing the overall problem.

Analysis: 
      This article definitely addresses a concern of parents and school staff in all situations with technology: security, both to the students and away from the students.  The open platform of Google is very user-friendly and accessible because it is open and so large.  Most schools could definitely benefit from using this platform.  However, with this security issue, schools are being forced away from Google.

Reflection:
     As a teacher and a student, there are many technologies available and useful in the classroom.  However, with increasing security issues, teachers are forced to pick and choose which technologies are actually available to use.  The ironic issue is that most of our students, once our backs are turned, are accessing these sites because they know how to get around the filters anyway.  It does become a matter of ethics that prohibit us from using these educational sites for educational purposes, because our employers tell us not to.  

Article Review #1

Does your teen need a break from all that technology?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/family/sc-fam-0603-parenthood-multitask-20100603,0,2724881.story

Description:
 This article asks the question: How much is too much for teenagers to handle in terms of technology and multitasking.  The article asks for input from parents and experts.  Most of the parents' opinions are there are certain activities where multitasking is appropriate, such as doing chores and talking on the phone, and inappropriate, such as texting and driving.  Most experts agree with this division of appropriate and inappropriate multitasking.  They also introduce the question of the teenager's performance.  If the teenager can do well in school as they watch television and do homework at the same time, then that multitasking, is probably fine.  However, if a student is not doing well in school, it is time for parents to step in and end the multitasking that is detrimental to their teenager. 

Analysis:
    This article includes both parents and experts concerning a topic that is highly individual to the teenager and their abilities.  Parents and teachers need to be aware that teenagers may not be able to handle multitasking and working with multiple technologies.  This all depends on a particular teen's abilities, interests, and development.  It is extremely important for teachers to know each individual child's abilities to multitask and concentrate in order to reach that student. 

Reflection: 
    I think that this article is very important when I look at the research that has come forward in the last year about multitasking.  New research is claiming that no one actually 'multitasks'.  People just dovetail activities so quickly that it seems like they are multitasking.  If students are studying in front of the t.v., they are not putting forward all of their mind to studying.  This does worry me, because I am the student that does study in front of the radio or t.v.  and I usually retain the information for a day and then forget it.  I want to make sure that I am encouraging my students to learn the material, not just remember it for the test.  This does encourage me to explicitly help my students understand the best way for them to study. 

End of a Week!

One more week to go until the end of the first summer session! That is good news, even though I have enjoyed my classes.  I am just really tired right now.  We got the news today that one class from the second session starts next week.  So next week we have classes from 7:25-12:25 and from 4-8.  For the first time, I am actually questioning my sanity in joining CADRE.  Oh well, I will think about that next week. 

For now, I am taking a break tonight.  I am going to go to bed early and sleep in tomorrow. 

Good night and have a good weekend!

Feeling So Much Better!

I am feeling so much better about how much I have left to do for classes!  My lit review is done (except for minor proofreading changes).  My choice projects are 2/3s done!  The things that I am concentrating on are:
1.  Writing up the reflection/lesson plan for choice projects.
2.  Instructional Framework-I still need to find out what exactly I am teaching, what unit I can use for this.  I don't have a curriculum so I am trying to get that from school.  I may just end up picking something out of the textbook.  I want to use these lessons for next year so I want to get the curriculum, but that may be an issue.
3. Group Presentation-Hopefully, I can work on this in my group tomorrow during class.  We still have to put together the slides, and figure out the strategy that I will be using to explain my research paper. 
4.  Article reviews for Tech class-These should not be that hard.  I just have to find the time and do them!

At the beginning, of this list, I was feeling great about my progress.  I still feel good about my progress (went down from great!), but I am reeling a bit from what I still have to do!  This reminds me of a long car trip.  The hardest part of a 14-hour day is the 8-10 hour marks.  You feel that you have done so much already that you should be nearing the end, but you look at the clock and are still 6-4 hours away!  The last 5-2 hours of the trip are the longest, because you can see and feel the end, but are just not there yet!  It doesn't help that I now have to be the driver and pay attention throughout the drive.  I am used to being the passenger with my ipod on, three pillows, blankets and asleep stretched out in the back seat! 
(Can anyone tell that I am usually preparing for a long trip this time of year?)

Anyway, I need to get back to work.  Just saw a mileage marker: Only 400 miles to go!

Start of a New Week

Okay, we have two more weeks in these classes and the due dates keep looming closer and closer!
My first draft of my literature review is done! Now all I need is for Stephanie (My special buddy!) to proofread, revise it, and publish it!  Now to turn my attention to everything else that is due!

Our iMovie is almost done! All we have to add is the music over a couple of slides and upload it to wherever it is supposed to go!  It is nice to think that one of my assignments can be checked off soon.  The next two days in Tech class are workdays, so, hopefully, I can check off a lot more things for classes!  I know what I want to do for most of the assignments, I just have to get in gear and get them done! 

One thing that I am LOVING about CADRE is the emphasis that the work is for US to learn and use in the classroom.  It is not just to show the instructors that we can do something.  That is something that had been missing in my undergraduate classes.  I also like the applicability of everything that we are learning.  Everyone says that you go to school for 4 years, get your degree, and learn to be a teacher in the first two weeks before school starts.  I feel that I am actually learning to be a teacher here.  It is relieving some (definitely not all, but some) of the anxiety I have been feeling about actually teaching this year.  

Halfway

We are officially halfway through the first summer session classes and one-quarter through the entire summer classes!  I definitely see that as a positive, but the rate that everything is due is a little terrifying.  I have read all of my research for the literature review.  Tonight, I want to get a solid outline so I can start writing at least a couple of pages tomorrow morning before I head to work.  I can't work a whole lot on Saturday because I have my Grandfather's 90th Birthday Party.  (Happy Birthday, Grandpa!) 

I am having a hard time concentrating on my outlining.  The Yankees are on TV tonight for the second night in a row and they cannot lose to the Phillies for the second night in a row.  But, the Phillies just scored the first run of the night, but I will keep the faith. 

Anyway, I need to go write up my Literature Circle Reflection and finish my outline. 

Have a great weekend!

Huge Events Today

Wow, it has been a long time since I woke up this morning! Today we started in the library researching our literature review topics.  I (think) found a lot of journals that I can use for my review.  I am very happy about that.  I have a lot of the citation information and I know what journals I want.  Tomorrow I am planning on gathering and printing them all after class.  I can't believe that we only have until next Thursday to write this paper! Usually, I have plenty of time to procrastinate plan and organize before I begin writing.  I usually like to have a couple of days that I can do nothing else but organize and write.  This weekend will be interesting because my Grandfather has his 90th Birthday party on Saturday.  Hopefully I can organize and write on Friday and Revise on Sunday. 

I did get a lot of my questions answered about the literature review.  The one thing that is helping the most is Kelly's new blog.  So THANK YOU Kelly!! It is helping me focus on the little things I can do so that the review is not completely overwhelming. 

Tech class also felt like a huge event today.  We worked with Prezi and we had a lot of time in class to work on our project and get things done in class with Skip and Ross right there when we shouted "Help!"  I think that it is crucial to allow practice and work time in this technology class where we can get help on our project right when we need it.  That helped reduce stress levels a lot today. 

I was a little worried about driving to work after spending 5 hours straight in front of the computer.  My eyes were fried : ) I couldn't focus on any particular object.  That made the drive very interesting! 

Well, I am planning on checking a couple of other people's blogs before working on finding more references for my paper. 

Good Luck Fellow CTs!

Facebook Page and other Updates!

Hi all!
I have officially created the CADRE group on Facebook and I am really excited that as of 2:30 on Monday afternoon, we have 36 out of 39 CTs signed up as members!  I am really looking forward to using the page for communication, support, and building our cohort. 

Right now, I am using the new computers that we were given as CTs.  It is really nice to have a laptop that is easy to use and easy to take with me from school to home and back again!  So far, I have gone through and changed most of the settings.  The desktop background is the 'Azul' picture: a beautiful island in the middle of a blue ocean and a single sailboat.  I am hoping that it will bring me peace and tranquility as I look at it in the months to come. 

As far as classes go, I am ready to get started on research and my other projects that are due in the next three weeks.  (Wow! that seems even shorter when I see it in writing!)  I am definitely getting a better idea of what is expected of me in tech class and in ETP, I am getting anxious to start planning these theories into lessons. 

I visited my school on Friday and got my textbook, saw my classroom, etc.  My principal mentioned that they have plenty of "rolls of paper" for me to use.  I had no idea what I am supposed to use rolls of paper for.  My sister said that they are for the bulletin boards I will have to make!  The What!? I have no idea what I am supposed to do with bulletin boards!  I was ready to go into a high school where I would have to run between others' classrooms, not prepare my own.  I am looking forward to having all my technology and information on my own boards, though.  So, if anyone else has any tips, ideas, or advice for setting up a classroom or a bulletin board, please leave it in the comments for me!  I will be posting any ideas I get in the future as well!

UNO Tech Questions

Okay, I was asking more questions in tech class today and Skip brought up the idea of having a forum like "Yahoo Questions" But for UNO Tech Questions.  I LOVE this idea!!!! I have no idea how this would work, but I really would like this idea implemented, and maybe even a CADRE Questions Forum for the whole program.  I know that other CADRE Ts are following my blog, so what are your ideas?  How would this work? 

Let me know!

Anna

Survey reveals gaps in school technology perceptions

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2010/05/05/survey-reveals-gaps-in-school-technology-perceptions/

This article, concerning the gaps in views of technology and the use of it in the classroom, was very interesting.  I saw that the article paralleled the thoughts and concerns that I have of technology use in the classroom.  The article noted that a large number of administrators and teachers saw the use of technology as a positive tool to help facilitate learning in the classroom.  However, the study showed that a lot less teachers actually use the technology in the classroom.

As excited as I am with the theory of using technology in the classroom, I am also reluctant because of several things.  First, the logistics of using technology are complicated and hard to get around.  A lot of my students do not have access to paper and books at home, let alone computers.  That means that any technology used in the classroom must literally be used in the classroom alone.  That is using a lot of time in the computer labs.  (Which other teachers do not appreciate, because they also want a lot of time in the lab as well.)  Another issue that worries me is the liability issues in the classroom.  If my students have access and are being encouraged to be on the internet and something happens, can I be held legally responsible for that?  If I need parental permission before I start anything and I do not receive them from all of my students, then I need to adapt my lessons again to accommodate those students.

I think that, as with everything else, there needs to be a balance between using technology in the classroom and adapting my classroom to address these issues.  Above all else, there needs to be communication between teachers, students, administrators, parents, and any other stakeholders that I missed about technology and what everyone sees as acceptable behaviors and objectives in using technology.

Stay tuned to the World of Education!

Anna

Gliffy!

Hi all!

I am looking into this new website Gliffy.com  and I am really excited about it.  I have used Inspiration software to make designs and flowcharts, but it costs too much money!  This would be awesome to use and it's free!!  This site may be considered dangerous.  It is addictive!  I love to use graphic organizers in my classroom.  Most of my students like them; the others just call me a treekiller because we use so much paper.  I have tried to make graphic organizers in Word and it is just too hard to do. 

Once I have an account with Gliffy it will let me save my diagrams online.  That will be awesome so I can work on diagrams at home, save them, and access to print them at school. 

We finished the Voicethread activity in class today.  I really see myself using this to put up images of the novel that we are reading or symbols, etc and having students respond to why these images are appropriate to the novel.  I also want to have my students to choose the images themselves.  I think that this would help their visualization techniques. This would also be a great community building tool.  Students can introduce themselves and tell a little about themselves. 

One worry that this does raise is approaches to censorship.  If the students are publishing something that is inappropriate, how do I prevent or police that?  Also, there are questions about access to technology and liability issues. 

Anyway, there will be another post later. 

Welcome to my Technology in Education World!!

Hi World!

           This blog will be used to chronicle my introduction into CADRE and using technology in my studies and my classroom.  I am excited to use technology in my classroom and am wanting to gather as much information I can before I enter that classroom.  I really like the idea of using technology in my classroom.  I know that it can help motivate students and help give them choices and ownership of their work.  That will make students more positively involved with their work and (hopefully) improve their overall work. 

            I was really impressed with all of the new tools that were mentioned in class yesterday and slightly overwhelmed.  I know that there are a lot of tools out there that I am not aware of; it is just imposing when I look at the whole list of everything that we will accomplish by July 1st!  What I am very appreciative of in this class already is that everything that we use and do is explicitly explained with ideas on how to directly take it into the classroom.  That is exactly what I have wanted in all my education classes and my CADRE classes have it!!  The only downside is that there are so many great ideas, I cannot write them down fast enough! 

Anyway, this blog will be updated frequently so make sure to stop in to follow my progress through the Education World!

Anna