Last Wednesday

Last Wednesday and a busy one at that! I have my Instructional Framework to finish along with reading for Lit Circles. Thankfully my choice projects are all done. I am so excited for this weekend fireworks Friday at Memorial Park and then Saturday at Rosenblatt! I will miss my first two classes a lot, these two classes I think have been very misleading to what I am going to be getting myself into these next 9 months... I love for this to be longer but I can't really concentrate now I am thinking about other things to much so I will write more later when I have a chance to with a clear head and reflecting brain!

Exit Ticket

Well.... Today lets see all I have to do is show my smartboard project to Skip and Ross. I can then leave and begin... I mean finish my Instructional Framework. But then I have lots of work to do on my paper... Boo.... I figured it would happen but its still a little disappointing. I really liked some of the websites we looked at today. I wonder though about tubechop can you use it at schools or are they blocked since youtube is. I don't really have much to say right now. My reflection brain doesn't seem to work during the day. I guess I need more time to let everything swish around in my head for a while before I can really talk about it.  This is my exit ticket though so I have to have some deep thoughts. I've found all the presentations in Kelly and Char's class to be interesting, and I'm anxious for my group to go. I hope that it goes well. I have gotten a lot out of the presentations and I'm beginning to wonder if I'm diving in too deep. I guess it's time to really start getting things together for my classroom again it's almost July so I better get on it.

Woohoo

All of my homework is done for technology class!!! Now I just have to start... I mean finish my Instructional Framework. It's so sad that these two classes are coming to an end. I'm not looking forward to Research I mean math class... So I don't really know what to write tonight. We have our presentation figured out for Wednesday, I'm not going to say anything though you have to wait until Wednesday to hear about it. I'm a little nervous still about getting my paper back tomorrow. Tomorrow morning will be an early one too. We have pictures tomorrow so I have to spend more than 10 min. getting ready. The baseball game is now over and UCLA loss they better win tomorrow so I can go down Wednesday after class and watch the game. I better get to bed now though, this has been a very random blog and I'm very sorry for that.

3rd Article Review

Here it is my final Article Review!

http://www.apple.com/education/stories/escondido/


I found this on apples website. It is talking about how you can get even newer technology like all the apps that are on the iPhone or iPod touch. Apps are a great tool that allows each student to work on their own.The apps also help keep students engaged. At a school in California students reading fluency was practiced daily and the great thing about it was that they could read and record it. The students can play it back and listen to how they sound.

I would love to have something like this in my classroom. The great thing about it is that they are even more durable than a laptop. This is a great way to engage students and the apps on the apple can easily controlled so you don't have to worry about students doing things they shouldn't be doing.

Homework oh Homework

Here is my second article!

The second article that I read was Connecting with Families through Technology. It was another article from Young Children. Dena Shelton a first grade teacher created an email program for a social studies unit she got email addresses from family members of the students. The members of the email community were able to tell the students about what its like to live in their state. The students made strides even in their writing. This activity kept them engaged more than just sitting an listening to the teacher talk all day.

I really liked this article. It's a good way to get real life involved in the classroom. She ended up not only bringing Social Studies into her classroom but she was able to get other subjects involved. I would like to use this in my classroom, I would also like to go beyond just emailing adults but maybe doing an e-pal with another class. The most important thing about this activity though is to remind people that timely feedback is very important to have a successful project. The one thing that we should remember as a teacher is that my students will often remember information if it comes from someone else, and so I should remember to be open to bring other people into my classroom.

Homework tonight

Tonight is a homework night. This is an article review for my technology class. While I was working on my Lit review I came across an article in Young Children Magazine. The article was called Connecting with Families Through Technology. I really liked this article because Shelton didn't just get the parents involved in the students' learning community she had grandparents, aunts and uncles. There was also alumni from the school that communicated with the students via email. She originally planned this for a Social Studies unit, but soon found it to tie in throughout the curriculum The students actively were involved in communicating with the community. The neat thing about the communication was that when the community would write back they would often tell about things that were happening in their state or city. One lady told the kids all about a volcano that was erupting near her. This article is great I liked how she didn't just get local community involved she got national and possibly international it did not say. This was a great activity to keep all the kids involved in all the classes because they never knew what kind of letter they would get back from their new friends or family members. I liked how she involved family members besides just parents its a good way to keep distant family members close to little kids as they grow up.

AAAHHH!!!

Let me start off by saying, I HATE PC!!!!!! My good lit review with all 10 sources 6 page rough draft is gone! I had sent it to Parker to look over before I finished, he sent it back to me  and I continued on his copy. Well when I went to save it told me that I was saving a read only file and I had to switch the name. Sooo... I did and now it's gone!!!! If I open up word its not there. So now when I get done meeting with my group members for Thursday I have to lock myself in a room get this paper done and do a bunch of reading for Lit Circle... This week has not been a good week and the worst part next week will probably be just as bad considering all the stuff I have due next week. I miss the college world series its such a relaxing place to be... Well I better get going to bed so I can get to school early tomorrow and see if the technology people can recover my paper. I HATE PC!!!!!! Thanks for reading my vent I don't feel too much better though...

oh boy!

Well.... Today lets see let me talk about yesterday since I didn't post last night. I don't even know where to start.... I woke up and was exhausted from Jim and LeDawna's wedding. I worked on my paper all day yesterday. It's not done but I did make a lot of progress! I can say that I am feeling pretty good about my paper. My mom who is a good writer said that it was really well written and Parker who used to be a journalist has been impressed with it. I'm just nervous that I will get it back and then not be able to fix anything that needs to be fix. That is a big downfall in my writing habits. Last night after working on my paper all day, I went and played slowpitch softball.  It was a lot of fun we won which is the most important thing right.... Well I also did really well, which was good for me since I was subbing I went 2 for 3 and the one time that I got out it was a beautiful hit the girl just happened to be standing in the right spot. I played catcher and that was different. I've never played slowpitch catcher and I wasn't to thrilled about the bat swinging close to my head without a helmet on.  The next few post will just be about articles I have to read for class.

The Weekend :(

So the weekend is over and I wish it was longer. Now I know everyone always says that but this time I mean it. I just need a day of rest. Friday was a late long night with the rehearsal and dinner, then we went and had drinks back at the hotel with my dad's family. Saturday was an early morning. We had hair apointments at 9:00 and then went straight to the hotel and got ready for pictures and the ceremony. Will the only one who was allowed to take a nap yesterday didn't.He decided to play in the bed with the pillows. We then had the reception which was capitalized by the fire alarm going off. It turned out to be balloons that I was holding to take outside for pictures blocked a sensor and set them off. My poor dad had to go and receive one of his trailers that he had leased, it was in an accident and rolled, so it was in bad shape I guess. This morning was also an early morning because we had breakfast to go to with my dad's family before they all went back out of town. My cousin and her husband were going to a CWS game I wonder if they are still there. I worked on my lit review today 9 hours and all I have is a page and a half very disappointing. Well I'm tired so I am going to head to bed now, I wonder if I will actually be able to sleep or if I will think about my Lit Review all night.    

Thank God it's Wednesday night

I don't how well I will get through this blog before I give up. Today was not a very good day. I couldn't find anything I wanted, I don't feel like I accomplished anything at all. My plate is so full right now it's starting to tip and other people want to throw more and more and more on. I can't do it! School is fine a little stressful tomorrow night I have to pound out my paper after Turbo Kick. I would consider skipping out on it by I actually feel good about myself when I leave the class. My rule about no facebook on the PC is really working I've done a good job staying on task. Today I could not type if my life depended on it. So I have to say that I have really enjoyed my book that I'm reading for literature Circle. I hope that my class is not as rough as Dan Brown's, who am I kidding I have 1st grade and he has 4th grade big difference on knowledge for inappropriate language right? Wrong! I worked at a Community Center not far from my school and I have had friends who worked Sun Dawgs not far from my school. I know what can come out of their mouths. My goal as a teacher is to create a classroom that is a positive eager to learn and caring environment. I think I can do it no I know I can do it. I created it at my Sun Dawgs site and I also created it at the Community Center.Well I better get some sleep now it's 10:30 and that means its time for me to finish up blogging. Good night all and see you tomorrow morning in class!

Schedule

Ok I'm a little off my schedule this week I haven't gotten things done that I want to get done. But I have gotten things done that have to have to get done. I'll admit I'm a bit behind schedule for the homework part of the week. I'm prepared for class tomorrow, its the being ahead of schedule that I'm lagging on. I have to get my signs made for Saturday night. Maybe I will work on them on Friday and my mom can help she is very artistic. I've asked her to make a lot of things for me for my classroom. When it comes to being creative I can do it but my fine motor skills like drawing are not very good. Tonight I got new shoes for the wedding and I think LeDawna likes these better than the ones I was going to wear.So last night I finally got the to eat the most yummiest sandwich ever. I know I know yummiest isn't a word but for six months since I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease I have been looking for gluten free bread that is more satisfying than just resembling the loo of bread. Man-o-man Udi's you are the best your texture and taste I can eat you with just butter my world is good again. I feel like I'm eating bread! Well I should probably be getting ready to fall asleep. I thought this would be a good way for me to wind down each night, but tonight as I crawled into bed and got out my computer that is for school only I realized I never at dinner tonight. Oops! So I began to think about my bread and I got very excited. Cheer me on to get lots of things done tomorrow. My goal for tomorrow is to have all reading done tomorrow... for this week and the first few days next week.

Week 2 Begins!

Today is the start of our second week in CADRE! We got our new computers today. I've played around a little bit on it and surprisingly I have not had any troubles really typing accept when I get going to fast. I'm so used to my mac the keys are spread out a little bit more. Ok so now there is this little thing down in my gut that twinges when I think about the assignments. Is this happening to anyone else? What else can I tell you about... Well my brother is getting married on Saturday and I'm the Maid of Honor. I wrote my speech for the reception and I must say that I am quite proud of it! I'm even making signs for it. I can't wait! Maybe I will  get someone to videotape and then I will post it to my blog.

Sunday

Today has been a good and bad day. I coached my softball team in a tournament today we won our first game and lost the second game. I got to see one of my girls who has been in a huge hitting slump hit two doubles, they were beautiful hits! Since we lost our second game we were done for the day. Which was a bummer, but it was kinda nice since today has been quite yucky I got to come home and work on some CADRE homework. I have to get a lot done for this week and next week, my brother is getting married and we have a lot of people coming in from out of town. I can't wait to see all of these people but its just a stressful week. I have lots to get done and hopefully I will stay focused to get way ahead of the game! I just have to do a good job of keeping to my schedule and I think it should be a successful week and a half. Even though I'm a mac person all the way I kind of can't wait to get my windows computer tomorrow. Sometimes just getting something new is all you need to keep you focused. I will have to set a little rule for  myself to stay focused when using the windows no facebook is ever allowed... Wish me luck this week as I hope to stay focused!

Week 1

Well my first week of CADRE is over... I am starting to panic about my literature review. I how will have to admit it really startled me when Kelly said that last year she only graded two and that she had to return the rest to be rewritten. I should actually be at a softball tournament right now but since we had so much rain last night we have a 3 hour delay. This gives me plenty of time to get some homework done until I have to be there. I have to say that I really enjoyed CADRE so far and even though it will get crazier I think that it will also get more fun.

Survey reveals gaps in school technology perceptions

I think that the main reason why everyone is so reluctant to accept some social networks to be educational so many social networks have had such negative publicity. Educators are afraid to take the responsibility of what students might say or do. I think that we have all found that as sites like facebook and myspace become more popular people do not think twice about what they say or do. As a technologist teacher I would love to incorporate computers into my classroom even more. I have heard some people say well kids don't know the keyboard its going to take them forever to type. We also have to remember our students aren't going to get better at typing if we don't give them the practice and opportunity. The biggest struggle that I think I might find is finding the availability to get into the lab or be able to use the laptop cart that my school can provide. I will just have to make sure that I am proactive and whatever that I have my students use. I set rules of respect and responsibility so that I have no serious issues arise.

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

First Days of CADRE

   Well well well... The first two days of CADRE are now over. I have to say I'm not too overwhelmed yet but I know that day will quickly come. I have enjoyed meeting all my soon to be new friends. Everyone is so nice and I'm glad that I have met some of the most incredible people. I don't think that I could go through the CADRE Program with a better class. I have found that there is lots of homework to keep up on but my organization skills will hopefully help me out. As I get to no more people and the program continues on I'm sure that I will have a lot more to write. Wish me luck through out the year! The Marathon has begun and there is no pacing allowed!