Well, in my opinion, the hardest part of the school year is almost complete. The first 3 weeks are always a challenge as I am teaching my students the classroom routines and procedures, practicing, getting names down, dealing with schedule changes, and most importantly, setting up their notebooks so they will be successful for the rest of the school year.
I want to know now about my students:
1. How was your first 2 weeks?
2. What went well?
3. What didn't?
4. What will make learning easier for you this year?
5. Do you have any questions/comments for me?
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Renaissance Ball
Who was your Renaissance figure? What did your Renaissance figure contribute that still has a lasting affect on our society today?
Who were your partners in this activity? What did you learn about yourself and others by working in this group? What worked? What didn't?
Who were your partners in this activity? What did you learn about yourself and others by working in this group? What worked? What didn't?
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Back home
I just started using a browser called Flock. If this blog posts, I'm sold. It seems to combine everything and makes it easy to use all my resources.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
London
We arrived late Saturday night, so our day really began on Sunday.
We took the tube to St. Paul's hoping to check out the cathedral before meeting with Stephan, Helena, and their spouses, Janette and Chris (Stephan and Helena are friends of mine that I've kept in touch with since we met on a tour that I led in Canada 11 years ago). When we got to St. Paul's, we got to see the inside at no cost, since Eucharist was in session. It was amazing and even brought a tear to Paul's eyes (don't tell I told). We strolled along the Millenium Bridge across the Thames to meet our 4 friends. Paul was especially excited that we were thanked by the blokes who we asked to direct us to the bridge--the Brits do live up to their polite reputation.
We met Stephan, Janette, Chris, and Helena with ease in front of the Tate Modern, thanks to Steve's terrific map, and then proceeded to stroll along the historical riverside enjoying a Sunday Roast at a pub along the way, followed by a Prim at another pub, and an ice cream to top it off. Yum!
After we left our mates, we found there was still time to catch the tour bus, so we walked along the Thames from the Tower to Embankment (a lovely walk on such a gorgeous day) and hopped on the bus. The tour took about 2 hours and the guides were fantastic, so Paul really got to see London from an above ground perspective. After the tour, we took the tube back to our neighborhood in S. Kensington and had a delicious Indian dinner (a must in England).
Monday began and ended with perfection, too. We couldn't set an alarm, so we just relied on our bodies to get us up at a decent hour and enjoy an English breakfast hoping we'd make the 10:30 Change of Guard tour that came with our package. Indeed we had a delicious breakfast and made the tour which was brilliant. They take you around to the monuments near Buckingham, you get to march with the new guard, then a shortcut through St. James Park and you march with the old guard. Finally, you finish the tour with the change of the stable guards for a much more up close look than you could see at the palace--it's really well done.
We then took advantage of the fish and chip meal that comes with the tour and made it to the National Gallery gift shop to kill time before we caught the river cruise. I was able to find my mom a gorgeous beach bag with Stubbs' Whistlefoot (a beautiful 18th century painting of a horse) and I also grabbed 2 Union Jacks for my friend at a street vendor on the way to the dock. Then, we took the river cruise from Westminister to Tower. We grabbed an ice cream near the tower and rested for 20 minutes before our Jack the Ripper tour which also came with the bus tour. That bus tour was a great deal!!
After the Jack the Ripper tour, it was time to head back to Liesester Square (forgive spelling) and pick up our tickets before dinner at Pulcinella's (fabulous Italian food by the way). Then the show--Spamalot it hilarious!! Truly the best musical I've ever seen. We ended our evening by strolling to Picadilly and caught the tube back to S. Ken.
For as little time as we had in London, I can truly say we made the best of it. It was so wonderful to see you and hang out. I hope we are not away from England for very long. Paul loved it as much as I had hoped.
We took the tube to St. Paul's hoping to check out the cathedral before meeting with Stephan, Helena, and their spouses, Janette and Chris (Stephan and Helena are friends of mine that I've kept in touch with since we met on a tour that I led in Canada 11 years ago). When we got to St. Paul's, we got to see the inside at no cost, since Eucharist was in session. It was amazing and even brought a tear to Paul's eyes (don't tell I told). We strolled along the Millenium Bridge across the Thames to meet our 4 friends. Paul was especially excited that we were thanked by the blokes who we asked to direct us to the bridge--the Brits do live up to their polite reputation.
We met Stephan, Janette, Chris, and Helena with ease in front of the Tate Modern, thanks to Steve's terrific map, and then proceeded to stroll along the historical riverside enjoying a Sunday Roast at a pub along the way, followed by a Prim at another pub, and an ice cream to top it off. Yum!After we left our mates, we found there was still time to catch the tour bus, so we walked along the Thames from the Tower to Embankment (a lovely walk on such a gorgeous day) and hopped on the bus. The tour took about 2 hours and the guides were fantastic, so Paul really got to see London from an above ground perspective. After the tour, we took the tube back to our neighborhood in S. Kensington and had a delicious Indian dinner (a must in England).
Monday began and ended with perfection, too. We couldn't set an alarm, so we just relied on our bodies to get us up at a decent hour and enjoy an English breakfast hoping we'd make the 10:30 Change of Guard tour that came with our package. Indeed we had a delicious breakfast and made the tour which was brilliant. They take you around to the monuments near Buckingham, you get to march with the new guard, then a shortcut through St. James Park and you march with the old guard. Finally, you finish the tour with the change of the stable guards for a much more up close look than you could see at the palace--it's really well done.
We then took advantage of the fish and chip meal that comes with the tour and made it to the National Gallery gift shop to kill time before we caught the river cruise. I was able to find my mom a gorgeous beach bag with Stubbs' Whistlefoot (a beautiful 18th century painting of a horse) and I also grabbed 2 Union Jacks for my friend at a street vendor on the way to the dock. Then, we took the river cruise from Westminister to Tower. We grabbed an ice cream near the tower and rested for 20 minutes before our Jack the Ripper tour which also came with the bus tour. That bus tour was a great deal!!
After the Jack the Ripper tour, it was time to head back to Liesester Square (forgive spelling) and pick up our tickets before dinner at Pulcinella's (fabulous Italian food by the way). Then the show--Spamalot it hilarious!! Truly the best musical I've ever seen. We ended our evening by strolling to Picadilly and caught the tube back to S. Ken.
For as little time as we had in London, I can truly say we made the best of it. It was so wonderful to see you and hang out. I hope we are not away from England for very long. Paul loved it as much as I had hoped.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Valencia
A 4 hour luxury bus ride landed us in Valencia. The ride was wonderful, but our traveling buddy on this route was a bit disheartening. This New York youngster brought a negative attitude and an American ego that made us want to disassociate with him quickly. When we landed in Valencia we were a bit challenged to find our place but managed and ditched the New Yorker.
Once we got acquainted with our host and the town, we set out on the metro to explore. We got to the main section of downtown with an incredible plaza
Once we got acquainted with our host and the town, we set out on the metro to explore. We got to the main section of downtown with an incredible plaza
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Barcelona
So we landed in Barcelona, and expecting to exchanged some dollars for Euros were a bit surprised that the airport here had no currency exchange, just an ATM. FYI, for anyone who has said you don´t need cash, only credit, they are mistaken. You never know when you need a bus or a cab or want to stop in a cafe and no credit cards are taken. You do need cash in Europe-both UK and Spain.
So, we found our hostel with relative ease, although the street off Las Ramblas seemed a bit dodgy. We soon found out that it was because our 11:30 pm arrival found everything closed. Once we got settled and heading to the main drag for a bite, we met an English and Irish duo who showed us around. Turned out, the alley our our hostel was in was not dodgy at all, but rather, part of the barrio Gothic which is a maze of super high medieval buildings that create an amazing cluster of little discoveries. This is such a cool part of town. You get lost, wander around, have no idea where you are, then all of a sudden--BAm--you´re staring at a magnificent cathedral. It´s really cool. Next day we headed to tour the city on foot locally, then by a tour bus. Really incredible sights.
When we sat down for lunch, Kendra´s blond hair turned 1 glass of wine into an entire bottle as the Spanish men just ate us up. We got free wine and had to stumble our way to the tour bus after drinking a bottle. So much for an afternoon glass.
Anyway, after a dinner filled with fabulous tapas, we wandered around and somehow wound up staying up until 4 am again. Jeez!
So, we found our hostel with relative ease, although the street off Las Ramblas seemed a bit dodgy. We soon found out that it was because our 11:30 pm arrival found everything closed. Once we got settled and heading to the main drag for a bite, we met an English and Irish duo who showed us around. Turned out, the alley our our hostel was in was not dodgy at all, but rather, part of the barrio Gothic which is a maze of super high medieval buildings that create an amazing cluster of little discoveries. This is such a cool part of town. You get lost, wander around, have no idea where you are, then all of a sudden--BAm--you´re staring at a magnificent cathedral. It´s really cool. Next day we headed to tour the city on foot locally, then by a tour bus. Really incredible sights.
When we sat down for lunch, Kendra´s blond hair turned 1 glass of wine into an entire bottle as the Spanish men just ate us up. We got free wine and had to stumble our way to the tour bus after drinking a bottle. So much for an afternoon glass.
Anyway, after a dinner filled with fabulous tapas, we wandered around and somehow wound up staying up until 4 am again. Jeez!
London
As I embarked upon my journey, it felt great to fly British Airways and reconnect with my second culture--the English. Flight was great and yes, I actually studied a bit on the plane--of course I also watched 2 films, 1 great, 1 terrible. I saw a British film with Jude Law called Breaking and Entering and highly recommend this terrific film.
Anyway, landed in London and, after a journey through the terminal that seemed like miles, was greeted with the politeness that I always associate with the UK. I was a nice change after being yelled at by jerks in the security lines back in LA. Already, so glad to get out of there.
So, Heathrow is huge and it took me almost the full 2 hours that separated our flights to get to Kendra´s terminal. When Kendra and I found each other, we exchanged some dollars for pounds (a painful procedure) and got on the tube to our hotel, very small (check out but very clean and smart. We had our first pub meal, fish and chips of course, accompanied by 2 large pints, then we went sight-seeing. Weather was great, just a slight chill, and we hopped on a double decker then toured london from high up. We ended the evening with a cool pub near Camden and ironically didn´t get into our bed until 2 am. If you´re not clubbing, however, London shuts down by midnight. We nearly stranded ourselves on the opposite side of town from Victoria where we stayed.
Next day we had an English breakfast at a nearby pub before heading off to Kew Gardens. Our time there was short but it was lovely. We got back to our hotel, grabbed our things, and headed to the new Stansted airport for our flight to Barcelona.
Anyway, landed in London and, after a journey through the terminal that seemed like miles, was greeted with the politeness that I always associate with the UK. I was a nice change after being yelled at by jerks in the security lines back in LA. Already, so glad to get out of there.
So, Heathrow is huge and it took me almost the full 2 hours that separated our flights to get to Kendra´s terminal. When Kendra and I found each other, we exchanged some dollars for pounds (a painful procedure) and got on the tube to our hotel, very small (check out but very clean and smart. We had our first pub meal, fish and chips of course, accompanied by 2 large pints, then we went sight-seeing. Weather was great, just a slight chill, and we hopped on a double decker then toured london from high up. We ended the evening with a cool pub near Camden and ironically didn´t get into our bed until 2 am. If you´re not clubbing, however, London shuts down by midnight. We nearly stranded ourselves on the opposite side of town from Victoria where we stayed.
Next day we had an English breakfast at a nearby pub before heading off to Kew Gardens. Our time there was short but it was lovely. We got back to our hotel, grabbed our things, and headed to the new Stansted airport for our flight to Barcelona.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Last Blob for 572
I loved the coordination of 572/544. I really liked how deeply I was able to go in my project. As I created the plan for my instruction activities, I immediately got excited to create the necessary materials for instruction because I knew I had to make the time. If our 572 course had not been connected, I don't know that I would have spent the time to expand on the design document because life is typically busy and I can find 8 million other things to do. Also, my power points have significantly improved and I am very proud of what I am creating.
Because of the coordination, I really feel good about what I produced. I know I would not have spent this much time designing the instruction for video production if I weren't in these courses. Now, I know that next year I will be a much more dynamic teacher as a result. I can also carry over much of what I learned to other similar projects as the tools I found and created can be used for other videos. I am excited that some of my colleagues feel the same way and have asked to use my stuff for their projects. This is a huge compliment and I really feel that my instruction overall is improving due to this program. So many teachers get through a MA program just to earn more money. While this is a motivator for me, too, it is not the sole reason that I'm working on my MA. I also want to be the best teacher I can be. You only live once and as teachers we affect so many.
TJ and Terri, you were both a pleasure to work with and you really met the needs of individuals in the course--at least this one. Your flexibility, open-mindedness, and willing to call us to collaborate added a wonderful touch. Terri--you had some fantastic tips that really got me to think about my approach and inspired me to create more to cover the bases. For instance, you directed me to Escondido's Project Live site and the apple storyboard site which were both really helpful for my project.
Really, the only complaint I could launch is not at the instructors or the course content, just the scheduling. Due to my school site's schedule, Mondays are a really bad day for me. I could barely make it home on time to get online and the 10 minute break between classes was not ample enough for me to regroup after a long day. I liked classes on Wed. with a 30 min. break between so I can eat something, regroup, and know most of my week was through. Next fall our school goes late start and every day will be hectic, so a 30 min. break would be helpful.
All in all, great semester and much less stressful than learning Dreamweaver. Great job!
Because of the coordination, I really feel good about what I produced. I know I would not have spent this much time designing the instruction for video production if I weren't in these courses. Now, I know that next year I will be a much more dynamic teacher as a result. I can also carry over much of what I learned to other similar projects as the tools I found and created can be used for other videos. I am excited that some of my colleagues feel the same way and have asked to use my stuff for their projects. This is a huge compliment and I really feel that my instruction overall is improving due to this program. So many teachers get through a MA program just to earn more money. While this is a motivator for me, too, it is not the sole reason that I'm working on my MA. I also want to be the best teacher I can be. You only live once and as teachers we affect so many.
TJ and Terri, you were both a pleasure to work with and you really met the needs of individuals in the course--at least this one. Your flexibility, open-mindedness, and willing to call us to collaborate added a wonderful touch. Terri--you had some fantastic tips that really got me to think about my approach and inspired me to create more to cover the bases. For instance, you directed me to Escondido's Project Live site and the apple storyboard site which were both really helpful for my project.
Really, the only complaint I could launch is not at the instructors or the course content, just the scheduling. Due to my school site's schedule, Mondays are a really bad day for me. I could barely make it home on time to get online and the 10 minute break between classes was not ample enough for me to regroup after a long day. I liked classes on Wed. with a 30 min. break between so I can eat something, regroup, and know most of my week was through. Next fall our school goes late start and every day will be hectic, so a 30 min. break would be helpful.
All in all, great semester and much less stressful than learning Dreamweaver. Great job!
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Trade Hub of Constantinople
This is a video I created in which my students were experiencing how Constantinople was a trade hub. I filmed this so people could see how engaging and crazy I allow the class to get at times. Believe it or not, the students were completely under control, ENJOY-
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Reflections on New Technology
Response: Post a blog entry with your reflections about this class and the new tech tools you've been exposed to. You should be thinking about which tools to use for your Instructional Package. Please share these musings with me in a few paragraphs. I won't hold you to them just yet!
I am really enjoying all that I'm learning about Google and the tools available that I would not have otherwise known. My mind is racing with ideas of how to implement such technology in my class room and introducing it to my seventh grade students. Our network at school is set up so students can create folders that they can access so long as they're at our school (grades 6-8). The unfortunate thing is that they lose their work as soon as they leave our school. If we alternatively set them up with a gmail account and teach them about the possibilities we're learning about, then students can keep their work and work on their pieces in other locations, too. This is really key for my class. If I give students 1 class to complete an assignment and there are some students who need more time, then they would normally have to find a school computer on their own time. Now, they can continue their work from any computer with internet access.
I will be instructing students on creating videos of Feudal Japan. The first tool that will be really helpful in this process is googledocs. Students can write scripts and I can send comments for students to perfect. Then, they can consult with each other. Finally, we can upload storyboards. The video we complete at the end can be shared as a private video on teachertube. I love all this!!
I am really enjoying all that I'm learning about Google and the tools available that I would not have otherwise known. My mind is racing with ideas of how to implement such technology in my class room and introducing it to my seventh grade students. Our network at school is set up so students can create folders that they can access so long as they're at our school (grades 6-8). The unfortunate thing is that they lose their work as soon as they leave our school. If we alternatively set them up with a gmail account and teach them about the possibilities we're learning about, then students can keep their work and work on their pieces in other locations, too. This is really key for my class. If I give students 1 class to complete an assignment and there are some students who need more time, then they would normally have to find a school computer on their own time. Now, they can continue their work from any computer with internet access.
I will be instructing students on creating videos of Feudal Japan. The first tool that will be really helpful in this process is googledocs. Students can write scripts and I can send comments for students to perfect. Then, they can consult with each other. Finally, we can upload storyboards. The video we complete at the end can be shared as a private video on teachertube. I love all this!!
Friday, February 15, 2008
Thoughts on this tool
**Post your thoughts about these new tools and how you might use them to extend your knowledge or with your students
In response to this: I hope to engage students more by opening up lines of communication, improve writing skills, get more personal with them, and introduce them to new and useful technology tools all at the same time.
In response to this: I hope to engage students more by opening up lines of communication, improve writing skills, get more personal with them, and introduce them to new and useful technology tools all at the same time.
Here we go--
Alright my lovely students. When I received your feedback for my personal website and my moodle site, you mentioned that I should have a blog. Do you really want to get inside a teacher's mind? Here's your chance!!!
Thoughts from yesterday, February 14, 2008--Valentine's Day
1. Paper Scrolls were due for 3 out of 4 classes. I must say, after sorting the piles with help from such beautiful children like Brenda P., Teresa T., Edelin M., Franciso M., Carlos R., and Cinthya P., I realize how magnificent my student work is. Kudos to all the Leopard Sharks who spend a tremendous amount of time and effort on their work. I think we should host a day to judge who's is best and submit it to the district Art awards.
2. I'm excited to go to Catalina but I bummed more Leopard Sharks aren't going. I feel like the teachers weren't really included in the process and therefore we didn't really talk about it much.
3. Only bummer--I gave up a day off--yes, teachers like the holidays as much, if not more, than students.
4. Keep up to date on politics: We're down to 3 possible presidents--Obama, Clinton, McCain.
Who would you choose and why?
Thoughts from yesterday, February 14, 2008--Valentine's Day
1. Paper Scrolls were due for 3 out of 4 classes. I must say, after sorting the piles with help from such beautiful children like Brenda P., Teresa T., Edelin M., Franciso M., Carlos R., and Cinthya P., I realize how magnificent my student work is. Kudos to all the Leopard Sharks who spend a tremendous amount of time and effort on their work. I think we should host a day to judge who's is best and submit it to the district Art awards.
2. I'm excited to go to Catalina but I bummed more Leopard Sharks aren't going. I feel like the teachers weren't really included in the process and therefore we didn't really talk about it much.
3. Only bummer--I gave up a day off--yes, teachers like the holidays as much, if not more, than students.
4. Keep up to date on politics: We're down to 3 possible presidents--Obama, Clinton, McCain.
Who would you choose and why?
Blog-1
This is the first time I've ever used a blog. Life is pretty uneventful when working on a Master's degree with a full time teaching position. I love the new technology but trying to squeeze having a life in it all is tough. It's been many years since keeping a journal of sorts, not since I was traveling and feeling free. Hopefully this will get better with time:)
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