This week's tech task was to share our favorite idea from each of the three speakers in class on March 20th. As you can see, it is March 26th. I've been listening to the recording in bits and pieces, as I make supper, wash dishes, fold laundry, etc! That's the beauty of the flipped classroom- multitasking at its best!
Top Tip: Radio Programming- Heather Durnin
Heather was able to link her class with a free radio station called 105 The Hive. Her students produced shows featuring reader's theatre, speeches, and holiday programming. People from all over the world, including friends and relatives, were able to tune in. Radio is especially good for students whose oral expression is stronger than written expression.
I am not sure how to go about looking for free radio time/stations. A quick google search shows radio stations that you can listen to for free, but not produce for free. Anyone know of any?
Top Tip: Standing Stations- Royan Lee
Partly as a joke, Royan brought bar-height counters into his classroom to use as gathering places. To his surprise, students worked far more efficiently when they were standing as opposed to sitting.
I know that schools can order adjustable desks so that students can stand instead of sit. I believe that the more movement there is throughout the day, the better the students will learn. I am going to keep my eyes open on kijiji and at garage sales for furniture I can buy for my classroom!
Top Tip: Stalking in English- Clarence Fisher
Clarence chose three well-known educators and challenged his students to "stalk" them to try to find out as much as possible about these individuals (he asked permission beforehand). Students had two 90-minute periods to try to dig up as much information as possible. This exercise resulted in valuable observations about what kind of information responsible adults post online.
I am definitely going to try this if I have middle years or high school students. There can be a lot of anxiety around posting student information online. This activity shows students that it is possible to have a significant digital presence and still be safe.
Tuesday 26 March 2013
Tuesday 19 March 2013
Google Hangout
Murder mysteries... the Sahara desert... a plane crash in the Alps... what do they all have in common? Stories I'm reading by my friends at Major School! They are sharing their stories with me through google documents, and I'm using the chat and comment tools to give them feedback.
Recently I thought, "I'd like to learn how to use google hangout." And I thought "I'd like to share one of my stories with the students." Voila! An idea was born. We all got our google+ accounts up and running and scheduled a chat for this afternoon.
I read them one of my stories and gave them four questions:
-what did you like about the story?
-what would you change about the story?
-do you think I should make it longer, shorter, or was it just right?
-do you have any questions?
It was great to hear their feedback on my writing! I got some solid ideas for how to improve. Then I gave them some writing prompts and invited them to write another short story for next week.
I liked how the sharing and feedback was reciprocal. Hopefully, now that they have given me suggestions for improvement, they will apply the same principles to their own writing.
But I have some questions about google hangout...
If I want to start a hangout, do my google friends have to be online in order to accept the invitation? There were some students who I was friends with, but I couldn't figure out how to invite them to the chat. Any ideas what went wrong?
Thanks!
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8796961@N08/775368469/">_StaR_DusT_</a> via <a href="http://compfight.com">Compfight</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/">cc</a>
Recently I thought, "I'd like to learn how to use google hangout." And I thought "I'd like to share one of my stories with the students." Voila! An idea was born. We all got our google+ accounts up and running and scheduled a chat for this afternoon.
I read them one of my stories and gave them four questions:
-what did you like about the story?
-what would you change about the story?
-do you think I should make it longer, shorter, or was it just right?
-do you have any questions?
It was great to hear their feedback on my writing! I got some solid ideas for how to improve. Then I gave them some writing prompts and invited them to write another short story for next week.
I liked how the sharing and feedback was reciprocal. Hopefully, now that they have given me suggestions for improvement, they will apply the same principles to their own writing.
But I have some questions about google hangout...
If I want to start a hangout, do my google friends have to be online in order to accept the invitation? There were some students who I was friends with, but I couldn't figure out how to invite them to the chat. Any ideas what went wrong?
Thanks!
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8796961@N08/775368469/">_StaR_DusT_</a> via <a href="http://compfight.com">Compfight</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/">cc</a>
Thursday 14 March 2013
Where's Shannon?
Can you find me?
Yep, that's me, fourth picture from the left. That's actually the only trace of *me* that shows on a google search. A day ago, I would have been happy. My goal was to have the digital footprint of a cloud. But after listening to George Couros' talk on digital identity, I'm not so sure.
In his talk, George Couros said that if we don't take charge of our digital identity, someone else will. In his case, somebody had posted a negative review about him on ratemyteacher.com. That was at the top of a google search about himself, until he created a more active presence online. Today, if you google his name, the top results are his twitter account, blog, and other things that he has control over.
So I realized that by generating positive material about yourself online, you can overcome things that other people put up (i.e., that awkward photo of yourself from grade seven).
That's one advantage of creating a digital identity, but it's a defensive play. An even greater advantage to building digital identity is being a role model to students of what is appropriate. As Couros mentioned, some youngsters post the wrong things for the wrong reasons. They need to see a positive example.
Finally, I've been learning, that connections and relationships really do happen online. I was skeptical of this at first. But as I've been reading my classmate's blogs, I've noticed that I keep commenting on certain ones. People are emerging as thinkers and practitioners who I want to be in touch with, and when I noticed that google reader is retiring on July 1, my first thought was, "how am I going to keep up with my teacher blogs?"
So what do I want to see when I google myself? Well, a flattering picture, for starters ;) All joking aside, I'd like my name to be connected with initiatives that I am proud of. I'm imagining pictures of a community garden, an EAL class, a humorous essay, etc. I'd love to hear from people I've never met and people I've always wanted to meet. And that's not going to happen as long as I'm a digital cloud.
Yep, that's me, fourth picture from the left. That's actually the only trace of *me* that shows on a google search. A day ago, I would have been happy. My goal was to have the digital footprint of a cloud. But after listening to George Couros' talk on digital identity, I'm not so sure.
In his talk, George Couros said that if we don't take charge of our digital identity, someone else will. In his case, somebody had posted a negative review about him on ratemyteacher.com. That was at the top of a google search about himself, until he created a more active presence online. Today, if you google his name, the top results are his twitter account, blog, and other things that he has control over.
So I realized that by generating positive material about yourself online, you can overcome things that other people put up (i.e., that awkward photo of yourself from grade seven).
That's one advantage of creating a digital identity, but it's a defensive play. An even greater advantage to building digital identity is being a role model to students of what is appropriate. As Couros mentioned, some youngsters post the wrong things for the wrong reasons. They need to see a positive example.
Finally, I've been learning, that connections and relationships really do happen online. I was skeptical of this at first. But as I've been reading my classmate's blogs, I've noticed that I keep commenting on certain ones. People are emerging as thinkers and practitioners who I want to be in touch with, and when I noticed that google reader is retiring on July 1, my first thought was, "how am I going to keep up with my teacher blogs?"
So what do I want to see when I google myself? Well, a flattering picture, for starters ;) All joking aside, I'd like my name to be connected with initiatives that I am proud of. I'm imagining pictures of a community garden, an EAL class, a humorous essay, etc. I'd love to hear from people I've never met and people I've always wanted to meet. And that's not going to happen as long as I'm a digital cloud.
Learning from Differences
I played a game recently that surprised me! The gist of the game was that when you saw a word, like "wedding," you had a minute to write down as many words that you thought of. Everybody had a partner, and the pair that had the most words in common won the round. My sister was my partner, so I thought that we would dominate the game. After all, we've known each other for 24 years!
The word was ice cream. This should be easy, I thought, writing down vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, neopolitan, mint chocolate chip, and cookie dough.
To my shock, we only had two words in commons! She put vanilla, strawberry, tiger-tiger, butterscotch, and cotton candy.
As we kept playing, I realized again that people really do think very differently from each other.
I am appreciating more and more that in ECMP355, we get to share our work with each other, and that each person has a different twist on the tech tasks. I've learned (maybe selfishly) to wait a couple of days to do my tech tasks so that I can get some idea of how other people are doing them. I wish that in school we would have had more opportunities to share our work with classmates. I've learned a lot from you, my fellow ECMP friends. Thank you!
The word was ice cream. This should be easy, I thought, writing down vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, neopolitan, mint chocolate chip, and cookie dough.
To my shock, we only had two words in commons! She put vanilla, strawberry, tiger-tiger, butterscotch, and cotton candy.
As we kept playing, I realized again that people really do think very differently from each other.
I am appreciating more and more that in ECMP355, we get to share our work with each other, and that each person has a different twist on the tech tasks. I've learned (maybe selfishly) to wait a couple of days to do my tech tasks so that I can get some idea of how other people are doing them. I wish that in school we would have had more opportunities to share our work with classmates. I've learned a lot from you, my fellow ECMP friends. Thank you!
Photo Credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/24894289@N08/3269779650/">kern.justin</a> via <a href="http://compfight.com">Compfight</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">cc</a>
Thursday 7 March 2013
I don't have a cell phone
RU Serious?
Well, that's not exactly the truth. I borrow my mom's old phone for road trips. Last time I saw it, it was dead... with no minutes.... turned off... under the seat of my car.
What if you are in an emergency?
I agree that having a cell phone can be a big help in an emergency. When I moved to Regina four years ago, I wondered if I should get a phone to cope with life in the city. However, money was tight so I decided that if I was ever in an emergency, I would try to borrow someone else's phone. In four years, I've only needed to use someone's phone once for an emergency.
How do you keep in touch?
I check my email a lot, and have trained people not to text my land line.
WHY NOT?
When I walk down the street or through the halls at university, most people I see are looking at their cell phone. I feel like these people are missing out on the opportunity to experience the world that is around them. I know from past experiences that I could very easily use my phone to check out of my situation. It's a way of forcing me to engage with my surroundings, even if I'm feeling bored or awkward or lonely.
Will you get a phone in the future?
Yes. If I get a job that involves making a lot of contacts and meetings, I'll get a smart phone. Cell phones have tremendous potential for making life more efficient, and I'm not going to be stubborn about being cell-phone free. The days are coming (and some might argue are already here) when it won't be a viable option to not have a phone. But for the time being, being cell-phone free makes me feel like I'm on an extended holiday. It's not for everyone, but it works for me!
Here's an article by a self-proclaimed minimalist on the no-cell phone experience.
Well, that's not exactly the truth. I borrow my mom's old phone for road trips. Last time I saw it, it was dead... with no minutes.... turned off... under the seat of my car.
What if you are in an emergency?
I agree that having a cell phone can be a big help in an emergency. When I moved to Regina four years ago, I wondered if I should get a phone to cope with life in the city. However, money was tight so I decided that if I was ever in an emergency, I would try to borrow someone else's phone. In four years, I've only needed to use someone's phone once for an emergency.
How do you keep in touch?
I check my email a lot, and have trained people not to text my land line.
 |
| Recycled cell phone art from ecofriend.com |
WHY NOT?
When I walk down the street or through the halls at university, most people I see are looking at their cell phone. I feel like these people are missing out on the opportunity to experience the world that is around them. I know from past experiences that I could very easily use my phone to check out of my situation. It's a way of forcing me to engage with my surroundings, even if I'm feeling bored or awkward or lonely.
Will you get a phone in the future?
Yes. If I get a job that involves making a lot of contacts and meetings, I'll get a smart phone. Cell phones have tremendous potential for making life more efficient, and I'm not going to be stubborn about being cell-phone free. The days are coming (and some might argue are already here) when it won't be a viable option to not have a phone. But for the time being, being cell-phone free makes me feel like I'm on an extended holiday. It's not for everyone, but it works for me!
Here's an article by a self-proclaimed minimalist on the no-cell phone experience.
Tech Task #8: QR Codes
My imagination is going crazy with QR code ideas!
My first impulse was to tease my friends with it. Here's what that looks like:
The QR codes are links to a song and an online talk that I thought my friend would enjoy.
After sniffing around online, I found that some conventional uses for QR codes in the classroom are...
-promoting a blog or website
-doing a scavenger hunt
-scanning a qr code on a book to link to a website with trailers, extras, learning activities, etc
-including qr codes in newsletters for parents to scan
-providing a link to a google form or a trivia question
I have a few ideas of my own to add (I am probably not the first to think of them, but I came up with them myself):
Classroom Use:
-create a qr code and then replicate it using another medium (paint, pastel, found items, photo collage) for visual art
-use qr codes as a jumping-off point for a discussion about probablility. Explore if there is a limit to the number of qr codes that can be created. How does the number of characters in a qr code affect the way that it looks?
-create a qr code and then write one word in each black space to transform it into a poem
Other Random Ideas:
-paint a qr code on the back of a t-shirt. Wear the t-shirt to work or school and track how many times it was scanned throughout the day (www.trakqr.com)
-include a qr code on your business card with a link to your digital profile
-in a perfect world, all clothing companies would be linked with computer software so that customers could download their size and preferences in to an app, and then scan a clothes tag which would instatntly tell you whether the clothes would fit you! (read: no more fitting rooms!)
-revolutionize online dating: singles could create an online portfolio and tattoo the qr code to their forehead. People could unobtrusively scan the foreheads of people they see around town and then get information about them without having to actually start up a conversation. This last one is to see who's still reading :)
My first impulse was to tease my friends with it. Here's what that looks like:
The QR codes are links to a song and an online talk that I thought my friend would enjoy.
After sniffing around online, I found that some conventional uses for QR codes in the classroom are...
-promoting a blog or website
-doing a scavenger hunt
-scanning a qr code on a book to link to a website with trailers, extras, learning activities, etc
-including qr codes in newsletters for parents to scan
-providing a link to a google form or a trivia question
I have a few ideas of my own to add (I am probably not the first to think of them, but I came up with them myself):
Classroom Use:
-create a qr code and then replicate it using another medium (paint, pastel, found items, photo collage) for visual art
-use qr codes as a jumping-off point for a discussion about probablility. Explore if there is a limit to the number of qr codes that can be created. How does the number of characters in a qr code affect the way that it looks?
-create a qr code and then write one word in each black space to transform it into a poem
Other Random Ideas:
-paint a qr code on the back of a t-shirt. Wear the t-shirt to work or school and track how many times it was scanned throughout the day (www.trakqr.com)
-include a qr code on your business card with a link to your digital profile
-in a perfect world, all clothing companies would be linked with computer software so that customers could download their size and preferences in to an app, and then scan a clothes tag which would instatntly tell you whether the clothes would fit you! (read: no more fitting rooms!)
-revolutionize online dating: singles could create an online portfolio and tattoo the qr code to their forehead. People could unobtrusively scan the foreheads of people they see around town and then get information about them without having to actually start up a conversation. This last one is to see who's still reading :)
Monday 18 February 2013
Major Fun
For my mentoring assignment I was matched up with 9 delightful students in grade 7 and 8, and their teacher Mavis Hoffman. Inspired by our class on using google docs, I offered to help them revise short stories, using this tool! We're meeting every Tuesday afternoon. Each student has a netbook, so they work on their stories or other assignments while I read the stories and discuss (using the comment or chat feature) them with the author. Some observations:
-These students are the bright spot in my week. They're goofy, imaginative, and fun!
-Did I mention imaginative? I was amazed by their story plots... lost in the Sahara... plane crash in the mountains... fighting in the trenches.... a serial killer in small-town Saskatchewan...
-I'm trying to help my students learn how to revise their work independantly. For example, instead of going ahead and correcting spelling errors, I'm working with them to find spell check tools, as well as strategies to find the errors themselves
-I'm thinking of putting one of my stories on a google doc and having them help me revise it
I think this is truly going to be a reciprocal learning experience. While I am more knowledgable and experienced in writing, they are more advanced in using technology. It would be awesome to be able to stop by their class some time this semester!
Check out what they're doing!
@majortweeters
majortweeters.weebly.com
-These students are the bright spot in my week. They're goofy, imaginative, and fun!
-Did I mention imaginative? I was amazed by their story plots... lost in the Sahara... plane crash in the mountains... fighting in the trenches.... a serial killer in small-town Saskatchewan...
-I'm trying to help my students learn how to revise their work independantly. For example, instead of going ahead and correcting spelling errors, I'm working with them to find spell check tools, as well as strategies to find the errors themselves
-I'm thinking of putting one of my stories on a google doc and having them help me revise it
I think this is truly going to be a reciprocal learning experience. While I am more knowledgable and experienced in writing, they are more advanced in using technology. It would be awesome to be able to stop by their class some time this semester!
Check out what they're doing!
@majortweeters
majortweeters.weebly.com
All.About.Me
I’ve been thinking recently about how much of a digital
presence I want to have. A quick google search of my name comes up with an old
twitter profile and a profile of a researcher in California. Generally, I’ve
avoided putting anything online with my real name because (a) I don’t want to
put anything online that I would later regret and (b) I don’t want certain
people to find me. Case in point: I had a picture of myself holding a rifle and
somebody who heard about me from a co-worker found me on facebook and asked me
out for dinner and then commented on the picture. It was awkward.
I realize that everyone is on a continuum from “extremely
private” to “extremely open” on the internet. Some people worry that a stranger
will steal their personal information or stalk them. They never use their real
name for online accounts, and even their email address obscures their identity.
They never allow their child’s name or picture to appear online, either. Their
fear of being harmed keeps them from beneficial experiences and connections.
Other people use their name and picture unwisely. They use the
internet to vent or to chronicle their not-so smart escapades (i.e., the
Vancouver rioters). Their desire for attention gets them in trouble.
 |
| from www.cbc.ca |
The last category is aware that on the internet, their
audience is the world. They use the internet in a way that connects them with
good people and upholds their dignity. If there is something in their life they
don’t want everybody to see (their morning hair), they resist the urge to
upload it. If there is something they want to say that could get them in
trouble (my boss is a looney), they write it in a journal or tell a trustworthy
person. These people use the internet to display their work, to share ideas,
and to build relationships.
Any tool can hurt you, if you use it the wrong way. Try
stepping on a rake. The important thing is to use the tool wisely.
That bring me to this week’s tech task. We were to use
about.me to create an online directory of our blog, twitter, facebook, etc. I
found the website easy to use, and the results quite pleasing! However, my problem
is that I have never used my full name on my blog/twitter/facebook account.
Nobody could find the real me unless
I told them what my online identity is. And then they would already know me.
So do I want
to use the internet for people to find me? I prepared to invest the time into
maintain an online identity? Am I even interesting enough for people to follow? I'm not sure!
Saturday 9 February 2013
Tech Task #5 Storytelling and Creation
For this tech task, I decided to take the classic "Annual Letter" to a whole new level. I found 12 pictures, one from each month from 2012. Then I came up with delightful captions for each. My vision was to be able to share my stories from this year via a storytelling tool.
First, I picked the storytelling tools. This was a more challenging job than I anticipated...
Mixbook.com would have been great, if I wanted to pay for publishing.
OurStory.com would have been great, if I could get the photos to upload.
Glogster.com would have been great, if I could have figured out how to use their template.
Imageloop.com would have been great, if I had an iPhone
Two hours later, I began a Slideroll.com project. I was able to finish my project, but I was sorely dissapointed with the tool. It was impossible to delete or rearrange slides, edit the text, or add more than the most basic effects. If I were going to make a slideshow, I would use PowerPoint, save it as a PDF, and email it to my friends.
Here is my finished project from Slideroll.
By this point I was getting a little fed up with storytelling tools. However. I gave Wayfaring.com a go and I fared way better.
Take a look at a map of my journeys in 2012.
Wayfaring allows you to plot points on maps and tag the point with an address and a description. You can connect points together with "routes" (altho' the routes are "as the crow flies", not following roads). I was glad to experiment with this website, because it's a good way to bookmark places on a map for later reference. I'm planning a road trip to the sourthern States this summer, and Wayfaring is one option for how to plan for the trip. However, I wish that it was linked with google maps so that I could easily search for places.
I don't if I would use either of these storytelling tools in the classroom. They are both very limited in function in comparison with he time they would take to teach. I need to check out the other slideshow tools as well as Google maps, however, to see if there is a better alternative.
Photo Credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/88955553@N00/4423387852/">nettsu</a> via <a href="http://compfight.com">Compfight</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">cc</a>
First, I picked the storytelling tools. This was a more challenging job than I anticipated...
Mixbook.com would have been great, if I wanted to pay for publishing.
OurStory.com would have been great, if I could get the photos to upload.
Glogster.com would have been great, if I could have figured out how to use their template.
Imageloop.com would have been great, if I had an iPhone
 |
| This is how I felt |
Two hours later, I began a Slideroll.com project. I was able to finish my project, but I was sorely dissapointed with the tool. It was impossible to delete or rearrange slides, edit the text, or add more than the most basic effects. If I were going to make a slideshow, I would use PowerPoint, save it as a PDF, and email it to my friends.
Here is my finished project from Slideroll.
By this point I was getting a little fed up with storytelling tools. However. I gave Wayfaring.com a go and I fared way better.
Take a look at a map of my journeys in 2012.
Wayfaring allows you to plot points on maps and tag the point with an address and a description. You can connect points together with "routes" (altho' the routes are "as the crow flies", not following roads). I was glad to experiment with this website, because it's a good way to bookmark places on a map for later reference. I'm planning a road trip to the sourthern States this summer, and Wayfaring is one option for how to plan for the trip. However, I wish that it was linked with google maps so that I could easily search for places.
I don't if I would use either of these storytelling tools in the classroom. They are both very limited in function in comparison with he time they would take to teach. I need to check out the other slideshow tools as well as Google maps, however, to see if there is a better alternative.
Photo Credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/88955553@N00/4423387852/">nettsu</a> via <a href="http://compfight.com">Compfight</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">cc</a>
The Great Haiku DeathMatch
Every so often, I determine to read more poetry.
So I sign out a hefty volume such as "The Anthology of Atlantic Verse" (762 pgs).
Now I will be a cultured person, I think.
I read one poem and get bogged down in the imagery.
"Why don't people just say what they mean?" I wonder, and go read Stuart McLean.
So when my friend invited me to the Haiku DeathMatch, I was nonplussed. But I love my friend, so I said I'd come. Everyone was supposed to come with a haiku. So ten minutes before the even I googled "how to write a haiku." After getting the down-low (3 lines, 5 syllables/7syllables/5 syllables).
I looked around. I needed inspiration. My sister was vacuuming the stairs. I thought of how our neighbour had recently given us a vacuum cleaner (we had gone for a year without one in a household of four people with long hair) and my heart swelled with joy. Here was something I could truly put my soul into!
Snarled clods of hair
Dead skin cells a.k.a just
Obliterated
Done. I dashed for the door.
I had not spent more than 5 minutes at the Haiku DeathMatch when I found myself wishing I had put a little more thought into my contribution....
"Stars"
I gaze into the
crowded canvas of the sky
Where are you my love?
-Chris
"Puberty"
Before puberty,
I had a stu-u-u-ter
But now I speak clearly.
-Orion
Suffice to say, I did not win the Haiku DeathMatch. But after the event, I decided
Good idea, Fran.
More parties should be like this
All guests contribute
Creative events
Bring out the best in people
Hidden talents shine
Haiku are easy
difficult, bland, creative
You get to choose which.
So teachers out there,
Use haiku in your classroom
Unforgettable
Watch this video for more haiku info:
Photo Credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28167759@N00/3602655506/">howard.hall</a> via <a href="http://compfight.com">Compfight</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">cc</a>
So I sign out a hefty volume such as "The Anthology of Atlantic Verse" (762 pgs).
Now I will be a cultured person, I think.
I read one poem and get bogged down in the imagery.
"Why don't people just say what they mean?" I wonder, and go read Stuart McLean.
So when my friend invited me to the Haiku DeathMatch, I was nonplussed. But I love my friend, so I said I'd come. Everyone was supposed to come with a haiku. So ten minutes before the even I googled "how to write a haiku." After getting the down-low (3 lines, 5 syllables/7syllables/5 syllables).
I looked around. I needed inspiration. My sister was vacuuming the stairs. I thought of how our neighbour had recently given us a vacuum cleaner (we had gone for a year without one in a household of four people with long hair) and my heart swelled with joy. Here was something I could truly put my soul into!
Snarled clods of hair
Dead skin cells a.k.a just
Obliterated
Done. I dashed for the door.
I had not spent more than 5 minutes at the Haiku DeathMatch when I found myself wishing I had put a little more thought into my contribution....
"Stars"
I gaze into the
crowded canvas of the sky
Where are you my love?
-Chris
"Puberty"
Before puberty,
I had a stu-u-u-ter
But now I speak clearly.
-Orion
Suffice to say, I did not win the Haiku DeathMatch. But after the event, I decided
Good idea, Fran.
More parties should be like this
All guests contribute
Creative events
Bring out the best in people
Hidden talents shine
Haiku are easy
difficult, bland, creative
You get to choose which.
So teachers out there,
Use haiku in your classroom
Unforgettable
Watch this video for more haiku info:
Photo Credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28167759@N00/3602655506/">howard.hall</a> via <a href="http://compfight.com">Compfight</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">cc</a>
Thursday 7 February 2013
No One Knows He's the Boss
Everyone loves a good reality TV show. I'm currently on an Undercover Boss kick. Never heard of it? CEO's of major corporations go undercover in their own companies. They pretend to be contestants on a fake reality TV show called "Second Chances," where failed business owners try out new jobs and compete with other (fake) contestants for a cash prize. Wearing a sometimes-not-so-clever disguise, the CEO tries out four different jobs within the company. Usually, the CEO works one terrible and three fantastic employees. At the end of the show, the CEO calls all the workers to his corner office and reveals his true identity. Then s/he hands out rewards or "retraining" according to the performance of the employee.
It's crazy, but the show regularly makes me tear up! While undercover, the boss gets to know a bit about the employee's struggles and dreams. At the reveal, the CEO often gives the employees thousands of dollars for school/medical/travel expenses. He does things for the employees that they could never do for themselves. The workers always cry in shock and relief. "Nobody's ever done something like this for me before," they say, wiping their eyes. And then I go looking for the kleenex box.
Why so emotional? And why am I talking about this on a teaching blog?
1. I can't believe how hard people work in hard, thankless, low-paying jobs. I saw an episode where the janitor spent his own money on special cleaning products that were child-friendly. Some of the best attitudes come from people who pick garbage and clean toilets for a living. This makes me think about my own attitude toward teaching. Hey, teaching is hard work. BUT, I'm usally in a climate-controlled environment. I get to take breaks. I get to build relationships with people and see how my job makes a difference in someone else's life. And the salary is much higher than minimum wage!
2. Generosity is powerful. The families of my students may be struggling to keep a car running, pay medical expenses, or even buy food. While I can't give as much money as a CEO, there are many ways that I can give sacrificially to help people in my community. I would like families to know that I see their struggles and am on their side.
3. It reminds me how God sees my work and has compassion on me. He understands the long days, the frustrating moments, and the tough decisions. My work doesn't go unnoticed. He also gives me amazing gifts and opportunities that I could never orchastrate myself. It's said that God is the good shepherd. I would say he's also the good CEO.
PS: If you watch any episode, I would recommend Johnny Rockets. AJ is pretty much my favorite character ever.
 |
| from www.imdb.com |
It's crazy, but the show regularly makes me tear up! While undercover, the boss gets to know a bit about the employee's struggles and dreams. At the reveal, the CEO often gives the employees thousands of dollars for school/medical/travel expenses. He does things for the employees that they could never do for themselves. The workers always cry in shock and relief. "Nobody's ever done something like this for me before," they say, wiping their eyes. And then I go looking for the kleenex box.
 |
| from www.forbes.com |
Why so emotional? And why am I talking about this on a teaching blog?
1. I can't believe how hard people work in hard, thankless, low-paying jobs. I saw an episode where the janitor spent his own money on special cleaning products that were child-friendly. Some of the best attitudes come from people who pick garbage and clean toilets for a living. This makes me think about my own attitude toward teaching. Hey, teaching is hard work. BUT, I'm usally in a climate-controlled environment. I get to take breaks. I get to build relationships with people and see how my job makes a difference in someone else's life. And the salary is much higher than minimum wage!
2. Generosity is powerful. The families of my students may be struggling to keep a car running, pay medical expenses, or even buy food. While I can't give as much money as a CEO, there are many ways that I can give sacrificially to help people in my community. I would like families to know that I see their struggles and am on their side.
3. It reminds me how God sees my work and has compassion on me. He understands the long days, the frustrating moments, and the tough decisions. My work doesn't go unnoticed. He also gives me amazing gifts and opportunities that I could never orchastrate myself. It's said that God is the good shepherd. I would say he's also the good CEO.
PS: If you watch any episode, I would recommend Johnny Rockets. AJ is pretty much my favorite character ever.
Saturday 2 February 2013
Squacking
When I was a teenager, there was a huge maple tree outside my window. On sunny Saturday mornings, it was the Smitty's of the bird world. I would be trying to sleep, but their loud and persistent conversations eventually ousted me from bed.
When I participated in my first twitter chat on Thursday, I felt like one of those birds in the maple tree. Everyone was talking, and maybe someone was listening.
The twitter chat of choice was #langchat. Langchat happens every Thursday evening at 8 PM EST. Every week, the moderator poses a question relating to teaching... language! Surprise! I've been looking for more EAL folks to follow, so I was excited to tap into this community.
After some preliminary investigation, I signed up for this conversation using tweetchat.com. This is an app that filters your twitter feed through a specific hashtag, so that you can more easily follow the conversation. You can also select how often to refresh the page, so that you have time to read comments before new ones get added.
I have to say that my first experience using twitter chat was overwhelming. It was hard to tell how many people were talking, and it was equally hard to catch the drift of the conversation. There were about 4 sub-conversations happening in addition to the main topic (which was about the use of google translator in language classes). Also, I found that the conversation moved quickly. If I didn't respond instantly, the conversation would move on and my comment would no longer be relevant.
I think that I would enjoy a twitter chat more if there were fewer people talking, and if we stayed on-topic.
That being said, I was able to meet some like-minded people in the EAL world... some who I had already been following on twitter. I was pleased to see that there was a community on twitter that I could join.
I can see twitter chat being useful in the classroom as a kind of online penpal/chat room. Two (or more) classrooms could partner up and have a conversation about something they are both learning about (such as the Industrial Revolution in Social Studies). However, I think it would work best if there were 10 or fewer participants talking at once.
Even though #langchat didn't pan out, I'm interested in exploring some more twitter chat options. Maybe #Oilers or #Gardenchat.
Does anyone know of websites that have a listing of twitter chats by topic?
Photo Credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/37815745@N04/3691570871/">photogramma1</a> via <a href="http://compfight.com">Compfight</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">cc</a>
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| Add caption |
When I participated in my first twitter chat on Thursday, I felt like one of those birds in the maple tree. Everyone was talking, and maybe someone was listening.
The twitter chat of choice was #langchat. Langchat happens every Thursday evening at 8 PM EST. Every week, the moderator poses a question relating to teaching... language! Surprise! I've been looking for more EAL folks to follow, so I was excited to tap into this community.
After some preliminary investigation, I signed up for this conversation using tweetchat.com. This is an app that filters your twitter feed through a specific hashtag, so that you can more easily follow the conversation. You can also select how often to refresh the page, so that you have time to read comments before new ones get added.
 |
| www.favim.com |
I have to say that my first experience using twitter chat was overwhelming. It was hard to tell how many people were talking, and it was equally hard to catch the drift of the conversation. There were about 4 sub-conversations happening in addition to the main topic (which was about the use of google translator in language classes). Also, I found that the conversation moved quickly. If I didn't respond instantly, the conversation would move on and my comment would no longer be relevant.
I think that I would enjoy a twitter chat more if there were fewer people talking, and if we stayed on-topic.
That being said, I was able to meet some like-minded people in the EAL world... some who I had already been following on twitter. I was pleased to see that there was a community on twitter that I could join.
I can see twitter chat being useful in the classroom as a kind of online penpal/chat room. Two (or more) classrooms could partner up and have a conversation about something they are both learning about (such as the Industrial Revolution in Social Studies). However, I think it would work best if there were 10 or fewer participants talking at once.
Even though #langchat didn't pan out, I'm interested in exploring some more twitter chat options. Maybe #Oilers or #Gardenchat.
Does anyone know of websites that have a listing of twitter chats by topic?
Photo Credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/37815745@N04/3691570871/">photogramma1</a> via <a href="http://compfight.com">Compfight</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">cc</a>
Sprucin' Up the Blog
As you can see, we are learning about visual design in our blogs. In this blog, I will demonstrate how to transform a visually bland post into a more eye catching design.
Here's a sample post from a (cough) purely random blog I found online:
________________________________________________________________________________
WHERE IS THE BIKE MAN?
Our paths crossed three years ago, and I’ve been
searching for him ever since. Internet searches. Bank records. Telephone directories. Driving up and down
residential streets. But he’s vanished. I’m beginning to think he was actually
the Bike Angel.
Not everybody needs a bike angel, but young and
anxious and new to the big city, I certainly did. It had only taken me one bike
trip (through a thunderstorm) to realize that my beloved green bike from the
country was not going to cut it for city life. The lack of brakes was one thing.
The absence of a reflector and working gears was another. And my old fear of my
head splitting open like a ripe watermelon was more real than ever when I
realized that I didn’t have a helmet. All I knew was that I needed a complete
bike overhaul. My plan was to (a) abandon my bike in a city park for the poor to
glean and (b) acquire a new and improved bike through the miracle website,
usedeverywhere.com
__________________________________________________________________________________
As you can see, it's minimalistic to the core. No text formatting. No pictures. No videos. No links. A total commitment to text required. Let's try that again:
________________________________________________________________________________
WHERE IS THE BIKE MAN?
Our paths crossed three years ago, and I’ve been searching for him ever since. Internet searches. Bank records.Telephone directories. Driving up and down residential streets. But he’s vanished. I’m beginning to think he was actually the Bike Angel.
 |
| www.tatsandtags.com |
Not everybody needs a bike angel, but young and anxious and new to the big city, I certainly did. It had only taken me one bike trip (through a thunderstorm) to realize that my beloved green bike from the country was not going to cut it for city life. The lack of brakes was one thing. The absence of a reflector and working gears was another. And my old fear of my head splitting open like a ripe watermelon was more real than ever when I realized that I didn’t have a helmet.
All I knew was that I needed a complete bike overhaul. My plan was to (a) abandon my bike in a city park for the poor to glean and (b) acquire a new and improved bike through the miracle website, usedeverywhere.com
(for the rest of the story, click here)_______________________________________________________
Blogging gurus recommend including at least one picture/video and one link in every blog post. It's a quick job that makes a big difference in the readability of the text.
Happy blogging!
 |
| The author enjoying a spin on her "new" bike |
The moment when you realize...
Another six-word story.
I found this photo on compfight.com. It's a search tool for Flickr. This photo is listed under Creative Commons license.
Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/22490717@N02/2661318228/">archer10 (Dennis)</a> via <a href="http://compfight.com">Compfight</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">cc</a>
Sis
 |
| Photo by Kaylee McGillivray |
All Things Urgent, Important, and Seasonal
Happy Groundhog Day! I figured today was a fitting day to
take down the Christmas tree.
Actually, I think that January 7th is a much more fitting day for dismantling
all things Christmas.
So why am I still sweeping up plastic needles on the day
that the National Rodent shows his furry little face?
1. The Mid-Winter Jicker.
Our dad made up a holiday to celebrate the middle day of
winter- January 16th (with Nov 1 as the first day and March 31 as
the last). He borrowed a phrase from Dr. Seuss’ story I had Trouble in Getting to Sola Saloo. Every year, we throw some kind
of Mid-Winter Jicker party. Broomball on ice. Taffy-making. Decorating socks.
That kind of thing. And you can’t take down the Christmas tree until after the
Mid Winter Jicker.
 |
| MidWinter Jicker 2010. I'm reading the Dr. Seuss book that inspired the holiday. |
2. Life.
This was supposed to be my relaxing semester. You know, the
one where I go skating on the local rink between classes. Play guitar. Enjoy my
last semester of being a carefree student.
As it turned out, taking four classes and working part time
does not leave a lot of leisure time. I can hardly keep up with my dishes, let
alone go skating! I’m wondering, if I’m stressed
out now, how am I going to handle my first teaching job?
Then I remembered a little book that my mother (of 6
children) had. It’s called Tyranny of the Urgent by Charles Hummel. The gist of the book is that there is a regular tension between the things that are important and
the things that are urgent. And usually, urgent things squeeze out important
things.
 |
| from www.olivetree.com |
For example…
|
In the classroom…
|
Important
|
Not Important
|
|
Urgent (demand instant
attention)
|
A student has an allergic reaction and needs medical attention
|
You get an email saying that your library books are overdue.
|
|
Not Urgent (can wait)
|
You want to teach students how to use reading strategies.
|
You haven’t cleaned the gunk out of your computer keyboard in ages.
|
It’s easy to do the urgent/important things first and the nonurgent/unimportant
things last. But how can you choose between urgent/unimportant and
important/nonurgent?
For example, what if you’re in the middle of teaching those
reading strategies and somebody knocks on the door? It’s students from the
grade 8 class selling candygrams. It’s urgent- Valentine’s Day won’t wait
forever. But relatively unimportant. Yet, nobody wants to be the Valentine
Grinch. What to do?
Teachers are constantly faced with choices about priorities.
It’s hard to say no to urgent/unimportant things. However, I believe that teachers
need to work hard at saying yes to important things, even if they’re not
urgent.
So. If Valentine’s Day rolls around and the Christmas
decorations are still up, don’t sweat it. You’re probably doing something
important.
Saturday 26 January 2013
Tech Task #3: The Search Begins
"What's your favorite kind of music?" my friend David asks around a cheese sandwich. We are roadtripping across the prairies, listening to an old Steve Bell tape. The tape player on the Taurus cuts out every 30 seconds. Every few minutes it goes completely beserk with static, then resumes playing. That was annoying for the first 2 hours, but by now I've gotten used to it.
"I like mellow stuff. Piano. Violin. That kind of thing."
"Oh really?" he is nonplussed, but polite.
"What do you like?"
"I'm more into rap and electronica."
"Hm." I am similarily disenchanted.
Fast forward 3 hours... David finds a playlist of 25 most played songs, and we blast it through the defective sound system. True to form, the first song was quintessential rap/electronica... followed by 24 definitively mellow tunes.
"Don't like mellow songs, eh?" I tease him.
David laughs (that's why we're friends. he always sees the humor in the situation).
"I guess I like them more than I thought. Wouldn't it be funny to see a playlist for other parts of life, like '25 most told stories' or '25 most eaten foods?' "
I tell this little tale because it's a concept I've been chewing on recently. How much of what we believe about ourselves is true? What would it be like to have a computer data printout about our real likes, dislikes, habits, etc?
For example, who (out of 6 billion people out there) could really be my best friend? Is it someone in Bangledesh? Old? Opposite gender? One thing I'm sure of: I'm sure the answer would surprise me. And I'm sure I could never pick him/her out based on my own intelligence.
I thought of this again as I searched for bloggers and twitter users to follow. It's like looking for an earring clasp on the beach. Somewhere out there are people who are blogging/tweeting about things I would be FASCINATED by, and I don't know how to find them!
But. I have a theory about finding kindred spirits online. First, find people in your area of interest. And follow them. Pay attention to who's following them. And follow them. And so on. The first blogs you follow may not be the ones you keep following, but at the very least they are clues that lead you to new networks.
So here are the fruits of my blog-finding labour today:
http://leoxicon.blogspot.ca/ ... teaching EAL from a lexical viewpoint. Some of his principles challenge my methods of teaching language. It's good to re-assess one's presumptions about teaching every so often!
http://flipyourclassroom.blogspot.ca/ ... flipped pedagogy. This one caught my eye because of the reference in Dean's first class about "flipped classrooms." It's a highly visual style of blogging, which really catches my attention!
www.thefirstgradeparade.blogspot.com/... I found this one last fall while I was interning in grade 1, but decided to add it to google reader today. My favorite feature is the plethora of writing and math instructional strategies!
I chose one about teaching EAL, one about technology in the classroom, and another about teaching primary grades. Basically, I've started three "mine shafts" to start excavating. Here's the exciting part (to me): I discovered the power of using twitter! A basic google search on "EAL blogs" profited me nothing. So I jumped on twitter and searched with some hashtags: #tesol, #esl, #tesl and discovered a whole host of people! I am now following... ahem... 38 people! That's a start! I've tapped into a network of ESL/literacy professionals from Alberta. The challenge now is to devote some time every day to keeping up with google reader and expanding my twitter network.
What are your favorite education blogs?
"I like mellow stuff. Piano. Violin. That kind of thing."
"Oh really?" he is nonplussed, but polite.
"What do you like?"
"I'm more into rap and electronica."
"Hm." I am similarily disenchanted.
Fast forward 3 hours... David finds a playlist of 25 most played songs, and we blast it through the defective sound system. True to form, the first song was quintessential rap/electronica... followed by 24 definitively mellow tunes.
"Don't like mellow songs, eh?" I tease him.
David laughs (that's why we're friends. he always sees the humor in the situation).
"I guess I like them more than I thought. Wouldn't it be funny to see a playlist for other parts of life, like '25 most told stories' or '25 most eaten foods?' "
I tell this little tale because it's a concept I've been chewing on recently. How much of what we believe about ourselves is true? What would it be like to have a computer data printout about our real likes, dislikes, habits, etc?
For example, who (out of 6 billion people out there) could really be my best friend? Is it someone in Bangledesh? Old? Opposite gender? One thing I'm sure of: I'm sure the answer would surprise me. And I'm sure I could never pick him/her out based on my own intelligence.
I thought of this again as I searched for bloggers and twitter users to follow. It's like looking for an earring clasp on the beach. Somewhere out there are people who are blogging/tweeting about things I would be FASCINATED by, and I don't know how to find them!
But. I have a theory about finding kindred spirits online. First, find people in your area of interest. And follow them. Pay attention to who's following them. And follow them. And so on. The first blogs you follow may not be the ones you keep following, but at the very least they are clues that lead you to new networks.
 |
| from www.toptenreviews.com |
So here are the fruits of my blog-finding labour today:
http://leoxicon.blogspot.ca/ ... teaching EAL from a lexical viewpoint. Some of his principles challenge my methods of teaching language. It's good to re-assess one's presumptions about teaching every so often!
http://flipyourclassroom.blogspot.ca/ ... flipped pedagogy. This one caught my eye because of the reference in Dean's first class about "flipped classrooms." It's a highly visual style of blogging, which really catches my attention!
www.thefirstgradeparade.blogspot.com/... I found this one last fall while I was interning in grade 1, but decided to add it to google reader today. My favorite feature is the plethora of writing and math instructional strategies!
I chose one about teaching EAL, one about technology in the classroom, and another about teaching primary grades. Basically, I've started three "mine shafts" to start excavating. Here's the exciting part (to me): I discovered the power of using twitter! A basic google search on "EAL blogs" profited me nothing. So I jumped on twitter and searched with some hashtags: #tesol, #esl, #tesl and discovered a whole host of people! I am now following... ahem... 38 people! That's a start! I've tapped into a network of ESL/literacy professionals from Alberta. The challenge now is to devote some time every day to keeping up with google reader and expanding my twitter network.
What are your favorite education blogs?
Monday 21 January 2013
The Results are In!
The results are in! The question was:
Would you rather...
...sleep in a tent on the Alaskan tundra, knowing that there is a grizzly bear with her cubs close by
Total responses: 16
Grizzly bear fighters: 11
Criminal combatants: 5
...and WHY?
Would you rather...
...sleep in a tent on the Alaskan tundra, knowing that there is a grizzly bear with her cubs close by
-OR-
...sleep in a tent in your backyard, knowing that there is an armed criminal within 2 blocks of your tent?
Total responses: 16
Grizzly bear fighters: 11
Criminal combatants: 5
...and WHY?
"It could be easier to stay away from the bears and
stay warm in the tent, than get caught in the crossfire of a convict with a gun
and police with guns.”
That I trust a grizzly bear verse an escaped convict. I
chose his answer because a grizzly bear with her cubs will only attack if
provoked... an escaped convict is a lot more dangerous because they can “snap”
whenever.
I'd rather deal with a person because they can be psychologically manipulated.
I would pick option one because a lot of the time I like
animals instead of people. Animals kill
out of protective instinct, so as long as I stayed in my tent and kept all of
my food in my tent, there would be a greater chance of survival with the bears
vrs the convict with the gun in my opinion...hmm, maybe I prefer the safest
route instead of danger. Also, bears are
cute! (but keep your distance!)
I think that escaped convicts usually have scores to settle,
and wouldn't be out for random crimes. However a Grizzly bear would be curious
and territorial...
I distance myself from what I fear.
...that I prefer to be mauled naturally, rather than
maliciously. The bear would be doing something admirable, after all, even if I
don't see it that way at the time.
If I'm going to die at least Alaska is somewhere cool! I
feel like the bear might leave me alone if I respect her territory but you
never know what the mind of an ex con is like .
Animals act on instinct, while people are crazy. So long as
I have no food in my tent and do not place myself between the mother and her
cubs, I should be perfectly fine. She is most likely to steer clear. The
convict is most likely making decisions from a place of desperation making him
far less predictable.
It's less of a risk.
I'd rather die while having an adventure than to die at
home.
"It would seem to say that I tend to analyze situations
objectively (at least, when I am not in the situation and given time to
think).
In my backyard I am close to people who could assist me or
call for help as well as objects that I can use to defend myself or hide
behind. On a tundra, there isn't much I
can do to outrun a bear or hide my scent.
There also isn't any reasoning with a hungry bear and her cubs!"
A little post-script for my fellow teachers:
I made this handy survey using Google docs. You'll need a google account, and then go to "google documents" site, click "New" and choose "document." It's pretty straightforward to create a survey/quiz. ONLY make sure that you select "Edit Confirmation- show results" if you want them to be public- you can't go back and show them later, as far as I can tell.
Some uses in the classroom:
-"exit" slip
-reading response
-anonymous class vote
-survey to get to know your students better
-"Dear Abbey" column
Saturday 19 January 2013
Thursday 17 January 2013
How Freddy's Rescue Roundup Changed my Life
 |
| www.en.wikipedia.org |
My name’s Shannon, and I’m a video game addict. That might
come as a surprise to my friends. But it’s true. Ever since I discovered Wagon
Trail to Oregon in grade 1, I’ve been mesmerized by the blinking lights, the virtual
reality, and the thrill of victory. We didn’t have a computer or video games in
our home growing up, so I drove my friends crazy by playing theirs nonstop.
Enter Kindly Old Neighbour who gave us his old 1984 Compaq
with… drum roll… Freddy’s Rescue Roundup! It was a match made in heaven. I
devoted the better part of grade 6 to mastering all 25 levels.
It all came to a head one New Year’s Eve. I was at the
climax of a year-long quest to pass level 24, and my family wanted to play
Scrabble. Of all foolish games. Of course, I excused myself. For two hours I listened
to laughter and voices float upstairs to where I was holed up with the Compaq.
Finally, by the end of the evening I was rewarded by the
psychedelic purple and blue screen announcing that I, Shannon, had graduated
from Freddy’s Rescue Roundup. But instead of pride, I felt let down. Suddenly,
it didn’t feel like such an achievement to win the game. As I thought about it,
I regretted all the time I spent with Freddy instead of with people. I realized
that I was the kind of person who could let video games become the Great Fact
in my life. So I made a decision: no more video games.
I’ve never regretted that decision, but I see the same
compulsive tendencies with other technologies- like email. How often does the average person check their email? I probably check mine 12 times a day. Throw
in Pinterest, Facebook, blogs, news, YouTube… and it adds up to a lot of screen
time. When I go home to my mom and dad’s farm (who don’t have internet), I’m
surprised by how much more “time” there is.
So. I’m looking for balance. I want to keep touch with what’s
happening online, and I want to play shinny at the rink. I want to use social
networking for my professional development, and I want to volunteer at my
church. In the past, I’ve over-done some things and over-avoided others. Any
ideas on how to strike a balance?
In the meantime, my fellow country music fans, enjoy PaulBrandt’s take on this subject:
| www.calgaryherald.com |
Friday 11 January 2013
Tech Task #1: Hello ECMP355!
Hi friends,
Welcome to my teaching blog/online portfolio! I chose blogspot because it is linked with my gmail account, and I already have a blogspot blog (how many times can I use that word in a sentence? Say blogspot 7 times fast!). It's fun to customize blogs, but I'm always aware of how much better it could look if I had the help of a designer! I like to read blogs that have a clean, uncluttered layout, so I tried to keep mine simple.
I've spent most of the morning creating my blog, setting up my twitter account, writing the first blog post, and making my intro video. This isn't my favorite way to pass the time, but I hope that soon I can start the interesting part of social networking- meeting people!
Welcome to my teaching blog/online portfolio! I chose blogspot because it is linked with my gmail account, and I already have a blogspot blog (how many times can I use that word in a sentence? Say blogspot 7 times fast!). It's fun to customize blogs, but I'm always aware of how much better it could look if I had the help of a designer! I like to read blogs that have a clean, uncluttered layout, so I tried to keep mine simple.
I've spent most of the morning creating my blog, setting up my twitter account, writing the first blog post, and making my intro video. This isn't my favorite way to pass the time, but I hope that soon I can start the interesting part of social networking- meeting people!
So What's Your Teaching Experience?
There are a couple of ways to answer that question. Do you mean "what teaching jobs have you had in the past?" or "what has your teaching experience been like?"
I'll answer both!
My past teaching jobs:
Age 9.... smuggled paper outside during recess to show classmates how to make paper fortune tellers
Age 16... morphed from a drama to a leather tooling teacher as needed at Bible Camp.
Age 17... created epic flannelgraph scenes for Bible stories in Sunday School
Age 20... led ESL students through the wild and wonderful world of the present perfect tense, among other things
Age 21... travelled to a middle eastern country; taught refugees from a restricted nation how to make Valentine's Day cards
Age 23... helped a middle-aged student with an acquired brain injury study quadratic equations for her GED
Age 24... taught Mom how to use a laptop computer
Age 25... helped grade one students discover why bats hang from ceilings and how to run faster
My experience of teaching has been...
Varied: From toddlers to seniors, from English to crafts, in rural and urban settings, for pay or volunteering, there have been so many opportunities to teach!
Stretching: I have often felt very young, inexperienced, and overwhelmed. In these moments I've wished that I could jump ship and take a job as a delivery truck driver (or a similar job that *appears* to be less challenging).
Humbling: Sometimes I ride impressive waves of success and other times I get washed up on shore with seaweed wrapped around my ear. I'm learning that it's okay to be a 6/10 teacher some days. I'll never be perfect.
Fun: People are funny, and when you work with lots of people all day long, you're guarenteed to come home with at least one great story per day.
My teaching experiences have not all been walks in the park while snacking on marachino cherries. I've learned hard lessons about myself, about relationships, and about perserverance and suffering. But all my experiences, whether difficult or enjoyable, have developed my character and faith. Teaching isn't always where I want to be, but I believe it's the vocation I've been called to- both for my good and the good of others!
I'll answer both!
My past teaching jobs:
Age 9.... smuggled paper outside during recess to show classmates how to make paper fortune tellers
Age 16... morphed from a drama to a leather tooling teacher as needed at Bible Camp.
Age 17... created epic flannelgraph scenes for Bible stories in Sunday School
Age 20... led ESL students through the wild and wonderful world of the present perfect tense, among other things
Age 21... travelled to a middle eastern country; taught refugees from a restricted nation how to make Valentine's Day cards
Age 23... helped a middle-aged student with an acquired brain injury study quadratic equations for her GED
Age 24... taught Mom how to use a laptop computer
Age 25... helped grade one students discover why bats hang from ceilings and how to run faster
My experience of teaching has been...
Varied: From toddlers to seniors, from English to crafts, in rural and urban settings, for pay or volunteering, there have been so many opportunities to teach!
Stretching: I have often felt very young, inexperienced, and overwhelmed. In these moments I've wished that I could jump ship and take a job as a delivery truck driver (or a similar job that *appears* to be less challenging).
Humbling: Sometimes I ride impressive waves of success and other times I get washed up on shore with seaweed wrapped around my ear. I'm learning that it's okay to be a 6/10 teacher some days. I'll never be perfect.
Fun: People are funny, and when you work with lots of people all day long, you're guarenteed to come home with at least one great story per day.
My teaching experiences have not all been walks in the park while snacking on marachino cherries. I've learned hard lessons about myself, about relationships, and about perserverance and suffering. But all my experiences, whether difficult or enjoyable, have developed my character and faith. Teaching isn't always where I want to be, but I believe it's the vocation I've been called to- both for my good and the good of others!
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