That's Some Silly Corn

The Future of Books

2011-03-09T13:13:00.000-05:00

I own about 700 books. These books range from children picture books to how to books, and educational books. I love having a personal library or as I see it, my very own bookstore. Some of the books I've had since childhood, some I bought, some were gifts, and some were freebies.

Now you can purchase ebooks. I think ebooks are great, especially if you're traveling, and some of the children picture ebooks are more interactive than a normal book, but normal books should not be forgotten. I don't think they will, at least I hope not, and if they do I'm sure it won't happen for a long time...right? Just think how quickly technology has changed how we do things. It is standard now that everyone has a cell phone and a tv. Many households have a computer, but not all. How soon will ebooks replace books?

How soon will schools start purchasing etextbooks for students? That could be really helpful-if publishers have minor updates to the text changes could easily be fixed and newer versions shouldn't cost as much, it would cut down on costs (not having to replace the text) and it would reduce paper consumption, but jobs would be lost. Schools could just add an ereader to the supply list. How long do you think it will take, if ever?

What about public libraries, and school libraries? How will they be effected? Already the catalog system has changed over to computers. How many of you remember filtering through cards in drawers to find the library book you wanted? What other things do you think will be effected?

Report Cards for Parents

2011-03-01T11:21:00.000-05:00

A Florida State Representative has proposed a bill that would require teachers to grade parents. I have mixed feelings about this. I agree with teachers' concerns that having report cards for parents adds to the already overloaded workload of the teacher, but I really like the what State Rep. Kelli Starge says in the video, "Teachers are being accountable. We're holding students accountable. We're holding administrators accountable. This is basically the missing link."

Woo-hoo! At least someone is trying to find a way to hold parents accountable too. As I said in a previous post, "What about the parents!?!?" Parents (typically but not in all situations) are the constant in a child's life; ultimately it is the parent that set the standard for what is or isn't acceptable (not just in school but in life).

The suggested report card would grade parents on four areas: homework, attendance, good night's sleep, and the parent's communication with the teacher. More work? Yes. But not too much. Usually when you are filling out a student's report card you consider these things; attendance is usually on every report card as well as a section that asks the teacher to grade students on if they come prepared for class-meaning did the student complete their homework, do they have everything they need, are they well rested. That's three of the four right there.

My only complaint is the homework section. Some teachers give out way too much homework that is not realistic (see my post about homework). I think that all teachers should tell parents an appropriate time that students should spend on homework (for me that was 30 minutes to an hour on each assignment sent home, math and reading). If a parent notices their child spending more time than that they should stop their child and write the teacher a note (because after an hour working on something you are no longer productive and most likely just getting frustrated). This way I can do my job and help the student with areas they are struggling in. If this becomes the standard teachers could easily complete a report card for parents, capturing homework completion and communication.

This is an interesting idea and I'm glad someone is trying to figure out a way to hold parents accountable. I can see parents getting upset thinking they are being critiqued on parenting skills, but this report card does not grade parenting skills it grades parent involvement, things any parent can do to help their child in school (which some parents really need). Basically this is another document that teachers can use to let parents know how their child is doing in school and targeting things all parents can do to help their child.

Check out these videos:

Lawmaker wants to grade parents: MyFoxTAMPABAY.com

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Also check out change.org's report, parentdish's report, and a parental involvement report card by Project Appleseed.

Apps for Teachers

2011-02-24T12:48:00.000-05:00

TeacherPal is one of the best apps I've seen for teachers that is available on the iPad, iPhone, and iPod. This program is geared more for middle school and high school teachers but could be used by elementary teachers.

TeacherPal allows you to create as many classrooms as you want. For an elementary teacher I would use each classroom as a different subject matter (i.e. science, math, reading, writing, health, social studies). Once you enter the title you can add a description and a picture. The program offers six pictures, but you have the option to add one of your own photos.

Once you've created the class you can start to add students. When you add a student there are fields for the student's first and last name, email, parent's email and phone number. I wish there was a field for the parent's name and the option to add multiple phone numbers and emails. As of now you can only enter one phone number and one email for the student and parent. You can also assign a picture of the student to their file. This feature is very helpful for teachers who have many students and for teachers to see that they are thinking about the correct student. (and if you're school used this program guest teachers {substitutes} would be able to take accurate notes on students. See below for school use)

You can view the students in alphabetic order or you can view the students based on the seating arrangements.

To create your seating chart simply touch the chair in the top left of the screen, then hold down on a student's photo until it starts to wiggle. Then you can drag the photo to the desired location.

Attendance is easy to take. Simply select "Attendance" on the bottom of the screen, click a student's picture, which dims meaning they are absent. In this photo Student C and Student R are dimmed

You can change the date if you need to and the period. Although changing the period does not make sense to me because in high school you have different students for each class period and for elementary school you'd want to use different classes for each subject and you are not able to change the grades or assignments for each period. Basically the period feature of this app is a waste.

Later when you select a student you can view their personal info, attendance, behavior, and grades. If you need to contact a parent simply select the student, personal info, then the parent's email address and an email window pops up. You can write the email immediately (then you can send it or save it as a draft).

In the "Grades" section you can add assignments. For each assignment you can enter a title, description, date, weight, and maximum grade.

Now when you look at your class each student has a bar next to their photo. This bar provides a visual for students grades in the class. A full bar is 100%. Notice that the students that have a 50% or lower grade have a red exclamation point next to their picture.

In the settings you can change the warning level to a percentage of your choice. You can also configure grade levels, number of periods for each class, and maximum absences in the settings. In this picture I changed the percentage to 70% and the absences to 5. Student C has a full bar, but has missed class 5+ times.

The behaviors feature needs some work. As of now you can enter a behavior and select a thumbs up or down, or a clipboard. I'm not sure what the clipboard is supposed to represent. When you look at the student's profile, the behavior section says, "0 negative incident(s) from a total of 0 incident(s)." This makes it seem like behaviors are only bad, but some behaviors are good. I would like to see TeacherPal improve this function so that teachers can take more anecdotal notes related to all behaviors not just "incident(s)."

There is a button in the bottom right, "sync," this button takes you to a screen suggesting the awesome features this program has if your school uses this program. Attendance would be easy to submit every morning/period/fire drill. Once you take attendance click sync and the information is sent to the office. Grades and behavior notes are also sent so if a parent calls the principal, he/she can easily look it up. And wouldn't it be great if they had this set up for report cards! Gosh that would make bubbling so much easier. Unfortunately, I cannot find out how much it would cost a school to commit to this program.

For those interested in using this program on their own there is an option to export the class data to your iTunes or email.

TeacherPal has a facebook page. One of the comments here asks if TeacherPal could develop a grading system based on standards. That would be very helpful, but difficult to do because every state and county has different standards. Although I'm sure that if the school/county pays for this app, they could negotiate such a deal.

Overall I'd say TeacherPal is a useful program and I would (and will) tell fellow teachers about this app (when I downloaded TeacherPal it was free, not sure how long that will last). It takes a while to set up, but well worth it.

If you do plan on using this app take some time to make a practice class so that you understand and get comfortable with all of the features before you start using it in the classroom. I made a few mistakes while setting up my practice class that would have really upset me if I was using it in the classroom already.

Spring Cleaning

2011-02-23T11:40:00.000-05:00

Do you ever feel that you just don't like the way your office/home is set up and want to change it? Well that's how I felt so I rearranged my home office space and front room. I think I go through this phase at least four times a year, and I would also do the same in my classroom. Sometimes I switch things back after testing them out for a month or so, or I make modifications to my new arrangement.

I think that the term "spring cleaning" was thought up by a person that just wanted to switch things up. I wonder how many people feel and do what I do, and how many use the same set up every time. I moved around growing up, and I always wondered what it would be like for someone to live in the same house since they were born. I think I would be moving stuff around my house like crazy. (Please post a comment if this applies to you)

During my 'spring cleaning' phase I also get rid of everything I don't use on a consistent basis (with the exception of holiday decorations or fancy dresses). I know there are some clothes in my closet that I refuse to wear, so I get rid of them. This applies to everything in my possession. My husband does this as well, but not to the drastic extent that I do. So he fussed at me a few time to keep some things, but I just feel that if you don't use it then it's a waste of space and one more thing you have to clean and keep up with. I wouldn't say I'm a minimalist, but gosh darn close. Anyone else feel this way?

Delicious Library 2 Update

2011-02-16T11:06:00.000-05:00

A while ago I posted about a program, Delicious Library. This program is used to inventory books, movies, software, video games, toys, gadgets, tools and apparel. I absolutely love this program (for Macs only). It's very easy to use and uses graphics to help you identify your property. If you loan something out to a friend you simply create a profile for your friend, then click and drag the item they are borrowing to their name. You can publish your list to a website or export your library to an excel document. This can also be helpful if you loose some of these items in a move/flood/fire/theft.

Using this program in the classroom is ideal because it allows you to see which students have what books, how much that book costs (if lost), a description of the book along with other books you may like, and uses pictures, titles, creators to identify the book.

I made a friend titled 'Classroom' so that I knew which items I brought with me and should take home at the end of the year. If I lent out supplies to a fellow teacher I could simply add them as a friend so that I know where my materials are going (as any teacher can tell you this can be really helpful). My computer now has a camera so it's really easy to add new items by simply scanning the barcode. No camera? Type in the ISBN, or title. Can't find the item you're trying to add, simply add a blank book/movie/etc. and add your own details. Don't like the picture assigned to the object, simply search the web for the one you want, drag and drop the new image over the old, and done. My students loved using this application. It allowed them time to use technology, practice typing, problem solve, and be responsible. Even my low level readers could use this program because of the graphics.

Delicious Library is currently on sale for $30. So if you weren't sure about buying it before definitely check it out now!

No!!! It's a...

2011-02-14T11:47:00.000-05:00

Antoinette Portis wrote a book titled, "Not a Box." This book is super cute and captures the mindset of children before we put parameters on their imagination. This is a great book to read with kids! Children can make predictions on what the box might be (maybe they'll come up with something not mentioned in the book), and they can start to recognize patterns/words (because every other page the bunny says, "It's not a box"). This is also a book that once you read it with your child a few times you may see them pick the book up and read it to themselves. This book is also a great reminder to adolescents and adults to think out and inside of the box (pun intended).

A superfantasic, totally cool, 'wish I had one of those when I was little' is the bilibo. This object is shaped like half of a turtle shell. Parents would always ask me, "Why would anyone want that?" Are you crazy! Who wouldn't want one. These things are awesome. It allows you to use your imagination to do anything you want with it. You could pretend to be a turtle, an alien, an adventurer, a bug. You could use it in the pool, down a snowy slope, in the sand box, with the snow, to dig, to throw, to build, the possibilities are limited only by your imagination. Haven't you ever seen kids playing with the box. They usually passover what's inside and have more fun with the box.

If you've never heard of either of these things check them out!

Well That Just Makes Sense

2011-02-10T11:08:00.007-05:00

There is man, Sir Ken Robinson, who has a lot of great ideas about education today. If you've never heard of him I highly recommend that you check him out. Most of the things he says seem like basic common sense.

I especially agreed with his comments questioning why kids should be motivated to go to school. Not so long ago, if you wanted to do well in life you had to finish high school and continue on to college. Now everyone's been to college so it's expected. The next thing you have to get is a Master's degree...Well what happens when that becomes the norm? What is the motivator to finish school? Or go to college? Especially when the end seems to be no where in sight?

Sir Ken Robinson also has some very interesting ideas about creativity. Hopefully his ideas are not only heard, but acted upon.

Three things parents can do to help their children in life and in school

2011-02-09T12:14:00.016-05:00

I moved about a year ago and in doing so left teaching behind. Some days I really miss teaching, I mean really really really miss it. But other days when I think about all the report cards, school meetings, extra classes, and now all the slack teachers get about, "US students are behind in almost every subject because of teachers, they must the reason students are failing," I don't miss it at all.

I agree with many others who ask, "What about the parents!?!?" Because when you think about it teachers come and go every year, but parents are around for a lifetime. Teachers cannot be held accountable for what happens before school, after school and when school is out.

How many parents take time to have a conversation with their child about anything? How many parents spend 10+ minutes reading to their kids? How many parents take their kids to museums and talk to them about the exhibits (not just, "oh wow look at that")?

One interesting article discusses play at home, causes for why kids don't play at home, and why play is so important. Having a child is a lot of responsibility and not all children are self-motivated to learn and achieve. Based on my teaching experience and education there are (at the very minimum) three things parents can do to set their child up for success:

1) Read to/with your child at least an hour a day and discuss what you're reading. This hour doesn't have to be in one sitting, and you don't have to always be reading a book. You could read a recipe, comic book, newspaper, magazine, online article, email, picture book, etc. Most importantly talk about it! Don't just read it and put it away! Ask questions, share your thoughts, talk about your experiences, make predictions, make connections, talk about the vocabulary used, ask what ifs...

2) Talk with your child. In the teaching world we have moments called "teachable moments." This is when something happens that may or may not be related to what you are teaching but you use this opportunity to teach. This happens ALL THE TIME! This can be about anything (i.e. when the trash truck comes, why does it come and where does it go; why do we wash our hands; why is it important to eat healthy foods; why are there commercials on tv; why do some people wear glasses; why do we use plates; how does a vehicle work, depending on the age of the child depends on how in-depth an answer you give). But just talk to them, and it's ok if you don't know. Then you can work with your child to find the answer out together, an even better opportunity for your child to learn how to conduct research!

3)Spend quality time with your child. If you are doing # 1 & 2, then you are most likely already doing this. I don't mean time where your child is in the same room and you're watching TV or working on the computer or talking on the phone. I mean time where you are at your child's disposal if they need help or have a question. You are focused on them. This doesn't have to be every waking moment, but make sure you have time allotted just for this.

Can you imagine how different our students would be if all parents did at least these 3 things?

Big Bootie!

2009-09-08T21:20:00.005-04:00

My wonderful brother taught me a new game to play...It's a little confusing to explain, but tons of fun to play.
One person is Big Bootie (BB). The person to the left of BB is #1, then #2 and so on until you get back to BB. Everyone says the chant and then BB says "Big Bootie # ___ (any number that is represented)" Then the # BB chose has to say their number and then the next person keeps it going. Watch this video or Read these directions

The chant goes
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Big Bootie Big Bootie Big Bootie. Oh yeah. Big Bootie. Big Bootie number _____"

I really don't know how to explain this well on paper (or screen), but the kids loved it. It took some time to learn, but the students got way into this. They were moving their entire bodies to the chant and having a blast.....this is going to be one fun filled year.....

Meeting Circle

2009-09-08T21:17:00.004-04:00

Due to the Responsive Classroom training I went to this summer, I decided to try my morning circle with chairs this year (instead of sitting on the floor). This took a lot of modeling today and practice, but it went really well. I felt that the chairs had a more sophisticated feeling to them and that they helped students stay focused during our mini lessons. Also, moving the chairs around during the day gives students an opportunity to get up and move. I can tell that moving chairs will be something that we will have to use reminding language for, but overall I think this strategy may actually improve my teaching! WaHooo!

(so for those of you who haven't yet noticed, today was a really good first day)

This Is Why I'm a Teacher

2009-09-05T15:53:00.003-04:00

So the start of back to school was a little rough for me. I was feeling very apprehensive about all the work facing me this year; I am now the upper grade science lead and with this position I have also earned a spot on the SIP team and a science intern, I am also helping with Girls on the Run, taking the lower DRA class, having a new teacher observe in my classroom and participating in TESA. Needless to say I'm a little stressed with all the meetings and requirements headed my way (not including regular school stuff). I started to wonder why I was doing all of this. Well I got my answer on Friday during open house......that's when I got to meet my upcoming students. I had so much fun meeting them and getting to learn little bits about them already. I cannot wait to get started. I could not have asked for this reminder at a better time. I'm still worried about how I'm going to get it all done, but the students helped me remember why it's worth it.

Goodbye Like, And, Um & Uhh....

2009-08-28T08:40:00.002-04:00

So during the RC training I noticed that our instructor never used um, uhh, and or like to pause the conversation/instruction. If you've never done this before try now...see how long you can have a conversation without using these words. You may be able to do it for a short while, but not consistently all day (and if you can don't rub it in). I want to remove these words from my vocabulary, but I'm having a hard time. It takes a lot of conscientious brain power. Wish me luck!

Responsive Classroom

2009-08-19T16:12:00.003-04:00

I'm attending a RC workshop this week and I absolutely love it.
I did a lot of RC in my class last year, but this workshop allows me to perfect my craft and build my base knowledge. If you don't know about RC please, please check out their website. Also if given the opportunity go to a workshop. I've had the best instructor: Mike Anderson. If you're looking to improve your teaching technique, or think you could do things better you must check this out. Many of you may already be doing these things, but this programs helps teachers to focus on more than just curriculum.

Mathletics

2009-08-15T09:38:00.002-04:00

A friend of mine used this term the other day and I absolutely loved it.
He said he wasn't very mathletic...How many of our students feel that way?
I hope to build an excellent group of mathletes this year using guided math (basically math workshop or math menu). Just thought this word was too cute not to share.

Guided Math 101

2009-08-13T22:39:00.002-04:00

So I'm in a summer reading group for math. We're reading a book by Laney Sammons (2010) Guided Math. It's a lot like guided reading and if you've ever done math menu you'll have the gist of the book. I like it though. Good refresher.

Summer School

2009-08-12T14:19:00.002-04:00

So I'm teaching summer school....it's a lot of fun, but I just don't have enough time with the kids.
Friday they have to take a post test, to see how much they learned and how well I taught them. When I informed them that they would be taking a test they got very worried and stressed. I told them that it was more to see how good I was doing than how well they are.....the reply I got was, "You're doing a great job! We just don't get it."
I cannot wait to get to work with these kids this year. They are such a fantastic group! Should be fun!

I miss you

2009-03-24T18:00:00.003-04:00

I miss you blog......
I'm sorry it's been so long. I didn't mean to neglect you. I hope to start giving you attention again, but it may have to wait until next year. No offense, but my students, grades, family, friends and sleep are more important.
I promise so give you love and attention again. Just hold out a little longer......

I've been absent

2008-10-17T11:09:00.002-04:00

I want to blog every day, but I've been a little busy lately. Since I have a few minutes I thought I'd just say hello, and don't forget about me. I'll hopefully be writing more soon.

Also, my students have started a website. Please check it out to see what we're doing in the classroom!

Math is FUN and REAListic!

2008-09-15T17:29:00.003-04:00

Friday in math we were supposed to use a worksheet activity to budget a party. Instead we decided to budget for a real party, and if the price was right we could actually have the party.
First we made a guest list, materials needed, venue, time, why (what is our reason for having the party). We discussed how it would be rude to invite someone then ask them to pay, we had to cut back our guest list b/c we didn't have enough money to pay for everyone.....

It was so much fun. The kids were up and talking, sharing ideas and having fun. We did tons of math. We called our local pizza parlor to ask how much a pizza was, could we get a discount, how many slices come in a pizza. Then after figuring out how much pizza we needed we calculated the tip. Then we calculated how much each student needed to bring, which is only $0.60 more than what they pay for lunch.

The kids were very involved in the process and couldn't wait to make sure our party was within school rules. The kids talked about it the rest of the day. If only every lesson was this good.

Appropriate Timing

2008-09-15T17:23:00.002-04:00

Thursday: a kid in my class lost his tooth, but he waited until a transition time to take care of it. I made sure to make an example of him to the class... "he did a great job waiting for an appropriate time and not interrupting our lesson...."

Friday: a different kid calls out while I'm in mid sentence to ask for a band aid. If you could only have seen my face...I'm sure it read something like, "You've GOT to be kidding me." Anyways, before I had a chance to say something 4 or 5 of his classmates groaned and said, "Come on! You're supposed to wait for the appropriate time. Don't you remember yesterday with the tooth? Gosh!" I couldn't help but smile.... they really do listen.

Hopes and Dreams

2008-09-07T18:45:00.003-04:00

So this year for hopes and dreams I decided that we would not display our dreams for all to read. I asked students to write down their hopes and dreams on a piece of origami paper. Their hopes and dreams did not have to be school related and I told the class that I would not read theirs if they didn't want me to. Only one student asked me not to read his. The others were all very different, some comical and some tearful. Once we were done writing our hopes and dreams we folded the paper to look like a bird. One of my coworkers bought a birdcage for us to display our hopes and dreams in. I haven't taken a picture yet, but when I do I'll post it. I'm looking forward to having parents add their hopes and dream birds to ours. I wonder what theirs will say...

Sample of hopes and dreams by my students:
I hope to become a lawyer some day.
I hope I don't fail 5th grade.
I hope I make good friends.
I hope I become a better writer.
I hope I can become the best batter on my team.
I hope my cat doesn't die.
I hope I do better at math this year.

Best School Ever!

2008-08-29T18:02:00.002-04:00

I'm not going to lie. I was excited about my new job at a new school, but a part of me was a little worried that something might go wrong, that I wouldn't fit in with my team, or the community was going to be hard for me to become part of, or that the community would be one that I didn't like.

Well after this week (and especially the past 2 days) I know I have nothing to worry about. Everyone has been so incredibly helpful, kind, thoughtful, and considerate. When I say everyone I mean everyone. I am so excited to be a part of this community. I feel like I fit in and that I am going to have a wonderful time at this school. I want to thank everyone who went above and beyond the call of duty. I am so full of joy that I can't even think what else I want to say right now. Just that I'm thankful and very appreciative to work at such a wonderful place. If I think of more I'll add it...

Update on Classroom

2008-08-29T17:54:00.015-04:00

Hey all. Here are some photos of my classroom as of this afternoon. As you can see it's still under construction.

Delicious Library

2008-08-18T12:36:00.003-04:00

This year will be my first experience with my very own classroom library. I don't have a lot of books, but I value the ones that I do have. I spent this summer pondering how I was going to set up my library for 'checking out' purposes. I'd like to know which kids have what books and for how long they've had that book, are they checking out different kinds of books or always the same type, are the books just right or too hard, etc. Well lucky me I found just the thing, a library that uses images and works on the computer, Delicious Library. This program is made for a MAC (sorry PC users). There is a program that is supposed to be similar to Delicious Library but for the PC made by MediaMan. I haven't tried this one, but both offer a free download for you to try. (Both cost $40 for a license)

I absolutely love Delicious Library. It's very easy to use and fun too! I plan on having a job titled, "Librarian." This job will go to a student who will use Delicious Library to check in/out books to students. This will allow me to keep track of my books and see what students are reading. Because the program uses images it could be used with students of all ages. Students do not necessarily need to know how to read.

This program also keeps track of other items like games. So if I wanted to I could allow students to check out games as well.

It's very easy to add an item. All you do is put in the ISBN or the title of the book. Delicious Library will look up your item and give you a list of what matches as well as images to go along with the items.

I highly recommend this program. Thanks Delicious Library!!!

Can you see it?

2008-08-07T17:25:00.002-04:00

So I wanted to do something different to my books so that I can easily recognize which books are mine, and which books belong to someone else (i.e. student, library, teacher, etc.). I decided I wanted to go with a logo, printed on clear a sticker so that I wouldn't interfere with the cover of the book. Below is a picture of my logo I think.... I've tried it out on a few books and it looks good. You can see it but it isn't blaringly obvious.

For those of you who know me I added something extra....The body of the jaguar is made up of the letters of my last name....can you see it?

MY ROOM!

2008-08-02T17:44:00.018-04:00

Wow....I've been away for some time now.
Well now I'm back!!!
I got to take a look at my future classroom....
Take a look..........

Ahh...the things kids say...

2008-04-24T12:57:00.005-04:00

"Do you have a bowling ball in your pants?"

I'm riding the swings, having a great time, when a kid says to me, "you're gonna break it."

"I have to go to the bathroom...I can feel it coming"

"can we just make it a 100? I don't like the .99."

"I'm going to eat lunch witchew"

more to come

Another One Goes By....

2008-04-12T16:21:00.006-04:00

The following idea came from Snippety Gibbet.
Put your playlist on shuffle and answer only with song titles that come up.

1. What does next year have in store for me? Rain, Yoko Kanno

2. What does your love life look like? Is It Any Wonder, Keane

3. What do I say when life gets hard? Top of the World, Shonen Knife

4. What song will I dance to at my wedding? Ain't No Other Man, Christina Aguliera

5. What do you want to do as a career? My Hero, Foo Fighters

6. Your favorite saying? Harder to Breathe, Maroon 5

7. What do you think of your parents? Whip It, Devo

8. Where would you go on a first date? Bad Day, Daniel Powter

9. Drug of choice? I Just Can't Wait to Be King, The Lion King

10. Describe yourself. Velvet, Toadies

11. What is the thing I like doing most? Falling Faster, Metallica

12. The song that best describes the president? The Kids Aren't Alright, Offspring

13. How will I die? Let Me Be Your Wings, Thumbelina

14. The song that will be played at your funeral? The Eternal Vow, Dun

15. The song you'll put as the subject? Another One Goes By, The Walkmen

.....Try it for yourself....what will you get?

SID: School of Interior Design

2008-03-28T10:17:00.003-04:00

As some of you may know, I work at a school that has a modified calendar. Currently we are having intersession, which is basically like summercamp with SOLs mixed in. This is optional, and kids have to pay if they want to come. Well, Unlimited and I are teaching a class together about interior design. The students are allowed to make their dream room, and will present it to their peers next Friday.
So today we are hard at work, when it comes time for recess. I make the announcement "Start cleaning up, we have recess in two minutes." Then I hear groaning from the class. Actual groaning! Then a few of them look up from their work and say, "Do we have to go? I'd rather stay here, I don't want to play."
Success!!

Smartboard Workshop

2008-03-27T15:47:00.004-04:00

So Unlimited is presenting a workshop for our fellow interns on how to use the SmartBoard. Unlimited is looking at the different options and sees the option to record. Being the inquisitive (curious) person she is she clicks on record and begins yelling into the computer, "Hello!!! Testing! TESTING!" I turn in my seat and say, "What are you doing?" "It says record..." "No," I say as I shake my head, walk over to the SmartBoard, pick up a pen and begin writing on the board. Meanwhile, back in LaLa Land, Unlimited is still yelling into the computer, her face directly in front of the monitor. Ahhh, thanks Unlimited for the hearty laugh...

How Can This Be!?!?

2008-03-10T06:04:00.002-04:00

So I was at the library this weekend working very hard...
As I was perusing the books on tape (or cd rather) this one little boy had an epiphany:
You mean that I've been doing it the "hard way" all along when I could have done it an easier way?!?!
I was trying my best to mind my manners and not laugh hysterically. The look on his face combined with the use of quotation marks with his fingers and the fact that he was only about 7 or 8 was too much for me...I had to leave.

What a Book!

2008-03-01T18:41:00.004-05:00

One of my magnificent coworkers gave me a free book. I gladly accepted, but was unable to peruse its contents until last night. Wow! One of the best books I could have ever asked for. Simple, to the point, and full of fabulous ideas that get my brain jumping.

I highly recommend this book, Literacy Work Stations: Making Centers Work, by Debbie Diller. I haven't read the entire book yet, but just by glancing at it I can tell it's gonna be a good one. I should know, I've read enough prescribed literature over the past few months to know when it's going to be good or just down right awful.

Thanks to Organized Chaos for the wonderful book.

Books that Rhyme and What They do to my Mind

2008-02-26T21:28:00.001-05:00

Rhyming books, books, books
makes my brain cook, cook, cook.
Frizzles and frazzles
then sparkles and dazzles.
Whenever I read a book that rhymes
my brain must continue for quiet a long time.
I can’t think thoughts straight
Unless they rhyme great
I must go to bed
Before I fry my brain dead…

Where's Unlimited!?!?

2008-02-25T17:36:00.002-05:00

Unlimited is a very responsible person.
If you leave her a voice mail you can bet that she will return your call within 48 hours.
If you send her an email you can bet that she will respond within 24 hours.
If you send her a text you can bet that she will respond within 1 hour.
If you send her a text asking if she is still alive you can bet that she will respond within 5 minutes...right?
Well not this weekend. After calling and emailing without getting a response I started to worry, so I sent Unlimited a text that read:

I just start to worry when I send emails and leave messages but you don't respond. Especially after your almost heart attack story...are u ok?

I thought surely she would reply within minutes....but no, nothing, nada, zip, zilch. I was afraid we lost Unlimited forever!!!!!!!! Luckily Unlimited just forgot her phone, and decided not to check email while she was away...

Unlimited: Don't let this happen again!

It's the Little Things In Life

2008-02-24T10:31:00.002-05:00

Even though I try very hard not to, I end up taking the simple things in life for granted.

I wish I could breathe through both nostrils again...for those of you who have this ability, be thankful.

Update

2008-02-23T08:40:00.001-05:00

Chris now has 1,162 members = the member/hour rate is decreasing...What does this mean class? Anyone...? Anyone....?

The Internet is an Amazing Thing

2008-02-18T14:18:00.006-05:00

I can honestly say that I don't know what I'd do without the Internet.

I use the Internet for:
homework/paper/research
communication-blogs, news, emails
games
ideas-lesson plans, art activities
pictures
weather
shopping

I've also used the Internet to verify questions for schoolwork and for fun (i.e. "was that the guy in that other movie"). The Internet is a wonderful place to support my hypothesis or defend my answer, but I've never used the internet to prove a teacher wrong. Well, I was on Facebook today when I happened upon a new group titled, 10,000,000 strong for Chris beating his statistics teacher's expectations
The description reads:
Chris' statistics teacher said it would be impossible for him to contact 10,000,000 people for a sample group... too bad she didn't think he'd actually try.

Currently the group has 717 members. I wonder if he'll actually succeed...and if he does how long will it take? As far as I can tell, this group was started Feb. 13th around 8pm, so about 5 days. (5 x 24) Which is 120 hours. (717/120) That's about 6 members an hour. (6 x 24) 144 members a day... (10,000,000/144) so it would take him 69,444 days to get to 10 million. (69,444/365) 190 years...Good luck Chris!

Intern Support

2008-02-13T20:35:00.003-05:00

I work with one of the best intern groups ever!
We meet every Friday to have breakfast together and catch up.
We constantly visit one another during the week just to say, "Hi."
We always take time to share our experiences.
We try our best to help each other during tough times.
We are supportive and encouraging.
But most importantly we know how to have a good time.

I'd like to give a shout out to:
Unlimited- You are my Emilio. Happy V-day.

The Power of Technology

2008-02-12T20:19:00.000-05:00

So as I sit here in the dark I am thankful for my iPhone. You see my power is out, and yet I am still able to blog, surf the net, watch videos on youtube, check email, and listen to music......at least until the batteries run out.....then what will I do!?!

How I Got My Blog Name

2008-02-10T15:26:00.000-05:00

Someone asked me about this and then recommended that I post my answer. So here you go:

When I started this blog I couldn't think up a name...I was playing around with different things and somehow I thought about silly corn, like "corny" as in a corny joke, I tend to be a big fan of those.

Then I thought of a farmer seeing the word "corn" and reading this blog but being very confused b/c it's nothing about corn.

And then Charlotte's Web inspired "That's some _______" again with the farmer theme. Let me just say it was one crazy brainstorming afternoon.

I picked it as a joke, but the more I think about it the more it fits. Corn will pretty much grow no matter what, but if you take good care of it, you'll get a better crop; kinda like students.

Wordless Wednesday (a little early)

2008-02-05T22:28:00.000-05:00

Ahh...Music

2008-02-04T22:19:00.000-05:00

So a I read a chapter in my art textbook about music when I was reminded of a movie called Paradise Road. This movie is one of many movies that inspires hope through music. If you've never seen it watch this clip. It explains the power of music much better than I can.

What is the Point of Homework?

2008-01-30T21:21:00.000-05:00

Why have it?

I have seen many teachers throw homework away after they have glanced at it.
Then why have it?

It's to assess the student. But I'm not sure if the student actually did it on their own, or if they had help from someone else so I can't actually grade it.
Then why have it?

It's to teach the student responsibility. But sometimes a student has family responsibilities that are more important (i.e. making dinner, putting his/her siblings to bed). Does this mean that your student is not responsible b/c they don't have time to do a worksheet that they know you don't always look at?
Then why have it?

As practice. But when they know you don't look at it, or they can get someone else to do it and you'll never know, is that the practice you want them to get?
So why have it?

This is difficult for me b/c I grew up in a world where homework was a must. School isn't school without homework. But now as a teacher, I can't justify homework. It just doesn't make sense to me right now.

The Mom Song

2008-01-29T22:01:00.001-05:00

I discovered this video a while ago, but I found myself humming it today so I thought I'd share.

The Mom Song

If you've never seen this, it's really funny. It takes a few listens before you catch all the words. I know I've definitely heard some of those phrases in my home before. How about you?

Now they just need to make one for teachers...

I hate being sick!

2008-01-22T17:51:00.000-05:00

I'm sure no one has ever said, "I love getting sick. I get to stay at home, sleep all I want, watch tv, what more could you want?" To be healthy!

I hate being sick.
I become grouchy and impatient.
I never feel hungry, but I know I should eat.
Nothing tastes good.
I feel so lazy and unmotivated. (which is okay when you're healthy and you make a choice to be/feel lazy)
My body is all 'achey' and nothing makes it feel better.
I feel like I'm trapped under water; everything sounds and looks blurry.
My mind is all fuzzy from the cold and the cold medicine.
Sleeping just isn't the same when you're constantly coughing.
Oh, and the coughs
that
just
don't
stop.
The looks people give you when you go out. I already feel rotten and you're not helping.
Knowing you could be infecting innocent others, especially friends and family.
I hate being sick!

Crack is Wack!

2008-01-14T15:43:00.000-05:00

For those of you who don't know me, I tend to be an overly self-conscious person. One of my biggest fears at work is wearing inappropriate attire, specifically attire that reveals the front and back cracks (if you need to, now is the time to take a minute to reflect on this subject).

Another fashion faux pas at work is showing your underwear. Some argue that "At least we know she/he is wearing some," but I don't feel the same way. I would rather not have the answer put in my face. In fact, I would like to not think about it at all.

You know you've seen other people fall victim to this outfit disaster, but have you ever told them? Is it your place to tell them? How would you bring this issue about? How often do you worry about this issue? Have you ever considered it before today? (Most of these ?s are rhetorical, but feel free to respond)

In most cases the criminal has no clue that they are committing a fashion crime, but I'm not comfortable saying anything. I can understand the cause for such cases. You try on a cute pair of pants: "they fit well, look great, decent price, I'll take 'em!" Or you try on a cute top: "feels good, looks good, little low but know one will no." But when you were trying them on did you squat down on the floor, or bend over to talk to someone like you would while working? I do, but sometimes the pants/shirt are/is too cute to pass up. So, I make sure that I wear longer shirts, and a belt. Then, I tuck my long shirt under my belt whenever I sit on the ground. I'm sure this doesn't look that good, but at least I don't have to worry about what I'm showing. For tops, I refuse to wear most low collar or v-neck shirts, unless I have another shirt on underneath. This limits me from many cute outfits hanging in my closet, but again, I don't have to worry about what I'm showing.

Also, it is important for us to set good examples for the students, not just in our behaviors, but are attire as well.

Basically the next time you go shopping or get dressed for work remember to: Just say NO to crack!

Another Eric Carl Book! Why?

2008-01-10T19:58:00.000-05:00

We have spent the last seven days focusing on Eric Carl's books and the artwork he makes/uses in his books. We also watched a 30 minute video about Eric Carl explaining his book making process. When this project was started, the students were informed that they would be writing stories and making "beautiful papers" to illustrate their stories just like Eric Carl.

So for every read aloud we have been reading Eric Carl books. Today a kid says: "Another Eric Carl book! Why? We have read so many." Then most of the class chimes in: "Yeah, he's right. They've all been Eric Carl!" Seriously? You just now noticed? Where have you been all week? Not in this room that's for sure.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2008-01-10T16:39:00.000-05:00

So during our morning meeting on Tuesday this wonderfully cute little girl says:

"I checked with the teacher and he said it was ok, so I'm going to make chocolate chip cookies. I got the recipe from my pm class and I am going to make some with my mom and I am going to bring some to you. You can only have one and I am going to bring them in so you are going to have one whether you want it or not."

I couldn't help but laugh! But I haven't seen any cookies yet...

Billy the Kid

2008-01-05T23:37:00.001-05:00

So whenever I get bored, or have some free time I check out the new movie trailers posted on apple. I find that movies are a great way to start/change a conversation. One movie has peeked my interest: Billy the Kid. This movie is a documentary of the life of a 15-year-old boy, who, like us all, is different. Supposedly this movie is out, but I have not seen any advertisement for it. The synopsis posted on the link below has me intrigued. Let me know if you’ve heard any reviews.

Watch the trailer:
Billy the Kid

Hey Ya'll....Come On In!

2008-01-03T15:41:00.000-05:00

As some of ya'll may know, I just started this blog this afternoon with the help of JM. Being my first one, this is only a test. More will come so make sure you check back!