For Whom The Bell Tolls

Here is a recap of yesterday-----

The Hubs had to check in at 6am, so we got up at 5. I scarfed down my Thai leftovers from the night before. Hubs couldn't eat so I felt mildly guilty.

To say that I was nervous would be a vast understatement!! I am a worrier by nature---- Thanx Grandma---- so the Hubs' surgery freaked me out. I'm sure that he knows that, but I tried to keep it underwraps. I possess pathetic lying skills...

Being in a strange city and a stranger hospital I had to entertain myself while Hubs was under. Hey, I used to be a Girl Scout---- I came prepared with a list! How to keep myself busy during Hubs' surgery: AKA don't act like a freak show

1. Mock Matt Lauer
2. Knit like a mad woman
3. Eavesdrop on conversations in the waiting room
4. Read trashy magazines
5. iMessage sister
6. iMessage friend incessantly
7. Ride the elevator
8. Get lost
9. Wring hands
10. Shop online: 2 dresses, 1 cardi, 1 skirt
11. Watch tape delayed Olympics
12. Read spoiler news articles on Olympic results
13. Don't let imagination run wild
14. Read
15. Worry
16. Eat crappy vending machine food
17. Don't get lost in the parking garage
18. Drink water

After a small run in with a nurse, I found out that the Hubs was in recovery. He rolled by the family waiting room and we went up to his room on the 9th floor. He had some wicked nausea, dizziness, and headache. I think it was the morphine. By then I was content to just watch him sleep.I went back to the hotel at about 7pm----took a hot bath, face timed the Boys (tucked away at home with a friend), iMessaged the Hubs (sweet talked the nurses to get his IV out), and fell into bed.

He should get released today and then four hours home in the car. He is supposed to wear a soft neck collar but he told me he isn't and I said he is. I have the keys------

Here he is in his sexy booties! The other thing is a blood pressure cuff...

 

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NBC Get With It!

I love the Olympics; I come from a long line of Olympic lovers.

We are only on day 1, full day, of the 30th Olympiad. What have I watched so far? Tape delayed opening ceremony, tape delayed swimming, tape delayed volleyball... Do you sense a theme? NBC, what is your problem? We live in a digital age with up to the minute news! Have you heard of streaming? Would it be so bad to preempt the craptacular reruns? Do humans require the drivel on daytime TV?

While I'm on a roll.... Why is Ryan Seacrest loose from American Idol interviewing Olympic hopefuls?

NBC your judgement stinks!

But then again, maybe a rerun of Cash Cab articulates the human experience to a greater degree than world class athletes and their drive for sucess.

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Beautiful Morning

What a beautiful morning! The Hubs and I ate our breakfast outside this morning. We go out to breakfast every Saturday, just us, sans the Boys.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We stopped by Bernice's to get the Boys a cookie... So we shared a slice of lemon wine cake with buttercream frosting. Of course, cake is a breakfast food---everyone knows that!

 

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Bargain

Resident Little dude loves to draw. The drawings are seemingly cute and innocent until you take a closer look and you notice a homicidal undertow. Of course, I wanted to share these gems on the blog. Well, Resident Little dude had other plans. It turns out that he wasn't happy with one of the drawings and he didn't want them on the blog. So, I did what any good mother does... Bargain!

He "designs" Keep Calm posters with the app on my iPad. The Toap Duck is his favorite. I don't know why he finds it hilarious... Nine year olds find hilarity in most everything! Toap makes more sense than taupe.

Back to the bargain... I can post his drawings if I keep the Toap Duck on my blog for a week. He might be a future lawyer with those bargaining skills. So enjoy the Toap Duck!

Look at this sweet picture--- of course, the farmer carries a scythe----to slaughter the cow!

You'll notice the quaint farmer with a gentlemanly hat, wearing a necklace, with a suit coat carries two sickles to slaughter the adorable pig!

























Yes, this is totally normal for little boys. No, they don't grow-up to be Charles Manson.

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Technology is a tool

Technology in my future classroom....  Well, I think that technology falls into three categories:

1.  A little bit of razzle-dazzle

2.  Teacher organization and efficiency

3.  Student engagement

All classrooms need a little bit of razzle-dazzle!  Some projects beg for the technology Gods to sing... hello classroom newspaper, pen-pals, or newsletter.  

Sometimes a piece of tech isn't directly for the students but to help the teacher stay organized.  Absolutely!!  I believe that is a benefit to the students if only secondarily.  Try to wrangle 30 1st graders without organization... yeah, they will eat you alive!  

The most important piece is student engagement.  An effective teacher is always looking at student engagement.  It evolves and changes, multiple times a day.  I am always thinking, "How can I make this lesson better for my students?  How can I connect the lesson to my students experience?"  Technology at its best engages students and connects to their experience.  Notice that I say technology at its best...

Technology is a tool, like everything in a classroom, that teachers use to engage their students.  Technology doesn't replace teaching---- that special exchange of ideas between teacher and student--- it augments it.  

I am a year away from student teaching.  I am anxious to see how my cooperating teacher uses tech; it may be an enlightening experience or an exercise in utter frustration.  

I already soap-boxed  Ipads in education and my hate of worksheets... no need to blather on about that!

Denial----plain & simple

While perusing my local Wal-marts I noticed the large Back to School section. The Hubs was with me so I pointed it out to him as I think July is too early for back to school sales. Bad idea.....he turned on me and I might have seen the eyes of Satan.

The Hubs is a middle school teacher---- Yep, he is either a saint or crazy. The simple truth is: he is in denial that a new batch of students await him in a matter of a month!

I completely understand his denial. I don't suffer from back to school denial because I am one of those freaks that likes to buy textbooks, paper, and pens! It's a sickness!

I am in denial about plenty of other things----say, that the Hubs is having a surgery in less than a week. Denial! Resident teenager is starting high school. Denial! Resident little dude will start 4th grade. Denial! I am not at my scientifically (who is in charge of that?) determined ideal weight. Denial! My closets need a clear out. Denial! My last living grandparent is 84. Denial! Cookies and watermelon don't constitute a meal. Denial! I have to leave my boys for two nights while the Hubs has surgery in Spokane. Denial! I don't need an iMac. Denial! I have Hobbit feet. Denial! 1992. Denial! I know all the lyrics to ABBA songs. Denial!


So, Back to School, the entire phrase, is banned at my house----Denial reigns!





 

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Signs from the Universe

I think the Universe is sending me a sign. I see iMac boxes everywhere I go. I already know that I NEED one. This is a sign that the Universe WANTS me to have one!! Who am I to argue with the Universe?

To my sister---- Yes, I took pictures of a dumpster! The Universe is talking to me so it's okay!

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Permanent record

Just like any other sector education is big on data!  Individual student data, school data, district data, and state data.  Side note--- data vs datum---discuss.

There are a couple of ways to collect student data: standardized tests (summative assessments) , formative assessments, and teacher observations.  I'm not a fan of high stakes standardized testing, but I find formative assessment vital in meeting student needs.  Teachers use formative assessment as a yard stick for student learning and to affect their teaching.  Side note---- affect vs effect---- discuss.

Another way to use data to benefit teaching strategies and student outcomes is progress monitoring with something like AIMSweb.  Progress monitoring is exactly what you think... you monitor your students progress, usually in core subjects like math and reading.  Usually the testing is done at least weekly, some teachers do it more often.  A service like AIMSweb provides testing materials and plots the progress so teachers, parents, students, and administrators can monitor student progress.  This type of monitoring is vital in primary grades.  75% of students identified with reading problems in 3rd grade still struggle with reading in 9th grade--- from the National Assessment of Educational Progress 2008.  Wow!!  Read that again.  Early reading intervention is vital.  

As a future elementary teacher I will to collect data on students that I feel are struggling and need to see the special ed specialist.  The rule of thumb is to have 6 weeks of data: quizzes, tests, homework, teacher observation, interventions tried and parental observation.  Documentation is crucial to obtaining special ed services for struggling students; early intervention is the best chance for student success.

 I think that high stakes testing is an educational bandwagon, but formative assessment benefits students and teachers.

Gamification

I admit, I was impressed with Paul Anderson's gamified AP Bio class.  I was impressed with the amount of work that he put in and I was impressed at student engagement.  However, I wonder what happens when gamification becomes routine?  I worry that teachers only reach a certain student population through gamification.

The whole idea of turning your curriculum into a video game style game is interesting.  Personally, I have fond memories of Oregon Trail... until I went on a dying streak.  Notably, we didn't play Oregon Trail all year.  The game supplemented many, many other activities.

As for me as a lower elementary person... a little gamification would be refreshing and fun.  In most K-4 classrooms the classroom teacher teaches every discipline except specials (PE, music, library, computers).  Gamification has a place, but not in everything.  It would be interesting to see a gamified elementary classroom.

I am an proponent of moderation.  It turns out that mothers are correct... one cookie is a treat, 5 is a stomach ache, and 15 is a vomit fest.  The same thing rings true in education.  Like I mentioned in another post---- beware the educational bandwagon!  I will do what fits my teaching situation and my kiddos.

The best gamification strategy, in my opinion, comes in the way of apps---especially math apps.  Hands on math apps/games take the place of mundane worksheets.... everyone knows how I feel about math worksheets...  Why not use a game in that situation?

The Hubs makes cookies

I experienced a small tech meltdown this afternoon... I am peeved at Apple, yeah, I'm sure they care. So after steaming for a minute, I decide to step back... And take a nap. Hey----- It works for toddlers.

When I get up the Hubs' molasses cookies were cooling on the table. They looked so pretty with a crunchy sugar coating. I commented on them...

Me: Wow, your cookies look amazing!!

The Hubs: Look at my fancy sugar topping...

Me: Oooooo, I see that. How did you do that?

The Hubs: I rolled my balls in sugar.

Me: giggle giggle giggle giggle giggle

The Hubs: (cracking-up). Don't ask me how I got on the counter!

I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes!

 

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Cool Mom... NOT

I always thought that I would be a cool mom, you know the kind----the kids like her, she isn't embarrassing, she doesn't dance while she makes breakfast, and her kids think she is cool. Yeah, I was delusional! Good to know that I am consistent.

You try to get pregnant or maybe you don't, your body plays host to a little tyrant--- I had heartburn for nine months, stretch marks, leaky breasts, sleepless nights----then comes the birth! I labored with resident teenager for 5 days, then finally, they look him by c-section. Then you conquer breast feeding... Yowza. You look at their little faces, cry over them, watch them sleep, change endless diapers, kiss owies, it seems like you will never sleep again. You bare all of this because you love them with a fierce love, a mother's love---unconditional. Then the teenage years creep up and you realize... your sweet bundle turned into an alien.

See, if I was a cool mom, it wouldn't bother me because cool moms let these things roll off their back. What am I rambling about?

I make the Boys breakfast every Sunday morning, old fashioned-sit down-eat together-breakfast. While cooking I give The Hubs a kiss, and I kiss resident little dude on the forehead......
Me: Can I give you a kiss on the cheek? (I ask him because he doesn't appreciate sneak attacks)
Resident Teenager: NO! (with that teenage tone that screams, You Are An Idiot!)

Enter my not cool mom moment. To my credit I just go back to cooking and choke back my tears---cool moms don't bawl when their kids are toads, they take it in stride. I make chit chat while finishing breakfast---because I am trying to be cool. I sit down to eat my breakfast and silent tears start to roll down my cheeks, at least they are silent tears, not full body crying---not cool. Resident teenager doesn't notice because he is busy scarfing bacon. The Hubs gives my knee a squeeze under the table---he notices. Little dude flashes me a greasy bacon face smile---he notices.

I started to realize in that moment... I am not a cool mom. I am an over involved, do anything, walk through fire, fight the good fight, unconditional love kind of mom. The kind that suffers silent tears over breakfast, the kind that serves her kids breakfast first, the kind that worries endlessly about being a good mom---

I rocked resident teenager to sleep every night of his life until he was three. I had every vein in his little eyelids memorized.

Now he is a surly alien... at times unrecognizable as my boy. When I close my eyes I see his jam covered face, curly blonde baby fro, chubby face, and I see every vein in his eyelids. When I open them he rolls his eyes, exhales that teenage exhale (they don't need to speak, teenage short hand covers all of their emotions), and doesn't want a motherly kiss on the cheek.

Friends tell me that he will become my boy again when he is about 19... 5 years... I make a mental note of this. I close my eyes and day dream...

My boy is an alien... and I am not a cool mom...

2008

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Camping Round II

I know, I know, I have lost my mind, camping two weeks in a row! I blame it on the summer heat!

This weekend we endured a rainstorm, which is an understatement... It was more of a deluge! The lightening display was amazing to watch. Thankfully, our tents held. Thanx to me, purchasing an awning-shade-thingy we were able to hang out at the picnic table instead of huddling in our tent. I give myself full credit! This little awning stole the show, maybe I am a tad obsessed?

 

 

 

This is the best picture!! I must remember this face when he is being a surly teenager.

The only reason that camping is any fun at all is because The Hubs is a mountain man, which means he actually knows how to camp, unlike, say, me!

 

He thinks he is hilarious. He wears his sleeping bag stuff bag on his head----he calls it his night cap!

 

This sums up how we all feel this evening.

 

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Outnumbered... again

It's a funny thing, living in a family of all boys; I am always outnumbered.  When it comes to movie votes or eating out votes, I am in the minority... always!

My idea: Dr. Zhivago 
Boys idea: Star Trek
My idea: local Chinese place
Boys idea: Five Guys Burger

I don't like Five Guys... I'm not really a "burger" person.  I don't like their cheese or buns or eating fries out of a bag or the burgers.  I could maybe handle their cheese, buns, or fries--- if not for throwing peanut shells on the floor.  They encourage patrons to throw  peanut shells on the floor.  WHAT??!  Why do I want to eat in a restaurant with peanut shells on the floor?  Of course, the Boys (the Hubs included) that I live with find this practice fantastic.  They like it even better because they watch me with an evil glint in their eye while they throw shells on the floor.  I like to make a pile, on a napkin, of my shells.  When I am not looking, one of the Boys tosses them on the floor.

I can't help but wonder if this is some kind of cosmic Karma... I used to dress my brother up in my dolly clothes...

Occasionally, I get my way and they suffer marathons of the BBC's Downton Abbey, HGTV's House Hunters International,and (their beloved): QVC!

I think I feel a family movie night coming on---- feature attraction: Steel Magnolias!

Vagina Shout-Out

Spotted on my bike ride to the University this morning.

Is there a secret meeting I don't know about?

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Who you gonna call?

 

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Apptacular Apps

When thinking about apps for education it is easy to get caught up in what the teacher wants/needs. For my list I want to focus on 5 apps that my students might want/need.

Star Walk: astronomy galore, moon cycles, picture of the day, planets, etc. My favorite feature of this app is the ability to point the iPad at the sky and the app maps the features that you select, specific to your location. Waning gibbous, waxing gibbous and MORE. The app is a tad expensive at $3-4.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




BBC News: I find BBC news the best at international news. In my opinion global news is vastly important to understanding the "issues" of the day. It is tough to find true global news from other news organizations. This app is user friendly and lends itself to student use for current events, cultural issues, news, and geography. Bonus: British spellings! Cost: Free

Times Tables: multiplication... App style! This app let's teachers or parents assign quizzes. You can alter the time, number of questions, and customize the quiz. The app keeps track of the progress. I find this works as a replacement for worksheets and timed drills. User friendly for primary grades. Cost: $1-2

Calculator: There are tons of calculator apps from easy and free for primary grades to fancy graphing for middle- college. Cost: free-$1-4 depending on student needs. These apps offer ease of use and value. A graphing calculator apps costs about $2 compared with a T series graphing calculator which starts at about $100. If you want to boggle your mind, check out Quick Graph, seen below.

Songza: This is a music app ala Pandora, but without audio commercials. Songza offers a concierge service that adapts the music options to your activity and musical tastes. Songza also provides a genre listing, which is handy for cultural lessons, music lessons, or just background music. Cost: Free

 

All of these apps are available on iPad or iPod touch.

 

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Ad nauseum Testing

Strip design

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All for one and one for all

I see this time and time again as a parent volunteer and a pre-service teacher; an entire classroom of kids waiting for "their turn" at the computer. Do you know what happens when you have a classroom of 3rd graders chomping at the computer bit? Chaos, frustration, and crying.

Of course, the come back to the previous situation is, computer lab. Good luck getting meaningful time in the computer lab. In my experience in elementary classrooms, the students see the inside of the computer lab once a week, at best, for 30ish minutes. So once the teacher books the time, herds the kiddos in, gets them settled (they are usually ecstatic to use computers), and reiterates rules/expectations etc, how much meaningful time is left? No to mention that the kiddos are starved for creative tech time, so the last thing they want to do is what you, the teacher, want them to do.

In an ideal classroom I envision one iPad for every student---- one they can take home and functionally use. An iPad takes the place of flip video, camera, dictation/read back software, Smartboard (in many cases), laptop, desktop, books (in the case of free classic literature), flashcards, homework aids, calendar, agenda, and worksheets. The list goes on and on, surely I haven't dreamed-up 5% of what an iPad can replace in a classroom.

As for the Bring Your Own Device... I am a lower elementary person, so in grades K-3 I don't think that is a viable option. Grades 4-5... I would be open to it. I'm not sure how to handle the logistics: 1 student has an iPod touch and 25 don't, the liability of the school in case of theft damage, etc. I would need to see what my students possess.

If I am plunked down in middle school, well, I don't have much functional experience with middle schoolers and personal devices, as the middle schools in our district have a ban enforced. Personally, I would rather use their penchant for tech to my advantage instead of driving it underground. Ahhhh, the politics of local education.

Admittedly, I realize my vision of an iPad for every student is ideal; serendipitously, I am an idealist.

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Collaboration through technology

To be honest, collaboration in teaching is either a wonderful experience for all involved or it is an experience for which you wish novacaine was prescribed. Remember group projects from 5th grade? Bad collaboration is the adult equivalent. As a pre-service teacher I witnessed both.

I witnessed teachers reach out to others, while others view collaboration as "fluff" projects, not true academics.

I think that collaboration through technology makes for a dynamic learning environment for students.

When I attended primary school pen pals were all the rage. I think I corresponded with pen pals in grades 1-4. Usually, our entire class participated. It was a truly enriching experience to know that others students, although different from us, experienced much of the same things we did.

I have grandiose plans for my future classroom... Will I pull it off? I don't know, but I an an idealist; occasionally I fall on my face. I'm okay with that.

What better way for 3rd graders to learn about Scotland than a collaboration with a Scottish classroom? I envision an assignment where both sets of students take photos of 10 items in their town: road signs, town hall, playground, etc. I can think of many math lessons... cost of milk? Gas? Weather conditions? Style trends? Language lessons... Alternate spellings color/colour. Slang.

Videos, blogs, Skype, etc. There are endless possibilities.

The best way to learn about other cultures is through experience... You can't teach it. Understanding replaces an "Us vs Them" mentality. Of course, this type of true learning doesn't appear on standardized tests. I will spare you my standardized tests rant!

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Camping--- The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

A recent phone conversation:

Me: Good Morning!

Sister: Hey, whatcha doing?

Me: Camping. Whatcha doing?

Sister: WHAT?

Me: Camping... (I smile because she knows me so well)

Sister: YOU, DO NOT CAMP!!

Me: Yes, I know...

Camping... I'm not good at it! I might have showed up to Girl Scout camp with a pink suitcase. I might have taken a curling iron camping in high school. I might have taken a down comforter and air mattress camping over the weekend. Camping, some good, some bad, and some ugly.

The Good:

Unplugging, spending quality time with the Hubs and Boys.

S'mores

Listening to the Boys shriek.

Hubs possesses mad fire starting skills. He is a mountain man and a good camper. Show-off!

Beautiful lake setting.

The Bad:

Pit toilet. I am one of those people that looks down in the pit... Maybe there is a 12 step program? My new motto: don't look in the pit.

Bugs. Not a huge fan.

Smelling like bug spray, sunscreen, wood smoke, BO, sweat, and dirt.

Warning----- my be offensive to dog people. Crazy dog people that let the dog sit in their lap and feed them off of their plate with a fork.

Yelling at afore mentioned dogs to stop barking... Yeah, that works.

The Ugly:

Sunburn. What is wrong with me?

7 dead skunks on the way to the lake.

People fighting when their dogs get in a scuffle.

Breaking camp in a rain storm.

Looking in the pit. Gotta find a 12 step program!

Naturally curly hair after two days of camping---- hello pig tails!

 

 

 

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Allison

Always in our hearts and  minds. RIP sweet sister.

Yet another test

 

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