Ten Weeks Later…

Success in the computer lab comes from completed projects and I have to say, I was starting to feel as though we wouldn't ever have any.  Some would say my fifth and third grade projects were a little  over zealous! But I'd just say they were AMAZING!!  After ten weeks we are finally finishing up!  Did I mention they look FANTASTIC?!?!?

Update on 5th grade Jamestown Project…(Previous blog)

My fifth graders used Kid pix
to create and draw pictures of Jamestown.  Using furnished backgrounds or creating their own, the kids drew unique pictures to show the men asking for funds, finding land, settling the land, starving, getting help from the Powhatans, growing tobacco, and setting up the House of Burgesses.  WOW!!! The kids did an awesome job. 

After they finished their pictures and had the pictures approved, they were required to watch a screencast video I made. (I mean…here is the link, but you don't have to watch it) The video shows the kids how to screenshot the pictures and crop them.  Can you do that on a Mac?  See, I had to get creative because it wasn't until week 4 I realized Comic Life didn't like Kid Pix format.  Taking a screenshot made the file a jpeg, which was compatible to Comic Life.  Honestly, I was impressed at how well the kids picked up the whole process.  Their comics turned out great!

Through this extremely long project, the kids revisited information about Jamestown, learned some great tech tricks and how to use two programs (Kid pix & Comic Life). Overall the project was a success! Even if it took ten weeks! 

Two of the many finished projects:

Oh and I love my new job!  Helping teachers with curriculum content is a huge bonus on top of getting to teach technology all day long!

Third grade update coming next week…Non-fiction books over Oklahoma Government are about to be done!!

Classroom vs. Specials

Ready, set, compare: Specials teacher vs. classroom teacher

1. As a classroom teacher, by week 10 (this week) you've learned all your students' names. If you call a kid by the wrong name, it's only because you say some names more often than others.

As a specials teacher, you still call that kid "Charles" just because he resembles the real Charles or you don't actually know who the real Charles even is.  The kids' faces start to all look the same…seriously an issue!

2. Classroom teachers have met parents for most of the kids! They are not all recognizable, but you are only human!

Specials teachers, "parents?!? Who are they?!?" 

3. Classroom teachers have spent approximately 200 hours with their class.  No wonder they are pushing each other's buttons. 

Specials teachers have been with each child 9 hours, if they've never been absent.  Anybody can handle nine hours sporadically.

4. Classroom teachers have ownership over one class. The class may frustrate you to no end, but they are still "your kids."  If someone messes with "your class" they have to mess with you. 

Specials teachers, well we can claim 650 but since we still don't know their names and our door is a revolving one…Let's just say, I've adopted a class!

5. Classroom teachers' anxiety is rising, pressures are weighing heavy!

Specials teachers are just here, and chill.

6. Classroom teachers have written a bazillion lesson plans and have taught 3/4 of them. 

Specials teachers have written 50 lesson plans and taught all of them 5 times! 

Both jobs are equally important and both jobs have MAJOR perks. Some days I love the freedom I have as a specials teacher and other days I miss the lack of relationships I had with "my kids."  All I know is that I love both jobs.  The hardest part for me this year is the lack of relationships with one set of kids.  How do I know triggers for motivation and triggers for shut downs?  How do I know what they like to do outside of school? Some days I long to just take my class outside and read!  Or go play on the playground and swing with kids.  What can I do in 55 minutes a week to build a relationship with 20-25 students?!?

At our last faculty meeting we had a presentation on building relationships with kids. By the end of the faculty meeting, I made a decision: just because I am a specials teacher doesn't mean I can't have ownership over the kids I teach.  I can and will build positive relationships with as many of the students as I can.  In fact, I get to have relationships with more kids and the relationship will be carried over multiple years.  It was at this point, I made a decision to stop having a pity party and fix the problem.

So here is what I'm doing…
* Claiming ALL the kids I teach as my kids!  Claiming all the classes I have as mine! OWNERSHIP…it does wonders.
* Before the kids get started with their projects, we share good things.  I am learning so much about all the students who pass through my room.  (I always did this in the regular ed classroom, why can't I do it now?)

* I find one kid in the class that looks like they could use a conversation and talk with them during their class.  Sometimes I carry that over after class or later in the day.  I've already seen a difference a little time with a kid can make.
* I make a point, to wander through the cafeteria during breakfast or lunch a couple times a week to talk to students.
* I'm working with two small groups of fifth graders.
* I adopted a class…a big thank you to that teacher for sharing (I know sometimes it is hard to share "your kiddos")!
* I'm beginning a tech club with a group of students.

It is important for both regular classroom teachers and for specials teachers to claim the kiddos that pass through their doors.  To claim them and feel attached you must know something about the students.  Most of our students need to be claimed and loved by more than just one person in our building.  This means regular classroom teachers have to allow others to help and others must be willing to help.  It takes a whole village to raise a kid and it takes a whole school to show kids we love them.  

So I end this post with one question...What are YOU doing to build relationships with kids? Whether you are a regular classroom teacher or a specials teacher, I'd love to hear about different ways you are getting to know the students.   It is the most important part of our job as teachers and it leaves a lasting impression whether the relationship is positive or negative!

Professional Development…And the Teachers All Groan

A little background information for the non-educator:  In the educational world, sometimes the word "Professional Development," is a curse word.  It's just that sometimes, we are tired of being "professionally developed" and all we want to do is mark things off the NEVER ending to do list rather than adding things.

So the past two days I took off school and went to professional development…but there was NO GROANING!  I loved

every second of it!  The keynote, the debates, the sessions, lunch, collaborating with colleagues, and Pinkitzel with friends. (Mariah, Brandy, Rachel, & Lisa)  I guess I can't say every second of it, I didn't love driving in traffic or paying $10 to park!  But really those are only #firstworldproblems and probably shouldn't be mentioned.

I attended the #OTAEM14 conference downtown with several other Putnam City friends and I left feeling inspired to change the world - Fine…burst my bubble, not the WORLD, but at least some lives at my school!

The keynote speaker, George Couros, did an excellent job of engaging the audience of librarians and technology enthusiasts by showing us pictures of how we as educators must excite and inspire students.  He shared a story of a boy who had a very bad stammer.  Because one teacher believed in him and had the idea of using technology as a resource, the student was able to stand up in front of his class and give a speech. (Take a moment, watch the video, and join the audience of sniffles...just make sure you come back and finish the blog!)



The sniffles in the audience (on the video, at the conference, and now you) speak loud and clear, educators were inspired, I was inspired.  Come on, admit it, you were a tiny bit inspired too!  This was only one of the many pictures and videos +George Couros shared in his presentation.  George challenged his listeners to "do something that inspires kids so much so they do something to inspire us.  You see, if we get caught up in this fascinating ferris wheel of inspiring kids, kids inspiring teachers, teachers will inspire more kids, and more kids will inspire more teachers…I can see the momentum building now, can't you?

As I moved from session to session, I began making a list of things I want to do at Northridge to help inspire kids.  Obviously, I dream of doing things with technology and reaching kids through gaming, coding, film making, and blogging.  My head is exploding (so much so, my stomach literally exploded this morning) with big picture ideas and I can't wait to get started.

Once I capture all the details swimming in my head, I'll share them on the blog.  Today, I just want to leave you with a few thoughts:
What is education if students are unmotivated to learn?  How will we really reach them, if we can't relate to them? What will put a smile on their face when their world at home is crumbling?  They want to be listened to…they want to be heard…by us… by an audience outside of us!  What are YOU going to do at your school, to inspire kids, to "HEAR" kids?  What resources do you have at your disposal that meets kids where they are and gives them something exciting to look forward to instead of the humdrum of the kill-drill race to the test crap?

I'm starting tomorrow (couldn't start today with the exploding stomach) by talking to my principal about a couple ideas.  I guess its good to get approval when you want to go out on a limb to be creative and innovative.  Kim McLaughlin, I hope you are ready!

It must be love...

Really, it was love at first sight, or maybe infatuation! What can I say?!  As soon as I heard him I knew it was the way to go.  I couldn't get enough!

It all began 3 long years ago in Nashville, TN.  I was attending Model Schools Conference and all I kept hearing was iPads this and iPads that! Computers enhance learning!  Engage kids through technology!  I was hooked.  What teacher doesn't want to be more engaging? 

I returned to school on the prowl for any and all technology.  I got a MacBook.  Then a class set of iPads.  After that, I wanted new programs for screencasting and creating interactive lessons!  All leading up to where I am today! 

But what really makes this relationship between myself and technology true love is the fact that I keep going back.  I mean technology glitches, technology fails, Wi-Fi goes down, Configurator, well it just sucks sometimes…and other times, like lately, it's extra temperamental. 

It started with my desktops not working! No network on this one and no internet on that one! #19 turning off and on repeatedly. #13 freezing. The keyboard on one randomly typing. The IT guy spent many hours in my sauna trying to fix the desktops.  Now, those are running smoothly.  
In the mean time, we got iPads out with the younger kids. Well, I thought I had created a backup and made folders for all the apps, but come to find out, configurator decided to only put the backup on half the iPads.  Without the backup, there were no folders, and no guarantee the correct apps were on the iPads.  This meant the kids couldn't find the right apps.  Trying to teach 20 kindergartens how to find a certain app...whoa, it's like trying to progress monitor half your class weekly, or fitting 26 math lessons into 19 days or taking a class full of kindergarteners to the bathroom!  Next to nearly impossible.  So I plugged my iPads back in and reconfigured them...it had to work the 3rd time!! Or not! So there I was, trying again to make it easy for the little ones and technology just FAILED me!  I'd get frustrated, go vent to the librarian and then go right back to the technology I love. 

I'm sure you are thinking one of two things:

1. DUH, technology is stupid, I hate it and it always fails so why use it.

2. Nothing else could have possibly gone wrong! 

But let me assure you, it just kept slamming me; yet I chose to still love it.  After I made nice folders on the iPads, (connecting them 10 at a time.)  I was sure they all had folders and the same apps.  I pulled one out of the cart and played with the app I wanted to teach kindergarten.  Notability...kid friendly, does everything I want. I made an example and was ready to go!  I got the iPads handed out...low and behold...what do you know...it's NOT there! Seriously?!? 

I decided to plug the iPads in and add the app quickly before class the next day! No biggie right?! WRONG! I plugged them in, downloaded the app, checked a couple, they did their thing, so I assumed they all did their thing. Class came around, kindergartens were sitting in my room and I started calling kids to get their iPads..Sam #1 Tom #2 Betty #3... As the kids began opening up the iPad to start playing, 5/6 of them were on the "welcome to the iPad" screen! (For those of you who don't know...that's like the "your iPad is back to factory settings and you need to set it up because you have NOTHING on it" screen.) Guess we weren't supposed to do iPads that day either.  Last week on Friday  I ended up plugging each iPad into my computer individually and making it look the way I wanted. (Thankfully a teacher friend (thanks Rudd) stayed and kept me company for the 5 hours it took!!)  Once again I was so excited to use the "newly" set up iPads! 

Monday rolled around and guess what?!? My kindergarteners were able to practice finding letters on the keyboard by typing their color words.  Then they took pictures with of different color objects.  SUPER cute and they had a BLAST!  Today, my kids wanted to do multiple colors and some did. 

Two life lessons and thoughts to leave you pondering as I close this blog…

1. Just think about it, things fail and as teachers we just ROLL with it! The whiteboard markers run out and you can't write on the board!  The pencil breaks while helping a student.  The book you are supposed to read magically disappears right when you want to read it.  You realize you made copies of the wrong assessment after all the kids have started.  As much as we teachers plan and like to control, our day is out of our hands. Whether you use technology or not, we are thrown curveballs daily. Remember, be kind to everyone even when you are thrown a curveball.  Everyone includes other teachers, students, support staff, and parents.

2. Really, it's true love and love is a choice!  Technology makes me so mad sometimes because it fails, just like a human does, but I make the choice to use technology and give it a billion chances.  Loving technology is only a silly metaphor, what really matters is loving people!  I make the choice to love my brother and give him a billion chances even if he torments me.  I make the choice to love my students even when they make bad choices.   Are you making the choice to love even when someONE is making you mad?  Because Jesus chose us and loves us knowing we would mess up, we should do the same.  Even I messed up today! (And probably owe that person an apology!)