We have a student information system and it is all computerized. Yes, anyone that knows me and knows my true lack of technology skills can probably already start piecing this post together.
I have been working on putting all of the grades in the systen the last three weeks because Wednesday October 27 th our report cards are going to be printed. So on Friday October 22nd I decided I had better make sure that all of the grades were posted and were correct. First two classes YEAH! Perfect! Last class? Every grade had disappeared. Panic set in immediately. I kept reminding myself if this was a student in the class I would be telling them tomorrow is a NEW DAY and it' going to be OK. I really hate it when I have to live by what I teach because I was thinking for a little while about how ok this was not or was it going to be. The bright side of this I am ahead of the deadline and I have plenty of time to re enter all of the grades! "Tomorrow is a new day."
I have a student teacher and he is a pro on the computer and for me this makes it all the more embarrassing. He, I'm sure quietly was thinking, "wow if you had just hit the save button you would have had all of the grades and been ready to print. "
I decided tomorrow is not only a new day but it is Saturday and I would have time to work on these Monday. The best is I still have plenty of time before Wednesday. Technology MY FAVORITE!!!
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
SOCIAL NETWORKING Topic of Discussion at a Family Dinner (Oct.18th)
Sunday we had all gotten together to eat lunch at my mom's house. All meaning there is about twenty of us. We were sitting around my mom's computer looking at a friend of ours obituary. He passed away from Cancer last Wednesday night. He and his family lived in Arizona so we were online reading about him from the tribute his daughter had written two hours before he passed away.
My thirty-seven (youngest) year old sister says these social networking sites need to be gotten rid of! Then of course my sister-in-law and a friend chimed in, "yes I agree." Then they all got into discussing about how you can say whatever you want to whom ever you want and there is never face to face conversations and people can and do get mad over what is written. I listened to them for what seemed like hours, but it was only ten minutes. I kind of let them wind down and then I threw in the statement of I believe certain social networking sites will come and go, but instead of removing everything maybe we should just take the time and teach people how and why to use them. They all kind of looked at me. LIKE REALLY? I told them you all just spent ten minutes complaining about the exact kind of benefit you had five minutes before that in going to the Caringbridge Site to read about our friend. I reminded them that too is a form of social networking. It is just like when you have a one year old and the kind of thinking that goes with child proofing the house. My husband and I chose not to child proof our home we taught our children at very young age what was touchable and what was pretty, what could be played with and what should be left alone. My husband was in the Navy and we traveled to other houses a lot we never worried about our children breaking anything because they had been taught. Also nobody had to worry that we were coming and their home wasn't childproof because our children ALMOST all of the time knew how to act. Believe me they were and are not perfect, but we could take them anywhere. I did childcare for ten years and in ten years I only had one candle broke. The children were taught what they could play with and what was to be left alone. It is the same philosophy just as Denise stated last Wednesday night in class. We have to teach the social networking and model it so children and others know how to use it. Is there still going to be some problems? Of course there is, but if we always sit back and observe and never bother to teach explain then we're always going to get what we've always gotten. They all looked at me still, like you are not really serious are you? I told them I have not personally researched it but I would guess if you put lessons and assignments on i-pods just in the high school setting you would have a better success rate at them being looked at and used to benefit them as students. I told them if you teach it and are involved in what they are doing they tend to choose different wordage. Is the garbage still going to go on, of course because we are all human. After all there was still stuff being said that shouldn't have when there were party lines on phones years ago. Really showing how old I am!!! Teach social networking and use it often and children will see a whole different side then just being able to get on and start saying whatever they want how they want.
Have a good week!
My thirty-seven (youngest) year old sister says these social networking sites need to be gotten rid of! Then of course my sister-in-law and a friend chimed in, "yes I agree." Then they all got into discussing about how you can say whatever you want to whom ever you want and there is never face to face conversations and people can and do get mad over what is written. I listened to them for what seemed like hours, but it was only ten minutes. I kind of let them wind down and then I threw in the statement of I believe certain social networking sites will come and go, but instead of removing everything maybe we should just take the time and teach people how and why to use them. They all kind of looked at me. LIKE REALLY? I told them you all just spent ten minutes complaining about the exact kind of benefit you had five minutes before that in going to the Caringbridge Site to read about our friend. I reminded them that too is a form of social networking. It is just like when you have a one year old and the kind of thinking that goes with child proofing the house. My husband and I chose not to child proof our home we taught our children at very young age what was touchable and what was pretty, what could be played with and what should be left alone. My husband was in the Navy and we traveled to other houses a lot we never worried about our children breaking anything because they had been taught. Also nobody had to worry that we were coming and their home wasn't childproof because our children ALMOST all of the time knew how to act. Believe me they were and are not perfect, but we could take them anywhere. I did childcare for ten years and in ten years I only had one candle broke. The children were taught what they could play with and what was to be left alone. It is the same philosophy just as Denise stated last Wednesday night in class. We have to teach the social networking and model it so children and others know how to use it. Is there still going to be some problems? Of course there is, but if we always sit back and observe and never bother to teach explain then we're always going to get what we've always gotten. They all looked at me still, like you are not really serious are you? I told them I have not personally researched it but I would guess if you put lessons and assignments on i-pods just in the high school setting you would have a better success rate at them being looked at and used to benefit them as students. I told them if you teach it and are involved in what they are doing they tend to choose different wordage. Is the garbage still going to go on, of course because we are all human. After all there was still stuff being said that shouldn't have when there were party lines on phones years ago. Really showing how old I am!!! Teach social networking and use it often and children will see a whole different side then just being able to get on and start saying whatever they want how they want.
Have a good week!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Interesting Links discussed/presented in Class
The links that we got on Wednesday night were a great display of how children can do more with modeling and guidance if we expect more. I was glad that I brought up using the invertebrates project at school because when we were able to discuss it I got a lot of new and different ideas to use for the next time. We often talk at our grade level meetings about if you expect it, model it, nurture it then you will probably get it. The projects we looked at about the Bermuda Triangle etc. were a great example of challenge the students and they will do the work.
I also appreciated the different literature circle ideas that were shared for different books that we often use with our fifth grade classes. I do try to change up literature circles because I do not want it to become monotonous and boring.
I did feel rather challenged myself because I had e-mailed both of my projects to Dr. Schmidt and she had not received any of them. Since then she has received one but not the other. I am never quite sure what I am doing wrong, but I will get it figured out. Also I was very much challenged when drawing Willie who I called Thompson for some reason. I thought I had to have a program that perfected Willie and the drawing so after spending about four hours and just becoming more and more frustrated I decided I would make Willie on a power point and compare him to a semi and the Empire State Building. I decided I wasn't perfecting Willie without buying a program. Do remember though I couldn't even get his name right. It was Thompson as far as I was concerned. Who knew where I came up with that except by Wednesday night at 7:30 my brain is pretty tired. Have a good week!
I also appreciated the different literature circle ideas that were shared for different books that we often use with our fifth grade classes. I do try to change up literature circles because I do not want it to become monotonous and boring.
I did feel rather challenged myself because I had e-mailed both of my projects to Dr. Schmidt and she had not received any of them. Since then she has received one but not the other. I am never quite sure what I am doing wrong, but I will get it figured out. Also I was very much challenged when drawing Willie who I called Thompson for some reason. I thought I had to have a program that perfected Willie and the drawing so after spending about four hours and just becoming more and more frustrated I decided I would make Willie on a power point and compare him to a semi and the Empire State Building. I decided I wasn't perfecting Willie without buying a program. Do remember though I couldn't even get his name right. It was Thompson as far as I was concerned. Who knew where I came up with that except by Wednesday night at 7:30 my brain is pretty tired. Have a good week!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Technology Ideas by My Students October 6th, 2010
Last week my class and I decided to brainstorm ways and technology we could use everyday. These ideas did not have to be for just the area of school. We came up with a list of about ten to twelve items we could use for technology. Then we got to talking about how and where we could use these items. Several students suggested that you can plan menus and then download and then the grocery list is already done for you. I could take an i-pod to the gym and listen to it. They really laughed when they found I still carry a little walkman. My family has offered many times to buy me an i-pod I told them I really just like the radio.
The class challenged me to make a weeks worth of menus, grocery list and look at the coupons/bargains.
So I told them I would try. I also told them there was one thing to remember and that was that my husband likes to cook and usually does the shopping.
Saturday I sat down for one hour and planned my menu, grocery list and the coupon/bargains. I started out with the grocery store with the most coupons and it is also one that I don't believe I have ever shopped at for my actual groceries. Keep in mind it was Saturday at 10:30 and I don't usually shop for the groceries. Quite the eye opening experience for ME! The sales were so good that the store was selling certain things as fast as they could put them on the shelf. Everything looks better if it is on sale!!! SO you have already probably guessed I bought it because it was a bargain. Needless to say two hours later I was leaving the store, frustrated and spent at least $50 more than had I just went to the other store. BUT, I wasn't done yet I still had items that I knew I was going to have to go to the other store for. BUSY! DON'T GO ON SATURDAYS at LUNCH TIME and know what you are buying. My simple challenge turned out to be exhausting when I arrived home three hours later, but we did have a great lunch on Sunday!!!
I shared my experience in a reflection on Tuesday. (we didn't have students on Monday) They of course thought it was funny. They also thought I probably needed to let my husband continue shopping. I had to agree with them!
I just thought I would share a little different approach to technology in my blog this week.
I did however remind my class that it is a good thing I am taking a technology class at ISU. They agreed but felt sorry for the professor and other students.
Have a good week!
Jo Mort
The class challenged me to make a weeks worth of menus, grocery list and look at the coupons/bargains.
So I told them I would try. I also told them there was one thing to remember and that was that my husband likes to cook and usually does the shopping.
Saturday I sat down for one hour and planned my menu, grocery list and the coupon/bargains. I started out with the grocery store with the most coupons and it is also one that I don't believe I have ever shopped at for my actual groceries. Keep in mind it was Saturday at 10:30 and I don't usually shop for the groceries. Quite the eye opening experience for ME! The sales were so good that the store was selling certain things as fast as they could put them on the shelf. Everything looks better if it is on sale!!! SO you have already probably guessed I bought it because it was a bargain. Needless to say two hours later I was leaving the store, frustrated and spent at least $50 more than had I just went to the other store. BUT, I wasn't done yet I still had items that I knew I was going to have to go to the other store for. BUSY! DON'T GO ON SATURDAYS at LUNCH TIME and know what you are buying. My simple challenge turned out to be exhausting when I arrived home three hours later, but we did have a great lunch on Sunday!!!
I shared my experience in a reflection on Tuesday. (we didn't have students on Monday) They of course thought it was funny. They also thought I probably needed to let my husband continue shopping. I had to agree with them!
I just thought I would share a little different approach to technology in my blog this week.
I did however remind my class that it is a good thing I am taking a technology class at ISU. They agreed but felt sorry for the professor and other students.
Have a good week!
Jo Mort
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