An Explanation

I have recieved a few complaints about my last post...some people email me instead of posting a comment, which is OK, but I've had a few complaints about that last one. I explained that I write what I think, and other than using spell check occasionally, I really don't edit my thoughts. Those were my thoughts that day. That's all there is to it. I see this informal medium as a place that I don't need to critically consider each comment and verb choice. I write about what's on my mind that moment. Other than a few required posts for classes, I really haven't planned out an entry, I just type. I hope that explains some of things that may get into these postings and why there may be some wandering thoughts that could be stated more clearly and in fewer words.
I will try to keep them MUCH shorter though...that one was a bit too long. It's a good thing I don't teach english I guess :)

Finally +a soapbox moment...

Lately, I've been pretty busy, but happy too. I've had a few problems with UFL. I've taken 3 classes, passed them all, but only show 2 in my grade history. I paid a bill, that doesn't agree with the fee schedule and don't understand a few things, but figure that it will work out. Everyone has been very helpful so far and feedback has made sense and been appropriate. No real complaints at all :). To this point my professors have done very well and helped so much.
This week has been the first week that I've FINALLY been confident that I could travel in the 'Cuda. Still working the bugs out, I guess. Now all is well, but there's a strong possibility that it will be gone soon. The guy I bought it from ( in New Mexico) was in PA last week and went for a little ride. He sold me the car with a poor paint job and no engine/trans. Most of the other parts were there, but they were in boxes. Now that the body has been straightened, the door handles shaved, the antenna removed and a large new engine installed, he wants it back. At first I thought that there's no way I'm going to sell now. I've put countless hours into it, spent nights and weekends part searching, fixing etc. Then I started to think that, other than the seats, it's pretty well done (They need new covers). Maybe it's time for a new project? I did enjoy the process and would do some things a bit differently. I would like to do it again, but can't afford to keep two of these things at once. In fact, I checked my accounts and I have just about enough money to pay the bills before I get paid again and nothing to spare. (Here we get paid a lump sum for the summer and have to budget from there....I didn't do so well there this year....no surprise there) That's a pretty minor problem I guess: keep it, drive it and enjoy it OR take the money and another project in trade to start all over again. Summer is nearing the end here and driving season on a car like this is nearly over...it will just sit in the garage for the winter with little to be done to it...maybe I need another project to help keep me from going stir crazy during the long winter months here. Maybe I should keep what I've done and enjoy it for another season and enjoy a winter without feeling the need to complete a project to drive the following year. Between the trial fittings of the engine, painting, body work, seemingly endless sanding, engine removal (because my 'machinist' didn't replace 37 year old soft plugs in the heads and chose to paint over the old ones without telling me), electrical demons, fuel pump deaths etc., I've put a lot of time into this. Most of the work was darn cheap because I don't pay myself much. The only real expense was the engine and machine work...everything else was done by me and another teacher here in the area. He teaches math and has been a friend since I can remember...thanks to Misfit Toys!!! That's his small car oriented company. If you ever saw his garage, you'd understand where the name comes from. This has been a fun journey, but maybe it's time to embark on a new one. I have to admit that I do enjoy talking to the younger kids about the car. I get comments from them the most and encourage them to continue the hobby. So many kids are interested in their little 4 banger "sports" cars and the fart cans on the back today, I like to see the all American tradition of the muscle car living on. Really, there's nothing like the sound of a huge V-8 humming with the four barrels sucking air as fast as they can, mated to a well tuned exhaust while gaining speed rapidly.
Now, I know that today is a time when miles per gallon is a selling point and the larger displacements are frowned upon, but I really don't care right now. This little rocket gets the same MPG as my truck does, if not a couple better and does so while looking soooo much better.
That brings me to my gripe of the week: the EPA. Their job is to keep the environment safe for generations to come. During my senior year of college, I had to do a debate. I chose fuel efficiency and pollution from vehicles. During my research, I found some interesting stuff that's pretty obvious now. The first year for EPA regulations on cars was 1971. That was the worst year for pollutants released and for MPG. It was also the end of high revving, high compression engines that used high octane fuels. Today, the high compression, high revving engines are the “efficient” ones and making a come back…HMMM, could they have been wrong 35 years ago? Why hasn’t fuel economy come up? My friend has a ’68 Dart with a pretty stock engine that gets about 25-26 MPG with no computer controls, fuel injection or any of the new “advances” that make today’s cars run. After 38 years, there are few cars with this performance, size and comfort(I’m 6’3) that can compare without spending some cash. What happened? How can an econobox, that is a death trap in an accident get about the same mileage? When one of our old beasts makes contact with another vehicle, the differences are really clear. Were these cars from long ago that far advanced? Are today’s vehicles really that much better? My ’69 had the door locks that keep you from locking yourself out (Toyota did this in the early ‘80’s and made quite a splash with their advertising), fold down rear seats were in the 66 Charger(also later touted by Toyota as an “advancement” many years later), 6 way adjustable power seats in a 65 Sport Furry convertible(with a power top by the way), thermostatic radiator fans go back into the late 40’s, fuel injection back to theWWII aircraft, disk brakes back to WWII too and cruise control from who knows when. The cyclic nature of the automobile is phenomenal and the advancements that aren’t appreciated until someone comes up with a good ad campaign for it, sad.

OK, here’s where I just can’t help myself and skirt the world of politics, science, environment, the future etc….feel free to just stop here, avoid my soapbox moment and say OK…

With that in mind, I get to my big point. Currently our country is heavily dependant upon foreign interests to feed our need for oil. At the same time thousands of acres of prime farmland lay fallow because our ever brilliant politicians choose to pay farmers NOT to grow corn and grains to keep prices at a “fair” level. Why not supplement them to help with the ethanol? Why not cover large portions of these fields with switch grass (twice as many gallons per acre as corn and soybeans and this stuff comes back every year without replanting!) in order help? Even my 69 will run on a percentage of this stuff and I’m sure could be adapted to run on nearly pure ethanol(at least the 85% that the newer GM vehicles do) and be quite happy. Other sources are “in the works” but have been for a LOOOOONG time. To this point, nothing has really changed. The internal combustion engines rule the world and have been around longer than most people think. Generally speaking, these engines are about the most ancient piece of “technology” that we use on a daily basis. Sure the fuel delivery systems and computer controlled spark, multiple cams, multiple valves etc, are improvements, but the same thing happens: a volatile liquid is vaporized, forced into a small container where compression is added and an explosion occurs, leading the same thing happen in another cylinder…not that much different than what those crazy brothers developed to help the first airplane get off the ground and countless tinkerers and inventers before them to drive machines of the future. Until we really start letting our greatest minds free, we’ll be stuck where we are and dependent upon others that may or may not like us. I remember a Popular Science article from when I was really young that dealt with nuclear powered cars…a tiny radioactive pellet providing years of driving for a car, Chrysler had a turbine powered car in the ‘60’s that would run on just about anything from kerosene to gasoline to corn oil to the alcohol in your liquor cabinet. These ideas didn’t last for one reason or another. Today, the idea of hydrogen fuels is pretty interesting, but the easiest and currently the most efficient method for procuring the H needed comes from natural gas, which is a hydrogen-carbon (can you say hydrocarbon?) chain. The big problem is that it releases all of the C into the atmosphere, which is a greenhouse gas that we’re worried about (Global Warming, real or imagined)…so that’s not really the answer. The oceans are full of H, but this requires so much energy to isolate that it’s currently not feasible, unless the atomic capabilities are embraced to generate the electricity for this process in a RELATIVELY “clean” and efficient manner. As soon as the word nuclear comes up, people tend to freak. Wow, I guess that there really isn’t current and truly good replacement for the tried and true black gold. It’s easy to manipulate into whatever we need and we have the infrastructure to send it globally. What would happen to the economy if something were to crop up (haha, that was a pun :)) to change this dominance? Are we ready for that? Imagine the consequences…what could happen, both good and bad. How would that huge transition occur? How many years would it take to ease into a new world of non-petroleum based motivation of our goods? Oh, the problems that arise! This is a complicated arena and one that so many people seem to have the answer to. My oil patch friends (yes there is still oil coming from NW PA) say that they could produce so much more if the DCNR(Department of Conservation of Natural Resources) the DEP(Department of Environmental Protection) here in PA would let them, and of course the ever present EPA regulates too. One says that the DEP won’t be happy until we’re all riding bicycles. The nuke people see it as the solution, the Hydrogen fans see that as the answer and the LNG(Liquefied Natural Gas) fans see it as the future. Electrical vehicle fans say that’s the way to go, but seem to have no good way of generating the electricity without damming a river, burning coal, oil or natural gas. Ya, there’s solar, and wind but they really aren’t showing that well yet…plus here in PA, you’d have a rough time with our weather and lack of sunny days….what a mess…I guess I’ll just continue to place my two cents where I can and continue to enjoy the benefits that the oil based economy brings.

I have to end with saying that I REALLY REALLY appreciate all of those who are in the military doing what they are told, whether or not they believe in what they are doing, and see them as so much more than protecting our oil supply. Keep up the good work and stay safe! THANK YOU for your contributions!!!! I’ll leave a nice long, smoky patch of rubber, like a pair of dancing snakes, on some back road for you :)

mark

More possitve thinking

OK, the last post sat on the computer for a day, was read and reread by me before being put out there for all to see. That one may not be posted later on, if I decide that it doesn't belong in the public domain, but we'll have to see how I feel.

I'd like to take a more positive outlook today. I'm learning many things that will improve the lives of my students, am relatively healthy, have gainful employment, supportive and helpful friends and relatively minor problems. I may complain a bit, but I'm really pretty darn happy. I chose my lot in life. I chose to do what I do. I chose to work 2-3 jobs, mostly 7 days a week. I chose to do 5, 12 hour days and keep the second job on the weekends. I left this to teach. I still choose to have a 2nd and a 3rd job while taking classes. These choices make me who I am. I'm confident that very few can truly call me lazy. I'm proud of what I do and most of the things I've done. I've made mistakes and a few enemies. That's part of life. When I'm perfect I'll let everyone know :) and will expect full acknowledgement for it. Until then, I'll continue to do the best that I can with what I have.
I see good things in the future moderated by the common setbacks and challenges. Life wouldn't really be fun without the challenges and the lunatics that we sometimes have to deal with. At least I can say that I'm not perfect, but I'm not as bad as (put name here). The irrational people really make me appreciate where I came from and where I'm going. Maybe they weren't taught any better or have lost sight of what's really important.
Today, I look at all of the good things in my life and think that I'm darn lucky. Today I choose to be positive and see the funnier side of my problems, no matter what they are, they'll be taken care of in due time. Some will be worse than others, but as long as I have my word and my character I'm me.
In time, some of my current problems may become the subject matter of my blogs, others may become gripes and yet others funny anecdotes on life. No matter what happens or how much my mistakes may cost me, I’ll continue to learn from them and become better at what I do and a better person for my trials. One really good way of looking at is that errors only happen when someone is trying and that mistakes are the results of unfixed errors. When you fix an error, it doesn’t become a mistake.

No matter how rough the hand you’re dealt looks, try to find something that is good in it and work to improve it.

Good luck :)

Another day

Today, I see that too much preparation can be a problem. I've been looking forward to our school's new all encompassing software. I've been devising methods to really take advantage of the possibilities offered to me. Today, by chance, I found out that we'll not be instituting this change, will be using the same system this year and possibly the year after change to a third set of programs. I do appreciate that it was decided that we shouldn't make wholesale changes on a system that will not be in existence the following year. I just wish I'd known about it earlier, or at least be alerted to the change. Ah, well I'll get over that and look for other ways to implement my ideas. I'm looking forward to some new things in the coming year. Some of my changes may have been tabled for another day, but others will pop up like weeds elsewhere; killed for the time being only to reappear another day. This is an interesting world we attempt to teach in.
Today I read a journal from 2000 discussing the state of technology in the UK and new objectives toward a better education. It was interesting to see that they were really into "informal communication". Today, those are the things many of our kids do on their own. It's the formal confab that isn't really happening that easily. The money put into their programs since the 80's was impressive, and their lack of direction interesting. At least there were dollars allotted to carry out their dreams. Today, we still have the vague notions of a constantly changing "proficiency" and multiple standards. We just don't see the money needed to implement some changes that need to happen. This, to me, seems like yet another case of learn from history, or be doomed to repeat it. If we don't have a well-defined direction with attainable goals that are well defined and assessable, we're looking at more time wasted and yet another globalized attempt at making the country's education system competitive which will be followed by another program another day.

Today, I have one final thought I could solve all the ills of today’s education systems, but am not in the position of power to attain this fete. Just remember that there will always be about 5% unemployment. Study your kids, their efforts, their desires, their goals and their dreams. Most likely after a statistical analysis you’ll see that about 5% are not willing to do anything for themselves: Some people just don’t want to do anything and expect to be taken care of. This could be a product of the times. Just compare the footage of San Francisco’s “Great Quake”, where soldiers were handing out necessities for life and tools for people to rebuild their own homes and communities: shovels, hammers, and saws (THANKS HISTORY CHANNEL!) with the footage of people infuriated that they were inconvenienced because not enough was done for them in New Orleans. OK, before the hatemail starts, I know that our media is extremely proficient in finding the saddest stories to report and have a way of attempting to affect their viewers in an attempt to gain/keep viewership I fully acknowledge that both plights REALLY suck, but at some point we all have to be responsible for our choices and our futures. To all of those that took their destiny, moved on and did SOMETHING: a huge congratulations!! For those who are still awaiting more handouts while doing nothing for yourself….well, that too is a topic for another day.

It's Been A While

OK, so it's been a long time since I've updated anything or even checked on the posts of others. That just part of summer I guess. I’m working in my third UFL course and learning more things to put to use next year. So far each class has had things to offer, and some things that may not find their ways into my routines. At least I’m getting new stuff to try though. When I started, I decided that I wouldn’t be one of those who does the same things year after year without change. I decided if that occurred it would time to move on to another career. The other reason for me stop will be when it stops being an enjoyable job. If I’m not having fun, it’s really tough for those who count most to have a good experience.

To me that’s one of the main things summer accomplishes. Recharge, learn and get little relaxing in. My family was in before the 4^th and we had a great time. It’s just too bad that the economy in this area is a bit depressed so the family is pretty spread out to keep working.

After the week of family, I spent most of the week of the 4^th at our little cottage(with working restroomJ). I actually did literally nothing for nearly an entire day. Woke up, went for a walk on the lakeshore, took a short trip in the boat around the lake and then just sat on the dock….that was the entire day, other than lunch and dinner. That felt really good, but I doubt that I could do it often, but one day was enough.

With about half of the summer in the bag, it’s time for me to get more serious about preparing for the coming year.

I’m looking forward to using the new CenterPoint system and implementing what I’ve learned over the summer, but need to get moving a bit faster on this. This year will be entirely new, which keeps things interesting. I just never intended to change so much all at once. That’s a bit of a stressor. I’ll work through it and will hopefully have a stronger course for the change. I’ll have better teaming potentials, room for changing rooms with the other teacher in the science lab etc. The possibilities are endless…should make for an interesting year!

I hope the summer has been good for all of you and that you have the opportunity to do something you’ve always meant to do, but haven’t yet. Last year it was wakeboarding for me…this year it was walking to Canada(OK, don’t be too impressed, it was just walking across the bridge and it costs 50 cents to get back into the country hmm free to leave but pay to get back interesting) and seeing the falls from places I hadn’t been…thanks to a brother living in the area and knowing more than me. There might be other things, but we’ll see.

I’ll try to keep up a bit more frequently!

Good luck.

Good timing

EME 5403 comes at a good time for me. I'm behind in the class, but am finding things that will be useful in the coming year. Our district is changing to a network based series of programs for the attendance, grade books and student management portions of the day to day operations of the school. The features are impressive so far, but we haven't had any hands on trials yet. One of the features that will incorporate well will be the ability to import our grade books and students lists into Excel. The form letters and notes home will be even more simplified through this interaction of programs.
The Inspiration software also brought many ideas to me, which I've put on paper so I can remember them as I'm building my plans for the following year. Couple these with the lesson plan ideas and I'm looking at a much more involved team of students next year. I'm prepared for the failures and tweaking that will most likely occur when trying new things, but that's part of it. Change is the only true constant. I intend to keep improving my lessons and trying new things. If I'm not excited about what I do, how can expect the kids to be?
Well, back to the back work to get caught up in class...I'm getting there! :)

Summer fun

This weekend marks the first of the official car shows for me this summer. It's a moderate sized event, drawing decent numbers and good quality vehicles. Mine really isn't there for the competition, just to see friends and get ideas for the next project. The show is one of two that I REALLY try not to miss and the only one that my car actually gets the full cleaning treatment for. That process will start Friday after work and will end when my car is parked in its space on Sunday. Usually the car just gets a quick cleaning and appears for a show. I drive it nearly every day in the summer. It even sees the rain, so it's just not worth detailing everything for other people to look at it. I enjoy the driving part too much to make it a trailer/show queen.
The first show will take me about 60 miles each way. I've been out making short trips checking everything and all seems OK. A few electrical demons to exorcise this year and just one little mechanical issue have surfaced so far. It should be a fun time reuniting with people that I haven't seen in person since the show last year.
The second show is much easier and closer. It's less than 1/2 a mile from my house. Friends use my driveway as a staging point, meeting in the early AM to do the last minute cleanings and watch the other cars drive in. I'm on the only entry road to the show. We like to see and hear the others as they go in in the AM and exit the show at the end of the day. Simple things make me pretty happy. The gathering of friends is not always simple with jobs, families etc. These few days a year are set aside for this reason. Getting together, telling stories and lighting the hides is just good entertainment and a great distraction from the responsibilities of life. How the vehicles place, if we even have them judged, really has no meaning to us. Fun is the key. We all have too many serious things in everyday life to make a hobby something that also has to competitive and serious.

Enjoy life.

mark

Summer

Today was the second to last day of the school year. The temperatures have risen and the room temps are in the upper 80's to low 90's. This makes things a little bit tough, but this year we were lucky to have only one week of heat. We aren't equipped with AC here, but would realy only need it for a couple of weeks at the start, and usually a couple at the end. To me, even though I'm uncomfortable, it's not worth the expense to have. I won't put it in my house either. But I'm getting off track.
Tomorrow we will celebrate the moving on of our oldest middle school students and send them to the high school. For the 8th graders, it's good half day of school. It's low stress, awards cermony, Medieval Faire video, followed by yearbook signing in the gym. During this time we generally have some tunes and this year will have my young virtuosos entertaining with their guitar wizardry. It should be a good final day.
My room is nearly bare. It's gnerally full of positive sayings and encouraging words, but due to the cleaning procedures, must come down each year. What a dull drab and uninviting place it turns into. I'll be working in there throughout much of the summer. My first project is to take out everything from my cabinets, storage closet, corners, shelves, desk and filing cabinets to see what I have. SOme of the stuff has been unopened since I moved in. Other things were moved from from my AE building in boxes that have yet to see the light of day. I intend to get things organized first this year( which has been on my to-do list since my first year). I just have too much stuff and need to get all of my units together in one place. Right now I have rocks, maps and space mixed together. I think this will make my life better and make my room look a little less chaotic...which was one of my principal's suggestions at my end of the year interview.
The organization will followed by starting my lesson plans and timings for the following year. This should be simplified by new organization(I hope).
During this time, I'll still be taking classes and also serving on jury duty. Luckily, they were flexible enough to change my dates of service so I can visit with my family, which will be traveling in for a week. This doesn't happen too often, so I'd really have been upset to be sittting on a jury during that time. I'm 30 miles from the court house which doesn't help, but I guess it's something I have to do. Just a week of summer when other things are less important. "The price of democracy", I'm told. With my history of working with the rougher end of the area's population, I just hope that I don't know too many of the accused :).

Busy few weeks

Today, Sunday May 21st, I finally have the chance to sit and think for a few minutes. It has been a busy few weeks. My text for my class has yet to show up, the bathroom fell off (literally), the basement was a swimming pool and it rained most every day. Just another time when living in PA can be interesting. As far as the text goes, there's really nothing more to do other than wait and hope that I can catch up. The bathroom is another story. My family has had a small place on a little lake since 1906. Of course, when it was built, there was no indoor plumbing. Years later, someone put up walls and a roof over a back porch, converting it into a powder room. A few weeks ago this "room" finally gave in to the steady cycle of flooding and freezing. The pylons that used to keep the place up crumbled. This place has been around so long, something had to be done. My father has spent evenings rebuilding what was lost. My part has been as involved as I can be. Today, we finished the roof, despite winds and rain. Of all the times to try and get this done...it's rained just about everyday since the first supports were drilled into the ground! At least now, most of the work will be done under the new roof. Yes we could survive without a restroom, but with the long weekend and the start of summer approaching (at least I think summer will start, it was 37 this morning when I left to work on the facilities), this place has been a gathering place for family and friends.
In the middle of all this, my sump pump gave up the ghost. I didn't realize that until I went to the basement, which is poorly lit, and stepped into the water. That was quite a surprise! That was followed by working in the water to find the pump, remove it and rewire the new one. Ah, there's nothing quite like a little voltage and water to make you think about things. :) Despite all the fun, I still found time to get my Barracuda inspected for the year. That was a bit depressing too. It turns out that I only put 855 miles on it since the last inspection. Not nearly enough driving for the amount of work I have in it. I guess I'll have to make the goal of turning the key more often.

With only 9 days left with my students, my to do list for the summer is growing. At least there isn' t too much time to be bored. I've even been too busy to get my fishing license. Trout season started in mid April and have yet to wet a line. I guess that just means that I have another goal...The never-ending cycle. At least I can still laugh about things and have the humor to see that it's all just normal, even though a few of my friends think I'm a bit to cozy with this Murphy guy and his little law.
I guess the point is that no matter what happens, do what you have to and keep laughing when you can. I'm looking forward to a few days without rain and the end of the school year so I can gear up for the next one. Good luck to all and may the powers that be smile upon you and keep and help you see the humor in things.
mark

Thought for the day

As I work through the tech in ed classes, I'm learning many things. Today, I learned something that came from an unexpected source. My tech guy, who has not always been as supportive or helpful as he could be, gave me some insight while doing some needed work on my computer. Our building is relatively new (at least in my area). It began in 1998 and was completed a while later. The community was in an uproar over the "extravagance” of such a new building. Anyway, my point is that education here isn't always at the top of the financial food chain.
Looking at tech and its return/dollar spent. I'm really questioning some things. One example, which was the tidbit picked up from the tech department, involved switches. These are the unsung heroes of your access to the world. When they go down, your computer is a stand-alone item. The life expectancy is about five years. Those in our middle and high schools are going into their seventh year with few problems. At any moment, all or part of my building could be without access to the grading program (based in another state), attendance program (same), emails (wouldn't that hurt?) and various other things used in the classroom. What it amounts to is about a $70,000 investment. This put me to thinking about what other things could be done with that money. That lead to thinking about how much more we spend on new computers, that age so quickly and all the things needed to keep up to date technologically. Is this the best bang for the buck? I don't really have the answer to that one yet. Maybe we’re just under using it? Ahhh to know it all....
Thanks to these classes I'm thinking differently, but am still a tech person. I like the stuff and use it as much as possible. As long as there are funding streams (the light bulb for my projector costs about $399) and functioning switches, I'll use the stuff, but don't want it to be all that I do just want it to help me do what I do. :)
mark

A full week

This past week was a full week. So many things going on, and not enough time for the full completion of each. From a teaching standpoint, I'm relatively well caught up for this year. From the next year perspective, I'm already feeling behind. I just came though a professional day where I worked with the science teacher from the other team (we have two 8th grade teams of students, designed to help bridge the gap from the elementary system to the high school system). There has been a large push for making both teams congruent in all subject areas. I am looking at a huge change in the coming year. I'm expected to change many things. I'm the newer teacher in this team, so my say is a bit limited. I'm having a difficult time working out some bugs and am really trying to keep up the things that I've done in the past while trying to be as similar as possible. I openly admit that my class has a limited connection to the following years, as far as content goes. Students won't see this stuff again until college! With this in mind, I spend a lot of time teaching the note taking skills, testing skills, reading skills, skimming, context clues etc. I use my content to do so. This practice will become more difficult next year. The grading policy with be different as well...I guess I'm just like a starting teacher next year, with more questions than I had when I started teaching.
All in all, it should be an interesting year. I'm relatively new, and my counterpart has been in the business for 28 years (I asked him on Friday). Combining the new technology (me) and the established worksheets (him) ought to make for an interesting year. I hope that we can both benefit from this attempt at amalgamation and homogenization…only more days of work and discussion will tell.

A Thank you

Thanks to all that helped me get started in the blogs, figure out these new things and those who commented on my unit. Thanks to all of you, this will be a stronger unit next year when I use it and most of the weaknesses should be sorted out. Good luck...I imaginge that I'll be "seeing" some of you in other classes.
mark

More thinking

Today, as the gray clouds part and the sun pokes through, I think about the course and what has been learned. I think about my unit, and what it was intended to accomplish. I think about the many times that I use technology to convey a point or demonstrate something new that relates to what we're doing in the classroom. It is truly amazing how far technology has come in the last few years. I see a new use for this boon in ideas and abilities. Integrating this capability is the issue for me. I like the idea of having a blog for my students to comment in and to ask questions, have assignments posted, interact with the parents and students and the like, but getting that kind of access to students in school is my issue. I have had a whale of a time getting access to these things at school myself. The negative outlook and potential for misuse seem to pervade and counteract the useful aspects, at least where I am. I am very interested in applying my newfound knowledge to my chosen profession. The uses and conveniences show the worth of such a use of newer technology. This class has shown some of the uses to me. Even though my unit did not fully explore this potential, I intend to integrate more of this in the weeks that follow the original few days that next year will bring. Thanks to all that have helped me learn how to work some of this stuff! You were very helpful! Hope all goes well for each of you and good luck in whatever you do.

mark

A Nice Day In PA

Today, as I sit and work on lesson plans for my UbD unit, I look out the window and see it's a beautiful day in PA. Those of you in the more southerly parts might not understand the importance of these days. After a long cold winter, warm cloud-free days during daylight savings time bring so many things. We've had enough rain to wash all of the salt, spread to make travel possible in the winter months, from the roads. It's nearing 65 degrees (warm for us), and it's time to take a break from work for a little while. Today is my last day of Easter break and it's time to work on a hobby. As I like to say, it's time to stretch the legs of my fish and burn some dead dinosaurs...or in regular speak, take a classic muscle car out and burn some gas! WAHOOOOOOOOO
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Impressed

Today, I am impressed. Three years ago I went offline. This was in response to that fact that I spent far too many hours researching for my lessons, at dial up speed. I decided not to let this time interfere with the rest of what I like to do and decided to use the school, staying later, but still not spending as many hours doing the same things. My computer sat for those years, collecting dust, being moved from one house to another and generally being neglected. Despite needing a good file cleaning and MS Internet Explorer being outdated, it has operated flawlessly. DSL is now available to me making my research a much more efficient process. Today I attempted my first printing on an old cheap Canon printer. To my surprise, the ink cartridges worked! I'd never have guessed that these would sit for soooo long and not dry up. I have color and good draft quality which is nice because I'm still the type that likes to have a hard copy to carry around with me, and use a writing stick to make comments and changes.
Some things never cease to amaze me.
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Thoughts and a Plan

Thoughts and a Plan

This week, as a work on the unit plan, some things came together; others became a bit more fuzzy. The idea of thinking through what I'm doing in a logical order showed me some weak points in my current lessons. When I think about it, most of the teachers I know have complained about testing taking time away from their lessons, or grade level field trips, or in my 8th grade case transition activities that are intended to getting the kids more prepared for life in the high school. I doubt that most have looked at how they can streamline what they do to assist this. I see now that this can be a huge time saver!
As I worked with my unit, I saw some real weak points which will have been addressed before posting. I'm also working on getting the state standards from other disciplines mapped into my overall plan. While my selected unit will be barely begun by the time the requirements for this class have been fulfilled, I feel that the start will be much more solid. I guess my idea of unit was quite a bit bigger than the 3 lessons required. I'm looking at doing the first 5 days of my unit. This will occur after all the introductory, text handout and syllabus/rules review is taken care of.
I look into the requirements and become a bit nervous. I'm seeing many things that will need to be set out for all to see. The methods behind doing this are currently beyond my knowledge. I have a set template for my lesson plans in my district(Word) (which works pretty well). I'm looking at using this template along with the template for the UbD (6 page template)(Word) to convey my intentions. How the next challenge is getting this out there. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Thank you all. :)

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Sequencing

Sequencing (Attempt 3)

In the process of trying this, I have done 2 drafts…neither of which made me happy. This is lucky number 3. This will begin the year for science. This is a starting point, using some previously used ideas and some new ones for me. I’m sure it will change as I get into more things…but here goes.

This will occur after the all of the introductory, syllabus referral, expectations, rules and text dispersion.

Day 1

1. Students will create a brainstorm list for anything that they can think of about minerals, their uses etc.
1. Students will be able to write their answers on the whiteboard, using the “magic pen”. At the end of the activity, this will be saved and printed for later referral. (students respond very well to getting to write on the whiteboard)
2. After the initial class brainstorm, students are introduced to skimming (Extremely useful in taking the PSSA tests). Students will begin by looking for BOLD and italic terms from CH 9 in their texts. This is done for several reasons: 1. Teach the students a useful skill and 2. Students begin to learn some of the useful things their textbook does to help them.
1. “Know/Familiar/DUH?” lists: Students will classify the bold and italic terms into one of 3 columns. The first is for terms that the students think they know. They are warned that entering a term here will necessitate a student explanation of the term. The “familiar” column will contain terms that they have seen before, and sort of explain, they know something about, but can’t put a definitive definition or explanation on. My favorite, The “DUH” list will encompass all the terms that the students have absolutely no clue on. The combinations of letters that do not register any previous knowledge, spark any thought of its meaning or words that they can’t even pretend to guess a definition for will fill this column. (this is generally a huge column when compared with the others.)
2. Assessment for today will be purely participation and effort.

Day 2

3. Third, students will read and discuss the “Section objectives” for CH9.1. These are the topics/ideas that they will be expected to comprehend.
4. Next students will be introduced to pulling information from their text. Students will help construct a class set of notes for the introductory paragraphs of CH9.1, using the laptop and projector to display notes.
5. The fifth step involves getting a baseline for students’ ability to pull information from the text. Students are assigned a short section from the book, CH9.1, first section. Students are to take the notes that they feel they will need to know. Students will be given class time to get started and will be observed during the process. This gives me a baseline to use. Individual note taking skills have been requested from our HS counterparts.
1. Assessment today will be based on the effort made on the homework assignment.

Day 3

6. This day will begin with 3 voluntary students displaying their notes, each on a different blackboard. Student notes will be consolidated into class set, with input from the class.
7. Now is a good time to develop a basic set of requirements for student-generated notes. They have had the opportunity to make an attempt at notes and have been shown a class set of notes. Students will contribute to list of things that a “good” set of notes should include. These will be written on a note card for later reference.
8. Students will be assigned the next set of paragraphs for notes. Students are to use their lists of requirements as a guide when taking the notes. Part of class time will be used to start these. Students will have the opportunity for clarifications and for assistance.

Day 4

9. Student work will be evaluated. A student volunteer is requested to have their notes scanned and displayed for the class to edit and put a score on. An “official” set of notes will be displayed on the projector/laptop. . Students are asked to compare theirs, check the table partner’s notes and edit their notes. Students are also free to ask questions about their reading.
10. Students will view a laser disk with pictures of minerals. The ones chosen will be a combination of commonly seen and rare, odd samples. The internet will also be used to search for some student selected minerals using a mineral web page.
11. Homework will be the next set of paragraphs.

Day 5

This will begin similar to day 4, with notes being checked/edited and compared. “Mineral ad” introduction. Students will be introduced to their long-term project, the requirements and deadlines. More on this later.

I know that this seems a bit slow, taking up more time than it should, but I feel that spending the time early will save far more later.
What do you think? Ideas? Suggestions?
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Recent Read

I was just checking some news a little while ago, when a title caught my attention. It was titled "What's Wrong With America's High Schools". I'm not a memeber of Time's club, so I could only read the first page. http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/04/09/time.cover/index.html
It was interesting to see that dropping out of school is common and the school's fault. The title suggests this. Maybe the rest of the article would go on to other things, like parenting, drugs etc. If anyone is a member, I'd like to read the remainder of the article...or I'll try my school library and see if this is available.
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A Change and a Thaught

A Change and a Thought

This week was a good week for figuring some things out. First of all, I see now that my UbD unit is quite a bit too large to complete right now. I understand that I need to break it down into more manageable chunks. I will now concentrate on the first week of teaching for my next school year. I’ll bypass some of the introductory stuff and just start the unit for this class.

An idea that I’ve found works very well at the start of the year, and saves me many questions later in the year, involves the new students getting to know me and their classmates. I work with 8^th graders now. They are quite interested in what their teachers do outside of school, and ask lots of personal questions throughout the year. I tell them what I want them to know about me on the first day of school, which really decreased the number of these questions I have to answer later.

I start with 5x8 note cards and ask the students to fill out the answers on themselves. I do the same thing. The questions involve things like favorite things in the world, fav foods, hobbies, dislikes, siblings, trips, birthday etc. Students are given the opportunity to introduce themselves to the class, using only what they feel comfortable telling the others. I usually have at least a few extroverts who like to do this. I also read through the student responses, which gives me something to talk to the kids about in the hall, before class, or when I’m cruising through the cafeteria visiting with the students. It’s also useful when we get new students in the district. I have them fill out the same thing and I can get them introduced to others with the same interests.

I follow that with my answers to the same questions. Some years I also show a short “about me” power point. This introduces the whiteboard, laptop and projector to the kids in an environment that allows me to answer questions about it before I try to use it for a science topic. I find that these introductions ease the students into my room, seriously cutting down on personal questions and kicks off my school year in a positive manner.

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Tech to Use

Tech to Use

This week as I work through the links and lists, I see that there are many creative souls out there. I also get the feeling that I'm more behind than I thought in this area. I was very impressed with some of the webquests, and could implement at least one into what I do already. My bigger concern is that I would like to be able to create these wonders for my own students specifically for what I do.
Another thing that caught me was the virtual field trip section. We live in a small, rural area(about 30 minutes to the nearest movie/mall), which makes the virtual field trip a good idea. We have some history(as most towns do). I am thinking that I could work with our technology education department to create something relating to our "birthplace of the oil industry" heritage, couple that with the geology and local fossil finds, access through hiking and biking trails and canoe views...OK it gets big pretty fast, but the tech ed guys started doing our announcements with recorded video already. Each year more kids know how to edit and create animations here. If we start small, I think it can become quite the project. These other teachers are open to trying just about anything, and I'm pretty sure that I can get my Language Arts teacher on board. Math and Global Awareness are cooperative too. This then leads to the Art department, Music department and so on… Whatever happens from this point on in this class, I have something to "run with"!
Thanks for the links and ideas!
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