Reflective Blog Assignment #3

Reflective Blog #3

Where to begin?

I think this class gave me some great information and opened my eyes to several, invaluable resources.  I am fascinated with technology and plan to use it to the fullest potential in my classes, in conjunction with other strategies.  I hope to be able to continue with the iPads in my classroom, and hopefully will be able to with the grant I will be writing for my final project.  The grant process seems very intimidating to me, but hopefully when I'm finished with this one, it will give me the motivation to put in for more in the future.  

Along with the iPad usage, I would like to continue with using the flipped classroom components with my students.  I realize due to the demographics of students I teach, I will never really get to implement a complete flipped classroom experience with them, but this only motivates me to find other ways to do it.  I would also like to keep using the gamification piece in my class.  This, however, has been a lot trickier to do than I anticipated.  I think if I were teaching one content area this would be a lot easier.  While I still continue to update my makeshift leaderboard, I need to work on being consistent with other gamification pieces, which is very hard to do when I'm struggling to balance the students' IEP goals and objectives along with catching up on content area material.  I will continue to blog on my own time, reflecting what I'm doing in my classroom, as well as with my students in class.  

I  was surprised by Hattie's article, specifically where he talks about learning styles.  We, as teachers, have always been told to be sensitive to all types and modify teaching to that.  If I understood correctly, Hattie thinks that it's better to get to know our students better, but at the same time expose them to different types of teaching/learning, even if it's not their "style".  I get it. If we want our students to be able to think critically and apply learned skills in other situations, we have to give them the opportunities to do that.  I'm not perfect; I've tended to "baby" my students from time to time.  Again, not trying to throw our district under the bus, but our schools want results.  How they get there isn't of any concern.  It's a very, "out of sight, out of mind" theme here.   I know I've stated in the past that students are capable of way more than we give them credit for.  Us teachers just need to be consistent and follow through with what we say we'll do rather than what's easier.  

Unfortunately, my district is very much behind in keeping up with the latest technological trends.  I create my own "PD" by following my Edmodo forums and Twitter threads religiously.  As I've stated before, these two tools alone have given me more beneficial "PD" than all the ones I've had thus far combined.  I've been to a few tech conferences here in Grand Rapids and will continue to attend these, since I've enjoyed them very much.  I would like to attend my first MACUL conference in March and was suggested by my supervisors to possibly present at it (don't know if that's possible, but I took it as a compliment).  

The biggest obstacle for me right now is trying to implement new ideas and sharing them with others who have no interest in it whatsoever.  I work with teachers who hate their jobs.  It's like hitting a brick wall every time, and I alone cannot make the change we need in our school.  People have to want it and *gasp* even do some work outside of the school day to make these changes. I know for a fact I will not be able to stay with my district because of this.  This is unfortunate because our students are the ones that need this the most, but without any support, I often feel as if I'm beating a dead horse, and at the expense of my time with my family.  In the meantime, I will continue to do what I do with my students and keep suggesting ideas to my co-workers.  Whether they take my advice or not is another thing, but at least I know I'm doing my part.  

Reflective Blog Assignment #2

1. How can a teacher find balance during this transition from more traditional knowledge-based content standards and more process-oriented skills?
2. What are key factors that help improve the success of inquiry-based lessons?
3. What role can technology play in assisting those factors?  Give specific examples

I believe it's a sticky situation to balance knowledge-based content standards and process-oriented skills.  I feel as if we want to lean more towards other strategies, such as inquiry-based learning, but our districts tell us to stick to routine and do it the old-fashioned way.  As teachers, our motto is "Adapt and Overcome".  We are trained to be flexible.  However, we are able to use our creativity to meet both our district's needs as well as the needs of our students.  Project-based learning is a method I would like to incorporate more in the near future.  I feel it satisfies both knowledge-based and process-oriented skills by giving students a framework and purpose for their projects, but giving them the freedom and opportunity to research and create them.  According to Wikipedia, inquiry based learning is best when there are several opportunities and ways to research and collect their information.  Additionally, it is something that needs to be carefully planned out and will require a lot of time invested in doing so.  Another way to improve the success of inquiry-based learning is to remember that is a student-centered method.  The teacher is there to be a facilitator and we have to tame the urge to take charge.  Technology can help in a number of ways.  First, by giving students the opportunity to use technology often will help build skills to use this technology effectively in their studies.  For example, if I wanted to have my students create a project to show their comprehension of a novel, a suggestion may be to create a movie trailer for their book.  By exposing them to programs, apps (such as iMovie), and other tools earlier, they will have a stable foundation of knowledge on using them to create their projects.  Technology is so versatile, it can be used with traditional, direct instruction or inquiry-based learning.  

Reflective Blogging Assignment #1

There are both positive and negative technology influences, as shown by the articles read in the past few weeks.  To ensure positive results, some factors included using it appropriately for the right-aged student.  For example, technology may be better used for lesson delivery for younger children, while high-schoolers (being more tech-savvy) could benefit more from interaction with it.  Another factor is motivation.  Students are using Web 2.0 tools all the time, even if they don't know it.  How many of your students have a Facebook account?  Or a Twitter account?  I would say the majority do.  Educators should be in tune with the digital age their students are in.  Students, being exposed to Web 2.0 tools as it is, will feel a familiarity when using these tools in the classroom, so there will be more buy-in.  Last, modeling proper use of the technology is another important factor.  We, in essence, are training our students to use the technology we want them to learn.  To do this, we need to be trained ourselves.  Exploring all the components of a program or piece of technology will allow students to use it at its fullest potential.  This is most important when resources are sparse in a district or building.

As far as my own setting, I know my middle schoolers are very much interested in technology.  Most have cell phones and game systems, as well as Facebook accounts, as mentioned above.  To make sure that the above mentioned factors are present, I think it's a good idea to be very good at a small number of technology uses.  For example, there are a lot of ways to implement technology.  Just read #edtech Twitter posts or read up on the Edmodo forums.  There are thousands of different ideas.  However, being properly trained (be it by someone else or self-training, in my case a lot of the time) in a handful of methods is better than knowing a little about a lot of different methods.  It will be less vague for students and the focus will be more concentrated on those few areas.  My students will know how to use Edmodo fairly because we use it all the time in my classroom. Blogs is another area they will become very familiar with.  This segways into another factor:  consistency.  The more they use Web 2.0 tools, the more proficient they will become with it.  My goal is for them to carry this knowledge over into their lives after 8th grade, both in school and out of it.  For example, they will be introduced to Dropbox.  This will undoubtedly help them when they begin their research papers in a few months, but they can also use this in high school and college.  Dropbox is an invaluable tool for me.  Perhaps knowing that I use this as well in my own daily life will show them how useful these tools actually are.

To evaluate the success of a lesson that involves the integration of new technology, I would first look at how well my students understood how to use it.  If there is confusion on how to use it, the results of the lesson will probably have poor results.  I would personally do this by offering a survey at the end of a lesson, asking students to rate their experiences with that technology.  Observations as they use it could also serve me well and give me an idea as to how comfortable the students felt using it.  In addition to evaluating the success of a lesson, I would look at the different ways my students used that tool, or the amount of interaction with it.  For instance, if I wanted my students to explain the causes and effects of the French and Indian War using their iPads, I would first offer suggestions of the different ways they could do it.  They could create a graphic organizer with pictures, make a mini-movie, create a comic strip, or create a Prezi.  In evaluating the lesson, I would also make sure they were able to use the technology as a tool to convey their understanding of the topic.  Given that there are so many aspects of the iPad to being creative, I would want them to take full advantage of that.

To disseminate successes and failures with my colleagues/administrators, I currently have a professional blog, discussing these very things.  I did this knowing there were going to be a number of ups and downs using the iPads with my special ed students for the first time.  I had never done it before, and they had never used them in a classroom before.  By keeping a diary of all the lessons, apps, and techniques I use in my class, I'm able to report what worked and what didn't.  This is a great way for me to self-evaluate and note what changes to make for next time, or what to do again.  Since then, I've had a number of people who read my blog tell me they've experienced similar triumphs and woes. My goal is to motivate others to try to use technology more in the classroom, even with other things, like laptops and computer programs.  If they see that I had success with a tool I used in my room, maybe they would be more inclined to use it themselves.  Also, for those who read my blog and have their own expertise, I hope to learn some tips and tricks from them.  It's a learning process for everyone.  

Not Superwoman...

*Heavy, heavy sigh*

Where do I begin?

First of all, I do realize it's been a while since I've updated this blog.  Most of my time has been planning and writing on my other blog, reflecting on what I've been doing in my classroom with my students and the iPads.

Let me get one straight right now:  I love my job.

I started planning for this school year in June.  I don't go by the Book.  The Book is boring to me.  I think and (sometimes) act like a middle schooler.  I know what they like.  I know what works with them and what doesn't work.  I spend a lot--a LOT-- of time modifying lessons in a way that is both fun  and engaging to students.  Another thing you should know:  I work for GRPS.  These students need motivation.  A lot of it.  So I feel that it's my job, as their teacher, to make learning as meaningful as possible.  Be it with hands-on activities, technology, what have you.

So imagine my surprise when I was called into a meeting after school today (AFTER SCHOOL) to find out I was all of a sudden going to teach Fundamentals reading to a class of 6th, 7th, and 8th graders.  Starting tomorrow.  First hour.

Ok, I already take medication for anxiety because I hold myself to such high standards.  I don't half-ass things because I know what I'm capable of and my OCD will drive me insane if I do until I fix it and make it right.  If that makes sense.  I've never taught a Fundamentals class.  I've never taught middle schoolers that are at a first and second grade level.  I love a challenge and I know I can do it, but I absolutely NEED time to plan things ahead of time.

On top of this, I'm a member of our schools PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) team and am in charge of the fundraising aspect.  We, as a school, are not allowed to promote sales of junk food or any kind of food that can be consumed during the day, regardless of the fact that it would sell like crazy and make our team a ton of money.  So Future Hubby came up with the ingenious idea of holding a FIFA 13 tournament with interested students paying $5 to enter.  We've had a plethora of students bombard us with interest.  It's up to our principal to ok it.  *fingers crossed*  Our first school dance is the Friday before Halloween, and dammit--I throw kick-ass dances.  So we need to raise money STAT for this.

Add to all of this me dealing with my son stealing candy from his teacher and my daughter failing Science.  I'm a hot mess.  I am a Christian woman and fully believe God won't give me more than I can handle, but I'm feeling a little spread thin.  I love my students and I love my family.  But damn....I can only do so much, you know?

I'm not Superwoman....just trying to be.  :/  #woosah

No Beer and No TV Make Homer..Something Something

Go crazy? Don't mind if I do!...

This is what I felt like by the time 2:25pm hit today.  :58, specifically.

It's been one of those days.  Hence, the glass of wine closely within reach.  If you want to read all about it, you can read about it in my other blog, here. In addition to the craziness that happened today at school, I was asked to help give a presentation about the tech tools I'm using in my classroom and how I'm using them.  That will be October 5th, and I'm a little nervous.  Seeing that my track record with school technology has been sub-par, to say the least, I can see everything going horribly wrong when it's my turn to present.

Then, I get home to help my kids with their homework and reading.  Exhausted isn't even the word for it.  My intention was to leave you with a haiku to sum up my day...but there aren't enough syllables to cover it all.

Call Me Bloggy McBloggerton...

Why, you might be asking? I am now running 3 blogs:  this one (my personal one), my classroom blog (with my students), and a professional one where I'm keeping a diary of how the tech tools I'm using in my SpEd class is working (or not working, which seems to be the case lately).  If you care at all to read the circus that's going on in my classroom now, you may view that here.  

Do I have all this extra time all of a sudden? No.  Do I dream of blogging all day and night? No, no.  Do I love giving myself all this extra work on top of everything else I'm dealing with right now? Nooo..nonono...nonononono (say it the way Peter tells Helen Hunt in the Family Guy episode. If you don't know what I'm talking about, then never mind).  Regardless, I've got all three and it is what it is.  

Besides that, I'm in the midst of planning for my class tomorrow.  This is the first time I'm blogging during my lunch/prep. Future Hubby should be walking in the door any minute now.  He is currently subbing upstairs in the 6th grade wing for 6th grade SpEd (he's a Social Studies teacher).  So I'll wrap this up. My ham sangwich awaits me. Catch you all on the flip side...

Officially broken up...

...with my PC.

Yes, I did It.  I made the switch.  I am now the proud owner of an iMac.  It cost a pretty penny, but I can see it's totally worth it.  I'm still trying to figure out how to work the trackpad, but there'll be more time to dink around with it tomorrow.  I'm so excited!

Never mind that I may or may not still have work to do for school tomorrow.  How can I not play with my new toy??

Anyhoo, I would do more but I want to get back to doing nothing productive. :)

Damn that Murphy and his Law...

Let me start off by informing you of my original plan for my students:
1. They'd come in, sit down at a laptop, and play the video already set with a "Play Me" card on it.
2.  They'd watch the intro video.
3.  They'd get super excited and tell me I'm the best teacher on Earth.
4.  They'd raise me on their shoulders and and sing, "For She's a Jolly Good Fellow" while I pump my arms in victory.

Here's what really happened:
1.  Shortly after getting to my classroom at 0630, I quickly realized the laptops were running RIDICULOUSLY slow.  IF they were working at all.  So my original step one got slashed right there.  After a mini freak-out session and some hyperventilation, I decided I'd just play the video for them as a class instead of watching them on the laptops.
2.  We did watch the video, so "check" on step 2.
3. The two boys I have in class got excited.  The girls just kind of looked at me with a blank look on their faces. (Note:  no mention of being the best teacher on Earth).
4.  There was no singing.

I'm not gonna lie, it did take a little wind out of my sails.  I think they're still a little confused as to what we're doing.  I plan on handing out the "User Manual" tomorrow and explaining everything more in detail. (Thank you, Hyle Daley, for your wonderful layout!) I think my biggest concern right now is the technology (laptops) not working correctly for them to view our website.  They have iPads, but we can't view Flash on those. So I might have to do some last minute changes to my website and put it in HTML format.  Here's a sneak peek at it, for you curious ones.  DISCLAIMER: It's my first time doing a gamified website like this! Go easy on me, now.  Click here for my website.

Alright, on a completely different note, I'm starting my first Fantasy Football league tonight.  I'm such a noob when it comes to this, but I'm interested and ready to get into it! Off to my draft...wish me luck! :)

Shot...

My nerves, that is.  Holy hell. My 11 year old, Lexi, is starting middle school tomorrow and I may be more nervous than she is.  I teach middle school.  I know what goes on.  Granted, it's not the same district I teach in, but it's basically the same.  I cringe to think of all the things (aka Life) that she will be exposed to now.  Catty girls, and gross boys trying to talk to her. Ugh.  Stupid, mind-in-the-gutter-thinking boys.  Wish I could put a protective shield around her. :(

On top of that, my 5 year old Cameron starts kindergarten tomorrow.  He's not too happy about it.  I wish I could take him to school and walk him to his room tomorrow, but I will be in my own classroom.  That's the thing that sucks about being a teacher--you have to miss all the school stuff that happens during the day with your kids.  They're growing up too fast.

Last, I'm introducing my gamified course to my special ed students tomorrow for the first time.  My students are Learning Disabled, meaning they are just at a lower grade level in reading and math than their peers.  I created an intro video to get them excited about it.  I'll post a link tomorrow--it's nowhere near where it's supposed to be.  I'm getting to school at 0630 tomorrow morning to set up the laptops and putting the "Play Me" signs on them and making sure all is good to go.  I'm not nervous because of the students.  I had them last year as 7th graders and they're an awesome group of kids.  It's the possibility of technology failure; we don't have the best laptops, you see.  I hope the Flash is installed and working.  Also, I hope to God I don't hear, "This is stupid."  I put in ENDLESS hours of work over the summer working on flipping parts of my class as well as including gamification.  I will flip out (no pun intended) if I hear those words.

So I bid you all goodnight as I down my glass of wine.  My list of things to do is growing in my mind as I type this and I just know I'm not going to get a good night's sleep at all.  Keep your finger's crossed! It's showtime...

This is why I'm not a Michigan fan...

Spanked doesn't even cover last night's game. Let's just not talk about it and maybe the shame will go away.

That is all...

Eureka--I've found it!

Holy crap.  I don't know how many of you are familiar with edmodo; if you've used it before or still use it today.  I discovered it last year and it's an AMAZING tool to use with your classrooms! Anyhoo, I'm a member of the Gamification group in edmodo and someone posted something about this online Gamification course on Coursera that's free to take.  Well, seeing that I'm very much interested in gamification and am currently gamifying my classroom, I signed up for the 6-week course.

So far, it's been a series of video lessons with embedded quizzes and hidden messages.  It's really interesting, but honestly there's something more appealing to me than the fact that it's online or even free.  The video player gives you the choice of watching the videos at your personal speed.  I can speed up or slow down the videos as much as I want.  This might not seem like a big deal to you, but my biggest struggle with school and other presentations that involve large groups is that most of the time they go a LOT slower than I would like.  Again, I have zero patience.  I like presenters to get to the point and move on.  So I happily clicked away and found my ideal speed rate for these videos.

I'm at 2.0 (two point oh).

My kids walked by with their jaws open and squealed, "Why is he talking like that?!" I merely smiled and replied, "Cuz that's the way I like it." His voice didn't get all chipmunk-y either.  I'm just getting through his (roughly) 10 minute videos in half the time.  Thank you, God.  And honestly, that's how my mind works--in double time.  I just have never found anything in real life that is accommodating to that.

That's just part of the reason why I'm kind of a nerd.  Little joys such as this.  Also, the fact that I'm blogging and taking a gamification course instead of watching the Michigan State game is more proof.  Hey....to each, his own, right?  :)

PD Should Stand For "Partially Dead"

Look, I understand that teachers need to attend professional development to develop themselves, well, professionally.  But dear Lord--can we do more things that are relevant to our actual jobs? I absolutely cannot sit in a chair for more than 10 minutes.  I need to get up and walk around or else Miss Anxiety starts to make an appearance and the palms start to sweat a little bit.  Here's an interesting tidbit about me: I need to sit at the end of a table, preferably closest to an exit.  I know, it sounds weird, but honestly there are times when I need to leave a meeting and just walk around for a bit.

So imagine the emotional angst I've endured for the past few days sitting in meetings for hours on end, listening to presenters go on and on and on and on and on.  I wanted to scratch my eyes out.  It's times like these when I wish they would "flip" these professional developments.  Just let me freaking watch a video and fast forward through the parts I already know so I don't have to wait for everyone else.  That way, I can still learn the material and move on at a more acceptable rate for me.  It's a win-win situation.  More reason for me to use video lessons in my classroom.

Of course, after PD (and being a glutton for punishment) I decided to go back to my classroom to finish decorating and setting up.  It was meant to be a couple of hours.  I got home at 7:15 pm.  I was a zombie by the time I got home.  So anyhoo, that was my day.  It's time for me to get back to work and get some more curriculum stuff done. I'm so not where I need to be.

And tomorrow I get to do it all over again....then start my grad class.  *heavy sigh*  Rivas, out....

Went to the store to buy some ham...

...came back with a whole damn cart full of crap I didn't need.  So yeah, I was craving a sangwich and realized we were out of ham.  So Furture Hubby and I decided to go to Meijer and pick up some grub.  I know this has happened to all of you before.  All of a sudden, it turns into, "OOOH! Chips! We need chips to go with our sangwiches!"

"How about the BLT chips?"

"To go with our BLT sangwiches? Isn't that overkill?"

Anyhoo, 2 thingies of banana nut muffins, 10 thingies of Yoplait yogurt, 2 ginormous bottles of salsa and some other random stuff later, we're ready to check out until something catches my eye.

Now here's a small confession:  I'm a sucker for hats.  Particularly, fedoras.  They are ever so cute and stylish and although I own enough, this one caught my eye.

Tell me it's not to die.  And then I saw this scarf:

That's what I said! Ruffles!!!! So anyhoo, we FINALLY get home after spending an hour at the store when it should've taken much less time.  The sangwiches were delish and my fedora and scarf look amazing. :)

So now as I wrap things up and get ready for bed, I'm making a mental "To Do" list for tomorrow: finish laundry, take roast out to defrost (making mole tomorrow for the first time--dear God, please let this go right!), getting some planning done for the upcoming school year (more on that fiasco tomorrow), take pop bottles in since there's about $40 worth of pop bottles in my trunk, and maybe even squeeze in a few chapters of Fifty Shades Darker. I've been neglecting Christian lately. Need to catch up.  Hopefully it'll drown out James Ingram's "I Don't Have The Heart" that's been playing on repeat in my head due to my kids playing it non-stop today.  Yeah...James Ingram.

Welp, I'm off...somehow, 2 of my 4 children managed to get Icy Hot in their eyes.  Don't ask. Laters, baby...

Should've Waited 5 More Mikes...

That's minutes, in military terms.  Seeing as I'm delving into the world of blogging, I should've waited 5 more minutes so I could officially birth my very first blog at midnight, August 1, 2012.  But I didn't...which is the story of my life.  I physically am unable to wait. For anything.  Patience is not my forte, and it is illustrated by the fact that I couldn't wait for a perfect, even-numbered time to start this blog.

Regardless, here I am.  I can't say I know too much about what I'm doing or what I've gotten myself into.  However, I'm somewhat excited to get the ball rolling on this so I can share my daily adventures for anyone who decides they're bored enough to read this.  Disclaimer:  my life is not perfect or all that interesting.  If you're looking for something profound, this ain't it.  If you want a blog that moves your soul...keep looking.  So what exactly can you expect from this blog? A retelling of my life: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

A little about myself.  I am 33 (almost 34) years old and grew up in Grand Rapids. I went to IHM and Catholic Central, then Aquinas for a little.  Then I decided to take a break from college, went to live with my sister in Detroit, worked as a teller for about a year, then decided, "I think I'm going to join the Marines."

So I did.

Fast forward 5 active duty years later.  I came back to Michigan, finished my Associate's at GRCC and graduated from GVSU in 2009.  I was hired then and currently work for Grand Rapids Public Schools as an 8th grade special education teacher and absolutely love it.  Last year I decided to start a business and went ahead and got that ball rolling, too.  What do I do on the side? I get rid of lice.  No, you're not drunk, you read that correctly.  I have technicians who go to people's homes and get rid of head lice for them.  I'm sure we'll talk more about that later.  Then I decided I should start my Master's and here I am.  I love technology. I am in the process of using gamification and components of the flipped classroom with my students.  It's my first year doing it and I'm scared out of my mind, but more excited than anything.  Oh, and did I mention I have 4 kids?

Yeah. It's gonna be a busy year. 

So that's me.  I hope I can provide you with some form of entertainment.  Either that, or I can provide you with enough reading to put you to sleep if you struggle with insomnia.  Either way, I'll tell you as I tell my children: "Hold on to your butts." (Thank you, Jurassic Park, for that line.) Get your beverages ready (alcoholic or non), your fuzzy socks on, and prop your pillow.  The Rivas Show is about to begin...