Guest Speaker

This past Tuesday, we had a guest speaker in our classroom. He is a veteran of the Vietnam War, and was kind enough to speak to our class about his experiences and answer questions the students in our room had. Our guest was gracious enough to talk openly and honestly about how he felt, what happened during his time in the Army, and what being a veteran of war meant to him. I was so proud of our students for asking questions that were appropriate and meaningful, and for giving our guest their full attention. It was a wonderful experience. I learned so much from our guest and from our students. I truly hope we will have another opportunity to experience a guest lecturer in the near future.

My Favorite Web 2.0 Tools

"What is Web 2.0?" is a great question, especially for me. Before today, I would have had NO idea how to answer this. I probably would have said something like "Web 2.0 is the latest version of the internet." I'm not really up on the latest and greatest in computer related technology, so don't laugh too hard. =) I now know that Web 2.0 is all the tools that are available to the populous. They are "floating in the sky". For FREE even! These tools range from tools that help us create video, slide shows, blogs, notes over pre-existing pages, and on and on. The possibilities are endless, and I for one am excited to use all these fantastic tools.

One of my favorite Web 2.0 tools is Dabbleboard. What is Dabbleboard you ask, well, let me tell you. It's an online program that acts as a white board. You can download any image to the page and then make notes on it without damaging the original image. For example you can add shapes or drawings to a diagram of the water cycle. You can also have more than one person "sketching" at a time. You don't have to be a great artist either. Dabbleboard will "guess" what shape you are trying to draw and make a perfect, say circle, for you. This application is great not only because it's free, but it's also very similar to a Smart Board. So, instead of paying thousands of dollars for a Smart Board, you can use Dabbleboard for free.

Another wonderful Web 2.0 tool to use at home, in the office, or your classroom, is Skype. I am in LOVE with Skype! It's video chatting, but almost like you were talking to the person face-to-face. The photo and sound quality are good, and there isn't much of a time delay. I can see myself using Skype in the classroom to talk to experts or knowledgeable people in various topics to add to our discussion or have our questions asked. I also feel this adds a "real life" aspect to textbooks. Often time, students can't relate to what has been written, but this allows students to see everyday people seeing, doing, and learning about what they are reading about.

Yodio - OTEN Conference Yodio by clowsers

Success in the Classroom

Yesterday I gave my math group a placement test. This was a test they had previously taken 4 weeks earlier. We had been working on concepts such as place value, borrowing, story problems, and patterns. Some of the students in my group have a much larger knowledge base than others, and also learn at a faster rate. I wasn't sure what to expect from my group on this test, but was hoping they all improved. I am happy to say that everyone improved, and some even exceeded by surpassing their previous score by 20 or 30 percent! I am truly overjoyed by their success and hope this trend continues throughout the year.

South vs. McKay

The beginning of the "90 observation hours" began for me last week. I took my daughter to a high school football game on Friday. South Salem High School against McKay High School. It was cold and the bleachers got a bit hard, but my daughter loved it. She kept cheering "Get um! Get um!". Too cute! ...I see a cheerleader in my future. =)

The game was not what I expected. It was homecoming for South, so I thought the stands would be packed, but that was not the case. I was actually sort of shocked by this. I come from a town where people would drive 3 and half hours to watch their friends and family play football. I guess a 25 minute drive in this case was too much. Anyway...In my observation, I found the relationship between parent and high schooler interesting. Parents cheer as loud as they can for their child, and child trying their best to ignore them. I'm sure these kids (football players and homecoming court) were secretly glad their parents were there to support them, but they were VERY good at hiding it. Oh, I do NOT look forward to having a teenager at my house. Thank goodness I still have a few years. =)

October 4, 2009

So, I'm not sure I'm quite interesting enough to have a blog, but here I am. You want the all the facts and gory details of my life, then read on my friend. I guess I will start at the beginning...I grew up in Quincy, Washington. A town of about 4,000 people, smack dab in the middle of the state, literally. You find the middle of the state, there we are. I lived in the same house, with my younger brother and parents, my entire life. I really enjoyed my childhood. My parents farmed, so I had lots of room to run, ride bikes, and play. I did really well in school. Always in the highest reading group, caught on to things quickly, and I pretty much always followed the rules. I was never a part of the "In" crowd, but had plenty of friends, and we had a good time. I was very active in clubs, sports, and after school activities, especially in high school. Drill team was my favorite, but I also played tennis, and was in foreign language club, science club, pep club, on and on and on. (I think you get the picture).

Ok, fast forward to college. I went to Eastern Washington University. About an hour and half east of where I grew up. Most of my friends also went to Eastern. I have great memories of my time there, but it was by no means easy for me. I had a difficult time socially, academically, and emotionally. I tried joining a sorority and had a boyfriend, but that didn't help all that much. I skipped classes all the time, and pretty much stayed my dorm room or apartment. I'm not sure how I even made it through. My parents were a WONDERFUL support system for me then, and now. I feel bad that I put them through so much during my college years, but I'm learning that is what the role or job of a parent is. Anyway, I had one quarter left at Eastern, student teaching. I had been sick about it for months. I just sort of decided that it wasn't for me. Here lies the problem. My degree (Child Development) was tied to my Elementary Ed, so there I was with no diploma. I didn't care and moved on with my life.

After my time at EWU, I started working full time for a high end kitchen store and met my husband. We dated and were married almost exactly one year from the day we met. It's been over 8 years now. We've had lots of ups and downs, but we are still happily married after all this time. On, with my "life story", we moved to Oregon almost 7 years ago. My husband had an opportunity to start a business, so we sold our house in Washington and moved south. After a year or two of living in Oregon, I decided to finish my degree. I just wanted to have that piece of paper in my hot little hands. It was one class! That was all I needed to finish. Needless to say, I took it. I really enjoyed the class and it gave me the courage to set some goals.

What's going on with me now, well, Family...I have a 2 and half year old daughter that is amazing. She is always growing and learning and showing me how to have fun. I love her with all my heart and am so glad I have her. I'd tell you about my husband, but he would rather that I didn't. Can't say I blame him. Work....I have worked for the Salem-Keizer School District for 4 and a half years and LOVE IT! I started out as a one-on-one and did that for 2 and half years, but a permanent job opened up at Judson MS in the ERC so I jumped all over that. I love the students and the staff there. School...I feel extremely fortunate to be a part of the ASPIRE program at Willamette. I honestly didn't think I would be able to get in, but am SO happy I did! I feel like I am really starting to set the tone for how I want to teach in my own classroom and what I want my future students to learn. I hope all the MAT students feel the same way I do.

I don't think I left anything out. God has truly blessed me with an amazing family, wonderful opportunities, and the will of a stubborn mule. =)