It is the end of the short five weeks, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't ready for a break. I love school, (#nerdalert) but that was a long 5 weeks. Admittedly, I learned much more than I thought and am going back to school with so many ideas to share with colleagues, which is exciting!
This experience reminded me, in a few ways, of how I sometimes feel at school. Teaching is amazing, and there is no other job I would rather do. But it isn't easy, and there is a lot on my plate most of the time. Many times, there is just so much that I want to do, and I just don't have enough time to do so.
That is how exactly how I felt about taking three classes this summer. I wanted to be able to do it all - tweet about my experience, read all my classmates blogs, participate in all discussions in all classes, etc. I am being honest when I say I did all I could, and it seems like it wasn't enough! Did I participate enough? Was that the best article I could find? How did I not notice my podcast needed music - I swear I read all the directions? Oh shoot - I missed a document (#storyofthissummer).
My son is 14 months, and while I am lucky to have my husband home as he is also a teacher, I LOVE my family, and owed them my time too. Life goes by too fast, and I had to put the computer down sometimes and not let it pass me by!
I did my best, and this time around, that might have to be enough for me :)
Sunday, July 12, 2015
Friday, July 3, 2015
Podcasting | Ummm
Several later I have finished my Podcast. I'm rather proud of it actually, as I think it turned out pretty well. Strong educational content, I kept it light and humorous (that's just who I am), and even squeezed in a Kardashian reference. See? The humor.
Several hours you say? You talked for several hours? NO. No I did not.
1. I planned for 20-30 minutes, as I knew what I was going to talk about, I just needed to jot down some notes so I had a plan.
2. I recorded myself in Garageband. I often have students asking me for help with Garageband, and it had been so long since I used the program it was hard to help them. With that in mind, I decided to refresh my memory and use the program to record my podcast.
3. The recording begins - the easiest part! I liked my tempo and volume, and only had to stop recording a couple of times as the dog was barking, and I wasn't sure that was a necessary component of the episode.
4. Then the editing began, and so the next hour of my life. You see, I didn't realize that I am one of those miserably annoying human beings that says "um" a lot. Guess what? I AM. AND IT IS AWFUL. I must have edited out 4,395,290 ums. Ok, perhaps I'm exaggerating, but it felt like that many. How embarrassing!! Is that what I sound like when I am teaching or carrying on a conversation!?! Why didn't someone tell me to get it together and articulate my thoughts? It's bad enough hearing your own voice but to hear it like that - just awful.
5. I pulled myself together and uploaded the podcast to iTunes, and then the next 5 hours began. At first it was just ridiculous that I simply could NOT get this podcast to upload. I won't get into it, as I just don't want to go there, but man, it was a struggle-fest. I KNOW it shouldn't have been that hard, especially for someone like me who is generally tech-savvy, but it was rough. Between the files and uploading a properly sized photo (another whole hour) I have a picture that looks like it was created by a elementary school student, but a photo nonetheless. I will continue to play around with it, but at least the podcast is done!
I have linked it to the left, and hopefully it will be up on iTunes tomorrow! (Maybe by the time you check the photo won't be so bad, but I make no promises. SoundCloud is finicky!)
And so I end this podcast with 2 questions today-
1. Is there something you realize that you do, either in teaching or in life (or both) that you never realized?
2. Have you ever gotten frustrated because you KNOW something you are doing should be much easier than it is!?
Several hours you say? You talked for several hours? NO. No I did not.
1. I planned for 20-30 minutes, as I knew what I was going to talk about, I just needed to jot down some notes so I had a plan.
2. I recorded myself in Garageband. I often have students asking me for help with Garageband, and it had been so long since I used the program it was hard to help them. With that in mind, I decided to refresh my memory and use the program to record my podcast.
3. The recording begins - the easiest part! I liked my tempo and volume, and only had to stop recording a couple of times as the dog was barking, and I wasn't sure that was a necessary component of the episode.
4. Then the editing began, and so the next hour of my life. You see, I didn't realize that I am one of those miserably annoying human beings that says "um" a lot. Guess what? I AM. AND IT IS AWFUL. I must have edited out 4,395,290 ums. Ok, perhaps I'm exaggerating, but it felt like that many. How embarrassing!! Is that what I sound like when I am teaching or carrying on a conversation!?! Why didn't someone tell me to get it together and articulate my thoughts? It's bad enough hearing your own voice but to hear it like that - just awful.
5. I pulled myself together and uploaded the podcast to iTunes, and then the next 5 hours began. At first it was just ridiculous that I simply could NOT get this podcast to upload. I won't get into it, as I just don't want to go there, but man, it was a struggle-fest. I KNOW it shouldn't have been that hard, especially for someone like me who is generally tech-savvy, but it was rough. Between the files and uploading a properly sized photo (another whole hour) I have a picture that looks like it was created by a elementary school student, but a photo nonetheless. I will continue to play around with it, but at least the podcast is done!
I have linked it to the left, and hopefully it will be up on iTunes tomorrow! (Maybe by the time you check the photo won't be so bad, but I make no promises. SoundCloud is finicky!)
And so I end this podcast with 2 questions today-
1. Is there something you realize that you do, either in teaching or in life (or both) that you never realized?
2. Have you ever gotten frustrated because you KNOW something you are doing should be much easier than it is!?
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Pocasting | About Technology?
I have been going back and forth about what to make the theme of my podcast, as I really want it to be something that I utilize next year. Because I will be in a technology position next year, it would make the most sense to make the podcast about technology. My hesitation, however, is that I don't know how helpful it would be?
I am a visual learner, so when it comes to technology, I need to just do. I am that person at any PD day that is losing my mind because I can't listen to someone tell me how to do something for one more second, I just need time to play around with it.
Our tech teacher this year would send out all his ideas via email... a lot of email. It was with best intentions, hoping that people would find something they liked on their own time and use it in their classrooms. I am sure there were tons of great ideas there, but it became too much and I know most staff members not only deleted his emails, but didn't bother even seeing what was in them. That being said, I love the idea of a podcast on technology. Something semi-quick and easy for my colleagues to listen to on the way to work, and pick up a few ideas.
I feel that if I can describe a program or idea to use in the classroom, and describe it in detail, it could translate well into a podcast.
Would you listen to a podcast on educational technology?
I am a visual learner, so when it comes to technology, I need to just do. I am that person at any PD day that is losing my mind because I can't listen to someone tell me how to do something for one more second, I just need time to play around with it.
Our tech teacher this year would send out all his ideas via email... a lot of email. It was with best intentions, hoping that people would find something they liked on their own time and use it in their classrooms. I am sure there were tons of great ideas there, but it became too much and I know most staff members not only deleted his emails, but didn't bother even seeing what was in them. That being said, I love the idea of a podcast on technology. Something semi-quick and easy for my colleagues to listen to on the way to work, and pick up a few ideas.
I feel that if I can describe a program or idea to use in the classroom, and describe it in detail, it could translate well into a podcast.
Would you listen to a podcast on educational technology?
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Masters | Useful Learning Experience
No mental breakdowns since the last post! Yay!
As a teacher, I have been to a lot of wasteful professional development days. Wasteful for a variety of reasons, but wasteful nonetheless.
In all honesty, I wasn't sure what I was going to get out of starting my masters either. Just like everyone seems to have a bad professional development experience, I have spoken to a few colleagues who seem to have a bad masters experience as well. Be it a lousy professor or a class full of information they couldn't use, it left me feeling a bit uneasy as I began this journey. As I said in my last post, I have a family, so I spent a lot of time choosing the right program at the right school. Knowing this would be a lot of time away from them, I needed to make sure that it was going to be a program that inspired me and made me a better educator.
Well, I'm three classes in, and I already have a ton of ideas in the bank. When I signed up to begin my masters, it was a language arts teacher who thought a technology position was at least five years away. Then things changed, and I begin my journey as Technology Integration Specialist next school year.
I am beyond relieved to have so many great ideas in my back pocket, some to use for myself and plenty to share with colleagues. Many ideas have come from the work that's been assigned, and many have come from the discussion boards with fellow educators. (Not that I'm surprised - I get a ton of ideas... from Twitter.)
Some of my favorite ideas so far -
As a teacher, I have been to a lot of wasteful professional development days. Wasteful for a variety of reasons, but wasteful nonetheless.
In all honesty, I wasn't sure what I was going to get out of starting my masters either. Just like everyone seems to have a bad professional development experience, I have spoken to a few colleagues who seem to have a bad masters experience as well. Be it a lousy professor or a class full of information they couldn't use, it left me feeling a bit uneasy as I began this journey. As I said in my last post, I have a family, so I spent a lot of time choosing the right program at the right school. Knowing this would be a lot of time away from them, I needed to make sure that it was going to be a program that inspired me and made me a better educator.
Well, I'm three classes in, and I already have a ton of ideas in the bank. When I signed up to begin my masters, it was a language arts teacher who thought a technology position was at least five years away. Then things changed, and I begin my journey as Technology Integration Specialist next school year.
I am beyond relieved to have so many great ideas in my back pocket, some to use for myself and plenty to share with colleagues. Many ideas have come from the work that's been assigned, and many have come from the discussion boards with fellow educators. (Not that I'm surprised - I get a ton of ideas... from Twitter.)
Some of my favorite ideas so far -
- Podcasting in the classroom
- Having students create a WIKI as a study guide or project
- Setting up blogs for students to use to reflect before, during, and after a project
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
School | Life | Overwhelming
Well. It's happening.
You know those people that are always frazzled, always behind, seemingly lost in the shuffle of life?
I know why many of them are that way.
They have children. And homes. And jobs. And are in school. And lives in general. And right now, I'm one of them.
I always thought I could do it all. I still think I can, but it certainly isn't as easy as it looks. Here is a list of things that I cannot get done in one day:
It's been a week into my masters classes, and I had my first breakdown last night. I cried, like a small, overtired child. I admitted to myself something I knew but didn't want to recognize - trying to do everything at once isn't working. So, I took my mental breakdown as a positive, re-assessed how I needed to do things, and did what I should have done in the first place - prioritize.
With all of that behind me, I started today anew. Instead of trying to write a paper while I try to hang with my son and husband, which doesn't work because ultimately I cannot totally focus, will end up reading directions wrong (twice), have to redo the assignment (twice), and end up crying (twice), I told my husband I was going to work during naptime, and play during playtime. Not try to work on and off throughout the day, half paying attention to two things, instead of putting honest focus onto one thing at a time. I needed to go upstairs, put myself in a room, and work. So I did two hours this morning, and guess what, I don't have the overwhelming urge to cry and scream simultaneously. I actually got something done!! Now it is naptime again, and here I sit, alone in my room, working. And when my son gets up, worktime is over. (Ok, crappy TV is on while I'm working... I'm human after all.)
I realized that I can do it all. Just not today. Also, I need help. I cannot do it all alone. It is OK to ask for help. It's ok to feel guilty if I have to do homework for a little while instead of playing with my son because really, I'm back in school for him. Yes, for me too, but mostly for him. Because I want him to value education like I do, to see that it is important. I must remember that it might be hard now, but like everything else, it will be worth it in the end.
Here is the list one more time. I won't focus on what I can't do, but what I have done.
It's 3:00. I hear the chattering of a toddler from down the hall that tells me it's time to close the computer. Instead of being filled with dread, today, I'm feeling pretty good. Hey, maybe one of these days nap will get crossed off....
Those of you with busy lives... so everyone... how do you keep it all together?
You know those people that are always frazzled, always behind, seemingly lost in the shuffle of life?
I know why many of them are that way.
They have children. And homes. And jobs. And are in school. And lives in general. And right now, I'm one of them.
I always thought I could do it all. I still think I can, but it certainly isn't as easy as it looks. Here is a list of things that I cannot get done in one day:
- All of the laundry
- Clean the bathtub (because I have a child that bathes and it always has a layer of dirt in it)
- Walk the dog
- Nap
- Complete assignments for my masters classes
- Answer work emails
- Share a meal with my family
- Spend time with my family
- Nap
- Watch crappy television
- Read educational blogs and books
- Read books for pleasure
- Nap
It's been a week into my masters classes, and I had my first breakdown last night. I cried, like a small, overtired child. I admitted to myself something I knew but didn't want to recognize - trying to do everything at once isn't working. So, I took my mental breakdown as a positive, re-assessed how I needed to do things, and did what I should have done in the first place - prioritize.
With all of that behind me, I started today anew. Instead of trying to write a paper while I try to hang with my son and husband, which doesn't work because ultimately I cannot totally focus, will end up reading directions wrong (twice), have to redo the assignment (twice), and end up crying (twice), I told my husband I was going to work during naptime, and play during playtime. Not try to work on and off throughout the day, half paying attention to two things, instead of putting honest focus onto one thing at a time. I needed to go upstairs, put myself in a room, and work. So I did two hours this morning, and guess what, I don't have the overwhelming urge to cry and scream simultaneously. I actually got something done!! Now it is naptime again, and here I sit, alone in my room, working. And when my son gets up, worktime is over. (Ok, crappy TV is on while I'm working... I'm human after all.)
I realized that I can do it all. Just not today. Also, I need help. I cannot do it all alone. It is OK to ask for help. It's ok to feel guilty if I have to do homework for a little while instead of playing with my son because really, I'm back in school for him. Yes, for me too, but mostly for him. Because I want him to value education like I do, to see that it is important. I must remember that it might be hard now, but like everything else, it will be worth it in the end.
Here is the list one more time. I won't focus on what I can't do, but what I have done.
- All of the laundry
- Clean the bathtub (because I have a child that bathes and it always has a layer of dirt in it)
Walk the dog- Nap
Complete assignments for my masters classes- Answer work emails
Share a meal with my familySpend time with my family- Nap
Watch crappy televisionRead educational blogs and books- Read books for pleasure
- Nap
It's 3:00. I hear the chattering of a toddler from down the hall that tells me it's time to close the computer. Instead of being filled with dread, today, I'm feeling pretty good. Hey, maybe one of these days nap will get crossed off....
Those of you with busy lives... so everyone... how do you keep it all together?
Monday, June 15, 2015
Blogging | Not Just for Teachers
I was talking with a colleague about how my classes were going (learning a lot, somewhat overwhelmed) and mentioned how I was to be keeping a blog. As I have explained, I am much better at reading blogs then writing them, so I relayed my hesitation to her. As usual, since she is the colleague I work closest with, it became an enlightening conversation.
She agreed that she wouldn't use a blog as a class website, but did plan to use blogs in her classroom next year - blogs written by her students. I did come across this idea in a couple of the required reading texts, but I'll be honest, the concept didn't jump off of the page. Hearing her explanation, however the passion with which she shared the idea, sold me.
As a language arts teacher, she felt the blog would be perfect for a place to read, write, and reflect, and I couldn't agree more. I LOVE the idea of students using blogs to work and reflect on their own work. Educational studies show that the most essential parts of learning are reflection and feedback - even more effective than when done by the person who did the work. I cannot WAIT to hear her specific plans and share those ideas with colleagues.
Is there a time when a conversation with a colleague has changed the trajectory of your teaching?
She agreed that she wouldn't use a blog as a class website, but did plan to use blogs in her classroom next year - blogs written by her students. I did come across this idea in a couple of the required reading texts, but I'll be honest, the concept didn't jump off of the page. Hearing her explanation, however the passion with which she shared the idea, sold me.
As a language arts teacher, she felt the blog would be perfect for a place to read, write, and reflect, and I couldn't agree more. I LOVE the idea of students using blogs to work and reflect on their own work. Educational studies show that the most essential parts of learning are reflection and feedback - even more effective than when done by the person who did the work. I cannot WAIT to hear her specific plans and share those ideas with colleagues.
Is there a time when a conversation with a colleague has changed the trajectory of your teaching?
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Blogging | LMS
After reading the section on blogging in the book Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for the Classroom by Will Richardson last night, I have to admit I was left even more puzzled with the idea of using a blog for classroom/school purposes. Some of the ideas the book suggests are to use blogs as a place for school information, specific class information, or posting morning announcements, which are all wonderful ideas. However, with the emergence of learning management systems such as Edmoto or Schoology, I wonder how this will affect the use of blogging?!
The district where I teach currently uses an LMS called Schoology, and this upcoming school year is asking ALL teachers to run their classes through their classes Schoology webpage. This includes a daily agenda, course content such as notes and videos, giving quizzes and tests, as well as posting school-wide information. The thought process behind this is to provide parents with a "one stop shop" experience. Rather than have to visit several different teacher sites, a parent will be able to go to Schoology and view their childs' homework, grades, and any announcements all in one place. Yes, they have to click on the different class pages, but all within one website. We are a busy society, sure there are RSS feeds, but I do appreciate the effort the school is putting in to help parents get the information they need quickly and concisely.
I am certainly not against teachers and schools using blogs. As I have said before, I am sure there are really well done blogs out there that will put my argument to shame. However, with the emergence of Schoology and other programs, I can't help but wonder what the future of educational blogging looks like!?!?
What are YOUR thoughts?
The district where I teach currently uses an LMS called Schoology, and this upcoming school year is asking ALL teachers to run their classes through their classes Schoology webpage. This includes a daily agenda, course content such as notes and videos, giving quizzes and tests, as well as posting school-wide information. The thought process behind this is to provide parents with a "one stop shop" experience. Rather than have to visit several different teacher sites, a parent will be able to go to Schoology and view their childs' homework, grades, and any announcements all in one place. Yes, they have to click on the different class pages, but all within one website. We are a busy society, sure there are RSS feeds, but I do appreciate the effort the school is putting in to help parents get the information they need quickly and concisely.
I am certainly not against teachers and schools using blogs. As I have said before, I am sure there are really well done blogs out there that will put my argument to shame. However, with the emergence of Schoology and other programs, I can't help but wonder what the future of educational blogging looks like!?!?
What are YOUR thoughts?
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