Another Day, Another Web Tool!

Somehow I can't believe we are already in our fifth class.  Although there is inevitably some new tool--like Wimba--that will frustrate me, learning how to use every new application seems to be getting a little easier.  In this class it looks like Word Press will be my nemesis, but I think I am finally getting the hang of it.  Sue gave us the link to a Word Press tutorial on YouTube for calendars that was helpful, and I found other topics there as well.  I.   looked at the other choices for our next project, and I think I will try to use Wix.  It looks like it will be a more creative program than Word Press.   I really want to work on my web design, because I really did not understand it before.  I am still not confident that I really understand it now, but at least I realize now that I have to learn the concepts behind web design.   Well I am going to look for a second website to critique and finish up on my redesign of my old website.  Until Monday.

Spring Break, Yea!

It was really weird having one class and then Spring Break.  Just a taste of the new class, and a week off.  But I am working over the break, even though I am in Punta Cana.  I am with family and friends and there are three of  us posting or working over the internet.  A friend had to do a Skype with a person in Minnesota for her job.  Wow, other people besides us MAITS are using technology!  My daughter-in-law is finishing up her Master's program with Georgian Court and had to work on some of her assignments.  The hotel offered 25 hours of WiFi for $25.  I think the three of us should get things done in 25 hours and still have time to enjoy the beach and have some fun.  The weather has been a little cloudy, but here that is good, because when the sun is out full strength, it is so strong and hot and we are burning a bit.  It is warm and there is a beautiful breeze sitting on the beach.  A few minutes ago there was a pelican floating by my granddaughter.  Life is good.  We are so fortunate living in the United States.  The people here have been so nice and we have gotten to know a few of them.  My son and I speak some Spanish (my son is much better than me) and we have enjoyed talking with them.  They work very hard for many hours in the day.  We were invited to eat at a Dominican restaurant one of them works at in the evening.    We tried some of the local food and ate Guinea Hen and Goat.  Some of us liked it, but my son had a hard time getting past the idea of eating goat.  My grandson really enjoyed the food, but my granddaughter thought we were all crazy.  Well I look forward to meeting with all of my MAIT colleagues and learning about Web Design, but hope my week goes by slowly--it will be hard to leave this paradise.  Enjoy the rest of your vacations, rest, relax and regroup!

New Class Has Already Started.

Well, we didn't have much of a break between the Spring and Summer classes.  This class sounds like it will be interesting and I hope to to able to improve my websites, because I always feel I can't get them exactly the way I want them.  Doug Harvey suggested using Wix,  if we wanted a better look for the site and I think I will try that one.  There will be a learning curve, but I think I can get a better product from this program.  Also, I think learning something new just gives me more options.

Sue wanted the recipe for my hummus, so I am going to put it on this blog.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Ingredients

• 3 cups drained cooked chickpeas

• 1 or 2 roasted red bell peppers depending on size (I use peppers jarred in vinegar not oil)

• 3 to 4 cloves of garlic (adjust to your taste)

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup tahini 

• 4 to 6 tablespoons lemon juice  (adjust to your taste)

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Place all of the ingredients in a food processor.  Process until mixture is smooth and well blended, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Taste and adjust the seasoning by adding salt, pepper or additional lemon juice, if necessary

Enjoy!

The End of the Road. . .

Well I finally finished my PLT and my portfolio, but as usual I think they are still works in progress.  I always want to add more to everything I create.  There is always one more addition, one more correction, one more thought. . .  I really do enjoy the projects I have created and been a part of, but it truly is a lot of work.  I am looking forward to getting together at Scott's house to relax on our last day of class.  I learned a lot in this class and really have a grasp of the theories thanks to my colleagues in both classes.  It has really solidified my own philosophies about education and learning.  I love to learn and continue to keep learning new things with every course.  Let's get ready for the next one!  See everyone at Scott's.

The only kind of learning which significantly influences behavior is 

self-discovered or self-appropriated learning - truth that has been 

assimilated in experience. - Carl Rogers

“We will learn no matter what! Learning is as natural

as rest or play. With or without books, inspiring trainers

or classrooms we will manage to learn. Educators can,

however, make a difference in what people learn and

how well they learn it. If we know why we are learning

and if the reason fits our needs as we perceive them,

we will learn quickly and deeply.”

Malcolm Knowles, educator

One Project Down, One to Go!

Well our presentation is over and I can't say I am sorry.  It creates such anxiety, and I don't usually get anxiety. I could not get Wimba to work on two computers and it finally went on at 3:45.  I felt that that set us off our mark a little, but it worked anyway.  Thanks to Colleen and Kathy for everything.  It wouldn't have been possible without them.  It was really nice to meet Kathy and I am looking forward to meeting others from their class at Scott's house.  During the presentation, I found it hard to listen to people talk and then have to respond to people typing in the chat box.  I could not do both at the same time.  I felt I missed some of the comments being made in the chat box.  If I did not answer anyone, I apologize.  Now for the paper.  I still have to finish it and I am feeling behind.  It has been a very hectic first three months of the year, and I am a little fearful of what the next class will bring as far as work load goes.  I know I put stress on myself by taking on too much, but I am enjoying the courses, so I am just trying to ignore the stress and know that whatever happens, I am learning a lot and it is so useful in my job.   The kids are responding positively to the new ideas I am presenting to them and that makes it all worthwhile.  Somehow I will get through, although, I am making this class by the skin of my teeth.

Oh well, until next week.

Spring Break--Just What I Needed!

The Spring Break was good for my mind.  It was a restful week, although I still have work to do, sometimes a break is just what you need.  I was feeling frenzied, and it crept up on me and I didn't really notice it.  Even though we had to work, it still felt like a mini vacation.  I think the nice weather also helped.

My Mini Vacation in my mind

 Monday, I was able to go to the Wimba Cafe, and I got some advice for my portfolio. Thanks!   I was having trouble uploading my Visual Design Project and need to convert it to a form that the Google Sites portfolio will accept.  I found a PowerPoint to video converter through a CNET search that I am trying as a free trial.  If it works, I will have to buy it to complete the video, but I do have a lot of PowerPoints I use for Science, so it may come in handy.  I was thinking that it would be useful for students when they are absent.  It is called Smart PPT Converter, but if anyone knows of a better one, please let me know.  I also found that I can upload a video to Google Docs and it will allow me to insert video on my Portfolio that way.  I am almost there.  I guess it just takes perseverance when it comes to technology!

I still have to present our theory Monday with Colleen and Kathy.  I feel like we are ready, but it still makes me anxious thinking about presenting online.  We are going to practice tomorrow for one last time.   I will be happy when it is all presented and then I can focus on my paper.  Kathy is going to come to Southern to present with us.  It will be great to meet her in person.  We have talked with everyone in the class and even seen pictures of some, but for me, it is so much better to have the face time with people.  I guess I am not totally in the new modern, technological age.   Funny how each generation has its own place in the modern world, and someday you wake up and new generations have taken your place.  Can't imagine what the kids will be doing when I'm 90.  Guess I'll just have to stick around to find out!

Lake Placid Vacation

Whiteface Mountain 

I was fortunate this week to take a break from my schedule and join my grandson, Matt and his family at a hockey tournament in Lake Placid, New York.  We left on Wednesday night, and stayed until Sunday.  It was an amazing experience, because he was able to play his first game in the same rink as the 1980 USA team when they beat the Russian in what many call the sporting event of the century or the "Miracle on Ice.

I love hockey, and my kids have played hockey from when they were kids, and I was in awe just upon entering the arena.  The sense of history is overwhelming and brought me back to a time when my sons, who still play hockey to this day, were only one and two.  They had no idea the event was taking place, but it would come to be an event in history with special meaning to both of them.  It was emotionally awesome sitting in the arena waiting for my grandson to come out of the locker room.  (They were in locker room 2, not locker room 4 that the American team occupied.)  Their team lost the game to a Lake Placid team, but it didn't matter, because they got to play in that very special place and will remember it forever.

We also got to skate on the outdoor 400m speed skating oval at night and went down a toboggan chute and went for a dogsled ride.  It was inspiring and we all had a good time.  It was very hard to come back.

Well the vacation was a wonderful break from school, but back to focus and classwork.  I enjoyed the presentations again, and felt I have a better understanding of the different theories.  I am planning a short workshop with a co-worker, Kate, for our school using the book, Have You Filled a Bucket Today?  I ordered it and it came while I was on vacation.  We are also planning to use a similar activity that Jen used in her classroom and adapt it to our population.  It is such a powerful and important message.  I also used an adaptation of the lesson presented by Andy, Carolann and Jessica.  I am teaching environmental science to my students and am focusing on Barnegat Bay, so I used the endangered species idea, but adapted it to endangered species of Barnegat Bay.  Thanks for all the wonderful ideas.  I am realizing how all the theories come into play in one's teaching.   There does not seem to be one theory that is solely utilized, but a combination of many of them.  I am understanding why the PLT paper comes after the presentations, because it is necessary to understand the different theories first.  I am making connections and creating my own learning without even knowing it!  Good luck with the two new presentations.  See you all on Monday.

I am writing this blog on Monday the 20th.  I usually try to write the blog on the same night.  I think that if I had chosen to write the blog then, it would have looked a lot different.  I enjoyed the presentations, and they went well and I learned a lot.  I have a much clearer picture of the different theories discussed.  But, I am writing this after having to complete the various discussions posts for the week.  Here is a pictorial overview of my experience today.  I have read and responded to so many posts today, that I am feeling so stressed and overwhelmed that both my eyes and brain hurt. There were so many responses to so  many posts, I didn't know where I was.  Which theory was I on, which post, what question?  I need a break, so I am writing in my Blog.  So, I did a search on Google for "stressed and overwhelmed" and have added some pics.

But this just added to my distress, because HOW DO YOU FIGURE OUT HOW TO ARRANGE THESE PICS ON THE BLOG?  AHHHHH!  They have a mind of their own.    Ok, I have to calm down and use what I learned in Synectics.  If the Donkey can get out of the hole, I can arrange these pics on the Blog.  Just a little "thinking out of the box" will do.  Oh, and those quizzes.  I guess I'm not a good quiz taker.  I think it is my occasional (well maybe not so occasional) problem with "gray thinking."  For example, one time at another job, someone stole money. (don't know why I thought of this)   The four of us at work at the time were asked to take a polygraph test.  Only two of us decided to take the test.  It took about four or five hours and by the time I was done I actually felt guilty I was exhausted, overwhelmed and my brain hurt. (sort of like I felt today)  At the end, the FBI agent laughed at me and told me that I was hard to question, because I made associations and connections to everything.  One of the questions he had asked me was if I had ever stolen anything, and I told him that I had taken a small lock from my grandfather when I was eight.  Later, I felt compelled to tell him that I had helped my Aunt Gladys clean out her apartment and she had told me to take things I wanted.  I told him that I had taken a belt and had not really asked permission to take it.  My mind was like a ping pong ball, bouncing back and forth looking for answers.  In the end, I was innocent, but was guilty of having a very "gray mind."

Wow, I'm feeling better now.  Writing in this blog is like therapy!  I guess I should put a pictorial overview of how I can mentally and visually deal with my stress. (funny that I found them in the same Google search)  Here they are.  (Let the Blog do with them what it will)  I really lied and it took me about three times to get the pictures where I wanted them, and they're still not perfect.

Finally, the baby, a symbol of rebirth, and in this case, a rebirth of my mind--new fresh and ready to take in new knowledge through Behaviorism, Cognitivism or Synectics.

The Keyboard is Mightier Than the Sword

Another frustrating night with Wimba.  I decided with Colleen that I am going to learn how to use Wimba for our lesson.  I don't want to feel uncertain how our presentation will turn out because of the obstacles presented by Wimba.  I feel like the pace of the virtual part of this course is faster than my ability, so I am determined to conquer Wimba. Wimba, Wimba, Wimba.  I have already used the term seven times!  Maybe if I keep saying it, the fear will dissipate.  Wimba is wimpy.  There you go, I'm on my way to conquering it.  Whether I conquer it with the pen, the sword, or the keyboard, I will succeed!  Well, at least, I hope so.

Ok, enough of that.  I was glad that we had some time to get a better understanding of the project.  There were really a lot of questions that were answered and I think I have a feel for what needs to be done to complete the assignment.  I have enjoyed looking at everyone's posts about the different theories.  The Xtranormals and Prezis were great.  The information presented gave me a good idea about the different theories.  I am not really motivated to read about educational theories, but these presentations make learning the theories interesting.  These courses have been the best I have taken, because they hold my interest and motivate me.  I may be overwhelmed, but I am interested and motivated.

Link to Photo

Surely there is something in the unruffled calm of nature that overawes our little anxieties and doubts; the sight of the deep blue sky and the clustering stars above seems to impart a quiet to the mind.

                                                                                       Jonathan Edwards

Just When I Thought. . . .

Wow! What a night! Just when I thought things were under control, it was a whirlwind of a class. Despite the frustration with Wimba, I think I have it now. I was already comfortable with the library, but learned a few things. I really enjoyed the Google Sites. I found creating the site fun and easy to learn. I just wish we had more time to play around with it. The Wimba difficulties cut into some of the time. Google Sites was much simpler than the Bb portfolio. I am going to keep working on it and think it will be useful. Thanks to all who presented information to us. Hard to believe that we could be having class with someone in Aruba.  Hard to believe that anyone in Aruba would want to have class with us!

 I had a little of the panicky feeling last night, but it has subsided quickly. Now it is time to get back to work and get everything done. Thanks, again, to Amy for the Chinese food. See everyone next week.

Ready, Set, Here We Go!

Another first class has come and gone. I always find myself comparing them. With each new class, I seem to lose a little anxiety and gain a little more confidence. Gone are the days of not knowing what on Earth Darrell was even talking about. Web 2.0 tools? Who knew! I went home thinking, "What did I get myself into?" I looked around and it didn't look like other people knew either. And now, our first class of 2012, and I actually understood most of what was going on. Yes, there are theories I cannot define, but the terms no longer sound like a foreign language. My mind is no longer a swirling sea of nonsense, but rather a swirling sea of ideas. Now I'm sure the anxiety and confusion will inevitably creep back in at some point, but I am confident that I can do it--confident that WE can do it together. We are going to learn the theories and I hope learn something about how we learn and how our students learn, too. After talking with Coleen, Sue, Scott and Andy about how we learned as kids, I realized that maybe our kids don't really learn in different ways than we did. Maybe they are just trying to tell us, "Teach us the way we learn.". As i read in Sue's blog about the various lessons that stood out from her childhood, I was reminded of my own, including my kindergarten teacher who taught us French, my sixth grade teacher who allowed me to go up to the board and explore new ways to find answers to math problems, and a high school English teacher who allowed me to choose to compare and contrast two books instead of the usual term paper. I am excited to learn the theories and see how I can use them in my classroom.

It's already 2012.  For some reason when I think about time, I always think about reading 1984 in high school and thinking how far away in the future that was.  Now I think about how long ago that really  is. Time--a reality or man's creation?  Either way, it's hard to believe that it is another year starting and we are getting ready for another class.  I'm glad the blog is starting up again, I missed it.  I enjoyed the break, but now it's time to get back to work.  All right MAITs, the fun begins!