Thing #6

This is my favorite part of being a Social Studies Teacher!  Using the resources around us.  I have always been a huge library fan even before it became "The Media Center".  I frequented the traveling bookmobile in the small town of Onamia often when I was a little tyke.  My fear is that the students we have now and the increasing ease of information access- that students will no longer "need" or think they need the library.  I find that I revert often back to old school research techniques- Bibliography by hand, use of actual books etc.  I am looking forward to setting up a visit with the local library personnel to get all Anwatin students an library card.

I think if they see me embrace the use of a library card used not only to check books out, but to get all the cool information they can only get with the card, my hope is that they too will be excited and more open to new ideas.

One of my favorite library sites is Proquest- the newspaper site.  I use it often with students for History Day and myself to find Primary Documents to use in class.

Thing 2

As you can see, the past 3 days I have been really into this blogging thing!  I know the whole world is doing it- at least all the 20-somethings I used to be about 1/2 my life ago.  But who the heck cares what I have to say?  I guess even if no one ever reads it- it helps me with my thought process and keeps me honorable to Mili- right?

So- yeah- in answer to all the questions I am all about blogging in class.  Obviously for most of the students it seemed to be the hip happenin' thing to do.  For some- I know I wouldn't reach if I started to do cartwheels in Anwatin's courtyard.  My only concern is what happens to those few students who don't have internet access at home?  What happens when the teachers get mad at me because I am always signed up in the computer lab with my classes because I think it' a valuable tool?  It's like I am caught between a rock and a hard place.  But I continue to be greedy when it comes to computer labs- because it's darn good for the students.  And think of all the trees I'd be saving if I could just blog lessons instead!

As far as the RSS reader- that rocks!  It's nice to get those reminders instead of having to sift through all the other stuff out there.  I just have to remind myself to check it daily otherwise it gets pretty long.

On a side note, does anyone else grow weary with all the log in names and passwords we have to use in our lives in and out of school?  And yes- I do write them down- but man- it would be nice if all the web site people would get together and agree on a universal password and log in name.

Off to enjoy the rest of this fall day.  Next plan of action for me- continue to blog more myself so that when I get around to doing it for a classroom purpose- It will be like second nature!

Thing 1

Hmmm.... what do I think?  I think yes indeed- they do fit together.  But right now it's getting them to fit together with me that's all.  It seems like all of us want the quick fix- the answer in 2 seconds or we move on.  So just looking at all the options in web 2.0 was a mindblower for me.  I have been called the organizational queen.  I love to make lists and charts and check things off when I complete them.  I, like my students, just want someone to tell me where to go to get what I need.  I like filling in little boxes during my IFL meetings!  When I see something like this with all these wonderful options I get overwhelmed and long for the simple days of playing Oregon Trail in my 6th grade class on our one computer back in 1979!  But in terms of looking at it through the lens of this Mili stuff, it is incredible how far this world has come and it scares me to think that one day the old fashioned ways of doing things will come to a complete halt.  I enjoy teaching students how to actually take notes and make outlines by hand.  I like using my old school search engines like dogpile and google.  I guess I have to start to step outside my comfort zone and embrace this change if I want to keep up with my students.

My next step is to really take a good chunk of time (stop laughing now- I know I'll find it in the midst of helping to plan my stepdaughters wedding) and really get my hands dirty with some of the tools on web 2.0.

I'll keep you posted as to how that goes.

Back to the drawing board

Ok- before I got started with this whole thing, I was feeling pretty technology savvy. Now I feel like I need modifications and an IEP to get through this! Don't get me wrong... I am really enjoying everything I am learning, but I feel like I need to start at the very beginning (which apparently is a very good place to start) and slow down. What I want is for someone to give me a 1 page cheat sheet- or a "To Do List" for what to do on what day. That would really help. I don't want this big ole' world to pass me by as I sit pounding my head against the wall!

In the meantime I am looking forward to History Day and starting the whole research process. I think what I'm going to try next is Google Docs with the students- maybe even try to get a school-wide or team-wide thing going.

Later taters
H

So they say...

So I have decided that being positive about what is handed to me is better than any other option out there.  That being said, I am excited about this new opportunity and ready to improve upon my teaching and learning.  It's often more fun being a student than a teacher.  Change of pace and all that.

So I am working on being more organized in my own planning and I figure it will trickle down to the students as I go along here.  I already have made more mistakes this year than I care to share with the masses! : )  But I am undaunted in my F.P (Fresh Philosophy) and have already both admitted my mistakes to my students and have made strides in trying to better the things I can, ignore the things I can't and have the wisdom to know the difference!

That's all she wrote.... more to come... Maybe I'll even share some of my misdeeds...