Summer Update

Summer brings time for me to enjoy working in my yard, spending time with my granddaughter, and catching up on reading. The chaotic end of school year tasks caused me to fall behind in keeping abreast of technology blogs. School is never far from my thoughts. Next week I will be participating in the GCS Summer Institute in science at Gaston College's Belmont campus. I am looking forward to collaborating with other science teachers. I will let you know all of the fabulous ideas I learn about. 

Professional Development Reflection

Overview                                                                                             

I chose to share one of my kids favorite way of expressing themselves, Glogster. Due to the fact that our school year has been jam packed with PD's, I chose to present to my 6th grade colleagues during our planning time. Nevertheless, two teachers had IEP's and one was absent. The other three teachers did attend and were very enthusiastic. Only one teacher knew about Glogster, but she had not worked with the program.

Integration

The language arts teacher (also Pinnacle) on my team and I are working on a collaborative project for the next school year. I have been researching the achievement gap between black males and other races. As a result I shared with her what I have learned and some suggestions for closing the gap. We decided to pursue the purchase of new classroom books and needed an outlet so students could share their reading.  Everyone present agreed that Glogster could be used as one source. 

Form of Delivery Sanders Glogster PD 

I set up laptops for everyone to use. To deliver the PD I chose to share Glogster via a Google presentation. 

Audience reactions/followup

The teachers were very receptive and offered suggestions of ways to use Glogster. Two set up Glogster accounts for educators. They do not plan to use them until the next school year, but are eager to get started with the planning. Followup is continuing in the form of getting each teacher signed up and developing lesson plans that integrate Glogster.

Conclusion  Feedback Link

 I enjoyed working with my colleagues. It was not all smooth sailing though. First, a not so nice support person scheduled a meeting with a parent at the same time as the PD without asking if we could attend. This caused me some concern. I felt bad for the teachers who were waiting and had gave up their planning time. They were very understanding and helped me to regain my focus on the task at hand. This was not my first presentation, but somehow it felt different than the others. Possibly because I work with these teachers daily. I did learn a lot about myself. I never get upset with students and I don't mind being flexible where they are concerned. I do mind adults not being respectful of their colleagues; however, this is going to happen from time to time and I realize I have to adapt to the situation. 

I would change my presentation to be more streamlined. I also failed to check out the site requirements. I pay for Glogster because I teach two teams, so I didn't check on the "free" usage. That has changed and I should have known. I would have been able to explain the setup much better to participants.

What's happening with Google Docs

Google Docs has become the new "hook". Students love it and so do I. The collaboration and interactive abilities make it a big hit. My sixth grade regularly work in docs. They place notes, edit each others documents and much more. The best is when they are on after school hours and I can see what they are working on or answer their questions. I have also worked in spreadsheet and presentation. Students are next with these.

I Know

Here we are with most of February past and I am asking myself where has the time gone. There was so much I wanted to do this school year. I am feeling a little lost. I know we still have several months to go. I know after my brief spell of feeling down I will get back to work. I know I will look back at the accomplishments that have been made, even small ones. I know I will persevere and new learning will occur, but for now I am reflecting on what I wish I had done differently.

February Happenings in Social Studies

Sixth grade continues to study the Holocaust. Students are discovering how to relate historical events to their lives. Many are astounded at the horror of this time. I have had students cry, get mad, and display many other emotions. I am using various techniques so all students have a choice in how they learn and present that information. I have had students create anti-hate posters, time lines, and written word to record what they are learning. I will share their Capzules (time lines) later this week.

Letter to self as a new teacher

Dearest Self,

As you enter the world of touching children’s lives, I would like to offer a few words of advice. Some days are going to be harder than others. You will have students who struggle, parents who struggle, and colleagues who struggle. During these times remember to enjoy every second of a smile, a thank you, an I love you, and each time someone tells you that you are the best. For it is through these moments that you will persevere to be the best teacher you can be.

Sincerely.
Carolyn

Rewarding Day

The last time I left school refreshed and energized was during my elementary school teaching days. I headed a school wide Earth Day event for students in grades Pre-K to 5th. Every student was able to participant in hands-on science activities. We made water cycle braclets, ants on a log, learned water safety, and much more. The day concluded with solar car races. The cars had been made by students in the science club. While I was very tired, it was a tired from seeing students learn by doing. These activities did not involve technology it did show the need for more hands on activities and experiences. This stays in the forefront when I plan project=based learning assignments with students today.

Carolyn