#22- Custom Search Engines-Rollyo

We are in the process of trying to get our house on the market and need to do some improvements/repairs.   "Ask Mr. Fix-It!" caught my eye in the list of searches and it is absolutely awesome!

 I typed in rotten window sill and had ten versions of how-to-do-it advice columns right in front of me.

I also typed in "replace exterior doors"....loved the videos so I had strong visuals and could get my mind around how to do it.

This is going to help us tremendously.

Sadly, lots of ads....everybody wants to sell me something.

I created a search roll for bulletin board ideas. 
http://rollyo.com/mhmelton/bulletin_board_ideas/

It was an easy process; however, most of the search hits I initially got were to business supply and office supply sites, trying to sell me different types of cork board, white boards, etc.   Everybody wants me to buy something!

#21 Shelfari--Book Catalog

As I worked with this site, I quickly realized that I wish this was for DVD movies. I'd love to have a working bibliography/catalog of my personal copies of hit movies, that could be easily updated. I often loan out my DVD's and forget who has what flick. Whoever came up with the idea to put a "loaner" section on Shelfari was brilliant.

Cataloging all of my books would be very labor intensive...definitely a summertime project....if it ever became important "enough" to me, to do it. I'd be much more likely to do it for my DVD's.

I loved the fact that they had thumbnails of the book jackets. That is a helpful touch for quick recognition.

http://www.shelfari.com/o1514407202/shelf

Activity #20

http://www.imagechef.com/ic/word_mosaic/

I must have played with this site for 2 hours yesterday. I created all kinds of graphics, saved them to my hard drive for later use. I loved the way you could change the shape, colors and text to get lots of variety within the end product. I really enjoyed playing around with the sports jersey ones. I may have to print some of them for a bulletin board. Wish that they had a hockey one.

These tools are useful and fun for me. I could get lost on the internet and lose track of time very easily.

I posted one of my favorite graphics on my Facebook account. Several folks asked how I did it. Referred them right to ImageChef.com!



Letter James told me that it would "relaunch" in the winter. It was a no go. I goofed around with some of the graphic manipulators on FDToys. They make me laugh. My daughter was very interested in what I was doing. She's bumping me off the computer so she can play with it now!

I also played with Big Blue Labs' Photo caption site. I'm going to love that! http://bighugelabs.com/captioner.php I'm totally going to mess with somebody's picture, now.

Activity #20 Playing Large

ImageChef.com Flower Text


Go EAGLES!!!!







ImageChef.com Poetry Blender

Activities #18 and #19 Twitter and Resources

Twitter was simple to access and register with. What became difficult, was finding other physical educators to follow. I had to go through the back door to get to them, (locating my professional organizations' Tweets, and then seeing who followed them); but, I finally found a few. I also found a lot of people following my professional groups were spammers and just trying to sell me something. It's a shame we can't filter them out. Wading through the spam was a resented waste of my time.

I spent a significant amount of time scrolling through a lot of Tweets, because they were written in a foreign language. Again, I wish there was a filter, so that I could just get a hit on English speakers.

I signed up for several web pages and pertinent sites I discovered on people's Tweets or profiles in Twitter. Those may prove more valuable than the Tweets themselves; at least in my case.

I also signed up for email notification, if Tweets I am following, become updated. There were several notifications in my mailbox just hours after my initial registrations. That was cool. But someone named "Steven" flooded my inbox with about 20 Tweets. :-)

I think I see Twitter more as a professional development tool, than I do a student to teacher means of communicating. I teach elementary school and I'd just be totally surprised if the bulk of my kids have access to a computer, much less a Twitter account.

Being aware of what's out there is important. I'll keep checking back and investigating the updates I receive. Hopefully the list of elementary physical educators will grow.

Activity #17 Technorati/Blogosphere/Tagging

When I was four, I got to visit the south rim of the Grand Canyon. I can still remember looking over the edge of the railing and being totally overwhelmed at how huge that hole was and how teeny I was in comparison. Activity 17 gave me the same sensation. The internet is HUGE. I can't even begin to get my brain around it. The fact that people (way smarter than I) have found ways to organize it and help people narrow the massiveness into useable chunks astounds me. I actually felt a bit anxious as I tried to get my mind around its vastness. How are my child and my grandchildren going to be able to deal with the explosion of knowledge? I just can't even let my mind go there.

Now that I used my voice to share the fact that I feel like a speck, I'll carry on to complete the activity:

At first, I thought it was quirky that there were actual websites and programs that help you develop your tagging language...but by the time I finished the activity, I could see why. There's so much out there, that having some "universal verbage" is critical, if you want the searches we set out on, to be effective and useful. as I nosed around and played with key word to compare the blogs, directory searches, etc. I found that I had more appropriate hits for my inquiry when I could use more specific words to "label" my topic. Vague tags lead more to general information and then I'd have to narrow my word choice, to get closer to what I was really looking for.

When I looked at what I'll call "Buzz Words" within the blogging world, it appeared to be top heavy with what I identify with business and economic terminology. It was interesting to look over, but not somewhere I'd spend any great amount of time....unless I was a marketing major at a university. Then I might be more inclined to hang out on that list. I just didn't see any practical use for it, at the moment. I was open to the experience for the sake of exposure, but it wasn't anything that popped a light bulb on, over my head.

As for the usefulness of Tagging, I can see how it will be helpful for me. I generally do little with my personal digital pictures, beyond uploading them to my computer and slapping them in a folder labelled with a generic name and date. I will one day go through and organize and tag my photos so that they will be more easily retrieved.

As for using tagging with things that are "open for the world's eyes", I'm a little more conservative. I'm not sure I'm ready to just throw my life out there like an open book...for anyone at anytime to see. I have quite a bit of pondering to do as I learn to set some healthy boundaries for myself and my daughter as she embraces this ever-changing, brave new world.
I am very appreciative that many of the sites do provide for making your information private. I hope that is not just a facade, but a reality in that your information and portions of your "internet being" can be protected and shielded at the Creators will.

Activity 16 - Bookmarks on Del.icio.us.com

I thought the way the creator of the site dotted off its name was clever, in the fact that it is a social networking site and the letters "us" were at the end of its name. I see the humor.

I can see where I will be able to use this with my student teachers, this spring. It's very difficult to get around to so many websites to research them and know which are crap and which are useful. I like collaborating and look forward to picking their brains for useful sites as they pick mine for useful teaching methods and insights into teaching.

I am particularly excited about the potential of making my use of 3 computers easier. I just bought a new desktop, not too long ago, and I am STILL trying to locate all my favorite sites that I had stored in "My Favorites" on my old unit. By having Del.icio.us.com, that process could be waaaaaay easier. I also have access to other computers when I travel. By having all our favorites on one site, it will make printing boarding passes and iteneraries easier.

I have a middle schooler and getting her to keep up with website listings for researching on the web has been a pain. I hope that by teaching my kid how to use the bookmarks, she will be able to do bibliographies much more quickly and less painfully. I also see this as a BIG help for her as she is engaged in group projects in the future. They can easily access information from their groups and hopefully eliminate some exhausting searches by utilizing each other's tags (as well as other folks who have gone before them, on similar searches). I keep trying to impress the idea of working smart, on my child's developing sense of time management skills.

Definitely a good tool to use in both my professional and personal life.

Activity 15 Sandbox

Didn't enjoy the sandbox. Application seemed easy enough to use but didn't get me all hyped up like some of the toys this project has introduced me to.....but loved the Wiki.

At our family gathering yesterday, my sister-in-law asked for us to sign a piece of paper and give our email addresses. There's an elderly patriarch in our family, that's not doing very well and is facing multiple surgeries. She wants everyone to keep updated on his progress...I'll be teaching her how to use some of the gadgets and tools that 23 Things has been teaching us. Keeping in touch has always left a huge trail of emails and I can soooo totally see us streamlining communcations by using WIKI's

Lovin' the technology of the day!

#14 Wikis

This resource excites me, especially as I consider, how this tool could be used on a school's website. It can liven up communications to parents. It can keep children engaged in completing homework...especially if text books could be online as an eBook rather than heavy printed materials. There goes the age old excuse for uncompleted homework assignments..."I left my book in my locker."

As I wandered through the suggested links, it became increasingly clear as to how small the world is getting. Truly, technology allows for World Wide Learning Communities.

I also liked the idea of Wikis used to help students grasp a more effective understanding of what they are studying, by manipulating the materials through application and synthesis (higher order thinking skills) as they create, edit and update Wikis used for classrooms.

I loved the idea that Wikis could be used prior to meetings to help focus the group on what they need to be doing. Agendas can be presented and added to; preliminary discussions can be held prior to the meeting to make for better time use and less sidebar discussions. This alone may be a top time saver for educators overloaded with meetings.

I can see this tool being used to help a grade level plan for a fieldtrip. It would be clever to have past students offer input about the trip, to help current students prepare themselves for it.

One thing that jumps out at me is the fact that we NEED to make sure our websites and technoloy fingers into the community are UP TO DATE!!! It really bothers me for us to spend a lot of time and energy in getting something up and running and then neglect because the newness wears off. I think that neglected sites and links are bad P.R. It's like never weeding the flower beds out by the school's office...it just looks bad. In today's competitive market and attitudes about schools of choice, we need to put our best foot forward and show off our constant commitment to staying in touch with the future and its technology. If we're going to do it....then let's do it right!!!!

#13 e-Books

E-Books....hmmmmm....I really had to get out of my box to figure out a way to incorporate this concept into my classroom or personal learning efforts. Because I teach PE, I struggled to make a connection between my curriculum and the Project Guttenburg listings. But, after some advanced searching, I made some significant connections. I can see where access to children's poetry would be helpful during my jump rope unit. Students are encouraged to learn old fashioned chants and rhymes to assist in their understanding of the rhythm and timing of jumping rope. I've never encouraged them to make up their own, but the e-book could give them examples of rhythms to copy and insert their own up to date lyrics. Then they could perform them for their classmates.

I also didn't realize how many Mother Goose rhymes contained action verbs. During a jumping skills lesson, I could use "Jack Be Nimble". A simple use of poetic literature as a lead in for my lesson. I could see a Smart Board interactive game where the students locate the action words and jump his/her way through a series of verbs and matching subjects.

I searched the word "health" and came up with multiple hits; but mostly very, very old manuscripts and waaaay out of date information. I did manage to find a book called, "Healthful Sports for Boys". This book would have been better entitled "Games your Great Grandpa Would Play." As I looked through the online table of contents, it occurred to me that it was actually a wealth of information. I enjoy teaching the history of games and explaining where it originated; how the equipment has changed to meet the needs of the player and their safety; the terminoloy for the game; and basic rules to play by. The book sorted various games and activities by which season of the year one might engage in the activity ---not sport season...but by spring, summer, fall and winter. Funny, there's a societal change right there...we used to play outside a lot and what we played really depended on what the weather was like outside. Now with indoor pools, indoor ice skating rinks, year round basketball leagues and such, we aren't limited by changing weather patterns as much.

Anyway, this book will turn out to be a wealth of information for me because it includes activities such as marble, top games, kite, hoops and wheels. By exposing children to these activities, perhaps I can get them to verbally engage with an older generation in their family. By teaching them old fashioned games that require little or no equipment, they can make a connection to their grandparents and begin a meaningful dialog. If I can get my students to access this book online with their grandparent, then they could look over the table of contents and get their grandparents to help them learn a game. Thereby, improving relationships through play....now there's a wonderful, old timey notion!

As for using the site, I didn't like how I had to scroll down to the very bottom of each page to advance the ebook to the next page. I wish there was an easier way to turn the page.
I think the idea of downloading the eBooks to almost any type of portable device for later use, is awesome. I can see where voice recorded eBooks on iPods could be instrumental in helping visually impaired folks explore literature.

Can you imagine articles from the world's newspaper jounalists being read, recorded and put on e-newspaper sites. You could actually hear the author reading his thoughts with the actual intonations with which he intended it to be read? Instead of getting newspapers delivered to our driveways, we would log on, download our periodical and listen to our news while we drive or ride to work or school.

That's kind of an exciting notion....oh the joys of creativity.

Still plugging away at #11 and moving on to #12

I've checked out several other sites and YouTube is still tops in my book.

I've seen a few things on TeacherTube that looked interesting but their selection just can't compare to YouTube. TeacherTube has the added benefit of being classroom friendly; whereas, YouTube can get a bit dicey and isn't always child friendly. I guess there's give and take and a "user beware" mentality to using any element of the internet. It's a shame that we have to constantly keep our guard up for offensive content.

As I revisited the podcasting sites recommended, I found that several of the health related podcasts I selected, had error messages, didn't exist anymore or were called "invalid". I think that is going to be one downfall of the internet, there's so much stuff floating around out there that much of it will not be accessible; forgotten and unmonitored over time. Eventually, how will we know what's new and up to date and what's been floating in cyberspace for decades and is irrelevant?

I did find a few podcasts that I'd like to add to my iPod and listen to on the way to work. I drive about 25 minutes each way and this might be a great way for me to keep up with professional information. I found several university podcasts that highlight trends in exercise and fitness and I can see where these can help me keep up to date and informed in my field. It would be difficult for me to purchase textbooks and literature from unversity courses but I can certainly access grad student podcasts and hear what's going on within their coursework and research.

Pod Cast Directories

I just spent some time browsing through Podomatic podcast directory. It must be based from Britain, because just about every voice I heard, had a thick English accent. No problem with that, it made for interesting listening.

At first, I wondered how I would decide on a topic to search; then, I noticed they had some easy index listings on their search bar and along the left margin. I clicked on the "Education" listing and one entry caught my eye, that I just couldn't ignore. It was entitled: I Speak Hawaiian. I thought I'd be taught a few catch phrases in Hawaiian; but, instead, I was treated to an orchaestra playing the tune of O Holy Night with the words sung in what appeared to be a Hawaiian tongue. What a hoot!

A few icons down the page and I found a link entitled: House of Reggae. Lots of bad rhymes backed up by strong bass licks. Bob Marley, it wasn't....but it still made me yearn for a view of some Carribean blue water.

My search continues for an appropriate Podcast to post....on to another directory......

Now I KNOW there's a market for EVERYTHING.

Activity 11- using You Tube

I found this exercise ball trick on You Tube. I thought it was totally cool. I'd never try it...nor would I ever show my students this video because of all the dare devils I teach. Many of them would want to master this trick too.

While I nosed around on hits I got, when I searched "exercise balls" as a topic, I also found several "child friendly videos" that demonstrated exactly why I WON'T let students attempt to stand or kneel on the big balls. It would be great to show them a snippet of video that proves to them that I'm not just popping my chops...that I really am concerned for their safety while exercising and trying new things.

As for my likes and dislikes about You Tube:

I get distracted and before I know it, I've killed an hour watching crazy videos, instead of staying on task and sticking within my own topic boundary.
There's so many risky videos out there. The first few moments of the video might be okay but at the end, there could be profanity or unacceptable content for an educational setting. It is crucial that we,as educators, watch and listen to EVERY snippet within a video we plan to share with children. Filtering videos to use for teaching is a job that can not be half hearted.

There is a wealth of videos out there, that can help me teach fitness techniques and skills to developing learners. I can see where using videos of highly skilled movers will be a great asset to me as I age. My body won't let me do all the things I used to do when I was 18. Having this as a resource could be quite beneficial....and keep me out of the ER!

Activity #10 Choosing an Element of Web 2.0 to Explore

I decided to go into the "Health" venue and nose around a bit. I chose the site entitled "Peer Trainer," at http://www.peertrainer.com/ It is awesome! I have had an issue with my weight, for the majority of my life. This site has a free four week weight loss coaching program and you merely type in your email address, reply to a site-generated email which confirms your desire to join, and you're ready to go!
The site has tons of ads around the periphery of the screen, but the meat of the site is right in the middle of the visual propaganda. I was occassionally annoyed by a pop up ad that jumped right in the middle of an article I was trying to read. A simple click on the X and it disappeared. I think that I will delete my internet history and temporary folder after visiting this site. I will also run my internet security scanning program to ditch the cookies that are probably hooked on to my computer, because I am nosing around on Peer Trainer.

One of the aspects I really liked about this site is that they have a "weight loss Tip of the Day" email that will automatically come to me. Some of the topics from past emails included : "Learning to Breath"; "How to Stop a Late Night Eating Binge" and "How to Change Anything in Your Life". I joined the free, four week program called "Peer Trainer Boot Camp". From what I can tell, it teaches me how to apply the basics of weight loss to my daily life. I think that will be the true test of application...will I follow through or just read the stuff and run to Dario. The site is chock full of 1-3 minute videos that teach you how to do exercises using little or no equipment. It highlighted proper technique, breathing cues, muscle groups used, etc., so that you can see a demonstration and hear the important things to remember when executing the exercise. .
I also liked the links to various discussion posts about fitness, healthful living topics and questions generated from other folks trying to lose weight and stay healthy. These posts were archived by month and year, so there's more materials there as a resource.
I can also see this website as a resource for my peers in helping relieve stress. This Peer Trainer take into account the physiological aspects of weight loss as well as the psychology of losing weight and motivation to stick with it. I can see where this site can help those of us struggling with our weight by helping us develop and maintain healthy habits for eating, sleeping, moving, and living. I'm all for improving my quality of life! And considering that we are in the throws of the holiday season, this is as good a time to focus on healthy habits as any!

Activity 9- Google Docs!

Oh my goodness!

That was pretty simple. I hope the folks I sent a request to, actually go and add/edit the document I posted.

I can see this tool as an opportunity to build morale. It could be a great way for folks to let someone know what a great job he/she did on a presentation or project. One concern...by sending it out, you would have to trust folks not to put bizarre or inappropriate items on it.

By passing this type of tool along to an entire faculty, we could easily send a person personalized birthday wishes WITHOUT having to hide a card from them.

I love the fact that everyone has immediate access to updated versions of the information in the document. Word Documents attached to emails can be such a pain. This is going to be so much easier.

I can also see this as a way to RSVP to events. Let's say you were hosting a covered dish supper. By sending an invitation via Google Docs, people could see HOW MANY folks were coming and WHAT they were going to bring. This would make it so much easier and alleviate redundant dishes at the feast. It would also allow you to know how many people you needed to prepare for.

As I looked through the other applications offered in Google Docs, I was immediately drawn to the template for the photo album. I have an idea of putting one together with pet pictures. Each pet has to have some sort of "dress up" item on it. No pet's health or safety should be compromised in creating additions to the album. I think it would be a hoot to see what people come up with. Now, where did I put that pirate hat...wonder if I can find the cat? Hmmmmmmm!

Activity 8 - Finding Feeds that are Martha-Friendly

This activity made my head hurt. My ADD totally goes into overdrive when I am faced with so many choices. I pop from link to link; site to site. There are sooooo many cool ideas and sites out there.....it just overwhelms my mind and imagination.

I think it is best for me to look for RSS opportunities to hook into, as I visit my favorite websites. This may keep me from getting so sidetracked by all the buttons, bells and whistles that are on the web. I have to learn to focus and not become so distracted. If that's a concern for me, I can only imagine how tough it will be for today's students to stay on task and not get pulled away by some flashing line or advertisement.

As for my favorite feed, I searched feeds specifically for physical education and came up with several. My favorite link is posted as a Widget on this Blog. Some of the most skilled movers in the world are encouraging the "regular Joe's" to show off their unusual talents. They sprinter named Alfara that balanced a stick on his foot for 2 minutes...cracks me up.

Activity 7-RSS Feeds-Feedback about Experience

This was one of the most difficult parts of the 23-Things Project, for me. I bogged down and had a hard time bringing completion. I like the fact that I could go back and listen to the directions several times to help guide me through the process.

I found some cool feeds to access and I even shared/put a link to one of the sites I found, on my Facebook page. I love "think out of the box" ideas that cause people to be creative and encourage them to move!

I feel like I am usually VERY observant....but my favorite thing I found out during activity 8, is the fact that on my internet Home Page, under "Favorites"....I now have my RSS favorite feeds right where I can find them easily. I never even noticed the tab for "Feeds" beside my favorite sites. Duh...wonder what else I've been missing?


As for addressing the usefulness of this tool, in the classroom:
I can see how students assigned a group project can quickly share ideas and current info through feeds. If one member of the group spots info that another member may need for his/her portion of the project, sharing feeds with notes could be a great way to spread resources to the people who need them most.
I can also see how teachers could use RSS feeds to keep up with pertinent information/data, such as presidential election results; medal counts during the Olympics; hurricane tracking-severe weather; ACC Tournament results, etc.

#6 Technology and Teaching-Today's Thoughts

As I went through the Flickr applications and several of the web tools, that were linked through this site, it clarifies why our students are mesmerized by technology. It IS fun!
One thing that this experience brought to mind is the fact that along with that fun, comes a LOT of responsibility... we,as educators, MUST constantly reinforce appropriate uses, healthy boundaries, and ethics in creating and publishing work on the web. I can see where someone with an axe to grind could use some of these applications to really hurt someone's feelings....a form of internet "payback", if you will. I think the latest buzz word is "Cyber-Bullying". Once this kind of bell has been rung...there really is no taking it back.

On a more positive note, the Montagr in Smilebox.com would be a GREAT way to activley engage children in their learning. I could see how these applications can be used in a history class, to teach kids about specific eras in history. They could scavage photos from a topic they are studying, add captions to the photos to support their study, and even search for music clips from that era and play it in the background of their presentation. Or in a science class, they could pick a biome and post pictures, graphs, maps, captions, etc. and play sounds from that biome and animal calls from creatures that thrive, in that environment. The more senses we stimulate as we teach, the more likely the students are to internalize what we wish for them to learn....and we all know that sometimes the best way to really learn something is to teach about it.

As for personal application: Since I teach PE, it's a little harder for me to get the technology funded. The fact that so many of these applications are free, helps motivate me to get out of my box and try some of it. My biggest fear is in protecting the investment of the hardware I would need to bring it into my space. I feel vulnerable because my teaching space is so open and so big, things could just walk out and disappear forever. I also worry that one mis-thrown ball could smash a piece of equipment to the floor in a nano-second. Protecting whatever investment I make will be paramount...getting children to respect it and take ownership in protecting it too, will be crucial.
Getting hardware and equipment would also imply grant writing. I've not done much of that...so again, I've got to get out of my own comfort zone and dig a bit....assuming that I really am serious about getting myself AND my students into the world of digital citizenry.

I think it's time for me to get beyond pedometers and stopwatches and think MP3's with pre-recorded warm up exercises counted out in my voice or a student's voice; small DVD players showing critical elements of a sport skill, I want them to learn... with instant replays of professionals doing the skill so that they see excellence performed by personalities they watch on TV.
Better yet, wouldn't it be interesting to get some footage of today's popstars exercising to give added interest and motivation to get my students moving?

I think I can get out of the box....finding the time to invest, in order to hone the desire into a useable product, will be my obstacle.

The more I contemplate the notion of turning technological dreams into a real teaching tool, the more I realize that I have to continue to explore and strive to be the lifelong learner I'm encouraging the children to be. Postitive modeling...now there's a timeless element from old school thoughts!

Activity #5 I've been playing on Smilebox--Colors of my Vacation

I made a quick little slideshow by dragging and dropping photos into the appropriate window. Then I had three songs to pick from to jazz up my show. Click on this link and admire what a good camera and great software can do!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Okay, I've had time to play around with a couple of new applications through Flickr and I have to say, the funniest one offers a chance for you to Chia-tize a picture. You can grow green "Chia Pet" hair on the subject of your chosen pictures. I may just have to do this to one of my brothers-in-law, and put it in a frame to use during our family's annual Dirty Santa event at Christmas. I'm NOT sure that I'd sign the card, though. What a hoot.

Using Flickr

Setting up the Flickr account was simple.  I didn't like having to give out my URL and password in order to link Flickr to my blog, so I'm going to try to use the Blogger applications first.

Choosing my buddy icon for Flickr took quite a bit a time...not because the process was difficult, but because I got bogged down reminiscing over scads of photos on my computer.

I think the idea of tagging makes complete sense.  By linking each picture with certain key words or comments, I can pull them all up very easily for future reference.  I sort of have my email accounts at work set up that way, so the notion transposes easily within my mind.

I was a bit leary of putting my pictures on display for anybody and everybody.  I think it's because I don't feel like I have control over them once they are out there in the public web.  I guess I have to keep telling myself to "think globally."

Here's a link to my photo stream on Flickr.  The photos that I have posted are from my August, 2009 trip to Bermuda.  We've been four times and it just keeps getting better...more expensive, too.       

Colors of my vacation in Bermuda-2009

My husband and I went snorkeling at one of the top beaches on the island, Smith's Bay.  I found this underwater hole in the rock formations and submerged so that Rodger could get a photo of me peeping through.  It took us 5 or 6 attempts because I kept floating back up.  I finally just grabbed onto the rock and held myself in place, just long enough for him to snap the shot.

                    

The 2-3" long Silversides (a minnow-like bait fish) made a huge, swirling tornado around me.  It was so thick that I couldn't see the bottom or straight ahead.  It was one of my favorite adventures despite the fact that it was unnerving and disorienting, at the time.   I had to wait until they cleared away, before proceeding out to the reef.  The whole time I was in there, I kept thinking, "Man, I hope nothing decides to eat them for lunch; because he'll get more than he bargained for, when he finds me in the middle."

Please go check out my other photos that offer just a hint of the glorious colors from God's own pallet, on the beautiful island of Bermuda!

7 and 1/2 Habits of a Lifelong Learner-Comments

I was very encouraged by what I saw during this video. I think I saw a lot of myself reflected in my attitudes and personal teaching style. But also see that I have such a long way to go. The more I learn, the more I feel like I know so little.

The easiest habit for me was #5 Tool Box and Resources. I love to find them, and I love to share them. With the storage capabilities of computers, it is so easy to download ideas and put them in files for easy retrieval, when my teachable moments pop up. Although, I can't put my BEST resource in my computer....that would be people....people who have walked the path before me and were willing to share their expertise, time, and ideas. What a powerful resource others can be...if just given the chance to share, in a non-judgmental and nonthreatening environment.

As for the hardest goal: I believe that would be #1. Goal setting is often hard for me, because I get bogged down in the details. I often over anticipate and over plan to the point that, I miss the spontaneous moments that arise in class. Sometimes the children spot a better route to take or one that interests them more and I have gotten so "married to the plan" or task at hand, that I don't relinquish control to their desire to learn a different way. Awareness is half the battle in becoming better, eh? I guess that goes along with the comment made in the movie about "learners first." Guess that means my pride needs to come second. I need more wisdom and discernment as I make my plans and be more willing to tweak them once I set them.

Comments on Video: K-12 Students Today

After 20 years of teaching, I've seen a lot of faces come and go through my teaching space. As I watched this video, the students all looked so sad....not bored....not disinterested...not emotionless...definitely, sad. I couldn't help wonder, if they were coached by the video's director to make themselves look so sorrowful.

When I considered what makes me sad about education, the first thing that popped in my mind was the lack of physical engagement in most classes...frontal teaching is a huge loss of potential for learners. If our students want to create, manipulate and experience what they are learning, educators will certainly have to move away from pencil and paper pushing activities, and adopt and provide more hands on learning experiences. Hmmmmm...does this mean that we may need to reconsider all this test, test and more tests mentality? I would give a HUGE "yes" response to that notion.

I have long felt that creativity was being sucked out of the classroom, due to the high emphasis on test score. We have access to more technology and creative opportunities than ever before, yet many innovative ideas are put on the back burner and unused. More is the pity that teachers feel they can no longer interject their own passions and interests into the curriculum for fear of falling behind their scope and sequence plans and assessments.

One of the cardboard messages mentioned that the majority of folks will have about 14 jobs, before turning the age of 38. I had to test that notion and began counting. I started my pursuit for the green dollar when I was 12 years old and have had eleven significant, money making positions--that's pretty close. I was always attracted to jobs that allowed me to be mobile, inside or outside; gave me opportunities to interact with others; and kept my fun factor very high. Teaching by far has been the funnest.

Most of the changes, I made from job to job, were moves I made to accommodate my progress from teen to young adult. I never thought I'd stick with any of my positions for long. They were just stepping stones that made me some bucks, until I could land a teaching position. Once I got my break into the public schools, I never looked back. Teaching has so much going on, I don't know how I could ever get bored with it....thanks to the oodles of children that plow through my gym doors ready to play and learn together!

I just pray that I don't make it boring for the 21st century learners in my classes. I don't want anyone associating sadness to what I present and my students get to do in my classroom.

Comments Regarding Video-"Did You Know?"

I watch very little television and even though I own a Wii, I rarely play it. My main draws to technology are email and FaceBook---purely to keep up with college, high school, and personal and professional friends. As I began to watch the first video entitled "Did You Know?", my failing eyesight and tired gray matter pointed to my age. I had to restart the video three or four times, because I couldn't read and process the screens, as quickly as they transitioned onto the monitor. I might catch the first couple of words that flashed up, but couldn't focus long enough, to process the ideas that popped up, on screen. I think that my mind isn't trained to respond and process such quick, visual bits of information...perhaps gaming would improve that skill/talent....or perhaps I'll just have to become extremely familiar with the pause-video button, for future viewings.



Once I got over the initial embarrassment that I couldn't keep up, I relaxed and decided to watch the video all the way through, twice, before writing anything, in my notes. The first time I watched it, I watched it for the artistic elements and sensory appeal. The second time, I watched it for content of the script. Here are a few things that caught my attention:

The opening graphic of the silhouette of the businessman, made out of zero and one combinations, was a clear testimony to the "digital citizen". I thought that was clever.



As I watched the digital landscape unfold, my mind made the connection between my childhood memories of the gray and rocky landscapes of the first lunar landings. Thoughts included : "...wow, that looks so foreign..." and "...I just don't feel like I know ANYTHING, anymore..." The whole concept of traveling to the moon way back then, absolutely filled my mind with curiosity and about possibilities. Today, I think I'm equally inquisitive about where technology may take us, next. As a 47 year old educator, there are just as many unknowns to me; as there were when I was a preteen, sitting in front of our black and white television....only now, I view my world's next frontier, in high definition on a 24-inch flat screen monitor.



Portions of the video content impacted me through shock, humor and disbelief. For instance, around the 25-second mark on the video, a number with a bunch of zeroes popped up. I had to pause the video just to get my mind around the concept of the existence of 1 Trillion web pages. That was an awful lot of zeroes in that number. I had barely gotten past that thought, when the statistic regarding how many bathrooms have a television in them....oh for heaven's sake! That's just comical...no, on second thought, it's sad, when you consider that even our most private moments in the course of a day, are cluttered with noise from the airwaves. Truly, what is SOOOOO important that it couldn't wait until we finish our shower, brushing our teeth, etc. Puh-leez!



When I saw the statistics relating to texting and that a typical teen sends 2200+ texts per month, I was stunned. I have a 13 year old and we decided not to give her a cell phone, television in her room, or unsupervised access to extended cable television, until we feel she is mature enough to set healthy boundaries regarding these intrusive technologies. If children are getting and sending this many notifications through handheld devices, when are they sleeping? Research shows that teens NEED tons of sleep, due to the developmental needs of their bodies. I can't imagine that they are cutting their phones/blackberries/etc. off at night, so when do they reach uninterrupted REM sleep patterns? When are they making time for "downtime"? How many moments are interrupted at the dinner table, because people are "that connected"?



I guess, this video brought this question to the forefront of my thoughts:

What are we sacrificing, in order to be "in touch" 24/7? Hmmmmmm?



Many things are considered "good"...... but not all things are appropriate, at all times.............everything in moderation!