Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 5/30/14

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

The Literacy Center – “the Literacy Center Education Network has designed an integrated learning system that allows parents to teach home language skills before sending their children to school. Teachers can use the same method to teach English Language Learners (ELLs) in Kindergarten. It is free and easy.” (L:E; SA:LA)

Quill – “a free, web-based tool that provides personalized, interactive writing and grammar activities. Students using Quill learn writing and grammar skills by writing sentences and proofreading passages.” (L:E,M; SA:S)

Pest World for Kids – “Junior entomologists in grades K - 8 will discover fun information and learning activities, such as pest guides, a pest glossary, report writing center, science fair projects and interactive quizzes.” (L:E, M; SA:S)

Open Rocket – “a free, fully featured model rocket simulator that allows you to design and simulate your rockets before actually building and flying them.” (L: M, H; SA:S)

News Map – organizes and displays news stories from around the world. (L:G; SA:A)

Original Image: Tools by Pat Hensley

Leadership Traits Part 4

In Welcoming New Leaders in Education from Actualization, Walter McKenzie talks about some leadership traits. He asks,

“How do these leadership traits resonate with you?”

Here is part 4 of 5 where I will share my thoughts of specific traits that he listed.

“Balanced – protecting personal happiness while pursuing professional success
Accountable – self-monitoring performance, learning and growth
Ethical – acting with honesty, integrity and a low tolerance for hypocrisy”

Balanced:
Too many times I have seen teachers leave our profession. I hear about how hard they work, how much their life is consumed by paperwork, conferences, standards, testing, etc. Yet, these are the teachers that don’t seem to talk about their life outside of teaching. I tell many young teachers that this is the way to burn out quickly. It is important to have balance in my life. I have hobbies and exercise to relieve my stress. I love teaching but it doesn’t consume every waking moment of my life. It can’t. It shouldn’t. That is not the sign of a good leader. Instead, it is a sign of someone who can’t control their own life.

Accountable:
Being accountable is what helps me meet my goals. Without being accountable, I wouldn’t know what I have achieved or how far I have come. I like to set professional goals and personal goals so that I am constantly growing. Without growth, I will become stagnant and dull. A good leader needs to be working towards growth at all times.

Ethical:
Ethics involves my values and my integrity. Without them, I have nothing. When I give my word I stick to it. Whenever I meet someone who lies to me, I lose respect and trust for that person. Without respect and trust, I have no desire to work with someone like this. The main reason I have moved to a new job is because I have lost respect and trust for my boss. I do not want others to feel this way about me so I have some basic principles that I follow.
1. I don’t talk behind someone’s back. If I talk about them even in passing, I mention it to them.
2. If I have nothing nice to say, I keep my mouth shut.
3. I will not lie.


How do you feel about these traits? Do you agree or disagree? Please share.

Image: 'Transformational Leadership'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/49053756@N03/8052329146
Found on flickrcc.net

Leadership Traits Part 3

In Welcoming New Leaders in Education from Actualization, Walter McKenzie talks about some leadership traits. He asks,

“How do these leadership traits resonate with you?”


Here is part 3 of 5 where I will share my thoughts of specific traits that he listed.

“Skeptical – rigorously asking questions and seeking new answers
Resilient – optimistically taking risks and learning from the outcomes
Collaborative – talking, listening, responding and sharing, online and off”


Skeptical:
Being skeptical helps me see the situation from all possible angles. Sometimes I will ask someone to play the devil’s advocate and come up with questions that help me clarify my plan. In order to be a good leader, I need to see things from all perspectives and have answers for possible questions that can come up. Preparing before presentations help me sell my idea more easily because my plan is clear and well thought out.

Resilient:
Let’s face it. Not everything is successful the first time out. Sometimes things don’t work out but sometimes it is worth the risk. If things don’t work out, it is important to reevaluate to decide if it is worth trying again with some changes. It is important not to accept defeat and walking away from something without closely examining all possibilities. This is an important trait to model for others because this attitude can help steer a group in the right direction (or failure to model resilience can breed dissatisfaction and bitterness.)

Collaborative:
This is such a powerful trait and can help the success of any program. Being collaborative means looking at the strengths of all parties in order to work towards success. Sometimes I have to discuss, investigate, and be open to others in order to recognize these strengths. It is important to accept input from all stakeholders. The power of more is definitely stronger than the power of one!


How do you feel about these traits? Do you agree or disagree? Please share.

Image: 'Transformational Leadership'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/49053756@N03/8052329146
Found on flickrcc.net

Leadership Traits Part 2

In Welcoming New Leaders in Education from Actualization, Walter McKenzie talks about some leadership traits. He asks,

“How do these leadership traits resonate with you?”


Here is part 2 of 5 where I will share my thoughts of specific traits that he listed.

“Genuine – open and transparent in work and relationships
Anchored – in the context, climate, and culture of their learning communities
Strategic – aligning values, skills and resources to optimize their learning”


Genuine:
My students always knew which teachers were genuine or not and if they didn’t feel they were genuine, then those teachers were not trusted. If I could get my others to trust me, they are more willing to listen to what I have to say rather than thinking up with excuses or arguments against what I am saying. People are more open to new ideas and strategies if they feel that I am being genuine. I have listened to politicians talk and refuse to vote for anyone that I feel is not genuine because I don’t think they will be the right leader for me.


Anchored:
When I hike, I have some difficulty crossing over log bridges. I usually need someone to give me a hand so that I will feel anchored. I think when I am moving into new territory whether physically, emotionally, or intellectually, I need to believe that the person leading me is anchored. I need to believe that they can hold our weight until I am comfortable with this action.

Strategic:
Being strategic is extremely important. For me, this is like heading to a specific destination with a well thought out plan. This plan doesn’t have to be rigid but can allow for adjustments when needed. This might mean adjusting actions or time. But without a plan, a lot of unnecessary energy usage and possible frustrations can occur. Being strategic is important to being successful.

How do you feel about these traits? Do you agree or disagree? Please share.


Image: 'Transformational Leadership'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/49053756@N03/8052329146
Found on flickrcc.net

Leadership Traits Part 1

In Welcoming New Leaders in Education from Actualization, Walter McKenzie talks about some leadership traits. He asks,

“How do these leadership traits resonate with you?”

I want to talk about how I feel about these traits over 5 different posts (so I don’t bore any of you too much in one post!)

Here is part 1 of 5 where I will share my thoughts of specific traits that he listed.

“Value-centric – seeking meaningful connections and relevant work

Empowered – breaking free of traditional constraints using digital tools

Inclusive – welcoming people, ideas and resources that help build their capacity”

Value-centric:

Whether I work with children or adults, without showing meaningful connections and making my information relevant, my information becomes useless. My audience will tune me out and their eyes will glaze over. I’m sure their thoughts will be thinking of things that they feel are relevant to them. It is important that I constantly refer to this idea as I plan my lessons and make sure that I can see clearly that what I’m sharing is connected and relevant. If it isn’t, it is time to start over. In the same way, I need to help my students see that when they share things, they need to do the same thing. The best way that I can teach this is by modeling this with my own behavior. When I want to teach my students to do the same thing, I will have real life examples to use from my own teaching.

Empowered:

I learned that with one of my toughest students. This student challenged me more than others because I couldn’t find the key to helping him be successful. His “failures” were becoming MY failures. Then I had an “aha” moment. I realized that I needed to stop trying to change his behavior, which I had no control over. I needed to change my own behavior. I needed to stop trying to teach him using traditional ways. I wanted to use the strategies that “have always been used” but they just weren’t working with him. When I allowed myself to look at digital tools that were available and had him work with different ones, we finally found ones that helped him be successful. Not only did he become successful in my class, but he also became successful in others that he struggled with. Suddenly he became empowered and was able to control his own learning. But I had to be willing to step back and give up some of my control so that he could learn to have his own control.

Inclusive:

I constantly explain to students, parents, and even other teachers, that we are all on the same team and that we are all equal partners. No one team mate is better than any other but as a team together we can do wonders. Each team mate needs to be able to give input without fear of ridicule or being ignored. Many students know what they need but fear sharing this information because their opinions have been pushed aside too many times. Many parents don’t give input because they don’t feel they are as knowledgeable as the school personnel. These parents spend more time with their children than teachers do and can have a lot of insight to what motivates the student. Many teachers don’t listen to the students or their parents because they feel they are the “experts.” This can be shown through their tone of voice or even their body language. I call parents regularly, ask them to call me by my first name, and even give them my home phone number but I ask that they call after 7am and before 9pm. (Yes, I’ve always done that and in 30 years only had 2 parents abuse this.)

How do you feel about these traits? Do you agree or disagree? Please share.

Image: 'Transformational Leadership'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/49053756@N03/8052329146
Found on flickrcc.net

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 5/23/14

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

TeachUNICEF – “ a portfolio of global education teacher resources designed and collected by the U.S. Fund for UNICEF’s Education Department for teachers, afterschool instructors, and parents. The units, lesson plans, stories, videos and multimedia cover topics ranging from the Millennium Development Goals to poverty and water and sanitation.” (L:G; SA:SS)

Science is Fun – “science through home science activities” (L:G; SA:S)

Admongo – “Everywhere you look, you see advertisements—not just on TV and online, but on buses, buildings, and scoreboards. Many ads target kids ages 8 to 12. Do your students have the critical thinking skills to understand ads, what they're saying, and what they want kids to do?

To help you equip your students with these valuable skills, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, has launched a campaign to teach kids about advertising. The Admongo campaign will help kids learn to ask three key "critical thinking" questions when they encounter advertising:

· Who is responsible for the ad?

· What is the ad actually saying?

· What does the ad want me to do?

The campaign has four components: a game-based website at Admongo.gov; sample ads that can be used in the classroom; free lesson plans, developed with the assistance of Scholastic, Inc.; and teacher training videos.”(L:; SA:)

CanvasMol – 3D, interactive, rotating models of simple and complex molecules (L:H; SA:S)

Cite This For Me – “Fill in the details you know from each source you've used in your essay or assignment. You can choose from our 31 different source types. If you don't know or can't find the information for any of the fields required, just leave them blank. Each source you add will appear below in alphabetical order. You can change the referencing style between APA, Chicago, Harvard,MLA, Vancouver, or one of our other supported styles, and make changes to each citation too. Your citations will be saved for 7 days. Create an account to save them permanently. Once you've added all your sources, download your finished bibliography and attach it to your work. It's the quickest and easiest way to do your referencing!” (L:H; SA:LA)

Original Image: Tools by Pat Hensley

Leadership Traits Part 1

In Welcoming New Leaders in Education from Actualization, Walter McKenzie talks about some leadership traits. He asks,

“How do these leadership traits resonate with you?”

I want to talk about how I feel about these traits over 5 different posts (so I don’t bore any of you too much in one post!)

Here is part 1 of 5 where I will share my thoughts of specific traits that he listed.

“Value-centric – seeking meaningful connections and relevant work

Empowered – breaking free of traditional constraints using digital tools

Inclusive – welcoming people, ideas and resources that help build their capacity”

Value-centric:

Whether I work with children or adults, without showing meaningful connections and making my information relevant, my information becomes useless. My audience will tune me out and their eyes will glaze over. I’m sure their thoughts will be thinking of things that they feel are relevant to them. It is important that I constantly refer to this idea as I plan my lessons and make sure that I can see clearly that what I’m sharing is connected and relevant. If it isn’t, it is time to start over. In the same way, I need to help my students see that when they share things, they need to do the same thing. The best way that I can teach this is by modeling this with my own behavior. When I want to teach my students to do the same thing, I will have real life examples to use from my own teaching.

Empowered:

I learned that with one of my toughest students. This student challenged me more than others because I couldn’t find the key to helping him be successful. His “failures” were becoming MY failures. Then I had an “aha” moment. I realized that I needed to stop trying to change his behavior, which I had no control over. I needed to change my own behavior. I needed to stop trying to teach him using traditional ways. I wanted to use the strategies that “have always been used” but they just weren’t working with him. When I allowed myself to look at digital tools that were available and had him work with different ones, we finally found ones that helped him be successful. Not only did he become successful in my class, but he also became successful in others that he struggled with. Suddenly he became empowered and was able to control his own learning. But I had to be willing to step back and give up some of my control so that he could learn to have his own control.

Inclusive:

I constantly explain to students, parents, and even other teachers, that we are all on the same team and that we are all equal partners. No one team mate is better than any other but as a team together we can do wonders. Each team mate needs to be able to give input without fear of ridicule or being ignored. Many students know what they need but fear sharing this information because their opinions have been pushed aside too many times. Many parents don’t give input because they don’t feel they are as knowledgeable as the school personnel. These parents spend more time with their children than teachers do and can have a lot of insight to what motivates the student. Many teachers don’t listen to the students or their parents because they feel they are the “experts.” This can be shown through their tone of voice or even their body language. I call parents regularly, ask them to call me by my first name, and even give them my home phone number but I ask that they call after 7am and before 9pm. (Yes, I’ve always done that and in 30 years only had 2 parents abuse this.)

How do you feel about these traits? Do you agree or disagree? Please share.

Image: 'Transformational Leadership'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/49053756@N03/8052329146
Found on flickrcc.net

Advice from My Mom

In Punching Over a Piece of Cake by Sioux's Page, Sioux  asks

“What advice or lesson did you learn from your mom that stuck with you over the years?”

(By the way, can you tell I love Sioux’s blog? She really inspires a lot of my blog posts so if you haven’t had a chance, please check out her blog too!)

Let's see…her main saying was, “I brought you into this world and I can take you out!”

But I won’t talk about that.

The other lesson she was always teaching was, “Don’t spit in the air because it will come back down on you.”

That was her way of saying that I shouldn’t criticize others because I might someday be in the same situation. She believed that you never knew what someone else was going through unless you were in their shoes. I also believe that it was tempting fate and by judging someone out loud, it could cause me to have to go through the same thing and I prayed that would never happen.

As a teen, I remember rolling my eyes whenever I heard her say that. I mean, I was a teenager and I knew it all about everything! I’m sure I had an opinion about anything and everything and of course, I felt my opinion was the right one.

Now that I’m older, I look back and remember how I judged people and situations (but I was smart enough to keep my mouth closed, thanks to my mother!). Then I see how life has turned out and how my experiences in life have changed my opinion.

I hate to say it, but my mother was right.

I look at my students and want to tell them the same advice but I don’t think teens today are any more interested in this advice than I was.

But like my mother, I can’t keep my mouth shut. I have to share her wisdom and if someday it helps one student, then I’ve done a good thing.

What advice/lesson did you learn from your mother? Please share.

Image: 'Telling a story...'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/95011179@N08/8882215923
Found on flickrcc.net

My Summer Reading Plan

In Summer Reading: Humble Suggestions from Apace of Change, damian shares his summer reading list.

Our county library has a summer reading program for all ages which I think is a wonderful idea. You have to register on a certain date and then turn in a list of 3 books that you have read during a certain time period. My husband and I take part of that each year.

This had me thinking about my own summer reading list. Here are some books that I plan on reading.

1. Wildwood by Colin Meloy – fantasy; children’s book; Book 1 of a 3 book series

2. Warp: The Reluctant Assassin by Eoin Colfer – Book 1 of 2; young adult book

3. Spartan Up! By Joe De Sena – motivational book; adult level

4. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery

5. A Biography – I’m not sure which one but I’m open to suggestions. I want something inspirational and easy to read. I’m considering books about Jim Henson or Steve Jobs.

What books will you be reading this summer? Please share.

Image: 'Poesia'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/58929717@N00/93235624
Found on flickrcc.net

Summer Plan for Improvement

In 9 Defining Ways Educators Can Tug Education Back in the Right Direction from Cool Cat Teacher Blog, Victoria A Davis, Cool Cat Teacher, shares 9 Defining Ways Educators Can Tug Education Back in the Right Direction. I decided to look at each one and see how I can plan on doing something specific this summer for each one. Here is my list:

“1. Take Time to Listen and Learn Every Week”

I take time to watch education and knitting podcasts each week. I’m amazed how I can learn something new from each show that I watch.

“2. Ensure Professional Development Includes the Pedagogies Teachers Should Use”

In my summer course, I hope to teach specific strategies that teachers can use in their own classrooms with a few modifications to fit their needs.

“3. Teachers (and Students) Need a Voice”

In planning our weekly seminars in my summer course, I want to get input from my students (who are certified teachers) and see what topics/concerns that we can talk about. They may have concerns that I am unaware of or they may already have information that I was going to give them.

“4. Share Your Learning and Inspire Others”

At our weekly seminars, I am going to ask my students to complete these sentences after I have shared mine with them.

• “I’ve been reading the book __ on __. I find ___ fascinating.’ or
• “When I learned ___ it blew me away (I’ll show the article on the board if it is online). What do you think?

“5. Be Fair Because You Care”

This summer at the end of our program, I plan on making treat bags for each child to get when they get their certificate on the last day. This will show that each child is getting the same things.

“6. When You Get a Spotlight, Grab a Mirror”

Each week, I hope to find something from each of my students (the teachers) to spotlight at our weekly seminars. 

“7. Be Gracious But Keep Perspective”

I want to model this for my class. I have a hard time with this because I don’t like to “toot my own horn” as they say. But there is a difference between being proud and being a braggart. 

“8. Stop the Flattery: No Rock Stars”

I want my students (the teachers) to see that in order for the children to be successful, they are part of a team with the parents. This team is what the child needs and neither the parents nor the teacher is the more important part.

“9. Level Up Every Day”

I am going to reflect on each day and see how well I did. I also won’t beat myself up if it wasn’t that great but instead, I will try to better the next day.

Image: 'Improvement'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/69065182@N00/9661913835
Found on flickrcc.net

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 5/16/14

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

Masters of the Building Arts Activity Guide - from the Smithsonian; “This educational activity guide for young people explores the artistry and skill of master craftworkers in the building trades and their important contributions to our architectural heritage. It features hands-on activities to do at school or at home.” (L:M,H; SA:M, SS)

FlipQuiz – “FlipQuiz™​ was created to provide educators with a quick way to create gameshow-style boards for test reviews in the classroom. Traditionally, these are created (tediously) using posterboard, chalkboards, or dry-erase markers on an overhead slide. The review questions are usually even written on a separate sheet of paper. With FlipQuiz™​, questions are displayed on-screen and boards are saved for later use. Combined with a well-designed board, students are more likely to be interested and stay engaged with an otherwise disjunct test review process.” (L:T; SA:A)

The Bronx Zoo – “These preparatory and post-visit activities help your students make the most of their day at the zoo or aquarium. Games are tailored for a variety of ages, including Lumpy, Bumpy, Scratchy, Smooth for grades K–3 and Animal Architects for grades 6–8.” (L:E,M; SA:S)

Rewordify – “Rewordify.com helps you read more, understand difficult English faster, and learn words in new ways. Just paste in difficult English (or enter a web page URL) and click the yellow button. You'll see an easier version, for fast understanding now. You'll learn what the hard words and phrases mean with our Smart Highlighting. (Click it or tap it.) You'll read (and teach) better tomorrow with vocabulary lists, learning activities, quizzes, flash cards, and more—that you get instantly, with answer keys—from any block of text you enter!” (L:M,H; SA:LA)

Reading Bear – “a fun way to learn to read. We teach over 1,200 vocabulary items. Our 50 presentations cover all the main phonics rules. All free and nonprofit!” (L:E; SA:LA)

Original Image: Tools by Pat Hensley

Good Customer Service

Many times I’m quick to complain about customer service and if I get mad enough, I may even write the company. But sometimes I need to stop and recognize good customer service when I get it too. Maybe if I do that more often, I will see a trend in getting better customer service in the long run.

For months, my husband and I have been looking for Hillshire Farms Polska Kielbasa in the bun size and have not been able to find it anywhere. We checked several grocery stores in our area but no one carries it anymore even though last year we were able to find it in a couple of places.

Like most people, we try to save money when we can so on Wednesdays, the new sales flyer comes out at Publix. I know that the meat is sometimes higher than the local Wal-Mart but the quality is so much better that it is worth the cost. Yesterday we went to our local Publix Store #613 (which has the best meat department in Greenville, SC – and probably the state!) where I usually buy all of my meat products. Once again, we lingered in the area where they sell hot dogs and sausages because my husband keeps hoping that one day, he will see what we are looking for on the shelf. Near us, Mike who works in the meat department, was stocking some shelves and noticed we were looking for something. He took some time to have a conversation with us, even though I’m sure we interrupted his work. But when he heard what we were looking for, he let us know that he thought he had some in the back. He took the time to stop his own work to look for something that we wanted. I didn’t believe he had it until he brought out the box and we were so excited that he was able to find some for us! He made us feel like we were very important customers and that feeling is exactly why we like to shop at Publix. We were so excited we even wanted Mike’s boss to know how much we appreciated him taking the time to help us.

At first, we talked among ourselves about how good the customer service is at Publix. Even Publix stores in other states have great service so I know it must be a company policy. But many stores have this company policy even though you don’t really see the good service. I’m always impressed with how consistent the good service is at Publix stores around the country. And I’m especially glad that we have an awesome Publix in our own neighborhood!

If you have a Publix in your area, check it out and notice the difference in customer service compared to other grocery stores. When I started making a conscious effort to notice the differences, I was surprised to see how noticeable it is.

What kind of customer service do you like in a grocery store? Please share.

Teaching as an Art

In Teachers As Artists from Ideas and Thoughts, Dean Shareski  states,

“Whenever I hear the question, “Is teaching a science or an art?” Invariably the answer is both.”

I have to admit that I’ve never thought of teaching as an art. Maybe because I was raised that science was serious and that art was considered frivolous. And we all know there is nothing frivolous about teaching!

What makes art – art?

Accordion to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Art is:

1. skill acquired by experience, study, or observation 

2. a branch of learning

3. an occupation requiring knowledge or skill 

4. the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects

5. a skillful plan

I think by this definition, teaching is most clearly an art.

Now that I am older (and hopefully wiser), I can appreciate the idea of art and how much work goes into creating art. It isn’t frivolous or arbitrary. Sometimes it is impossible to perfect but people spend most of their life trying.

When I first started teaching, it was like leaving an art classroom and going out in the world to create my own art. My tools were the knowledge I had gained from my education, and the medium are my students. What kind of art that is created depends on how I create it.

Sometimes the final product doesn’t turn out the way I planned but each work of art can be appreciated in its own way. Anything created with love and time and patience will turn out worthwhile.

I must have patience when creating because learning can’t be rushed. The final product can’t be rushed and won’t be finished before it is ready. If it is rushed and pushed, the final product may not be the quality that I want.

Just as some people can appreciate pottery or oil painting differently, the same way students can be viewed an appreciated. Some are going to be college bound and some may become skilled manual laborers but all are needed in our society.

Yes, I can truly see that teaching is an art and can be appreciated.

Image: 'El Alma del Ebro'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/99181891@N00/2788050844
Found on flickrcc.net

Wild Animal Story

In Help! Please! From Sioux's Page, Sioux asks,

“What is the funniest animal story you have to tell?”

I just had to share my funniest story. Now, some of you have probably heard this before and if you hike or camp with me, you have heard this on every trip, so I hope you don’t mind another repeat.

One weekend we decided to go tent camping at Deep Creek Campground in the The Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

After a long hard day in the classroom on that Friday, I went to bed early but my husband decided to stay sitting around the campfire. I must have dozed off quickly but was woken up about 15 minutes later by this awful growling sound! I just knew that something had attacked my husband and tried to unzip the tent door. But I couldn’t get the tent door unzipped for what seemed like forever. When I finally got out of the tent, all I could see in the light of the campfire was this black bear running away to the right and my husband running away to the left. I sat down with a plop and couldn’t stop laughing!!

Apparently my husband was sitting around the campfire with a bag of Doritos in his lap and a drink in the cup holder of his camp chair. It was so nice and quiet and dark that he fell asleep. The bear, hearing no sounds but smelling the Doritos, creeped up to my husband’s chair to sniff out the chips. At this time, my husband snored loudly and scared the bear. The bear, startled, “screamed” with a loud growl and ran off. The growl woke my husband up and scared him so he took off running! It was the funniest sight to see!

Needless to say, my husband now stands when he is around the campfire!

What is your funniest animal story? Please share.

Image: 'Black Bear'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/33403047@N00/4642789548
Found on flickrcc.net

Changes are Hard

In Change from Sioux's Page, Sioux asks,

“What kind of changes have you embraced lately?”

1. I am trying to change my eating habits and eat healthier.

2. I am getting more exercise and working to get 10,000 or more steps at least 4 days a week.

3. I am trying to improve my cooking skills by trying a new recipe each month.

4. I am trying not to stress out if my daily routine is disrupted.

Change is hard for most people. Even though some people like surprises, changes are still hard whether they are planned or unplanned. With change comes the unknown. We never really know how something is going to turn out and what unexpected things may happen as we experience the change. Facing the unknown is scary. While we all like everything to go perfectly and end up happy, there is always a chance that we will hit a snag, obstacle, or things don’t turn out the way we want.

Looking back, I can see that most of the changes in my life have happened to improve my life. Even if, at the time, I felt unhappy or unwilling to change, the change had a positive impact on me. I try to remember this when new changes come about and I feel scared and unhappy. I try to rely on past experiences to help me cope.

Unfortunately my students don’t have this wealth of experience to look back on to help them.

As the end of school approaches, my students start to realize that changes will happen because they won’t have the regular routine of school. Some of my students start acting out or getting depressed. I can see a very noticeable change in many of my students. Some students may be leaving the school system and facing a different kind of daily life. Others will not have the regular routines to help them through the day.

When I see this, I plan on having a serious discussion about change. Here are some of the questions that I ask them to get the conversation rolling.

1. What changes are you facing in the upcoming months? (Talking about them help to make them real and not unknown.)

2. How does this make some people feel? (It is easier to talk about others than ourselves.)

3. Why do people feel this way? (Verbalizing why they might feel this way helps them accept the feelings rather than hide them.)

4. What can people do to help them cope with the changes? (Brainstorming coping mechanisms help facing the unknown.)

5. What back up plans can people have to help them in case they have problems? (Just knowing they have a back up plan can help them cope.)

How do you prepare your students for upcoming changes in their lives? Please share.

Image: 'Change - Its A New Year'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/32876353@N04/6636632951
Found on flickrcc.net

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 5/9/14

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

Bouncy Balls – Noise meter for the classroom. The higher the decibel level, the higher and more frequently the balls bounce. Click on begin bouncing and then the microphone icon. (L:T; SA:A)

Calmness Counter - Another noise meter for the classroom. (L:T; SA:A)

Atlas of the Valley of Kings – “Discover each tomb in the Valley in this interactive Atlas. Investigate a database of information about each tomb, view a compilation of more than 2000 images, interact with models of each tomb, and measure, pan, and zoom over 250 detailed maps, elevations, and sections. Experience sixty-five narrated tours by Dr. Weeks and explore a 3D recreation of tomb KV 14.” (L:M, H; SA:SS)

Booktrack – “allows students to read with a movie-style soundtrack or create their own soundtrack for their story.” (L:G; SA:LA)

Too Noisy – Noise meter for the classroom . (L:T; SA:A)

Original Image: Tools by Pat Hensley

What is Q?rius?

Last week we went to the Museum of Natural History and I saw a room labeled Q?rius. Of course I couldn’t resist going in this room to find out what it was all about. It is only open to the public in the afternoons because the mornings are for school groups.

“Q?rius is a new way for teens and tweens – and their families and educators – to connect science with everyday experiences.”

We saw lots of hands on exploration activities which was awesome but the best thing I liked was their collection of things. There were 6000 objects in their collections and organized really well. When you found a category, you could open a drawer and the object was in a box for you to look at. If it was labeled with a green sticker, you could open it and touch it. If it had a red sticker, you couldn’t because it was too fragile. There was also a QR code that you could scan with your phone or their computer to get more information about the object. There were also microscopes to look closer at objects where the magnification is shown on a large monitor for others to see what you are looking at.

This was a fabulous place to visit and I highly recommend families with teens and older to see this. We could have spent hours there going through the collection.

If you aren’t close enough to visit, check out their website which is really great too. At the top of the page, it says “I am Q?rius about” and you type in the topic. Once it searches, it will bring up a lot of great information plus links to the objects in their collection.

I hope you have fun exploring this either in person or online because it is fascinating!

Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival 2014

I was so excited to attend the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival for the first time! You can see my pictures HERE.

On Saturday we  got there really early so we could beat the traffic. The gates were open but the vendors couldn’t start selling until 9am so when we got to Miss Bab’s booth, I got in line about 30 minutes early. While we were in line, Tina (a knitting podcaster that I listen to) found me in line and we walked around the main hall together shopping. Also, while I was in line, my online friends, Wendy (another knitting podcaster) and Lois (who makes these awesome project bags) came by to meet me!  It was so much fun to meet these friends in real life because we have been talking on Google Hang Outs. It is so much nicer to meet people in real life! During the day I walked around the barns and main hall where the vendors were and of course bought a lot of stuff. Luckily my hubby is willing to be my Sherpa! We also went to the Sheep Dog demo where the sheep escaped out of the fence and we watched the dogs round them up several times. We also went to the sheep show to watch them judge the sheep. At 1:30 I went to the podcaster meetup and met TheKnitGirllls (Laura and Leslie), and Ooohfancypants from the Whatcha Swatchin podcast (Emily), MojaveKnitter and SheepDreamery (friends on Ravelry and Instagram). About 3pm, I was tired so we left and was going to meet Wendy and Lois at a Starbucks but went to the wrong one. Finally we decided to meet at their hotel and we visited for a few hours. Dinner was at Chipotle Grill.

We had another lovely day at Maryland Sheep and Wool on Sunday. We got there early (around 7:30) and watched the beginning of the Sheep to Shawl competition which started with the shearing of the sheep. We stood next to this woman and her son who explained everything to us and was really helpful. At 10:30 when we stopped by, we saw a shawl finished and turned in for measuring. We watched the Sheepdog Demo again and saw the sheep escape again. Then we also saw more of the Sheep show and before we left we saw the Parade of the Sheep Breeds which was really interesting. My hubby said he really enjoyed this festival because he learned so much and would be willing to come again. We walked around the outside vendors which I missed on Saturday because I got tired. I bought one more bag of fiber and a nostepinne which I’ve always wanted. Finally around 1:20, we left because we were exhausted. We came back to our hotel room but it hadn’t been cleaned yet. Around 3pm we left to eat an early dinner (we ate an early lunch at 10:30). When we got back, our room was cleaned and I was ready to just relax!

Things I Learned:
1. Get there early to avoid traffic!
2. Bring a big bag to hold all your purchases.
3. Plan on stopping at a bathroom early because there are long lines.
4. They don’t use the fiber on the belly to spin.
5. Listen to others who offer advice because it is good to learn something new!
6. Look at the knitted stuff that others are wearing.
7. Bring a snack to eat on when you get tired.
8. Wear a hat so you don’t get sunburned.

Original Photo by Pat Hensley

Visiting Washington DC

Last week we visited Washington DC because for once, I wasn’t at a convention or in meetings and could be a tourist! Thank goodness my hubby has spent so much time here while I was busy working because we didn’t even need a map! I just told him where I wanted to go and away we went!

Hotel: Hampton Inn in Silver Springs, MD. It was not a great hotel and I wouldn’t stay here again. We got there 40 minutes before 3pm which is check out time and there is absolutely no parking at the hotel so we had to drive around for 40 minutes before they would check us in. Plus we have to pay $15 per day for valet parking (which I did know when I made the reservation). When we did check in, we had to wait 30 minutes for a luggage cart and it seems that they only had 2 carts for people to share! They say on the website and in person that the metro is only 3 blocks away but I don’t know if they use a different counting method, but I counted 5 blocks! The ice machine doesn’t work on our floor and I have to go up 2 flights to find a working ice machine. Okay, enough complaining about the hotel!

Metro: We wanted to buy a week pass for the metro and tried 3 smartrip machines, had 3 workers trying to help us, plus put in a call to the credit card company but couldn’t get them at the metro. Finally they sent me to the CVS to buy our cards and then we had to come back to the metro to load the pass on the card. The card cost $10 plus $35 for the week pass (for non-peak times). After an hour of this adventure, we were finally on our way!

Day 1: We visited The Museum of Natural History, Chinatown, The Portrait Gallery, The Hirshorn Museum and Sculpture Gallery, and the Freer Gallery.

Day 2: We spent the whole day at National Zoo. Due to some work on the metro lines, it took about 45 minutes to go from Silver Spring to the Woodley Park Station.

Day 3: We spent the day at the Museum of Natural History and the Museum of American History.

Day 4: Rainy! We spent the day at the Air and Space Museum.

Day 5: Heavy rains! We spent the day at the Postal Museum.

Day 6: The sun came out and the temperature climbed which made it a humid day but it was glorious. We walked over 24,000 steps/10+ miles for the day! We went to the Bureau of Printing and Engraving, the Holocaust Museum, the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the WWII memorial, the Vietnam War memorial, the Korean War memorial and the Department of Interior museum. When we got back to our hotel room, there was a baby crib in our room! Obviously they delivered this to the wrong room. Then around 9:30 we had a knock on our door from housekeeping and they said someone came by the front desk and asked that they send housekeeping to room 401! Wrong!

Things I Learned:

1. Bring a raincoat when you travel.

2. Wear comfortable shoes.

3. Be flexible because there may be long lines at one museum so plan an alternate.

4. Bring a snack and bottle of water with you.

5. Check for new exhibits or soon to be closing exhibits on line before you go.

6. Look at the weather when making plans. If you want to go to the zoo, you want to pick a day it isn’t supposed to rain.

7. Be prepared to go through security and be patient.

8. Don’t expect to absorb everything in one visit.

9. Buy a week’s pass for the metro so you don’t have to worry about getting on or off and having to pay more money.

10. Don’t forget to stop and eat lunch!

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Student Uses Common Sense

Last week we explored the Smithsonian museums again, which we haven’t done in a long time. Even though I love all of the museums, I also love to people watch. Now that I’m not teaching in public schools, I like to watch students, teachers, and their interactions with each other.

As we entered the Museum of American History, we waited in line to go through the security check. I listed to two teenage boys in front of me have a pretty intense conversation. Here it is:

Boy 1: What are they looking for? A bomb?

Boy 2: Don’t even say that word! Don’t joke or act stupid! They take this stuff serious! People have gotten in trouble before for thinking it was funny.

Boy 1: Really?

Boy 2: I’ll tell you more when we get on the bus but for now, just shut up.

Boy 1: Tell me now.

Boy 2: If you are going to be stupid, I’m going to leave. This is not funny and I don’t want to be around you.

Boy 1: (says nothing and just stares straight ahead)

Boy 2: (starts talking about where they might find some lunch after they are done)

I was so proud of Boy 2! I know it must have been hard for him to stand up to his friend but he did. I was also proud of either his parents or teacher or both because someone taught him some common sense. They must have made a true believer out of him. There was no adult to tell them this while we were in line and he was able to put a stop to any nonsense immediately. He was very matter of fact and had a plan of action if he needed it. By acting responsibly, hopefully, he was a role model for the other boy who could learn how to act if he is ever in the same situation. I was so glad to hear this conversation.

Do you talk to your students or your own children about the seriousness of this? What do you say or do to instill responsible behavior when their friends might act irresponsible? Please share.

Image: 'Common sense'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/60814789@N00/2661275077
Found on flickrcc.net

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 5/2/14

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

Incompetech – free online graph paper (L:G; SA:A)

Gridzzly – Make your own grid paper (L:G; SA:A)

Planet Arcade Games – 25 environmental games from NOAA (L:E,M; SA:S)

Spacehopper – “a locational knowledge quiz for geographers (L:H; SA:SS)

Studygeek – “free online math help” (L:H; SA:SS)

Original Image: Tools by Pat Hensley

Monthly Review of Goals from April

April started out perfectly lovely! We even began our camping season on April 5. Now I want to share how I’m doing with my goals to this point. All of my goals can be found here.

Yearly goals:

1. Try at least 12 new recipes (one per month).
1. January – Quinoa Meatballs
2. February – Mushroom Lasagna
3. March – Chicken Quesadilla
4. April – Grilled Asian Chicken
2. Reach my target weight by the end of the year. – Loss of 1 lb. this month
3. Knit a Fair Isle vest. (not started yet)
4. Learn to chain ply some handspun yarn. (not started yet)
5. Dye yarn and fiber. (not started yet)
6. Spin my camel, yak, and cashmere fiber. Amended to add: or try different techniques
1. January - spun camel/merino/silk blend fiber in
2. March – tried drafting back when spinning instead of my usual short forward draft. This made my yarn turn out much loftier.
3. April – Spun my yak/merino fiber

Daily/Weekly/Monthly goals:

1. Daily - Read the bible and keep a log so I can tell how I am doing. – I’ve read it every day in January, February, March, and April
2. Daily - Do strength exercises for 30 minutes each day. – I have done this every day.
3. Weekly - Walk at least 10,000 steps for 4 days every week. (4.3 miles per day for 4 days/120.4 miles per month)
1. a. January – 159.01 miles (avg. 5.1 miles per day)
2. February – 130.27 miles (avg. 4.7 miles per day)
3. March – 161.13 miles (avg.5.2 miles per day)
4. April – 166.86 (avg. 5.5 miles per day)
4. Weekly - Keep a journal and write down 5 things that I’m thankful for. – Every Sunday I take time to jot down the 5 things.
5. Monthly - Read one non-fiction book every month.
1. January - Life in Stitches by Rachel Herron.
2. February – The Spinners Book of Yarn Design by Sarah Anderson
3. March – To Sell is Human by Daniel Pink
4. April – David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell

This month was much better! Again, I made my new recipe at the beginning of the month to make sure I got it out of the way. It was hard to work on some of my goals towards the end of the month since we were traveling. I did get more walking in this month though but a lot of it was because we were traveling which included a lot of hiking and sightseeing.

Image: 'Goals' 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/68131855@N00/739519564
Found on flickrcc.net