Thankful Post

Life as a teacher is never smooth.  Life as a teacher never goes according to plan.  Life as a teacher is almost always overwhelming.  But to be perfectly fair...life for anyone, with any job, is all of the above.

Then, of course, if you add anything other than your job onto your plate and you begin to feel, well to put it delicately, you feel slightly overwhelmed.

To put it not so delicately, I feel like I'm going to freak out on someone (usually my husband) in a mass emotional, hysterical, meltdown.  **please tell me I'm not the only one**

I'm just going to put it all into perspective...I changed jobs (my idea) from technology specialist teacher to 4th grade teacher.  I LOVE what I'm doing now, but it's different and we're all getting used to it.  I am working on a degree while teaching full time.  I am trying to be a good wife, where I make lunches and boil noodles for dinner or whatever (I am NOT at home in the kitchen), listen to my husband share about his day, not freak out about all the video game playing that happens (cause you know he doesn't freak out about all the online shopping that happens 😯 💸 📚).  I am trying to be a good daughter and spend time with my parents.  I am trying to be a good friend and not be a complete hermit.  I am trying to be a good --- nope, I got a cleaning lady.  I can't do it ALL for pity's sake!!  I am not Super Woman or anything close!!!

And no, I can't laso either...not even sure I can spell that...and for accuracy sake, I'm not using spellcheck!

So at this point, it just sounds like a whole lot of venting and it seems like maybe I should be thankful...but I'm not?  Wait for it....

This week, my school had the whole week off for Thanksgiving.  THAT I am certainly grateful for!  However, it's not the only thing and definitely not the point of the post.  What it did give me was some time to relax and breath.  It allowed me time to stop my frantic mental checklist and just BE.  There were definitely times that I met with friends and ran errands instead of staying at home in my PJs, but those were pleasant excursions.  I enjoyed them.  It was part of what I needed to do for ME.  

In the midst of all my relaxing, and unfocusing on work and school, I slowly because to count the things on my list of stress.  And inevitably, I was able to count them as blessings.  

1. Moving to 4th grade, while taking time, was a huge blessing from the moment I set foot in that classroom.  I've been happier in the last 2 weeks of school than I have been all year.  Having the sweet faces surround me and being able to laugh with them and get to know their personalities on such a deeper level than as a specialist just fills my heart with joy.  

This was the right move for me guaranteed.  Especially when I hear about friends who have also made various moves and are still unsure.  The knowledge alone, that I am in the right place, is something I am very THANKFUL for.  

2. Masters classes are challenging.  There isn't a person on the planet (well that could be a slight exaggeration) that wouldn't say working full time and getting a degree is easy.  However, my husband and I made the decision that I would start when I did because we didn't have a family.  My job allowed me enough flexibility and access to the audience I would need in order to complete my program.  Plus, I had someone, a couple of someones in fact, who I felt could be a valuable mentor to me should I need support throughout this program.  However, it's fast-paced because of how quick the program is and it's 100% online.  These are both added challenges that make it so much harder.

But I LOVE the content!  I don't love every single class, but I have found value in every single class.  Some of the classes are just a little more interesting than others or I prefer the style of the professor more than others or I don't want to write another paper.  **just saying**

But in truth, how often can you say, I love going to school...it's SO interesting.  And in order to not lose our minds, a small group of us have bonded together on a Google Hangout to bounce ideas off of each other.  We're all in different places and we've never met in person, but I am I don't know what I would do without them!  So for all these things...ability to get through assignments, quality content and instructors, and an amazing group to lean on I am very THANKFUL for.

3. Of course, I am thankful for my family and friends.  I have wonderful parents who help me out whenever I need it.  My husband is a saint in how he handles all my ups and downs and my constant focus on either work or school.  I even have extended family on the other side of the country that are always letting me know how much I am loved.  My friends are the kind of friends you have for a lifetime.  They know me to my core and force me, with a supportive hand, out of my comfort zone and they listen when I'm frustrated and we go on adventures and we laugh, just like we did when we were kids.  For every single one of them, I am THANKFUL.

4. I may not be a homemaker and a cook but I have the basic skills to get by.  Or between my husband and myself, we are lucky enough to be able to afford someone to come in and help.  For THAT, I am THANKFUL.

5. My professional aspirations are currently all over the board.  It has always come down to wanting to inspire teachers.  However that comes about, I think I will be fine.  However, right now, I feel...I feel...unsatisfied.  I think it's because I do not feel like with everything I have going on, my aspirations are just OUTSIDE my grasp.  Life is just too busy.  There are just too many questions.  However, my heart has direction...I know where I need to be.  I also know that I have support from colleagues near and far.  We lean on each other, we support each other, and it will all come together.  So I am thankful for being unsatisfied.  That feeling pushes me further...motivates me to work and connect and learn.  I don't know when I will get "there", but I am confident that I will.  For that dedication and ambition and my support team, my various PLNs, I am THANKFUL.

I'm also thankful for pizza, pumpkin pie, cheesecake, Taco Tuesday, and anything Disney. See I told you this was gonna be a thankful post! 

What's Your Story? Blogging for Everyone - GROWN UP VERSION

Unfortunately, I don't know a song from The Sound of Music that talks about starting in the middle.

*if you have no idea what I'm talking about - check out the post immediately before this - and maybe give a little pity laugh cause I'm trying to be funny*

So let's just add in a different image of a Julie Andrews movie and move on...work?!

Also, clearly, if you know me...this makes sense.  

Ok, let's move on to the actual point of this blog post.  We've already talked about using blogging with your students.  But how many of you have ever considered using a blogging platform for yourself?  And no...posting a blog question for your students doesn't count.  But good try! 👍🏼

No, I'm talking about as a professional or even as person with interests, hobbies, and a life outside of school...having a place where you go and write.  Anyone...anyone? This kind of "What?! Are you crazy? shocked and confused" response is kind of what I'm expecting.  So let's take a step back. 

   

Think back to last week.  Was there a lesson or an activity that went REALLY well?!  The kind where all the kids were on point and the content was clearly being learned and understood?  The kind of lesson where you wish your admin had come in and done an observation on that lesson?  Did you tell your pod or your grade level?  Did you tell your significant other?  Did you tell your family?  What was it about that lesson that made it so fantastic, you could leave school that day saying "This teacher thing...#nailedit!"

Those of you that had that moment or multiple moments like that CONGRATULATIONS!  That's a fantastic feeling isn't it?!  There is so much constant growing and changing and learning in education, that it's really nice to have a feeling of "I know what I'm doing".  With all those people you may or may not have told...did you know there are other educators out there who would LOVE to hear your idea.  You're look at me, maybe even smiling, but in your head, some of you are saying, "There's nobody out there who would possibly want to hear what I have to say."  You're wrong.  I mean that in the nicest way...but you're wrong.  

I'm just going to leave that there for a minute.  

I want you to now think back over the week and remember where there any moments where you...well, where you failed?  Not miserably, not according to anyone's specific standards, but in comparison to what you would have liked to see.  Were you not prepared?  Did a lesson NOT go according to plan?  Did you wear two different shoes?  Did you forget where you put your keys?  Or anything else where you just felt like...whatever your word is.  My particular phrase is, "What is wrong with me?! <insert face palm>"  Now with that moment, did you share it?  Did you tell family or friends and laugh about it?  Did you reflect and try to figure out what you did wrong so you can adjust it for next time?  (Like putting navy shoes in a box labeled navy and the same with black shoes so you can clearly tell which is which in the dark when you're half asleep.  I won't say whether this has happened to me or not.  I'll let you come to your own conclusion.)  When you shared, did you feel better?  Did you get advice?  Did it help you to organize and come up with some solutions and/or adjustments?

For those of you that felt that way last week, or ever in your life, would you consider the fact that there are teachers, humans, around the world that would love to hear about new teachers and experienced teachers that are having the same trouble?  We so often stay in our circle within our school that we lose perspective.  And it's so nice to step outside that bubble and hear that everyone is in the same boat one way or another.  If you are saying, "There's nobody out there who would possibly want to hear what I have to say."  You're wrong also.  I mean that in the nicest way...but you're wrong.


Regardless of everything else, here's a little piece of advice for you.  If you are the person where it helps your brain and your heart to get everything out on paper, try blogging.  Write it down and do it for yourself.  Use it as a professional tool; write down ideas, reflect on your practice, note observations that you make about the educational world around you.  Do it for yourself.

Here's my secret...I blog because I always wanted to be an author as a child, this gives me that ability. I knew that I could write about my thoughts and share my ideas and honestly, I knew nobody would read it, so I was safe.  I was doing it for myself, so I knew that I would do it.  Like a pedicure...treat yourself.  But I needed to get words onto "paper" for my heart.  It was only recently, that I began "advertising" my posts.  I still don't have a ton of traffic, but I don't care, because I'm writing for me.  These posts are for me, because I wanted to use my blog as a platform to present.  That's MY idea.

So....what's YOUR idea?

Let's see if we can get you to post or at least start, your very first blog post today.  My platform of choice is Blogger obviously, but here are some links:

Blogger | Weebly | Edublog | Wordpress

Do you have an idea of something you'd like to write about?  If you don't have one off the top of your head, that's ok...here's a prompt:

What's ONE thing you've learned in the #CUENV conference

that you'd like to take back and use in your classroom next week?  

https://www.eventbrite.com/o/cue-nevada-8488458164

I'm going to leave you with another tidbit (that's a fun word huh?) the folks that I share my blog with and that I read their blogs...they are regular teachers.  They aren't famous, even in teacher circles, they are parents, and new teachers, and singers by night, and fans of controlled chaos in the classroom, and avid readers, and turtle lovers.  They all have a story...just like you do, just like I do. And I learn from them and I feel confident because of them to share my story because of them.  And I'm going to post some of their blogs below...I recommend you take a look if you're needing some inspiration...or sometimes just a good laugh.

Laura Steinbrink: www.rockintheboat.wordpress.com

Amy Soupiset: www.soupin6th.blogspot.com

Melissa Chouinard-Jahant: www.iteacherimother.blogspot.com

Holly King: https://hollysking.wordpress.com

Tricia Reyes: http://learn2tri.blogspot.com/

Alana Stanton: http://morethanalessonst.blogspot.com

Shawn Ford: www.fearlesseducators.com

Krista Penrod: www.lovelearninglovelife.wordpress.com

and of course I'm going to encourage you to read mine: www.ebgtechtalk.blogspot.com.

If you have any questions, please feel free to comment on either of these posts, tweet me @ebgtech, or find me on Instagram @ebgtech.

Oh yes...and keep writing! 📓 ✏️ 📝 💻

What's Your Story? Blogging for Everyone - KIDS VERSION

Let's start at the very beginning...a very good place to start.  

https://www.flickr.com/photos/kendallkaos/2330888410

No, but really, today we will talk about blogging, for your students and for yourself.  Let's start with the students.  Let's talk about: 

• what are some platforms your students can use 
• why would you use it in the classroom with your students
• how can you use it with your students
• what are some ideas that you can take back and use on Monday...or Tuesday, we're flexible

PLATFORMS

screen shot from Edublog's website

Just like with everything else, blogging platforms are always changing.  Currently, Edublog has made student blogging completely free.  I will admit that when I taught in CCSD, Edublog was blocked but that may have changed.  It was also not free. Like I said before, things change and with technology, they change quickly.  It would be easy to find out if Edublog is blocked and it may be easy to get it unblocked. What I am seeing is a lot of options that make class blogging possible. You can have a "class", there are privacy settings to keep student blogs safe, and you have the ability to track student posts...to name a few.  

By Google (https://www.blogger.com/) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

If you are using Google at your school, you can also turn on Blogger.  Each student has their own blog built into GSuite.  You don't have all of the control that you do with Edublog, but there are work arounds.  For example, each time a student posts, they could turn that into an assignment in Classroom or fill out a form with link.  That would make it easier for you to view their blogs, as opposed to spending time just searching.  With Blogger, I have heard tell that you can also limit the posts to viewable only on your domain.  So that's a nice little bonus.  

Kidblog is the blogging platform that I have used with my students for years.  Granted at the time I started (yup, that old) Kidblog was free.  Unfortunately, it is not free anymore.  Fortunately, (for me) my school pays for it.  Blogger has a lot of the fantastic features that Edublog has; moderation, publishing statistics, and privacy settings.  It also has some option to connect with Google.  With Kidblog, you have to make that judgement call if it's worth the money, is it worth the time to write a grant, etc.  For many of our teachers, it was worth it, so our school invested in it.  

https://www.flickr.com/photos/wfryer/8478930729

The last option I have, but that doesn't mean there aren't other ones out there, is Weebly.  Weebly is a website where you can build your own website, for free.  One of the page styles that is available is a blog.  You can create a class webpage and include a blog or build it as ONLY a blog.  In order for Weebly to stay free, the one account would have to be under your name.  So you wouldn't be able to manage a class and their own individual blogs.  However, you could have individual students post daily.  It would just depend on how you want to approach blogging.  Which we will be talking about shortly!  WIN!

WHY WOULD YOU USE IT?

Blogging just like everything should not be "over done".  Right?  Everything in moderation. However, you want your student to practice writing skills.  You want your students to practice typing skills.  Blogging at its most basic function, are those 2 things combined.  

I have a friend who is super tech excited.  She teaches 2nd grade.  We've been in school 7 weeks (5 weeks when I'm writing this) and we just met and chatted briefly about Kidblog.  She was SO excited at the end of last year about the fact that her 2nd graders could get on and post a blog!  It was the best thing since sliced bread...well maybe not THAT exciting, but still pretty amazing.  She wanted her 2nd graders to get on right away this year.  As soon as possible.  However, when we chatted, she had decided to hold off.  Before I could even ask, she said that she wanted them to do a little more writing on paper first.  Essentially, they weren't ready to be online writers yet when they were still learning to be on paper writers.  Regardless of whether I agree or not, and I'm not telling, I cannot argue with her logic for her class.  

My point being, look at your class...does getting online and writing make sense for them?  Are they writing in interactive journals?  Are they writing on loose leaf paper (those used to be such magic words)?  Are they writing on handouts?  And what are they writing?  Are they writing letters?  Are they writing stories?  Are they writing answers?  Are they writing jokes? 

And my last question: who are they writing to?  We all know that students will typically meet a higher bar if they are working for an audience other than their typical audience.  It's just like with everything else.  If it's always for the teacher...it gets old.  With blogging, they have the opportunity to write for each other too.

And now my last why.  With blogging, because the audience is more than just the teacher, you have the opportunity to reinforce the formal writing expected in school, but you also have the opportunity to teach that more informal, but still correct (lol ur not gonna be bloggin' like this ru?), writing. Along with that informal writing to an audience of peers comes the ability to guide them through appropriate commenting, digital citizenship, peer editing, etc.  There are so many avenues that you could take to have the kids write for each other and analyze for each other as well.  

HOW CAN YOU USE IT?

Looking back at the Why Would You Use It...we covered a couple of How Can You Use Its.  But there's always more! 

Here are just a few random ideas.

• free writing - give those kids that don't love writing an outlet to write judgement free
• centers - put blogging in a writing or ELA center
• A Day in the Life Of... - have students write from the perspective of someone else, dig deep and explore emotions and ideas and reasons; think a day in the life of Rosa Parks...why wouldn't she move?  Did she intentionally want to be remembered?  Did she really want to start a movement at that moment?  Was it planned? etc.
• visual writing prompts - provide that controlled choice in what they write about 
• travel journal - Ashley has 4th graders blog through Ancient China; they learn about the dynasties and write as a time traveler learning about the culture, art, food, etc. 
• reviews - books, movies, restaurants, etc. provide opportunities to learn how to articulate specific positives as well as constructive criticism
• story - tell a story...or do a story chain (each person writes so much and then another picks up where the last one left off and repeat)
• recipes - learn how to write and follow a recipe
• scientific observations - write observations throughout a science experiment, start with a hypothesis and include the conclusion
• NOW YOU!  What ideas do you have that we can add to this post?

STARTING NEXT WEEK

We all know that you go to a conference like this and everything you like, you want to implement immediately.  But then (at least me) you get overwhelmed and you implement nothing.  Let's avoid that.  Everything 👆🏻 is great...but you're not going to do it all right away; ease yourself into it.  So let's talk if you don't have a blog for your class, can you get one?  If you can't get one for your class, get one for yourself.  

• post a blog and ask your students to post their replies as comments - it'll be a great intro and easy for you to keep track of student responses
• ask students to post an About Me post - tell the class 3 things that yourself; depending on their age you can ask for something that nobody else knows or add in a fun/interesting twist

GOOD LUCK!

My People

One writes a daily blog and has honed her skills and figured out to share her message.  She sends flower emojis that make me smile.

One teaches science and just took a new job and was asked to help spearhead PD with technology. She sent me an Outer Banks sticker.

One has an incredibly powerful voice in blogging even though she just started and she is all about "embracing the freak outs".  She makes me laugh out loud when she "freaks out" because this is a summer of change for her.

One sits back and listens and offers advice support.  She welcomed me and my friends to her town with open arms!

One writes fantastic posts that you can identify with deep in your teacher heart.  Her #booksnaps make me smile from ear to ear.

One is still so new at blogging but she has a fantastic message to share when she does.  Her life is full and she loves to share it.

One is quiet and in the background.  She offers such praise and I see her often on Instagram with her family. She even came to see me at ISTE when I was presenting.

One shares often about her beautiful children and incredible husband.  She is so active in our group and on Twitter.  The way she speaks and encourages each person in our group is so up-lifting.

There are more...there are more.  And they are incredible.  They are amazing.  They are inspiring. Every single one of them.

They say that in teaching you NEED other teachers.  It is a profession of collaboration and empathy and support.  You don't always find the kind of teachers in your own building that you can identify with.  The kind of teachers that inspire you and push you and challenge you and get excited with you. If you're lucky (and I am) you have a handful of teachers in your building that are are those things for you.  However, what are the odds of finding a dozen or so teachers from all over the country that are those things?

We started out in a small group just looking for support and encouragement to share our voices. Now it has morphed into this group where we share advice for new jobs, we laugh until we cry at gifs, we brainstorm ideas for PD, we excitedly question about twitter chats and podcasts.  We are our people. We are our tribe.  We are friends.

Life Lessons from Minnie Mouse

Yes, I am talking about Minnie Mouse.  And let me just start with I don't love Minnie Mouse.  She's my least favorite of my beloved Fab Five (Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto).

Photo by Michael Gardner

Now being the Disney fanatic that I am, I never really come out and say anything negative about Minnie.  I just avoid making her my focus in anything...school, home, vacations, clothing.  It's never really Minnie, and because Disney is so vast, nobody seems to notice.  However recently, Disney has partnered with a number of companies who sell products I like (LuLaRoe | Jamberry) and I'm the schmuck that will pay an extra $10 because it's Disney.  But so MUCH of it is Minnie Mouse, that so far, it's been pretty easy to "Just Say No".  

Many of my friends are on the hunt for me though.  And since I've never expressed the aversion to Minnie,  I get texts of pictures asking if I like this or that.  I am so appreciative that they are thinking of me!  But I feel slightly awkward because, no I don't like it.  Which leads to the inevitable question of why so that my lovely friends know what NOT to look for...and I have to admit, that I don't love Minnie.

However, having to answer this question has given me the chance to reflect on why I don't like Minnie.  I have come to the realization that as a child, I didn't like what she represented (to me) in a female presence.   I grew up thinking I could literally do ANYTHING.  I had an incredibly STRONG female model in my mother and in my aunt.  These women literally did everything and anything.  So when I would watch Minnie on TV, what I saw in her conflicted with what I saw in my family.

via GIPHY

I saw Minnie wait helplessly as she called for Mickey to help her.  RUN FOOL!
I saw Minnie become jealous.  GET OVER IT!
I saw Minnie become angry at Mickey for things he could not control.  IT'S NOT HIS FAULT!
I saw Minnie treat her friends with spite and get into petty arguments.  GIRL!

Granted, I realize all this was done for the sake of entertainment.  To get a laugh, if you will.  But for some reason, in my young and impressionable mind, I did not find it entertaining.  I just saw characteristics of a female that I did not want to be or have.

I learned through my family and through Minnie's non-example that:

I wanted to be able to take care of myself.  I don't need to be saved by anyone but me.
I never wanted to be jealous.
I wanted to be able to see both sides of any situation and understand that not everything will always be how I want it.
I wanted to treat my friends with kindness and support.  I wanted to be someone they could ALWAYS come to without fear of emotional repercussions.

Someday when I have children I want my daughter to learn from me, my mother, and stories of my aunt how strong women can be.  I want her to look at Minnie and appreciate her as entertainment.  I want her to understand that women can be and act any way they choose!  It's about having a good heart and believing in yourself.

I want my students to know this too.  The little ones have an easier time believing it.  When you get to middle school and start becoming teenagers, you start to question and have self doubt.  I want to instill that confidence in them and encourage them to continue to be who they are!  To be kind, to care, to support, to love but not be a door mat.

As an adult I can see why Minnie would behave in some of those ways.  I also know that she didn't ALWAYS act like that too.  AND of course, it's just a CARTOON.  But because I questioned and didn't understand as a child, those thoughts and feelings are still engrained in me today.  I can't say that I'm sad about it either.

I much prefer the friendly, lovable, laughable Mickey who gets in and out of scrapes with a little bit of fun and magic.

Twitter Chats - CAUTION long post...I'm twitter pated

via GIPHY

Where to begin...a long, long time ago...just kidding.

I did my very first Twitter chat in 2014.  I know random how I know that right?  But here's the thing...it had THAT big of an impact on me.  It was spring...and I had been in my new job for almost a whole school year.  One of the things I was determined to figure out was Twitter and why/how it should be used in education.  Little did I know, that chat would set me on a path that I never imagined!

From there, I was on chats a couple of nights a week.  Learning so much from so many!  I don't remember their names...none of them are my friends...but I still found them all to be SO valuable!  I started finding my own personal rock stars that I could go to their feed when I needed tips or tricks or even just pick me ups.

Fast forward through the summer...I went to #ISTE14, tweeted about that, followed the very first #edcampVegas through twitter (injured ankle made it hard to walk), and continued my regular chats.  I decided that Las Vegas was no longer the place for me and started looking for jobs in Ohio...it's not as random as it seems in this brief history.  Anyway, I searched #ohedchat.  Low and behold, OSU, THE Ohio State University...is hiring for a job that I CAN DO!  So I tweet the original tweeter...and set the ball in motion.  That was in October and by November I was moved to Ohio.

And it all started with a Tweet!

Anyway...jump forward a few years.  I am back in Vegas...miss OSU terribly...but have a whole new adventure as a technology teacher in a K-8 school.  I'm disengaged.  I love the teachers I work with, and I love "coaching" them, but I am frustrated by how my classroom position goes.  At the end of this school year, I know that I have to make some changes.

I'm also started a MA in Admin program and the more I dive into that the more I feel called to work with teachers directly and with students indirectly.  However...I know that isn't an option.  It's not an option Erin.  You need to be a technology teacher.  I also need to recognize that I'm learning how to teach middle schoolers, I'm learning how to teach technology, I'm learning how to teach in a Catholic school again, I'm learning...and that is OK.

Now...let's jump to tonight.  Monday, June 12th.  I saw @ryan7read post about a #tlap chat.  I know that I'll have to participate in a chat soon for one of my assignments, so I decided I would join in.  I put it on my calendar.  (Cause you can't do anything if it's not on your calendar right?)  It just so happens that I was on Twitter an hour before and was able to join in the #edtechchat as well.

Let me preface...I've done an #edtechchat before, numerous times...and they have always been fantastic!  Tonight...I wasn't feeling it.  I was glad when it was over.  The questions were good, thought-provoking questions...but the conversation wasn't there.

I think I need the additional feedback and conversation to see what others are thinking to expand my thought process.  I already know what I think...I want more...I want to know what you think.  Are we on the same track?  Are you going to give me some insight that never dawned on me?  Are you going to reaffirm what I'm thinking?  Are we going to continue to learn from each other?

I know that #edtechchat does those things...but for me, tonight, it didn't.  I was fully ready to close my laptop and just call it a night on Twitter.  But I decided to search #tlap anyway and see what happened.  The reality is, I could leave and nobody would know if it wasn't what I needed at that moment.  So I saw @daveburgess initial introduce yourself tweet and did.  Then as I saw everyone else tweeting their names and sharing bits of who they were...I was getting some likes on my name alone.  That may not mean very much...but the reality is...in the Twitter world to me...it says "Welcome, we are glad you are here".  And well so I shared my next bit that it was my first #tlap chat and my notifications expanded about how great the chats were and how many connections I'll make and how wonderful it will all be.  Now you've welcomed me AND you are making me excited about learning from you!  I'm "hooked" (haha pun intended...get it Capt. Hook...pirate.  hahah I make myself laugh).

From there on...the questions came rolling in and the answers didn't roll out.  I loved that I could take a few minutes and be contemplative.  I could answer a question and had time to go back and review and like and comment and question and ENGAGE!  There were conversations and side conversations and it was all so positive and interesting!  I learned that a fellow teacher snorts when she laughs and that it creates a beautiful effect where the students then laugh and it's ok to be that happy and unguarded!  I learned how to address hot button topics with middle school students so parents don't get angry...send home a letter.  Duh Erin.  There was lots of talk about blogging.  We all have such a powerful voice inside us.  You won't reach everyone, but you will reach someone...share your voice. Reach that someone.  And I got a couple of blogs that I will have to share here so that if you read this...read theirs.

Mr. T's Jibber Jabber by Scott Titmas: https://mrtjibberjabber.wordpress.com/
Fearless Educators by Shawn Ford: http://fearlesseducators.com/
Love Learning. Love Life. by Krista Pedrod: https://lovelearninglovelife.wordpress.com/

At the end...I feel excited, I feel connected, I feel rejuvenated.  I can do this...I will do this...I will make mistakes and get yelled at (and then cry)...but I know that I do ALL of this because I care about the kids.  And I want to be the absolute best teacher I can be.  And on top of all that...there are educators around the world that feel the same way...whether you cry or not...and we are connected.

So thank you.

Pinterest

I'm just going to say it...it's a beautiful thing.  Pinterest is, I mean.  

It took me awhile to jump on the Pinterest bandwagon.  Then when I did, I was disorganized and confused.  And overwhelmed.  Definitely overwhelmed.  

I feel like I have finally gotten my Pinterest wings...as a teacher anyway.  

About a month before school ended, I started planning next year.  Don't we all?  Here's the thing though, this year was my first year at a new school in a new job with a new role I had never had before.  So I jumped in and floundered.  I made it work, but I wasn't in love with what I was doing.  I knew I could do better but the reality was that I was just trying to get by.  

For this coming year, I feel like I have a better grasp on exactly what I want to do with my students and how I want to approach it.  Granted, I'm fully willing to accept that once life starts, I may flounder yet again and need to just get by.  However, until then...I have Pinterest!  And I am pinning away!

Let me go ahead and give you just a very small sneak peak (because I'm just not done) into my plans and then I'll show you the board that goes with it!  Each month, I'm focusing on a skill or tool that will help my students with their homeroom assignments.  In order to learn the skill or tool, we will work on a whole class assignment that is linked to Catholic Identity (we're at a Catholic school soo....).  Once that assignment has been completed, the students will have a menu of choices of projects they would like to do.  

The first full month (Sept) of school, we are going to be working on Digital Citizenship.  I haven't come up with the Catholic Identity assignment yet, but I'm thinking something to do with the 10 Commandments.  But I need to teach my students about all the pieces that fall under the umbrella of Digital Citizenship.  I need to figure out what the bulletin board will look like.  I need to have ideas for the menu.  

ENTER PINTEREST!

For me, I just knew that I had to be selective about what I pinned because I would get overwhelmed and never look at it again if I pinned too much.  I needed to be realistic about my pinning choices. These are for 5th-8th graders...they will not appreciate the ADORABLE ideas for primary students.  I also needed to be realistic for me.  I am not going to spend 10 hours crafting.  I'll be lucky if I max out at 2 hours.  However, if I can make it in Google...I will spend hours doing that!  

So now I have my guidelines, I have my framework, and I have my Pinterest.  I'm ready to go!

Meme's In Education

from Flickr account - Meme Binge

Memes have become a thing.  There's no turning back.  And in all reality, do we want to?  They are funny, they help us (ok, maybe just me) laugh at situations that maybe aren't the most wonderful, and they are easy to make (thanks to wonderful advances in technology and photo editing and random meme generating websites).  In fact, my go to Happy Birthday posting on FB generally includes a meme...because that's just funnier than "Happy Birthday!!!"  (and yes, I add 3 exclamation points because I'm that happy that my friend is another year older).

Anyway, the point of this post, is there a place in education for memes?  I mean a place besides in the teacher's lounge.  And meme's other than the ones with an owl at the beginning of the school year vs the end of the school year and the "Hey Girl" memes.  Really.  Really...do meme's have a place in education for the sake of the students?

Recently I tried them in my K-8 technology class...another tale for another time with another blogger (hoping to have a guest blogger come share about that - +Kiersten Baschnagel).  The middle school kids nailed it.  Well...let me retract that...most of the middle school kids nailed it.  Some still didn't quite understand how the humor of a meme worked.  I took it down to 5th grade and most seemed to be able to create a meme with little trouble, although the joke was a little more basic.  When I tried 4th grade, I only had a handful of kids that could come up with a joke that was applicable to the picture.

This got me thinking...what is it about memes that makes them funny?  What skill do the students need to have in order to create a quality meme?  Is this a teachable skill?  Is it a skill that they can use in other areas?  Do they need to be witty?  Do they need a dry sense of humor?  Do they need to know the background story of the picture?

I admit, I don't know or I can't articulate exactly what it is that makes memes funny, especially because when I do, I can think of other memes that don't fit that definition.

What makes memes funny?
What skill(s) do you need to create them?
And is there a place for them in education?

Picture Writing

It's the end of the year.  And even if it wasn't, this is a great idea for all grade levels.  At least I think.

I am using this as a "What To Do When Your Work Is Done" task.  Granted if it was the beginning of the year, I would probably do some lessons and practice brainstorming and work together as a class. However, it's not...so I'm not.  My students are finishing their assignments as quickly as they possibly can and then want to play computer games.  Can you see my face?  I'm sure you can because I'm sure you're making that same face.  Like, "Yea, right, sure kiddo.  You do that.  NO."

With writing, especially writing prompts, students can either do many many posts or they can go in depth in less posts.  I tell them it's about quality, not quantity.  But what about the kids that don't love to write?  Or doesn't love your writing prompt?  It is possible that you/I/we have a student that doesn't love to go on vacation/play with puppies/want to give advice to the incoming "insert grade level" or any variety of topics that are possible to write about.

Brilliant idea...CHOICE!  I love choice.  Controlled choice.  Selective choice.  Here are a variety of things to choose from.  BUT...I am not that creative to come up with that many choices.  I admit it. Creativity is NOT my strong suit.  I'm more of a spreadsheet and data and organizing girl.  I need help when it comes to creativity and lots of choices.  So I go to friends and I go to...THE INTERNET!

And look what I found when I was looking for Middle School writing prompts!?!?!?

Visual Prompts

You can search by genre, by grade level, or by topic.  The images vary between asking for a story, a point of view, creating a campaign or a new item, there's fiction and non-fiction, future and past, and so much more.  I love these images and the questions/statements that go with them.  I especially love that I didn't have to create them!

The images (the one above specifically) stirred intense conversations as well as really great writing that showed just how my students opinions and beliefs are being shaped by their families, their friends, and society.

We know that a picture is worth 1000 words, but do we need a 1000 words?  Do we need less or do we need more?  I guess it depends on the message.  And these images are fantastic at asking students to share their message on their interests!

When NOT In Rome...

use @DoInk Green Screen app to get yourself there!

Recently, our 6th graders read Julius Caesar. In years past, the 6th graders were able to put on a production of the play. This year our Literature teacher was new the to school (as was I and a number of other teachers) and she decided to have the kids break into groups and film select scenes instead of acting out the whole play.

Here's a quick clip of some students practicing: https://instagram.com/p/BRbTYv1jyQi/

When the Lit teacher came to me asking if the students could film and edit in my class (technology), I also suggested adding a little green screen action. My walls are painted green after all. We didn't know exactly how it would work out but she was on board!

The groups were given a choice if they wanted to film and use the green screen or not. Then they all went about filming. The groups that wanted to use the Green Screen were given either my iPad or one from another teachers classroom. They took different approaches.  One group edited their video first and then put it into Do Ink, adding their images of Rome in last. Another group put each of their video pieces into Do Ink, added their images of Rome and then edited everything.

The point was...it didn't matter what they ended up doing.  They enjoyed being able to act out what they read.  And those that added the green screen were able to search and visualize what it would have the scenery would have looked like if they really had done the play.

Internet = Truth!

A friend of mine used to (or maybe still does) has an email signature that talks about Abraham Lincoln referencing the truth of all things on the internet.  So let's first admit that the ridiculousness of this signature line is hilarious and I loved getting emails from him strictly for this reason.

Now, lets move on to the fact that there are some people that legitimately believe this to be true.  Not the Abraham Lincoln part (or maybe...I don't know) but the part about whatever is posted on the internet being true.  It's like saying that everything on TV is true or said on the radio is true.  It's not.

Perhaps when these medias first came out and they were revolutionary and unknown and it was FANTASTICAL! (yup...I said it) At that point in time, I suppose it was acceptable to believe that everything that was put out to the world could be believed as true.  We didn't know...but now, we do.
So we can no longer claim ignorance. And it's so important that we teach our children/students that everything is not true and how to differentiate between fact and not-so-obvious fiction.

I recently began working with my middle school students about evaluating the websites they gather their facts from in order to ensure their validity.

Side note: When I said that to them...they looked at me and I was informed that they didn't know what I was saying.  I told them we needed to look at websites and see if the information was accurate and legit.  They understood that.

Anyway...it was kind of a fun series of lessons.  I didn't tell the kids we were working on website validity.  I told them we were working on researching some kind of social justice/current event/make the world a better place website. Of course, I have to model what I expect.  So we visited http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/.

It started with choosing a cause that you have a passion for and ensuring that you are properly educated before you start spreading any message.  So I told them that this particular cause was very near and dear to my heart but I wanted them to be fully educated. Of course many of them were confused having never heard of a tree octopus. It was SO fun to be completely flabbergasted at the fact that they had never heard of this animal!!

Since they didn't know anything about the Tree Octopus, we started researching some basic questions.  Ex. Where do they live?  What do they eat?  How do they breath?  Why are they endangered?  I encouraged them to explore the website and also other websites (not provided by me).

Some classes explored outside the website others stayed solely on the page I gave them.  The ones that started exploring began questioning whether or not these animals were real sooner.  However, they came to me with "They aren't real because I've never heard of them." or "They can't be real because I've never seen one."  To which many other students jumped on board to exclaim that just because you can't see it doesn't mean it doesn't exist...i.e. atoms and molecules.  And the fact that they are only 10/11/12/13 means that they haven't explored the whole world or seen all there is to see.
It was an exciting discussion from a teacher perspective.

As time went on it was very clear that the class was divided as to whether these animals were real or not.  So we finally sat down one day and had a discussion.  No laptops, no computers, no devices.  I very seriously wanted to know what they thought since this was such a hot topic of debate in my classes.  Regardless of what they thought, I needed a solid defense...an explanation of why they felt the way they did.

In the end, I told them that the whole website was fake.  The students that believed it to be fake felt validated.  The students that believed it to be real were frustrated, amazed, and some even thought it was hilarious.  BUT, I got my point across.  Just because it's on the internet, does not mean it is real.

Instagram Lessons

If you know me, you know I'm a HUGE supporter of social media in education.

Yes, there are things about it that are not awesome, but just with everything else in life, it's about how that "unawesomeness" (yup I made that a word) is handled.  I firmly believe in teaching how to use social media appropriately.  I firmly believe in modeling appropriate ways to use social media.  I firmly believe in logical consequences.  I firmly believe in parent participation.

All that in mind, I'm here to talk about Instagram.  I have a professional Instagram account and a window in my classroom that is decorated like Instagram.  The window shows pictures of students doing interesting projects in technology.  It also shows my professional Instagram handle.  The kids (all ages) enjoy coming in and seeing if they made the Instagram window.  This interest in their own pictures extended on my real Instagram because yes, there are pictures of them on my Instagram.

*disclaimers* I do not post pictures of students who's parents did not sign the media release.  I do not post pictures of students who are not comfortable.  If I catch a funny picture of a student, I ask their permission before posting.  I monitor who follows and likes my pictures CLOSELY.  If someone follows or likes my images and there is no indication they are a parent or an educator, they are blocked...for the safety of the children.

Knowing that my audience was growing and it was growing with students, I decided to take the opportunity to do more than just post their pictures.  I took a queue from Your School Rocks...So Tell People authors Ryan McLane and Eric Lowe.  I started posting pictures with inspirational messages and life skills.  I try not to write much in the description.  Knowing how I scroll through Instagram, double tapping cute pictures, not reading much, I keep that in mind with the kids.

Ultimately, one day, I'd like the kids to interact and write back.  But for now, when someone likes a post, I feel like the door of communication is opening.  I feel like maybe they know that despite keeping a structured classroom with high expectations (which they CLEARLY do not always love), I do care and I do value what they feel is important.

Another style of image that I tried using was a picture of an upcoming lesson.  I thought that this was an AMAZING idea!  Can I just say #fail.  Not realizing that 1) not all of my students follow me so they don't all see what I post, put a bit of a damper on the idea and 2) I teach every grade level different so the kiddos didn't really know who the picture was directed.  I tried that once and haven't done it again.  I would like to tweak it and revisit that idea, but for now, not so much.

The most fun posts, are the silly ones though.  I will at times, post random pictures to try to make the kids laugh or remind them of something good.  The last one was an alarm clock on a 3 day weekend and I reminded them that they didn't have to be at school!  What kid doesn't love that reminder?  

I also make sure to have specific #hashtags for different types of posts.  It's a way for me to stay organized and keep track of how many posts I make a week of a different style.  I don't want the kids to get overwhelmed or irritated with what I post.  My goal isn't to be what they ALWAYS see.  My goal is to be a positive example of social media and life skills when they do see my posts.

If you'd like to check out my professional Instagram, you can find me @EBGtech.  It's also just to the right of this post.

What do you think?  Would you use Instagram to teach, communicate, reach your students?

Map Scales and Google Earth

Do you remember breaking out your atlas to measure how far it was from your school to your house? Or maybe from your favorite vacation spot to your house?  Of course there was also the obligatory worksheet that had perfectly manicured streets with geometric houses, a school, and a library.  All different ways to learn that on the map, the distance is not real...it is a scale.

Now we're so used to using some kind of GPS (Google Maps is my personal favorite) that the concept of needing a scale is completely foreign now.  Even the kids know how to use a GPS app. The skill of reading a flap map, an atlas, is seemingly obsolete!  But, nope, it's still part of the curriculum - and I'm not arguing whether or not it's important, I'm just stating that it is what it is.

So, in technology the last couple of weeks, we have been learning about map scales (to compliment the kiddos 4th grade curriculum).  Since we have computers and not paper maps, we broke out Google Earth and since we have GPS that gives us EXACT distance, we worked on estimating.

The image of the kiddos searching on Google Earth and getting their exact distances from point A to point B (we also brought in some Nevada Geography and measured the important places in Nevada) was amazing!  They are pros!  Then the image of the kiddos using the rules on the monitor was quite funny.  Who ever imaged that we would use a ruler on a computer monitor?!  Not me!!

They really seemed to enjoy the exploration and realizing that a few inches can be anything from a few miles to hundreds (or more) of miles!!

Up next...longitude and latitude?!  Any ideas?!

It's all SUNSHINE and rainbows...

Recently I have taken on the task of the Sunshine Committee.

It's a little bit of a blur as to how it all started and ended with me, but I have to say I'm kind of excited!  I have a lot of support from teachers that have been part of the Sunshine Committee in the past.

With that being said...what's the point of this post in particular?

Yesterday, one of the teachers gave me a binder of stuff from the past years of Sunshine.  I barely know what to do with it.  Have things changed so much that a binder of papers overwhelms me?!

Apparently so.  

Granted I haven't done much, but everything I have done so far has been almost exclusively digital.
Let's run down the list.

Meeting Agendas: Google Doc
Cards (Get Well, Happy Birthday, etc): Word Swag app w/ Pixabay images
Ideas: Pinterest
Happy Hour Interest: Google Forms
Happy Hour Announcement: Word Swag app w/Pixabay images and email
"Binder" to keep everything: Google Drive

Granted, I'm not expanding to outside the digital box but so far what I have works...for me and my team.  I do have to keep in mind that not everyone at my school geeks out over tech like I do.  So of course I made flyers for the Happy Hour and I will print out agendas for meetings, etc.

But I feel more organized...and creative.

"Get Well" image that was made into a card for a teacher out for surgery

The image above was made with @wordswagapp (introduced to me by +Tony Vincent) and +Pixabay images that are found within the app. BONUS: Pixabay images are copyright free so they can be used without attribution.    

Audio Boom

Hello!

I've fallen behind.  And I know myself and I know that unless I have a purpose and keep this short and simple, if I put too big of an expectation on myself for this blog, I will continue to fall behind. That is not something that I want...obviously.

So I decided today that I would talk briefly about +audioBoom.  I used this website to host some audio clips and I'm so excited that I rediscovered it and decided to use it.  So happy in fact that my post for today is pretty much hosted there.



Essentially, if you would like to use/explore Audio Boom, I highly recommend it.  If you're on Twitter, you can create an account through them.
Super Easy!
Then you can either record on their website, which I admit, I have not mastered or you can upload audio files AND they have an app.  I found that I prefer using my Voice Memos and uploading right from my phone.

Here's the question...as teachers how can we use this for our students?  I shared an idea in my broadcast here.  But also...what can our students create with it?!  I know this is going to be a tool I take back when the break is over and try to see what we can do with it!  There are some middle schoolers that I think may have a great time with it.

Thanks!

Anne Frank

I teach at a K-8 Catholic school.

This post is about the 8th graders specifically.  They have been reading the Diary of Anne Frank.  I read that book when I was a child.  I picked it up when I was bored one day, not realizing the weight that book carried.

Unfortunately, there were so many visual descriptions that were critical to the story that I just couldn't image.  I couldn't see them in my mind.  I feel like it took away from the gravity of what I was reading.  I couldn't possibly image how a door was hidden!  I couldn't see how small the living quarters really were.  I read the words but the images were from my life, with a few tweaks.

Back to the 8th graders.  Maybe they have a better imagination than I did as a 4th/5th grader.  Or maybe because we have never been in that kind of situation (for which I am so thankful), it's not something we can fathom, imagination or not.

This week they are going to the local Catholic high school to see the play Anne Frank.  That will give them a better visual representation.  I want to support that in my class.  I want to show them something that will really make them see how hard it was and the struggles that these families faced. I want them to understand how brave Anne Frank was...this girl who is their age.  I want there to be an impact.

So this week and next week, we will be taking the time to explore the Anne Frank museum online. Specifically, we will be looking at some of the photos and pieces of history from her life.  And I think most importantly, we will be able to go on a virtual tour of Anne Frank's Secret Annex.

I hope it gives the 8th graders a really good concrete visual of what they are reading.

It's just...Padlet

I'm trying to write up a quick blog post this morning and while I know my topic...I don't have a fun, attention getting title.  Soooo...it's just about Padlet.

I've been a big fan of Padlet since it was Wall Wisher (or something like that)...it was a few years ago.  You seriously can't expect me to remember all the different names of various websites.  ;) So I was introduced to it as a part of my RPDP class with +Jerrad Barczyszyn.

*side note: I blame him for my love of ed tech...he showed me how interesting and exciting class could be with tech integration.  Thanks Jerrad.*

Right so...the point of this post:

Yesterday was day 1 of the second week of school...the first week was all half days...this week full days.  *I'm so tired!*

I teach technology to K-8 students.  Since last week was half days and I'm teaching a "special" I had no time to start with my typical Capturing Kids' Hearts Social Contract.  So that was the plan for this week.  However, I had to figure out how, exactly, to integrate technology into that.

Now, I realize and recognize and appreciate that technology doesn't always and shouldn't always be used...especially just for the sake of technology.  So if I was a homeroom teacher, I probably wouldn't have done this...but I'm the technology teacher.  I kind of think...I'm supposed to do it this way.

Typically, students will work in a small group, brainstorming words or phrases to the 4 questions that guide our social contract.  Instead of having us work in small groups, I had them work independently on Padlet.  The way I explained it was - instead of giving them all Post It Notes to stick on the wall with their words/phrases, they needed to post them on the Padlet.  Re: CKH...I explained that even if a word came up that they were going to use, they needed to write it too because I wanted them to be heard.  I wanted everyone to have a voice.

All in all, I'd say that it went pretty darn well!  6 classes...5 were scheduled to create the social contract...and only 1, due to poor choices, had to use the paper and pencil technique!  They seemed to enjoy it.

We will see how today goes!!  Have you used it?  What did you think?

 

Google "Keep"ing It Together

So life has been crazy to say the least this summer.

1) Wedding
2) House hunting
3) Cross country move
4) New job - new school
and all the unpacking and cleaning that comes with 3 and 4!!

So today I decided to stop for a minute and do a quick vlog on Google Keep.  It has literally helped me keep my brain from exploding.

Enjoy!

What can you use Google Keep for?

Not Goodbye...

but rather, I'll see you later.

This week I am wrapping up my last week at Ohio State University.  It has been an incredible journey.  I was living in Las Vegas 2 years ago and I decided to pick up and make the move out to Ohio.  There were some personal reasons behind it, but professionally, to say that I worked at THE Ohio State...just WOW!  So when I was offered my job, I took it...no hesitation.

And WOW was right.  I met some AMAZING teachers that I will never forget.  I was fortunate enough to work with some of the TOP educational technology leaders.  Not to mention the inspirational and HILARIOUS College Ready Ohio team.

This week has been an emotional roller coaster.  I have laughed, cried, felt like nothing was changing and been blown away...literally in the matter of minutes.  IT'S ONLY TUESDAY!!  I'm going to be an emotional zombie by Saturday when I start the drive with my husband and father in law to head back to Las Vegas.

I wouldn't change it for the world.

Now, however, let me take a minute and look at this from a student perspective.  Our kids are not all stationary.  How many of us have kids that have left your class, you, their friends, and sometimes their family?  As an adult, if it's a struggle to make this kind of a change, when it was MY/YOUR/OUR own choice...imagine how hard it must be to have to deal with all of it and feel like you have NO choice.  

During my wrap up meeting with Ben, we talked about how it wasn't the LAST time we'd see each other...it would just be a very LONG time.  In order to keep from tears, I made a flip comment about us being Facebook friends.  Which, while it may seem insincere or vapid...it really does make me feel better.  I makes me feel as if the relationships that I have spent the last 2 years working on and building aren't gone forever.  I can reach out to anyone and see what's going on in their daily life.  As a military brat growing up, I was not able to do that and I lost many friends because we couldn't stay in communication about "nothing".  

Now I'm not necessarily suggesting that you become FB friends with your students.  I, personally, would recommend against that in fact.  However, what I am suggesting is use the social media platforms that are available to you to give your students a chance to stay in communication with you and their friends about the "nothings" that are happening.  Do you have a class FB page?  Do you have a class Instagram page?  What about a class Twitter account?  Even a class Snapchat might be worth looking into.  

The students will move and they will love their new teacher and they will make new friends.  But in this day and age of globally connected technology...goodbye doesn't have to be anything but I'll see you later.