If you don't like it you don't have to read it....

ED 240 #5: Who cares?

2011-07-19T10:48:00.000-07:00

So I've been trying to answer the question that I try to answer for my students when I prepare a lesson plan: "Why do I care about what's being taught?"

This program has thrown us a lot of fast balls, more than a few curve balls, and a couple of wicked knuckleballs...and honestly it's been really difficult to even get a hit, let alone a home run. Well, okay, I can't say that I've completely struck out, but it has been challenging.

So baseball metaphors aside, why do I care? Is it because I want the prestige of a Master's Degree? Do I honestly care about bettering myself and "mastering" the skills I need to become a passionate, powerful teacher? Or do I just want the pay increase? Or is it a little bit of everything?

I find that, as long as the content seems relevant, I enjoy learning. I honestly enjoy stretching my mind, my intellect and doing the work that will improve my understanding of my new profession. I wish I had been like this during my undergraduate days. My grades would have been a heck of a lot better. Be that as it may, I have honestly enjoyed learning about the technology tools available that I can use to better instruct my students. I would have never used Powerpoint to create an adventure type presentation...because I would not have known that was possible. I now use Google docs for just about every assignment in all of my classes. In my other classes I have learned how to conduct my own research and how in many ways science had changed history and how history has driven scientific discovery. As long as it is relevant I stay interested and I try to learn it.

I guess that is the lesson for me over all, and the one I will take into the classroom with me. The content being learned has to be RELEVANT to the students in order to keep their interest. It seems like a simple concept. Keep it relevant. But as a wise many once said, it is the simple things which are the most difficult to accomplish.

ED 240# 4: Cheating in Atlanta Schools...by TEACHERS!

2011-07-08T13:38:00.000-07:00

This week I read a story about cheating in Atlanta schools. This cheating was not by students, it was by teachers and administration! Apparently folks in the Atlanta Public Schools were so concerned about their districts' performance in state regulated testing that they felt the only way to keep the state off their necks was to change the answers on students' scoresheets. Dozens of teachers and 38 principals (yes, THIRTY-EIGHT!) were found culpable in a 428 page report carried out by state investigators. Some teachers interviewed in the report said that "APS was run like a MOB" and if you did not go along with the cheating to improve school scores you were threatened by administration in some cases. Although this is an extreme case, it illustrates to me just how harmful state testing can be. The teachers felt so pressured to improve their scores they cheated.

The question I have is this: why didn't they feel they could increase learning in their classrooms and improve their scores honestly? Why didn't they trust their own teaching skills? Why didn't they trust their students to learn? In other words, why be a teacher if you don't believe you can teach?

Most of the candidates in the program here want to teach because we are passionate about learning. We believe that we can make a difference, and we can encourage our students to be better, to WANT to be better. Apparently, this is not the culture former APS Superintendant Beverly Hall promoted in her district. She recently retired after 12 years on the job, but she denies that she had anything to do with the district wide cheating but teachers and administrators. She DOES admit that some of the people who worked for her did cheat...but of course she had nothing to do with it, nor did she create a culture of cheating. It's just that THIRTY EIGHT PRINCIPALS in her district decided they would all alter their schools' score all on their own.

Sometimes when there's smoke, there's a fire.

ED 240 # 3 It's all a balancing act...

2011-06-30T22:12:00.000-07:00

Today has been a lesson in time management. It's like God is testing my tensile strength and waiting for me to snap.

But I refuse to.

So it's bad enough that this year the MAT program has been compressed into 5 weeks from 10 weeks. But I was expecting this, so I've been mentally prepared for it and have been dealing with it pretty well. No big deal. Two of the classes are great. One class is a joke. I stress more about the joke class because I can find meaning in the work given to us in the great classes. I can't find any meaning in the work given to us in the joke class. It just makes me mad. But I still cope.

Finding time to do homework between bottle feedings, naptimes, walks, and all the other things that raising a baby entails is challenging, but so far, so good. I haven't been getting much sleep, but I also expected that, and I still cope.

Finding time to do homework, take care of a baby, and raise a teenage daughter is REALLY challenging. Especially when you have to find time to make sure that your teen is not getting into trouble during the summer, all the while taking the time to make sure that said teenage daughter does not feel neglected because you are spending too much time doing schoolwork or caring for an infant son. But I still cope.

Finding time to do homework, take care of a baby, raise a teenage daughter, and make sure your wife still remembers who the heck you are...well, that's just icing on the cake. I think she still remembers what I look like, I mean, it's only been two weeks, right? So I still cope.

Today, I finally made an appointment for my son at the doctor. We noticed a few weeks ago that one of his eyes looked kind of "quirky." My wife took him in while I was in class today. To make a long story short, he's got a tumor in his eye. Not sure what it is yet. He's got an appointment with a specialist at Children's Hospital next week. Since we're not sure it's cancer (yet) I can still cope.

We'll see what happens after the appointment next week.

But I still refuse to snap.

Suckerpunch!

2011-06-28T23:03:00.000-07:00

So I just watched it, and I get it. Zack Snyder wanted to make a film that let us all know what I have known for years: That the only thing keeping us down, keeping us from living, keeping us from being better....it's ourselves. So fight for what you want.

I get it, and I get the metaphors in the movie, and I really enjoyed the fight scene on the train. Would have been awesome in 3D. Sweet Pea is my favorite character...that girl looks GOOD handling an M4!

BUT...

The way he tied the story together at the end, you never really lose that sense of hopelessness he wanted you to feel right after the climax of the movie. And because of that, even though the end is supposed to be a victory of sorts, the audience doesn't feel victorious. Instead, we are left wanting...and what we want is for the villains of the movie to suffer...and they never do.

Also, he tries to pull off this dream within a dream type thing throughout the movie, but that never really comes off that well. It's just window dressing that leaves us all a bit confused. Best leave that stuff to the Inception folks.

All in all, worth waiting for on DVD, if you have a 3D TV it might be better, but I guess I'm glad I didn't pay money to see it in the theater, I would have been disappointed.

ED 240 # 2 Reflections on Google

2011-06-23T15:09:00.001-07:00

I have, for years, depended on Yahoo as my primary search engine. The reason for this being that the Yahoo Home page was, to me, the most relevant to me and my needs. If I needed email, it was right there. If I needed news, it was right there. If I needed to do a search, the tool was right there. I used it for travel directions, to find movie times, basically everything. I ignored Google because the home page is sooooo plain and boring.

I was an idiot.

Learning about the different research and search tools Google has to offer has literally changed the way I look at the internet. I did not realize how exceptionally useful Google is. I was literally amazed by two things today: Google Translate and the Wonderwheel. I was especially impressed with the wonderwheel because it is such a simple concept that organizes your search for you. It's quick, comprehensible and incredibly useful when researching a complex or extensive topic. Today, I can say Google is changing my life.

Okay maybe that's taking it a little far, but in all seriousness, learning about these new tools WILL change the way I research information online.

ED 240 #1 My Educational Experiences with Technology

2011-06-21T14:57:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate enough to have been born in 1972. What that means is in high school my "word processor" was a typewriter and only the very, very wealthy had a Macintosh with a dot matrix printer to write with. Very few people knew what a computer network was (Heck, computers only existed in Star Wars) and the internet did not exist. (Al Gore hadn't invented it yet.) I talked my Dad into buying me a Commodore 64...but I had no clue what to do with it.

It was not until I reached the university level that I really began to use technology. Even then, I only used my Mac to write papers. I didn't have any games (that's what the arcade was for), and the internet was only available to the geeky engineering majors. This state of affairs basically lasted until I graduated in 1995.

Imagine my sense of culture shock when I began the credential program in 2009. Holy crap! I began using EEE to turn in assignments and schedule my days. The internet was my best friend when it came for researching. and I used email and Google applications to plan and complete group projects. I used Video Cameras to document my TE. I used my Mac to schedule all my classes, assignments and important dates. Technology is cool.

What the Hell is WRONG with this country?

2010-04-07T07:55:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I normally don't do this...

Who am I kidding, I do this all the time! WTF is WRONG with this country?!?!?!!! So here's the story I'm upset at today. 3 Navy seals capture and arrest a terrorist scumbag in Iraq. Allegedly he is the guy who planned the ambush of Blackwater USA contractors in Fallujah in 2004, burning their bodies and hanging them from a bridge. I KNEW one of those contractors! (RIP Scott).

Here's the rub: During the arrest, the guy was punched in the stomach and got a bloody lip. Now the Navy wants to COURTMARTIAL these three SEALS. WTF?!?!?!! Sometimes I think the United States deserves to be attacked...dumbasses. Here's the link to the news story:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/03/04/gop-lawmakers-seek-exoneration-seals-accused-abusing-terror-suspect/

Why I ride motorcycles...

2010-03-14T16:43:00.000-07:00

This was posted by one of the fellow members of ocmoto.com, It sums up what I've been feeling about riding for a long time...and it does it very nicely! Enjoy! :

I hear it all the time... "OMG you ride motorcycles! They are soo dangerous!!" then comes the classic story of the friend they knew that died...etc etc... then they ask.. "Why do you ride knowing this?!!"

SOOO for all those people... here is the answer..

First off, if you ask me that question to begin with, chances are you'll never understand. Get your ass on a bike, then come talk to me... I've been riding for about 2 years now, and i work at St. Marys ER... I see lots of crazy shit..

Riding keeps me sane.. It gives me an experience that is on the edge, and that's where i'm comfortable and is where i understand what life is about...

I ride an 8 second, 208 hp gsxr 1216cc drag bike, every day of the week, rain or shine... there is no better feeling in the world than being on 2 wheels.... Its so liberating, its freedom, its everything that people are missing in their lives... I feel as if I've lived longer than my grandparents!!... There is nothing like the open road... I've tried to stop... but I can't...Why you ask? It's part of my soul, it's who I am... it defines me as a person... I have never, and I mean NEVER, been happier than when I'm on my bike... I laugh like a 5 yr old girl when I downshift to second, roast the rear tire, and hit 120 faster than my eyes can gather the info behind me... but it's not just that...

You see, I mainly cruise... I keep it mellow on the streets (for the most part) and obey most traffic laws. I enjoy, no, LOVE, the mind set I'm in when I'm riding. Its my heroin, my crack cocaine, my life... its me!

Working in the ER, I see life end all the time. every shift at least one or two people die... and you know what??? I'm 22 and have lived my life to the fullest.. much more than a lot of people out there. Your life can end faster than you think, and you need to enjoy it for what it is and realize that if you are too scared to do what you truly enjoy than you have already died.

Of course I worry about my mom not being able to sleep because she's worried about me, shoot she has good cause to worry... but if I ever die on my motorcycle, just realize that I died doing what made me happy, doing what I loved, more than anything in this world. I died/was seriously injured knowing what the meaning of life is, and learned all of life's lessons through this.....

Not only do I love to ride, but the motorcycle community is a very tight family, with a brotherhood rivaling that of pure family. Just the fact that you ride puts you in a family bond that your parents will never understand. we are brothers. we are family.. I don't care if you ride a ninja 250 or a 200 hp Ducati, or a vtwin Star, you are my brother.. my friend, I will help you when you need it and be their for you when others won't.. I will pull over to help you, give you advice when you need it.... a true companion.

In all, to sum up, I ride because it relaxes me, it puts my mind in a state of being that nothing else in the world can do..... riding has taught me the meaning of life, why I'm here, and how to reach my goals.. we are the coyotes in a world of sheep, we have bigger balls than anyone in the world, and we fear nothing, which gives us the ability to enjoy life's purities, and live our lives to the fullest.

And to all those families that have lost loved ones.. I feel your pain, but just keep in mind that they died in peace, doing what they loved and being who they are... isn't that who you raised us to be?

The Bucket List

2010-03-07T14:12:00.000-08:00

So I have never seen the movie...but recently, I got into a motorcycle accident on the freeway. Nothing serious, but the bike did get totalled and I broke my clavicle, spent about 3 days in the hospital. Got me thinking about how quickly things can happen, and what it is I REALLY want to do with my life. So, I got to thinking about this blog again, and how I really haven't done anything with it. So what I plan to do is to write my own bucket list. I'll start simply, with a list of 25 things I want to do before I die, and 10 things I want to do this year. Should be simple right? Riiiiiiiiiight. My next entry I'll put up the list, and every entry after that will be about fulfilling one of the things on the list. Gotta love it!

Here's to living life, and not merely settling for existence!

Hey Dad, it's been a year...

2009-01-08T10:26:00.000-08:00

So at this time last year I was in Taiwan, making daily trips to the hospital in Taipei because you had a stroke. When I found out the reasons for it I almost could've smacked the living daylights out of you. Of course, you were already unconscious. You never did wake up. Not the entire time I was there. I felt like I never really did say goodbye properly. Dammit Dad! You would think that someone with your medical training would know to get treatment for Diabetes and friggin high blood pressure. And maybe, just maybe, if you had been getting treated for that they may have spotted the prostate cancer that actually killed you!

Because we didn't nearly have enough time together...

I know, I know, you were 65 and that should have been time enough. But it wasn't, really. I always thought there would be MORE time. Especially since you were the youngest sibling in your family and Grandma lived to be 93...besides your brother and sisters are all still going strong. I always thought there would be the chance for us to sit down and have that long, father to son "come to Jesus" talk where the two of us would get to say everything we needed to say and completely clear the air between us. Everything about you and Mom. Everything about you and Tina. About how I felt I was robbed of a dad when you left us. About how I wish you would spend more time with your grand daughter. About how great a Dad you were when I had you...

I never did get the chance to thank your for my sense of humor, my wit, and my artistic talents. I know my athletic ability is from you, and you were part of the reason I decided to join the Army. I get some of my smarts from you, and my common sense and abiluty to problem solve comes from you too! I wish you had the chance to make me less of a momma's boy growing up, but after you left us I guess that was not to be. Heh.

I am glad that we reconnected before you died. Even if we didn't reconnect ENOUGH. Heh. But you brought joy to my family, and my daughter knows that you loved her while you were here, and I guess that will be enough for me. I'm sorry we didn't get to do the "father and son" things that many men do together...but at least you did take me fishing, went to my soccer games, and lent me your Porsche for the High School Dance.

You weren't the perfect father, but you were my father, and that made you perfect enough for me.

Miss you Dad...rest in peace.

The VP Debates...

2008-10-02T19:05:00.000-07:00

So far, the debate has been...interesting.

All I've seen so far is Joe Biden try to support policies of Obama's that he opposed when he was running against him. And I've seen Palin try to point that out.

So yeah, not really impressed by either one of these candidates. Because so far I haven't seen either of them answer a question totally straight up. It's interesting.

How Much do I love my wife?

2008-10-01T22:39:00.000-07:00

So how much do I love my wife? She bought me this new Macbook that I'm posting with right now. Tis quite awesome! She rules!

So what is a blog for?

2008-06-03T23:34:00.000-07:00

HAHAHA! I just read my last post...what a whiny little girl I am! HAHAHA!

Anyhoo, It's 1135 at night on a Tuesday, and I couldn't sleep, so I decided to blog. And as I was sitting here, trying to figure out what the hell to write, I got to thinking, "what the hell is a blog for anyway?"

Here I've been sitting since I started this damn thing trying to make sure that you all (both of you who read this) are entertained. Which I guess is part of the point. I mean, no one is going to read this if it is not entertaining. But I was also trying to give folks a sort of insight into who I am...ha!

I've decided that none of that is really what a blog is for. A blog is a space for me to put down what I want, when I want, and to write about whatever I want. It's therapy, and cheaper than seeing a doggone shrink every week. So that's what I'm going to do. Use this as therapy. Heh, so here goes...

Lately, and I mean extremely recently, I've been more and more unsatisfied with my life. Mostly it's been with my job, but there have been other pieces that have been bugging me too. So everything has been leading to just a really big dissatisfaction with all things in general. I've been finding more and more peace in just being by myself. Mostly on the motorcycle. Riding a bike is very theraputic for me. It's very technical. So I concentrate on what I'm doing, all the time. You are always putting some type of input into the bike, whether it's more throttle, lean-angle, brake or whatever...there's very little time to think about anything else on a bike. It's nice to just BE for those moments. I think that's why I love to ride so much. I don't worry about anything else on the bike. And I'm just tired of worrying about everything. I guess it's just a family trait to dwell on stuff. Grrrrreeeeeaaaaatttt!

So I think in retaliation against everything that is stressing me, I am becoming a hermit. I find myself talking less and less to the people that matter to me. Strangely, I have been talking more and more to folks who really aren't that important to me. I think it's yet another way of hiding for me. I dunno. And now, instead of talking to someone about everything that is bugging me, I'm writing it on a blog that no one reads. HAHAHAHAHA! Good Lord I'm sooooo passive aggressive! heh!

Well, I guess I should try to turn in. But I need to ask, does any one else do this too?

Work is Gay

2008-05-29T17:52:00.000-07:00

I was gonna apologize if the title of my post offended anyone, then I realized that if it did, you were gonna get offended by me eventually, so I might as well save my energy for something else....LIKE ANGST ABOUT WORK!!!!!

So the reason that work is gay, specifically MY work is gay, is because they keep bending me over and trying to screw me. Apparently someone put a "Everyone's Whipping Boy" sign on my back when I wasn't looking. Everytime I turn around someone is trying to blame me for their failures.

Bite me you monkeys. No more mister nice guy.

The Battalion is home from Kuwait!

2008-05-23T09:06:00.000-07:00

So for those of you who don't know, I've been a member of the National Guard for just about 11 years now. My Battalion went to Kuwait last year to do a convoy security mission, but I didn't go with them. But the Company comes back TODAY! Can't wait to see 'em. Gonna go meet them as they get off the plane.

I heard there was some issues with a Platoon having their story covered by Frontline on PBS. So a couple of those folks are still in Kuwait dealing with the issue. Just like the Army to wait until the last minute and keep everyone from their families. I hate JAG.

So i got a bunch of stuff to finish up here, and then I'm off to see em. Good times all around, and boy do I owe a bunch of beers.

I finally did it....

2008-05-22T10:36:00.000-07:00

So here we are folks, I finally gave into the Phenomenon! I created a blog....happy happy joy joy! I know you are all excited. So here's my first post. WOOHOO! Be awe inspired and amazed...Expect more at random times on random thoughts... You may now return to your normally scheduled lives!