Category: Blog

What has happened that we are so afraid to teach students things that are useful and powerful?

Computer Science Teacher – Thoughts and Information from Alfred Thompson : Department of Learning Prevention

I really agree with Alfred on this issue.  For a large school district we probably have the most freedom, but we’re shut down in weird ways.

For example, I want to use a gaggle.net chat room but it doesn’t work.  I’ve emailed the guy who is supposed to be in charge of this, but still haven’t heard from him after two days.

The weird thing, is that Instant Messenger works fine, so we may end up using that.

First, I undestand people are getting a CGI error when they post comments.  Would someone please email me at kathleen at gmail and let me know what it is.  A screen shot would be terrific.

The good news, is that the comment gets posted, but delayed because I have to approve it.

Next, life has been very full since school started.  I have about twice the number of students as last year which doesn’t affect set up time, but does mean that grading takes up lots more time. 

I really haven’t had time or energy to do anything in front of a computer but school stuff.  Hopefully that will change soon.

lists six things that he’d like to see computer science programs teach

Computer Science Teacher – Thoughts and Information from Alfred Thompson

I’m just a lowly high teacher teacher, so most of the 6 things I can’t teach — but I do work hard on the first.  I also believe that communication skills are important, so I have my students doing lots of writing.

Besides, they have a test over it …

Something that has come up in my district — and something that causes me some concern — am I as a teacher using Google TOO much, and if so, am I crossing ethical boundaries when I do?

Google, as all search engines, make their money from advertising. Thus using Google (or any other product supported by advertising) products exclusively with my students might very well be crossing ethical boundaries.

I even wonder that sometime when we use Microsoft products exclusively, even if the district paid for them.

Google has several products available to educators that you might find of interest to use yourself or with your students.

Are you googling in your class?

Very interesting schedule this year, and my plate is quite full. 

First Period
I have CS I and 3 AP Students.

Second Period
PreCS and about 6 AP Students

Third Period
PreCS and about 6 AP Students

Fourth Period
Off — Very nice, it’s our lunch period

Fifth Period
Webmastering

Sixth Period
CS I and 2 AP Students

7th Period
Webmastering

I really want to kill Web Mastering.  They keep adding to the products we teach: I have go to over the Office products, but we do produce web pages with all of them.  HTML, Dreamweaver, PhotoShop, FireWorks, and Flash.  That’s way to much material in my opinion for the level of student that Web Mastering attracts.

I manage to kill Web Mastering every few years, then get talked into bringing it back.

However, right now, our population is finally getting stable — we were very over crowded and really need someone else to teach Webmastering.  In fact, we were so full I had trouble servicing all the kids who needed CS.  If our population remains where we are at now, I really do need to teach either Webmastering or will have to teach math.  However, I really do like teaching math in the computer lab.

We’ll have to see.

But I’m definitely going to teach Webmastering the way I think it should be taught.

I sure hope he uses the opportunity to make a better life for himself.  I read the stories and even did some online searches to see if anyone had started a fund for him — and nice to see I wasn’t the only one touched by his actions. 

That has changed. On Saturday, Mr. Hernandez learned that Dunwoody College of Technology had offered him a full scholarship toward a degree in applied science. He has also received offers of help from dozens of strangers across the country, said Molly Schwartz, communications director for Pillsbury United Communities, which employed him as a gym coordinator for one of its summer programs.

Bridge Hero Gets Offer: Paid Tuition – New York Times

Several weeks later — I was able to fix my husband’s VPN by opening all the ports.  At some point I want to sit down and open up the right ports.

The really wild thing, is that GOTOMYPC works just fine with no problem.  I don’t understand but that’s okay.

We’ve had one outage since we’ve gotten the system and it was around 1:30 and husband should have been asleep anyway so I don’t mind.

However, getting rid of the old service has been a real PITA.  I was on the phone for over 15 minutes yesterday, over 12 on hold to make sure that the service had been cancelled.

Then saw this morning we’d been billed for August anyway and was on the phone again.  The good news is that extending my husband’s email cost less than $7.00.

Definately happy with the service but miss the second DVR.

The internet is great but the husband’s VPN isn’t working — not through the wireless or through his computer.  It was on a Static IP, so that might be it.

I am not going to blame anyone person, especially both my husband and I are also responsible.  As the U-Verse tech was leaving, the Orkin guy came by, so it could be him too.

After the install, I let the girls out and then back in.  Then I loaded up and took the boxes back to Time Warner.

Husband came in while I was out and let the girls out too.  When we let them back in, there were only two beagles.  The best beagle, oldest, best trained and most wonderful was missing.  Marcie.  http://www.kweaver.org/photos if anyone cares.

We walked up and down the street and through the neighborhood.  Couldn’t find her.  Finally at 8:00 pm I came home and looked her up on petfinders and found:

I found a sweet older female beagle playing on Josey Ln between Valwood & Valley View. The poor thing nearly got hit during 5:00 traffic, so I stopped & picked her up. I drove around trying to see if anyone was looking for her…no luck so I brought her home. She was wearing a yellow collar with a black & white checkered pattern on it. I had to take her to the Carrollton Shelter…I hope you find her!

That has to be her.  Just has to.   I’m going to bail her out of jail in the morning and probably can’t sleep until she’s in my bedroom.

On a happier note ….

So we’re in the middle of the install, and I’m without phone lines — I think they are replacing the phone block and if they are smart they will put it somewhere else.  It’s at the apex of the house right now, which does keep the wires high and neat.

I feel pretty good about the internet — we’ll go to dynamic IPs, and that’s fine with me.  And cool with the husband — he’s got a VPN and claims it works with the wireless when he’s on the road so should be fine.

I’m still worried about the TV experience, I am used to full HD and two DVRs.  I need to find a temporary solution for the DVR thing.  But maybe their video on demand service will suffice.