Blog

While Typepad has an excellent method of writing blog posts on line, I like to use an offline tool.  My favorites are Live Writer — my netbook is set up to use it, and Adobe Contribute.

I purchased most of the Abode CS3 products with my STEM award several years ago, and have enough licenses to have it on most of my personal computers, and I have CS4 on my district laptop — the computer I’m using to blog with now.

I was a bit disappointed in CS4 Contribute as some of the features that worked with CS3 wasn’t working.  I finally remembered I had problems installing part of it, so I reinstalled CS4 Contribute last night and the tools that were missing are back.

In particular, the Internet Explorer shortcuts to blog about a web site were missing are back now.

Quoted from http://www.isteconnects.org/2009/06/04/what-does-internet-blocking-suggest-to-students/:

What Does Internet Blocking Suggest to Students? | ISTE’s NECC09 Blog

Filtering and blocking only serve to produce distrust among our students. Filtering and blocking suggest one thing: you are not to be trusted.

I really agree with this article.  I’ve ALWAYS resented the blocking that our district has applied as it doesn’t work well enough.  I was in the library the other day and several students were playing games.  I don’t understand why Twitter is blocked but these games are not.

Besides the kids are really good at using proxy sites.

I do believe that the library probably should have blocking software as the librians are not watching the students, but the classroom computers should not be blocked.

I perfectly good at keeping my students busy enough that they don’t have time to get into trouble on the internet.

I already knew that — they could saved a bundle if only they would have listened.  It really does pay to teach teachers how to teach better and you can find out who is good just how they handle staff development.  Good teachers participate and find something to take home.  Bad ones either don’t go, whine that they have to be there, or just sit in a corner like a lump. 

I will also say that not every teacher is going to be effective with every student.  I’ve not meshed with one or two a year, and it is hard to say why we didn’t get along.  I suspect in one kids case, I reminded of his mom and they had a horrible relationship according to dad.  In that case, the kid should be allowed to switch classes and find someone they can get along with.

Quoted from http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gBfu1Zu7aIsLeH_NGiMaHbc4AEnQD98F58R80:

The Associated Press: New CEO: Gates Foundation learns from experiments

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation spent billions of dollars exploring the idea that smaller high schools might result in higher graduation rates and better test scores. Instead, it found that the key to better education is not necessarily smaller schools but more effective teachers.

I love OneNote — and use it more everyday.  Also find new things to do with it on a regular basis.

Here's a great support site:  http://www.iheartonenote.com/index.php#meteor:Zwg817WUv0P

It may be the "easiest way to learn a language", but it isn’t the easiest software to install.

Because of our district firewalls, we have to have someone at an administrative level install it.  Fortunately one of our Network Engineers came out and installed it. However, apparently a piece was missing, perhaps because of the firewall, and he had to come out a second time.  He also came out a third time to help activate a language.  I’m hoping in the future, I can do activate new languages on my own.

We both learned a lot, and hopefully next sschool, he can do it all in one trip.

The biggest problem is the activation — because of the firewalls, theirs and ours, we have to activate via email.  That means putting in the license code, generating a file, emailing it to them, waiting for it to come back, putting in the license code AND their file in again, and getting second file.  It takes about a 6 hour turn around for each file if you are successful, we were not’.

The worse part, is that their program issues error codes when the process has actually been successful.

Making bad things even worse, our library is located as far as possible from my room. Hopefully the kids will enjoy the software.

Yesterday was our last full day and I finished grading this morning.  Whew!

It’s been a rough year.  Kids rarely met my expectations — with some notable exceptions. Being Campus Technologist was HUGE hurdle, but I think I finally have it under control.  We’ll see as we close out.

Nothing not quite like sitting in a meeting, watching a training video from the district, and it says, "If you have any questions ask your Teacher Tech" — which by the way isn’t our title, but tell everyone watching the video that. — and you haven’t heard one word about the program and have no training.  Oh, and that afternoon had to leave school training to get training on the program.  Talk about a cluster.  Oh, and the issue would cost people’s job is they didn’t do it.

I have to give the French finals — that’s interesting since the district finals count towards Classroom Effective Indexes and that is giving the district to right to fire, we can’t give our own any more.  Oh, and don’t forget I write my subjects … not that I ever remember what I put on the test six months later.  Concepts yes, exact questions, will no.

Student last day is Wednesday, my last day on campus is Thursday.

I’ve finished and turned in 8th grade curriculum, though I might look at it again this weekend.

I’m in the middle of working on the MIddle School Girl’s camp. The one I am supposed to teach might not happen, and if so, that’s okay. Yes, I’ll be disappointed and I’m sure Ill still get some hours out of it, but I’m not really a middle school person.

Still writing district finals.

Have two workshops in July.

And yes, as I explained to someone in the hall — there is no such thing as "Weaver Free Time", but you are welcome to come carve out a slice of time for yourself any time you want.

I was in the library today working on activating Rosetta Stone <snarl> and the kids next to me were playing a game on the computer.  I was shocked as it was not blocked… 

Anyway, I started a conversation with the two guys and said, hey, you need to take my class next year. 

Response:

" I already took a computer class and I don’t need to take another."

I snorted at him and said, well, I teach cool stuff and you didn’t learn anything cool in that class."

He said he learned Word, Powerpoint and Excel and that was enough.

I walked off shaking my head.

So who is teaching these children this garbage and how do I counteract it?

I know I need to be more visible around the students, this year, I have been so teacher focused, I haven’t gotten a chance to know any kids, even the ones in my classroom, so that’s my first vow.

Several weeks ago, Alfred Thompson was asking what should be included in a PreAP course, and I answered that the programming language used should be the same that is on the test (currently Java).

I feel very strongly that the purpose of a PreAP Computer Science course is to be the first half of AP Computer Science.  Because of our scheduling, PreAP is for students who have already been identified as talented and gifted. They are also students who are concurrently enrolled in Algebra I.  This does not make me happy as it means I get a lot of immature 9th graders in the class.  My class is the only TAG identified elective so there are a lot of kids who take the class who don’t want to. Immature 9th graders, even TAG ones, are a pain when they are not happy.  For one, they won’t try things.

On the other hand, I’ve written the curriculum for a Middle School Girls camp, which I am getting ready to teach as the lead technical person.  I’ve also written the curriculum for a six weeks of programming for Middle School and have written a proposal for a 9th grade Introduction to Instructional Technology class.  

I feel completely different about these courses as opposed to PreAP.  I’m hoping to take load off the AP Course by teaching PreAP the way I do.

I’ve suggested Alice for all three of these courses. 

In the Middle School Girl’s camp, I’m hoping to get to loops.  I’m hoping to get to Events in the Middle School course, and I am hoping to get all through Alice with High School. 

I’m also introducing Web Page design in all three courses and introducing multimedia in all three courses.  All courses we do offer at the high school level.

I’ll let you know in a month how the middle school girl’s camp goes.

One of my favorite kids — I’m still really proud of myself for sending him home last year when he was sick. Come to find out he is was in the middle of an appenditis attack.

Quoted from http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/city/northdallas/stories/DN-cengoodkid_24cen.ART.Central.Edition1.508fd0d.html:

Dallas Good Kid: George ‘Ross’ Shwarts of Hillcrest | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | North Dallas/Addison News

Dallas Good Kid: George ‘Ross’ Shwarts of Hillcrest