MAC Week 4-Response to Natasha Hogan

@ Natasha-I agree with you when you say it is all in the way you approach things too. Being the Board is an all around task-in which you are responsible for everything you do-responding / initiating are two major factors in that.

MAC Week 4-Response to Michael Melvin

@ Micheal-I hear what you are saying about exhausting every option before you give up-I really do, but I have had students this year do absolutely nothing in class. No matter what the lesson was, what the project, activity or assignment, they did absolutely nothing. With that, I have to ask, where is the student accountability. Why is it that no one (but me) are telling them that they are responsible for what happens to them as far as schoolwork and education is concerned? Although I am a resource teacher, the student is not doing nothing because of a lack of ability-on the contrary, it is a behavioral concern. I use a quote that I heard at a MLK youth function as a motivation factor:
"if you do nothing in your teens, you will know nothing in your twenties, you will do nothing in your thirties and you will have nothing in your forties..."
I know I am the teacher in the room-the adult as you would, but we are all responsible for what happens to us-young and old.

MAC Week 4-The Art of Possibility Reading

I am a believer of "things happen for a reason" philosophy but I am also a believer that you are responsible for you. A Karma cycle if you would. i have been very conscience of how I behaved and of how I responded to people very early on. I can not take full credit, this is how I was raised. My mother instilled the importance of treating others, no matter their position in life because you just never know. My father taught me that you make your own way, no one will be handing out anything out of the simple goodness of their heart. (2 sides to the coin). I am responsible to my actions.

MAC week 4-Leadership III (3 of 3)

I have decided to submit my my leadership article to be published to 'Edutopia' and 'the Journal' -both are educational informatives for teachers.

mAC Wk 3-Leadership II (2 of 3)

I have looked more into where I might want to have my AR information published. I would like to see my information printed in Edutopia because I feel it has a broader audience and I want to reach the average teacher who has not really attempted to add technology into their lessons yet. I would also like to see my information published to a teacher journal such as the Journal of Interactive Learning Research, or maybe even the Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education.

MAC Week 3 Response to Kaye Williams

@ Kaye-How frustrating that must have been. I am glad you stayed your course. I work with regular ed. and special ed. students and it is unfortunate that students are allowed to move forward without the tools and understanding they need of basic skills. During my student teaching, I was appalled when I came across a student in the 10th grade who did not know how to read beyond a 3rd grade level. How did she get moved up without someone noticing? How could I be expected to teach her with the regular text books that I knew she would never be able to read, process, and comprehend (especially alone for homework)?
I am glad that you stood your ground and not allow administration pressure into doing the students a further disservice by allowing them to take the easy route. Kudos to you.

MAC Week 3 Response to Chuck Mills

@ Chuck-I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. You being asked to create and run the video class / program at your school was no coincidence, I hear how passionate you are with working with your students and I am certain that is the reason for it being one of the most popular electives. The issue of underfunding is a sad side effect. So often are we as teachers expected to produce without product. You are on the right track & I know that you will get what your classes need to continue to teach those 21st Century learner

MAC Wk 3-Leadership Project (1 of 3)

Unfortunately, the thought of where to publish my action research never came to mind. Maybe because I can not imagine seeing something that I created in print or printed by others. Then there goes the thought of having my peers judge me on my information alone. Frightening to say the least.
Where would I think to have my information published? I would definitely want to be placed in a more casual setting-I am not scientific enough to be anywhere else. I would like to reach those teachers who have thought about adding mor

MAC Wk 3-Art of Possibility Reading

There are 2 sides to the Face-to-Face issue. The world as we know it today is avery different world from when business etiquette was established. We need to face up to the challenge and evolve. Not everything needs to be done vis face-to face and can be done quite efficiently.

I live in an area that is very interactive. I can not go to a place without seeing someone I know 3 and 4 times over. If I am going to the post office to mail bills, I will almost always see 2 people I know standing in line to ship. Counter productive. Whereas, I can go on-line, create my payments and then created these bills to be mailed and paid. Very productive.

However, I still believe there s an etiquette for things that wont ever go out of style such as announcing a death, accepting an award, voting, graduating, and interviewing.

MAC Wk 2-Art of Possibility Reading

I think that overall, I try to be a contributor. I look at my students and think what it is that I can do to help them through the learning process. It may not be as a teacher teaching academics. It may very well be someone who does not judge them based on what others may say. It may be as simple as showing that I genuinely care.

I am not sure when exactly I came across the revelation that everyone I come across, no matter there position in life is a person just like me. This profoundness has given me the opportunity to contribute to others in ways I had not known. Now that I am conscience of the contributing factor, I will try my best to contribute every day. I will also try not to be so cynical towards parts of life. I am sure some folks can do without my dry sense of humor. (only those who don't get it of course).

MAC Wk 2-Response to Natasha Hogan

Natasha-as women, we seem to put ourselves at the bottom of the list. even when it comes time to spend quality time. Our calculating self hardly ever turns off because there is so much for us that we do.
That count down is GREAT! I will be sneakin' a peak at that every so often to remind myself to enjoy my experience at Full Sail because it is almost over. I agree with you too, that I have made everlasting friendships through this program.

MAC Wk 2-Response to Michael Melvin

As a teacher, I agree with you, that we need to focus more on the students individually than statistically. Test numbers mean nothing if we have not tried our best to reach at least one. Thank you for your comments.

MAC Wk 2-Podcasts in Education

I am a History teacher so I am always looking for new things to add to my lessons. Using podcasts is one small way to differentiate my instruction and these listed below have some great information and to a great job reinforcing the learning.

Most of the podcasts are from a site called LearnOutLoud.com. I got luck one day in my search for lesson fillers when I happened upon this website. There are podcasts for all subjects and topics. One I want to try and use (when I have extra time) is the podcast about Aesop’s Fables, it sounds fun.

Have a look at what they have to offer, I think you may find some use of it.
http://www.learnoutloud.com/contents/All-LearnOutLoud.coms-Podcasts/9/21

The Podcasts that I use the most are as follows:

Great Speeches in History:
http://www.learnoutloud.com/Catalog/History/-/Great-Speeches-in-History-Podcast/21306

When my class is learning about our country’s great leaders, it is not enough to describe how effective they were when they spoke or how moved the crowds were, so we discuss and listen. Being able to hear the speeches directly make a big difference in what the students get out of learning process. The speech that I listen to the most is the speech made by Booby Kennedy in reference to the death of MLK. (FYI-you may also subscribe this podcast via iTunes).

History in Their Own Words:
http://history.mypodcast.com/

This is a podcast that I use when learning about the 2nd Industrial Revolution / Immigration / Progressivism / The new Deal etc. This series discusses the vision and effectiveness of the President and how this position changed in its self and helped shape our country as we know it today. I use the lesson on Theodore Roosevelt when learning about the Progressive era and the change in the role of the government. (FYI-you may also subscribe this podcast via iTunes).

Stuff You Missed in History Class:
http://www.learnoutloud.com/Podcast-Directory/History/World-History/Stuff-You-Missed-in-History-Class-Podcast/30505#plink

The name says it all; this podcast tells additional information not listed in the textbook. It gives extra facts that my students find interesting such as: how the pony expressed worked / who was the Emperor of the US and / Did the Greeks get their ideas from Africans. We all want to make our selves sound smarter than we believe we are…I have overheard my students telling their school mates some of the things the had learned from the podcast in hopes of sharing something that the next one did not know about. (FYI-you may also subscribe this podcast via iTunes).

The Founding Documents:
http://www.learnoutloud.com/Catalog/Politics/-/The-Founding-Documents-Podcast/19473#plink

This podcast gives an audio version of the founding documents. Reading them alone can be very dry and boring. Listening while reading along is more effective. The bill of rights might be the one I use the most in class. We use the Bill of Rights throughout our history timelines-ex: Plessy v. Ferguson (the 14th Amendment and separate but equal) or Schenck v. United States (freedom of speech). (FYI-you may also subscribe this podcast via iTunes).

U.S. Presidents:
http://www.learnoutloud.com/Catalog/History/American-History/US-Presidents-Podcast/24803

These podcasts give great information on a few of our most popular Presidents. They are a bit long for me to review the entire episode in class so I use bits and pieces. I use the information on Theodore Roosevelt and JFK the most. (FYI-you may also subscribe this podcast via iTunes).

MAC Wk 2-CD Ownership, Music Sharing or Listening

A). Growing up, I moved around so much. I did not live in one spot more than a year until I was in 11th grade. Not that I felt alone or anything but I did feel like a loaner where I was always an outsider. All through which, Prince was my best friend, my boyfriend if you would. I would sit and listen to his records over and over. This for some reason comforted me. I would listen to other artists such as the Tom Tom Club and Michael Jackson; they did not do it for me like Prince did (does).

B). Prince albums are the only albums I spent my money on. I loved the pictures and posters that came with the records. I would hang the posters on the wall of my bedroom and it would drive my mother crazy (because of course he hardly had any cloths on) but I did not care. The other albums would be given to me as birthday or Christmas gifts. I received Michael Jackson’s Bad album, The Debarge family, Earth Wind and Fire and Marvin Gaye (which I totally did not understand…I thought he sang old folks music).

I just stopped myself from purchasing a CD that I want because of the cost. I am not interested in spending $17.00 for only 9 songs. It is outrageous to charge that much for half an album. I can get a double album by Prince for only $9.99 at target. That is a better value (and it having to be Prince has nothing to do with it-just a coincidence).

MAC Week 1 Quickie

I am not sure if it is because it so close to summer here for me (in New Jersey, we are still in school until the end of June), or if it is because I am so near to completing this program or what but I find myself not as confident in my lessons as I had been in the middle of the school year.
There was uncertainty in the beginning, which is understandable, then the confidence builds as you get into the swing of things and the momentum is suppose to keep moving upward but for some reason, I feel as if I am running short and i cant quite put my finger on it. I know when it began, I just don't understand why the sputterings are still here.
If I may think out loud for a moment...Instructors / teachers are in place to instruct of course but please do it in a way where you are not breaking down a student, but are giving the foundation that they can use to build themselves upward.

MAC Week 1 Response to Dedra Thorton

@ Dedra-I am finding that I am becoming more of a visual learner as this program moves along. I used to be the type of person who only needed to listen well and I got everything I needed. Now, I second guess almost everything I hear and believe that what I see is not as it seems either. With that said, I find myself reading the instructions of an assignment over and over again before I finally seek out clarification from a classmate. I am glad distant learning is not solo learning because I know I am getting by with a little help from my friends.

MAC Week 1 Response to Chuck Mills

@ Chuck-How inventive you are. It saddens me however that teachers need to resort to such things to complete these simple tasks on their own. I would have never been able to think of a great simple fix. I would have been waiting and calling for the projector to be mounted. I don't believe that it is malicious intent when these things happen but it sure does make teaching the best way we can a little more difficult. I applaud your efforts and not getting discouraged while you waited. Anyway, I think this way is better because it is also portable. Cheers to you.

MAC Week 1 Readings

Reading Chapters 1-3
As a teacher (resource teacher), I am not traditional in the sense that I expect my students to sit still and sit quietly while I lecture for 40+ minutes. Learning does not work that way. It is placing restraints on our students and it is like putting restraints on their creativity. I encourage out of the box thinking. I have even allowed my students to come up with ideas and suggestions for lessons. I have even one year allowed my students to teach each other a lesson as a final project.

As a parent, I find it much more difficult to allow my own children to move outside of that boxed in position. There are so many reasons as to why...they attend Catholic school which tends to be a little stricter with the studies, I went to Catholic school so I have a certain expectation from experience and I am an educator which means I expect so much more from my children because there are no excuses for them.

I am trying to give a balance of both, on the edge of that box. That way, they can dart in or out as needed.

MAC Week 1 Technology in your school

I work in a school that is quite new. About 5 years old. The school is HUGE, about three time the size of the old building used for the high school but it is already too small for the students that attend. With that said, there are never enough computers to use in the library, there are only 30 working computers. If there are more than one class that needs to use the computers then it is a mad house. As soon as the bell rings and the students arrives in the library its a race to an open computer. Madness!

The classrooms are to be equipped with one teacher computer and a TV and these two should be connected to each other as so to have more teaching options. This good in theory but in my room, the computer is not available on the TV so I am not able to show notes via Word or PowerPoint. The computers do not have sound so I am not able to use any type of video / audio clips in my lessons unless I bring in my own computer to do so.

There are smart boards in use in the school but only in the science department, they were lucky enough to win a grant to pay for their new toys. I know one teacher who uses a mimio but she purchased this with her own funds. There are only four projectors that can be signed out through the library but there are 150 teachers in the building and having one of the four available becomes very difficult.

Each department has apple laptop computers that make me very happy to have but we are still trying to get all of the kinks out so they can be used to benefit the learning process. The IT department are very hard to convince when it comes to out of the box technology ideas (out of their box). Not to worry there, I am wearing them down slowly but surely. This is where all of my non-tenure boat rocking coupons get used up.