 Well, it's almost the end of the 2nd trimester! Man, time flies when you're busy learning new things and trying out new skills and activities! We've continued to work on mastering word processing and design apps like Word & Pages, as well as presentation software like PowerPoint and Keynote. You can check out samples of the kids' work on the Current Events pages labeled "Student Projects," or on the Writing Partners page, too.
I'm especially excited about the Writing Partners project. We've paired up with a teacher and her classes in Bellport, Long Island, NY. This is all thanks to my long-time colleague, Mrs. Galaske, who, alas, is no longer at Moffitt! I hope it all works out for all of us, though. It's been a bit slow going in getting letters back and forth. Hurricanes, teacher relocations, class combinations and switching, and just the everyday expectations and responsibilities will do that to your schedule and product output! Whatever comes of it, I think it will benefit those involved in some meaningful way. Experience is the best teacher, after all.
We also just finished our first class-wide required iMovie project, using the iPads. A few students had done little videos here and there for whatever project, but this time they all had to shoot video and format it into a "finished" product using iMovie. Once I figure out how to transfer them from the iPads to something else, I will put them up on the Project pages. Again, experience is the best teacher, and I'm learning a lot.
 Students used iPads and desktop computers to study ancient humans' stone tool technology at becominghuman.org. How far we've come since the days of writing down lessons on clay tablets! We've been studying hominids and early human ancestors in social studies. But here's the odd thing: we have rarely used our textbooks! They're a great resource, but we've been focusing on digital media to get our info. Two great resources: The History Channel and its website (of course! It's in the name!), and one of their programs, From Ape To Man, on DVD. We've also made extensive use of becominghuman.org, a great site curated by Donald Johanson (click on the site name above and the link will take you there!). He's the paleontologist who helped discover the famous "Lucy" fossils of one of our earliest bipedal hominid ancestors, Australopithecus.I plan on doing a lot more things like this. The British Museum has great sites covering Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, China, and Greece. They're very kid-friendly, yet highly informative, with rigorous content and interesting, fun, and educational activities. If you're teaching ancient cultures, or just interested in them, I highly suggest checking those sites out, too. Here's a some links:
 OK, so it's been almost a month now. There are still some "bugs" to work out, but all in all, things have been moving along smoothly. The students have truly embraced the use of technology (as if anyone had doubts!!!), and we already have a few "postable" projects completed. They've done a Keynote presentation focused around demonstrating their learning of words created from the Latin root "PED" (foot). They've also recorded audio or video reflections on what they learned and what they think about 9/11 and what it means to us and the world. This was done after a few sessions of internet research, using history.com as our main resource.
The students themselves have also been a source of digital tech resources. Several students regularly bring in and use their own devices, from iPods to Nooks and laptops. I really appreciate their responsibility. It also helps "spread the wealth," since now more students have access to tech at the same time. There's less waiting and switching.
I hope to have examples of these products posted soon. I need to, since we already have other creations on the way!!!
 Well, we made it through the first "week" (1 and a half days, actually). I want to thank my new students for being resilient and flexible. We had no A/C in room 405, so we had to tough it out at times, and then we also had to migrate to cooler pastures. There was no complaining, and I think we even gave the rest of the school a good example of what moving from place to place while being responsible, respectful and safe looks like. Great job, Mustangs!!!
I think we are up for a great year. I can tell that my students are eager for new experiences, and I am eager to provide them. "What's gonna work? Teamwork!!" Let's do it!
 I just received a comment from a former student, on a blog from the previous year (regarding the American Math Challenge and World Math Day). It said, simply, "I miss school."
And you know what? I do, too. I enjoy my time off, of course, but I also love my job. I like the environment of "school" and being in "official" places of learning (though learning is a 24/7 activity). I guess that's why I became a teacher.
"I miss school." That's a moving statement. On a personal level, it makes me feel good, since I hope it means that I was able to make that student enjoy her time in my class. On a more general level, it's encouraging to hear that from a student in the middle of summer! Most kids, and a lot of school employees, would be more concerned with the upcoming demise of summer.
So, thanks for that comment, and for the fact that you came back to our class site! And to all my former students, I hope to hear from you in the future, and I hope you check back with me and the class site. I will do my best to keep you posted as to what's going on. And remember, once a Mustang, always a Mustang!! Come by and see me. You know where I'm at. . . .
p.s. To the comment maker, don't forget to enjoy the last of your summer, and have a great 7th grade. I hope to see you and hear about it.
Is it just me, or does it seem like the world's moving much faster these days? The second trimester is nearly over, we're nearly a fourth of the way through 2012--didn't we just start the school year a few weeks ago?
At least it seems like my students are getting more proficient with the various digital technology we have available. They've learned how to use Keynote and Pages, on both desktop and tablet computers. They've created travel brochure, concert posters, sale ads. Some of them have worked with digital photography and video, and then turned them into something more with iPhoto and iMovie. You can see a lot of these products on the site. Look around.
And you know what? I'm learning a lot, too. I had no idea how to get the kids' projects off of the iPads, but now I do. In fact, I didn't really know how to use a tablet computer; now I (sort of) do, and I'm getting better every day. So are the kids, and that's what it's all about.
I just wanted to share one of my favorite things with you all: daily comics. This one is called F-Minus. Comedy often tells us the truth about life that no other genre can. One great resource for daily comics, editorials and political cartoons is gocomics.com. I use it every day. Enjoy!!!!
THE ABOVE VIDEO WAS SHOT AS STUDENTS WORKED ON A "K-W-L" CHART OF THEIR HOLIDAY ORIGINS ONLINE RESEARCH AND LISTENED TO BOB DYLAN'S VERSION OF "MUST BE SANTA". This is all spontaneous.
Well, I wasn't sure if we should set aside some time, on our last day of school before the winter holiday vacation, to "chill out" and party a bit. On the one hand, it's always good to take a step back and relax after working hard for a while. But that was the thing that was bothering me: many of my students weren't really working all that hard.
In fact, a lot of them hadn't been doing much of anything lately. And the last thing I wanted to show them is that you can get rewarded in life for doing little or nothing. To be sure, that is sadly true in some cases; you can't count on that, however. So, I put forth this idea: only those who had shown that they'd been doing their work would be eligible for our "Holiday Chill-Out" party.
Well, at first, less than half the class met the requirements. I even considered sending those kids to other classes which were having parties, and keeping the "slackers" for a make-up work session. But in the end, nearly all of Room 405's students were able to participate. A few stayed after school to get stuff done (good work, Brianna and William!). Some had to work during their lunches and recesses, even on our last day, to be able to enjoy the party.
So, I hope we can all learn from this. If you want to be rewarded, you have to do what is expected of you. It's true in school, it's true in all areas of life. Once you realize and accept that, life seems to make more sense.
Well, we finally got our class set (6) of iPad 2s. Sweet! I'd like to give a very big "shout out:" of thanks and support to Mr. Jim Speth, who brought them to us and got us going. And of course, a big shout out to Mr. Ernesto Centeno, who along with Mr. Speth is spearheading the MIT program for our district. Without them, and all the others involved, we'd probably be stuck in the 20th century, if you know what I mean.
The kids are more than excited. They definitely want to learn more about using these great tools. Several students have stayed for hours after school helping to find, download, and organize great apps for us to use. That right there shows the engaging power of technology in education. That's great for the students in so many ways. These experiences and skills are really what they need, along with the traditional aspects of education and knowledge, to get ahead and be ready for life in this Digital Age.
I can't wait to see what they are able to learn, and how they're going to be able to show it. I'm sure they're ready, too.
Well, the American Math Challenge is over. Thanks to all the Mustangs in 5th and 6th grade that worked hard to show what Moffitt can do! Final results will be posted Monday, 10-17; the top 30 students will be invited to participate as an elite "math special forces" class in the World Math Day in March of 2012..
It was great watching our students get excited and get into math. That doesn't happen too often; at least not as often as it should. This is just another great example of how digital technology can boost student interest and motivation. Plus, since kids were competing against other students around the country, they got a real-life look at the people they'll be encountering, and competing with for jobs and stuff, when they get older.
I truly believe that our school, and the whole district, would be greatly served by purchasing licenses to use Mathletics, or any of Voyager Learning Systems' programs. No, I'm not a paid endorser. I've just seen the power of the programs first-hand in the 4 years I've been involved in the American Math Challenge and World Math Day events this company puts on. I've seen it boost kids' skills and desire to excel immensely in just the few short weeks we've had access to these systems over the years. And yes, I hope some of the people in charge of this type of stuff read this and truly think about it.
"And that's all I got to say about that . . ."
Sorry, I watched Forrest Gump again the other day. Couldn't help myself.
PS. IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE EVENTS OR PROGRAMS I'M TALKING ABOUT, FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME. WORLD MATH DAY IS COMING IN EARLY MARCH 2012. IT'S A GREAT MATH EVENT. DON'T MISS IT!
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