Arianna’s first post here at Edublogs

Below is the first post from my daughter, a whopping 17 months old…missing is some of the post, she vaporized my edit button on Word and I can not get it back on the template…therefore I can no  longer undo her or anyone’s deletes. The typing is all hers, a true digital native…

,y\thyt4

777777777777777b\ ,n\kkh0

 nnv tnhb
xj000000zz

 

mnnnnnnnnnnn77

   0.     j

?[[nnnnvmnmlllllll0‘

, j

 

 

]/jj

 

I

\o\

 hmmmmgn1bg,.]iiiiiiujnmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

 

 

 

bh\                                           40zs7HhBf

h||Fd-

            z

 

yu’’’ cvvcvg’’’  yi’’’’’’’c Vvvvdzhzg……sas

vflk.   xc9.xZr333|\\L/KKKKKKK?xz1zx, 
k;bvvs1t6rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Productive Chaos

It is almost 10:30 PM, my day started at 4:30 AM when my daughter woke up as my alarm went off. The rest of my day went about as it started, hectic with much multi-tasking. In the course of today, I attended a parent conference, discussed the presidential primaries with my seniors, helped coordinate the finishing of the freshman projects for my classes, including publishing work to our class wiki. I helped set up fellow teachers with technology, which will enable their students to use technology within the classroom in more areas. When I got home, I started my grad work, then played with my daughter when she woke up from her nap, as I monitored some professional development networks I belong to. I adjusted my lesson plans at school from home with a new program we are implementing at work. We had family time after a late dinner at 7:30 PM. After my daughter fell asleep at 9:30 PM or so, it was back to my grad work.

As hectic as the day was I loved it. I not only accomplished many things, I did them well, or at least I feel I did. The students carried the day, by asking questions during discussions and helping each other out with the technology, I just kind of guided the situation, but let them drive the content. Working with my colleagues, they wanted to add new wrinkles to their curriculum for their students, all I did was help with a little bit of a set up, they ran with the rest.

The hardest part was trying to work at home when I wanted to spend time with my daughter, she is my first priority. She enjoys playing on the computer, so I could update my work in small chunks of information with her on my lap “helping.” I would not mind if if every day is as hectic as today, if I could accomplish as much as I feel I did, with the level of success that I had. Tomorrow starts too soon, but I will see the results of today in the students’ work when I get up and check the class wiki in the morning. Hopefully my feleings are on the mark, today

Techno-Geek

Today the obvious has slapped me right across the face. Something that has been lurking in the front of my mind close enough to know it is there, but far enough away that I could not make it out, until now. I realize that I am becoming a techno-geek. Not that it is a bad thing, I still have around 20 years or so left in education and I need to stay ahead of the curve, (bad pun unavoidable). Afterall, what good am I in the modern era if I am teaching with strictly 19th century skills.

I am so fired up that I have been telling everyone I know about a new trick I figured out on my own today. No help from anyone, just me coming up with something new.

I told everyone left in the building, called a couple of people I work with who were gone, sent a couple of e-mails to others, I even posted it to my Twitter network…geek. Total geek. Before it was intentional. I was a geek to annoy those who annoyed me…now I have no control over it.

For those who have not heard, I embedded review questions into my class wikispace for the students’ quiz tomorrow. I did not know it could be done with my test generator program, until this afternoon.

Hopefully the review will be used by students and they will do well on tomorrow’s quiz. If not tomorrow, word will spread and many will use the ones I make in the future. It is useful and the kids should benefit.

I am an old dog learning new tricks…an old dog willing to teach others the tricks I learn…I have become… a techno-geek.