Ed Blog

I decided to check out one of the EduBlogs on the Ctools site and that one that I chose made me laugh. This is the site: http://talkingsmac.blogspot.com/, titled "Confessions of a Middle School Teacher and I found the posting from a Wednesday in February fairly amusing because I was actually feeling the same way today! For whatever reason, Wednesday is the day that helps me make it through the week. Wednesdays always go smoothly, I am able to get work done and my students typically enjoy the activities that we do on these days. It may have something to do with the fact that we almost always go to the language lab, so maybe the change of scenery is what I enjoy, but regardless, I like Wednesdays. Although graduation is this weekend, it doesn't really feel like graduation because we're not done for over another month. As I was thinking about this Sunday night, it kinda bummed me out and Monday and Tuesday were a little rough. The kids were crazy, the weather was gross yesterday, and I was just not feeling it. However, today was great. I got a ton of work done, the kids were wonderful, and I left school feeling much better and satisfied with the day. When I read this blog, I realized that I also really look forward to Wednesdays...not as much as Fridays of course, but they're a close second. I think that this time of year is difficult for teachers and it's easy to get run-down. The students just want it to be summer, you just want it to be summer, and yet you still have over a month to go. It's hard to find the motivation to keep going, but I've found that if I can make it to Wednesday, I'm usually good to go. It definitely has something to do with the fact that the weekend is approaching, but for whatever reason, Wednesdays just go smoothly and it's great. I wouldn't necessarily say that Wednesday is the new Friday, but it's definitely pretty good:)

In keeping with my content area, I decided to check out a couple foreign language blogs. One that I found particularly interesting discussed a variety of foreign language topics, which I appreciated. It wasn't narrowed down to one issue, but instead explored several different ideas and questions that someone learning a foreign language might have. The link is: http://learnaforeignlanguage.blogspot.com/ One post that I thought was neat involved seeking out native speakers to increase one's fluency. This is something that I've looked into and have heard from others that it's a great way to brush up on your skills and become a more confident speaker. There are several ways to go about doing this such as identifying regions or cities that have a large population of people that speak that language. Organizations that have been designed to help people acquire a foreign language are also a good source, as well as simply putting an ad in the local newspaper. Regardless of the route you decide to take, it's a great way to improve your skills and learn more about the that particular language or culture. Another topic that was discussed involved the different ways in which learning a foreign language is beneficial. Many people are aware of the fact that society is becoming increasingly global, and the acquisition of a foreign language is very valuable. In order to remain competitive with the rest of the world, it's imperative that we focus on incorporating this into the curriculum of schools. Additionally, learning a foreign language is a great way to exercise the brain. Many older adults are looking to foreign language learning as a way to keep their mind active. Soooo...basically, I found that this blog had a lot of interesting comments and feel that it would be helpful for someone who was thinking about/in the process of learning another language!

Job Fair

This past week I went to my first job fair in Ft. Collins, CO. It didn't turn out great, but I feel that I learned a lot and will be able to use the information that I gathered for future job fairs. The positions that were in highest demand were Spanish, ESL and Special Education teachers, so as someone in the field of French, I was kinda out of luck. However, I did end up interviewing with one school and I'm really glad that I was able to do this. Interviews can be tough and you have to be able to think quickly and respond in ways that set you apart from the other hundreds of people applying for the job. Immediately after the interview, I was able to reflect on some of the answers that I'd given and realized how I could improve upon them in the future. This week's UofM job fair will likely be similar and I'm hoping that I will be able to talk to more schools about my year in SMAC and the experiences that I've had. The job search is definitely a lot harder and more time consuming that I thought it would be! You have to do your research on the schools and be prepared to answer a wide variety of questions. You also have to be really persistent. I think it's good that our program is coming to an end because I know that I really need to focus on the job search right now and it's difficult to do so when dealing with other homework assignments, projects...For now I'm just going to keep my fingers crossed and continue to fill out applications whenever possible and wait to see what happens:)

MACUL

Yesterday was the MACUL conference and we all headed down to Cobo to check out the newest tech-related teaching issues and ideas. As someone who isn't as enthusiastic about technology as others, I was surprised to find myself really enjoying the presentations and I walked away with a lot of new information! The first session that I attended discussed the dangers of the internet and safety measures that can be taken to help our kids avoid falling into these traps. It's incredible to me that 16 yr. old kids know how to hack through filters and access sites that they shouldn't be seeing, but apparently this is not uncommon. As teachers, it's imperative that we educate ourselves and our students on the dangers of the internet and help them understand how it can affect them in the longterm. The man who presented offered examples of classrooms that were participating in activities that allowed students to see first-hand how the internet can be detrimental to their future, which I felt was a great idea. Kids would create resumes or portfolios and then post them on the internet with the idea that they would perform a search of themselves and see what turns up. I thought that this was a great way of showing them that you really have to careful what you post on the web.

The second session seemed interesting at first, but it turned out to be a little bit strange. The idea behind this presentation was designing lessons that incorporate the five senses. The speaker provided research and examples of this teaching strategy as well as an activity for the audience to try. I liked the idea of using music to stimulate student's senses and get their creative juices flowing, but some of the exercises were a little bit out there. While it was certainly interesting, I'm not sure if I'd use these strategies on my own students.

The third session that I attended was the most interesting to me, which is funny, because it was all about learning how to use Web 2.o tools. As I said above, I'm not a big tech person, but this session made me want to be!! First of all, the presenter was insanely enthusiastic and did a great job of showing off these tools. Second, the tools that she did present were so neat and I would really like to use them in the future. Some of the tools that were discussed included Tripit, Yelp, Remember the Milk, Ustream, and Jott. My tech knowledge is really limited, so these may not be anything really new and exciting, but I definitely enjoyed learning about them and hope to use a couple in the future. I think the hardest part for me is that I feel so behind in the world of technology and it can be overwhelming sometimes when you think about everything that's out there. However, these tools seem pretty easy to use and I think that the more I use them, the more comfortable I will become with all this tech stuff. Overall, it was a nice way to spend a Friday and I was definitely able to take some new ideas and info away from the conference!

MACUL Session 1: Safety on the Internet

This session involves the dangers that exist online and how we can help our kids avoid these traps. The guy that is giving the seminar has made some really good points and seems very knowledgeable on this topic. Interesting stuff!

He's talking about how filters are fairly ineffective and the best way to help your kids is become educated on this topic. The knowledge that kids possess today is quite significant, and many of the actions that are taken by administrators and teachers, like creating filters, aren't doing enough.

AND I'm really annoyed because this thing won't post!!!!

You have to have the ability to monitor online activities to take legal action.

CIPA - Children's Internet Protection Act

Schools must have a policy and implement certain procedures in order to recieve the E-rate discounts

CIPA supports the use of chats, email...but simply wants to make it safer for students to use these options. WOW!

We need to think about what kids are doing now and what they might be doing in the future that will be related to using the internet and online activities.

Elgg.net - create your own social networking platform that is installed on your own served and you decide how much is public or private... pretty cool!


Ning: Also lets you create your own social networking site.

Ed-Safe Alternatives: takingitglobal.org - how to make a social impact on the world, get more involved

-Now required of the curriculum in Pennsylvania
-Public site
-Very carefully monitored, a safe place for students

BeRecruited.com- Helpful for students

Crowdspring.com - Graphic designers-if you need a logo, someone who can design or create websites...post what you need and people will respond to your request

Des Moines - Students are creating online portfolios for colleges and employers to find and then search for themselves to see what admissions will find about them...pretty cool!

Overall, good presentation and I feel like I learned more about this topic. The presenter was really enthusiastic and included good information and websites to reference!

MACUL Session 1

MACUL TEST