lesson central

For the past year, all I have heard is Web 2.0.  All the workshops I have gone to talk about the tools Web 2.0 has and then they ask us how can you use this in the classroom.  Well I don’t know.  All that I know is that it is there.  No one gives us instruction on how to use it.  Yeah!  I can come up with ideas, but all anyone tells me is have students post their assignments on a wiki.  Why?  I ask.  no answer.  Do they want something more than that?  Are we to teach students how to post?  If so, we are behind them, because they already know how.  Is it to prove we are using technology in class?  If so, that is a poor reason to use a wiki.  Is it to help the students socialize or to share ideas?  Well, again we are behind because they already do it.  Both  verbally in class, hallways, etc and on the net.  So far, The only way I can tell WEB 2.0 is useful – is to talk about it.  Help!  If this is the new tool–then show us oldies how to use it, teach us and then allow us to take it from there.  For a wiki, they say set up a class so they can use it anytime.  I don’t have the time to try to learn how to set up class use.  Show me, take me through the steps and then allow me to utilize this tool and then become proficient in it to use all the time.  We who are older are not that “tech savvy” and need step by step instructions and then time to learn.  

The next thing they want to use is social networking–facebook, twitter.  All I can say, I am not getting on their to talk about my life.  I don’t want to tell the world what I did for the day or plan to do that night.  I am not social.  Yet I had to get a twitter for a class.  Am I going to write a lot ==no.  Mostly because I don’t remember my username and password.  Am I concerned no.  If i don’t remember I will not worry about the credit of the class.  It is not that important to me.  What is important is trying to develop small projects to use in class and to use different approaches to teach.  Web 2.0 tools is only important to new teachers–because that is what they use on a day by day basis.  To them it is a new tech tool just as the computer was to my generation.  Yes, we may need to get to fuse these two together but do not demand we use it and then receive no help or guidance.  DO NOT start complaining when it is not the tool I use all the time.

Well it is almost February.  January was a rare treat with so much snow, we were pushed to do semester exams and to get grades.  I was also pushed in trying to get all the material ready for the High Schools That Work Assessment the first week of February for the seniors.

The Respect and Protect committee is going to have a dance on Friday the 12th for those kids with an 85% or higher on their conduct grade.  We have asked permission and was able to attain it to do have the dance Friday afternoon (weather permitting).   We will be having “Links” class that Friday during that time and the dance will be held during that tim frame.

I miss my husband during holidays.  I would be surprised with a piece of jewelry or dinner or housework done for me when I would get home the day before or day of that special day.  Now I celebrate alone and wish everyone else a happy union. 

The family is slowly getting themselves back to life after Ewell’s death.  It is joyous some days and melancholy others, but we are continuing our life.  Time will lessen the pain but the memories and loss stays with you forever.

At this time, I have been monitoring the snow that is falling.  We may not have school Monday.  If it continues throughout the day, it is a possibility.  Well, happy Valentines Day to everyone!   

I remember when a sweet little boy was born and brought home from the hospital.  He had chubby cheeks and really did look a little like a chipmunk.  I also remember him looking up at me with those little eyes and falling in love.

I will never forget the time his sister helped to change his diaper and exclaimed:  “he has a shoe with a high heel and all I have is a powder puff”  go figure the analogy of anatomy.

I remember a toddler who wanted to look, smell, touch, and taste everything.  He was everywhere trying to discover all the wonders of this world he lived in.  He and his cousins roamed between his house and his grandmothers all day every day.  We were constantly trying to keep doors locked and four young people safe.  We made it until today.

Today at 1 p.m. I received news of Ewell’s death.  The flood of emotion was overbearing.  All these memories and some barely remembered suddenly came rushing back.  How are we to cope with the loss of a loved one?  My head accepted the news but my heart and soul were gouged with despair.  Even though we knew this day was coming, due to his cancer, it is still a shock to know that he is no longer with us.

I believe he died in peace and with the belief that he will be with his dad, grandmothers and grandfathers.  I know his thoughts were of his family before the ability to talk was taken away. 

He was only 40 years old.  Death had no sense of right or wrong or acceptability of when it should arrive at a family’s door.  Death just appears and we mortals must learn how to deal with the loss and remembrance of a loved one.

I will remember tonight all the little things that made Ewell, Ewell.  The good, the bad, the ugly.  I will remember it all to cope with my grief and to come to terms with this loss.  Each of us must deal with it the best we can, either alone in my case, or with other members of the family.  I will survive and will be able to function, but the pain will be there to remind me of him and his life.  Pain will be my companion for some time to come.  I have learned how to accept and learn from this experience.  It just seems it is happening too fast and too much to our family.  God bless each and every member of the Dempsey and Conley families.

God does love us all.

Two years ago, I could not fathom how to use technology in the classroom.  Today I use the internet and have discovered how to use technology to my advantage in the classroom.

During my stint in expanding my teaching abilities, skills, and knowledge, I have learned several interesting facts.  1)  students love the net better 2) they do not want to click on links to read (just give them one big page)  3)  they will stay focused better while on the computer  4)  less trouble in the class room. 

Of course, there still seems to be that one child who does not do what they are suppose to do. 

My Desktop Publishing class, Office Management Class, and College 101 uses the e-mail to send me lessons and I use my blog and theirs to give them individual assignments.  So far, about 10 students did not have an e-mail account and do now, about 15 of them did not know how to attach a file to an e-mail and they are learning how to put pictures on their blogs.

I can see how these skills would help them on their jobs and in college.  Now they need to expand and try things on their own and become better skilled.

Wow! This has been a fantastic summer for me. For the past three days I have been in Charleston West Virginia for our annual West Virginia Career and Technical Education Conference. I learned a lot about our future in teaching and the direction that West Virginia and I imagine the rest of the country is heading toward achieving 21st Century learning.
Thanks to my technololgy technician Peggy Hensley, I at least knew some of the terminology used at the conference and the use of technology in the classroom and why and some ways to use it.
I have already written about David Warlick, the guru of using technology in the classroom, replying to one of my posts and my willingness to use his advice. Well, I had another first. Mark Prensky, the passionate advocate of using technolgy and phrase owner of the title of this post was our guest speaker. I got to hear him speak for two days. I also go to meet him and we had a nice conversation for about 5 minutes. He was a very nice person. He told us about using games and especially one called Typing of the Dead. It promotes keying accuracy and speed and the best part is that it is free online.
I can only say that for whatever reason, God wanted me to take my writing class, meet some very nice people, and expand my abilities of a teacher. HE actually guided me this summer.
I want to thank all the people at the conference for getting such nice speakers and especially my SI fellow members, Andi, Tracy, Mary, Angel, Judy, Debbie, Bob, Susan, Sharon, Debra and Tia. Without all of you my self discovery, enlightenment, self-esteem, and self confience would not be what it is today. God bless you every one.

Warlick hits the nail on the head with students loving to see their material posted, otherwise they would not be writing their thoughts on their own blog, I do find it disturbing because students do not have a self management on their thoughts or emotions at this time of their life and I am afraid what they could inadvertently post without thinking of the ramifications.  I cannot see how I would use a blog in my classes. Maybe because business is a traditional class that I cannot see how it would be used.  I literally can see no use for it.