TTBP - Teachers To Be Praised

I had many teachers in my school career that made an impact on me in both positive and negative ways. Some teachers, with their love, care, concern and connections, have set an example of the kind of teacher that I would like to be.  There have also been a few teachers that have set the example of what not do orhow not to act.  I would like to share the story of a teacher who made a positive impact.

Walter Dewar - He was a high school math teacher.  I had him for geometry and calculus.  I was not a math genius.  In fact, I didn't really like math.  I was pretty good at solving equations and word problems but geometry was not my thing!  Mr. Dewar, though, made learning fun.  He set the tone of high expectations but he also created a safe climate where we could take chances and not experience the fear of failure.  From the constant playing of the song, "We are the Champions" to the carrot of a money prize, he encouraged us to achieve at high standards.  He set a goal that if at least 100 girls would take BC Calculus our senior year and pass the exam then he would give us $100 and take us to eat at III Forks!  He set that challenge our sophomore year. He constantly talked about it and encouraged us. And guess what, we accomplished that goal.  WOW!  I will never forget the feeling of pride and excitement.  And even better, I got AP credit and didn't have to suffer through Calculus in college!

Thanks Mr. Dewar! You inspired me...

Teaching and Learning Class Documents

Link to Teaching and Learning Documents

Blogging Again...

I blog for a living so I tend not to spend my free time blogging. I enjoy writing - creative writing. So I'm going to give this blogging for fun thing a try again. Here it goes. Let's see if my writing and creative juices will come back to life. :)

NSPRA

I just returned from the National School Public Relations Association Conference in Washington, D.C. At the conference, my team presented two sessions on podcasting. I learned new ideas to help communicate with the stakeholders of C-FB ISD. It was a time of fun including seeing fireworks on The Mall on the Fourth of July and seeing the White House and visiting the Old Post Office. The trip was also a time to collaborate, network and learn. Daniel Pink, author of A Whole New Mind, was a keynote speaker and was awe-inspiring! His wisdom concerning the future of our economy and education moved the participants.

Daniel Pink's website explains:
"Lawyers. Accountants. Radiologists. Software engineers. That's what our parents encouraged us to become when we grew up. But Mom and Dad were wrong. The future belongs to a very different kind of person with a very different kind of mind. The era of "left brain" dominance, and the Information Age that it engendered, are giving way to a new world in which "right brain" qualities-inventiveness, empathy, meaning-predominate. That's the argument at the center of this provocative and original book, which uses the two sides of our brains as a metaphor for understanding the contours of our times.
In this New York Times and BusinessWeek bestseller, Daniel H. Pink offers a fresh look at what it takes to excel. A Whole New Mind reveals the six essential aptitudes on which professional success and personal fulfillment now depend, and includes a series of hands-on exercises culled from experts around the world to help readers sharpen the necessary abilities. This book will change not only how we see the world but how we experience it as well. "

One of his suggestions was to carry a design notebook. Design is one of the essential aptitudes professionals need (especially future professionals). Daily, I am going to write one good design idea and one design idea that is bad or that I would change. This will open my eyes to design throughout the my world and environment.

I encourage everyone to read the book and implement one new strategy to develop an essential aptitude.

A Website for the Web 2.0 Generation

The website, Go2Web2.0, is dedicated to collecting and gathering web 2.0 applications and services. This site, created in 2006, has over 2,500 links to web 2.0 sites. It is a directory for the web 2.0 community and users. The site touts thousands of daily visitors and a convergence of both Flash and AJAX technologies.

The beauty of this website is that thousands of valuable tools are at your fingertips. The directory is easy-to-use and navigate. The directory is not a list but instead uses flash technology to show the listed web 2.0 sites' logos in a clean and organized manner. When a visitor rolls their mouse over the logo a brief description of the site appears. If the visitor clicks on the logo then a more in-depth description appears with links, tags and even video. The site is visually appealing and very well-organized. The information loads quickly and the directory can be sorted alphabetically or by date. It also has a search engine. Visitors can search by tags as well.

One drawback to the site is just a directory and does not provide a how-to on using web 2.0 technologies or even content for web 2.0. The web visitor must take the responsibility upon themselves to explore and discover the tools.

For me, this site provides a valuable resource for not only education but also for life. In just one day, I found a blog scrapbooking site and a new virtual world. I immediately was engaged with the site and found endless joy searching and exploring the directory.

Recently, I discovered that I had an area of weakness in the foundations of technology through the Technology Applications Inventory. This inventory is a self-assessment for educators about technology. I had some obvious weaknesses in the technology foundations. In analyzing this assessment, I realized that technology is advancing at such a fast rate that I need to find a resource to help me continue to grow in the fundamentals of technology and that also might extend my learning past current technology and into the future. Go2Web2.0 seemed to be an immediate answer to my dilemma. I want to learn foundational technology but at the same time keep on the cutting-edge of innovation. Web 2.0 is a not the future of technology but present-day technology. Using Go2Web2.0, I can continue my growth as an educator while learning about new tools and applications.

Web 2.0 is an integral part of helping students to discover, learn and acquire 21st century skills. Web 2.0 at its very core is about interaction, socialization, collaboration, and the user. This adds relevancy and engagement for students. In order to captivate our students' attention, we must, as educators, use the technologies of their life. Web 2.0 meets that challenge. Go2Web2.0 provides an educator with applications and services that can bring learning to life and make the learning relevant, valuable and real-life.

I would recommend that every educator who has a desire to not only have a foundational knowledge of technology but who also wants to stay current and innovative explore Go2Web2.0 to discover new and unique ways to reach students. An educator must have determination and creativity to explore and realize the endless opportunities that exist within the web 2.0 directory. Go2Web2.0 is a valuable tool for this generation of educators.

Flip Flops and Tea Pots - What does that really mean?

This is a blog about liviing life to the fullest including days filled with wearing flip flops on the beach and drinking tea with friends.