Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Friday, June 5, 2009
REFLECTION & LINK to INTASC ASSESSMENT
It was really fun to look at a lesson that I had already created and design fun ways to incorporate technology. What ended up happening is that I just completely scrapped the original lesson that I had designed as an Introduction to Volcanoes and now I have an additional lesson (or set of lessons, depending on how far we go with the field trip) to add to my Volcano repertoire. I think that this lesson does three things much better than the original lesson that I had planned:
1. It gives the students a much more comprehensive general overview of the Earth Science aspects of volcanology.
2. It provides more opportunities for both formative and summative assessment in multiple areas.
3. It incorporates technology in a way that will allow me to get a feel for the students' previous experience with computers and their applications and then build on or enhance those skills accordingly.
It is incredibly important that I pursue knowledge just as readily as my students, this is perhaps the most essential modeling that a teacher can do. Hence, I go forth seeking further insight and inspiration for teaching, as well as learning.
1. It gives the students a much more comprehensive general overview of the Earth Science aspects of volcanology.
2. It provides more opportunities for both formative and summative assessment in multiple areas.
3. It incorporates technology in a way that will allow me to get a feel for the students' previous experience with computers and their applications and then build on or enhance those skills accordingly.
It is incredibly important that I pursue knowledge just as readily as my students, this is perhaps the most essential modeling that a teacher can do. Hence, I go forth seeking further insight and inspiration for teaching, as well as learning.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Saturday, May 16, 2009
My First Real Lesson
Friday, May 15, 2009: Volcanoes, 3rd grade, Kelly Swartzentruber's class at McKinley Elementary.
My son said that if he were to score me, on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the best lesson he's ever had), I would get a 9.5... just goes to show how much he loves me, not really how good the lesson was.
Anyway, there were several things that became very clear as I was *teaching.* The first was that everything takes twice as long as you expect it to. I thought my lesson would be about an hour long... it was almost 2!! The second is that it is quite possible to overthink what you are doing. I was trying to be so conscientious about calling on everyone equally, that I took rather a long time to choose students.
Kelly was so gracious. She did some conflict management for me . . . as I realized one of the drawbacks of group work: some kids just can't let go of control (in fact, I might have been one of those kids in elementary school) and if you have two of them in a group together, look out!
The students did learn and I think they had fun doing it. I will have the opportunity next week (May 18, 19, or 20) to do the lesson again in the other 3rd grade classroom at McKinley. I will try not to be so nervous and to refine my technique a bit by then.
My son said that if he were to score me, on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the best lesson he's ever had), I would get a 9.5... just goes to show how much he loves me, not really how good the lesson was.
Anyway, there were several things that became very clear as I was *teaching.* The first was that everything takes twice as long as you expect it to. I thought my lesson would be about an hour long... it was almost 2!! The second is that it is quite possible to overthink what you are doing. I was trying to be so conscientious about calling on everyone equally, that I took rather a long time to choose students.
Kelly was so gracious. She did some conflict management for me . . . as I realized one of the drawbacks of group work: some kids just can't let go of control (in fact, I might have been one of those kids in elementary school) and if you have two of them in a group together, look out!
The students did learn and I think they had fun doing it. I will have the opportunity next week (May 18, 19, or 20) to do the lesson again in the other 3rd grade classroom at McKinley. I will try not to be so nervous and to refine my technique a bit by then.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Smartboards (Promethean Boards) Are Amazing!
Wow! Tom, Nick, and I really enjoyed our adventure to St. Paul where Chris was kind enough to demonstrate some of the exciting things that you can do with a "Smartboard." Chris teaches high school math and so he was demonstrating some of the functions that are especially useful to him. However, I am already thinking up different ways that a Smartboard could be especially helpful in teaching ELL students, as well as doing collaborative writing projects with middle school English students, and mulling applications that would assist students with reading difficulties.
Currently, I am working on my SIOP lesson plans and I was thinking about how much fun it would be to have a Smartboard for my volcanoes lessons.... This piece of equipment would be useful and fun to have in the classroom.
Watch our videos introducing & showing off some of the features of Chris'
Promethean Board:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GCY2JCOukE
Currently, I am working on my SIOP lesson plans and I was thinking about how much fun it would be to have a Smartboard for my volcanoes lessons.... This piece of equipment would be useful and fun to have in the classroom.
Watch our videos introducing & showing off some of the features of Chris'
Promethean Board:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GCY2JCOukE
Monday, April 27, 2009
Oregon Educational Technology Standards
One thing that I noticed right away when I was looking at the new Oregon Diploma: 2012 Essential Skills, is that many of the items (1-5, 7-9) could actually incorporate the technological aspect (#6), as well. If you look at it this way, then meeting this vast array of technology standards seems considerably more doable. We must find ways to integrate technology into more activities at the various grade levels. I am exploring technological applications from a wide scope: Middle school English, Social Studies, & Theater, as well as elementary grades 3-6.
1. Communication & Collaboration/Creativity & Innovation: Students at the middle school level studying population trends might work collaboratively to create graphs based on the population trends for specific countries/continents. They could then compare the graphs and make predictions about the challenges that each of these countries might face in the coming years.
2. Research & Information Fluency: We are so lucky to live in a time when such a wide variety of information is right at our fingertips (my husband has actually become a bit of an information junkie-clicking on link after link of Wikipedia connections.) It would be exciting the have students write research papers about obscure topics. Have them pick from a list of topics that would be difficult to find information on in a typical library (the New Zealand endangered bird the Takahe.) In this way you could teach them methods for web research while also hitting the middle school research paper head on.
3. Students could also use one of the various Web 2.0 recording tools to make videos of themselves giving speeches or reciting monologues. Speeches could be written about relevant issues and then e-mailed to state congress-people ... thus incorporating civic and community engagement.
In my observations I have noticed that some students actually take the initiative for themselves to incorporate their knowledge of technology into projects and assignments. As long as we are open and not closed to the idea of technology in the classroom, these standards will probably be easier to meet than we think.
1. Communication & Collaboration/Creativity & Innovation: Students at the middle school level studying population trends might work collaboratively to create graphs based on the population trends for specific countries/continents. They could then compare the graphs and make predictions about the challenges that each of these countries might face in the coming years.
2. Research & Information Fluency: We are so lucky to live in a time when such a wide variety of information is right at our fingertips (my husband has actually become a bit of an information junkie-clicking on link after link of Wikipedia connections.) It would be exciting the have students write research papers about obscure topics. Have them pick from a list of topics that would be difficult to find information on in a typical library (the New Zealand endangered bird the Takahe.) In this way you could teach them methods for web research while also hitting the middle school research paper head on.
3. Students could also use one of the various Web 2.0 recording tools to make videos of themselves giving speeches or reciting monologues. Speeches could be written about relevant issues and then e-mailed to state congress-people ... thus incorporating civic and community engagement.
In my observations I have noticed that some students actually take the initiative for themselves to incorporate their knowledge of technology into projects and assignments. As long as we are open and not closed to the idea of technology in the classroom, these standards will probably be easier to meet than we think.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Oregon Writing Project - Workshop
Yesterday I attended a fantastic workshop at the Willamette University School of Education! The workshop was called "Old Dogs, New Tricks" and highlighted some new and interesting, as well as best practice methods for teaching writing to a variety of students. Some of the ideas highlighted included:
-using interesting visual or textual writing prompts to get your students excited about language
-the importance of getting students to both understand the necessity for and the art of writing a successful summary
-encouraging students to expand their vocabulary by giving them limits in the # of words that they can use (thus enlisting them to choose their words very carefully)
Topics of discussion ranged from writing practices that would be especially applicable to ELL students to inspirational ideas that would work for most students... Not only did I learn a lot, but it was also a nice time for me, as busy as I have been, to have for my own personal enrichment... Not required, but desirable and fun. In one of the exercises that I did with Steve Jones, we wrote "cumulative sentences" or one-sentence stories (from a simple prompt "The wolf ate...") this is what I came up with:
A scraggly, tired-looking creature, (which may have once been a healthy wolf, though it was now hard to see past the patchy fur stretched over bones), sat hunched over his prey in the dusky forest clearing; he chewed with apprehension as his eyes moved frantically from his meager meal to the dark spaces between the trees that surrounded him.
I left the workshop with renewed inspiration.
-using interesting visual or textual writing prompts to get your students excited about language
-the importance of getting students to both understand the necessity for and the art of writing a successful summary
-encouraging students to expand their vocabulary by giving them limits in the # of words that they can use (thus enlisting them to choose their words very carefully)
Topics of discussion ranged from writing practices that would be especially applicable to ELL students to inspirational ideas that would work for most students... Not only did I learn a lot, but it was also a nice time for me, as busy as I have been, to have for my own personal enrichment... Not required, but desirable and fun. In one of the exercises that I did with Steve Jones, we wrote "cumulative sentences" or one-sentence stories (from a simple prompt "The wolf ate...") this is what I came up with:
A scraggly, tired-looking creature, (which may have once been a healthy wolf, though it was now hard to see past the patchy fur stretched over bones), sat hunched over his prey in the dusky forest clearing; he chewed with apprehension as his eyes moved frantically from his meager meal to the dark spaces between the trees that surrounded him.
I left the workshop with renewed inspiration.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
Student Data Sheets
I thought that everything in the Google Sheets program was pretty easy and user friendly except the charting application. I'm sure that I am not alone when I say that the limited versatility of the chart and the way that it links with the data in Google Sheets was a bit disappointing.
However, I think that it is really interesting to be able to present information in this format and, obviously, as a teacher, the applications for using this type of tool are abundant. This would be excellent information for a teacher to have for looking at their own teaching methods, selected curriculum, and student engagement. "Katherine's" scores are the most vexing... though she did seem to have an upward spike at the same time as many of the other students... teachers should certainly be looking at students who have any kind of dramatic spikes in their grades, at all.
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pJ1iHtS3c8Lyhb92GrbIJYw&hl=en
Thursday, April 2, 2009
4Shared 4 U - Multimedia Presentation
This whole experience made us a little bit crazy. I think Teresa would agree with me when I say that our work on this project went anything but smoothly.
Our work with 4Shared seemed straightforward and simple enough until we started trying to figure out how best to do a brief demonstration of this particular tool's nuances. Also, it felt like we were really only scratching the surface of its capabilities and struggled to find an educational situation where this would be EASIER than other options that are available.
That said, the most difficult part of this process was definitely the video process. Screentoaster is a really neat tool, but it's almost pointless if you can't get the audio part of it to work - which we couldn't... despite the fact that we tried approximately 4 different computers! Ugh. This is a bug that the Screentoaster people really need to work out.
We explored several options for adding audio to our existing Screentoaster videos and finally settled on a very interesting format. We used Tokbox on Teresa's laptop to record Screentoaster running on another computer monitor and then talked through the demonstration!
The upshot of this whole experience was that through all the frustration and insanity we had a really good time and laughed (several times) until tears were popping out of our eyes.
Our work with 4Shared seemed straightforward and simple enough until we started trying to figure out how best to do a brief demonstration of this particular tool's nuances. Also, it felt like we were really only scratching the surface of its capabilities and struggled to find an educational situation where this would be EASIER than other options that are available.
That said, the most difficult part of this process was definitely the video process. Screentoaster is a really neat tool, but it's almost pointless if you can't get the audio part of it to work - which we couldn't... despite the fact that we tried approximately 4 different computers! Ugh. This is a bug that the Screentoaster people really need to work out.
We explored several options for adding audio to our existing Screentoaster videos and finally settled on a very interesting format. We used Tokbox on Teresa's laptop to record Screentoaster running on another computer monitor and then talked through the demonstration!
The upshot of this whole experience was that through all the frustration and insanity we had a really good time and laughed (several times) until tears were popping out of our eyes.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Picasso at the Lapin Agile
I am excited to read this play now:
"Picasso at the Lapin Agile"
by: Steve Martin
Funny how people inadvertently make things more desirable by creating controversy around them!
"Picasso at the Lapin Agile"
by: Steve Martin
Funny how people inadvertently make things more desirable by creating controversy around them!
The Definition of Reflective & Professional Practice
I was recently alerted to a censorship controversy that is unfolding at LaGrande High School in Eastern Oregon. After reading several of the local newspaper articles about the events (including a letter to the newspaper from actor, director, writer, & comedian Steve Martin) and then reading the theater teacher's blog, which included a copy of the speech he gave at the school board meeting where they did, indeed, vote to proceed with banning the high school production of the Steve Martin play, "Picasso at the Lapin Agile," I found myself contemplating numerous aspects of the politics involved. I encourage readers, especially my fellow cohorts, to review the brief synopsis of these events (as lined out in an e-mail by Willamette faculty member and former LaGrande High School student, Karen McFarlane Holman) and then to please view the attached links. (My own reflections follow.)
"1 - LaGrande High School teacher Kevin Cahill chooses Steve Martin's
play "Picasso at the Lapin Agile".
2 - A parent complains and collects 137 signatures supporting the
removal of the play due to its adult content.
3 - The LaGrande School board bans the play and denies an appeal.
4 - Eastern Oregon University President Dixie Lund says she would not
allow its performance on the EOU campus as an alternate location.
5 - A week later, Dixie Lund concedes that state law ties her hands and
EOU must allow non-discrimination of outside groups to rent the theatre.
6 - Steve Martin becomes aware of the play's ban in LaGrande (the first
time it has been banned, to his knowledge). He writes a letter to the
citizens of LaGrande and pledges to fund the production of the play.
7 - Supporters of free speech are delighted that the play's production
is secured (May 16-18), but are disturbed by ongoing actions by the
recent authorization of a new School Board committee that will oversee
the selection and approval of all school theater productions in the future."
Scroll to the top of the page linked here to read the phenomenally eloquent speech given by theater teacher Kevin Cahill to the LaGrande High School school board:
http://afreehand.blogspot.com/2009/02/why-we-shouldnt-ban-play-picasso-at.html#links
To read the response letter written by Steve Martin to the citizens of LaGrande,
published in The Observer on 3/13/09:
http://www.lagrandeobserver.com/Opinion/Guest-Columns/Of-arts-and-sciences
Other Observer articles related to the controversy:
http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/news-29/1236131355185470.xml&storylist=orlocal
http://www.lagrandeobserver.com/News/Local-News/PLAY-FRAY
It just so happens that I read these articles in the opposite order of what I posted them here. I first read the newspaper articles and then moved on to Kevin Cahill's blog. I posted them here with Mr. Cahill's blog post first because, actually, I feel that Mr. Cahill says everything which needs saying in his blog. But, the novelty of having an actor as famous as Steve Martin draw his attention to a small town in Eastern Oregon cannot be overlooked.
Kevin Cahill's speech to the school board on 2/24/09 appeared to me, to be the definition of an eloquent, reflective, professional educator. He obviously thought, in great depth, about what would be best for his students and his community. Might I add, having gone to high school in a small rural town, that I find Mr. Cahill's stance on this matter especially brave and inspired.
Mr. Cahill has a family and, of course, must think of them in all these endeavors, as well. It reminds me of the old '80's movie with Kevin Bacon, "Footloose." This correlation might make some people laugh, but it's really not all that different. So, as a teacher, what do you do when you are flying in the face of a community that thinks you are "peddling evil"? What happens when the people that you have worked so hard to serve come after you with torches and pitchforks?
Also, what of the students who are still going to be a part of this production? One has to hope that the situation does not spiral into any further excessive zealotry.
There is no doubt in my mind that this is blatant censorship. If there is indeed a so-called committee that forms to "approve" the plays produced by the school what will the criteria be? As Mr. Cahill points out, this is a slippery slope and one can only hope that this too shall pass...
"1 - LaGrande High School teacher Kevin Cahill chooses Steve Martin's
play "Picasso at the Lapin Agile".
2 - A parent complains and collects 137 signatures supporting the
removal of the play due to its adult content.
3 - The LaGrande School board bans the play and denies an appeal.
4 - Eastern Oregon University President Dixie Lund says she would not
allow its performance on the EOU campus as an alternate location.
5 - A week later, Dixie Lund concedes that state law ties her hands and
EOU must allow non-discrimination of outside groups to rent the theatre.
6 - Steve Martin becomes aware of the play's ban in LaGrande (the first
time it has been banned, to his knowledge). He writes a letter to the
citizens of LaGrande and pledges to fund the production of the play.
7 - Supporters of free speech are delighted that the play's production
is secured (May 16-18), but are disturbed by ongoing actions by the
recent authorization of a new School Board committee that will oversee
the selection and approval of all school theater productions in the future."
Scroll to the top of the page linked here to read the phenomenally eloquent speech given by theater teacher Kevin Cahill to the LaGrande High School school board:
http://afreehand.blogspot.com/2009/02/why-we-shouldnt-ban-play-picasso-at.html#links
To read the response letter written by Steve Martin to the citizens of LaGrande,
published in The Observer on 3/13/09:
http://www.lagrandeobserver.com/Opinion/Guest-Columns/Of-arts-and-sciences
Other Observer articles related to the controversy:
http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/news-29/1236131355185470.xml&storylist=orlocal
http://www.lagrandeobserver.com/News/Local-News/PLAY-FRAY
It just so happens that I read these articles in the opposite order of what I posted them here. I first read the newspaper articles and then moved on to Kevin Cahill's blog. I posted them here with Mr. Cahill's blog post first because, actually, I feel that Mr. Cahill says everything which needs saying in his blog. But, the novelty of having an actor as famous as Steve Martin draw his attention to a small town in Eastern Oregon cannot be overlooked.
Kevin Cahill's speech to the school board on 2/24/09 appeared to me, to be the definition of an eloquent, reflective, professional educator. He obviously thought, in great depth, about what would be best for his students and his community. Might I add, having gone to high school in a small rural town, that I find Mr. Cahill's stance on this matter especially brave and inspired.
Mr. Cahill has a family and, of course, must think of them in all these endeavors, as well. It reminds me of the old '80's movie with Kevin Bacon, "Footloose." This correlation might make some people laugh, but it's really not all that different. So, as a teacher, what do you do when you are flying in the face of a community that thinks you are "peddling evil"? What happens when the people that you have worked so hard to serve come after you with torches and pitchforks?
Also, what of the students who are still going to be a part of this production? One has to hope that the situation does not spiral into any further excessive zealotry.
There is no doubt in my mind that this is blatant censorship. If there is indeed a so-called committee that forms to "approve" the plays produced by the school what will the criteria be? As Mr. Cahill points out, this is a slippery slope and one can only hope that this too shall pass...
Friday, March 13, 2009
Skype/Team Viewer Experience
My experience with Skype was limited by my own computer's apparent lack of a microphone. So, although I was able to hear Barry loud and clear... he could not hear me and thus I fell back on sending him little text notes until we figured out that it would be easier to use Team Viewer and talk on the phone.
I thought that Team Viewer was remarkably easy to use and it certainly doesn't seem to have done any harm to my computer. If you ask me, this is a VERY handy tool for all of those moments when you just can't figure something out on your computer!
I thought that Team Viewer was remarkably easy to use and it certainly doesn't seem to have done any harm to my computer. If you ask me, this is a VERY handy tool for all of those moments when you just can't figure something out on your computer!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Web2.0 Tool Demo - FlipMyPhotos
It's kind of nice when someone tells you that you have to do something you normally enjoy but never have time for. FlipMyPhotos is a really fun and simple way to get creative with your pictures. I had a couple of frustrations when I first started playing around with it, but as soon as I figured those out, I really had a blast!
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Web2.0 - Rethinking Our Schools?
My reaction to the videos "Shift Happens" and "Pay Attention" was kind of guttural and terrified. I feel like I am way below the technological level of the image I now have of these kids. Granted, I will be teaching upper Elementary and Middle School age students, so it's not quite as bad as if I were to walk into a high school classroom, but still...
These videos were very dramatic in the way that they made their point. I also feel like there's a lot more to it than just some teacher (me), who is fairly technologically impaired, attempting to throw out assignments just because they incorporate technology... what about the kids without i-pods? What about maintaining a certain level of, forgive me for saying it, control in the classrooms... These are issues that have to be well-thought out and we must weigh the advantages vs. the disadvantages...
I really do like the new Revised Bloom's Taxonomy with the added level of "Create."
These videos were very dramatic in the way that they made their point. I also feel like there's a lot more to it than just some teacher (me), who is fairly technologically impaired, attempting to throw out assignments just because they incorporate technology... what about the kids without i-pods? What about maintaining a certain level of, forgive me for saying it, control in the classrooms... These are issues that have to be well-thought out and we must weigh the advantages vs. the disadvantages...
I really do like the new Revised Bloom's Taxonomy with the added level of "Create."
My Favorite Web2.0 Tools
Web 2.0 consists of various web-based tools for creating just about anything you can think of. These are tools that I have typically thought of as software systems that I would need to purchase in order to make use of. It's pretty exciting to have all of these things right there on the internet and ready to go. I have to admit that it's both frightening and provocative to think about using some of these applications in my future classes. It's difficult to get outside of the box as far as what my school experience was like. And, I admit, there is still an old-fashioned side of me that thinks, "I want my students to read literature from a book, not a screen... and I want my students to experience theatre in the flesh, not in some virtual reality." But, without a doubt, I will have to adjust in order to engage.
Some of the Web2.0 that are most impressive to me are:
Google Sites (for creating web pages) - this is exciting because you could have different websites for different classes... You could post assignments, videos for discussion, provide links to students, parents, and teachers... I am quite certain that I will have web sites for my classes... it's too easy and so much fun!
Google Chrome (like you said, not really a 2.0 tool, but still very cool)
FlipMyPhotos (a tool for photo editing & enhancement) - I keep thinking of different ways that this could be used. One specific thought that I had was in a middle school theatre class: students could take photos of one another's faces as they attempted to express specific emotions. We could then use the tools in this program to enhance the effects. Photos could then be put on a disc, blown up at a photo printing place, and used as a backdrop for student scenes.
Some of the Web2.0 that are most impressive to me are:
Google Sites (for creating web pages) - this is exciting because you could have different websites for different classes... You could post assignments, videos for discussion, provide links to students, parents, and teachers... I am quite certain that I will have web sites for my classes... it's too easy and so much fun!
Google Chrome (like you said, not really a 2.0 tool, but still very cool)
FlipMyPhotos (a tool for photo editing & enhancement) - I keep thinking of different ways that this could be used. One specific thought that I had was in a middle school theatre class: students could take photos of one another's faces as they attempted to express specific emotions. We could then use the tools in this program to enhance the effects. Photos could then be put on a disc, blown up at a photo printing place, and used as a backdrop for student scenes.
Monday, February 16, 2009
More creative (than mine) uses for blogs, from Willamette Aspire '10:
Post Lessons
Get to Know Students
Communicate with other classes
Communicate with other countries - for class projects
Online Journal for students - reflection on class activities
Calendar updates for events, etc.
Specific links for research activities
Assignment list - links to homework handouts, etc
Reflective blog throughout a course - weekly reflections
Picture Diary for the class
Parent Involvement - instead of newsletter (kids write the articles!)
Post Lessons
Get to Know Students
Communicate with other classes
Communicate with other countries - for class projects
Online Journal for students - reflection on class activities
Calendar updates for events, etc.
Specific links for research activities
Assignment list - links to homework handouts, etc
Reflective blog throughout a course - weekly reflections
Picture Diary for the class
Parent Involvement - instead of newsletter (kids write the articles!)
Culture Shock
Again, I provide a disclosure for my continued babble. The essential bits as described in the assignment regarding educational uses for blogs includes:
-As a discussion forum in literature classes where all students are reading the same text.
-To communicate with students about assignments and to provide specific links to research tools.
The continued tale...
Well, as it turns out, not feeling socially accepted was nothing compared to being socially overwhelmed. Holy moly! We moved at the end of my sixth grade year. This time our travels took us south, to California. Anaheim, California. When we first arrived, I couldn't believe that there would actually be ANYTHING that I would EVER like about that place.
At first, I didn't even want to leave the house where we were staying with my stepdad's mom. I was pretty scared of everything. I got very depressed and began to stage emotional protests with my mom. But, looking back now, I realize that I was really quite lucky to have all of the people in my stepdad's family who were doing the things that they thought might help me to adjust. They took me to Universal Studios, Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, and the beach (where I learned my first lesson about the value of sunscreen.)
My seventh and eighth grade years were speckled with inspiration and success, largely because I had some really great teachers. My teachers encouraged my creativity and gave me reason to believe that I might be able to overcome the turbulence of my life as a "gypsy" child. I started playing tennis and volleyball and taking Spanish classes. I had wonderful friends.
In July of 1992, I cried nearly all the way back to Oregon. I was sullen as we made our way north in the U-haul. I contemplated escape at one of the rest stops in the Redwood forest (thank goodness for a little bit a cowardice!) I swore that I would never forgive my mom for moving me away from my friends in California.
Finally, we landed in Gold Beach, Oregon. There are a million details from high school that describe how I was inspired, challenged, and given direction towards a college career... About how lucky I was to go to high school for four years in the same place... about how this small town nurtured my academic needs...
But, I will finish this post for now and continue the saga at a later date.
-As a discussion forum in literature classes where all students are reading the same text.
-To communicate with students about assignments and to provide specific links to research tools.
The continued tale...
Well, as it turns out, not feeling socially accepted was nothing compared to being socially overwhelmed. Holy moly! We moved at the end of my sixth grade year. This time our travels took us south, to California. Anaheim, California. When we first arrived, I couldn't believe that there would actually be ANYTHING that I would EVER like about that place.
At first, I didn't even want to leave the house where we were staying with my stepdad's mom. I was pretty scared of everything. I got very depressed and began to stage emotional protests with my mom. But, looking back now, I realize that I was really quite lucky to have all of the people in my stepdad's family who were doing the things that they thought might help me to adjust. They took me to Universal Studios, Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, and the beach (where I learned my first lesson about the value of sunscreen.)
My seventh and eighth grade years were speckled with inspiration and success, largely because I had some really great teachers. My teachers encouraged my creativity and gave me reason to believe that I might be able to overcome the turbulence of my life as a "gypsy" child. I started playing tennis and volleyball and taking Spanish classes. I had wonderful friends.
In July of 1992, I cried nearly all the way back to Oregon. I was sullen as we made our way north in the U-haul. I contemplated escape at one of the rest stops in the Redwood forest (thank goodness for a little bit a cowardice!) I swore that I would never forgive my mom for moving me away from my friends in California.
Finally, we landed in Gold Beach, Oregon. There are a million details from high school that describe how I was inspired, challenged, and given direction towards a college career... About how lucky I was to go to high school for four years in the same place... about how this small town nurtured my academic needs...
But, I will finish this post for now and continue the saga at a later date.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
The Open Road
Warning: This ended up becoming a bit of a cathartic ramble. Essential points as follows, if you don't feel like delving into my lengthy description of my childhood trauma:
-plan to teach grades 3-8... in some capacity (at the junior high/middle school level it would be fun to be in a literature, writing, or theatre class)
-my hobbies include crocheting, reading, painting, and chasing my sons around
-my interests are limitless: foreign travel, education, and friendship support are high on my priority list
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My road to a teaching career was much like my family's migration to the Northwest; certainly not a direct route and most definitely involving a number of detours and wrong turns.
I was born in Fargo, N. Dakota in 1978. My summer memories of the Midwest include fields of green corn stalks and yellow, top-heavy sunflowers stretching out in every direction for miles. My winter memories recall vast blankets of snow so deep and cold that it would take me 30 minutes just to prepare for an adventure outside on a bright, but frigid, January day. I remember moving. Head start - 1 school. Kindergarten - new school. Different Kindergarten. First grade - new school. 2nd, 3rd, 4th grade - one school . . . then we hit the road.
My mom and my step-dad sold the majority of our belongings at a garage sale and thus began our voyage west. Just like in Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath," our 1959 Ford pick-up with holes in the floorboard was loaded with the necessities for survival as we made our way through N. Dakota, S. Dakota, Montana, Idaho, and eventually to Oregon. The search was for a better life. A new life. But, it was not my search. I remember going to food banks and washing my face in icy snow-melt mountain streams.
Eventually, we broke down in Charleston, Oregon. This is where I learned to crab and met my fifth grade teacher, Judy Polhamus. Mrs. Polhamus was sympathetic, kind, and encouraging. She expressed sincere interest in me and my capabilities. I was emerging from a dream, learning to use my talents when we moved again.
This time our move took us to a remote area of Eastern Oregon. Sagebrush. Wild mustangs. Arrowheads. 6th grade at Crane Elementary School. Lunch served family-style on 2 long tables for the entire 6th and 7th grades combined. Sports meant everything. So, I took up basketball and track. I fell in love with exploring the wide open spaces. I went for walks that heralded big and small natural wonders. But, socially, I did not belong.
TO BE CONT...
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