Portfolio...FINISHED!!!

I am excited and relieved to say that my portfolio for Dr. Spivey's class is finally finished!  And I still have a whole week before it is due.  I always tend to be someone who procrastinates and waits until the last minute to get things finished, so I am very proud of myself for finishing my portfolio early.  I will probably still wait until next Monday to turn it in because I'm sure that I will feel the need to read and reread every entry to make sure that everything is perfect.  But it sure feels good to say that I am finished.  However, I then quickly realize that I still have 31 more standards to complete for the Spring!  

Thanksgiving

Today is Thanksgiving!  This is one of my favorite holidays.  You get to spend time with loved ones, eat tons and tons of great food, and watch football!  We always spend Thanksgiving at my sister's house.  Everyone brings their favorite dishes to share.  This was kind of a sad Thanksgiving because my grandfather passed away recently.  This is the first Thanksgiving that I have not had a grandparent around.  Even though he was not there, we were able to tell stories and remember all the great Thanksgivings that he was able to spend with us.  I have so much to be thankful for, and I had a great day spending time with friends and family!

BYOD and Mobile Learning

I believe that bring-your-own-device (BYOD) and mobile learning is something that can be very beneficial to student learning if the school system's network is capable of handling it.  Having that many computers all demanding Internet and network access can be very stressful on the infrastructures.  I believe that Madison County is working toward readying our computer network for BYOD one day in the near future.  One negative that I see with BYOD at New Hope High School and other low income schools in our area is the fact that not all students (or even the majority of our students) have access to their own technology devices to use in school.  This means that BYOD will not really be beneficial to the majority of students.  Providing all students with their own mobile device seems like the only way that everyone will be able to benefit from the technology.  However, this is very expensive and something that most schools will not be able to afford.  I am excited about the day that all students will have access to learning with their own computer both at school and at home.

Really!?!

The University of Alabama football team has to be the luckiest team in the history of sports!  No one thought that it would be possible for both #1 and #2 to lose in the same night, but it happened to Oregon and Kansas State last night!  How is it possible that for the past 2 seasons, Alabama has lost a regular season game, yet they will most likely still find a way to make it back to the National Championship game.  Don't get me wrong, I would love to see an SEC team in the championship game, but why does it always have to be Alabama?  While I am an Auburn fan, I do cheer for the other SEC teams when they are not playing Auburn.  But I am really beginning to wonder if Auburn will ever get the chance to be the team where luck goes their way.  We just always seem to be on the bad luck side of things.  Remember the 2004 season where Auburn was undefeated but was somehow left out of the National Championship game!  Who knows, maybe Saturday will be our day (I seriously doubt it, but one can hope)!  War Eagle!

Digital Citizenship

Digital Citizenship is something that everyone should be taught about.  It is very important in today's technology-driven society that people know how to properly use their technology.  Parents and teachers should teach students about appropriate technology use.  However, there are times when it seems as if some adults do not know how to be a responsible digital citizen.  It is important as a teacher to make sure that you are setting a good example with your technology.  From teaching students basic digital literacy and how to use a computer to making sure that they know how to be safe on the Internet, digital citizenship should be an integral part of the school curriculum. 

iPads and Special Education

I believe that iPads can be very beneficial for Special Education students.  I have seen students in the self-contained classroom at New Hope High School greatly benefit from the hands-on learning experience of using an iPad.  There are many apps that are specially designed for special education students.  iPads allow students to be hands-on with their learning, and they get instant feedback on what they are doing.  They are also easy to use and very portable, so students can use the iPads anywhere, anytime.  iPads can be used in many different ways, including helping with communication and fine motor skills.  I believe that iPads and similar technologies are very beneficial in the Special Education classroom.

The Joys of Being the Webmaster

I am the webmaster at New Hope High School.  I did not know this until recently, so I am in the process of updating our very outdated website.  This is something that I enjoy doing, but the problem is that I just can't seem to find enough time to work on the website.  I have recruited some help from our assistant principal and our librarian, so we are going to take a day off on Thursday and work on the website.  We decided that this was the only way that we would actually sit down and work on it.  Hopefully we will be able to successfully update the website and make it much more user-friendly than it is right now.  Having a good school website is very important in today's technology-driven society.  We can keep parents updated on important happenings at school, and it also allows parents to connect with their children's teachers.

Flipped Classroom

The flipped classroom is a concept that many teachers are beginning to experiment with in their classrooms.  Students watch lectures on their own time, and then are able to work on assignments, labs, and activites with the aid of the teacher during school.  It really puts students in charge of their own learning.  Teachers are more like facilitators of the learning rather than lecturing to the students.  I really like the idea of the flipped classroom.  My classes are really suited to the flipped classroom model.  I rarely lecture, and students are always hands-on with the computer completing assignments.  The flipped classroom really allows students to work at their own pace and control their learning.  I am going to be piloting the Microsoft IT Academy in my classroom next semester, and it definitely sounds like it will be like a flipped classroom.  Students will watch videos and then complete exercises on the computer.  The only problem I see is that all the learning will most likely have to take place in my classroom.  The majority of my students do not have access to a computer at their house.  I believe that the flipped classroom idea will be integrated into more and more classrooms in the near future.

SIFAT

Last weekend I had the opportunity to chaperone a youth retreat to SIFAT (Servants in Faith and Technology).  SIFAT is located in Lineville, Alabama, and its mission is to educate people around the world about using appropriate technology.  This is not the technology that we think about here, like computers, cell phones, and iPads.  SIFAT focuses on technology that helps people have clean water, nutritious food, and safe shelter.  I have been on probably more than 30 youth trips in the past 8 years, but this trip was like none other.  We were forced to live like millions of people live around the world, in conditions that are very uncomfortable and different from what we are used to.  Friday night and Saturday morning were much like a normal youth retreat, with meals in the cafeteria, spending the night on bunk beds, and participating in team-building activities.  However, Saturday afternoon things changed.  We were given a potato sack and told to pack anything we thought that we needed for the next 24 hours in that sack.  We then went on a mile and a half hike with our stuff to the Global Village.  Before entering the village, we had to go through customs, where most of the things that we thought we "needed" were taken away.  All we were allowed to keep was our sleeping bag, water bottle, flashlight, Bible, and any medications.  Pillows, extra clothes, cell phones, and other personal items were taken back to the lodge.  For the next 24 hours we learned about various cultures very different from our own.  We experienced slum life, where we had to work for money to buy food and shelter.  We slept in a hut in "Uganda," and it felt like the longest, coldest night of my life.  We cooked our food over the fire the next morning before heading back to civilization.  As one of the youth put it, "it was the best worst experience of our lives." We were exposed to how life is for millions of people around the world, and we were able to see how truly blessed we are.  Both the adults and youth on the trip will never be the same!