Fail this!

My second cousin, Kelly, is an thoughtful young academic.  She inspired me this morning with a Facebook post of David Damberger's TEDtalk on failure.   David is a member of Les Ingénieurs Sans Frontières (Engineers Without Borders).  He discusses how problems are clarified when we embrace, analyze, and leverage our failures.  I love that the organization went so far as to publish a failure report and website (http://www.admittingfailure.com/).



It's ironic that in a time of celebration that we, Kelly and I, should find inspiration in failure.  However, failure is so often hidden or brushed aside when it should be celebrated!  It should be celebrated as an opportunity to improve and learn.  In this spirit, I am publishing my own "failure report."

@GVS
In my September post, I set a some goals:

• 80% passing rate
•  Students to take Le Grand Concourse through AATF
• Use TPRS in one synchronous session
• Enhance the WL department website

As a teacher, I feel that I was successful this semester.  Out of 78 students, 27 students failed.   This is a 65% pass rate.  However, This is well below my 80% goal.  Thus, I failed to reach my goal of an 80% pass rate. 

I also noticed that the mean grade was slightly above a 70%.  In looking at the scores, students either were very successful (roughly 18% earned an "A") or very poorly.

Frankly, even one student failing is just as much my failure as it is the student's lapse. I want to expand student's global view. I want to challenge them to think and struggle to a new level of understanding.

In the spirit of Dan's TedTalk, I need to embrace and analyze why I failed.  I conducted a voluntary survey of my students.  21 students rated different aspects of the course and provided details to support their responses.  Some of the feedback was enlightening
I think there are two problems: 

• students are confused about what is due and when it is due.
• students are frustrated by lengthy directions that are sometimes confusing.

Therefore, my challenge is to provide detailed instruction on the schedule through multiple channels:  news announcements, e-mails, texts (???), tweets, and phone calls.  Also, I need to find a way to clarify the directions on some of the assignments, particularly the conversations and the writing assignments.

In the upcoming semester, I'd like to focus on these issues. I'm going to spend the holiday break pondering other possible solutions to these challenges. Some ideas include using info graphics for directions, screencast of bi-weekly assignments personalized by student pace group (there are four: 12, 14, 16, and 18 week schedules), a
text campaign of schedule alerts (any one have a tool for this?), etc. please post suggestions!

Gobble-gobble...Do You Speak Password?

I am writing to you from the great state of Pennsylvania.  I am visiting with family, some of whom I have not seen in three years. 
  It is amazing how the young ones seems to change so drastically while we more mature folks seem to be "stable". In our demeanor and physical appearance.  The college kids are smarter, taller, and more reluctant to hang out unless it involves a free meal.  The young ones, if they stop long enough, appear to develop into little people before your very eyes.  Needless to say, it was worth the 11 hour drive to be with the ones I love.

Oddly, I seem to have become my families personal technology consultant.  They all want to know what tools I am using and demand that I install the best apps on their i-phones...etc.  In fact, I spent most of the day migrating my mother's phone contacts from her defunct 4s to the replacement from Apple.  Her personal network is a mass of forgettable passwords and identities that have locked her out.  What a "web" we weave.

This got me thinking about web security and password management.  I started by defining "password management."  What is it?  How does it work?  What tools perform this task?  I have a useful article on Wikipedia:  http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Password_manager. It seems that a web based tool would work best for my mother.  She uses many tools including a laptop, an I pad, and an i-phone (pretty hip for a 65 year old!.


Next I started to investigate products.  I found a PC magazine article on top rated website management tools:  http://mobile.pcmag.com/device2/article.php?CALL_URL=http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2381432,00.asp.  I'll be trying out the free (because we like free) password management app called lastpass: http://lastpass.com/.  I will post my review after we use it for a while.

Intervention

It's that time of the semester when students and parents start to panic. Understandable, they all want a means to pass...and I want to provide them with a path to do so. A few years ago, I read a book entitled, No Excuses (http://www.amazon.com/No-Excuses-Lessons-High-Performing-High-Poverty/dp/0891950907). I believe that all students can be successful in my class and am determined to meet my personal goal of an 80% passing rate for both my classes.

To achieve this goal, I thought I'd borrow some best practices from the traditional classroom. Here are some of the things that I do to help students, but I would love to hear about other ideas for reaching these students in the online environment.
 Reminder E-mail –As I grade, send out an e-mail the Wednesday before the benchmark deadline for each outstanding assignment. Copy personal e-mail, parents, and facilitators.

1. Office hours -Host a live drop-in session
2. Targeted Live Sessions (Differentiation) –If students are not turning in or not doing well on a particular assignment, invite them to complete the assignment together in a live session after some instruction or provide them with samples of successful student work.
3. Proactive Page -“I noticed that you are having some trouble. What can I do to help you?”
4. Contact –call and speak in person with students, parents, and facilitators with a specific list of items that can still be turned in. Follow up with an e-mail documenting the call and add to the communication log.
5. Quiz-Test Corrections –A fantastic way for student remediation and for teachers to target misconceptions is through quiz and test corrections.
6. Parent-Student Conferences –Meet with student via live meeting software to review grades and opportunities to improve.
7. Learning Contracts –Create a written contract that establishes a “trial period” in which students must complete certain task to display their commitment and determination. If students meet this criteria, allow them to turn in late assignments. I believe this helps to build character and teach life lessons as well as support student success.

Synergy Explosion

Wow!  Things seem to really inter-relate lately.  So many of the threads in my academic studies are crossing into my practice at the Georgia Virtual School.  Check out some of the things that I'm doing.

@Learning

I'm taking two classes at Valdosta State University this fall as part of my EdS in Instructional Design:  8100, a theory class and 8200, an introduction to common practices course.  In 8100, we are studying the five domains (Design, Development, Utilization, Management, and Evaluation) and the theories that support each.  Right now, we are discussing applications of the Information Processing Theory and Constructivism.

Interestingly enough, Constructivism is also a prominent theory in language acquisition.  Many of applications of this theory in Instructional Design (ID) are also best practices in language instruction.  Please see my reflection:

In 8200, we are focusing on creating a course using the ADDIE model of ID.  My goal is to make assessing student's verbal communication in World Languages faster and easier for instructors at the Georgia Virtual School.


I will be demonstrating how to create and use a web tool called Voicethread (www.voicethread.com). I will be teaching instructors to apply a procedure to create a tool for assessing students. There is no hierarchical range of taxonomies in this procedure. Every step of the process falls under intellectual rule using in Gagné's taxonomy. It is a step by step method to produce some discernible end. It is linear and has directional flow. Each step must be completed sequentially. The process has a definitive beginning (create a Voicethread account) and ending (embed the Voicethread in a news announcement or homepage widget). Therefore, I will use Procedural Task Analysis.


I am in the analysis stage.  I have conducted a needs analysis and estimate that I will save my organization  over half a million dollars annually as follows:


There are two major sources of monetary loss in the process of conversational assessment are:  loss of time and frustration to teachers. 


Using Voicethread could recover a "Loss of time" of 5 minutes (12-7) per student.  With an average of 50 students per teacher in each class, this  equates to a potential loss of 250 minutes per class.  Georgia Virtual School (GVS) teaches approximately 54 classes per year.   Assuming an average teacher salary of $48,300 (See http://teacherportal.com/salary/Georgia-teacher-salary) that equates to 250 hours per year at an average teacher cost of  33.54 per hour (48,300/(9 months x 4 weeks x 40 hours)=48,300/1,440) or $8,385 per year per teacher.  Multiple that figure by the 54 classes costs $377,325 per annum.
"Frustration to teachers" can be measure in terms of opportunity cost.  The opportunity cost of completing other activities is equivalent to "loss of time" so the $377,325 can be used to capture this cost.

Loss of time	$377325
Diminished Quality of Feedback	$377325
Total Cost  .	$745,650 for 45 teachers per annum

Lastly, I am taking the last of my required on-line certification courses.  The class at RESA is also requiring development of one unit of a course.  I plan to complete the first chapter of my game/problem based plan for a French 1 class "Mission Possible."



Coincidentally, I attended an i-Nacol webinar on the topic of Competency-based Learning: Highlights of Promising Practices and Policy Frameworks.  I'm trying to align a problem based lesson with the competencies described in the GPS and with the best practices in constructivism within the frame work of online education.  Interesting stuff!

@GVS
So far, so good.  Reporting on my goals:

• 80% passing rate-  Right now, I've got at least 80% of the class passing.  It's been an effort of assimilation.  Most of the students just don't understand how to use the course schedule and online tools.  I'm confident that I will achieve this goal.
• Want students to take Le Grand Concourse through AATF-I think I may have missed the boat on this one, at least for this semester. It appears that the test is administered in the Spring. I will follow up with my department chair about doing this in the Spring.
• Want to use TPRS in one synchronous session.-Since we are migrating to Adobe Connect, this might be a great chance to use our new tool to try TPRS in a live session.  Working on it.
• Want to enhance the WL department website

@Sports

We ended the USTA season with a run to the semi-finals for city playoffs.  We all improved this season and should dominate next season.  I want another trip to States.

I started off my Fall ALTA season with a loss on Thursday and a win on Sunday.  Sunday was my first victory at A7, so I can now legitimately call myself an "A" level player (he-he)!  As team, both my Sienna Thursday ladies and Hampton Sunday women won.  Off to a very strong start!
  

@Home

Life is as crazy as always.  We are a busy family!

Trey is playing baseball.  His first game was last night.  I'm proud to say that he connected with the first pitch nicely his first time ever at bat.  I think we have a promising batter on our hands.

Davin and Trey are participating in Cub Scouts.  Davin is co-den leader.  Trey missed the first meeting with a cough and fatigue, but Davin managed to pick up his first assignment and possible crafts badge.  We are working on it!

Giddy up!

@Learning
So as it turns out, I'm taking three courses this fall:  two at Valdosta State and one at Pioneer RESA.  

The Pioneer RESA course is the last of three to earn my on-line teaching certification.  The focus is a project to create an online lessson.  I think I might try to use Moodle as it is open source and free.  It's definitely a tool that I can use.  I'll look forward to learning more about it.


My Valdosta classes are excellent.  I'm really enjoying being a student again, although the experience has definately changed.  I bought both my text books on-line:  one from Barnes and Noble via Nook Study and one from eCampus.  Both have awesome note taking and highlighting features that can be exported or printed out.  I could have really used these tools in some of my econ theory classes back at Bucknell!


I'm learning about the domains of the Instructional Technology field.  DDUME- Design, Development, Utlization, Management, and Evaluation.  I'm particularly interested in the sub-domains of design and evaluation.  Problem analysis, the foundation of course design, is fascinating and something that will truly benefit my work at Georgia Vitual.  I also find value in learning about how to evaluate resources and programs.  Good stuff!  I love theories!


@GVS
I'm so psyched to have my largest enrollment ever!  I've been fluctuating between 80-85 students in two different courses, French 2a and French 2b.  Previously, my largest enrollment was 45.  I'm dealing well with the increase.  So far, the majority of students are on schedule, learning, and succeeding.   We have had a few technology bumps, but I think we're on the straight and narrow now.  

There are so many factors that can hinder student access.  Some students are using Internet Explorer which doesn't support all of the features of the D2L learning management system that we use.  It also seems to cause problems with the Softchalk presentation software used in my course to present materials.  Thus, I've had to campaign that all student use Mozilla Firefox and ensure that they have the latest version.  Add to this issue that most student do not have the authority to install or update software.  So, we have to involve the school technology professional.  This is a pretty good example of some of the challenges my students and I face throughout the semester.  It's not just the academics!



@Sports
I can't be disappointed.  My USTA 3.5 team won their division this summer.  We went all the way to the city semi-finals before losing to a team that we beat during the regular season.  I can't help but note that someone from our division has made it to the semis every season.  We play some good tennis and keep getting better.


We started practice for the ALTA season.  We're playing A7 again (ouch!).  Matches start in two weeks.  Looking forward to improving my game!


I think a broke my little toe on my right foot.  It hurts when I walk barefoot, but I'm fine in hard soled shoes.  I have not attempted to run this week and am falling behind my training schedule.  Even if it hurst, I've gotta run this week.  My goal is to get in 20 miles.


@Home
Trey has started back at school.  We're still getting used to the schedule.  He was such an early riser this summer.  Now, he's exhausted and we have to drag him out of bed.  We'll get used to it.


We're going to be busy and have some fun this fall.  Trey will be playing little league baseball for the first time.  We are all really looking forward to cheering him on and watching him play.  He's also asked to sign up for Cub Scouts.  He's going to look so cute in that uniform.  I think he'll love it.  
With his activities, my tennis and Davin's tennis, we'll be busy every night of the week.  Giddy up!  It's on!

Back to the drawing (white) board again!

@Learning
I finished my Atomic Learning class at Valdosta State University.  I ended up with a high "A".  Atomic Learning is a great resource for  software training.  I learned a lot about wikis in my last tutorial.  I'm hoping to use this new found knowledge to enhance the GVS World Language Department's website.  I'd like it make it more used and useable as a resource to our teachers.
Wiki Tutorial Reflection




I'm eager to start my fall classes.  I'm taking:

• ITED 8100 Theories, Models, and Perspectives of Instructional Technology-
  Survey and analysis of the theoretical perspectives change, communication, diffusion, system, learning, and instruction as applied in instructional technology.
• ITED 8200 Instructional Design for Training and Education- Application of systematic design principles to address an identified need in a training or education
  context. This course includes problem identification, message design, instructional strategies, and learner characteristics.

Both look like very interesting courses and should inform my instruction at GVS.  I'm excited to get started in two weeks.


@GVS
I'm getting ready for the fall semester to start next week.  My course is set up and I've drafted a welcome presentation.  Student enrollment keeps going up.  I've been told to expect at least 80 students, possibly more.  I can't wait!

I have a few goals for the semester:

• 80% passing rate
• Want students to take Le Grand Concourse through AATF
• Want to use TPRS in one synchronous session. 
• Want to enhance the WL department website

@Athletics

We had a surprising outcome in our 3.5 USTA division.  After losing two matches, we still ended up with the best record and won the division.  It was a very competitive division and we had a great season.  The fence sign is already up :)!

As division winners, we are in the city playoff bracket.  We had a GRUELING first round versus the ladies from Sugar Creek. They were very aggressive and consistent players.  We managed to win three lines, but it came down to line three doubles.  My partner and I played three sets in burning hot temperatures.  We took the line, 4-6, 7-6, 6-4.  I played really well and enjoyed every second of the competition.


We play at Old Atlanta Racquet Club this Sunday in the quarter finals.  We have a very strong line up and I think we can take at least three lines.  We're likely to face Central Park, from our division, in the semi-finals.  All of us are shooting for cities in the hope that we can make another run at the state title.  Great stuff!

@Home
We finally finished Trey's playground.  I still need to mulch the play area, but he's already started going down the slide and playing on the swings.  I am hoping it gets him outside more often.

Trey's swimming and tennis are coming along nicely.  Trey can swim a full length of our 25 yard pool without any assistance.  I'm hoping to get him on swim team at the new Cumming Aquatic Center next summer.  He's part of a proud swimming legacy.  I hope that he loves it as much as I always have.   Trey's swing is also progressing.  He's been taking lessons with Zenda Greibenow for most of the summer.  He can hit a forehand and backhand and rally a little.  I am working to put together an 8 and under league in Hampton.  I think the kids would really enjoy playing matches.

After a great summer, Trey is ready to head back to school on Thursday next week.  He'll be starting first grade.  I know that he loves school and will enjoy his new class.  There will be a lot of familiar faces on the bus this fall.  Three boys in our side of the neighborhood start kindergarten.  Trey is excited to be the "big kid".  I can hardly believe my little man is beginning first grade.  Time flies! 

Beach bum!

I headed out to Myrtle this week for fun, sun, and tennis with the family.  In this virtual world, you don't get (nor do you really want) a break from teaching and learning.  I was able to catch up with the blogs I follow using my Google Reader app and my Android phone.  I used the wireless internet to complete and submit a reflection to my online EdS course.  I even cracked open Water for Elephants using the Barnes and Noble Nook Android app for my phone.  In fact, I drafted this blog post using the Blogger app on my phone.  What an amazing time that we live in!

Want to stay productive (or not so much...)?  Here are ten FREE apps to take to the beach with you:

1. Google Reader -collects your RSS feeds to your phone
2. Google Docs -mobile apps let's you read and edit documents.  Using Word?  You can easily upload your document to Google Docs and use your phone to edit and share.
3. Blogger -allows you to compose and edit your Blogger posts.
4. Hootsuite -collects all your social media to one interface.  I can read and post to multiple Twitter and Facebook accounts from one place.
5. Pandora -stream digital radio and music to your phone for free
6. The Weather Channel -check the weather and forecast anytime, anywhere
7. Nook -read your e-books on your phone
8. Google Voice -have voicemail sent as text to your phone.  Then listen or text replies.  Can even forward calls from any nimber to your cell or Google Voicemail.  Did I mentions it's free?
9. Google Maps -use the places feature to find top rated local restaurants and other activities.  Read user ratings to find the best of the beach!  We used this app to find Dagwood's Deli in downtown Myrtle.  What a find!
10. Wordle -spelling and reading game that the entire family can play together at the pool, in the restaurant or in the car.  Great way to build vocabulary.  Comes in international versions in other languages.

Way to Think

@Professional Development

During the summer PLS for Georgia Virtual School, the key note speaker, Byron Garrett, spoke about how we needed to change schools.  I asked him, pointedly, what his vision of the ideal classroom is.  He said that he would need to think about it.

I'm amazed at how quickly reformers will jump to criticize, but no one puts forth any suggestions or vision.  I found an interesting presentation by Sir Ken Robinson via twitter on divergent thinking.  I want to further investigate this line of reform.

It's difficult to imagine what this new paradigm is.  How do teachers who were educated in the old, industrial age format teach with these new tools and methods?   

I've heard a lot about project based teaching and learning.  I have spent some time reading about designing project based lessons.  I'm even attending a workshop on project based education at Discovery.com.  

I don't really detect anything revolutionary about this line of instruction.  I see the value in simulating "real world" situations, but I think many educators are missing an opportunity to teach higher order thinking.  Integrating Bloom's Digital Taxonomy into these lessons may more fully align with Sir Ken Robinson's vision of a new educational system.  It's not just WHAT we do in our classrooms; it's HOW we teach in our classrooms that will lead to real change.

@Learning

In my Atomic Learning class at Valdosta State University, I finished the Atomic Learning workshop on using Blogger.  As reflected in the changes to my blog.  I learned a lot about Google's blogger tools.  Here's my reflection:

Reflection on Blogging Workshop

One of my uses for this blog is to reflect on what I am learning and store ideas for future reference.  I found a Prezi that presents some reflective questions based on Bloom's Revised Taxonomy that I will use.  See:

The Reflective School by Peter Pappas on Prezi

Next, I'm learning how to use Adobe Connect.  Adobe Connect is a meeting software that the Georgia Virtual School will be using in the Spring of 2012.  In the past, I've used Elluminate to conduct live, on-line lessons with my students.  Adobe Connect is superior to Elluminate in that it offers tools that are slightly easier to use and the pod interface gives users more choice in how they interact with the meeting content.  For example, students can participate in the chat or watch a video.  It's their choice, depending which pods the host or presenter has offered.  As far as the white board presentation pod is concerned, I don't see much of a difference between the two products.  I understand that there may be some advantages to how Adobe Connect meetings are recorded and stored, but I haven't finished the training just yet.  Look for more updates next week.

@Home

We've almost finished the blessed playground project.  We put on the clubhouse roof and mounted the swing beam.  We've even hung the swings.  Davin and I ran into a little trouble with the glider.  The metal brackets for the glider have one whole in the bottom of the bracket.  We need to insert the hook and screw on the bolt INSIDE the bracket.  We've not had any luck so far, but I found a pointed nose (terminology?) wrench that I think will hold the bolt in place so that we can tighten it.  We also need to place the pole for the slide, dig a whole, and cement in the pole.  I'm beyond nervous about the cement.  I've never worked with it before.

@Athletics

I'm feeling like a "fatty, fatty, bumble-atty."  All of my workouts have been limited to tennis.  I have started a singles league.  I lost my first match 1-6, 6-4, 6-10.  I played well but am having a lot of trouble seeing the ball at the net.  I don't know if this is a matter of focus or some physical limitation.  I'm really going to focus on watching the ball leave my opponents racket and hit the strings (hopefully) of mine.

I'm desperately trying to "dig deep" and find some inspiration to get my bottom out of bed early enough to beat the heat and get in a run.  Mornings are just tough for me.  I'm not much use until I get some java in my system.  I've set my night stand app to sound the bird singing alarm at 6:30 am, but so far, all I've done is hit snooze.  I need some motivation.

Everything old is new again!

@Learning
You may notice the new, retro look-and-feel for my blog. I'm taking a workshop on using Blogger in my Atomic Learning class. I'm learning to use the more advanced features of the web 2.0 tool. I found some amazing, free backgrounds at the Cutest Blog on the Block.  There are so many great backgrounds that I may have to change things up more often.

I also added my twitter feeds from Abbagej and MadamAbigail.  My feeds have been much easier to use and follow since I started using Hootsuite, a free web tool to manage social networking.

@Athletics

Annakin

Davin and I have progressed from denial to resignation.  Yes, we are going to run the inaugural Savannah Rock and Roll Marathon on November 5.  Davin has started running some short distances and I have started walking again.

Madie

Madie, our Australian Shepperd, earned me some harsh words in our last visit to the vet.  She's about 10 pounds over weight.  I've started walking Annakin two miles and Madie one mile this week.  Next week, I hope to start running with Annakin and walking off the lactic acid with Madie.  Baby steps!

My USTA 3.5 women's team is hanging in the middle of the pack.  We lost one of our best players to twins (women!), but we've all stepped up our game.  My goals is to qualify for playoffs (bonus rounds!).

Our mixed ALTA team at B5 is doing really well.  We are undefeated so far and playing the last place team this Saturday.  We're tied for second and looking good for our move to first place next week.  Maybe I'll get another ALTA bag tag, finally.

@Home

I've gotten myself into all sorts of trouble.  My thought was that I would get Trey a great jungle gym so that I could sit in the shade and do work while he wore himself out all summer long.  There have been a few quirks in the plan:

1. It took FOREVER for the darn thing to be delivered.
2. I thought that I'd hire someone to build the thing.  Yea...well...the estimate came in at $1,000.  That's more than the playground cost.
3. I'm now inventorying all the parts so that I can put the swing set together with help from Davin and our neighbor, an engineer.  It took an hour yesterday to take stock on box one of four.  Seriously?

The bottom line:  Wish me luck!

Summer learning, had me a blast!

Summer is hot and so is my personal growth. Corny I know, but accurate. I am having an amazing summer of learning. Check out some of the things I've been doing.

@Professional
June 16 and 17th, I attended the Georgia Virtual School Summer 2011 Professional Learning Symposium. I learned to use some great tools and about some great practices. Check out my live binder of sites and tools:
http://livebinders.com/play/present?id=123636

I also presented on using Screenr in the virtual classroom to leave feedback and personalize communication with students.

Using screenr in the virtual classroom

View more presentations from Abigail Jackson

@Learning
I started my first class at Valdosta for my EdS in Instructional Technology. I'm taking a course entitle "Atomic Learning". Essentially, I get to pick three software packages or online services that I will study and learn to use. For my first lesson, I selected GarageBand which is a phenomenally easy to use product. Read my reflection for more information.

AAJ Workshop 1 Reflection

I do plan to complete another lesson which is not required. Because GarageBand is a MAC specific product, and I have PC, I will need to learn to use Audacity to make pod casts. I'm also exploring using my I-pad to produce pod casts for use my classroom.


@Home
We finished our back patio. It is beautiful. I hung my hammock swing that I have stored since Davin John got married in Mexico, six years ago. It is so worth it!

Trey's new playground (http://www.target.com/Adventure-Playsets-Patriot-Wooden-Swing/dp/B003XECGQG/ref=huc_ic_2_pn) arrived yesterday. We'll be hiring someone to assemble it, because I want to stay married. Trey and I are both so excited and are planning a "break in the playground" soiree!

I also finished working on the front porch. I bought some really pretty wicker furniture for the front porch, two fabulous 4 foot high urns, and an outdoor rug. It's lovely. I feel like I am in the islands.

For father's day, I bought two wireless speakers. I plan to make a marvelous diner for my family, sit on my patio, and listen to my favorite music.

@Athletics
My women's 3.0 USTA team finished 2nd in the state championship last month. It was an awesome weekend with good friends and amazing tennis.

We have started the summer 3.5 season. We lost our first match 2-3, but our opponents lost the following week and we took five lines. We are now in second place in the division. We are still in it and I am looking for another fence sign!

Spring forward

The days are getting longer and brighter.   This Spring Break has been a nice taste of the summer to come.  Longer days mean more opportunities to make things happen.   I’ve got big plans!

@Professional

I’ve been using a contact management web tool , www.verticalresponse.com, to contact parents, students and facilitators via e-mail.  Amongst its many great features, I particularly like the data on how many recipients not only opened the e-mail, but how many clicked on any of the embedded links.  On average, only 4 out of 40 students are even opening up the e-mail.  I would venture that this might have some correlation to the dismal grades this semester.

In my most recent e-mail, I used live binder (www.livebinders.com) to create a collection of websites as a resource for improving French students’ pronunciation.  I provided details about how to use each site to listen to native speakers.  To make things even easier and convenient, I create a QR.  Students can take a picture of the QR with their phones.  The phones will automatically take them to the livebinder (http://livebinders.com/play/present?id=88228) of pronunciation resources.  They can then book mark the folder or send the URL to their e-mail address for later use.

Within the course itself, I used Google maps to help student make a virtual, street view of Notre Dame.  As differentiation for the “My Visit to Paris Unit”, I invited student to tour Notre Dame using Google maps and poised several questions.  Student can choose from three of the five following questions and post their thoughts in our discussion forum.   I tried to create thought provoking, higher order questions and discussions.

1. What three facts can you compile about the church just from your Google map tour?
2. How would you change the design of this historic church?
3. What judgments would you make about how and when this church was built?
4. How would you prioritize your tour of the church?  What would you look at and why?
5. How would you evaluate the construction of this church from an artistic and architectural point of view?

On Tuesday 4/14, I attended a Google sponsored webinar on using Google maps for education purposes.  They demonstrated how to create personal maps and to customize those maps.  You can add points to the map and insert new descriptions, video, pictures, and maybe even audio.  You can also create a virtual, street level walk.  I was thinking of using this as an option and sample for the student's Paris blog project in Chapter 9 of my French 2 class at GAVS.

@Home

I am enjoying time with Trey.  I am planning a back yard make over with patio, fire pit and play area for Trey.  He needs to be able to go out back and play in the sunshine on slides and swings.

We are expecting dad in town this weekend.  We are going to Braves-Phillies game.  I love visits with Dad to renew bonds, but am sure to be the butt of much teasing.

I am going in for minor outpatient surgery in a few weeks so trying to make lots of freezer meals for the boys.  While I love the warm weather, most of my freezer meals are cold weather food.  I hope that we get one more cold blast.

@Athletics

I am playing way too much tennis.  I should make other things, like housework, a priority.  However, I get outside and burn some calories.  I am definitely in good shape and loving it.

Ground strokes are coming along nicely.  I am getting more pace, spin, and depth on both forehand and backhand.  First serve is going long a lot.  My second serve is a disaster.  No one wants to play doubles with me because they are getting pegged at the net. I am working on the kick serve for the second.  I hope it come along a little more quickly.

Davin and I are talking about doing the rock and roll marathon in Savannah on November 5.  That means I’m going to have to start running again.  It’s been almost a year since I was following a regular training plan.  Think I can get Trey to ride his bike on the greenway while I run on most mornings this summer.  We’ll need to get into a good pattern.  I am going to be sore.

Want to play with me?

An interesting and busy week.  The wheels have been set in motion for many life changes.  I will keep things moving along with a vision of the good things to come.

@Work

I found a fabulous website that allows me to make extremely polished weekly e-mail blast to parents.  The site, Vertical Response, has a ton of templates and features the ability to personalize e-mails.  I sent out my first this morning.  It included great graphics, links, and video information for parents and students.  I hope that it helps improve their grades by virtue of having more informed parents.  We have only 5 weeks left in the course and the majority of my students are not doing as well as I would hope.

I took the GACE in Economics this past Saturday.  I over-prepared.  It was much easier than the test preparation materials.  I suppose it's best to be over prepared.  I should hear about my results in a few weeks.  I believe that an additional area of certification will make more more marketable to high schools.  Perhaps it will open another avenue at GAVS for a full time position.

I attended a fabulous Softchalk webinar.  The presenter spoke about theme-ing training for teachers as games.  She had created a "mission impossible" type theme.  I may borrow this idea in the French 1 development.  It helps to make the measurement outcomes very practical and performance based.  I thought I could produce "Mission possible:  I want to be an exchange student."  Some of the assessment could include completing an application with essential personal information in French, reading a letter from your host family, and writing a letter to your host family.  I'm spending a lot of time working on the idea (see Popplet)

 

@Home

I'm getting back into the swing of things.  I don't like house work.  I have a hard time tearing myself away from the computer/work to get anything done around the house.  I LOVE my new i-pad and am using it to help.  I downloaded a fabulous day-timer application and am budgeting my time down to the hour.  I hope that it will keep me on track.  I need to balance my life a little better.

I'm back in Trey's class room.  I volunteer once a week to make copies and work with a reading group.  I love eating lunch with him on Friday's and seeing him in action at school.  He really is very smart and has made great progress in reading and math.  I can't wait until he takes the CRCTs so that we can see what grade level he is now.  He counted to 100 by 4 just for fun in the car yesterday.  I can't help but be impressed.

His 6th birthday is this Thursday.  I'm bringing in a cookie cake to class.  We have a bowling party scheduled for April 16.  I've hired someone to make a Lego Star Wars cake.  She is a phenomenal cake designer and I'm very excited to see what she produced.

@Sports
I played three matches this past week.  I went 1-2.  Not so great...but I am learning and growing.  The A7 ALTA match was an education.  I am certain that playing at this level will help me to improve my footwork and resetting.  I just need to relax and breathe.

Making Things Happen

Sometimes things just all come together for me....and sometimes they don't. This week was a particularly good one. I have set off on some journeys that are bound to be challenging and offer fantastic opportunities.

@Work
Now that I've completed my long term sub assignment at WFHS, I am re-focusing me efforts at GAVS. A sad majority of my students online are struggling to be successful, so I am starting several campaigns to improve their grades. Conversations, verbal assessments, weigh heavily in their grade. Students seem to put off completing these assignments. I believe it's because they are intimidated. In order to ease the pressure, I've tried to offer a number of means to satisfy this requirement:
Elluminate: Students can log on to my online office hours and complete their conversations live and in person. This is the method that I prefer as I can provide coaching and live feedback. Students also have the opportunity to remediate if they are unsuccessful. Some students find Elluminate difficult to use or don't have convenient internet access during these hours.
Audacity (www.audacity.com) is free downloadable software that can create mp3s. Students can use their computers and this free software to crate mp3s and upload them to the GAVS drop boxes. Audacity is an amazing tool, but exporting mp3s requires using a plugin and some students do not understand how to install software.
Voicethread (www.voicethread.com) is an phenomenal online story telling mechanism. You simple upload photos or videos to the site and then comment on them. I have uploaded images with the conversation questions and discussion pictures. This is an easy method. Several students are using this web 2.0 application.
Google Voice (www.google.com/voice) is a free web application. Students can call my Google Voice account. When they call,they can leave a voicemail recording of their conversation. This message can be downloaded as an mp3 from Google. I then download the recording and attach it to my feedback in the conversation dropbox at GAVS.

I am desperately trying to make this a easy and accessible as possible for students. I'm even making a series of "How to" videos for each of these methods. I plan to send one video each day, every day this week.

I am taking the GACE, the Georgia state teacher certification exam, in Economics this week. While I'm confident that I can pass the test, I still feel the need to prepare. Professionally, my efforts this week will be on reviewing the body of knowledge tested in the GACE. I'll be spending 2-3 hours per day. The test is on Saturday.

@Home
This week is "Get Your Act Together Week". Since I've been working two jobs, the house has suffered. I have piles of laundry to fold and need to vacuum. I just need to come up with a way to consistently do three or four home management tasks each day so that, by the end of the week, the entire house has been cleaned and organized. More to follow on this strategy.

Trey's birthday is next week. We are preparing for a bowling shin-dig. I've ordered a Lego Starwars cake that I can not wait to see. Pictures to follow. Little man is about to turn six. It hardly seems possible. He grows taller, smarter, and cuter everyday.

@Sports
I started in five tennis leagues this week. Love the tennis madness. I am really starting to develop a swing and some power. I am focused on mastering a second kick serve this season.

So far, I'm 1-2. Davin and I won our first mixed match in the Ultimate Tennis League, but lost in a three setter on Friday night in the USTA 7.0 league. Both were great matches. I also lost at line 2 of my Thursday women's ALTA day league. Didn't play my best, but had some nerves starting off the season. I hope to improve my record this week.

The deadline to register for the USTA 3.0 state championships is Monday at 3 pm. I am hand delivering my team's registration tomorrow. Hopefully all of this league play will equate to an awesome showing at States.

Good...better......great

What a fabulous week!  I love when all my planing and efforts comes together in an exciting and wonderful way.  This week was the culmination of much of my professional work.  Good things have happened!
WFHS

Student Work Sample

This was my last week at WFHS.  I had so much fun and have grown so much by being back in the classroom.  I ended my eight weeks at WFHS with a belated Mardi Gras celebration in my French classes.  It was very rewarding to see the students passionately seek out learning independently.  I gave them very little direction and few requirements.  I only told them that they had to present some aspect of Mardi Gras or Francophone carnival celebrations.  I also asked them to include references and gave them a few examples of possible lines of research.  Most students produced excellent PowerPoints.  Students presented research on music, dance, food, symbols, and historical figures.  I was particularly impressed by a group of three students who presented the history of the Mardi Gras theme song and then, with a clarinet and key board, performed it for us live.  I am working on uploading a video of their performance.  It was deeply fulfilling to observe their enthusiasm.

The best part of my week was a phone call from one of my student's parents.  She called to thank me for helping her son.  He had failed Spanish 1 and had a failing grade when I arrived in Spanish 2.  When I left this week, he had a low B.  He had told her that I, ".... just made him understand things."  I honestly attribute the progress that "my" students made to the use of graphic organizers.  I presented the information in many different ways, and then reviewed and summarized the information in a graphic organizer.  This practice works and I am so fulfilled knowing that I was able to help my students grow and learn.  Given that I don't know Spanish all that well, I feel very accomplished.

GAVS

The Writing Process

I'm really benefiting from reading BLOGS.  I found a great one (The Rapid E-learner) and have been learning a tremendous number of graphic tricks that I am using in my class.  I created two news announcements that I think will really catch my student's eye.  This might sound a rather superficial effort to help, but I've tried many other avenues to convey these messages.  I'm hoping that these graphics will catch their attention long enough that the message gets through.

How to Succeed in Class

I made this graphic using PowerPoint and using some of the tricks presented by the a fore mentioned blog.  I can not know why, but my students seem to "forget" the writing process.  They either skip the steps or begin the process and then stop.  I need to examine the possible reasons for this.  I do think that the directions can be presented more clearly, maybe using a graphic like this with hot spot links to the documents and D2L tools required to complete the process.

Personal

At home, things continue to be busy and productive.  Trey had a jump rope fund raiser at school.  He practiced jumping all week.  Davin went in to school and surprised Trey by jump roping with him.  I am so grateful to have such a loving husband and good father like Davin.  Trey absolutely giggled with delight telling me about the experience.

The big tennis Mardi Gras party is tomorrow.  I'm looking forward to some team tennis.  I managed to get everything prepared and will take lots of pictures.  The weather looks good and we should have a great day!

I have also been busy getting all the paperwork and other preparations for the USTA state 3.0 tournament in May 5-9 in Rome, GA.  Looks like most of the team will be going.  Should be fabulous fun!

Next week is the start of the ALTA women's tennis season.  I'm playing line 2 on my Thursday women's team.  I'm looking forward to getting back in shape and enjoying my days.  I think my days as a stay-at-home mom/tennis player are numbered!

I submitted my admissions essay to Valdsota State University.  I am applying for admission to the EdS in Instructional Technology program.  Wednesday is the deadline for all admission's materials.  Hopefully I will hear quickly about my application.  Think good thoughts on my behalf!