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.