Playing

My GameI have cabin fever really bad today and didn't want to do any more house work or so I decided to work on my game. I had not had the time to work on it for months. With the help of one of my former students I added the drag and drop coding to get Randolph and its surround counties to work. This is a big success for me. I have learned to proofread different types of code as the students work but I rarely code myself. For some of you this is simple and boring but this is a great learning experience for me.

Snow Days

I know the kids are jumping for joy but the snow days are causing me some worry. Our semester will be ending and they may not be able to get their games completed. I checked in with David and we changed to date of the presentations but we have missed 4 days to snow. That is 6 hours of work time. I am doing special training on Saturday so, weather permitting, I am going to invite the students to come and work if they have a way. If any students are interested I may stay after school to give them time to work if we ever go back to school.

It would be nice if Globaloria could work out a deal with Adobe to have student versions of the software so they could work at home while they have the class. Not all of my students would but a few would. I would be interested to see which ones would actually do work at home. This would help for when we have snow days. Most, if not all, of my students have computers at home so this would help with this final craziness we always experience because of these crazy (wonderful) snow days.

Getting ready for 2010

On this cold morning I am just sitting on the coach drinking a cup of coffee and watching it snow. I have been reflecting on what has happened in 2009 and planning the things that I know will be happening in 2010. I know when break is over that I will really have to moviate my students to finish their games and get ready for presentations. I will be starting new classes during the middle of January and I will also be a mentor for additional schools. My daughter is in the process of determining which school she wants to attend in the fall. Empty nest syndrone awaits but with technology they are at my fingertips. On the flip side of that so is "Mom can I have some money."

These are the things I know but there are many things that I do not know. How do I get ready for things that I don't even know are going to happen? The only thing that comes to mind is to keep learning and keep adapting. At times I wonder how much more this old brain of mine can handle but so far it keeps working. As long as it is working I can learn, adapt and handle what the future holds.

Globaloria helps in that process because I am always learning, adapting and facing the coding issues the students create. Many times my brain feels that it is working on overload but it hasn't quit yet. One of the reasons it hasn't failed is the support of Globaloria and the educators involved. When I listen and watch what educators across the state are doing I am inspired. Everyone of you forces me to keep going when my brain is fried. (Plus I was a basketball coach, there is a sense of competition in me. I want my students to win by producing some great work.) After reading the progress reports Globaloria doesn't always fit into some schools programs but I am sure they are also willing to change and adapt to meet the needs of those schools. Globaloria has already proven that in the last three years and the wiki has improved to meet the needs of the educators and students.

So as I prepare for this year of 2010 I am glad that Globaloria is part of the plan. I am honored to be a part of your group and more importantly I am honored to be a part of a group of outstanding West Virginia teachers who want to move our school systems into the future.

Now my coffee is cold and laundry awaits. It is time to start the work of 2010.

It is cold!

I don't know about anyone else but where I live it is COLD tonight. We went to dinner and it was around 20 degrees with a wind chill of way less then that. While at dinner I had a heart warming experience. A parent of a former student was there. I do not have this student this semester but he is a senior this year. The parent is stressing because her son is trying to decide where to go to college and it may not be in the state of West Virginia.

Our classes and student experiences have made it possible for students to think beyond local. More and mor students are now think globally. This student is considering a school in Pittsburgh and in New York. He is determine which schools have the best programs for what he would like to major. He doesn't feel that he has state lines or boundaries. He just has school choices in which some are closer than another.

The parent was having a hard time thinking that her son would go all the way to New York to go to school. In the age of technology New York is a text message, phone call, web page, or a flight away. I think almost all of those things are in my back yard.

In the end I suggested to the parent that she let her son decide. He is a gifted student who needs to go where is best suited for his skills. This student will be successful if in goes to any school in West Virginia or any where else.

This brought a moment as teachers we hear so little of but the parent said, "You are right!" Wow on a cold night that warmed by heart. I was right!

Just rambling

I love reading student blogs. They tend to be very honest and it is interesting to see their "side" of things. I have listed some links to a few that I found interesting while roaming through my mentoree schools.
Greenbrier East
Greenbrier East
West Liberty
West Liberty

In class today it was discussed that someone used something that they didn't create. They "borrowed" it. The teachers final opinion was that, "If you did not create it, you may NOT use it." Some students said that they traced items and made them their own. I told them that was fine.

There are free sites that provide graphics that can be used. However, creating graphics is a challenge that the students can solve if they work together. It is also important to remember using copyrighted material is illegal.

Happy Gaming

Nashville

I am at the ACTE National Convention at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville. Sitting on the balcony of the room we have, I am enjoying the sites and sounds. It is giving me time to reflect on the school year so far as I actually have a moment to sit down and prop up my feet.

There are many things I would like to do differently but I am pleased with my students progress. Even as I gain more experience with Globaloria/Flash/Wiki/Blogs new challenges arise. My class is participating in the civics track and creating games for the competition. This is a new challenge for me and my students.

Many teachers in the school system stay away from challenges. Globaloria teachers are not in that group. Challenges come frequently and provide unexpected learning experiences. There are some days when I feel like I don't teach and other days when I don't think I know what to teach.

Recently I have serious thought about switching careers. However, when I see a student project on the wiki and realize that it is there because I am there. I am to the point in my life I am not sure what I want to do next but as long as I am teaching I want to be the teacher challenged.

Training

I am helping with a training session. Did some homework last night to review what I have to present. This has been good for me because reviewing reminds me how far I have come. It also reminds me that I have lots more to learn. I enjoy learning and seeing/hearing what other teachers are doing. Yeah me.