Wow!  Blogger has changed.  One educator has an issue logging into their accounts.  Did any of your students have issues?

Wow!  Blogger has changed.  I am not sure when but Christina says 2-3 weeks ago.  I think I need to be here more often.  One educator said that her students had problems logging in.  Did anyone else have issues?

Spring Break

If schools haven't, they soon will take a spring break. Do you every wonder why schools need a spring break? Who needs it, the students or the teachers? Or both? Does a brain need a break from learning?

In all my years of teaching I never thought to ask students to record anything educational they did over spring break like read a book or traveled. I just never thought of it till now. Our brains really don't want to stop learning. The brain just wants to learn something that interests us. These options are endless.

So if you haven't had spring break yet, record what you do and see if you learn anything new.

Time flies

I haven't posted to this blog forever because I have been posting to a page for Facebook.  It is amazing how time passes.  We wake up and think, "How did I get to this place in my life?  I have been part of the Globaloria program for 5 years and it is amazing how much the program has developed in that time period.  The educators I have meet have inspired me so much.

One thing that I do wonder is how I how and when I actually learned what I know about Flash and the wiki.  There were lessons and tutorials but they don't cover even a tenth of what Flash and the wiki can do.  I knew NOTHING the first year I started and I recently passed the Adobe Certified Associate Rich Media Communication using Adobe Flash CS5.  Where did I learn this stuff?  

I learned some through Globaloria's training.  I learned some from teaching it.  I learned some from self-learning.  I learned some from my students.  There was no one class that taught me everything I can do now. 

We need to continue to make education that way.  Students wake up one day and realize that they know something!  That they learned it from training, teaching, self-learning and from each other.  Please let the time continue to fly for Globaloria and other classes in the school system.

Bragging

I am going to take a few minutes to brag on Christina. She took over Globaloria at Randolph Technical Center when I became state manager. I try really hard to leave her along but sometimes I just have to step into her class and interrupt. She takes that all in stride. (Or at least I hope she does.)

First semester she had success stories and a few kids who weren't successful. But those kids who were not successful at creating a game still learned to blog, edit a wiki page, learned what a keyframe was in Flash etc.

Christina has started her second semester class of Game Design II and I already see the confidence she has gained. The students are going to create some great games this semester.

I challenge you to brag about someone you know in the program. Someone who has helped you or you have used their work. Tell about it.

Christina, you are doing a great job! Thanks!

Catching up

I have not blogged in so long and I have to admit that I missed it. After spending time with everyone this weekend I realized several things.

1. There was not enough time to talk to everyone.
2. There are some super talented educators in West Virginia.
3. Educators are not used to learning independently.
4. Educators are VERY willing to help each other.
5. Attitude is everything.

Being in this program I have got to know several people and I did not get a chance to talk to all of them this weekend. I never got called Barbara by Melonie and I didn't have a chance to steal Donna's purse.

Walking around the room and helping people let me see the talent of the teachers in West Virginia. Even teachers who did not think they were doing okay were doing great. It was super to see them work.

I have had a classroom for some many years where I had to keep learning new things on my own. I got so used to that, that I forgot not everyone can learn that way. Many individuals would like more guided learning. I have mixed feelings about that. We need to teach our students to be independent learners regardless of their learning style so we need to experience it to help them.

I lost count of how many times I heard one teacher asking questions of another teacher. Teaching others also reinforces skills. From a planner of the academy that was wonderful sound.

Watching individuals this weekend I can really see how "Attitude is everything." Educators who approach the training/program with I can do this, I am open to change, I will ask questions, are the educators who were learning the most during the training. Also it is their classes that are having the most success. I know everyone in the program can do it. I just want you to believe you can.

It is a privilege for me to be part of this program! I love working with all of you!

My Culture Education

Recently I made a trip to New York and saw all the cultural activities available. Most of these things I have never experienced. Growing up poor in West Virginia did not allow for many cultural experiences such as plays, museums or library visits. As I was on this trip I thought of the differences of growing up in New York and Ellamore, WV where I grew up. The cultural things I did growing up was swimming in the river, playing softball in a field with friends, learning how to quilt, reading, reading and reading some more. I can garden and can vegetables. I can cross stitch. I can change a flat tire. I know how to cook deer meat.

Every place as their own set of culture. A few weeks ago I was in Wisconsin and their way of life is different than New York and West Virginia. So was Texas when I lived there.

Not everyone can live in New York or Chicago or Dallas or Ellamore. Not everyone can learn what I did growing up. But the one thing that we call need to learn is to read, read, and read some more. Reading is power and can give us all a shared culture. Have you read lately?