Oddly enough... I'm actually looking forward to an assignment (for the first time in my life). I can't wait to put my digital portfolio together. I think it's because this is the first time that activities in class are going to actually affect my ability to get a job. (like I'll have a problem finding a job teaching Latin...) Anywho, learning HTML (kind of) was definitely a big help, editing the website will give me a definite advantage if all I have is basic webspace at whatever job i land.

randomly - how many ninjas does it take to change a lightbulb? None, they're the ones unscrewing all the lightbulbs in the first place.

I digress - the jeopardy game in class on Friday was excellent (here comes the shameless sucking up) and i could definitely set it up and use it in my unit plan. It's all jsut hyperlinking everything.

happy snowy sunday!

Unit Plans....

Amazingly enough, life does imitate art.

I never thought I would be guilty of essentially copying ideas from other teachers, and then adapting them to my own classroom. Hooray for Free Use! The unfortunate part of creating a unit plan, is that apparently, this is the only time in my life where i will have to create one from scratch. I understand getting us ready... but this is a bit ridiculous.

on a lighter note: so much of what i've learned over the semester is being implemented in this unit, and on all sorts of other projects and papers this semester. pretty cool...

TGIF mate....

Thanksgiving Break

Yay for Thanksgiving! The holiday that should have been celebrated about one month ago, and was pushed back to allow a longer Christmas shopping season! huzzah!

i'm not cynical i swear.

I'm just bitter, I spent my break doing homework. While I did find an awesome webquest for the Trojan War (shameless plug that I'm still an on-task student) I felt as if I spent more time in front of the computer than with my family. and what kind of break is that?

although, i do enjoy using webquests. if a student is absent from class, it is definitely feasible for that student to be caught up on the assignment, because the website is accessible from any computer. sheer brilliance i tell you.

uh-oh, the over-tired fairy has been beating me over the head a bit too much....

Public Service Announcement

well... kind of. so apparently too much caffeine is dangerous to your health. oops. i guess that's why i'm going to be a teacher and not a doctor.

anyway, windows media player is fun, but not that fun. (cut to my entire project suddenly going missing in a matter of 1 day) although the editing and transitions make it look awfully professional...

randomly - i find it hilarious that IQWeb functions perfectly for the junior's registration, and then the registrar's system completely shuts down after the 1st person this morning. Oh well, at least everyone enjoyed the hot cocoa and snacks we delivered. =)

Weekendings...

There's nothing like a relaxing weekend after the most hectic week of the semester to remind you to get back to work. I've never felt so guilty about relaxing and having fun before. Oh well. Notice how I'm blogging, rather than say, watching a movie, or reading a book. But here's that Protestant work ethic, or maybe just the drive of an over-achiever.

Focusing - smart boards are awesome things. incredibly interactive in the classroom, and (i think) easier to set up and use than a power point presentation. only one little problem. not everyone owns a smartboard. which needs to change. the days of lecture are almost over.

well-behaved women rarely make history - laurel thatcher ulrich

Between creating a website, making a unit plan, a tiered lesson plan and all the other assignments I can understand what a first year teacher goes through. It's a bit intimidating to see all that has to happen to have a good classroom, but I think I can handle it.

On a lighter note, creating a website is much easier than I thought. I figured learning some of the basics of HTML would help me later in life.

Finally - I'm calling it now, Flyer's are in the you-know-whats in april (it's bad luck to say it before it happens)

no reservations

So far in Tech. I have learned so much about new ways to bring old technology back into the classroom. I remember using excel for science fair charts and graphs... but not much else.

Creating sample products from publisher and word was interesting as well. I don't have much patience when creating newsletters and formating exams. When creating quizzes for middles schoolers during my community study I would get so frustrated with designing multiple choice and short answer questions, and now it really is just that much easier.

Is it possible to feel more like a technology native than before?