Talking To Strangers: 57 Flavors of Amazingness

TalkingtoStrangers2 I have spent three weeks working on this post. Starting and stopping, revising, restarting, deleting, retyping…I just could not find the right word to share with and to tell you about Mel from According to Mags. I simply could not find the words to share with you in true Talking to Strangers style why Mel is so fantastically inspiring and amazing to me. To tell you why I am so over the moon happy I met her and why my blogging, mommy, friend and teacher world.

…and then like ketchup plopping onto a burger the words found me.

On the 1st and 15th of every month Mel and her friend Michele host a link up called Ketchup With Us. The rules are no rule, just guidelines: In 57 words or less, tell us about…

So in pure Ketchup With Us style, today I give you not just 57 words but 57 tid bits, facts and reasons why I think she is pretty damn amazing…

1. We first met over beer

2. Mel introduced me to Sam Adams Chocolate lager…seriously delicious and Chocolate Beer PEOPLE!!

3. Mel is a writer

4. Mel is the kind of writer the kind of writer that can paint a picture with words, take you to another place, stand and look around and you can feel the breeze blowing and taste the salt on your lips from the margarita as your skin warms in the heat of the sun as the sand tickles your toes kind of writer.

5. Mel’s introduction of Chocolate Lager led to the Blueberry lager…oh my lawrdy make your mouth water deliciousness

6. Mel has written a children’s book

7. Mel and her hubs write original children’s stories

8. Mel is one of the narrators on the Night Light stories Poscast

9. Mel’s podcasts make my daughters shout from the backseat of the car, ” MMMMOOOOOMMMMMM turn off the music!!!! We want the Nightlight stories!!!”

10. My daughter’s swoon over Mrs. Mel and Mr. Chris

11. I swoon over Mrs. Mel’s and Mr. Chris’s stories!!!

12. Mel is supportive

13. Mel has shown me the power of my teacher voice

14. Mel has shown me and reminded me the power of social media to connect teachers and resources

15. Mel is energetic and contagiously giddy

16. Mel plays a mean Rock Band guitar

17. Mel joins a book club and doesn’t read the book…been there!

18. Mel has two kids… with wickdly awesome smiles. The kind that just make you want to smile too

19. Mel has cheered me on just when I needed it most

20. Mel is a special education teacher too

21. Mel is one of those people you meet on social media and the more you get to know them the more you find you have in common, the luckier you feel that you have met and the smaller the world feels

22. Mel’s words have encouraged me

23. Mel’s words have given me confidence.

24. Connecting with Mel (and her husband Chris…also in education) as a teacher gave me confiedence I never thought I’d have as an educator in this space

25. Connecting with Mel showed me the power of my voice…I never thought I would find it any other place but here

26. Mel dresses in a Ketchup bottle

27. Mel is a hoot… not the owl kind either. The make you laugh until you have a stitch kind of a hoot

28. Mel is a fan of the Walking Dead…instant bonus points!

29. Mel is crazy goofy (in a totally awesomesauce great way… I’ll explain more later)

30.

ok… I explained it faster then I thought!!!

31. Mel is a math tutor

32. Mel is a University Supervisor for student teachers…how lucky are those student teachers

33. Mel aspires to be a professional napper…I have a napping habit too. I aspire to someday be a professional at it!

34. Mel adores every ounce of her children’s imaginations

35. Mel’s smile makes you want to smile too

36. Mel writes some super fun vs. posts. My favorite…Grover vs Evil Dead (she may have ruined Grover just a smidge for me but oh the post it is!!!)

37. Mel is an origional song writer…Nose Picking Song. I know! Serious talent there, right?!

38.

39. Mel is a runner

40. Mel ran in a Zombie 5k… I envy her so. I want to be chased by Zombies! Well the fake kind because the real ones OMGAWD that would be terrifying!

41. Mel has a SERIOUS…SERIOUS Cadbury Egg ~~addicit~~…~~infatuation~~…love

42. Mel brings an energy that warms your heart, makes you giggle and smile until your cheeks hurt

43. Mel’s an amazing mom

44. Mel’s an absolute smiling beautiful goof!!

45. Mel’s a romantic

46.

47. Mel goes to see death clutch your husbands arm while you burry your eyes in his shoulder horror movies because her husband loves them

48. Mel is a home bound teacher

49.

50. Mel can turn even the most common into the hysterical

51. Mel came along right when I needed her, found value in what I had shared, validated my skills and knowledge and inspired me to share and create more

52. Mel hides her Cadbury Eggs in a cabinet…smart woman!

53. Mel brings a giggle, smile embracement of all the fantasticlly fun creative, weird ,give you a side ache from giggling and make you crazy parts of motherhood

54. Mel has a great smile

55. Mel plays a mean RockBand guitar…especially when at “Book Club”

56. Mel loves her family

57. Mel is amazing, creative, inspiring, supportive, crazy awesome imagination, a total goof, momma, wife, special education teacher, Cadbury Egg hider, beer conasueor, no longer a stranger.

So while some of the 57 may seem like they are kind of bland (no offense Mel) to me they are what make Mel so very special to me. We have opportunities to connect with people everyday. Whether it is here at this space, in social media or in real life. Sometimes if we are lucky we meet people who inspire us and share their awesomeness. If we are really lucky these people might also connect with us and support us. And sometimes if we are really, really lucky we also find someon we not only have the little things in common with but these strangers maybe even become friends. Sometimes the world just isn’t so small. There are people out there just waiting to connect with and enrich and brighten our lives.

TalkingToStrangers

*All pictures and the video were used with Mel’s permission. She is not alone in her Ketchup bottle wearing adventures. Her partner in crime, the Heinz to her 57… Michele at Old Dogs New Tits {snort} {giggle} {giggle} (sorry her name always makes me feel like a 7yr old little girl…she said tits!)

May 23, 2013May 23, 2013

My Mother’s Day Gift to Me…akaOhMyLawrdy

Last Sunday I was fresh of off a day at Milwakee EdCamp. It was an amazing experience full of learning and connecting. There really is nothing like it. It is a teaching and learning process that could rock so many other worlds ie.blogging world or schools. Did I say it was AMAZING!!!! I left there recharged, full of ideas and excited about all I had learned and the people I had met.

I sat down with my cup of coffee ready for a relaxing, do as little as humanly possible Mother’s Day. I also hoped that after weeks and weeks of no having time to share on this space and being reminded by Olivia and Francine (who’s turn it is to post next here) that they had TONS of ideas lined up, I would finally have time to write. So I did what you shouldn’t and opened up my Hootsuite and then my Google+. I’ll just peek first then I’ll write…huh!

Suddenly I found myself drawn to the educators I had connected with on Saturday, wanting to tweet and connect more. I was being pulled away from all my usual friends and chatterboxes that I adore. It was something I had never experienced. Then it happened again. I was off to Google+ following and adding to circles educators that could enhance my learning network and bring a wealth of ideas and information into my life. I smiled and felt a great pride build up inside of me as I connected with others, not as Laverne but as Carrie the teacher. I was giddy.

As I patted myself on the back proud that I put myself out there a little more I was suddenly overtaken by an intense make you lose your breath, OMGAAAAWWDDDD how am I going to do this all. AHHHHHHHHH I’m going crazy feeling. What the h*ll was I thinking? What was I doing? Was I nuts?

My excitedness to put myself out there as an educator had now left me with….

2 Twitter Account….akaLaverne and Teacher Me

2 Pinterest Accounts…akaLaverne and Teacher Me

2 Google+ Account…akaLaverne and Teacher Me

2 Vine Accounts….akaLaverne and Teacher Me

3 Facebook Account….Carrie’s, akaLaverne Page and akaLaverne’s

…are you following me here. Totally craziness … Oh and lets not forget the two blogs I have now.

As my OMGAAAAWWDDDD how am I going to do this all. AHHHHHHHHH I’m going crazy feelings subsided I tried to brainstorm options. Maybe I could put all of the social media from one account on my iPad and the other on my phone…yeah already tried that. It’s not working now. Maybe it was time to merge both worlds and start a new blog as me Carrie and me Carrie teacher…oye I am finally in my first year here at akaLaverne. Move again. Start another wordpress blog and merge over all the Laverne stuff and the stuff from Hold On To Your Chair… HECK NO!!!! Maybe it was time to merge all my accounts under a new name as me Carrie and Carrie Teacher, start a new name for myself. Yeah, I could do that if I wanted to confuse the heck out of all my Laverne friends and then leave all my new teacher friends thinking I was crazy!

My head hurt just thinking of all this and my restful Mother’s Day oye! Well at least I wasn’t cleaning or doing laundry.

Suddenly hours and hours and HOURS of thinking and trial and error and enough are you kidding me’s…to put anyone on the edge a voice whispered to me…

“It’s Time. You know it is. It’s time to do it!”

So before all my courage could leave me and I stopped breathing from fear and fainted…I did it. I changed my Twitter handle to @carriebaughcum and changed my profile to include Special Education teacher and my other blog. I changed one of my Google+ account to Carrie Baughcum and joined my akaLaverne circles with my teacher circles. I changed my Pinterest and Vine accounts and profiles from akaLaverne to Carrie Baughcum and then I hit SAVE on all of them. My stomach curddled and my breathing still was not normal, but I had done it! I had combined my worlds and felt like (between the deep calming breaths I was still taking) I was shouting to the world THIS IS ME! Carrie Baughcum… momma, wife, Special Educator teacher, mismatch sock wearer, word slinger, illustrator, idea sharer.

As the clock displayed 11:00pm I was exhausted, proud and still a bit terrified…but really proud. This Mother’s Day I had done something I NEVER in my wildest dreams thought I would do. I put the real me out there ready to still share as Laverne and the teacher me too.

So while akaLaverne is gone from Twitter she is by no means gone. Laverne and this space are deep, deep part of me. This space is a place where I LOVE to share my voice and create. That can never ever go away.

…but I can’t wait to see what happens next!

May 18, 2013

Mission Possible

Duh duh duh duh… duh duh duh duh… duh duh duh duh…..duhduhduhhhhhhh duhduhduhhhhhh duhduhduhhhhhh duh duh…

Mission Impossible theme song in your head yet?!

hmmmmm….

Well I need ya there with me here is some help Mission Impossible Theme song (not that Tom Cruise Mission Impossible stuff…old school Mission Impossible Peter Graves style)

Ready now?

Duh duh duh duh… duh duh duh duh… duh duh duh duh…..duhduhduhhhhhhh duhduhduhhhhhh duhduhduhhhhhh duh duh…

Your mission if you choose to accept is to transform this wagon into a school pride float…

…if you accept it and you are caught or put in detention the Principal will disavow any knowledge of your action…

So we began our TOP SECRET mission!

Collaborative group work is something that generally does not happen too much in my classroom. When students goals are to improve their individual student skills and independence, close the gap of reading, math, written language and language skills through intense direct instruction and need a predictable, structured environment and it does not leave much room for the unpredictable navigation that goes with group work.

I was not sure how much support they would need to get this very important mission done but….it was a school wide activity and we were all in.

Mission accepted!

One of my teaching assistants (bless her) googled wagon decorating ideas. I decided I would decide on the theme, thus eleminating that time consuming complicated step, but the students would be incharge of everything else.

My teaching assistants and I decided this would be our inspiration…

CLICK for Source

My students and I met in the hallway for our first planning session. Excitedly we all spread out, their eyes focused on me. They were giddy and ready to hear what we are going to do. I showed them our inspiration and with paper and pen in hand I ask them what supplies or what will we need to make to create this. Eyes stared back at me for a moment. I suddenly was over come with worry. They were going to need more help then I thought.

Then this happened…

CLICK for Source

Ideas started flowing….

Each student began excitedly shouting out their ideas of things they wanted to add to the ship and materials we needed. In ten minutes our TO DO list was made and students were off getting the needed materials. My students came back to our spot from all areas of the building. They proudly carried their supplies. I crossed off the things from our list that were done and instructed them on what needed to be done to build the base of the ship.

Some students cut, an other drew the pirate flag and another was using You Tube to figure out how to make a pirate hat. My students giggled, smiled and spewed happiness. As the ship began to take shape the unexpected happened.

“Let’s try this Mrs. B!”

“Let’s try this Mrs. B!”

“I have another idea Mrs. B!!!”

“What about this!!!!”

Ideas flowed out of each of them like I had never seen or herd before. And not the, “Oh that is a good idea, but it’s really not going to work ideas.” Awesomely fantastic ideas! Awesomely amazing ideas that kept adding to the ships greatness! Suddenly some of their weakness, things that were challenging for them to do before, were gone!

I could not have been more energized and proud!

Finished Pirate Ship

As we proudly added the finishing touches to the project I knew several things…
1) Group projects MUST be part of their education next year
2) Genius Hour (a concept I thought was beyond my students abilities) may be exactly what would enhance their educational experience
3) In addition to all the direct instruction I do with them I must find a place for this type of outlet because it is awesomesauce!!!
4) NEVER under estimate the power of creativity to pull out the best in your students!
5) My students make excellent pirates! You should hear their arrrgggggg!

What has been a newly iPad 1:1 class for over 8 weeks suddenly had a lesson in old school creativity.

Our mission was accepted and we TOTALLY ROCKED IT!!!!!!!

May 4, 2013

Dear Jen

Dear Jen,
A year ago I was a passionate special educator who even after fourteen years still found incredible joy in working with students with significant disabilities, recognizing their strengths, tapping into them as learners and empowering them to over come their weakness and be amazing students. Still, with all this passion and the successes I was having in the classroom, there was a part of me that was left feeling empty. It was an emptiness I did not even know existed until this year.

As you know this whole blogging is nothing new to me. In fact, for the last three years I have blogged anonymously as a mom, a wife, a sister and a friend. I have learned about the power of words. I have been warmed by the amazingness of the connections that can be made through sharing words. I have been blown away by the incredible power of social media and the connections it offers. Most of all I have learned the power of my voice. My experiences in that space filled me, enriched my life and brought priceless amazingness to me … and yet these experiences never entered my classroom.

Then it happened…

In November you encouraged me to submit to present at the Illinois ICE conference. I remember thinking, who the heck is going to be interested in what I am doing in the classroom? What I am doing is not more interesting then all the other fantastic educators out there? You were persistant, encouraging and gave me the bravery I needed to submit my idea.

In December I decided it was time for me to start this blog. Not a blog as Carrie mom and wife. Start a blog as Carrie Special Education teacher. Not a private blog for only my parents and students, a blog for everyone to see. A blog that would be a hub of resources for my students. A place I would use to share lessons I was doing in the classroom, new ideas I was trying and things I was learning about. You listened to me as ideas brewed inside of me. You smiled and celebrated with me when I told you about the idea. You supported and cheered me on when I was ready to hit the publish button.

In February after a fantastically inspiring, energizing Illinois ICE conference I told you I wanted to my classroom to be a 1:1 iPad classroom. Without hesitation you took my idea and went to work looking for resources and creating a proposal for me. By March I had enough iPads to pilot being a 1:1 iPad classroom.

March came around and several classes in our building were piloting collaborative learning desks. I thought…Those would be great for my classroom. We are constantly collaborative. I want to pilot those desks too. You encouraged me to ask administration if my class could pilot them too.

April brought emails from our district technology department. Opportunities to be trained to use an iPad mini and an open call for teachers who want to present at our district technology academy. I completed the form and submitted it. Fingers crossed that I would be chosen to try the iPad mini. I filled out the presenters form for not just one session but two.

A year ago fear owned a part of me. Fear kept me asking. Fear began to limit my creativity. Fear keep me from sharing. Fear left part of me empty. Fear of kept me from using a skill that was a huge part of my life away from the classroom, a part that I am incredibly passionate about.

Jen, you brought energy, a joy, a giddiness, a passion for technology and all of its fantasticness into my life. You suddenly lit inside of me something I only shared with others outside, away from my classroom. You were patient as you filled me with information, new tools, new ideas. You listened to me as ideas brewed inside of me. You smiled, giggled and celebrated with me when I tried new ideas in my classroom and they began to work. Then you waited, listened and supported me when I was ready to take my fears throw them aside and begin to share more.

I can not begin to thank you for what you have given me. By giving me this you have not just given me a gift, you have given my classroom and my students all of this and so much more. You have opened a whole new part of me that was tucked away. I am a risk taker, an adventurer, a jump into the deep end without a life preserver, try new things…kind of a teacher. You have given my students the same teacher they have always had and so much more. Now they have a teacher who is also a global learner: learning from the world and not just from training sessions, my school or district, a global teacher: who doesn’t just teach them but all shares her lessons with others, a risk taker: who is willing to try new things, fail or succeed and then try again.

For all these things and just so very much more…

April 26, 2013

Week 5 and 6: Steady As We Go

After weeks and weeks of excitement, new tools and waves and waves of awesomeness, things have finally settled and iPad life has been smooth sailing.

With my students now the captains of their iPads…

they easily navigate between apps, using Goodreader to complete assignment notebooks, worksheets, take notes and write paragraphs.

New apps that we (I say we because I currently have a dynamo…awesomely tech savvy…she totally speaks geek student teacher) have introduced to our students have been warmly welcomed and tired with a fantastic energy and without hesitation. We have tried Baiboard, Socrative, Study Blue and Bitsboard (all of them and all but Bitsboard are also internet based….BONUS for your non-iPad users or if you do not have iPads). We continue to have great success and celebrate all the awesomeness of what each app offers our students. All while knowing there are just so many more awesome apps out there!

My students are still finding their way around Google Talk (I introduced them to it about a week and a half ago). This app allows them to easily communicate with me if they have any questions while they are working on their homework. While my students have become expects at using Edmodo as a communication tool, we quickly found that for homework help, Edmodo doesn’t reply fast enough and the multiple posts and long streams of communication can be confusing for them. We are still in the lets try this out phase of Google Talk… setting our course and hoping we find more treasure…but my students are over the moon they have this tool to use and uber excited at what it can do. Bonus…can we say independent students advocating for themselves…geee!

My Goals for NEXT WEEK…

Each student has 5 tools (apps) on their iPads they are confident, independent and proficient at using
These 5 tools meet and support their educational needs
Of these 5 tools (apps)...

One to two of them improves access to the curriculum and improves output of information
One of them allows us (me and my students) to communicate with ease (at home, in my class or away from my class)
One to two of them provides interactive and engaging funs that reinforces new and old skills.

So until next week you can find us sailing the open seas, rocking our iPads and spreading our awesomeness where ever we travel!

April 20, 2013

Risk

I never wrote a New Years post. I never shared my vision for what I hoped this year would be for me. I never wrote that I didn’t really want to change or work on something I lacked. Why should I have to always change something, can’t I simply be enough just the way I am? I never wrote that I wanted to own who I was and embrace it. I never wrote how I wanted to take all of the things that were wonderful about me, own them, make them even more awesome and then shout them out to the world. But this unwritten post brewed inside me for weeks…unwritten. It sat and it brewed and it swirled until it fueled an unignorable desire to put myself out there, to leap off the cliff of the unknown, to try something new and extremely and absolutely totally uncomfortable in … suddenly I the deep need to be a risk taker.

My first risk came in January. I quietly submitted a story to Listen To Your Mother. I waited and hoped and tried not to get my hopes up, but really wanted to be part of that amazing group of people. Also, standing on stage, reading my piece, the real me out there… total,make me almost puke risk! I was not selected. My heart hurt terribly. My Facebook stream filled with other who had been selected. I was happy for them but deep inside I hurt really bad. I had put myself out there. I had taken a huge risk. Where was my reward… F@*k you risk!!!

I submitted a proposal to speak at the Illinois ICE Conference. Encouraged by a wonderful friend to share what I was doing in the classroom I decided to value what I was doing, channel my creativity and I wrote the proposal. Me sharing my vision of making the classroom portable for students… allowing students to take lessosn home with them through technology, in front of my peers at the largest technology conference in Illinois… Thank you for your submission. You have made it to our waiting list for speakers…. Blah blah blah. F^#k you Risk!!!

In February I decided to create a public blog. A blog for my, Laverne the teacher me. PUBLIC… For everyone to see!!! PUBLIC!!! I would share about my experiences in the classroom. Share what I was trying, ideas I have and journies I was on. I would shout out all the awesomeness going on in our classroom and make it a hub of resources for my student to access anytime. Aside from starting akaLaverne, it was the best thing I have ever done!!! If you are even remotely familiar with what blogging in this space has done for me…blogging as a teacher has done that equally for me as an educator!!! Make me tear up…. I LOVE you Risk!!!.. and then I {hold you breath} told others about my classroom blog. I told my principal, my administrator, colleagues and I started {hold your chair} I tweeting about it. Connecting with other educators and the feedback I was getting was beyond words. It all just added to the giddily rewarding feeling I was already feeling.

Suddenly RISK might not be all bad!??

So I took some more…

Last month, when the annual email came asking for teacher who wanted to teach a summer tech session came to my inbox I tucked away my feeling of fear and potential disappointment. My burns from taking risks had healed. So I took a deep breath and I submitted TWO proposals. Now I wait!

A couple weeks ago BlogHer posted their announcement that their annual call for Voices of the Year was open. I daydreamed that someone would be enter one of my posts. I’m not gonna lie. How cool would that be and who doesn’t love that kind of love. And what blogger wouldn’t love to stand in front of their peers reading their work, sharing their heart or even just have their work recognized like that…. complete awesome amazingness. Then I thought, why someone else? Why not me?! An article popped up in my stream… submit your own. A post went up on google+ about being an advocate of you. What was I waiting for? There will be so many submissions to BlogHer mine probably wouldn’t even get noticed. Remember LTYM. That hurt bad. Your heart ached in disappointment. So I said F#%k you fear! I looked though my old posts from the last year. I looked for one I though would have the biggest impact and bring the most meaning to others. I couldn’t settle on one.

Then I heard a whisper.

It was my heart.

“Pick me,” it said.

“Remember how you felt in this moment. Remember what it meant to you. Remember how deeply you were moved. This is about you and what it means to you.”

So I took a deep breath… and I submitted my story. Now I wait.

I wait, but this time I will not wait in fear. You see each time I jump of the cliff of the unknown I have no idea if I will fall or soar.

I do know this.

Even though falling hurts really bad, I’ll get up again, I’ll rub the sore spots and maybe even cry but I will do it. I will do it because I know that if I don’t take that step I would never know how incredible soaring is!

ERQuote

AND

Authors Note… I apologize in advance for all the swearing. It really is not like me…well yeah it really is, but in real life and not on my blog but I just could not come up with a word that had the same pow as …you know the F word. Also, I could not decide which image to use. Cute, simple, classic chalk board with lovely Eleanor Roosevelt quote or in your face say it like it is phrase so… I am went with both!

Your still here??

Well what the heck are you waiting for?!

Won’t you please head over to BlogHer and show me love…

Go already!

April 16, 2013

Week 4: Light Bulbs

Light bulbs were all the rage last week!

Ah ha moments, glowing eyes of aw and pride, oooo’s and ahhs, and glissening wide smiles…with teeth and everything and oh my goodness look at me filled each period!

My students continued to just rock technology and totally and completely rock being an iPad 1:1 classroom last week. They continue to become more and more proficient at using their technology. Lessons continue to flow and the pace of each lesson increases each day. Their knowledge of the basics is well ingrained… actually fluid! At only four weeks into being a 1:1 iPad classroom my student and the possible ways we will use technology have already exceeded my expectations.

You might want to put some sun glasses on. The glow of all the awesomeness could be blinding…

I find myself able to introduce them to new tools and new components of their technology. Baiboard has become not just a look what your iPad can do tool but a consistent tool…from sharing word lists during group Reading instruction to facilitating peers working together to sharing math notes and completing them as a class.

I find myself looking for ways to tweek and perfect our usage…looking for ways to be increasingly more efficient at changing paper to text form. The Jetscanner app has been an absolute god sent. Anything paper need to be turned into a PDF for sharing or use on the iPad. Take a photo, it changes it to a PDF and done!

‘CLICK’ for source

I find myself looking for that very last way to remove almost all paper from our daily use. We have switched my students from typing their daily events / daily narrative on a PDF type enables document to putting these events on their Google Calendar. Why not? I use my Google Calendar everyday to keep my day organized!

I find myself looking for ways to connect us more…. to show my students the power of technology and communication. Last week two of my students went on Edmodo (unprompted by staff or parents) at home seeking help on a problem they were having on their homework. That night after several replies from me and my student teacher they had the answers to their questions. In that instant they learned the power technology has to connect. It actually made me teary. As a direct result of this (it is actually something that has been on my mind for a while) I am exploring apps that would allow me and my students to chat when they need help on homework. This very moment was my most proudest yet! Technology does powerful good and connects them to resources. They learned that that night!

I find myself becoming a paper snot! I even lost the capacity to breath for a half second when I actually had to print something last week. You mean I actually need to have a paper copy…I need to print?! …Cue Back to the Future 2… What like you thought my geekiness really started and stopped here…

All of this awesomeness is just overwhelming wonderful!!! I just can’t say enough about what has happened to my classroom, to me, to my teaching and to my students!

April 15, 2013

Olivia’s World #1: The Stair Stomping Monster

Olivia2

Once upon a time there was a Stair Stomping Monster named Mimia and she was nice, kind and helped people if anyone needs help. She was special at all kinds of things. Mimia likes her city. Mimias city is called Stair Stomping Ville. Even though Mimia lives in a city where all other Stair Stomping Monsters live she is different. Shes different because all the monsters in Stair Stomping Ville stomp but Mimia does not, Mimia uses her words when she is happy, sad or mad.

One day Mimia saw a little girl that was 4 years old and holding a tiny doll that was clean, had soft fur and had braids that had been tied with bows that are the color red. And the owner of the doll looked sad. Mimia knew it because she was crying.

“ Well she does not look graceful like me,” said Mimia.

Mimia ran out to catch her.

“What is your name and why are you sad and crying? “ Asks Mimia sadly knowing now she was sad as the little girl said her name Caroline.

Mimia said how to be happy and now they are friends.

The end.

photo-5

Mommy Disclaimer…. Olivia is my 7 year old daughter. She began writing here so she could share her voice too. All the words, the ideas and the typing… the entire story was done totally and completely by Olivia. I only helped with formatting, spelling and with Photoshopping the drawing. By writing this story Olivia hopes to inspire other kids to learn their manners, help a lot and be nice and kind!

April 14, 2013

Introducing Olivia’s World

“Mommy I left something for you on your bed, ” Olivia tells me.

“Ooooohhhh OK,” I reply rinsing the dishes.

After washing the dishes, putting a load of laundry in the washer, folding a couple of baskets, making lunch…well you know how it goes. I finally made my way upstairs to read this mysterious “note”. When I got to my bedroom I saw her journal lying on my bed.

“Hhhmmmmm I thought. I found the page marker and open it to this…

photo-4

The “note” was a not surprising to me. I have known for a while that the social part of school has not been Olivia’s strength. She lives by her own beat, has a quarky fantastical imagination, is stubborn, shy and has kind of a take me for who I am or leave it attitude. It is the perfect combination of a blessing and a curse. So while the note did not surprise me it did make me sad. I realize that I am her mom, but I have for a very long time thought that Olivia has the most fantastic imagination and an incredible talent for using her drawings and words to bring her imagination to life.

“OOOOLLLLIIVVVAAAAAA come here!” I yelled to her from my room.

“COMING MOMMY!”

“Hummmfff she came without arguing,” I thought. “That’s nothing short of a miracle.”

“Yes Mommy.”

I took her straight in the eye, forcing her to look back at me.

“Do you know how amazing you are? Do you know what a fantastic writer and drawer you are? What you write… it is something very special!. Do you know this sweetie. You are VERY talented!”

I pause and we just gaze at each other. Then like the light bulb appearing above the cartoon characters head, I knew what I had to do.

“Olivia I want you to start writing with me on Mommy’s blog. You are an amazing writer and I want you to see that your words are important and special!”

“Really Mommy!!!!”

“Yes really!!!”

. . . . . . .

I hope that you will stop back tomorrow when Olivia and

I share her first post. I am one excited momma!

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April 10, 2013

Our Awesomeness #1

We have tried out a few different tools to project the iPad during lessons. Reflector is a phenomenal desktop app that projects your iPad through the projector. It allows me to not have to be plugged in. I can walk around the classroom continuously displaying what I am doing on the iPad (downfall is my classroom’s wifi is not always able to keep up with it so it has only worked half the time). Another, more reasonable tool to project the iPad is the iPevo camera. It clearly projects the iPad, but does not allow me to move around the classroom. The above picture is the iPad projected using the iPevo Camera with one of my students navigating the iPad while I instruct. My favorite way to use the iPad, iPevo and make students part of my teaching.

All of the worksheets and templates we use are PDFs

uploaded from Dropbox into Goodreader

April 9, 2013

Meet My Muses and Fred too

“Mommy come color with me,” Francine asks after dinner.

“I’m sorry sweetie mommy has tons of chores I need to do. You can color and I’ll come when I am done.”

I turn to see an understandably frowny, disappointed face. My hands reach for the sponge and the next plate that needs to be washed. The kitchen is suddenly silent.

“Mommy what can I do to help you finish your chores faster?” Francine inquires

After lifting myself off the floor in shock…

I turn to Francine and smile, “Really, you want to help Mommy?!”

“Yes, Mommy,” she smiles and says in the sweetest and most sincere five year old voice.

“OOOOOkaaaay. You can start by helping make the lunches.”

As I rinse the last dishes, move on to the load of laundry that needs to be washed and the other one that needs to be folded Francine puts pretzels into sandwich bags. I send out reminders of what to do next from the laundry room. I pick up my pace, working faster to get these chores done so I could sit and color with her.

With time left to spare and a couple of chores left for later, because seriously how can I possibly let down a little girl down who is willing to help Mommy with chores. It was time to color!

I still never know what is going to happen when I craft or color with my girls. I am constantly inspired by them and blown away by their imaginations. This night at the table was no different. After taping together and coloring two cardboard toilet paper rolls and a paper towel roll (don’t ask… she’s five… it’s her vision. I don’t ask) we did some free drawing. After doodling a bit the pink crayon called for me. My mind took me back to a note I had made for myself months ago. My hand faught me. I had never been any good at drawing with crayons. Before I know it the crayon is in hand, obeying my movement and Fred was born. Fred1

Fred has dreams…big pink accessorized, leotard and legwarmer dreams. Dreams of toes pointed, tutus and twirls and pirouettes…

FredDancesBallet

. . . . .

My daughters inspiration does not end here…

I seriously can not tell you how incredibly..oozing with excited I am for the coming weeks. My daughters… Olivia 7 and Francine 6 are going to start joining me here! They are going to take their picture, drawings, stories and life experiences and start to share their words here too!

I can hardly stand the wait… the wait for Olivia to share her words with you. Her illustrations will take you to fantastically magical worlds that intertwine her life’s experiences with creatures, superheros and magical worlds of her imagination.

Francine is also excited to share. A little of this, a lot of that and who knows what else?! She loves to help me cook and bake, but dislikes almost everything she helps me make. She can even show you which exact tooth is her sweet tooth. She is colorful, crafty and is always looking for the next thing to make out of anything she can find. I really never know what fantastically crafty, imaginative creation she will cook up.

Creativity is oozzing! We have so much more to share!

April 8, 2013

Week 3: Juuuust Right

Remember in Goldie Locks and the Three Bears when Goldie Locks (that naughty girl she was, being in someone’s house without asking) sat at the table tasting porridge… this one is tooo hot…this one is tooo cold… this one is just right! That moment…The moment the porridge finally tasted perfectly warm, was exactly what happened this week!

This week things came together in awesome ways! So much awesomeness is happening. I simply can not contain it to a day by day account and feel the the urge to shout all of the awesomeness that happened this week!!!!

1) Students can independently upload documents from Dropbox to Goodreader

2) Students now complete all worksheets on the iPad (both in class and at home)

3) All class notes are taken on the iPad

4) Students know how to independently view documents side by side in Goodreader
ex. Students can complete their paragraph organizer on the iPad and view it on the same
screen while typing the paragraph using it

5) All grading is done at the beginning of each class (a huge change in routine for us)

6) Grading time is down to 5 minutes

7) Instant daily feedback of performance has significantly reduced the number of
corrections that need to be made to homework

8) Corrections are now done the day they happen, rather then on a specific day of the week

9) The overall pace of a class lesson has almost doubled,
     significantly increasing the amount of instruction given
     in a week

10) Students are starting to use their iPads to take notes on while looking at
videos / resources on the computer

11) We are almost a completely paperless classroom

12) WE… staff…myself and my Teaching Assistants…and my students are crazy
giddy happy and proud…WE ARE (almost completely) A PAPERLESS CLASSROOM!!!!

13) Students use all of our basic apps almost completely independently…
Goodreader, Dropbox, Google allowing me to begin to slowly introduce new tools

14) New fantasticness is emerging…Fantasticness I tell you!

15) We use the Socrative app once a week in two classes to record and document
student performance in Reading and Social Studies

16) We began using Study Blue to learn measurement abbreviations in Math class

17) Upon learning how to use Study Blue one of my students sat in his desk, stared at
me, stared some more and then said…

Student: Wait…this makes note cards.

Me: Yes, it does

Student: I make note cards for Science class

Me: Yes you do

Student: Can I use this to make note cards for Science

Me: You sure can

…and we set up a time after school to make the note cards together.

Can you just feel the sparks and connections clicking!!!

18) We discovered the app (during a day it was offered for free…bonus) Jet Scanner and a
      whole new world of independent awesomeness was opened. No scanner needed
      when you can take a picture of a worksheet, turn it into a PDF and then upload it
      to Dropbox, share it with all of your students and they can upload it into Goodreader
      and type and/or write on it

19) I am in the process of starting Assistive Technology
      Evaluations for three of my students. I have plenty of
      data already that these tools need to be a perminent
      part of their educational days

Next weeks technology and iPad goals…

Introducing, modeling how to use and using Baiboard to students…humongously huge deal…this means working in groups (something that is very challenging for my students and we rarely do)
Changing my thinking about how we are teaching measurement to my Math students. No more memorizing and memorizing and memorizing conversion facts. I am going to focus on teaching them to use technology as a resource to access facts and information.
Teach my students to use the Jet Scanner app, how to upload documents to our Dropbox and make them available to the class
Explore and test out ClassDojo behavior management system
Continue to our awesmomeness streak into the next week…because seriously..My StUdEnTs RoCk!!!!

March 27, 2013

Learning The Steps

Walking to the birthday party from our car Olivia shared with me how excited she was to go to a Hip Hop dance Birthday Party.

“I’ve always wanted to try Hip Hop mommy!” She smiled and skipped as we walked into the building where the party was being held.

“Quick quick Olivia. We don’t want to miss too much.” I urged her.

Walking down the stairs to the dance room I could feel her happiness to be with one of her very best friends on her special day.

The party had started. We were late.Ten seven year olds sat in a circle doing their predance stretching.

“Go ahead Olivia. Go find a spot.”

“No mommy,” she said taking my hand.

“It’s ok Olivia. There’s a spot right ….”

There wasn’t an open spot for her to just jump right in. I scanned the room trying to make eye contact with one of the girls that Olivia would know. She knew no one. Just the birthday girl.

“Go ahead Olivia. It’s time to stretch.”

The dance instructor got the group up and began to have them do steps to loosen them up.

“No mommmmmy. I want to go!” she urged.

Tears began to stream from her eyes. She grabbed me tight and buried her head in my side.

My plan was to I was to just drop her at the party and then go to the local Starbucks to write. I wanted these two hours. Suddenly my wants became secondary. It wasn’t going to happen.

“I want to leave mommy.”

I knew that instant we, I had to stay.

“What if we just sit here and watch.” I encouraged her.

“Ok.” she answered.

I scanned the room again for someone from the party that could come over and welcome her in. The birthday girls mom came in the room. I sighed in relief.

“Ohhhh she could help,” I thought easing my stress.

A quick break in the action happened and Olivia’s friend came running over to her asking her to come dance. Olivia buried her head in my arm and just could not do it.

“What was I going to do? Was she going to sit with me the whole party? What would this mean for other parties?” I worried and wondered.

Suddenly I felt a calm come over me. We came late. She only knows one or two girls. How many adults could walk into a room of strangers and just join in dancing in front of strangers? I couldn’t. How could I expect Olivia to. So we sat. We watched and I softly spoke to her about what I saw.

“Look at those girls dancing. Not all of them are doing it perfectly, are they?” I whispered. “Looks like everyone is just trying their best, dancing to the music.” whispered some more.

Slowly Olivia’s tears began to dry and her grip of my arm lessened. She watched. She smiled. We clapped to the music and she began to enjoy being there.

“Water break!” the dance instructor shouted.

Like magic Olivia’s friend (the birthday girl) and another old friend from preschool appeared.

“Come dance with us Olivia!” they said to her.

Olivia looked at me.

“It’s her birthday Olivia. Do it for her,” I whispered gently.

With her eyes locked on me she smiled and nodded.

“Ok!” she said holding her friends hand and walking onto the dance floor.

The birthday girls mother sat next to me.

“Did you do that?” I asked.

“Yes” she smiled.

“Thank you so much.”

Olivia walked onto the dance floor. The dance instructor smiled at her, came to her and warmly welcomed her giving her a high five. Olivia was front and center, in minutes, learning the dance moves to the big dance number. I sat there I soaking in my momma pride. I hadn’t pushed. I didn’t yell, get firm or try to hard. I took a step back and tuned into where Olivia was at. I respected her and her feelings. I gently made sure she learned that she could feel this way and still be brave enough join in. Finally, after many, many moments of stepping on each others toes, missed steps and disastrous numbers Olivia and I had finally gotten all the steps right. What a beautiful number we danced…together. You should have seen her dance!!

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