Technology In Teaching

Remember - every parent sent us the best child they had - treat every child like that

After the NSTA Conference

I’m at the airport, waiting for my flight to Charlotte. I’ve a long layover (about 3 hours), so I thought I’d start to put down my impressions. LOVED San Antonio – friendly city, great people. Gotta give a shout-out to Gabriel, our cab driver (he phoned Read More...

Searching for A Quiet Place

I’ve just read “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking” by Susan Cain. She writes of the many people in our society for whom the constant noise and forced interactions in classrooms are maddening. I’m one of those people. Normally, Read More...

The Internet as an External Hard Drive

This links to an interesting idea – that the Internet is essentially acting as an external hard drive – and, it may be getting closer to INTERNAL than you think. For much information, it is less important that we know a factoid, than know how to find Read More...

I’m Down in Weight

NOT that hugely, but definitely moving in the right direction. My clothes are fitting looser, I no longer have to “suck it in” before bending over, and I have more energy. Each week, I stop off at the nurse’s office at the beginning of my planning period, Read More...

Being An Older Teacher

I was talking to someone at school this week, and we were comparing notes about teaching in our later years. She has been at this school, and in the same system, for some time. I, on the other hand, spent the first 15 years in the same system, then bounced Read More...

An Extra TWO Days Off!

I’ve been finishing the 1st semester’s grading and paperwork over this weekend. Thanks to MLK Day, I have yet another day off, which I will use to work on my online class, as well as prepare for the next semester’s lessons. Even so, I had time to: Exercise Read More...

Ways to Keep Kids Quiet After the High-Stakes Test is Finished

We just finished the final for Forensic Science today. We were given almost 5 – yes, FIVE – hours for it. There’s not way that I would subject anyone to that long a test. So, we had all finished by two hours into the time. What to do with high school Read More...

Block Scheduling – Pros and Cons

In many high schools, we work on the Block Schedule – most courses take up only one semester. Initially, it sounded too good to be true – only 3 classes a day? From 75-100 students at a time? Fab. Well, not quite. There are advantages to having a smaller Read More...

Shark Finning

I just watched a Youtube video about Shark Finning – the practice of capturing sharks, cutting off their fins, and throwing the still-live body back into the sea. DON’T show it at school – Gordon Ramsey doesn’t seem to know how to speak without use of Read More...

Is There Anything More Boring Than…

…WATCHING someone taking a test? I don’t think so. It’s Finals Week, and I’m in the first day of the grind. Other than providing a handheld pencil sharpener to needy students (not that common – most use mechanical pencils), and occasionally answering Read More...

Switching Between my Laptop and My IPad

I’m such a geek that it’s not unusual for me to have 2-3 different devices open at a time, switching between them as needed. The biggest trouble occurs when I switch from the IPad to the Mac. I find myself trying to select links and buttons by pushing Read More...

After Christmas Thoughts

My daughter asked me to help her with a new unit – Tornadoes. I’ve taught it in the past. I taught it before I had access to the Internet. Although the Internet would make the lessons more current, as you could use animations, videos and current maps Read More...

Christmas Break Plans

I left a day early, to deal with my brother’s death. When I left for Cleveland, I decided to leave all classwork and grading behind. I needed a break from anything related to the classroom. It appears that the burial will be on Friday. A few details need Read More...

Just When You Think You Know Kids…

…they really surprise you. In a good way. My brother died this week. They found his body in his apartment on Tuesday. He was to be examined yesterday (haven’t received the report yet). They’re assuming natural causes, but don’t know just what the cause Read More...

The Quickest, Best Picture Editor I’ve EVER Found…

…and it’s FREE and online! It’s Pixlr – go here for the site. I just had a LOT of scanning done, and needed to both crop, and rotate 1/2 of the pictures. Usually, that’s a few hours killed. Not today – I was able to scan, rotate, and crop in about 1/2 Read More...
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