Here we go! The 2012-2013 school year has started, but I can't say it's been a smooth beginning... Computers going down, new student management system that doesn't run smoothly, and a bunch of little issues that individually are not hard to handle, but when you put it all together it's just too much, but as we are nearing the end of the second week of school, at least my students have been productive and very well behaved and the "issues" are being worked out.
Now what? Well, personally, I am looking forward to another very productive year, making sure the young people at Balboa are computer savvy enough to make it in this modern world we live in. As well, we have another yearbook to create along with all of the other multimedia projects we do in the yearbook class. I will be coaching both the boys and girls basketball teams again, and this year should be a great one. As we start my third year as the head coach, I really feel like we are developing a top notch program.
Well, as if that all isn't enough, after every school day I have the great fortune to come home to an amazing wife and my four amazing children... Life is good! Got to make the most of it!!!
How are you making the most of it?
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Technological Sweet Spot
Ok, so I am not exactly sure where this post is going to end up so I am not going to give it a title yet. The title you see at the top wasn't thought of until much later in this post... Let me tell you where I'm at (figuratively, not literally) right now, and we'll work our way backwards or maybe forwards. Oh, I don't know, maybe even a bit sideways...
As I sit at my desk, typing away at my "main" computer, writing this blog, I have our newly acquired iPad remotely connecting to my other desk top teacher computer, which has a program called iTALC on it that allows me to view all of the student computers in the lab. While I remain productive, I am able to monitor my students, making sure they are staying productive. What inspired me to write on this topic today was from my recent experiences, using the iPad to remotely monitor my students. Now, instead of being stuck at my desk to monitor students, send messages to students, and be able to click into their computer to directly help them, I can do all of that from my iPad as I walk around the room. Now you might say, "Why don't you just walk around the room doing all of that directly with the students' computers?" A valid question, and I often do that, but it is often the case that I will be in one area of the room (and it's a big room) helping students and I have no idea what the other students are working on or if they need help. I can even take a step outside for a bit of fresh air and still make sure they are on task. And if you know anything about teaching middle school kids, that bit of fresh air might just be all you need to get through the day with smiles on your face. So, this newest connectivity that I have been able to acquire has allowed me tons of new possibilities. Above, I have only given a glimpse into the possibilities. Maybe in future posts I'll share more, but for now I am in a bit of a technological sweet spot, enjoying the labs new capabilities!!! I think I've found my title...
Do you ever get excited about a new technological experience or capability?
As I sit at my desk, typing away at my "main" computer, writing this blog, I have our newly acquired iPad remotely connecting to my other desk top teacher computer, which has a program called iTALC on it that allows me to view all of the student computers in the lab. While I remain productive, I am able to monitor my students, making sure they are staying productive. What inspired me to write on this topic today was from my recent experiences, using the iPad to remotely monitor my students. Now, instead of being stuck at my desk to monitor students, send messages to students, and be able to click into their computer to directly help them, I can do all of that from my iPad as I walk around the room. Now you might say, "Why don't you just walk around the room doing all of that directly with the students' computers?" A valid question, and I often do that, but it is often the case that I will be in one area of the room (and it's a big room) helping students and I have no idea what the other students are working on or if they need help. I can even take a step outside for a bit of fresh air and still make sure they are on task. And if you know anything about teaching middle school kids, that bit of fresh air might just be all you need to get through the day with smiles on your face. So, this newest connectivity that I have been able to acquire has allowed me tons of new possibilities. Above, I have only given a glimpse into the possibilities. Maybe in future posts I'll share more, but for now I am in a bit of a technological sweet spot, enjoying the labs new capabilities!!! I think I've found my title...
Do you ever get excited about a new technological experience or capability?
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Perseverance
You want to be a success in life? You better be able to persevere! From getting through school to interviewing for job after job, dealing with a teacher you can’t stand to finishing your homework late at night. It’s how you handle these challenges and whether or not you let them affect the way you treat the people you care about that matter. Personally, the DVD Yearbook that my class is making is making me and my staff of editors crazy. Premiere Elements (the software we are using to edit the video) is very finicky and crashes often. There are ways around it and if I had been more hands on in the beginning of the school year, we wouldn’t be struggling nearly as much to finish it, but that is neither here nor there. The bottom line is we have problems and we have to fix them one by one until we figure it out. The issues are very technical in nature, so I am not going to go into detail, but all I can say is video editing can get complicated! What are we going to do? Give up? I don’t think so. I am not going to let this yearbook class be the first one in my five years here at Balboa to fail to provide the school with a DVD yearbook full of great memories, great music, and hilarious moments. Anyway, enough writing, I have to get back to fixing the problems, one by one…
Do you have the patience and mental toughness to persevere when things get tough?
Do you have the patience and mental toughness to persevere when things get tough?
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Social Media Overload
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, LinkedIn, Blogger.com, texting, and e-mail... So many ways to stay in touch with my family, friends, colleagues, students, and basketball teams. I am sure many of you out there remember a time when telephones didn't even have answering machines... If you missed the call you missed the call. Oh how far we have come! As with anything, there are pros and cons to the developments we have seen, but whether you like the changes or not, social media is here to stay. Do you have to participate? Of course not, but tons of people around you are. How has that changed things? Who is there guiding our young people through the ups and downs of it all? I am sure we've all heard some horror stories that involve the use of social media and/or our e-mail and texting. As a computer educator I have chosen to get involved for many reasons. One big one is to stay on the cutting edge so I can help guide the young people I teach. Another reason is it allows me to communicate and share with the people in my education world, whether they are students, parents, or colleagues. With my freelance work, it helps me share my work, communicate with clients, and to reach out to potential clients. Personally, I get to see what's going on with friends, old and new and occasionally I share what's going on with me... Funny thing is I tend to be more of a private person when I get the chance. That's a bit of my wonderful, but shy mother coming through. That and by the time I get home from working on a computer all day, the last thing I want to do is get connecting and check in on people... Anyway, I am sure it is not hard to see the benefits of social media, but we can't forget that what we do and say online will follow us in the "real" world...
So, how has social media and the technology at our fingertips affected your life?
So, how has social media and the technology at our fingertips affected your life?
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
The Power of Media
So it's been a awhile, again and I was telling myself, "I need to blog, I need to blog", but I couldn't really wrap my head around a topic. Then it hit me, "The Power of Media". Two questions come to mind. What does that mean? and Why blog about it?
To me, "the power of media" means that through media, such as this blog, Facebook, podcasts, radio, TV, movies, etc. the creator of that media has the ability to reach people and to possibly affect their mindset. Whether it is done consciously or subconsciously, people that create content help shape the world we are in. As a teacher, I have access to hundreds of young people throughout the year and being a computer teacher I am showing them how to create content. In my yearbook class, we not only make the yearbook, but we put out a DVD yearbook, two newspapers a year, a weekly newscast, a monthly newsletter, and we utilize Facebook and Instagram to help get the word out in regards to the activities we do, like our Get Inspired Project, which consists of many projects thought up and carried out by the students with a simple goal of helping to better the world we live in. They use all of our media options to help promote their cause. OK, now we have an idea of what it means, now, why am I blogging about it?
Personally, I have been struggling a bit to find a clear path to take in regards to all of the activities that I am involved in. I won't bore you with the specifics, but as I've expressed in the past, I am the type of person to have tons of things going on at once. Constantly juggling the activities I am involved in. One thing I don't do a good job of is sharing my experiences whether good or bad with people that may be interested or may be able to benefit from the insights gained. For me, the way my brain works, this particular blog about the power of media is helping me to find the direction I want to take. It's time to use the technology at my fingertips spark conversation, to get involved. I can share what I am doing with it, as I have done a bit, but I also want to find out what others are doing. How are you using the media available to you? Are you only a passive consumer of the media, meaning do you just sit back and watch or listen to the content that others are creating or are you one of the creators? Remember, it is those that create that have the potential to shape our world. I'm interested! Anybody else? What are you working on? What message, if any, do you have?
To me, "the power of media" means that through media, such as this blog, Facebook, podcasts, radio, TV, movies, etc. the creator of that media has the ability to reach people and to possibly affect their mindset. Whether it is done consciously or subconsciously, people that create content help shape the world we are in. As a teacher, I have access to hundreds of young people throughout the year and being a computer teacher I am showing them how to create content. In my yearbook class, we not only make the yearbook, but we put out a DVD yearbook, two newspapers a year, a weekly newscast, a monthly newsletter, and we utilize Facebook and Instagram to help get the word out in regards to the activities we do, like our Get Inspired Project, which consists of many projects thought up and carried out by the students with a simple goal of helping to better the world we live in. They use all of our media options to help promote their cause. OK, now we have an idea of what it means, now, why am I blogging about it?
Personally, I have been struggling a bit to find a clear path to take in regards to all of the activities that I am involved in. I won't bore you with the specifics, but as I've expressed in the past, I am the type of person to have tons of things going on at once. Constantly juggling the activities I am involved in. One thing I don't do a good job of is sharing my experiences whether good or bad with people that may be interested or may be able to benefit from the insights gained. For me, the way my brain works, this particular blog about the power of media is helping me to find the direction I want to take. It's time to use the technology at my fingertips spark conversation, to get involved. I can share what I am doing with it, as I have done a bit, but I also want to find out what others are doing. How are you using the media available to you? Are you only a passive consumer of the media, meaning do you just sit back and watch or listen to the content that others are creating or are you one of the creators? Remember, it is those that create that have the potential to shape our world. I'm interested! Anybody else? What are you working on? What message, if any, do you have?
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