Podcast...

Although our assignment for creating our own podcast isn't due for another week, I'm a little panicky.  I really want to create something meaningful that I can use in my classroom, but can't seem to come up with an idea.  I've looked online for some ideas, but so far all I can find are ideas that are geared to older students and not elementary.  I also don't just want to lecture, but to make my podcast entertaining for my classmates and for my students. to listen to  If not what's the point?

Stay tuned, hopefully you'll hear back from me shortly with  a grand idea! :)

Another Milestone...

Last Sunday, Jack hit another milestone.  Every milestone he has completed has brought me joy and pride.  This current milestone brought me to tears. We transitioned Jack from his high chair to a booster seat at our dining room table.  He's been in a booster seat before at restaurants, but seeing him sitting at our table, I admit I got a little misty eyed.  I'm getting chocked up just thinking about it again.  What is wrong with me???  I told Bryan about my feelings when he was sitting at the table playing with a puzzle and he admitted that it bothered him a little as well.  I think a part of it is that high chair has been in our dining room since Jack started eating solids at 6 months when he was just a baby.  When. He. Was. Just A. Baby. I (we) have suddenly realized our baby is no longer a baby, but turning into a little boy.  How and when did that happen?!

Books vs Electronic Readers

I am a book lover, have always been.  I want to thank my parents for my passion.  I was read to on a nightly basis and believe that was what made the reader I am today.  I can only hope to instill this onto our son as he grows.

 My dilemma is this: I kinda want a Kindle, but feel like I am committing treason toward my books. I then find this video of a baby not much older than my son now can work and IPad like there is no tomorrow, but does not know how to turn the pages of a magazine.  The author poses the question of wondering if books and magazine will be  extinct by the time our children are adults.  My answer is, I hope not. Sure our sonknows that our laptop is where he can watch Elmo and Cookie Monster on YouTube, but he also loves his books and knows how to turn the pages of a book.  Maybe when Jack is older he will prefere to read off of an electronic reader, but he will know what the books his mom and dad still read are.

Baby and IPad

Useful Blog

As I was browsing the web, looking for some useful information to use for our wiki project, I came across a a blog that will be useful to my teaching.  I believe that using picture books can be a powerful tool to teach difficult concepts. 

If you get a moment check out Teach with Picture Books

Pat on the back

So I have to give myself a little pat on the back.  If you haven't read my previous post What to Write? please click the link.  So I commented about how I would like to jazz up my blog and make it less cookie cutter.  One feature that I saw was adding a music player to your blog.  I went down to the bottom of the blogs that had this features and thus preceded to figure out how to add to my own.  So please turn up the volume of your computer and enjoy. :)  I am very proud of myself for this technological  accomplish. I even added a hyperlink to this post!!

What to write?

So as I sit in front of my laptop staring at a blank screen wondering what I could write that would interest my followers.  I took the advice of a classmate and clicked the "Next Blog" button.  I clicked through about 4 or 5 and nothing seemed to peek my interest, but then I seemed to notice a pattern: how do all these authors make their pages so snazzy?  I followed the blogger design and did not see any of these cool backgrounds and graphics.  One even had music!  I want to to learn ways to pretty up my blog.  Perhaps if I could personalize it to fit me better I would be more incline to write in it more?? :)

Promethean Boards Take 2

The past week I attended a course on the basics of how to use the Promethean Board in the classroom.  Though just from playing with the Promethean board on my own I had figured out many of the basic features, but they were many cool tools that I had yet to explore.  One really neat feature was I could use the magic pen to write on any document or webpage on my computer, another click I could change my handwriting to typed text.  Everyday I am consistently learning something new.  Just yesterday a student showed me how to clip my pens to the side of my board.  I love it when I can learn new things from my students. :)