October 27, 2010

I was just reading Alison's (I hope you don't mind, but I am including a link to your blog:  http://missmannello.blogspot.com/  ) regarding school policy, the few controlling the desires of the many, and quantity over quality... and I must say that I agree with what she is saying.

• RE/Halloween:  Our school still allows costumes - encourages it even, with numerous awards for both students and teachers!  They are part of our school spirit (nice word for this event, yes?) and a way to break the monotony of day-to-day classes.  There is no religious or belief aspect to it, just a day to break the mold...  to look outside of the box while continuing with our daily grind.  The History Channel had a real neat documentary on the History of Halloween the other night, all the way back to its pre-Catholic origin, and its relation to All Saints Day / All Souls Day.  While I would not show the whole episode in the classroom, it might be a way to demonstrate the history of some of our "holidays".
• Here is a website to one of the segments of this program:  http://www.history.com/topics/halloween/videos#halloweens-origins

• As for quantity over quality... Three years ago JS instigated a new system of lesson plans, where we had to define and answer a series of "essential questions" for each lesson, answer them, content listing, skills, assessments, learning plans (by day), then match them up with both academic and sci/tech standards.  We had "x" amount of time to do this, then submit it for approval, then resubmit, etc.  This in addition to normal class duties.  Now, less than a year after this was all completed (including all of the revisions), the DO and the School Board have deduced that this format is no longer "up to date" with the current "theories" of "education", and we have to totally rewrite everything.  In other words, we just spent 2-3 years waisting valuable time detailing our lessons, and the same will probably happen in the near future.  All for the sake of showing how JS is "up to date" with current "educational theories" on teaching...

• God save me from politicians and people who think that they know what is best for everyone... wait a minute, are they not one and the same?

• Thought for the day:
• God made the Idiot for practice, and then He made the School Board.   Mark Twain

October 25, 2010

• Monday morning...  well, it was Monday morning when I first started this.  I guess it is Monday afternoon now.  Rainy days and Mondays always get me down...

• For those of you following me... the roof is finally under shingle.  I just have some drip edge and flashing to put up.  With the weather forecast for this week I guess I will find out how good of a job I did... 

• My son turns seven this week.  It seems like just yesterday...   We had a b-day party for him on Saturday.  Only four others turned up, but they were some of his closest friends, which made him happy.  We had more observers (tweens) watching from the back alley and on the hill than we did people at the party.  Of course, the kids were all in costume, so I guess that made it worthwhile to watch.  We had a scavenger hunt, bobbing for apples, three-leg race...  all the oldies but goodies, with hot cider, pizza and cake.  Leftovers, anyone?

• The marking period is drawing to a close.  I have been posting grades almost every week, with no response from students or parents.  Until now.  I received ten emails this morning (guess why this blog did not get up earlier) asking why their kids have zeros for projects - many of which were due back in September!  Before progress reports (that showed the same grades missing)!  And they want me to let them make up the work.  And we wonder why the education system in America is low on the worldwide totem pole...

• I showed a couple of students the Wordle site from last class.  they are having a blast with it.  One of them (a redhead) even made up a list of words and phrases that she feels describe redheads, then printed a dozen posters on red paper and posted them outside my room.  I had six or eight redhead students approach me this morning and ask me for copies...

• I hope that all of you have a good week.  Have fun with grades... mine are due Friday.

• Quote for the day:
• The swiftness of time is infinite, as is still more evident when we look back on the past.



October 20, 2010

• Here we are, it is Wednesday, and I am finally posting another blog.

• The weekend is over, the week is half done, and time is slipping through my fingers.  The roof is almost all shingled - I love (notice the sarcasam) working on old houses - nothing is ever square or goes together easily.  But I am getting closer to completion!

• The horse race / fundraiser went well over the weekend.  We raised close to $1200 for charity.  Had a great time with good food!  We are planning another for this spring...

• If you are looking for a good, fun, easy read, try Jim Butcher's Dresded Files.  Especially now that the haunting season is upon us.  Picture a mixture of Magnum P.I. and Bewitched...  murder/mystery/wizardry with a solid dose of sarcasim and humor.  Of course, who has time to read?

Thought for the day:

• Say, "Now I will do it" and you'll see that you have already accomplished/delivered half the task.

(this from the world's greatest procrastinator)

October 15, 2010

Homecoming!

• Tonight is the JSAHS homecoming game.  Of course it is somewhat hard to get excited when the home team players are taking bets as to how much they will lose by...

• With the homecoming festivities comes a two hour pep rally - instead of class time.

• My luck seems to be holding with the weather - rain during the week and decent on the weekend.  Hopefully I can get the felt and shingles on my roof tomorrow, then close in the last wall on Sunday...

• Keep your eyes open at home for computer viruses.  My desktop got hit last week with a "antivirus virus" - it is one that looks like a commercial for AV software, but won't let you stop it from loading, and you suppossedly have to pay to get it out.  It is also throwing some unfavorable site links onto my desktop to "encourage" me to purchase the protection.  It reminds me of a gang walking into a store, starting to break things, then offering protection...for a price.

And on that last note, here is the thought for the day:

Whenever you hear the consensus of scientists, lawyers or politicians agreeing on something or other, reach for your wallet, because you're being had...

October 13, 2010

Greetings and salutations...

• I guess that we should all thank Dwight for the night off.
• Thank You Dwight!!!

• For those of you who follow the news - Jersey Shore is being accused of some interesting things regarding cyber-bullying.  I am not involved, but I know the student involved, and he does not deserve what was done to him - or what his parents are doing to him by making this as public as they have. 
• That is only my opinion, and not necessarily policy!

• Still working on different pages for my wiki - I use technology a lot, but this is new to me...

• Thought for the day:
• Life is never simple.  It contains infinite diversity in infinite combinations...  and that is what makes us individuals.

October 12, 2010

Ok, I know that I should be doing two or more of these a week, and not the night before...

• I finally got the top 10 websites posted.  I actually had them done in Word last Friday, but I did not even fire up my computer at home until Monday afternoon.  Sometimes it is nice to do without technology...
• Spent the weekend working on my roof (still).  I managed to get two of three walls closed in (I still have siding, soffit and fascia to put on) and the rest of the sheeting on the roof itself.  Hopefully next weekend I can finish the felt and shingle it...
• I will be working a horse race / buffet dinner this Saturday for charity.  Anyone interested in tickets?  All the food you can eat, with free liquid "refreshments" for only $10.  Race betting starts at $2 per bet - I have 10 tickets left...

Thought for the day:

• Duck tape is like the force...  it has a good side, it has a dark side, and it binds the galaxy together.

First Blog

Hello everyone, Andrew here.

This is my first time using a blog, and I am doing so as part of a PSU / graduate class.  To that extent, excuse me if this is choppy and does not make much sense.

As part of this class, I will be making posts to this blog twice weekly, using current classroom activities, events in life, and hopefully generally interesting items :)

Just FYI, I like toying with the various options in the graphics of a program, so if things change in the middle of a blog, it is just me playing around...