Sweet Summer Vacation

There is a saying in education that the top three reasons for being a teacher are: June, July, & August. ;)  There is a shred of undeniable truth in that statement.  This was an exceptionally challenging and demanding year and summer seems more like a necessity than a luxury.  This summer will be filled with classes, curriculum writing, a history conference presentation, and hopefully, a few blissful mornings on the deck at the lake with a mug of hot chocolate, my journal, and the birds.  Rejuvenation; an important key to preserving the passion for this profession.  Ahhhhhh, summer vacation is here, finally!

PhotoStory

PhotoStory is a FREE program that allows you and your students to make great moving slideshows, easily!! A picture, series of pictures, or short, visual program can be a powerful 'hook' for your students to a new topic, controversial topic, personal expression, or memory project. I can envision using photo stories for topics like: propaganda, themes of history, team memories, people who dare to make a difference, racism, bullying, and on and on... There is something about a short, moving, slideshow that can really capture your attention. I think giving students a simple, easy-to-use tool like PhotoStory would allow them to be creative and thoughtful in how they present what they know about a subject or what they want others to quesiton and think about a topic. "Make show-n-tell cool again." (Microsoft website)

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/photostory/default.mspx

Zoomerang

This is a great online tool for getting feedback from students, parents, and colleagues on any issue or topic that you would like surveyed. I plan on using Zoomerang for my end-of-year evaluation that I ask my students to complete for me. I feel that getting formative feedback from my students more frequently is really important to help me design and implement my lessons more effectively. Zoomerang is a tool that will allow me to get feedback quickly so I won't have to wait until the next year to make the adjustments. Zoomerang is quite expensive for an individual to subscribe to but similar to United Streaming, our school district has purchased this for us to use.

http://www.zoomerang.com/

United Streaming

"Discovery Education provides engaging digital resources to schools and homes with the goal of making educators more effective, increasing student achievement, and connecting classrooms and families to a world of learning." (United Streaming website)

I find this to be an extremely valuable tool- from video clips to primary source documents, this resource puts engaging images right at your fingertips.  You can find and use a segment that lasts 2-3 minutes to reinforce or introduce your topic or you can use a full-length video to enrich your lesson/focus.  It is by subscription only but many school districts have purchased subscriptions since so many teachers find it so valuable.  The website also lets you store and organize your downloaded videos.

http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm

Why I Teach...

Learning changes everything...perspectives, feelings, ideas, beliefs, actions, attitudes, and lives.  It's a powerful and wonderful thing to have the privilege of helping others to learn.

In the process of teaching I am first and foremost, a student.  I believe we were designed to crave understanding, truth, knowledge, and wisdom.  This insatiable desire to learn is what propels me to be the best teacher I can be.  I teach beacause I love to learn and I want my students to love -- to learn.  I believe that both are necessary for life.  That is why I teach.

Berlin Photos

Fellowship to Germany