2014-15 School Year Comes To A Close

Wow the school year is over!!! I would love to say that this year has been a great one, but I cannot lie, it was awful. This was the year that the word "change" was written every I looked. I need to sit back now and reflect on everything that happened this year. I will post more when I can think more clearly. 

Summer Projects

Yes summer has started, so here is the summer project list"
1. Clean Garage
2. Set up Golf Practice Net and rug
3. Play Golf
4. Clean out basement
5. Play Golf
6. Disassemble and sell Loft Bed
7. Play Golf
8. Throw out of stuff that has been in the house for 30 years and we don't use it.

Projects I have completed.
1. Built a bunny/bird proof strawberry, tomato garden
2. Put back the siding on south side of house
3. Cut out fence line and treated with stump killer
4. Laid down new mulch
5. Planted rose bush
6. Planted 8 strawberry plants
7. Planted 3 tomato plants
8. Had the lawn treated

So the list will grow and things will get done. Still have stuff for school to do to. My goal is to set aside 1 to 2 hours a day for school related work.

What is on your to do list this summer? Please share!

New version of my quartet

I cannot forget the barbershop part of my life. I have now been doing this great hobby for 34 years!!! My quartet is now 8 years old, and we have a new lead..here is a pic.

Our website- try this link to our page

2nd Opinion Website

2013 POST Full Sail Year

Hello Everyone!!! I have not been at my blog for awhile. The reason??? It is my Post Full Sail year! Was it a good year? Well...

How did my masters in Educational Media Design and Technology help my teaching?  I would love to say I used every tool I learned, but that would be a lie. I did make lots of video's this school year and the kids loved to see themselves. These video's helped them to learn how to express themselves, their ideas, and their knowledge. iMove has been a God send and it has been fun to use it.

Web 2.0 tools - I have introduced Comic Life, Popplet, Socrative, Animoto, and Voice Threads. Comic life has been the most successful because ease of use. Popplet would be good, but it is difficult to work with at the moment because of school district web policies.

Prezi - I have not used it much with my class, but I did use it for professional reasons. in our district as a tenured teacher I was to get  evaluated this year. I used Prezi to answer the questions on a rubric I was given. We were allowed to answer the questions anyway we wished...so Prezi, with video, and pics was my choice. It worked great!!! I did almost have a heart attack moment. My Vice Principal did some observations, then set a date for a meeting. I sent the Prezi via email. I came to the meeting and she had a funny look on her face.She said I don't have anything to go on except for what I observed. I don't know how to rate you. My mouth dropped! I sent you a Prezi in your email. "I didn't get it. Are you sure?"  I told her I would resend it. She watched it and later told me she had not finished it, but enjoyed what she saw so far. She gave me a glowing evaluation, and loved the PREZI. Thank you Full Sail!

I have spent this year searching apps on my iPhone and iPad. I have used the program Reflection to project my iPad and my iPhone on my Promethean Board. The program works great.  Some Apps I have been using- iBehavewell, Data Tracker, B Counter, Evernote (my note taking home), egrader, easy grade.

If was not so buried in paperwork as a special education teacher I would probably be doing a lot more. It is frustrating to have little time to be creative while trying to keep up with the pages and pages of work. Ok enough said. I'm tired.
Thanks for reading.

Calendar of Special Days

Calendar of Special Days
This is a wonderful resource for educators using the Common Core Goals!
Sylvan Dell Publishers are wonderful modality method videos & e books
for bi-lingual students, (especially for Smart boards). Happy reading  :-) 

Google Drive

Google Drive and Docs for Teachers 2012

June 29th marked a great day in my life. I graduated with my Masters Degree in Educational Media Design and Technology from Full Sail University in Winter Park Florida. I was honored to have received a Directors Award in Training and Motivational Development and the EMDT Advanced Achiever Award. Speaking on behalf of my classmates was a great honor and I hope I represented my classmates well. The whole experience was very surreal! The last 12 months of my life have been living and breathing FSO and it has been very very hard. There were many times that I thought I was not going to make it to June. Standing on that stage and seeing my name in lights was something that I thought I would never see that in my life time. It was exciting to hear my name called and to receive my diploma was mind blowing.
The whole time I was up there I kept thinking about all that has happened in the last 12 months. My new found friends who helped me through this program were right there, and I got to meet them. I was over joyed to see them in person! The emotions going through my mind were of joy and happiness to finally see them. I knew it was going to be hard to say goodbye to them at the end of the day. My Teacher Techie Cohort friends will always have a special place in my heart. They were always there to have fun with and share the ups and downs with as we worked through the year together. I especially  have to thank Cindi, Amanda and Faith who have become my very special friends!
Full Sail University turned out to be more impressive than I ever imagined. The campus is impressive and if I would recommend it to anyone.

I have to put my speech here so I will always remember that great day.