I am still alive

I am so sorry for having gotten lost this semester. Busy I have really been. I took on an extra added mentorship for a new teacher when one of our other ones resigned and I had to do that also. 5th grade has about snowed me under with the busy year..... Yet no busier than most I am sure.

I along with my global learner partners here at Haskin, have been busy training and troubleshooting our other staff and their boards. It has been so exciting to see where the new people at our school have gone and where they are headed. I have helped arrange for a drive on our server to hold our Promethean Flip Charts. That is so cool to see all of the staff members flip charts and be able to use them also if they fit our curriculum. There is a new teacher on staff who has created the best geometric flip charts that are interactive. I am blown away by all of the creativity.

My class is using Photo story right now creating the movie of all of their baby pictures for recognition night next week for the 5th grade. They have picked their music and putting pictures in the order that they want them and creating a cover for the presentation. It is so fun to watch them wander their way through the process, from scanning to moving pictures and now on to learning how to add sound. Their movie will be played for all parents, friends and family, school board, superintendent and principals for each of the three schools (elementary, middle school, and high school. We estimate an audience of about 150-175 people.

My class has designed flip charts and is able to do designs that I would not think about doing. Isn't this what education is all about, learners for all and teaching for all. Such a two way street is really opened up for all involved.

We have been using our Promethean Board approximately 4-5 hours out of every day.

The other great news is we finally got our student computers and have been high into research, composition of poetry, T charts, note taking, test taking etc. And the list goes on and on forever. I love it when they jump up to share their learning both on the Promethean board and the computers.

What I have really experienced this year is how the learning has changed for these students. They are more involved, more willing to discuss, not as willing to put others down. They experience how hard it is to put themselves out in the open by getting up in front to put their writing down. The Promethean board seems to make them willing to go to demonstrate their learning but then they become more afraid of error. That is something we have had to work through. It seems that the board is more intimidating that a plain white board.

It has been a wonderful year. It has been busy and great.