tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43717707797335589892024-03-28T01:57:22.136-04:00Ms. Lennon's BlogMs. Lennonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00774595378419380454noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371770779733558989.post-27005755846324886092018-10-08T15:44:00.000-04:002018-10-08T15:45:53.327-04:00Ramping up for the school yearThere's so many ways to embrace CyberSafety and Digital Citizenship with your students. Here's an <a href="https://create.piktochart.com/output/33145780-digcit-events" target="_blank">infographic </a>that highlights the events throughout the year to focus on.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMu8HlZwpueRn-b3k68u3kJHnJAEynohGE6qMn5TKSaaYPglYD6xW3Xht4U3PCSSQJ5lF1sZ5QJZ8wDAo5_L2O9-tdgTcUidCFdkdCD_05RwEMRKy30-05gsxduJxlVShr1SNuDqOuVho/s1600/digcit-events_33145780+%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMu8HlZwpueRn-b3k68u3kJHnJAEynohGE6qMn5TKSaaYPglYD6xW3Xht4U3PCSSQJ5lF1sZ5QJZ8wDAo5_L2O9-tdgTcUidCFdkdCD_05RwEMRKy30-05gsxduJxlVShr1SNuDqOuVho/s1600/digcit-events_33145780+%25281%2529.png" /></a></div>
<br />Ms. Lennonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00774595378419380454noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371770779733558989.post-19873371339854178352018-06-12T09:06:00.000-04:002018-06-12T09:07:01.220-04:00Confession is good for the soul<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
The topic of our most recent #NYCSchoolsTechChat on
Twitter was Teacher Report Cards. We looked back on our year and gave ourselves
a grade. We shared what we succeeded at, and what we came up short on. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Naturally, we didn’t focus on how well we
did this year. Like every other normal person we only focused on our flaws. I
can have this conversation in my own head every day, but when we put words to
these ideas and post them for our colleagues to see, it’s a little humbling. <o:p></o:p></div>
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One could argue that you shouldn't achieve all your
goals, you should have some goals that are just out of reach, to keep you
reaching and growing. I agree with that but it's still tough to admit you could
have served your kids better and you didn't.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My big take away is that I'm very lucky. From
what everyone posted, you could see that we all wanted to be better. We all
tried to reach a new level in something. I get to hang around with people who
are trying their best and they inspire me to try my best also. We were
comfortable enough with each other to confess our shortcomings in a supportive
environment. It was a relief to realize that while I’m not perfect, neither are
my colleagues. They are amazing though, and for that I’m grateful.</div>
Ms. Lennonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00774595378419380454noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371770779733558989.post-39928244763798977062018-05-22T12:08:00.004-04:002018-06-12T08:34:52.846-04:00In defense of a small corner of Facebook<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeZQgO2sxT2z66OG4KYqcfSvOTKRMSCRluA19BdFC8UNLIDbk6PMduELT_gLVzg5kdK2HeslxChQZHREyCkEvQHrjCJ1DLVNrWV-WPSlmcQ0bgYC4Sa0iUM6b21AidlRVsU4LAirkIaOY/s1600/facebook+cover+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="793" data-original-width="1600" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeZQgO2sxT2z66OG4KYqcfSvOTKRMSCRluA19BdFC8UNLIDbk6PMduELT_gLVzg5kdK2HeslxChQZHREyCkEvQHrjCJ1DLVNrWV-WPSlmcQ0bgYC4Sa0iUM6b21AidlRVsU4LAirkIaOY/s320/facebook+cover+photo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "eb garamond" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Where’s the first place you go when having a problem in your
tech room?</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "eb garamond" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For some it may be putting a call into the help desk. Some
schools might have a ticketing system where support may come in a few hours or
a few days. Others may have no support at all.</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "eb garamond" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For me I have what some may think is an unlikely resource:</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "eb garamond" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I go to Facebook. </span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "eb garamond" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Not just my regular Facebook feed; that’s becoming more
filled with ads every day. I go to the </span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/NYCSchoolsTech/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "eb garamond" , serif;">#NYCSchoolsTech</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "eb garamond" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
Facebook page.</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "eb garamond" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Is the internet down throughout the city, or just my room?
How do I re-image this laptop? I’m getting a weird message on my smartboard
that was working yesterday.</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "eb garamond" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Does anyone have any great lessons to share using Kahoot?
Now that Padlet is for fee, what are some alternatives? Does anyone have ideas
for a parent engagement activity on digital citizenship?</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "eb garamond" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Anyone know of a job opening? I need to get out of my
school!</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "eb garamond" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">All these and more are asked and answered on the page. It’s
a closed group of over 3000 of the best and brightest New York City has to offer.
We are there for each other.</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "eb garamond" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We post about events coming up, try to come up with creative
ways to acquire funding for our technology centers, and thank our colleagues
for always coming to the rescue.</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "eb garamond" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Nothing beats it for speed and accuracy. If my technology or
internet is acting weird, I can go online and see within minutes if others are
having the same issue. The Department of Ed help desk even posts updates on
issues and how soon it will be fixed. I’m sure that makes their jobs easier
too, rather than answering the 50 emails or phone calls they would have gotten
asking the same question.</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "eb garamond" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Great ideas for your classroom, how to deal with being the
SPOC in the building, it all happens on the Facebook.</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "eb garamond" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You can complain about Facebook if you want, but if you have
anything to do with technology in NYC Department of Education, it’s a comfort
to know that there are some wonderful people out there who’ve got your back.</span></div>
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Ms. Lennonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00774595378419380454noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371770779733558989.post-48743109312979202092018-05-04T08:21:00.000-04:002018-05-04T08:21:07.869-04:00My favorite lesson for the end of the year.What do I do with my students? How do I keep them engaged at this point in the year? I have the solution.<br />
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One of my favorite lessons happens around this time of the year. My students open up the time capsule they created in September. In it they answered a bunch of questions, so when they open it in June they see how their answers have changed to those questions.<br />
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It's one of my first lessons for the year. It's a quick way to get to know my students, and an easy way to introduce some slideshow tools.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitbF5wSGvCkuIQ0NlJ5RYIpVz-2GiTedTFYRjk6cv4wb5qVSD1ebnTwSD3IhEBNYhS6mrwsjbkh-b5E1SHi89dayWdtR2tUk79POY8dOcVtYfScntOPFfFzBcHXi6x0vp31tjq8kWLoSs/s1600/My+Time+Capsule.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitbF5wSGvCkuIQ0NlJ5RYIpVz-2GiTedTFYRjk6cv4wb5qVSD1ebnTwSD3IhEBNYhS6mrwsjbkh-b5E1SHi89dayWdtR2tUk79POY8dOcVtYfScntOPFfFzBcHXi6x0vp31tjq8kWLoSs/s320/My+Time+Capsule.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
One of the first slides is a Table of Contents listing all sorts of things about the student: their favorite movie, their best friend, how the first few days in a new school went for them. I then teach them to hyperlink those items to the corresponding slides in the presentation.<br />
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It's in their google drive for safe keeping, and right around now we open it back up again. Since they're mature, sophisticated, almost 7th graders, the answers they gave as tiny little newbie 6th graders sometimes make them laugh. They create new slides and answer the same questions again, noticing how much they've grown and changed over the course of the year.<br />
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It's a good lesson to show them how much they've grown, and to be proud of how far they've come in a year. I'm thinking I should create one for myself, and see how my answers change from the beginning of the year. After all, I should be growing too.Ms. Lennonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00774595378419380454noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371770779733558989.post-88895479104914126792018-04-20T08:32:00.000-04:002018-04-20T08:33:21.283-04:00Here's where it gets interesting.The state tests will be done soon and that's usually when most students and even some teachers check out for the year. I always feel differently. While the pressure of the test is gone, now the fun can start. I can experiment and play a little. I explore other resources and test out new sites.<br />
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Since everything I wanted to cover in the curriculum is done and all the grades I needed are in, the things I meant to try all year have worked their way to the top of the To Do list. Here's where I can work on projects now so they can blend seamlessly into next year's lessons without too many bumps in the road. I can plan lessons that I'm not too sure about. I listen intently to the student's feedback about these new items.<br />
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This is the time of the year where the real growth can happen. What are you going to play with this month?Ms. Lennonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00774595378419380454noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371770779733558989.post-55566413217557445692018-04-16T12:43:00.000-04:002018-04-16T12:43:07.658-04:00I was featured on Vicki Davis' Podcast!<iframe style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/6484080/height/90/theme/custom/autoplay/no/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/2d568f/" height="90" width="100%" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe>Ms. Lennonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00774595378419380454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371770779733558989.post-1720694952888961792018-03-27T14:11:00.006-04:002018-03-27T14:13:34.614-04:00It’s not just about the badge<br />
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<span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #556163; letter-spacing: -0.1pt; padding: 0in;">I </span><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: windowtext; letter-spacing: -.1pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">completed the <a href="https://everfi.com/certified-teacher-program/" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext;">EVERFI Certified Teacher Program (CTP)</span></a> last
</span><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #556163; letter-spacing: -0.1pt; padding: 0in;">year, and it has made all the
difference in not just my EVERFI teaching, but my teaching skills overall. I
know it’s neat to get a nifty badge to post on your social media sites when you
finish a certification, but that wasn’t the prize. I’m an all-around better
teacher because of this program.</span><span style="color: #556163; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">What I got out of it as a
teacher.</span><span style="color: #556163; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #556163; letter-spacing: -0.1pt; padding: 0in;">This certification program made
me consider my role as an educator. Since the program asks you specific
questions about how you are implementing EVERFI in your classroom, it made me
reflect on my teaching. How can I best implement this curriculum? What am I
doing to prepare my students to learn this material? Am I making it as easy as
possible for the learning to happen? What more can I do for my students?</span><span style="color: #556163; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">What I got out of it as a
collaborator.</span><span style="color: #556163; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #556163; letter-spacing: -0.1pt; padding: 0in;">If you’re like me, you’re the
only teacher in your school using EVERFI. The great thing about CTP is that it
connects you with people all over the country who are also using EVERFI’s
resources in their classrooms. Everyone in the program was so generous with
their thoughts, ideas and responses to the online discussions. It was also a
great place to share other online resources, and learn how other teachers were
using EVERFI in their classrooms. Some teachers had outside speakers from banks
come speak to their classes about money skills. Some teachers had graduation
ceremonies at their school assemblies. We tell our students to collaborate and
work in groups; we should be doing it too. We all got better because we all
helped each other.</span><span style="color: #556163; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h2>
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">Online discussions and
resources from everywhere.</span><span style="color: #556163; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #556163; letter-spacing: -0.1pt; padding: 0in;">Periodically throughout the six
weeks, the CTP moderator would post relevant articles for us to read and
discuss. Some were about the philosophy behind self-guided online learning, and
others were focused on the importance of teaching financial literacy in today’s
classroom. These articles would start a lively discussion every week. It wasn’t
our only online discussion, but they were thought-provoking and we got to know
each other a little better. I now know teachers from <i>everywhere</i>.</span><span style="color: #556163; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">My PD on my time.</span><span style="color: #556163; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #556163; letter-spacing: -0.1pt; padding: 0in;">The best part of CTP is that it
happened when I wanted it to. Since it was online, I could work on it at my own
pace. You don’t sit in a room for a day trying to stay awake and then forget
everything you learned the minute you leave. This program is over the course of
six weeks, which gives you time to plan, execute, and reflect on how the course
worked in your classroom. Any questions or concerns were addressed as they
occurred. Instead of running into a problem and getting no support after a
traditional PD day, I could ask for help, and ten teachers would respond within
a few hours. I firmly believe that giving teachers time to do the work and
supporting them through the process was the key to the success of the
implementation.</span><span style="color: #556163; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">All certification programs should
be like this.</span><span style="color: #556163; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #556163; letter-spacing: -0.1pt; padding: 0in;">As the only tech teacher in my
building, talking about technology curriculum with someone is a rare event. CTP
made me feel like a part of a team. I’m now EVERFI certified because of this
program, but I feel like I am so much more.</span></div>
Ms. Lennonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00774595378419380454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371770779733558989.post-48963391226100946772018-02-17T15:38:00.000-05:002018-02-17T15:38:32.101-05:00One Good Deed Deserves AnotherI read George Couros' book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Innovators-Mindset-Empower-Learning-Creativity/dp/0986155497/ref=pd_sim_14_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=NAN78J9GWGMR4BGXHYB7" target="_blank">The Innovators Mindset</a> recently. It was enlightening to say the least. There was so much in the book that I wanted to implement in my classroom, so I created an <a href="https://create.piktochart.com/output/27708370-innovators-mindset" target="_blank">infographic</a> about the book's main points. Since I post my work online (as you see if you scroll through my blog) I didn't want to create it and publish it without George knowing. I also wanted to make sure he was OK with my interpretation of his work. I emailed him and he promptly responded that he was flattered. He loved the infographic and told me I should tag him in the graphic so he sees it when it goes online. I was happy, relieved, and did just that.<br />
What I wasn't expecting is that he then posted my infographic on his website. Teachers from across the country were complimenting me on my work. My infographic blew up on <a href="https://twitter.com/gcouros/status/963407158569242624" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. Teachers were asking me if they could print it out and hang it in their classroom. I was honored. Something I created would end up all over the country.<br />
It didn't end there. George then wrote a <a href="https://georgecouros.ca/blog/archives/8067" target="_blank">post</a> about what I did. The fact that I asked permission first and properly accredited his work is not something that happens all the time. He is frustrated by how many times he sees his work being used by other educators and claimed as their own. I did the right thing, and that is actual news. Sad, but common place in this day and age.<br />
The fact that I was teaching a lesson to my students about having a positive digital footprint was an added benefit. I was able to model for my students that doing the right thing can sometimes be a great thing. I had the proof.<br />
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<br />Ms. Lennonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00774595378419380454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371770779733558989.post-52977685862931310372018-02-02T08:21:00.001-05:002018-02-17T15:59:22.310-05:00Don't Drive Angry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJPqKQ9xjnxymScQGPBfV-JTsLfWKlRthO3AqqfoU-Ri1VlnJLLobkBWbrukOre87iIEBWsboNADABQr9HRjHLXsmCzWL3MAqzn1g0Ff1V6z67krtALUCtIrgx7aGWZeQcT8AU4Ma4f4/s1600/groundhog-day_1jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="622" data-original-width="1200" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJPqKQ9xjnxymScQGPBfV-JTsLfWKlRthO3AqqfoU-Ri1VlnJLLobkBWbrukOre87iIEBWsboNADABQr9HRjHLXsmCzWL3MAqzn1g0Ff1V6z67krtALUCtIrgx7aGWZeQcT8AU4Ma4f4/s320/groundhog-day_1jpg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I love the movie Groundhog Day. I think it's really funny but very profound. It asks a universal question, do we live the same day every day, or are we truly living a life?<br />
<br />
I'm trying to be more mindful this year. I'm not counting the days until the next vacation, and I'm not Thanking God It's Friday. I'm being present in each day, and thankful for it. Days I expect to be easy rarely are and days I assume will be difficult surprisingly are not. I'm open to the randomness each day can bring, and I'm finding the joy in each one of them.<br />
<br />
We are lucky and blessed to have the lives we do for many reasons, but also because we have a freedom and the opportunity to make it better. I'm not sleep walking through life. I'm going to stay awake and aware of the world and the people around me.<br />
<br />
It doesn't matter to me what some groundhog does. I can enjoy six more weeks of winter anyway.Ms. Lennonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00774595378419380454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371770779733558989.post-46237588635486472892018-01-30T13:33:00.001-05:002018-02-17T16:00:32.004-05:00Practice What You Preach<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif;">One of the big buzz words for education
lately has been collaboration. We want students to work together. The 21<sup>ST</sup>
century worker won't be plugging along by themselves at a workstation, they
will be working with a team to accomplish a goal or solve a problem. So we need
to train our students to work together.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif;">The irony is we don't practice what we
preach. Teachers are very territorial when it comes to their teaching methods. “Don't
come in my room, and don't copy my lesson plan.” It makes no sense. You don't
get paid any less or any more for sharing. You don't look bad if someone else
uses your work. If anything, your work inspired others. If we truly are doing all
we can for the kids, then we would be doing everything possible to better
ourselves and everyone around us, and that means sharing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif;">So I'm putting my money where my mouth is.
Here's my <a href="https://1drv.ms/u/s!AskCMYWSoCeFgQMc_6J-OM3OBdb8" target="_blank">OneNote Technology Curriculum Notebook</a>.
It has all my lessons, and links to online resources for anything you need.
I've built these lessons from teachers who were generous enough to share them
with the world, so I'm paying it forward.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif;">Use anything you want from it. Enjoy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Ms. Lennonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00774595378419380454noreply@blogger.com251tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371770779733558989.post-63853027094147866232018-01-17T09:22:00.001-05:002018-01-17T09:22:50.303-05:00These kids need jobs.<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 3.0pt;">
The New York
City Department of Education instructs students to be “<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://schools.nyc.gov/AboutUs/schools/equityandexcellence/default.htm"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "garamond" , serif;">college and career ready</span></a></span>.” Since I believe it’s never
too early for my students to think about this, I created a unit for my sixth
graders. It can be tweaked to work up or down a few grades.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .25in; mso-outline-level: 2;">
<span style="font-family: "arial black" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Part
One-My Career Plans</span><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1QSXWtrYY4RVJwOHEksny36o21Y8rJ6J-wY7lndu2vb8/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">I've shared the link to this presentation.</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I start with a
simple question, what do you want to be someday? During the class discussion
about careers, I ask them the following questions.<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; vertical-align: baseline;">Do you know anyone who
has that job?<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; vertical-align: baseline;">What do you have to do
to get that job?<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; vertical-align: baseline;">Where did you learn
about this job?<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; vertical-align: baseline;"><o:p> </o:p></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I direct them
to the Department of Labor website. <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://stats.bls.gov/k12/content/students/careers/career-exploration.htm"><span style="background: white; font-family: "garamond" , serif;">This
site will is geared towards students</span></a></span><span style="background: white; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. They can explore all sorts of career
paths to find a specific job that interests them.</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
From what they
learn, they create a presentation illustrating the steps they will take to get
that job.<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
provide the students with a slideshow template. This way they know what’s
expected. Some classes I don’t give them the template and let them create it
from scratch. Here’s the general outline for the presentation.</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .75pt; padding: 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .75pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .75pt; padding: 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Title </span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .75pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .75pt; padding: 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I will someday be a __________ by (your name).</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .75pt; padding: 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid black .75pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .75pt; padding: 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Intro </span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid black .75pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .75pt; padding: 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I will be a _________ because ______________. </span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(You will list at least two reasons why you want to someday have this
job)</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .75pt; padding: 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">3</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid black .75pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .75pt; padding: 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Details </span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid black .75pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .75pt; padding: 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Discuss what you would do every day if you had this job, how does it
help people?</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .75pt; padding: 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">4</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid black .75pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .75pt; padding: 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Money </span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid black .75pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .75pt; padding: 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Information on how much this career pays a year, from starting
salaries to how high it usually pays. <i>(The Dept. of Labor website helps
with this slide)</i></span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .75pt; padding: 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">5</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid black .75pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .75pt; padding: 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Outlook </span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid black .75pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .75pt; padding: 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Information on what the outlook is for this career; will there be lots
of jobs available? Or is it hard to get a job in this field? <i>(The Dept. of
Labor website helps with this slide)</i></span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .75pt; padding: 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">6</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid black .75pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .75pt; padding: 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Planning </span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid black .75pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .75pt; padding: 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">How will you get this job? What can you do today to help get the job
you want to have someday?</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid black .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .75pt; padding: 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">7</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid black .75pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .75pt; padding: 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sources </span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid black .75pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .75pt; padding: 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Where did you get your information? What websites did you use for
pictures? <i>(This is the citations slide.)</i></span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
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While they are working, I circulate around the room asking
the students why they chose the career they did. I’m looking to hear some
articulate answers, but I’ll take what I can get.<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial black" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Part
Two-My Eventual Career</span><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Once their
slideshow is complete, we start working on the second part which is creating a
resume geared to getting the job they chose.<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghQUYsWuV8Ef0TOgcvQQIfrrPGL517jog-j1X9trNF2WdD-5eRkn39SBcjRRj4egKpU2VspUiXaWmULI1wqFTh7WHDBb9usNZuBITfrnCRCWVwUscH_WEGCpPrc-yXe_2B6eU0eEyHkeA/s1600/Screenshot+2018-01-09+15.23.08.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="575" data-original-width="1020" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghQUYsWuV8Ef0TOgcvQQIfrrPGL517jog-j1X9trNF2WdD-5eRkn39SBcjRRj4egKpU2VspUiXaWmULI1wqFTh7WHDBb9usNZuBITfrnCRCWVwUscH_WEGCpPrc-yXe_2B6eU0eEyHkeA/s320/Screenshot+2018-01-09+15.23.08.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1w387BTahCHGI_k-0JeOBHa29qnQ-UPnOmX8G_yEHtY0/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Here's the link for this presentation.</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Since they now
know the requirements for their career, they can create a resume with real
ideas on how to get it. I give them a simple <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1K6r6TCYyUsEIwbI2zPa1n7f1A64UIWeC8Uk_bpm07AU/edit?usp=sharing"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "garamond" , serif;">resume template</span></a></span> and tell them fill it out as
if it is ten years from now. I tell them that they’ve just graduated from a
four-year program in college, or professional training, and they’re looking for
their first job. Some questions they need to ask themselves while they create
their resume<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; vertical-align: baseline;">What did you do to help
your resume stand out? <o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; vertical-align: baseline;">Did you volunteer
somewhere? <o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; vertical-align: baseline;">Did you organize a club
in college about your future career? <o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; vertical-align: baseline;">Did you intern somewhere
useful?<o:p></o:p></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
While they are
working on this, I circulate around the room and observe partners asking each
other common interview questions. I want my students to have a coherent answer
ready for that type of question, they will be asked that a lot in the years to
come.<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
These tasks may
seem far-fetched for 11 year olds, but a dream stays just a dream until you add
an action plan to it. They may not even be sure about their choices right now,
but any direction is better than none. I know it seems like an advanced lesson
plan for sixth graders, but you would be surprised how this opens their eyes.
They now know what a resume is, and they can keep their eyes out for any
opportunity to add something significant to it. <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
My motives seem
honorable, but I’m just hoping they get really good jobs so I will someday be
able to borrow money from them. I think that’s a solid retirement plan.<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
Ms. Lennonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00774595378419380454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371770779733558989.post-22030539655782962592017-12-30T21:37:00.003-05:002018-02-22T21:29:27.994-05:00Cubicle Life<div class="MsoNormal">
I did a friend a favor during this Christmas vacation and
worked in an office for a few days. It was almost fun to act like an office
worker; to work at a desk and feel like just a cog in a wheel.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There was a liberation in being at a desk instead of a
classroom. I could go to the bathroom whenever I wanted, and I drank my tea
while it was still hot. I ended up missing lunch because I was so occupied with
what I was doing, and there were no bells to tell my stomach to start growling.
I sat in a cubicle and listened in on phone conversations from the cubicles
around me. I talked to adults all day. It was awesome.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was doing relevant work which was the reason I was
there, but I couldn’t help but feel that anyone could have done what I was
doing. I was just the “hired hand.” When I’m in front of the classroom though,
I feel significant. My job is truly making a difference. I have over thirty
little faces looking up at me and my job seems so vital. I may be a cog in a
different wheel, but I’m making a difference in lots of lives and I can see it
right in front of me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I did feel a degree of satisfaction living the cubicle life for
a few days, but it doesn’t come close to how I feel when my students learn something
new because of me. That temporary life reminded
me how important the life I’m already living is.<o:p></o:p></div>
Ms. Lennonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00774595378419380454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371770779733558989.post-23849592436203883972017-12-20T18:51:00.000-05:002017-12-20T19:02:28.554-05:00One teacher’s approach to Digital Citizenship<h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 24.0pt; mso-outline-level: 1; text-indent: .5in;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In the beginning</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt;">When I
began teaching digital citizenship in 2010 it was an innocent time. We were
only worried about the students believing all websites were real. I directed
students to</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.thedogisland.com/"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Garamond",serif;"> </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Garamond",serif;">The
Dog Island</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> website, where you could pack up your dog in a crate and send him
off for a week long romp on a beach. The site was very believable; pictures of
the dogs, and even information about how to ship your dog. There’s other sites
too; you can learn how to save the</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Garamond",serif;"> </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Garamond",serif;">Pacific
Northwest Tree Octopus</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> from extinction. They’re
cute, but harmless. There are other sites though that drift a little into the
lunatic fringe;</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://zapatopi.net/afdb/"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Garamond",serif;"> </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Garamond",serif;">Aluminum Foil Deflector
Beanie</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> will prevent aliens from getting access to your brain, thank
goodness. This site would start a conversation about questioning resources. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt;">I would
tell the story that</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://novemberlearning.com/educational-resources-for-educators/teaching-and-learning-articles/teaching-zach-to-think/"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Garamond",serif;"> </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Garamond",serif;">Alan November</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> wrote
extensively about; a student working on a Holocaust report used a website
created by a Northwestern University professor. The problem was the professor
believed that the Holocaust didn’t happen and the concentration camps were lice
disinfestation treatment centers. That was the beginning of the dark side of
the internet for me.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt;">A year
later I found</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.brainpop.com/technology/digitalcitizenship/digitaletiquette/"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Garamond",serif;"> </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Garamond",serif;">BrainPop</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> which
had a great unit of Digital Etiquette. It was free, so I loved it. It was also
great because BrainPop is used by all subject teachers, so any teacher could
discover it and use it in their classroom.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Digital Citizenship</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt;">In 2012 I
noticed my students were behaving irresponsibly online. It wasn’t malicious
behavior, it was more not knowing any better, like using simple passwords and
leaving them around for other students to see. I found</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.commoncraft.com/video-library"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Garamond",serif;"> </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Garamond",serif;">Common Craft</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> videos
that explained Digital Citizenship concepts in simple straightforward ways, and
they’re awesome. I created a worksheet with items to locate from the videos and
my first true Digital Citizenship lesson was born! Since then I’ve gotten
fancier. Today my students create a slideshow from what they learn in the
videos., but it’s still a solid lesson I use every year.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt;">I kept
looking and finding more and more resources. It was nice to see the educational
community addressing the issue.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt;">CommonSense
came along, and they rolled out</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-citizenship"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Garamond",serif;"> </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Garamond",serif;">Digital Citizenship</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt;">
curriculum and I was in heaven! They review all media for children, so they
know their stuff. They’ve broken it down into eight topics and leveled it for
grades K-12. There’s lesson plans, games, worksheets, even resources for
parents; you can get it all from their site.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt;">I also
use</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://everfi.com/k-12/ignition/"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Garamond",serif;"> </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Garamond",serif;">Everfi</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt;">, they
have a Digital Citizenship online module that students can complete at their
own pace. It’s relevant for today’s student; one piece has the student trying
to convince their friend to put down their phone and concentrate on driving. I
like assigning it for homework so parents end up sitting down next to their
kids and learning a few things too. The quiz at the end of the module is great
for assessing them and makes them accountable for the learning.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://studio.code.org/courses/csd"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Garamond",serif;">Code.org</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> has even done their part!
In their coding curriculum, they have included a few key pieces about Digital
Footprints. In one lesson, the students stalk a few fake social media sites to
see how much information the fake teen has shared. It really models for them
what they should and shouldn’t be doing online. It hits home with many of my
students.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Google
recently released their curriculum,</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://beinternetawesome.withgoogle.com/"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Garamond",serif;"> </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Garamond",serif;">Be
Internet Awesome</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt;">, which approaches the subject from an
empowering viewpoint and not a scary everyone-is-out-to-get-you approach. The
games are fun, and the students learn as they play. I haven’t mastered the
games yet so I still have work to do.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Just last
year, I was part of the team that created Digital Citizenship resources for</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://schools.nyc.gov/RulesPolicies/SocialMedia/default.htm"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Garamond",serif;"> </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Garamond",serif;">NYC</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt;">
teachers. We made infographics and activity books for teachers and parents to
use about the rules to follow when using the internet in school and at home. It
made me really think about how best to approach this subject as a student,
teacher, and parent.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt;">From all
these years teaching Digital Citizenship, my philosophy could be boiled down to
this. Students will live online for a lot longer than we will, and they will be
creating a digital footprint that could follow them for decades. Trying to keep
them off the internet until they're old enough is as dangerous as keeping them
in the backseat of a car and then handing them the car keys on their 18</span><sup><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 7pt;">th</span></sup><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt;">
birthday. We need to guide them as they learn to navigate the internet,
allowing them to make small mistakes now rather than big ones later. I
encourage them to put as much positive stuff out there as possible. They need
to create their own digital footprint, or someone else will do it for them.
Avoiding the issue is not the answer. Play offense, not defense. They should
develop their voice and share it with the world. That’s what I try to instill
in my students.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">So
Digital Citizenship is not a subject that is required yet, but it obviously
should be. I’m hoping it’s a subject that any teacher can master, as long as
they have the support and training that’s needed. It’s too important of an
issue to just hope for the best. We’ve come a long way from just worrying about
Aluminum Foil Beanie websites, and we will be constantly trying to keep up. We
owe it to our students to prepare them for wherever they will go.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
</h3>
Ms. Lennonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00774595378419380454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371770779733558989.post-23392214502453397782017-11-30T15:35:00.001-05:002017-11-30T15:35:58.884-05:00Parent Teacher Conference NightI have parents coming into my classroom today asking how their child is doing in my class. They only have a 95, how can they get a higher grade?<br />
Really?<br />
This happens over and over again. I wonder why they're here. I don't think it's to make themselves feel better about how great their child is doing in school. I also don't think that they are very worried about the 95 not being a 98. I believe it's to show their child that they are fully invested in their education.<br />
Parents who show up to Parent Teacher Night are sending a message to their child that education is important and I'm here to support that. I'm here to help you get to where you can be. I'm taking time out of my schedule to look at what you're doing every day for six and a half hours.<br />
So it's not about the 95. It's about taking an afternoon off from work and waiting in line to talk to a teacher for seven minutes because that's how important this is.<br />
So thank you parents, for being here.Ms. Lennonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00774595378419380454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371770779733558989.post-45992994685274429832017-11-25T14:21:00.002-05:002017-12-20T19:27:16.936-05:00Another Month, Another Infographic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghhdZ0herSeZwiKiKDdWx5kxyJkh0OXqfsIGQ9yy2mNAJS1wYi4dE5K5kvyyEAedu2ohMySL5VvGqftWBs_Ruu4w8nVzvnpo1Q0KYGXax0OqUvuWCM2yssNw-GfZDjmnp0sK09J31yL5Q/s1600/tech+classroom.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghhdZ0herSeZwiKiKDdWx5kxyJkh0OXqfsIGQ9yy2mNAJS1wYi4dE5K5kvyyEAedu2ohMySL5VvGqftWBs_Ruu4w8nVzvnpo1Q0KYGXax0OqUvuWCM2yssNw-GfZDjmnp0sK09J31yL5Q/s1600/tech+classroom.png" /></a></div>
Ms. Lennonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00774595378419380454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371770779733558989.post-57911135278021350122017-10-31T07:46:00.001-04:002017-12-20T19:11:31.575-05:00Here's one for the principalsWhat social media is allowed in your school?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOMQedVkRmhyTltdbeIIuKReKc0gClGex_eDLYO1P1ojDPXeA0PynnwtmlFefPqrpSKe5JgZpOM_PNZtTQNRKBB7Dy0rRyeL3cg8xFuosa6Ew6r7sGSs8oRO2HlCsE49j1NLfjo4xYQ6A/s1600/managing+the+modern+classroom.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOMQedVkRmhyTltdbeIIuKReKc0gClGex_eDLYO1P1ojDPXeA0PynnwtmlFefPqrpSKe5JgZpOM_PNZtTQNRKBB7Dy0rRyeL3cg8xFuosa6Ew6r7sGSs8oRO2HlCsE49j1NLfjo4xYQ6A/s1600/managing+the+modern+classroom.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<script>(function(d){var js, id="pikto-embed-js", ref=d.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) { return;}js=d.createElement("script"); js.id=id; js.async=true;js.src="https://create.piktochart.com/assets/embedding/embed.js";ref.parentNode.insertBefore(js, ref);}(document));</script>Ms. Lennonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00774595378419380454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371770779733558989.post-6837842793244972152017-10-31T07:38:00.001-04:002017-10-31T07:39:13.166-04:00Teachers sitting in a classroom on a Saturday <div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;"><span class="normaltextrun">I recently </span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;">taught a Digital Citizenship class for NY</span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;">C teachers </span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;">using </span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;">Common Sense Media and I was truly amazed. These people spent their day off
to come into the city and sit in a classroom all day, just to learn how to
better serve their students. </span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;">We spent the day getting better, in some ways by me, but mostly from
what everyone brought to the table. Everyone shared something: a resource, a
classroom hack, or answers to a question. Everyone was so generous. I came away
from the day with a wonderful feeling. </span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;">Teachers are awesome.</span></span></span></span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;"><span class="eop"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;"><span class="normaltextrun">I don’t know of other professions where </span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;">everyone</span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;"> share</span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;">s</span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;"> their best </span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;">practices</span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;">. You don’t see salespeople sharing their sales
pitches, you don’t see plumbers posting how they fixed a radiator. Teachers are
one of the few professions where people are </span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;">so proud of their work </span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;">they want to share it so that other teachers can benefit from it too.</span></span></span></span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;"><span class="eop"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;"><span class="normaltextrun">And that’s not all they do. </span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;">They bring work home, they steal supplies from home and bring them to
school, and they spend their own money to equip their classroom. You’ve heard
all the stories, most of you have done one</span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;">,</span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;"> if not </span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;">all</span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;"> those things.</span></span></span></span><span class="eop">I
just want to stop and say, thank you teachers. I’m proud to be a colleague of
yours. You might not be told it very often, but you’re awesome.</span></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div>
Ms. Lennonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00774595378419380454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371770779733558989.post-15820467308686379152017-09-27T19:06:00.001-04:002017-12-20T19:26:02.543-05:00It's not just about the doughnuts.My good friend Lisa Nielsen wrote about this on her blog, so I turned it into a pictograph.
Did she miss anything?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVj0SjgJG_gm0HeKwNY11frlB-67Ahn6_tX8Q32eiWKRaP7v6aSmYDFRq79cbZDpyGEZH0jTDex2KXTkGHImQCLmHviqEAUIf4lUVZH-R0mzqzri5z3pFoBb7OLOGavpEzxYXPKlktvM/s1600/checklist-for-a_24693650.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVj0SjgJG_gm0HeKwNY11frlB-67Ahn6_tX8Q32eiWKRaP7v6aSmYDFRq79cbZDpyGEZH0jTDex2KXTkGHImQCLmHviqEAUIf4lUVZH-R0mzqzri5z3pFoBb7OLOGavpEzxYXPKlktvM/s1600/checklist-for-a_24693650.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<script>(function(d){var js, id="pikto-embed-js", ref=d.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) { return;}js=d.createElement("script"); js.id=id; js.async=true;js.src="https://magic.piktochart.com/assets/embedding/embed.js";ref.parentNode.insertBefore(js, ref);}(document));</script>Ms. Lennonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00774595378419380454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371770779733558989.post-27726384337057372892017-09-21T13:04:00.002-04:002017-09-27T19:03:18.643-04:00My tech lesson when the internet is down<div class="MsoNormal">
You have a great lesson planned for today, and the internet
is down. Your supervisor is lurking in the doorway, you can just smell the
observation coming. What do you do?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You teach your kids how to create
hyperlinks with just PowerPoint or Google Slides!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here’s my plan.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Begin the lesson with having the students create the first slide, a “Table of Contents” sort of slide. Mine looks like this.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj39cVh4YrMj9vixWEiFXc3aq14j28pk-YfP-tqV7UKMsuzUhmkfUX4n31_YXSu0uHMUM-6I0aadawM2JdsO_oy7z8R76b9Tw50xbiGHSpYvkpYUOXStCrmS__Nm_Vph0NRbUAjJYHTNek/s1600/Screenshot+2017-09-21+12.07.00.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="737" data-original-width="1062" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj39cVh4YrMj9vixWEiFXc3aq14j28pk-YfP-tqV7UKMsuzUhmkfUX4n31_YXSu0uHMUM-6I0aadawM2JdsO_oy7z8R76b9Tw50xbiGHSpYvkpYUOXStCrmS__Nm_Vph0NRbUAjJYHTNek/s200/Screenshot+2017-09-21+12.07.00.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Here's the basic slideshow to start with. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">This can be a template that you send them </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">or make them create it themselves.</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Instruct them to then create the rest of
the slides, adding information about themselves. I like this lesson towards the
beginning of the year so I can get to know my students quicker.<o:p></o:p><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqElH6SQ5Y2yGcS4ywQI0a39qicMzB0CazVdkhkm_thmJ9da4fFjSFlHDHeeH9NhruWWQAynT2pJJowy93DFVxuLe3wGIlq3W9AQbtjxuD3mgjAsdyUK4sMHXHxZu2BiO6lCNDJC5l0-8/s1600/Screenshot+2017-09-21+12.11.22.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="736" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqElH6SQ5Y2yGcS4ywQI0a39qicMzB0CazVdkhkm_thmJ9da4fFjSFlHDHeeH9NhruWWQAynT2pJJowy93DFVxuLe3wGIlq3W9AQbtjxuD3mgjAsdyUK4sMHXHxZu2BiO6lCNDJC5l0-8/s200/Screenshot+2017-09-21+12.11.22.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; text-align: start;">
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Choose the correct slide to link each bullet point.</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I model how they then highlight the text “Where I was Born”
and choose Insert-Hyperlink. They link it to the slide titled “Where I was Born.” I
model another one, but most kids get it and finish the rest of the links
themselves.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
This is great, but it only links them out
to the slide, not back to the homepage. So to complete the project I have them create a Home link button
on one of the slides, insert the hyperlink to the TOC page, and then copy and
paste it to the rest of the slides.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq5JFJGa0Q4yo1WOAzGk1tXa4PLZRhW01YSAYlIJXF8yFNlOPunhyphenhyphenNxvKAa3UPs0XSCCf9n8qH4p39XofYmAEitNyXoFDKeZhgIcHIAHsse8UsIB18gk9Y339bBqtxkjAk9gkFviqhVNc/s1600/Screenshot+2017-09-21+12.21.31.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="633" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq5JFJGa0Q4yo1WOAzGk1tXa4PLZRhW01YSAYlIJXF8yFNlOPunhyphenhyphenNxvKAa3UPs0XSCCf9n8qH4p39XofYmAEitNyXoFDKeZhgIcHIAHsse8UsIB18gk9Y339bBqtxkjAk9gkFviqhVNc/s200/Screenshot+2017-09-21+12.21.31.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Insert-Autoshape to create the Home Button.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br />
This explains how hyperlinks work, and how a website can be
built, all without the internet.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It works well for me, and I hope it helps you out too.<o:p></o:p></div>
Ms. Lennonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00774595378419380454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371770779733558989.post-54633620446747012832017-08-27T15:02:00.000-04:002017-08-29T17:10:11.011-04:00I'm a certified bilingual nerd<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif;">I recently earned my Google
Level 2 Certification, and it felt great, but I'm just as proud earning my Microsoft
Innovative Educator Expert Badge for this year too. I like to say that I'm
bilingual: I speak Google and Office. Both prove I met certain requirements,
but they proved it in different ways.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif;">You can earn your Google
Certification anytime you want, just pay the $25 and you have three hours to complete
the test.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif;">The MIE Badge is only awarded
once a year so you have a long time to complete the tasks, but if you miss the
deadline you’re out of luck. I submitted my application 15 minutes before the
midnight deadline, <i>cause I’m organized
and efficient</i>. I knew about the deadline for MONTHS, yet there I am
cramming like it’s a final for a class. I’ll never change.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif;">The Google Test is a bunch of multiple
choice questions and a pile of specific tasks you need to complete. Get enough
correct, and you’re in. Don’t assume this test is easy-it’s not. You may be great
at some Google products, but you need to know enough about ALL of them to pass.
Google does provide all sorts of study materials and sample questions to
prepare for the test, so if you do your homework you can pass it. I didn’t pass
Level 2 the first time, you can read about my humiliation <a href="http://mslennonblog.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-painful-sting-of-failure.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif;">Microsoft has a bunch of
courses that you can take, just complete a certain amount of them. You watch
videos, or complete interactive tasks, and there’s usually a short quiz at the end.
The quiz will tell you whether you got the questions right or wrong as you go,
and you can retake the quizzes if you don’t pass the first time. There’s over
100 different courses and badges you can earn along the way. The final piece
for their certification is to create a two-minute video or Sway on how this process
has influenced you and how you will implement what you’ve learned in your
classroom.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif;">Both methods of assessment
were effective in their own way. I proved I can do specific tasks and had
specific knowledge of Google products, but Microsoft just wanted to make sure I
knew about all the things that were available to me and how I can be a better 21<sup>st</sup>
century teacher for my students. I only really had to prove what I knew by
creating a Sway, which are very cool things, by the way. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif;">The Google test gives you the
results within seconds, the longest few seconds of your life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif;">The Microsoft results were
released a month after the deadline.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif;">The Google Badge email shows
up a day later, the Microsoft Badge shows up with the congratulations email.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif;">The Google Certification is a
personal thing, you earn it for your own gratification. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif;">The Microsoft Badge is a
global event. If you are connected to Microsoft in any of the many social media
ways you can be, you will see that people in India, Germany and Mexico got
their badges the same day you did. It made this planet feel a lot smaller
seeing proud teachers from all around the world showing off the same badge as you.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif;">So, I have my nerd cred from
both Google and Microsoft. I learned a lot from both processes, and I am a much
better teacher for it. It’s vital that teachers remain students, it’s the only
way we learn.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Ms. Lennonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00774595378419380454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371770779733558989.post-41093361904696638502017-08-27T13:47:00.001-04:002017-08-27T13:47:44.357-04:00My brain has too many tabs open. <div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;">There's a lot of tabs open in
my head because there's no such thing as downtime anymore.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;">No one sits and
stares into space anymore, there's always some way to distract yourself with
your phone: the endless emails, your Facebook feed, or your candy crush level.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;">Thoughts float
through my brain like clouds in the sky but they don't stick around. I'll want
to act on a thought, and open a tab to start, but it just stays open and then
gets added on to the never ending “To Do” list. Before you know it, your
browser window has 20 tabs open, nothing got done, and the bell just rang. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;">I have gotten a
chance this summer to just sit and enjoy the moment; that's what summer is for.
It’s almost impossible to be productive sitting in a beach chair, I challenge
you to try. I need to be like this all year though, I need to take time and
just stare into space and live in a thought for a few minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;">One of the dilemmas I pondered
was this; do I act on my thoughts as I have them, or finish one task completely
before I start the next? I ran the risk of not remembering the ground-breaking thought
later, but I do complete actual tasks. I’ve tried the former method, but it led
to the endless number of tabs. I realized, as I stared into space this summer,
is that if I try to act on all my thoughts, I just have more. I don’t run out
of ideas, my hamster brain just keeps spinning on its wheel, churning out one
goofy thought after another.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;">So that’s one of my goals as
we embark on a new school year. Finish tasks and complete projects before I
start new ones. And sit in a beach chair more often.</span></div>
Ms. Lennonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00774595378419380454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371770779733558989.post-41539511014437215262017-07-25T12:00:00.000-04:002018-03-15T07:34:10.948-04:00My infographic on how to prepare for the NYCDOE Tech Summit tomorrow!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghUnJ66Y-_0YIh1hW1QgAKiUHbI8DS9H9w8_RTTlIT3LT5caZQQwl1W4DPC0KxhWC_dggSiZLiYJdICRujGAsnN2sfsJB7rEw7LsZNV7oDOKjG8fOUJi90yr32yncSiGwwxxJO8w7lJlE/s1600/12-tips-for-con_23448718.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghUnJ66Y-_0YIh1hW1QgAKiUHbI8DS9H9w8_RTTlIT3LT5caZQQwl1W4DPC0KxhWC_dggSiZLiYJdICRujGAsnN2sfsJB7rEw7LsZNV7oDOKjG8fOUJi90yr32yncSiGwwxxJO8w7lJlE/s1600/12-tips-for-con_23448718.png" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Ms. Lennonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00774595378419380454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371770779733558989.post-80703834176779590522017-07-24T11:27:00.000-04:002017-09-27T19:09:41.072-04:00The painful sting of failure<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif;">So, I took the Google Certified Level 2 Exam last year and failed
it by 4 points. That stung.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif;">I was embarrassed,
I pouted, and felt sorry for myself. <i>(Yes,
my life is a living hell.)</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif;">But after a few
hours, I got over myself and realized that this is a real learning experience. I
thought about what failing feels like to my students. Do they feel the way I do
when they fail?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif;">The difference between their tests and mine was that I got another
chance at the exam. You know I was prepared for it this time. The first exam
showed me what skills I did poorly on, so naturally I will always remember
those even more than the ones that came easily to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif;">Shouldn't my
students get another shot at tests in my class? Wouldn't they do much better
the second time around? Retaking a test made a big difference in my learning, I
think my students deserve that same opportunity. I’m going to allow more retaking
of certain tests in my classroom. Mostly, I’m going to work on creating
assessments that check for understanding without the pass/fail stigma attached
to them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif;">Fast forward to
this year. I took the test again. I was anxious; how embarrassing would it be
if I failed again? I faced my fears, I studied harder this time, and with the
help and support of my NYCDOE colleagues, I passed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I learned so much,
and not just from Google.</span></div>
Ms. Lennonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00774595378419380454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371770779733558989.post-72016744690858563922017-06-19T13:30:00.002-04:002017-06-19T13:32:55.739-04:00Wrapping up another year<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif;">I teach sixth grade, so I will be saying
goodbye to my students in about a week. I'll see them in the hallways, but it
won't be the same. They'll never be in my classroom again. That's weird to
think about right now, when all I do is see them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif;">It has me wondering; did I
serve them as best I could? Did I impart all the wisdom I could into their little
brains? Did I ignite a spark, or reaffirm a defeatist attitude?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif;">I have to be honest, there are
some kids I won't miss. You know the kids I'm talking about; the ones that
needed us the most. They were a challenge every day. I hope I served them as
best I could.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif;">Some kids were lovely, and I
enjoyed having them in my classroom. But so many more kids that were somewhere
in between. I didn't get to know them very well. They were the middle of the
road; never being a problem but never really shining either. They did their
work, they seemed to be happy and I gave them their grades. Since they weren't
on my radar in some way, did I serve them as best I could? Did they get all
they were able to from my class without me making a conscious decision to focus
on them as individuals?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif;">I wish I could talk to a
student of mine from ten years ago and ask them questions. First, do you
remember me or anything I taught you? Then, did what you learned from me come
in handy in HS and beyond? Was I effective in teaching you things I thought you
should know? I'd like to think I did.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif;">No matter what I do now, it
won't change the fact that another year is gone. I hope I made a difference.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Ms. Lennonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00774595378419380454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371770779733558989.post-18790233386282810452017-06-15T08:08:00.000-04:002017-06-16T09:34:07.635-04:00This Year's #NYCSchoolsTech Summit<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have mentioned the #NYCSchoolsTech Summit to certain people and they ask me if they should go. I say "of course" and launch into a 20 minute lecture that makes them sorry they asked. To spare you the 20 minutes, I'm going to explain it to you here.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We #NYCSchoolsTech teachers are already pretty connected through our Facebook groups, Google+ groups, and Twitter, but on July 26th, we get to see everyone in 3D and have conversations with the faces behind the minds we’ve come to know so well. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We laugh and we learn. Mostly we laugh. No one else gets our nerd jokes quite like we do.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It also has the feeling of a county fair. Everyone brings their best to show off what they do well. It's not a prize pig, but it's an interesting way to use iPads in their classroom. It's not the biggest pumpkin, but it's how to engage ESL students with coding games. Seeing what everyone else is doing is inspiring and creates fan clubs for hardworking everyday people.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It's the easiest way to find out what products you will be asking for and hopefully using next year. Salespeople are just trying to make your life easier, stop by a booth and let them try. You even get some cool swag for your troubles. Totebag, anyone?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It's a powerful approach to touch base with, discover, or create your tribe. What better way to find your people than the person sitting next to you in a session learning right alongside you? They're right where you are, and that's who you want around you.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Never been to a Summit? Don’t worry. There’s the #NYCSchoolsTech Summit Newbie meetup that will help get you started. Been around a while and love the #NYCSchoolsTech group on Facebook? Meet your friends in the group during the afternoon meetup. What to learn how to Get Going with Google or just meet up with Google Educators? There are sessions for that. Want to learn something cool like how to use your OneNote Notebook for lesson plans? You can come to my session. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I love everyone who comes to the Summit because these are the people who have decided to spend a precious summer day becoming a better teacher. Those are the people to be around.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For all these reasons and more is why I'll be at the Summit, and you should too.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So what are you waiting for? Register to attend at </span><a href="http://schooltechnologysummit.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">SchoolTechnologySummit.com</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">? </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="IMG_2693.JPG" height="283" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/O7sgPjYUFHjcQnCojlPoL14_jQ8NAruSrZXFGwA46SC7rDywfGqZppABX5-K_KtocQ-TzozDS5LMhKoMZ6PBKRGr-THggogmaHOULA9ipMhiik-m4Cw3m6pn3iUdXjdMyE30jJdU" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="378" /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here's my storify from last year's Summit to get you ramped up.</span></div>
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<a href="https://storify.com/eileen_lennon/2016-nycdoe-tech-summit" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "garamond"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://storify.com/eileen_lennon/2016-nycdoe-tech-summit</span></a></div>
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