Portfolio is Due

My portfolio was created with Weebly, and I feel like Weebly is my new best friend.  I uploaded the picture of my little friend on my blog because I thought that was very appropriate for this week.  Our portfolios are due next week. Hooray!  At school this week is VERY busy.  We don't have school tomorrow due to Good Friday.  Who doesn't love a hoilday???  Our school ground is covered with Easter eggs and children and parents are every where you look!  I love Easter.  The children just love the egg hunts.  Our book fair left this week, and the Media Specialist said our school did very well.  I have been working hard on my lesson that targets an area of weakness.  Although my portfolio is due Monday- I am still working on that lesson and will continue my hard work until our next round of MAP testing in 2 weeks.  I cant wait to see my results.  I am sure the student's scores will go up up up in comprehension. 

The Light

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  What an awesome feeling to know I am almost finished.  I have so enjoyed the journey, but I am glad to see the light!  Stephanie Jones came and visited me at Pike County Primary last Friday.  It was wonderful to finally meet a lady I have spent so much time with virtually.  I had a class with her last semester too.  I was nervous, but after meeting her I saw there was no need!  She was easy to talk to you.  My lesson went well.  Although, it was planned in 45 minutes- due to no Internet service.  I guess that's life.  If it gives you lemons- squeeze them and make some delicious lemonade.  I am working on the Media Specialist Roles pages within my portfolio.  I only have 2 more role pages to complete- and I will be finished.  I have to write the grant, and evaluate my Media Specialist, and finish my UbD lesson on our student's weakness.  So far that lesson has been the most time consuming. However, it is working- and I am seeing results for the grade as a whole.  I have been working on comprehension, and our MAP test  3rd session begins April 1, 2012- so I will soon see if the results are what I am hoping and striving for.  I am excited! 

 

Back to High School!!

I visited the Pike County High School Media Center and fell in love!!  The center was awesome, and so were the students.  I have already visited the Elementary school and the Middle School, and I was a little hesitant about going to  the High School.  I have always worked with younger students- not students that have cars!  However, they were awesome!  I think I could be a high school teacher.  The Media Center was filled with computers, and most students used them instead of books.  I am the same way!  The Internet seemed to be all the student's best friend.  The Media Specialist was great she was very organized and the day went very smooth.  She used Destiny to catalog her books the same as we do here at the Primary School- so that was familiar to me.  The computers there were more up to date than ours, but they seem to get used more than ours. 

                         My practicum projects are going great.  I am working on my Media Specialist Role pages.  I am trying to make sure all my tasks are completed and added to my portfolio.  I never realized an electronic portfolio could be so much work.  Although, its a lot of work- its great to look back at all of my past projects.  It's very rewarding!! 

A Busy Friday



Next week is the week for my Site Visit!  I have changed my lesson 5 times!!  I have no idea why I am so nervous about this.  I have finally decided on the Zimmer Twins.  The site is so fabulous for digital storytelling.  I cant wait to show my students as well as my professor this fabulous find!  On the Zimmer Twin site, students can create really impressive cartoon animations.  They can direct and produce their very own animated movies. There are so many options for the students to use.  Their imaginations are going to flow like crazy.  This site gives the term book reports a new spin.  It is a perfect Web 2.0 tool for teachers and students.  Students are going to love sharing their creations.  Usually any site that is interactive is a sure winner in the computer lab, but the Zimmer Twins goes above and beyond interactive.  I can wait to use it!!

Tuesday Webinar



Lately, I feel like my practicum course is whizzing by too quickly.  I think its Spring giving me the fever!  I am trying to work on portfolio daily.  Last week I focused on reflections for each standard.  Today I am going back to my reflections and adding links that are appropriate for each standard.  My site visit is next week, so I am a little nervous about that.  I have already started the lesson plan, I just have a few tweaks in the written aspect of the lesson plan.  I hope everyone enjoys the lesson the students and the professor.  As many times as I have been observed I shouldn't feel nervous!  O well that's human nature.  Today was a scheduled Webinar for all first grade teachers so I joined in.  The webinar related to first grade mathematics and how we should compile our units to the common core.  It discussed moving from the Georgia Professional Standards to the Common Core, and gave some great information to make the transition easy.  The website address is http://www.gpb.org/education/common-core The site has a calendar that lists all the upcoming webinars. The webinars on the site are awesome. The webinar we watched was 2 hours long.   You can view them live or you can view the past webinars.  The site made it very simple.  Of course you cant participate in the live chats if you view past webinars, but you get the information all the same.  I am glad that the

Site Visit To Pike Elementary



Today I went to the Pike County Elementary School and shadowed the Media Specialist.  It was a very busy day.  At my school the main reason the students come to the library is to check out 'any' book
 or to take an AR test.  That was not the case at the Pike County Elementary School.  The students came with an agenda!  The had certain book titles in mind, or either they knew what topic they needed for a class.  Some students just had special interests in reading and wanted a cool book!  I loved it!!  I got to work with students finding books and also helping them get excited about books!!  I never wanted to be a Media Specialist more.  Mrs.  Karen told me that not all days are like today.  Most days are spent on inventory, pulling things for teachers, updating websites, streaming videos to MediaCast, budget, ordering supplies, and of course cataloging books, etc...  I told her I know this- I know a Media Specialist wears many hats and plays many roles.  However, I had the best day and I truly thank her for allowing me to work at the circulation desk and with students all day.  It was a most excellent day.  I truly know I want to be a Media Specialist when I grow up.  LOL!!

March Media Meeting

We had a Media Meeting after school yesterday afternoon.  I am already a member of the Media Team so this was nothing new.  We have a Media Meeting 4-5 times every school year.  The meetings are about an hour long depending on how much we have to discuss.  At our meeting this time, our Media Specialist read the list of new books that she purchased for our school.  We discussed what will be occurring during the next month.  Read Across America is March 2^nd that celebrates Dr. Seuss’ birthday. The PBS Go Writers contest is March 7^th, Student Media Festival Entries is March 9^th and the Spring Book Fair from March 23^rd to March 30^th will be happening. The book fair was discussed a lot.  We talked about our theme ( which is a luau) and what decorations we would be using.  We discussed what jobs needed to be done and how many volunteers we would need.  We talked about the writers contest.  For the PBS Go Writers contest students have to write a story that has 5 pictures and particular word count.  Student Media Festival entries can be a book that the student has written and illustrated that can be made into a movie, a photo essay, almost anything media related.  The meeting was very successful we discussed a lot.  I even brought a big bowl of M&M's for everyone to share!   It looks as though March will full of fun for our Media Center.