December 2011

As I sit to write this post, I am exhausted with the reading from this week....so much out there about Screen Time, App Gap, the need for physical fitness and of course student testing.  It is hard to get the balance in your child's life - time for sports, time for music lessons, and time to just relax...BALANCE is the key.  No matter what article I read about screen time - the common denominator is  - all screen time needs to be counted.  I am watching the students in fifth grade make wonderful book trailers.  They are spending time looking for the perfect music and effects.  They are also infront of the screen a lot...but the conversations between the students are most interesting and insightful and the evaluation of the work is intense.  How can you not encourage students take time to produce amazing film and video that communicate their knowledge?  But we also know that any elementary students should also be on the playground running and developing motor skills (without the motor skills, how can they manipulate a mouse?)  It almost seems like what came first or what needs to be most important.  The next article talked about app gap....the idea that children with technology are far ahead of the children without.  Schools are doing their best for app gap by having technology available at school and in flexible time and arrangements.  (Rummel Creek library is open before school and during lunch/recess every day.) As if all of the technology is not enough...you also need to make sure your children eat well, get enough sleep and have some type of physical exercise as well as try to get Boy/Girl scouts and religious training all outside of the hours of school.  Bless you parents for trying to get it all done!  No wonder our students are over scheduled and over tired.  Read some of the linked articles above and hopefully you will gleam some information to help your children succeed in life...and possibly not be overwhelmed!

Surving the first week of school

Well, it's Tuesday of the second week of school and I'm still breathing.  Things have been moving fast and furious for these past few days.  If technology would cooperate...things would be great...thank goodness for students that can problem solve and see the forest for the trees.  My lunch bunch is already back and creating movies....so even lunch is loud...which is great!  Except for the fact that I am reading the calendar, it doesn't feel like we ever left...the students and teachers have just picked up where we left off from May.  The schedule is running just like always and I can't seem to get away from school before five....perhaps next week!  But it's great getting back into a routine.  Check out the Rummel Creek Learning Commons page for activities to support the students learning!

iPhone!

I am trying to get into the 21st century personally. I've been pushing all of the technology at RCE...but never did anything at home. After a week in Austin with NO internet, Limited e-mail (inbetween meetings), and NO computers....I decided it was time to come into the technology rich environment at home. My daughter and I have spent the last two hours trying to make the settings work...she's downloaded all kinds of apps...I'm a little behind...too many choices on the settings. The one downside is..I'll probably work 24/7...and I am already nearly there! Life is so fun. Watching my daughter light up as she found more apps to try was fun...We've really changed her this summer....a MacBook Pro and an iPhone! What a change from the dell....here comes grad school!

Last few days before back to full time...hard to believe how fast the summer flew by...feels like I didn't get too much done!

REEP (Rice Education Entrepreneur Program)

Yesterday I spent the day at RICE University listening to some great speakers. Now I have a lot of reading to do. Rick Hess has made me really think about what I am doing....I've got to spend a little more time on his website/blog. We also listened to two technology specialists - I was so glad to see that we are moving in the right way...sometimes you think that you have just joined a FAD...but technology is not just a FAD, but rather a tool to deliver content to students. Just need to make sure that it's not all about the gadgets....I think I'm past that...need to let my brain gel around the information and thoughts I heard...need to stay up to date!!!!

Journey Through the 11 Tools

I am so impressed with the Rummel Creek staff....they are working hard to get to the tools. The best part is watching the teamwork to get them done. I am hoping that we will continue to work as a team to move forward with the students. I think that next year will be an explosion of learning both with and without technology. I just finished writing on blogs...it took me several hours as so many had worked hard these past two days....YEAH!
The questions I am getting now are more on what to do not how to do...which shows tremendous growth. I think the journey is going well...not without a few gliches...but what would a journey be without a few hitches!

PBS Visit

Today I was invited to the Houston PBS station for a luncheon in honor of the Innovative Educator Award -Ann King and I spent a few hours learning and sharing. It was a fun afternoon that included a tour of the TV station and the Radio stations. Sooooo cool. I took tons of photos to share with the students. Although our RCE studio is on a much SMALLER scale, the way we do things is very similar to the real world. At least I know that what I share with the children is correct and goes along with what they would do at at real station.
PBS was wonderful - our discussion was lively and exciting. The luncheon was amazing. The people we met brought us new ideas and things to look in to. It's nice to be a partner with such a knowledgable group of people who are looking out for what they can provide for our students.
My mind is full of new ideas and things to try. I even have a few thoughts for the studio for next year (look out new crew members....we're going upscale!) I wish I had taken notes to remember it all!

General Observation

I have read over most of the staff blogs...we are really moving forward with technology. I can't wait until next year to see where we are off to in learning. Things will really take off when the new equipment comes in. I hope the library can make it work until November!