Ms. Nancy Online

A number of Julian teachers recently attended the CUE conference in San Diego and we were able to gather at our staff meeting to talk about those ideas that had the most application to our particular world. Most of you homeschool educators have heard me talk about these ideas, but if you haven’t, just ask! My hope is that next semester I can have a few sessions where you can learn how to use some of the technology tools to make your child’s education more creative and fun. In response to the request of the teachers in this meeting, here is what we discussed.

“If you’re not networking, you’re not working,” or you are as strong as your strongest link. This has been a revolutionary idea for me. When budget constraints eliminated our professional development funds several years ago, I was very upset as I felt the classes I took really added to my performance as a teacher. While I would still like those funds back and appreciate having the money to take classes or attend conferences, Web 2.0 has changed how I approach professional development. I can frequently learn new tricks by “tuning in” to the movers and shakers of the ed tech world. NECC holds a national conference every year and the handouts from the sessions are archived for a year on their web site. You can learn a lot just by reading the handout! Sites like twitter.com allow you to be proactive. If you don’t know something, ask, and someone will probably answer! Web 1.0 is a powerful resource for teachers and students but the information moves from publisher to consumer, is read only and is not interactive. Web 2.0 makes it as easy to create as to consume. Anyone can publish, share or exchange information.

Free software for creating digital stories or projects is available. Highly recommended is audacity, photostory and moviemaker. All are PC friendly so you can use your work computer. All that is needed is a microphone. A great source for learning these programs is ilife4windows.wikispaces.com.

Google continues to develop new and useful tools for educators. One teacher has developed a site to feature google “lit trips” where a book is studied and the places in the book are “pinned” into googleearth with commentary (googlelittrips.org). Googledocs was discussed as a way to edit documents online with a collaborative group. It saves time and energy.

Both blogging and podcasting were discussed and samples of programs available were displayed. There are a few available on our school web site right now, but wouldn’t it be great if we could see what everybody is doing in our school?

We discussed the virtues of unitedstreaming and developing a way to share our lessons. There is no reason we should duplicate our efforts. Free professional development is also available through unitedstreaming. Becoming a DEN educator is another way of expanding your reach and learning new applications.

For those of you who signed up for The Nutcracker, remember to be at the front of Cerritos Performing Arts Center by 11:05 and gather around the Julian sign. They will not seat us until we are all there, so everybody is depending on you to get there on time. Please review with your student the following so they can better appreciate the performance. Content is taken from the curriculum guide prepared by the Friends of Arts Education at the Cerritos Center.

The story…It is Christmas Eve. Maria and her brother Fritz are anticipating with excitement and impatience the celebration that will take place in their beautiful home in Frankfurt. They are wondering if all their guests will come despite the snow storm. Maria is especially concerned about their godfather, Papa Drosselmeyer. The godfather arrives late and brings with him extraordinary presents among which is an unusual nutcracker that turns out to be a young, handsome prince. Thanks to Nutcracker, Maria is freed of undesirable guests, the mice, and travels to a world of magic and enchantment with her prince. They are greeted by the Sugar Plum Fairy, and entertained by acrobats and dancers from all over the world! Was it just a dream? What do you think?

The story of the story…The history of the Nutcracker tale is as rich as the story itself. Nearly two centuries ago, in 1815, the German writer E.T.A. Hoffman published a story called The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, telling how a little girl’s love brought to life her cherished Nutcracker, an enchanted Christmas gift from her mysterious godfather. In 1847, the French writer Alexandre Dumas published a retelling of Hoffman’s story. From this adaption, the Russian composers Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky and choreographer Lev Ivanov created their ballet, The Nutcracker, which was first performed in St. Petersburg in 1892. Why has The Nutcracker remained so popular throughout the world? As the story explains, “if you love something very much, it is always alive.”

Writing application: Do you have a toy or an object that you love so much you wish it would come to life? If so, describe how you imagine that experience. What conversations would you have with that come-alive object? What in your world would surprise your come-alive object? What would you do on your first day together? (Many of my students (particularly boys) have loved The Indian in the Cupboard books which follow this pattern. ) Non-writers can draw a picture of the object and dictate a story.

The last few weeks I have been frothing around in the technology world. The last weekend in October was “Trick or Tech” in OC sponsored by Discovery Education and then the San Diego CUE conference the next weekend. So much to know…so little time. As a digital immigrant, I am trying to make the leap into what is natural for the natives that are your children. There are so many fun projects that can enliven your child’s education and promote creativity–blogs, podcasts, wiki’s, collaborative writing! Have you thought of your child making a movie about what he is learning in social studies? What about a podcast from the ancient Roman community you are covering? What about a book club where your child can interact with other students studying the same book? The publishing piece put in your child’s writing will push it to the next level! Let me know if you need help establishing a learnerblog to connect with this site so your child’s work can be viewed by the world!

Another thing I’ve been thinking about the last few days is an article I read regarding the Google culture and some of the aspects that make it unique. Today I can’t put my hands on that article, but here are some of their company principles taken from their web site:

I’ve been thinking about this in connection with homeschooling. My hope is your student has time to explore the ideas he/she is passionate about. While there is a place for textbooks, please don’t neglect following your child’s interest. Some of the best learning may happen outside of what you plan. Some of my most memorable moments in teaching were when my students led me “off topic” and we explored some area that interested all of us. Homeschooling gives you the freedom to follow those interests. So…enjoy your time with your student and take advantage of the gift of time.