Cathy Nelson’s Professional Thoughts

I’ve been reading a lot of Christian Long’s blog (Think:Lab). I feel like I know him as a personal friend even though I can honestly say I’ve only met him in passing (NECC 07) and had virtual conversations with him on my blog here and in skypechats among many other participants. He asks some really hard questions and really makes me think. He is heading back to the classroom this year after working in business, and he is being treated like a first year teacher. Maybe he really is–I don’t know. That just shows that I really only have superficial knowledge of him. But he is still a favortie blog to read! Best of luck as you enter this world where kids are your audience, Christian, and where I truly believe you will make the world their audience!

In the last year (September 2006) Christian and his middle school principal wife had a son. Beckett, his son, was placed in a daycare that offers a lot of perks to parents, including an opportunity for parents to log in and see what is happening in their baby’s room at the daycare center. Reading Christian’s reaction to seeing his son explore his world, make friends, and yes, even take his first tentative steps as a toddler in that daycare center has almost brought tears to my eyes. Christian has shared some of these video clips from that daycare webcam on his blog. And he is asking some really hard questions, like are those teacher’s of Beckett’s future prepared for his desire to see what is happening to his son in their classrooms. Which brings me to the purpose of my post today.

Incredibly, one of the newest schools that opens its doors and welcomes students for the very first time in Rock Hill is equipped with cameras in all the classrooms!!! India Hook Elementary School will be a state of the art school technology-wise. And according to an article in the local paper today (The Herald), parents (among other groups that could include administrators, peer teachers, interns, and more) are going to be able to visit and go to a “viewing” room to see what is happening in the classroom. Yes, it’s true. There was a disclaimer, however, in the article. Teachers will be told when their class is being observed.

So now I have questions: Would this affect the way you teach? If this school has this capability, who is to say they will NOT “tune-in” without the teacher’s knowledge? Will teachers have to sign something saying they agree? Will there be a clause that gives the teacher the right to say the video cameras have to be “off” unless the teacher is aware? Why shouldn’t anyone, anytime come and watch(since we all pay taxes)? Why isn’t the feed being made available during the day via the Internet for those with a “vested” interest, like parents who work? I know these are hard questions, and no, I don’t have the answers. But it is a sign of what is to come. It will be interesting to see if parents in particular come to see their child in class, or better, DEMAND the availability of the feed. I’m POSITIVE Christian Long would make this request.

“Security Camera.” Clean Wal Mart’s Photo Stream. 7 February 2007. 15 August 2007 <http://www.flickr.com/photos/cleanwalmart/381468078/>.

“Securitycam_29.” M3Li55@’s photostream. 13 January 2005. 15 August 2007 <http://www.flickr.com/photos/melissa/3330361/>

Okay since Thursday I’ve been somewhat out of commission. Thursday was not so bad because I could still read and see out of my left eye. Friday was awful because after the surgery, I couldn’t read a thing! Today I had a follow up, and according to the doctor, things are progressing as they should be. I was very depressed yesterday because the girl beside passed a preliminary eye test of her corrected right eye with almost 20/20 vision. I could not even read the chart. Everything was blurry! It has all been explained to me now though. She had lasik, which is almost like immediate correction, and I had Rezoom/Restor, which takes a few weeks to heal. Essentially (and this is a lay person’s description) the doctor opened the sacks in my eyes where the lens is located and removed them replacing them with the Restor and ReZoom lenses. That sack is now too big for the lenses, and so the lense shifts around some, causing the blurry vision. Over the next ten to twenty days, that sack will shink wrap itself around the new lenses, and when that happens, my vision will become gradually and noticeably better. I will begin to need the reading glasses less and less during this time, until eventually I will not need them at all. In four weeks, I go back to have lasik touch up for the left eye which has an astigmatism. I was told that at the very beginning. If my right eye is not 20/20 or better, they may do a touch up lasik on it too. So that’s where things stand.

What bothered me more than anything was that I could not use my computer at all, so I missed a bunch of emails, twitters, and rss feeds. I have a lot to catch up on. My doctor has said I should use my reading glasses for work–it will not harm what has been done. He has also assured me that my vision will be improving almost daily. So I am wearing the reading glasses, and have my mac settings to large print. The only thing I see myself having to lay off for a while is Second Life, unless someone knows how to increase the sizes of buttons and chat.

Monday I have a meeting in at the Horry County District Office regarding Payroll and benefits. I don’t think I’ll be able to read anything on the pages i will have to complete. Today I hunt for a magnifying glass to carry with me so I can do the paperwork required. Oh, I also pick up my school laptop if I want too (a pc type I’m sure.) Wonder if I could ask for a mac?

Slowly but surely I’m on the mend.

I’ve seen this posted in several blogs I subscribe to today and in several list serves that I am a member of.  When I first saw it, I read it but didn’t really process it.  Then when I saw it in several different locations, I began to pay attention.  Considering my posting to support Global Lib 2.0 this week, here is an awesome opportunity to invite the teachers at my school to jump in the water.  I’m copying and pasting, though I cannot take credit for it. The first place I recall seeing it was on the Teacher Librarian Ning, posted by Karen Kliegman of Albertson, New York.  But what an awesome way to seriously think of ways to implement 2.0 tools?

MidLink Magazine Call for Participation!

You are cordially invited to explore the July-December issue of MidLink Magazine http://www.ncsu.edu/midlink the award-winning magazine for students ages 8 – 18. If you’re looking for ideas for your upcoming year, you’ve come to the right place! Please email the teacher/editors of the projects below you would like to participate in with your students! You and your students are sure to get inspired by the projects created by MidLink Magazine’s teacher-editors:

1. Periodic Table of Podcasts: Have your students add their own scientific podcast to the growing body of information found in this exciting project!

2. Find a Story… Map a Story… Tell a Story: Use emerging digital mapping tools to explore the connection between story, place and community.

3. Science Through the Camera Lens: Study the science found in pictures and then create a multimedia project

4. Tell Me a Story: Learn how to encourage children to accept and celebrate their differences, using digital storytelling

See detailed descriptions below or visit MidLink Magazine at: http://www.ncsu.edu/midlink/

1. Periodic Table of Podcasts

We invite students from any school to participate in the development of the “Periodic Table of Podcasts”. To participate, instructions are provided within this website. There are very easy ways to create audio files in the classroom even if you have only a few computers by using Internet resources such as Podomatic or Odeo. Audio files could be hosted on your school’s server, various Internet resources, or other means. Don’t let the technology get in the way- for help and advise contact the webmaster of this site. All we need is the URL (link) to your students’ audio files, and we can add them to the Periodic Table of Podcasts! If you wish to collaborate regarding your podcast project, e-mail Joselyn Todd, Ph. D.

Project URL: http://tinyurl.com/2ornnn

Contact Teacher Editor, Dr. Joselyn J. Todd, Cary Academy, Cary, NC

2. Find a Story… Map a Story… Tell a Story

This Place-based Stortelling Project invites students to choose a story that matters to them and using an online mapping tool like Community Walk, Wayfaring or Google Maps, create a StoryMap that will place their stories within a geographical context. Using one of these digital mapping tools, students will locate a geographical map from their story location, and add images, audio and text memories to the place markers found on the mapping tool. This project will help students recover lost stories and save and share them so other can enjoy and learn from them. You are invited to browse through the project resources and projects example on this web site and plan to have your classroom participate:

Project URL: http://www.rebooting.ca/place/

Project Coordinator: Brenda Dyck, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Red Deer College (Middle Years’ Program), Red Deer, Alberta

3. Science Through the Camera Lens

Have you ever seen a view of nature or engineering and wondered about the “awesomeness” of it? Did you take a picture of it so you could capture it forever? Florida State University School Science students did just that. They took pictures with a digital camera or a camera phone. Students delivered them to their science teacher via email or on a flash drive. Students studied the science in the pictures then created their multimedia project. Here are their stories…..

Project URL: http://www.fsus.fsu.edu/mcquone/scicam/scicam.html

Teacher Editor, Cathy McQuone, Earth/Space Science Instructor, Florida State University Schools, Tallahassee, Florida

4. Tell Me a Story

Tell Me a Story is a project in which students were asked to contemplate the following essential questions:

How does culture shape the way we see ourselves, others, and the world? How does my culture shape me? Why is it important to understand culture? The purpose of this project is to encourage children to accept and celebrate their differences. We want to help all children develop a positive self-concept and feel proud of whom they are. If this positive sense of self and others is allowed to flourish, today’s children will become adults who accept and affirm differences, identify unfair situations, and strive to eliminate racism of any sort.

Grade levels: K-8

Project URL: http://tinyurl.com/2qnzgr

Teacher Editor: Karen Kliegman, Library Media/Educational Technology Specialist, Searingtown School, Albertson, Adjunct Professor, Long Island University, New York kkliegman@herricks.org

Brenda Dyck, BEd, MET

Senior Editor: MidLink Magazine: http://www.ncsu.edu/midlink/

Sessional Instructor, Faculty of Education, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Red Deer College MiddleYears’ Program, Red Deer, Alberta, Canada

E-mail: dyckba@shaw.ca

I have so much more time in the summer to read and enjoy stuff. Today stumbled across Gizmo! OMG you must check it out! Just the thought of what it could do! I am just going to point you to a sample I came across today. Thanks, Susan, for posting that.

Have you visited TeacherTube yet? Launched in early March, 2007, it is a searchable site that is similar to YouTube, but more geared for students and educators. It has been talked about MUCH in the educational blogosphere lately. From Technorati, I found 796 posts that include a reference to TeacherTube, so it is definitely getting some attention. At this site, one of the many blogs I follow, it received a review and gave some suggestions for improvement. Let’s check it out and make some other comments and suggestions!