Photo Attribution:
Original Image: "Bravest Lion fan I know"


A picture taken of my brave daughter demonstrating her loyalty to the Detroit Lions on Nov.14, 2010. It was a beautiful day gone horribly awry, when the elements turned and she wasn't prepared!

05Nov09 ~ Place Value Game

Photo Attribution:
Original Image: Place Value Games
05Nov09 ~ Place Value Game, a photo by g_kat26 on Flickr.
Place Value Game by g_kat26 is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.

This picture shows a place value board/game which would be very useful when instructing elementary aged students place value. Place value seems to be an an abstract idea, that if not presented correctly or at least in a hands on fashion, is usually lost on younger students. As seen in this photo, units from ones up to the thousands are represented by cubes in a way that children will be able to easily grasp.


Via Flickr:
Some students playing during math class today.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/68776611@N04/

PC Maintenance & Security

Understanding How Malware Spreads

1.       Malware can be spread through email attachments, file sharing (P2P software), IM’s, unpatched Windows, unprotected systems and even by those who do not have any plans for security.

2.       The thing that surprised, though I suppose it seems obvious now, is that all those free software items that come in the mail or that appear in emails or websites, have spyware buried within that helps advertisers or may even corrupt your system.

Understanding the Threat of Rogue Anti-Spyware

1.       Rogue anti-spyware actually scans files for virus but reveals a “false-positive” for spyware. They then “fix” with junk files that actually weighs down/slows your system. There is a site “Spyware Warrior” that helps detect these rogue spyware files and how to beat them.

2.       The fact that we should all have more than one anti-spyware system operating but make sure that they are trustworthy and compatible.

Explaining Cookies

1.       There is a third type of cookie called a “tracking cookie.” This cookie creates security risks by working with advertisers to track where users go on the web and report their activity so that they can place ads on the sites that are visited.

2.       I never understood what a “cookie” was, other than the fact that I love choc. chip, peanut butter, snicker doodles and that I love to have a cold glass of milk when I eat them. Nope, cookies are small info files placed on a hard drive that is read by a website, most often a retail site. They let the website recognize you and keep track of what you do. There are 3 types, the third is mentioned above, Persistent, which stays on the hard drive and Session, which only stays on the drive for as long as you are on the site.

gtd share

First, I put pencil to paper and itemize a list of tasks that I need to complete. Next, I prioritize by ease and due date and then commit them to an online calendar that I can print off and have handy. I also save some items to my phone because it sends me audio reminders. Since I already use this common- sensical approach, it wasn’t that different from any other agendas I have built. I plan to continue using this approach because it allows me to focus my priorities much more clearly and allows me to get things accomplished without much stress.

Getting Things Done

I haven’t always been a planner, although I consider myself to be quite organized. However, as I get older I notice more and more that the better I plan the better organized and more I become at achieving my goals. I don’t that I have been a procrastinator but someone who looks at a list of tasks and organizes them first, by due date and second, by ease of task. The next step is to hope that a few tasks on my list sort of rise to the top of the third, mental list and I try to kill two birds with one stone. On several occasions, mostly due to unforeseen circumstances, I have waited to the last minute and that feeling of overwhelming dread surrounds me.

In David Allen’s Getting Things Done, he discusses 5 steps to help prevent becoming overwhelmed, overloaded, and overworked. The most important idea behind these steps is prioritization; the ability to know what task needs attention and when to begin another. His first stage is called:

Collect: this is the gathering of information about tasks that need to be completed. He stresses the importance of physical lists in order to prevent memory loss. When possible, I try to keep 2 lists: one a printed version on my refrigerator (thanks, mom!) and another, either stored on an online Cozi Calendar, FaceBook or on my phone. Either way my list of tasks is always handy.  

The second stage is Process: this is where decisions need to be made in order to act, so you must ask yourself: What is it? Is it actionable, does it need to be done now? If not, toss it or put it in a file for later. What is the next action? Will it take less than 2 minutes? Yes, do it. No, then: Defer or delegate.These questions help build a list of tasks that quickly become manageable.

The third stage is Organize: this is more of a sorting stage, where I am able to decide the importance of each task and prioritize accordingly. Here Allen provides task buckets: Projects: must finish, Calendar: tasks that are due at a particular time or date, Next Actions: tasks to be done ASAP and Waiting for: other tasks & projects that you’re supposed to do and care about

The fourth stage is Review: Allen advises to review your lists or check your buckets weekly to make sure each task in on target for completion.

The last stage is Do: here the implication is obvious. Make sure all your ducks are in a row and tackle each task as you have prioritized. Ask yourself the following questions and Allen says you will have greater success:

·         What can you do?

·         How much time do you have?

·         How much energy do you have?

·         What are your priorities?

Using these steps, both personally and professionally, may eventually lead to greater organizational capability and a stress free work environment.

Social Networks and Teaching

Social networks are becoming increasingly more useful in all settings, both personal and professional. Frrom a workplace/professional point of view, social networks can help teachers discuss ideas for units and lessons, teaching methods and how to create better avenues of communication between parents/students, teachers, and even administrators. However, caution must be exercised when creating a social network involving parents and students to make sure that private information is not put out for public consumption. Items that can be shared include assignments, both classroom and homework, their due dates and what's missing; social agendas, including field trips, speakers, classroom activities and parties. An art gallery can be created, grades can be posted. Anything that parents and teachers need to better effectively communicate and help their children can included. Personally, I think social networks are a great thing. I use several, including FaceBook and Twitter to keep in touch with family and friends that are scattered all over the world. They allow me to briefly check in when I don't have the time to email, call or gasp-write a letter. I can share everything from pictures to videos, to recipes and unit plans.
As for my peers and students, I don't see any fundamental differences between how I use social networks and how they use them. They are are used for socializing, communication, work and play. The only difference might be the percentage of time between work and play, but I'd imagine that no matter the age, it amounts to 50-50, with slight fluctuations depending on what particular assignment is due when.

Social Media

Social networks are an extremely effective form of communication. For me professionally, at the moment, they help me stay in touch with teachers for whom I have subbed for and have been asked back. I can actually see using a social network solely for the purpose of obtaining work until the day that I FINALLY get my own room. Once that happens, this tool can be used to help me grow professionally, keep in contact with fellow staff members, and communicate more effectively with both students and parents-setting up a classroom only FaceBook page for assignments, class activities and other important goings on. Personally, social networks allow to stay in contact with friends and family through either brief or full messages, posting videos and photographs, etc... Without breaking stride, it seems, I can switch back and forth between work (school, mostly) and FB and find out what's happening with friends all over the world.
Students use these networks for games and communication more than anything, which is just another distraction between them and their classwork, which is quite a drawback. Even though they are not supposed to have them in class, I notice many kids sneaking their phones out to text or play. This isn't the case for the majority of kids but it's enough to distract those who really need to be paying attention. I'm sure as time goes by, that tech will be readily available and lessons will be engaging enough that students will not jump at a chance to go off the rail. But even then, they will still need to be closely monitored.
As far as my peers, both subs and regular classroom teachers, are concerned; social networks allow the freedom to find new and creative ways for students to investigate and explore subject matter I have heard of teachers allowing students to create their own blogs and websites for book reviews, unit creation-where the kids gather their own "intel" and present material in groups as experts on any number of topics. Social networks, as I have already explained, are also effective forms of classroom communication, allowing freer access to happenings in the classroom, student behaviors and academic performance.