SUNDIAL
there's not enough time
to accomplish everything
TRY AND TRY I WILL
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Visitors & Residents
I guess I would label myself as a Visiting Resident in terms of social networking. Historically, I have been more of a Visitor. I log in to get information, do what I need to do, and then slip away so no one knows I was there. I research and read, stealing knowledge along the way. Isn't that all you need it for.....? At least that was my thinking, then.
MySpace came along and that was fun...Resident Card approved! I posted, added pictures, and commented on others pages. Hello old friends! I even created a MySpace just for my students!
Soooo....that got old and time-consuming. I decided to stick with visiting; I did not visit MySpace so often. Wait, what? Facebook? Okay, let me see....hmm...MySpace, renamed. Okay, let's reconfigure. Hello, again, old friends! Post, post, post, comment, like...where's the "Don't Like" button?? Teacher Facebook - created! Sweet!!! Aaaa....no, I didn't see her post, haven't been on much lately, been busy....Resident Card put back away. Hellllloooo, again, grad school!! Blogging?? I joke about it, but I've never actually done it...do I look like I have time to read others' random thoughts? I don't even have time to write down my own! Twittering? No, thanks. I'll text people when I feel like it. No, seriously, not interested. I am NOT having my phone blown up with a bunch of people's random thoughts. I love her to death, but my friends twits things like, "Sitting at a red light for forever! Where's the green???" Pass. I like being a visitor; I take my passport whenever I go, but I don't have to stay or pay taxes.
Well, hello to you, Mr. Social Networking-Technology Genius Professorman! Wait, I can get tweets from CNN?? Well, now, that's cool! Connect with the rest of the world? Twittering is NOT just to hear celebrity nonsense? Well, that's a Twitter I just might be interested in.
I pulled my Resident Card back out. Feeling pretty excited about leaving my mark in the social world! I started a blog and website last summer for my alumni students. It was awesome while it lasted. I posted all the time and as more people added, the conversations became pretty engaging. I even gave it a school theme, naming my blogs after periods of the school day (e.g., Extra Credit, Recess, Period 1: Education). I need to get back to that. I'm still getting comfortable with using Twitter; I am definitely not where I'd like to be. I'm sure it's easy as pie, I just need to sit down and play with it more. Web 2.0 tools are hard for me to learn. For example, figuring out how to add a Revolving Map proved more difficult than I originally thought. I definitely need more patience, and thus, need to set aside more time to sit down and the computer and figure things out. Thank goodness for YouTube videos that show you what to do!
As I continue to grow in my profession I understand the need to become more visible and comfortable on the web. I will definitely get there and I am truly excited about it. Who knows....maybe I'll go for my Citizenship one day.
MySpace came along and that was fun...Resident Card approved! I posted, added pictures, and commented on others pages. Hello old friends! I even created a MySpace just for my students!
Soooo....that got old and time-consuming. I decided to stick with visiting; I did not visit MySpace so often. Wait, what? Facebook? Okay, let me see....hmm...MySpace, renamed. Okay, let's reconfigure. Hello, again, old friends! Post, post, post, comment, like...where's the "Don't Like" button?? Teacher Facebook - created! Sweet!!! Aaaa....no, I didn't see her post, haven't been on much lately, been busy....Resident Card put back away. Hellllloooo, again, grad school!! Blogging?? I joke about it, but I've never actually done it...do I look like I have time to read others' random thoughts? I don't even have time to write down my own! Twittering? No, thanks. I'll text people when I feel like it. No, seriously, not interested. I am NOT having my phone blown up with a bunch of people's random thoughts. I love her to death, but my friends twits things like, "Sitting at a red light for forever! Where's the green???" Pass. I like being a visitor; I take my passport whenever I go, but I don't have to stay or pay taxes.
Well, hello to you, Mr. Social Networking-Technology Genius Professorman! Wait, I can get tweets from CNN?? Well, now, that's cool! Connect with the rest of the world? Twittering is NOT just to hear celebrity nonsense? Well, that's a Twitter I just might be interested in.
I pulled my Resident Card back out. Feeling pretty excited about leaving my mark in the social world! I started a blog and website last summer for my alumni students. It was awesome while it lasted. I posted all the time and as more people added, the conversations became pretty engaging. I even gave it a school theme, naming my blogs after periods of the school day (e.g., Extra Credit, Recess, Period 1: Education). I need to get back to that. I'm still getting comfortable with using Twitter; I am definitely not where I'd like to be. I'm sure it's easy as pie, I just need to sit down and play with it more. Web 2.0 tools are hard for me to learn. For example, figuring out how to add a Revolving Map proved more difficult than I originally thought. I definitely need more patience, and thus, need to set aside more time to sit down and the computer and figure things out. Thank goodness for YouTube videos that show you what to do!
As I continue to grow in my profession I understand the need to become more visible and comfortable on the web. I will definitely get there and I am truly excited about it. Who knows....maybe I'll go for my Citizenship one day.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Friday's conversation
Called Abel on Friday. He has just finished two and a half years at UC Berkeley, and I couldn't be prouder. Was just checking in, no specific purpose. He was currently on break at work, working as an academic counselor with a local high school.
A VERY BRIEF background: Abel was one of my first students. I can still see him in my mind on the first day of his freshman year in high school (my first official year teaching). I knew IMMEDIATELY that he was special and that I would be working hard, everyday, to make sure his needs were met, that I was constantly pushing him, that he was never bored. By the end of his Junior year, Abel was more like a little brother. We are so close that I drove him up to UC Berkeley and moved him in. I can still remember driving away with tears (pride and sadness, I would miss seeing him everyday), seeing him and Katherine (the female student who became my little sister) in the rearview mirror. As a freshman in high school, Abel wanted to be an Engineer, and I was determined to make sure he fulfilled that dream; I even took him to an MIT informational. He is now an Environmental Science major planning on becoming a teacher - my two passions. He constantly tells me I am his inspiration; ironically, I remind him that he is mine.
Our conversation on Friday was nice. I've moved from his teacher, to counselor, to life mentor, and now teacher mentor. He needed advice on how to help and work with a particular student. What a moment...I am teaching my former student how to be a teacher.
When I met Abel six and a half years ago, I simply hoped I would effectively prepare him for the next steps in his educational career, ensuring he grew as an independent learner. I did not expect him to become like a younger brother; I did not expect him to ever honor me with the title of "mentor and inspiration"; I never imagined he would ask me to drive him to his first day at the university; nor could I have possibly conceived that he would follow in my footsteps. What I do know is that we'll be critical in each other's lives indefinitely. How lucky I am to have experienced this gift.
A VERY BRIEF background: Abel was one of my first students. I can still see him in my mind on the first day of his freshman year in high school (my first official year teaching). I knew IMMEDIATELY that he was special and that I would be working hard, everyday, to make sure his needs were met, that I was constantly pushing him, that he was never bored. By the end of his Junior year, Abel was more like a little brother. We are so close that I drove him up to UC Berkeley and moved him in. I can still remember driving away with tears (pride and sadness, I would miss seeing him everyday), seeing him and Katherine (the female student who became my little sister) in the rearview mirror. As a freshman in high school, Abel wanted to be an Engineer, and I was determined to make sure he fulfilled that dream; I even took him to an MIT informational. He is now an Environmental Science major planning on becoming a teacher - my two passions. He constantly tells me I am his inspiration; ironically, I remind him that he is mine.
Our conversation on Friday was nice. I've moved from his teacher, to counselor, to life mentor, and now teacher mentor. He needed advice on how to help and work with a particular student. What a moment...I am teaching my former student how to be a teacher.
When I met Abel six and a half years ago, I simply hoped I would effectively prepare him for the next steps in his educational career, ensuring he grew as an independent learner. I did not expect him to become like a younger brother; I did not expect him to ever honor me with the title of "mentor and inspiration"; I never imagined he would ask me to drive him to his first day at the university; nor could I have possibly conceived that he would follow in my footsteps. What I do know is that we'll be critical in each other's lives indefinitely. How lucky I am to have experienced this gift.
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