Effort to Manipulate Steel

Point Pleasant where?

Had to grab a shot with the mothman statue

Metal mullet

Outstretched wings

A legend created

Once began Loch Ness, Sasquatch, Yetti

So begins Mothman

This was written during Eddy’s demonstration Gunshots, Turkey Feathers, Beijing, and War Paint:  Writing as a Collage.  We were assigned to write a poem about an architectural object that we see often, something meaningful.  We did not have a chance to complete the activity, which was to list all of the things that connected us to the object.  Though we shared the poems and talked a bit about our connections, I felt the need to come back to revisit the piece.

Two of my brothers, Paul and Austin, were each younger than I.  I was always close to them but I was still the big sister.  They were brothers and always had each other, and I had my friends to attend to.  I have many regrets of my adolescence that I would like to remedy, time that I would like to recover that could have been better spent.    

My little brothers each stood with me at my wedding.  Because I could not choose two from the lengthy army of female cousins and girlfriends, they were the ones that I wished to have at my side.  It was not the only outrageous statement that I made at my wedding, I turned against many of society’s rules.  I dressed them in tuxedos and marched them down the aisle, each with a grandmother on their arm.  I love my brothers, and they know it.  I guess that should be remedy enough for the time lost when I was a selfish, teenage brat.

My brothers adopted the video camera that my mother’s parents had bought for her at  Christmas one year.  Mom never used it much, and my brothers were always getting into something new and taking it to the extreme.  They would video tape their skateboarding adventures, BMX races, jumping off the roof of the house onto the trampoline, and whatever else occurred by a motivational viewing of Rad or ESPN Sports. 

Paul had been interested in ghosts as a young child, collecting books of Appalachain ghost tales and watching every haunting episode on Discovery or the Sci-Fi channel.  When tales of the Point Pleasant Mothman began to circulate, he could not get enough of it.  He and Austin would pack up Paul’s junked Taurus, the only Ford our family would ever own, and head south on Route 2 to Mason County.  They visited abandoned churches, farmhouses, and even the Lakin state hospital gathering footage on mom’s VHS recorder.  This is where the fascination with an Ohio Valley legend began.

After Paul joined the Air Force, seven years ago, he just hasn’t been around so much.  It has been hard on our family to separate and go our own ways, especially after selling our home at route one, box ten in Cottageville.  Though we are all close, not being in each other’s everyday lives has been very difficult, as I’m sure it is for all families.  Paul was always mom’s Peter Pan, the boy who wouldn’t grow up. 

Paul met a girl in Delaware, where he has been stationed since returning from his stent in Iraq in 2004.  In January of this year, my nephew Jakob Thomas was born.  Since then, Paul had seemed to stray further and further from the boy I knew as my brother.  When he was in a few weeks ago, some time since I had written the poem, Paul returned to Point Pleasant.  He wanted to make sure that Jakob had his photo taken with the Mothman statue.  Maybe he isn’t as devastatingly grown up as I had thought.

D. Fetty

Today, during third space, we were inspired with Fetty’s presentation to at least accept the reality that technology will play a huge role in our children’s future.  She demonstrates the need for evaluating websites to determine validity.  By teaching students to consider the information that they come across on the web, we empower them to conduct research on which they can rely.  We also learned that Discovery’s Kathleen Schrock is a source of information for rubrics, lesson plans, and other areas of support for teachers.

3 1/2″

floppy, fragile

stuffing, sliding, erasing

film, error, USB, memory

plug-in, store, upload

reliable, quick

Jump Drive

I’m Right on Top of That

After going over the specific qualitles of each search popular search engine, I think that Ask.com may be the more appropriate choice for fourth graders.  It will limit their searches, and perhaps force them to consider the question that they wish to answer.  I have used Google previously, because that is what I choose to use… but now I realize that the students do not have an automatic deletion function in their novice research brains to pick and choose the links that they wish to review.  I also think, once I have developed the Webpage that I hope to have time to work on this summer, that it would be extremely productive to post available pre-screened sights for each project that I assign.

You Can Take it With You

Rather than troupe to Drinko Library, where I have seldom visited on my own priority, and ask questions of persons who will certainly have more important matters to attend, it is much better to visit the Marshall University Library webpage to begin my research.  On the left hand screen is a window with popular links listed, and there for our personal use lies the Article Databases link.  “Click!”  Now, look at all of those wonderful choices you have for researching in your field! 

I know from the extensive amounts of research required by my Graduate Assistant assignment in the EDF department one summer that everything I want to read is located on EBSCOhost.  See it there?  It is first in line for a reason.  Fill in the fields to begin your academic search.  I choose to limit my search from this form by clicking in the box which indicates, Scholarly (Peer-Reviewed) Journals.  If the article is published in an educational journal, it is based on research practice and accepted in the field as reliable.  “Search!”  Seven, reliable articles for me to preview, review, and access for my Demonstration!  Yea!  After I go through these, I will surely have more information that will allow me to refine my search even further.  No stairs to climb.  No uncomfortable fumbling through the ERIC database and rummaging through stacks of boxed and forgotten journals that may or may not be present.  No holding microfiche up to the light to find the starting point.  Just me and my Adobe Acrobat Reader.  My anxieties about doing the research for this demo project is over.  Time to dive in!

Not only does the EBSCOhost database locate articles, filter them according to your requirements, and let you know whether they are available for you to visit on your handy Portable Document Finder, but it will also construct a citation for you!  Let’s say you are someone who might not be as handy with the MLA handbook as the English majors in your class.  All you need to do when you pull up your article is to click on the Cite link at the top of your screen.  A window will allow you to choose that you wish to have a brief citation in MLA format.  You may choose from any of the preferred citation formats.  Click Print and then cancel the print window when it presents itself.  All you need to do is highlight, copy and paste the citation in your bibliography!  Be careful to check all of the information however and replace the information needed for your library and city.  What a research tool!  I wish they had things set up this easy when I was an undergrad!

Mr. Nice Guy

Students in today’s classrooms are, in most instances, much more technologically savvy than their teachers.  Let’s face it, the html that one learns from editing his or her MySpace page layout is more than any of us learned in our undergraduate tech courses.  Some of us didn’t even have technology requirements in our undergraduate studies.  If one was to give an ipod to a ten-year-old that had never seen one before, and one to a Rocket Scientist who just came off the stage of Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?, it would take the Rocket Scientist at least twice as long to simply turn it on.  Don’t even ask him how to adjust the volume, scan for a playlist, or shuffle the songs.  The ten-year-old would beat this smarty’s pants off!  To address the argument:

Given the realities of our modern age and the demands of our children’s future, is it really okay to allow teachers to choose whether or not they incorporate modern technologies into their instruction?

Technology is an unleashed beast that sooner or later, out of necessity, all students will learn to rein in.  Just because Mrs. Cats Spinster in Freshman English class didn’t assign a PowerPoint Presentation, insist that all papers be turned in using Georgia 12 point font with 1.5″ margins on the left and right and 1″ margins on the top and bottom, or schedule time in the computer lab down the hall for search engine research, Johnnie iphone will not miss out on all of the opportunities of a modern, global society.  That is the reality of our modern age.

To listen to an audio recording of this post, click on the link below:

Mr. Nice Guy

Agree to Disagree

Given the realities of our modern age and the demands of our children’s future, is it really okay to allow teachers to choose whether or not they incorporate modern technologies into their instruction?

All arguments aside, the NETS (National Educational Technology Standards) facilitate an implementation of curriculum plans that includes methods and strategies for applying technology.  No teacher in this nation’s classrooms should be at liberty to decide for themselves if they will include technology as a supplement to their course curriculum.  I would not argue that every modern-day teacher should establish a blog for his or her classroom, or insist that every presentation be prepared from the Microsoft Office Suite.  I would not argue that every classroom teacher have a webpage, with links to the course syllabus or to a calendar of assignments with corresponding links to points of interest.  Spending countless hours entering review items in Jeopardy format, which he or she downloaded the as a corresponding PowerPoint, is not every teacher’s idea of an efficient use of prep time.  However, every teacher in America’s schools should be proficient enough to find some way during the span of a course to integrate the standards set forth by the NETS.  School Administration should support teachers in every reasonable sense to gain knowledge to current trends in technology, provide professional development opportunities whenever possible to teachers that will not only support the use of programs, tools and equipment but the development and implementation of lessons that can be brought to the classroom.  It is our responsibility to the next generation of citizens to provide them with the skills they need to become successful citizens.  Theirs will be a global economy that even the most technologically advanced in today’s society could scarcely compete.  Haven’t you seen the commercials?  In my opinion, these imperitive skills are problem solving, cooperative learning, and fluency in modern technology.  Sadly, these are generally the three most difficult areas for many classroom teachers to embrace.  To learn more about the NETS Standards for Teachers, click on the link below.

Ed, Edd, and Eddy

I have never considered myself a writer, necessarily.  My husband is the writer.  I could never manipulate language in the way that he can, but I dabble.  I have written quite a bit in my lifetime, keeping a journal during my adolescence and continuing that practice.  I guess it is a way for me to organize my thoughts, to express my frustrations or develop ideas.  Often I keep a separate journal for particular events or goals that I wish to achieve, for example the one I am keeping now is titled, Getting it Together.  It began with the story of a lady with whom I taught and my perceptions of her.  I dropped that particular story, but remain within the subject matter as I am forever making an effort to get it together.  It not only has become my personal goal, but my professional life is pulling in that direction as well.  I suppose I could rename the work, Upon Turning Thirty. 

When I was in high school, I did win the Ravenswood High School’s Creative Writing Contest for a piece I had written that was inspired by a trip to New York City.  I was involved in Model United Nations and traveled there for a mock UN meeting during the Thanksgiving holiday.  My inspiration did not come from the dignitaries or representatives that I met, not from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade that I viewed from the streets of Times Square.  I wrote of the smell of burnt pretzles in the icy November air.  During that time, as comes with pubescence, I also wrote prose and poetry.  We  were fortunate to have adults in our community that fostered poetry, music, and coffee.  A group of friends and our parents established the Transcendental Grounds Coffeehouse, and with that my Rhododendron Press published the Transcendental Tribune.  That was really the last time I focused on writing outside of my schooling or professional life. 

Eddy’s presentation was enormously motivational to me, as I know all of my experiences here will be.   So far, my writing process begins in the bindings of a journal, a notebook, or the margins of a handout.  Because I have not valued extending my effort to write, these snippets of ideas are rarely developed.  However, with a keyboard in front of me I can now grab onto ideas, get them out of my brain, save, revise, and come back to them with the intention of actually writing.  That’s what this experience is all about for me.  Time to get it together.

Raw Materials for the Mind

When I first started reading Warlick’s words, I thought to myself, “Jesus, here’s yet another article telling me things I have read a million times.”  About halfway through my first cup of coffee, as my attitude softened, I read his inspiration for the designing of a new schedule for teachers.  A lunch hour?  What?  You mean like other professionals?  Now that’s a novel idea!  Addressing the element of time for teachers is absolutely necessary for producing more knowledgable, better practiced, happier, healthier teachers.  Why do systems not recognize this?  “We need you to do more, moRE, MORE!  What, time?  We can’t give you that.”  I do understand that many teachers, myself included, fill their evenings, weekends, and summers with research, preparation, and learning to become the teacher that we all hope to be.  The day-to-day JOB leaves much to be desired in the matter of time.  I know for a fact, however, that there are also many other teachers (COTITLEUGONEH!) that have so much free time that they often find themselves BORED!  It is unimaginable to me that I would be able to carry a book to work each day thinking that I would have one single moment of free time to read any part of it.  Some teachers do.  Some read the newspaper each day, have time to check their E-mail, thumb through the new Oriental Trading catalogue… you know, like normal professionals.  The other teachers on my team and I know nothing about any of that.  We consider ourselves lucky if we get to set for ten to fifteen minutes to down a tub of yogurt and half of a Diet Coke while we collaborate on the events of the day.

I would like to believe that my students, as Warlick mentions, do get something new every single day and that they are “challenged and motivated to learn within brand new and well-crafted educational experiences” (Warlick 24).  The societal changes, curricular and technology challenges are not what I would consider major complications.  What I would constitute as one of the largest Barrier to Creating New Learning Environments is motivation to put the time, energy, and effort into a classroom of students who live in a society that does not respect education.  These students have no encouragement from home to be successful students, mainly because they have parents who were not successful students and have not seen any benefit from education.  They are engrained to believe that those who enjoy school for anything more than sports involvement are just nerds.  Big ol’, plastic-rimmed glasses, non-atheletic-gear-wearin’ nerds… like their teacher.

Upon the Writing of Blogs

After leaving the dull fluorescence of Corbly Hall in April, I was excited to get home to my laptop so that I could finish the work that I had begun.  I assume it was the intention of those assigning that first blog topic to lead us in the direction of formulating a Professional Inquiry Question.  I logged on to read some of the other posts, but was not moved by any to comment.  More-than-likely it was an insecurity which comes from not knowing someone; or perhaps the fact that I fear those who do not know me will take my words offensively even if that is not at all my intention.  I think back to the night that we all met for dinner in the Student Center.  There sat Marsha, kicked back in her chair with her arms behind her head.  I said to her, “You own this room right now.”  She looked at me like, “What do you mean by that?  Who the hell are you?”  As soon as the words left my tongue, I thought to myself, “Why did you say that?  That woman doesn’t want to hear your weak efforts to make a connection to the people in this room… get your food and sit down before you make a bigger ass of yourself.”  And so, I did.  That’s how I feel about commenting.  I will admit that I enjoyed and looked forward to reading the comments left by Karen and Peggy on my posts.  I was excited to get the blog assignments, and perhaps got a little carried away with them.  I even expected to have more questions to respond to as today grew nearer and nearer.  I instead used the time to go through the blogs available from last year, the slideshow, and explore any link from the MUWP homepage to get some idea as to what I had gotten myself into.  I just hope that I can help to make the experience a positive one for myself, for the others involved, and to come out on the other end a much better teacher than I am today, at 3:01 pm.

Understanding and Educating the African American Student

I have been involved in an online book study for the title mentioned above.  I was reluctant to be involved in the study, because the information is not based on documented research.  The author, William Jenkins, claims that the only research necessary are his experiences in living and working with the population discussed in the pages of the work.  He was invited to speak in Cabell County a few years back… if anyone recalls.  We had worked with a similar study conducted by a Texan, Ruby K. Payne, whom some of you may have read or attended workshops previously as I have.  Many of the statements made by Jenkins are in-line with those made by Payne, though Payne dealt with the poverty issue and not necessarily with the African American population.  Payne’s work is also based on sound research, and so I decided to use her work as a check-point to Jenkins’.  I also decided not to take the author’s harsh words offensively.  In many situations throughout the book, I found myself referred to as a “White Teacher” and wanted badly to defend my position as a member of America’s society.  I was forced to rationalize, however that this work is not necessarily directed to Mrs. Barraclough in Room 264, but to a society that is filled with the author’s perception of “White Teachers.”  That being said…

In Jenkins’ work, he speaks of many truths that society makes an effort to ignore or avoid, for fear of prosecution.  He basically shares my opinion that the educators in this nation should “grow a pair.”  For those of you who may find that statement offensive, you might rather use the phrase, “cowboy up.”  He states that one of the largest problems facing African American youth is that society is in such fear and intimidation of being called out on acts of racism that we cower under pressure.  Pressures to insist that this population acts in a manner that is accepted by society as a whole; that we hold all students accountable for high levels of performance.  He states that though it is important to understand the culture of the inner-city African American student, this culture should never be accepted as an excuse for poor behavior or performance in America’s schools.

Jenkins’ suggests that teachers should establish a system in their classroom that is based on the middle-class idea of consequences and rewards.  Students should be granted rewards for their efforts and in turn consequences for lack of effort or performance.  This is not some new fantastic idea, but too often for that fear of accusation teachers and administrators do not “stick to their guns.”  When parents come in waving the race flag, threatening to call the Board of Education, challenging the decisions or methods of the classroom teacher, of the principal, raging about the injustices of society and how his or her child has been wronged… we give in to their claims because it is the path of least resistance.  I’ve witnessed it, we all have.  It does not happen exclusively within the confines of the school system. 

What do you mean we have to work for it?  No we don’t.  Just look at the number of people who don’t work at all and still they are rewarded with a paycheck, food to eat, a roof over their head, a lawn with a tree in it that they don’t even have to mow, medical insurance, and all of the makings of a fulfilling life.   I’m not talking necessarily about holding a job here, work could be defined as something as simple as taking care of and raising the children that one has chosen to bring into the world.  It could be defined as keeping a clean neighborhood or in some way making the society that we live in better for all… volunteering at the local elementary school, at a local church or civic organization, at an adopt-a-highway or recycling program.  DO SOMETHING BENEFICIAL!  But many people do nothing of the sort.  America’s society does not hold all of its citizens accountable… because it is the path of least resistance.  It starts with the public school system, folks.  We still have it… but for how long?  We should recognize what a powerful tool it could be and lawmakers should support it.

This idea of rewards and consequences is something that I have been using in my classroom.  I have charts and posters all over my classroom, tracking not only individual efforts but the efforts of the class as a whole.  For the first time, again due to that fear of accusation, I put up a bulletin board inside my classroom to display the students who receive As on major assignments.  I even called it “Aces” and used a playing card theme!  God forbid I suggest that card playing is an acceptable form of entertainment, especially for elementary school students!  Go ahead, challenge me!  I dare you!  How can I grant consequences to the entire class for the unacceptable behavior of some?  Because it’s MY CLASSROOM and I’ll run it in a manner that I feel is most beneficial for the students, because I am accountable for their success.  How can I leave a student behind at school while the others go on a class trip?  Because I set expectations nine weeks ago and the student did not meet those expectations!  Want proof?  There it is on the wall.  Twenty-six stars is not thirty, and he’s not going… maybe next time, he’ll work just a little bit harder!

This method is something that I would like to extend.  I would like to implement similar plans for the entire school to adopt.  Sure, we have some in place… but not as many as we could have with a little effort.  I would also like to research this so that I have a stack of support when someone finally does get fired up enough and I am “called to the carpet.”