My GAFE sessions yesterday went great! At least, that's what I heard from most of the participants. Several people told me that they learned a lot, and others even said that it was the best PD they'd had (this was from multiple people, so it must be true, right? :) ). They were happy to learn things that they could use immediately.
I have several different random projects I'm working on now:
1. Next week I'm going to spend 4 class periods with one of our special ed teachers. She'd like her kids to learn about and set up symbaloo accounts & webmixes. (Here's what I have so far.)
2. A science teacher asked me yesterday about the possibility of finding a program they can use to create PARCC-like tests. We have Schoology to do the simpler types of questions (multiple choice, true/false, matching, short answer) but there are other types of interactive questions she'd like to have the kids practice with. I did some looking and found iSpring QuizMaker (which I couldn't get to download) and EdCite. I thought EdCite looked decent; it has a lot of different question types and was FREE but I'm going to keep looking.
3. A math teacher asked me about the Random Number Generator in the Stats Toolpack in Excel. I'm not a big excel user, especially the stats stuff. I'm still trying to figure that one out.
4. Another science teacher had asked me about the availability of a MathXL-type program that is science (specifically Chemistry) based... I've been doing some searching on that one and found nothing. I'm going to keep looking, but that makes me sad for the science teachers.
5. I want to check out the new Kaizena Add-On for Gdocs. One of our English teachers is interested in using voice comments while grading papers.
6. I spent several periods last week with different math teachers. As part of the Math Course of Study this year (which I'm participating in on the "tech side" but enjoying the math side too!) we were given a Math Practices Look-For Tool and asked to observe another teacher or two to try it out. I decided that I was going to try and get to as many math classes as I could, so I asked last week if I could come observe. I really enjoyed being the classroom and seeing what they were doing. I'd like to get to a few more this week, which means I need to check the schedule and see who has what when. I've been checking for the same type of tool for other subjects but haven't been too successful. Yet another thing to add to my list!
So I'm keeping busy! I also was asked to cover for a special ed teacher today while she had a meeting (there was a note in my mailbox which I didn't see and so I got a phone call telling me about it after I was a little late...). But then I also heard that I will be asked to cover more classes as needed. That makes me sad. I don't mind helping out but I think it takes away from my role here. We'll see what happens.
Have you ever heard that one insult can cancel out 10 compliments? Yep.
Today might call for a milkshake on the way home. Maybe that will help cheer me up.
I have several different random projects I'm working on now:
1. Next week I'm going to spend 4 class periods with one of our special ed teachers. She'd like her kids to learn about and set up symbaloo accounts & webmixes. (Here's what I have so far.)
2. A science teacher asked me yesterday about the possibility of finding a program they can use to create PARCC-like tests. We have Schoology to do the simpler types of questions (multiple choice, true/false, matching, short answer) but there are other types of interactive questions she'd like to have the kids practice with. I did some looking and found iSpring QuizMaker (which I couldn't get to download) and EdCite. I thought EdCite looked decent; it has a lot of different question types and was FREE but I'm going to keep looking.
3. A math teacher asked me about the Random Number Generator in the Stats Toolpack in Excel. I'm not a big excel user, especially the stats stuff. I'm still trying to figure that one out.
4. Another science teacher had asked me about the availability of a MathXL-type program that is science (specifically Chemistry) based... I've been doing some searching on that one and found nothing. I'm going to keep looking, but that makes me sad for the science teachers.
5. I want to check out the new Kaizena Add-On for Gdocs. One of our English teachers is interested in using voice comments while grading papers.
6. I spent several periods last week with different math teachers. As part of the Math Course of Study this year (which I'm participating in on the "tech side" but enjoying the math side too!) we were given a Math Practices Look-For Tool and asked to observe another teacher or two to try it out. I decided that I was going to try and get to as many math classes as I could, so I asked last week if I could come observe. I really enjoyed being the classroom and seeing what they were doing. I'd like to get to a few more this week, which means I need to check the schedule and see who has what when. I've been checking for the same type of tool for other subjects but haven't been too successful. Yet another thing to add to my list!
So I'm keeping busy! I also was asked to cover for a special ed teacher today while she had a meeting (there was a note in my mailbox which I didn't see and so I got a phone call telling me about it after I was a little late...). But then I also heard that I will be asked to cover more classes as needed. That makes me sad. I don't mind helping out but I think it takes away from my role here. We'll see what happens.
Have you ever heard that one insult can cancel out 10 compliments? Yep.
Today might call for a milkshake on the way home. Maybe that will help cheer me up.
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