The World of "Firsts"

My first time

This post is not about what some people may think it's about... It's safe to read, promise! :)

I never thought that so many "firsts" would happen to me all together and at the same time... The timing so happened to be, I didn't plant it.

It happened immediately after my last day at school, which was the Saturday right before the Monday when everything started: June 8, 2009.

1. Started seriously swimming.
2. Closed on my first home.
3. Took a technology class but not in a regular "classroom" and started this blog.
4. Bought a new car, thanks to Cash for Clunkers.
5. Started a brand new school year as a teacher. For those of you that are educators, you know that it's a roller coaster of craziness the weeks before and after the first day of school.
6. This summer I have met and made new friends along the way... good people. :)
7. Actually started looking the part. Dressing nicer to work and looking "professional" as Harry Wong implies :) Someone told me two days ago that I was finally looking professional... and I laughed. I guess I was not professional enough before...?! *I think it's funny so it didn't bother me*
   
8. My first refrigerator (mine! I actually own it!!) was delivered to my house 3 days ago. It was a gift from my parents. :) Thank you mom and dad.
   
9. I'm having the best beginning of the school year - EVER!!!! I'm relaxed and enjoying it!!!
10. Last, I have received some of the nicest compliments from people I've met lately,
11. and yes, I guess it is a new beginning for me. Aw, what a feeling!
    A friend asked me,

    "What brought all of this change in you?"

    I thought about it... and at that moment I didn't have an answer. My mom, however, knowing me very well said it was the 25-year flood that happened in our neighborhood in April of this year that brought a whole new perspective on life and things. True. I think that sparked it... and I'm glad it did. Our house flooded and we faced tough moments that were different from others we've lived as a family.
    

I am reminded of Romans 8:28 in the Bible, "All things work together for good to those who love God, to those that are called according to His purpose." I guess I'm just not used to all these good things happening to me - and all at once!! How amazing. The only thing that I can say and give credit to as to why this is happening to me NOW - at a time like this - in the middle of a recession and lots of stress and work --> God's grace upon my life. And I'm so thankful for that.
I had never felt God's love for me so strongly like I did this summer and I'll never forget that.

There's nothing like having hope in Him who's the giver of all good things. God can take one's imperfections and make something beautiful with that if one surrenders all to Him, just like it's been happening to me since the beginning of June. My faith in The One that knows my past, present, and future has grown over the summer, and I'm deeply grateful for His mercy, grace, patience, and love for me.

And who am I?

Reminder: A struggling, single girl... but seeking Him with all my heart and finding purpose in the journey He leads me on...

Moment of Luxury - Part 2

Sooo, it's been almost two weeks since my last post... and I've been wanting to take pictures of our new teacher's lounge and "broadcast" them to the world... With no further ado, I present to you the work of our MDPC volunteers, including Mr. Bill Stubbs from "A Moment of Luxury" (PBS), and "Matress Mack" from Gallery Furniture. Sorry I took forever! You'll know why on my next post.







Last two.
What do you think? :)

~ Moment of Luxury ~

Yes, today I met Bill Stubbs from PBS' Moment of Luxury!!!! :) Aw, that's as close as I can get to elegance and a moment of luxury. Great, humble, creative, and classy - simply him. I would describe him as conservative yet contemporary and with gusto. What you see on TV is what you get - and more - when you meet him in person. Pepe Pena from Que Pasa USA? would most likely describe him as

"...fino y educado..."

Thanks to good friends at work, I got the courage to say hello and ask this good man for his autograph and yes, a picture with me!! I was a nervous wreck... but he was kind and awesome, and totally was up for it. No, I'm not quitting my job as a teacher and interviewing for an interior design position... Although if you know of a paid internship asking for people with no experience and zero training, then let me know and I'll be there!!!! :)

Here's the story, check this out:

My school had a teacher's lounge that was in bad shape. When an 18-year, veteran teacher is telling you that the place had been like that since then, you know it's messed up. So, to make a long story short, some wonderful, caring volunteers from Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church in Houston, donated their time, effort, and skills. Cause? Us. Saving Poor Teachers.

Bill Stubbs was one of them. He was in charge of the design and of getting our new furniture that was donated by the awesome, Jim McIngvale, better known as "Matress Mack" from Gallery Furniture in Houston. To say the least, all of us that work at the school were shocked. I was deeply touched and moved by such generosity... To see that someone... someone out there (more like a couple hundred people, we were told), thought of us... and value the work we do as teachers every day, just makes you feel good. We don't have a PTA, we don't have parent volunteers either, and no - people are not jumping and fighting to come to our school and help out. What is that???? We hold no knowledge of that. That's why THIS is significant.

My words don't do honor to what these kind and talented people did for our school... But I will try to take pictures and post them here so you can take a look and judge for yourself. Unfortunately, there won't be any "before" pictures, but just take my word for it! I didn't even eat lunch there!!!

Thank you, Gallery Furniture and MDPC Volunteers, for giving of yourself and sharing it with us. "...And you will know them by their fruits..."

Today in History: August 13, 1965
Celebrating my first, "Today in History" moment, I want to send a SHOUT-OUT to my dad!!! For celebrating his 44th year in this great and beautiful country we call America. Congratulations, dad. Thanks for coming over, working hard, and doing things responsibly since August 13, 1965, and instilling in us principles, values, and a strong work ethic. Dicen que te ha ido bien... :)

At last, Thing #23!!!

I made it!!! :) I'm here!!! I feel like I can do cartwheels!!!

Thing #23, thoughts about the Library2Play program.

1. What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey? Setting up my blog; playing with bighugelabs; Google tools; learning about how to stream your favorite blogs into one place; being introduced to librarything; Wikis; Google docs; how to embed videos; learning about podcasts; and creating a videocast.
   
2. How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals? Hmmm... It has refreshed my sense of wanting to learn new things even though I might feel uncomfortable at first... and knowing that I will make it to the end if I keep working and trying my best. I loved the experience and will think of it often.
   
3. Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you? I felt like things kept getting harder at some "things..." as class progressed. However, it felt good knowing that my prior knowledge of previous things was building the foundation for completing such awesome project.
   
4. What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept? Although I didn't attend those "tutoring sessions" that y'all offered during the summer, I think they're a great idea especially for people that might not be so confident in their computer skills. The extra help/directions or knowing that someone is there to help you, might be the difference in someone willing to do this on their own. For me, I think it worked best that I started late and missed those help dates because it pushed me to find a solution by myself. I had nobody I could ask or call, and I don't mean that in a "poor me" kind of way. I'm just saying that I was pushed to figure it out and it helped me because I learned. Bottom line, my brain and I worked past our hours of operation as you can see in my posts (past midnight, a problem when you wake up at 4:45 am) and it turned out great. Well, good but with enjoyment = great. I feel like I just took a college class in 6 days! :)
   
5. If we offered another discovery program like this in the future, would you choose to participate? Absolutely!!! Let me know and I'll sign up. I can't during the school year, but during the summer, I'll be there!
   
6. How would you describe your learning experience in ONE WORD or in ONE SENTENCE, so we could use your words to promote 23 Things learning activities? Simply awesome. The best "on my own" class I've ever taken! :)
   
7. Now go and comment on some of the other Players' blogs. Ok!
   

In conclusion, I will try my best to keep up with the 23 things I learned this summer in 6 days :)
and I hope to:

• maintain my blog as my educational journal
• add my blog URL to my e-mail signature line
• re-purpose it as my School Library blog
• share it with my colleagues and administrators

Happy Summer 2009!!!

Thing #22, Ning

All about Nings... No, not really. This is what I understood from looking at all the Nings listed for thing 22. It's another social network that allows you to have different groups within the ning so you can discuss different things within that subject: For example, Social Studies. Then, you might have World Geography, World History, U.S. History, Government/Politics, etc... Right?? That's what I think it is. I think Nings are excellent for college and professors. In the article that I read, "7 things about nings," the author makes a good point about professors creating a sense of community in their class, group, cohort, etc... And we all know that anytime a teacher creates that in their classroom or for their students (if in college), the students are going to be more receptive and motivated to learn and participate.

And then there was one... Thing #23 is next!

Thing #21, almost there...

Discovery: Here's mine... :) I improvised as I recorded w/o a mic. and yes, I know I sound like a 24/7 teacher!! I think it's hilarious listening to the different segments of this thing and me trying to adlib... So what can be done in 30 min. or less? I think this answers the question... I promise I don't sound like that all the time... Really!

Thing #20 and 3 to go...

Discovery activities: Although I use YouTube often, I went ahead and searched for "web 2.0" and "educational technology" videos. I also went to TeacherTube and searched for a World Geography video... I found a short video on the new seven wonders of the world that I would show my students in class. A teacher's instruction can only benefit from having audio/video/visual resources and knowing how to use them in class.

And a funny one from YouTube with the late, Billy Mays visiting the office... I didn't know he had a good sense of humor!

Thing #19

Discovery Activity:1.Explore any site from the Web 2.0 awards list and play with it.The awards are listed by name OR are arranged by subject groups. I explored several and yes, some of them are not free...

2. Write a blog post for Thing #19 about your findings. Consider these questions when organizing your thoughts. What is special about the tool? The one that I chose for thing #19 is www.lookandtaste.com, formerly iFoods.tv It's under the Food category. What are its useful parts, especially with regards to Libraries and school? Any student learning to cook or exploring recipes and culinary techniques (middle or high school student) can find this website very helpful. Libraries can also announce it as a great tool for any person trying to better their food preparation skills. How might you use this tool in your own setting? I can see myself using http://www.lookandtaste.com/ because the content seems pretty good. I checked out the videos that they offer... They range from how to dice an onion to preparing a risotto with wild mushrooms. Easy to use, friendly, and informative. In other words, just my kind of website! :)

Thing #18

Online Productivity Tools

I explored OpenOffice.org and Google Docs.
Although both are innovative ideas used by so many, I find myself more connected with Google Docs. I can see how OpenOffice could be helpful if I'm working on a computer that doesn't have the updated Word that I need for that particular document. So, that's where I'd go online and get my work done there. However, I am really thrilled about Google Docs. How many times have all of us had to gather data from different people as emails come in... But thanks to Google Docs, you can create a "form," email it to people, and Google Docs takes care of the rest! As people send back the information, it is automatically put in into a spreadsheet. Google Docs organizes the info for you and it's soooo user-friendly and simple to use. I'm telling you, it's unbelievable! You can also use your info to create charts, graphs, etc... All without you scrambling for those emails and not spending your whole Saturday on something like that... with enough time for you to do whatever else you REALLY want to do. :)

Thing #17

Rollyo, not Rolo

Discovery Activity: Create your own customize search and write about it in your blog and post a link to it. I went to Rollyo and created my own search engine on interior design. I then searched for information on Kitchen Counters using the four websites I initially provided. Here are my finds. What a great online tool! If only I had known about this in college, I could have saved countless hours of google searches... :(

Thing #16

Wiki

Love it. Great and easy to use. Talk about making it easy for a group of people, especially if you're planning, to interact and get the same information across to everyone. The video from Common Craft was perfect! Thank you, Library2Play.

I also posted my comment in sbisdlib wiki, under Carranza :).

How might I use it in the classroom? Easy. Given the "perfect world" scenario where ALL my students have computer access at home, my students and I could participate in a classroom Wiki in discussions, creaeting "this week I learned" lists, researching a certain topic/location/person and adding info about that to our wiki. We can learn as we go... and best of all, at the end of the year, we could see and reflect on how much we've learned and accomplished as a class...

Bread Pudding!

Ok, I call for a break.

If you're looking for a good, simple recipe for bread pudding, it looks like this one might be a winner!

I read on one of the comments that it uses too much sugar... But isn't that part of the whole bread pudding experience?

It looks yummy to me and I can't wait to try it!!

Thing #15

First of all, if you get a chance, watch A Vision of Students on YouTube. OMG, wow! Yeah, not only is the teacher side of me intrigued by this BIG realization, but my normal, every day me, too! It makes you think of education in this country and in the world... and where we're heading in the future. How are classrooms going to look? Very different, that's for sure. I'll be telling kids 20 years from now, "I remember when I was a kid and we had dry erase boards... yep, those were the old days alright..." Ha! I'm telling you, it's making me think!! :) Did you get the same reaction I did? I'm curious to hear your thoughts... Give it up for Kansas State University, Spring Class of 2007.

And on with Thing #15

Discovery Exercise:
-Read two or three of the perspectives on Library 2.0 from the list below. Check.
-Create a blog post about your thoughts on any one of these. Library 2.0 - It's many things to many people. What does it mean to you? What does it mean for school libraries?

I agree with Rick Anderson from Away with "Icebergs." He says that

"...it can be equally disastrous when a
profession fails to acknowledge and adapt to
radical, fundamental change in
the marketplace it serves."

It's time for us as educators to continue developing our skills so that we can reach our students, our society, and prepare for what lies ahead. Our libraries need to continue to change and they're doing a great job. At least, my school library where I work, is absolutely phenomenal! Our librarian is amazing... and she does great things to help our students and adults (teachers, prncipals, counselors, staff, anyone over 18...) be up to date with technology, new education practices, and the library world! Cheryl, thank you! :)

Thing #14

I typed my search, "School Library Learning 2.0" and I got various results...
I must say that I find Technorati with a lot of good stuff... But it's not for me. Maybe because I'm brand new to the blogging world, I feel like it has a lot to offer, and sometimes having a lot on your plate is more than you can handle. At least, that's how I feel about it right now.

On the value of tagging information, I like Delicious and Flickr. It's great to have that option as an online user/participant to be able to save your stuff in tags using words that YOU remember. I can see why people feel that "others" should not be doing the categorizing because it's all about you, and what you think. I respect and appreciate that.

Optional:
1. Register and claim your blog. I'll wait on this one...
2.Explore the various Technorati widgets that you could add to your blog. Check.

Thing #13 is Delicious!

Discovering Delicious...

And no, I'm not talking about food!

Create a blog post about your experience and thoughts about this tool. Can you see the potential of this tool for research assistance? Yes Or just as an easy way to create bookmarks that can be accessed from anywhere? Both. It can be an easy way to access information that can be helpful to anyone looking for anything, whether it is an easy recipe or research on King Tut's tomb. How can libraries or classroom teachers take advantage of social bookmarking sites? Both teachers and students will have more time to focus on the objective of the lesson rather than spending all their time "googling" and searching for info... They can refer to Delicious and go from there. Quicker and more precise possibilities.

As to Digg.. I dig it!

Thing #12

Creating Community Through Commenting

1. I agree with what I've read so far about commenting in blogs you read. It's important to show the reader and the "community" that you're respectful of their thoughts and acknowledge their ideas and online work.

2. In addition, I believe that you shouldn't just post something like, "Wow, that's great!" -- I admit it, I'm guilty of that... But I didn't know any better! Now... Well, now I do. And I'm going to make sure that my comments are more thoughtful and actually tell the blogger something meaningful so they can continue doing what their doing... It's manners and etiquette. At least, that's the way I see it... What do you think?

3. I commented on 5 other blogs from our Library2Play site...

4. *Last Q that I need to answer... What drew me to comment on two blogs that are not part of our Library2Play class? First, I searched for cymbidium flowers using google blog search and found a blog for cymbidium photography and posted a message there. This new blog is Rachel's... She's one of the two sisters that manage all aspects of the business. I enjoyed seeing the great pictures and reading some awesome posts on faith, love, and hope.

Last but not least, my second random post outside of Library2Play, was here. If you get a chance, read this wonderful post titled: Sincerely, John Hughes. Yes, there's no way I can not comment on this... I grew up watching John Hughes' movies... My brother and I still laugh about crazy moments in some of his movies that happen to be some of our favorite on TV. I was deeply touched by such humanity that Mr. Hughes had, as described by the people that knew him. He was friends with Allison and they shared a real friendship, the kind that lasts no matter what... All I can say is that his movies influenced many, in and out of television. For instance, on Futurama ("The Luck of the Fryfish" episode), when Fry reads, "Here lies Philip J. Fry, named for his uncle, to carry on his spirit..." Do you recognize the song? Touching. Yep, it's the song from the Breakfast Club playing in the background, Don't you forget... by Simple Minds.

Thing #11 - Library Thing.

Discovery Activities for LIBRARY THING, which I love. I'm adding their blog to my Google Reader.
1. Create an account. Check.
2. Add at least 5 titles to your list. Check
3. On your blog, write a Thing #11 post about your experience with LibraryThing. How do you think it could be useful to you in your situation? It encourages me to read more books that people in my groups are reading. Did you check out any of the groups?Yes. Did you find a group of users that share your interests? Yes, although 3 of my fav. books have less than 25 followers... Maybe my reviews will encourage others to discover these books!

Thing #10, online image generators

Ha!! :) Check out my Word Mosaics!!

and my new neon sign

Brought to you by the wonderful sites of Image Chef and Comic Strip Generator.

I love these!!! and I can see how easily they can be used in the classroom. For example, if you're trying to see if your students understand the abstract idea of FREEDOM or REVOLUTION, simply have them use one of these websites where they can use words, images, and their own artistic touches to show you that they understand the meaning of it. How cool is that?? I wish that back in my day we would've had online image generators like these...

Thing #9

• Which Search tool was the easiest for you? Google Blog Search... Maybe because I've been using Google more since I started with this project... :) Maybe I'm bias now.


• Which was more confusing? Hmmm... Actually, none. They were all helpful, they're just all different. For example, Topix provides a detailed list with pictures to the side in order to draw your attention...


• What kind of useful feeds did you find in your travels? Or what kind of unusual ones did you find? Useful: Politics, news related, international news, weather disasters, and fashion! :) Unusual: Jon & Kate Plus 8.

Thing #8

• What do you like about RSS and readers? It makes it easier to know or read the latest on your favorite blogs or news websites... By having it all come to you and not having to battle all the ads on the websites.
• How do you think you might be able to use this technology in your school or personal life? In my personal life, I can check my google reader and find out exactly what I need to know without going to all 5 different websites. Also, I can see how it could be used for daily classroom enrichment and research by having it all there avaialbe to students. Precious classroom time will not be wated!
• How can libraries/teachers/administrators use readers or take advantage of this new technology? Simple: By first becoming comfortable with it ourselves in our every day lives... Then, we can use it for every day instruction.

Thing #7

Google Tools.

I chose to explore iGoogle and Google Calendar. After choosing a theme for my iGoogle page, I redesigned it to fit my needs by adding gadgets such as a TO DO LIST, Places to see before you die, and Simple Recipes.

Of course, the one thing I added to my Google Calendar right now was the first day back at work! Aawww... August 13th is the day!

Possible Educational Uses: I can definitely use iGoogle in the classroom. I show my students many pictures throughout the year about people all over the world... If they look at my iGoogle page as I'm projecting it to the front screen, they will be able to see that I'm not kidding when it's good to know the world YOU live in...

Thing #6

I just made a trading card using Big Huge Labs and a puzzle. Can you tell that I'm hungry as I'm trying to do my project?

Have you heard of Flickr Color Pickr??
I just did! Wow. Love it. I can see myself using this mashup.

Thing #5: Flickr

Great website for great photo-sharing! I like how you're able to find pictures using "tags" and reading the comments left by others... Here's a picture I found under "World Cultures" since I teach 6th Grade Social Studies.

Also tagged under "Guatemala" and "The Greatest Place on Earth..."

Thing #4

Registering this blog... Check.

Thing #3: Blogger and Y!Avatar

Neat.

I never thought I would have a blog... I mean, I'm not a reporter or a person that has a lot to say to others about stuff, like Dear Abby... I'm just not like that. Don't get me wrong, I think a lot about stuff but I'm not one of those people that thinks they're super qualified to let everyone know how things should be run in the world and in their own lives. Trust me, I'm not perfect and I'm aware of that. Sooo, to answer the question for Thing #3: What are my thoughts about Blogger and my Avatar? I love it! Talk about self-expression, everyone's got a need for it. My Y!Avatar pic. reveals a side of me that very few people know about.

7 & 1/2 habits: Thing #1 and Thing #2

Last night I started my 23 things class... Yes, almost 2 months later but I'll get it done on or before Aug. 10th, 2009. As I watched the 7 &1/2 habits presentation online, derived from 7 habits of highly effective people, I recognize my attitude as my greatest strength or easiest habit to practice.

Thankfully, I've learned from my mistakes and things that happen in life (habit #3: viewing problems as challenges) ... as I've maintained a good, positive, and grateful attitude. Yes, it's hard sometimes, I won't lie. But overall, I always have a good disposition for learning, working with people, and dealing with every day situations.

As to the hardest for me, I have to be honest: Habit #4 - Being confident in yourself... as a competent, effective learner. Yep, I struggle with that one because sometimes I can be critical of myself or feel like I'm not doing a good job on something... I have to stop and remind myself that I'm new at whatever and that it takes experience (time & practice) to get good at something.

Welcome! Bienvenido!

Greetings and thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to stop by and read my thoughts, ideas, and notes on various things... as I'm starting a new life-long learning adventure this summer. Yes, blogging is part of it! I'm taking a class called 23 Things. So far, I'm on thing #3, creating a blog. When I signed up for this, I thought it would be a great way to get my professional development hours easily... but I think that I'm also going to enjoy learning in a fun, very independent way...