Someone in my PLN remarked this week, "We as teachers need to be responsible for our own PD." I couldn't agree more. We have to actively seek out professional growth opportunities and pursue best practices for teaching our kids. The problem is, how do we convince teachers to do this? If we worked in any other profession, our jobs would depend on it. If I worked for a corporation, I would have to do my job to the best of my ability in order to keep it. I also realize that in that same corporation I would work to achieve promotions and pay raises. Is this what we are going to have to do for teachers? Is this where the argument for incentive based pay comes from? I understand that it is frustrating to think that our very careers depend on the successes (and sometimes the moods) of students taking a standardized test. At the same time, how do we measure our success as teachers?
We have the most important profession in the world in my opinion. No job can exist in the future without coming through us first. We are turning out students who will work in the mills, who will be our physicians in our old age, who might find a cure for cancer. How can we be so satisfied with mediocrity? It is up to us to create students who are driven, self-motivated, who enjoy learning because it is a life-long process.
I think it is well past time for every teacher to take a long look in the mirror and examine themselves as teachers and as professionals and ask themselves..."Why did I become a teacher?"

I came across this project and thought it was a fantastic idea for encouraging service and giving in our students. If you have students who just like to play simple game, show them this video and explain how they can make a difference. There was also a very interesting activity that could be used to incorporate google docs.

Developing a Personal Learning Network (PLN) can sometimes be a full time job. I am proud to say that mine is coming along quite well, but I have to stop and honestly reflect on where I am in this adoption process. For me, it was and is an evolution. There were several steps involved to get to where I am now, which by the way is no where near where I hope to get to.
At a technology conference, I was introduced to Skype and, by chance, Twitter in the same session. I was immediately engaged by Skype and the possibilities for use in the classroom. I went home and started looking around for people who used Skype and stumbled across a Ning called Classroom 2.0. For me, this was the jackpot. I found people here discussing things that I could only dream of implementing in my classroom. I met a couple of people through this network who were interested in using Skype, but I still had a long way to go. I also began to play around with Twitter. I followed a couple of people that I had met on Classroom 2.0. I have to admit that Twitter was really tough for me. I almost gave up more than once. I felt like the new kid at school and none of the cool kids wanted anything to do with me. Thanks to a few kind souls, my network began to slowly grow. I learned to contribute when I could and to absorb as much information as possible. Today, it is my single most valuable tool that I have for finding new resources to use at school.
Through Twitter, I came across Syliva Tolisano's Around the World with 80 Schools project. This really set me on fire with Skype. I loved it and my kids loved it. I also found my way to her blog, which led me to want one of my own. This is kind of where I am today. I am more of a consumer than a creator. I absorb and use great ideas from those gracious enough to accept me into their networks. I fully intend to repay the many favors as my experience and confidence grows. I am constantly awed and thankful for all the great people and ideas in my PLN.

I know that many have seen this video already. I have also seen it in many different forms including targeting college-age students. But, they all carry the same message. What are we doing to meet these digital natives? No wonder they are so bored in school. They are not engaged, challenged, and encouraged to become creators for the most part. As teachers, we have a responsibility to change the way we think and the way we teach. For some, the old style is so deeply ingrained that it can never change. For others, it is a challenge worth undertaking. I hope that many teachers fall into that latter category. Especially when I think of the futures of my own children.

The wordle above pretty much sums up my school year so far. I love wordle.net. I found it at the end of the year last year and was really looking forward to using it in my class this year. Well, this year has been very different. I have started my new position as Curriculum At-Risk Data Specialist. Rather than being obsessed with the progress and engagement of 22 fifth graders, I have been working on the progress and engagement of 28 teachers. I have looked at data and research non-stop for the past 3 months. I do enjoy this job. I love having the opportunity to assist teachers and to hopefully make their job a little easier.
I do, however, miss having my own students SO much. I miss planning lessons for them that I know they are going to love. I miss seeing them learn new things. I don't miss grading papers, but that's about all. I've now taken to grading 500 assessments instead. Not so sure yet about the trade off. As I move through this year, I certainly hope that I can make some sort of difference in the life of some child through this different venue. We'll see!

Through the Twitter network, I came across this blog post about contact between students and teachers outside the classroom. This is one of the best I've read. I understand that with the changing world, we as teachers have to be very cautious. That said, I think that if a teacher is willing to interact with students in a strictly teacher/student context, it should be allowed. I live in a small town, so I have the luxury of knowing my students' parents (usually) and they know me. I have students call me to ask the name of an author for a project they are working on or to ask when an assignment is due. Sometimes my husband thinks I'm too accessible for my students, but I always want to be there for them. This year, I had a student ask me to add them as a contact on Skype. When I'm on at home, I'll usually get a "hey" from that student. It excites me that she has taken the initiative to learn these technologies. She was also the first one to go home and work on creating her own wiki. I hope to interact with these students outside of class. I hope to hear from them in the future for help or just to listen to their accomplishments. I have former students as 'friends' on Facebook.(of course they asked me)
I am not so naive that I think that there are not teachers out there who take advantage of these relationships and that is extremely sad. I do not, however, plan to pass on any opportunity that I have to be a help to a child. I do not seek to be their friend, but I do hope that I will always be a mentor to them beyond the one year that they spend with me.

As excited as I am about the potential of the new position at Benton Elementary next year, I really feel like I am going to miss being in the classroom terribly! I already miss it now, especially these kids from this year. I truly hope that I was able to have an impact on them this past year and I wish them all the best going to CMS. We've had a lot of fun together, tried a lot of new things, and hopefully learned a lot. Have a fantastic summer! Love you guys!

Mrs. Beaton graciously agreed to allow me to try out VoiceThread with her preschool class. I never imagined four and five year olds would be so nervous about recording their own voices. They did a great job, though!

An article was sent to me by our technology coordinator showing one man's repentance for his actions during the Civil Rights Movement. I found it very interesting and thought you might, too. It just shows that even the worst kids of people can make a choice to be different. Read the article here.

This morning we had a Skype call with an International School in Spain. We were not able to post video on this call because of privacy issues with the other school. We learned lots of interesting things about their school and their students. They have lots of different countries represented at their school including many American students. They told us that this is because of families from America that have moved their because of companies or because they serve in the military.
They explained that they have a King and a Monarchy. Their school speaks mostly Thai and English, but many other languages as well. We learned that they like many of the same video games and television shows that we do. They also play sports like rugby and football (which we call soccer). For fun, they like to go hiking and explore their city. One of the students told us her hobbies in Spanish. The kids said that this was their favorite call so far!

My fifth graders have had so much fun Skyping with other classes, I thought we might try it with other grade levels. Today, Mrs. Combs' second grade called Shepherd Elementary in North Carolina. They did a great job and had some great questions!

Today we Skyped with third-graders in the "windy city". We learned that they have a school similar in size to ours, except with a few more teachers. They have also used a lot of the same technology we have. We also found out that we have several differences. They don't have a cafeteria! Every student brings their lunch every day. They also travel to school and around using public transportation. They were very surprised that we had no public transportation except for our school buses. They also noticed our accent as most schools that we have communicated with have. Must be pretty obvious!

So sorry for the delay in posting. We have had a very busy week! We have been preparing for TCAP all week and I feel very confident that the kids are going to do quite well. Testing begins on Monday so please be sure that your child gets a good night's rest each night and eats a good breakfast each morning. Thank you to the parents who volunteered to send snacks. You will receive a schedule on Monday.

Well, it is nice sometimes to have an unexpected day off! This isn't the greatest time to have one, but oh, well...we'll take it, right?? I hope everyone had a very blessed Easter holiday. This week, of course, we are doing a lot of review in preparation for TCAP coming up next week. I will be out tomorrow. I'm going to visit another school. It is so nice to be able to watch other educators and learn from them. On Wednesday, we will have our D.A.R.E. graduation at 10am. Thursday the students will have their quiz on hyperboles, similes, metaphors, etc. Hope we have some sunshine by then and get everyone in good spirits going in to testing week. I will be asking parents to donate snacks for next week. I like to have a small snack for the kids during our breaks. Look for a letter later this week. Lots of happenings coming up..Stay Tuned!

Today we continued workstations in Reading and began a new unit in Social Studies. We are studying the Civil Rights Movement and began the study with a little in-class segregation. The students were clueless as to why some of them were being 'left out' of the activity, but by the end everyone was included. We have several things going on this month, so be sure to check the calendar often. Cap and gown pictures are Friday and the money has to be paid ahead of time. Be sure to check out VoiceThread in the portaportal. Very neat!!...

Well...the trip is over! We had a fantastic time in Washington, DC. It was busy as expected but well worth it. I agree with the tour guide in that now that we're home, we really have to sit and think about everything that we've seen. We visited most all of the memorials, got to go up in the Washington Monument, toured the Capitol and visited Arlington National Cemetery where we witnessed the changing of the guard. I think everyone is glad to be home and getting some much needed rest, I hope. Thanks so much to all the parents and fellow teachers who helped make this trip such a success. We couldn't have done it without you!

Yesterday, we had our meeting about Washington for the kids. I hope they are a little better prepared for what they will see there. Today, I received the final itinerary and sent it home with the kids. We are staying at a very nice hotel in Alexandria, VA. I discussed with them proper hotel, restaurant, and bus etiquette. Notice on the new itinerary that we will be arriving home quite a bit earlier than we had previously thought.
As for classroom business, we will have our WWII Social Studies test on Thursday. Also, those who are re-testing on the states test should expect that on Thursday as well. We have plans to Skype a school in Denmark on March 31st as a follow up to our novel study of Number the Stars. The students will be simultaneously completing a project on the novel that is due April 3rd. You should have received a paper to sign yesterday.

I got a little carried away yesterday blogging about our Skype call and didn't really mention anything else! Next week is our final week before Spring Break. We will be finishing Number the Stars and our study of WWII. The students should expect a test over WWII on Thursday of next week. Also, those taking their state re-tests will have that on Thursday as well. We're also completing our Number the Stars stations next week. The students have been visiting stations to study Denmark, WWII, and the Holocaust. If they bring any of these stations home for homework, they are optional. I am giving them time next week to wrap it all up in class.
Our student meeting for Washington, DC travelers is on Monday afternoon. I'll be going over with students some of the places we will be visiting while on the trip and some important etiquette rules. Please pick up outside my room at @4:30. We may finish a little early. We'll be leaving Friday morning. I know I'm excited! Any questions, please have them ready on Monday afternoon.

Yesterday evening, we had our second Skype call: this time to Bendigo, Australia. We met at school at 6pm Thursday evening, which was 9am Friday morning for the Aussies! We communicated with Ms. Leung's fifth grade students. We found out that they had a Prime Minister, what they liked to eat (hamburgers), TV shows they watched (The Simpsons), and we learned what an echidna was. The kids had a great conversation.

I apologize for the label across the video. I wanted to try the product out before I purchased it. Seems to work well! The kids are having a great time with this and learning that there are many other cultures out there that are ultimately just like us! We hope to visit several other countries before the end of the year.

Tomorrow we will have our second Skype conversation! We are communicating with a school in Australia. The time was originally set for 5pm, but since we 'sprung forward' we now have to meet at 6pm. Sorry about the change. It will actually be 9am Friday morning in Australia.
We have been working hard this week learning about WWII. We have been reading Number the Stars and doing a little research on the Holocaust. I think that the students are finding this to be an interesting topic. Please be sure to visit our portaportal if you would like to see some of the links to the research the kids have been doing. Remember, the guest login is lanning.

On Friday, we had our Chapter Six test in Social Studies wrapping up our study of the Great Depression and FDR's New Deal. We also finished reading Out of the Dust. I think the students really enjoyed Billy Jo's story about her life in the Dust Bowl. It was a little difficult to follow at times because the entire book is written in free verse poetry, but the kids did well with it. Next week we begin WWII and the novel Number the Stars by Lois Lowery. Typically, this becomes the students' favorite novel of the year. The students will visit different stations over the next two weeks and study different aspects of WWII and the Holocaust. This is a difficult subject to teach and attempt to keep at an age appropriate level. It is always good to discuss at home.
We have been studying prepositions in English and will have a quiz over prepositions on Tuesday or Wednesday of next week.
Our Skype call with Thailand was such a success that we've already scheduled another contact! On Thursday evening, we will be conferencing with a school in Australia. Our call will be at 5pm Thursday evening which will be 9am Friday morning for the kids in Australia. We're working on our dialogue for this conversation and questions that we have for the Aussie kids. I'm going to attempt to post the audio for this call this time. A letter will be sent home on Monday concerning this call. Have a great weekend!

Well, today was the big day. Several students and myself met at school bright and early this morning for our Skype call with the students in Thailand. I think we were all a little nervous because we really weren't sure what to expect. All in all, I think it went really well. The other class was more experienced at it, but our kids hung in there and did a great job. It was fascinating to see the kids, hear their accents, and really discover that they are just like us! We learned that it is very hot in Thailand right now while we're freezing in Tennessee! My students were very surprised to see American children in Thailand. They told me that it wasn't at all what they expected to see. Ms. Hellyer has posted our experience on her blog. Check it out and you'll see our kids projected on her blog in her classroom! This project was introduced to me through my PLN on the web. The project is called Around the World in 80 Schools and I'm very excited to be a part of it. We learned a lot from our first experience. Now we have our feet wet...let's see where we can go next! Thanks to all the parents for your help and for bringing your kids so early. Special thanks to Mrs. Duggan for the biscuits!

Ok, I've graded the states tests. Most of the students did very well. Yay for you guys! Those who scored below an 85 will receive a parent letter tomorrow and get a re-test on 3/19.
Today I also worked on a Washington update letter which you should receive tomorrow. We're finishing up the Great Depression this week and our novel. Students will have a reading test and social studies test on Friday. Don't forget about our Skype call tomorrow morning. The kids are so excited. Plan to be in seats by 7am...see ya then! BTW...parents are welcome to stay and observe too!

Well it is officially the first of March. For us in the education world, that usually means crunch time for TCAP. It is my theory that if I have instructed the children well throughout the year, they will have retained the necessary knowledge and we won't have to "cram" so much. I can certainly hope! We do have a lot of review to do...they have slept since November. We have about three weeks until Spring Break and our big DC trip. After returning from Spring Break, we'll have about three weeks until testing. I am going to be absent tomorrow (Monday) because I will be judging the National History Day competition in Knoxville. On Tuesday, we are going to get in to The Great Depression. We'll finish up with our study of this topic and our novel study on Friday. Next week, we'll begin WWII. Boy, time sure flies when we're having fun!!

Next week is Read with Spirit week at school. Here is the list of activities if you didn't see it in the Friday folders:
Monday: Hat day
Tuesday: All mixed up/backwards day
Wednesday: Crazy Hair
Thursday: Silly Socks
Friday: Pajama Day
Please remember that Wednesday will be our Skype call with the fifth graders in Thailand. Drop students off outside my door rather than at the auditorium. No one will be admitted after 7am.

Today, we had our 4H Clover Bowl. Our class didn't win, but they did well. I'm proud of them. This event coupled with DARE caused our day to run a little bit behind. We didn't get our Social Studies lesson in today and we only did our centers in Reading. We've continued with our novel.
I hope those students who have been out sick all week are feeling better and are able to return to school soon. There's so much sickness going around! I have been finalizing the plans for our Skype meeting with the school in Thailand next Wednesday. The plan is to have the students arrive at school at 7am so that we can have an 8-10 minute videoconference with fifth graders on the other side of the world. Parents, encourage your children to research Thailand a little between now and then so that they are better able to relate to these students. We'll be looking at a few things in class as well. You'll receive a letter with more information in their Friday folders this week.

Well, back to it. We hope to attempt to complete an entire week of school this week! We are beginning our study of the Great Depression while using the novel study Out of the Dust. The students are also working hard on memorizing their states. Remember, the test is on Friday!! Parents, look for report cards to come home next Monday. On our webpage, I have put a link on the Welcome page to a classroom/school calendar. Hope this keeps you up-to-date a little better.

Well, while Valentine's Day is not my favorite holiday the kids seemed to really enjoy it. Our day was sprinkled with balloon deliveries and by the end of the day we had enough chocolate and balloons to supply a small village! We didn't have a V-Day "party", but it seemed like one anyway!

Today we began practicing the geography of the fifty states and the students are going to be tested on them in two weeks. This is a difficult thing, I know and requires a lot of memorization. I've used this website for the past couple of years and the kids seem to really get a kick out of it. It times them and then if you don't get them all in place, you get a big message that says "You Failed Third Grade!" Of course, they are fifth graders and it fires them up. I just hope they learn them!

I have to say I'm a little frustrated with my first wiki experience. I had the idea that the kids would edit the wiki daily adding the characters, summaries, and vocabulary that we had read about that day. The problem is that we can't keep up. We are starting chapter seven tomorrow in the reading, but the wiki is barely through chapter three. I really don't want to give up on it, but we just can't seem to find time to catch it up. One problem I know now is that the groups are too large. Putting six kids together to accomplish a task is just too much to ask. The next time I do this, I will most definitely make them smaller. That may be something that I have to do anyway to finish this one. We'll see.

Today we spent the entire day meeting as a grade level. It is very nice to have a work day with my colleagues to chat, plan, and grade papers. We took an hour lunch and I got all of last weeks papers graded and lesson plans for next week. Whew. Now on to the weekend, burden free. Maybe some scrapbooking...?

Well today we continued working on our class wiki. This is my first wiki too. I've tried to get a good grasp on how and why to use one for the past two years. Now thanks to the brilliant minds that I have contact with through Classroom 2.0, I've got one up and running. Then, when I got home today, one of my students had sent me a message on it. So proud...I didn't teach them that. Can't say it hasn't been a challenge, but I did expect that. We'll see how it goes.

The idea was for the students to create an iMovie from pre-selected photos based on settlement of the west in the late 1800s. They then had to narrate the movie themselves and edit it to 'fit'. We used iMovie, iPhoto, and GarageBand. They actually turned out a lot better than I thought they would. I'm excited! The kids enjoyed them and I really think they'll remember the information they put into the podcasts. Check them out here.

Every teacher wants to come straight out of college and change the world. Save every kid! I know I did. I was mortified at some of the teaching strategies I saw during my observations. I was going to be a fantastic teacher. None of this hum-drum for me. Enter real world scenario....my first year teaching was probably better than most. I unexpectedly took a job in a school system about 45 minutes from home. The school was prepared for new teachers and had developed a very effective mentor support system. I absolutely loved my first year but involved little to no technology. I just wasn't into it yet. My second year was pretty good too. Good routines, well behaved kids...no spark. By my third year, I moved to my current job in my hometown school system. Different grade level, different philosophies, still no spark. I felt like I was a good teacher. My kids were engaged and behaved. Wasn't that what it was all about? After being in my current school for two years, the school technology coordinator took a job at the central office. She asked if I'd be interested in taking over her responsibilities at the school. Interested, yes. Terrified, definitely. She seemed to know everything about computers..and these were Macs! I was a PC person. I spent all of about 4 hours "training" with her that summer. To make a long story short, it is now three years later and I have developed a sometimes unhealthy obsession with computers (Macs especially) and what Web 2.0 can do for my student. Finally, the spark. This year, I have arrived at a different point in my life. I have developed a PLN, small but effective as of today. I love the idea of gaining from other educators, but feel extremely guilty that I'm taking and not giving back. This blog, however insignificant, is my attempt to give something back. Some of what we are doing, some of what I have found and hope that I learn a little more in the process, too.