Kid President's Pep Talk to Teachers and Students!

To all those who see the awesome!

Trying to Find the Happy Medium

I'm ashamed to admit I've let this blog fall to the wayside. Unfortunately, it will have to remain on hold for a hot minute. Work and graduate school have taken over my life. I am currently working on finding a balance between three jobs, two graduate classes, and my family life. It's taking a little bit of work.  Since I am awesome, I am sure I will accomplish it. I'm just not sure when. Hang in there if you are actually reading this......there's some big things happening right now and I can't wait to share what I've picked up so far.

Rough Course Outline for "Teaching Tech to Seniors"

Intro to Web 2.0 or Intro to Social Media (aka Teaching Tech to Seniors)

Module 1: Computer Basics

• Terms & Equipment
• Software Concepts
• File Storage (Cloud, Flash/USB drive)
• Using Edmodo (course management)

Module 2: Safety 

• • Password selection & Protection
  • Spamming
  • Suspicious Emails (links & attachments)
  • What Personal Info to Share & What Not to Share

Module 3: Communicating & Sharing Ideas

• • Emails (gmail for in-class use)
  • Blogging (WordPress, Tumblr, Blogger, etc.)
  • Skype
  • Pinterest

Module 4: Intro to Social Media

• • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google+
  • MeetUp
  • Possibly others

Module 5: Photo & Video Sharing (possible editing)

• • Instagram 
  • Flickr
  • Photobucket
  • YouTube
  • Vine
  • Online Photo Development (CVS, Walgreens, WalMart, etc)

Module 6: Online Shopping

• • Amazon
  • Ebay
  • Zulily
  • Travel Sites
  • Craigslist, ETSY

Module 7: Mobile Technology (BYOD or Bring Your Own Device - will be hard without WiFi)

• • iPad
  • Smart phones
  • Others (nooks, tablets, etc.)

All sections will review the following:

• Basic terminology and requirements
• Account setup
• Privacy & Safety
• Connecting to friends and family
• Being responsible digital citizens

Possible Objectives:

• choose the social network or networks that you can engage with
• understand the processes you will need to follow
• walk through the joining and publishing processes
• understand terminology
• dispel some of the myths about social networking
• understand the implications of some of the steps you are invited to take
• manage your accounts so that you can control your own data
• use social networking sites to enhance your life, not have them control you
  

I hope to have an a virtual classroom set up on Edmodo. I will use it for instruction, videos, activities, tutorials, and examples. It will be something students (and staff)can access outside of the classroom too. It will be an easy thing to add to each computer station in the lab; I will add it to the favorites and to the desktop.

 

I think I should probably include a section on Netiquette as well. Possibly in the section on Safety. It may be a good idea to include some information on Online Research and possibly Online Banking.

 

This will be my first experience teaching strictly the 50+ age group. I've done quite a bit of research on possible accommodations and strategies, and I've reviewed successful course programs from other areas; hopefully, the research and my own teaching experiences will help the course go smoothly. Any feedback or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

 

Teaching (Really) Older Students

I just received an email from the local senior citizens center, and I will be starting the new course I've been planning - Teaching Tech to Seniors. We will be covering social media, online communication, online safety, some computer basics, shopping online, how to select the right mobile device.....just not necessarily in this order. I will post my course outline and schedule once I've inspected the facilities and reviewed the course expectations with the director. It will be interesting to note the differences in learning styles and in the accommodations that will have to be made.

Recently, I have been rereading a fantastic book called The Technology Toolbelt  for Teaching by Susan Manning and Kevin Johnson. If you are interested in effective implementation of technology in the classroom, this book is an excellent resource. There are several different tech tools reviewed (Google Documents, Skype, etc.) in the text, but the best part is the guidelines the book offers. Using the guidelines will make selecting (and justifying) the tech tools you want to use in class a snap. Very comprehensive as well as affordable.

I almost forgot to mention the other email I received! I finally got my orientation letter from UTK's Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling. I am beyond excited and nervous! My calendar's marked for August 19th!

Learning the Ropes

Sad to say, there's not a lot going on in the education arena. I've been focused on learning the ins and outs of my new job. I picked up more responsibilities than I originally expected (that's what I get for being overqualified), but I've learned a lot and it's meaningful work. The fact that I get my own desk, can play Pandora all day long, and have the occasional bit of downtime make it A-OK in my book!

I have been working diligently on the 21st Century Job Seeking course and it's really looking good. So far, I like what I've pulled together. Good resources for each section....between research and feedback, I feel like the material and the methods will be effective. There's not a lot of interest in the course as yet, but I think they will offer it in the fall and spring. I hope they do because the pay is pretty nice.

On a completely different note, I just finished Dan Brown's Inferno. I knew the book didn't have the best reviews when I started it, so I had no expectations going in. I'm happy to say, I  loved it. The whole story completely freaked me out, but I was caught up almost immediately. Brown does an excellent job blending fact and fiction. So detailed...he makes me want to know more. Anyway, read it. It was scary good.  

Gaining Experience on Several Levels

Since my interest lies in adult learning and higher education, I've been working on expanding my skills and experience both. I've mentioned before that I will be starting my Masters program at UT, so to pay for said education I've picked up a few extra jobs here and there. Besides teaching at Northeast State, I also work as a receptionist/caseworker at The Salvation Army, as a tutor (for English and test prep), and now as an instructor with Adult Education and the Kingsport Senior Center. It's a full schedule, but so far, it has been eye-opening on several levels. I think I am also going to commit to literacy training with the local literacy council. Crazy, maybe, but there's just so much I want to do.

Currently, I am working on getting the ins and outs of my new position at The Salvation Army down pat. Having a desk is a wonderful thing, but the job definitely gets real. I have really had to take a hard look at myself and the things I've completely closed my eyes to in my own hometown!

I am also in the planning phase of my as yet unnamed skill building class for Adult Ed. It will center on job seeking skills - resumes, cover letters, online job search, the use of social media, interview skills - and will also cover some basic computer instructions (Word, emailing, internet browsing). The class will last eight weeks and will meet twice a week for two hours. After I review the facilities and resources, I will be able to map out my course plans a little better. I plan on incorporating Edmodo as a class hub, so I can use videos and links to various online resources. I think I will ask the director of the program to provide all students with a link to a survey I am going to create in order to gather info on their skill level and expectations for the course. I want to create a faux online application for them to complete along with paper applications and possibly recruit volunteers for mock interviews.

Ok, I just noticed this entry got away from me. The positive is I've gotten (some) of my ideas down and I can come back to them later....which, I suppose, is the point of this whole thing. Right now, I'm behind an essay review and two reference letters, and I'm pretty sure I hear my bed calling my name.

Writing Instructors Take Note

While this is completely unrelated to technology, it is most definitely related to education! I wanted to share this wonderful resource on the off chance that there's a writing instructor reading my blog. A girl can hope, right?

I have been fortunate enough to make some fabulous professional connections with some very brilliant and talented women who contribute regularly to one of the best Basic Writing resources out there! If you can spare the time, go check out The Basic Writing e-journal. It offers a wealth of resource for writing instructors and accepts (and welcomes) contributions from other instructors. There's also a Facebook group, Council on Basic Writing, where ideas and strategies are shared, assistance is offered, and MANY great conversations take place. Everyone involved is working towards the same goal - providing the best writing instruction possible for students! I can't begin to tell you how much I've benefited from being a part of the group.

So, do yourself and your students a favor and check it out! I promise you won't regret it! That being said, I will leave you with a quote from one of my favorite authors and a little groovy music to get the creative juices flowing!

Why write? To learn, to describe and therefore see, to speak and therefore hear, to entertain, to inform, to persuade, to celebrate, to attack, to call attention, to make money, to promote, to advocate, to connect, to relate, to make, to share. ~ Donald M. Murray, A Writer Teaches Writing.

 

My Screencasting Adventures

What I've learned, during the course of my research, is that I have a lot to learn! Such is the story of my life! I'm currently reviewing Casting Nine's screencasting how-to blog and watching suggested videos on YouTube and TED. There's a bit more to it than I realized, but I am perfectly OK with putting the work in. I will be able to use Tegrity whenever I am working on my course material through D2L, and so far, it seems to be fairly straightforward.

I will post a more comprehensive blog when I figure out exactly where I'm going with some of my ideas!

Mother's Day = Off Day

It's impossible to separate my personal life and my "work" life because I love them both. So, occasionally, there will be some overlap. Like now. Cause it's Mother's Day and I have to brag a little.

Don't be fooled by the blonde hair. They're all mine.

At the risk of sounding cliché, I'm just going to say it. My kids are (and always will be) the most magnificent thing I have ever done. I am in a state of constant amazement that I had a hand in creating such fabulous little (if I'm being honest, they are not so little) people. While they do generally torment and terrorize me, I am thrilled with being their mother. They are funny and good-hearted. They have warped sense of humors. They love to read and try new things. They are respectful and a little messy. I never in a million years thought I'd be a mom and I still can't believe we've managed to keep them alive this long, but I am so thankful to have them. I look forward to seeing them learn and grow. I think they will do great things, but I mostly just want them to be happy.

My babies - happiness is seeing them smile.

With that being said, I have two "off days" a year - my birthday and Mother's Day. As one of them is upon us, I am taking full advantage of all the perks it entails. No housework of any kind, no feeding or locating lost items, no answering questions or phones....My very capable husband will be handing it all while I enjoy reading trash literature and watching girly movies. I may even paint my nails! All of them!

So, to all you mothers (on the off chance there are some reading this blog), Happy Mother's Day.

Mad Juggling Skills

I picked up my juggling skills during my undergraduate work and I feel like I've only gotten better as I've aged. (And by aged, I mean remained in a perpetual state of 29.)  I juggled work, school, family, friends, and (occasionally) sleep....Since I graduated, didn't get fired, am still fairly well loved by my family, kept two kids alive and healthy, and haven't collapsed from sheer exhaustion, I must have mastered the art, right?  I sincerely hope so because those skills are currently being put to the test. Fortunately, we're not talking chainsaws, so I suppose I will survive.

What I am talking about is getting these courses plotted out with very little to go on at this point. The summer writing course shouldn't be a problem. I've taught the material many, many times; however, I really want to spice things up a bit and ensure my students are digitally literate. I'd also like to incorporate some of the things I've learned along the way, but I just don't have the time to put it together. I may just have to settle for small things and see what happens. I found an excellent presentation on SlideShare that only serves to reinforce my feelings on the importance of digital literacy:

Digital Literacy in a 2.0 World from Kyle Jones

Truth be told, it's the other two courses I'm most concerned about. My 21st Century Job Seekers course for Adult Ed and the Intro to Social Media for the Senior Center are being pulled together from scratch. Normally, this wouldn't be a big deal. I'm full of ideas and know how to translate those ideas into effective, meaningful lessons. The problem is I am still in the dark about expectations, requirements, and technology resources.  While I am very flexible when it comes to implementation, I do prefer to have everything ready in advance, including backup options. Since both courses have essentially been outlined, I suppose I will just continue to list the objectives for each module and create activities, projects, and assessments like I do know what's going on!

Course concerns aside, I have found an excellent blog on the Chronicle of Higher Ed called Casting Out Nines which should help me navigate the ins and outs of screencasting tools. I hope to use these tools on both the PC and the iPad to create content I can use in all of my courses. There will be a lot of research and trial-and-error I'm sure. Expect more on this in my next blog.  

Until next time, enjoy some DMB love to help you through it!

 

Education and the High Cost of Learning

I spent some serious time reviewing my graduate material tonight and was able to find a huge amount of pertinent information. While digging through the various links, I found course and assignment descriptions as well as the required and recommended textbooks. All I can say is WOW. I'm so looking forward to starting this program and putting what I learn to good use!

Unfortunately, while I was doing all this digging, I found out the textbooks are going to cost quite a bit. I think, since I know what I need in advance, I can spend some time looking for bargains and that makes me feel a little bit better. The one thing I didn't find was what my actual tuition costs will be. I can only imagine they will be horrifying.....sigh. I really hope to be able to pay out of pocket and will be juggling three jobs to try to make that happen, but I don't have a clue if that will work out. I did my part and emailed the Bursars Office and my advisor, so we'll see what happens!

In the meantime, I am keeping my fingers crossed for the Union Plus scholarships announcement in June. Maybe I should consider online fundraising =)

On the off chance someone looks at this blog and is actually interested in the program of study at UT, I am including a link below!

UT's Master's Degree in Online Learning Environments

In the Beginning

Sometimes, the best place to start isn't always the beginning. Trust me. I like where I'm at now way better than where I started. Although, I will admit, I did enjoy the in-between immensely. With that being said, here we are.
 
Since this is my first post, I will keep it short and sweet. I am on fire for what I do. I love every part of my job (except Excel) and look forward to going in to work everyday. I have been slowly working towards my ultimate goal of total world domination, and I've been enjoying every minute of it. I am constantly searching for ways to make my material relevant and interesting, and I drive my family crazy with my random outbursts of "Oh I can use this for an assignment!" or "Hey what do you think about this topic?"
 
I am also interested in leadership. Not the "I'm your boss; do what I say" kind of leadership.......I want to lead and to serve. I don't just want to put my ideas into action; I want to hear yours too! Being a good leader is being a good listener, right?
 
I want to make students think, and I want to make them question. I want to see everyone, students and colleagues alike, realize their full potential. I want to make sure everyone has a shot at an education despite their lack of support, income, or preparedness. Lofty ideals? Maybe. Do I think accomplishing these goals will be easy? No, but I don't give up, and I don't let fear or self-doubt sway me. I want to make a difference and to do something that matters. So that's what I'm doing.