I had very high hopes for this activity. I planned to do an entry everyday while my class was doing it. I was even going to turn the projector on so the kids could see what I was writing about. Unfortunately I fell short of those hopes. I think I only did 7 slices out of the 31 total. I did however project each of them as I was typing. I was able to have the kids do 1 everyday we were in school, well at least to give them time to.
So what can I do next year? To truly reflect and use that to improve I have to look at what I can do differently. I think the first thing is to begin doing weekly slices much earlier, like maybe right from the start of school. I can then read more of the kids work and provide feedback. I think we can also develop our skills a little more prior to slicing each day. Those days that we did our slices first thing in the morning I was able to write more often. That tells me that mornings will work better. I also found that more of our slices would get read the earlier we posted them. I also think I need to find a better way to keep track of each student's blog. This year I did it mostly on the honor system, which worked well for most of the class. I did have some students who would do very short slices and I think I could have done a better job giving feedback and making sure we are doing good quality entries. I would also like to see a little more creativity from both myself and my class. Perhaps we should do a day where we write a poem or maybe a short story. I felt like a lot of our entries were retelling events in our live's and I would like to see more insight and thought.
All in all I was very pleased with how this went. I heard about it only a month prior to beginning and we were able to put together some activities and write some very good slices in that time. The kids really enjoyed writing comments and reading those comments other people left. I think a lot of the class also really enjoyed our daily slices.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
SOL Day 25 of 31: Difficult?
What makes something difficult? I think it's different for different types of activities. For me, it's remembering. I sometimes think I want to do that, but then I get busy and realize I never did. My daily slices are a great example. I had planned to continue to write a slice each day during spring break. However, once I was out of school and did not have my routine writing for the first 30 minutes of school with the kids I would forget. Something would happen to remind me, but it was at odd times. As I was driving up to Iowa to help my mom something sparked my memory, but I couldn't pull the car over and write. Then when I got to my mom's house it was gone already.
So why is it that I forget things, even when I want to do them? Maybe I just have so many things to remember that I can't keep them straight. Perhaps my brain is just full and cannot fit anything new in it, it's like a bucket. My brain is so full that I can't stuff anything more in there or something else will fall out. I don't think that's it, but maybe. I wonder if it's just my makeup. Maybe there is just a part of your brain that is dedicated to rembering things and mine is not as big as other people's. That could be it, I have an area that stores useless trivia and things that nobody would ever need to know and that area is huge. That then makes the area that stores important things, like doing my daily slice or what I am supposed to grab at the store, is very small as a result. I think that's the most likely, but maybe it's just who I am and there really is no explanation.
So why is it that I forget things, even when I want to do them? Maybe I just have so many things to remember that I can't keep them straight. Perhaps my brain is just full and cannot fit anything new in it, it's like a bucket. My brain is so full that I can't stuff anything more in there or something else will fall out. I don't think that's it, but maybe. I wonder if it's just my makeup. Maybe there is just a part of your brain that is dedicated to rembering things and mine is not as big as other people's. That could be it, I have an area that stores useless trivia and things that nobody would ever need to know and that area is huge. That then makes the area that stores important things, like doing my daily slice or what I am supposed to grab at the store, is very small as a result. I think that's the most likely, but maybe it's just who I am and there really is no explanation.
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
SOL Day 10 of 31: Going for a ride
"Are you going by yourself?" Kaiden asked me
"Yes I am. I am not riding on our bike trail." I answered. "But when I am done if I have the energy we can go for a ride."
"Can we go on our bike trail?" He asked.
"yes we can."
I love that Kaiden wants to ride his bike so much. We got him a balance bike for Christmas when he was 1 1/2. It took him a little while to really get the hang of it. He would do more walking while sitting on the bike then coast for about a year. He did get to be pretty fast at tooling around the house though. Once we finally got him outside and going for walks while he rode he began to figure out how to lift his feet. He even had a pretty hard crash and scraped his hand one day, but that didn't stop him. He loved starting from the neighbors driveway and riding the sidewalk to our then turning up. He really began to get pretty good at coast with his feet. After 2 1/2 years we finally felt like he would be ready for a pedal, or "big boy" bike as he called it. So we got him one for Christmas.
I was very excited and figured we would have a couple months to get him used to the idea. He wanted to get outside that day, since it was about 50 degrees outside we did. I had to hold the seat while he pedaled for about an hour until my back hurt so bad I could barely stand up. After an hour rest he was ready to show his cousins that came how he could ride a bike. We tried it one more time and I just couldn't bend down anymore. After his cousin offered to show him how he said he could it. So I got him started at the top of our cul-de-sac and let go. He tore down the hill missing two trees, a small utility pole and a flagpole by inches, but under his own power. He could ride his bike! We have been riding on the trail ever since.
I am pleased to have passed my love for biking down to both our boys. Chris, our 14 yr old, loves to ride his bike too. In fact, he wants to do a triathlon this year. He has even begun taking the dog out for runs so he can get ready. Hopefully the three of us can get their mom to start riding her bike more often.
"Yes I am. I am not riding on our bike trail." I answered. "But when I am done if I have the energy we can go for a ride."
"Can we go on our bike trail?" He asked.
"yes we can."
I love that Kaiden wants to ride his bike so much. We got him a balance bike for Christmas when he was 1 1/2. It took him a little while to really get the hang of it. He would do more walking while sitting on the bike then coast for about a year. He did get to be pretty fast at tooling around the house though. Once we finally got him outside and going for walks while he rode he began to figure out how to lift his feet. He even had a pretty hard crash and scraped his hand one day, but that didn't stop him. He loved starting from the neighbors driveway and riding the sidewalk to our then turning up. He really began to get pretty good at coast with his feet. After 2 1/2 years we finally felt like he would be ready for a pedal, or "big boy" bike as he called it. So we got him one for Christmas.
I was very excited and figured we would have a couple months to get him used to the idea. He wanted to get outside that day, since it was about 50 degrees outside we did. I had to hold the seat while he pedaled for about an hour until my back hurt so bad I could barely stand up. After an hour rest he was ready to show his cousins that came how he could ride a bike. We tried it one more time and I just couldn't bend down anymore. After his cousin offered to show him how he said he could it. So I got him started at the top of our cul-de-sac and let go. He tore down the hill missing two trees, a small utility pole and a flagpole by inches, but under his own power. He could ride his bike! We have been riding on the trail ever since.
I am pleased to have passed my love for biking down to both our boys. Chris, our 14 yr old, loves to ride his bike too. In fact, he wants to do a triathlon this year. He has even begun taking the dog out for runs so he can get ready. Hopefully the three of us can get their mom to start riding her bike more often.
Monday, March 9, 2015
9 of 31:
I really hate daylight savings time because I hate the adjustment for my body. I woke up today at 5:00 but my body was telling me it's only 4:00. Last night getting the little guy to bed was a terrible ordeal because his body was not ready, even though he was exhausted from playing outside. This adjust ment period is rough on everybody. The kids all came in today saying how they are so tired. They are all here and awake, but mentally it's still only 8:00 am, not 9:00.
I do love the extra hour at night. Last week I was leaving my house and the sun was pretty much fully up. I do not mind if I am driving to school in the dark. Daylight is wasted when I am spending time driving to school, I would rather spend the daylight hours at the end of the day when I can be outside working or riding my bike. Hopefully springing forward can bring some more outdoor opportunities for me and my family.
I do love the extra hour at night. Last week I was leaving my house and the sun was pretty much fully up. I do not mind if I am driving to school in the dark. Daylight is wasted when I am spending time driving to school, I would rather spend the daylight hours at the end of the day when I can be outside working or riding my bike. Hopefully springing forward can bring some more outdoor opportunities for me and my family.
Friday, March 6, 2015
Day 6 of 31 SOL: Spring?
The temperatures over the next 7 days are slowly getting warmer. Does that mean spring is just around the corner? I hope so. What does spring mean to you? To me it means a lot of different things, not just warm weather. For starters it means warmer weather that translates to time outside. Our 4yr old loves to be outside so as the weather gets warmer he wants to go out and play more. He loves to go in the backyard and collect rocks, his favorite being "tongue rocks." He calls them tongue rocks because he can put them in his mouth and have them stick out a bit and they look like tongues. He even built a Lego house for a couple of rocks a month ago. This year spring holds a pretty special place for him because he learned to ride his bike on Christmas Day, I'll save that story for another day. He loves riding his bike and asks to go for a ride even when it's 10 degrees outside.
What does warm weather mean for me personally. Well I also love riding my bike, so it means time for me to get out and ride. I am very excited because I have 1.5 new bikes to ride this year. I updated my gravel road bike with electronic shifting so that's the 1/2 bike. I did get a new mountain bike this winter. I tried a different model last year and didn't like it as much so this year I went back to riding what I had before, an Epic. Warm weather means the trails will dry and I can get out and get on the trails some! One major part of spring for me is that I get very busy. The bike shop I work at gets busier which means more hours on the weekends. I also clean water gardens that my brother and I have installed over the years. Mid-April is the time I usually begin because the water temperature needs to stay at or above 55 degrees. That is a very solitary, messy, & fun job. I usually work with a friend of mine, but with the pressure washer running you can't really talk so we spend an hour or two right next to each other and don't talk. Spring is my second favorite season because it means I get to come out from my winter hibernation! I'm so excited for the warm weather. So I ask again. WHat does spring mean to you?
What does warm weather mean for me personally. Well I also love riding my bike, so it means time for me to get out and ride. I am very excited because I have 1.5 new bikes to ride this year. I updated my gravel road bike with electronic shifting so that's the 1/2 bike. I did get a new mountain bike this winter. I tried a different model last year and didn't like it as much so this year I went back to riding what I had before, an Epic. Warm weather means the trails will dry and I can get out and get on the trails some! One major part of spring for me is that I get very busy. The bike shop I work at gets busier which means more hours on the weekends. I also clean water gardens that my brother and I have installed over the years. Mid-April is the time I usually begin because the water temperature needs to stay at or above 55 degrees. That is a very solitary, messy, & fun job. I usually work with a friend of mine, but with the pressure washer running you can't really talk so we spend an hour or two right next to each other and don't talk. Spring is my second favorite season because it means I get to come out from my winter hibernation! I'm so excited for the warm weather. So I ask again. WHat does spring mean to you?
Thursday, March 5, 2015
5 of 31 SOL: Decisions Decisions
Sitting here wondering, "What could I write about today?" Something that I encounter with my class often. Students will always ask me for topic ideas in any free writing situation. I have my standbys that I will always tell them: "Look at your list of topic ideas" "Look at the stuff we brainstormed at the start of the year, like who is important to, or places that you love, all those lists we created at the start of the year." But what if they don't feel it that day? What if they did not do a very good job on their list?
Well here I sit in the exact same position, wondering what to write about today. I am now in the position my students are in often and wondering how do I work through this. I start by thinking of what I've done recently that would make a good story or that people might be interested in. If nothing comes up with that then I go to my family, including our dog. Once I get to that point if I still do not have an idea I start ticking through my hobbies or interests; cycling, watching sports, reading, music, movies, etc. I can usually think of something by that point. Today however, I decided to just write about what I was experiencing. While typing this I even thought of a few different ideas for future blogs, don't worry I'll let in on those later.
One last thought: I hate the default font on Blogger. I wish I had more choices, but it seems I only have 7. I'm sure there could be more if I did a quick Google search, but today I'm too lazy.
Well here I sit in the exact same position, wondering what to write about today. I am now in the position my students are in often and wondering how do I work through this. I start by thinking of what I've done recently that would make a good story or that people might be interested in. If nothing comes up with that then I go to my family, including our dog. Once I get to that point if I still do not have an idea I start ticking through my hobbies or interests; cycling, watching sports, reading, music, movies, etc. I can usually think of something by that point. Today however, I decided to just write about what I was experiencing. While typing this I even thought of a few different ideas for future blogs, don't worry I'll let in on those later.
One last thought: I hate the default font on Blogger. I wish I had more choices, but it seems I only have 7. I'm sure there could be more if I did a quick Google search, but today I'm too lazy.
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
4 of 31 SOL: Basketball
I have loved watching basketball for about 25 years now, especially college. I used to watch somewhere between 7-10 games a week during the season and all day every day during the NCAA tournament. Since I got married and had kids I have not been able to watch it as much and have limited myself to my two favorite teams, Northern Iowa then Kansas. My in-laws are very big KU fans, so it caused some friction in 2010 when the Panthers beat the Jayhawks in the NCAA tournament. I have tried to get our oldest, he is 14 now, to watch with me but it has not worked.
Last night was one of the best basketball moments I have shared with either of our boys. We have done a great job getting both boys to buy into UNI & KU, right now our oldest, Chris, is a Panther fan and our youngest, 4 yr old Kai, is a Jayhawk fan. Last night the Jayhawks played West Virginia and recorded it on the DVR to watch after we had dinner and spent some time with my wife's parents. When they left Kaiden said he wanted to watch basketball. I was thrilled and turned the game on. He was really getting into the game. He was cheering for the Jayhawks when they scored and kept singing Rock Chalk Jayhawk KU. He stayed and watched with me for about 30 minutes. Once it was time to go to bed he asked me to come up and tell him who won after the game, so I did. This morning he had no clue I had woken him and told him, but was thrilled to know KU won.
I hope to have many more games to watch with him the rest of this season and many more in the future. Maybe we can even get his brother to join us for a few games.
Last night was one of the best basketball moments I have shared with either of our boys. We have done a great job getting both boys to buy into UNI & KU, right now our oldest, Chris, is a Panther fan and our youngest, 4 yr old Kai, is a Jayhawk fan. Last night the Jayhawks played West Virginia and recorded it on the DVR to watch after we had dinner and spent some time with my wife's parents. When they left Kaiden said he wanted to watch basketball. I was thrilled and turned the game on. He was really getting into the game. He was cheering for the Jayhawks when they scored and kept singing Rock Chalk Jayhawk KU. He stayed and watched with me for about 30 minutes. Once it was time to go to bed he asked me to come up and tell him who won after the game, so I did. This morning he had no clue I had woken him and told him, but was thrilled to know KU won.
I hope to have many more games to watch with him the rest of this season and many more in the future. Maybe we can even get his brother to join us for a few games.
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