Long, long day

I left the house early this morning, got to school and tried to get through my list of to do's that included getting the letter written to parents about the Europe trip next summer.

I had a doctor's appt this afternoon. I figured it was time I had a monogomous medical relationshiop instead of these one night stands I've been having with Primacare. I went to Dr. Winter, the father of one of my former students. Great guy. He agreed that I have a sinus infection and gave me some medicine.

After that I headed over to Shawn's. He helped me work on the design of the book and to get a spread done for the boys to see. I've already done that once, but I'm doing it again. I got home at about 7:45.

Tomorrow should be should as busy. I meet with the boys, and I have an interview with Starke Taylor.

Lobby

I should be in a session right now, but I'm sitting in the lobby giving my poor head a rest. I feel the same way I did at the workshop/convention I went to teaching how to use the promethean smart boards in the classroom. My mind is spinning with all of the possibilities. My brain hurts.

While I am sitting here with approximately 9 other people from the convention or not (not sure), three are reading the newspaper, 7 are on computers or palms (including myself obviously). Interesting. No one is actually talking. Well, two of the gusy are looking at one computer and talking about something.

ONe of the presenters remarked on how much money is being spent to create networks etc at schools and then how much is being spent to keep kids off the internet (I can't even begin to describe how many internet sites that are benign are blocked AND what a pain it is to get them unblocked.

I don't know where the rest of the group is. . . I doubt that they are all in sessions. But they could be. We are taking a bus to the airport at 1:00pm. (It cost me $55.00 to get a cab here on Wed). The bus is free. However, the 2:30 Flight (I'm not on it) has lots of open seats. I'd love to leave earlier and get home earlier, but I doubt the bus manages to get us there with enough time to catch the 2:30. BUMMER.

Did I mention that in my one week home before leaving for San Diego with students I have 3 days of training (on the promethean board which I desperately need) ? I am going to have to learn to get by with a lot less sleep if I'm gonna get the real estate book done.

I keep forgetting to post pictures from Europe etc. I really want to do that too. Ah the to do list continues to grow . . .

Last day

The keynote is Dr. Young Zhao. He has a thick accent, but a great sense of humor. Just said technology redefines talent. hmm. Interesting thought. Now he is talking about concept of the flat world. Once again I want to remind everyone to read The World is Flat. Amazing book. He just mentioned a book I'm in the middle of reading. Daniel Pink A Whole New Mind. It talks about how the world is changing (a theme perhaps?) Going from information age to conceptual age. (This includes aesthetic, contextual, synthetic, metaphorical, simultaneous) Essential aptitudes design, story, symphony, empathy, play, meaning. hmmmm.

As I sit here thinking about alllll of the things I want to change in my classroom, and the girls trying to do the most creative yearbook ever done, and my trying to write a book that doesn't seem to be writing itself very easily, I also think about my eye tick and how pronounced it is going to become in the coming months. Yikes.

This is it

So, I finished in Denton late Tuesday night, and got to the airport early Wed morning to try to get an early flight to Boston for the November learning conference. It is really cool. It is really about incorporating technology into the classroom etc. Part of the greatness is that they ENCOURAGE people to have their laptops in the sessions. The fun is that I can go straight to websites that they talk about and take notes on the computer.

The session I am in now is taught by Dr. Tyson at Mabry Middle School in Cobb County (for those that don't know that is the county in which my sister, Monica, resides.)

So, while I learn about blogging, I am blogging. When I started the blog, it was to keep everyone up on my life, but also to contemplate life etc. I want to think about things and reflect.

I know my yearbook classes are totally self-teaching and learning and all of that stuff. BUT my English class isn't. I know they are dingy freshmen, but there are a lot of things I can do.

I think I'm going to have them do journaling on-line (blogging) as they reflect on what they are learning. I also want them to create vod-casts of what they have learned; i.e. do a unit on poetry, and have kids do a dissection etc. cool huh?

While I was sitting here, I found a couple of websites that are really cool. One shows kids how to diagram an argument. How cool is that?

More later.

For those of you keeping up. . .

I am supposed to have 10 "stories" done by the 15th. I have 4 done. Gonna have to kick it up a notch.

I have to have four yearbooks critiqued by the 15th. I have 2 done.

I have to be at school Mon, Tues and Wed to help Scoobie Doo get the scope and sequence done for the journalism I classes. Beat me now.

The cleansing process is suspect. Certainly I am nervous about straying too far from a restroom, but mostly, not much happening. It is a little disappointing.

The sun came out today. Hallajulah!!!! I mowed the lawn this afternoon. Heaven knows it could start raining again at any minute, but I think it is actually supposed to be clear skies for a couple of days. Ha.

My eye tick reappeared yesterday with a vengeance. Very annoying.

Oh, and I met with my friend Kristen today. She is going to help me lead the trip next summer to Europe. It will be 15 days, and we are going to Madrid, Barcelona, Province, Nice, Florence and Rome. Sounds like fun doesn't it?

Ok, well I'm off to bed.

Lunacy worthy of the blog . . .

So, there is a small (I do mean small) break in the rain. I think to myself, "Poor Sabrina, she really needs to walk. Poor Me, I really need a break from writing. I'll take the Hellion on a walk."

There we are walking along, when she begins to act like a total hooligan. Seriously. Leaping about. Trying to knaw on my arm. Trying to grab for the leash. Dragging me about like a rag doll.

I look up and see a man in a green sedan trying to get my attention. Obviously he wants to know where we went to obedience school. No, he has a small puppy in the car. He tells me his mother doesn't want the dog, do I want it. Really? I mean, I know I have iron control over the 55lb Hellion on the end of the leash, but is he kidding?? The poor puppy is desperately trying to back up and get away from us. The man then looked shocked. As if he thought for sure he had found the perfect person to take his puppy. Oh the insanity.

P.S. She is now looking out the front window barking like a mad thing.

Today the part of cranky girl . . .

will be played by me. Quite frankly I've been really good the last couple of days, and I'm losing my will to continue.

After being fixed, Sabrina hasn't been allowed to go on a walk since last Wednesday. She really needs a walk. I'm going to be short a toe soon at the rate we are going.

I'm really, really sick of the rain. I know it's good for the ground, and it means I don't have to water my lawn, blah, blah, freaking blah.

I'm trying to eat healthy, doing yoga and working with an exercise ball, of and "cleansing" still not losing weight. auuuggghhhhh

Oh and I feel like every step forward is two steps backwards with the book. I have nothing fun to say. grrrrr