My Feb break!

Has anyone tried booking flights in the middle of Feb break...well guess what you can't find a flight from Edmonton or Calgary to saskatoon from Feb 19th to the 24th. Everyone is flying home from their wonderful, hot, relaxing feb vaccation. Well not me...I'm stuck in Saskatoon and what an interesing break it was....more like frustrating. Lets begin by saying I decided to get some assignments done as I am going to BC in 2 weeks for a week and as a reasult of looking at resources on line I ended up with a virus and spyware on my computer and was without a computer for 3 days, so getting a head of the game on the assignments didn't happen. On sunday I had to drive to Edomonton as there were no flights to Saskatoon. My dad and brother-in-law flew in from work up at Fort Chip and could not get home. So guess who had to drive to Edmonton to pick them up...Yup lucky me. I have decided if you have to go to Edmonton for anything that you should go up the night before and then come back the next day. The only pros to my quick trip were the hour of shopping in Edmonton, the double lane hiway there and back and my dad's laptop having a mobile broadband internet connection. Yup, I'm writing on my blog on the way home form Edmonton and Dad is drving...

Wikipedia Editing

I deceded to check out my home town on wikipedia and there was some information that was missing so I added it...One of the top 5 golf courses in Saskatachewan is in Nipawin and it wasn't even mentioned.

Here is what I edited on the Nipawin page-

Other annual fishing events are the Codette Walleye tournament, Ladies fish for freedom tournament, and the Vanity Cup Walleye tournament running the last weekend in September and the first week in October.

Nipawin is also home to a beautifully landscaped 18 hole golf course. It has been rated as one of 100 public cources in Canada and one of the top 5 in Saskatachewan. Annual events held at the Evergreen Golf Club are - Bob Dow Memorial Golf Tournament and the Evergreen Classic Golf Tournament along with many other tournaments through out the golf season. Nipawin is also home to golf pro Tyler Baker.

If you are more of the Winter ourdoors person Nipawin is a great place to visit. Nipawin is located along the Trans-Canada Snowmobile Trail. There are many other groomed trails that run around Nipawin along with Snowmobile rallies.

Curling is also found in Nipawin for the young and old. Nipawin hosts the Ladies, Mens and Seniors Bonspiels and the Evergreen Curling Classic.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nipawin

Research Paper

I have decided to do my paper on access to technology improves learning.

Group Task

Blog assignment - Katie and Lana

Knowledge:

1. Keeping parents informed

2. Homework/handouts online

3. Discussion groups 

Comprehension:

1. Get parents involved in a meaningful way in the classroom

2. Allow for differentiated instruction - way to get students involved who might not normally participate in the classroom

3. Extend learning beyond the classroom - Allow students to post what they have learnt during class discusions/ ask questions/ discuss with each other etc. 

Application 

1. Self-reflection - to improve your teaching

2. Collegiality (Jay's mot cle "key word") - can share tips/ ideas/ resources with one another

3. Keep up to date and organized - efficiency - easier to update = time can be used to improving lessons and making sure they are not static

Analysis

100% YES! Static websites are more of a one way communication. It is just a more high tech form to lecture. The students are not involved in this scenario. Blogs open up dialogue and is a way to provide a learning community (which may not always happen in the classroom due to time constraint) It allows the students to collaborate with and reflect upon the information. They are more able to control their own learning as it focuses on the process. 

Synthesis 

I think blogging allows teachers to have more of a facilitator role. Blogs can extend learning beyond the classroom and give the students a more active role into their learning. In the classroom it is as if the teacher controls the flow of information and imparts knowledge on to the students. Blogging would allow for more scaffolding as knowledge would be constructed as a group. It does not flow in one direction, but rather it is discussed, interpreted and negotiated amongst everyone. I also think teachers would be amazed at the insight it would provide into their students. You could begin to prepare lessons more in tune with their interests and capabilities within the classroom. 

Evaluation

1. cut and paste discussion - overuse of sources - lack of original thought

2. time consuming / waste of time - if not for educational purposes 

3. hard to control - may get out of hand ex) cyber-bully / inappropriate posts 

What a weekend...

This past week has been very intersting as I have been waiting for my teaching certificate and I was told it would probably take 3 months. Well to my surprise I recieved it in the mail on Friday...How excited was I!!!! I now have to contact the different school divisions to let them know I now have my certificate and that I can start subing. Now the waiting games start...how long before I get put on to the list will depend on how fast the principals take to determin who gets interviews.

This weekend was definately a weekend of understanding as I took my First Aid and CPR with AED. After being class from 8-6 saturday and sunday and missing out on the wonderful weather ( as clark was on a ski-doo rally -- that I wish I could have been on) I passed the course with flying colors.