My work for OSPI has been long and somewhat frustrating. It is very challenging to have 17 "leaders" make a decision and all agree on it! Our task is also quite daunting. We are writing tech standards to bring back to our districts and hand to our already overwhelmed teachers and friends. The good news however, is that we are all very committed to not only having the "booklet" as has been created for other subjects, but also an online database of activities, lesson plans, online resources and tie ins to every other standard (ie. math/reading/writing). So we have set pretty high expectations for ourselves. The rest of my group are also ALL teachers. Several are in roles like myself, one tech director from an ESD as well as primary and secondary teachers. It is a very diverse fascinating group of educators! As many of you know I'm fairly task oriented so the pace of these meetings pretty much sends me right over the edge. This first session today was a little better than our previous four meetings--very good news!
The other thing this visit has reminded me is how fortunate I am to work in Mead. Many districts are in financial struggles because of declining enrollment, and that is not the case in Mead. I have also heard many stories of how ineffective leadership is in these other teachers' schools which so made me appreciate my tech dept. and boss! I love working with people who are passionate about what is doing best for kids and staff and completing tasks they set out to do. Some of the districts even struggle to get support for purchasing technology, can you imagine? I always learn so much when I'm taken out of my little world, very enlightening and always makes you appreciate what you have, especially when you don't realize it.
A few new websites I have learned about: www.clusty.com -this is a cool search engine that allows you to get a ton of specific information about a search topic (news, blogs, websites, images and more). A cool place for interactive math activities-very cool www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities And probably the coolest thing I saw Notetaker software. So cool! It's similar to a real notebook except it's right on your laptop. It has a table of contents, tabs for subject areas or whatever (I was thinking of a cookbook!), and you can record voice. One teacher used it to track reading fluency of her students! Notebook pages can be saved and shared to other notebooks. So all science labs could be saved here as well as math notes and activities! Okay enough tech for tonight!
Tom sent me this adorable picture of Joey tonight while I was at dinner with my OSPI group. I just miss my boys so much when I'm away! We love our lil' tiger!
2 comments:
Hi Kim!
You are missing our latest snow storm...not sure if we will have school tomorrow!
I loved hearing that you are at the Shorelins School District! My first teaching job was teaching high school at Shorecrest High School, in the Shoreline School District! That was years and years ago as I have taught for forty years! I loved it! Taught Speech and Drama and did all of the drama productions! Fun memories!
Glad you are having a good conference! Also,I will keep your friend Katie, who is having surgery, in my prayers!
Love and hugs! God Bless! Linda
OS Love the picture of your little tiger! What a cutie!
Just want to let you know that you and all of the work you are doing is much appreciated! Remember that when you come back with the standards and some teachers throw darts at you with their eyes! :) Notebook sounds pretty awesome! Can't wait to hear more about it! Hope you have a safe trip home!
Joe-Joe is cute as hell...as always!
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