Final Reflection

Final reflection

I use PowerPoint on a daily basis. I just never forced myself to learn any of the advanced features. I can start to see some classroom uses for creating PowerPoint quizzes. It would be a good way of presenting small independent study units for kids to run through if they missed a key lesson. It might be difficult for a subject like math, but I think it would really fit into history.
I could take things a step even further by enhancing it with some digital audio samples. Initially, it would be a huge amount of work. However, once it is done it is done. All I would need to do is tweak it from term to term. Adding in the photo elements would be an added bonus.
I loved Inspiration. It was slightly frustrating at first; it was not as intuitive as I thought it would be. After some practice I did figure it out. With a little more work I could incorporate endless amounts of visual organizers into the lessons. It would be nice to have a computer lab at school for the students to make their own projects and presentation.
Understanding how to use PowerPoint and Inspiration would be very helpful for media specialists. They are excellent tools for presenting information, and media specialists are always expected to be able to communicate information to the students and staff effectively. I see some value in learning the basics of Excel. However, I’m sure that much for powerful media center specific inventory organization tools are already available.

M Donlevy

Troubleshooting Reflection

I really haven’t had too many tech issues with my computers lately. The only annoying problem I occasionally have is with my school-issue laptop. Sometimes it likes to go into what I call coma mode. It is like sleep mode, but it just doesn’t wake up when it should. The tech people said if I hold the power button down long enough it should respond. That didn’t happen.
My choices were to send in the computer for repairs. This could mean being without my laptop for a couple of weeks. There also was the risk of not getting it back and losing everything since my last backup. My other option was to work it out on my own. My solution- remove then replace the battery. It works like a charm.
The worst tech problem I ever had was with a scanner a couple of years ago. A friend of mine bought a scanner and asked me over to help install it. It was an HP. It can with the modern instruction sets. You know, picture heavy and very few words. We followed it step by step. Then step by step again and again. Then we spent 30 minutes on the phone with tech support. We felt so stupid. It was only a scanner. How hard could it be?
Impossible! It turns out the scanner was a dud. We took it back and exchanged it for yet another dud. Then we started second guessing ourselves. Were we missing something? It turned out that there was a bad batch of scanners made by HP. We ended up taking home a different make and model, and everything turned out ok in the end.
M Donlevy

what???????

I call a cab 'cause a cab will come quicker
The doctors huddle up and call a
flea flicker
The reason that I say that 'cause they
Flick you off like
fleas
They be laughin' at ya while you're crawlin' on your knees
And to
the strength so go the length
Thinkin' you are first when you really are
tenth
You better wake up and smell the real flavor
Cause 911 is a fake
life saver
So get up, get, get get down
911 is a joke in yo town

by Public Enemy
I try to keep things here academic, but my blood is really boiling and the Flavor in me is coming out. I realize 911 saves millions of lives, but arghhhhhhh.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/04/10/911.lawsuit/index.html

M Donlevy

My Top 10 Books- Multicultural Literature

I actually discovered my multicultural literature pick several weeks ago. I just decided to post everything in the order it was listed to avoid missing anything.

Several books were instant standouts. My personal favorite was i see the rhythm by Michele Wood and Toyomi Igus, but it just missed the cut because of its publication date. Find this book! It is excellent.

Slavery is a difficult topic to teach to children of any age. How can this material be presented while maintaining a sense of dignity for the people involved. Lessons can end in confusion, anger, shame, and increased misunderstandings.

The Patchwork Path: A Quilt Map to Freedom written by Bettye Stroud and illustrated by Erin Susanne Bennett (Candlewick Press 2005) is a wonderful work that celebrates the truimph of the human spirit in the face of advesity. The work is recommended for children ages 4-8. It spares them the harsh details while still managing to convey a sense of urgency for the main characters. Though the tale of quilt maps is a familiar one, the presenation of the story is fresh and highly memorable.

Links of interest


http://www.bettyestroud.com/

http://www.wabe.org/atlanta/community/bettystroud.html

M Donlevy

My Top 10 Books- Biography

Last semester I had a discussion about collection development with my media specialists. They said that they rarely buy biographies about people that are still living. Those books tended to get outdated too quickly. However, sometime certain purchases were necessary due to demands of the curriculum and student interests.

My original plan was to center my nonfiction studies on the most current issues I could find within our media collection. I was unsatisfied with some of my initial results, but I did manage to find one biography that is Top 10 worthy.
Osama bin Laden by Bill Loehfelm (Lucent Books 2003) provided an interesting glimpse on an enigmatic figure that has dominated our headlines for years. The book comes from a series entitled Heroes and Villains (it is up to you to figure out where he falls).
The author clearly tells us what we know as fact and what is speculation. He also provides us with plenty of background material on the people and cultures that has surrounded bin Laden’s life. Plenty of maps, informative sidebars, and photographs help to enhance the work. Furthermore, Loehfelm backs everything up with extensive documentation and a list of recommended reading.
Considering the complexity of the topic, the work is well suited for high school researchers. Middle school readers might have a more difficult time digesting all of the history presented.

Reviews
http://mciu.org/~spjvweb/nonfiction03.html

http://www.rbookshop.com/unusual_subjects/o/Osama_bin_Laden/Osama_Bin_Laden_Heroes_and_Villains__1590182944.htm

M Donlevy

My Top 10 Books- Nonfiction

I must admit, I struggled to find a Top 10 nonfiction nominee. We have plenty of nonfiction in our collection. I must have read or browsed through dozens. The Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire of 1911 by Gina De Angelis was good, but it wasn’t quite Top 10 material. Plus, finding website to match some of these authors and titles proved to be a chore.
My luck changed when a friend at work loaned me More Book Lust by Nancy Pearl (2005 Sasquatch Books). Nancy Pearl is a noted librarian from the Seattle area. She even has her own action figure! No joke.
Book Lust and More Book Lust represents a best of list for every (and I mean every) occasion. Pearl is a self proclaimed readaholic, and her lust for books shows.
She is writing for adults, but I would (and already have) recommend her books to the avid high school readers that are always looking for something fresh. Between Pearl’s hundreds of categories and thousands of titles you are sure to find something to suit your tastes.
M Donlevy

Links of interest
http://nancypearl.com/ (the site has been a little slow to load)
action figure
http://www.mcphee.com/laf/

My Top 10 Books- Historical Fiction

While growing up sci-fi/fantasy was always my go to category for reading. Being a history teacher has changed that a bit. Now I’m constantly on the hunt for new material to incorporate into the classroom. I have always been a sucker for the classics. The Jungle and Uncle Tom’s Cabin were mainstays of my student reading list for a long time. I’m starting to second guess them now. Teaching reading isn’t the same as it was 10 years ago. This is a topic I could go on and on about. I’m pretty sure I explored it in detail in my various Ed Media discussions. The bottom line is that I need a fresh approach, and I think rediscovering YA literature has some valuable lessons for me.

I was very impressed with Avi’s 2002 (and Newberry medalist) Crispin: The Cross of Lead (Hyperion). Crispin, as a work of historical fiction, explores some often neglected themes of life in the Middle Ages. Too many times authors dwell on knights and warfare while examinations of daily life are often ignored. Crispin gives us a marvelous look at life in the period. The book is recommended for readers age 9-11, but contains a ton of historical material that is relevant to the 9th grade history curriculum.

Without giving away any spoilers (I hate spoilers)- the story involves the adventures of the peasant boy Crispin. Crispin’s life is in constant peril. He has been declared a wolf’s head, an outlaw, by his village’s steward for a crime he didn’t commit. His survival will then depend on the help of an unlikely ally. It is truly a fun read.

Links of interest
http://www.avi-writer.com/

http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/bookreviews/reviewcrispin.htm

M Donlevy

updates

Ouch, just so everyone knows softball is dangerous. I play on a church team. I got nailed with the ball after sliding into 2nd. The 2nd baseman couln't handle the low throw. At least I was safe.

I just finished editting a electronic Thomas the Tank Engine storybook. I don't want to look at another train for a long time.

I should have some more top ten book updates soon. My realistic fiction readings have been taking up most of my time right now.

Other than that I have some great weeks ahead of me. 2 field trips are on teh way, a late start day, plus a teacher duty day.

April, May , and that is it.

M Donlevy