So during the last two weeks, it seemed like everything to do with my classroom had come to a crashing halt. I had planned to spend this entire week unpacking my materials and setting up my new room assignment; however, there is quite a bit of room shifting going on at the new campus and my room is not ready yet and my materials are still in storage. It is so frustrating. To top it off, I was unable to get administration on the phone until yesterday to set up an informal meeting so that I could go in and even view the space. After all that, I did get to go in today to see it. I think it surprised my new vice principal when I pulled out a camera and started snapping pictures, but once I explained that I was a visual person and that having the pictures would help me visualize the best use of the room, she just nodded her head. I am not sure if that was a nod of understanding or a nod of “uh oh, she has OCD.” It is what it is, I guess.
Resources and Information:
Here is what I know so far: I have a chalkboard and a teacher computer. I keep telling myself to be grateful…it’s a job and I will still be working with a population of students that I really enjoy and who really need me. I did receive a tour of the campus as well. There is a computer lab two buildings over, just down the hill that can be signed out for student use. I jokingly asked if I could just move my classroom in there, but the VP did not seem to find it funny. I know I might seem a bit ungrateful at this point, but I had huge plans for the upcoming year that involved complete access by students to the computers I used to have in my old room and actually using the Promethean lessons that I spent hours of my free time planning last year. On the bright side, however, after explaining my ideas for starting a campus newsletter, she did say that she would see what she could do to get a computer projector and a screen installed in the room. I am crossing my fingers. I am also researching the various aspects of starting a newsletter. I had intended for it to be online, but I am wondering whether or not the students would feel more accomplished if they had something that they could actually hold in their hands. In addition, many of them do not have technology at home, so paper copies would be good for them to take home. I am also looking for cheap (or free) publishing software or shareware that is easy to use as well as efficient; so if you know of any, please share!
Modifying the Plan:
I think I need to work on being more patient and letting things happen naturally. I can work on revising old lessons and creating new ones from the couch and when my room is ready, I can move in. Summer break is a big hindrance at this point because it puts a big damper on collaboration efforts, so I will need to revise my timeline for putting the bulk of my plan in motion. There are some joint work dates for the teachers in the month of August and I am looking forward to spending some time discussing ideas with my coworkers. So for now, I will make plans and try not to knock everyone over with my enthusiasm come September.
What I have learned and Questions:
I am learning that I can be really obnoxious when I am dealing with a change that I did not initiate. I am also learning that starting over, while painful, can be a good thing because it forces you to look at old ideas with fresh eyes. For now, there aren’t really any new questions other than finding the right publishing software and when I will be getting into my room.
Rebecca,
ReplyDeleteI am sure when school begins you are going to have lots of colleagues you will be glad to collaborate with. Encourage yourself that your set of students are the only thing that has changed and you will still be having fun designing creative instruction to engage your student (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009). Keep on with self directed learning of the various free technology tools available online to be well prepared for your change and probably join a learning community to be well prepared for your change (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009).
Reference
Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use: A Standards-Based Approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Rebecca,
ReplyDeleteIt seems like you are coping well with the change. I have a very similar technological situation at my school. Having the technological skills will come in very handy once our classrooms catch up. If we can teach well without technology, we should be able to teach that much better with it!
My wife's grandma use to teach in a one-room school house in rural South Dakota and the students learned well because she had compassion, perseverance, and resourcefulness. As much as I love integrating technology, I really think good teaching (and living) comes down to making the most of what you have where you are.
Paul McVey
Rebecca,
ReplyDeleteLook on the bright side, things could be worse. My mentor teacher spent the first three years of his tenure instructing from a cart that barely fit his laptop. He did not have an assigned room. He was lucky to be in the same room twice in one day. Things could always be worse.
I like your take on facing new challenges. Look at this change as an opportunity to participate in your own PBL adventure. You could even have your students work on it with you to try and find solutions to the technology obstacles you face. Since you are already involved in a GAME plan, you could easily incorporate this system of self-direct learning into a PBL activity (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009).
Have you tried openoffice.com. They have great software that is free and rivals Microsoft Office (MO). I use it instead of MO, and it is free. Did I mention it is an absolutely free download. You should try it.
Mack (not Thomas)
NWAllprep
K-12 Everything
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Spotlight on technology: Problem-based learning, Part 1. Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore: Author.