Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Safe Blogging (SCHOOL ASSIGNMENT)

http://elemblogpolicy.pbworks.com/

This is a great site with many different guidlines and do's for the blogging world (for educational purposes). One of the things that I liked was that teachers need to conduct themselves in a professional manner on their blog. Even though it is only a blog it is important to treat it like a classroom. A DO NOT listed on this site is to not give out any personal information such as phone numbers, addresses, etc. ESPECIALLY OF YOUR STUDENTS!!

http://elemblogpolicy.pbworks.com/

We don't ever know exactly who is reading our blog and we can have hundreds of readers without really even knowing. The thing that is important to realize is that we can have people view our blogs that we don't expect to or want to view it. We need to know that anyone can eventually find out blog simply by typing our names in google. We need to except the consequences of that and realize the importance of knowing what is and what isn't appropriate to post on your blog. Especially being a teacher.

http://arapahoe.littletonpublicschools.net/Default.aspx?tabid=1486

To go along with the first link I listed, this site has said that we need to think of our blog as an extention of the classroom and we should only say and do things that we would do or say in the classroom. We absolutley should not write anything that we would not say in the classroom. We need to make our blog very appropriate and welcoming, just like the classroom.

"the pedagogy of blogs" (class assignment only!)

*For all of my readers out there...this is going to be a very out of the norm post. It is going to have nothing to do about my family and our doings! This is an assignment for my technology class. This week we are learning about blogs and the use of blogs for teachers, luckily for me I already had a blog so for my assignment I can just type my post on my own blog. So please know this is for a school assignment only!

INST 4015
Ever since I have discovered blogging it has become my new hobby and addiction. I love that you can record everything that is going on and have record of it. Not only that but you can also post pictures, videos, and links to other pages. I have loved blogging for personal family purposes, but I often think of blogging in the "teaching world". The way that I would use a blog as a teacher is to keep parents informed and updated on the happenings in the classroom. I would like to do weekly posts with pictures to not only show the parents what we have done in the classroom, but to inform them what to expect for the upcoming weeks or months. I also would like to do fun things with the classroom blog such as having each student post about themselves so we can get to know a little bit more about each student. One thing you would have to be sure of is to give each student an equal opportunity to be featured on the class blog, and to not boast about one student more than the other. Each student should be given the same amount of recognition.
Some teaching blogs that I have found which are more helpful blogs to the teacher are:




http://www.ukiahcoachbrown.blogspot.com/

http://www.educationpolicyblog.blogspot.com/
This is an interesting blog were teachers debate every little detail about school policies and what to look out for.
http://www.eduoptimists.blogspot.com/

This blog is an in-depth look at "the power of society, schools, colleges, and educators to empower individuals, further learning, and reduce inequities...and have a little fun along the way" (found on http://voices.washingtonpost.com/class-struggle/2010/01/best_education_blogs_for_2010_1.html)


http://magicalmysticalteacher.wordpress.com/
this is not a "blogspot" blog, but I still think it is very useful. This teacher has written this blog focused around everything English from writing to reading and even more. The thing that I like is that on the right hand side you can be linked to several other blogs that have an educational purpose.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

*GAMES*

Our friends, Jason and Shannon, invited us to their home for dinner and games. When they called to ask us they said we were going to play "Minute to Win it" games. Conner and I were so excited because we LOVE to watch that show, but we have never played it. I went in feeling pretty confident, not cocky, just confident. I started off the game by playing the tissue game. For those of you know don't know you are suppose to take all 100+ tissues out of the tissue box using one hand in 60 seconds. Well I did it! Barely. Shannon and Whitney did it after me and they both finished with a good 20 seconds left. This is where my confidence was SHOT! Let's just say after that I let my hubby down! He did well, but me...not so good! The winners were Jace and Whitney who did VERY well at every game we played. It was such a fun night! 
We had a babysitter for Nixon, but it didn't end up working out so we had to drag him along. The first game Conner played was where you have to get the ping pong balls out of the tissue box from shake'n your booty. We were all yelling and laughing, needless to say it was LOUD. Poor Nixon just starting bawling! He was not quite sure what was going on. He was a trooper and ended up staying up pretty darn late with us!

Saturday we, as in Conner, Nixon, and myself, went to the UTAH STATE football game. This was Nixon's first USU game! Something I love about USU is the awesome student body. The stand up the entire game cheering, win or loose. It was a fun day to spend with MY family!

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Back to Routine...With a Little Fun on the Side.

School has begun and we are back into routine. Conner is doing classes two days a week and working three days a week. I am doing 4 classes, two online, and two on campus. My classes on campus are 2 1/2 hour classes on Wednesday evenings/nights. I LOVE this because I can still be home everyday with Nixon besides Wed from 3:30-10:00. It stinks leaving him, but at least that is ALL that I have to leave him. Other than that, that kid is glued to his mama's big hip! 
It was last Wednesday that was my first day of class. I missed Nixon like mad. I even got a little teary when I dropped him off at my neighbors (which by the way I am so grateful my neighbor Lyndi is watching him!). I was so excited to come home from class hoping Conner had Nixon still awake so I could put him to bed. I came home to the most sweetest thing in the world! Man I love this baby!
 After we put him to bed, Conner told me what they did when I was gone. I asked what he had for dinner. PB&J. But then I found the PB&J and realized Nixon didn't have it for dinner after all. Instead, this did....


Bampa gave Nixon a shirt to represent the mighty Juab Wasps. He still has a few years until it uncovers his knees, but it sure does make for good pajamas! 


Nixon has been good at letting us feed him the messy stuff which that requires a spoon. I have been grateful for this and dreading the day when he HAS to do that on his own as well. Well, I had one of those days. He insisted on feeding himself yogurt with ZERO help. He did great, minus the mess.


Over Labor Day weekend Conner really wanted to go to the WU game at BYU. He went in his PURPLE to support the huskies with my dad and brother. The girls & little boys (nixon, madden,me, linz, and my beautiful mother) went to Swiss days. 

I am super glad that I have the "holding" capacity that I do, because otherwise I would have to experience what these poor gals did. N.A.S.T.Y. (I'm sure pleased I was able to capture their exiting the john expressions! priceless.)
 
We continued on with our festivities Sunday which consisted of us hanging with my mom's side of the family at their camp site. Yes THEIR. For some reason my family has always been the ones to show up for the day, eat, & head home. I know we were "camping" but I hate being dirty, and I hate my son being dirty. He had a couple outfit changes and a paranoid mother in fear of ruining his clothes. He loved riding the four-wheelers as always and I loved every one's willingness to take him for rides. This gave Conner and I a break so we could play team skipbo with our cousins Shayda & Jamileh. Shayda & Conner LOST so they had to climb up the "mountain" and do a Tarzan call.  We ended our day with a watermelon seed spitting contest. I didn't do to swell.
See this FILTHY cutie?! I love him, but the dirt had to stay behind...so we did what we had to do. strip.
and then he figured out how to do this. really? already? 

We spent the next morning (Monday) spending time with our pooper and papa. Nixon even got to meet our Uncle Jim & Aunt Betty for the first time online. They are in Pennsylvania.  I think he was a hit.
Nixon demanded more four-wheeler rides. honest...he did.
 My sister-in-law started school on Monday as well. She is going to school in Utah this year. Our very own Mt. Pleasant to be exact. It is crazy that my sister-in-law from SEATTLE is going to a school that is so close to my hometown. Wasatch Academy is awesome, teachers, students and all!  She is going to have such a great time.

Nixon wearing Gamma Micci's sunglasses. What a hottie!

The warm weather is fading away...I am actually excited about fall. It is pretty! I also love being a bit chilly and having to wear jackets. Is that weird? Anyways, we thought we better take our little monkey to the park before the snow covers it!
My oh my he is going to miss this swing! I wonder if I can build one in his room? Any thoughts?

Friday, September 3, 2010

Is it just me,

Or do these two cuties look alike...BIG time?!


One of those boys is Madden (my nephew) the other is Nixon. Can you guess who is who? Am I the only one who sees a serious resemblance?