Welcome to the dark side

6/21/13

So I have figured out the dark side of OS. It' s the PAY! True more than Madison but not market value. I would make 5k more to take a step 0 with my masters in most good districts.

Then they posted a job today that was high school part time. There was a field tech job for 60K earlier. I hope I am mistaken, but I think they are the people that do our installs.  I really hope there was a mistake because it looks like the job is paid the same amount as me but it's part time. In that case, I quit. I will go to the high school program!

So may be it's just the time of year but I am looking. There's a great job in Rochester but when did I ever qualify for a job in Rochester. There are other principal jobs but no calls so far.

My first choice would be that our program gets to 400 kids and I get the principal job. I would hate to give back all my tech. But it's really getting to be an economic decision. sigh....

After presenting

6/21/13
Yesterday I presented twice. The second was a marketing proposal to my communication grad class. That went like butter. We just did the parent webinar I have done many times. Carol listened to me do this once and called me afterward to say good job. If I can pass that bar, 700 level classes are no big!

But the first presentation was to the Birmingham Schools Learning Conference. That was a big deal. I was amazed at how many people I saw that I knew. I even ran into old friends from quilting, Barb Pepper. People from Madison. I sat with the new principal. Many people from Rochester  including one that has a job posted. She said they had over qualified people applying. So that was sad. Moz said hi to me and I was not even sure he knew who I was.

 I asked Carol if I was allowed to present in March. When I wrote the proposal I was really sure of the vision.  Reflecting on this I could have written a better description. Many people in the presentation were looking for pieces to use in their practice. Our practice is so very different I am not sure they will get what they wanted.

The keynote speakers were really good. They were validating. Which means we are doing most of what they were talking about. They talked about gameification and project based learning.

I would like to present again. Better description same prezi.

Finding the path

I had an early post where I was disappointed in my admin when she placed a student where I did not think they should be. An issue like that came up again. The student is only 50% done with Core and GCS which is reading, social studies, comp, spelling and grammar. He has completed math and science. The mother asked me "Can't you just give him a C for test 100?" I stated he had turned nothing in for that test. She just repeated her question.
So they went over my head. And he will go on to the next grade.
Which really I am OK with. The family wants to get him into a public high school. I think he would do better with traditional teacher and traditional pacing. I think we will be giving him an E for second semester, but we will not FAIL him. Which I am good with.
This time I could see the admin position. Most districts do move everyone to the next grade even if they had all E's. The problem is it kills them in high school when it's based on credits. But no one should fail first grade. I am teaching middle school now . That's emotional a tough time.
I just feel differently about the situation. I think it's a shift in perception. As an admin, Carol needs to find a path where the grades are creditable, the family is happy, and( most important) the student will be successful.

But this was a learning lesson for me. I was butting heads with the family. I was not going to pass him and I had no authority to speak to his placement next year.  They went over my head to a person who had that authority. Carol called me and reminded me that she is there for cases like this.

I should have handed it up to her sooner. At least I had it on her radar. Lesson learned. All kids need to pass if it is remotely possible and there is a time to "call in the big dogs".

Too Many Tests; Too Little Time

One of my students is three units away from being done in science. He and his mother decided they were done with writing the research report. They uploaded only spelling and grammar and went on. He was loving the program in May when he said he was only working three days a week.

Today he uploaded three complete GCS tests including a research report and three essays. Strangely enough his persuasive essay was entitled “Too many tests, Too Little Time”.  MMmmmmm

Too Many Tests Too Little Time.

By #$%#$ #@$!@!$

Calvert makes us do too many tests in too little time. How can they expect us to do nine tests and only give us one day to do it? I think they should spread the tests out one or two tests a day and spread them out through the week.

On a normal day you would not need to do all nine subjects at once but on test day you do. Unit tests are long tests anyway. When you have nine different subjects all testing at the same time it is too much work to do in one day.

Studying for unit tests means reviewing about a month’s worth of material for each class. That takes a lot of time and memory. When all nine tests happen at once that really wears a student out!

Teachers tell us to take our time and do an excellent job studying and taking these tests. But if we do the tests at our own pace we will fall behind by at least a day or two.

In order to keep kids on track without mental exhaustion, Calvert should spread out the test schedule.

Subject: seen it all now

From: Alspach, Julie
Sent: Wednesday, June 05, 2013 7:46 AM
To: adfgadfasd
Cc: asdfasdf
Subject: seen it all now

Just alittle story that will bring a smile to you this morning:

Well I have seen it all now. This morning one student swore in an email to me. Next I was checking essays and two students turned in the identical essay. Word for word. So I went to best plagiarism checker I have (google search) and it came up on the first search result! I am so disappointed. I love both these girls!

I know we had some naming calling/bullying issue to deal with this year also. Some things are universal!

That’s what happened in my day before 7:30 am. I’m going for a walk!

Thanks so much,

Julie Alspach

Virtual Learning Academy Consortium

Oakland Schools

2111 Pontiac Lake Road

Waterford, MI 48238

248 310-6885

Well damn.

-----Original Message-----
From: Alspach, Julie
To: adgfdg, Jasdfas
Subject: Re: Weekly Contact- checking in message
Sent: 6/3/2013 5:03:00 PM

Jasdfasdf
Sorry I was wrong. That's for another school - not ours. Your finish date is the 14th.
Thanks
Mrs. Alspach

-----Original Message-----
From:asdfasdf
To: Alspach, Julie
Subject: Re: Weekly Contact- checking in message
Sent: 6/3/2013 4:59:00 PM

June 25th? Was there a change I missed?

humor for only us

From: Alspach, Julie
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2012 4:33 PM
l
Subject: humor only we would get

Not using any names and in good spirits, here are some comments that were made to me today that only our staff would find funny:

Parent: What is my username and password?

Me: I do not know. You will need to call the main office.

Parent: And I am calling for a password to get into what?

Parent: We did not get all our books?

Me: They shipped the first week in October. Why didn't you call before?

Parent: How do I print a test?

Parent: What is Core?

E-cornucopia 2013 take aways

Email wrap up to Carol:

Wow! We are ahead of the game for most. Many of the presentations were just people telling the story of what they did- basically if I told the story of our last year. Thank you for getting me into this!!

But there were some useful take-aways about how to develop community and tutorials.

Some suggestions:

About Tutorials

·         Creating a common format, look feel, and structure to the tutorials then letting teachers build what suits their students’ needs.

·         Creating a common meeting room in Adobe Connect we will all share and create screen cast tutorial from there.  Or a channel on YouTube or SchoolTube

·         Tutorials should be in little pieces of information.

·         Creating a searchable web page for tutorials.

About Support

·         Teachers could have “drop in” office hours where they are online on Google hangout or Adobe Connect and students could just drop in. We could answer questions and may be students would learn from others’ questions.

·         Increasing the use of facebook page to be more tailored to us, but just the generic homeschool newsfeed it is now.

·         We need to create more ways to get constructive feedback from students and parents about their needs.

About resources

·         We need to use the i-calvert library more

·         We should be looking at google apps to support learning.

About creating community

·         Our facebook needs to become more specific may be a closed group for lower elementary learning guides, and another for middle school students. – but we need a disclaimer on this.

·         Students need a place to response to each other positively – a cheering each other on thing.

·         We need a school  paper – I see a club here

Overall it was a useful day. I would like to team up with an instructor to present there next year because many conversations became people asking me questions about what we are doing or about the Chromebooks.  One of the professors at OU wants to enroll his two children in our program!

messy notes:

web tutorial content

interesting process of developing

engagement presentations was when my blended mastered class were

we need an education citizenry

knowledge is change it is not being able to repeat it’s synthesizing knowledge

a vision of student

Chickering and Gamson seven principle

encourage constant

develop reciprocity

feedback is important

voice thread comment on each other http://voicethread.com/

for early readers

gagne's nine events of learning.

retention

1st in online engagement looked at debt, student services

digital marketing firm

90% retention for online students

Kretovic 2003  retentions

sloan consortium 5 pillars of online education

tutorials of consistent message and tutorial

orientation 0 module on line ready readiness

notice of concern with students learning or non learning issues documents or contacts

support

must be real time

discounted and free software

is the problem help desk or mentor teacher?

Tutorials

consistent

chunked in little pieces

searchable

possible youtube channel  screen casting

Developing library

google apps

i-calvert library

citelighter

listen to student concerns

create feedback method

create resources

creating that place for feedback

creating community even if with parents

facebook for elementary parents

facebook for middle school students

talent show - on youtube - public

response to others building community- message boards were a mess

drop in hours on the google hangout

class badges

cheering each other on

Google hangout limit 15 depending on purchasing

Next year best practices

office hours

hangout hours

LTU credits staying on top of things and consistent message and the personal touch.

Elliot Soloway Intergalactic Mobile learning center

singapore teaches by memorizing the answers; they realized that's not the way ; they are moving as fast as they can away from us

if tech is not an essential intelligent; it will not impact student achievement

research shows need to use over 50

teachers changed to inquiry base a

supplemental use verse essential use

e202 is carpe diemi e 2020 partners with k12 and governor

flashcards apps " you are using a $500 Ipad as a 69 cent flash card"

content verse curriculum

learn by doing J. Dewey How people learn

transformation #1 pedagogy & Curriculum

move from direct instruction to inquiry

agile software development model

#2 Technology

use it in the world 24/7

mydesk developed at U of M

#3 student become self directed learners and collaborative learners

not any time any where it's all the time everywhere

#4 parent attitude  and

#5 teachers attitudes are change

Elliot Soloway’s contact  information imcl-collabrify@umich.edu

facebook

open - closed - secret

secret down side not searchable cannot find approve user

closed users can search and request access

can see who members are

assignments

photo journalling identifying different trees

students comment back on

procrastination

neuroscience procrastination is pain related  

you get a clue I do not want to do this pain lights up you react by avoiding

learning is based on making a memory trace practice makes permanent  - cramming does not allow memory tracing

stem is a deep learning based discipline that requires retraining of learning

switching attentions is like ripping up a plant every few minutes multitasking does not grow deep learning

hard work often pays of after time but laziness pays off now

you are fighting the limbic pleasure junkie - teaches yourself to ignore

the number one value of a personal trainer is just being there.

executive functions only hold about 7 things

is you are remembering seven items thats seven places

put them on one checklist that's one place

action enforcer task list

30/30 free app

jorte

flash card system studyblue and evernote and anki

cheering each other on  www.43things.com and www.stickK.com

disabling sound really helps weed out the distraction

learning using insights from neuroscience her book  

cal newport georgetown U setting quitting time