All Things in Commotion

Counsel from Elder Busche

2011-07-26T23:36:00.000-07:00

Irony

2011-06-12T23:55:00.000-07:00

My brain is my greatest strength yet my worst enemy.

We Are Men!!

2010-11-13T15:15:00.000-08:00

Randomly (meaning I know they didn't secretly plan this)...the boys in first period started singing "We Are Men" from Mulan. Somehow they all knew all the words-verses included. At the end, I gave them a quizzical eyebrow and they explained to me how cool of a song it was.....and sang it again.

Don't tell them- but secretly I was pretty impressed. :)

Really???

2010-11-07T00:05:00.000-07:00

My students have a knack for getting worked up about the element symbols on the periodic table. They just do not want to deal with the fact that iron is Fe and potassium is K and tungsten is W and sodium is Na, etc. I explained that the symbols came from the Latin names of the elements.

Frustrated student: "we're in America! Why do we care about Latvia?"

Me: Laughing uncontrollably

Student: not getting it

Me: "you do know that they don't speak Latin in Latvia, don't you?"

Student: "They don't?"

Me: "No, they don't"

Rest of class: "No, you dummy- Latin is a DEAD language!"

Acetic Anhydride

2010-05-20T22:57:00.001-07:00

It is May. It is the end of the school year. I am wound up so tightly that I will not think twice about jumping down the throat of the first person who crosses me. So let me describe how the last hour and a half of school made it 1000 times worse.

4th period. They bug the living daylights out of me. They lie, cheat, drink alcohol in class, back-talk, swear, make out in class, and everything else under the sun. I cannot wait to be rid of them and I am sure they cannot wait to be rid of me. I have been driving myself batty trying to make these last 2 weeks of school bearable by coming up with lessons that are somewhat relevant and engaging. They are learning about materials- crystals, nanoparticles, polymers, etc. All new stuff that I am making up as I go which is more work. Not in the book. Not like I use the book anyway.

So today they were supposed to do commercials about a product that uses nanotechnology to improve performance. They behaved hideously. Their "commercials" were awful. They had no problem speaking while another group was taking their turn "performing". I kicked a girl out of class after she mocked 2 kids- got an earful of brat talk. I got so frustrated I handed them each a science magazine/article and said they had to read it and summarize it and they couldn't talk or look at their phones until the end of class. So they sat in silence. Don't worry, I know they didn't learn a single thing except that I was ticked.

Then, the bell rings. As soon as the bell rings, I am paged to call the office. So I do. My chemical order that was SUPPOSED TO BE PUT IN OVER A WEEK AGO just got sent off by the district. For crying out loud!! Me and my school did it all by the book. The district sat on it for no apparent reason and now I will not have my chemical in time.

Why is this so important right now? Well, for the past week+ my honors students having been learning how to synthesize aspirin. They have studied the procedure carefully, they can explain the hows, whys, and what ifs, (not so much the calculations though) and they have gone through one trial synthesis. They are starting to think about what they are doing and why they are doing it and they are asking good questions. I have them right where I want them.

But NO. It is all for nothing. I will not have any acetic anhydride for them to do a second trial. They will not get to test their hypotheses. They will not have the chance to prove to themselves that they CAN do chemistry (most of them think they can't because it is too hard. more like it is the first thing they have ever done that has challenged them at all) Instead, I will have to come up with a new plan in 11 hours that can assess what I have been cultivating for several weeks. Not likely to happen.

I am so upset! I can't just go to the grocery store and buy this stuff. It is a level 3 health hazard and a level 2 flammability hazard. It has to be shipped via truck. None of the high schools in my district have any I can borrow and I am not eligible to purchase any from the university. I am at the point where I am so frustrated that I would have driven 2 hours and spent my own money to get my hands on 500 mL of the stuff. But it just isn't possible. What is with the dang district??? Don't they know some of us have to TEACH??

FYI- I looked at the purchase date on the old bottle of acetic anhydride. 1989. I was 7 years old. Expiration date- 1994. Hmmm...maybe that explains the green moldy things and spikey crystals that showed up when we put the stuff in the drying oven? Probably not.

What is the bleep-bleep point???

2010-02-27T10:02:00.000-08:00

I am so blasted frustrated with living this pathetic pointless life. I throw all of my time into work which is decidedly pointless, and then when I have a day off I remember how much I hate being alive. When I am not at work I am pissed off that I am committed to work through the end of the school year. Fine. Whatever. I will continue to be a sucky teacher until June. Then bring on the hepatic encephalopathy.

Cumorah

2009-09-12T12:19:00.001-07:00

So, this summer I had the chance to be in the Hill Cumorah Pageant. Let me tell you, it was so awesome. The hill is in Palmyra, New York. Latter-Day Saints believe that the record that was translated into the Book of Mormon was buried on that hill by an ancient prophet named Moroni. The place is pretty special. The pageant has 10 scenes that outline the stories in the Book of Mormon. It is the story of prophets- all of whom testified of the Savior. The climax of the pageant is when an actor playing Jesus Christ descends from heaven lifting the darkness and teaching the people. The entire cast is onstage during this scene.

Aside from the descension scene, I was cast as a "Noah Citizen". I was in the King Noah scene and listened to the prophet Abinadi testify of Christ and call the people to repentance. And then of course, the prophet was burned. The coolest scene as far as effects are concerned was the destruction scene. Fireballs, floods, earthquakes, and lots of teenagers pretending to die very dramatically. I was a little jealous that I wasn't in that scene!

I met some amazing people in Palmyra and I learned that I am capable of making friends and I am not some sort of pariah. That felt really good. We got the chance to tour the churchsites in the area including the Sacred Grove, the Grandin printing press, Peter Whitmer's farm, and the Palmyra temple. We also did a service project on the Erie canal. I was fascinated by the workings of the canal.

Being in the east reminded me of living in Connecticut. I miss that in a way. I know it has been a long time- 18 years- but still. I miss the buttercup flowers and the New England accents and the old trees and blue lakes. I miss the history that breathes through the east. I never thought I would end up in Utah for good, but at least for the forseeable future that's where I'll be. Don't get me wrong, Utah is fine, but I am a yankee at heart.

Facebook | Photos of You

2009-07-20T22:20:00.000-07:00

Facebook | Photos of You

Building the Kingdom

2008-10-06T21:26:00.000-07:00

Okay, I am teaching institute on Thursday- the course is The Gospel and the Productive Life. The lesson is titled "Each of us can help build the kingdom of God on earth. The "principles to understand" are 1) We help build the kingdom of God by living righteously, 2) Individuals and families are strengthened by activity in the church, 3) We should willingly serve wherever we are, and 4) Blessings come as we serve in the kingdom of God.

I've had a few thoughts on this topic. Thought number 1. Are there times when we are not asked to contribute where we think we might do a good job? For example, I've never been asked to teach although I am a teacher by profession. Just wondering if I am the only one that has observed this. You know, it is nice to not have to teach Sunday when I teach every other day of the week.

Thought number 2. So, you married types may or may not have heard the fireside that Elder Holland gave in 2004- He talked about this dispensation's contribution in the ushering in of the second coming. He said that it is our duty to prepare this world for the coming of the Savior. He said that prophets from dispensations past had reason to hope because they saw OUR dispensation. These prophets knew their own dispensations would fail eventually, but they saw that our dispensation, the dispensation of the fullness of times, would not fail and Christ will come to claim His kingdom. When I heard Elder Holland give that talk, I was amazed by that concept. I felt excited to be part of this dispensation. Does anyone else remember that talk (you can find it on BYU's website under speeches)? It was amazing.

So, what do y'all think?

When copper faces off with aluminum

2008-09-26T13:23:00.000-07:00

My students have been doing some experiments with copper sulfate. The waste from these experiments was sitting on a bench in my lab and I wanted to evaporate it so I could reclaim the copper sulfate. Well, late Wednesday night (and I mean late...it was after parent teacher conferences) I decided to pour the copper sulfate solution into some shallow aluminum pie pans to help it evaporate faster. On Thursday morning, I walked into my classroom and looked across the room at the pans. They were empty. Weird thought I. Then I noticed a huge puddle about 3 feet away from the pans. Double weird. Well, I walked over to inspect the mess and this is what happened (I think). The copper sulfate reacted with the aluminum in the pie plate (yes, Miss Carr forgot to consider the activity series of metals) and the copper was reduced and the aluminum was oxidized. Translation: The copper sulfate ate away holes in the pie plate and copper metal was formed under the pie tin. The holes resulted in a leak of the copper sulfate solution and apparently the bench has a slight slope so the puddle ended up a ways down stream. Copper sulfate is blue and forms blue crystals when it evaporates so eventually the puddle turned into a large bed of fine blue crystals. So, now you all know that when copper and aluminum go to war, copper wins!

And we're off...

2008-08-26T19:28:00.000-07:00

School started this Monday. Holy chaos Batman! Someone had the 'brilliant' idea to have all 8 periods yesterday in this order: 1,2,5,6,3,4,7,8. For half an hour each. In my opinion this was a disaster. One poor girl got mixed up and sat through my class twice. The sophmores are just as confused as ever. To top it off, the gas wasn't working in my classroom (still isn't) so that meant I had to stick to the less-exciting experiments instead of sacrificing a gummy bear to the chemistry gods.

I am teaching 1 AP class, 3 honors classes, and 2 chem 1 classes. My AP kids had me last year for the most part and they were crazy wound up yesterday. We'll see if the homework I've been giving them is encouraging them to get down to business. I taught my 3 honors classes today- a couple of observations: 1- I have a lot of really small sophmore boys. I don't remember so many small ones last year, but maybe that's because I didn't have as many sophmores. 2- Maybe it's just because it is the beginning of the year, but my classes have been quiet! I haven't had to take any phones away or ask the class to stop talking for the 100th time (except maybe AP). I don't remember the last time school was like this!

My kids from last year seem to enjoy coming back and visiting me. They end up in my room randomly throughout the day. I enjoy seeing them- but not in the middle of class. Tomorrow AP is doing a lab (we'll see if they remember molarity-I doubt it!) and working on measurement and nomenclature and my other classes are making Alka-seltzer rockets. I need to figure out what to have them do after the rockets.

Resignation

2008-08-22T17:26:00.000-07:00

It is the end of the summer and I am resigning myself to the fact that I will not die this summer and will go on living into the next school year. In a way, the end of summer was like my "deadline". Yes, I know this is all ridiculous. I really do. I resent taking that ultimate choice off the table. I feel prisoner to my work again. A voluntary prisoner to be sure, but a prisoner nonetheless. I come home late, exhausted from work and spend an hour or two feeling acutely lonely, fall into a troubled sleep, and start again before the sun rises. Is this really what it means to be alive?

On the road again

2008-08-03T10:18:00.001-07:00

This is the view from the top of Catherine Pass in Little Cottonwood Canyon. My ward had a campout at Albion basin which is the basin at the bottom of the pass. Lake Catherine is in the background and there are three other lakes north of this one. Ward campouts are always interesting. Sometimes I wonder if anyone will come back as friends. It is also funny (to me anyway) to imagine your ward being a pioneer company headed west.

Our dear bishop is retired Army and has been a boy scout guy for years and years. He had several canvas army tents that we slept in. Now, never having camped with a fair sized group of women, he saw no problem in having seven of us in one tent. He was sure suprised when, at 1 am, our tent busted out laughing and didn't stop for quite a while. To quote him-"At first I thought it was just one of you and it would stop in a minute. Then there were more of you. Then I wondered if you'd ever stop and what on earth was so funny". Well, bishop, there wasn't anything funny. That's just what happens when you put a lot of girls in one place late at night.

Hike Naked...it adds color to your cheeks!

2008-07-28T21:58:00.000-07:00

So, I got back last Thursday from my backpacking trip. Yes, I wore clothes most of the time. It was so fun. I camped at a campground in the Unitas on Tuesday and on Wednesday I hiked up to Amethyst lake. It was about a 5 miles trip, the last 3 of which were uphill. Yes, I was packing all of my gear- and you know what? I made it. It was a beautiful hike- the wildflowers were in bloom and the trail crossed several beautiful streams. Actually, there wasn't much of a trail past a certain point, but that's okay.

I camped in a meadow about 1/2 mile from the lake (there were boy scouts with horses at the lake) and did some exploring. I hiked over to Ostler Lake (really no trail this time- found it with a compass) and that was great. I was the only one there- no commotion. I camped in the meadow and had some great beef stew for dinner (dehydrated and then rehydrated using hot water). I spent some time at the lake the next morning and then headed back down the mountain.

Going up took more energy than going down, but I was more sore from going down- weird calf muscles in use I guess. Overall though, I suprised myself at how well I handled it physically. The mosquitos were out in full force and despite an entire can of OFF (travel size mind you) I still have quite a few souvenirs. Oh, and no pictures because I forgot to put the batteries into the camera.

...Polo!

2008-07-25T11:42:00.001-07:00

Remember playing Marco Polo in the swimming pool when we were kids? That's a little bit like what this post is. Me shouting Polo! to those who are curious about where I am. Picture me as a groundhog, or better yet, a MOLE (get it chem wizzes?) that pops her head up every once in a while just so you know she's there, but as soon as try to catch her, she's gone again.

I am actually back in SLC for now. I had an awesome trip(s) to the following: Richland, Seattle, Orlando, Cozumel, Roaton (Honduras), Belize City, Freeport Bahamas, Cedar City, St. George, and Zion National Park. I'll write more about my adventures later when I have a longer attention span. (Will that ever happen??)

I am feeling much better about life these days. Being away from students and chemistry has enabled me to try out some new things and begin to find talents and interests I've never known I had because I've always been so engrossed in school. One of my new interests is hiking/backpacking. I did a lot of hiking in Zion and I am thinking of going backpacking near Flaming Gorge this week. I know backpacking alone isn't a great idea, but I can't let my lack of friends with time on their hands stop me because if I stay in one place and am left to my own devices, I am not safe. Anyhow, I thought I'd post a few pictures of me and my adventures just for those of you who are curious :)

Grand Bahama Island-I went parasailing! Yay!

Jillian and I in Honduras

Temple of the moon, Mayan ruins at Tulum, Mexico. You can't tell from the picture, but it is very very very hot!!!
Hidden Canyon at Zion national park. Good thing I'm there to hold up the mountain!

Okay, so this is funny

2008-07-21T01:58:00.000-07:00

The Fugitive

2008-07-13T22:47:00.000-07:00

I've disappeared. I've gone into hiding. No one actually knows where I am. I've spent 1 night at home since June 24. Now, I am sure that if someone was desperate to find me, they could, but as it stands now, I have disappeared.

It feels great to be in hiding. It feels as if my life is completely inconsequential and that if I slipped off the face of the earth, nothing would be the worse. Why am I so attracted to this feeling? Dunno. Maybe this is what I'm going for when I reach for the Tylenol. I realize that I might be unique here. I am not secretly wishing for someone to find me. I am much more at ease- I've been able to meet people and talk easily with people I have just met. I feel like a different person. And, tomorrow, I might just get up and be someone else. No rules, no responsibilities, no strings attached.

Why am I hiding in the first place? It's July. I am afraid to go home.

Better than the book

2008-07-07T22:40:00.000-07:00

I'm spending part of this week in Cedar City at the Shakespeare festival. Today, I saw Cyrano de Bergyrac and Two Gentlemen of Verona.

I've decided that Shakespeare plays are much better on stage than on paper. I am realizing that I don't get the humor as well when I am simply reading a play. Shakespeare's humor is so different from modern humor that it's hard for me to pick up on. The director and actors did an amazing job interpreting the play. Two Gentlemen is a comedy- it pits the friendship story against the love story. If you really want to know, I am sure wikipedia or something can tell you all about it. Suffice to say, I hated the way it ended! Julia is a sweet, beautiful, innocent young woman but loses her head to her heart and takes back a total bum for a husband. This play has a plot that resembles the drama my students are constantly embroiled in. He likes her and she likes him who hates the other him but secretly likes her best friend and meanwhile the parents...you know.

Cyrano de Bergyrac isn't a Shakespeare play but was amazing. I had a basic idea of the plot, but I didn't know the detail or the pathos that makes up so much of the play. The play explores Cyrano's insecurity about his exceptionally large nose and the loneliness and shame that results. Cyrano's character resonated with me- he felt like no one could ever love him. Never mind that he was exceptionally witty, courageous, charismatic, gentle, an exceptionally brilliant poet- he pushed everyone away from him because of the shame he felt. The beautiful Roxanne falls in love with his soul without knowing his true identity. Long story short (again, see wikipedia) the story is deeply tragic and only in his dying hour does Roxanne find out his true identity. Beautiful love story, amazingly tragic, deep pathos.

This is a great change from the world of high school chemistry and all the associated drama!

My First "Tag"...hmmm

2008-06-19T22:01:00.000-07:00

A) Four places I visit over and over:

The Manavu chapel
Stewart Falls
IKEA
Jordan High

B ) Four people who email me (regularly):

Students
Students' parents
VPs
AP College board

C) Four places I like to eat:

Jessica's house :)
The Pie
Ruth's Diner
'Ella Good (Hawaiian ice stand in Provo- I don't think it's there any more, but it was AMAZING!)

D) Four places I'd rather be right now:

BYU
On a date
Performing on Broadway
Pushing up tulips

E) Four TV shows (movies) I would watch over and over:

MASH
Cosby
Mona Lisa Smile
???

Mmmmm...Summer!

2008-06-19T02:30:00.000-07:00

Face to face with the Black Dog

2008-06-01T21:24:00.000-07:00

Winston Churchill was the Prime Minister of Britain during WWII. As Prime Minister, he led his countrymen into some of the fiercest battles this world has ever known. At the same time, Churchill fought his own inward battle with what he euphemistically called the "black dog". What is the Black Dog? Depression. Deep, suffocating, clinical depression.

Clinical Depression isn't just the "blues" or a few bad days in a row, or grieving the death of a loved one. Depression is an abnormal response to a normal situation. For instance, it is normal to grieve when a loved one dies. It becomes depression when mourning does not fade after a reasonable period of time. Depression isn't feeling heartache about a broken relationship. This is normal. Difficult things happen to each of us in life and it can be expected that we will all feel something akin to the symptoms of depression several times during our lives.

To be diagnosed with depression, five of the following nine criteria must be met within a two week period including depressed mood and lack of interest or pleasure:

Depressed mood
Decreased interest or pleasure
Unexplained weight changes
Sleep disturbances
Psychomotor agitation or retardation
fatigue
Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
Inability to concentrate
Thoughts of death or suicide

Clinical depression ranges in severity from mild to severe- with psychotic symptoms. In many cases, it is easily treated and abates within a reasonable amount of time (on the order of months). Other times, this is not the case.

Why am I writing this? To tell the truth, I do not know. I have been dealing with depression in one form or another for 5 years. It has been a major factor if not the commanding factor in essentially every major decision or event since I started college. I used to try to keep it a secret. I don't really try anymore. I suppose there are people that guessed it, but I don't know who.

I'm surprised at how resilient I've been. I have been kicked over and over and yet I keep getting back up. No mission? wait a year and try again. Still no mission? graduate college- with 198.5 credits. Crisis counseling Saturday morning? play the organ at church on Sunday. Can't afford medication because of crappy insurance? get the doctor to give you samples. Spend the night in the ED? go to class the next day. Spend the weekend drinking mucomyst (think rotten egg juice)? Educate the nurse about the biochemical pathways that you threw out of whack and present your data at lab meeting on Tuesday. Psychiatrist writes involuntary commitment orders on you and you end up locked up with no shoelaces or a shower head for an undetermined length of time? Ask for permission to study your neuroscience book. Doc says no studying-focus on mental health instead? surprise the doc by reading the book she gives you in under 3 hours. Get hauled off by the police to another hospital 5 days after being released from the last hospital? Tell off the supervising psychologist that sent you there (I don't recommend this one- he can testify against you in a mental health court). Get told that you either move to WA or have a commitment hearing for the state hospital? Have a melt-down then move to WA, find a job, and learn to sew. Forced to drop out of a PhD program? Find a new career teaching chemistry. Can't pay the $60,000 in medical bills that your previously mentioned crappy insurance won't cover? Get financial assistance and pay off the rest, bit by painful bit.

So, I am not your typical psych patient. I've got a host of "diagnoses", but those are relatively meaningless in a realm where labels are based on a collection of symptoms rather than a specific etiology. If I'd been the typical psych patient, I'd probably be on welfare, living with my parents, and working a minimum wage job.

It's been over a year since any psych unit admissions (lockups). It's been since February since any "overmedication" or ED visits. This should be a source of satisfaction, but it is NOT! And now, I think I have arrived my point in writing all of this. Looking at these measures, yes, I am getting "better". At least better enough to make the people around me more comfortable. But I am NOT better! Or am I? Maybe I am just refusing to believe I can get better. Maybe my identity has become enmeshed with my 'illness' to the point where I can no longer separate the two. Who am I when the black dog leaves?

I don't know the answer to these questions- surprise, surprise. All I know for now is that school is almost out, summer vacation is almost here, and for the past year, I have been obsessing about killing myself by overdosing on Tylenol this July. Just because I have these obsessions doesn't mean I have to act on them, but I get a little stubborn sometimes. I know neither source nor salve, just that I am alone.

If I hear the words "Extra Credit?" one more time...

2008-06-01T08:40:00.000-07:00

I can make it. I can make it. I can make it. Two more days before grades are final. In the meantime...heaven help the next kid that asks me for extra credit! Students do a lot of irritating things some of which bug me more than others. One of my top five is students asking for extra credit starting about 2 weeks before the end of a grading period. Here are the reasons why it makes me so unbelievably grumpy:

Collecting and grading extra credit just makes more work for me.
Students cheat on extra credit assignments
Students don't understand that it is a privilege, NOT an entitlement
Why should I let a student who has a 32% do enough extra credit to pass? Isn't it against some ethical code to pass a student who has absolutely no understanding of the material?
Why can't the panic about passing my class start at the BEGINNING of the quarter??
If a student hasn't been doing their assignments during the quarter, why on earth should I give them MORE work?
They assume I like them. Most of the time I do, but not when they interrupt class, sleep through class, throw things at the garbage can and miss, text, skip class, etc. No, you are not my "favorite student", yes, I can live with myself if I fail you, and having you behave in class is worth infinitely more than the $100/apple pie/car wash you are offering me.

Bottom line- the more you ask me about extra credit, the LESS likely I am to offer any!

Vote

2008-05-10T12:44:00.000-07:00

Okay, I need a new swimsuit for vacation this summer. I can't figure out what I want, so I need some opinions. What do you think? Keep in mind that I have an unfortunately ginormous bust line and I am trying to stay at least sort of modest. It's kind of a shame though...I bet I'd look real good in some of those plunging neckline suits! :)

The Big Picture??

2008-05-05T21:27:00.000-07:00

4 weeks of school left- this has been a year I never want to repeat again but has been truly unique. I am ready to drop kick some of my students to the moon. I love my kids but they make me pull my hair out :) State and AP testing are this week and next and my kids assume they are done after that...hmmm...I wish we could ALL be done. I have been so frustrated and so excited and so worn out and so worried and so crazed this year! How am I going to make it through 42 more???

I am definitely sure I could not have made it through this year if I'd had a family or friends or hobbies to try to keep up with. It is super pathetic but right now my students are my social life. They want me to go to prom, they want me to go bowling with them, they hang out in my room...all...after...noon.... they even attempt to find dates for me. They are funny. I had to quit piano and organ for a while because I just didn't have time and it resulted in a full blown melt-down-throwing books at piano teacher-begging the bishop to be released from playing the organ- bishop giving you the "what do I do with you"? look- tears-never listen to music again melt down. I am back to playing organ on Sundays, sometimes, but that's it. Kind of lame of me, I know.

I miss being a student. I really do. I feel like my mind has a slow leak in it when I teach school. I repeat myself 50 times a day and things that my kids think are the most complicated things on the planet are things I can do in my sleep- they are merely tools, or a language, or a basis for understanding something bigger. All I hear all day though is how hard chemistry is. I know chemistry is hard. I really do. I have given blood, sweat, tears, and more for the sake of chemistry (literally!). And I understand and have empathy for the struggles my kids have. But sometimes I feel like shaking my head and telling them to hurry up and get it already so we can move on and talk about the interesting stuff!!! (2nd period knows they can derail me on anything physiology related). Maybe Heavenly Father feels that way, only in His infinite patience, he smiles and waits for us to sort through the forests on our own while He looks on the Big Picture?

San Fransisco

2008-04-19T06:54:00.000-07:00

San Fransisco was a great shift from UT in the winter. It was warm enough to walk on the bay shore with no shoes on...that's warm enough for me. Being barefoot was great- and I was lucky enough to avoid stepping on any sand crabs. Chrissy Field is a great place to just walk and enjoy the sun. It is near the Exploratorium which is a very cool hands-on science museum. That was probably my favorite part of the trip. It was cool to experience all the things I learned in college up close.

They had a special exhibit about the mind. Nerdy neuroscientist that I am, I was fascinated by all those demonstrations. It was all stuff I'd learned about but for the most part had never experienced. It was especially cool because I knew all of the biological mechanisms explaining what t he exhibits were about. Lots of cool physics stuff as well. Take your kids there- they'll love it. I wish we had a science museum like that in UT.

We also spent some time at the famous Winchester house. Mrs. Winchester inherited her husband's fortune (the Winchester rifle fortune) and moved to CA. She says a spirit told her that to avoid death, she needed to build a house but never finish it. So, she did. The thing that makes this a tourist trap is that she used the most nonsensical architecture you've ever heard of. Doors that go to nowhere, stairs that go to nowhere. Cupboard doors with no cupboard behind, seonce rooms, 13 bathrooms, etc. Just weird stuff mostly. Yes, it's a tourist trap, but my friend wanted to go, so we did. And yes, this door is really a door on the second story that goes to absolutely nowhere, and yes, you can open it.

I also got to go to the Modern Art Museum while my friend went to the aquarium. (most of you know how I feel about fish...) Turns out, I like some modern art, I don't like some modern art. I learned that I go on vacation a lot like my Dad- I like to go and do and keep busy. I also have a navigational sense based on an internal compass instead of a road map. Basically I just aim the car in the direction I want to go and hope there's a road that goes there. My friend's idea of vacation was a lot more like my mom's- take it easy and relax.

Gotta love spring break!

2008-04-08T21:42:00.000-07:00

I guess some of us just never have to grow up. I am one of the privileged few "working" adults who gets an automatic spring break. (Never mind that I spent 40% of it grading lab reports!) This March, I did something TOTALLY out of character and took a break! I went with a friend to San Francisco. I'll write more later, but just know that CA weather sure beats UT weather this time of year!

So long Sammi

2008-03-02T20:34:00.000-08:00

I miss Sammi. I cried my eyes out when I had to say goodbye and abandon her. I can't believe she's gone. I miss her! I need to make a list of my memories with her- maybe that will help.

Driving her for the first time- on the highway outside of West Richland.

Driving her to work at the 300 area for the last 2 weeks I worked there.

Only listening to church music for the first 6 months I drove her because she used to be a mission car and I didn't want to disturb any sense of equilibrium.

Sammi came into my life during a time when I didn't have a lot to be happy about.

Packing all of my belongings and driving off to Utah for my last semester at BYU.

Driving down University Parkway in Orem headed towards Provo at night and seeing the Provo temple come into view as a beacon on a hill.

Going back and forth to Lone Peak for my first semester teaching.

Going back and forth to Riverton for my first real career.

Driving 4 wonderful ladies in my ward to the Manti pagent

Parking Sammi at Salt Lake International while I left on my first cross-country interview trip to Iowa City. I felt very "grown-up"

Looking for my car in the parking lot by the WILK for the umpteenth time after forgetting where I parked.

Locking my keys in the trunk on my last day of work at Riverton

Packing everything I owned and driving off to Salt Lake to start career number 2.

Hanging my institute parking pass on the rear view mirror and having a sense of security knowing that there are still good people outside of Utah County.

Driving to Orem to see Dr. Paulson on October 11, 2006- taking one Tylenol followed by throwing one out the window, etc. until I got to Orem. Dr. Paulson, in his gentle way, convinced me to go to the ER.

Repeating the above scenario a month later on my way to see Debra- it was Friday morning and I was supposed to be in the lab slicing rat brains, but instead I was on my way to ending up admitted into UVRMC.

Sammi had an arm rest with storage space that came in useful for storing pills. I sat in the front seat with a frozen water bottle when I took them in December.

Gingerly driving the long way to WA after being banished from the state of Utah. Sammi was my sense of security. The only element of my world that was going to remain constant.

Driving to the temple in the middle of the night trying again to understand.

Driving to my first day of work in my 3rd career.

Changing her front light bulb and the coolant while wearing a skirt in the VP parking lot.

Seeing Sammi as the only car left in the parking lot when being "escorted" out of the school at 1:00 am

Changing her license plates to the Utah skier plates while feeling like I was betraying her.

Weeping in the driver's seat after quitting piano lessons and music for the rest of my life.

I never should have gotten in the car Feb 10. Brother Packard and the Bishop tell me that I wasn't in my right frame of mind. So when I couldn't stop in time on 60th S and 9E...Sammi, I am so sorry!!!! I let you down. You were there for me and I was irresponsible and now you are being sold for parts. I miss you.

2008-02-24T17:44:00.000-08:00

Your Dominant Intelligence is Logical-Mathematical Intelligence

You are great at finding patterns and relationships between things.

Always curious about how things work, you love to set up experiments.

You need for the world to make sense - and are good at making sense of it.

You have a head for numbers and math ... and you can solve almost any logic puzzle.

You would make a great scientist, engineer, computer programmer, researcher, accountant, or mathematician.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

One good day

2008-02-02T08:49:00.000-08:00

I finally got my office organized at work..something I have been trying to do since August. Next task is the prep room, but that is quite the daunting task. Yesterday was a pretty good day at school-well, at least 1st period. My honors class has been talking about crystal structures and on Monday I had them make Alum crystals (Alum is in deodorant) and yesterday we looked at them under the microscopes along with some other types of crystals. I didn't give them an assignment about it and I think that was a good decision because they just took the opportunity to be curious. They were really excited about their crystals- they all turned out differently which was weird, but a lot of them wanted to take theirs home...a couple even want to come in after school and work on setting it up so that their crystals will keep growing. Then, after they'd looked at their crystals, they started looking at other stuff under the scopes. The boys were going about trying to find blood samples ( I had to keep taking away forceps from them) and the girls became fascinated with looking at their hair under the scopes. Typical!

Parent teacher conferences are at the end of the month- I just LOVE those.... March will be a long month, but at the end we have spring break- no plans which isn't a good thing for me, but I do have a few weeks. The AP exam is in May, and my kids don't realize how much left they have to learn so they really haven't kicked it into gear yet. (I have a couple of lazy guys-but the girls are on top of things) I am hearing a lot of talk about kids wanting to take AP next year, which is exciting for me, especially since it won't be my first year with AP next year, and I'll have a much better idea of how to teach the class. Also, I am drawing the line. NO more Saturday labs. Either they take the AP science lab as part of their school schedule or they register for the course at the U and take it there (unfortunately having to pay tuition) Saturday labs are just too much.

Thoughts about a good night of sleep

2008-01-06T21:38:00.000-08:00

I like sleep. I really do. It's just that some times (okay, most times) it hits the bottom of the priority list. I mean, I have been grading lab reports in my sleep and wake up the next day unable to read what I have written. I have 3 alarms in my apartment in 3 different "rooms" to wake me up at 5:45. I am proud to say that I have taken naps in every building at BYU on account of being sleep deprived (tip- the orange couch on the second floor of the old section of the library in the mother's room of the women's restroom is a very good place to sleep. But if you are worried about waking up before your next class, hit the basement of the Benson building- its relatively quiet and there is a loud bell to wake you up before class) My parents complain that when I was a baby, I would open my eyes every time they started to leave my room after they thought I was asleep. In junior high, I would sleep with a flashlight so I could read under the covers without mom and dad knowing I was awake. I wrote my best papers between 10:00 at night and 6:00 in the morning. Bottom line: Long history of sleep deprivation

Last night, I came home about 10:30 and instead of going to sleep, I decided to grade the rest of AP Chem's thermo assignments (they hate thermo. they also butcher it) Then, I decided to eat a sandwich. While making the sandwich, it all of a sudden became necessary for me to look up the pharmacokinetic data for a certain prescription drug. After I satisfied that curiosity, it was time to decide what to wear to church to day. Then, I remembered that I was in the middle of making a sandwich. So, I finish with the sandwich and go back to my pharmacology research. It is now 2:00 in the morning and I feel myself giving way to sleep. I crawl into my wonderful bed, pull up my covers (I love sleeping with tons of blankets when it is cold outside!) I find my b-b and BAM! I am asleep. I wake up at 12:00 Sunday afternoon (Don't worry, church is at 1:30) It felt wonderful to get that much sleep. It was like I was a different person.

Now the question. Why on earth was all that other stuff so important to give up sleep for????? I am reminded of a line from Harry Potter- Ron comments to Harry about Herminione "She needs to sort out her priorities"!!!

Experience of a Lifetime

2007-12-19T21:51:00.000-08:00

So, the absolute coolest thing...I got to play the tabernacle organ in Salt Lake City on Temple Square!!! Yes, the actual organ. 11,000+ pipes and all! I played 2 verses of Redeemer of Israel. I didn't set the stops myself. I am getting better with registration but the tabernacle organ isn't just any organ (duh). First verse was principals and reeds, second verse added a mixture. We got to go through the pipes and see the different styles and shapes and sizes of all of the pipes. We also got to look through the antiphonal organ (the one where the pipes sound from the back of the tabernacle). Playing the antiphonal ranks was crazy. When you play a scale, the pipes are sounding about 2 notes behind what you are playing. The purpose would be for special effects or for congregational singing (to keep everyone together). I also learned that the organist is the one who is in charge of changing the colors of the background lights. As if they don't have enough to keep track of!

We also got to see the huge blower for the air that goes into the pipes. The air has to be brought to the right temperature, pressure, and humidity before it goes into the organ. The barometric pressure is actually what makes the organ go out of tune more than the temperature. The organ goes through a complete tuning twice a year and during the rest of the year as needed. I bet I can think of a chemistry problem...gas laws anyone?

Bottom line...one of the best musical experiences of my life. Just to think of history housed in the tabernacle and the spirit found there is awesome. And to think that I got a chance to play!

Being Single with a Blog

2007-11-18T09:24:00.000-08:00

I've had a great time catching up on the lives of friends and old roomates who have "grown up"...married, had children, moved away... I truly love seeing pictures and video clips of their families. At the same time, I wonder if I should even bother to keep a blog. I don't have cute kids to show off, wedding pictures to post, or even a boyfriend. My life revolves around work and my students. Even I get sick of talking about work all the time. I am not a creative or funny thinker or writer- so there's no point in reading my blog for entertainment value. So sometimes I wonder why I have a blog in the first place.

Student Tales

2007-06-26T21:36:00.000-07:00

I've spent the past five months working at Sylvan Learning Center teaching math, algebra, SAT prep and working with some students on homework support. It's been a great opportunity to build personal relationships with students. I've seen one eighth grader come begin her program not knowing any multiplication facts progress through long division and fractions. I am so proud of her! She invited me to watch her debate at school. She's the kind of kid that could easily get lost in the school system so I was so happy to see her excited about school activites!

Another one of my students wins the prize for most smiley person I have ever met. He is shy and speaks with a quiet voice. I love to work with him because he is a sponge. He loves to learn and sometimes I can even get him to giggle! He never wants to leave when his lesson is over and he asks if he can come home with me. He even volunteers to ride on top of my car. He is awesome.

I teach pre-algebra to an autistic student. He never really has much to say, but he has a wonderful sense of humor. One day he sat tapping out melodies on his calculator. It was barely noticeable but gave everyone at the table a smile. He is learning to work with positive and negative numbers. I told him about the nightmare dream I had in middle school when I was struggling with positive and negative numbers. He thought it was the silliest thing he'd every heard. I warned him that some day he will have the same nightmare- so now he gives me the report every time he sees me. (Still no nightmare)

I have learned so much by getting to know my students on a more personal level. They come in each day eager to tell me about their latest boyfriend, the basketball tournament, their vacation...yesterday, one student even told me about running over a coyote with a swather! I love connecting with my students!

Scientist or Teacher?

2007-03-01T00:21:00.000-08:00

That's the 64,000 dollar question. It has been a strangely liberating experience to be free of the ball and chain of academic science. I spent one semester in a neuroscience Ph.D. program and I decided to call it quits a few weeks into my second semester. Why, you ask? Isn't getting a Ph.D. full of glamor and glory? Absolutely not. In the first place, I was in the program to eventually teach at a university. After spending a semester pretending I was concerned about the statistical significance of a microscopic red spot on a confocal image of the parafasicular nucleus of a rat brain, I realized that my talents lie elsewhere. I am glad someone is concerned about the infinitely small details of human life, but I'd rather be explaining those details to eager young minds.

It turns out I have the heart of a teacher. Yes, my teaching has a lot of room for improvement, but that will come with practice. I feel as if a huge burden has been lifted as I have walked away from my Ph.D.- and not the burden of heavy textbooks! I no longer have to prove to anyone that I am "smart". For the first time in my life, my identity is no longer tied up in my academic performance. Maybe it takes a massive detour to prove you were going the right way the first time.

What They Don't Teach You in College

2006-03-02T14:16:00.000-08:00

Now that I teach chemistry in a real high school with real students, I have some different ideas about technology in education. I am privledged to have a projector in my classroom and 12 computers in my lab. I enjoy using the projector-it is good for videos and Powerpoint presentations. I don't like to teach using Powerpoint, but I took over my classes half way through the year, and they are addicted to taking notes straight from the presentation, so I have not fought them on that very much.

So far, the computers in the lab have been more work than they are worth. I did a lab where the students were using temperature probes to measure the melting and freezing points of water. Only 8 of the 12 computers actually allow students to access the data collection software on the network. I have small classes for a high school in Utah, but with only 8 computers, the students must still work in groups of 4. When all the computers are running, it is impossible to use hot plates or anything electrical because the fuses blow out. So, during this lab, the fuses blew out 4 times during one period. It is never a good idea for the teacher to have to roam the halls every 15 minutes to reset the fuses while students are in the lab! Using temperature probes instead of alcohol thermometers is a much more accurate way of measuring temperature, but for all the hassle it caused, it would have been easier to have the students make their own graphs using pencil and paper!

I am not opposed to using technology, but it must be classroom friendly, or it is not worth it. I like the software data collection program I have (datastudio) but I am not sure the time I spend getting it to run on my computers is worth it. My lab should have been designed to handle a higher electrical load. I think that when education professors talk about technology as if it is the holy grail of education, they need a reality check. Maybe in university land, computers work magically and professors never have to worry about a classroom turning into a three ring circus because nothing is working right, but in university land, there are starving undergrads behind the scenes keeping everything running smoothly. In high school land, the responsibility lies solely with the teacher to keep things going.

Class is over...now what?

2004-12-08T07:07:00.000-08:00

The best aspect of IPT 286 has been writing lesson plans. The opportunity to create a grading rubric and a lesson plan using technology was valuable and relevant. I will use these lesson plans in some form in future classes. The most challenging aspect of this class was remembering to do assignments, remembering where to turn in assignments, and the requirements of the assignment because of the lack of a paper syllabus. Also, finding access to the internet was occasionally difficult because I do not have the internet at home and the lines for computers on campus are only getting longer. My attitude has changed toward technology in so far that I am more aware of ethical issues regarding technology use in the classroom. I am not more or less inclined to use technology in the classroom, but I will be more judicious about using it when I do use it. The two things I will take away from this class are a working knowledge of blogs and an idea of how to integrate technology into my lesson plans.

Start young...

2004-11-21T01:10:00.000-08:00

I was talking to my roomate (a third grade teacher) about what she is teaching her kids in science and math. She was writing lesson plans about measurement. It hit me how important it is to teach correct principles in the early grades. A lot of elementary teachers I have talked to recently have said that they dislike teaching science, even to the point of avoiding it as much as they can. Especially the physical sciences. Part of the problem may be that it is hard to teach physical science without the math background, but maybe the teachers just aren't prepared for it. I don't know because I am not an elementary teacher, but maybe if elementary teachers weren't so disinclined to teach physical science, kids would have a better foundation by the time they get to high school and show up in my chemistry classes. It is so important to build on the sense of wonder children have. The math can come later, but children need to see and touch and build conceptual ideas about what things like gravity, friction, heat, energy, reactions, etc. really are. If children have a strong foundation of correct principles, they will be so much more prepared to take more formal science classes in high school.

Lambert-Beer Law lesson plan

2004-11-16T22:15:00.001-08:00

In this lab, students will use spectrophotometry to determine the concentration of ions in solution.

Subject matter/Grade level

This lab is designed for a high school chemistry class with access to a spectrophotometer.

Utah Core Curriculum

Stadard II, objective 1. Evaluate quantum energy changes in the atom in terms of the energy contained in light emissions.

Technologies

Students will use a spectrophotometer to measure absorbance at at specified wavelengths for several ions. They will measure solutions of Cu+ , Cr+, and Ni+ at various concentrations, and then determine the concentration of an unknown solution provided by the teacher. They will use excel to chart their results.

Teacher Crafted Example

The final product to be turned in for this assignment will be a lab report. The students will prepare lab report written according to formal lab report guidelines. This means that students must include an abstract, a background section, a procedure section, a results section, a conclusion, and an error analysis. They will include a description of the work done in the lab, the data they collected, the analysis of the data from Excel, and their final answer for the concentration of their unknown ion.

Assessment of the Final Product

Students will be graded on their lab report. They will get points for accuracy, and the lab report will be graded according to correctness. There will be a rubric assigning points to each section of the lab report, and describing what students recieve points for.

Ethical Considerations

The biggest area of concern for this lab is disadvatage for the students without computers at home or knowledge of Exel. To compensate for this, the students will have time in class to work on their calculations and analysis, and I will work with them in small groups to make sure that everyone knows what to do. This may create a management problem, so I will be aware of what is going on in the classroom and if certain groups seem to finish early, I will have a special project (i.e.-cleaning the lab) prepared if they create problems.

Our Deepest Fear is that We are Powerful Beyond Measure

2004-11-10T07:18:00.000-08:00

Nelson Mandela said that we are frightened by our light, not our darkness. He said that we are all children of God, and our playing small does not serve the world. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. I know for me, this is true. I have shied away from the power within me many times. I have been afraid of letting people know who I really am. By overcoming this fear, we can help others bring out the best in themselves. Teachers can play a special role in helping their students recognize the light they hold within themselves and let it shine. Teachers need to be a model for students of confidence and of someone who is living up to a set of principles. They need to recognize that each student is a child of God and has the potential to shine and to manifest the glory within them. Students need opportunities to shine and we can give them these opportunities in class.

Ethical Issues

2004-11-09T17:09:00.000-08:00

Recently, our IP&T class completed a discussion on ethical issues with technology in education. We covered software and media copying, flexible copyright, fair use, privacy and security issues, and cheating with technology. We talked specifically about how these issues affect teachers.

What I Learned About Ethics

This discussion opened my eyes to the wide variety of ways to break the law. Even though there are fair use laws making it easier for teachers to use copyrighted materials for educational purposes, there are still many issues to be aware of when using copyrighted information. I was aware of the basic copyright laws, but I was not aware of the specific details for some types of media. For example, I was not aware that it is only okay to play 30 seconds of a song from a cd. I also became aware of flexible copyright options. I like the idea of flexible copyright. It puts the power in the hands of the author or creator of the work. I realized that privacy and security issues have greater ethical ramifications than I had previously supposed. Letting students use the internet at school provides a way for them access content that is outside of the teacher's direct control. Teachers have an ethical responsibility to protect their students from inappropriate content. I don't know much about firewalls or other computer protection software, but if I use the internet in my classes, this will have to be something I learn. Our discussion about cheating also opened my eyes to the temptation to cheat that students face. I suppose I was somewhat naive as a high school student and didn't really pay attention to the different ways for students to cheat. Technology increases opportunities to cheat.

As a Teacher...

The thing that was the most useful to me about our discussion about ethics was the information about fair use and cheating. This information is directly applicable in teaching. As a teacher, I will probably be using the internet to find information and create assignments for my students. It was helpful to know what I am allowed to use, how much I am allowed to use, how I am allowed to use it, and what I am not allowed to use. I need to make sure that the software in my classroom all has the proper licensing. When I make handouts for my class, I need to avoid information that is copyrighted or not permitted according the fair use guidelines. I will also have rules in my class to help students avoid cheating. A big issue in chemistry could be calculators with programming capabilities. Students will not be allowed to program equations I expect them to memorize into their calculators. In class, we discussed the potential for students to copy their homework off of the internet. I do not see this a major problem in my class. If a student is concerned enough about their grade to search the internet high and low for a problem exactly similar to the one I assigned, well, good for them. But, it won't help them on a test. I expect students to work together and use whatever resources they need to figure out the problem. They may need to be taught how to work as a team without cheating by simply copying each other's work. I can have students practice this in class by assigning problems for them to work on as a group and monitoring how the class is doing at cooperating.

Lesson Plan Overview

2004-10-12T18:18:00.000-07:00

Acid/Base Titration Lab
In this lesson, students will learn about acid/base equilibrium. They will titrate an unknown sample of KHP (potassium hydrogen phthalate) with NaOH (sodium hydroxide). They will determine the %KHP in their unknown sample by plotting their data using Excel and finding the equivalence point.

Subject Matter/Grade Level
This lesson will be designed for an AP Chemistry class in high school.

Utah Core Curriculum Standard
Students will understand the properties that describe solutions in terms of concentration, solutes, solvents, and the behavior of acids and bases.

Technologies
Students will use a pH meter to make measurments during their titration. This lesson can be adapted depending on the resources of the school. A software program and a buret with a stepper motor could be used to run the titration, but these resources are infrequently available in schools. Instead, the students can record the data by hand. They will also use Excel to analyze their data.

Teacher Crafted Example
The final product to be turned in for this lesson is a lab report. The lab report will include a description of the work done in the lab, the data that was collected, the analysis on Excel, the calculations, and the final answer for the % KHP in the unknown. The lab report will be written according to 'formal lab' guidelines. This means that students must include an abstract, a background section, a procedure section, a results section, a conclusion, and an error analysis.

Assesment of the Final Product
Students will be graded on their lab report. They will get points for accuracy, and the lab report will be graded according to correctness. There will be a rubric assigning points to each section of the lab report, and describing what students recieve points for.

Video Modeling Reflection

2004-10-05T19:34:00.000-07:00

Here's the link to our group's video modeling reflection:

video modeling

Wiki Assignment

2004-09-28T09:55:00.000-07:00

To Natalie and Chris who are working on the geiger counter and telescope wiki pages- I did some formatting on the wiki today, I'm not really sure what else needs to be done. What do you guys think? I looked at the assignment sheet and the only thing I think we might be missing would be links to other pages in the wiki. I'm not really sure what this means though.

Webquests

2004-09-17T16:09:00.000-07:00

I don't know how many of you have heard of webquests, but they are nifty tools to use in class. A webquest gives a student a task, or a 'quest', and provides them with instructions and links to help them find and organize the information they need. There are all sorts of webquests in every subject area. We had to write webquests for my methods class. I've put a link on this page to the webquest portal site where you can search for webquests on any topic.

Insights after the release of Blackboard 6.0

2004-09-14T09:39:00.000-07:00

Normally, I am not one to rant and whine about things, but I am wondering if anyone else has noticed a new phenomenon this semester after the release of Blackboard 6.0. It seems to me that every professor at BYU wants students to get everything off of Blackboard. There are all sorts of new homework assignments, online readings, and announcements to keep track of due to the popularity of Blackboard. I am getting to the point where I can't remember if my assignments are supposed to be submitted in class, on blackboard, or in the boxes in the Benson building! And, since Blackboard runs all day and all night, professors can have (and frequently do have) homework and quizzes due on days when we don't even have class. Also, who in their right mind can keep track of whether you are supposed to post something before 10:00 pm or before 2:00 am? As far as I am concerned, someone needs to tighten the reigns on the rampant use of Blackboard at this university. Talk about a great example of technology inhibiting learning.

Virtual ChemLab

2004-09-06T17:57:00.000-07:00

Dr. Brian Woodfield at BYU has created a program called Virtual ChemLab. Students across campus (including me) use it in college chemistry courses to model laboratory experiments. It is also used in high school chemistry classes around the country. It is a great way for students to simulate laboratory experience without using dangerous or expensive chemicals, and without taking hours to actually do the experiment in the lab. Teachers can prepare unknowns for students to analyze. The program simulates actual lab procedures and conditions. If students do a reaction that would create an explosion in a real lab, they witness an explosion in the virtual lab. Virtual ChemLab cannot take the place of actual bench chemistry, but it increases opportunites for student learning.

Dr. Woodfield is giving a lecture about the Virtual ChemLab project on Monday, September 13th, at 4:00 pm in W140 of the Benson Building.

Reflecting on Technology in My K-12 Experience

2004-09-02T20:20:00.000-07:00

My first recollection of using technology in school was about 4th grade. Our school had a tiny Macintosh computer lab that our whole class marched down to visit once every two weeks. We would spend an hour playing games on the computers. My family did not have a computer until I was in 10th grade, so this was a novel concept to me. We generally played one of three games. The first was the classic Oregon Trail. We spent 45 minutes mousing around the model of Independence Missouri taking our best guesses as to what "supplies" we would need to go west. The last 10 minutes of our computer time was spent racing to "Oregon". The other games we played were math games. One was an adventure game...something along the lines of slaying the dragon if you answered math problems correctly, and the other was a mystery game...solve the mystery by answering the math problems correctly. These experiences were nothing more than a different way to practice problems learned in the classroom. This use of technology was valuable insofar as I had the opportunity to learn how to manipulate the mouse, use a keyboard, and understand what a disk was, but my academic knowledge was not enhanced by the use of technology. This was in the early days of technology in the schools, so maybe the point was simply to have students get their hands on computers and learn to feel comfortable with them.

In high school, I remember being assigned powerpoint presentations. I had to do several presentations, and while I detested it at the time, I appreciate it as I look back. I was assigned a project on Nathaniel Hawthorne where I had to read two of his books and create a presentation on him and his work. One benefit was that I learned to use powerpoint software at an early age. Using the presentation software helped to teach students to organize their thinking. The problem I saw with this assignment was that the teacher was so focused on making sure we could use the technology that she did not teach us how to go about analyzing the literature we read. If I were to give advice to teachers about the use of technology in the classroom, the most important thing I would say would be to use technology as a tool for learning, not as a nifty gadget to play with. The incorporation of technology into the classroom must not eliminate student-teacher interaction and feedback or inhibit participation in groups. It is easy to become an isolated learner and this is the main thing teachers must guard against as they incorporate technology into their classes.

Rules of Thumb for Successful Technology Integration

2004-09-02T19:56:00.000-07:00

After reading "Changing How and What Children Learn in School with Computer-based Technologies" by Roschelle et al. and "Computers as Mindtools for Engaging Learners in Critical Thinking" by Johassen et al., I have come up with the following rules of thumb for teachers who want to integrate technology into their classroom.

Technology must facilitate interaction, not replace it.
Teachers must be comfortable enough with the technology that it becomes a learning tool, not a fancy gadget to show off.