Thing #3

Blogging is not something I would have considered using in my classroom before taking this technology class. I am a private person and like my personal time to be my own, but I am fast becoming a convert.

I could use this page with my students as a point of contact on days like today when we are out for snow. There were many things I needed them to accomplish during these past 4 days which will have to wait until next week. I plan to use this page in the future to communicate with my students some extras they can do to prepare for class and earn extra credit. I will link helpful websites to my page where they can interact with learning English grammar by playing games and going through activities. This could become a very useful tool in and out of the classroom.

I also plan to post helpful hints and tricks that my students can check out when doing their homework. Eighth graders are not always the most attentive in class, so posting things on the internet is an additional way of getting information to them in a timely fashion. It would also be a way of supplimenting handouts that they may lose.

Thing #2

My blog is named Tink Time because Tink is my nickname given to me by my grandmother. She refused to call me by my given name because my mother did not name me after my grandmother (it was a mother-in-law thing I guess). So I used a play on words and chose Tink Time in place of Think Time.

Creating this blog was quite a challenge for me. I usually wait for my husband to show me any new things having to do with the internet. I am cautious about encountering computer viruses or letting too much personal information loose to the general public. It feels very weird to be pouring my thoughts out for all to see. Since my husband has travelled out of town today, I found myself having to walk through this process alone. It has taken me quite some time, but I am getting the hang of it and actually having fun. I only made one phone call to him for information on cookies and how to enable them. Figured that one out on my own - yeah, me. So if you have not set up your blog spot yet, you need to check and make sure cookies are enabled on your computer.

Creating the Avatar was the best part of the process. I chose an image which is somewhat like my own - conservative yet modern (notice the beach ball is strategically placed). My 9 year old daughter wanted me to pick something a little more "ohh, la, la" but that is just not who I am. I placed myself on the beach because that is my favorite place in the world -- any beach, anywhere!!!

This blog's background also says a little bit about who I am. I love color, and polka dots make me happy. I read somewhere that people can be catagorized based upon the shape they like the most. I love circles, but seem to remember that what the article said about circle people did not fit who I am. I don't believe I fit anyone's mold, so I changed the colors a bit on the page to give it some pizzazz.

Thing #1

In considering the 7 1/2 habits of life-long learners, I find that accepting responsibility for my own learning and taking pride in it has helped me the most. One of the habits I continue to struggle with is having the confidence in myself to keep going.

On my recent path to a higher education and new career, I have found that accepting responsibility for my own learning and taking pride in my achievements has helped me stay focused and meet my ultimate goal - to be an English teacher. In the past I have waited for opportunities to come to me. I did not push outside my box to pursue the career of my dreams because I did not have the confidence in myself to push to the end. I have always been good at starting things and then letting them go when it became too difficult or interferred with my leisure time. Since striking out on this new path, I have put aside many of the hobbies I love to concentrate on the main goal - a graduate degree and teacher's certificate. I am learning to have confidence in myself as a learner and to stay focused on the end - or the goal I intend to achieve.