Small World

We had a Utah game on Saturday and Rickey went to get a drink and when he got back he said I saw your friend and I said what friend, and he said you know the one, and I said OH KARI! He said ya. I said it should not have been her, she moved to California, so I texted her and sure enough she was there! We got to meet up after the game, it was so crazy out of the thousands of people, he saw her! I was so glad to see her, I don't think I have seen her since my wedding when she was my bridesmaid! I miss my Kari and all of my other Kappa Kappa Gamma girls!
Oh and don't worry Utah won... of course!

Always practice safe internet!

Internet in education is a great thing as long as it is used properly. There are so many good resources and websites out there to help us inform are students better. As long as you know that the information you use is credible. I also think that the internet can help teachers cut down in research time for projects or ideas that they need to cover.
The sites should be evaluated as credible because you do not want to be teaching your students information that is wrong or outdated. So it is very important to do your own type of research on the sites that you are using.
The questions that you should always ask yourself:
1. Is this an educational site?
2. What kind of links are in this site?
3. Does this information pertain to the student's age that I am teaching?
4. How old is the information?
5. Who made the website?
6. How safe is it?
You should always monitor your students while online. Also I think that they should limited to the sites that they an view, the less that they have to view the less chance they have to come across bad things. I know that the students have the internet at home, but I feel that if I teach them the safety of using the web, that they will have a better chance of using it at home as well. I also hope to incorporate the parents in some way, so that they can help moniter the children at home. I think anymore with the way technology is going, that internet safety will now be included in every classrooms safety curriculum.

Kathy Schrock
We were told to Google her name and learn more about her. Her personal website was really good. I love to see her personal info and pictures, it made her a rela person, not just someone online. I also really liked her Blog, she had awesome links to fun stuff on line. For example http://www.dumpr.net/ is a way awesome site, I had so much fun on it. Her website was very easy to navigate around on.

I also found her educational website on the Discovery page. It reminded me of the Pioneer library and Ebsco. It looked to have valuable links that I could trust and use in teaching. I checked out some of the links and all of them had the contents and the right answers to the questions I ask when on a website.

I do not think that I could do her job and have my whole life revolve around technology. She seems to love it, but I could not do all the research and devote my life to that. i am glad that she loves doing it because it is very helpful to her users and saves us so much time! I enjoyed her site and think that she is a very interesting and educated person.

Birthday!

It was my bosses 50th Birthday last week so on Saturday we had a party for her up the canyon.
I was the "party planner' for it, and it turned out nice. There were plenty of adults there to entertain Yoeny so the "kids" could play. When I say kids, I mean her employees! We rented a HUGE twister game it was so much fun, even Frank our UPS guy came and played! I just want to say that I beat Brandon in the last round.

These are the centerpieces that I made for her party and my decorating!

Kendra and I in our Party Glasses!

UEN Reflection

UEN Reflection

In using the UEN website and all links it holds, I found it very helpful but somewhat all over the place. The Pioneer library was easy to use, and very helpful I know that I could use that in any grade of school to help with reports and homework, for me and my students. The information is valuable and trustworthy. I also feel comfortable letting my students use it because I do not have to worry about my students getting wrong information.
I really enjoyed the interactive; I had fun playing the different games and lessons. I like the idea that they are free and informative for my students to use. In Lesson plans there were tons of great ideas, I think that this will be very helpful when it comes to me being a new teacher. I like the idea if taking ideas and making them my own and giving me ideas.
It was interesting to learn about the core curriculum and amazed me how much I will have to cover in a year for my students to get the info that they need. It also helps you cover the different things that need to be covered as a core.
In all I am really excited to become more familiar with the UEN website and all it has to offer. I know that it will be a life saver when I become teacher. I just hope to become more familiar with it!

The Fued Continues!

Over the weekend we went to a condo at WolfCreek with Phil, Brenda, PJ, Kelly, Hudson and Coleman. We were only there for Saturday night, because I had to work Saturday, so we left as soon as I got off. Now I am going to let a deep family secret out of the bag and it may come back to haunt us, but in order to tell this story I need to do it. Ok here it goes.... Rickey, underneath his Ute apparel is a BYU fan. I know I am sure that you just dropped what ever you were holding or fell to the floor if you were standing. It is a hard feat being married to a BYU fan, but I have to not think about it our our marriage would be over as we know it! I hope that no one thinks less of us now, well I guess not of us, but Rickey. Please just accept him as you see him. Well, on the way to the condo we had to listen to the BYU/UCLA game on the radio. I had to tell myself to just breath, pretend it is the Utes playing and then I was able to listen and enjoy. So as many of my fellow Utahan's know BYU killed UCLA so when we got to the condo it was all that PJ, Phil and Rickey wanted to talk about and tell me how Utah better be nervous for the Holy War in November, because BYU was going to kill them BLAH BLAH BLAH. This is when I put my ear muffs on and don't listen! SO PJ and Kelly had a concert to go to that night and when they returned they had brought us cookies, but not just cookies, football cookies. Now PJ wanted to get me a BYU cookie, but my dear, dear friend Kelly said NO, and got me a UTE one. I know that PJ is still sick to his stomach about having to pay good money for a Ute cookie, but that is true friendship. Now if it were up to Phil, he would have not taken the cookie even it was free. Poor Phil, he is a lost BYU fan soul. Thank you PJ and Kelly for the super yummy cookie and thank you Phil and Brenda for the overnighter!

WOW!

So I am amazed. In my last reflections post, I had mentioned how technology is so underestimated. Well after the dream computer assignment I was amazed! I could not believe how insane the technology is. I had so much fun looking at the "CSI" type computer components. I had no idea that things like that really existed, now if I only had the money to pay for it. For example, I chose a keyboard that was a blue tooth and it was projected onto the desk, so there was no actual hard keyboard. As I look to the future I wonder if this "CSI" technology will be in the classrooms. When I started third grade we had a computer lab that held 28 computers and those were the only computers in the school. Now computers are used at the teachers desks and some students even have lap top's to take notes on. I wonder if someday when I am a teacher, students will be required to have laptops, or the school will furnish laptops for the students to do homework on. I think that it would be good, but you would have to put a lock on the games so they did the work and payed attention!



We also learned about excel. I used excel in high school, so it has been a while. I think that with excel it will be helpful in creating class lists and charts for students. I am not sure how much more I would use it for because there are so many more specific programs that are available at no charge. For example the engrade that we use in this class. It is a place that you can go that is all set up and you don't have to do or format much. I also think that having less to save on your computer will help save space and memory in order to add education programs or games for my student to benefit from.

I hope to learn more in this class about "teacher friendly" websites, that will help me as a teacher be more efficient so I will have more time to plan and interact with my students more.

GO UTES!

So Saturday was the season opener for the University of Utah football! We have season tickets with some of Rickey's firefighter crew and their wives. We first went to the tailgate party and I was so amazed! I could not believe the atmosphere! I was speechless. The 2 years that I went to school there I never went to a Ute game, mostly because I was dating Rickey at the time so I came home on the weekends to hang out with him and to see my family of course. So I had no idea how many die hard Ute fans there were. The tailgate party was a sea of red, people had fixed up camp trailers to make them into Ute tailgate trailers, they were red and full of Ute stuff. The row that we were on reminded me of Greek Row at the U. I don't think that I have ever seen that much alcohol being consumed at one time other than at frat parties. Now I know why my grandpa calls the Ute fans heathens, that and because he is a die hard BYU (BOOOOOOOOO) fan. There were cops driving up and down the rows, but they could care less what was going on, I think they were just there for the free food everyone was taking to them when they drove by. They played UNLV and the game was great, I think that Rickey was a little embarassed at first because of my screaming and wild cheering, but he soon gave up and joined in. It was tied up 14 to 14 at the half but they came back in the 2nd half to win something like 42 to 21. I am so excited for the next game! GO UTES!

Rickey and Jeff playing tailgate games, they had way too much fun!

Rickey and I have matching Ute hats!

Aiden, Jake and Diane's baby was the cutest Cheerleader. She was such a good baby and really seemed to enjoy the game. Diane put earplugs in her ears, so she didn't go deaf and it is a good thing because it was LOUD!

Jeff and his wife Cassandra.

We went to the Orem Owlz game on Thursday with the Casper gang. I was so excited to finally go to a baseball game with my little buddy Coleman! Even though he is only two his life is all about baseball! We had so much fun! Me and Coleman waiting for the baseball players to come out so they can sign his game winning ball, that the team gave to him!
He was playing catch with Phil in his pitcher stance. He was trying to get the ball without getting out of the stance.

He was so excited Grandpa Phil got him a baseball Owlz hat and bat. You can see baby Hudson in the background enjoying the game!

Coleman got to race the Owl around the bases. He was okay until the Owl got close and then he had Jillian carry him because the Owl scared him! But he did win an awesome Neways Backpack!

Technology is so underestimated!

I think that technology has been underestimated. I can think of a number of things that people said would never happen in the world of technology and within a few years it is available. For example, this class. I would have never thought that I would have a place on the Internet to post assignments for the teacher to grade online. I appreciate having this option, because it saves on paper and waste to help the world be more Green. Also the whole world of Facebook and My Space, a place that in just a click you can talk to a friend and see what is new in their lives.

When it comes to education and your students, I think that Facebook and My Space will be a good way to find out more about your students and their situation, without prying. I think that Blogs would be a good way for parents to feel involved in the classroom. You could post activities, pictures, upcoming activities and also general problems in the classroom. If I were a parent I would appreciate being able to see what was going on in my child's classroom, and comment on any concerns I may have.

The whole technology world will only continue to amaze me. I am appreciative of it and keep an open mind about it all, because I know that is seems overwhelming at times, but if I embrace it and learn more, it will make my life easier.

Blog started for class

So this is a Blog that I need to create for one of my classes this semester.
I am going to try and keep it up and keep it amazing, like all of the other
blogs you see out there! So wish me luck!