Archive for January, 2009

Periodically I spend a small amount of time on the influence of media on historical events, and media controversy through time.  We compare Civil War media controversy to that of others wars and look at the impact of freedom of information and the expansion of media into war zones.  (I guess I spend more time on it than I thought.)  I am interested in the impact of journalistic freedom on history and in the future.  (I already know I am a little geeky so no need to mention it in the comments.  However, I read your blogs and you people aren’t geek free.)

Catalyst for this post? I checked my flock feeds before turning in and this headline caught my eye:

NYPD Eyes Disrupting Cell Phones in Event of Terrorist Attack

The New York Police Department is training for new threats in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks, Commissioner Raymond Kelly is set to tell a Senate committee Thursday.

The New York Police Department is looking for ways to disrupt cell phone calls and other forms of electronic communication among terrorists in the event of another terror attack in New York, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly says.

The need to disrupt communications is one of several conclusions that the NYPD has drawn from studying the November attack in Mumbai, India, a three-day rampage by machine gun and grenade-wielding Islamic militants in which at least 165 people were killed and 304 were wounded.

Really? Why don’t we just ask the terrorist about the best way to hinder their next attack? Why do we report on things that we are looking at for keeping our nation safe? This is rather minor maybe, but it just does not make sense to me. Journalistic freedom is one thing, but are we going to get to a point where journalists can report EVERYTHING? Are we already there?

Somehow this week ended up out of control.   I had lesson plans for the week.  Enough work to feel like we were back but not so much that we were overwhelmed.  Several intro and review activities, a powerpoint, lecture, and discussion.  My exams weren’t graded, but I was ready for the week and had Monday and Tuesday free to grade.  And then…

there was a wrench thrown in my plans.  My AP syllabus did not get approved by the AP board and I had to rework it.  I have made it to the 1920s in that process, but am having to keep up with everything else too.  My plans were great, but students needed more information concerning women in American history so I had to adapt an assignment and then I realized their knowledge of abolition was weak so I incorporated a discussion into the week.  Using images and questions they group up, review their image, and decide how the class will discuss it.  Thoughts, views, interpretation, historical reality.  It was really something to see and worked out very well.  Unfortunately, the students are also a little needy sometimes.  Hey, they are interested so I need to take advantage of the instructional opportunity. 

Just part of it, but a little overwhelmed I am.  This morning I had to sit on the panel for a students practice interview for a major scholarship.  It is a very cool thing that our school does for students, but it is usually required at the most inopportune times.  Then I was cornered by asst admin for a students grade.  The parent was wanting to know.  We are about a week from grades being due and report cards going out…you can’t wait a few days?  I understand the frustration, but come on!  Parents choose the busiest times to start questioning how their child is doing.  I know it isn’t true, but it seems like they don’t care until the end of term when are frantically trying to get it all together!

Yes, I am fully aware that I had two weeks off where I could have graded papers.  Instead I took time off.  I played with my kids. I went to the park.  I picked up trash.  I spent time with my husband and I did what I liked to do.  Very aware of that.  The teacher part of me really regrets it, but the most important part of me…you know, the part that fills all of the OTHER roles of my life…doesn’t feel bad about it at all.  I’m just cursing the darn wrench that got thrown in my week.

OK, the soap box is free now…you may step up.

There is a massive band of rain moving through the South and heading east. It is currently 46 degrees in my city, with the low for Wednesday being 36 and high 58. My prayer, that there would be a freak drop in temperature and a yard load of snow…or ice, I’m really not picky.

Still working on reworking my syllabus (which is not a syllabus as much as it is a lesson plan for the year which includes everything I ever THOUGHT about using to teach the class and the assignments to go along with it) and putting grading to the side.

I had this week all worked out too. See, that’s what you get when you plan- kinks.

I’m really not liking the brown, but the last thing I need to do is play with themes again. Seven hours ago I said I would not be taking work home.  Unfortunately, this is as much as I can blog right now because I have work to complete.  Back to school rush…

Teaching an AP course you have to submit your syllabus for review.  This is something I was NOT aware of until well after school started.   I took my syllabus and reworked it so that it reflected all of the resources I planned to use throughout the year.  My syllabus was based on the samples provided by AP Central.   When I say based, I mean cut/copy/paste the body, rework the dates, and add my stuff to the end. 

After almost two months of waiting and 25 days from the deadline I am informed that my syllabus was rejected!  CRAP CRAP CRAP.   Now I have to go back through and offer justification for all of the AP Central objectives I included.  You know what I would really like to do?  I would like to teach my class, NOT rework a document that is rather useless in the grand scheme of things!

This sucks.

With a 30% chance of thunderstorms predicted, it is doubtful that the sun will come out tomorrow. Regardless, I will. A day spent at work. No comfy pants…or jammies all day. No sleeping in until 9…10…OK, one day I think it was 10:30 pushing 11 o’clock. Tomorrow is back to it, back to the grind, back to work. I’m not ready to go back, but I’m not totally opposed either. I know that the first week back will pass quickly and many students will be extra studious for a few weeks. There is so much to do between now and May.

Only two weeks until the next three day weekend though.

After much agony clicking and searching I have gotten my blog almost back to normal.  Only 938 posts without a category or tag.  You do not realize how much your spot on the web means to you until it is needing resuscitation.  I’m not sure if I have added all of the links that I had before.  I figure I have added my regular reads and will add more as I go.   I’ve been thinking of ways to prevent blog destruction in the future and I think my first step will be to create a subdomain and import all of my blog posts to it.

One more day and life will be back to normal as well.  School starts Monday.  I love New School, but I would love to stay home a little more.  January and February are going to be very busy months.  Competition prep will consume months 1 and 2, AP prep will consume 3 and 4.   Month 5 will be state testing, and then we’re out.  Not much time when you look at it like that.

I hope everyone has gotten 2009 started off right.   Happy New Year to all and may 2009 bring blessings to your home.

Only my fellow bloggers can understand the heart stopping panic that I felt this past 30 minutes.  I broke my blog.  White screen.   Nothingness.  No posts. No comments. Nothing.  I was able to import my posts through prayer, ‘net searching, and holding my mouth just right.   As you can see my sidebars are not normal.  That’s OK.  I saved the important parts.  Posts and comments have been restored.  I’m going to go wipe my tears and have dinner now.

Thank you Blog Angels for watching over me.

More explanation when I am breathing normally again.

Nicole, my comments feed may work now.  If it doesn’t, I officially give up.

Two days until school starts back and I am absolutely not ready.  I have spent my winter break enjoying rest and play.  Very few school related tasks were completed.  Jem was kind enough to take the girls out to eat and then to see a movie.  I am very thankful for the hours of quiet.  It is difficult to motivate myself to do school work, but it is something that must be done.  I have two sets of exams to grade and lessons to prepare for.  I plan to finish the exams today and prepare lessons tomorrow. 

For your viewing enjoyment, here are a few of my favorite pics from our Blog Green day in the park.

Happy New Year to the blogosphere.  Today is a day to reflect on 2008 and look ahead to 2009.  Several are not bothering to make resolutions for ’09.  What is a New Year’s Resolution anyway?  According to Wikipedia:   A New Year’s resolution is a commitment that an individual makes to a project or the reforming of a habit, often a lifestyle change that is generally interpreted as advantageous.  It’s the word commitment that people struggle with.  It’s so depressing when you break a commitment and let’s face it, life gets in the way sometimes.  Let’s change it…no resolutions, just goals.  I do not have resolutions for ’09, but I have continuing goals.  These are the things I hope to accomplish, but am realistic enough to realize that the road may diverge.

This was my post for January 1, 2008.  No need to click there, I will summarize.  I reviewed the ups and downs of 2007.  The beginnings of a life change, the loss of a close friend, the beach, selling our house, a move, teaching my first college class, the deaths of my dad and stepdad…the year.  With good times and bad times, we entered 2008 in a new state, new jobs, and a realization that we were not happy in Alabama.  We started chatting about the possibilities of moving on to NC, where we really wanted to be.  We weren’t too serious about it in January, but knew it was a goal within the next year or so.  I was determined to find a job with a classroom and at a school where fellow teachers would open their clique to newbies.   It is what it was, but I keep up with about three people from old school…the three that would talk to me when I was there.   Moooooving on… I participated in Blog 365 until March.  It was my best effort.  By spring break and April I was seriously considering NC and had started the licensure process.  Going to a few job fairs before summer, getting a nibble here and there, I was not making as much progress as I had expected to make when the process began.  By June I was losing hope and had given up in July.  Then I received a call that would put us on the path to the Eastern Time Zone. 

Great new school. Great area.  We are on the right track, and waiting for the “big” opportunity that I know awaits.  I pray 2009 will bring great things for our family. 

My goals for ’09:

• More time doing family things. 
• Explore this great state and experience all it has to offer.  The beach, the mountains, and all in between.
• Hike more. 
• Find a hiking buddy so I can hike more.
• Geocache, it sounds like so much fun!
• Visit family every three months.
• Make moves toward being settled here.  It is out of my control, but I can pray for it.
• Get involved. Make friends. Establish roots.

Happy New Year to you.  I pray that it brings something special to your life and you are able to attain your own goals.