1-2-3 Magic -- 3 minute Videos
YES! 3 minute videos. I have this book, but the videos are great!
Dinnertime: https://www.youtube.com/user/123MagicParenting
I love that this video gave some quick and easy tips about how to get kids to eat and it's common sense. I don't know how I feel about using a timer, but I'm going to try it! I'll let you know.
Bedtime: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJJr1HOZ0j8
So, yeah, kinda helpful. I guess I could try sitting in front of her door the "catch them at the pass" method, but that really doesn't allow me to relax and watch TV or talk with my husband. I'm going to have to look for more information on this.
Apologies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4gh0mw1Roc
I like what this one had to say. Sympathy and compassion need to be modeled. Forcing apologies doesn't really work. I see my son do this a lot. Apologies shouldn't be a punishment. So, how do I get my kids to sincerely apologize for what they do wrong?
Jimmy Kimmel Video: This was just for fun! Jimmy gets parenting advice from kids in this video. Hilarious! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbVnVrQsh_U
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Information OVERLOAD!
So, since I last discussed my 20-Time goal, here's what I've done:
1) I started to make a list of informational resources. And that list is SOOOOOO long. First I went to my favorite place for book recommendations: Amazon. Here I looked for the highest ratings and best reviews on parenting books out there. The titles were endless, which tells me that this might not be as easy as I thought. I ended narrowing my search and purchasing just one title: How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish. It was highly rated, got great reviews, and was even called the "Parenting Bible". So, I bought it.
But then I also got a title from my daughter's daycare lady, who keeps a library for parents. When I asked her what book she has that most parents check out and benefit from, she immediately told me about this one: Have a New Kid by Friday by Dr. Kevin Leman. So, I checked it out.
But then I got a surprise gift from one of my students! He came and delivered a whole stack of books from the local library for me. I was flattered by his concern and support. So now, I have an even more extensive list of books to read. My plan is not to read ALL of them, but to find excerpts that help me with each of my identified goals for improving my parenting. Here is the list of books (which vary greatly and some are even very controversial!):
Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua (I read a NYTimes article about this one...don't think it suits my style, but I will give it a shot)
Bringing Up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman (I saw this online and read some reviews. Highly controversial since it is a French mother who "criticizes" American's parenting style)
What Every 21st Century Parent Needs to Know by Debra W. Haffner (I dunno. Might be good)
The Entitlement-Free Child by Karen Deerwester (very accessible)
Is That Me Yelling? by Rona Renner, RN (Sounds like me!)
2) I've scheduled a routine bi-weekly date night! Yes. I think that in order to be a better parent I need to have a stronger connection with my husband, so I have a girl at my daycare who has been bugging me to babysit (we never get babysitters) and I just asked her. Now every other week we are going to go out for dinner for two hours. This is going to give us a chance to talk about our parenting in a place NOT in front of the kids like we have been. I plan on sharing some of the stuff I learn so that Ed and I are BOTH on the same page in terms of raising our children. Plus we get some "non-parent" time. Win-Win.
3) I've looked for a mentor. This has been tough. I could go with other mothers I know, but they all have unique situations and they all admit that they are not "experts". So, I looked online at family psychologists in the area. I found a couple, and I plan on calling them during 20Time this week or next. I'm worried about whether scheduled visits will cost anything or if insurance will cover it. I will also need to commit time for this and probably set up more childcare (another added expense). I just wish I had a "free" helper. I'll keep looking.
Well, that's it for this week. What I will focus on for next week: how to stop yelling/how not to lose my cool with my kids. Time to hit the books!
1) I started to make a list of informational resources. And that list is SOOOOOO long. First I went to my favorite place for book recommendations: Amazon. Here I looked for the highest ratings and best reviews on parenting books out there. The titles were endless, which tells me that this might not be as easy as I thought. I ended narrowing my search and purchasing just one title: How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish. It was highly rated, got great reviews, and was even called the "Parenting Bible". So, I bought it.
But then I also got a title from my daughter's daycare lady, who keeps a library for parents. When I asked her what book she has that most parents check out and benefit from, she immediately told me about this one: Have a New Kid by Friday by Dr. Kevin Leman. So, I checked it out.
But then I got a surprise gift from one of my students! He came and delivered a whole stack of books from the local library for me. I was flattered by his concern and support. So now, I have an even more extensive list of books to read. My plan is not to read ALL of them, but to find excerpts that help me with each of my identified goals for improving my parenting. Here is the list of books (which vary greatly and some are even very controversial!):
Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua (I read a NYTimes article about this one...don't think it suits my style, but I will give it a shot)
Bringing Up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman (I saw this online and read some reviews. Highly controversial since it is a French mother who "criticizes" American's parenting style)
What Every 21st Century Parent Needs to Know by Debra W. Haffner (I dunno. Might be good)
The Entitlement-Free Child by Karen Deerwester (very accessible)
Is That Me Yelling? by Rona Renner, RN (Sounds like me!)
2) I've scheduled a routine bi-weekly date night! Yes. I think that in order to be a better parent I need to have a stronger connection with my husband, so I have a girl at my daycare who has been bugging me to babysit (we never get babysitters) and I just asked her. Now every other week we are going to go out for dinner for two hours. This is going to give us a chance to talk about our parenting in a place NOT in front of the kids like we have been. I plan on sharing some of the stuff I learn so that Ed and I are BOTH on the same page in terms of raising our children. Plus we get some "non-parent" time. Win-Win.
3) I've looked for a mentor. This has been tough. I could go with other mothers I know, but they all have unique situations and they all admit that they are not "experts". So, I looked online at family psychologists in the area. I found a couple, and I plan on calling them during 20Time this week or next. I'm worried about whether scheduled visits will cost anything or if insurance will cover it. I will also need to commit time for this and probably set up more childcare (another added expense). I just wish I had a "free" helper. I'll keep looking.
Well, that's it for this week. What I will focus on for next week: how to stop yelling/how not to lose my cool with my kids. Time to hit the books!
Thursday, February 12, 2015
It's 20-Time AGAIN! Yay!
It's a new school year, and yes, I'm attempting the 20-Time project again with my juniors. I can't wait to see the new goals, projects, successes and failures the second time around!
This year, though, I am going to attempt my own 20-Time endeavor. It's a personal one. I am going to work on being a better parent. Yes, I have two wonderful children, Edju and Emma, and they are the joy in my life, but our days have gotten harder. Trying to balance work and life has its challenges and oftentimes my home life can be chaotic: yelling, sibling fist fights, crying, whining, struggles at dinnertime, bedtime, toothbrushing, bathing, potty-training, etc. It can be overwhelming, and I need to figure out how to improve our lives as a family. Family the most important thing in the world to me.
So, what's my plan? I definitely need to read, research, and seek out help from experts on what I can do to improve this area of my life. I plan on first looking up reviews for parenting books, actually finding a book to read, and then seeing what's out the web. Each 20-Time I will focus on different troublesome area of parenting, and I'll watch YouTube videos, read articles, and/or even attempt to find some family counseling. Like many of my students, I just don't have enough time. This 20-Time will be my chance. It will also be a model for my students.
This year, though, I am going to attempt my own 20-Time endeavor. It's a personal one. I am going to work on being a better parent. Yes, I have two wonderful children, Edju and Emma, and they are the joy in my life, but our days have gotten harder. Trying to balance work and life has its challenges and oftentimes my home life can be chaotic: yelling, sibling fist fights, crying, whining, struggles at dinnertime, bedtime, toothbrushing, bathing, potty-training, etc. It can be overwhelming, and I need to figure out how to improve our lives as a family. Family the most important thing in the world to me.
So, what's my plan? I definitely need to read, research, and seek out help from experts on what I can do to improve this area of my life. I plan on first looking up reviews for parenting books, actually finding a book to read, and then seeing what's out the web. Each 20-Time I will focus on different troublesome area of parenting, and I'll watch YouTube videos, read articles, and/or even attempt to find some family counseling. Like many of my students, I just don't have enough time. This 20-Time will be my chance. It will also be a model for my students.
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Final 20-Time Presentations
20-Time
Lightning Talk Reflections -- Final Exam Presentations*
Goals of this Presentation:
- Reflect on the 20-Time experience, your goal, and your learning
- Practice 21st Century communication and presentation skills
- Share and learn with others
- Show awareness of your audience
What IS a Lightning
Talk?
“Think of the lightning talk as a
narrative [a personal story] with visual aids — someone once told me presenting
a lightning talk is just like having a conversation with the audience where
they [the audience] doesn't speak for five minutes.” It’s sharing your 20-Time
journey in an abbreviated fashion.
After presentations, the audience
will get a chance to comment on or ask questions about your 20-Time experience.
You will be responsible for participating in this discussion as well.
How long should it
be?
No more than five minutes. “Here's
the secret; No one cares if your lightning talk only lasts four minutes. No one
cares if it lasts three. I've seen talks that last two minutes and the crowd
loved it. But everyone cares if it lasts six —
especially if the important point you need to make happens at five minutes and
10 seconds. At conferences [and in this class] with strict time keeping you'll
be cut off at five, and no one will hear what you were actually trying to say.”
A timer will be used to ensure presentations do not go over 5 minutes.
What should I talk
about?
What it is you say or don’t say is
completely up to you. However, you will need to include an honest and specific
reflection on the following (in whatever form you see fit):
Your 20-Time goal (and how it changed or
adjusted)
What you learned (both academic and non-academic
lessons)
Struggles/challenges and how you did/didn’t
tackle them
Accomplishments/pride points
Plans for/Effect on your future related to 20-Time goal
How should I present
my 20-Time story?
You MUST use Microsoft PowerPoint. I will combine each presenter’s PowerPoint
presentations together for quick transitioning on presentation day.
Tips for
your PowerPoint slides:
· up to 15 slides, timed to take no more than 5 minutes in total; 15 slides = exactly 20 seconds each
· the slides should be visually engaging photos, illustrations, or drawings (NO TEXT!)
·
no audio, video, or animations
·
you will start talking as soon as the first
slide appears
·
please use your own photos or a public domain or
Creative Commons images http://creativecommons.org/. If you must use other people’s
copyright images, please provide a legible credit/source in small type in a
corner of that slide
When do I present?
You will sign up in class next week
to present either Monday, June 9th
in class OR on exam day. Monday will be limited to 10 presenters. You will present in the order you sign up.
Other important
details?
Submit your completed PowerPoint presentation
to me by email before Monday, June 9th
(before 1st hour).
Your presentation will be worth 50% of your exam grade. Your final exam is worth 20% of your semester grade.
A specific scoring rubric will be provided in class.
Important Note: PRACTICE!
“When it comes down to it there's only
one way to make sure that your talk will fit in the time-slot, and that's to
practice it. Read it out aloud several times. Present it to the cat. Try to
convince your colleague/flatmate/significant other to listen to it. Not only
will this give you the most accurate understanding of how long it'll take to
say everything (and believe me, you'll be surprised at what bits go quickly and
what bits drag), but it'll also help you realize what bits can be cut and
replaced. It'll also give you confidence and experience in the talk, so you can
actually present it slightly quicker.”
Watch a sample Ignite talk here: http://scottberkun.com/2009/how-to-give-a-great-ignite-talk/
*Post created by Sarah Hechlik with excerpts taken from “Giving Lightning Talks”Mark Fowlerhttp://www.perl.com/pub/2004/07/30/lightningtalk.htmlhttp://www.dnasymposium.com/lightning-talks/
Here is a tentative scoring rubric:
20-Time Lightning Talks – Scoring
Rubric Name:
__________________________
Assessment Criteria:
Content 5 4 3 2 1
Student includes a concise discussion
of the following:
·
His/her 20-Time goal (and how it
changed or adjusted)
·
What he/she learned (both academic
and non-academic lessons)
·
Struggles/challenges and how
he/she did/didn’t tackle them
·
Accomplishments/pride points
·
Plans for/Effect on the
future related to 20-Time goal
Organization 5 4 3 2 1
·
Presentation does not exceed 5 minutes
·
Presentation follows a logical order
·
Ideas/thoughts are easy to follow
Presentation Skills 5 4 3 2 1
·
Student speaks clearly and confidently
·
Student has practiced to avoid stutters, pauses
and ums/likes
·
Student makes eye contact with audience and
avoids reliance on the visual
Effective Visual 5 4 3 2 1
·
Student uses no more than 15 slides
·
Visual is clear and professional
·
Images are appropriate and relevant to the task
·
Images enhance ideas
Final Written Reflection 5 4 3 2 1
·
Typed and written in complete sentences
·
Thorough and specific
·
Honest and clear
Comments: Total
Points = _______/25 X 2 = __________/50 points
Monday, May 19, 2014
Reflections
Wow! What a week! We officially hosted the 1st Annual 20-Time Project Fair and it was a success in my eyes. However, I did learn a lot to help me continue with the project next year, and I even learned some things I need to focus on for the end of this year.
Much of the feedback I got was collected from an anonymous survey I gave to each of my students. It was heartwarming and heartbreaking to hear some of the comments. Heartwarming because many of the comments showed me that this project is meaningful and powerful. Heartbreaking because negative comments hurt me. This is my life's work and passion. No one likes to hear negative things about something to which they dedicated a lot of time and energy. I do take my work personally. However, I will say there were a lot of honest and thoughtful suggestions which I welcomed and will incorporate in the future.
Successes:
1) Time: Some said not enough time; some said just right. There is a delicate balance; too much time and it interferes with after school things -- too little time and it is rushed. An hour and a half seems good (Plus 30 minutes to view each others' projects ahead of time as most said they enjoyed this part)
2) Venue:There was a debate over whether to have it outside of school or in school like senior projects. Some suggested a weekend event. Many liked the setup, yet many felt they weren't in an area that people visited. Overall, many said they thought the Hach Center was a good choice.
3) Competition Aspect: Eliminate the competition completely due to feelings of judgement and insecurity, and it does go against the goal of the pitch. I needed to provide clearer expectations on what to have. This was not easy to do because I don't feel it is a "one size fits all" project. I will show examples next year, but I don't want all the presentations to be the same.
4) Other things needed: name tags (duh!), something like a "wine-tasting" list of blogs to visit with a raffle if people turn them in at the end, host/hostess/ushers for directions and instructions (also to help with voter fraud), etc.
5) Awareness of Blog Addresses: Advertising/marketing skills need to be emphasized more at the pitch. Perhaps we could partner with the Marketing class?? Doing the Pitch earlier in the year will help students understand that the Pitch is an event used to get people to follow their blogs.
6) Content: I need to place more emphasis on the "process" of learning vs. the "product" of learning. Many of my students have been trained to "do school" instead of explore learning on their own. I also need to discuss further connections to IB Learner Profile and Common Core skills in English to help with more practice on what to expect for potential questions at the fair. These were areas in which students felt unprepared. Responses to the survey showed that they felt their project should have been finished at the fair, which is NOT the case. I need to clarify this more.
Things I plan to do before the semester ends:
1) Have students visit FutureMe.org http://www.futureme.org/ as a way to remind them of their goals when school gets out.
2) Create a final reflection that will help me assess overall effort, ideas for next year, and the impact of the assignment. I want to ask about how much time was spent outside of class and what students have learned so far (6 + 1 Writing, research, oral communication, IB Learner profile, etc.)
3) Create a Scavenger Hunt to encourage people to look at each other's blogs and challenge each other.
4) Finalize the culminating presentation for the final days of school.
5) Identify and address more specific criteria for improving the writing on student blogs. Here is a useful website I found for students to look at to improve the quality of their blogs: http://www.getbusymedia.com/the-secrets-of-creating-a-killer-blog-post-infographic/
Students visiting my site: Please comment on my blog with any questions, comments or suggestions!
Much of the feedback I got was collected from an anonymous survey I gave to each of my students. It was heartwarming and heartbreaking to hear some of the comments. Heartwarming because many of the comments showed me that this project is meaningful and powerful. Heartbreaking because negative comments hurt me. This is my life's work and passion. No one likes to hear negative things about something to which they dedicated a lot of time and energy. I do take my work personally. However, I will say there were a lot of honest and thoughtful suggestions which I welcomed and will incorporate in the future.
Successes:
- All but one student attended the fair, which is a feat in itself. Overall 42 active and involved students attended an after school event for SCHOOL. Here is a video and small photo collection from our fair:
- All of my students were professional, prepared, and amazing! I was really proud. Unfortunately, I'm not always good at expressing my gratitude and awareness of students' hard work as I would like to be. But I am always amazed by what my students are capable of. Because I didn't get a chance to make it around to everyone's table, I made it a point to post a comment on these student's blogs.
- A HUGE turnout -- over 150 people attended -- parents, students, friends, staff members, administrators, community members, etc.
- Hach Center as a venue was a good choice -- open area, well laid out, plenty of space, decent cookies, all prepared for us, etc.
- Here are some student comments from the survey:
- "I talked to a lot of people and I felt confident"
- "The fair was great! I enjoyed seeing many faces who didn't have 20 time in their classes. They came to support and it was fun to have a full house"
- "Honestly, I think everything went well. Everyone looked very professional and sounded genuinely interested in their topics. It was a really cool experience"
- "I thought the environment and energy was awesome - I really liked that we were able to do it in the Hach Center outside of school. I also loved how interested all of the students were in each other's projects"
1) Time: Some said not enough time; some said just right. There is a delicate balance; too much time and it interferes with after school things -- too little time and it is rushed. An hour and a half seems good (Plus 30 minutes to view each others' projects ahead of time as most said they enjoyed this part)
2) Venue:There was a debate over whether to have it outside of school or in school like senior projects. Some suggested a weekend event. Many liked the setup, yet many felt they weren't in an area that people visited. Overall, many said they thought the Hach Center was a good choice.
3) Competition Aspect: Eliminate the competition completely due to feelings of judgement and insecurity, and it does go against the goal of the pitch. I needed to provide clearer expectations on what to have. This was not easy to do because I don't feel it is a "one size fits all" project. I will show examples next year, but I don't want all the presentations to be the same.
4) Other things needed: name tags (duh!), something like a "wine-tasting" list of blogs to visit with a raffle if people turn them in at the end, host/hostess/ushers for directions and instructions (also to help with voter fraud), etc.
5) Awareness of Blog Addresses: Advertising/marketing skills need to be emphasized more at the pitch. Perhaps we could partner with the Marketing class?? Doing the Pitch earlier in the year will help students understand that the Pitch is an event used to get people to follow their blogs.
6) Content: I need to place more emphasis on the "process" of learning vs. the "product" of learning. Many of my students have been trained to "do school" instead of explore learning on their own. I also need to discuss further connections to IB Learner Profile and Common Core skills in English to help with more practice on what to expect for potential questions at the fair. These were areas in which students felt unprepared. Responses to the survey showed that they felt their project should have been finished at the fair, which is NOT the case. I need to clarify this more.
Things I plan to do before the semester ends:
1) Have students visit FutureMe.org http://www.futureme.org/ as a way to remind them of their goals when school gets out.
2) Create a final reflection that will help me assess overall effort, ideas for next year, and the impact of the assignment. I want to ask about how much time was spent outside of class and what students have learned so far (6 + 1 Writing, research, oral communication, IB Learner profile, etc.)
3) Create a Scavenger Hunt to encourage people to look at each other's blogs and challenge each other.
4) Finalize the culminating presentation for the final days of school.
5) Identify and address more specific criteria for improving the writing on student blogs. Here is a useful website I found for students to look at to improve the quality of their blogs: http://www.getbusymedia.com/the-secrets-of-creating-a-killer-blog-post-infographic/
Students visiting my site: Please comment on my blog with any questions, comments or suggestions!
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
You're Invited!
Thanks for visiting my blog about IB World Literature's 20-Time Project Fair!
Please join us to celebrate learning and innovation at Northwood University's Hach Center from 7 to 8 pm on Tuesday, May 13th.
Students will be displaying their passion for learning at individual booths. Refreshments and snacks will be provided.
Hope you will join us!
Below is a list of students, projects, and blog addresses for you to look at before you attend. Check out my amazing students here:
Please join us to celebrate learning and innovation at Northwood University's Hach Center from 7 to 8 pm on Tuesday, May 13th.
Students will be displaying their passion for learning at individual booths. Refreshments and snacks will be provided.
Hope you will join us!
Below is a list of students, projects, and blog addresses for you to look at before you attend. Check out my amazing students here:
| Student Name: | Topic: | Blog Address: |
| Leann B. | Breast Cancer | http://braceletsbowsandboobies.blogspot.com |
| Carolyn C. | Art Portfolio | http://chang20time.blogspot.com |
| Kelly D. | NASA promotion | http://orbit58.blogspot.com |
| Julia H. | Learn Oboe | http://juliasoboe.blogspot.com |
| Jimmy K. | Backflip/App | http://jimmystwentytime.blogspot.com |
| Sarah L. | Cook for Family | http://sarahmakesfood.blogspot.com |
| Kristina M. | Cardmaking | http://kristinascreativecards.blogspot.com |
| Griffin M. | Create a Game | http://atdotblogspot.blogspot.com |
| Obadeh M. | Happiness | http://obadeh.blogspot.com |
| James T. | Survival Trip | http://helpjetsurvival.blogspot.com |
| Arlo T. | Poetry/Art | http://arloadventures.blogspot.com |
| Josh Z. | History Timeline | http://avoyageinhistoricaltimelines.blogspot.com |
| Helen Z. | Satire Book | http://luiciones20time.blogspot.com |
Friday, May 2, 2014
20-Time Project Fair and Student Conferences
So many things have happened since the last time I've posted. I'm excited about the developments and proud to say that Ms. Bonotto and I have a date and time set for our 1st Annual 20-Time Project Fair. Here is what we've had to do to set this up:
1) We contacted tons of venues
2) We requested funds
3) We surveyed students
4) We planned together over the phone while picking up our kids and making dinner
5) We created an invitation
6) And we also talked about the strengths and weaknesses in our students' projects, which leads me to my next step...
Student Teacher Conferences:
The number one thing we've noticed is our students are losing motivation or haven't chosen topics that they are passionate about or projects that are meaningful. So, I'm trying a couple of things: 1) I am going to have students do a mid-way reflection to see if they feel they have a meaningful topic and 2) I am going to hold personal conferences.
But...
Conferences in my 6th hour have become time-consuming and troublesome to schedule during our 20-Time day. So far I have only met with 6 people (3 per hour). I thought I would be able to take notes and really ask for details, but it sucked up a lot of time. I need a new plan for conferences.
Also...still need to finalize plans on the final presentations.
Till next time:)
1) We contacted tons of venues
2) We requested funds
3) We surveyed students
4) We planned together over the phone while picking up our kids and making dinner
5) We created an invitation
6) And we also talked about the strengths and weaknesses in our students' projects, which leads me to my next step...
Student Teacher Conferences:
The number one thing we've noticed is our students are losing motivation or haven't chosen topics that they are passionate about or projects that are meaningful. So, I'm trying a couple of things: 1) I am going to have students do a mid-way reflection to see if they feel they have a meaningful topic and 2) I am going to hold personal conferences.
But...
Conferences in my 6th hour have become time-consuming and troublesome to schedule during our 20-Time day. So far I have only met with 6 people (3 per hour). I thought I would be able to take notes and really ask for details, but it sucked up a lot of time. I need a new plan for conferences.
Also...still need to finalize plans on the final presentations.
Till next time:)
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