What have I been up to?

Hello and welcome to my blog.  If you are a returning reader, nice seeing you again!  If you are new here, awesome to have you!

I have had a pretty busy summer, but I'm sure that it wasn't any more so then anyone else's.

If you have read any of my previous blogs, you know I am going to college (finally) to finish my teaching degree.  So that was one thing I did this summer was take two classes (9 credit hours).  One class was a lot of fun.....the other, well, I would have rather ate my foot!!!  But ....regardless....it is done.  Now I am just looking forward to starting my fall classes, all of which will take me closer and closer to my goal.

Also, I have been doing an all summer long tutoring program at the school I work at.  My principal approached me last year in April about starting this program, designing how I want it to work, and getting the program going by the first of June.  I am pretty proud of the kids I had this summer and the work they did.  The program is mainly geared toward a math and reading focus, so that is what we did.  
It was just me for the most part (I did have a helper about 5 days and then my daughter who is in 4th grade this fall helped do flashcards with half the kdg class while I did a reading group with the other half).

It was comprised of kdg-6th grade.  Monday 8:30-10 Kdg  10:30-12 1st....times the same Tues - Thur. but grades alternated....2nd and 3rd.....4th and 5th....and then 6th on Thur.  Friday was my travel day.  We are a rural school and so on each Friday I took math games to  designated alternate site in a town that our school serves, so that kids in that community could just come there instead of always having to go to the school.

I hope I get to do this again next summer.

Aside from those two things, I still had to run my kids around and stuff.  All around a good summer!!

Very busy....

I know I haven't been on much lately or at all really.  I miss reading all the blogs I follow, but life has just gotten very busy for me lately.  Hope to get back to blogging and reading soon!!

What's going on around here...

Since the school year ended I have been pretty busy.  I did well on my Spring college classes and finished out the year in the class I'm an assistant in as the teacher, subbing for the teacher I work with for a week and a half while she was with family for personal reasons.  Even though the reason I had to sub was not a good reason, I really enjoyed it and was glad I could be there for her so she wouldn't have to worry about her class.

I was asked by the principal and superintendent to head up an enrichment program that will last a majority of the summer.  This was my first week and I have to say, it's a lot of fun.  I am tutoring the kids in math and reading, just rehashing what they learned throughout the school year, mainly so they don't loss so much from the end of one school year to the beginning of the next.  Our school does offer a summer school two weeks before the regular school year starts but the kids asked to go to the summer school are mainly title 1 kids.  This enrichment program I am doing is for anyone that wanted to sign up.  I have a total of 54 kids I work with throughout the week.  And no....I don't work with them all at once.  *smile*
The schedule is set up as such.  Two time slots, one from 830-10 and the other from 1030-12.  The grades listed on each day fill each time slot.  Monday - kindergarten then 1st  Tuesday - 2nd then 3rd  Wednesday - 4th and then 5th  Thursday - no kids in first slot then 6th....and Friday will be a come if you wish day with parents encouraged to attend to work with their own kids on flashcards or reading books together.  Will probably have a couple math games laid out as well.   I am very excited about this program and was very honored that I was asked to set it up and lead the way in getting it up and running.  I hope I do the school and the program justice.

I am also starting my summer classes.  Have to say, I am not happy about taking one of my classes but I am determined to do a passable job.  The other class I think will be a breeze.

Just a little update on me.  Have had many family members in some of the surrounding areas hit by the tornadoes in the Oklahoma and Kansas areas but thankfully no one I knew was hurt or dealing with more then some tree and hail damage.
Hope life is treating you all well!!!  And Happy Summer!

Happy May Day

So.....it's May 1st.  And what are we expecting this evening here in Kansas......SNOW!  I realize my last post was about snow.....and here I am talking about it again.  I planted my flower beds last weekend....bought some beautiful stuff and I am worried it's going to get too cold for them this evening.  Just hoping they survive.

Anyways....enough about snow....I'm sick of the stuff.  
Let's talk End Of School!!!

We only have 9 more school days this year.  Seems very hard to believe.  The 4th grade class I help with is going on their field trip tomorrow.  The teacher I work with let the kids pair up and research where they would like to go this year.  They had to do internet searches on educational places to visit, read about the places they found that were within one hour of where the school is, write up a report and present that report to the class.  Then we voted on where everyone would like to go.  Our kids did a fantastic job and we will be going to a couple places tomorrow I've never been before.  Hope it's fun.  It will be cold....but enjoyable I'm sure.

We also are doing research at the moment on historical figures.  They had to pick who they wanted to be after looking at a variety of books picked from the school library.  They then had to read the book and do additional reading and internet searches about that person to find out interesting facts.  Currently they are writing up their presentations about their person they picked.  After that we are going to host a wax museum for the school where the other grades will get to come in, see our kids in costume and listen to them do their presentations about their historical figure.  I can not wait to see how it all comes together. 

I have learned so much working with the teacher I've worked with the past two years and also with looping up with the kids last year in third grade to forth grade this year.  It will certainly be an experience I won't forget.

EXCITING NEWS OF MY OWN!!!!   I have been asked to head an enrichment program this summer for k-6th graders.  It will just be a class for anyone that wants to participate to come at their grades given time for an hour and a half to work on reading and math skills.  This is to help them retain some of the stuff they have learned all year so that they don't loss as much by the time the new school year starts.  I can not wait to get started on this project.  Should be exciting and fun and will certainly be a great learning experience as well.

Well, that's enough for now.  Hope everyone is enjoying a little warmer weather then I am here in Kansas.
Kristi

 

Snow Snow and more Snow

We have had the pleasure of receiving a lot of snow within the last couple of days here in Kansas and we are getting some more tonight and tomorrow with a Blizzard.  I say that we have had the pleasure a bit sarcastically because I don't like the snow and cold but I say it in all seriousness too because we are in dire need of moisture around here, so it's kind of welcome.
I haven't been at work since Tues because of the last snow storm and we are already out on Monday because of the one that is hitting tonight.  I work in a school as you know, so that means my kids are home too.
This unexpected time at home has given us a chance to spend some time together as well as given me time to catch up on some school work for my college classes. 
I am missing the kids in the class I work in, but enjoying this time with my family too.

stay warm and stay safe
Kristi

Timeline of Events

For my Technology in Society class this semester, our first assignment was to create a timeline beginning from the year we were born until present day listing one technological, world, or personal event for each year.  I decided to post the assignment to my webpage since we could use a diverse range of technology to complete the assignment.  So, here it goes!


1975 - Motorola obtains patent for the first portable mobile phone.

1976 - Apple Computer Company is formed by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak

1977 - NAVSTAR Global Positioning System (GPS) inaugurated by US Department of Defense

1978 - Illinois Bell Company introduces first ever cellular mobile phone system

1979 - Sony introduces the Sony Walkman costing $200.00

1980- CNN becomes the first 24 hr. news station

1981 - Post It Notes launched by 3M Corp

1982 - Times Man of the Year is The Computer

                                                 http://www.computerhistory.org/tdih/December/26/
1983 - The first mobile phones are introduced to the public by the Motorola Company in the US

1984 - Genetic fingerprints or DNA profiling was developed

1985 - British Scientists discover a hole in the earths Ozone Layer

1986 - Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrates after launch, killing all on board 

1987 - US Stock Market Crashes on Monday, October 19th , 1987 with a 508 point drop or 22.6%

1988 - The Hubble Space Telescope is put into operation

http://www.spacetelescope.org/about/

1989 -  In Alaska's Prince William Sound the Exxon Valdez spills 240,000 barrels (11 million gallons) of oil   after running aground

1990 - Operation Desert Shield Begins as the United States and UK send troops to Kuwait

1991 - 911 Emergency Number tested in US northwestern cities

1992 - Microsoft Works released by Microsoft

1993 - The World Wide Web was born at CERN

1994 - Java programming language first released from Sun Microsystems

1995 - Truck Bomb devastates Oklahoma City Federal Building killing 168 people

1996 - Ebay started the online auction and shopping website

1997 - Married my wonderful husband

1998 - The Search Engine Google is founded

 

https://www.google.com/

1999 - My Space was officially introduced to the Internet

2000 - My son is born

2001 - 9/11 hijackers crashed two planes into the World Trade Center in Manhattan

2002 - The No Child Left Behind Act is passed and President George W. Bush signs into law 

2003 - Apple launches Itunes

2004 - My daughter is born

2005 - Hurricane Katrina strikes the Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama coastal areas

2006 - Pluto is downgraded from a Planet to a dwarf planet by The International Astronomical Union 

 

http://amyshirateitel.com/2011/11/04/pluto-its-still-out-there/

2007 -  Apple Introduces The iPhone 

2008 - Property prices continue to fall causing hardship to many homeowners

2009 - The World Health Organization declares H1N1 influenza strain as a global pandemic

2010 - Apple Releases the Ipad 

2011 - Richard Branson opens the first commercial Spaceport in the United States

2012 - Rover Lands on Mars

2013 -  I am happily taking college classes at FHSU for the 2013 Spring semester.

                                                              http://www.fhsu.edu/

After looking through all the events, those listed and those not, that have happened in my life time I can not believe how far the world has come with technological advances.  I realize a lot of the events I posted relate to cell phones and the internet but in my own little world, those things are huge to me and allow me to do so much.  If I were to chose one event that has made the biggest impact (aside from getting married and having my two wonderful kids) I would go back to 1993 when the World Wide Web was developed.  To think now where we would be without it seems so strange.  I know life went on before it and life will go on without it, but for now it seems like the best technological event ever.  Being able to look up anything and everything with just a click of your fingers on your laptop, computer, phone, or ipad seems like a little bit of magic if you don't look at how it works too closely.  I feel without the World Wide Web we would feel a little less connected to the world and to events that are shaping it.  Maybe that would be a good thing as well, not hearing about all the violence that is going on but to me it still seems to be a good advancement because it allows us to look beyond our own world and lets us try to see and understand more about what is going on with others.  So to wrap up this timeline of events from my life I would just like to say that I feel I am living in a high-tech, high-speed world and I love it.

*Ran across this little youtube video which is obviously a plug for SMART technology which I personally love but it is fitting and fun to see how technology has progressed in Education.

                                                                                                 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFwWWsz_X9s

Sources Sited :
www.thepeoplehistory.com
 http://www.infoplease.com/news/2012/current-events/

Thank you for taking time to look through my timeline of events from 1975-2013.
Kristi Nelson