Saturday, March 20, 2010

Renaissance Festival


Daddy and Melody




Melody and Miguel (one of our favorite entertainers at the fair)




We went to the Ren Fair today. We spent some of our tax refund on the "pleasure feast." The food was wonderful with 7 courses. The entertainment, uhmmmm it was alright. Worth doing? It was kinda like Las Vegas where it is worth doing once. We took Melody with us so we didn't have to worry about feeding her. This little girl was a hit, everyone cooed and awed at her and pretty smile. She is one popular little girl.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

3 Months Today!!!




Quintin Stuff

My little man is amazing. Quintin had his transition meeting today where Early Intervention hands over their notes to the Preschool. The lady that works with Quintin was very excited about this transition for him. She said he is the most intelligent 2 year old she has seen in eight years. Right after she had said that, he went up to the white board and wrote out the alphabet. No one was talking, writing or reading, all 6 women were watching in amazement and delight as Quintin was writing his letters and drawing faces. At first these people wanted to do an updated evaluation on him but after his "performance" they did not feel to have the evaluation. He had shown his great capabilities, fine motor skills and the ability to take direction. Our main concern is his speech and having him have functional speech where his words serve a purpose. He will start preschool at the beginning of April. I am so excited for him to be able to have friends and peers that are his age to help teach him to talk.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Wednesday, March 03, 2010

Online Class of Doom

One class down, only four more to finish this semester. Why is it that a professor can teach an online class and know nothing about the technology they are using? You would think they should be able to understand the programs they use in order to teach the class? Not only that but this particular teacher assumes too much.

I created a lesson plan for English Language Learners (ELLs) and to grab their attention about what they were going to learn, we are going to read a fun book about kites. My professor told me to rewrite this part of my lesson. She said with today's technology that I should be doing something bigger and flashier to get their attention like a power point presentation or stuff on a smart board. She assumes that the classes I have taught in have the budget for that stuff. Well, sorry to say Coolidge does not have access to this stuff yet. Besides what in the world is wrong with a book. Aren't teacher supposed to promote reading books? Books are wonderful ways of getting students attention. True it is not a video game or flashing bright lights, but the students seem to crave books in a way. A lot of these kids do not have parents that read to them and love when a teacher takes the time to read a book to them. (especially when the teacher gives great voice and expression)

Anyway, this online class is not going well. I am getting an incredibly low low B at the moment partly because our backgrounds clash. The other part is that this teacher wants sheer perfection. I don't mind that as much but if she is going to judge so very harshly, then she needs to write in perfection. I want to edit the letters and emails she has written me with red ink so she can see how "bloody" her papers look. Grrrr if you are going to require perfection then you should be perfect yourself by setting the example.

Thank you for this venting moment.