Choosing a Topic

As a blogger, I find my biggest difficulty is beginning. So much information passes through my brain each day, how do I decide what is important to write? If I could choose a select field and narrow my interests, I would do better, but I wouldn't be me. This Labor Day, I am preparing for a week that is shorter than most. We have Labor Day and Rosh Hashanah. While most people are celebrating, I am worried that a three-day week will mean two less days to prepare, assess, and gather materials. A colleague confided recently that she did not try to instruct while she was assessing. I realized that I was probably trying to do too much, but my time with the students is so limited that I want to make the most out of it. I am truly grateful that SEDOL has provided me with the training I need to do a good job. Hopefully, the materials will follow. One thing I have learned about class size that may account for the achievement gap between large and small class sizes: It takes more time to go to the bathroom, line up to go outside or to lunch, and take tests, especially when they have to be administered individually. I am still in the glow of pre-retirement joy, however, and I am so grateful for a job that challenges my abilities, provides never-ending learning opportunities, and is based on relationships. I have the best co-workers in the world, and we all give 100% to our jobs. Thank you, Andi and Shari, Marilyn, Minnie, Deborah, Gail, Rosemary, Adrianne, Joyce, Ann, and Lisa. You're the best!

Start of a New Year

I had hoped to have my Flickr account up and running by now, and YouTube as well. My fifth grade students say it is easy. I always have to fight that demon that tells me I can't do a good job, and I haven't been able to get past that this summer. I will post the link on the top of this page when it is done. In the meantime, I have begun the 2010-2011 school year with a totally new attitude. I am really appreciating what a great job I have and enjoying every moment. Just yesterday, four team members were talking to me while I taught, a situation that would have stressed me out in the past. Instead, I taught the kids, then let them work while I talked briefly with the adults, then returned to the kids, etc. I seem to be much better at taking things one at a time, always keeping the kids first. My technology staff has outdone themselves, getting our computers up and running from day one. Today they came in and added more software to the dock. I like to familiarize my students with the basics: Scratch, iWork, iTunes, iPhoto, Garageband, iWeb, and the programs already in the dock: Kidspiration, Pixie, and probably others I can't think of at the moment. I am sorry we won't get Co:Writer, but hopefully there will be a word prediction software that costs less.

The students are doing very well, and I look forward to having 5 fifth-graders this year. Some of them were in my class in kindergarten! It is a stretch to teach third graders who want to know when we are having snack (we don't) and fifth graders who can write paragraphs! I hope I can challenge all of them without making them frustrated. I have a big class this year, which allows me to create a bit of community. The older kids have to adjust to helping the younger ones, and the younger ones have to adjust to higher expectations. Here's to a great year!!!!!

Last week of Legos

The summer has gone fast and so did Lego Robotics II in Buffalo Grove. I hope to get some pictures up at Flickr and some videos up via youTube onto my page. Hope this doesn't have a steep learning curve. There are some nice features to Mindstorms NXT 2.0. It can recognize color now and there is also an image editor. I shall spend the rest of the year learning the new features and posting information on my web page at www.dwna.net. Wish I could just teach Lego robotics all year. Except for the lack of imagination in COLORS!

Forgetful's Last Day Letter

Computer Lego Robotics
Worlds of Wisdom and Wonder
Summer 2010 Gurnee

Dear Parents,
I just love working with your children and teaching them how to control Lego robots. They get so excited and come in with a happy attitude. Our format does not allow them to do long term projects, because each day we have to share materials among three classes.

The students are wonderful, though. They listened courteously when I spent a short time explaining some simple programs up front. They take videos and pictures of their robots, some of which I hope to have posted on the Center for Gifted web site. If you can’t find them there, please go to my Lego page and I will post them there.

Don’t forget to go to nxtprograms.com to download free programs off the Web. The link is on my web page, as well.
If you would like to purchase Lego Logo Equipment, you may contact Steffanie Forbes, LEGO Education representative for the Midwest. Her email address is sforbes@legoeducation.com.

There are teams in First Lego League (http://usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/fll/default.aspx?id=970) for students to join. There is an annual competition and last year it was in Arlington Heights!

There is also a Brickworld competition in June for any team that wants to join – even a family. Here’s the link: http://www.brickworld.us/bw2010/.

My library of Lego Mindstorms books keeps growing. This summer I added
The Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0 Discovery Book, by Laurens Valk.
Previously, I have suggested
The Unofficial Lego Mindstorms NXT Inventor’s Guide, by David J. Perdue
The Lego Mindstorms NXT Idea Book, by Martin Boogaarts, et. al.
Thanks for sharing your child with me this summer. It has been a wonderful experience.

Linda Wallin