OK. I’m sorry. It has been over a week since I last posted. That’s pathetic.
So, just as a way to get things back up and running, I’m going to give you a quick recap of whats been going on with me, and then I will share a few links of news items of interest.
Since my last post, I have been busy getting ready for the school year to begin here at Western Plains High School. Classes begin Thursday, and last week I was scrambling to get things in orders and football gear and plans figured out.
Speaking of which, football practice started Monday morning at 6:30. We had it again Monday evening at 6:30. Then we had it this morning at 6:30, and we will have it at 6:30 tonight . . . . Are you seeing the pattern yet? I hope so.
Any way, practice went well. The boys are working hard, and we’ve got almost 15 players at this point. I’m hopeful for a good season. The boys will learn a lot, and so will I as I go through my first season as a head coach.
In the teaching arena, I’ve come up with a syllabus and created a class blog so I can have a paper-less classroom. See, all the students will have to post their assignments to the blog, unless otherwise directed. I think this will work well, and I am happy to say I almost have the site as ready as I plan to have it before classes begin. I don’t want to put everything up at once. I want to add things slowly as needed so I don’t overload the students.
I will be teaching three periods of journalism each day. The rest of the day I will be a paraeducator. Fun.
And I am also experiencing my first in-service sessions this week. Monday, today and Wednesday are days of meetings from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. This is a very interesting thing. Three days of meetings seems a little over-done and convoluted, but I’m new to this education business. What do I know?
In any event, I am super pumped to start teaching. I’m going to just be feeling my way around initially, but I have the experience in the field that I feel I will be able to convey, just as soon as I learn to adjust to being an educator and making lesson plans and whatnot.
But enough about me. Let’s get to the top five web items I’ve been enjoying over the course of the last week:
- “On Being” via The Washington Post
(I hadn’t been able to find this for a long time. I first saw it when I was in college. I loved it then, and I am stoked to have found it again. This series consists of several vignettes of people talking about their lives. It is very interesting and is something I hope to replicate in the future.) - MediaStorm.com
(In my classroom, I plan to teach multimedia journalism, and no one does it as well as Brian Storm and his team. I strive every day to be as good as they are, and I hope to inspire my students to aim for the same goal. The narratives they produce for this site are incredible. If you have time, watch a few. They are amazing.) - http://www.rockymountainnews.com/
(I figured this site would have disappeared since the paper was closed. Thank goodness it hasn’t because that means I can still view my favorite report this publication ever produced: Final Salute. My favorite part is the audio slideshow. The photography is amazing and very touching. Sadly, it seems some parts of the site, since the paper is no longer operating, aren’t working properly. Still, what is accessible is great stuff. - Elvis.com
(The King, Elvis Presley, died August 16, 1977, at the age of 42. Monday was the anniversary of his death. There was a huge celebration in Graceland. I’m a big Elvis fan. I have a wall in my parents’ home full of memorabilia dedicated to him.) - Love makes teen sex less academically harmful, study says
(This is a CNN.com article I found today. I thought it was very interesting considering I am sitting in an in-service for educators and discussing academics. Give it a read. Tell me what you think.)
