Match.com

I've been seeing lots of ads on TV about match.com and I wanted to see what it looked like.  So last night I created a profile, filled out some information and they "matched" me with 3 guys that were interested in similar things.  I woke up this morning to find I had 3 winks, which is basically where you look at someone's profile and wink to see if they'll respond (I guess it's like poking on facebook).  Well I'm not looking for a relationship right now and realized it would be unfair to guys to have a profile if I wasn't going to respond.  So I politely "un-winked" and deactivated my (free) membership.  There are other things that I would rather spend money on right now.  And maybe in the future when I'm not counting down the months until I leave Harrisonburg (12 months!) and am living in an area with a job I'll sign back on and see what's going on in the matching world.

Re-designing my apartment

Here's to wishing I could re-design our apartment!  Some things I would change:

*Ceiling fans in the bedrooms and living room
*A deck!
*A pantry
*Larger fridge and freezer (so we don't have to have mini fridges)
*Energy Star appliances
*More natural light in the kitchen (a window would be nice)

But of course I can't change any of that, so I'll just have to wait a year then find a place that meets those requirements.

ABCs

(borrowed from Caroline)

A - Age: 22

B - Bed Size: Double at school, Queen at home

C - Chore you hate: Cleaning the toilet

D - Dog's name: No dog for me, maybe in the future

E - Essential start your day item: Breakfast. I don't know how you non breakfast eaters make it til Noon.

F - Favorite color: Green

G - Gold or Silver: silver

H - Height: 5' 5"

I - Instruments you play(ed): Violin, String Bass

J - Job title: Student or Sub Athletic Trainer

K - Kid(s): None, that will be in the future

L - Living arrangements: Apartment with 2 great girls, and another great girl moving-in in July

M - Mom's name: Lydia

N - Nicknames: Kristina, Nina, Chris, TinaKris,
O - Overnight hospital: No, thanks.

P - Pet peeve: People not paying attention while walking and they end up walking into you! Or roommates not cleaning up after themselves.

Q - Quote from a movie: "Well alright then." -The Blind Side

R - Right or left handed: Right

S - Siblings: 1 brother, Alex

T - Time you wake up: 7:15 for class

U - Underwear: Always, except in the shower

V - Vegetable you dislike: Lima Beans

W - Ways you run late: Reading blogs and don't have an alarm set

X - X-rays you've had: Teeth, shoulders, knees, ankles, hips, jaw, wrist

Y - Yummy food you make: Beach shrimp recipe from my mom, potato salad, I like to cook

Z - Zoo favorite: Lots of favorites there! Polar bears, pandas, turtles, cubs of any kind

daily quote

EITHER WRITE SOMETHING WORTH READING, OR DO SOMETHING WORTH WRITING.
- BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

daily quote

Dress shabbily, they notice the dress. Dress impeccably, they notice the woman."

--Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel

article today

Virginia schools test 21st-century skill sets of students
A number of Virginia schools are testing students on problem-solving, critical thinking, collaboration, communication and the use of technology -- all considered to be 21st-century skills. One county is beginning testing this year with its eighth-graders, while another county has been using portfolio assessments during the past five years to test the skills of younger students. "We want to go beyond what NCLB is asking, beyond what the Standards of Learning tests assess, to really ensure that we're preparing our students for a global economy," one Henrico County official said. (from ASCD)


Thank you Henrico County for wanting to go above and beyond the SOLs and NCLB by including those important skills in your teaching!

Wash. program will help create innovative teacher evaluations
School districts in Washington state should take advantage of a statewide two-year pilot program to help develop new and innovative ways to evaluate teachers and principals, the editorial board of the Seattle Times writes. Comprehensive systems with multiple layers that account for student achievement and include peer reviews and third-party observations are needed, the board writes.

Love that too!

Foundings

My dad sent me an article from the local newspaper back home before he left for Yosemite with mom.  The article is about our local girls lacrosse team that I helped found.  Apparently they're doing really well and got to the second round of the district playoffs! (as of when the article was written, not sure how the next game went.)  But it was really cool to see how something that I helped start is doing so well 6 years later, it makes me feel really proud.  Founding things is really hard but it certainly pays off when it goes well!

I wonder how the boys team is doing...(I helped found that as well...)

Today's mail

In the mail today I got a large envelope from Kappa Delta Pi, the Education Honors Fraternity.  I had wanted to join the chapter here at JMU, but they're currently having some issues, so the woman at headquarters told me to apply as a non-affiliated graduate student and I did.  Found out today that I was accepted (my 3.8 grad school GPA really helped!)!!!  Super exciting!  They have 2 great magazines that you get to help you navigate the world of teaching and can get some great ideas from.  Just like any fraternity it's a great way to network.  Maybe it will even help me get a job.

Crafty day

I really wanted some way to display the everyday jewelry that I have because if I don't see it then I don't wear it.  So I created this jewelry display for my room.  I bought a cheap poster frame (I am a poor starving college student) and the silver adhesive hooks, plus a wallpaper border that had the words on it. The green wrapping paper I had, but it works perfectly.  My roommate had the white fabric already and allowed me to cut two small pieces off.  To construct I opened up the frame, took the plastic out and put the fabric down, then putting the plastic back in so that it holds the fabric in place.  Then I cut the wrapping paper, cut out the words from the wallpaper, taped them onto the wrapping paper and put that in the frame before putting the back on.  To keep the fabric in place I stapled it to the cardboard back, just one more way to keep it secure.  The last thing was to put on the adhesive hooks, hang on the wall and put up the jewelry.  It turned out so much better than I thought!  And now I can remember to wear jewelry.

According to me...

*Toilet paper dispensers should never be installed below the toilet in public (or private) bathrooms.  Why?  Because the closer they are to the floor the more likely the paper is to touch the floor and the more likely that I'm going to waste TP as I pull it out and it gets caught and I have to pull harder and then it lets go and hits the floor.  It's an environmental reason. ;o) So if there is a handicap rail, then the dispenser should be placed above the rail.  It's also common sense.

*Tights should not be sold on the paper boards that they stretch the tights over to be able to hang them on the wall, put them in the little boxes.  Why? Because the paper boards always end up putting holes in the tights as you take them out from the corners snagging, which means then that I have to go buy another pair.  Putting all tights in boxes would mean that any holes would be my fault, not the designers.

Jobs

For a while I've wanted to teach in the Fairfax area because it's near DC and I really like all the area has to offer.  However, there may not be jobs there when I get out of school, so I'm going to apply everywhere in that area that I can and maybe something will turn up.  I'm even considering applying to the DC city schools...who doesn't like a challenge?

I saw a posting for international educators, where you would teach your subject in an English school abroad and I would love that! But you need 2 years of experience to even apply.  Bummer.  Maybe that can be in the further future than when I graduate.

How the world should be, according to me

If I was in charge here are a few things I would change:
*D.C. would get representation in both the house and senate, and get to make their own laws by forming their own council so that the national house doesn't have to spend time making their decisions.  Taxation without representation isn't right or fair.  If P.R. is taxed by the US then they should have representation too.
*Students would get put into classes based on ability, not on age so that classrooms do not have students with 2nd grade reading levels in the same room as the 9th grade reading levels.  Other classes would work with the same age groups, but students should get to work with and know other kids that are outside of their age range.  Don't we have to do that in the real world?
*Elementary school would be required to have students learn a language all 5 years, and students would have the same primary teacher for those 5 years in classes of 10-15 students so that the teacher can focus on each child and make sure they are getting the education they need.  As for the language, we know that the early years are the best for learning a language.
*In middle school, students would start switching teachers for classes but the teachers would all communicate about the students so that each student is getting what they need and students would be placed in classes based on ability.  The best teachers would be placed with the lowest level to help bring them up to speed.  Principals would be more involved in making sure that classrooms are challenging students and are student centered, not just lecture and move on.  Language learning would continue through middle school, with the option to switch languages or add a second foreign language in 8th grade.
*School would be year round with 2 week breaks 4 times a year.  For students that need care during those weeks off (if parents can't take off to watch the kids) there would be supplement classes offered on topics that teachers would want to teach, say budgeting or an aspect of history in depth, or reading help or math help or creative writing.
*School would also be longer in the day, starting at 8am and going to 4pm to allow more time for studying and learning, less of an emphasis on sports.  However, kids could choose as an elective to take off the last period of the day to play sports (which would then be for credit) to give them the same amount of time, while the kids that don't play sports could take other classes (electives and such)

just some thoughts on things i've been thinking about...

Math Makeover

http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_meyer_math_curriculum_makeover.html

Really cool video about making over the math curriculum to have students more involved in problem solving.  So rather than using questions out of the text book, create layers of questions for the class to do where they don't have all of the information at the beginning and can then plug and chug.  They need to be able to critically analyze problems that relate to their lives.  Even more helpful is teachers who use mulitmedia to get kids interested, like a video of filling up a bucket that they then have to solve how long it will take.

Related to social studies, don't have students just read the textbook and answer the questions at the back of the chapter.  Find other things for them to read, make them think about how a particular event changed their life today (What would your life be like today if Columbus hadn't found the New World? Would you be here?)  I also want to use lots of videos and projects and online games (like Budget Hero) in my class to stimulate thinking and interest.  I'd probably bore everyone if I just sat and lectured the entire period.

Daily Quotes

WHEN YOU WERE BORN YOU WERE CRYING AND THE WORLD WAS REJOICING ON YOUR BIRTH, LIVE IN A WAY SUCH THAT WHEN YOU DIE LET YOU REJOICE AND LET THE WORLD CRY.

I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be; for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances.

- Martha Washington

No kind action ever stops with itself. One kind action leads to another. Good example is followed. A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees. The greatest work that kindness does to others is that it makes them kind themselves.
-Amelia Earhart

From the Education world

Challenge to Educators, Administrators, and Parents

• Let's engage this generation in the most powerful, intense, always-on ways that we can!  
• Let's customize the classroom environment with great teachers who look at the unique student and put in place walls, tables, and technologies that interact and sites that let them interact and learn from their peers.
• Let's deliver learning to their pockets so they can study "whenever" they are ready and "wherever" they are.  
• Let's hold them to high standards but realize that we cannot reach this generation by over-standardization of delivery methods. We must be interactive. 

(From Vicki Davis...CoolCatTeacher Blog)

LOVE THIS!

Education

Some really cool things from the Education world (I get the ASCD emails):

Boston schools are implementing teacher feedback from students.  So students will be able to fill out a form that will get sent to teachers to tell them how they're doing.  Once the teachers have read through them, the teachers' names get removed and the information gets sent to administrators to tell them how their school faculty is doing.  I love this idea!  And it's something I plan on doing in my classroom whether my school district makes me or not because the only way for me to really improve as a teacher is to get multiple forms of data, my own reflections, student assessments and student feedback and then figure out what I can do better.

Denver had a school system wide (meaning the whole district participated) Shakespeare festival where students from K through 12 performed all types of Shakespeare.  That would have been awesome to go to!

Moving on

The semester is done and graduation is tomorrow for all those graduating seniors.  It feels good to be done with the semester.  I think that I got a little distracted from my work by things going on in life outside of school, so we'll see how the grades turn out.  Last night I got to sit and read Blink by Malcolm Gladwell which is an awesome book.  Once I've finished it I'll post about it.  I was going to go out with Julia and her friend, but Jules needed to sleep so I stayed in and watched Real Housewives of NY.  That show makes me happy that there is so little drama in my life right now.  But I do want to end up living a life where I have a job I love, friends to hang out with, money to travel, a family to love and still be able to support the charities that I care about, like CASA.

I helped Morgan move out of her dorm this morning, she has so much stuff!  I hope she can sort some things out and give a big pile to Goodwill before she moves in here. Now I'm trying to pack and figure out what I need to bring home for the few days that I'll be home.  Today is my dad's birthday and if I didn't have dance tomorrow morning I would have headed home already.  Can't wait to see the parents!  But since I will be here, I'm going to dinner with Julia and her family then go walk in the Relay for Life tonight at the Rockingham Fair Grounds.  Home soon.

quote of the day

It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are. -e.e. cummings

quote of the day

It is not our abilities that show what we truly are…it is our choices -Dumbledore

Finished my multi-genre paper this morning for my literacy class and just finished re-doing the citations in my Civil War paper.  Not sure how they got so messed up.  I really wish that there was one way to cite things that would work for the entire world, that's the problem with being an interdisciplinary major.  I think they ended up the first time being a mixture of APA and Turabian with a little AMA thrown in for good measure.  Ugg.  I even had to go through a book that I used, realize that the sources were not primary when I thought they were, and go through the Official Records of the war of the rebellion, printed by the War Department to find the information to cite correctly.  Thank goodness those things are online and key word searchable or I would have cried.  I almost did looking at the 100+ volumes and not knowing where to start looking.  I can't imagine life before the key word searchable internet!

Tomorrow I turn in my MGP and take my oral exam for Civil War, then I just have a reflection for Wed and 2 mini papers for Thursday, one is an open notebook test to take.  Should be easy.

I was over at the Wesley House today, now known as the Rise Mission Center because we're re-doing the inside of the building, painting and hopefully tearing down some walls so it's not so much a maze on the inside.  It's kind of hard tho because I did a lot of the work to make it what it looks like, and people are just redoing the whole thing like it's no big deal.  I put a lot of time into those paint color choices and into painting those walls.  It will be interesting how it turns out.  Off to the final Crave...we'll see how uninterested I get.

Taking Fun Electives

I wish I had more time to take some fun electives, but I don't.  My roommate however, has 2 semesters to fill with fun classes because she has finished her classes for her major and just needs a few credits.  But the problem we've discovered talking about fun classes to take, is that there is a lack of classes open to anyone here at JMU that you can take for fun.  For example, there should be at least a few basic art classes that are open to everyone, not just art majors and minors, like painting, drawing and photography.  Is JMU really committed to developing well-rounded individuals?  Then why aren't there more classes!?!

If I did have time to take more classes I would love to take:
-Psych of Human Intimacy
-Basic Painting
-more history classes
-another Art History class (the second half of time)
-Abnormal Psychology
-more English classes
-basic Spanish
-dance classes
-human sexuality

I'm sure there are more...I could be in school forever.