What In Tarnation?!?!?

I am sorry I have been so neglectful as of late. As some kind of weird compensation, I sing you this little diddy: (I hope you know the tune.)

Thank you for being a friend,
Travelled down the road and back again.
Your heart is true, you’re a pal and a confidente.

And if you threw a party-,
Invited everyone you knew-,
You would see the biggest gift would be from me
And the card attached would say,
Thank you for being a friend-.

Later taters!

Unfortunately most presentations I see aren’t well done. People should watch this little video:

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/HLpjrHzgSRM" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

Class dismissed!

A Lost fan has taken all the different little pieces of the plane going down and edited them together in a chronological fashion. Scenes inside the plane, scenes on the island with Desmond as he rushes back to the hatch, and on the second island with the Others being interrupted during their book club meeting. It is great in my opinion despite issues raised in the comments. The crash probably won’t make a lick of  sense to those not familiar with the mythology.

Enjoy:

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/nu3SxqSrAOM" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

Later taters!

Last school year, our third grade team noticed that our out of state move-ins where not ready for our third grade. I faced that myself with Miss Moth. In her case her ability did not match her school records that we received. According to her grade card from her second grade year, she made straight A’s in reading. The first day I got her she was struggling to read just about anything. Her lack of reading skills directly effected her grades in other subjects.

The third grade team was a little panicked about our out of state move ins because across the board, without exception, they could not keep up. They were all a grade or two behind academically. Now there are years where that could be said of the whole class but last year was not one of those years. It was just our out of staters. I personally believe that it just kinda happened that way. We have had plenty of out of state students move in and do fine. I hope last year was just a fluke.

And then I found this 2005 report report from the Hoover Institution’s Education Next (I just found a more recent article here) on the different states and their standardized tests that are used to measure proficiency for No Child Left Behind (NCLB). NCLB requires that states have some testing method to test student’s level of proficiency, it has very little or no regulation on how to set up that assessment. People are now starting to see huge differences in the expectations of the different state assessments.

A more recent article from the Washington Times points out that this is still an issue:

Massachusetts sets it’s fourth-grade reading-proficiency level just below the national proficiency level, but Mississippi’s proficiency level is a full 73 points lower than Massachusetts’. Missouri’s proficiency level for eighth-grade math is a few points higher than the national standard. But North Carolina’s proficiency level is a full 64 points lower than Missouri’s.

Finally, my last article is from Time. It even comes with a pretty animated map. Like the previous articles, they compare state results with national testing results (NAEP). See how your state measures up. According to this Missouri has the most difficult state tests in both reading and math. Though I can’t say that I am impressed with Missouri’s scores either.

Well I can say that my school district scores above state standards every year. I guess I will just keep toiling away in my room and trying to make sure that the kids in my room have it.

Later taters!

Our youth group has been going on trips whether it be mission trips or back in the day choir trips for I think 16 years now. The first one was my first year in the youth group, that was 7th grade. I have gone on the trip in some capacity for 14 of those 16 years. This year marks the second time that I have not gone with the group, this year to Nashville, TN. I did see the group on their way Monday morning offering support. I gotta say, I thought I would feel a little sad seeing them leave, but not so much. Thus far, Pressed has reported back on his blog once and unfortunately it isn’t the rosiest report. I pray that things get better or rather, I pray that the group overcomes these hardships with grace. Be watching Avoiding Evil for more updates as Pressed has time to post.

So, what am I up to? That is the question that I have been asked a million times and I don’t have a glamorous answer like I normally do. I have been working on school stuff. First of all I am working with our PBS (Positive Behavior Support) team on plans for next year, and I will be attending a conference later in June on PBS. In the last weeks of school, my class and I wrote and shot a little movie about our school’s behavior expectations. I have been editing together. We didn’t have a whole lot of time to shoot our movie and since I don’t have access to the kids now, the movie is going to be pretty unintentionally funny. Very B movie or very Ed Wood like. It should be a hoot and I will post it when I get it done. The cool thing is that the video will be put on DVD and given to all new students coming to our building so they can be familiar with expectations before they even start school in the building.

I have also been working with our technology department to develop a Summer Technology Institute. Tomorrow will be day three of the first of two weeks. The course is mostly being developed and lead by our Integrated Technology Specialist, I am helping out where I can. Day one was designed to help teachers use their SMARTBoards in their classes as more than just a projector but to use it with activities that actually engage students. Today, we looked at Kidspiration and tomorrow we look at eInstruction remotes. I designed the little logo that will be put on some t-shirts. I couldn’t find a decent image of a SMARTBoard so I created the artistic rendition seen in the logo. I like it.

I have also been keeping an eye on the Southern Baptist Convention via the webcast. I have watched Dr. Mohler’s testimony and just finished Charles Colson’s sermon on engaging the culture. Unfortunately, they don’t have any of the Tuesday videos archived as of this writing.

I have also been volunteering at summer school this week and I will be subbing Thursday, Friday and Monday for Career Ladder hours. (My goal is to have all my hours in before the year starts.)

Sadly, I read today that Mr. Wizard, Don Herbert, passed away today. I loved Mr. Wizard’s World on Nick. More educationally sound than Beakman or Bill Nye ever thought of being.

That’s enough for now.

Later taters!

How time flies when you aren’t blogging. Here is my latish feast.

Appetizer
What do you consider to be the ultimate snack food?
Little Debbie and Hostess make a wide variety of different snacking foods. It really is difficult to have just one favorite. I do really like those chocolate frosted donuts. Though there was a girl back in the day when I was in the youth group who called them black donuts and that name has stuck with me.

Soup
On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 as highest), about how popular is your last name?
This question is a bit unclear. Do they want to know popular in how many people have my last name or popular as in what people think of my last name. Without further information I really don’t feel I can properly answer this question so I will go with… 5?

Salad
Who is your all-time favorite sitcom character, and why?
Again, there are so many. Some characters that jump into my mind are Cosmo Kramer for Seinfed (of course), Frank Burns from M*A*S*H (the perfect foil), Archie Bunker from All in the Family (so honest), Mama from Mama’s Family (so put out), Chandler Bing and Phoebe Buffay from Friends (could there be anyone funnier?), Niles Crane from Fraiser (so prissy), Gob Bluth from Arrested Development, Mr. Bean from Mr. Bean (so child-like), David Brent from The Office (UK) (so clueless). But if I had to pick one to go with right now, it would have to be Dwight Schrute from the Office (USA) (so serious).

Main Course
Do you shop online? If so, name some sites you like to browse for goodies.
Not often but I do. I have bought things from New Egg, E-Bay, Old Navy, and some comic store to get the Buffy the Vampire Season 8 comics.

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I think ___________ should be ___________.
I think doing anything with a cell phone (other than turning it off) during a movie/or other performance should be punishable by immediate and swift death.

Let me know if you are dining.

Later Taters.

Here we go…

Appetizer
Name something you think is “the best.”
The best can be hard to determine especially from all the other good stuff. Apple is the best computer maker.

Soup
On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 highest), how stressed are you today?
One or two. Hakuna Matata! Good thing this question wasn’t asked during the school year.

Salad
What kind of cleanser do you use to wash your face?
Dial SOAP.

Main Course
Tonight is a blue moon! What is something that you believe only happens “once in a blue moon.”
Tonight is a blue moon?Hmm. I really don’t have an answer for that. Leave ideas in the comments.

Dessert
When was the last time it rained where you live?
Earlier this week. It has rained here quite a bit recently. We had a couple of weeks where the forecast had rain predicted every single day.

Not the best Friday Feast. Even though if you want to participate you can do so in the comments or leave you blog address below.

Later Taters!