Google and Twitter and Chocolate, Oh My!

Just a quick refresher to everyone about your homework for the day.  And when I say homework, I mean very simple task.

All of you received a handout today showing you how to get your Google accounts up and running.  Please make sure that you do so tonight and let me know of any potential problems at tomorrow's class.

Please make sure that you email me at jason.thompson@sd76.ab.ca with the following information so that I can set up the classes and groups for the semester:

Full Name:
Class:
Email:  If you can't get you school Gmail to work, another working email address will do.  Ideally, though, you are setting up a Google account so that we can have the full benefit of their online suite of tools.

As a bonus, sign up here for your twitter account so we can begin to use it within the classroom.

Please also remember to show your course outlines to your parents so that can review and sign.  They need to be aware of the policies just as much as you are.

Thanks again for your efforts and attendance today.  I'm excited for what's gearing up to be a great semester.

~Mr. T

*EVENING UPDATE:

I've been combing through emails and putting together a list of those students that have completed their homework.  As of 7:00-ish... here's what I'm looking at so far:

Social 10-1 Period 1:  0/20 emails  (0% completion); 1 on Twitter

Social 10-1 Period 2:  5/23 emails (22% completion); 5 on Twitter

Social 10-1 Period 4:  4/26 emails (15% completion); 3 on Twitter

Social 9 Period 5:  5/30 emails (17% completion); 0 on Twitter

Overall, I'm looking at a 14% completion rate.  Still early but we let's get these taken care of.  

As an additional note, please make sure you are doing everything possible to set up your school Google accounts.  Other emails will work to an extent, but not having the Google account limits your ability to take advantage of some of the technology and programs we plan to use in the semester.

Food for thought.

*EVENING UPDATE 2:

New numbers for your homework as of 9:30 pm.  Brace yourselves...

Social 10-1 Period 1:  0/20 emails  (0% completion); 1 on Twitter

Social 10-1 Period 2:  6/23 emails  (26% completion); 5 on Twitter

Social 10-1 Period 4:  5/26 emails  (19% completion); 4 on Twitter

Social 9 Period 5:  5/30 emails  (17% completion); 1 on Twitter

Tsk tsk, period 1...

Semester 2... Here we Go!

Alright students... the dust has settled from your exams and you are set to continue the next half of your school year.  Whether you are grade 9 or 10, look to this blog to serve as a starting point (or a quick review) of our what's going on in my class.

Now that we're on the blog, let me quickly rundown what my commitment is for this space:

1.  This blog should be updated every single day, barring some catastrophic event or zombie apocalypse.  In the event that you miss a class, this can give you an idea about what we talked about and what you likely need to catch up on.  Note that it will not replace the instruction of the day... for that you should probably come and have a quick chat with me.

2.  This blog will be used as a starting point for a variety of education activities from research activities, to online discussion, or me simply sharing something that I think you might find interesting.  There are going to be times when the confines of the classroom will not do... you need to see the bigger picture.  This will hopefully help to make that happen.

3.  This blog will hopefully serve as a bit of a showcase for what we've been up to in the classroom.  Every effort will be made to be respectful and protect your right to privacy.  At the same time, I hope that some of you will take reasonable opportunities to allow me to share your accomplishments.  This space is, after all, more about you than it is for me.

Here's to a great semester.

~Mr. T

Wordle

One of my favorite apps that I've encountered as a teacher is Wordle.  Most of you know how it works: simply take text and turn it into a visual summary of key words, phrases, and ideas.

I took a break from marking final exams to do this one for my Social 10-1 class.

Hoping to use these a bit more in the coming semester.

You can play with Wordle here.

The Wonderful World of Google

*Image couretsy of PetaPixel

One of my projects these past few days (while not scrambling to complete marking) is to get more familiar with the wonderful architecture provided by Google (sorry Internet Explorer).  As one of the goals for the semester, each of my students will set up and utilize a Google account which will provide them with a plethora  (Word Win!!) of services.  I'm hoping to show kids that there's more to Google than funny pictures with cats.

... Although, there's still a place for some of those, too...

Exam Anxiety

This is perhaps one of the days I most dread in any semester: the diploma exam. It's stressful for everyone, including me, because at the end of the day, I want my students to do well.  I want to feel like I've done everything that I could to help them get to where they want to be.

Here's a good source of information on identifying exam anxiety and how to deal with it.

Bottom line: prepare early and often. Take care of yourself and don't add more stress than you need to.

Good luck, again, to all of my grade 12s today.

One final note... in this modern age of technology, please save your work often.  I saw three students nearly lose their work yesterday because the computers they were using shut down.  Nope.  Don't want.

~Mr. T

Finals Week

Seriously, though.  Best of luck to all of my current students on your exams.

~Mr. T

A New Beginning...

With the new year comes the annual ritual of self-reflection and resolution.  January is awash in trips to the gym, the casting off of unwanted vices, and at least for me, the chance to challenge myself in new ways.  This year, I will be pushing myself to take more of my classroom activities and discussion into a more accessible and digital format.

My goal this year is to use this blog to share information on the day's activities, share additional tid-bits, and provide a venue where ideas and opinions can hopefully be more freely exchanged.  This will obviously take some getting used to but if this works, each of you will have a more rewarding and fulfilling experience in the world of social studies than I can normally provide only within the walls of my classroom.

Thank you for sharing in this journey.

~Mr. T