Tinkerings

We are three days into the new school year (well, we will be when this day officially starts), and so far with the exception of not having any working computers in my computer labs the year is going great.  I know, I know, that sounds like a sarcastic statement, but….well…ok, there’s a little sarcasm there, but honestly, the year is going great.

This semester I have four 7th grade classes and two 6th grade classes.  I’ve been checking around.  I don’t have any real trouble makers in my classes.  Oh, I have a few that want to act like they are all that, but inside they are really good kids.  I can handle that.  I can work with that.  I can play that game and give them a little of the attention they crave and still steer them back on track to learn something in spite of their own efforts to the contrary.

While I am running behind on creating lesson plans (I’m only a couple of weeks ahead), things are falling together pretty well.  I am utilizing a “paper slide” video technique taught to us at the DEN LC Symposium by Dr. Lodge McCammon for the starters in my 6th grade class.  My goal is to have the kids make their own before the semester is over.  I haven’t written those lesson plans yet, and I have trained the other teachers on my team how to do it, and I don’t have enough flip cameras, and…well, I still plan to do it before the semester is over.  That’s the power of positive thinking!

So today, at 8 AM, I need the collective will of everyone who reads this blog to concentrate on the 27 computers in my room and will them to re-image properly.  Can you do it?  Will you help me?  We’re three days in.  But if I can’t get these computers working its gonna feel like forever….