Quick Glimpse

Since I have returned from the GAFE summit in Las Vegas, I have been in my principal's office about 1000 times.  I am so thankful to work for her.  Her support of this new endeavor is amazing!  I have started my students working on a collaborative math project and have invited her to my classroom tomorrow.   I am excite to show off what my kiddos have adapted to in the last three days.  UPDATE: All chromebooks have been "fixed". I guess we will find out tomorrow.
On a side note, homemade enchiladas for dinner! Thanks to my mom! I will be the envy of everyone in the teacher's lounge.  My thighs will rejoice! LOL

Don't break the chain!

Last night as I review my day's events, I guess my face looked ripped with fatigued that my 20 year old brother puts his arm around me and says, "Don't break the chain". What? He says it's a tip from Jerry Seinfeld on procrastination and how he was determined to write a joke every day. I smile and say thanks. I needed that. I will show, teach, or work on one piece of technology with my students. Who knew my kid brother was so insightful and he knew about Seinfeld... Lol.  My brother knows I'm working hard and so does the universe! As I left my school, a tweet came through from Dihanna Fender, a presenter from the Gafe summit, reminding me that we learned to "Try, Fail, and Try again". Combined she and my brother gave me the confidence to know I am heading in the right direction! I thank them for that! In addition, my nephew Alex became my inspiration for the meme I created of him! Tomorrow I continue a collaborative math project.... Jumping in head first!

Edited with #aviary > http://avry.co/_getAviary_

EPIC Chromebook FAIL!

• Get the key for chromebook carts...check
• Roll them into my room by myself...check
• Prep my intro slide about socrative.com (which is amazing!) ...check
• Kids are here, take attendance and lunch count...check
• Begin my speech about my great two days in Las Vegas at the GAFE Summit ...DOUBLE CHECK

As I get my class to begin passing out chromebooks and logging in to their Google accounts, a student tells me that her chromebook has 'No Network'.  I figure that it is this one chromebook and infamously say, "Just shut down and restart". Surely this  phrase will fix it! DOOM! More students have indicated that their chromebooks have "NO NETWORK"! WHY! District GODS WHY! Well before my dung ball can get any bigger, I inform my students to STOP! I quickly, using my teacher voice, tell those that have the dreadful NO NETWORK to put their chromebooks back in the cart.  I do not make eye contact because the disappointment will kill me...I know it!  Those whom have remained will now partner quad up because I will demonstrate the great program socrative because I need this affirmation that this fail will not break me!

My kids were over the moon! OOHHHS and AHHHHS filled the room! From 44 chromebooks to only 16 operational ones...I am a success! The IT guy just got 28 help tickets from one teacher...ohhhhh yeah!  At lunch time, I find out that my principal had already informed the IT guy on Friday...oops! Either way today was a WIN-WIN!

On a side note, I get home and my nephews decide they want nachos, to watch Netflix in my room, and thankfully not at the same time...looks like I'm grading papers into the night!

First day back!

After 4 wonderful days in Las Vegas, I return to my classroom today. I'm nervous as if it were the first day of school. I checked out the chromebook cart key and we are going to dive right in. As I was getting ready this morning, the 1st love of my life (Paul) left me a note about how much he loves and missed me. He made my day!

Google hangouts

So my first use of technology today on my way home from Vegas was using Google hangouts! As my friend, Michele, is driving I start to text my brothers using the / easter eggs like /ponies.  Well that lead to some craziness and new inventions of our own. So here are some suggestions: /JESUS, /zombies, /bouncingtits and some more that are questionable. In addition, we did a video chat and my 2 year old nephew starts crying hysterically. Not because he hasn't seen me in four days but because his face wasn't fitting in the small video chat screen! I miss them!

/ponystream 

Inspired

As I wake up this morning from an intense 2 day experience for Google Apps for education, I realize how inspired I am to make mistakes and start failing. I'm ready to find my real career of enhancing my students' lives with technology. Hence the blog. I will create and document all failures and successes so that I can create that dung ball (lol James Sanders). But first I need to get home to 15 people whom have been waiting for me since Friday! Especially these babies!

Clockwise from top: Paul (7), Alex (2), and Fefe (2)