Where I Work

The story for today includes our technology at the school. I am the technology teacher for the 6th-9th graders at our school. This wasn't the best idea in the world considering my technological savvy, but oh well.

For the first few weeks of school, the only technology that I had for technology was pen, paper, my school computer, and an overhead. Eventually, there were laptops brought from the other campus, so we could actually use computers in technology class - amazing!

For second quarter, I had 37 students, but only 33 laptops. In addition, since we weren't connected to a network, the students couldn't save their work, so every day, I had to check all of their typing exercises page by page to see if they were doing the exercises.

Last week I get a call from the assistant administrator asking if I would be willing to do a college and career exploration on the internet with my students during the new semester of technology class. I was more than willing, but cited the fact that we only have one internet access point in my room, as a deterrent to such a plan. The assistant administrator didn't know that we still didn't have the internet as a viable option at this campus.

In a frenzy of activity, it is decided that my room needs to be wireless compatible (something that was all ready to go as of the first few weeks of school but never completed) since I will now have the freshman for technology. In the quest to get my room to be wireless capable, all the IP addresses have to change, so for most of the week, internet and printing is down. As a teacher it is kind of difficult to not be able to print all of your lesson plans and handouts for students. But I guess I just expect a little bit too much.

Anyways, the whirlwind of activity is about to subside as the router is up, and many of the laptops are internet ready. I have wireless and printing capabilities, I went into the office in a state of euphoria. Do you know how much time a week I will save not having to walk across the room, plug in my laptop, pray that the connection and printer work. Now my only question is, did they set the laptops up to print? Maybe I am just a dreamer. But I am typing right now at my desk, life is blissful.

Where I Work - Story of the Day

There were a great many stories that could be included in my hopefully more frequent column entitled "Where I Work", but this one takes the cake - or should I say cookie?

Our school is divided in two - an upper and lower campus. Today's story comes from the lower school. Everyone can remember the beloved snack times of elementary school. Today was no exception. One of the kindergarten classes (I believe) was having snack time. The student chose to bring in some cookies filled with a unique Asian fruit. The story gets better when one learns that this fruit is known across the Asian world for its horrible smell, so legendary that the guy on the cable show who eats everything spit it out due to the smell.

The students are enjoying the cookies, but the smell is beginning to permeate the classroom, the hallways, and soon, the whole school. The cookies are so offensive in the smell that concerned parties begin to think there is a gas leak. Gas company is called in, the school is evacuated.

After determining there is no gas leak, just the smell of the cookies, the children return to their classrooms; unfortunately, for the kindergarten classroom, the smell is now beginning to permeate from the children.

Maybe I Should Be Teaching Technology

One of the classes I teach at school is Technology. This is said tongue-in-cheek, as is the fact that some of my co-workers come to me as the technology expert. I am probably one of the least technologically advance people my age that I know.

But today as I went to the library and managed to get my laptop connected with their Wi-Fi, I had a great feeling of accomplishment as I managed to do it on my own without asking anyone for help - plus it only took me a few minutes. Now many of you are thinking, How stupid is she?

Very stupid, I admit it (I just spent the last ten minutes laughing with a friend because I thought a school reunion was on a whole different continent than it was). Until today I had never really cared about trying to reach the internet from anywhere but school. And to be factual, my computer plugs into the network connection at school. I have only used the Wi-Fi access once on my computer - the other week when I was at the other school site. So, with this said, this is pretty impressive, but also really sad since I got the wireless blocker taken off my computer back in October - I have been pretty busy.

Well, wherever you are, enjoy your technology and hopefully more warmth than we have here in Wisconsin (I mean two cold days in a row, I am going to go crazy!)

I Love Food

Okay, this should come as a surprise to no one, but I really love food. My students know this - I think they are amazed that I am not fatter than I am because they always see me eating. This week has been a good culinary week. I had Greek, Italian, Mexican, German, and good ole American food. It has been a good eating week (my pants wouldn't agree), but with it being so cold, what else is there to do?