Back on Track

Phew! Technology for Educators is over. *sigh of relief*

Back to Stellabutt & RufusDoofus...

I'm proud to introduce...

(Puffs out chest & waits for drumroll)

THE INDESTRUCTIBLE TOY I MENTIONED EARLIER!

(ZOMG! MOMSAVEME!)



Chill out, Roo. Stella's a big baby...what's she going to do?

(BITE ME!)



Oh, geez, Stella!

(Fine, meaniehead, you can have it anyway)



(I've got a bigger, better toy to play with anyway...wink wink)



This toy has lasted more than two weeks. That's gotta be some kind of record or something. Srsly.

Back to the future...

Here's the question for class: As emerging technologies continue to affect education, there is little question that the role of the teacher will change. Imagine yourself teaching a class in the technological future. How do you think your role would be different from the typical teacher’s role today?

Here's my answer: Although I agree that technology changes education almost daily, this prompt also makes me think of what Dr. Osborn pointed out at the beginning of the course-namely that if you compare hospitals 20 years ago to hospitals today, the addition and use of technology and therefore, the machines you find in hospitals today is vastly improved and different. However, if you compare schools 20 years ago with schools today, there is little change in the amount of technology we use. In the future, if money was no longer a brick wall standing in the way of financing tools for education, I feel that my role would change in the following manners:
1) I imagine part of my day would be spent using technology to correspond with students who stayed home either for health issues or because they are distance learners.
2) I would also have fewer actual books and rely more on e-books or digital copies of books on computers for students to read.
3) Parents could instant message their concerns and correspond using technology rather than the phone.

Rufus and Stella update: We have reinstated the rule of the tie-out because Stella and Rufus both decided that running away in the morning while I was frantically trying to leave for work was a good way to get dad out of bed early. Dad=not so happy about that.

If I had a million dollars...

...to spend on educational technology, I would first buy a set of laptops for every student in the classroom. I would also buy a printer and scanner. I would have the students use the computers to complete WebQuests, research, and other on-line, interactive activities. The students could use the scanner and printer to complete projects and in-class on-line activities.

I would also hire a full-time computer fixer so that it would minimize the number of technological problems students encounter on a daily basis. If a student's computer is not working properly, it reduces the amount of learning time a student has in the classroom.

***Rufus & Stella update***
Hmmm...well, no pictures this week. The majority of my free time spent with the pooches was either giving baths (Stella gave me the evil stare of death right before I turned on the water **Don't do it, lady! You'll regret it** and she did shake ALL over me) or playing fetch. Rufus has finally met his match with the great Unconquerable-Fire-Hose-Dog-Toy. He's had it for over a week now and has yet to de-stuff it. The edges are frayed and some of the rubber of the hose is missing, but the stuffing is still inside. This is a great accomplishment and I will be buying many UFHDTs in the future...

Also, Rufus celebrated his BIRTHDAY on October 25! He is one year old...Here's a look back at the good ol' puppy days. I traded the puppy smell for no pee on carpets.



Aaaaaand...Stella celebrated her Gotcha Day on October 27. She's been drooling on our walls and floors for two whole years now!
The first picture I ever took of Stella:

I love Educational Technology...NOT!

While I truly have an appreciation for technology and I understand that technology is going to be the next era, I still don't have the love for it that I ought. Why not?

Although I am generally a patient person (cough, cough), if something technological does not go my way and I have made multiple unsuccessful attempts, I get to the point where I don't even want to bother with that technology anymore. Technology is supposed to save time, money and effort, and yet sometimes it doesn't. I get to the point sometimes where I get so frustrated that I just use whatever I used in the past before that technology came around. How do I overcome this challenge? I am largely dependent on asking my husband, who is a technology enthusiast, or my sister who is a database guru. Either way, I must say that my life has become more complicated the more technology I encounter, but communication is by far easier!!

Oh yeah, and Rufus says "Hey"

Uh....hey



So does my garden spider.

I'm baaaaack!

Well, sort of, anyways. I've been lagging in my posts because, even though my wedding is over (whew!), I am still tackling my first year as a 7-9 grade English teacher (ummm, yay hormones?) and taking classes to obtain my MAEd in Integrated Language Arts. This includes taking separate undergraduate classes in English-y stuff.

So...I am currently taking a Technology for Educators course which requires me to update my blog! So, in addition to updating you on the Stella & Roo situation (which is hunky-dory-thanks-for-asking), I will be posting edu-ma-cational stuff that has nothing to do with my fluffy pooches.

Here is a brief photographic recap of the past 3 months of my life:

From our last day in Vancouver, right before it was back to The Real World...



My husband (eep!) over-looking the drop off on Grouse Mountain.



The Great Bear Adventure:

Hey there, folks! Come on down and visit me. Breakfast is served...



Aw, shucks, Mr. Ranger man. What do you mean the humans aren't for breakfast? Is it dead fish again?!?



Either way...GET ME MY BREAKFAST! kthx.



Le sigh...where is ze breakfast?



Shaking bears are just as cute as shaking dogs.





The End (of The Great Bear Adventure, anyway).

Victoria @ night.



Our hotel on the bay...and although it was waterfront property, I didn't dare go swimming...

Neglected...

...my blog that is. Not my dogs, although they may argue with that.

Rufus's last words were not his last words, so for all of you out there who thought that I might have stopped blogging because Rufus ate another shoe, you can stop worrying.

I have been extra busy. Two years ago, when I graduated from college and joined the real world, I was super-disenchanted. Working 5 days a week, even though the paychecks are nice, is not all it's cracked up to be. However, it did allow me time to have hobbies like photography, writing, blogging, and generally wasting of time.

Sadly, I have not left the real world, but I rejoined the school world. So I am working AND going to school full time. Whatever time I have leftover is devoted to entertaining the pooches. I will try to keep posting, but I hope you all will be patient with me!

I'm also planning my wedding. (09.19.09) I should have eloped.

I'm also getting ready for my new job as a teacher, which means planning lessons in my free time rather than blogging and not getting paid for it.

Rufus's Last Words...

...before he gets kicked out of the house might very well be "Mmmm...tasty!"

Last night, I was in my best friend from high school's wedding. I wore my high heel strappy sandal thingies, my go-to pair of shoes for formal events that require strappy heels. It took me a long time to find these shoes, and I liked them because, even though they were uncomfortable, they didn't look like the Sunday-church-shoes I wore in 6th grade.



Now, Rufus may be a doofus, but he has always known what he can and cannot consider chew-toys. He has never chewed on furniture, pillows, books, etc. He instead focused his destructive energies on demolishing tennis balls and stuffies in a matter of seconds.

Until now.



I was doing homework this morning and heard the familiar rip of teeth on stitching and thought, "Uh, oh. Rufus doesn't have any stuffies at the moment. I better go see what that is..."

Hiding behind the office chair did not save Rufus from the wrath of now-shoeless-mom.



Luckily, I am a firm believer in positive reinforcement, and after I screeched my rage and waved my destroyed heel in Rufus's face, I simply threw them away. Rufus better not take a bite out of Andy's shoes, though, if he wants to preserve his life.

On a positive note, Rufus came to work with me on Monday. My coworkers are all dog people and Rufus was spoiled and well-loved.