Friday, August 29, 2008

A Teachable Moment

Every teacher longs for that teachable moment...the small space of opening where you have your students in the palm of your hands and can truly affect their learning. I think I witnessed one of those happenings last night at Laurie Auditorium when I went to hear Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea. Here is a man, in my estimation, that could be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. The above picture is of some 6th grade students and their teacher from Austin, TX, who drove down to experience hearing and meeting a real, best-selling author. Their class is reading the book together, and this field trip was a opportunity. I met them as they ask to cut in line in order to get the kids home and in bed for today's school day. What fun to watch them experience the process of standing in line at a book signing. Books take on a new meaning when a reader has a book that is connected to the author with a personal signature. The more connected a student is to books, the better the reader becomes. I think I witnessed the beginnings of a love affair with books for some of these students. As a former reading teacher, that's BIG!

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Back-to-School

I'm a retired school teacher, and I giggled last week when I drove through the packed teachers'parking lot of Reagan High School on the way to the Reagan Library, which also serves as a public library. You could say I was joyful not be "getting ready for a new year." I love my freedom. So, why am I trying to sign up for a course at SAC?

I want to learn Photoshop instead of just tinkering with it. One class I'm thinking about has a text, and mentioned a web site . I went there to see what it is about. Boy, was I amazed. Every program I'm working with seems to be listed in their product line. There are very detailed videoes that walk you through the steps. You can go back and replay as much as you need. Each video is short and very well explained. I've only watched the "free" stuff because I'm really cheap. Check it out for yourself.