A to Z challenge BEGINS (Actually on April 1)

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Auxiliary

       The first blog for the A-Z challenge and the title is Auxiliary.  The idea behind this title is that we all have a hobby that we especially enjoy doing and want to spend more time at it.

My auxiliary, my hobby is walking, not hiking.

       There are a number of individual who have different auxiliary aspects of their lives.  As a special educator, my auxiliary title (or would like to be) is educational technology person, not the tech person, but the person who helps people include ET in their classroom.

       A number of teachers view educational technology as a way to make their lessons fun.  While it does accomplish this purpose, it is not the main objective, at least not for me, educational technology provides a way for all children to access the grade level standards in some manner.

       All students have diverse needs that need to be addressed in order for them to access the curriculum.  Language learners have specific needs that they need to be addressed in order to access the curriculum.  A bilingual teacher is great, but this is not always an available resource.  Children with special needs do not always need to taken out of the classroom; they may need an adjustment in their curriculum.  The same is true for students who are culturally diverse and need their curriculum adjusted to fit their educational needs.

       A teacher does not always need another curriculum, but an AUXILIARY method to present their lessons so that allot the students can access the curriculum.

Play Doh© Lessons

       Today I walked and there were seven boxes from Amazon.com© containing various items from Play Doh©! We can really develop their handwriting, fine motor skills on a daily basis.

YEAH!

       These items were funded by various individual and Play Doh© corporation. I posted the project “Daily Workout for Fingers” on DonorsChoose.org in October and the final funding occurred on December 31, 2014. 

Developing handwriting skills involves more than just picking up a pen and making marks on a paper. It involves strengthening their fine motor skills, so that they can write creatively, paint, cut and put other artistic project without tiring their hands. It is much like training for a marathon.

       The items from this project will help me entice my students to:

 Improve their handwriting

 Strengthen their fine motor skills

 Inspire them to use these items to work on those skills during free time.

The project includes a lot, and I do mean a lot, of Play Doh ©. I was concerned that the various project would not have enough Play Doh© to complete this objective over a significant length of time.

       The project includes a lot, a lot of Play doh©, which is great because I was concerned that the various projects would not have enough Play Doh©. I do! Thanks to the donors, I have three boxes that contain 36 cans of various Play Doh©.  In addition, there are toys, cooking, trucks, tools and a book to help me with the lesson.  Over the next six weeks, I will be developing unit that include tactile lessons, fine motor lessons, endurance and improve their creative skills.

       Here are the highlights of the objectives that I will develop.  I will post the units in my Teacher store and will post lessons on this blog.

1.   Do Now Exercise:

2.   Scissors skills

3.   Eye Hand coordination

4.   Creative stories (writing and projects)

5.   iPad App

Included with the lessons will rituals and routines in order to prevent damage and loss of materials. These lessons will have specific objectives designed for student with development issues, specifically in the fine motor and tactile area. The lesson can also be used for student ages 2-8 years old.

       I hope you find the hints useful and the lessons worth the time to read this blog.

THIS YEAR WILL BE DIFFERENT!!!

My word for the year is INTEGRITY!

I am not a bad person, but I don’t follow through and I over commit myself to whatever I think will help me accomplish my gals.  However, because I over commit I don’t have the time to do a good job.

This year I will do all of the necessary things in order to straighten up.  In order to do this I will follow Fly lady’s golden rule.  Just do it for 15 minutes.

I have written out my SMART goals in my writer’s notebook.  The core of my resolutions is:

1.     Relationships

2.     Finances

3.     Maintain my health

a.     Exercise

b.     Eat healthy

4.     Keep my deadlines

5.     Schedule my writing time and keeping that appointment,

6.     Treat my writing as a job regardless as to whether or not I am getting paid.

7.     Find an agent

8.     Submit regularly

9.     Establish my blogs and stores

10. Stop saying and start doing

This year will be different because I need it to be different.  God will give me the strength to do what he has planned for me to complete and be successful!!

Oh Happy Days!!

I really like new beginnings, the first day of school, the first day of new year, the day of summer, my birthday.  All of these times represent new beginnings to me.

Proverbs 16:9  "We plan the way we want to live, but only GOD mess us able to live it."

Rick Warrens' Daily Hope message today was titled

 "The Three Things You Need to Reach Your Goals"

-God's Spirit to empower you

-God's word to guide you.

-God's people to support you

In fact most of the books I have read about starting a new way of living suggests that you have theses three things in place before you start the journey.   

Strength:

It takes strength, but only through God will this strength amount to anything; 

Manual

People say we need a manual to get through life, rules to follow and what to do when we need to do in order to resolve these problems. The Bible is a manual to help you through life.

Support System:

 Finally you need people who you trust and who will support you through this journey. These are people who you know to have the values, principles and lifestyle that you want to achieve for yourself.

Enter 2015

I know what to do, it is time to do it.  Let's discuss this again in June 2015.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Despite the push to have a completely non working holiday.  I am grateful for the airlines and transportation people who are working, my son and daughter are safely home.

My meal is prepared and I diidn't have to really touch anything or cross contaminate my food.

Thank you everyone who is working so I can have Thanksgiving and may you stay safe.

HAPPY VETERAN'S DAY!!

Veteran's provided me with the freedom to write this blog.  Thank you.

As a student and teacher, my mentor's focus have always been to reflect on what is going on in my life, my classroom and with my students. Reflection is something that I have not been spending much time on and have just operated in the moment.

Reflection on what I have been doing with regards to my writing and teaching career has made me realize that I have just kept going and not reflecting on how it will affect my life.  In addition, the fact that a fellow breast cancer friend died this past week. She had the same type (Stage 3a) and similiar side effects from treatments and medications. It is very sad! It is very scary!  I feel guilty I am alive. However it has caused me to grateful that I am still alive, still going strong, have my hair and working.  It has also reminded me that I need to get my booty out of my chair and realize ALL of my dreams.

Book Reviews

This weekend I reconnected to Neta Jackson and her Windy City Series.  Just so you know I have read almost all of her series and have just started this series.  I am in Book 3 and the main character reminds me of me.  In so far as, she works, has children, volunteers, and works with the church.  Very busy!  See above reflection!  I haven't finished it, but it is really getting to me because of my own life.

In fact this morning, my devotion related to Hagar, who felt very much alone in the world.  God knew her, he knows us all and we need to be good stewards of our talents.  As I wrote, I haven't finished the book and will let you know further on the story.

In addition, I printed my submissions from Netgalley and wrote a couple of reviews for the site.  I thought I had already written them, but now they are done.  The site, Netgalley, prefer we stay at 80% of our book, unfortunately I am only at 45%, which means I need to get with it. Finally, I need to update my Goodreads posts.

Writing:

The  blog "The Penny Hoarder" has become my new favorite blog.  It has provided me with a number of ways to improve my writing and with jobs I can work into my schedule.  I need to make some money, so I will look into these jobs.

 I will also be guest  blogging in the near future, so please look for me to do this and share with all of you.

Technology

I did not work on my new technology this weekend as I had planned. However, I did work on a new grant to see what I need in for instruction and my students.  There are several and with some luck I will be able to get my current projects on Donorschoose.org funded.  My students really need the playdough and related material in order to work on their fine motor skills.

Grants

Donorschoose.org have two projects that I have developed and I hope will be funded.  In addition, I am waiting for a grant that I wrote for a field trip from Target.  I really hope it will be funded because it will provide a great field trip for the students. Finally, I have developed some projects and hopes for new grants.

Application: Otherwise known as apps!

I owe several developers reviews for their apps that I received free.

Have a great day, night and stay warm!!

New Trimenster

It has been exactly one trimenster.  Parents conferences, progress reports, report cards and now a four day weekend (YEAH!).

There are a number of goals I wanted to accomplish this trimenster, but I am still trying to develop them as I write this post.

Blended Instruction:

I perfer this term to flipped classroom.  My students need to develop their motor muscles and brain in all areas.  They have moderate to severe disabilities. It is importatnt they develop all of these aspects of their development.

This has been so - so, in so far as I am still learning how to use some of the equipment myself and I have had to make sure I lock the app that the students need to work on.  In addition, I have had some behavioral issues and I think I have figured out a way to resolve the stituation.  Primarily I have been giving him to many choices and I have allow my paras to determine what help they will give me.  This last sentence sounds really critical, but it more directed at me as I know that if I assign and ask for them to help in specific ways, than the paras will work with the students.

Also I need to be more consistent in my handling of this student.

Visual Schedules:
They need to be developed in this classroom and used more frequently

Finaly, I am very happy that two of my Donorschoose projects have been funded. (Yeah)  There are more on page that need help with (hint).

Write more later!!