Introduction to Education Media

Hello Blog World!

I have not posted in a while due to a busy schedule at school and work!

This semester I am taking statistics, principles of technological change and introduction to education media. Statistics is mostly computerized and has not been too difficult thus far.

Principles of Tech Change is a ton of reading and writing. I am not learning a lot from it but trying to have a good attitude and maybe I will become interested in something about it!

Education Media is teaching me to use technology in the classroom. We have learned about Word and PowerPoint so far and are beginning HTML. Its odd to think that as a graduate student I am being taught how to use these seemingly simple programs.
In Microsoft Word we learned about accessibility options within these programs and how to set up documents for readers and students with disabilites. This can be as simple as using the true heading options and making sure that your photos have alt texts. I will post my word assignment soon. I did an instructional guide on downloading a screen capture program (SnagIt). It was hard to get use to doing things a little differently than normal and to think about future uses, not just utilizing this for the assignment.
In PowerPoint, I had a little bit tougher time making the connection to my content area. We designed a PowerPoint for something in out content area. I choose to teach on a Introduction to Plasma Arc Cutters. It was difficult to find internet based help links to enhance to the PowerPoint since the lab component of an ag classroom would normally be used. As ag teachers I think we depend heavily on what we have instead of what is available.
Reflecting back, it will be interesting to see how all of this can be incorporated in the classroom. Agricultural classrooms depend on problem based and experimental learning. With a new generation, we (ag teachers) have to be proactive in relating the experience to technologies students are comfortable with.

Where does money come from?!

This is my last week to just hang out before research and school and work start for the school year.
For those of you that know me, I am obsessed with Racheal Ray! I was watching her show this morning and ended up very disheartned by a segment. It was almost like a "Kids say the darndest things" segment. Racheal asked the question "Where does money come from?" On little boys answer was "The president has a machine and just makes more money!'
Is this what we want to teach children, that the government can make and spend money at the drop of a hat?

Simple Lunch

Nathan has been working out of town for almost a year! He is actually coming in for lunch today and then returning to work at the shop for the remainder of the afternoon. Do you know how exciting I am to actually prepare lunch for my husband. He always has to grab something or fix it himself while out of town. Today we are having turkey sandwhich's and chips, with sliced fresh tomatoes and cottage cheese. Although simple, it makes me feel so much better to be able to prepare his lunch so that he can have the energy to finish his day!

We are camping this weekend and canoeing Saturday! Hopefully the rain will stay away and we will have great weather!

Hope you have a great weekend too!
KP

What's New!!

Well I graduated in May with a B.S in Agricultural Education from the University of Arkansas. Since then I have been super busy!

I traveled to Canada and presented a paper at an international conference for ag ed. I stayed in Saskatoon. It was a neat little town (but very different from the "Canad" image I had in my head. There was nothing but miles and miles of cropland. I also got the chance to visit the University of Saskachewan and their farm. It was a neat experience and they are doing lots of great research.

Right after my trip to Canada, I jumped right into graduate school and work. My classes actually do not start for another week or so but I am staying very busy with research and creating lesson plans for a grant I am working on.

While excited about continuing my education, I am also a little sad that I am not going to be teaching for two more years. I know it will be worth the wait and that I will be a better teacher after my masters but I already miss being in the classroom. Student teaching was an great experience. I had a wonderful cooperating teacher and amazing students. I was probably spoiled by my experience. I can not wait to teach young people about agriculture. the industry has so much to offer.

Aside from work, Nathan and I have kept very busy. He is still working out of town and will be for the remainder of summer. I can not wait to have him home all the time. This past year has really grown our relationship and made us value every minute together. Our 2nd wedding anniversary was Monday. We went to Branson, Mo for the weekend and had a great time. He also took Monday off so that we could spend it together. God has really blessed us and continues to open up doors for our future.

I hope all of you have been well.

OOOOOOHHHHHH College!

Well, it is finally coming to an end. I am finished with my undergraduate degree in Agricultural and Extension Education. I am very proud of the work I have done and excited to teach...one day! I have elected to attend graduate school. I will focus on Ag Ed and Extension and my Thesis will focus on distance education (I think...it may change)
Anyways, it is time to move on to a new chapter and I am super ready.

Another Weekend Comes and Goes!

Here it is Sunday night. We are watching the Vikings vs. Saints game and trying to get ALL the laundry done before Nathan heads back to work tomorrow and another week of school starts for me. Here are some things I have been thinking about today!

If you noticed, the ALL in the previous sentence. It is meant to be exagerated. I can not believe how many clothes the two of us go through in a week. There are more outfits to wash than double the days in the week. Odd, I think! especially since Nathan washes all his work clothes on Thursday nights before he heads home on Friday.Where does it all come from. You know how some people keep a food diary, I think I am going to have to start tracking my outfit changes.

I am glad that American sports run all year long. There is always something to watch or go to. Football season ends in a few weeks with the Super Bowl (Saints vs. Colts) and then the following weekend begins the NASCAR racing season. In addition, college basketball season is jsut heating up and baseball season will start soon which will carry over into fall football! haha How lucky are we!

I hate the wall color in our house but am too afraid to ask our land lord if I can paint it. I really don't think that he would have a problem as long as there was no extreme color changes. I should really just make Nathan ask!

It seems like the weekends just fly by. No matter how hard we try, we just can not fit everything we need to into a weekend. It makes it harder I know with Nathan being out of town all week. This means that all family and friend visits have to be scrunched into two days. We haven't been balancing this well. For all of you that have noticed or been affected by this, I apologize. We are doing the best we can while also trying to spend time as a couple. Hopefully when this job in Atkins is finished Nathan will get a job assignment at home, but the reality is that we just do not know.

We went to the casino this weekend, I always think I am going to have fun and get excited to go, but then we get there and I remember that I really don't like it. The amount of cigarette smoke in the air takes your breath away immediately, I never win, and there is always really creepy people around that you can not seem to get away from. I need to figure out a way to remember these things so that I just don't go!

Well I need to get some homework done! Hope you all had a wondefull weekend and have a smooth week ahead.
Hopefully I start blogging more, I always have tons of stuff to say jsut never remember to get on here!
KMP

Student Teaching!

UGH. This week has been crazy and I am ready for the weekend. As of January 4th, I started student teaching. My first week would have been spent at the high school that is hosting me, but snow caused the school to close all week. Monday I started a 4 week "block" of class. We are learning about dealing with diversity in classes, teaching agricultural labs, as well as program planning and all the behind the scenes of running an ag program. This is 12 course hours all crammed into 4 weeks. I am so antsy by the end of the day that I have to get up and stand against the wall while listening to my teacher. There are only 9 of us in these classes so we all get to help each other out. After these 4 weeks I will venture back out to Springdale High for the remainder of the semster. That is, if I make it that far!
Also, I applied for graduate school and am ready to head down that road...I enjoy research and am excited to write my thesis. If you get the chance look into downloading SecondLife...Its free. It is an online virtual world that my reasearch will be using to look at the educational effectiveness of online atmospheres. If you decide to try it, look me up "Kristin Loopen" is my in world name!
I am headed out but felt the need to blog!