Doing things that are hard

12. January 2012 · 5 comments · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , ,

Jackie and I have been having a bit of back and forth via our blogs and Twitter about keeping up with our resolutions.  She writes:

Newsflash: resolutions also often involve stopping doing things that are easy, and replacing with things that are hard.

Yep, yep, yep.  Decluttering has been hard but I’ve managed to keep it up so far.  The 15-minute limit helps.  And I have missed a couple of days–yesterday, for one–but I’ve just kept it up, imagining the end goal of a house filled with less stuff that I don’t like or don’t need and more stuff that I enjoy and use.  The thought of one day walking into my house and having it feel peaceful rather than crowded is keeping me going.

But walking . . . not so much.  One, it’s cold, and two, well, I don’t know what two is.  I just don’t want to do it.  Exercise is hard for me.  I can find forty million reasons I don’t like it and only one reason I do.  The one reason is that I know I’d look and feel better if I did it.  But unlike the thought of a clean house, that’s not enough to motivate me.  With the house, I feel somewhat sure that I will achieve that goal, if not completely, at least enough to feel like I accomplished something.  With my body, I just don’t trust that adding a small bit of exercise is going to help.  And did I mention I find it hard?

This whole idea got me to thinking about my students, specifically my middle school students.  Some of them give up when things get hard.  When it takes effort for them to wrap their head around something, they will often give up.  I wrote a little about this before.  Honestly, I know how they feel.  I mean, there are things I can’t motivate myself to do.  And I’ve been frustrated by many things in the past.  As an adult, when I’m learning new things, I know that perseverance usually pays off eventually.  But even as an adult, I know that it’s more fun to watch tv than walk, even if it’s only for a little while.

So I’m struggling to figure out ways to motivate my students.  Maybe a time-limit thing.  Maybe saying, “Okay, working on the robotic arm is hard, but work on it for x minutes and then take a break.”  I don’t know.  All I know is that some students just can’t find the fire in their bellies to forge ahead and I’m not entirely sure how to ignite it.  If I figure it out, maybe it will help me as well.

The Work Ethic is Dead

11. January 2012 · 2 comments · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags:

At least for today.  I put in 11 hours today.  I barely have brain cells left.  I think, but I’m not sure, that I made it to the bathroom at some point.  I sat down for the first time at 3:00 p.m.  Thankfully, these days are few and far between.

Reading list

10. January 2012 · 3 comments · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: ,


I need a reading list.  I’ve read some weird things lately.  The Big Roads, for one, which I liked and I like that genre of book. I’d love some books like the one to the left, which came across my radar this morning.  I like reading about how people learn.  I’m not much of a fiction reader, really.  I prefer non-fiction, but I’m open to fiction as an escape.  So, any suggestions?

Stupid Protestant Work Ethic

09. January 2012 · 3 comments · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , ,

At some point in my adult life, I began to work harder than I know I did as a teenager or even a college student.  Some of this was by necessity.  A 9-5 job is a very different commitment than 4 or 5 classes in college. Even though I have worked at “real jobs” since I was 14, I approach work differently than I did then.  Those jobs were just jobs.  Now I feel a level of investment in my work that makes me put a lot more effort into it.  At all of my jobs for the last 15 years or so, I have really cared about doing a good job, not so much because I wanted to get promoted or whatever, but because, as an educator, I knew people depended on me.  I’ve sought ways of improving what I do: by going to conferences, by talking to experienced colleagues, or by reading books.  I’m also often asking myself what more I could be doing to make wherever I work a better place.  I put a lot into my work.  As a result, I usually get a lot out of it, too.  I feel good about what I’m doing.

However, that kind of cycle of constantly looking for things to do better or more of has the potential to burn me out.  And so, I don’t take work home (much).  When I come home, I may read a blog or article on education, but I don’t grade or prepare for class or check email.  I leave work at work.  For my own sanity, this is how it needs to be.  And yet, I sometimes feel guilty.  I know colleagues who take their work home.  I feel guilty that I don’t.  But as another colleague was telling me, we need to step away from work.  It makes us better able to cope the next day if we’ve spent some time relaxing, being with our families and not thinking about work.  And so, I try to put the guilt away, rest, reconnect so that I have the physical and emotional energy I need to do my best at work.

The pain of decluttering

08. January 2012 · 4 comments · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , ,

I’ve been good so far, decluttering every day for 15 minutes.  But man, it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed.  I’m moving from the front of the house to the back, so I started with an enclosed front porch that has been the catchall room for years.  Some things I’ve thrown out:

  • diaries from 2nd grade on
  • old papers and notebooks from college and grad school
  • old papers related to the kids–handouts, flyers, etc.
  • reams of poetry from college/grad school; I kept a copy of a book I made and that was it
  • books (donated to a used book store)
  • a bag of clothes, drapes and towels that had been stored out there and forgotten
  • other stuff I can’t remember

I’ve literally only cleared out about a 1 foot by 1 foot area.  Okay, maybe 2 x 2, but seriously.  See, there were boxes and stuff inside the boxes.  Then there was a stack of books about 3-4 feet high.  And then there was a table to be cleared off.

I’m getting to the hard stuff: pictures, kids’ artwork, mementos from events.  I have a stack of framed photos to go through.  Some I know where I want to put them.  Others I have no clue.  Most of these I’m setting aside in the “keep” pile, with the idea that I will go through the pile and put everything in a place, and the stuff without a place, well, it gets thrown out.  I find it very difficult to throw out pictures and cards, even when I really don’t want them.  It’s like I think the person associated with them will find out.  Sigh.

But I’m plowing ahead anyway.  I think I’m going to be in this one room for well over a month.  I keep reminding myself that it didn’t happen overnight, so it’s not going to be clean overnight.  At this point, I think if I worked for more than 15 minutes at a time, I would be overwhelmed and it just wouldn’t get done.

Making Technology > Using Technology

08. January 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: ,

In a recent Georgetown University report on employment, one of the key findings is that those who invent and create technology do far better unemployment-wise and salary-wise.  This is something I’ve been touting for a long time and which organizations like CSTA and NCWIT try to emphasize.  Sure, it’s good to know the ins and outs of a spreadsheet program or word processor, but if you want real employability and a better salary, create something that solves a problem, whether that be software or hardware, an app or an entirely new system for managing energy.

Someone posted this to Twitter as well, emphasizing that despite indications that certain degrees fare better, students shouldn’t pick just based on that.  I agree, but I am also glad that I added technology to my own mix, making me much more employable than a standard English major.  And I’m glad I was an English major, focused on writing and communication as it made me better at what I currently do.  Most of the time, I translate technical issues for non-technical people and explain in technical terms what non-technical people want.  I love that aspect of my work, which has been present as part of my work for 10-15 years.

So, sure, do what you love, but find a way to add experience to your portfolio that makes your love of poetry relevant.  I added technology both through a CS class, and then as my work, building web sites and helping others use the technology at hand, which 20 years ago was a challenge.  Not everyone could use a spreadsheet or word processor well.  Now, that’s not enough to stand out.

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What social media I use

07. January 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , ,

Earlier this week, Jackie talked about using Twitter and how it’s been going.  She finds Facebook more “conversational” for her, but Twitter still has its purposes.

Obviously, I’ve been reinvesting my time here.  I spend most of my time online reading other blogs.  It makes sense to me to up my contribution again in that medium.  And I like writing and I want a bit of a record of my teaching so that when I go to plan next year, I can see what works and what doesn’t.  I’m sure some people come here and say tl;dr, but that’s okay.  I’ve seen some other people start blogging more again to work against the Twitter and Facebook mentality of 240 characters (or at least shorter posts).  And I think that’s a good impetus.

Over the last two years, I’ve pulled back from contributing to most social media, mostly due to time constraints, but as I’ve settled into my new job, I’ve felt not only that I have time to participate, but also a need to participate.  My school knows about all my media participation.  I post about my activities at school and often my school will retweet or post to Facebook some of the things I do.  Which is fabulous.  So part of my writing is appropriate for PR.  But also, I learn a lot, and I learn a lot more when I’m actively participating.  So here’s where I’m building my efforts.

Twitter:  I tend to check in with Twitter in the morning after my morning blog reading/posting.  I shifted the people I follow to mostly K-12 educators.  That has been really helpful to me as those folks post articles about teaching and discuss teaching in many ways.  I’ve also participated in several scheduled chats via Twitter, which I also find helpful.  My favorite of those is #isedchat, a chat specifically for independent schools.  Most teachers are public school teachers and have to deal with very different issues than those of us who are IS teachers.  Most of my participation is during those chats.  Besides a post or two in the morning, I mostly follow.  And I think that’s okay.

Facebook: I am thinking about getting rid of my Facebook account.  I haven’t even logged in lately and frankly, I find it kind of creepy.  It’s not a professional space for me and I don’t want it to be a personal space.   And I have issues with their privacy policies.  So that might go away.  I’m on the fence still.

Google+: I really like Google+, but I’m not following that many people and/or the people I follow are not posting much.  So the traffic is low.  Which is sort of a good thing.  The people I’m following there are different from the people I follow via blogs and Twitter.  And I think that’s a good thing.  In fact, the blogs I read are generally not the same people I follow on Twitter either.  Google+ encourages more writing than Facebook or Twitter, but not as much as blogging.  It’s a good place to post an article and write a brief snippet about it.  Some people have suggested that they’re going to use it as a blog, which, frankly, I don’t have any desire to do. But I do like the slightly more thoughtful nature of it.  It’s slower than Twitter, less silly than Facebook.  That may be a factor of the people not the tool, but that’s the feel of it for now.

I’m still searching for a different social bookmarking tool.  I’m sticking with Delicious for now, but I want something new.

Another tool that I’ve used a lot less is Flickr.  Partly that’s a function of my not taking as many pictures, but it’s also because the pictures I take on my phone automatically go to Google+, which is very convenient.  I could set it up to go to Flickr as well, but meh, don’t really care.  I like Flickr very much, and recommend it to people all the time, but I’m not as invested in it personally.

So that’s where I am with social media.  There are things out there I haven’t really touched: Tumblr, StumbleUpon, Digg, etc.  And maybe I’m old school, but so far, I like where I am.

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Resolution check-in

06. January 2012 · 1 comment · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , , ,

A week mostly down.  How did it go?

  • Laundry every day: check! So far, so good.
  • Meal planning: not so good.  I had my dad visiting through the beginning of my work week.  We didn’t make it to the grocery store while he was here nor after he left.  So it’s been leftovers and frozen pizza.  Which isn’t horrible, but still.
  • Decluttering: check! I missed a day because I literally wasn’t here, but other than that, I’ve made progress. I’m trying not to think about how overwhelming it is to deal with all the crap. I’ve got a pile to keep and a pile to give away–with even a pickup scheduled today! I’m also decluttering 15 minutes a day in my classroom. So yay!
  • Yoga once a week: check! I even brought a friend with me this week.  So far so good.
  • Budget stuff: sort of check! It’s too early to tell, but I am keeping a close eye on things.  I think this resolution should be changed to something like check accounts every day.  Knowing about spending leads to not over spending.
  • Walk every day: not so much.  I have walked the dog, but that doesn’t really count.  Frankly, it’s just too cold outside.  Mr. Geeky is talking about getting a treadmill, so that might help.
  • Write a program every day: check! A couple of these have been simple examples for class, but still.  And I’m writing my own version of an old game I used to play, just for fun and practice. It’s text right now, but I’m going to graphic-ize it once I have it functioning the way I want.

So not too bad.  I’m taking it a day at a time.  How are you doing?

On (not) teaching applications

05. January 2012 · 1 comment · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , ,

A discussion arose on an email list about teaching/using Google docs vs. Microsoft Word.  That discussion actually made it to Google+.  A teacher posted reasons why he teaches Google docs, the most important of which is about teaching concepts because applications change.  The conversation on Google+ is interesting and one I participate in at nearly every parent night.  The key point that comes up is that Office is used in the “business world” and won’t kids who use Google docs be at a disadvantage.  I’m in a slightly different situation in that all of our students are going to college.  I hardly think a lack of hard experience or a specific course in Word or the Office suite is going to keep them from a good job.  And using Word is not rocket science.  And, I always talk about and point out how similar docs is to Word.

Ten years ago, Google docs did not exist.  My students won’t be going on the job market for about ten years.  Who knows what will be around, what even Word will look like.  When I learned these things, you had to actually type in tags/codes to format documents.   Things have changed a lot, and I’ve adapted quite well, thank you.  So I teach kids to adapt.  I don’t focus on specifics of where functions are.  I encourage them to find it.  And I teach HTML and CSS and talk about how word processing used to be like that. And now, of course, you can make a web site (like this one) without even knowing those codes.  I still think it’s important to understand that there is code underneath all these programs, and that’s what I really try to emphasize in my classes, not how to italicize.

I’ve shifted my curriculum away from applications and toward Computer Science concepts as much as possible.  While there may be a group of students who would benefit from putting “proficient at Microsoft Word” on their resume, I’m guessing that “proficient at HTML/CSS” with an actual web site to show for it is going to put them a little more ahead.

Using the old to build new

04. January 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , ,

Yesterday in my intro to CS class, I introduced dictionaries.  My students started on some “simple” text-based game projects before the break and when I looked them over, I decided they could all use dictionaries even though that’s not something I had planned on teaching this year.  To explain dictionaries, I went back to lists.  The idea of both is that they serve as a place to store data and often, to pull data from.  Lists store all kinds of data, but there’s no way to associate the things in the list with each other.  For you non-CS people out there, a list looks like this:

["apples", "oranges", "pears"] – a list of fruits

[1, 5, "thirty", 25] – a list of numbers plus one number written as a string

A dictionary contains keys with associated values.  It looks like this:

{“apples”: 5, “oranges”: 2, “pears”: 3, “bananas”: 0} – a dictionary with keys as names of fruit and associated values, presumably the amount we have and yes, we have no bananas.

My students were writing games where they had questions (riddles or trivia) with associated answers.  I thought it a good idea to store those as a dictionary.  They had simply written out each question with a few following lines to check if the answer was right.

So, I reviewed lists, and especially iterating through a list, so that I could then show them how to iterate through a dictionary.  It was pretty interesting how difficult it was for them to remember how to iterate through a list.  You use a loop to repeat an action, which they’ve done before, but when they’d done it before, it was not in a context where you are using a loop to save time.  So, for example, we used a loop to repeat a series of movements on our robots.  Useful, but not the assembly-line kind of looping that one usually does with a list or dictionary.

I did find that once we went through that again, showing how to loop through a dictionary was pretty straightforward.  And though students had questions as they were implementing their dictionaries, they were less confused, I think, than they had been.  So I implemented a bit of my research-based teaching methods to review old material and connect it to new material.  And it seemed to work.  And, frankly, it was kind of fun.

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