Monday, January 28, 2008
Hail to the Geek
Artist: Deaf Pedestrians
Album: Popular Songs
I got a spiderman t-shirt
I got Converse that are rotting off my feet
I got a bad mustache
a reoccurring rash
and not a lot of cash
I spend it on my stash
Man it's good to be a geek
Well it's good to be a geek
It's good to be a creep
It's good to draw my pictures
that no one will ever see.
It's good to be a geek
It's good to be unknown
It's good I'm never waiting
right beside the telephone
Cuz no one ever...
I play dungeons and dragons
I got a 13th level halfling fighter thief
got seven hit die on my backstab
sometimes you know it's good to be a geek.
It's good to be a geek
It's good to play the freak
It's good to comb my mullet once every other week
As far as I can see
It's good to play the Wii
Then stay up painting miniatures til 2 or 3
Cuz no one ever...
Chorus:
Someday I'll learn to play guitar
Start up a band and be a star
And when you wind up pumping gas
Just fill 'er up and kiss my a$$...
I'm addicted to Star Trek
I'm a Klingon speaking federation freak
I find I'm more inclined
to spend the bulk of my time
on the starship enterprise
than talking to girls I meet
Well I never get the girl
but I like to be alone
cuz i can always m@sterb@te when there's no one home
it's good to have a plan
it's good to be the man
it's good to download p0rn0 from a website in Japan
cuz no one ever...
Chorus:
Someday I'll learn to play guitar
Start up a band and be a star
And when you wind up pumping gas
Just fill 'er up and kiss my a$$...
Ninth grade is when I got the swirlie
tenth grade is when I got the indian burn
four years of continuous wedgies
wore nine pairs of briefs so they could all get a turn
someday I'll buy a fancy condo
someday I'll drive a car that's more than your house
someday you'll kiss my a$$
It's good to make some noise
it's good to scream outloud
it's good to feel immortal
like your last name is McCloud
it's good to be a geek
its good to be unseen
its good to watch the Wrath of Khan on a plasma screen
it's good to be a geek
it's good to be the man
it's good to download p0rn0 from a website in Japan
It's good to be a geek
It's good to be unknown
It's good I'm never waiting
right beside the telephone
Cuz no one ever...
I got a bad mustache
a reoccurring rash
and not a lot of cash
I spend it on my stash
Man it's good to be a geek
You know I don't intend
To look like Boba Fett
I got my Holland set
Although it makes me sweat
Man it's good to be a geek!
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
So Why Blogging?
So Why Blogging?
Several of you have asked, “Bob, so why are we blogging? And when we do, what should we be writing about?”
Let me start by answering the question of “Why?” Why do Mélaine and I want you to blog each week? You might think it’s because we’re heartless bastards, and you’d probably be half right (I’m heartless, Mélaine however is not). In all seriousness, one of the drawbacks to an online class is that it’s really easy to lose contact with your students as people. Because we don’t get to spend 3 hours a week interacting with you in a face to face fashion, we never really get to find out about you.
As many of you have pointed out in your own first blog entries, you want to impact your students; you want to make a difference in their lives. Not a single one of you have said, “Man, I want to make Math exciting for them,” or “Wow, I want to make them better writers.” It’s never the content but rather the substance that matters. Teaching math is an excuse to make an impact on a person for the rest of their lives. It gives you a vehicle to care and mold the future.
We want the same opportunity. This class is more to Mélaine and I than teaching you that Macs rule, and blogging is the bomb. It’s an opportunity for us to make a difference in the lives of future educators. To instill a passion for changing the world and then to give you the tools of technology that you can hammer out the dents that others have created. Plus, when you come us and ask for an extension, or extra help, it’s a lot easier to cut you some slack if we know you better ;) .
So, now what do you write about?
Write about you. Write about what you thought about the reading. What did you learn, what did you think? Write about your week, your struggles, your successes, your whimsical thoughts and ideas. Share your story with us, and with your classmates.
And in the end, because of you, we’ll all be better for the experience. It’s nice to know that you’re not alone in the universe. That the words that are flowing my from synapses to this blank white screen are being read, absorbed, and maybe, just maybe, might even be making a difference in small ways that can’t even be seen yet.
If all that doesn’t work for you, do it because if not, you’ll get a bum grade and you’ll really piss of Mélaine (which is *not* a pretty sight)
Several of you have asked, “Bob, so why are we blogging? And when we do, what should we be writing about?”
Let me start by answering the question of “Why?” Why do Mélaine and I want you to blog each week? You might think it’s because we’re heartless bastards, and you’d probably be half right (I’m heartless, Mélaine however is not). In all seriousness, one of the drawbacks to an online class is that it’s really easy to lose contact with your students as people. Because we don’t get to spend 3 hours a week interacting with you in a face to face fashion, we never really get to find out about you.
As many of you have pointed out in your own first blog entries, you want to impact your students; you want to make a difference in their lives. Not a single one of you have said, “Man, I want to make Math exciting for them,” or “Wow, I want to make them better writers.” It’s never the content but rather the substance that matters. Teaching math is an excuse to make an impact on a person for the rest of their lives. It gives you a vehicle to care and mold the future.
We want the same opportunity. This class is more to Mélaine and I than teaching you that Macs rule, and blogging is the bomb. It’s an opportunity for us to make a difference in the lives of future educators. To instill a passion for changing the world and then to give you the tools of technology that you can hammer out the dents that others have created. Plus, when you come us and ask for an extension, or extra help, it’s a lot easier to cut you some slack if we know you better ;) .
So, now what do you write about?
Write about you. Write about what you thought about the reading. What did you learn, what did you think? Write about your week, your struggles, your successes, your whimsical thoughts and ideas. Share your story with us, and with your classmates.
And in the end, because of you, we’ll all be better for the experience. It’s nice to know that you’re not alone in the universe. That the words that are flowing my from synapses to this blank white screen are being read, absorbed, and maybe, just maybe, might even be making a difference in small ways that can’t even be seen yet.
If all that doesn’t work for you, do it because if not, you’ll get a bum grade and you’ll really piss of Mélaine (which is *not* a pretty sight)
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Me? A Teacher?
Okay, I'm kinda cheating with this blog. After having read through the first round of blog posts, I wanted to share with you a little bit about why I am an educator.
However, rather than retype something that I'd already done in the past, I kinda snuck down to my first entry back in September and stoled this entry from there, because well, I know you weren't going to read past through all the other stuff I've already written.
So here you go, a little bit about me:
----------------------------------------
If you will recall from class, I challenged you to use your first blog entry to give us some insight into why you want to be a teacher. I think with that in mind, it's only fair that I do the same.
See my position is slightly unique from yours in that I'm not currently a teacher by vocation, but rather one by happenstance. However I’m a firm believer that your job should never define you; simply put I am a teacher because I teach.
I began my career actually as a youth minister. That’s right, I spent my days hanging out with young folks like yourself, eating pizza, playing video games, and watching a movie now and then. In reality however I was teaching the entire time. Every moment spent together with someone else is a teaching moment. It’s one of the great things about education – it doesn’t have to happen in a classroom to be.
Our lives present a daily lesson to those around us; our conversations convey truths that we hold to and prompt us to wonder and grow if we will merely listen to beats between the words that we speak.
I am a teacher.
I am an educator.
I am all of these things because I choose to be. I choose to make the world a better place around me. I choose to set myself aside and to think of others around me. I refuse to let ignorance stand and I want to lift others up to my level and give them the things that I have because I am not concerned with making “me” better than “you”.
It is true that knowledge is power. I have a passion to give that power to every man and woman so that their world can be different. Their paths can be brighter.
I realize that all of this can sound like altruistic tripe, but I assure you that it comes from the heart.
One of the things that had a great impact on me growing up was the story of Don Quixote; and further the musical “The Man of La Mancha”. I saw something in Don Quixote that reached to the core of my person and verbalized the feelings that I had inside. Everything that I wanted to be was summed up by these lines:
"When life itself seems lunatic, who knows where madness lies? Perhaps to be too practical is madness. To surrender dreams –this may be madness. To seek treasure where there is only trash. Too much sanity may be madness. And maddest of all, to see life as it is and not as it should be.” – Man of La Mancha
Why am I a teacher? Because I long to make the wold the place that it should be, and not as it is.
However, rather than retype something that I'd already done in the past, I kinda snuck down to my first entry back in September and stoled this entry from there, because well, I know you weren't going to read past through all the other stuff I've already written.
So here you go, a little bit about me:
----------------------------------------
If you will recall from class, I challenged you to use your first blog entry to give us some insight into why you want to be a teacher. I think with that in mind, it's only fair that I do the same.
See my position is slightly unique from yours in that I'm not currently a teacher by vocation, but rather one by happenstance. However I’m a firm believer that your job should never define you; simply put I am a teacher because I teach.
I began my career actually as a youth minister. That’s right, I spent my days hanging out with young folks like yourself, eating pizza, playing video games, and watching a movie now and then. In reality however I was teaching the entire time. Every moment spent together with someone else is a teaching moment. It’s one of the great things about education – it doesn’t have to happen in a classroom to be.
Our lives present a daily lesson to those around us; our conversations convey truths that we hold to and prompt us to wonder and grow if we will merely listen to beats between the words that we speak.
I am a teacher.
I am an educator.
I am all of these things because I choose to be. I choose to make the world a better place around me. I choose to set myself aside and to think of others around me. I refuse to let ignorance stand and I want to lift others up to my level and give them the things that I have because I am not concerned with making “me” better than “you”.
It is true that knowledge is power. I have a passion to give that power to every man and woman so that their world can be different. Their paths can be brighter.
I realize that all of this can sound like altruistic tripe, but I assure you that it comes from the heart.
One of the things that had a great impact on me growing up was the story of Don Quixote; and further the musical “The Man of La Mancha”. I saw something in Don Quixote that reached to the core of my person and verbalized the feelings that I had inside. Everything that I wanted to be was summed up by these lines:
"When life itself seems lunatic, who knows where madness lies? Perhaps to be too practical is madness. To surrender dreams –this may be madness. To seek treasure where there is only trash. Too much sanity may be madness. And maddest of all, to see life as it is and not as it should be.” – Man of La Mancha
Why am I a teacher? Because I long to make the wold the place that it should be, and not as it is.
Did I mention I was a nerd?
I love Johnny Lee.
In addition to this cool little tid bit, I also found a program called "Remote Buddy", which allows me to use my Wii remote and my iPhone as a bluetooth remote for my MacBook.
Mmmmm... Technology & Geeky goodness all rolled into one.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
The Beginning of the End
This class is the beginning of your end.
Your end of fear, your end of stagnant thought, your end of technology as a mere form of entertainment. Technology is an amazing thing, but in the end it is no more than a tool for mankind, just as fire was in the early days.
It is our hammer as we shape the present and begin to carve the channels to direct the course of the future. It is living, dynamic, and wild. It’s expensive, frustrating, and pretty damn cool.
We all have our uncertainties in life, and for some of you technology makes you uncomfortable (for others it’s a second skin). In this class Mélaine and I want you to embrace the cold of your fears, open your mind and imaginations and turn your world of technology experience and understanding on its head.
It’s time for you to take control of technology instead of letting it control you.
It is the beginning of your end.
So step up, log in, and let’s get to work.
Best Wishes,
Bob
Your end of fear, your end of stagnant thought, your end of technology as a mere form of entertainment. Technology is an amazing thing, but in the end it is no more than a tool for mankind, just as fire was in the early days.
It is our hammer as we shape the present and begin to carve the channels to direct the course of the future. It is living, dynamic, and wild. It’s expensive, frustrating, and pretty damn cool.
We all have our uncertainties in life, and for some of you technology makes you uncomfortable (for others it’s a second skin). In this class Mélaine and I want you to embrace the cold of your fears, open your mind and imaginations and turn your world of technology experience and understanding on its head.
It’s time for you to take control of technology instead of letting it control you.
It is the beginning of your end.
So step up, log in, and let’s get to work.
Best Wishes,
Bob
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
The Greatest Blog Ever Written
There is no great secret to blogging.
You simply do. Either you blog, or you do not blog. There is no try (I feel a little like Mr. Miyagi saying that). Each blogger has his or her own unique style to blogging. It's as varied as writing styles. Some people who blog do nothing more than capture an online journal.
"Dear Blog (which is nothing more than a mash-up of Web Log --> weBlog --> Blog). Today I met this totally cute guy. He makes my heart dance like leaves on a windy day. I know he's the one (unlike Tommy, who totally turned out not to be the one)."
Or something clever like:
"Dear Blog - Today was a crappy day. My EDU 205 professors assigned me the task of blogging once or twice a week. How lame is that? Who blogs anyways?"
There is another group that looks at blogging as a way to report current events in a way that is faster and more personal than traditional news media. Sites like "The Smoking Gun.com" and others turn the art of journaling into journalism.
"You'll never guess what I saw today. While hanging out in a coffee shop Hillary Clinton came. She sat next to me and ordered a decaf half-caf Grande Mocha Latte. This completely contradicts her public stance on caffeinated coffee beverages."
Lastly there is a group of people who want to use blogging as a way to change the world for good or for ill.
"My friends and fellow readers, it is time that we rise up and take a stand against standing. Far too many people in the world today are on their feet for hours on end. We have a God given mandate to be able to sit as we are so moved. Let us mobilize our voices and let the world know that we will not sit any longer on the issue of standing."
Of course you have people like who me who enjoy doing a little of both (not just sitting and standing, but combining all the styles above) as the mood strikes me. The internet provides a powerful platform to communicate your thoughts, ideas and observations to an audience that you might not traditionally have access to.
Now some of you might be thinking, "That's nice Bob, but what does all of this honestly have to do with education?" In all honesty, the possibilities for using blogging in education are only limited by your imagination. For example, let's say you're taking your students on a field trip. Why not use blogging as a way for your students to reflect on the things that they saw, experienced, and what they felt while on their field trip. In addition it allows them an opportunity to share in the reflections of their fellow classmates.
In your English or writing classes, it gives students an opportunity to journal, write short stories, and poems. It gives them a vehicle where they can write every day and more importantly revisit their writing to see their own progression. Practice, practice, practice.
While you made be hard pressed to find effective uses for blogging in a subject area such as Math, but hey, if you think of one, I say go for it!
"Now what about educators of students who can't yet write, or it simply isn't feasible for them to do so? How can blogging be useful for them," you might wonder. Well blogging is a great tool to keep parents up to date. By sharing what happened in the classroom as well as what's going to happen in the classroom, educators can make sure that active parents feel like they can share in the experiences of their children vicariously. It's also a great way to stay in contact with other colleagues and share what's working and not working in your own classroom.
No matter how you approach it, blogging is a great tool to add to your online arsenal.
So what are you waiting for? Grab that keyboard and start blogging!
You simply do. Either you blog, or you do not blog. There is no try (I feel a little like Mr. Miyagi saying that). Each blogger has his or her own unique style to blogging. It's as varied as writing styles. Some people who blog do nothing more than capture an online journal.
"Dear Blog (which is nothing more than a mash-up of Web Log --> weBlog --> Blog). Today I met this totally cute guy. He makes my heart dance like leaves on a windy day. I know he's the one (unlike Tommy, who totally turned out not to be the one)."
Or something clever like:
"Dear Blog - Today was a crappy day. My EDU 205 professors assigned me the task of blogging once or twice a week. How lame is that? Who blogs anyways?"
There is another group that looks at blogging as a way to report current events in a way that is faster and more personal than traditional news media. Sites like "The Smoking Gun.com" and others turn the art of journaling into journalism.
"You'll never guess what I saw today. While hanging out in a coffee shop Hillary Clinton came. She sat next to me and ordered a decaf half-caf Grande Mocha Latte. This completely contradicts her public stance on caffeinated coffee beverages."
Lastly there is a group of people who want to use blogging as a way to change the world for good or for ill.
"My friends and fellow readers, it is time that we rise up and take a stand against standing. Far too many people in the world today are on their feet for hours on end. We have a God given mandate to be able to sit as we are so moved. Let us mobilize our voices and let the world know that we will not sit any longer on the issue of standing."
Of course you have people like who me who enjoy doing a little of both (not just sitting and standing, but combining all the styles above) as the mood strikes me. The internet provides a powerful platform to communicate your thoughts, ideas and observations to an audience that you might not traditionally have access to.
Now some of you might be thinking, "That's nice Bob, but what does all of this honestly have to do with education?" In all honesty, the possibilities for using blogging in education are only limited by your imagination. For example, let's say you're taking your students on a field trip. Why not use blogging as a way for your students to reflect on the things that they saw, experienced, and what they felt while on their field trip. In addition it allows them an opportunity to share in the reflections of their fellow classmates.
In your English or writing classes, it gives students an opportunity to journal, write short stories, and poems. It gives them a vehicle where they can write every day and more importantly revisit their writing to see their own progression. Practice, practice, practice.
While you made be hard pressed to find effective uses for blogging in a subject area such as Math, but hey, if you think of one, I say go for it!
"Now what about educators of students who can't yet write, or it simply isn't feasible for them to do so? How can blogging be useful for them," you might wonder. Well blogging is a great tool to keep parents up to date. By sharing what happened in the classroom as well as what's going to happen in the classroom, educators can make sure that active parents feel like they can share in the experiences of their children vicariously. It's also a great way to stay in contact with other colleagues and share what's working and not working in your own classroom.
No matter how you approach it, blogging is a great tool to add to your online arsenal.
So what are you waiting for? Grab that keyboard and start blogging!
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