Corporate Headquarters of BISILT.com

It has been a great summer, not very long, but still great!   I have stepped away from some of my technological tools and tried to "unplug" just a bit.  Mid July I sat down and began reading the "feedback" letters from my students.  There was a very common theme; one which I have noticed in years past as well.  Students told me they "want to work together."  My usual reaction, if I am being totally honest, is a roll of my eyes as I imagine students talking and being non-productive.  This year, however, I had a very different reaction.  In fact it was close to an epiphany!  I realized what my students have been telling me is they want to collaborate.  This word is on the wall in my classroom, it's part of the ISTE standards I used to create my mastery objectives and student learning outcomes, and now it will be alive at the corporate headquarters of "BISILT.com." My lab has been totally rearranged; no more rows!!!!  I have created what I hope to be a "real-world" work environment and am calling this business BISILT.com.  Though most of our work will be done on line, we do have a "brick and mortar" location as well, in room 231.  There is even a sign on the door inviting students in to this office.  The year will begin with "orientation" to the company and then students will be given some real world problems to solve together in teams.  I cannot wait to see what happens! This is going to be an amazing year!!

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Welcome 2014....

It's hard to believe it is the year 2014.  I remember sitting at a desk in my elementary school classroom doing the math to figure out how old I would be in the year 2000, and thinking then how old I would be.  My young self never flashed forward past the year 2000.  I guess I would have thought the me in 2014 would be ancient (haha.)

Here we are starting a new year.  Did you make any resolutions?  Are you planning on making any changes in your lives?  Your thoughts and ideas about resolutions would make a good blog post.  That is what you will be doing in class this week, if you have it.  I would like you all to have a minimum of 5 blog posts by the end of next week.  For some of you this is a done deal, as you have more than this, but for others, you will need to get moving!

As I sit and write this post, I am keeping my eye on "Hercules" and the weather maps.  My guess is my students are all sitting at home doing their "snow day dances."  I am hoping we will get in both days this week.  After all, we just had a lovely break!  I have been thinking a little bit about these named storms.  Last year it was "Nemo," and this year it is "Hercules."  Why do our winter storms have the names of Disney movies?  Just something to think about.  Oh well, we will have to wait and see what Mother Nature dishes out.  Hopefully we will not miss these two days of school.  Winter has just begun, and summer is far enough away.  Let's hope we don't push it further back.

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