Weeks 8 and on....

I finished the course a couple of weeks ago.  In my last emailed conversation with Dr. McCracken, I am now waiting on the course evaluation to be released from RU.  Since then, I have been busy with internship, studying for my own school psych praxis, and working on the EDEL Supervision course.  Even though this course is completed, I'm still staying busy!!

Week 7

A bad cold provided a lucky break!  I was able to spend one entire day doing nothing but Ed Leadership course stuff.  Needless to say, I got a bunch of assignments completed.

Here are the REMAINING assignments to required for the Technology course:

PPT assignment #1
Portfolio
Discussion questions (I don't like these, so I save them for last!)
Course Evaluation

I hope to have those finished this week.  When they are done, I am turning my attention to studying for Praxis.  I have got to get moving on that.  Only month away!!!

Week 6

Thanks to our good folks in the IT department, I was finally able to finish the Technology Procurement and Technology Funding assignments.  In addition, I submitted the brief review on Podcasting.  My plan for this upcoming week is to complete textbook Chapters 4 and 5, Wiki and On-Line Survey assignments.  I also need to post a discussion comment or two!! 

I have the first "Leading in Reading" workshop on Friday in Abingdon so it's going to be a short week as is.

Hope I can keep the pace :)

Week 4ish....

Ok...is it week 4 or 5???...My weeks are beginning to blur a bit.  Obviously, internship is keeping me incredibly busy, and the Ed Leadership courses are just icing on the cake! 

Internship updates.......

My most exciting venture.....what I have coined in my internship logs as "The DIBELS Project"....is starting to take on a life of its own.  Most surprising (and inspiring!!!) is how involved regular education has been.  Those teachers are working their butts off!!  And unless I'm misinterpreting the data, their hard work will show at our fifth week of progress monitoring.  I've created an entire PPT/mini-dissertation "data collection" (with the help of Mesmer) to track my grass roots efforts at two elementarys.  Stay tuned for more!! 

In addition, PCS has also implemented a "School-Wide Autism Team" (its really district-wide, but it didn't fit with the S.W.A.T. acronym).  We are modeling our program after Floyd County, who apparently has had much success.  I hope to begin training teachers with our "Autism 101" curriculum (in conjuction with the VDOE and VCU/TTAC team) next month. 

Regular 'ole school psych duties...I'm doing them as well!!! I tested a high-school student who had been homeschooled since 2nd grade (first red-flag!), one 5 year-old early childhood referrral (had to use the 'ole "teacher voice" the entire time!), and one wild reassessment that came through the IEP team fishing for a change of placement (they ain't gettin' it!). 

Oh yeah...Am I taking classess too??????  I'll say without reservation, I'm doing my best to keep my head above water.  I love the instructional material, but I've obviously spead myself a bit thin.  This week I completed textbook assignments #2 and #3, as well as the Word and Excel "Mail Merge" assignments. I'm still waiting for return entries from our HR department so I can submit the technology "Standards" and "Procurement" assignments.  Like me, the folks in IT are constantly driving from school to school in our county; so catching up with them is almost impossible.  I have faith these nice folk will come through to help me.

My grand plan for the weekend was to work on the "get-yourself-a-job-in-admin" PPT.  I did do some research on nearby positions for RTI coordinators (mainly across the border in NC); but frankly, Travis needed my attention, and I lost steam for putting the PPT together.  He certainly gets short-changed due to  my constant school/class/project drama.  The good doctor has a couple of private evaluations this week, which will likely free me up to work at home quietly (without acoustic guitars in the background!!!!!)

Crazy busy...but loving every minute of it!!!!!  

Best to you all!! 

-RH

Week 3...and a little bit of 4th...

OK...trying to keep all of this together...internship, classes, DIBELS research, yadda, yadda...

This week: elicited other PCS employee expertise for the technology "standards", "criteria", and "procurement" assignments.  All interviews on all topics have been conducted.  Many technology folk are itinerant like myself, so hooking up with them across the great PCS "divide" is close to impossible. Final submission on those assignments will hopefully occur on Monday afternoon. 

My textbook finally arrived, so I began the second and third chapters.  Assignments and quizzes on both to be submitted on Monday afternoon.  More later...

EDEL 624: Weeks 1 and 2

It's going to be a very busy year! 

In addition to beginning my internship at PCS, I am also completing the certificate program in Educational Leadership (18 more hours of financial aid!!).  After completing two of the required courses this summer, I enrolled in two more for the Fall semester.  This blog will record my weekly efforts in one of these courses -  EDEL 624:  Technology for Administrators. 

As soon as EDEL 624 was posted in D2L, I hit the ground running .  During Week 1, I completed all of the "pre-course" requirements including:  reviewing the online orientation; submitting the student survey; posting my picture in D2L (technically, this was done over the summer!); and creating the course pacing guide.  During Week 2, I submitted assignments involving technology legislation and funding.  All submissions thus far have recieved positive feedback. 

So far I am facing only one issue...where the heck is the textbook I ordered?

Week 9: FINAL WEEK OF CLASS

EDEL 612 - closing up the book on you :)  Finished the final exam, submitted the course evaluation, and edited the New Orleans group project.  Now just waiting for our team leader to submit in the final draft.  I double-checked that I had particpated an each Discussion group, and I have maintained my weekly blog for my participation grade.  I also finished up EDEL 621 (for Dr. Flora), though I have not heard anything back yet.  I went ahead and registered for two more leadership classes for the Fall semester.  Enjoy the rest of your summer!!!

Weeks 7 and 8

Once again...this Friday (today) will cover my productivity in EDEL 612 for the last two weeks.  I was fortunate to finish up with all of the Chapters early last week.  I was also able to complete all of the required discussions and the last few quizzes.  Now all that is remaining is the "group project" and the final exam.  I compiled our "small group" portion...a review of ISLLCs 1,3, and 4 through the lens of Video 1...for Wendy, Josie and myself.  However, many of our other group members have been on vacation over the last two weeks and needed more time.  Our plan is to meet in breeze at some point over the weekend to finalize the project.  I have also been spending a great deal of time working through EDEL 621 requirements over the last few days.  This coming Monday and Tuesday I plan to finish up and submit the final!!!  Have a great weekend :)

Week 6

With the 4th of July festivities, this post is also outside of the "Friday-post timeline" I orginally aspired to!  However, the extra days proved very productive for EDEL 612...

Basically, I was able to complete all the remaining modules.  Chapters 7 and 8 due on the 3rd were submitted before I ran off to the beach for a couple of days!  On the trip down to North Myrtle (and while lying on the beach!), I was able to complete my required readings for Chapters 9, 11, 13 and 14.  I also reviewed each chapter's Crosswalk and PPT documents - which were very helpful in addressing Quiz questions and the Individual Assignments. 

Going forward I have some "Discussion Board" comments remaining, a submission of the "New Orleans" group project, and the Final Exam.  Still a bit to get through - but my plan is to complete the Discussions and Group Project this week!! 

Ok...time to go pick some tomatoes :)

Weeks 4 and 5

Today I am posting progress in EDEL 612 that spans the two weeks.  Last Wednesday, I ran off to the beach for a little sun & fun and was not available for my "normal" Friday posting.  So here goes....

Week 4 (June 12-19) was really all about "the mid-term" as I was trying to complete it before leaving for vacation.  I was able to do that and submitted both parts by June 15th.  I appreciated the immediate feedback so I would not have to think about my grades over the weekend!!  While at the beach, I did a great deal of reading (with cocktail in hand!) for both EDEL 612 and 621.  I was able to complete readings for Chapter 5 and Chapter 6 (due on the 26th) as well as many of the module readings for Dr. Flora.  I also selected the article from which I am going to write my critique for EDEL 621. 

When we returned June 20, I hit the ground running for that week's work!  First, I tackled my portion of the Group #2 PPT presentation.  The next two days was spent finalizing some work for Dr. Mesmer's TFA grant, but I finally wrapped it up the morning of June 22nd.  Later that evening, our group met in Breeze and reviewed both the PPT and crosswalk assignments.  We also discussed the "New Orleans" project and divvied up various assignments.  On the 23rd, Josie and I met for lunch and discussed various aspects of that assignment, including how to structure our response based on ISLLCS 1,3, and 4.  We also created a "response template" that the entire group could use.  On the 23rd and 24th (today!) I finished up some outstanding assignments in the Dropbox.  These included the following:  quizzes for Chapters 1, 4, 5, and 6; both individual assignments for Chapters 5 & 6; a review of Dr. M's itunes lecture and PPT/Crosswalk under course content; one "Discussion" posting; and of course....this Blog!!! 

Now, I am off to Raleigh to teach some dancing and do some antiquing!!!  Have a great weekend :)

Week 3

This week was soooo busy I forgot to post my blog on Friday (my own personal due date!)  Much was accomplished:  Chapters 2 and 3 were read, itunes lecture listened to, PPT and crosswalks reviewed, quizzes taken, and individual assignments submitted.  I have read the feedback and so far, all appears to be going well.  I am also doing some GA work for Dr. Mesmer which is keeping me VERY busy.  Over the weekend, I read Chapter 4 and started working on the midterm.  I have moved that due date up from the 19th to this Wednesday (June 15th) since I will be leaving for the beach that afternoon and will not return until Sunday evening (Yeah!!!).    I feel like I may be neglecting EDEL 621 - perhaps I can get some reading done for it while on the beach.  Yes....I am a nerd :)

Week 2

Lots completed this week for EDEL612....
Participated in first "group breeze" session where we selected a leader and set dates for group work.  Afterwards, I was able to submit my personal pacing guide.  I think the schedule will work well for me! Listened to the Itunes Chapter 1 and reviewed the related PPT.  Started reviewing Chapter 2 with fellow cohort member, Josie Loomis, so we could divide the Chapter for group work.  Provided posts for Introduction and Discussion #1.  Took "sample quiz".  To date, everything required for "June 5th" deadline has been submitted.  Chapter quizzes 1 and 2 will be submitted by Sunday.  Enjoy the weekend :)

...5678: Week 1

...5678: Week 1: "First two weeks of class: Set up blog for participation documentation Completed Itunes tutorial Met Dr. McCracken during face-to-face at ..."

Week 1

First two weeks of class:

• Set up blog for participation documentation
• Completed Itunes tutorial
• Met Dr. McCracken during face-to-face at Bassett High
• Completed first assignments and reviewed feedback
• Joined a group...trying toset up first meeting to review group assignments and produce Pacing Guide
• ...all and all...a good first week :)