Teacher techno-challenged!!

My students were a bit miffed at me tonight!

I am a technologically challenged teacher :(

After they set up a slide show program for our Camp Homewood trip and showed me how to use it and even downloaded the majority of the 155 pictures FOR ME, I touch it and try to do something fancy like add some credits to the end of the movie and POOF - gone in 2 seconds NOT SAVED and no where to be found!!!
Isaac just looked at me with that defeated look in his eye That I know well from having used it on him many times this year and I truly understood!! I am very sorry and have sat here trying to make amends for a couple of hours (which, by the way, is how long Isaac said it would take!!)

I think I have managed to save the day and this time I saved it and I think if I get the students and my technical assistant Isaac to help finish it tomorrow with music, it will be ready for Monday. I think I have a couple of perfect songs for the slides but first I have to get Liam to buy them on i-Tunes tonight and maybe load them onto a CD rom. Geez I have a lot to learn from my students!

Reminders:
Trip to Don Ross tomorrow for the grade sevens (come with something green) or if not we can take green pinnies
Couple of grad hoodies- students know who they are
$$$ for photos and Flapjack Friday
Grades 6 interested in the summer camp need to have applications ready for Monday June 28th

General Day
Part 5 Consuming Kids (You Tube)
Really, you should watch it!
This session was about the increasing sexuality and violence being incorporated into younger and younger children's products from Bratz dolls and Barbies to video games and violence as entertainment. It is not an accident but a calculated intention on the part of the marketing industry to influence and sell to children. What five year old needs a padded bra? Stilleto heels? Bling Bling? The products are being pushed as what will make us 'happy' and while there is nothing inherently wrong about wanting to have nice things the real lie is that we need these things to fulfill us and make us happy. How can young children really understand the implications?
Very interesting- the students were very quiet and I hope some at least are hearing and understanding the exploitation that they have grown up with.

This might be the last section that is relevant to my students. Part 6 deals with Baby products (honestly try buying baby products that do not have endorsenments and characters all over them- from diapers to bottles- Oh, and watch out for lead paint) and Part 7 of the 7 sessions explores what parents can do.

Next we started the BIG job of clean up at the end of the year starting with our class bins and desks. I have suggested that if they do not want to take it all home that Math and French will more than likely come in handy especially as some on the semeter system next school year may not study math or French until 2nd semester January 2011!!!

We voted again for The Blind Side as our movie (thanks Chris for bringing all the videos). I enjoyed listening to and watching them watch it- they laughed and cheered and became quiet as they took in the different moods of the movie. I think they enjoyed it.
I love Sandra Bullock's characterization of the mother.

After lunch we comtinued with the movie until 1:30pm

Then we joined Mr. Parker's class for a BIG game of soccer and a smaller game of California Kickball- I even roped in acouple of former students who were hanging out at the field. Thanks Jamie K. and James S. for agreeing to play for a bit.
They are so grown up now I hardly recognised them!!

Back in class we tried to complete the movie (maybe 10 minutes remain) but we didn't quite get there.
I distributed the term three marks slips to the students as they had been asking to see how the term had played out marks wise. I only had a couple of students who wanted me to 'double check' their achievement and I will.

Dismissal at 3pm
It was a really laid back kind of day and we all enjoyed it.
Have a nice evening- DRSS tomorrow
Toodles
Mrs. J.