It is finally over!!!

Well, this is my last blog to you class. I have thoroughly enjoyed taking this class with all of you. It was fun to hear everyone's thoughts on the book and to see what everyone had to draw for the graffiti board and the sketch to stretch. As for these online forums and blogs, I will miss this interactiveness that we get with each other even though we haven't met in class for awhile. I've missed you all. But that will soon be over when I get to see all of your bright and shining faces next Tuesday for the start of another class. Thank you to my group members for being so great and for supporting everyone and giving helpful advice and hints as needed. You were a great group to work with. I couldn't have asked for a better group. To the entire class, good job, we finished and now we can finally relax for a few days. Thanks for always sharing such wonderful thoughts and comments. I always looked forward to reading what you all had to say. have a great weekend and I will see you all on Tuesday. Take care.

Farewell to Dr. Rivera, but see you next week classmates!

Yes, we did it! I am soo relieved now...we can all enjoy our fourth of July weekend before our next classes begin :) Today, I completed all my assignments and uploaded them to LiveText. Although I need to play around and become more familiar with LiveText, it is nice to have an online portfolio!
Well, I would like to take this time to thank Dr. Rivera for ALL of the fun activities and resources that she introduced us to. I had a great time engaging in all of them, and I am excited to use them in my future classroom. Dr. Rivera, I appreciate all of the motivation and encouragement you've expressed to me, and I look forward to seeing again. To my fellow classmates, thank you for your continuous support and hard work. I appreciate all of you, and I am very glad to be going through this program with you all. Although this class is over, we will definitely see each other on Tuesday :) So, I hope you all enjoy your weekend...and I'll see you then.

HAPPY 4th of JULY!

Our final blog for ED641..A fond farewell...

Hi there fellow classmates and group mates. Here we are, at the end of another completed course. I must say that although it has been trying at times, it has also been very inspiring. This course and the assignments completed will help us to bring reading to a whole new level in our content area. For Rosenblatt's Transactional Theory, our literature circle, and reader response activities (plus other great stuff we learned) has been introduced to us and we can now add these new educational tools to our teacher toolbox. I want to thank each and every one of you for the great work and the unselfish ways you made our class fun and interesting. I especially want to thank Dr. Rivera for her undying encouragement and support. And what we have learned here we will take with us into our classrooms. Thank you all and see you next week Wednesday.

I am in disbelief that a month of summer has come to an end. My head is still spinning from the information overload. I learned more in one month than I ever anticipated. I feel prepared and confident to tackle my role as a middle school language arts teacher in the fall. The multitude of knowledge gained in this class is priceless. I look forward to utilizing the myriad of strategies to promote literacy and critical thinking among learners.

I am so thankful for the members of the cohort for their wonderful teamwork. I am grateful for the opportunity to work, learn, and grow with such a passionate and gifted group of individuals. Saina Ma'ase, Dr. Rivera. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, your words of encouragement, and for a very challenging course.

See ya next week.

Where do I start it has been a long four weeks and it is finally over. Oh yeah it is fourth of July on Sunday and I hope everyone is going to relax and have a little fun. Well the only person I might not see next week is Dr. Rivera. Dr. Rivera I hope your trip has been fun and exciting. Thank you for teaching us this term and we learned several strategies and some times it felt so much at the time,but I am glad we did it. Til we meet again adios and have a great life...

Farewell, at least until next week

This will be the last post blog that I post for this class. It has been a very fun, interesting, and educational four weeks. I would like to say that I had a great time learning in this class, and I hope that all of you guys did too. Also,I would like to say thank you to Dr. Rivera and each one of my classmates for all the help and support that you have given me this whole time. We got a lot done this session, and I hope that everyone is able to take the few days that we have off to relax both physically and mentally and just let loose. Thanks again everyone and God Bless!!
I think we all deserve a round of applause!!

Closing Credits

I have never, in my whole post-secondary school existence, have ever taken a summer course. However, I do have to say that it was a definitely worthwhile and self-assuring experience as a teacher. Every class that we have taken since the beginning of the MAT program has given me the tools I need to become an effective teacher, and has given me more reason to pursue my Master's degree. Seeing a new set of faces with the same ambition and struggles that I am also experiencing has really helped me to push forward with the program, as difficult and sacrificing as it may be. If I were to do this on my own, with only my own personal reasons, I would probably have many doubts about continuing.

Thank you all for being kind and helpful to the 'Saturday' newbie =) You all are brilliant people that will definitely be an asset to the young people of Guam, or wherever else you decide to teach. Dr. Rivera: you are a wonderful mentor. Thank you for introducing us to the many strategies and tools out there that will help us to be better teachers. Good luck to you all!!

Evelyn's Final Reflection

GOOD JOB EVERYONE! We have a little breathing room until the next class. This picture illustrates the goal that I am closer to achieving and I am so glad to have shared the experience with all of you. Dr. Rivera has given us so many tools that I feel weighted down by my tool kit but it is fare better to be over prepared than not. If it were not for all the assignments due for both classes (ED641 and ED609) I feel that the two classes complimented each other. Thank you to my cohorts as we make for a very effective and productive team especially since our goals are the same – TO BE A…KNOWLEDGEABLE SCHOLAR…REFLECTIVE DECISION MAKER…EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATOR. Enjoy our short break and see you next week!

Totally Done and Exhausted!

Ever feel so tired you crashed out looking like this? I have a mental picture of myself looking exactly this way for the ENTIRE 3-day weekend. I'm serious. I'm going to party and celebrate sleeping like this little fellow. Anyway, I want to thank all of you for being there for me whenever and however I needed assistance. I could not do this alone-ok maybe I could, but I would be procrastinating 105% of the time and turn things in really late. Speaking of things late, that 5-page paper really caught me off-guard! Thanks for the constant reminders from my group members. Thank you to those of you who always turned assignments in super early on Moodle because you pressure me to do that too. Thank you for the new found knowledge Dr. Rivera. This classroom experience was something very different because it not only demanded writing, reading and thinking, but also laughter, sharing, and an appreciation for all things literature. Ok everyone, enjoy your 3-day weekend, stay safe, and see you all next week for Round 2!

We Made It!!!

Finally, we have the chance to relax and enjoy the weekend because we have finished everything for this class. It wasn't easy and there were times when I just wanted to put my hands up in the air and quit but thought otherwise. I did enjoy doing all the activities in this class and I'm looking forward to using the strategies that we've learned.

I'd like to take this chance to say a big "Thank You" to Dr. Rivera. There were a lot of firsts for me in this class: first blog, first hybrid class experience, first class to 'require' livetext :) I have never written so many papers in such a short amount of time, and for that I thank you for giving us the confidence to explore new things and the way you supported us with any of our questions. This experience has been awesome.

To my MAT family, we have been through so much together and I am so blessed to be a part of this crew. I know that this is not the end for all of us, as a matter of fact, we'll see each other next week so there's no need to be sentimental. I am just glad that WE MADE IT!!!

That's All Folks ...!

I just want to start by saying, "Thank you lord" for helping me throughout this summer class. I can't imagine all those assignments on the syllabus has been done and gone from my shoulders of workload. Also, I just want to add that this crew we have makes this program attainable by the same challenges we face as crazy individuals taking Graduate courses in four weeks.

On the other hand, we did it and I am so glad I did not drop these classes after reading and looking into syllabus of which seems 10 to 20 pages long. I will be missing this class and seeing you all, but I have a feeling I will see each one of you next week. Til then, Eat, Watch, Sleep, Swim, Chill, and enjoy the following days.

Getting it Done

Finally, session A is almost at an end. It's almost a bitter-sweet feeling. It's sweet because we are all one step closer to the end, but it's also bitter at the same time because I really enjoyed this class. We've done a lot of work for this class,but I know it'll make us stronger and more prepared teachers. I've learned a lot during session A and I hope that you guys did too.

Farewell to ED 641

The assignment for an interdisciplinary unit was a challenge because I had a hard time trying to integrate the novel into math concepts. I wanted it to be relevant, as well as applicable to the students to use in their lives. As I did more research , I stuck with the study of population. Although I created the draft a few weeks ago, the lesson plan still needed minor changes--which I completed by the due date. Only two more assignments for this class. I hope I won't need to use this list above. It was a great class. I really appreciated the shcema-reorganizing about literary strategies, my classmates and their insight, and the activities from Dr. Rivera. See all you guys later!

hey two more assignments.

To my group members, thank you very much for a job well done. I am so happy that I am almost done with this class and puts me closer to finishing this journey. We only have two more assignments and then we start on out next class or classes.

2nd to last blog

Well, this is almost our last time to talk to each other via this blog. So, I just want to say, I've missed seeing all your happy faces this week. That being said, it has been nice to stay home. But since most of my time was spent on the computer working on my interdisciplinary plan, nothing in my house got done. This was a fun unit to do though. I enjoyed doing all the research that I did for my unit. I hope everyone had as good a time as I did. Well, talk to you all in a few more days.

outside the box

I am amazed at the diversity and creativity of the lesson plans created as a reflection of this book. I enjoyed that this activity challenged me to 'think outside the box' to create health lesson plans that not only reflect the themes of the story, but the GDOE standards and performance indicators as well. Whew. The more I think about it, the more I realize that this can be done with pretty much every story. I also think that it is important for students to realize for students to make those connections.

In closing, great job group!

Interdisciplinary UnitE

Planning interdisciplinary units is a great way to collaborate with fellow teachers and also helps our students to get the most of a singular topic. It wasn't as difficult as I would thought it would be, as long as everyone put in their part. Everyone in our group did just that =) I have to say that we have a bunch of creative people in this program and I know we will be prepared to educate the future leaders of tomorrow.

Kudos to all of you who made it this far, and good luck to all your endeavors, TJ! We're almost there! Keep up the great work!

Almost to the Finish Line...

We're almost there guys! Keep on going...Well, the main assignment that was due today was the Interdisciplinary Unit, and I am soo glad that I worked on MOST of it for the draft. So, I just had to add minor changes to complete my lessons :) It feels SO good to finish that assignment...because it is one step closer to the FINISH line! It is amazing how this book can be integrated in so many subject areas-I really enjoyed reading the book and creating my lessons.
I hope all of you are doing well. Now, we just need to finish up our last activities and add them to LiveText.

All Together Now

Today our main concern was completing our interdisciplinary unit and I would have to say I am so glad that we had to do a draft for this assignment because it helped so much not race after the clock. I am so happy how our project came together and it's evident that everyone excerted time and effort into each unit plan. This cohort feels like family already and we work well with each other. It is amazing how one book could be a vessel to create lessons throughout the different content areas.

We only have our reflection paper and our livetext assignment and this class is done. It was a really different experience since this is a hybrid class but it leaves me with some extra time to relax a little until the next couple classes for summer.

R We There Yet...!

Wow! I can't believe that we are almost done with all our work. I am so please on behalf of my lower back to be relieved from the computer work load. Also, my team did a great job in making a beautiful unit plan together as we utilized our strengths for this last project. Whereas, I know the other crew had a great unit too because our class rock hard as a whole. So to all of my team and classmates, have a treat and go to the carnival on me. The only thing you need is your money and car.

Lastly, I am actually feeling a breathe of fresh air from all these summer class. Don't get me wrong, I had enjoyed this class and this is not my last blogger yet. So in Friday, stay tune to see what we all have to say.

We are almost there ...

June 30, 2010 - Evelyn's Reflections

My days of research are finally dwindling down to an end as we complete our interdisciplinary unit assignment. It has been a challenge with trying to incorporate lessons in science, a subject that was not a favorite of mine in high school. The searching, both mentally and physically, was a laborious task but it was fun. I learned what a genome was (a word unheard of until recent days) and that there are many forms of environmental pollution (I feel so bad in my and our contributions to hurt mother earth). It is wonderful to use Google Docs and see everyone’s ideas poured into one place at the same time. I’m waiting until everyone is done and anxious to “submit”. In the meantime I am playing around with Livetext. It looks bland but deceptively complicated. You’ll all find out at my next post how things went.

Final Touches on the Interdisciplinary Lesson Plan

Good afternoon everyone, well, just finished editing my lesson plan and feel good. I'm so glad this assignment started out with a draft so all that's needed is some final touches. I've scanned through the presentation and must say that it looks great and I'm sure Dr. Rivera will be proud. I'm blogging early today as I will be attending my paternal grandmother's (Catalina Gogo Baza) daily Rosary and mass in Malesso (Merizo), which begins at 5:30pm and I was designated to say the Rosary in yes...Chamorro. So, before I go, I want to congratulate everyone on all the fine work they've done thus far and in 2 days, this will have been a step closer to our dream...secondary teachers. Again, thank you for all the hard work.

6/28/10

It's almost over. Dr. Cyrus's class is done, now we just have to concentrate and finish off Dr. Rivera's class. I believe this summer session, they put us to the test,but I also think that we responded the right and did what we had to do to pass. The good thing about tall this work that we did in the past four weeks is that, at least for me, I learned a lot of new strategies and concepts that I can use in the classroom. Hang in there guys!!

Reading is fun.. and so is math!

I never realize there were so many strategies out there we can all use and apply in our different content areas. As I was going through all of them, I kept thinking to myself, how is this going to relate to math. Math is usually taught in the monotonous example-practice-review-assess way, never really looking at other ways to not make it so boring. But I think some of the strategies in literature can be applied. For example, the Double Entry Journal. The student write the literary question they have from the book on the left half of the journal page and after reading, answers the question on the right half. In math, the problem may also be on the left, but as they answer, they write in words each step for answering. Maybe a little modification here and there, but it can definitely work.

the sunset is beautiful...

I read a few strategies for reading. I actually like to try some for science and see how it works for the kids. The note taking skill during the reading would really be good for SAT 10. Well I like some of the strategies I hope i take the time to look over more strategies because there was a lot of them on the net. Well i hope everyone is doing fine and see you guys in a week.

I actually can see the sunset now.

Great Reading Strategies for the Classroom...

Hi class! Wow, I can't believe that we only have a few more days to complete this class-time flies by soo fast! Well, I was able to go to the Agana Library on Saturday to observe the reading program they have. It was very interesting to be a part of that-the kids were really engaged and intereactive with each other while reading books. Also, they had LOTS of fun during Arts&Crafts. Both my daughter and I enjoyed ourselves, and I really look forward to taking her more often :) Also, I was able to complete my internet sources research. There are a lot of great sources for reading strategies. Here are a few: 1)http://academic.evergreen.edu/f/fordter/ContentLit/readstrats.htm
2) http://www.greece.k12.ny.us/instruction/ela/6-12/Reading/Reading%20Strategies/reading%20strategies%20index.htm. All of the strategies are great tools for us to use in the classroom, and the two I found most interesting were Think Aloud and Listening to Voice.

Well, I hope all of you are doing well. See you all soon...

Researching Reading Strategies

Hi there everyone, I just wanted to share my experience in regards to researching reading strategies.I was amazed at the many different strategies and techniques that people are using to increase reading, whether it be for comprehension or vocabulary.I really enjoyed the research...and of course, there's just so much to read with limited time.But there's one thing I found out though, there are many sites for pre- and during reading strategies, but not as many for after reading.Then there are some sites that are wonderful like the Teacher First website, I even bookmarked it on my delicious bookmarks. this is the URL to the site: http://www.teachersfirst.com/getsource.cfm?id=9628 In addition to strategies and techniques

I found that there were some that included the use of technology but since I was pressed for time, I plan to check it out later.There are very good reading sites out there, including ones that teach strategies for content areas.As a future teacher I know all of these strategies will assist in literacy strategies with our future students.Have a nice day tomorrow.

Reading Strategies Assignment

This assignment helped me realize the different reading strategies out there. I know I will be using some of them in my classroom--particularly the one about mapping out ideas after reading. I think this will empower students with a new way of solving problems if they are allowed to draw and visualize what they are thinking. Keeping up with these strategies is a great way for us to stay fresh and be professionally ready for the challenges our students bring. I really appreciate having this activity. Now I know where to go for more ideas and information when I need it. My favorite one actually lists a strategy for pre-, during and post-reading: http://www.paec.org/david/reading/general.pdf

Reading Strategies

This was an interesting assignment for me. I never knew there was so many different ways to go about reading a book. This assignment helped me to see that when you read something, that you need to pay attention to the before, during and after of the reading. This was a fun assignment and I learned a lot and can't wait to use the strategies in my classroom. I had worked on this awhile ago before it was due with a friend of mine. We had a great time finding the strategies and discussing how we would use them in the classroom. I think this next year will be a bit scary, stressful, and fun. Can't wait.

Reading Strategies

This assignment was really interesting and is a great preparation for the upcoming school year because it deals with helping students who are culturally and linguistically diverse. Reading is so important that as educators, we have a responsibility to encourage the love for it. I especially liked http://mandygregory.com/reading_strategies.htm because it explains in detail what needs to be done to effectively execute the strategies mentioned in her website. There are also examples and printable worksheets that could be used in the classroom.

There are so many new strategies that I learned from this research and others that I have already used in the class such as the KWL chart and role playing but I am excited to incorporate the other strategies that I've acquired in this reseach and those we utilized in class.

June 28, 2010, Evelyn's Reflections

There is a wealth of information on pre, during, and post reading strategies on-line. I have so many faves. Here are some to share as well.

http://departments.weber.edu/teachall/reading/prereading.html#top
http://www.greece.k12.ny.us/instruction/ela/6-12/Best%20Practices/Index.htm
http://www.literacymatters.org/adlit/questioning/after.htm

I remember a lesson I taught for Practicum where I had the students read a travel article out loud and I performed somewhat a QAR (Question Answer Relationship) strategy. I guess I already had a strategy in place mentally, just didn’t know it had an identifying name. I can see its usefulness my classroom.

new strategies

My internet scavenger hunt of pre-, during, and post-reading strategies for linguistically and culturally diverse students revealed a myriad of relevant sites. Many of the sites featured typical strategies such as graphic organizers (KWL) and various lit circle activities. I found
very interesting strategies at http://www.readingrockets.org/article/82 as well as the IRA website. The most interesting pre-reading activity was the Padeia Seminar. The teacher selects a topic or theme in the book that is relevant to the students (eg gangs, drugs, etc). The students research the topic then conduct a seminar on the topic. This would be a great opportunity to showcase diversity in the classroom.

One more work to go and my BACK is killing me...!

Let me begin by saying, " My BACK is killing me". I don't know if its the age or stress from taking these classes this summer. Dude, I feel like a lolo who is dreading to take any walk beside walking to my bed of kitchen (Man's best place). On the other hand, I had been blessed to have the strength to get this work out of the way and continue my short stress relieve process for physical and spiritual rejuvenation. Hope no else got hurt this week or feel old after these grueling hectic weeks that passed us by. On a greater note, check this site out for a full list of reading strategies done on tripod website. http://emu1967.tripod.com/readstrat.htm

Lastly, this summer is really passing me by to fast and with amazement to my fulfillment of all workload requirements for both class. Now the only thing to take out or take down is the unit plan before Wednesday, Ahhh...!

Got some secret remedies for lower back pains.


Have a great day fellow MAT crew :-)

Rosenblatt's Transactional Theory

Oh dear, this is one assignment to add to my late list.Somewhere yesterday my laptop froze and wouldn't do anything...talk about frustrating and stressed out. Well, no use crying about spilled milk. About the Transactional Theory, I think it works very well for our diverse population of students, especially because most will use the aesthetic stance. The Reader Response, question/answer, Grafitti Board, and all the others help to create a conducive environment for learning in the classroom.

Think time

When I'm stressed out, I eat, and eat, and eat some more...and this is why I could not finish my paper until 11:53. Eating helps me think which is why I spend a lot of time with food. I just do not want to continue doing this because I know the consequences of high calorie intake and low calorie output. Reading all the papers, articles, journals and information was not making any sense. However, the more I ate, thought, and reflected about it, the more my ideas seemed to connect and crystallize. The transactional theory was another way to look at literature, and it does really get the reader hooked. During my think time, I realized that our whole ED 641 class with the blogging and the responding was in a sense a transactional experience! I appreciate Dr. Rivera for changing my schema about literature. It was painless and effective--the way good doctors perform surgery. Good job to all of us! We got through one, we can finish off the rest.

June 23, 2010 - Reflection

My paper on Transaction Theory is done and submitted. The task did not seem so daunting but the lesson plan is. It is during this crunch time that I want to return to my old job. The weather was also preying on my paranoia; that the power would go out. I enjoy this class but someone should have foretold us of the consequences. I’m even afraid to go away from the computer as I may lose my frame of thought. I found the Rosenblatt’s theory and her work to be very interesting. Dewey’s theory makes more sense to me now.

Just Breath

This is it. It's like a wave coming to you and theres nothing you can do to stop it. All you can do is flow with it by getting your assignmnets done one at a time. I guess the only thing good you can say about the due dates approaching is that thats one day closer to it being all over. I for one am preety exhausted but you gotta do what you gotta do. I think we've come too far too stop now.

Almost over the mountain

Well, today was a bit crazy for me. I actually finished my paper and turned it in this morning around 1am. (That is only because I thought it was due last night and was freaking out over it all day until class when I was told it was due tonight.) Then, to make matters worse, I have had a migraine all day and the rain and thunder have just helped me to feel even worse. Then when I get home from my daughter's soccer practice and get ready to cut and paste my lesson plan into our Google presentation, I plug in my external hard drive and it crashes. I can't retrieve anything from it!!! So basically, I am now freaking out hard core and am trying to get as much as I can remember up on our presentation. Hope things are going better for the rest of you and much luck in getting it all done. Just think only another week and two days and it will all be over. (Only to start up again with other classes.)

1 more assignment down, how many more?

Hi guys! Well, today I kept taking LONG breaks in between writing my Transactional Theory paper. There was so much happening today and on top of that-lightning, thunder, and rain. I guess that was a sign to stay indoors and complete our paper :)
It was very interesting reading about Rosenblatt and all the contributions she has made towards education. She has provided so many effective resources for us teachers to use in the classroom for our readings/writings. Although it was not an easy task to write this paper, I am pleased to have learned more about the theory and the stances.
Well, I am almost done! I need to definitely go back and revise any mistakes...but I am just relieved that I got one more assignment done!!! But there are many more :( I hope all of you are making better progress on your papers and lesson plans. Good luck to you all!

A theory well worth the effort

I'm taking a little break from writing my research paper to share that I am almost there! Whew! As I got to know Louise Rosenblatt a little better through all the research I went through, it's a wonder how much this woman has contributed to the teachings of literature. Wow! Her first article was on the emergence of Transactional Theory in 1938, and her more recent one in 1991 on the two stances of reading. That equals over a half a century of literary research contribution. Plus, I read she is one of the most cited in all over literary research........ I want to be like her when I grow up =)

Assignments and Time Management

Summer is supposed to be sleeping in late, hours and hours at the beach and just being a slug. Instead I find myself waking up early and sitting in front of the computer from nine to five... and then some. Doing this transactional theory assignment was a lot tougher than I thought. I have completed my Transactional theory assignment, but with all honesty, I am terrified to turn it in.

I have yet to complete my draft for the lesson plan but I am optimistic because I still have 3 hours to complete it :) the only thing is that time flies by when you really don't want it to. I hope that everyone is doing so much better than me. This is the worst form of procrastination that I have done in a while and I can't promise that it will be the last, but I know for certain I will not wait for the eleventh hour.

Never again...

...Will I procrastinate. Honest. Note to self, begin research papers upon assignment.

I feel like I have an intimate relationship with Louise M. Rosenblatt. Ms. Rosenblatt appears to be a very passionate advocate of literature and the myriad of opportunities it affords readers. Her theory has influenced educators for seventy-plus years. Thats pretty amazing. Let me return to the works of Ms. Rosenblatt so I can make the deadline.

I made it ... YEAH! High FIVE all!

Today was very busy for me and I know I was not alone. I was stuck in this paper of mine and did not know how to start this Transactional Theory paper. Also, I had ventured into another new media presentaion and hope my section was uploaded on Google Docs. To top if off, my nose is totally running lose and I am so tired adding a new duty to my already workload task.

I know this seems short, but I am all out of words because my paper took all the words out of my mind. So I need to generate my brain cells and get some peace and quiet with new deadlines tomorrow. Thank you Lord for giving me the strength to finish todays task.

From TERMINATOR, "I won't be BACK" -

carnival opens.......

I have been waiting for this day to go to the carnival. Instead I am doing my assignments for my two classes. How is everyone doing? I hope you are all doing better than I am in my assignments. I am stuck on my third page of my paper. I hope we are doing okay with our respective lesson plans. So work hard and work late
I will see you on moodle at 11:55 PM..

better late than never......

I forgot to do my post yesterday. I feel a little tired and overwhelmed with work and everything else. I really can't wait for July because i know this will be all done. Not having the face to face classes is a little different. So I am working on my lesson plan so I got to go and get to work.

Ahhhh...a tiring week ahead :-)

I almost forgot about the assignments that I needed to do on moodle and it was a great guide as to what was ahead of me for this class. I was a little off today because we did not have class and the act of rest and summer vacation mode kicked in. Thank God for reality check!

As you can see, tonight I had just posted all my discussions on moodle and got to see where my fellow classmates where in their thematic unit. I am not alone in terms of conjuring up more ideas and needed activities for my content area. Also, I was amazed to see that my fellow group mates e-mailed each other to organized our thematic unit.

Now a sigh of relieve is slowly creeping within me as for a clear conscience of ED 641 assignments had been done and future one's are slowly working its way up the ladder of my workloads. Good night fellow MAT vampires.

Determination

This has been such a difficult journey for me, and it came with a lot of sacrifice. I'm sure all of you felt that way throughout the course of this program. What keeps me going is how sweet it will be to get that Master's degree. New-found knowledge, a sense of accomplishment, new friends.. it will all be worth it in the end. In the meantime, this paper. I am a horrible writer and to come up with 5 pages on a topic I can describe in a paragraph is almost painful. Well, not really, but it does have its difficulties. I have to say that I'm glad this wasn't a completely online course because I am terrible at going online to work on assignments.

June 21, 2010, Evelyn's Reflection

My first time away from the heat of our ED641 classroom and I miss the face to face collaboration. As I read all of the modle discussions and blogs, I am comforted by the thought that we are all sharing the same feelings. My progress on the interdisciplinary unit plan is slow and I have not attempted the 5 page paper on transactional theory. To add, I worry about the other assignments due in ED609. God sustain us through getting all our assignments done.

Work Now, Sleep Later

I always try to rationalize that I just work well under pressure and that's why I like to wait for the eleventh hour to finish assignments. I think that I need to make an exception in this class because the work that I need to do for this class requires a lot of time and thought. So now, the tv needs to be unplugged and distractions need to be minimized because completing a five-paged assignment is not a joke.

After this, I intend to start my assignment on the Transactional Theory and the other assignments for this class and my other class so that I wouldn't have to suffer from sleepless nights. Anyone who knows me knows I take my naps seriously. :)

Busy, Busy, Busy...

*This picture is a reflection of what I want to do, but I can't because there's too much work to do!

Well, I kept going back and forth about which assignment to do first-the Interdisciplinary unit or the Transactional Theory paper. I attempted to do the unit first. Although I have not finished yet, I am excited to use the book for activities for our lessons :) I was able to come up with ideas pretty quickly. I just hope I'll have good ideas for the paper as well! Good luck to you all!