Mama Mindy's Week 10 of classes--Two weeks of Chaos Approacheth

Hi friends!

 This week's re-cap:

This semester I am taking 13 credit hours, which doesn't sound like a lot...but I am actually taking 5 courses.

 All but Elementary Art met in class this week (it will meet on Nov. 1st)...although assignments for art are due weekly via on-line.

 

Elementary Music (2 hours). Learned about percussion instruments in the classroom.  I love percussion!  Turned in a big project--The Music Resource Notebook.  Continued working on the recorder. (Just be glad you weren't in the room with all of the recorders going off). LOL!!


Advanced Instructional Technology (3 hours).  Learned about how to use Smart Board in the classroom.  Yet another technology that I cannot afford.  Our instructor Mr. Carlson did tell us of a cheaper way to make something similar...but it sounds like a lot of work...and I would still have to buy downloads.  I'll use it if the school I work for teaches me how to use it...but if not available, every student in the classroom having a dry erase board is fine with me. :) 

 

Homework:  Got it finished today!! Create a video tutorial (I will post it later this week!!)

Math for Elementary Ed & Middle School Teachers I (3 hours). Learned about rational numbers, ratios, and proportions.  Exam 3 is next Wednesday.  Instructor Kean has guaranteed that our class will not have any hick ups with this exam like our class did with Exam 2 (aka the test that would never end).

Homework left: 6.3 & 6.4 (book assignment only), study for Exam 3 (Chapters 5 & 6)

Field & Lab Biology (3 hours).  Animal Presentations.  My phylum was Nematoda (i.e. roundworms).  The presentations took quite a while to complete, but some were quite beautiful.  You definitely could tell who threw their work together at the last minute and who took a little more time and effort to make their handout and Power Point special.  Also, we got to choose from a group of science fair activities to produce a tri-fold poster and a paper for a Science Fair that will be held in our classroom in two-weeks.

 

Homework left: Start researching my science fair project over gas and how Alka-Seltzer works.  http://www.sciencebuddies.org is the site we were directed to and I am quite pleased with all the information it gives.  Type Part A & B of the science fair paper as a rough draft of those two sections is due on Halloween!!

  Elementary Art (2 hours).  This week we were to do a project involving the performing arts (i.e. music, dance, or theater) subject area.  I did mine on an owl since a lot of books have owls (Winnie the Pooh, The Owls of Ga'Hoole, etc.) and we will be meeting on Halloween for Biology class and we just learned about owls during the animal presentations, so why not?!?  The bird also is mentioned in the song "Rockin' Robin."  Lots of applications...so I created an owl mask (see pic below)...so it can be used for a music performance, a dance recital, or class production).  The readings this week discussed how to integrate art with Math in the classroom and how to integrate art with Science.

 

 

 

Everyone in this house keeps really busy...but the babies (pugs) are definitely trying to find a new routine without Gracie Lynn.  It is hard for them (and us hu-peeps, too)...but they are working hard to find normalcy and I know we will find our new sense of "normal" soon.

The next two weeks of classes will be chaotic as I have so much to do...a Math exam, a Biology exam, and a Biology Science Fair project!! (When shall I sleep?!?)
 

Much Love,
Mama Mindy :)