Thanksgiving Cooking

Kinsley and I were cooking for Thanksgiving - she loves to help....she had a blast...As you can see she was eating some chocolate for breakfast. Silke, my friend from Germany was in for 2 weeks and she brought us tons of German chocolate. OH SO GOOD...Kinsley loved them!

Downtown Art District

We all went to Tony's Restaurant today after cleaning and cooking most of the day for Thanksgiving. We had a great time and Kinsley loves that place. We took some pictures after we were done...She is such a ham.

Gymnastic Practice

Backward Flips

East Ridge Christmas Parade

The family met at The Family Table restaurant and had a dinner and then went out to watch the parade...Alicia and Kinsley loved the parade and all the candy that went along with it...It was fun - as always!

All bundled up!

Warming up by the fire!

Eating Marshmellows by the fire!

My Class in the Newspaper

http://northgeorgia.timesfreepress.com/news/2008/nov/
21/georgia-teaching-technology/?South-Pittsburg

The link does not do it right, so I have copied and pasted it into two sections...you will have to copy each section to view it. (I will copy what the article says at the bottom)

The kids were so excited to have the Newspaper watching how we use the SmartBoard as well as being interviewed. The picture is not included, But the picture was awesome!

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Garrett Parker is only 6, but already he prefers computer technology to blackboards in his first-grade classroom.

The Rossville Elementary School student likes to use a Smart Board — an interactive touchscreen connected to a computer — to do classwork.

“I tried to tell my mom and dad, but they wouldn’t understand,” Garrett said.

On Tuesday, students in his class were eager to come to the front of the room to demonstrate counting money. They touched the Smart Board — which substitutes for a blackboard — dragging coins into a virtual piggy bank. Then they counted the coins and used a mouselike pointer to write equations relating to the money.

When it comes to using and understanding the Smart Board, “they can probably do more than me,” teacher Tabitha Norris said.

Ms. Norris and Rossville Elementary principal Robin Samples said students are more engaged in learning because of the new technology. The days of filling out worksheets are fading because schools are competing to keep students’ attention. Compared to a video game or the Internet, an old-fashioned workbook is boring, educators said.

“The redundancy of a worksheet — it was just not working,” Ms. Samples said. “Yes, for older generations that type of teaching instruction may have worked, but we have to find creative ways now that can compete with technology.”

Students still use worksheets, but they are combined with technology to enhance the impact, Ms. Norris said.

“We do a closing time where they get to come up and share,” she said. “I have an iPhone, and I take a picture of their work sample and e-mail it to my computer and flash it up on the (Smart) board.”

Their work displayed, students share with their peers what they have learned.

The technology is exciting for the students and allows for peer tutoring in a way that isn’t embarrassing, Ms. Norris said. No longer can a student who doesn’t understand a subject sit quietly and fly below the teacher’s radar, not comprehending a skill.

Everyone gets a chance to use the Smart Board in Ms. Norris’ class, and everyone wants to, she said.

“Our motto is ‘Leave no man behind,’” Ms. Norris said.

Engaging and exciting every student is priceless, the teacher said.

“Even for recess they will say, ‘Can we stay in and do this?’” Ms. Norris said. “I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh. Yes, you can.’”

FAST FACTS

* Educators said hands-on, technology-related lessons are more engaging.

* Eight classrooms at Rossville Elementary have Smart Boards. Eight more boards have been ordered, principal Robin Samples said.

Go UT!

The game did not turn out as we wanted...we lost! (not too uncommon this year) But we had a great time. All 8 of us went up for the game and of course Kinsley had a great time - as she does at all the football games. Not too many 2 years will sit through a 3 hour game, but she does and loves every minute of it. Of course, our time is full of going to the potty, eating at the concession stand and checking out what toys are in the bag with the occasional cheer and clap!

The view on the way to the game....