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Reaching Ms Shields

Page history last edited by Kathy Shields 13 years ago

T March 8

Today I had to allow time for the drive from CVES to the Board of Education which is just a stone's throw from the Atlanta Airport. I was being recognized for my efforts to help develop the proposed technology plan for FCS for the next 5 years. Martha Greenway and Marissa Greenlee presented the proposed plan and implementation requirements. It was a very comprehensive and ambitious plan. Boys and girls, this is actually a very important plan because it would change school by making it easier to learn and easier to create and share, you know, social networking.

 

It's hard to explain how things behind-the-scenes would be improved if the plan was put into place, so let me give you a comparison. Right now school offers you the equivalent of a turtle with a laptop strapped to its' back. That's how it feels when you enter the laptop lab. It moves so slowly. Turtles are cute until you try to race them.  That's when they drive you crazy! We want to trade in the turtles! What would we have instead? You tell me.  What animal is agile and can change direction quickly when obstacles arise?  What animal can run for miles without stopping? Guess what? That animal is you!  The sky is the limit if you depend on yourself and a cloud based system with easy access, built to support teaching and learning.

Th March 3

Oh Deer!  Yes, D-e-e-r, not d-e-a-r. That's the name of one of the science activities we explored as a group of 3-5grade teachers spending a day with our Math Science Partnership group at GaTech. The idea of the MSP is to give teachers time to explore the connections between math and science so they can make the lessons more meaningful and engaging for students. Our leaders are dynamic, accomplished educators who know how to make learning exciting.

S Feb 22

I spent Saturday at Warner Robins AFB with teacher friends creating two types of rockets. The tall rockets contained raw eggstranauts with parachutes attached to soften the fall and protect them on impact.  I am happy to report both egg and rocket survived! The soda bottle rocket was propelled with water and compressed air using a bicycle pump. It didn't travel very far but it was fun to watch.

Th/F Feb 17-18

I am attending and presenting at the Georgia Science Teachers Statewide conference downtown in Atlanta! But guess what?  There is NO INTERNET! I know it's hard to imagine but, it's true.  I tried everything to get around the walls including a phone link, a wireless Verizon card AND begging for individual access in my conference room but NO! Anyway, the presentation went well as I shared with other teachers how students really take off in their learning when they take the responsibility for sharing a classroom wiki! Yes, I talked about you and how amazing my students are. One of the highlights was a rare opportunity to pet an armadillo! I used my flip to video but haven't been able to upload it due to the lack of access.  Be sure to look for it this weekend because I will post it as soon as I get home.  I have many new outdoor learning ideas for us as well.  Right now I am on my way to the Center for Disease Control CDC and wonder what I will learn there.  Missing you but thinking of you often, you are in good hands. See you soon, enjoy a warm weekend!

 

 

Friday, January 28

I just had to take my husband for some medical tests.  Sometimes the doctors gives you medicine that makes you drowsy and you can't drive yourself. I am like his chauffeur! I will be thinking f you and entering some grade, finally into the online grade book. It looks sunny and almost warm so I imagine you will have a nice recess today.  Enjoy your weekend! 

 

Best of luck to our 3 Tech emissaries, Amit, Nathan and Varun.  May the make a big splash at the Fulton County Schools Technology conference tomorrow!

 

Thursday and Friday January 6&7

I spent the day in the West Tower of the Ga Department of Education Building, downtown, with a birds eye view of the beautiful capital dome.

 

I am on a task force to help the Georgia Department of Education with the adoption of National Math standards. Hunh? Yes, well, you know how I always post those questions on the board for every subject? They are all questions you should be able to answer by the time you leave 3rd grade. You see, there are people who spend hours each day working out what you need to learn to lead a productive life. Really! These "standards" are very important because they give teachers a way to focus on the most important things to teach in every subject.  They are also important because you can tell how well you're doing by asking yourself, "Can I answer that question confidently?" If the answer is know, you should let me know because it's my responsibility to help you understand.

 

The United States is an enormous country and up to now most states have provided education without really comparing notes or sharing with other states.  Each state has strengths and weaknesses and now, with the internet, sharing is much easier and makes sense because it saves money! Using the Common Standards will give teachers and students access to enormous resources online that we couldn't afford alone. Economics always plays an important role in decision making at home, at work and for the government. This is a perfect example of our taxes paying for services.

 

So, I am spending all day comparing the National standards also called the Common Core, with our Georgia standards and seeing where we need to make changes. I'm happy to report that the only changes I see so far are minor improvements so this will not be  a tsunami when it is put in place in 2013. I have learned on important thing just in time for our fractions unit. I have not be using the word partitioning and it turns out to be a pretty important vocabulary word when talking about fractions. We'll talk more about this when I return.

 

PS Mrs. Nash loves you guys!  She called to tell me how well you did on the Quiz Bowl for Economics!  She also told me that the lemonade stand worksheet and color coding resources was a great activity.  We have Ms. Wade to thank for that one. 

 

Monday, December 27

Dear Students,

I returned from Northern Virginia where me, my kids and husband spent the holiday with my husband's family. They are spread out so we did a lot of driving.  My own kids are in college but their cousins are in preschool, kindergarten and 7th grade! While we were up there we visited some of the Smithsonian museums and Great Falls.  It is a beautiful and treacherous stretch of the Potomac River. We say someone kayaking around the ice caked boulders. CRAZY!

Monday, November 15, 2010

Dear Students,

Do you like learning about outer space?  If so, the NASA Kids Club is for you! http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/kidsclub/flash/index.html

Hopefully, Monday evening I will have my eye to this enormous telescope!  What do you think I'll be able to see from Atlanta? I wonder if I will be able to identify any rock formations in space.

Miss you,

Ms. Shields

 

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Dear Students,

I may return to the classroom wishing each one of you had an iPad. Beleive it or not, some schools have them for certain grade levels. Somehow, each year the Georgia Technology Conference held in the convention center near the airport is brimming with the latest technology. I often wonder, when our schools will have access to these great digital devices? Part of my visit to the conference involves speaking to a group of teachers and principals about students' technology needs to improve learning.  I am looking for some student quotes to use in my presentation Thursday.  If you want to share your opinion about how schools could be improved using technology, you can post it here in the comment section. After two days at the conference, I will be spending a full day at the Zoo on Friday! It is a special day for teachers. I hope to bring back lots of great activities for you!

I posted a short video clip showing my LEGO robot and how I programmed it to run in a rectangular shape.

Be on your very best behavior for the sub.

Miss you,

Ms. Shields

 

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Dear Students,

Last night I stood captivated in front of an old building that was build in Greek style with two large Ionic columns. On the steps above the crowd of nearly 100 eager listeners a man recounted ghost stories from his neighborhood in Irvington, Indiana. I was on a haunted tour with my daughter and her roommate! Someone fainted and lights flickered, we heard a scream in the near distance.  Remind me to tell you about Abraham Lincoln's ghost train.

Boo!

Ms. Shields

 

Friday, October 22, 2010

Dear Students,

Guess where I am this weekend? I'm visiting my daughter in Indiana! She attends college at Indiana University and I get to spend the weekend with Madi and her friends.  She will be doing some rowing on Lake Lemon while I watch from the launch.  The launch is a boat that the coaches ride.  They follow the long slender crew shells careening across the lake.  On Saturdays they practice their racing form so I get to marvel at the team as they slice silently through the water.

 

Please be on your best behavior.  Your sub happens to be the mother of Mrs Murphy who is our front office secretary! She was a 3rd grade teacher and she loves working with children.

 

Please feel free to post questions or comments below and I will answer when I can get access.

Miss you already!

Ms. Shields :)

 

 

9-6-10

Dear Students, 

The other day, Marjorie asked, "Ms. Shields, I would go on more often but I don't know how to reach you." "What do you mean?", I said, "I'm always on or at least the page is always open on my computer. If you post a comment on any page or create a new page, I can tell and then I will respond. You can reply back to me on that page."

 

I wondered about this. Maybe I do need a place where you can reach me.  Is this page OK? If you have anything to say directly to me, why not post a comment on this page?  If that won't work, then give me a suggestion of a better way to help you communicate with me.

Good? :)

 

Ms. Shields 

 

 

Comments (6)

dominick said

at 12:52 pm on Mar 30, 2011

cool now i know were to find you

duron said

at 11:50 am on Mar 4, 2011

now i no were is mrs sheilds

andrew said

at 8:34 am on Mar 3, 2011

Do we have a science test on friday? Our substitute wants to know

sigal said

at 12:40 pm on Jan 27, 2011

Ms. Shields your the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

marjorie said

at 6:36 pm on Jan 10, 2011

hi

luke said

at 8:09 pm on Nov 14, 2010

Ms shields am I allowed to read harry potter books for my book report?