D.C.V. ~ms.g~

science fair superstars!

2009-01-21T18:58:00.000-08:00

thank you, thank you, thank you to all my amazing students who participated in the science fair today. i cannot tell you how PROUD i am of you for all your efforts. even if you did not "win", i watched and listened to a group of impressive, professional, COLLEGE BOUND students speak intelligently about a project that they created, from start to finish. i know how nervous you were to do this - especially to speak with the judges. however, you became the scholars i know you to be! you took this opportunity to let others in on how wonderful you are, and i hope that you feel proud of yourselves. i was getting all geeky and misty eyed, both for those pesky 8th graders of mine who will be leaving me and growing up in to high school next year and for my crazy 7th graders. i know this experience was not always the most fun, but if you learned something that will make your life in high school easier and more productive [and had fun at any time in the process], then i accomplished my goal. i don't know about you, but i actually enjoyed most of it, even though i acted a little crazy at times [i just can't help that - it's me!]. it was so interesting watching you put the finishing touches on these projects that became YOURS. you truly advanced through your individual [and collaborative] determination on these science fair projects. give yourself a HUGE pat on the back, and take a bow. you set a goal of completing the science fair, and you accomplished it. congratulations, my science fair superstars! i can't wait until next year...

science fair projects -- love 'em or hate 'em!

2009-01-14T18:33:00.000-08:00

so, if you are in any way familiar with middle school, you have probably heard of science fair. i feel like i should almost add DUN DUN DUNNN [that would be a loud, ominous drum roll to symbolize something scary] after saying science fair. not that there is anything wrong with it - in fact, i have learned A LOT from this whole experience, and i think it is awesome! however, when i agreed with the science teachers to support the science fair through my AVID classes, i really, truly had no idea how super intense things would get! it has been fascinating watching [and trying to help] my students go through the process of choosing a topic [and boy, it really tells you something about a person when you look at their topic! now, are you sitting there and wondering, "uh oh, what does mine say about ME?!" ha ha ha], doing research [go ahead and groan when i mention research], and putting it all together onto those fabulous backboards. oh, backboards, we love you so. especially the part where we have to cover you with paper to create a background, and then it wrinkles, and then tears, and the staples all come out, and we get maaaaad and throw you across the room, stomping our feet and not-quite-cussing, almost in tears but then the tears would just mess it up more... again, you know who you are :)-- here is another hug, just calm down, it's okay. we really did some intense critical thinking, though, and it was certainly time well spent.
i am fortunate, however, because in all these wonderful learning experiences, i have learned the greatest lesson of them all: SOMEONE FROM MY AVID CLASS needs to invent a cheap, re-usuable backboard so we don't have to spend all this money on these tri-fold things and we can use them over and over and over again! c'mon, y'all, there is the challenge! who will it be? you are intelligent enough, go create it! i know whoever can invent a re-usuable backboard that is not TEN DOLLARS [how ridiculous is that - TEN DOLLARS?!] and will hold staples and glue and still look nice after two or three or ten uses will make some mad cash. i hope you remember where the idea came from when you hit it big with this invention! i will be waiting... and after you make the amazing durable backboard, you can start on the UNBREAKABLE BINDER. now that will be something, too! mad cash, i am telling you...
All joking aside, i would really like to send out some thank yous and shout outs:
thanks to ms. harrington and ms. hoffmier for offering us this opportunity, and for giving us the support to be successful on it. you rock!
thanks also to the 3rd period and 6th period teachers [mr. bordeaux, you are awesome] that have been flexible with me while i work with my students to complete these projects. thank you, thank you, thank you!
finally, a huge SHOUT OUT to all my AWESOME AVID students for putting such amazing efforts into this project. for many of us, it was a first time thing, and it was daunting! however, we were determined, and through collaboration and patience and the willingness to succeed, we will REPRESENT at the science fair next week! you are all awesome, and i love ya.
good luck at the science fair, and have fun!

first time for everything...

2009-01-14T17:21:00.000-08:00

there comes a time when we have to try something new. i guess this would be mine -- blogging! it is exciting, because i can "talk" to people in a new way; terrifying because what i say is accessible to all [especially scary for "foot-in-mouth" people like myself...]. i do like the idea of being able to communicate with my "old" students who have continued on past middle school in their life adventures, and i love hearing stories of how everyone is doing. maybe this will be a way to do just that [and with less annoying advertisements than myspace...ug]. it would be cool to get my students into this, too. i look forward to seeing where this leads.
random thought: if two roads diverge in a wood, would you be able to pick the best one using google maps?! sigh...

D.C.V. *~*ms.g*~*

science fair superstars!

science fair projects -- love 'em or hate 'em!

first time for everything...

D.C.V. ~ms.g~