Something's Gotta Go
Today we were trained in how to use our new voice enhancement equipment. Cool stuff really...just wish that it didn't make me feel so old! I used to be up for anything. Sure! I'll try it!! Why not?!! Sigh. All I could think about was ...is there an old teachers' FAQ list I could refer to?
How do I turn it off so that when I am singing along with the music my voice (in all its ...ahem...glory) is not projected directly into students' eardrums?
What if I forget to turn it off when I am quietly telling a student, "I've had enough, knock it off" and don't want the entire class to hear?
Please please please tell me that it will not project from the bathroom!!
How long will it take me to re-learn the projection skills I have acquired over the last 25+ years? With my well-trained diaphram and this mechanism my students' hearing will be permanently scarred!
Can you assure me that there isn't a tracking device in this neckwear? I feel like someone may be following my little blue dot on a map somewhere....
Will it also amplify my coughing and throat-clearing? How about when I swallow coffee?
I know........silly silly silly things to think about. But I had a hard time finding the stop switch.
I'm sure that I will find a way to make this the incredibly valuable tool that our grant money paid for work for me and my students. It's just that it makes me feel so much more like the focus in my classroom. And I'm not. My kids are. They don't get an enhancement device. I get one extra that they can pass around if they have anything to add to the class. It will take some getting used to. So will feeling like a stick in the mud.
What I do know is that I am going to start to leave signs so that I take care of all this equipment every day.
Enter classroom.
Place keys in strategic location in case of lock-down. Preferably near orange emergency binder for said lock-down.
Turn on computers #1 and #2.
Turn on voice enhancer.
Turn on SmartBoard.
Upload attendance program.
Upload SmartBoard program(s) to be used.
Upload videos/streaming etc. to be used.
Check email.
Respond to email.
Adjust blinds to level appropriate for lesson and SmartBoard usage.
Put voice enhancer around neck.
Put ID badge around neck.
Push record button when teaching new lessons.
Save lessons to shared file.
Attendance is entered in the computer but should also be kept manually.
Grades are entered in the computer but should also be available in hard copy.
Lesson planning includes creating hard copies for students and accompanying SmartBoard / PowerPoint/Streaming activities.
Most lessons require the use of graphics or internet-based sound...significant time is required to locate these items.
Save all new and/or improved activities to a location that I can locate another day. (I create an average of 20-30 new items/week)
Log off of everything when another teacher uses the room and Log back in next period.
Turn off Computer/Monitors.
Turn off Voice Enhancer.
Put Voice Enhancer in charger.
Turn off Smart Board.
Find keys.
Find a way to plug kids into this technology-crammed schedule.
Don't get me wrong....this stuff is great. I can ...and do...play with it for hours. When done well, it works well and kids love it and learn with it.
But how do I add all of these things...and keep what is good and true and instructional and human in my classroom?
With my old brain?
Maybe I had better get a Blackberry to keep track of it all.....
with love,
Laurie
How do I turn it off so that when I am singing along with the music my voice (in all its ...ahem...glory) is not projected directly into students' eardrums?
What if I forget to turn it off when I am quietly telling a student, "I've had enough, knock it off" and don't want the entire class to hear?
Please please please tell me that it will not project from the bathroom!!
How long will it take me to re-learn the projection skills I have acquired over the last 25+ years? With my well-trained diaphram and this mechanism my students' hearing will be permanently scarred!
Can you assure me that there isn't a tracking device in this neckwear? I feel like someone may be following my little blue dot on a map somewhere....
Will it also amplify my coughing and throat-clearing? How about when I swallow coffee?
I know........silly silly silly things to think about. But I had a hard time finding the stop switch.
I'm sure that I will find a way to make this the incredibly valuable tool that our grant money paid for work for me and my students. It's just that it makes me feel so much more like the focus in my classroom. And I'm not. My kids are. They don't get an enhancement device. I get one extra that they can pass around if they have anything to add to the class. It will take some getting used to. So will feeling like a stick in the mud.
What I do know is that I am going to start to leave signs so that I take care of all this equipment every day.
Enter classroom.
Place keys in strategic location in case of lock-down. Preferably near orange emergency binder for said lock-down.
Turn on computers #1 and #2.
Turn on voice enhancer.
Turn on SmartBoard.
Upload attendance program.
Upload SmartBoard program(s) to be used.
Upload videos/streaming etc. to be used.
Check email.
Respond to email.
Adjust blinds to level appropriate for lesson and SmartBoard usage.
Put voice enhancer around neck.
Put ID badge around neck.
Push record button when teaching new lessons.
Save lessons to shared file.
Attendance is entered in the computer but should also be kept manually.
Grades are entered in the computer but should also be available in hard copy.
Lesson planning includes creating hard copies for students and accompanying SmartBoard / PowerPoint/Streaming activities.
Most lessons require the use of graphics or internet-based sound...significant time is required to locate these items.
Save all new and/or improved activities to a location that I can locate another day. (I create an average of 20-30 new items/week)
Log off of everything when another teacher uses the room and Log back in next period.
Turn off Computer/Monitors.
Turn off Voice Enhancer.
Put Voice Enhancer in charger.
Turn off Smart Board.
Find keys.
Find a way to plug kids into this technology-crammed schedule.
Don't get me wrong....this stuff is great. I can ...and do...play with it for hours. When done well, it works well and kids love it and learn with it.
But how do I add all of these things...and keep what is good and true and instructional and human in my classroom?
With my old brain?
Maybe I had better get a Blackberry to keep track of it all.....
with love,
Laurie
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