happy Camper??

well after a second week at PBL Camp...I must say this is proving interesting.

The task at hand now is to partner up and work on essential questions for the project.

One idea that has been floating around that I find interesting is...Follow the food. How will the spill impact the food chain?? Let's just say...Blue Fin Tuna??? Sushi anyone?? Will the spill cause the extinction of an already disappearing breed of fish...contaminated breeding grounds...shift in migratory patterns?? Time will tell.

This idea intrigues me because of the global nature of our economy. There are folks from all over the world participating in this virtual "Camp" and they are perplexed at how they can incorporate the Deep Water Horizon tragedy into their lessons in a meaningful way for their students. How does what happens on this end of the globe impact people on the other end of the world?? Is it our duty as educators to close this gap and make our future generation of leaders realize that we are all connected...no matter the distance between us!! If one good thing comes out of this tragedy...let it be that our kids realize we are more interdependent than we want to admit!!

Just my opinion!!

So last night I did all my homework for Summer Camp at Edutopia..and now I think I am good to go. We as a group of educators are learning how to incorporate Project Based Learning into the classroom. Our "topic" is the oil spill in the Gulf. I need to think about how I can bring this idea into a LOTE classroom. I think the best way to do this may be to do what we did in Spanish IV a few years back for our final project and make Public Service Announcements in the target language bringing "hot topics" to the world from your perspective.

So homework for next week...how can I teach what may be the worlds largest ecological disaster to the LOTE classroom.

Time to poll the mob!!! What is your opinion....we'd like to know!!!!

Talk about being on Jamaican Time...

SInce I decided to stop the world and get off for the Summer, I thought I should at least sharpen my saw while I get a mean tan. I was planning on taking 9 more credits of coursework but life overwhelmed me (as it can at times) and I thought it best to just take a break...blesssed be the opportunity to even have that luxury.

In a nutshell I am going to "Virtual Summer Camp" with the George Lucas Educational Foundation!! Yeah the Star Wars guy has this cool education community called EDUTOPIA! So I am joined by over 1000 other teachers from around the country learning how to integrate project based learning into the classroom.

The Harvard Business School model in High School...how cool is that. And I get to do it in foreign language!!

I can't wait. We meet on Mondays and it lasts a month.

I will create a wiki and link it here when it passes muster!! YAY!! I love my job.

So...just because it is Summer...never stop LEARNING!!

¡Os quiero bien mi gente!

Feliz Verano todos

Oh my...it has been too long since I posted here!!  I completed 21 Graduate credits at Utica so far.  I decided to take the summer off.  Well needed brain rest.  Officially laid off from S-E, I interviewed at my alma mater last week and am waiting to find out if I made the cut.  

I watched my kids graduate this year!!  My Spanish 4's from last year all went off to higher education....I am so proud of them!!  

As for me this summer I am attending the Summer Institute at Oneonta this August and enjoying reading for pleasure!!  Mario Vargas Llosa is my first.  A politically charged work of fiction based on historical fact...kinda cool!!

Oh yeah...and SPAIN WON THE WORLD CUP!!!  ¡Viva España!  

Hasta pronto mi gente...