Day two and three fourths: What a day!

I haven't had a day like this in a long time. It was a series of unfortunate events.<br /><br />I worked on my sister's paperwork for two hours, from 6am -8am, trying to get the Guardianship Implementation Plan and Inventory completed for the State of Alaska Courts. It's a detailed account of her life, and it's due May 28. Remember, she had and still has a complicated life. I hate working on it, but it has to be done.<br /><br />Then my husband walked into my office at about 8am and asked what I had done with the coffee pot. When I told him I gave it to Goodwill two weeks ago, he flipped out. That was the start of World War III. He hadn't used it in over a year. It was collecting dust and it was in the way. It was old and gross. I'm in a "scaling down mode", so I'm giving away a lot of stuff lately. This makes him insane. He's a hoarder. We have an ongoing battle about "stuff". I'm not into it. I hate "stuff laying around, I hate clutter and knick knacks. He's the opposite. If it was up to him, he'd never throw anything away.<br /><br />In retaliation, he proceeded to remove every item from the kitchen counters and walls. EVERYTHING. I didn't argue. I didn't fight. I simply don't have the energy. Actually, I like the look, even if there is an echo in there now. I asked him if we could redecorate the rest of the house like this. I like it. It looks like no one lives here. It's a good look. I think that just made him angrier. Oh well.<br /><br />Then I went to my Weight Watchers meeting. They moved. Seriously, they moved and didn't tell me. I got there five minutes late, weighed in at 15 pounds heavier than my last weigh-in in December. 198.4. Ouch.<br /><br />The meeting wasn't one of my favorites. We had to get in groups and talk about our most favorite possession. I don't have one so it was hard. My Kindle? People were saying their dogs or kids, which was very weird to me because I think of a "possession" as an inanimate object. It was just a strange meeting, even though it was with my favorite leader.<br /><br />The leader gave us an assignment to write down on paper twenty reasons we want to lose weight (so we can use it as an anchor, which is a great idea). We're suppose to bring it with us next week. I wrote mine out immediately after the meeting. I'll share it with you in a later post. Some of things I wrote in a hurry, and when I re-read them, it made me really sad. I'll explain in a later post. <br /><br />After the meeting,  I went to the gym. StairMaster thirty minutes, weights forty minutes. A really good workout (and a lot harder because I'm a lot fatter). As I was leaving the gym I got yelled at by one of the personal trainers (he's a creepy old guy that flirts with all the women - I can't stand him).<br /><br />This is what happened and I'm still fuming about it. This trainer yelled across the gym, in front of everyone, "hey girl, you didn't clean up your mess!". I didn't even know what he was talking about. I asked him, "mess, what mess?". He said I left my weights on the barbell, my little 5-pound weights. I had to remove 45-pound plates from my barbell before I could use it. I often have to move 65-pound dumbbells out of my way to use the benches, or multiple plates from barbells. I really didn't even think about removing my little 5-pound plates because everyone else leaves their stuff. I've never heard one of the trainers say anything to anyone about it. We had a few unpleasant words (I can't stand him!). Then an hour later this same trainer had the nerve to call me on my cell phone and leave a message telling me had a great deal for me on some personal training sessions. Are you freaking kidding me?!  <br /><br />Then I got home and in the mail there was the application for the disabled parking for my sister, signed by her doctor. I sent it to her doctor three weeks ago and she finally returned it to me. I never realized how important disabled parking is for someone in a wheelchair. Try getting someone that is completely paralyzed on one side out of the car and into a wheelchair in a normal parking spot with a car parked next to you. It doesn't work.<br /><br />I rushed off to a motor vehicles office that was open until 4:30pm today to submit the application. I got there 25 minutes before they closed. I waited 20 minutes until they called me up to the counter, only to tell me the application wasn't completed properly by the doctor. I'm really annoyed with the doctor. She's specializes in geriatrics. This can't be the first disabled parking application she's completed (she only signed it, didn't fill out the section that says "to be completed by the physician"). <br /><br />Next up Costco. I'll make this short. I threw the 25-pound bag of cat food into the trunk of my car. It caught on a corner of the box containing the brand new coffeepot (for my husband). It split the bag open right down the middle and filled my trunk with pellets of cat food.<br /><br />What do you think, do I have some negative energy going on here or what?<br /><br />The only good things about today:  1.) I have a clean and spacious kitchen and 2.) I had a good workout (in spite of that creepy trainer), and 3.) I actually tracked my food today in the Weight Watchers phone app, every bite and right now as of almost 10pm I have eaten 25 Points (I get 27 now at my new, big weight). <br /><br />Oh, last but not least, my only crown (on my tooth, not my head) has been hurting me all day with on and off throbbing. It was put on three years ago, taken off six months ago and "fixed" because it hurt, and now I'm feeling pain again.<br /><br />Honestly God, can you cut me any slack here?

Day two and three fourths: What a day!

I haven't had a day like this in a long time. It was a series of unfortunate events.I worked on my sister's paperwork for two hours, from 6am -8am, trying to get the Guardianship Implementation Plan and Inventory completed for the State of Alaska Cou…

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Two free SchoolNet short online courses for SA teachers in technology integration

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">If you are a South African educator and would like to know more about technology integration by participating in short free online courses from SchoolNet, please think about joining our next two courses on offer for April and May. </span></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Microsoft’s Free tools part 1</span></b></u> <br />(10 April - end April)</span><br /><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you are a South African educator and would like to sign up for this free course, please click on the link below to be taken to the sign up page. You will then be sent an email directing you to the online course platform.  The course starts officially on April 10th but it is the type of course where you can easily catch up. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dHhaRDhicklrdXI0Wkk1bkQzcWctMlE6MQ" target="_blank">Sign up page for Microsoft Free Tools part 1</a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u><i>Course content:</i></u><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /><span style="font-size: small;">This will be a three week course centring on how to use four of the Microsoft free tools  in the classroom, namely AutoCollage, Photostory 3, Windows Movie Maker and Microsoft Songsmith.  The course will be supported by webinars and offers a Certificate of Completion from SchoolNet if certain requirements are met. </span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><u>The course outline is</u>:</span></i><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Week 1 (beginning 10 April): AutoCollage <br />Week 2 (beginning 17 April): Photostory 3 and Windows Live Movie maker<br />Week 3 (beginning 24 April): Songsmith <br />Week 4: webinars from teachers who have successfully used these tools in the classroom</span>. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><u><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Next course - SchoolNet's free Wiki course</span></b></u><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />(</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">May 2012)</span></span><br /><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><u>Course content</u>:</i></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Week 1: How to create a wiki using Wikispaces</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Week 2: Make your wiki look and work like a website</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Week 3: Add writing, photos, audio and video to your wiki</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Week 4: Using your wiki for online projects</span></div><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dEpfNGtOU0hELW5iTldIQVVhTXhnd0E6MQ" target="_blank">Sign up for the wiki course here.</a></div><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">More information is available on our <a href="http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/p/free-short-onine-courses.html" target="_blank">Free online courses</a> page</span></div><br /></div>

Free online courses Two free SchoolNet short online courses for SA teachers in technology integration

If you are a South African educator and would like to know more about technology integration by participating in short free online courses from SchoolNet, please think about joining our next two courses on offer for April and May. Microsoft’s Free to…

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Day 2: It's Saturday! I love Saturday!

My favorite day of the week is Saturday. I like to stay at home on Saturday and do house stuff. I actually find joy in mindless household chores. My latest thing is spring cleaning.<br /><br />I've been organizing my closets, bookcases and even tackling the garage, one box at a time for the garage. It's filled with 24 years of junk, including boxes that haven't been opened since we moved into this house twelve years. I'm scaling down on the stuff. I detest useless clutter, and I want it out of my life.<br /><br />Maybe seeing the 73 years of stuff at my sister's 3,800 square foot house triggered something in me, or maybe a few of those Hoarders shows, of maybe it's because I feel like it's the only thing in my life where I have control.Regardless of what caused this sudden "I've got to get rid of this stuff", it makes me feel better about my surroundings.<br /><br />I started with the bathroom closet last weekend. I got rid of at least 50 bottles of hair products, and three hot roller sets, along with a truckload of other stuff (lotions, old makeup, and just stuff). I mean honestly, who needs four hot roller sets, three curling irons, two flat irons, and about 50 of those Velcro rollers (that I don't even use anymore). Now I only have one hot roller set, one flat iron and one curling iron. The stuff I kept (about 1/4 of what was in the closet) are in containers with drawers, and there are labels on the drawers. I love it! I can find anything in seconds.<br /><br />I'm reading a great book that's  really helping me with the de-cluttering process. I bought it at the Half-price bookstore a few years ago, but it's still available on Amazon. "30 Days To A Simpler Life" by Connie Cox & Cris Evatt. I highly recommend this book if you are feeling overwhelmed by clutter, and if you've ever watched a Hoarder show and thought, "hmmm, if I don't do something that could become me!". <br /><br />Usually on Saturday I have a list of at least 15 chores that I think must be completed by the end of the day. I never get through the list.<br /><br />Today, things will be different. Five must do's on my list:<br /><br />1. Update my Guardian activity log for my sister. I keep a notebook and write down every penny spent,  every phone conversation about my sister, and every chore or activity involving my sister Usually I transfer that information into an Excel spreadsheet at the end of the week. It's for the Alaska court system for when they complete a review on me at the end of the year. I normally do this once a week. I haven't done it for a month. <span style="color: red;">A must do.</span><br /><br />2. The gym for a minimum of a one-hour workout. <span style="color: red;">A must do.</span><br /><br />3. Weight Watchers meeting, 10:30am.<span style="color: red;"> A must do.</span><br /><br />4. Clean out under the bathroom sinks in the master bathroom (huge vanity with lots of junk under the sinks). I don't even know what's under there, other than a few rolls of toilet paper. The goal is to clean it out, throw away as much as possible possible.<br /><br />5. Work on the guardianship implementation plan and inventory for my sister. It's twelve pages of detailed information on her life. It's due by the Alaska Courts by May 28. I've been working on it, but I'd really like to complete it soon. One of those things that's hanging over my head.<br /><br />Not a lot of fun stuff on the list, other than cleaning out underneath the cabinets under the bathroom sinks. That probably sounds sick and twisted, but I love getting rid of stuff. It makes my heart feel lighter. <br /><br />Tomorrow is sister day, Titanic in 3D. I can't wait to see how that goes. She was an avid about going to the movies once a week before the stroke. I'm curious how she'll respond tomorrow. Hopefully, she'll understand what's going on. At least she'll be out of the house, which she seems to enjoy. I'll let you know how it goes.<br /><br />Okay, back to my list.

Day 2: It's Saturday! I love Saturday!

My favorite day of the week is Saturday. I like to stay at home on Saturday and do house stuff. I actually find joy in mindless household chores. My latest thing is spring cleaning.I've been organizing my closets, bookcases and even tackling the gara…

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SA teachers – why not join the conversation from 20h30 to 21h30 each Monday evening on #edchatsa?

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><i>Submitted by Fiona Beal </i> <br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Not too long ago I came across an article that posed the question <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1472675119">'Is</a></span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2012/03/is-twitter-the-driving-force-behind-upcoming-educational-change/" target="_blank"> Twitter the Driving Force Behind Upcoming Educational Change?'</a> and</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> that question constantly echoes in my mind. Twitter is an incredible tool for sharing, summarising, communicating, sending quick messages, using a hashtag for conferences and events – the list is endless. Undoubtedly, for the educator Twitter is a must. I, for one, have learned SO MUCH from my Twitter PLN.</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So, for this reason we should really welcome the initiative of Arthur Preston, Headmaster at Elkanah House in Cape Town with the <i>TweetChat for the South African Education community </i>on a Monday night from 8:30pm – 9:30pm. Needless to say the chats to date have been very inspiring with the number of educators participating growing in leaps and bounds. </span> </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">These Twitter chats are not new to education and there are a number of really good ones that happen around the world. <br /><a href="http://www.cybraryman.com/edhashtags.html">http://www.cybraryman.com/edhashtags.html</a></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br /><a href="http://edudemic.com/2012/01/20-hashtags/">20 twitter hashtags everyone should know about<br /></a></span> </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: small;">However this is a first for South Africa and something that our country REALLY needs – teachers and educators entering the education conversation and airing their thoughts and feelings, as well as pooling their knowledge…who knows what changes can be effected as a result!</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The website<br /><br /></b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Arthur runs #edchatsa from a website, <b>#edchatsa: </b><b>The TweetChat for the South African education community </b><a href="http://www.edchatsa.co.za/">http://www.edchatsa.co.za/,</a> and a Facebook page <a href="http://www.facebook.com/edchatsa">http://www.facebook.com/edchatsa</a></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span> </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /><a href="http://www.edchatsa.co.za/"></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKSpeO_dYlNFSvVnFluUVgmpkp5_mwyGgFsKSJwZ2jjkMcDMwUtcamtPMkCdmGCy1rTJvqHHBZG5smgV-hbSlCuVo-ne7HpDP7H3dAk0WTNjGOaIqYIWvH6ZOocCOxC88vGoFfoYxCOg/s1600-h/image%25255B4%25255D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="75" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj14oyeiSTn-ws1aHndIoBwZG6VtSyBPt1lBq5x_whgwfD5plJ3Y-2oz_SBLHExMwOH0MKhaHT3e9VHD1_GjTFEYW8R8B1mEHjxNBxb4B5cz46dQFSjWu_V1C46zLwkVTJMvFpfnDTpY4E/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span> </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The website is the place to vote for upcoming topics for discussion.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What is #edchatsa?</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b> </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The following explanation is taken from the website: </span></div><h3 style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-weight: normal;">“Imagine a weekly gathering of dynamic, innovative and inspiring teachers who engage in lively debate, share resources, offer assistance, challenge paradigms and support each other. Imagine having the opportunity to engage with these teachers in their conversation or simply stop to listen and learn. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">Imagine no longer! This gathering happens every Monday evening from 20h30 to 21h30 on Twitter in the form of what is known as a TweetChat. Started in the first week of March 2012, this community of tweeting teachers continues to meet in a virtual setting every week to discuss issues which affect education in South Africa.</span></span></h3><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">During the preceding week, prospective participants can vote on their choice of topic by registering their vote. The vote is quick, simple and anonymous. Voting closes at 19h30 each Monday evening and the chat begins at 20h30 sharp. Participants use the hashtag #edchatsa to keep their tweets in the chat and allow others to follow the conversation. <br /><br />The chat is moderated to ensure that participants keep on the topic, that there is some continuity throughout the hour and that courtesy and respect is maintained. At times the debate is fierce and a wide variety of opinions is expressed – this makes for lively discussion!</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It is important to realise that the #edchatsa conversation continues throughout the week as folks tag relevant tweets with #edchatsa. However it is on a Monday evening that the community gathers for conversation.”</span> </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">  </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Vote for next week’s topic <br /><br /></span></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Past chats have included a lively discussion on ‘Assessment’, a discussion around 'Which piece of technology could influence SA education the most' and a debate entitled ‘Mobile phones in the classroom are a good idea but create more practical problems than solutions’. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This coming Monday night 7th April should be great:<br /><span style="font-size: large;"> <br />"We will be doing something a little different this coming week – we will be spending the #edchatsa hour sharing resources and ideas. Come along with your list of indispensable websites, journals, books, blogs and be ready to share with the community</span>."</span> </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Forum </b></span><br /><br />The site includes a </span><span style="font-size: small;">forum for discussion: “The #edchatsa twitter community is full of insightful, committed and innovative thought-leaders in the South African education space. As a member of this community you are invited to submit a blog post on a subject close to your heart as long as it has connection to education. Your post will then be published and will be available on this site for comment by others.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />You may want to introduce readers to a particular edtech tool, open debate around a particular topic, challenge paradigms or simply add insight to the #edchatsa topic of the week. You will also be able to point readers to your own blog or social media platforms”  </span><span style="font-size: small;">(taken from the website).</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Join the discussion</b></span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span> </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So why not take a look around the <a href="http://www.edchatsa.co.za/" target="_blank">website</a> and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/edchatsa" target="_blank">Facebook pag</a>e, and join the chatter from <i><b>20h30 to 21h30 each Monday evening</b></i>.on <b>#edchatsa</b>?</span> </div></div>

Collaboration Social networks Technology integration Twitter Website reviews SA teachers – why not join the conversation from 20h30 to 21h30 each Monday evening on #edchatsa?

Submitted by Fiona Beal  Not too long ago I came across an article that posed the question 'Is Twitter the Driving Force Behind Upcoming Educational Change?' and that question constantly echoes in my mind. Twitter is an incredible tool for sharing, s…

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