Welcome Spring!




Lorenzi Irises



It's the first day of spring 2012! I can't believe another MAITS course is coming to an end. Looking forward to that wrap-up party. Now, I find myself preparing for two workshops I'm presenting in the SREA Adult School: Zunal Webquests & Blogging for Beginners. I'm planning to incorporate adult learning strategies for the workshop participants. This will be my first time instructing peers. I wonder how that will feel? I'm also excited to share aspects of the MAITS program that I've enjoyed and found useful in my own professional growth: webquests & blogging.

For St. Patrick's Day, we took the boys to the Big Apple Circus. They were mesmerized; it was adorable. However, during the final act, a trapeze artist fell and had to be taken away by ambulance. Our fear is that he's now paralyzed.You're in our family prayers, trapeze man! Check out my garden - pre-pruning. I have some of Mike Lorenzi's irises sprouting as well. When I think of spring, I think of his smile.



Big Apple Circus - Bridgewater, NJ



A Sigh & Sunshine

Friday afternoon and I just submitted a draft of my Personal Learning Theory Paper. As I hit submit, the sun appeared for a brief moment outside my classroom window. Maybe a wee bit o' Irish luck and congratulations to the writer? Not sure...Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Cooking Up Theories



Movie I'm committed to watching this week!



Tonight, we continued our lessons on Learning Theories. The lesson on Connectivism & Cooking in the 21st century made a lot of sense and definitely illustrated the theory. I use a virtual recipe box on Foodnetwork. For me, celebrity chefs are rock stars; Tyler Florence is my chef-crush. I've met him twice! I also continue to be amazed by the musical talents of our MAITs: Andrew & Alyssa. Cognitive overload defines my life on most days. As far as teaching, I've always chunked my lessons because, through experience, I've found that it helps with classroom management and behavior issues. In my experience, students with shorter attention spans do better with smaller bits of information. This theory, in turn, drives my lesson planning. Now, my attention is turned to organizing and writing my PLT paper. Time is flying, so there's no room for procrastination. However, I do plan a brief Hawaiian escape via The Descendants. George Clooney + Hawaii = perfect mental escape.





Don't forget!