Spring is always a time of great excitement for any teacher. Usually by mid-May we have made it through testing season and the last day of school is quickly approaching. Like all other schools our seniors get out earlier that the rest of the students. The only difference is that we have a small graduation ceremony each quarter. I am never mentally prepared for that last day with them. We typically take roll then we all head to the office for cake. I attempt to take pictures which is darn near impossible to do when my subjects are less than cooperative. After everyone is done eating the seniors are free to go. I had a group of kids last year that I felt especially close to so I pulled them aside to let them know that I would never forget them. BIG MISTAKE! As soon as I started talking the tears started flowing. Last week we had another group finish up and I was not about to make the same mistake! No tears from this woman. NO WAY! Several of them started to get emotional when the party was over. They did not want to leave. They all said they felt a little lost.

What now? That seemed to be the question that they all had for me. They did not realize until just before they were ready to walk out of the building that their lives are going to change forever. Until their last day of school they always knew what they were going to do next year because it was already decided for them. Now it is up to them. It is exhilirating yet terrifying to know that the world is yours to conquer. I hope all of my students go on to try their hand at conquering the world.

For the rest of my students who still have 6 days of school before the end of the year this is my message to you:

*Enjoy the remainder of the time you have in school. Even though you hate the structure I promise you will miss it once you graduate.
* Apply for college BEFORE the scholarship deadlines. Even though you cannot imagine yourself in college now this will allow you to change your mind at the last minute and still qualify for scholarships and grants.
*Quit complaining and stop feeling sorry for yourself. Next time you feel the urge to whine turn on Fox news or CNN and look at what is happening in China and Myanmar. There are always people who have it worse than you do.

VC---------Thank you for a fantastic year.

I cannot believe the ISTE conference is just a month away! I joined ISTE about a year ago and have found it to be worth every penny.

If you found my blog because you are also attending the conference please contact me. I am looking forward to meeting people who want to share their experiences with using technology in the classroom. Beginning next year I will teach 1/2 time in a face-to-face setting at an alternative high school and 1/2 time in a virtual (online) setting. We will use Moodle to deliver our classes. Our students who come to class on campus will have access to some amazing tools. The primary reason I am attending the tech conference is to learn how to utilize all of the cool things that are out there in my classroom.

I went to an inservice a few months ago that focused on technology. Howie DiBlasi was the speaker who informed us about all kinds of Web 2.0 tools. Out of a room of about 150 there were only a handful of us who have dabbled in blogging, podcasting, wikis, and other things like that. I consider myself to be incredibly lucky to have access (and administrator support!!) to computers for each of my students every day. Many of my colleagues are not afforded this luxury. There are not many other teachers in western Nebraska who are using  Web 2.0 tools in their classrooms because they can't. That is why I am so excited about traveling to the great state of Texas where I can connect with those who are willing to share their knowledge.

One of my passions....OK.....obsessions is finding different web tools to use in my classroom. Last night I came across a site called Voice Thread. It allows the user to add images much like PhotoStory, but it does not have the same purpose. In Voice Thread you put together a slide show with a voice narration. You can import pictures directly from Flickr. After you are finished you can share it one of several ways. You can embed it on your website, email it, or make it a public file on the Voice Thread website. The cool part is the manner in which people can leave comments. In addition to leaving written messages, you can leave recorded messages as well.

I can see so many ways to use this in my classroom. It will be especially helpful when I want to see the process students are going through when they are working on a project. This tool even allows you to "doodle" on the pictures to bring attention to details.

Try it out and let me know what you think.