Just when I thought it was safe to sleep…

I was reading and winding down tonight when my phone rang. It was 10:15 central time, so 11:15 p.m. here. My husband was very calm on the phone. Apparently, he went out to take care of the dog and tripped and fell.  It scared the heebie-jeebies out of him. His ankle swelled up immediately. He called to see if I thought he should go to the emergency room. Fortunately for us, my aunt is a registered nurse, midwife and nurse practitioner. I called her, she called Marcus and it sounds like it’s just a sprain since he can walk on it and has a full range of motion. Whew! It was a little scary there for a minute!

Now that the emergency has been diverted, I’m heading off to bed. Nothing witty tonight, I’m too tired.

Megs

For your camera needs…

Check out B & H photo video in NY or Wolfe’s Camera in Topeka, KS.

Mad world

Taking a quick break from laundry and assignments to blog. I’m feeling a bit anxious about the Maestro project, mostly because I woke up with a sore throat at noon and then slept it off this afternoon. I feel rested, but still a little down from being ill. It’s not catching, and it’s definitely not swine flu, but I feel a bit behind at this point.

The research for the project is coming along fine. I’m just worried about the interviews. Eh, it’ll be fine.

It was a nice weekend, but now I’m ready to get all organized and prepped for the week. And it’s going to be so nice to have clean cl0thes again! Yay!

Yesterday’s trip to the Rock Hall is making me itch for music. I’m so glad I brought my school computer that has my iTunes on it (temporarily and for educational purposes originally). I’m going to turn it on, review the play, and draw up a draft minus quotes before I switch laundry, get it out, fold it, store it and call it a night. Yay!!!!!

Adam Lambert, I’m ready to join your Mad World.

Megs

Keep on, keep on, keep on, keep on dancing all through the night

I’m feeling a little Brady Bunchy tonight as I sit down to write my daily blog, so I thought I’d share that with my title.

Can I just say I’m so thankful it’s the weekend?!?!? I am grateful for all the information being passed my way but am more grateful for a chance to let it all sink into my brain. Oh, well, for that and for sleep!

Even though I’m exhausted, I’m finding that I keep on, keep on, keep on getting to know people better. I’m excited for my Maestro group’s project. I get to go back to an area in which I once wanted to be an expert and rediscover linguistics and the study of second language acquisition. I have a great group in Kevin Sm (to differentiate him from Kevin So), DJ and Kelly. I think we’ve cooked up a great plan together. I can’t wait to see the end results.

I’m getting up early in the morning to go explore a couple of historical sites with some of the West Coast gals, and I’m excited to get to spend time with them. It should be a TON of fun.

That’s all I’ve got for tonight.

Megs

Coo coo!

I just commented on Loradona’s post. Like her, I have been thinking of my students as I sit through sessions. During Rick Senften’s presentation on coaching, I set up my coaching staff and matched them with staffers. I worked with Carol to set up a form to start kids on their way to getting the essential question and thinking about paper and people sources (though I’m still trying to figure out how to make it available to all.)

Now I find myself rethinking how I will teach my beginning J classes. I didn’t have a darned clue this year! I felt like I was grasping for straws. As we go through more and more sessions, I find that my curriculum is practically writing itself. Not only that, but I’m supposed to give a presentation about this workshop at the journalism camp I’m attending a week after I get home. I may have to tell my yearbook rep that I need a couple (hundred) sessions to get all of this great information out to the people who need it!

On the plus side, I know I’ll share my information with at least 10 advisers. In fact, there’s a particular adviser that I am going to very strongly urge apply for this training. I’m not kidding; the kid is a rock star. He, too, was thrown into yearbook at his first teaching job. Now he is at his second school and is in a position to start a school paper. This guy will be one of the big names we look up to in scholastic journalism - mark my words. He will be one who not only would benefit greatly from this workshop, but will, in time, touch the lives of hundreds of advisers.

On a much lighter note, I had been sleeping horribly in these crazy lil’ dorm beds – until last night, that is. I was absolutely dreading the thought of climbing onto the ridiculously hard bed. That’s probably part of the reason I had been going to sleep so late – dread of the bed. Last night, I looked up at the top bunk and thought, I know there’s a sign that says do not move the mattress, but if I don’t get some serious sleep, NO ONE will want to be around me. So I wrestled the slick, blue mattress down, lay it on top of the dreaded bottom mattress, replaced the sheets and blanket and voila! a princess bed for me! I felt so much better this morning than I had since Sunday morning when I woke up in Kansas City. Ahh, the good life. (I hesitated posting this because I didn’t want the mattress police to come after and prosecute me for moving the darn thing – but I know others are suffering, too, and I do believe in sharing any wealth of knowledge I come into.)

With that thought, and a lack of dread of climbing onto my (now) delightful slick, blue mattress, I leave you with this bit of French: Bonne nuit et faites de beaux reves! (Good night and sweet dreams!)

Megs

Resources

I have a ton of information floating around my brain, as I’m sure so many other Fellows do, as well. Carol came up with a great idea to make coaching writers an easier, more streamlined process for the classroom.  I’m going to talk to her in the morning about creating the forms and posting them on Google Docs. 

I’ve also spoken to some of you about websites that I’ve come across as well as workshops that have proven themselves quite useful.

The Wheel at NSPA – This site, home of the National Scholastic Press Association, hosts great resources for J-teachers so they don’t have to re-invent the wheel.  (How funny are they with their catchy little pun name?)

ATPI – This is the Association Texas Photography Instructors website.  Don’t be alarmed.  Many of the teachers who belong to this group also teach some sort of journalism, whether it’s newspaper or yearbook. I attended their summer adviser workshop last year. I would have attended again this year, but some very nice people at ASNE offered me another workshop I couldn’t refuse on conflicting dates. Each year, they have two Pulitzer Prize-winning photographers come and teach a section in addition to rotating sections on what to do as a first-year photography teacher, how to get better sports pictures, media convergence and others. They also offer contests for photography students at $1 per entry for non-members and $.50 for members.

TAJE – This site is home to the Texas Association of Journalism Educators. I have gotten some awesome materials from this site, and I’m not even from Texas!

JEA – We’ve all either signed up for an initial or renewal membership to JEA. On this site, you’ll find information about national conferences, information about earning your CJE (Certified Journalism Educator) or MJE (Master Journalism Educator) certificates. There are also curriculums on the site, and links to the JEA Adviser Workshops held every summer. I would HIGHLY recommend the Sequence II for next summer. You can take kids with you, or you can go on your own. It’s always hosted at Kansas State University, so if you go, of course you can see me (since I live 20 miles away), but more importantly you’ll get valuable information from some of the best advisers in the nation.

I think those are all the sites I’ve mentioned to people, but if I’ve forgotten one, please let me know so I can add it. I don’t proclaim to know it all, but I’ve been very fortunate to have some very good advisers give priceless advice at the various events I’ve gone to. I’m indebted to them, but information is worthless if the people who need it most (US!) don’t have it.

I’m having a great time with all of you. This is the best workshop I’ve EVER been to, and I’m so excited to see what tomorrow brings.

Megs

I wanna rock n’ roll all night…or at least my brain seems to want to!

Here it is, 11:18 p.m., though my computer is still on Midwestern time and reads 10:18 p.m.  Like the previous two nights, I find myself still awake at a ridiculous hour.  Unlike the previous two nights, however, I have a feeling of accomplishment this evening.  I helped a fellow Fellow (ha ha!) who is not as comfortable with technology set up both a Twitter account (and oh, how she laughed when I told her that it’s called “tweeting”) and a Facebook page.  Here’s hoping she doesn’t get as addicted as so many of us have!

In other news, I’m revved up and ready to go on tweaking my editorial policy. I have to admit that I feel guilty. Last year, another adviser invited me to use any of her materials at camp, which I gladly did. I forgot, however, to give credit to her for our editorial policy. I thought it was a good policy, but after John’s presentation, I realize I have some work ahead of me. I am glad, however that my editorial staff will be going to camp with me a week after I get home from Kent. I know they’ll be ready to attack the policy at camp. They’re awesome kids like that.

Like Loradona and many others, I, too, am tired.  I can’t seem to get comfortable on this silly little bed.  It doesn’t help at all, of course, that I slept in a soft princess bed at a Mariott, (not a Holiday Inn Express, Candace) for the two days prior to heading east.  Who needs sleep, though, right? I’m young, and I can sleep when I’m dead.  I have more to learn!

I was absolutely thrilled with Candace’s presentation on journalistic writing today. That is one of the areas I have been internally struggling with. Since I’m not trained in journalism, I’ve been passing along half-information. I pick up what I can and pass it along. I’m so glad to have more information at my fingertips to share with my kids. It’s really for my kids that I’m here. I owe it to them to be the best possible adviser I can be, with all the attributes I wrote in my adviser essay for H.L. as well as those he mentioned in his presentation.  I pride myself on being as hands-off as I can be with my student publications. I really want my students to be able to say that they did the work, that they produced it with only minimal guidance from me.

What I didn’t mention in my adviser essay was that one of my students, when asked what the most important quality an adviser should have, said that an adviser should be there to guide in a pinch, but not do the work. I was so proud of him and of his answer. He got it. He understood that it was truly HIS publication. I didn’t get that, however, when my kids asked me to edit their papers, I was actually partaking in *gasp* PRIOR RESTRAINT! I have been engaging in one of the most abhorrent practices in scholastic journalism…and that’s illegal in my state!  Thanks, John, for teaching me that I still have a road to hoe down that path.

I’m so thankful to be here, so blessed to have the opportunity to learn from some of the best in the business. I have been on the JEA listserv for 3 years now, and believe me when I tell you that when I saw I was coming to Kent State to work with H.L., Susan, John and Candace, I was excited beyond belief.  They are some of the biggest names in the game, those whose opinions I valued as they weighed in on issues (and feared as I avoided the dreaded “me, too” emails).  This is truly the opportunity of a lifetime. I’m so glad I took a roundabout path to get to being a scholastic journalism adviser. I’ve definitely found my passion in life!

Megs

Ready to rock ‘n roll

First post here.  So far, everything has been excellent and quite useful.  Can’t wait for more!

Megs