Texas Schoolmarm

Microsoft Office Add-in Embeds Creative Commons License

2010-02-11T16:06:00.002-06:00

Office 2007 users can download an add-in that will allow them to embed a Creative Commons license into a document. The add-in creates a Creative Commons tab that takes users directly to the Creative Commons Web site to select the appropriate license.
Creative Commons is a nonprofit organization that provides free licenses for creators to choose from that allows others to share, remix, use commercially, or any combination of the above.
One of the best ways to teach students to respect the work of others is to have them select a Creative Commons license for the projects they produce. The process of selecting the license of their choice provides a teachable moment when students can view copyright from the perspective of the owner rather than the consumer.
Even if you do not have Office 2007, check out the Creative Commons website and see how easy it is to choose a license and download the appropriate label to place within documents and video files.

YouTube Unveils Safety Mode

2010-02-11T15:40:00.001-06:00

YouTube announced their new Safety Mode that makes YouTube a viable option for schools. Check out the video below for details.

Lonestar EduBloggerCon

2010-02-09T16:04:00.000-06:00

Academic Language: Everyone's “Second” Language - National Writing Project

2010-01-20T10:07:00.001-06:00

I am attending a two-day training in San Antonio about implementing the English Language Proficiency Standards, and we discussed the fact that we have students in our classes that whose native language is English, but they come to school without strong language skills. The same scaffolds that develop academic language for our ELL students help all of our native speakers also.
Check out this article written by Norma Mota-Altman:
Academic Language: Everyone's “Second” Language - National Writing Project

EBSCOhost Mobile

2010-01-18T16:14:00.003-06:00

EBSCO library databases now has a mobile interface that allows users to search for articles and images from a mobile device! I was easily able to choose my database and perform a search on my iphone; results are displayed 10 at a time in a clean list that still includes thumbnails of images that can be previewed. I selected one of the articles from the list, previewed it, and emailed the PDF to myself using the email feature within the EBSCO interface.
Read more about EBSCOhost mobile on their website. According to EBSCO's support website, once the "library administrator has created a profile in EBSCOadmin for EBSCOhost Mobile, the interface will be available to all users who have access" to the school's account.
Why bother? Well, having mobile access anywhere/anytime is very powerful. Being able to research from their phones just might motivate some of our students to complete their research throughout the semester instead of waiting until the day before the project is due. Hope springs eternal, right?

Wordle: What a Cool Tool!

2010-01-18T15:44:00.003-06:00

Wordle is a free online application for generating word clouds with words that occur more frequently appearing larger. You can print your Wordle or save it. I saved the Wordle above and then uploaded it as an image to this blog post.

One great educational use that comes to mind is to have students copy and paste their essay into Wordle and print it to use as a cover page for their paper. Or print them and hang them up in the room or hallway.

Study Shows No Evidence that Saturated Fat Causes Heart Disease

2010-01-15T08:18:00.000-06:00

Stephan Guyenet who writes the Whole Health Source Blog posted a link to an interesting study on his blog today. Dr. Ronald Krauss' study found that "there is no significant evidence for concludingthat dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased riskof CHD or CVD." It is so amazing to me that after all these years, it seems that Dr. Atkins was correct in asking people to cut out carbs and eat more meat.
I was one of the nay-sayers who couldn't believe that THE Food Pyramid could be wrong. It was, after all, based on research, right? I am reading Gary Taubes book Good Calories, Bad Calories, and I'm beginning to see that I haven't been so noble after all, denying myself meat and eating pasta, bread (whole grain, of course). My husband and I have adopted a moderate version of an Atkins diet, and we have been surprised at how much better we feel while taking off pounds over the last year. I would recommend Taube's book to everyone

A Crafty New Year to You!

2010-01-03T07:23:00.000-06:00

It's been great to be at home these past two weeks, having a chance to step outside of my professional life and spend time "feathering my nest," baking holiday treats, and catching up on all the craft blogs I've been intending to read since about July. Reading these blogs has inspired me to take up paper crafting again. Yet again, I have resolved to carve out some time each day for creative pursuits outside of work. (This resolution lasted nearly all the way through January last year!)

This year, as I craft, I also intend to do more blogging. I have a running list of ideas that I would like to develop, and I know that one of the best ways for me to learn more about what I think is to write about it! Nearly every morning as I'm driving the loop to work, I write posts in my head on various topics, but by the time lunch rolls around, those ideas have been scattered by all the details of the morning. Well, I'm attempting to change that by making quick notes and then taking time later to write--at LEAST three times a week. I've also come to terms with the fact that this blog may become a hodgepodge of diverse topics. My solution is to bring some organization to the mess with my tags.

Now that we have it in writing, we will see how well I follow through on this resolution.... Thanks for stopping by and spending a few minutes with me!

Family

2009-12-29T14:16:00.001-06:00

One of the high points of my holiday has been being around family. Every year we promise to do a better job of staying in touch, but then our lives whirl by for another year. Having a new granddaughter will be a strong motivator for us this coming year!

Breaking Through Tech Integration Barriers

2009-06-01T07:05:00.004-05:00

I've realized for a while that teachers need help convincing their administrators and tech directors to allow (i.e. unblock sites) them to use Web2.0 tools like blogs and wikis. Just last week, however, I decided to make up a packet of information for each tool to hand teachers when I present a workshop. I am still formulating what should be in it, but I'm thinking the Educause 7 Things About handout over the tool is a must. More on this topic later...................

2009-05-25T13:42:00.003-05:00

"Bureaucratic solutions to problems of practice will always fail because effective teaching is not routine, students are not passive, and questions of practice are not simple, predictable, or standardized. Consequently, instructional decisions cannot be formulated on high then packaged and handed down to teachers."
- from her award-winning book, The Right to Learn

I read this statement on the Standford University webpage about Linda Darling-Hammond and knew I had to share it in a blog post so that I don't lose it. Will the education community ever fully realize that our children's education is dependent on professional educators having the freedom and support to make informed decisions about instruction in their classrooms?
Hope springs eternal..........

Listen to this interview with Linda Darling-Hammond from the PBS series "Only a Teacher." Great stuff!

Language: The Fuel That Feeds Us

2009-02-14T07:54:00.011-06:00

Naomi Shihab Nye's words, not mine. They are richer tasting in my mouth than any chocolate candy that I might sample this Valentine's day. She explained in a 2002 interview with Bill Moyers that language carries us to understanding and the things that matter in our lives. It can create a connection for us as we sit quietly with words and let them lead us somewhere, if we have the sense to stop trying to proclaim things all the time and, instead, try to discover things.

If you haven't read any of Naomi Shihab Nye's poetry, you can read a short bio and view titles of all her books here. I had the honor of hearing her in person at NCTE in San Antonio this year. Her amazing warmth and sincerity pervaded the entire room. 19 Varieties of Gazelle would be a wonderful introduction to her poetry. Hers is a wonderful voice to add to a classroom in these tense political times when so many children are being taught to hate anyone and anything Middle Eastern. Nye's poetry can open our eyes and connect our hearts to all the ordinary people living in the Middle East who aren't all that different from us.

Technology Overload

2009-02-07T16:48:00.003-06:00

I attended the Texas Computer Educators (TCEA) Conference in Austin this week and came away with so many new ideas that my brain is spinning. It is inspiring to hear all the amazing ways that teachers are integrating technology into their classrooms.

I focused on attending sessions that related to language arts (no surprise there) and ones using Promethean Activboards. I am working to be a certified Promethean trainer, as I am convinced that interactive boards should become a primary content delivery system in K-12 education. Creating flipcharts for my certification has made me rethink those lessons carefully and honestly assess how much that original lesson involved every student and whether the information is presented from multiple perspectives. Sobering stuff.... The words "student centered learning" fall easily off the tongue, but they are much harder to honestly implement on a daily basis. The journey is not only worthwhile, however, it is essential.

So it looks like I'll be crafting more flipcharts than cards for a while. Of course, I won't be able to totally quit...my craft table beckons and my stamps and markers are still in plain sight.

Under the Weather

2009-01-27T10:01:00.003-06:00

Being "under the weather" is SO frustrating! It has stolen away my energy to do both the things I need to do for work and the things I like to do. I've tried positive thinking to no avail. I still ache. I still feel feverish. Bummer!!

It's been a whole week since I've posted a card, partly due to feeling bad and partly due to some techno work on my images and blog. Seems as if most people who post their work to online galleries like Splitcoaststampers and Paper Craft Planet have created a watermark to place over their images. If only I had just made one when I first noticed it, but, oh no, better to put off til tomorrow... So when I set my mind to adding the watermark that I created, I had to upload all the pics again. I didn't think I had made that many cards since I started posting, but as I worked with them, the number appeared to grow... ;-)

I'm off to rest!

Birthday Cupcake

2009-01-20T21:06:00.004-06:00

Here is a simple card for a friend's birthday. I fell in love with the DP, Chatty Cake by Imaginisce. The paper has sentiments all over it, so I just used Nestibilities to add scallop and circle in coordinating colors and then made a large cupcake from Basic Grey Bittersweet paper.

Growing by Our Dreams

2009-01-11T14:37:00.003-06:00

Valentines for Friends

2009-01-10T21:58:00.003-06:00

Sometimes simple is best. Here is a quick card for a good friend. More Basic Grey Bittersweet papers.

Valentine Wishes

2009-01-10T21:43:00.004-06:00

Here's a valentine that I created using the CTMH stamp set Soul Mtes and Basic Grey Bittersweet Papers.

CPS Challenge #98

2009-01-07T21:31:00.006-06:00

I have resolved that this year I will create more cards and post consistently on my blog. What better way to find motivation than a good challenge. So I've been on the prowl for some challenges, and I hit pay dirt when I came across the Card Positioning Systems blog.

I watercolored the bird on this card earlier this week, and I've been wondering what to do with him. This challenge sent me to my paper stash to find something that might work. He isn't perfect, but I decided to celebrate my first effort to be more artistic with my cards and less cut and paste...

Supplies
CTMH cardstock and DP, Martha Stewart clear bird stamp, scrap of twill ribbon, Nestabilities

Here's the sketch for the challenge:CPS Sketch Challenge #98

Spreading My Wings

2009-01-05T06:15:00.003-06:00

I did it. I finally got out the watercolor pencils that I've owned for several years and tried my hand at watercoloring an image. This image is from a stamp set of Martha Stewart's. I stamped the image on watercolor paper.

Not bad for a first effort, but I have a ways to go before I have any bragging rights!

Amish Paper Piecing

2009-01-04T11:22:00.004-06:00

Gina K.'s paper piecing challenge motivated me to try my hand at creating a few paper quilts. For this card, I cut five strips of cardstock (1/2" each) and mounted them side by side on a sheet of Terrifically Tacky Tape. I cut them into strips and then staggered the colors to create a pattern similar to the Sunshine and Shadow pattern. (card size is A2.) The process was tedious but worth it!

Supplies
CTMH & Bazzill cardstock, CTMH For Every Occasion Stamp, CTMH buttons, Terrifically Tacky Tape sheet

Amish Heart

2009-01-04T11:21:00.004-06:00

I love Amish quilts, and Gina K.'s paper piecing challenge motivated me to try my hand at creating a few paper quilts. I admire the stark contrast and colors and bold designs that the Amish use in their quilts, and so I created this version of a Diamond in a Square pattern. It seemed a little plain at first, so I added the small buttons, did some faux stitching inside the center square, and adhered a punched heart that I distressed with a little ink in the center.

This card is 6" square, so I'll be paying some extra postage for this one! Having the extra size is worth it, though, and I have some nice 6" square envelopes on hand...

Supplies
CTMH cardstock, CTMH buttons, CTMH Blush ink, & Paper Studio heart punch

Amish Diamond in a Square

2009-01-04T11:19:00.003-06:00

Participating in a card challenge to create paper pieced cards has given me all kinds of ideas for piecing with paper. This card copies a very traditional Amish pattern of Diamond in a Square. It may not be for everyone, but I love the simplicity of it. I chose leave the white space alone and let it frame to quilt pattern rather than stamp something or add embellishments. I had fun with the papers' textures, though. I used the houndstooth Cuttlebug embossing folder on the navy and the bubbles embossing folder on the red. The lighter blue cardstock already has texture, and then the smooth white cardstock adds another level of contrast in texture.

The central image is 4 and 1/4" square and mounted on a 6" square card. Yes, that means extra postage, but it's well worth the few cents extra at times!

If creating paper quilts interests you, Check out Sandra Foose's book Paper Quilts.

Java Greetings

2009-01-03T10:33:00.006-06:00

O.K., so I thought that yesterday would be my last challenge to accept this holiday, and then Gina K. made it an 8-day week and challenged people to step outside the box to make a different sized card than they usually make. The size I've never made is the long skinny one.

As I rifled through my DP, I came across a sheet of coffee themed paper that I bought a year ago to make my younger son a card (he is a real coffee enthusiast). Trouble is, I didn't know how to use the paper because the paper itself is the central element; I didn't want to cover any of it. Well, I guess that paper was hiding away for today's challenge, as it hit me when I saw it: that's the one.

It actually came together very fast in contrast to the last two days. Good thing, too, because I think my husband is ready to find a 12-step program for paper crafters! ;-)

Supplies
Paper: CTMH & Bazzill cardstock, DP is Flair Designs' Coffee Talk
Ink: CTMH Chocolate
Embellishments: extra large eyelets from WeRMemory Keepers & a scrap of jute

Paper Piecing

2009-01-02T17:09:00.004-06:00

Yet another challenge from Gina K.'s A Day in the Life. Today's challenge was to create a card using paper piecing; hence the name, "You want a piece of me?"
As happened yesterday, I had one idea in mind and then the project took on a life of its own. What seemed so simple turned out to be VERY tedious and called for numerous adjustments along the way.... I'm pleased with the finished product, though, and I can use another thank-you card.

Supplies: Paper-Basic Grey Wassail, CTMH cardstock. Ink-CTMH Garden Green and black. Stamps: CTMH With Love and For Every Occasion. Embellishments: CTMH Bitty Brads, Wassail glazed brad, SU ticket punch, Sakura pigma drawing pen.

New Year's Inspiration Challenge

2009-01-01T19:19:00.004-06:00

Well, I accepted my second ever challenge today from Gina K. to create a card that inspired us to look forward. Of course, she used one of my VERY favorite quotes, "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams," and so I had to use one of my other favorites, a George Eliot quote. "It's never to late to be what you might have been." I used this so many times in my English classes over the years, both as a writing prompt and in counseling students about life choices.
As for the card, I went for a whole different look today and used a sheet of creative Imaginations paper, Sonnets Boy Quilt. The border between the two prints has a printed entredeux and so I went digging into my French lace for a scrap to sew onto the card as if it were a piece of French handsewing. That's two days in a row that I've used my machine--wow! I created the frame for my quote with an oval Nestability. The embellishments are from Yellow Bicycle's delightful collection of embossed cardstock. The ribbon is from a Christmas bow that I destroyed for this project because I love the way the white voile is trimmed in silver.
I'm defintely going to have craft withdrawal next week when I have to go back to work....

Being Thankful

2008-12-31T17:52:00.005-06:00

I've been a busy crafter the last 24 hours! Here are two thank-you cards I made last night with my Basic Grey Wassail paper pack. I'm sad to say that after five cards, I'm using up my paper.... Come to think of it, if I can mangage to make two or three more cards from that 6" pack, I will have 11 cards for well under $10! Cheaper than the dollar store and more special than Hallmark. ;-) (Of course, if you factor in the Cuttlebug, the stamps, the ink pad, the embellishments....hmmmm...)

Saying Thanks with Snowflakes

2008-12-31T16:26:00.004-06:00

Sending thank-you notes is so much more fun now that I'm making my own cards. I love having the time to create a card specifically for someone. Sending a handmade card is a gift of time, creativity, and gratitude!
Supplies: DP- Basic Grey Wassail, stamp- CTMH For Every Occasion, snowflake- Spellbinders Snowflake Wonder, tag- Cuttlebug die

"Sew-long 2008!" Challenge

2008-12-31T15:33:00.004-06:00

Gina K. over at A Day in the Life blog has issued a challenge to create a card that has stitching on it. Now I LOVE to sew and quilt, and the challenge brings together those interests with my newer passion for creating handmade cards, so I decided to play along. I dug out my Paper Quilts book, and settled on a simple block pattern.
The Wassail paper pad from Basic Grey was a natural choice, as the papers remind me so much of vintage fabrics. The stamp is from Close to My Heart's "For Every Occasion" set. The brad is a Wassail glazed brad, and the metal snowflake is from a Making Memories set I purchased several years ago. Now I'm thinking how cool it would be to use Amish colors with this pattern....

Birthday Greetings

2008-12-14T22:25:00.004-06:00

My father-in-law's birthday is less than a week before Christmas. We always try to separate it from Christmas celebration, and so I made him a card that was definitely NOT a Christmas card. We also bought him a bar of gourmet Toffee Chocolate that I wrapped like a package. That and a signed copy of one of Elmer Kelton's books should make him feel remembered on his special day!
Supplies: CTMH DP and stamps, Nestibilities

Snowman Soup

2008-12-11T18:48:00.012-06:00

Karen Ewert's blog Stamping Videos is one of my favorites; her videos are great and I always have success when I try one of the projects she features. My latest attempt is Snowman Soup. I had never heard of it before, but I fell in love with it immediately! The mug is really cute, too, but I'm saving it for another time. I found some cute bags whose white swirly decoration seemed to fit perfectly with a snowy theme. I decided to go all out with my soup project and ordered several boxes of Godiva hot cocoa as my soup base! Then, as I was checking out at Albertson's last week, I spied a display of yummy Bob's candy canes, larger than those in the multi-packs. I opted to split the poem into two parts and make sort of a tag card. Now I'm thinking that a batch of shortbread cookies would be the perfect complement to this special hot coocoa treat!

Organizing My Virtual World

2008-12-10T20:03:00.005-06:00

My messy virtual world is stressing me out these days. I have pieces of myself on various wikis, blogs, and my personal website, as well as a newbie Second Life avatar who has been loitering on Orientation Island for too long... One solution I've come up with is to use this blog to connect these fragmented parts of my digital footprint. I think one of my resolutions for the upcoming year will be to spend more time creating content on the spaces I already have rather than creating new ones to try out different tools and sites.

7 1/2 Habits for Lifelong Learning

2008-06-22T13:36:00.003-05:00

Now for the hardest habit: accept responsibility for my own learning. Yes, it's the same one. The hard part about it is sticking to the path and following all the way through. For instance, I wanted to podcast, and so I learned about podcasting, figured out how to podcast using a PC, and created a couple of episodes. I have taught podcasting workshops and help others get started. But how many episodes have I actually published to the web? Less than 5 in over a year... Finding time to learn new skills is not the problem. I MAKE time for that. But once I've figured it out, the new skill goes into this long queue of things I do in my spare time. I do realize that I only have a limited amount of spare time, but I don't prioritize that time like I should. I look back after a month's time to see that I haven't spent time on some things I really intended to. I have downloaded the learning contract and realize that the chart with the tasks and target dates might help me.

7 1/2 Habits for Lifelong Learning

2008-06-22T13:24:00.003-05:00

Great presentation! It clearly lays out how to approach learning successfully. Probably the easiest one on the list for me is accepting responsibility for my own learning. I have been self-directed from an early age, and when I am curious about something, I search out ways to learn on my own. I like to buy books and teach myself new things like quilting, scrapping/card making, and web design. I taught myself how to use Dreamweaver five years ago from a shareware tutorial called "Getting Interactive with Dreamweaver." After I completed the tutorial, I created my website Texas Schoolmarm for my classroom. Of course, it didn't look like what I have up there now. I have continued to improve my skills and added to my site as a result of online technology classes through ESC Region 11, as well as time spent reading the Help documentation ;-)

Welcome

2008-06-22T11:06:00.002-05:00

I have created this blog as part of the Library2Play 23 Things professional development. I already have a Edublog and a WordPress blog installed on my website server, but I decided to play along and try out Blogger for this experience. Even though I love having the control that my own Word Press blogs gives me, I am always looking for tools that teachers can easily use in their teaching.
Creating an avatar was a new experience for me, though. I've never valued them and so never took the time to figure them out. (An avatar is what is keeping me in the limbo land of Orientation Island in Second Life, by the way.)