Technology!!

My classroom has entered the 21st century! As of this week, I have a SmartBoard! Okay, well, I dont exactly permanently have it, but I have dibs on it when other people don't need to reserve it.

For those who dont know what a smartboard is, first of all, the setup costs around 4-5 thousand dollars for the board, laptop and projector. The SmartBoard is hooked up to the laptop and the image from the screen is then projected onto the board. The fancy-pants part though is that the board functions sort of as a huge mousepad where you can touch it to click on things, pick up a "marker" and draw on the board, etc. Also, the board comes with its own software which includes templates for multiple school subjects. For example, if you go to science, you can insert a period table. For math I can insert graph paper of various sizes, circle charts, logarithmic paper, and other useful backgrounds. I can also insert shapes, perform rotations, dilations, and translations (the unit we are on in class) very easily.

The smartboard has made my teaching so much easier. Before, I would draw these sloppy axes, graph some points, and barely be able to explain to the students what I was doing because it was so inexact. Now, I can use different colors, flip between screens, erase, and best of all, draw graphs that are exact. Its wonderful

I should work for SmartTech (the people who make smartboards). I really do love it though. I dont ever want to go back to the chalkboard.

NYC Classic Comment

I was at this little deli/diner across the street from my work at lunch, and the owner (I think) came inside from picking up trash off of the sidewalk around the outdoor seating area and he said. "I can't believe people sometimes. They just throw their trash on the ground like its a park or something and then I have to go out and clean up after them."


Like its a park?

Vacation Already

Since I have the next two days off for Rosh Hashanah, I will be going out of town. My first week was excellent. the kids are so sweet and great and full of goodness. I had two kids miss my first period this week and both times they came by at the end of the day to say they were sorry and get the homework. Amazing.

Here is the teaching issues so far that I don't know what to do about.

1. I havea blind student. He just went blind a year or so ago, so he hasnt really adapted. He has an aid with him, but I dont really understand what she does, except that she writes his answers for him. Also, he apparantly shouldnt have passed his math class last year because he didnt know the material and his parents are really mad at the school because since he can't repeat a class he has credit for, he had to go on. But the real issue, how do you teach math and solving equations to someone without any writing?

2. I have a student who cannot read numbers. She said sometimes she can but it takes a long time, but she has something called dyscalculo (not sure if that is spelled right). I haven't researched it yet, buat again, how to teach math without using numbers? Luckily the class is mostly geometry that she is in, but I still have to prepare her for a state test at the end of the year that will have algebra on it too. Also, I can teach her things using manipulatives and waht not, but then what happens when its written in numbers on the test? As a note, she can count objects though.

Suggestions? Comments? I will check when I get back on Sunday.

I almost cried

I had my first class. 15 students, almost all seniors. The period flew by and before I knew it, I was done. I gathered up my things, sat at my desk a moment, and then stepped out into the hallway. Coming from teaching in the Bronx, it was like I had just set foot in heaven. The hallways were clear, and quiet. Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata was playing from the next door over. Some teachers were passing, saying hello happily to each. I leaned against a locker and just enjoyed the moment as my eyes got a little misty.

So.. my first day is over. As I told someone, the hardest day to plan for is the first day because you have nothing to build on. The whole day flew by. I have a funny schedule where I teach a period, off a period, teach, off, teach two, off, teach, off. So, before I know it, I am done. Also, my classes are each only 40 minutes as compared to last year where they were 90. When a lesson starts going bad, about 20 minutes into it, with a 90 minute period life turned immediately dreary. The worst that happens here is that I endure 20 minutes of pain. The kids were all friendly and fabulous. They even all had paper and writing utensils!!!!!! I had them write their 5 most important class rules down and the spelling was correct and everything.

I am very happy with my move. I doubt that I will ever regret leaving my last job.

My Flickr Page

I added a blip of my flickr picture page on the right hand side. I've been working on putting up my Seattle pictures. More to come later. If you have problems with the flickr stuff, let me know please.

My Monies!

Last night, after working hard to develop a unit plan on transformations, rotations, dilations, etc, otherwise known as transformation geometry, I remembered that I hadn't checked my mail. To my delight, an envelope was in my mailbox from the NYC Dept of Education. I hurredly tore into it and scanned over a short document describing the status of the salary increase that I had applied for. Unfortunately, the message was encoded. Okay, okay. The word "encoded" may have been a little overdramatic, but instead of having anything that said "accepted" or "denied" it just had some dates and some codes for pay grades.

I rewoke my computer which had just barely been put to sleep for the night, and went to the Dept of Education website for the meaning of the codes. I had been given the salary differential for a B.A. + 30 credits with 36 credits in math. I had applied for the one with a B.A. + 60 credits, which makes about 2500 more a year. Also, the last required courses I took were in the fall semester, so I should be paid from February until now, but the slip only said it was going back to July 1.

At first, I was upset. The difference would mean quite a bit of money. I stressed out and figured I would end up having to get involved in some big union paperwork that would take months and months. Luckily though, when I called the salary differentials office, the man who answered the phone was the man who had processed my application. He said to call back in a few hours and he would let me know.

So.... I called back. He said, "I'm sorry, I just made a math mistake, but you were right. I changed it in the computer, so you will get the pay raise and it will be effective from February 1, 2004. You will get a new paper in the mail soon."

HOORAY!!!!!!

Again, I would like to thank ACI for screwing me out of my two degrees. I will now be getting back paid 4000 dollars and a $7000/year pay increase as a result. Maybe I should send the registrar's office a bonus.

Well... on second thought....

School Monies

All this week we have had various staf development meetings. Yesterday, we covered the topic of the procedure for purchases and a brief budget overview. This comment is especially for anyone who read the post on Dave's blog about a week ago about funding to schools.

Here in New York, currently, if a school does not use certain funds that have been publicly allocated to them, the funds are basically lost at the end of the fiscal year. My first thought is that it seems like this would rarely happen. Apparently last year in New York City, MANY schools were in the position that they had not used all of their money and were going to lose it. They all scrambled to use it at the last minute, which leads me to believe the "no rollover" rule may be new.

When the principal was asked how much was left over at our school, she just replied, "Umm... a few thousands." I do recognize that our school receives outside money from grants and donors, but the vice principal is new to the school, and he confirmed that many schools did indeed have the same problem.

So, this just affirms my statement on Dave's blog that I truly don't think that funding is the problem in many schools. It may be the case in urban schools, but the city is definetly doing quite all right.

So, our goal this year is to make sure that ALL of the money gets spent. Who would have guessed that its such a hard task?

Back to Work

As a teacher, there are two first days each year. Tuesday was my first day of work. Next Monday will be my first day of classes.

My new job is great. I've never done anything before that seemed like such a perfect fit. The teachers and the staff at this school are GREAT. Everyone is really nice, outgoing, and sort of team oriented. In other schools, there is often a lot of rivalry between departments, especially for example, between conflicting extracurricular programs such as sports and theater. Here, it seems like everyone gets along.

The school will have around 530 students this year, the biggest its been since it was founded 3 years ago. There are around 55 employees including teachers and other staff. The math department has 5 teachers. But the other benefit is not the people, but the goods.

The school owns 10 TVs with DVD players. That means that each department gets its own. So, I have a TV that I share with 4 other people, 1 of which I never teach at the same time as since we share a room. There are 70 laptops with wireless internet that can be used in class. There are 4 smartboards also available. Every classroom has at least 1 teacher computer and 2 for student use. Also, every teacher has their own desk, filing cabinet, and large storage closets. There are 2 teacher workrooms, each with 3 computers and a printer, and a whole staff computer lab with about 10 computers and printers in it.

I don't want to overwhelm too much in case there are current teachers out there crying right now, so I won't start on the arts facilities.

However, like every "first day" in my life, this cloud has a silver lining. (anyone who has heard me "first day in New York" story knows what Im talking about) I went to my first day of work yesterday, then to my college class. I was sitting in the cafeteria chatting with some other Teaching Fellows, feeling rather cold. Well, the cold feeling developed into some pretty intense shivering, which grew into a fever of 103 by the time I got home. I took some Aleve and went to bed, hoping it would be gone today. When I awoke, I was presently surprised to find that I felt fine, with my temp back down to 97. But, of course, there has been "tropical rain" all day so the subways were shut down due to flooding. Work started 2 hours late today. Oh well. At least I love my job.

Help me with topic ideas!!!

I started my college classes this week. I am devoting this post to asking for suggestions for topics for my master's thesis. I have to write the first two chapters this semester, which includes my research methods that will be used and the previous related research on the topic, then conduct the research and write the rest next semester. Next Tuesday I have to submit three topic ideas that will be whittled down to a final one. Here are the parameters:

1. The topic must be related to secondary mathematics education.
2. It has to be relatively creative. For example, I cannot do the effects of single parent vs. two parent households on academic acheivement.
3. The research does NOT have to be representative of a larger population that the school I work in. For example, I could research the difference in levels of achievement in math compared to which arts focus the student is involved in at the school (dance, instrument music, vocal music, art, or drama).
4. If it is a topic with students, I have to be able to conduct the research on my own students, so I wouldn't want to do anything that would involve asking touchy questions of parents or students that would interfere with my teaching.

So... anything out there that people need answers to? Here are some ideas so far...

1. Compare the amount of time spent practicing their art vs achievement level in math.
2. Student performance vs. the number of math credits held by the teacher and the highest level of math completed.
3. Are students planning to attend conservatories less motivated to acheive in core subjects than students planning on attending universities or colleges?
4. Do students who respect their teacher perform better in math?
5. Do students in "group arts" such as drama or music experience less math anxiety than students in solo arts, such as fine art or solo music performance.

I really want help, since your thesis is a lot of what helps get you into a doctorate program. I'm sure are some out there that can relate.

Gay/Lesbian/Transgender High School

In one of my classes, a teacher was talking about how she is going to be teaching at the Harvey Milk High School this year. My professor seemed highly interested in this, especially from the view of doing a graduate thesis with the research based there. I didn't understand why, until the woman explained that the school is for gay, lesbian and transgender students who have been harassesed or otherwise need a school with a supportibe environment.

As a little background, again, to go to ANY high school in New York City, a student must submit an application. Different schools have different requirements even though they are all public schools and publicly funded.

The Harvey Milk school, since it IS public, does state that heterosexual students may also attend the school. The only admission requirements are essentially just that they have graduated from the 8th grade and that they have the permission of their parents.

While the school has been around since 1985, the Board of Education in 2002 authorized a $3.2 million capitol expansion, allowing the school to increase enrollment to 170 students and to go from 2 classrooms to 8 classrooms., which will all be implemented this year.

I am interested to hear other people's thoughts on this subject. To start off, here are a few questions:

How do you think high schools with such a specialized student body affects students?
Should public schools be allowed to have non-academic focuses?
Do more cities need schools like Harvey Milk?
Regardless of a school's purpose, does a student population of only 170 students (increased from 60) seem like it would limit the academic and social opportunities available?
How big of a problem do you think homosexuality is for teenagers? (after thinking about this question, go to the LGBTQ Youth Statistics.
Also, feel free to add any questions. These were just off of the top of my head late at night.

For more information, go to www.hmi.org. Many questions are answered under FAQ's and Q & A's on HMHS.