Blackboard Notes

Happy Holidays!-from Sheldahls I was having so much fun teaching at Adrian School  on a long term substitute assignment (plus others since I started back up in September, including Windom ISD 177) I forgot to share my experiences as I went along.  A lot has happened since I last posted.... During this summer, I moved to southwestern Minnesota, because my wife got her first job teaching choir.  I love to remind her about Pascal's sentiment about music as "sound with math," but not too frequently.  I looked for further adjunct work, but all the colleges nearby had enough educators.  The area I now live in has a "nest" of communities, and I have yet to explore them all.  I may well do some site visits to get the attitudes of the surrounding district principals, and so far I'm pretty pumped.  It's refreshing to get new perspectives, and their staff are open to tell you just about everything that goes in on their districts. (which for the most part h...

I don't know who coined it, perhaps in the sports realm, it seems true in today's competitive 150 applicants per job market. (no that is not a researched number).  Schools tout for change (especially when listening to them in the interview), but ironically you are measured how well you make the status quo look good while trying to implement change.  I have temporarily dropped off the regular blog trail, so let me share why. These two concepts are in-congruent with each other, as I am certain Dr. Scott McCloud has indicated in his prior blogs.  As it stands, however, I forged ahead and went "back to school."  I took two concentrated classes over the Internet (since twin cities parking, traffic, and hotel stay were additional costs I could not arrange in my budget).  I took two classes, CompTIA(R)'s A+ training, and CompTIA(R)'s Network+.  The  difference between the two seems to be logic. Media Center, C. Sheldahl  (C) 2013 I expected to p...

I have noticed I haven't blogged in a LONG, long time.  The truth is, I have been caught up in being an adjunct a local college, subbing, and working as an online educational consultant (legal way of saying I'm a teacher, but I get a stipend). The communication part is something which I have lacked in maintaining; if only I could roll back the clock and share how much I have learned with the students at the college, public school, and online environments.  Each have their characteristics, in their own right. Let's start at the public school. I have been subbing for many assignments that span from kindergarten through senior high.  The elementary students require specific attention and guidance from teachers as leaders and adult figures.  I have found that each district I have subbed in (both in Iowa and Minnesota) have their own unique culture, norms, and routines.  Remembering each place's footprint is a real skill (and you do NOT want to confuse one clas...