Always my Fault!

Okay, so I'm finding out that I'm just as much of a procrastinator with a web blog as I always was with my journal! I'll end up making a post every few months - but I guess that's better than never. (Of course, that's a matter of opinion - y'all might really want me to just shut up!)

I had an interesting experience this weekend that I thought I'd share. I presented a workshop on Digital Storytelling. Woohoo! Big whoop, right? Well the big deal was that it was a workshop in Second Life - an online virtual world. It was a great experience. You can read my professional blog about it here.

Anyway, why did I title this post "Always my Fault!"? Well, I found out this week that my daughter's near-failing grade in her 7th grade math class is all my fault -- because I gave her the gene for forgetfulness! LOL - thought I'd share that so everyone can get a chuckle! Have a great day and don't forget to laugh!

Back to School

Okay, I'm sitting here on my last evening before I have to return to work for the year having mixed feelings. At one end, excited about the new year and trying out all the things I've learned this summer -- I really think I might be a better teacher this year -- and on the other end, sad to see my summer end, because it has been a wonderful one. The kids and I have gotten to spend so much time together, we got to take lots of trips, and well .... everyone who manages to have extended time off from work knows -- it's just FUN being able to define your own schedule!

That said, I'm approaching the new year determined to give it my best shot -- to try to provide an engaging atmosphere for my students, to be a good support resource for the department teachers (I am only a teacher part-time, the rest of the time I'm a teacher coach), and to be a good employee for the district. We'll see how I do!

Back to School?

Well, it's time to get into the mindset of "back to school", isn't it? I have to say, I'm not really looking forward to the school year. I think that I had too good of a summer. I really enjoyed being with my kids and I enjoyed being able to keep the house the way I want it and to explore whatever I felt like exploring.

I've been devoting a lot of time to my volunteer work with Discovery Education. Sometimes, it feels like a full-time job! On Wednesday, we had our grand-opening gala in Second Life. It was a huge success and proved to us that our efforts to start a workable collaborative educator group in Second Life IS possible! Hall Davidson blogged about the gala on the DEN Media Matters blog. Check it out!

Good Morning!

Okay, so I was up until 2:30 this morning, talking to a good friend of mine. Had to be up at 6:00 to get ready for my WW meeting. It was worth waking up, because I lost three pounds this week! Over this summer, I'd gained 10, so I'm on my way to getting back on track!

Wanted to share something that I heard this morning. You've all heard the quote "You are what you eat", right? Well, if that is really true, that could be a problem because that would mean we are all fast, cheap, and easy!

Have a great day!

Cel and JessieMarie SL in RL

Cel and JessieMarie SL in RL
Originally uploaded by atruger

Here's a picture of myself (on the left) and one of my new friends I met on the cruise. We are Celestia Cazalet (me) and JessieMarie Flanagan in Second Life. We had been collaborating on the Discovery Educator Network (DEN) in Second Life project for several months and finally got to meet in real life on the DEN National Institute cruise.

Summer's Over

Okay, so I'm a teacher and that means that during the summer, I'm pretty incognito. I did spend a lot of time on the net this summer, but posting to this blog didn't take the top priority.

My summer was filled with great things -- mission trip with my junior high kids to Waco, Texas -- family vacation to Colorado and New Mexico (thanks, John for the use of your cabin!) -- and a cruise to the Bahamas!!

The Bahamas cruise was awesome! It marked several "firsts" for me -- first time on a cruise, first time out of the country, first time to see and swim in the ocean! It was a great time, although it was a working vacation. You see, Discovery Education sent me on the cruise, free of charge, as a STAR Discovery Educator. Well, you can't beat that! Fun, great experiences, and valuable information and new collaborative relationships all wrapped up in one four-day cruise! It was great, and I really appreciate all my new friends I met on the cruise!

Now it is back-to-school time and to be honest, I've been dragging about that. During the summers I get used to being home and taking care of the house and kids and it is hard for me to get back into the swing, BUT the school I am at is an innovative school and it is a privilege to work there, so I'll jump back in and run with it and before you know it, it'll be time for another exciting summer!

P.S. I gained 10 pounds over the summer, so I'm also jumping back on the weight loss wagon, with 20 more pounds to lose before I hit my goal!

Spring Equals Life!

Wow, it sure is looking like spring out there! After all the unseasonal cold, and last week's tornado/hailstorm, it is nice to drive to work looking at beautiful trees and flowers, and to hear the birds singing. (is this where the sound of a record being scratched comes in?) But really, it is wonderful to be alive! Another wonderful thing is that my youngest son is alive! A cancer survivor since shortly after his first birthday, he will celebrate his fifth year off of treatment in November of this year! Every year, we try to make a point to especially appreciate our lives during the month of November, but this year we'll go all out -- with a party and lots of celebration! Part of that is our push this year for Relay for Life. Each year, we try to participate in some way and this year, Nathan will be a survivor participant. We are trying to raise $100 to donate to the American Cancer Society to represent our appreciation for life. If you'd like to donate, you can do it online, it's simple! Simply click here and you'll be directed to Nathan's donation page. Celebrate Life!