June 26, 2008
Posted 1 week, 1 day ago on June 26, 2008 by titanium
It was a dark dark night. I was awake. The white from white web pages was glaring in my eyes. Then I remembered. Control + Option + Apple + 8. This nifty key combination inverts the colours of the monitor. (Thanks to lifehacker for pointing this out sometime.) Oh, and sorry other computer users- as far as I know, this is apple only.
Firefox 3 looks great in colour inversion, and iTunes isn't bad either. I had a giggle looking around my regular pages, and noticed that some looked good either way (the aforementioned lifehacker and facebook isn't bad) and some websites turned from a serious good looking site to a silly or not-fitting colour. Photos, of course, look really weird.
This brings me to an announcement- I've tweaked my web page colours again- now it looks nice when inverted. The content box colour was a horrible puke-like green before.
What do you think? Is the ultimate design problem choosing colours that go well when inverted? Do my new colours look weird on your monitor? Let me know in the comments. Go on, don't be shy!
![[that gross puke colour I was talking about.]](pukecolour.jpg)
An After Thought. I took a screenshot and inverted the colours so those of you without the cool ctrl+opt+cmd+8 key combo can see what I'm talking about. I also inverted the old colour so you can see why I changed.
![[a screenshot of this website with the colours inverted.]](inversion.jpg)
Apple and Macs · Site Stuff • 2 Comments
June 25, 2008
Posted 1 week, 2 days ago on June 25, 2008 by titanium
Last night I sat down to write a blog post about Peru, so I don't need to keep emailing people who are interested in the information. (I will post this when it's ready.) As I typed, I realised something that I had forgotten. Writing makes me happy.
Oh, I know I'm busy at the moment, and blogging just isn't something that I can devote a large chunk of time to when deadlines are looming and the work just keeps piling on. (You know how they say "living out of a suitcase"? Well, what they really mean is living with everything you own strewn around the room because there isn't room to leave everything in your suitcase and still get to it. ) But I am going to make an effort to write more. I even have a to do list of blog posts I would like to write/finish, and I hope to have a little bit more time for the site in the near future.
So, I'm not dead, and neither is this website. Stay tuned!
Randomness · Site Stuff • 1 Comments
June 16, 2008
Posted 2 weeks, 5 days ago on June 16, 2008 by titanium
This blog post was originally written on paper, and since I've been cleaning up (to move out) I found it, so here you go, some poetry from a few months ago.
caffeine fueled poetry
I'm awake.
lying in my bed, cannot sleep.
tunes bopping in my ears,
this old pencil and index card won't let me down
scrawling in the half light
brain still buzzing
it's caffeine
and it's fun.
Lack of Sleep
insomnia is a harsh word.
it means that my world is reduced to this pool of light
for my eyes resist the silence of the night
I lie here in my bed
and my mind takes flight.
(untitled)
my body decides
this hole it made, doesn't want
so I roll over
caffeine
tends to unleash
and turn on
the (bad) poetry tap
in my mind
so it flows
Thoughts? As always, comments are very welcome, and so are suggestions of what to write about via the skribit widget!
Poetry • 0 Comments
May 28, 2008
Posted 1 month, 2 days ago on May 28, 2008 by titanium
"Ok grade 2, once you've logged in, come and sit on the rug." At first it took a while for me to explain that the front of the room near the white board was "the rug", (come and sit on the carpet right here in front of the room- yep, over here), and explain the concept of "sit" on the "floor" but now all I have to say is "the rug", meaning the imaginary rectangle of carpet in the front of the room. So now, I have all this little faces beaming up at me from the floor.
This is a fantastic method of class control. If you teach computers, you know that the shiny screen is much more interesting than listening to the teacher. "Hmm.. teacher's helping someone else, I'll just change the desktop background... and switch my ears off... while I wait." Before long, you've lost a good portion of the class, and the kid you were helping log in is wanting to catch up on the fun stuff the other kids were doing.
Therefore- if you want them to listen, get them away from the machine!
Sitting up the front of the room, they can see the board, and tend to listen well. (Sitting on the floor is a skill that is taught from very early on, so they're quite good at it.) You can have a discussion with the class as a whole, not just with individuals, small groups, or across the room. You also can see all the kids easily and remind them to behave if they're getting out of line. Class control for the whole class is within your grasp! You can keep your voice down too, which is nice.
Some disadvantages of this method are; you are looking down at the kids, as you are standing. A white board at floor level is a solution that I've seen in other class rooms. This is also an age limited method- I don't make my grade fives or sixes sit on the floor, but I have made some individuals sit on the floor if they can't handle the responsibilities of sitting in their chair and listening. I also make them turn their chairs away from the computer, which helps focus issues. Another disadvantage to the floor method is that you have to have everything you need with you- as there is no way you can wade through the sea of kids to get something.
While having it's limitations, rug time has proven to be my new favourite teacher method- it has made explaining things to the kids so much easier, which just makes the whole experience much more pleasant for everyone.
As an aside, if you've been following my twitter updates you'll know I've been officially observed teaching! When I get my "results" I'll post back! It's exciting!
Education • 1 Comments
May 26, 2008
Posted 1 month, 5 days ago on May 26, 2008 by titanium
The sands of time seem to be slipping through my fingers.
I have had a busy busy month, and it's just going to get busier from here on in. I thought I'd blog because I haven't blogged in a while, and I thought I'd do a bit of a "I'm still alive" post.
This is a post about priorities. In other words, what my time has (and hasn't) been used for.
- Sleep. This is important, and I haven't been skimping. As I work hard I get more tired and thus need an adequate amount of sleep.
- Teaching. I'm still teaching my six classes a week, and preparing for them. This takes a chunk of time.
- Video Projects. To help out my parents, I'm doing the grunt work on three videos- one of which is due this weekend. While footage is capturing and rendering, I'm squeezing in some of the other stuff.
- News and Other Websites I'm not checking up on the BBC or The Age much or reading articles in depth- it's either skimming or title reading only. Ditto for other websites and blogs.
- Facebook is limited to skimming the news feed. No facebook apps for me!
- I am Twittering as it's quick and easy to update and read updates. My user name is titanium_geek.
- Of course, there are the social events which are sort of obligatory- but it's better to hang out with people than get sucked through the internet a few times.
So, if you are busy, you probably don't have time to write insightful comments. However, if you can spare a moment, I'd love to know what you axe as time slips away faster and faster as deadlines approach.
Randomness • 2 Comments
May 5, 2008
Posted 2 months, 5 days ago on May 5, 2008 by titanium
5 things a teacher should have, but perhaps haven't thought of yet.
- A red pen. I didn't think I'd need one- but kids can be sneaky little- well, kids. A red pen says Authority, Permanent and Pizazz.
- A kitchen timer. Boring, but necessary tasks (like typing practice) can have kids moping around, not trying hard as they feel that they will be doing that task for the rest of the lesson. (This is frustrating.) Give them 5 minutes, 10 minutes (etc) and have them stop when the buzzer goes! They will work much more diligently if they know the time to do it is finite. It also works for kids who misbehave- have them sit out for a few minutes (till the ding sounds.) You can move on to other kids without forgetting the trouble-maker! Punishment also is more effective when it's finite.
- Beanbags! I've posted about these at length before- but in short, they help the kids get their wriggles out, calm down and build their motor skills. One each is enough, two is even more fun, and three is great for teaching juggling.
- Whiteboard markers/chalk. You may have your own classroom, that's great. I teach in the computer lab, and there are lots of different classes and teachers that also use my space. I would write something on the board, only to be told "Miss, I can't see it." The ink was running out and not writing well. So, I got the four colours of whiteboard marker from the resource drawer, and keep them put away when I'm not there. Now I know that if I need to write on the board, it will work well.
- Spares of everything. You never know when a kid will forget their pencils, or lose a worksheet. Spares to lend to them (get them back at the end of the lesson) help the lesson flow without major interuptions.
These are the tools that I have found help a lot when it comes to surviving the classroom. How about you? What tools make your job so much easier? Teachers- have I got it wrong? What are your favourite teaching tools? As always, leave a comment to let us know what you think.
Education • 2 Comments
April 19, 2008
Posted 2 months, 6 days ago on April 19, 2008 by titanium
At the moment I get to teach computer science class (known as "computers") to elementary/primary grades 1-6. Since I have no formal teaching training, it's a bit like being thrown in the deep end of the swimming pool. I'm having a lot of fun, and learning lots. My favourite "tool of the trade" right now are bean bags. While the large size bean bags are lots of fun to sit in, what I'm talking about the small size bean bags that you hold in your hand.
These bean bags are fantastic.
- They don't roll (imagine 15 eight year olds throwing, dropping and running after balls)
- easy to catch (they fit to your hand and don't bounce out)
- hand sized
- easy to throw (they are nicely weighted)
I take the kids out to a nice shady spot on the field, (away from trees and roofs) and say: Are you paying attention? I then throw each kid a beanbag. (Softly! as they usually aren't paying attention...) They catch on that they need to be paying attention and catch their bean bag. The first "trick" that is really key to keeping control is what I call the beanbag on head method.
How it Works
As the picture to the right demonstrates, you need to put the bean bag on your head, and ask your kids to do the same. (Everyone doing what I'm doing!) I usually put my finger to my lips and "shh". This works because it gets the bean bags out of their hands, removing the temptation to throw, fiddle with or drop the bean bags, and when they are concentrating on catching the bean bag they don't listen very well. While the beanbags flop nicely on your head and won't slide off easily, the kids get the idea that they need to stand still to balance them- a bonus! It also works because you are willing to look silly, and in entertaining them, you gain their attention. Now you can give them instructions.
Depending on age level and ability, you could start with just throwing and catching. The next step is to throw the bean bag into the air, clap, and catch the bean bag. How many times can they clap before they catch the bean bag? Catching is really important- inevitably you will get kids launching their bags way up in the air and dropping them (remember the bit about away from trees and roofs? I learnt this the hard way. I rescued the bean bag after class, and gave the kid another bean bag to use- spares are wonderful things to have!) When the kids aren't catching the bean bags any more, it's time to move on to something else.
Elbow catch- this looks pretty cool and tricky, but is surprisingly easy. You need to balance the bean bag on your elbow and catch it with the same arm's hand. (Different/both hands makes it easier for the smaller kids.) The trick is to use your knees- bend them and stand up straight suddenly to propel the beanbag up, giving you enough time to whip your hand around and catch the beanbag. This "trick" is cool, because it is quite easy to master. Seeing the kid's faces when they catch it on the first or second try is a real buzz! Of course, this has limited replay capacity- especially with those smart alec kids. "Miss! A baby could do this!"
Variety is the spice of life
The elbow catch can be expanded with more bean bags- two on one arm, one on each arm, etc. As well as adding bean bags, adding people provides a new twist. They can throw their bean bags to a partner, both bean bags at the same time, throw using their elbows, throw multiple bean bags, etc. Remember the all important catching, otherwise some kids tend to get carried away. Try getting them to take a step back if they succeed, perhaps setting up a water balloon toss kind of competition. (here or the first bits of this video).
Juggling
Remember how bean bags are easy to throw and easy to catch? They work really well to teach juggling, my favourite "cool skill" that I always wanted to learn as a kid. Juggling is a bit more complicated to explain, so I'll stick with just one beanbag. (Special thanks to the folks at the Monash Club of Jugglers and Fire-twirlers (and other circus stuff) for teaching me how to practice juggling.) Start with one bean bag in one hand. Toss it in a nice arc in front of your eyes to your other hand. Don't do a quick pass from hand to hand- arc it gently to the other hand. Practice this till you can do it without dropping it every time. If you have enough bean bags to give each kid three, and older kids with good hand-eye coordination and attention spans, then juggling is really fun to teach. This blog post is already too long, so I'll save the rest for another time.
Packing up: you could have the kids throw the bean bags into your carry-bag. Make it a strong one though, as the force in a thrown bean bag can rip a plastic shopping bag. Or just get them to put them nicely in the bag.
I haven't answered the question "Why?" yet. I have been asked: "But how does this relate to computers?" The real reason is to get the kid's wiggles out so they can focus while they are on the computer. But, especially at the primary/elementary level, what you are teaching is: to improve their muscle motor skills. They need motor skills so they can move the mouse exactly where they want it, and have nimble fingers for typing. They need to disassociate their hands from their eyes so they understand the concept of touch-typing and master it. Tossing around a bean bag for 5-10 minutes is lots of fun, and is building their muscle motor skills without them even knowing it's teaching them! Plus it really helps them calm down and focus on the task at hand, which is what every teacher wants.
What about you? Are there more beanbag/tossing games that work well with a group of kids? (I'm running out of ideas!) Have you got a cool "teacher trick" like this to share? Drop a comment in the box and let us know!
Education • 4 Comments
April 17, 2008
Posted 2 months, 2 days ago on April 17, 2008 by titanium
As you might have noticed, I've added a little box (called a widget) to the right side of my website, just bellow the calendar. (Click through, RSS readers) This is Skribit.
What's it for? Well, it's so bloggers have a way to beat writer's block, and so readers have an easy way to let the blogger know what they want to read about. They can do this by making new suggestions or by voting for existing suggestions.
Where's it from? Skribit was created as part of a "Startup Weekend", a 54 hour event that gets together a group of people, they come up with an idea for a product (a web based one) and try and launch it. I found out about it via a blog I read- PaulStamatiou.com was one of the participants.
What I expect? I hope this tool will encourage people who read my site to suggest stuff they want me to post about. I tried this sort of idea before, but it was hidden on another page of my blog. Now, with it on the front page, maybe people will be able to interact more. Maybe even other people will adopt skribit on their blogs- that would be cool.
Blog Hacks and Etiquette · Tech • 0 Comments
April 16, 2008
Posted 2 months, 2 days ago on April 16, 2008 by titanium
The state of TV being terrible during the off-ratings summer season, is cured by some nice new DVD's in the Christmas stocking.
But this brings me to my gripe: There are these nice grooved out bits in the DVD case so you can pick up the DVD easily. But these are filled in on the DVD case I got for Christmas. Shocking.
A short gripe draft rescued from the archives.
Randomness · Tech • 0 Comments
April 9, 2008
Posted 3 months, 2 days ago on April 9, 2008 by titanium
I've wanted to get a twitter bar (see just under my site heading/title, rss readers can click through) for a while now, and finally tweaked it to where I'm happy with it- for now. (After wading through scads of CSS code, I settled on a table, boo hiss and all of that.)
Of course, if you notice anything out of the ordinary, borked or not working, please let me know, comments always welcome.
Ooh cool, my 400th post. Yay!
Blog Hacks and Etiquette · Site Stuff · Tech • 0 Comments