Oops! That was not good!

This morning when I made my smoothie I made a mistake and a very important discovery. Do NOT put your rolled oats in the blender with your smoothie. I don't know what I was thinking really. I love the way they taste especially when they soak up the smoothie. Anyway, I blended it all together. The result was a grainy mess. It tasted great! But I felt like I was drinking a glass full of grit. To make matters worse, I added ground flax seed. Today, was my first time doing this. I believe just the flax seed would have been alright.

Strawberry Watermelon Smoothie (REVISED VERSION)

Ingredients:
2 handfuls of spinach
1/2 container of strawberry Greek yogurt
3 cups of watermelon
2 cups frozen strawberries
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp honey
1 heaping Tbsp Flax Seed
1/2 cup rolled oats

Add all ingredients EXCEPT rolled oats to blender and mix thoroughly. Stir in rolled oats and serve.


Tonight, we had breakfast for dinner. This is always a big hit at our house. It probably has something to do with the fact that I never cook in the mornings. Tonight, we had two recipes I found on Pinterest. We had Mini Frittatas and Baked French Toast. I have included the recipes and pictures of our food below. A word about the pictures - These are real pictures of our real food. These aren't the air brushed, wax coated food pictures of magazines.

 

Mini Frittatas 

Ingredients

• 8 large eggs
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• Assorted mix-ins (such as shredded cheese,diced vegetables, and cooked and chopped bacon, ham, or sausage)

• Grated cheese 

I used bacon and cheddar cheese for our mix-in ingredients. I modified the recipe to make 12 frittatas rather than 6, and I used skim milk rather than half-and-half as the original recipe called for at Family Fun Magazine 

Instructions

1.   Heat your oven to 350º F and coat a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.
   
2.   Whisk together the eggs, skim milk, and salt in a medium bowl, then evenly distribute the egg mixture among the muffin cups.
   
3.   Add about 2 tablespoons of mix-ins to each cup, then sprinkle on a bit of Parmesan cheese, if you like.
   
4. Bake the frittatas until they are puffy and the edges are golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. (If necessary, run a butter knife around the edge of each one to loosen them before removing them from the pan.) Makes 12 mini frittatas.
   
   

My husband's breakfast for dinner

Baked French Toast

 Ingredients:

• 1 loaf sourdough  or french bread *I had a package of whole wheat hamburger buns that were getting old so I used them instead. They were wonderful!
• 8 eggs
• 2 cups milk (I used 2%)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1tsp. cinnamon
• 1tsp. nutmeg

Topping:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 stick cold butter, cut into pieces

1.  Grease a 9x13 pan with butter.  Tear bread into bite-size chunks and place evenly in the pan.
2.  Mix together the eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Pour evenly over bread.  Cover tightly and store in the fridge for several hours (I put mine in overnight....it was about 12 hours).
3.  In a medium bowl mix together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.  Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until it all looks nice and crumbly.  Place in a ziploc bag and put in fridge.
4.  When ready to bake, take pan and bag out of fridge.  Remove wrap and cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and evenly sprinkle the crumb mixture over the top.  Bake for an additional 20 minutes at 350 degrees. I like mine to be soft and creamy. If you prefer it to be more done, then cook for 40 minutes before adding topping.

This recipe cam from a pin on Pinterest also from Mormon Mavens in the Kitchen. I have altered it to suit our needs. 

A New Start

Today, well I guess it was actually yesterday since it is now 1:30am, I decided to start a blog to keep up with all of the things going on in my life. With a little help from my youngest daughter, I decided to rename my blog, Hiccups. This was the name of a catering business I had at one time. I thought it would be fitting because we all experience those hiccups in life that keep us on our toes.

One of the things I will be sharing are the recipes I use to make my smoothies each morning. This is NOT an exact science. I mainly just throw a bunch of stuff in the blender. Today's concoction was really good!

Strawberries and Cream Oatmeal Smoothie

Ingredients:
2 handfuls of baby spinach
2 cups of frozen fruit (Today's was a mix of pineapple, strawberries, peaches, and mango.)
1 Container of Strawberry Greek yogurt
About 1/2 -3/4 cup of carrot juice
1 Tablespoon of honey
1 Tablespoon of Lemon Juice
1/4 cup of Organic Old Fashioned Oats

Blend all ingredients except Oats until smooth. Stir oats in and serve. I like my smoothies thick. If you prefer them to be thinner, you could add more carrot juice or skim milk. 

I split today's smoothie with Abbi. She and I both loved it. She especially loved the oats. I actually sprinkled a few extra on the top of her smoothie. She said it was "Yummy!"

Tomorrow, we are going to add ground flax seed to our smoothies.

Are tests the only objective assessments of student learning?

 

Objective test items are defined as items for which the scoring rules are so exhaustive and specific that they prevent scorers from making subjective inferences or judgments. As a result, any scorer marking the items and following the rules should assign the same test score. Objective tests first began being used early in the twentieth century in order to evaluate learning outcomes and predict future achievement. The high reliability and predictive validity of the tests led to the eventual replacement of the essay test (Student assessment,2012).    

The most familiar and frequently used type of objective assessment is an achievement test that measures a student’s understanding. One common misconception is that objective tests are limited to testing specific, trivial, facts. This mainly depends on the skills and effort of the test constructor, rather than the format of the test (Student assessment, 2012).    

So we come to the question, are tests the only form of objective assessment? Some have argued that there is no clear difference between objective and subjective assessments. Their argument is that no assessment is truly objective because all assessments are inherently biased regarding relevant subject matter and content, as well as cultural biases (JISC, 2012). I would also argue that tests are not the only objective form of assessment.    

Because rubrics set forth specific criteria for assessment, define precise requirements for meeting those criteria, and often assign numerical scores to each level of performance, they too provide teachers with an effective, objective method for evaluating student learning that does not generally lend itself to objective assessment methods. Rubrics simplify the assessment process of student work and provide students, parents, and administrators with a clear explanation of how a student’s score was derived. At their very best, rubrics provide students with standards and expectations they can use to evaluate their own performance while completing the assignment and plan for success (Starr, 2000).

Some useful sites for creating and downloading rubrics follow:

·        KathySchrock's Guide for Educators,

·         Rubrics for Web Lessons,

·         S.C.O.R.E. Rubrics

·         www4teachers

·         Rubric Builder

·         Rubistar

·         The Rubricator

References

JISC infoNet - What Do We Mean by e-Assessment?. (2012). JISC infoNet - Promoting good practice, inspiring innovation. Retrieved June 5, 2012, from http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/InfoKits/effective-use-of-VLEs/e-assessment/assess-overview

Starr, L. (2000). Education World: Creating Rubrics: Tools You Can Use . Education World: The Educator's Best Friend. Retrieved June 5, 2012, from http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr248.shtml

Student Assessment | vuDAT (Virtual University Design & Technology). (2012). vuDAT (Virtual University Design & Technology). Retrieved June 5, 2012, from http://vudat.msu.edu/teach/student-assessment

Technology-Infused Classroom

Creating a Technology-Infused Classroom

The technology–infused classroom is student-centered and inquiry-based. The teacher changes to the role of facilitator. Students are allowed to follow their interests and select the tools they prefer while collaborating with others to solve problems. The teacher scaffolds learning and ensures that standards are being met. The internet opens a wide array of choices to students which provides them with many choices regarding their own learning. In a technology-infused classroom, lessons also need to be authentic. The teacher must be mindful that technology is a tool and not the objective of the lesson. Technology is used to change how teachers teach and students learn, and to accomplish tasks that otherwise would not have been possible. 

When planning lessons, the teacher must first identify the curriculum standards and the objectives to be met. Next, the teacher must determine meaningful tasks that motivate students. Also, the teacher must select the technology that supports the tasks and becomes an integral part of the lesson. Real world applications of the standards and the technology tools utilized should be integrated into the lesson. Finally, the students work collaboratively to manage projects, set goals, evaluate progress, secure appropriate resources for learning, and much more. 

Currently, I am striving to create a technology-infused environment in my own classroom. My students are allowed to work in groups, with a partner, or alone. They are utilizing cell phones, iPads, iPods, netbooks, laptops, Kindle Fires, and computers to find solutions to problems. They are also using Google Docs, PowerPoint, and MovieMaker to present information to the class. In addition, students are using digital cameras and editing photos with online software to illustrate key mathematical concepts.  I have an established webpage that contains many useful resources for students, assignments, notes, and pictures of students engaged in learning in our classroom. I am beginning to create “flipped” lessons, establishing a classroom social network, and learning more about student-centered inquiry-based learning environments. This is a work in progress, and it will continually change based on my students’ needs and interests and emerging technology. 

Where are you in your journey toward technology-infusion?

Visual Literacy and the Use of the Internet in the Classroom

 Visual literacy is the ability to create meaning from images and to produce messages which are visual. In the 21^st century we are surrounded by images at all times from artwork, books, videos, pictures, charts, graphs, and signs to things like body language and gestures. Because the brain processes images in the long-term memory, it makes learning with visuals much more meaningful and long lasting.  Visual literacy teaches students to interpret and interact with all kinds of images which promotes critical thinking and engages students in developing new understandings. These skills are necessary in order to be successful in today’s digital age.

The internet provides students with a wealth of opportunities to develop visual literacy. Through the internet students are able to access images that are both visually engaging and interactive in nature. They are also provided with tools to produce and share their own visual images. Sites like Prezi and Tagxedo offer students the opportunity to create exciting visuals. Also, there are many great sources for videos which could help students develop deeper understandings of concepts. BrainPop and Discovery Education are excellent sources for videos. In addition, the internet also links students and teachers to primary documents which could certainly enhance a student’s understanding and appreciation for historical events.

Since beginning this course, I have already begun to make changes to my teaching strategies. I want to continue to make my classroom more student-centered. I would like to incorporate activities that actively engage my students in their own learning. I have already begun to develop graphics and guided notes to assist my students with note taking. I also want to incorporate more group activities and utilize the internet to allow my students more choice in their learning. Currently, my students are working in groups to take pictures of real-world objects and create a math vocabulary book with these pictures. I am hoping to utilize their pictures as a vocabulary word wall in my class next year.

Because so many of my students have access to the internet at home, I would like to expand my use of the internet to include some “flipped” lessons next year. My goal is to post one video at the beginning of each week. Students would have until Friday to watch the video and come to class prepared to discuss and utilize the information from the video. In addition, I would like to incorporate web quests into my instruction next year and involve them in online research projects.

Teaching in the 21st Century: Blog #1

Educators play a significant part in the education of their students.  Today’s students are so diverse that it is essential we use a variety of tools that will engage them in learning. Teachers need to thoughtfully select strategies that will meet the individual needs and learning styles of their students. Using a wide variety of instructional strategies which promote critical thinking and problem solving will help prepare students for the challenges of today’s society. 

In addition, we must utilize technology to prepare our students for life in the 21^st century. Students today live in a digital world.  As educators we must embrace technology and harness its power for our students. We can’t be afraid to try new things. We must embrace change and move forward.

I already use technology in my classroom to enhance my presentations. For example, I use PowerPoint or Smart Notebook software to create guided notes for my students.  I add graphics, videos, and interactive quizzes to the notes whenever possible. I also maintain a website which provides my students and parents with valuable information regarding my class. I would like to utilize more student centered strategies with technology. Hopefully, through this class I will learn more strategies to enhance my teaching.

A Vision of K-12 Students Today

This video will certainly make you think about what we as educators must do to engage digital learners.  Are you ready for 21st century learners?  Will you engage them?