Scavenger Hunt!

The last day of class for the semester was a bit of a treat. We got out of the classroom and got to do a scavenger hunt. This was no ordinary hunt though, it was one from the future with its use of technology. Paper, pens and little items were not in play, but what was being used is the thing that all teachers hate, phones. With the use of smart phones, a senior here at Cortland named Ben Paquette developed an "app" for us to use. The app was downloadable and how it worked was scanning, or taking a picture of a barcode linked with a number would give a clue. The clue was a riddle for us to figure out where in Park Center (the main athletic building on campus) to go to achieve the next clue. Along with the clue came a letter and after finding all the clue, we had to race back to the classroom and desipher the code. On the journey to find each clue, there were some "altercations" with other teams. Friendly none the less, but it got pretty intense when two teams came barring down on one clue. The answer to the riddle was "London 2012." Ben chose this because that is where and when the next Olympics is being held. I thought it was rather clever, and enjoyed participating in the activity. This was a great idea and I expected nothing less when I saw that Ben had put it together. Amazing way to end the semester.

The Technology!

The Happy Faces!

Pre-Natal Gangsters

For a group project we got together and brainstormed some ideas to make a video which incorporates Chapters 5 and 6 from our textbook. Jay-Z is a wellknow rap artist from our generaation so we took the instumentals from one of his big hits and made our own version. Each of my group members and I came up with a few lines of lyrics and pieced together a rap song. Along with the words, we came up with a theme. We were gangster basketball players and whoevers turn it was to sing in the song, they held the basketball. When they were done they would toss the ball out of the frame. We clipped together the skits so that the next person in line to sing was "catching" the pass from the previous rapper. It looks pretty smooth but the best part is the ending. We stood ontop of a garbage can and performed some top of the line dunks. To add more some more drama, we through some slow motion action. Here is the final product, enjoy.

Last Day at St. Mary's

Today was an sad day as we all new it was our last time there at St. Mary's. Im not sure if the students new it was our last day because they did not act any differently nor did I want them to. I wanted a fantastic day and thats exactly what I got. We were back with the oldest group because thats who we were with on the first day. Outside we went and the games of tag took off. It was cold out and I had no jacked, but somehow I was still sweating like I was in the 4th quarter of a football game in August. These kids are extremely witty, they will team together and set you up for a trap to get tagged. I can not count how many times I was out smarted. After loosing about 6 pounds of water weight, we went back into the warm gym to start some games. One of my group members kicked everything off with his game and the students liked it. Then it was time for my game that I wanted to test out for the first time. It was the same rules as soccer, no hands, except instead of using a soccer ball we used a football, a soft one of course. Also when the ball went out of bounds, the students had to throw the ball back in like a quarter back instead of the traditional over-head soccer throw. They started out really energetic but after a little while I spiced it up and moved the goals closer to the center of the court. This gave them to go behind the net and score goals from different angles because to score a goal, the ball just had to hit the goal itself, not enter the net. Then to throw more wrenches into the mix, another college student and I began moving the nets around the court. This really got the kids going because they had to move faster seeing as the net coould be moving away from them. The day was coming to an end and more kids were getting picked up. We got to the closing song/dance and then it was time to say our good-byes. My experience here absolutely helped me grow as an educator. I got the chance to work with different age groups and personalities and i'm glad I did because I now have more knowledge of how to handle the situations they throw at you. I would like to thank the staff of St. Mary's for allowing us to grow within your walls. Also a big thanks to the students who let us influence their lives and more importantly, touched our lives. Maybe one day some of you will stumble upon one of our blogs and see the happyness you have brought us.

Reflection onSt. Mary's Day 5

This day a the elementary school my crew was placed with the youngest group, the pre-K. The second we walked through the door, all of their little eyes lit up with excitment. It was a warming feeling seeing that people that do not even know you can get excited to see your face. I walked right over to a tiny table and sat down in a tiny chair. I might as well have been sitting on the floor, thats how low the seat was. There were three boys at the table with me and they were playing with Lincoln Logs. I never really played with these toys when I was younger so it was something new for me. They were very giving when sat down and began offering me pieces to build my own house. One of the boys had completed a full house with windows and a door and it actually looked real. They are young but very knowledgable and respetful because one boy got up, another reached over to take a piece of his house, and then the third boy said to him " hey thats his house, you shouldn't take it apart without asking." When he said that, my mouth dropped and my heart warmed.

Minutes later we began the craft and it consisted of pine cones and colored paper to make a turkey, flower or whatever the kids wanted. They were suppose to use glue to get the paper to stay on the pinecone, but before instructions were even given, the child sitting next to me picked up a few pieces of paper and crammed them into the pinecone with no glue. He got them to securely stay and said "LOOK!" For the second time that day, my mouth had dropped. I was stunned that these young children had the intelligence to take the initiative and create something with no instructions of how to do it.
My first choice of an age to teach was never for this young of students, but after my first encounter with them, my mind mind change. I absolutely loved being with them because they were just full of joy and energy. If you are having a bad day, I strongly suggest spending some time with them because your attitude with do a full 360 and your bad day with turn great. Another amazing day at St. Mary's.