Newtown, CT

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 The events of Friday, December 14, 2012 has left an impact on all of us whether we realize it or not.  As a teacher I find myself thinking of what I would do in this situation.  I can honestly say that I don't know.  Each school whether it be a pre-school or a college has various situational protocols that they are supposed to follow.  My school is no different.  To think that a school has to have a plan of emergency in case of a shooter is mind boggling.  But realisitcally, if it were to happen when I'm around all protocol would probably be thrown out the window.  Each situation is different.  You can plan and plan and plan, but until you are put in that situation you will not know how your reaction will be.  I teach adults but my love for my students is just as strong as the love that a kindergarten teacher has for his or her students.  I know my students.  I know their husbands, wives, girlfriends, boyfriends.  I know about their troubled pasts.  I know about their kids and their grandkids.  I know that they are all here to try and make themselves a better future.  We have emergency drills at the school and we joke about them, but the truth is that these drills could in fact become very, very real.  That scares me.

Today I go back to work. I go back to my normal day.  I go back to doing the same things I did last week before Friday happened.   I worry about problems that seem significant to me, and yet in the grand scheme of things my problems seem mundane to those who just lost a child.   The worst part is that it could happen again.  We've seen shootings at middle schools, high schools, colleges, and now elementary schools.  It will happen again.  There is nothing that I can do to change that.  I'm helpless, powerless.  The fact that this will happen again is difficult to accept. What do we do as a society to not feel helpless and powerless?  How can we make school a safe place to go? I'm not sure if there is a right answer to those questions.  Each of us has our own ideas or opinions, but that doesn't necessarily make them right or wrong.  My heart grieves for the families and friends of those who were taken too early last Friday.  May the friends and families of the victims find peace someday with the tragedy that took away their loved ones.

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I suck...

Pin It I seem to be the type of person to get excited about doing something and then blah...I run out of steam.  The excitement is short lived and suddenly gone.  That's why my last blog post was September 7, 2012 and today is December 16, 2012.  Maybe being busy played a role in not blogging? Maybe it was pure laziness? Maybe it was just because I suck. 

Well I'm back now.  And I plan to keep on blogging.  And....I also am having my students blogging so what kind of teacher would I be if I made them do it and I didn't do it myself? Hmmm - I would say I'd be a sucky one.  Now you are probably wondering what has been going on in my life for the past 3 months, huh?  Let me tell you!

A little less than 3 months ago I turned 35 and a good friend of mine told me that I had hit middle age. I laughed it off, but I'm starting to see that she jinxed me. Since I've turned 35 I've been to the chiropractor once, the dentist twice (check up and cavity), the eye doctor three times (can't get contacts to fit on my eye right), my family doctor four times, the emergency room and a general surgeon. I've had a chronic sinus infection for 2 months. I'm now put on a stronger antibiotic that does not agree with me and will be taking it for the next month. Oh...and to top it off I have a useless gallbladder that needs to come out. That is my bitch and my rant for the week. Thank you all :)
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Munzee!

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Ever see a code like this or a similar one? If you have a smartphone, then I bet you've scanned one before.  Some companies use them to promote their products or give you more information.  Munzee is another outdoor game similar to geocaching but this time you use your smartphone to scan for points.  Yep, there's an app for it too! Check out the website and download the app.  Then scan the munzee on this page to score your first points and get your first MUNZEE (compliments of the support site)! Some areas of the United States have more munzees deployed than others but if you travel, it's a quick way to score some points and see some sites.  I've learned through munzeeing that most munzees are on telephone poles, or sides of buildings, but definitely not in the direct wide open.  And most that I've scanned don't have the green border around them either.  In fact some munzees are virtual, which means that there isn't a bar code to scan.  Instead you have to be within about 300 feet of a landmark to "capture" and score the points.  

This summer while at a geocaching event I ran into a man who was munzeeing.  Turns out he was ranked pretty high in points for the game.  In fact, he was within the top three in the world.  I just checked my app and now I see he's in the top 30.  Me? Um....I'm on level 6 and the top player is on level 101. About a month ago there were only 3 munzee's in my area.  A month later there are now 9.  The adventure is growing....one munzee at a time.

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Geocaching in Education

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I've recently started geocaching and I'm sure some of you are sitting there saying "what is geocaching?".  It's basically a treasure hunt, but keep in mind you aren't really finding valuable treasures, you're finding knickknacks (or swag) left by other cachers and then leaving some in the container for others to find.  What do you need to start? GPS coordinates to a cache and a way to map yourself to it - like a smartphone.  I started caching with my smartphone and the Geocache App.  Over the last few months I have increased my caching supplies to include a hydration pack (when I hike), handheld GPS, hiking shoes, headlamp for night caches, pepper spray, pens, and my own swag to leave behind.  There are a ton of caches hidden where you don't need the hiking supplies but I have decided to mix in some exercise with caching.  

So what does this have to do with education? Let's think outside the box for a bit.  Education isn't what it used to be.  Students don't just sit there and listen to lectures.  They like to multitask and geocaching allows students to use critical thinking skills.  They read maps, perhaps even calculate how far they've walked, and maybe there could be another puzzle to solve to find another cache that is hidden.  Teachers are now teaching in an era where cross-curriculum is an important part of education.  Geocaching is one of those topics that is definitely considered to be cross-curricular.  Geography - the topography of the land.  Math - change in altitude, distance traveled. English - write about your experience. Physical Education - the hike or walk.  History - create caches around your school that contain information about the topic you are studying.  The possibilities are endless!

And what if you don't teach? Education is still important to children AND adults.  This summer I did some geocaching that turned out to be not only fun, but also educational.  I spent a couple hours at Prince Gallitzin State Park in Pennsylvania and completed 8 caches that were all educational - I learned about animals.  These caches were part of Ranger Rick's Trails who has caches set up all over the county - perhaps there is a set of caches near you.

Want more information about Geocaching and Education? Check out the link on Geocaching.com! Happy Caching!

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