Summer School Day 11: Last day fo NASA PSTI Summer school

Friday June 25, 2010

I was up all but 2 hours last night. I have learned not to this any more.  I sent the wrong version of the radar gram in early this morning. Then later I made the ending video too long by clicking FULL length in place of MAGIC movie.

We said good-bye .  24  strangers come together, create a team, make some friends build everlasting memories.  This has been like a whole school year compressed into 12 days. NASA Ames almost seems like a dream...a nice dream . I am so glad I made the videos.

I have learned a lot too. I have come away from, this with knowledge of creating YouTube videos, a few neat little techie programs, and the realization that I really enjoy working with adult students and will do more in the future.

SATURDAY MORNING UPDATE:
Partial Lunar eclipse this morning at 4.  I SLEPT THROUGH IT. I've begun the process of catching up on sleep.

Summer School, Day 7: Solstice, star party, and up too late for a good cause

I got back to my room at 12:57 AM.

Kendia and I suggested we do a dessert potluck and then a star party (telescope viewing) and moon observation.

We met at the Dorm about 7:17 pm and I made Virgin Pina Colada's, Mai Tai, and Margarita's.

I set up two telescopes and binoculars for a waxing gibbous Moon (more than half lit and getting bigger) observation. Venus was bright and also in gibbous phase.  About 10 the party was winding down but a few faithful stayed longer and got great views of the moon.

Then about 11 pm I realized Saturn was up and enjoyed the "Oh my gosh, it really does have rings". I love that comment, it is just the pure joy of discovery.

Some students from Singularity University program/reception came walking through over the next 2 hours. I had amazing talks with Jordan and Joe who work in the fluid dynamics lab and we talked about rocket fuel, hybrid fuel , droplet analysis and ROCKET SCIENCE   OH MY GOSH I'M AT A NASA FACILITY AND AND HAVE CASUAL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ROCKET SCIENCE WITH INTERNS WHILE STAR GAZING WAH HOOOO!

One pair of students , Justin from Canada and Tigest (teh-jist)  from Ethiopia (I think)  were really stoked about the Moon and Saturn  and stayed out their for 2 hours.(pictured in the photo)

These two were fun. Back from a formal party/reception they were so appreciative and enthusiastic about the 'scopes and viewing that it was a joy staying out 2 hours past bedtime. Funny, they said I complementary things about me. We were all caught in neat moment, Tigest kept saying how sleep would be totally awesome with the visions of the moon and Saturn still in her minds eye (paraphrase).  Justin and I got in discussion about DNA testing (he is a biotech guy from...let me look at his card...HOLY FRINGGN COW...from Cambridge...England...Newton went there..wow..oh he got to look through my (school's) Newtonian Telescope...how perfect.
And that's what this night was..long..but PERFECT.   (moon photo taken by me by holding an old SONY Mavica 3.5 floppy disk camera to the eyepiece...SINUS IRIDIUM -Bay of Rainbows)

I am so impressed with all the college students, from Fresno to Cambridge, you are our Future and you are looking bright.  I'm glad you got see some heavenly objects tonight because tonight YOU WERE MY SHINING STARS.  Thank you!

YouTube Video of the LATE STAR PARTIERS

Summer School: Day 6: RAFT teacher supply store and FUN FUN FUN BLAH BLAH BLAH

Friday June 19, 2010
I arrived back to Moffett field after a 24 hour trip to Fresno to see the STAR WARS In-Concert tour.

NASA Ames PSTI 2010 Day 6 YouTube video- RAFT (science) teacher supply store-you gotta see this, no matter who you are.

Photo caption: Me and colleague Jim  Feramisco...or 3 big _______.

I missed  a lot while gone.  FLUID DYNAMICS TOUR  and  a social event BBQ. I enjoyed the concert but I feel like I really missed out on a couple of special things while gone.

We went to the Teacher Supply store RAFT. It's like a COSTCO meets the DOLLAR store and its for teachers.

My biggest challenge is trying to stay focu-SQUIRREL-sed on one thing at a time. My brain is filled with input and ideas and its a really cool time.


SNAPS to the GO GREEN team, and all the teams, for your hard work but remember this:

In the end , you are doing a 50 min lab for 12 year olds, be upbeat, do your thing, MAKE SURE THEY HAVE A HANDS ON THINGY to do, and mostly ENJOY IT, HAVE FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN. Ya, standards are important blah blah blah but if the students check out on the lesson they are not getting the standard. Also, let them know if they follow directions AND HAVE FUN they will get a surprise!  This in not coercion, its motivation!

Also, that one kid you will have in your class that cannot focus and can hardly maintain him/her self, let them wear one of the yellow suits!

Summer School: Day 5: Off to a galaxy far far away!

NASA Ames PSTI (Pre-Service Teacher Institute)

Up later than I meant to last night. Just not enough hours in the day.

In my session this morning I introduced the Jing capture tool. A few students could not get from the tutorial to the program. This bugs me. Especially when I don't know why it works on one computer and not the next. Most likely its the operating system , but my knowledge of this part of TECH in GREEK TO ME.

NASA AMES PSTI 2010 DAY 5.1 Short Sample FLIP Video made this morning as a demo.

Yesterdays video now available on Day 4 (previous) Blog entry.

I demonstrated how to create and quick edit, create, and publish to YouTube a Flip Video.

I shared  Jeopardy power points. Students opted to learn about MOVIE MAKER and not Excel formula creation (duh, like this really needed a vote, I mean do you want to go fly in an airplane or learn how to bleed the airplanes brake fluid lines*). Kendia Herrington did the presentation (sorry, I just dropped that on you at the last minute). I am so glad she jumped at the opportunity, she did a FANTASTIC JOB!

I left at this point (10ish) and headed for home and to the Star Wars In-Concert at the Save Mart Center.

Star Wars In-Concert was really nice.

The photo is (blurry sorry) Composer John Williams original hand written sheet music for STAR WARS. It was like I was looking at the Constitution or something.  This is in tribute to my colleague, a principal, a music teacher, and all around amazing person and fellow instructor: Felicia  Bessent

*I would choose both actually

I hope this helps.

Love to Teach, and Teach with Passion!

It’s not Magic, It’s Science!

RichardKinney@cusd.com
 
http://qp.clovisusd.k12.ca.us/rey_kinney

Summer School: Day 3:Team Patches and Tours

 NASA Ames PSTI Day 3.1 YouTube Video Bienvenidos and Review
NASA Ames PSTI Day3.2 Virtual martian rover (in the virtul control tower)
 NASA Ames PSTI Day 3.3 YouTube Video NASA Educator websites preview
 NASA Ames PSTI Day 3.4 YouTube Video Team Patch Presentations
 NASA Ames PSTI Day 3.5 YouTube Video AEE center tour.  (short version)

Photo: I went a little crazy at the gift shop. Sent this pic to my wife with a message of "Here's what 96 bucks looks like", BUT I made a typo and put 960 bucks" This got me an immediate phone call, she was worried that I  bought two Zeppelin NT tickets too.

8:44 pm: Oh my goodness. What a wonderful day. We Reflected on yesterday, got focused on the lesson the students will present, enjoyed and amazing tour of the Air Traffic control tower simulator (this was amazing!), gifto shop (I lost $100 bucks!), reviewed NASA educator websites (it was pretty neat, I was worried about the Ho Hum factor), Presented team Patches, visited an moratorium, and then Kendia and I did some RECON to find a Dry Ice Supply and TACO BELL.

Now I have 110 video clips (90 min) to make into movies. Will update later. Bye for now.

10:54pm: made 4 movies, 1 to go. Previewed the Dr. Harry Wong DVD. We need to watch this, it is so important for these future teachers to see this, it may change their (professional) life as it did mine. Okay, back to the FlipVideo editor.

11:30 pm: Videos made. I'm so tired.  Not enough time in the day!

2:01 am: Just uploaded to YouTube . Hey my Google doc works.

I hope this helps.

Love to Teach, and Teach with Passion!

It’s not Magic, It’s Science!

RichardKinney@cusd.com
 
http://qp.clovisusd.k12.ca.us/rey_kinney

Summer School: Week 1 Day 2: Intro to Blogging

NASA Ames PSTI 2010 Day 2 YouTube video

I was up too late last night messing around with the video's. IT WAS WORTH IT!

Had a beautiful morning and breakfast, both with glorious hanger 1 in constant view. See photo.

We asked the students to create Google accounts and begin a Blog. The following is what we asked them to do answer daily:
What challenges did you work on today
-I introduced Blogging to 22 of 24 students. We will use this as a method of daily evaluations.
Individual Achievement
Learning to make Flip videos and uploading to YouTube has been a goal for about 3 years, I can check those off my list.
Group achievement
Interacting with my 3 fellow teachers to make a worthwhile day. I am mentor for TEAM GREEN.
Plus/Delta's 
I enjoyed: the discussions amongst the groups and the really nice nearby cafe and nice people that work there.
I'd like to change my presentation style , its a little too A.D.D.
Snaps (cool things about your team members)
I like Felicia's calm manner, I like Lena's memory clues to Vertical and Horizontal, I like Sharon always taken care of us and being a great photographer, I like the team of Steve and Anne, and I appreciate the back up of Mariceli, and Kendia-don't get me started on her...she's my alter self. 
Coolest thing you learned/heard/saw today.
Seeing the initiative of the groups working on their team patch designs.
Also I learned that answering these questions is not easy, it makes my brain work!
Quote of the day:
"You should eat science as much as possible" -Kendia Herrington while running a lab on asteroid types using different kinds of treats.

                     Photo: P-3 Orion Anti-sub patrol aircraft. I like my wife and kids but I love airplanes!

I hope this helps.

Love to Teach, and Teach with Passion!

It’s not Magic, It’s Science!

RichardKinney@cusd.com
 
http://qp.clovisusd.k12.ca.us/rey_kinney

Summer School: Week 1 Day 1: NASA Ames PSTI 2010

 NASA Ames PSTI 2010 (Pre-Service Teacher Institute)

Ice Breaker!  YouTube Video
Post Dinner Staff Self Walking Tour  Walk YouTube Video
Oh my goodness this is too cool!

Sunday June 23, 2010
Left Clovis at 9:40 am. Arrived Moffett Field 1:05 and barely late for the welcome and intro.

Oh my goodness this is too cool!
 They are adults, I'm use to 8th graders. This is so weird, I am now on the other side of summer science academies, I'm an instructor. When did I get this darn old : )

Team building was totally cool , lots of smiles and cool vibes. groovy

Interesting noises in the reception lounge, sounds like a dentist working on King kong's molars with jack hammers and saws-alls. Either a/c issues or reconstruction happening down stairs, but I saw no construction workers. I think the building is a transformer (NAS-APTA-TRON, hoping it's an autobot and not a deciptacon) and we were actually in its stomach!

Neat problem solving activity, congress, up the hill, top of the hill, and over the hill were the groups and the task was: "choose me to go to space".

I am very much looking forward to working with, and getting to know, the students.

Kendia and I jumped in to do the Team name and Logo intro. Fun.

Went to dinner at THE FISH MARKET, With Steve, Anne, Felicia , Sharon and Kendia. What a fun group, and nice people. Smoked salmon and albacore. (I mean I ate the fish, not rolled it and lit it and inhaled it) Mmm.

Came back and took a walk. See the YouTube video.
12:24 Go To Sleep!

Quote of the day: "Man, I'm glad I was skinny back then"


Thought of the day: thank-you students for emanating joyful laughter. 

I hope this helps.

Love to Teach, and Teach with Passion!

It’s not Magic, It’s Science!

RichardKinney@cusd.com
 
http://qp.clovisusd.k12.ca.us/rey_kinney

Week 38, Day 5: Last Day

Odd schedule, half day, talent show schedule.

A quiet calm last day. It was not hot, and more than usual absences, those factors may have made it calmer.

This photo is a blast from the near-past.I love the look and body language, relaxed and full of beginning-of-the-year energy. Summer brings that back to us teachers.

I did not participate in the talent show this year. Worry about the summer school class I will help teach, having to get my room cleaned up this week (normally I do it the Monday after school is out), and trying to get the home honey-do list completed, and trying to get as many of my failing students passing(More of those this year, it bothers me) made it too much. .  Usually I have 1 or 2 fail and that usually due to many absences. I had about 10 this year.

I did win an award, for the 4th year in a row, WILDEST 8TH GRADE TEACHER. That was nice but I really feel it should have been my colleague Grace Bennett (the spider lady).

Well I did it.  Blogged for a whole school year. A blog that almost no one reads. Oh well, Like much of my teaching, this was about trying to help colleagues.

I will post a few more times over the summer to give updates about my summer school class at NASA Ames.

I hope this helps.

Love to Teach, and Teach with Passion!

It’s not Magic, It’s Science!

RichardKinney@cusd.com
 
http://qp.clovisusd.k12.ca.us/rey_kinney

Week 38, Day 3: Waiting for the end, Looking for a change.

Odd block schedule:
Signing yearbooks and watching movies. DELUGE. It's an amazing documentary about water. It gets the kids attention.
I've got to get my room cleaned up. 4 days 'till I start the two week teaching position at NASA Ames. Two weeks in the Bay area. Normally the last week of school is free and easy. This year it's a bit more intense due to getting ready for the next two weeks

Looking back over this year I need to slow down my teaching pace and work on being kinder and gentler. My work persona is kind of like "Grumpy uncle Richard". I want to change this.

I hope this helps.

Love to Teach, and Teach with Passion!

It’s not Magic, It’s Science!

RichardKinney@cusd.com
 
http://qp.clovisusd.k12.ca.us/rey_kinney

Week 38, Day 1, Last week of school

Odd block schedule, modified for assembly schedule. Wild California video and catch up reading passage about calculating the speed of light.

The IMAX DVD Wild California is worth it's weight in gold. The kids learn some environmental science and see some beautiful views of sky diving, snowboarding, Sequoia tree climbing, baby Sea Otter rehab, Golden Gate Bridge views, Endangered species Eagle chick restoration and all of this to the music of Fleetwood Mac.
The kids love this show.
This is my fall back lesson when I have to cover a class. Due to the shorter periods I could not do the roller coaster lab I planned.

We had a fire drill this afternoon at our school and we did not hear the alarm "chirps" in my room. I did know about it until the principal announced on the all call system that all was clear.

Mr Scott Case, math teacher, had the school yearbook dedicated to him. He is very deserving of this award.

One week from today I will be on day 2 of my summer teaching job at NASA Ames in Mountain view.

I hope this helps.

Love to Teach, and Teach with Passion!

It’s not Magic, It’s Science!

RichardKinney@cusd.com
 
http://qp.clovisusd.k12.ca.us/rey_kinney

Week 28, Day 4: GOT THE JOB working with NASA.

Even block schedule today. Chemistry notes-Brainiac alkali video.

I GOT THE JOB WORKING AT NASA AMES THIS SUMMER FOR 2 WEEKS AS THE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER!  THEY LIKE MY WEBSITE AND THOUGHT I WOULD BE GOOD ON THEIR STAFF.  YIPPIEE

Students took the Periodic quiz and then the great wizzard Kinninium visited class and demanded the students pay me 1 of their Cows, half of their chickens, and every-other-one of their sheep or I, great wizzard Kinninium , would turn their well water into the Blood of the Devil!

This was done with phenolphthalein indicator mixing with dilute base to turn a flash red (okay...pretty pink) and then back to clear with a little vinegar added. I then let the kids do the acid base swirl too.-chem notes-brainiac alkali-rockets and play at lunch.

I humh out at lunch today with some students and we built rocket and gondola models.  Fun.

Science fair awards afterwords in the evening.  I graded papers while waiting for news on my one student up for an award.  Her name is Casey and her goal is to go to state Science Fair every year.  She has success for year 3.  She made it.  I am very happy for her and proud of her too.

I hope this helps,
Love to Teach, and Teach with Passion!
It's not Magic, It's Science!

richardkinney@cusd.com

http://qp.clovisusd.k12.ca.us/rey_kinney

Week 28, Day 3: Applying for a 2 week summer jobe with NASA

Odd schedule today. Open House last night. County Science Fair judging this week

Had a headache today, not bad, just there. 

Did some chem bonding notes and Finished Hindenburg video... this took forever to get through. Collected the student periodic tables. they are sooo cute when the use the picture of them as little kids.

Dept meeting this morning,  we gave our wish list of prep period for next year and we found out which of our kids made it to the interview levels of the sci fair.

After school I went to the Science Fair venue after school to pick up the projects that did not advance. Nice to see old friends there(they were doing final judging) and to have a quick dinner with my wife.

I have applied for a 2 week summer job helping pre-service teachers get some experience using NASA website activities in Math and Science.  Location will be at the NASA AMES research facility in the Bay Area near Mountain View at Moffett field.
I have been riding my bike to and from school the past week. This due to no rain and our car needs a head gasket repaired.
Headache gone by end of American Idol...I grade to while listening.

I hope this helps.

Love to Teach, and Teach with Passion!

It’s not Magic, It’s Science!

RichardKinney@cusd.com
 
http://qp.clovisusd.k12.ca.us/rey_kinney