This Mom Loves Football

 

I admit I enjoy football.

I became enamored with football when I was a child, sitting crossed-leg on the floor in front of the television during a Steelers game.  Terry Bradshaw passed the ball.  It flew through the air in a perfect arch and landed in the arms of a receiver far down field.  It was absolutely magical, unreal, and unforgettable.

During the 1970’s the Steelers were football’s finest, winning four Super Bowls.  Living in a small town along the Rust Belt, not far from Pittsburgh, I could feel the elation for the team’s success permeate everyone in the community.  When the Steelers won, our little town won.  The emotions ran deep, and for me still do.

It is not unusual to find me glued to YouTube watching footage of the Steelers.  My favorites include Troy Polamalu, Mean Joe Greene, and of course Terry Bradshaw.  My favorite play, the one I always go back to, is after a missed Steelers field goal in Super Bowl X, Cowboys safety Cliff Harris mockingly patted the kicker on his helmet and thanked him for "helping Dallas out".  Harris was immediately thrown to the ground by linebacker Jack Lambert.  Talk about sticking up for the members of your team.   I have always wanted someone to stand up for me like that.  Pummel my nemesis right down to the ground.  Lambert's way of tackling is no longer allowed in the NFL.  But I still find footage of him defeating his opponents play after play inspiring.

At times, I can barely watch the Steelers play.  I get too emotional.  I have thrown remotes at the television set in anger and turned cartwheels in the living room in joy.  Even during the times when the Steelers have not been successful I have stayed loyal, watching week after week during the NFL season, waiting and hoping for an incredible Steelers win.

My worst moment as a Steelers fan this year was after the horrific loss to Denver.  One member of my household, who shall remain nameless because he’s a Colt’s fan and they are insignificant, spent the entire evening “Tebowing”.  He’s still not forgiven for that episode of behavior and never will be.

As I anticipate the arrival of Super Bowl XLVI, I feel somewhat agitated knowing there will be no black and gold on the field in Indianapolis.  But I am also relieved that I do not have to watch a potential repeat of last year’s biggest game of the year, when the Steelers lost to the Packers.  Even though a year has gone by, I can barely talk about it.  The weeks following that loss, I yelled at the TV every time a highlight aired.  Yeah, don't mention it.  Just don't.

But I will be watching on Sunday, even without a Steelers appearance.  Of course, I am looking forward to Madonna’s half time show, but more so, I am looking forward to a great game.  You see, football is like life.  Line up, run your play, if you get tackled get up, line up, and try again.  Try not to fumble.  But if you do, send in Lambert and get the ball back.  Then don’t stop until you cross the goal line.

Prompt for February 2, 2012: I admit, I enjoy

Linking up with Found the Marbles, Do Sweat the Small Stuff, and Rock and Drool

photo credit: M Bergman via photopin cc

Wednesday's Woman: Role Models in Educational Technology

You can be sure your child is getting the most out of school by staying informed on the latest educational practices and finding out how they are being implemented within your school district.  Educational technology, a trend coming into the light of mainstream education, is a vital necessity that should be incorporated into every classroom.  Our children's education should include experiences and tools that enable them to become informed, skilled digital citizens.  To raise awareness of technology’s critical role in education, today, February 1, 2012, educators across the country are celebrating the first national Digital Learning Day:

Digital Learning Day

Parents are critically important in ensuring the nation’s schools continue to improve. . . February 1 is just the beginning of a year-round campaign to improve outcomes for students. The potential is endless and it starts with you. Join us in a journey to bring education into the twenty-first century so the nation’s children are prepared for the world that awaits them! 

In accord with Digital Learning Day, Wednesday’s Woman highlights two stand-outs in the field of Educational Technology.

Kathy Schrock has been in the field of Educational Technology  ever since 1995 when she created Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators, an award winning site partnered with Discovery Education. She has worn many hats in the field of education technology including a school district Director of Technology, an instructional technology specialist, an adjunct education professor, and a middle school, academic, museum, and public library librarian.  She currently teaches online graduate courses for Wilkes University and is a world-wide speaker and workshop leader focusing on technology integration in education.

Judy O'Connell is on the Editorial Board of School Libraries Worldwide and on the Advisory Board of Horizon K-12 Project.  Her website, Hey Jude: Learning in an Online World, is beneficial to not only educators, but also to parents.  You’ll find information on the latest trends in educational technology with reflection on how to keep students, not technology, at the center of learning.  Judy O'Connell also keeps us up to date in supporting student's development of digital citizenship on Facebook at Digital Citizenship in Schools.

Because of their contributions to educational technology, 

Kathy Schrock 

and

Judy O’Connell 

share this week’s 

Wednesday’s Woman.

{This is the third article in my new series, Wednesday’s Woman.  Each week I will feature a story of an inspiring woman.  Last week I featured Jill Sterishevsky, author, lawyer, and advocate for victims of child sexual abuse.  If you know of someone who should be featured, please let me know!}

photo credit: Dan Zen via photopin cc

Monday Listicles: 10 Songs That Best Describe My Life

Music has always been a part of my life. As a child, I heard it in every house—my own, my grandparents, my great aunts and uncles.  I spent hours in the kitchen dancing around to records chosen by my mom who listened to music while doing chores.  My dog, Sandy, would jump and chase, trying to catch the end of my nightgown with her teeth.  The song selection included an eclectic mix of artists: Hank Williams, Buddy Holly, Bobby Vinton, Leonard Bernstein, Gershwin, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, soundtracks from Walt Disney Movies, The Doors, Ann-Margaret, Emmy Lou Harris, Etta James. . .the list is endless.  No genre was ignored--classical, jazz, rock n' roll, polka, show tunes, and country.

When I was three years old, I attended my older sister’s dance recital, and instead of sitting in my seat, I danced in the aisle.  My mom enrolled me in dance lessons the next term.  Where there are dance lessons, there is music.  I danced all of my childhood and was eventually involved in Community Theater.  After high school, I wanted to escape to New York City and become a Broadway star.  However, the voices of practicality won, and I went to college.  But I majored in dance.   

I had a brief career as a professional dancer with a regional company.  But like most professionals in the world of the arts, I spent most of my time waiting tables in restaurants and night clubs.  Chicago was my town and live music was at my disposal.  There was one show I had tickets for but skipped because I was tired from working the lunch shift at Giordano’s Pizza and the night shift at Excalibur Night Club.  I had a feeling I would regret it, but thought, “Eh, they will come around again.”  But it wasn’t so.  Nirvana was short lived.

The Dave Matthews Band was an obsession that took me to 25 of their concerts.  It was somewhat similar to the obsession I had with Prince when I was a sophomore in high school.  Although I never saw him live, I listened to nothing but Prince for an entire year.  My mom was worried and tired of hearing her teen daughter listening to such provocative music, so one day she said, “We are going to the mall and you can pick out any record you want, as long as it’s not Prince.”  I chose Sting’s “The Dream of the Blue Turtles.”

After my divorce, I devoured music.  I searched for new bands on MySpace regularly and became interested in roots music, especially bluegrass.  I also went to my first music festival, Bonnaroo.  Pearl Jam headlined and I fought my way to the front with my man, whom I coincidentally met on MySpace while searching for music. 

Today, I continue to listen to an eclectic mix of music and choosing ten songs that best tell the story of my life is a daunting task.  I fear I will leave something out that is of significance.  Even so, music has always been there for me, an escape.  And I can’t resist this tribute, if you will, to something I am immensely grateful for, and without it, I would be someone else entirely.

10 Songs That Best Tell the Story of My Life

1. Ann-Margaret, Bye-Bye Birdie Reprise  
2. Soundtrack from Lady and the Tramp, The Siamese Cat Song
3. Lawrence Welk, Pennsylvania Polka
4. Linda Ronstadt, Love is a Rose
5. Johnny Cash, Ring of Fire
6. West Side Story (movie), Dance at the Gym  
7. Nirvana, Sliver
8. Fiona Apple, Extraordinary Machine 
9. The Avett Brothers, Kick Drum Heart
10. Pearl Jam, Who You Are

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Save It for Later Saturday: Teens on Google+, Early Ed, and Picnik

In Save It for Later Saturday you’re getting a brief run-down of the stand-outs from my week's "Read Later" list.  This week, please replace the word Saturday with Monday.  I took the weekend off and watched movies while lounging on the couch with my dogs.  Don’t you love January?  You’ll love the best of my “Read Later” list from Diigo.

There are plenty of opinions on teens and social media.  In Driving Online Without a License I outlined my own opinion and experience with introducing Facebook to my daughter.  In short, I think that teens should use social media. But, just as parents set guidelines for social behavior when teens leave the house, guidelines must be set for social online behavior.  One way to create boundaries for online behavior is to establish rules for content sharing. Last week, Google announced that Google+ will now be open for teens ages 13-18 and created a different set of safety features for the age group.  I recommend going through the privacy settings on Google+ with your teen as she sets up her account.  Any interaction you have with your teen while she is online enhances her media literacy skills, her knowledge of online etiquette (netiquette), and provides opportunities for discussing what is deemed appropriate to share.  You can explore Google+ Features for teens in the Google+ Safety Center, download A Parent's Guide to Google+ from ConnectSafely.org, or read an in depth article by Larry Magid at Huffington Post.  

Speaking of teens, during last week’s State of the Union Address, President Obama proposed that in order to decrease the high school dropout rate, states should require students to attend high school until they graduate or turn 18 (currently only 21 states have this as a requirement).  Increasing graduation rates is good for the economy and I am for anything that helps kids stay in school.  However, as Henry M. Levin and Cecilia E. Rouse point out in the New York Times, the answer to school completion lies in quality early learning.  Additionally, researchers are discovering that early learning is significant to living a successful life beyond one’s school career.  If you are interested in finding out your state’s policy on early education, you can find information in the NAEYC's State Early Care and Education Public Policy Developments: Fiscal Year 2012.

Another announcement came from Google last week that may have upset more than a few.  The popular photo editing tool, Picnik, will no longer be available.  Fear not.  David Byrne, at Free Technology for Teachers offers a great list of alternatives including, FlauntR, GooEdit, and more.  You can find a complete list of Google product changes here.

See you next Saturday.

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Valentine's Day Coupons

In December, I somewhat begrudgingly wrote about the tradition of gift giving during the holidays and shared that I would be going the DIY route and giving my girls coupons.  Not the kind of coupons that provide discounts at retailers, but the kind that can be redeemed for tokens or gestures of love from me.  Of course, they were a hit.

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, and the gift budget yet to be fully recovered, I thought it would be fitting to share these simple, but always well-received, tokens of love that you can give to your kids, spouse, baby sitter, or even a teacher.  Simply come up with something you are willing and able to do for the recipient, grab your computing device and printer, and you’re good to go.  To create the coupons below I used Microsoft PowerPoint Templates and in the past have used Microsoft Word templates.  Very easy. Meaningful. Inexpensive. Priceless.

 

More DIY gift ideas at Pinterest.