Relief

I can't believe it. I can't believe I finished and have turned in my last official paper of the semester. I do not even know how I got here but I am soooo glad that I did. All I have to do is show up for class tomorrow and Wednesday and that is it... and finish off the week with my kiddos. Can't wait until 3pm Friday. I have been constantly confronted with various challenges this semester, health as well as work related issues to name a few... but I found a way to work through them and get to the end. I feel relieved!!!

Countdown

Three more weeks.

It is basically an even trade. I work hard and finish the school trimester right (I am referring to work) and I work just as hard and finish my first semester as a doc student. If I can do that for three more weeks, I earn a three week vacation.

In future vacations I will probably have to focus on more scholarly work and completing other tasks, but this one vacation, this first vacation, I will not. I have earned it and it is my right to enjoy it and do absolutely nothing, if that is what I choose to do.

It has not been easy. But I made it. It has been a difficult road, but I have grown from it. I have learned more about myself and grown more confident in my abilities.


Looking forward to next semester, however I need a little bit of a rest before I begin.. but first

Time to get back to this semester.

Harry Potter Premiere Tonight

Wooohooo.. Finally.. I'm soooo excited. Enough said!

Can't Wait

Thanksgiving is around the corner.. can't wait for those few days off and time with the fam.

Next weekend will be a nice long 4 day, I will get some extra sleep, but I have 2 papers to write....

Girls night tomorrow, looking forward to it, but I have a paper due next Wednesday looming over me.

Lakers game this past Sunday was tons of fun. Just what I needed to get through the week. Thanks love.


Still hanging in there... things at work still stressful as ever, but my kiddos are amazing, they make it all worth it.

School is demanding. Intriguing but demanding. Sounds like next semester will be just as taxing. I am just trying to get through this one. Can't believe I'm doing this! hahaha..

Hanging in there

Apologies for the lack of updates.

However, I have found myself short on time.

I have been doing what I can to hang in there. I just finished my 6th week. I can not believe it has already been 6 weeks, however I feel like it has been 6 months.

As time pushes on, so do the responsibilities.

I am still really enjoying my classes at Chapman. They are interesting and I am learning a lot. The commute is not as bad as I thought it would be, however paying for the gas is :(.

I love my kiddos, however work has continued to be difficult, stressful, and exhausting.

Life has gotten a little complicated. Again, I'll keep on chugging along.

Miss the fam. and spending time with the love too.

I wont be home until Thanksgiving, that is a LONG time from now, but will hopefully be here before I know it. Unfortunately, the following week the final draft of my 40-50 page lit review is due, so I don't know how much of a break I will really get until Christmas break.


Okay time to get back to my readings, then to bed, and finally sleep in a bit, I hope.


***P.s Happy Birthday my Tia Ophie (10.8) You are loved and missed.

Happy Birthday Grandma

Happy Birthday Grandma. I love you very much. You are dearly missed. Thank you for being one of my guardian angels from heaven and always taking care of me. I hope I have made you proud and that I continue to make you proud today. You always spoiled me and filled me with love growing up, I continue to carry that love with me every day. You also made me feel special and like the most beautiful girl in the world growing up. I still carry that with me today. Miss you.

Sick

It only took 3 weeks in for me to get sick ... that might just be a new record. Oh well, have to keep chugging along, sick or not!

This should make the next week more interesting. Just an other challenge to overcome. I can't remember when is the last time I have had my medicine cabinet this stocked!

2 weeks

I have made it through 2 weeks. Not sure how, but I have a feeling that is what I am always going to say as the weeks go by. Again, school is great, but work is hard. However, I think I will soon have a resolution for work too. I just have to change my mind on how I approach things, change the way I run my classroom... and well just try something drastically different. It is going to take a lot of effort and planning to make this happen, however, I have a great support system at work, and I know I can do this, and I will do this. I will be a better teacher for it and I'm excited to make these changes.

School, I am loving every minute of it. Although the readings and assignments are going to be start becoming more burdensome as the weeks go by, I enjoy the challenge. I enjoy looking at things differently and thinking outside the box a bit.

Thanks for those that have been really supportive and sending me good thoughts and kind words.


My love: Well I kind of do now how I have gotten through the past couple weeks, thanks for making me smile and laugh when all I really have wanted to do is cry!

"Hay mas tiempo que vida" ~~~~ Made all the difference in the world!

Half way through

The week is half way over... and I am EXHAUSTED. It is going to be a while before I get used to this new school and work routine. Oddly enough, work is much more stressful than school is.. I have really enjoyed my first two evenings at class, this is something that I am doing for me, and it is in my field of interest. I really am looking forward to the information we are learning through the Disability Studies course... when I have some time I have to post the You Tube video that was presented to us in class by our professor.

Okay time for bed!!!

Intro to my 1st UNOFFICIAL paper for Chapman.

Part of my summer assignment

It is a work in progress, but here it goes

My entire life has led to this culminating point at Chapman University. The inspiration to become an expert knowledgeable in the field of disability studies has been drawn from various points of my own life.  Deciding to pursue my doctorate in education, with an emphasis in disability studies was not a decision taken lightly. This decision was made after years of contemplation and careful thought on how a doctorate can help me in my field, and what I believe I could contribute in return. It is through thorough reflection of my own life and of the brief interactions that I have already experienced at Chapman, that I have carefully conceptualized the contributions I hope to make in my field.

Countdown: 2 more days

This is it... I have two more days before my life of oranized chaos begins.

This should give you an idea of how exhausted I was from this week ------> I went to bed at SEVEN PM LAST NIGHT and woke up at 7:15am this morning. WOWWWWW. That is a first!!!! Who goes to bed at 7pm on a Friday night? This might be the first of many! It was an ideal evening for me!

I am working on a paper for Chapman right now that is due tomorrow and I spent the entire week diligently working on the preparation of my classroom for the upcoming year. I have already had several challenges to overcome and stressful situations to consider and figure out how I will manage them in my classroom. I will begin the year with ELEVEN students. For a classroom for children with Autism, this might prove to be a difficult feat, but one that I know I will be able to manage. I will also begin with 7 adults in the classroom, another difficult task to be able to manage & coordinate, however this is also an other task I know I will be able to manage due to the carefully thought out structure and organization of my classroom.

So, ready or not... here we go. My classroom is set.

My love: There are no words for the gratitude and appreciation I feel for everything you have done for me this week. I NEVER would have gotten through this week or completed everything I needed to do if it was not for your help. Everything you did was VERY important to the structure and success of my classroom. Thank you!

Vacation is OVER

As I look at my clock I realize that it is now past 11pm and I am still frantically working to prepare things for my classroom. I will probably stay up later and later as the week progresses and still wake up by 7 am.

I also have realized that vacation is now over. I had a great vacation. It was great while it lasted... but now, it is time to get to business...

I have officially started juggling my personal life, work, and school... and trying to fit the gym in there somewhere along with eating healthy.

SO FAR? I have had mild success...I could have said I'm failing, but I prefer to look at things optimistically.. I have only started....and I am sure I will get better at this as time goes by...

I can do this.

I will do this.

Even if things are already lining up against me. I will just have to rearrange that line!

In other GOOD news: I officially was notified that I received a small fellowship from Chapman, YAYYYY.

Oh, and one of my most beloved and favorite students contacted me today.. He abruptly moved away last spring and I had not heard from him since. I was able to speak with him and his mother today and I have to say it truly brought a smile to my face. It helped remind me why I do what I do and to put aside the work drama that has already been occurring at the beginning of this school year. In the end, what matters most is what I do in my classroom and what I do for my students in realizing my classroom vision. It is for students like him that I work hard and stay up late to prep materials for.... It was amazing to have a conversation with him. He truly is a sweet boy and I look forward to hearing great things from him.

Still on Vacation

Vacation is coming to an end soon.
It has been a sweet run with some eye opening moments.
I can't believe it is almost over, but I'm looking forward to the new challenges the 2010-11 year will bring.
I'm READY!

But I'm a little nervous :)

On Vacation

Just enjoying my vacation. Spending time with my family, bff, and her beautiful children... catching up on movies I have yet to see at a cinema that only costs $5!!! Woowwww definitely not in LA anymore... Eating my Nana's great cooking. Resting. Even going to the gym from time to time. Looking forward to going back to LA for a few days with my love.

Taking in each moment day by day and minute by minute.

My Mood: Genuinely happy (*Baloo*)

My Birthday Cake

It tastes as good as it looks! :D YUMMMMMMMY!
One of the best cakes I have ever tasted and it is all MINE!


Thank you my love! I know getting this cake was quite an adventure
BUT it was well worth the line and drive.

I think I'm going to have a piece now!!!

Raging Waters

I had such an amazing time at Raging Waters!

Thank you Alonzo, D, Francina, and Chris for coming through and helping to make this birthday absolutely amazing! I had a blast!

Dinner was yummy!
Looking forward to finishing up my birthday celebrations!

Classroom Birthday Party

Day 1 of Birthday Bash: GREEEAAAAT!

Made Curious George monkey masks. The kids LOVED it!

Had an interesting interaction with poppers. Lol. I didn't know they made smoke and popped so loud.

Lakers Pinata at 9am. FUN FUN FUN!

Curious George art and movie!

Domino's Pizza delivery and yummy cupcakes. I brought the kids Doritos and I even brought a lime and Tapatillo to eat the chips just the way I like! Yayyyy.

Off to a great start....

She has the missing pieces I need!

My Birthday Video PART ONE

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

My Birthday Video Cntd

Watch the rest of my video regarding my Birthday! WOOOOHOOOOOO!!!

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Vacation Time!!!!

Busy busy busy... well at least trying to make myself busy! Lol. The end of summer school is already around the corner, and I have so much left to do to close out my classroom and so much to do to prepare for the new school year! I would like to get as much done as possible before I leave the area for my vacation that way when I come back in August, most of the work has already been done. Besides, this school year I NEED TO BE more prepared than I have ever been... Especially since I start Chapman the SAME week the kids come back to school! Starting August 30th things are going to get CRAZY and I'm already anticipating the craze! I can not believe it is already July.. that my birthday is less than a week away.. the 4th of July weekend already past.... and August is almost here. Time flies!

Tech Course: Reflection on my blog

1. Explain project. How is this important (or not) in your professional development as an educator and as a 21st century teacher? I think if you look on my side bar of this blog you can see how and why this blog is important to me not only as an educator, a teacher, and professional, but also personally.

2. Link to any pertinent examples of what you created and/or what you used to help you in your project. You are looking at what I created! I created my blog! I organized it.. although I still have a long ways to go with this page to really make it my own. I intend to have fun with it this summer. I used a few different gadgets provided by Blogger and my own images. I also used Teresa Ilgunas webpage that provided many links to help me along the way.

3. Did your idea change from the beginning of the project to the end?
YES IT DID, most definitely. I originally thought I would do a 2nd project with my students. However, I decided I would use this opportunity to organize my life on the web :D lol.

A bittersweet moment: The end of an other school year

Closing out a school year is always bitter sweet. It is hard to believe that I have been teaching for four years now. The end of the school year means I have an other year under my belt. An other year of experience. An other year that I was able to get through full of many days of laughter, exhaustion, even some tears, new ideas, growth, but most importantly full of the growth of my wonderful students. There are no words to describe or explain what each one of my students mean to me and how important they are to me. I am very lucky to be their teacher. I am privileged to be their teacher and to help them reach the next phase/level in their lives. I thank God that I was given this amazing opportunity to teach.... and to teach not just anyone, but to teach the student's that are placed under my care in my classroom. Kudos to an other year.. and looking forward to the next one.

Moving forward. Taking the past with me as lessons. Never forgetting the experiences. Watching a couple of students who are dear to my heart move forward (YAY). About to welcome some new minds into my classroom.

But ready for a summer to rest, relax, reflect, think, sleep, dream, prepare..... and rejuvenate to do it all over again :D but always with a different twist.

Ph.D Summer Social

Event: Social event for incoming Ph.D students to meet students in other cohorts, recent graduates, and professors.

When: Yesterday :D

How did it go? Great!

It was a really positive experience for me and I was able to interact with many people. I met some of the amazing women who will endure this new experience with me. They seem really nice and I look forward to starting this new adventure with them.

The professors and professionals I will be working with are all wonderful people.

CHAPMAN is an extremely supportive and welcoming environment. I will get through the next few years not only because of my family and loved one, but also because of the caring faculty members at Chapman University that will truly help me get through this difficult task of attaining a doctorate degree.

We received many words of encouragement, advice, and warnings of things to do and not to do!

How do I feel? A mix of emotions. I can't believe this time is almost here. I can't believe I made it this far. I am at the tip of an iceberg, and I honestly do not know what happens next. I have already gone farther in my educational career than I could ever dream for myself. I'm scared. I know it is going to be difficult, but I'm ready for the challenge. Counting down until my 1st day of class, Tuesday August 31st.

Tech Ed Class Unit: TECHNOLOGY LESSON WITH MY STUDENTS

How did you have to adjust what you planned? I had originally planned on doing a quick power point presentation to the students regarding our trip to the zoo. However, with the help of our tech specialists we were able to make my lesson more interactive and use a computer program to allow the students to complete an assignment that went hand in hand with the presentation I showed them. We were able to use the computer lab so that each student was able to have their own computer. I was also able to show the students what to do in their activity step by step using a big screen. I had not planned on the lesson to be so interactive, and it was great to be able to improve upon my original ideas and get the students more involved in the lesson.

Did students meet your understanding goal? ABSOLUTELY. Students understand that we were going to go to the zoo and understood the content we covered. I truly believe our field trip was more successful due to this lesson. I have never had a more successful field trip and was pleasantly surprised when the students where motivated to interact in the lesson and participate in the activity afterward. (Students got to draw their zoo animals that they would see using Hyperstudio) None of my students had ever used this program nor really used a computer mouse to draw a picture. They learned about different formatting options when drawing and were able to draw very nice pictures of zoo animals with some adult assistance and verbal prompting. It was an absolute joy to watch the children have fun with the activity and to truly grasp the concept I was trying to convey to them.

Did the technology help students achieve this goal? Yes, I feel it was the technology that helped the students truly understand that we were going to the zoo, the rules for the zoo, and what the trip entailed. If it was not for technology I probably would have just printed out simple pictures or used a book and verbally explain our field trip. As my students are usually strongest with their visual learning skills and learn more using visuals, the technology appealed to their learning modality. They enjoyed the visuals that I presented to them and kept them engaged in the activity.

Did they use higher order skills? Absolutely! I often asked the students questions so that they can try to come up with the answers on their own. I also would ask the students to come to the screen and point out different parts of the presentation. Students were also required to use the computer in a way there were not familiar with. They had never used a computer for actual "work" and had always only used it to play their favorite games. Students had to learn that a computer has more than one function, which can be difficult for some of my students to understand.

Did their tech/skills improve? I believe so, they learned about Hyperstudio, they learned how to use a mouse to draw pictures, and since the activity I have seen them use other applications to draw some of their own pictures. One student even asked to use Hyperstudio again to create a dinosaur book. I think the activity helped them realize that a computer has a lot more functions besides to play games, and they learned about different keys and how to change colors and paintbrushes, etc.

What did you like about the project? I liked that we were able to use computer lab to do the lesson. This made the lesson sooooo much better than all of us huddling around my laptop and trying to do an activity over one computer. Each one of the students was able to complete their own activity on their own computer. I allowed them to be independent and instructed all the adults to only verbally prompt and not to take the mouse or type anything in for the students. It was important to me that each one of the students did the assignment on their own and to encourage them, and use positive verbal reinforcent to tell them how great they were doing and how great thier pictures looked.
What did your students like? My students enjoyed all of the visuals. They liked seeing all the pictures of animals. They also liked the sounds I added to the pictures and how some of the pictures moved in and out of the screen. They enjoyed drawing their own animals and getting an opportunity to use the computer themselves. They where very pleased when they saw their creations being printed on paper and were excited to take them home.

What could have gone smoother? I have to be honest, I think the entire 2 day lesson went completely as planned and turned out better than expected. I was surprised by the level of interest the students showed and how excited they were about going back to the computer lab the 2nd day. They wanted to see the presentation again and wanted to draw their animals and finish their zoo book. I don't think there is anything I could have changed to make the lesson smoother, however I think there are things I could have done to improve my powerpoint. I could have added more details to my presentation, made it even more interactive, and added more visuals/sounds.


Image link: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1243943