With the heat wave of summer upon us, reading is a great choice. Coffee shops, libraries and homes offer us comfy places to read and have air conditioning! :) I have really enjoyed reading this summer. I haven't read all sci-fi or all fantasy - I have stretched and read professional development books, required freshman reading, graphic novels, a book from 1956 and books about my faith. I have to say my favorite is the one in the middle - ROLLER GIRL by Victoria Jamieson. She captures perfectly how it feels to "grow up" and move on when friends are changing. It reminded me so much of my own transition from middle to high school...
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Today I had the opportunity to go with a new friend, Mrs. North, to Houston Prep at U of H Downtown. She was teaching classes on binary coding through code.org and building connections and relationships with students. She asked me to join her and I was excited to see her in action! Last year, at SBMS we participated in Hour of Code for the first time. It was amazing. If you don't know much about it, then you must check out the video below to find out more about how many ways it can change and affect students' lives for good!
On a personal note, I completed my Hour of Code using the Frozen activities. I loved Frozen and even dressed up as Elsa for my niece's birthday party, so I was ready to tackle the code. I started and was having so much fun making all different shapes and having success. I noticed as I moved up through the levels that the activities increased in difficulty. I saw terms like 180 degrees and other math terms and I started to get nervous. See, in school, I struggled with math, especially in high school. I barely passed geometry - I am convinced it's because of tutorials that I earned my credit. Thankfully, I had a wonderful library aide, Meredith, who is a great encourager. She saw (and heard) that I was struggling so she helped me think through some of my steps, cheered me on and clapped for me when I finished. I felt like I had tackled a geometry beast. I was so proud and showed off my picture to my friends at lunch, my mom, my sisters, my niece and nephew, and anyone else who would listen! I was amazed at how much it boosted my confidence. So this morning when I was getting ready, I noticed my Girl Scout vest hanging in my closet. That is my vest from Troop 502 in Katy, Texas! I found it recently to show my niece who is going into kindergarten this year. (I'm probably more excited than she is but that is OK!) If you notice, there is a badge with 0s and 1s on it. That is BINARY code. So that means way back when I was in Girl Scouts, most likely Brownies, I learned about binary code and received a badge. Today I have come full circle. Now I am pushing for students at SBMS to have access to coding, technology, relationships and networking. It is not all about computers. It is about how to use technology - not just computers - to help us reach our full potential. I am so thankful for the opportunity to do that at SBMS! I know it's still summer, but I am getting super excited about our upcoming school year! Get ready, Bears, it's going to be a GREAT one! Love, Ms. Smith |
AuthorMs. Smith, SBMS PhotosArchives
January 2017
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