My Amazing Student!

Saturday, March 28th, marked an amazing day (for me) as an educator. I proudly watched one of my fourth grade students show maturity beyond her years. Jackie Cruz and I had the privilege of taking part in "A Day in the Life" at Stockton University. This was a successful event as over 40 potential incoming freshmen filled our classroom to take part in an interactive activity that Dr. Ackerman had designed.

The highlight of the lesson? One of my fourth grade students! This young lady had just learned how to create a Thinglink earlier in the week. In fact, on Tuesday, I showed her Karrie's Tool Time screencast and then taught her how to use the tool.

In preparation for "A Day in the Life", I encouraged this young lady to teach my fourth grade class...and SHE DID! She took charge and, on Thursday, every student learned how to create a Thinglink. In fact, she took over so much, that one of my other students asked if I was retired. I thought that was quite funny.

The amazing part of this entire story was, indeed, Saturday's event. My student was poised, professional, engaging, and just down right cute. She took charge and taught the participants at Stockton's "A Day in the Life" how to create a Thinglink. They were amazed that this fourth grader knew so much about this really cool tech tool. As they engaged in the planned activity of creating their own Thinglink, my lovely student circulated around the room and helped when the need arose.

In the end, most student left the room deciding that Stockton University was the place for them (even the students that were "on the fence" coming in). Goal accomplished...thanks to this amazing young teacher in the making!

Watch below as my student teaches Rieck Avenue 4th graders how to create a Thinglink.

Creative Collaboration

Creativity is important and the ability to come up with fresh ideas is not easy. We have discussed, in attribute #4, when adults are ready to learn they will gravitate toward learning experiences that offer a social development benefit. Creative collaboration is a perfect way to take advantage of this social opportunity. 

"Innovation is not about solo genius, it's about collective genius."

                                                                                             -Linda Hill

Below, is a video that I found to be interesting video about Pixar, and how their creative team works together to create an amazing product.

Spring Break

I hope everyone has enjoyed their spring break. Here are some pictures from the Business Etiquette Dinner at Stockton University that took place on March 4th. It was fun and very informative. Photos were taken by Dr. Ackerman.

Networking Before Dinner

Listening to Presentation Intently

Anthony Monaco offering some great advice to all who were present.
"It's not about the food. It's about the interview."

Time for Networking After Dinner

The Meal was Delicious...esp. Dessert!

The Press of Atlantic City wrote a nice article about this event entitled

Stockton Students Get Lesson in How to Dine

The Entrepreneurial Spirit

Tom Simmons

Older video...but a good one.  New Site TheEdgeCode

        My husband, Tom, shared a profound quote with me earlier this week as we were sitting and having sushi together. In fact, he said it was one of his favorites of all time.

Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.

                                                                                                                                                                                                     -Senica

   
        When I asked him what this quote meant to him, his face lit up as he explained the following:

           When you surround yourself with positive and successful people, including a company you believe in,  everyone is challenged to be at their best. In other words,  be great for the people you work with and also for your customers. In a growing company like Wawa, there are always going to be opportunities. The key is, when you are at your best, you are prepared.

            Perfect example is what I tell my team when I'm talking to them about the three priorities of a leader: view your experiences with Wawa as the three legs of a stool..each leg supporting an ideal that successful employees share within the company. These ideals are:

1. Business Building - Seek opportunities and execute programs that are rolled out to the highest standard. 
2. People and Team Development - Build your team and develop individuals. 
3. Personal Development - You can't have success with business building and team building without being educated and informed.  

        These three attributes, along with having a great work ethic, will position a person for success...and that's where the opportunity comes in.


      Tom has been with Wawa for a little more than thirty years and has worked his way up the corporate ladder. Starting in his career, he was a part time employee, moving boxes and waiting on customers. His leadership skills and passion for the company have been cultivated through education, intense training, and hard work. He is invested and passionate about what he does and that is where his entrepreneurial spirit has helped him to have success.



Cathy Brooks
     Cathy Brooks was a very dear childhood friend of mine. We spent every summer together gleefully playing on the beaches in Ventnor, riding bikes on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, and enjoying late day picnics with our families after long days in the sun. She was my go-to friend that I only saw in the summer months, as we both lived and attended school elsewhere throughout the year.

     As many friends often do, we drifted apart when we were in high school. Jobs, activities, and life just happened, and we just didn't see each other any more. However, just recently, through happenstance, I found an old photo of us (we were probably 5 or 6 years old)  running on the beach.

     I had forgotten all about this picture and noticed it at my parent's house (during the holiday season) laying on the bed in the spare bedroom. It had been taken professionally for the Miss America Pageant program at the time (highlighting life on the beaches of Atlantic City). My family and Cathy's family were all given copies. Funny thing about this photo... it seems to be the catalyst to us...reconnecting!

      After taking a picture of this funny old photo with my cell phone, I decided to look Cathy up to see if I could find her on Facebook. Through some persistence, I finally found her, and sent her the photo with a message attached (this was during the holiday season). Sadly, there was no reply. I had given in to the fact that she was just too busy in her life and I had accepted that. Much to my surprise, she messaged me on Facebook and friend requested me just a week ago(two months later). She opened her "other" folder...as she stated in her reply...and wrote me the best response ever! Funny...she said... that same photo was in her library. She went on to explain that she had been looking at it and was in the process of trying to find the perfect frame. Love that story!

     Cathy is the embodiment of the entrepreneurial spirit! She's been involved in journalism, radio, public speaking, PR,  and has networked with a plethora of start-up gurus (i.e.Tony Hsieh- Zappos, Larry Page & Sergey Brin - Google Co-founders ). She serves as an inspiration to many who attend her seminars, cross her path, and are a part of her thriving business. As you watch the video below, you will learn about how she came to opening her own business in Las Vegas (called The Hydrant Club... "a social spot for urban canines and their people" - Cathy Brooks). Her energy seems to be contagious and can serve as a lesson to those of us who are trying to find our way.


Adult Learning
       As we continue to focus on the attributes of an adult learner, I look forward to sharing more ideas with one another (adult learning at its best). Tom and Cathy are two special people who have inspired me. Who inspires you? 

     Better yet...Do you have an entrepreneurial spirit? Is your life path going to lead you to a desired outcome? Are you a risk taker? These are questions that I will continue to ask myself as my life's path continues to lead me in a diverging direction.

Watch below how Cathy, the planner, had a life changing experience.

An accident may be a very bad way to plan a career, but Serendipity is a great way to get a life.

                                                                                                       - Cathy Brooks

Find Out More About Cathy's Business Below

Hydrant Club

What a life!

Food for Thought

      Why are you in Graduate School? What are your goals in life? What do you want to do with your degree when you are done? These are questions that I am asked all of the time by friends and family. I always get funny looks or silent stares when I answer "I'm really not sure...I am figuring that out as I go."
       Initially, I began this journey hoping to become a better teacher. In fact, Amy and Missy (Amy's GA at the time) came along and made a very convincing argument to our Millville group as to why we should all join the MAIT family. Thank goodness I decided to attend that meeting!!! That was my "motivation"-my-"Need to Know" moment. My Trigger, so to speak.
     I had only originally intended to take one or two classes and then I was hooked on MAIT. In fact, my first class was with Amy and I can remember feeling very overwhelmed. Thank goodness it was  a  face-to-face meeting. I knew, right away, that her class was going to be rigorous! Indeed, it was a lot of work, but the assignments were meaningful. In the end, it was worth every moment. I learned so much!!
     It was then that my purpose became different. My need to become a better teacher became a need to become a better me!! So, I continued that journey to merely see where it would lead.
    Steve Jobs once talked about connecting the dots in his life and how it was impossible to do so while he was in college. However...connecting those dots was very clear for him looking back ten years later. This is so true for me! How about you? What type of path are you creating for yourself right now? This is a question that I didn't really think about too much when I was younger. Funny, because I drive my own children crazy with this question all of the time!!

How Incredibly Successful People Think.......Hmmm....Interesting! 

Laughter is the Best Medicine!

So...in the midst of all of this talk about PARCC testing, I thought this quote might be therapeutic. 

Needing some comic relief??

Check out the videos below!!

My husband and sons were in stitches while watching this. They work for WaWa, so they are familiar with conference call experiences. I am not...so much. Those of you in the MBA program, or anyone who has had experience with conference calls...this one is for you. 

"Selfies Anonymous"

Week Three

    I had the opportunity to attend a workshop in my school district this past Friday. The morning's focus was on Dyslexia. The afternoon's focus was on diversity in the classroom with a focus on the learning disabled student and what it's like for such a student in school.  The presenters were very informative and I was very intrigued and moved by the topic.

     I can honestly say that there is always a situation that I find myself in where I really struggle to figure out how to help a student learn. I always imagine how difficult it must be for those students to conform to our rigorous curriculum. It can be challenging, in this day and age when the push is to "pass a test",  to try and find ways to make learning fun. As an educator, I do agree that it's so important to build confidence and excitement within all students. We all need to be patient and have compassion when helping anyone, especially those who struggle with any type of learning disability. Someone once said that we might forget what we say to a student after a few seconds, but the student will remember for a lifetime.

   I wanted to share a short video clip about an amazing person who has a inspirational story. His name is Willard Wigan. In this video, Willard talks about growing up with Dyslexia and he shares a sad memory about how his teacher made him feel when he was in high school. Interestingly enough, Willard used the pain that he felt from his teachers comment to serve as motivation to become the artist that he is today. Now, Willard has an amazing talent that he is sharing with the world.

     My son Scott shared his favorite quote with me just a few minutes ago. I feel that this is a great way to end my blog for this week.

Week Two

    As we begin to delve into the semester, I continue to look for meaningful information to help me to gain a more complete understanding of what "adult learning" encompasses.  

    Before this class started, I pictured adults sharing ideas and thoughts in a more professional development atmosphere. Since I am an educator, and have been for 17 years, my thoughts centered around learning in an educational setting. Lately, we've been inundated with PARCC assessment strategies and information, so naturally, all of my thoughts centered around professional development for the PARCC.

    I found an article on elearningindustry.com that includes some simple but good explanations about adult learning. As I read through this I had many aha moments. First of all, I can see these characteristics in myself as an adult learner. Specifically, with regards to being less open-minded and more resistant to change, I do agree that I tend to be somewhat rigid in my thoughts (at first). But that's only because I've learned, throughout my years, not to accept anything at face value. However, I do feel that I am often open to new ideas and approaches. How about you?

My Animal Learning Style

     I know this is very silly, but I thought I'd put my hyena post in my blog this week. I used blabbarize.com which is a very easy tool to use. My original post was in the water cooler, but I had a couple of people say that they were having difficult with the link. I hope this brings a smile to your face!

"Learning is what most adults will do for a living in the 21st century."

S. J. Perelman

Welcome Back!

     I'm looking forward to this upcoming semester with everyone.  

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

Maya Angelou